Accismus?????.? Anakin Skywalker?????.?

90.

Without prying eyes, Darth Vader brought his gloved hands to the bottom of his mask and lifted it off with the helmet attached to its face. The deep breathing was replaced with silence and the black mask was placed on the end of the tinkering table. Vader lowered himself onto the stool and took hold of a ship part that was yet to be made whole for its purpose. With a screwdriver, he began unscrewing what he had done and begun assembling again.

---

Sol walked with both of her hands holding Luke and Leia's. As people of all species littered the street of Mos Eisley, the woman led the twins through the city with squinting eyes and a low gaze. Although the lenses over her and Leia's eyes gave the illusion of maroon irises, Sol wanted to avoid drawing any attention to her small family. It was the usual routine for the three when they ventured to the cities of Tatooine, and they had succeeded in lying low up until now.

'Mummy, can we go in there?' Luke pointed a finger at the hut that sold handheld game soles.

'No, Luke, we're not detouring today.'

'But you're getting your hair cut. That's a detour!'

Sol rolled her eyes and chose to ignore the boy's whining. He was too young to understand why they needed to be careful about what shops they walked into. If Sol wanted to explain why, she would need to explain everything about why they were on Tatooine, and why she and Leia wore lenses every time they went into Mos Eisley. An entire narrative was not worth Luke's small disappointment of walking further away from the gaming hut.

'Why are all those soldiers going in there, Mummy?' Leia drew her mother's attention from her brother. Sol looked down at Leia first before following her pointing finger.

'Leia, don't point!'

Sol pulled her hand out from Luke's hold to lower Leia's tiny finger before pulling the twins away in a hurry. The city's cantina, that was known for its trouble, was being filled with armed storm troopers. In their white armour, they piled into the sketchy structure that's beige walls mirrored every other building that lined the street. Sol wanted to be far away from the group that reminded her so much of the clones from the Republic and didn't want to know why they were suddenly interested in the cantina.

They arrived at the hair stylists that Leia had mentioned, and Sol asked about the possibility of having her hair cut. The service droid beside the bead-curtained doorway informed her in Binary of the price and that they could fit her in at any time. Sol decided that it wouldn't hurt to treat herself, and crouched down beside Luke and Leia as the droid informed the stylist inside the hut.

'Can you two stick together while I sit in the chair? You must stay in my sight,' Sol looked between the two as she opened Luke's palm to hold Leia's hand.

'Yes, Mummy, we will.'

Sol smiled at their combined answer. She then stood up and guided the two into the stylist.

---

'Mummy, it's so short!'

'I like it!'

'Does it look good?' Sol fiddled with the ends as she and the twins stood outside the stylist.

'Yes!'

After twenty minutes, the stylist had cut off Sol's knotted ends until they reached just past her shoulders. Her neck felt a great deal of relief at not having to heave around a heavy ponytail, and Sol had even asked the stylist to redo her bangs that had was immersed in the rest of her hair. They were nearly undetectable in the mass, but now they framed her face again and Sol felt fresher and lighter in the shoulders.