The entire atmosphere on Zinuthra seemed to have changed since their return, understandably so given that the news of Voldon’s passing would shake the whole order to its core. The coming weeks became so busy that it transpired she hardly saw Yerbol during the day, being that both Champions had their own duties to attend to. Despite being ordered to rest by both Ailel and Matthew, Aria found herself unable to do so. Instead, she wandered the Academy's halls, finding the occasional dejected student to whom she offered one to one meditation lessons, she may not have been the most approachable of the tutors (certainly her husband's people skills far surpassed her own), but Aria hoped that through aiding her pupils in their own grieving process that she might come to terms with her own; she found it was helpful, up until Paix and Waylon both shooed her from the classroom with stern instructions that “she should be resting, not teaching”. Frustrated, but unable to provide an argument to her case that the other instructors found satisfactory, Aria was forced to comply with their wishes. 

 Ever since returning from Voss, the Champion had found herself possessed of the same impersonal detachment that had kept her alive for sixteen years in the Sith regime. Such detachment now, however, was unwelcome and disconcerting. Aria knew she shouldn’t allow herself to be too drawn into those feelings, but since she had detected something, through their bond, that Yerbol was keeping hidden away from her, she had found it harder and harder not to withdraw back into her old habits. The Champion knew a better approach would have been to simply speak to Yerbol about it, and yet there was….SOMETHING within her that robbed her of the ability to commit to that decision. She had little doubt that it was a product of the encounters with Manus Vo, the man had been every bit Bracknell’s superior in both strategy and manipulation. Perhaps she hadn’t been entirely immune to the madman’s ramblings as she had previously thought, but rather too preoccupied with the task at hand to notice the effect they had on her psyche. Had the older instructors sensed it, too, and thus forbade her from entering another classroom until she dealt with it? In either case, without a distraction tactic, Aria found herself at a loss and beset with conflicting goals: she did not want to do NOTHING at all, and yet neither could she force her feet to make their way back to their shared quarters to confront Yerbol. Instead, Aria decided it would be best to leave the building and get rid of some of her pent up energy by following the jungle trails that branched out from the main settlement, absently tracking the native fauna simply to give her mind something to do, until her legs began to ache and she came to a stop beside one of the lakes. The purple-ish tint to the sky (caused by the dimming light refracting off the heavily crystallized rock which had first drawn the Qyaari to the planet two years ago) indicated that it was some time in the late afternoon, or perhaps early evening, she had been gone long enough and the others were likely worried about her... But before she headed back to the main complex, the Champion decided she may as well take advantage of the fresh air out here, and clear her mind. The service would be held tomorrow, and after that….Force knew what the Elders would ask them to do. She couldn’t afford to be bogged down by such mental burdens. While it didn’t settle her worries entirely, an hour of meditation DID help Aria to settle her nerves enough to make a decision. As she opened her eyes again, the fading rays of Zinuthra’s suns reflected off the band on her ring finger and she sighed softly to herself. 
“For better or worse...well, guess this counts as worse, huh?” 
She had never felt more ridiculous in her life. She HAD to talk to him. 

By the time she had returned to the main building, the moon was already out, casting just enough light for her to find her way back without much need to enhance her vision with Force techniques. Inside, the lights appeared to be off and she wondered if her husband was already asleep, so made her approach quietly and hoped that the sound of the door opening wouldn’t disturb him if he was. When she heard him speak, however, she relaxed a little bit, stepping over the threshold and shuffling closer to him.
“N-No, you didn’t...I…” she trailed off, plopping herself down beside him. “I was being a brat, and I overreacted...I’m sorry. I just, needed time to think.” she kept her gaze dropped away from his, fixed instead on her hands which she kept knitted together in her lap, as she fumbled for the right words to say. Eventually, the diminutive Champion spoke up again, her voice quiet.
“I hate this….like ever since we came back we hardly know each other.”  Aria wrung her hands together in agitation, shoulders slumping slightly. “I just...it feels like there’s something you’re not telling me and after everything that happened with Manus and on Voss I...I got caught up in my own head and I got upset, and I started taking it out on you and I shouldn’t have.” 
Finally shifting her position to turn and look at him, Aria scooted a bit closer and placed her hand over his. “I love you, no matter what. And I just want you to know that you don’t...you don’t HAVE to tell me anything if you’re not ready to. But when you are, I’m here.” the Champion cleared her throat again, trying to stifle the tears that threatened to fill her eyes at the thought that what they had been through on Voss could have almost threatened their relationship if she hadn’t seen sense. 

“I just...I need to know that you’re okay. That WE’RE okay.”