Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

7.

Sol was able to bow her head in thanks before turning to head back into the living space. Her lips restrained her smile as much as possible, but the pinch in her cheeks indicated it was as wide as can be. At the re-entrance into the living space of the penthouse, the elevator doors opened. A new Force signature entered the room and Sol turned to see Anakin in his dark attire. Captain Typho was in tow and Sol tried to pull back on her smile to avoid any questions from the youngest of the two.

'Quiet as a tomb all around,' Anakin stated to Obi-wan, who had stepped off the balcony and beside Sol. 'But I must confess that I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to the senator.'

'Not to worry. I have this programmed to see-'

Obi-wan paused as he pulled out a scanner that viewed Padme's bedroom. It would view the bedroom for any potential threats that they couldn't hear or sense behind the closed door, but Sol noticed that there was no sign of Padme. The view was taken up by an R2 droid, one that had been in Padme's company since her rule on Naboo.

'She covered that camera,' Anakin noted. 'I don't think she liked me watching her.'

'I wouldn't either,' Sol shrugged, and Anakin's gaze switched from the handheld device to her. The intense stare she already had grown accustomed to was piercing, but she didn't shrink away. She returned it, which made Anakin stand up straight with tight lips.

'What is she thinking?' Obi-wan shook his head with a sigh.

'Artoo is programmed to warn us if there's an intruder,' Anakin turned from Sol to speak to his Master.

'It's not an intruder I'm worried about,' Obi-wan said with his hand to his beard.

'There are many other ways to kill a senator,' Sol added.

'I know,' Anakin resisted a glare. 'But we also want to catch this assassin. Don't we, Master?'

'You're using her as bait?!'

'It was her idea,' Anakin said defensively with a shift of his eyes. 'No harm will come to her. I can sense everything going on in that room... trust me.'

'I don't want to question your senses, Skywalker, but is it not risky to underestimate a threat on the senator's life?' Sol chimed. Anakin looked from Padme's bedroom door to Sol, his eyebrows raised in feign surprise.

'I'm sorry, Sol, was I not clear? This was Padme's idea-'

'Senator Amidala's idea, you mean.'

'What does that matter?'

The temperature increased in the penthouse at the tension between the Padawans. With Obi-wan in the middle, Anakin and Sol stared at each other with hard eyes and curled lips. Sol felt her patience shorten and her insides bubble. The way Anakin talked back to people was impolite to say the least, but being on the receiving end was unbearable. She disliked Anakin from their spar at the temple, and she disliked him now for his need to argue and have the last word. She found him insufferable.

'Remind me why you're here, again?' Anakin decided to speak when he got no reply.

'Anakin-' Obi-wan warned but was cut off.

'I don't remember Master Yoda telling us that you would be on this mission,' Sol's hands shook in fury.

'Master Yoda told me directly to assist the senator, not that it's any of your concern,' Sol stepped around Obi-wan to be in front of Anakin, who couldn't bare to appear like he was cowering next to his Master. He stepped closer, the two now half a metre away from each other. Anakin seethed at the Jedi who he now despised and found that craning his neck down at her made him feel better.