Aeris had to stifle a laugh when she’d asked Jek if he wanted to get something to eat before she called for the shuttle, only to find him with a pastry in his mouth and a fruit in his hand, looking like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He blinked at her for a moment, as if he had been taken off guard and then tried to give her a smile. Her shoulders moved with the silent laughter as she pressed her lips together to prevent any sounds from escaping. “Honestly,” she shook her head, but the smile on her face was one of amusement and the look in her eyes was affectionate, giving away a complete lack of the exasperation that her words might have implied.<br/><br/>He replied to her question using telepathy, suggesting that they stop to eat rather than go about the day hungry. She snatched a fruit from the table and nodded. They might have been able to eat on the ship, but luck favored the prepared, so it was probably best to eat when they knew they could. The food was probably better here, anyways.  She’d not been on the planet a great deal longer than he had, and this was her first time in this particular town, but since she did have a knack for finding things, especially those involving food, she decided to lead the way as he had suggested. Most of the other towns had various little eateries around, as well as food stalls in the market that sold a variety of foods that were easy enough to eat on the go.<br/><br/>She opened herself up to the Force and took a deep breath in through her nose—smelling for food as much as she was calming her mind to allow the Force to guide her—before deciding on what direction to go, leading him off down the street towards the market, eating the piece of fruit as she went. As they neared the market, she could smell an assortment of various different scents all coming from the direction of the marketplace. She hummed lightly to herself as she tried to decide which smell to follow. Upon realizing what she was doing she gave Jek an innocent, if slightly embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.<br/><br/>She perked up a little when she decided, forgetting her embarrassment and snagging his hand as she led him off into the market. Being late in the morning, it was already crowded, so she weaved her way through the crowds with Jek in tow until she’d led them to a stall near the north corner of the marketplace that sold a variety of different foods, most of which took the form of a pastry, bread, or other similar creations, from fruit-filled pastries to meats cooked in or sandwiched between some form of bread. She picked out a pastry filled with a spiced fruit mixture and waited for Jek to decide if he wanted something here or from another stall, as there were other plenty of other nearby options. While she waited, she took the chance to ask the man’s droid about the location of the nearest hanger.<br/><br/>Once Jek had chosen what he wanted to eat and they had paid, she led him to a small area resembling a park just outside of the marketplace where there were tables around. She chose an empty one and took a seat before sampling the food she had purchased. It was quite delicious, the fruit tart but otherwise a mellow flavor that melded well with the strong flavors of the spices. She smiled a little, taking another bite and enjoying the flavors, absentmindedly humming to herself as she did.<br/>“How’s yours?” she asked, taking another bite of her own and this time making a conscious effort not to hum, as she realized that she had been doing it again. It was a habit she had always had, even as a child, if the food was exceptionally tasty or enjoyable. It wasn’t as though he’d never heard her do it before, he had, when they were children, but she wasn’t a child anymore, so it was kind of embarrassing that she still had such a habit. A lot of the food she was forced to eat on her travels, while nutritionally sufficient, lacked the flavor of<span style="font-style: italic">real</span>food, as she called it, and even if it had, she was usually alone, she it hadn’t really been an issue before.<br/><br/>Deciding that it would take the shuttle a little time to reach them, and knowing that the hanger was nearby, she deciding to contact the battlecruiser before finishing her meal. She turned on the comm and hailed the ship, soon getting a voice on the other end, “Lord Aeris. We were worried when you did not contact us and we were not able to reach you,” the voice of a man said over the comm. “Hmm?” Aeris said, quirking a brow, “While I can appreciate your concern,” she said slowly, not sounding at all appreciative, “I am not nearly weak enough that I need concern from the likes of you, soldier,” she told him, her voice matter-of-fact. “Of course, ma’am,” he stumbled in reply.<br/><br/>Aeris groaned, rolling her eyes, “Enough with the ma’am crap already,” she shot back, “Of course, my Lord,” he replied. Aeris sighed, dropping her head but deciding it wasn’t worth it. “I need a pickup for myself and a new recruit. I’m sending you the location of the hanger. Be there in 20 minutes,” she commanded before cutting the communication. “Honestly. This is what I get for being nice. An was right,” she sighed, shaking her head while sending the coordinates. The hanger was only a five-minute walk from here, so they still had plenty of time to enjoy their meal. “Sorry,” she apologized to him for interrupting their meal as she put her comm away and retrieved her pastry from the table. Taking a bite, the warm and flavorful filling enough to perk her spirits back up.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Jax smiled when An sat in his lap at his beckoning, wrapping his arms around her as she got settled and toyed with his hair before she turned to focus on the food. He tilted his head on her shoulder to look at her face when she spoke, telling him that Aeris had wanted them to go to her ship to wait for her and Jek to arrive. She then explained that they would have a little time after the shuttle arrived to get there, since the shuttle would dock in another hanger. “Hmm… Alright,” he nodded, wondering briefly why she wanted them to meet at her ship.<br/><br/>He might have asked An to see what she thought, but she distracted him with food, holding the utensil near his lips. He glanced at her, wondering if it was really okay to take the first bite and then decided to accept it, taking the food that was offered. It was neither the best, nor the worst food he’d eaten. It was decent enough that he would eat it without complaint, but not notable enough to distract him from his wandering thoughts.  He smiled when she gave him a quick kiss before taking a bite herself.<br/><br/>He was a little surprised when the comm on the desk went off, but his mind continued to wander as she conversed—sort of—with the poor individual on the other end of the comm. He heard enough to gather that they were worried about Aeris and that An had told them off. He felt her annoyance, her anger through their bond, which helped to pull him from his thoughts. He nuzzled against her hair, grounding himself, and he felt her anger easing as she calmed herself as well.<br/><br/>He returned her soft kiss with one of his own before giving her a gentle smile. “Sure. Sounds good,” he replied with a nod. He accepted the food she shared with him until they had finished it all. Once they were done, he gave her a gentle kiss and waited for her to stand before he followed suit. He went back into the bathroom to retrieve his tunic, slipping it on before gathering the remaining pieces of his attire from where they lie. He slipped into his boots and then put his belt on, hooking his lightsaber on his belt.<br/><br/>He collected his cloak last but didn’t put it on until An was ready. He wasn’t sure it was strictly necessary for him to wear it right now, but he was used to wearing it, so he put it on anyways. “So, where to first?” he asked as he waited for her to lead him out of the room and take him on a tour around the cruiser. It seemed like he would be here for a while, so it was probably best that he be familiar with everything, so he would be careful to pay attention, especially to the important places that he might need to visit on his own at some point.