Aeris felt a sense of danger, but Jek reacted faster, wrapping her arms around her and spinning her out of the way as the door crashed down. The man came out, holding a blaster rifle and firing. Aeris twisted herself in the air, landing on her feet and sliding back just a bit, a few feet from Jek. Her face held a serious expression, her brows knit together in what resembled a frown, but she did not give off an air of malice or anger as she fought to maintain control of her emotions, despite the rush of adrenaline and the strong emotions coming from the man.<br/><br/>Jek tried to talk the man down, telling him to put the rifle down, that they were just there to talk, showing the man that he wasn’t armed. He then radiated a calm over them, which helped to ease her somewhat frayed nerves, although it did little to calm her heart, which was pounding loudly in her ears thanks to the adrenaline. It was a feeling she was used to by now, though, so it was almost like a familiar friend rather than something to put her on the edge of snapping.<br/><br/>He continued to speak to the man while stepping to the side to give her a better view of him. She felt the itch to draw her saber, but thought better of it for the moment, as she didn’t want to cause the man to attack them. She also took a defensive Niman stance, ready to draw her saber if needed, but unwilling to do so without cause. “He’s right,” she spoke to the man, her voice surprisingly level, despite everything. “I just want to be left alone!” the man shouted, moving to fire at them with the blaster rifle. Aeris reacted first this time, using the Force to jerk the rifle up so that the man fired into the air.<br/><br/>She reached out to the man in the Force, allowing him to see her intentions, what she was offering him. “I get it. You lost the one you love, and when you did it felt like you lost yourself, too, your purpose, your reason for existing,” she spoke calmly, but she couldn’t hide the pain that colored her voice—although whether it was his pain or hers was difficult to tell. “Now you’re just angry. You hate everything and everyone and you just want to be left alone. It’s easier than finding a new purpose, easier than facing life again without her,” she could feel his anger rising, which told her that she was right.<br/><br/>He pointed the rifle at her and this time she didn’t stop him. “That isn’t really living though, is it?” she asked, staring into the man’s eyes. She could see in his eyes that he was wavering. “You can find a way to move forward. You can find a new purpose, a new reason to live. It doesn’t mean you have to forget her. It doesn’t mean you’re betraying her,” she told him. He yelled and fired the blaster, but she’d already pulled her saber and easily deflected the bolt away from them and the nearby houses.<br/><br/>“You don’t have to move on. You don’t even have to let go of your anger if you don’t want to. Use it to push you forward, to give you a new purpose, to make you stronger; at least until you’re ready to let it go,” she dropped out of her stance and held out a hand, her saber still humming in her other hand. “There’s nothing here for you anymore.” Those words hung in the air for a while, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the wind, the hum of her saber, and the occasional call of a bird.<br/><br/>Finally, the man fell down to his knees, dropping the rifle, his shoulders shaking as though he were crying, or holding back his sobs. Aeris could feel his resistance fading into resignation. She let out a slow breath, feeling a little of her tension fading, but she was surprised when the man spoke up, his eyes focus on Jek as he did.  “Tell me. What would you do, if you lost the person you loved? Could you keep on living? Could you find a new purpose?” the man asked, his eyes staring into Jek’s, but his pain resonating with Aeris.<br/><br/>Aeris swallowed hard at the questions, having not expected them. She realized that she didn’t even really have an answer herself, despite everything she’d just told him. She knew what it felt like to lose the one you love, but it wasn’t the same as losing them to death. It wasn’t the same as feeling that permanent loss in the Force, feeling the absence of their presence in your soul. She felt her confidence waver. The thought of what it would be like to lose Jek, coupled with the pain she felt from the man, the wound his loss had left behind, it was enough to make her hesitate.<br/><br/>She deactivated her saber, putting it away as she turned away from the man, and from Jek, unwilling to allow either of them to see the pain on her face. She forced herself not to lose control, not to break down or run. Still, she felt a tear slide down her cheek, and despite herself, her hands were trembling. It wasn’t enough to be visible to the other man, but Jek would be able to see it, if he were looking. She almost apologized to the man, although she didn't know what she felt sorry for; his loss, for assuming she understood his pain, for trying to manipulate that pain to get him to join them? Either way, it wasn't acceptable for her to apologize. She couldn't, even if she felt his sorrow, even if she meant it, she couldn't bring herself to say it, although it could probably be felt, by Jek if not by the other man.<br/><br/>She cursed herself for being so weak, for almost allowing that weakness to show even for a moment, for hesitating. She was a Sith Lord, she was supposed to be strong, to be manipulative, to command fear and respect, to make people do what she wanted, even if it meant by force. She was not supposed to give them a choice or to feel sorry for them, and she sure as hell wasn’t supposed to apologize. She couldn't undo whatever had been done, though, so she strode away towards the speeder in an almost brooding manner and left the rest to Jek. If she stayed, she’d either show weakness again, or she’d overcompensate and do something that would make Jek uncomfortable and that she might regret later. She thought that the man had made up his mind anyways, so there was little left for her to do.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Jax looked up when An-Lok placed a hand on his arm. “Right,” he replied, feeling silly for having forgotten that. Or perhaps he’d just wanted an excuse to buy the bag? He looked her up and down when she asked what he thought. “Hmmm. I think it looks really good on you,” he told her honestly, “But I know you’re not a fan of lighter colors, and, admittedly, it doesn’t exactly scream ‘I’m a Sith Lord’ like a darker color would,” he added with a small smile. “I like it, but I like the burgundy better.”<br/><br/>He knew he didn’t need the bag to carry the clothes, but while she changed back into the burgundy top, he decided to get the bag anyways. He thought that it would come in handy at some point, and really, he just really liked it. With his chosen items in hand, he headed for the register to check out, but stopped when An found some boots that caught her eye, pointing out that they would keep their feet warmer.<br/><br/>Jax took a look at the boots and found some that were black, tall boots with four back straps around them. He tried them on and found that they were comfortable and warm. He took a few test steps around before nodded to An when she asked if he was ready, “Yeah,” he replied with a smile, gathering his things and heading to the counter so that they could pay for their things. Once they had paid, he headed for the door, out onto the street. He handed the clothing he didn’t need to the soldier so that he could take it back to the shuttle and then looked to An, “Ready?” he asked, allowing her to lead the way as they got back to their mission.