The elevator echoed a continuous hum as it ascended through the many apartments in the building. Sol watched the lights move up the numbers that displayed symbols in Aurebash, as well as Twi'leki. With her hands clasped in front of her, Sol waited for the doors to slide open once the light rested on the highest number.

A sense of familiarity washed over the Jedi as she was greeted by the penthouse. The early morning light streamed in from the large windows, and the living space was as neat as it always was. Sol took a few steps out of the elevator and into the lobby, where she peered through to the bedroom that was around a corner. She didn't need to call out or venture further into the apartment to have her presence known, as its owner appeared from the bedroom in a light purple dress.

'Sol! Come in, come in!' Padme Amidala cheered. The senator quickened her step as she made it through the living space to greet her friend. With arms out, Padme embraced Sol as the Jedi met her halfway.

'It's so nice to see you, again,' Padme said with her arms hooked underneath Sol's. 'I heard about your knighthood! Congratulations!'

'Thank you. It's hard to believe I haven't seen you since I was a Padawan,' Sol pulled away from the embrace and smiled at the woman of equal height. She noticed how the senator hadn't changed in the year they had been apart, with her brown hair still long in its curls down her back, and her slender figure was in the most beautiful of dresses. The sheer drapes of purple hung over Padme's biceps and the skirt of the dress flowed to cover her feet. It was strange to think that Padme owned more outfits than Sol had ever owned in her life at any given time.

'Come sit! I'll call for some tea, or would you prefer ardees?' Padme went to her transmitter that connected to the kitchen of the building.

'It's not even midday, Padme,' Sol laughed.

'It is on some planets!'

While Padme called for beverages, Sol settled onto one of the sofas. On the coffee table, was a tablet that the senator had been looking at before she ventured to her bedroom to freshen up for the Jedi's arrival. From a quick glance, Sol saw rows of writing that she assumed were some reports for Padme's work with the senate. But she didn't try to read the details, as it wasn't her place to delve into politics.

'I've been swamped with work,' Padme threw herself down on the opposite sofa with a sigh. Her feet were tucked underneath her dress, and she leaned her head against her fist that was propped up on her knee.

'I can imagine. The Order have signed some agreement with the republic about sifting out these separatist colonies. They're popping up everywhere,' Sol said, and Padme blinked at the Jedi.

'That was the chancellor's idea. It might seem strange for the republic to need the fighting power, but the chancellor's afraid that we'll be overrun without it. But personally, I think it's unfair to have you Jedi running into battle while we bicker in meetings. Maybe the chancellor should go out on the battlefield and see what it's truly like.'

'And those are the opinions of a senator?' Sol raised a joking eyebrow and Padme scoffed playfully.

'Senator, shmenator, everyone thinks the same. The chancellor can be naïve, sometimes.'

Sol chuckled as Padme threw her hand around as she spoke. The elevator doors dinged as a server arrived with some tea on a tray. Padme babbled about her work as the server lowered their drinks onto the coffee table, which the two women thanked politely before the server left down to the kitchen. The tea's steam joined the conversation and Sol remembered that Padme was one to have her tea pipping hot. This was to ensure that no poisons or foreign objects had been slipped into her cup. She could never be too careful when knowing that Count Dooku and other separatists were loose in the galaxy.

'Anyway, enough about work. How are you, Sol?' Padme smiled and looked at the Jedi with large eyes. 'Anything to report in the world of Skywalker?'

'If there was, I wouldn't know about it,' Sol let out a sigh and her shoulders sagged. Padme's eyebrows furrowed and she leaned forward to take her tea from the table.

'What do you mean by that?'

'We've been on some missions together, and we see each other almost every day, but... we still haven't... progressed at all.'

'Oh? Have you not even spoken about what happened on Geonosis?'

'Nothing. But we have been careful and want to keep a low profile, not that its inherently obvious... not even to me.'

Padme stared at her friend who had grabbed her tea and was staring down at it in her lap. She could see the way her pink lips sat downturnt and her fluttering eyelashes insinuated that Sol was in deep thought. Padme knew that her friend was confused and bothered with the fact that she and Anakin hadn't established anything since their confessions. The senator had been sure that Anakin was infatuated with Sol, as the longing looks and intense stares he gave her when she wasn't looking was unmissable to those who noticed. But then again, Padme hadn't seen Anakin or Sol since they had escaped off Geonosis. She didn't know if something had happened between the two that Sol wouldn't mention, or if Anakin was the one who had an unspoken issue with their situation.

'Ani was always so vocal about his feelings and always cared for his friends, so it is strange to hear that he's been distant in this sense,' Padme pondered aloud, but at the sight of Sol's falling face, she changed her tone in hopes of lifting Sol's spirit. 'But maybe he's going through something else at the moment. You know these men, they're clueless when it comes to dealing with two emotions at once.'

Sol couldn't resist a laugh and Padme smiled at the sight of the woman's teeth through her plump lips. Padme took notice of the way Sol's face changed when she smiled, as her cheeks turned into plump balls at the width of her grin. Her eyes turned into crescent moons at her large cheeks and her purple irises glistened with their violet sparkle. It was no wonder that Anakin was so taken with Sol and Padme thought about why he would not leap at the opportunity to be close to her.

'I think he's just too proud to admit anything. He was insufferable as a Padawan, and he's insufferable now. It's foolish to think he would change just because we...'

'Admitted your feelings to each other?' Padme finished for her, and Sol swallowed at the words being said aloud.

'Yeah... our feelings...'

'Sol, I understand that the Order don't allow these sorts of feelings,' Padme leaned forward to talk more seriously. 'And I can see that you're worried and maybe Anakin is, too. Maybe he's so afraid that they'll find out because of his showing of emotionsm that they'll not only discharge him from the Order, but you, as well. He probably doesn't know how to regulate his feelings for you in a way that won't be obvious to the Order.'

Padme's explanation made a lot of sense to Sol. She herself was fearful that her thoughts and feelings would somehow be found out by the Order. No matter how much she believed that her duties as a Jedi would not be hindered by taking a liking towards Anakin, the Order would not settle for it as an excuse. Every Jedi was aware of these traditions, and there was no doubt that Anakin knew the same. Maybe Padme was right, and that Anakin was unsure of how to go about his feelings while under the close watch of the Order. Especially with the constant company of another Jedi on every mission, and at least one legion of clones by his side at all times.

'I see why you're a politician, Padme,' Sol said after a while and the woman grinned, seeing the general content return to Sol's face.

The women had their morning chat about the things they had each missed from their time apart, and Sol felt relieved at the realisation that Padme brought her. She would see Anakin again and feel better having a small sense of what he must be feeling.

---

'If you're going to grab the last oatmeal, you might as well eat it, Solaris.'

Sol glared at Anakin as he walked around the table to sit on the opposite bench. With his tray containing his breakfast, the Skywalker started eating knowing that Sol's eyes were burning through the top of his head. Anakin used his gloved hand to a scoop a forkful of fruit into his mouth before looking up to meet the woman's narrowed eyes. He saw her oatmeal was still unfinished and chewed as he tried to read Sol's thoughts while appearing nonchalant.

'Where'd you go yesterday? I was looking for you,' he said, and Sol perked up, her narrowed eyes turning wide.

'I went to Padme's. Why were you looking for me?' she tried not to sound too hopeful and watched Anakin shrug while chewing.

'I wanted to work on the starfighter and Artoo, thought I could use some of your company.'

'My company?'

Anakin nodded with a hum and Sol felt heat rise to her cheeks. She hid her smile as she started to eat the rest of her oatmeal. 

The cafeteria was quiet today, as a lot of Jedi had been sent out on missions early this morning. The tip-offs about Kessel needed reinforcements and bases had popped up on the mid rim. Sol was sure that she would be sent on a mission in the next few days, and she hoped that before then, she would be able to suss Anakin out so that it wasn't a mission full of the anticipation of getting back to the temple.

'I'm working on them today, instead. Are you free?' Anakin said again and Sol nodded a little too quickly. 'Great. I'll see you there, bright eyes.'

Sol felt giddy as Anakin rose from the table and left with his tray that he emptied in minutes. She watched him leave and saw his broad shoulders stand out amongst the other Jedi that walked by. In his dark brown and black robes, Anakin existed the cafeteria and Sol noticed a table of female Padawans that sat near the door turn their heads. The giddy feeling faltered in her stomach as the group started gossiping to each other in fits of giggles, and Sol wished that her hearing wasn't as heightened as it was with Force.

'That's him! That's Skywalker!'

'He's so handsome. I wish he was my Master and not Master Kolar. He's nothing sweet to look at!'

'He's the Chosen One, you know!'

Sol was across the cafeteria quicker than a Hutt would run at the word of the republic. She discarded her tray before stopping next to the table of Padawans, who jumped to end their conversation at the appearance of a Jedi Knight. They barely had any food on their trays as they insisted they could survive on a few protein pouches and nothing more. But they were yet to endure a battle that would not allow set meal breaks, so they would soon learn the consequences of their unhealthy habits.

'Mind your words, young ones. I can hear them across the room, and the Council would be on your tails if they heard about your affections,' Sol said seriously, her nose slightly upturned to look down at the table. The Padawans looked fearful and glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes, their flushed cheeks fading and their giggles now silent.

'S-Sorry, Sol. W-We were just joking,' the red haired one said.

'I should hope so.'

Sol turned away and left the cafeteria with a smile on her lips at the sound of the panicked whispers of the Padawans behind her.