What's a date?

[Commander Lusk]

Lusk wasn't much of a ladies man, in fact he had no idea what a ladies man was. He didn't know what relationships were, or the idea of love and marriage. He only just starting to learn what attraction was and hopefully he could keep learning so he could pass on this knowledge to his younger siblings. But it wasn't just for the sake of information, when he looked at Kay he felt knots and butterflies and all sorts of other feelings he didn't quite know how to process. But despite these feelings it just felt right being around her even though it did make him feel a little sick from time to time.

standing in the locker room of the Chazwa clone barracks the commander wore a towel around his waste as he stared at himself in a steamy mirror. His hair was a flat mohawk that went down the center of his head with the sides clean shaven, and on his face were the red and black war tattoos forever marked on his face. When he had them done on Cartao by his Mandalorian combat trainer he never thought he'd be going on a date, it made him feel a little self conscious about his appearance but those streaks were a part of his lifestyle.

"Okay Lusk, you can do this." He said as he ran a comb through his mohawk.

"Do you fully understand what a date is? No. But you're gonna go there, have some food, talk a bit, then go home. Because this is a test, yeah a test. You're being tested Lusk, you're a soldier. You've done scarier things. Besides she's a senator, and you're just a clone. You're gonna die by fifty if you don't get shot first." Lusk said knowing and accepting his own fate.

"Remember, you just need to remember your place on the totem pole. She's a senator, you're a clone. That's all you need to understand." Lusk gave himself a nod then turned around to get dressed.

A few minutes Lusk was dressed in his service alpha uniform. A pair of olive green pants, a khaki shirt, and a tan military overcoat to go over that. Lusk didn't own any personal civilian clothing and he certainly didn't quite understand how people dressed outside the military. Lacing up his shiny black dress shoes he stepped outside and decided that the hat was best left behind.

Now [member="Lady Kay"] wasn't the type of woman to really live in one spot, Lusk knew that from the files he was given in case he ever had to murder her on Genevieve's orders back when the coup was starting. While he certainly wouldn't do it now, information was information and he knew she lived on a ship that went place to place. So he'd have to send out a signal for her to come and pick him up wherever she was. Taking out his data pad he pressed a few buttons and sent the senator a ping with his current location, she would soon be on her way to whisk him off to whatever magic eatery they would be attending for the evening.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was still on Chazwa, in her office, working away as she didn't have any assistants. She was just filing away some paperwork when she got the ping. Crap! Was it that time already? A check on her datapad confirmed it. Well a promise was a promise.

She didn't have much to change into, so she just kept to what she was wearing already ( http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-12/28/15/enhanced/webdr10/enhanced-buzz-9024-1419797305-4.jpg). Though she lived in this office and her other one on Commenor, she didn't have much by the way of possessions. And that meant not a lot of clothes. Kay brushed her hair once she stepped into her restroom and stared at herself in the mirror. "This is just a business date. Nothing to worry about. James knows but the others that would make fun of me don't know about it. Shaw would keep me honourbound to do it. So....here goes."

Kay grabbed her satchel, slipping it over her shoulder before she stepped out of her office, locked it and proceeded to the exit of the Senate building. After being checked and escorted out by security, she headed to one of the transport vessels platforms.

[member="Commander Lusk"] was at the Clone barracks, so she was sure to be able to pick the right transport. As she was enroute, she sent the Commander a message to notify him that she was on her way. Twenty minutes later, she arrived. The pilot was well aware that she wasn't going to stay long, so he waited while Kay got out and looked for her date among the other clone soldiers in the area.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

When the shuttle touched down it was around late afternoon to early evening, the sun was just starting to dip behind the horizon and Clones were finished up with the work day. Various groups of clone soldiers, engineers, operators, everyone who had a job on Chazwa was walking around socializing or cleaning up. Basic military life that the clones lived by, to them that's what they knew and what they were comfortable with.

But for one clone in particular, he was about to step out of that comfort zone and further into the real world outside of formations and battle. Lusk pulled at his white undershirt a bit and stepped out towards the ship and ramp where the Senator's pilot had placed it. As always Lusk could be spotted from his facial tattoos and the red and black shined slightly off the light. As Lusk approached he looked over to the Senator and she looked breathtaking to him, she was absolutely perfect and Lusk didn't really know how to say it. You can do this

"Good evening Senator, you look amazing as always." Lusk said as his heart raced beneath his chest.

The clone rubbed at his hair unknowingly showing his nervousness to all of this. Maybe this was a bad idea, this was dumb he was just a clone. Even though this was just a business date he felt like he had no business to even be around her, it was his job to just serve on a battlefield and die if need be. Whatever he was feeling was not meant for him maybe, perhaps it was made for normal people. These confusing and conflicting thoughts played on Lusk's face for a moment before he snapped out of it and smiled at the senator.

"Please, after you." He said gesturing up to the ramp while doing his best to hide his emotions.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Commander Lusk"] was nervous. She could tell as he rubbed his hair in the same way that she would scratch at imaginary itches on the back of her neck when she was nervous. At least they had that in common. Kay noted a few onlookers and she wondered if the Commander had told anyone about the date and how he had won the bid for it. Not that it really mattered.

She smiled a little and bowed her head to him. "Thank you Commander. You look...ready for business. And with you by my side, I'm sure that any bounty hunter or enemy of the Republic would think twice before an attempt to cause any harm to me."

As he gestured to the transport, she turned and walked to the ramp, stepping inside. "I hope you like Bantha steaks. I've grown a fondness for them. But if you don't then we could go somewhere else."

Once they were both inside, the transport vessel would take off and head back near the Senate building. Some of the best restaurants on Chazwa were there.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Bantha? Bantha... Baaaantha? Bantha?! Bantha. Nope, not something that was on Lusk's list of known animals. He had heard the word before but didn't have an image to go along with the word. But if there was one thing he liked it was steaks, red meat was some of his favorite and growing up on Cartao they didn't really tell you what the animal was. It was basically here's your food shut up and eat like a disciplined soldier or you'll go hungry for the night. Mandalorians didn't mess around when it came to training, the only time they escaped their trainers was when they slept.

"I don't know what a Bantha is, but I'm sure it will be tasty." Lusk said as he stepped into the transport with [member="Lady Kay"]

Taking a seat the clone commander buckled up as what he was taught to do and gave a slight curve of the lip smile at the senator.

"You can call me Lusk, Senator. I am beneath you after all, those lower in rank call me Commander." Lusk said with a nod.

He honestly didn't feel right when she called him commander, she shouldn't of had to. He was just a clone and she was a senator, if he fell someone could replace him in a moment with the identical face. But if something were to happen to her than it would leave a wound in the Republic. So for the sake of comfort he hoped she would accept him knowing the place he was told to be on the totem pole.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay took a seat next to him, though she didn't buckle up. She raised a brow as he said he was beneath her. [member="Commander Lusk"] was in many accounts, far greater skilled than she was. In her mind he was above her. She was the one that needed to be babysat and protected like a youngling at times. Most people she considered her equals, if not her betters.

"As you wish, Lusk. You may call me Kay. Afterall, we're not on official business. Just think of me as a reckless slave liberator. I can't pretend that it hasn't gotten me into trouble. So I will be hoping for some of your advice."

Maybe he'll give her some strategies too. Maybe some pointers on shooting her blaster or hand-to-hand combat defensive techniques. She could use those..

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk wasn't sure if he was comfortable calling the senator by her birth name, she was able to be informal with him due to her rank in the republic. But Lusk had been taught to always address your superiors by their title. He wouldn't deny her the request since she was doing the same for him, but it just felt dirty.

"Of course Kay, whatever you prefer." Lusk said in a slightly wavering voice.

Lusk sat in his seat and thought about what advice he could give her. When it came to military operations and weapons he could go on forever. He was a warrior and an expert at what he did, and of course what he did was kill people. He had learned a lot and taught a lot of other troopers, but Kay was different. She wasn't a trooper, as she liked to put it a reckless slave liberator. But the things he had been taught would be a bit in her grey area.

Particularly what she had told him about Yuuzhan'tar. The servant who saw them, he didn't get a stun ray, he got a bullet. That was rule number one, when you were confronted by a witness who would give away your position they had to be dealt with. But for now if she asked he'd give her the basics.

"Well advice in the military field is the one thing I can do for you. I'm not the most knowledgable person when it comes to the civilian world." Lusk said with a little chuckle as their transport grew closer to the destination.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Maybe she should have dressed down a bit. He seemed a bit uncomfortable as he was nervous. But then again their night had only just started.

"Well, I can help you with...civilian life. I'm sure that it's not that different from what you're used to. It's just not as structured. But it can be." She offered him a reassuring smile.

Moments later they had arrived. Kay got to her feet, adjusted her satchel and then headed down the ramp after it had opened. She took a second or two to wait for [member="Commander Lusk"] to catch up and then led the way to the restaurant, 'The Goods'. It was an odd name, but the food it had was very good. At least in her opinion.

A private room was offered to them in the back. It was quaint with shaded lamps of a variety of colours, a couple of booths as well as a small table. Kay sat at the small table, removing her satchel and placing it by her feet. She ordered a glass of water as well as a berry juice for the two of them. Then she took hold of the menu and started going through it. "You can order whatever you'd like. Take your time as there's plenty of choices."

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk unbuckled himself and followed Kay into "The Goods" an odd name indeed, but then again Lusk didn't really know what was the norm when it came to eating establishments. But he thought about what she said about civilian life, and from what Lusk saw it was like night and day in terms of how different it was. It honestly frightened him, the idea of no longer having a purpose. He was bred for war, everything about him from his training, the blood in his veins, to the genes that made up his being.

But he'd have to think about that later, for now he just followed Kay into the building and private room. His mind of course tracked and counted how many people he saw while passing, how many corners, doors, tables and chairs there were around the building. Everything that he would need in case there was a fight. It was a habit that he just couldn't shake even on a date with Kay.

But the clone stared off at the servers as Kay spoke, her words seemed a bit muted until he snapped out of it and focused back in on her. By the stars in the jungle sky she was beautiful, that's what Lusk thought as he picked up his menu.

"Order whatever I want, okay." Lusk said with a nod.

Looking at the menu there was nothing but confusion, lists of foods that he didn't know what they were. Animals he'd never heard of, dishes with names he couldn't even pronounce without messing up. It wasn't overwhelming but Kay would be able to see his confusion as well.

"I'll just have the steak." Lusk said as he placed the menu down.

"I am not a picky person." Lusk said trying his best to put on a smile, he was clearly still uncomfortable about all of this.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Uh oh. Hopefully [member="Commander Lusk"] didn't think that she was making fun of him. His confusion at the menu was easily spotted. "I know how it is. Sometimes these menus are overwhelming....and confusing for me too."

He had seemed a bit lost in his own thoughts earlier, but now he was more focused. The server soon returned, carrying a tray with their waters and juices. Kay was ready to order for the two of them right away. "We'll have the Bantha steaks, cooked medium, mash and veggies please."

"As you wish, Senator." He took their menus and then retreated to the kitchen without batting an eye at the two.

"I'm not picky either. So..." She picked up one of the juice glasses and raised it for a bit of a toast. "Here's to a successful evening." She smiled and had a sip of her juice. "I don't want to put you on the spot or anything, but you can ask me whatever you'd like."

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"To a successful evening." Lusk said raising his glass up along with Kay, taking a drink afterwards.

Setting the glass down Lusk looked around at his surroundings, the lamp shades, the décor, the cloth napkins. It was like being on a completely different planet, it was culture shock at its finest and the clone was trying to process it all. Something so simple as going to some place to get a bite to eat was so foreign to Lusk that it could show that even the older alpha variant clones that had been alive for eight years still didn't know what was what. How sheltered they must of been towards anything outside of war.

"I have a question." Lusk said as he bounced his leg up and down nervously.

"This, this life that I don't understand. I look at everything and I feel so confused, menus for food you select, decorative lighting, it just feels so strange." Lusk said with a pause.

"I can't understand it. And I wanted to tell you something at the party. When I look at you, when I saw you in your outfit I felt and still feel this rush. My stomach twists and my heart quickens, I feel a wanting and I don't know what it is. It compelled me to place that bid, and I simply don't know what it means. What is it? What is this feeling of knots and wings in my gut when I lay my eyes on you?" Lusk asked Kay in a very sincere voice.

 

[Kay-Larr]

She guessed that it would look so strange for a born and bred soldier. Hopefully he didn't think of her as some snob that was born into high society. On the contrary, her life was very different from the other Senators.

At first Kay didn't quite know where he was going with his question. She didn't bring him to an expensive restaurant as she figured he wouldn't be comfortable and the portions were always so small. But then he let the cat out of the bag. Maybe that's why he was so nervous. She raised a brow and scratched at an imaginary itch on the back of her neck. "Well...It's only..." How could she put it? Kay's adopted children were hidden away before they were old enough for such a talk. Did they not have any discussions on this in their training? "...It just means that you find me....pleasing to look at. And that could make you want to ensure my safety." Hopefully that was a good enough answer for the Commander. She'll know soon enough.

[member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"I find a lot of things pleasing to look at Kay. A tight formation and drill, a cleaned and oiled up weapon, the night sky in the jungle when on a field op. But I don't get these feelings when I see them." Lusk said with a shake of his head.

"But when I look at you in particular I get these knots and wings, I feel the rush in my heart. When I'm out there everything makes sense in the blood and violence, war make sense. But when I sit here across from you in a strange new place staring at you I feel it, and nothing makes anymore sense." Lusk said in a very calm and smooth voice.

The man took a large drink from his glass out of nervousness of everything, and he honestly wasn't trying to put Kay on the spot. But he needed answers to this, he needed Kay to be honest and to tell him the truth. He could tell by her body language and tone of voice that she was holding back. He didn't expect her to feel what he was feeling, she was a senator and he was just another clone. He figured this was just something he felt.

"Now I know that I'm not the most informed person in the galaxy. But I know when someone isn't being honest with me, I need to know what this is, I need to know what this affliction is so I can remove it from my being." That's all Lusk wanted, honesty.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Maybe she should have dressed more modestly. Especially on the gala night. Ot might have spared [member="Commander Lusk"] from this.

"It's not as though I'm being dishonest, Lusk. It's just that I don't quite know how to explain the whole truth in a way that wouldn't be uncomfortable for us. What you feel is just the same as others feel when they see someone that they want to try procreating with." She sighed a little. "There are some that act on such feelings as often as they can with everyone that even gives them a hint of such feelings. But there are others like myself that don't do anything about it at all...After my husband died, I've done everything to not dishonour his memory."

There were other reasons why she kept people at arm's length. But that was the easiest one to explain.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"Kay, I don't know what procreation is. I don't know what any of this is. When i was growing up they taught us nothing about what love is for anyone other than the clone next to you, they never told us what any of it was. From the time i was spawned until that moment when I layer my eyes on you I've known nothing but war. But I can assure you that whatever procreation is I do not want it, It would be damaging to my function as a commander." Lusk spoke like a truly brainwashed soldier of an army of children.

"I placed that bid not only to help, but to understand what this feeling is so I may rid myself of it. I'm only a clone Kay, that's all I'll ever be. Another expendable face to die in a hole in the ground or at the hands of a Sith. I've accepted my fate and while I am deeply sorry for the loss of your brave husband, I need you to help me as well." Lusk then finished his drink and sighed.

"I'm a clone built for the purpose of fighting the Sith. I barely qualify as being human, so during this dinner date I want to understand what this is so I may defeat it. But I want you to know something, even if I knew what all of this was, I wouldn't deserve someone like you. I wouldn't deserve to be happy, I've taken that away from so many people that I will never allow myself to feel that." And with that hopefully the senator would assist him.

He rubbed at his temples a bit and just felt so confused, he felt all these conflicting emotions from his crush on lady Kay to his duties as a soldier and clone. He was clearly distraught, everything was new to him and he just wanted to understand it all. But while he was seeking this knowledge he didn't want to hurt her, he didn't want to put her in a position where she was uncomfortable.

"You know what this was a stupid idea." Lusk stood up from his chair and looked towards the door.

"I was stupid to think this was a good idea, I thank you for everything Senator. But maybe it's best that I simply stick to my primary function." Lusk shook his head a bit and just didn't know anything anymore.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay listened intently. So she had to be a bit more upfront about this topic. But they were in public. Well it was a private room, yet there were still servers milling about. She'll have to change that once their food had arrived.

When [member="Commander Lusk"] got to his feet and suggested that he should leave, Kay got to her feet. "Please don't go...Maybe I'm not the best at explaining things, but I'll keep trying. When our dinner has arrived, I'll have everyone leave us so that we may talk more privately. I will tell you my story, but you have to swear that you won't tell anyone...even if they ask. There are things about myself that could land me in a huge amount of trouble. But helping you figure yourself out is worth the risk."

She hated people feeling inferior to her. Kay looked up to a lot of people and had respect for many.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk stopped as he began to pace towards the door, his back was turned to her and listened to her words. She sounded genuine, and like she really wanted to help. And for Lusk that was really the first time anyone had ever really wanted to help him in what he felt, sure other clones wanted to tell him things were going to be ok, but they were all just as clueless as him. He didn't really talk to Keira about this as she was his commander and found it to be inappropriate to converse with his CO like that.

So with his back still turned to the woman he let out a sigh.

"Alright." He said turning around after.

"I swear to you on my honor as a soldier and the graves of my fallen brothers and sisters, that I will not utter a word about your story nor the actions you have taken." Lusk then took his seat at the table.

"Kay, whatever it is you have done, it is not worse than what I have done in the line of duty. What Genevieve had ordered me to do, so I can assure you that when you tell me this you know it's going towards someone who understands." Lusk said with a nod.

The food was soon to be on its way, Lusk could smell the cooked Bantha steaks and the vegetables. And honestly, it was the finest food he had ever smelt. He had grown up eating out of bags or mess hall food, he had never had a meal like this and it did make his mouth water a bit.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay slowly sat down once [member="Commander Lusk"] had returned. "Thank you...I appreciate you giving me another chance."

Moments later, their food did indeed arrive. The Bantha steaks were cooked to perfection, leaving them moist enough to melt in your mouth. And the spices on them didn't overpower, they just complimented the flavour. The mash was a perfect cloud of starchness and the veggies steamed enough so that they still had a crunch to them.

Once the server placed the plates on the table, Kay asked him to leave them alone for a while. That was not an uncommon request in a place like this, so the server just bowed his head and left believing that a big tip would be left for him if he did as was asked. And who could turn down a big tip?

"Did you want us to eat first? Or should I talk while doing so?"

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"During the first phase of our training we were not allowed to speak while we ate, over time we were allowed to gradually earn the right to talk during meal time. So seeing how I do not wish to relive phase one, I would prefer if we spoke." Lusk said as he plate of food was placed in front of him.

Taking a look at the food Lusk's stomach grumbled as his nose inhaled the heavenly aroma that was food, but not just any food. Food that wasn't processed, frozen, then reheated for the masses. When you had two hundred million mouths to feed three times a day you tended to order and contract what food services you could get. So food quality was nowhere near as good as this.

Lusk grabbed his knife and fork making sure to keep his elbows off the table, his instructor was a real dick about that. But cutting into the steak the man plopped the little piece of red meat into his mouth and began to chew. A few moments passed and the look on Lusk's face was one of pain. He looked down at his food and his eyes watered a bit, he had simply never tasted anything this amazing before.

With his eyes reddening a bit he took a cloth napkin and patted his eyes a bit to shake it off as if he had something in his eyes.

"Please go on Kay, I wish to hear it." He said as his voice cracked a bit.

 

[Kay-Larr]

They had to earn the right to talk during their meals? Kay wasn't sure if she could ever have that kind of discipline. She was even too reckless for the Jedi. That she knew for certain.

She raised a brow as [member="Commander Lusk"] took his first bite and looked as though it hurt him. Should she of had it cooked to well done? Maybe there was too much pepper to his liking? Kay cut a piece of her steak and plopped it into her mouth, closing her eyes as she savoured it's flavour. Steak was her next favourite thing besides Sapir tea. But no one really knew that. Well no one alive anyways.

After she chewed and swallowed it, she opened her eyes and started. "I'm sure that you've heard the rumours of me being a Sith sympathizer. Well...it's partly true. My late husband was a Dark Jedi, and with his strategic mind and my negotiation skills, we stopped many conflicts from happening. We were a great team. He gave me the same feelings that you have. Just having him near me wasn't always enough. I wanted to be as close to him as I could almost as if it was possible for us to mould together into one being. So we married and tried having children of our own, but it didn't work. Maybe that was for the best anyways, for he was killed five years into our marriage."

She took a sip of her juice before she continued. "When word was spreading about me liberating slaves from the Cartel, some of the men that approached to help me were Sith. They had a hatred of slavery as well as slavers and wanted to help free as many as they could. So I let them, and I paid them, though they tended to give the money to the slaves that we rescued. Not all Sith are pure evil, you know. Not all deserve death."

She toyed with her mash a bit now, making patterns in it with her fork. "I'm Force sensitive too. It's against the rules and Mantic had me taken into custody once he found out, but that secret is still being kept by myself, Mantic, Faith...and even our former Prime Minister. Gen blackmsiled me into doing whatever she said as my actions are considered treason and worthy of execution, even though I haven't harmed or attacked anyone in the Republic.....I still have a couple of Sith friends and they look out for me, protect me as though I was their sibling. They respect my choice to not turn like them, so they don't try to force it upon me."

She looked up at him now, staring into his eyes to try to figure out what he would do with this information or how he felt. "You're not just a clone, you know. At least not to me or to others. You are an individual, the same as me. Everyone walks different paths in life and everyone has times of feeling lost or confused. There's no need to belittle yourself. You are a lot better skilled than me in many areas. If given the command, you could kill me in an instant. What you feel about me is nothing to defeat, it's nothing to conquer. But it can be controlled."