Jax was happy to have at least a little fun with their light banter, it was a nice change from the weight of the mission before them. Of course, it didn’t last forever, as they soon got to work listening to those around them as they slowly consumed their food. He wished that they had found more, yet at the same time, he was also grateful to have found anything at all. With the little intel they had found, they decided to move on to the next town, heading for the transportation hub.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“So it would seem,”</span>he replied to Jek’s first comment and contemplating the latter.<span style="font-style: italic">“Yes, I think that is probably the best course of action,”</span>he agreed. They would find more information in the cantina during the evening hours than they would in the early parts of the day. It seemed that the best thing to do would be to spend a little time in the cantina in the next town and then find a place to rest and discuss their plans. That would allow them to start their day tomorrow fresh and with a plan for the day. It was the more efficient plan, if not what they would have preferred.<br/><br/>As they reached the transportation hub, they obtained the speeder bikes they had previously used and headed out of town. He kept his mind open to the Force, allowing it to guide him, leading him to the next town. He could feel the pull to the northeast, so he followed where the Force led. It was a longer ride than the first trip, taking nearly two hours to reach the next town. By the time they got into town, the sun was already beginning to set.<br/><br/>When they reached the hub in the next town, he brought the speeder bike to a stop as the attendant came out to greet them. He turned the engine off and then dismounted, stretching as he did, feeling a bit stiff from the long ride. He glanced over at Jek and gave the attendant a tip before they headed off to find the nearest cantina. This town was bigger than the last one had been and from the outskirts of the town, in the dimming light of the evening, he could see lights coming on and at least two areas that appeared to have cantinas, one not far from them and one closer to the center of the town.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Should we split up, hit one and then the other, or pick one?”</span>he asked, looking to Jek. Splitting up would allow them to cover both, but he had never been a fan of splitting up. Then again, their telepathy was improving, so perhaps they might still be able to communicate even if they did split up, although it would be a challenge because the distance would be greater than any they had tried before.<br/><br/>He reached out with the Force and could tell at the one in the center of the city was packed, but the one near the outskirts had a stronger pull for him.<span style="font-style: italic">“If we can only go to one, I suggest the closest one,”</span>he told his friend. Besides feeling drawn to it, it seemed like a better place to get information, as it was likely to have more travelers from out of town, which meant more information from different places. That was what he thought, anyways, but he was open to any suggestions Jek may have.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Aeris shrugged when An asked if she was borrowing one of his old tricks. “Maybe,” she replied coyly. She could feel her friend’s anger easing, for which she was grateful, although she would be happier if it would fully dissipate. That was probably too much to ask for right now, though. She did not miss the look on An’s face when she realized that the group was made up of children and teenagers. It would be a lot to explain to the commander of the ship, she would grant her that.<br/><br/>At the child’s fear, An seemed ready to snap, but thankfully she calmed herself back down and turned away, pulling up the hood she had dropped after hearing what the child had said. She basically growled at Aeris, who grinned back at her, gesturing for the children to follow An. “You can stay with them until we leave, if you’d like,” she offered to the older woman, trying to offer at least some comfort. She did feel bad for taking the children. She would be lying if she said that she hadn’t at least considered just leaving them and searching for others to take instead. She had felt others in the area, and it wasn’t like anyone on the ship would know any different.<br/><br/>Instead, she followed behind them as they reluctantly followed An towards the hanger, the older woman following a few steps behind Aeris. She couldn’t help but chuckle as An tried to be harsh, commanding the children to hurry because it was nearly dark and they needed to be shower, fed, and clothed. Despite whatever the woman might say, she wasn’t as hard as she wanted them to think, nor as scary as Aeris had led them to believe. Well, she was, but she was not a real threat to them, anyways.<br/><br/>She kept close behind the children, scooping up a small boy, the one who had hid behind her earlier, as he had begun to fall behind. “Alright, come on,” she said as she picked him up. She felt a tinge of guilt creep into her heart as he buried his face in her shoulder. He couldn’t have been more than 3 or 4, and yet they were taking him from his family. She bit her lip a little to push back these feelings. About that time she heard, “No fair! Me too!” before the child who had dubbed her as ‘not scary’ jumped on her back. “I don’t recall signing up to be a jungle gym,” she muttered, sighing, “You’d better hold on, because my hands are busy and I will not be responsible if you fall,” she informed him, “And don’t choke me, either,” she warned when his arms got a bit too tight around her neck.<br/><br/>She looked ahead, seeing a little girl take An’s hand, seemingly unafraid. Her friend had said nothing, but she could feel the change in her, and moments later she scooped the little girl into her arms. Aeris snickered to herself as she trudged on towards the hanger. Once they reached the hanger, she helped to corral the children into one area and out of the landing zone, removing the child attached to her back and employing the teenagers and older children to help keep the younger ones in the designated area. “You should have a few minutes before the shuttle arrives. Use it wisely,” she told the older woman, handing off the small child she still held and walking away. She remained close enough to react if they tried to escape, but far enough to give them some privacy.<br/><br/>She took a seat on a crate and sighed. She should leave now. They had the children, and she had told An that she would be leaving once they got the Force Sensitives that they had come for. Yet she hesitated. She waited alone until An joined her and then she looked up at her, pursing her lips slightly before speaking, “I’m sorry for before,” she apologized, referring to the things she had said in the speeder, although it applied to the children, too.<br/><br/>“Maybe I’m the one that’s wrong. Maybe Jek deserves better than me, too. Just because I don’t look it on the outside…” she winced a little, “I’ve done plenty of terrible things. I don’t deserve to be forgiven. So how can I face him?” she asked, a hint of pain showing in her eyes, “How can I face him when I can’t even face myself?” she rubbed the back of her neck with her left hand. “The truth is that I’m afraid, too,” she admitted, falling silent and staring across the room at the children.<br/><br/>“Ahhhh. This is stupid. What am I doing? I can’t just sit here and wonder. The only way I’ll ever know is to go. I don’t want to lose him again. But I’ll be damned if I lose him again because I was too scared to even try, to fight for what I want when it’s right in front of me,” she paused, “Well, on the same planet as me… Anyways! You get the point. I stick by what I said before. I’m going after him. Everything else be damned,” she said, standing up as the shuttle landed. “Come on, I’ll help you get them on the shuttle before I go,” she offered, turning to head towards the group of children.