A spring was in Jedi Knight Sol's step. As she made her way down the halls of the temple, she attempted to restrain the grin that tried to stretch across her face. Jedi and clones walked past her, Captain Des even bowing his head in a greeting to his general, and Sol was happy to greet every person who she saw in the hallways.
She left Revan in the foyer of the temple with a thousand 'thank you's. After Revan confirmed the mystery that had taken Sol for months, she felt like nothing could bring her down. They agreed that they were blood cousins and were the last remainders of the Shan family. Sol could now refer to herself as Sol Shan, the descendant of the great Jedi Knight and Master, Satele Shan. Revan was her family, and despite only knowing him a short time, Sol hoped that they would keep in touch and have a connection as relatives.
As Sol made her way down the hall to the conference room, she thought about telling Anakin and Obi-wan about her findings. But at the thought of Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi Order, Sol was conflicted.
If she told Anakin that she had found out about her heritage, Anakin would be joyous at first. He knew how much Sol longed to know where she came from, and who she was besides being an orphan for as long as she could remember. But if Sol knew Anakin, and she liked to think that she knew him well, he would be intelligent enough to draw the conclusion that she found the information out from Revan Shan. And since Revan was the only one with Ahsoka when they were near the hanger at the time of the explosion, Anakin would work out that Revan was there to break into the Jedi records.
Anakin's emotions had been running on a high as of late, and Sol wasn't certain if he would be predictable with his reaction. He could feel betrayed that Sol kept her investigation into the Shan name from him.
Anakin Skywalker was stubborn and Sol was sure that no matter what she said, his hurt from her secret keeping would conquer his judgement. It would appear to him that Sol didn't trust him enough to tell him her secret.
Not only this, but Anakin could blame Revan for the first suspicions from the Council about Ahsoka, and therefore see Sol as the centre of the whole mess.
Sol was deep in her new conflict when the door to the conference room opened before she could reach it. She paused as she saw the Jedi Council exit in a group before heading in her direction. With eyes jumping from face-to-face, Sol watched in confusion as the Jedi Masters caught sight of her in the hallway.
'Sol, I'm glad we caught you,' Master Mace Windu said from the front of the group. Despite his attempt at a kind look, Sol knew that the dark-skinned man was not in the mood to appear welcoming. With his over robe on his shoulders, Master Windu stood with Master Plo Koon and Master Secura by his side. When Sol tried to look at the two, they avoided her confused stare.
'Are we taking the meeting elsewhere?' Sol questioned.
'No,' Master Windu said. 'It's been cancelled.'
'What?'
Sol thought she was used to the disappointment from Jedi Masters, but the feeling never felt less painful. The heavy ball that sunk from her chest and into her stomach burned and simmered at her flesh. A sigh wanted to exhale from her lips, and she was aware of Master Secura and Master Kenobi's particularly regretful stares.
Sol caught the blue eyes of Obi-wan from over Master Kid-Mundi's shoulder and she wanted to push them all aside to speak to him directly. He knew how Sol felt about being kept out of the loop without an explanation, and yet, it was happening again with both of them as a witness.
'We will not be discussing the matter of your placement on Hoth, nor the transmissions about the attack on the temple that you did not receive,' Master Windu informed without an ounce of sympathy in his voice. 'There may be time to reschedule, but I'm sure that you know that we are extremely busy. I'm sorry if we have upheaved any of your plans with this cancellation.'
Without another word, Master Windu looked away from Sol's pleading eyes and walked around her. She felt his purple Force signature as he passed, and she noticed how there wasn't an ounce of emotion in the simmering flames of his presence. Master Windu didn't seem to care that Sol had been pushed aside yet again.
As each Council member walked past Sol, she felt their signatures attempt to hide their sympathy. Master Secura slipped a hand onto Sol's shoulder as she passed, and Master Kenobi stopped to briefly console her with a softness in his eyes. He gave her a look that told her that he would see her in the cafeteria that evening, before he too walked away and left Sol empty.
Before Sol thought about whipping around and screaming at the Council that headed down the hallway, she caught sight of the last Council member that she hadn't yet spotted. She wouldn't let him hobble away this time and, in this situation, she would use her height to her advantage.
'Master Yoda, I wish to speak to you directly-'
'Time, I do not have, Sol,' Master Yoda went to walk past her.
'Master, please, I have to get some answers.'
Sol stepped to the side and stopped the small green man from continuing after his Council. As the Grand Master, the final decision to cancel their meeting with Sol would have been his call. Sol had originally planned to talk to Master Yoda directly after the Council meeting, but she would now force him to have the meeting with her and voice her concerns all at once.
'Wait, they can,' Master Yoda shifted to the side with a glance up at his ex-Padawan. 'More missions, there are. Schedule a talk with me, you can, but not now.'
Sol was helpless as her ex-Master passed her and didn't look back. She turned and felt her hands clench into fists at the sight of Master Yoda's robbed back. He was slow as he walked, giving Sol the chance to catch up with him. But she knew that even if she followed him and pleaded for his ear, Master Yoda would still shrug her off with his croaky grumbles and groans.
'Master Yoda, please!' Sol called in desperation. 'I've been kept in the dark for so long! You can't keep doing this to me!'
Master Yoda paused. Sol felt a shred of hope when the man's long ears turned, and she was able to see his small face once more. With his three-fingered claws on top of his walking stick, Master Yoda's green eyes looked at his past student who stood three metres away. The hallway was empty, leaving the duo to stare at each other without a disturbance.
'Doing what, may I ask?' Master Yoda said with a raise of his eyebrows. Sol exhaled carefully, believing this could be her only moment to get an explanation. If she held on to the luck she seemed to already have from today, Sol could make this day one of explanations and resolutions.
'Master Yoda, I feel like other Jedi have been able to excel in their duties, while I have been stuck in one place,' Sol started, trying to hold her voice steady. 'Even though I was made a Knight rather quickly, I still feel like I don't have a lot under my belt-'
'General, you became. Your own clone legion, you have, with a good captain, yes! Captain Des is a good leader. Not enough, is this?'
'N-No, Master, that's not what I mean,' Sol shook her head frantically. 'Becoming a general was certainly a promotion that I am proud of. But I mean things like not being informed, like with the bombing while I was on Hoth, and about other missions-'
'Tapped, transmissions can be. Classified, the information was. The temple was on lockdown, we could not have a leak to our enemies,' Master Yoda cut her off and Sol was beginning to grow frustrated.
'I understand that, Master, but why wasn't I ordered back to Hoth earlier, then? There was no activity there from the start, and I could have helped with the investigation. I knew Ahsoka well, so I-'
'Private trial, Tano's was. No help here, you would have been. Hoth needed to be surveyed, and a base there, there now is. A help to the Order, this will be.'
'But Master, what about-'
'Enough, Sol. More pressing matters at hand, there are,' Master Yoda went to hobble off again, but Sol couldn't let him leave.
'Master, I was told that I am a representative of the light side of the Force. Why am I being locked away like this?'
Sol had planned to say this in front of the Jedi Council, but she would suffice with the hearing from Master Yoda alone. It had the effect she hoped for, and Master Yoda was no longer planning to scurry away to avoid Sol's questioning.
She stood with jittering fingers and her teeth nibbled at her bottom lip as her ex-Master closed his eyes with a visible sigh. The wiry grey eyebrows of the Grand Master arched, and wrinkles creased on his leathery forehead. He even lifted a hand from his walking stick to his temple, as if massaging the troublesome thoughts from his head.
'Where... did you hear this?' Master Yoda said as if he was fearful of the answer.
'I was visited by a Force ghost.'
'Hm,' he closed his eyes again before looking at Sol directly. 'Knew this, we did. But have you answer, we thought you would.'
'My answer?'
Master Yoda hobbled back over to Sol. She was surprised by this but waited for him to stop in front of her. When he did, Sol looked down at him and resisted the urge to crouch down and shake an answer out of the fragile Master roughly. She had exposed part of her secret, and she didn't want to expose anymore. She was so close, and she felt Master Yoda's troubled mind through the Force. This could be it.
'Informed us of this ghost, Kenobi did. Part of your destiny, we thought it was. Tell you why we do this, we thought they would.
Light side of the Force, you are strong with. Why I trained you personally, it is. But when there is light, there is dark. Corruptible, you are, Sol. Dark times are ahead, and the Council want to be sure you are prepared.
Chosen One, we still think you are. But another, there is. Skywalker, as you may know, could be the Chosen One, also. Prepared, we must be. A beacon of the light side for the Order, you will need to be.'
Sol hated to admit that she knew most of what Master Yoda revealed. Satele had told her that dark times were coming, and that Sol was an important part of the Force's light. But she never told her if Sol was the Chosen One, and it seemed that the Jedi Council still didn't know, either.
It was common knowledge among Jedi that those who were strong with the Force could be susceptible to the dark side's pull. But if Sol was a subject of the light, why would the Council be so concerned with her corruption? There were other Jedi that were strong with the Force's light side, like Master Kenobi. Why would they not trust her?
'But what about Anakin, Master?' Sol tried. 'Why do you not do the same to him if he could also be the Chosen One? He is strong with the Force, perhaps even more than myself. How come he is not treated the same?'
'Tell you, I cannot. That is to be discussed with the Council only.'
Sol huffed, making her bangs fly upwards. She thought she was getting somewhere, but as soon as the subject of Anakin was brought up, Master Yoda closed off again. His dismissive nature was back, and Sol thought it was odd considering she had gotten more information out of Master Yoda than she had ever did. The mention of Satele's ghost seemed to change the Grand Master's perspective on keeping Sol uninformed, but the change of subject had brought the conversation to a halt.
'Well, can I apply to be on the Council?' Sol never thought about being a part of the Jedi Council, but if it meant answers, she would do it.
'Hm. Master, you will have to become,' Master Yoda appeared to be thinking to himself and Sol was prepared for a rejection. 'Put it to the Council, I will.'
Sol's eyebrows shot up and her throat clogged with a cough. She suppressed a splutter as Master Yoda began to hobble down the hall away from her. Never had she thought that she would ask Master Yoda something and then have it deliberated without a solid rejection. Sol stood dumbfounded as her ex-Master bid her goodbye while he made his way down the hall. With her answers somewhat given and her spontaneous request considered, Sol let her Master walk away like he had so desperately wanted.
Tonight, Sol would have much to talk about with Anakin, and Sol hoped he would be willing to listen.