Sol drove her yellow speeder into the city where she would find her usual, secret parking space. With Anakin in the passenger seat, they needed to be inconspicuous on how they arrived at and left the Jedi Temple every day. They couldn't be seen arriving together every morning in the same speeder, or leaving together every evening, so they had found a parking complex in the city. They then take a shuttle bus to and from the temple, which was usually full of other Jedi who chose to live off-site, making Sol and Anakin's joint travels nothing more than coincidence. If they were asked, they would say that they both no longer used their temple quarters and had bought apartments elsewhere.
Lowering the speeder into the complex, the sun's rays were blocked by the surrounding buildings. It was the perfect hiding place for the brightest coloured speeder that was so painfully identifiable, and it was nearly impossible for those from the Order to pass by and somehow see it. The buildings around it were wide and tall, and it was close to the shuttle bus station. And if someone ever asked why Sol took the bus when she had a speeder, Anakin would but in and say,
'She's terrified of the traffic near the Ryloth embassy. Fragile thing, she is.'
Sol would uphold the act and glare at Anakin but let the teasing play as her excuse.
She turned off the engine and went to join Anakin on the other side of the vehicle. But as she went to bump her shoulder with his as a lasting sign of affection, Anakin turned in a different direction. She stopped in her pursuit to the temple and looked at his back in confusion.
'Ani? Where are you going?' she called after him. Anakin turned around and raised an eyebrow at her confused look.
'To see the Chancellor. He requested to see me,' he pointed over his shoulder with a nonchalant tone. 'Don't worry, I'll be there for the meeting.'
Sol wanted so badly to take Anakin's arm and drag him to the shuttle bus that was headed for the Jedi Temple. She wanted to forcefully remove him from the Chancellor's hold and keep him from ever venturing to the Senate building again. But she couldn't. He had to make his own decisions and believe that what the Chancellor was doing was wrong on his accord.
'Okay... I'll see you there,' Sol said, feigning an understanding nod and smile.
'See you, bright eyes.'
Anakin gave her a smile and turned to head towards the Senate. Sol stood for a moment, watching him head for the stairs that would lead to a pathway. As he descended down and disappeared from view, Sol remembered last night's dream. She knew it was Anakin's voice, and he had asked how you could learn to prevent people from dying. Not only did she fear the fact that he was undoubtably talking to Chancellor Palpatine about this, but it was something that was not the ways of the Jedi.
Dying was natural. It was an entry into the Force, and if the Jedi is skilled in their connection and training, they could become a Force ghost. But the Jedi Order always saw dying as the next step in a Jedi's progress to complete peace with oneself. To fear death at first was normal, but to prevent it to the point of defying nature, was against everything the Jedi stood for.
With a sigh, Sol turned to head for the shuttle bus station.
---
The Council were gathered in the conference room, but there were less Masters present in physical form than in hologram form. Master Yoda, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Master Plo koon were attending the meeting in hologram, while Obi-wan, Master Windu, Master Kolar, Sol and Anakin were the only others present in the room. The other Masters were too involved with their missions for the small discussion about finding General Grievous, so the decisions would be made with the present members instead.
'Palpatine thinks General Grievous is on Utapau. We have no reports of this from our agents,' Master Adi-Mundi's blue form said.
'How could the Chancellor have come by this information, and we know nothing about it?' Master Windu said. 'We have had contact with Baron Papanoida and he said no one was there.'
'A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau,' Anakin added.
'Act on this, we must,' Master Yoda hummed. 'The capture of General Grievous will end this war. Quickly and decisively, we should proceed.'
'Does everyone agree?'
A communal agreement sounded throughout the conference room from holograms and present Masters alike.
'The Chancellor has requested that I lead the campaign.'
A familiar air of awkwardness blanketed the Council. Sol's eyes fell on her lap while Obi-wan looked at Anakin with pursed lips and unblinking eyes. Sol could feel Anakin's Force signature flaring at the need to be noticed in the Council. If she looked to the other side of the room, she would see Anakin sitting up tall and challenging Master Windu in particular.
'The Council will make up its own mind who is to go, not the Chancellor,' Master Windu deadpanned the Skywalker.
'Yes, this decision is ours to make,' Master Adi-Mundi said in agreement. Anakin's shoulders deflated and he sagged in his chair. Sol saw the way his gaze dropped to the floor and the stench of embarrassment wafted once again.
'A Master is needed, with more experience,' Master Yoda's hologram said with a glance around the present members.
'Given our resources, I recommend we send only one Jedi... Master Kenobi.'
Anakin and Obi-wan perked up at Master Windu's suggestion. While Obi-wan was used to solo-allocation for missions, it was a large responsibility to take down General Grievous on his own. But he knew that the Order was being stretched thin and someone skilled and trusted had to be given the task. Obi-wan was honoured to be chosen and would ensure that he would follow through this time with saving the galaxy from one less cyborg menace.
'He was not so successful the last time he met Grievous,' Anakin piped up and Sol's jaw dropped. Obi-wan gave Anakin a glare that Sol had never seen the man wear, and she hoped that a showdown wouldn't happen in the middle of the conference room.
'No offense, my Master,' Anakin backpedaled at Obi-wan's face. 'But I'm only stating a fact.'
'Oh no, you're quite right,' Sol sensed a hint of sarcasm in Obi-wan's voice. 'But I do have the most experience with his ways of combat.'
'Obi-wan, my choice is,' Master Yoda said, but paused as he looked to the other side of the Kenobi. 'Unless want to volunteer, someone else does?'
Sol noticed the silence that followed and it made her look from Anakin and Obi-wan's staring competition to her ex-Master. From Master Yoda's open question, Master Adi-Mundi, Master Plo Koon, Master Windu, and the remaining Jedi Masters looked to where their Grand Master directed his suggestion. Sol straightened her posture and tried to appear like it wasn't a surprise that Master Yoda was asking her the question. But through the Force, it was evident from her quivering white flame that Sol was caught entirely off-guard.
'O-Oh!' Sol chimed and cleared her throat. 'I'm not sure, Master. General Grievous is certainly a force to be dealt with.'
'Indeed,' Master Windu said, tilting his head to show the slight boredom in his eyes. Sol could see that he wanted Sol to get to her point and it made it even more difficult to get her words out.
'I would be honoured to accept this mission...' Sol wanted to be daring. But when she glanced to her left and right, the looks on Anakin and Obi-wan's face made her stop.
Anakin looked disappointed to hear that both of his best friends were offered the mission, and even felt ashamed to admit that he was jealous. He wanted to be supportive of Sol as she deserved to be trusted by the Council and to be the one to take down General Grievous without any help. When he first heard that Sol had been promoted to Master, he was genuinely happy for her. But when he was rejected from the promotion, Anakin felt mocked by the Council and couldn't help but envy Sol with an un-Jedi-like hint of anger.
Not only did Anakin's crestfallen expression sway Sol, but when she looked at Obi-wan, she knew that she had to reject the offer. If they could talk through the Force, Obi-wan would plead for Sol to stay on Coruscant while he went instead. He wanted Sol to keep close to Anakin during these uncertain times. After hearing that the Chancellor had advocated for Anakin to take the mission, Obi-wan knew that he still hadn't seen the wrong in the Chancellor's ways.
'But I will let Master Kenobi take this one,' Sol said as she looked back at Master Yoda. 'Thank you for the opportunity, Master.'
'Very well. Council is adjourned,' Master Windu announced. 'Obi-wan, prepare two clone brigades as quickly as you can. If this report is true, there's no telling how many battle droids he may have with him.'
---
Obi-wan was set to leave that afternoon. His ship was being prepared by Commander Cody and the search for General Grievous would begin on Utapau. Usually, Sol would see a fellow Jedi off at the landing pad of the temple. But because of the sheer size of the clone legion Obi-wan would be taking for the dangerous mission, the ship would be taking off near the docking bay.
Because of this change, Obi-wan thought it would be better to say goodbye to Sol before they reached the bay. Not just because of the privacy they would have for their discussion, but because Anakin would most likely be waiting there. Obi-wan had a few words to say to him before he left, so he wanted to make sure he saw Sol first before the difficult conversation of his stubborn ex-Padawan wore him down.
Obi-wan and Sol returned to the Council conference room for their privacy. They took their seats beside each other and Sol had already anticipated the discussion's topic that was heading her way.
'Sol, I appreciate you rejecting the mission,' Obi-wan started. 'I know that it was a great honour, but I am still fearing Anakin's involvement with the Chancellor. It seems that nothing has changed, and Palpatine's advocation for Anakin to take on this mission was unnerving.'
'Because of how he wanted Anakin to murder Count Dooku?' Sol suggested and Obi-wan nodded.
'Precisely,' he said. 'But I need you here. I know that if the Council knew, they would want you keeping an eye on Anakin, too-'
'You won't tell them, will you?'
'Of course not, Sol. I told you that I would never tell them about you and Anakin's relationship. Please don't fret.'
Sol nodded and blushed from shame. She had to trust Obi-wan and know that he was a man of his word. He may be a Jedi, but Obi-wan was a friend more than anything. Obi-wan was the only one in the entire Order that knew everything that Sol knew about herself and all the things she had found out in the past year. He knew that she was looking into her heritage, and he knew about her connection to Satele Shan. Obi-wan had unknowingly become Sol's most trusted friend.
'But while I'm gone, Sol, I trust you to do the right thing,' Obi-wan leaned forward and looked at Sol pleadingly. 'The Council aren't asking you this, like they did to Anakin, but it is me that is asking you. Keep Anakin close, and I know he'll see what has to be done.'
'I will,' Sol took a deep breath and decided to make an important admittance to the Jedi Master. 'I love him, Obi.'
Obi-wan smiled. A small sparkle formed in Sol's purple eyes and Obi-wan saw the corners of her lips curl at her own words. Even when Sol was conflicted with Anakin's allegiance to Palpatine and his changing behaviour, her face still changed at his very mention. Obi-wan could see that he didn't have to worry about Sol's determination, and he could be at peace while he was away on Utapau.
'I know you do,' Obi-wan put a hand on Sol's shoulder; a gesture that he did often with her. 'I have tried to be blind for yours and Anakin's sake. He's never even tried to hide it, though we do not speak of it. You made Anakin happy when nothing else ever truly could, and that is all I care about.
May the Force be with you, Sol.'
'And with you, Obi.'