Jax chuckled a little to himself at Jek’s response to his unspoken question as they headed in to join the girls for a conversation that he wasn’t super excited about. He wasn’t sure if it would end up going smoothly or end in an argument. It could go either way with the four of them, especially considering the subject of conversation. He hoped it would be the former, as he didn’t wish to argue when they’d only just found one another again.<br/><br/>He was glad for the calm Jek projected in the room after they’d taken their seats, hoping it would be enough to keep things calm. He placed his hand over An’s under the table, giving her hand a light squeeze as they began their conversation. He turned his attention to An when she spoke, speaking of the Force Sensitives that they had captured the previous day, but that she had release. He had guessed that was what happened, but it was nice to have a confirmation. He was grateful to know that she at least had compassion for the younglings.<br/><br/>Aeris grinned innocently when An locked eyes on her, letting her know that she blamed her for her guilt. She had no problem taking on the blame, whether or not it was truly her fault. If it helped her friend to place the blame on her, then it was a burden she would bear. She hadn’t wanted to turn them over, either, and she would have done the same thing if their positions had been reversed. She’d left her with them knowing she would make the right choice, and knowing she was probably more likely to do it without an audience. Either way, she wouldn’t apologize for it.<br/><br/>An continued, saying that it had never been their job to know the details, suggesting that in completing their own mission, they might find what the boys were looking for. It was a thought that Jek had finished. Jax looked around the room, glancing at Jek when he telepathically suggested that they free a few and send them to the Jedi.<span style="font-style: italic">”Yes, maybe we do,”</span>he replied, keeping his face from showing this, as he understood as well as Jek that it was best that they not share this with the girls, as they didn’t want to be excluded for interfering. After all, they could find out a lot more if their movements weren’t so restricted.<br/><br/>An-Lok asked the question that hung in the air, whether thay could all agree to this or not. Jax thought about it for a short time before finally nodding, “I think I can agree to that,” he agreed to it, looking to the other two. He guessed that Jek would agree, considering, but he wasn’t quite sure what Aeris would think. He hoped that she would agree, but her face made it difficult to figure out hat she was thinking. In this way, she’d grown a lot since the girl he remembered who had struggled to keep from always wearing her heart on her sleeve.<br/><br/>Aeris listened to the other three, not moving from her position with her elbows planted on the table and her chin resting on her interlaced fingers. She hadn’t said anything in several minutes now, and her face held an inscrutable expression as she listened, making it difficult to tell what her feelings were on the matter. The solution An had offered was a simple one, and it could work, she had to admit. If nothing else, it allowed them to continue their mission and see it through to the end, with a theoretical hope that Jek and Jax would find what they were looking for along the way.<br/><br/>She hated herself for doubting her friends, but she wondered if it was really so simple. She just couldn’t imagine Jek and Jax allowing them to collect and deliver who knows how many Force Sensitives to the Sith. Beyond that, they were expected to just allow this on the supposition that they would<span style="font-style: italic">hopefully</span>find what they were looking for in the end? If she were in their place, she wouldn’t settle for that. Of course, she wasn’t in their place, and they weren’t her, but still, it just didn’t make sense to her. Then again, maybe she was just jaded from the war and dealing with imperials and Sith, none of whom she would trust as far as she could throw them.<br/><br/>After a little longer, she pursed her lips and looked around at all of them. “Will it really be that simple?” she wondered for than asked. She wished for them to all remain together as much as any of them, perhaps more, which was why she wanted to find a real solution, to make sure that they could stay together, not just for now, but in the future. In reality, though, she had no better ideas. “I feel like we’re in a leaking boat in the middle of a lake trying to patch our holes with chewstim and hoping we don’t all drown,” she admitted reluctantly. She had been hoping they could all be honest with one another, even if it meant that they would fight, but she had no business hoping for such a thing if she wasn’t willing to do the same.<br/><br/>Jax thought about her words in silence, hoping someone else would say something to ease her worries, but when no one else immediately spoke up, he did. “I think you’re looking at it all wrong,” he pointed out, which earned him a curious head-tilt from Aeris. “It might be temporary, but if the chewstim patches keep the water at bay, even for a little while, it still keeps us afloat and keeps us from drowning for a little while, until we can find a more permanent solution,” he explained the way he thought of it. “If the boat goes down while we try to find a better solution, it might be too late,” he added.<br/><br/>Aeris looked surprised, perhaps by the outlook that was so different from her own or perhaps because it was coming from Jax. Maybe both. Either way, it seemed that he got through to her, as she nodded in response. “Okay. I’m in,” she agreed with a nod, looking between the three of them, deciding that she needed to trust them. “I’m sorry… For doubting you,” she apologized, looking down at the table rather than up at her friends, feeling guilty that she was the only one with glaring trust issues, and that she had allowed them make her doubt her friends.<br/><br/>Jax wanted to tell her something like ‘we all make mistakes’ but deciding that he’d said enough, he decided to let the other two have a go at cheering her up. They’d probably have a better shot than he did, anyhow. He had probably just gotten lucky with the whole boat half full thing.