What's a date?

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

At Kay's story the food in his mouth that was once so amazing went sour, the reddening in his eyes switched from tears of joy and amazement to that of rage. Pure white hot and fearsome rage that would cut into the soul of any man. Now Lusk wasn't a savior, he wasn't an angel, and he certainly didn't see himself as higher than the senator. And everything in her story was perfectly fine up until she got up to the part about the Sith.

"Seventy four thousand, eight hundred and ninety six." Lusk said in a very cold voice.

"Clone Commando serial number zero zero six five, designation Dash." Lusk said again in that cold tone of voice that could cut through steel.

"That's how many of my brothers and sisters I buried on Chazwa, many of them were just empty coffins because they were so mutilated. A few thousand were buried without their heads because the enemy collected them as trophies, but the one clone I listed. Dash, she was my sister. The building we were in came down and she was impaled on these rods, I held her in my arms when she died." Lusk said as he adjusted himself in his seat.

"And do you know who killed my family? The Sith. When you sit across from me in tell me that you are friends with them, I no longer feel these feeling for you. I feel disgust, but not for you, no that would be too good for you. I feel disgusted that I ever felt that way about you." Lusk then took his table knife and jammed it into the table, letting out the murderous rage that he wanted to inflict on her.

"But don't worry, I gave you my word an honor as a soldier. I won't tell anyone about you, about your friends who murdered my family." Standing up Lusk began to walk away with his back to her.

"I'd kill you myself, but then that would be a mercy to end the pain you feel. No from here on out, every Sith that kills one of my siblings, it's on your hands." Lusk reached for something around his neck and dropped it on the ground.

"Expect seventy four thousand eight hundred and ninety six of those at your office tomorrow morning." The object rattled as Lusk walked out the door, and Kay would be able to see it was a dog tag with the name "Dash" etched over the serial number.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Oh no...She saw his demeanour change in an instant and she regretted telling him anything. Tears brimmed her eyes and she jumped to her feet when [member="Commander Lusk"] stabbed the knife into the table. Her fear turned to anger, something that she always did her best to control. "Don't you DARE pin their deaths on me!!! My husband was murdered by a Sith Lord right in front of me!!! Don't you DARE think that I am friends with them all or anything! They are my enemies too and I have NO family because of them!! But I will NOT blanket everyone with the same brush Commander!!! I will NOT allow myself to be blinded with hate!! And I will NOT take the blame for events that I wasn't there for!!! I would have prevented it if I could!! But you just won't listen!!!"

She shoved her dinner off of the table and put her elbows on the table, hiding her face in her hands as she shook and cried. It had been ages since she had let herself get into such a state of emotions and she knew that she only had herself to blame. An agent of GRIM told her not to trust anyone. Kay now understood that he was right. She couldn't trust anybody, least of all herself.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk had his back against the wall besides the door he had walked out of, tears were in his eyes and he was now feeling something other than rage. He felt guilt, oh he was still very much enraged by what Kay had told him, but when he heard her cry he knew that he had cut her deep. Lusk took a deep breath and thought about everything for a moment, he wanted to scream and punch a hole in the wall.

So that's what he did, because even he knew that going back in there was a bad idea. With a cry of anger the clone slammed his fist into the plaster of the wall and left a very large hole in it. The clone commander sighed afterwards and approached the door. Opening it and walking back into the room Lusk looked at the woman with tears in his own eyes and could at least understand her.

Approaching her as she sat at the now ruined table he squatted down to look up at her, he still felt anger and pain but the guilt of what he said began to outweigh them both. He wasn't the best with social skills and expressing emotions after all and while maybe she did deserve to hear that, she shouldn't have.

"Hey there stranger." Lusk said with a gentle voice still laced with pain.

"I want to tell you how badly you hurt me, that you deserve that, but I can't not right now. And the reason why I can't is because I understand, and because I'm no better." Lusk said still in pain.

"Those imperials I executed, I got them from Carida. The imperial academy, we had orders to leave no witnesses and in doing so every person we passed I killed. Kids right out of high school, I slit their throats and let them bleed to death on the floor. Two groups of young kids with their entire lives ahead of them, I murdered them. Then I took that Moff and his wife out of their bed while they slept only to execute them in front of each other on Chazwa. Kay your friends murdered my family, and I will never forgive them for that." Lusk said with a pause.

"I am sorry for what I said, it's just that. It hurts, it hurts a lot whenever I hear about the Sith. I hear them and my mind flashes back to the funeral, to holding dash, and I know you weren't there, you didn't see what they did to my family, what they did to innocent people. I don't know if you want it, or even care if you have it."

"But I forgive you, I forgive your part in the coup, and I understand. I'm going to touch you now, do not be alarmed." Lusk reached his hand up slowly and wiped a tear away from the woman's face.

"It's going to be ok, Kay. Everything is going to be ok." He said in a comforting voice still ripe with his own pain.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay jumped once again as he punched through the wall. She never felt so naive, everything good that she tries seems to backfire on her. At least she was usually the only one to suffer for her mistakes. That's the way it should be.

Then [member="Commander Lusk"] surprising returned into the room. As he crouched down and looked up at her, she just couldn't hold his gaze for long. Instead she just looked at the mess she created on the floor, her dinner spread all over it.

As he spoke, she listened and when he wipes away her tear and spoke of forgiveness, she wrapped her arms tightly around him in a hug and spoke into his shoulder. "I never meant to hurt you, or anyone. I want everyone to be happy and lead good lives. I have friends in various walks of life with different ideologies, but please believe me when I say that all of my friends are good people. I wouldn't knowingly befriend someone that is evil....I am sorry for the losses of your brothers and sisters and I wish that I had the power to stop it, but I don't. I'm just not qualified..."

Kay pulled back and wiped away her own tears. "This isn't exactly how I planned the evening to go. I was going to work out an amendment with you for the Sentient equality bill, to ensure that your brothers and sisters get the same treatment as everyone else. Better food, better living quarters, and the respect that you deserve.."

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

When the woman embraced him Lusk tensed a bit at the sign of affection, he soon after relaxed into it and wrapped his own arms around her. He held her like that for a few moments, putting his own head atop hers letting his lips and cheek rest against the crown of her head. When she spoke he still felt anger for her trying to defend her Sith friends, but her emotional state was more important than expressing his rage towards the Sith.

"Shhh, I know. It's ok, it's going to be ok." Lusk said as he rubbed her back a bit to comfort her.

Then she pulled back and Lusk stared back at her listening to her words about how she wanted to help him and his family, and while he had forgiven her it didn't make her choices of friends or his actions right, it didn't bring anyone back, and it didn't make up for any of the evil that had been done on all sides of the republic and Sith. But it was a good place to start.

"I'd like that." Lusk said as he wiped off the last tear on her cheek.

"But not right here, not now." He said gesturing over to the knife stuck in the table and the mess of food everywhere.

"You want to get out of here together?" Lusk asked with a slight but weak smile.

 

[Kay-Larr]

She was a little comforted by [member="Commander Lusk"] 's rubbing of her back, and the whole hug in general. Yet she was a bit confused as to why he didn't want to work on the bill at the moment. Sure it was a change of subject for her, a diversion tactic, but that was her way.

Kay looked to the mess that she made on the floor. At least the plate didn't break, but still, she let her anger get the better of her. At least she didn't tap into the Force. That would be wrong. She didn't like using it for fear that her husband's killer would use it as some way of tracking her down, even though as time wore on, that was looking to be more and more unlikely.

"I should clean up first. It isn't fair for anyone else to do it when I made the mess." She crouched down and picked up the overturned plate and proceeded to clean up the steak, mash and veggies. The mash of course was spooned up with her fork. It was a good dinner, with those two bites that she had of it. But Kay had lost her appetite by now. The hole in the wall that Lusk made would also need to be fixed. She figured that she'd pay for it. Afterall, she was the one that got him angry and caused him to lose his temper in the first place.

Kay got to her feet once more and grabbed her satchel, securing it over her shoulder, before heading out of the private room. After spotting their server, she apologized for the mess and paid extra for it, before stepping out of the restaurant with Lusk, no doubt behind her. As she stood outside of the doorway, she turned to look up to him. "Shall I escort you back to your home? Or did you want to just go our separate ways from here?"

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk did his part to help clean up the mess, he removed the knife jammed into the table and set it down, helped Kay clean up the ground of any mess and then looked at the hole in the wall he had made. While he didn't regret it at all he made sure to leave a rather large tip as well to help cover any damage he made, a few hundred credits would hopefully cover it as he had no idea how much fixing that would cost.

Following right behind Kay the clone looked at the other diners stare at him, he was a clone and a scary one at that. He could see the fear in their hearts and it tore him up a bit inside, he didn't want to be feared but after punching a hole in the wall in front of them he was pretty sure at the very least he had made them uncomfortable. But hey that was life. So with a few murmurs of "sorry" and "excuse me" as he walked by he made it outside with the senator.

She had asked him whether he wanted to go back home or just go their separate ways, but the clone didn't really want either of that. While he was still very frustrated and slightly upset with Kay he didn't want the night to end on such a low between them. He wanted her to feel better and he was sure that he could at least make that attempt to make whatever this date thing was a mild success.

"Walk with me." Lusk said with a pull of his head down the street.

"I want to show you something." Lusk then proceeded to step down the street slow enough to let Kay catch up with him.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was about to follow [member="Commander Lusk"], but then remembered something. "Hold on, I'll be back in a minute. I forgot something." Without another world she hurried back into the restaurant with an apologetic look as she slipped into the private room again. She picked up Dash's dog tag and dropped it into her satchel before making her way back out to the Commander.

"Sorry about that. I'm ready now..." She kept pace beside him though slightly behind as she didn't know where he was going, nor what it was that he was going to show her. Would it be good or bad? Hard to say at this point and there was no use in speculating. She'd learn soon enough.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"No problem." Lusk said to Kay as she caught up to him.

"Let me ask you a question, just a bit of small talk while we walk." Lusk looked over to Kay and slowed a bit so he could walk side by side.

"Your ex husband, he was a dark jedi. Now my commander is a dark Jedi as well, and we all love her like an older sister. However from what my training tells me that dark siders always turn into something that becomes a danger to society and good." Lusk looked over to Kay hoping she could answer what came next.

"Your husband, I know he died doing the right thing and I won't question that. But before he did, had he ever shown any changes? Any dark tendencies or urges, anything that would make you worry as they walked down the path of the dark side." Lusk asked the woman in a serious voice.

The Clone however was deadly serious about all of this, he needed this information in case Keira were to ever fall deeper into the pit of darkness. He loved her, he cared for her with all his heart and he'd of gladly died for his commander. But in case that ever happened he needed to know if she could be saved or helped, or if they were too far gone to the point where they didn't recognize the person they once knew.

"If it's too hard you don't have to answer." Lusk said hoping he hadn't hit a sore spot.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay kept pace with [member="Commander Lusk"] as they walked, noting how he let her walk equally beside him. Normally she wouldn't notice such things, but tonight she did.

Lusk's question gave her pause, giving her an almost faraway look in her eyes as she delved back into her memories. There were only a few things about her late husband that she would call upon often when describing him to others. The other events just sort of faded away. Until now.

She chewed the inside of her cheek before speaking. "He did show changes. We would argue about them as he was turning darker. But it wasn't just something that happened on it's own. He was being influenced by the the very Sith Lord that killed him. The Sith Lord wanted to drive all of the light out of him and that included trying to tear us apart as I was the one keeping him anchored. He was going to kill me,even tried to get Shaw to kill me, but failed. In the end Shaw made a deal with the man and the rest is history." Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Thankfully the past wasn't hurting quite so much anymore. They always say that time heals. Maybe it's true.

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Lusk listened to Kay's words as they walked side by side, he understood that and to his knowledge Keira wasn't being influenced by any Sith Lord. He'd of seen the changes if she was, but Lusk was in this for the long haul and he would have to gradually notice any small changes over the course of things.

"Thank you for that, I worry about my commander at times. She was placed in charge of our army and she does rely on the darkside." Lusk then looked over to Kay and pointed his hand out to something that was blur in the distance.

"That's what I want to show you, right up ahead." Lusk said as he lowered his hand.

The blur was a few hundred meters away moving in a synchronized fashion. There was almost a rhythm in the way it moved, but against the blur of the city lights it just looked like shining pieces of humanoid shapes reflecting against the many pieces and surfaces of the capital.

"What do you think that is." Lusk said as they slowly got closer.

 

[Kay-Larr]

She nodded a little as [member="Commander Lusk"] spoke of his commander. She was about to ask him about her and why the woman had chosen the Darkside, but then he almost stopped and pointed out something in the distance. Kay squinted her eyes in an attempt to try to make out what it was that she was seeing. She just stopped in her tracks, not wanting to get closer until she knew whether or not it was safe to do so. And right now she didn't feel particularly safe. She gripped the strap of her satchel. "I don't know what it is...An army?...Protesters?"

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"]

As the object got closer and closer to the pair of people walking towards it, Lusk looked over to Kay and spoke as it began to become clear on what exactly it was. A formation of clone troopers marching the streets of Chazwa in unison stood proud and tall, maybe people didn't like them for what Genevieve forced them to do, but they still stood proud for who they were. They were a family and nothing could take that away from them.

"Those men and women are my family, Kay. They are the people I watched grow up and helped raise, now I know that corrupt people have had their hands on them. And that we might be considered child soldiers, but I want to tell you something important." Lusk said with a pause as he stopped to look at the formation.

"We didn't ask to be born, we didn't ask to fight a war that wasn't ours, we didn't ask to bury our brothers and sisters. We were Gen's slaves grown by our mother and we accepted that. But now that we are free, we choose to stand by the republic. We choose to stand for what we understand and what we believe in. And we believe in this republic." Lusk said as the formation passed them by.

"When it's decided in the senate on our fate, I want to ask two things of you. Our home Cartao, we do not wish for another army like ourselves to be created. And the second is that you put forth your legislation that we remain in the armed forces and break Gen's executive order so that any clone that wants to walk away before their term is up may do so and receive civilian education classes. I know it's a lot to ask but it's what we want." Lusk said in a very caring voice.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay let her tense body relax was she found out that there was no danger. A lot of the clones were heroes in her eyes. But not everyone shared her point of view because of recent events.

She nodded as she listened to [member="Commander Lusk"] and his requests. He was a good leader and the clones were lucky to have them. The Republic was lucky to have them.

"It might comfort you to know that the majority of the Republic, especially those in the Senate want nothing less than for you all to be treated like everyone else. We just need to write out an amendment for it to make it law. Is there anything else that you'd like in it before I craft it together and present it to the Senate?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

There didn't seem to be. Already there was lots for her to work with and fortunately she knew of a lot of people with the resources and time needed to help the clones adjust to a normal life.

The 'date' was over. Neither of them had expected it to go the way that it went, but at least it didn't end violently. [member="Commander Lusk"] seemed lost in thought and that was where she left him.

Kay headed over to the cemetery where she had been to before for a ceremony to honour the fallen which was led by the Commander. She needed to find Dash's grave. It took a couple of hours as she wandered in the dark, but eventually she found it. And when she did, she took out Dash's dog tags and hung it on her tombstone. Then after bowing her head in respect, Kay turned and headed back to the transport station.