Jax placed a hand over An’s as she put pressure on the injury. He was beginning to feel a bit lightheaded, but he was still aware that she had called a shuttle, and when she told him he couldn’t get seriously injured like this. He was going to try to ask why, but when she leaned in, he returned her kiss before she whispered in his ear.<br/><br/>His eyes went wide at her words as surprise and joy filled him, replacing all of the other emotions that had been inside of him moments before. “Really?” he asked, as she placed his hand on her abdomen and he gazed back into her eyes. He weakly reached up and placed a hand on her cheek, smiling back at her as she allowed him to the events of this morning. “So that’s what it was,” he whispered softly, and only then did it occur to him that this was what their recruit had been referring to, and that Jek had figured it out before him.<br/><br/>He laughed weakly, although he immediately regretted it as his abdomen felt sore and painful from the blow of the woman’s hilt. “I love you, An,” he told her softly, his voice getting weaker as his vision slowly darkened. He allowed her to feel through the Force that he was happy, that they would do this together, and that there was no one else he would rather have as the mother of his child.<br/><br/>“Sorry, but I think I am going to sleep now,” he told her, blinking as his vision blurred and the darkness that had lingered on the edge of his vision crept inward until it had overtaken him. The fatigue he had been feeling slowly tugged him under until his hand slowly dropped from her cheek and he lost consciousness.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Aeris knew that Jek didn’t like to fight, a sentiment that she had never shared, so she was more than happy to be the sword when it was needed, and it killed her that when he had needed her most, she hadn’t been here. She used that, along with all the fear, anger, and rage that filled her, allowing it to fuel her as she attacked the woman. She felt his attempts to calm her through the Force, but it was like throwing a glass of water on a raging inferno—it did nothing. She fought to keep herself under control, to let her rage fuel her attacks while maintaining control of herself, lest she lose herself in blind fury.<br/><br/>It was difficult to do, to hold herself back, but she managed for his sake, for all of their sakes, and when the duel was done, she rushed to his side, allowing her anger and rage to dissipate, melting into sadness, guilt, and pain. She could still feel the ghost of a pain on her left side, where he had been injured, but she ignored it, using what the Jedi had taught them to block out pain, reminding herself that it was not her own pain, but Jek’s, and that he needed healing. “Hey,” she whispered back to him, touching his face, managing to give him a small smile, the anger in her eyes replaced with love. She leaned over and kissed his forehead as she healed him. “You’re such a fool,” she whispered, the love in her eyes and in her voice making it clear that she didn’t mean it.<br/><br/>She stayed by his side after he had lost consciousness, until the bleeding had stopped, the tissue had partially mended, and she was certain that he was stable for transportation. She then reluctantly left his side, crossing the room to where Jax now lay unconscious with An-Lok kneeling next to him. She could feel his lifeforce and knew that he was still hanging on, despite his loss of consciousness. She focused her healing on the bleeding injury on his leg until it had stopped bleeding and was partially mended. She then moved her hand over his abdomen, sensing no severe damage, but doing what she could to help mend it, to lower the risk of any bleeding that might occur when he was up and moving again.<br/><br/>Once she had finished, she sat back, leaning on her hands propped behind her as she took a deep breath. Now that she had settled down and the worst of it was over, the adrenaline faded and much of her remaining energy had been used to stabilize the two men, she felt exhausted. “I’m going to meditate,” she told An-Lok as she closed her eyes and repositioned herself. She was careful not to go too deep into meditation, not wanting to accidentally end up floating them all, but enough that she could draw on the energy of the Force to clear some of her exhaustion and revitalize her weary body.<br/><br/>She stayed this way until she felt the shuttle approaching, and then she stood, telling An-Lok that she could remain at Jax’s side, knowing that she likely wished to. She met the shuttle as it landed, instructing some of the soldiers to get the two men on stretchers and into the shuttle. She oversaw their progress and instructed the recruits from all three parties to load up. Once everything was out of the speeders, she had three of the soldiers take them back to the town not far from them while they got everything, and everyone situated in the shuttle.<br/><br/>As the soldiers brought the two men out, she watched them carefully, looking to An-Lok and sighing a little, silently sharing the pain, sadness, and guilt she still felt, despite the fact that she would appear to the soldiers and recruits as a commanding and brooding Sith Lord. She couldn’t help but think ‘what if I’d realized it sooner? What if I’d changed course as soon as I felt that disturbance in the Force?’ It was stupid, she knew. There was no way for her to have known this would happen, and if they had changed course too early, they would not have gotten their last recruit, and who was to say what the consequences would have been? Wondering what if was stupid and pointless, she knew that, but even so, the thoughts still came, until she banished them once everyone had been loaded into the shuttle.<br/><br/>She got onto the shuttle last, standing and gripping one of the handholds, having no desire to sit right now. She ordered the pilot to notify the cruiser that they had two injured and to have medical crew on standby. She stayed this way until they arrived on the cruiser and she was the first to stride down the ramp, instructing some soldiers to help the recruits with their luggage and to give them a quick tour as the medical team took the two men and headed for the medical bay. She was right behind them, having no desire to linger here while her love disappeared from her sight. She followed them into the rather bleak feeling medical bay and took a seat, watching over them with a silent warning of what would happen if they screwed up and caused any further harm to either man.