Sol woke up tired and aching. She had moved from the table in the workshop of the Lars farm to a cot in a dark room. Thankful for the lack of windows, Sol was able to enjoy the coolness of the room that sat under the sand with the rest of the complex . There was no need for a blanket, but there was one draped over her lower half anyway. The pillow underneath her head was thin, but it hadn't affected her sleep in the slightest. It was the most comfortable sleep Sol had been blessed with since arriving on Tatooine. Not just because of the absence of two babies in her stomach, but because of the dream she had experienced.
Whether it meant something or was just a moment for some happiness, Sol was able to see Anakin's face before he had turned to the dark side. She remembered the day on Yavin when she was sent back to Coruscant on medical leave, but she never found out how Anakin and Obi-wan were able to destroy the separatist base after she had left the planet. Her injuries were treated back in the med bay of the Jedi Temple, and she received word from Master Secura that the two had successfully completed the mission on their own. She had been confused, and when the ex-Master and student returned to the temple, Anakin only gave a compliment to himself as the reasoning for the mission's success.
'I suppose I'm just the Chosen One, bright eyes.'
He displayed that damned smirk. He had worn it like it was made for him with his curling, pink lips and his blue eyes blazing with cockiness. Sol was forced to let it go as her blush was dark enough to be noticed by Obi-wan, who was merely metres away with the report that he would need to put into the Jedi archives.
After their Knighthood, Sol and Anakin were still yet to act on their known feelings for each other, so the discussion about how he was able to blow up the heavily surrounded separatist base was abandoned.
This meant that Sol never learnt about Anakin's decision to go into the forest with only two clones. She never knew that Anakin single-handedly barreled through the separatist army with nothing but his lightsaber and his destructive rage. He had been so moved at the sight of Sol's delirious state that he blew up the separatist base as an act of revenge, and Sol never knew about it.
Although it warmed Sol to be able to see Anakin's blue eyes in her mind and see that his affections for her had been so deeply rooted that early, it also made Sol realise something. She had seen the way Anakin's signature flared to a deep red when he admitted that he had massacred the Sand People. And it was possible that when he entered Yavin's forest with his lightsaber ignited and the pair of clones behind him, Anakin had tipped that little bit closer to the dark side even then.
But why had Sol dreamt of this past event? Was it Satele's doing? If so, why had the ghost that Sol hadn't seen in months show her this just after giving birth to Anakin's and her children?
Perhaps it was a way for Sol to find some peace after such a stressful ordeal. But despite Sol knowing her tendency to be willingly naïve, she hoped that it was the Force's way of showing her that Anakin had done all that he had for her. Maybe the Force was showing Sol that the person Anakin used to be was still there and that the dark side hadn't completely taken him over. Maybe it had only poisoned him, and that he could be pulled back to the light if he were to defeat the hold the Emperor had over him.
Sol knew she was reaching for the stars by thinking the latter. If she voiced the dream and her thoughts about it to Obi-wan, she knew that she would receive a pitiful look. Unlike Sol, Obi-wan had come to terms with the fact that Anakin was now Darth Vader; a new Sith that had committed crimes beyond what any Jedi could ever commit. It would be no use telling him about her dreams and what she thought they could mean, so Sol would keep them to herself for a personal comfort.
Pushing aside the inevitable disappointment she was going to feel by leaving her thoughts, Sol sat up in the cot and swung her legs over its edge. She immediately felt the stickiness underneath her dress and Sol's fingers curled into the thin blanket at the sensation. It was such an uncomfortable residue on her skin that Sol wanted to strip bare and use her linen dress to wipe away the mess. But Sol didn't know where or when she would be able to bathe, so with clenched teeth, Sol stood from the cot with a slow rise.
Her bottom half ached and stung. Her limbs felt weak, and Sol questioned whether she should be standing at all. But when she remembered who had arrived at the farm mid-contraction, Sol couldn't pause her excitement. Although she had been dizzy with pain, Sol had seen Revan holding Luke in the corner of the workshop, and saw Ahsoka, who was older in appearance, standing with Obi-wan.
Instead of remembering the moment in all its details, Sol made her way towards the automatic door of the dark room. She could see well enough to find its frame and was greeted with a dimly lit hallway that led to the rest of the Lars complex.
Aware of the mess her hair was in, Sol made her way through the hallway without caring for how she looked. Her dress had sagged from the lack of bump underneath its material and Sol was amazed to feel how much lighter she felt at its absence. She forgot how weightless she used to feel and was able to appreciate the way her back could straighten properly after its disappearance.
'Sol, you shouldn't be on your feet, yet.'
She looked up and saw that she had arrived in the kitchen. Attached to the dining space, Sol was able to see everyone who had been present in the workshop for Luke and Leia's birth.
Beru was at the stove warming some formula in a pot and Owen was sat on the edge of the dining seat facing the cavern of the farm. It appeared that he had been previously working, as a cup of something was on the table that he faced away from and his feet were apart as his elbows leant on his thighs.
Ahsoka's voice was the first that greeted Sol. The Torgruta leaned against the kitchen's counter that was against the far wall. Her gaze had originally been on the warming pot of formula, but she now looked at Sol. Having pushed off the counter to be by her side, Ahsoka stopped beside Sol and it allowed the woman to see how much the ex-Padawan had grown since her days at the Jedi Temple.
Ahsoka's orange fingers brushed against Sol's arm, making the woman raise it to let her take it into her hold to help her across the kitchen.
'I'm fine,' Sol found herself saying, but her legs worked with Ahsoka's acts anyway.
'Yeah, I've heard that before.'
Sol couldn't help but smile. Even if Ahsoka looked older and her touch was unbelievably soft and gentle, she still sounded as she did as a young Padawan. With the same twinge of teenage tease in her voice, Ahsoka let out a light laugh with her words as she helped Sol lower onto the bench of the dining space.
'Seriously, I'm fine, Ahsoka.'
'I thought you would have learnt by now that if I want to help, I'm going to help,' Ahsoka said before she turned to look at Revan with a playful 'I-told-you-she-would-be-like-this' look. This made Sol aware of the two other men in the room who hadn't yet spoken.
Revan was in the same position he had been in before Sol had entered into her dream-filled sleep. While Obi-wan stood next to a shelf that held a grey, round pod, Revan stood with a fussing bundle in his arms. Sol wasn't sure who to look at first, as the clenched fists that flew around from the bundle were calling for her attention. But at the same time, Sol wanted to see what it was that Obi-wan looked down at with a smile on his face that she rarely saw as of late.
'Is that...' Sol started, finding herself torn between both mysteries. Her finger pointed half-formed in the direction of the two men, and Ahsoka stood aside to allow Sol to see the sight in its entirety.
'This-' Revan made his way over, his lips plagued with a permanent smile. '-is Luke.'
Bending over, Revan slipped the bundle into Sol's arms that lifted to take it. At the sight of clear eyes, Sol's jaw dropped, and she fiddled with the blanket that attempted to bunch in her fingers. It felt intuitive to hold the bundle in the bend of her arm and Sol stared down at the round nose and mumbling lips.
Luke was beautiful, and fussy. His hands constantly flew about for something to hold, and gurgles sounded for his warming formula. Out of the womb, Luke cried and cried until he eventually went into the first sleep of his life. But with soft skin and eyes filled with curiosity, Sol was blessed to look down at her son during some of his first hours in the galaxy.
'Oh...' Sol let out, unable to contain the smile that pinched at her cheeks. 'He looks like him...'
It wasn't the him that Obi-wan and Sol referred to in the fear of saying his name aloud. It was the him that Sol had dreamed about. It was the him with blue eyes and blonde hair that Luke would undoubtably have. Luke was the picture of his father and held all of the light that had failed Anakin. It was as if the Force had drained Anakin of all his good and placed it in Luke, thinking that the supposed Chosen One had enough of it to sustain himself.
'Wait until you see her.'
Sol looked up from Luke to Obi-wan, who had remained beside the pod. It was round but had an opening that had the option to shield its contents with a button on the carrier's side. Sol felt Luke's tiny fingers grab her dress and she glanced down at him. But when Obi-wan bent over the pod to lift up another bundle, Sol anticipated the sight of her second child.
Revan stepped to be beside Ahsoka while Obi-wan carried the quieter baby across the kitchen. He crouched down in front of Sol and Luke and held up his arm to position Leia to face her mother. Obi-wan never lost his smile as Sol laid her eyes on the baby that didn't fuss.
Besides her docile behaviour and beautifully fresh skin, Leia had a pair of bright, purple eyes. They weren't violet, like Sol's were, but dimmed to a lilac that looked as if they were in the midst of fading to an even fairer colour. But they remained in their neutral tone, and Sol couldn't believe how much her children looked like their parents.
'Leia...' Sol said, her tone light and in awe. 'She looks like...'
'You. She looks like you, Sol,' Obi-wan finished as he looked to the children's mother. 'If you needed any more reassurance, you should know that Leia has only cried once since yesterday, and Luke has only just stopped. Perhaps he sensed that you were awake.'
Sol let out a laugh and looked between the twin babies. Beru came over with the warmed formula in the pot and two unthreatening syringes to fill. She filled one plastic syringe with the white substance and handed it to Sol, letting her feed Luke for her first time. Sol gratefully took it and he eagerly quietened as the tip was placed in his mouth. She slowly pushed down on the end and Luke's flailing arms halted in their act for the first time since Sol had held him.
She glanced up to see that Obi-wan had taken the other syringe and planted the tip in Leia's mouth. Less willingly than her twin, the baby girl was slow in her feed, and even pulled her face away from the formula with a whine. A dribble went down her chin and Obi-wan had to wait until she swallowed, before he could try again.
'They're beautiful,' Sol said, feeling herself get teary. 'I don't think I'll ever be able to part with them again.'
Ahsoka and Revan shared a look but knew that it would be inappropriate to ruin the moment. Instead, they let Sol sit with her children and live in her state of euphoria for a little while longer.
---
R2-D2 was on route to the desert planet in anticipation and with dread. He had waited so long to see the two Jedi that left Naboo all those months ago, and now, he was going to see them at the request of Senator Padme Amidala.
Life had been boring for the droid as he barely had any objectives given to him by the Naboo senator. The furthest he had travelled was to Coruscant to accompany her on a series of meetings, but unlike his past with the Jedi Order, R2 hadn't experienced anything of excitement in months. And even though he despised the thought of sand in his wheels and the leaking of oil from his panels, R2 was almost shaking uncontrollably at the thought of seeing Jedi Master Sol and Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi, again.
In a miniature vessel, R2 waited to arrive on Tatooine. He shut down for most of the journey, as it was light years of time that he would rather spend switched off. The vessel was small, just big enough to fit his domed shape and to dispatch a small ramp to allow him to descend to his destination. The droid would also rather not see the passing star destroyers and Empire ships that were visible out a singular, small window. He was glad that the lack of organic life forms in his pod made it so that he was able to slip by undetected, but he didn't wish to see the centre of what made the people around him so unhappy. The grey ships were the reason why he had to travel so far just to transmit a message to Sol and Obi-wan, and were the reason why he was never able to see his master again. R2 had learnt enough human emotion and reactions to determine that the Empire was not like the Republic he once served, and he wanted to avoid their detection at all costs.
His landing on Tatooine wasn't smooth. The pod hit the sand and skipped a few times before it came to a stop. R2 was able to lock his feet down with clamps to prevent him from flying about inside its hull, but it still harshly shook his parts. The door of the pod shot off and landed in the sand with a muffled thud. The small ramp shot into the sand and R2 wheeled himself out into the desert.
Thanks to Padme's access to the latest technology, R2 was merely a mile away from the place where she had been with Sol and Anakin as a targeted politician. She didn't know exactly where Sol and Obi-wan were, but the only place Padme knew on Tatooine, was the place where she had seen Anakin's mother return in a wrapped sheet. She had no other choice but to send R2 there and hope that the Lars family would send him on to where the two Jedi were possibly hiding.
His arrival at the moisture farm was in the late morning. The silver and blue plates of the droid grew larger, and he would be seen by two Jedi that had exited the farm to talk privately. They had left Sol to spend some time with the twins while they discussed the idea that they knew would be difficult to communicate at a later time.
'Their signatures are strong,' Ahsoka said, standing with her arms crossed over her chest. 'All three of them together is a disaster just waiting to happen.'
'Are you covering their presence, too?' Revan asked. 'I have faith in Obi-wan, but I think, even now, I could sense them off Tatooine. They're just as strong as Sol.'
'I am not, but it won't be long until they grow stronger with the Force,' Ahsoka sighed. 'I hate to do this. It's not right. There must be another way to protect them.'
Revan sighed and went to say about discussing the matter with Obi-wan, when he caught the glint of light that reflected off of R2's panels. At his pause, Ahsoka followed Revan's look of confusion and spotted the droid heading their way. The identifiable reclined shape of his body and the spinning, domed head was enough for Ahsoka to run ahead and meet R2 in the desert.
'Artoo! What are you doing here, buddy?!' she cheered as she crouched in front of him. With sparkling eyes and shining teeth, Ahsoka took in the droid she had missed dearly and laughed as the whirls and beeps sounded in his usual high-pitched tone.
'Ahsoka! I never thought I would see you here!' he said. 'I'm carrying a message from Senator Amidala from Naboo. It's urgent!'
'Padme? You've come all the way from the core? What's the message?'
'It's for Jedi Masters Sol and Obi-wan Kenobi. We haven't heard from them, and Sol was with child last time we saw her. I must see them immediately!'
'Alright, alright, dome-bot. You made it just in time.'
'I fear that you're wrong, Ahsoka. I think I was too late before I even left Naboo...'