'Wondering why we have called you here, I'm assuming you are?'
Sol faced Master Yoda who sat in his small, round chair. The conference room was filled with all the members of the Jedi Council, as the capture and rescue of Chancellor Palpatine called for their emergency presence in the temple. It never grew any less daunting for Sol to stand in front of the Council, and Obi-wan's presence was lost among the Jedi Masters that stared at the woman in the centre of the room.
'Yes, Master. It was a sudden summoning considering that Master Kenobi was in charge of the rescue of Chancellor Palpatine,' Sol said to her ex-Master, but was addressing the whole Council with her manners.
She remembered the rejection for her meeting with the Council about why she was blocked from the communications about Ahsoka's trial, and she couldn't help but have a bad taste in the mouth about the Jedi Masters. The usual excuse of the Order being busy with the clone wars in faraway systems had run thin, but Sol never received an answer, much like every other question she asked the Jedi Council. So, the summoning for a meeting came as a surprise for Sol, and she hoped that it wasn't because of the many things she wanted to keep quiet.
'We have discussed your position in the Order, and have seen some very impressive things from you, Sol,' Master Windu said, and the compliment was given with the hint of a painful smile. 'Master Kenobi has always had a good report of you, and your clone captain, Des, has been able to succeed under your leadership.'
'Thank you, Master Windu,' Sol bowed her head.
'Your request into the Jedi Council as a Master was heard from Grand Master Yoda,' Master Aayla Secura spoke up, making Sol's head whip around to the Twi'lek. She had been with Master Yoda when the Order found Sol, and it was only fitting for the woman to deliver a part of the news. At the smile on her blue lips and at the proud look in her eyes, Sol realised why she had been summoned so suddenly.
'Granted you Master status, we have. On the Jedi Council, you now are.'
Sol's knees grew weak and the elevation in her chest made her shoulders hike upwards. A grin crossed her face and a twinkle formed in her violet eyes. Her hands came up to her chest to link together and the smiles that formed on the Council members' faces made Sol believe that what she thought she heard had been true. With a look at Obi-wan, Sol couldn't believe that she had been suggested for the role, and how Obi-wan had been able to keep it a secret up until this point. His wide smile made his eyes turn into crescent moons and Sol knew that he had been anticipating this moment for a long time.
'Oh kriff, thank you so much,' Sol said with her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. 'It's such an honour to have this opportunity. I'm... so excited to work alongside you all.'
'The rest of the Jedi Order will be informed after this meeting,' Master Windu said, smiling more than Sol had ever seen the man do in her time of knowing him. 'Congratulations, Sol.'
'Earned this, you have,' Master Yoda said, and Sol stared at her ex-Master in a new light. His aged eyes looked at his ex-student with such pride, that it made Sol tear up. She thought that she had been forgotten about by her own Master, but he had been thinking about her in more ways than she had thought.
With a sniffle of her nose, Sol glanced down to her feet to keep her composure. She wanted to cry out of pure joy, but as a Master, she had to be professional. A few blinks cleared her eyes and Sol raised her head to bow properly to the Council, now their equal in the Jedi Order.
At the meetings dismissal, Sol tried not to rush out of the conference room like she wanted so badly to do. After some pats on the shoulders in congratulations, Sol stopped out in the corridor and brought her commlink to her mouth. She found Anakin's contact and immediately tapped it, bouncing on her heels like she was on a psychedelic spice.
'Ani!'
'Solaris, are you coming to-'
'Are you at Padme's?!'
'Maker! What's your problem?-'
'I'll be over in a sec! Don't leave!'
'I won't, but what is it-'
Sol cut the connection and went to run off to her speeder that wasin the temple's speeder park, but was stopped by a call of her name. She whipped around and saw Obi-wan and Master Secura standing together. Their faces were warm with smiles and as the rest of the Council went their separate ways down the corridor, the two motioned Sol over. As much as she wanted to rush to her speeder and tell the amazing news to Anakin and Padme, Sol was happy to talk to the people who had granted her the ultimate opportunity.
'Congratulations, young one,' Master Secura said, her hands on her hips and her lekku dangling down her back. Sol always found the Master to be incredibly beautiful and had admired her ever since she arrived at the police station in the lower levels of the city.
'You have no idea how hard it's been keeping my mouth shut about it,' Obi-wan rolled his eyes dramatically and Sol couldn't help but laugh. 'But you've worked so hard for this. There wasn't much doubt in the discussion.'
'Thank you, Obi-wan,' Sol grinned and felt the prick in her eyes return from the thought of his presence in her life throughout the years. 'Really, Master, you... you've done so much for me...'
Without thinking, Sol threw her arms around his shoulders and forced an embrace. She knew it was not the Jedi way to express gratitude by touch to other Jedi, but she couldn't control herself. Obi-wan had done nothing but help Sol since meeting her, and he had been the one to always listen when she was troubled. He was her only father figure, and she was so overwhelmed that she had to show her gratitude in a way other than some polite words and bows.
'Oh, Sol, you'll make him cry,' Sol heard Master Secura say and she pulled away, seeing that the Twi'lek had thrown her head back to laugh.
Obi-wan had dropped his grin and was looking emotional with a creased forehead and watery blue eyes. He had lightly embraced the young woman in return before the tears prickled his own eyes, and it made Sol relieved to know that he held a similar feeling for her as she did for him.
'Oh, be quiet, Aayla,' Obi-wan shushed the woman and used the sleeve of his robe to cover his right eye. 'Seeing the journey of a student becoming a Master is one of life's greatest gifts. It's the Force's way of congratulating a Master who has watched a Padawan grow.'
Sol knew Obi-wan was proud of her, he just couldn't say it in respect of the Jedi's way of no attachments nor expression of feelings. She was happy to see him breaking the shell of being Jedi Order's model Jedi, and it was all for her.
Sol also knew that if Ahsoka was still here, she would be throwing her foot down with a whine at why she wasn't even a Knight yet. But in Sol's eyes, Ahsoka was a Knight before she left the Order.
---
'Sit down, sit down!'
'Shall I call for tea?'
'No, Padme, just sit down!'
'We can sit on the new balcony! It's beautiful, and I want you guys to-'
'Just sit, Senator!'
Padme pouted and flopped down next to Anakin on the sofa. Anakin looked bemused at the interaction and saw how plump with happiness Sol's face was. With a pink tint, Sol sent C3-PO away as he fussed over them to be of service, before she fell onto the opposite sofa. Anakin and Padme had been in talks about the Chancellor's return when Sol rushed through the elevator doors and demanded that they sit for her big news.
'This better be good, Solaris. We were having so much fun talking about politics, that I want to get back to it-'
'I got promoted to Master.'
Anakin froze and Padme let out a loud gasp. Sol sat with her teeth showing in a wide grin and with her hands threaded together in her lap. She studied the two and anticipated Padme's reaction, making her prepared for the embrace that the senator crushed her in. Padme leapt over the coffee table and squeezed her friend in an embrace, yelling into her ear her congratulations.
'Sol, that's so wonderful!' Padme said. 'All your worrying about recognition was for nothing! I told you it would all work out!'
Sol laughed and mirrored Padme's wide grin and glowing cheeks. The senator pulled away from Sol at the presence of Anakin, who made his way from the sofa over to the two embracing women. Padme stepped back and Sol turned her attention to him, looking up and hoping that Anakin would be as happy to hear the news as she was. At the sight of his gapping mouth and wide eyes, Sol saw that Anakin was shocked and unaware of the promotion just as much as she was.
'Obi-wan's been keeping it a secret for a while. The Council just told me,' Sol exclaimed, reaching out to place her hands on either side of Anakin's arms.
'Sol, that's...' when he used her usual name, Sol panicked, but it faded when he finished. 'Amazing. It's so brilliant, oh, my darling...'
She hadn't expected Anakin to take hold of her face and press his lips to hers. They didn't kiss often, but when they did, it was something special. With his eyes closed and his hands on Sol's cheeks, Anakin let his soft lips pucker against hers and indulged in their softness. Sol was able to power her hands to rest on Anakin's small waist and was grateful for his hands that tilted her head up to face his in the kiss. Sol barely had the time to enjoy the moment before he pulled away, but the wide grin on his face afterwards was enough for her to want more.
'I'm so proud of you, Solaris,' he whispered with his face hovering near hers. His gloved thumb stroked her cheek and his other hand lowered to rest on the side of her neck, allowing him to feel the thumping of her pulse.
'I'm calling for Merenzane Gold! This has to be celebrated!' Padme cried, but the Jedi were barely listening. She rushed to call for C3-PO to head down to the kitchen and briefly left the two to have a moment in private.
'I had asked about it, but I never thought I would actually be considered,' Sol shook her head in disbelief. 'Ani, you could be next. There's no way they would pass you up. After the rescue mission, they have to promote you, as well.'
'We'll see about that.'
Anakin chuckled before bringing his face down to kiss Sol once more. This time, Sol slid her eyes shut and welcomed the feeling of his plump lips against hers. It was a short one, as Padme was still in the living space, but it was enough to make Sol's heart flutter and for their Force signatures to thread together in perfect harmony.
'But I have to ask, and don't take this the wrong way,' Anakin started once they pulled away. 'What about our plan? About getting married?'
'What about it? It will still happen. I would give the Master status up in an instant if the Council found out,' Sol shrugged her shoulders. 'There's still the bigger picture, this is just a small part of it.'
'Maker, I love you. You're so beautiful and amazing, I just... can't believe you're here... with me.'
Sol let out a yelp as Anakin lifted her into his arms and spun her around. Anakin grinned as Sol burst out into fits of giggles and the crinkles next to Anakin's eyes appeared from the stretch of his lips. Sol loved to see the glee in his face, and she felt weightless in his hold. He took steps towards the balcony but was stopped by Padme's call with C3-PO hurrying after her with drinks.
'I want to show you the new balcony!' she cried. 'The renovations have just been completed, along with something else that I think you two will love. It's the perfect opportunity to show you!'
Anakin lowered Sol down to her feet but kept his arms around her as Padme scurried towards her bedroom. C3-PO's hissing joints sounded and the rattling of ice in their drinks followed, making Sol and Anakin glance at each other with confused looks. None the less, Anakin took her hand in his and led her after the senator and after his old protocol droid.
Through Padme's grand bedroom and her mighty wardrobe of dresses and shoes, the Jedi were shocked to see the extension made to her apartment. Hidden away from the main area of the penthouse, was another grand bedroom. How Padme made it possible, they didn't know, but they stood in awe as the senator rushed about the room showing them the ensuite bathroom and bedroom features.
'And out this window, is the new balcony!' Padme opened the double doors that showed the other side of the city, and a grand balcony.
With a lowered living space, the balcony extended as a parking space for a single speeder. The sun sets to the right of the balcony, which was blocked off to prevent the space from getting too hot from its intense flares. But the most notably thing about it, was that it faced away from the Jedi Temple.
'This is amazing, Padme,' Sol voiced as she took a glass from C3-PO. She thanked the droid, before looking back at the senator who stood beaming in the lowered living space.
'It's for you two.'
'What?!' Anakin and Sol exclaimed in unison. Their eyes were wide and Anakin, who had just grabbed his own glass from C3-PO, froze in his action.
'Master Ani, are you alright?' the droid asked at the man's frozen state, but he didn't bother to answer.
'What do you mean it's for us?!' Sol was able to force out. She knew that Padme always wanted the best for the two who were in a forbidden relationship, but to make them their own space in her personal apartment was going above and beyond.
'You two deserve somewhere that's away from the temple. This is much bigger than those pitiful sleeping quarters you have, and it's separate from the main apartment, so no one would even know that you were here,' Padme explained, sipping her drink with sparkling eyes. 'Sol, your speeder can go here, and it's facing away from the temple, so it's not like you would be spotted. I wanted to do this for you two. No need to thank me.'
Anakin stepped to be beside Sol, who was yet to move from her state of shock. He looked around the tall ceiling and glanced back at the bedroom that held a large bed for the two of them to sleep in. Anakin couldn't count how many nights he wished to sneak into Sol's quarters and leave before dawn broke to avoid being caught by other Jedi. The situation at Padme's apartment was perfect, and they had gotten a small taste of what it was like to sleep together when Padme was on Naboo for two weeks. But now, Anakin could sleep next to Sol every night, and they could prepare to spend the rest of their lives together.
'This... this is too much, Padme,' Anakin let out through his dizziness. 'Thank you, but how could we ever repay you?'
'Count it as an early wedding present.'
Sol's eyes finally shifted from their absent stare and she saw the cheeky smile on Padme's lips. So much had happened to Sol in the past twenty-four hours that she thought she would implode. Everyone in her life had been so kind to her, beyond what she had ever expected. She was a Shan, she was wholefully in-love with Anakin Skywalker, she was a Jedi Master, and the war would soon end with peace in the galaxy.
Sol couldn't believe it, and because of the string of surprises, Sol had completely forgotten about her worry for the dark spots in Anakin's Force signature.