A Hopeful Surprise

[Koil Solus]

♠ THEME ♠
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Crowds were only the type of thing Koil tended to like when he was trying to use them to go unseen. But in this case he was making an exception. The War Councilor had landed on Tirahnn an hour back knowing there was a charity event. A handful of senators, business moguls, philanthropists and more had come together to organize a new cause to feed the poor and less fortunate. Today was their first official day and so it would have an especially large gathering. There were two reasons Koil had come.

The first reason was because he wanted to surprise Keira Zale. After their last interaction he had continued to think about her every day wondering when they would meet next. So far he had refrained from calling her. Koil was unsure what the appropriate amount of time was and in the end decided to surprise her in person. Hopefully it would not backfire on him.

The Echani knew that this was no longer her planet she represented officially. She was the Acting Chancellor of the Republic as a whole. But she still had strong ties and Koil had said he wanted to see her planet. The Mandalorian had meant it when he had said that.

The second reason was because he knew that Keira liked helping out those in need. She had influence and contacts that could probably help out with his own ideas for a joint charity between both the Republic and the Mandalorians. Even if now was a bad time for personal interaction at least he had the feeling she would be open to hearing his idea. Keira struck him as the type of person who was always willing to helping those in need.

Today he was not wearing much in the way of weaponry or equipment. At least by his standards he was not armed as heavily. Koil was still wearing his beskar'gam but was carrying less than when he had fought Darth Victress. Shab, people might recognize me. SHAB, Keira had probably seen that. his feet carried him towards the soup kitchen where the main event was taking place even as he tried to start thinking of what the Acting Chancellor of the Republic might think of him after that display.

When he came into the door of the building he knew eyes were already on him. Even if people did not recognize him he was still a Mandalorian. A decorated one if they knew anything about his people's culture. Their looks were ones of surprise, wariness but mostly curiosity it seemed. Too late now. Buck up and find her you di'kut. His visor began scanning the crowd in an effort to find who he was looking for. There were lights up, banners, postings of how people could continue to show their support. It was certainly a humane affair, one Koil could not help feel out of place considering his track record.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

If Koil were trying to be discreet, all of that went right out the window. He drew gasps and sounds of shock as soon as he showed up. His face had been all over Holonet, and he was drawing all sorts of attention. On top of that, his armor was shiny and worth more than what most of these people had ever seen. A homeless man reached out to touch the back of his armor, giggling in delight. A group of them gathered around him to marvel at him as if he were a piece at a museum.

Keira was in the back of the kitchen, doling out food when she heard all the commotion. She had been here since early morning to help prep, along with a few other of her associates. This was a massive food drive to provide meals for unfortunate people during the holidays. She wore a fuzzy sweater, jeans and some boots, along with a cute and fuzzy holiday hat. No one would ever be able to guess this was the Chancellor at first glance because of how plain she dressed.

Worried that there was a fight breaking out, she quickly made her way towards the noise. After she gingerly made her way past a few people, she spotted the culprit at once. Her eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Koil there. She had thought he hadn’t wanted to pursue anything since he never contacted her. She had spent several evenings staring at her comlink, wondering where his mind was. However, in the end she simply assumed it had been a one time moment from being drunk. It stung, but she told herself to move on.

However, here he was, right in the flesh. Had he come here knowing she would be here? She couldn’t find any reason for a War Councilor to show up at a holiday food drive. Keira pushed past the others, turning to them, “Let’s not be rude to our guests,” She called out, “Everyone please have a seat and wait.”

Keira had to physically push some people away that were insisting on staying and surrounding him. Countless questions of him killing a Sith flew at him, and Keira winced. She had seen the Holo feed as well. It bothered her, and she heard many whispers of how violent Mandos were. She pushed the thought aside for now, making her way towards him.

“Did you just...happen to be in the neighborhood?” Keira asked as she quirked an eyebrow, unable to keep the smile from gracing her face.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

As he made his way through the crowd he noticed more and more people looking to him. Koil realized that people were pulling out small devices replaying some of the scenes that had been captured days before. Miniature blue holographic Silent Badgers popped up among the crowd for brief periods of time of people informing their friends who he was.

Some people kept their distance, others less so. One man who looked in need of a bath and probably a decent shave reach out as if he did not believe Koil was standing in front of him. The Silent Badger whipped around before the touch landed and responded in mando'a out of instinct. "Gev..." which was enough to halt the stranger. "...please...don't." At least it made the man re-assess his desire to both see and touch giving the black armored Mandalorian time to keep moving further on. Koil had to remind himself that breaking a homeless man's fingers was not going to look good in any kind of light.

People continued to watch, maybe even more than before now. While the one man had stopped others crowded around making moving forward difficult. There was no helping it. The Echani surpressed a grumble at so many pairs of eyes on him. One child even just seemed to jab him with a bony finger. "Hey." It had been a lot easier when he had just some camera droids recording him and not dozens of people looking at him directly in person. When got past a few more he stopped, spotting Keira having made her way through her own part of the crowd.

Underneath his helmet his expression turned into a smile. "Hi." Koil was not sure what else to say. She eventually got closer so that the two of them were standing without people between them. The War Councilor shook his helmet. "No. I came to see you." The man looked around at all the people, some of which glancing between the two of them. "I did not think I would cause a disturbance." He looked back towards the Chancellor. "Anything I can do to help?" Keira was here to help these people. Koil figured it was only right for him to offer his assistance.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira had to admit she was impressed by how he had kept his composure with everyone around him like this. He didn’t seem the type to like any kind of unwanted attention on him, and she half expected him to physically swat people away. She had to keep from grinning as he finally extracted himself from others and turned to look at her.

She was caught off guard when he bluntly admitted he came to see her, not even bothering the coy the route of making an excuse. She hadn’t expected it, and it gave her slight pause. Did this mean that she had been wrong about where his mind had been? Why would he come all this way to see her otherwise? Keira had to grin as he expressed surprise at causing a disturbance.

“You are a bit of a celebrity you know,” She shrugged, bidding him to follow her deeper into the kitchen, “Came to see me, huh?” Keira turned to him with a smile when they had a moment of privacy, “And why’s that?” She was in the mood to give him a bit of trouble after his radio silence. His comment about helping out was also surprising. She didn’t think he would be the type to actually get involved in charity efforts that weren’t exactly glamorous.

Keira kept walking after a moment, pointing out to the trays that were empty, “Start scooping food into the trays and help me hand them out to people that come by in line,” She looked over at him, “And no matter how much they whine, no extra portions. There’s not enough for everyone,” Keira couldn’t keep the amused gaze out of her face.

It would only be a matter of moments before media flooded in here to record a Mandalorian War Councilor helping out in a soup kitchen.

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

Being popular had never really been a goal for Koil. Fame and fortune were things other people tried to attain. Being called a celebrity felt odd for Koil. The man would follow Keira all the same, pleased she did not seem too bothered by his belated contact. But he was not completely out of the woods judging by her questions.

"Well, I..." Lots of eyes and a lot of ears were around. The War Councilor wondered if the two of them talking so casually in public would not stir up some talk. Not to mention just admitting that he fancied her was embarrassing enough as it was. Koil would sigh knowing it was probably going to be unavoidable though. He had been quiet longer than he should have. Of course you did. You always stay quiet for too long. A sigh came from his helmet as he mustered up the motivation to answer Keira. "I had fun...last time. Sorry for not calling sooner...or at all for that matter."

Taking her directions he grabbed one of the trays. "Yes ma'am." He answered with a smiling tone. Hearing and seeing her take charge was a refreshing sight. Even though she was pretty that did not mean she was not a capable individual. Too often people paired beauty with delicacy and there was more to the Chancellor beside him than that.

People seemed to stare at him just as much as their food. He did not seem to get many complaints though but he could have predicted as much. "I suppose I should have dressed for the holidays before coming. Maybe a pair of antlers on my helmet?" Koil still wanted to take advantage of the time here. They were both busy but at least they could talk.

From the entrance he saw people beginning to make their way towards the serving line. They stopped before they interrupted the process but had recorders and surveillance drones. It seemed they were trying to think of what kind of questions to ask him like this was some kind of interview. "Mr. War Councilor sir are you THE Silent Badger that fought-" "Is there a Sith on Tirahnn you plan on-" "What is your real name and have you ever thought to-" They all came at once and Koil could not even tell which question was coming from which person let alone what they were actually asking.

"I here to support Chancellor Zale's generous efforts to support those less fortunate than many of us throughout the galaxy. While I appreciate your interest in me I won't be answering any questions unless they pertain to the Chancellor's charity. Now please, your blocking the line." That was about as best he could do at the time. Some of the locals that were eager to be fed for the first time in probably days were not keen on waiting for the reporters to move either. A few of them pushing them a little bit back. Koil's helmet looked towards Keira hoping his response was alright. In a lower voice he spoke more directly towards her. "You probably guessed I'm not the best public speaker."

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira couldn’t help but chuckle softly at his answer. She could tell he was slightly flustered, even though she couldn’t see it. She had to wonder - did his pale skin turn bright red when he was embarrassed? Her mind continued to wander, thinking about what it would be like to see both eyes at the same time. Was his gaze as smoldering as she imagined or was it all in her head?

She quickly looked away, realizing she was getting too lost in her thoughts. Keira couldn’t help but smile as he took the trays and got to work at once, standing there handing out food like a good volunteer. She kept casting glances at him as she work, laughing as he mentioned dressing for holiday, “I dare you to wear that next time you go into battle,” Keira cracked up thinking about it.

Keira was distracted when media came in, and she groaned immediately. She was about to cut in when Koil curtly responded, cutting off any unnecessary dialogue. The media kept asking random questions, but he ignored it. Keira joined in with serving food, acting like no one was screaming at her with questions.

“Chancellor, what is the nature of your relationship with the War Councilor?!” Keira stiffened at that question, and she sighed. She turned to Koil and jerked her head to the side to indicate that they should leave the area. The main effort of preparing the food was done, and it simply was up to distributing. Her associates would take over.

Keira walked towards a back door in the facility so they could leave. She took off the hat as she walked, chuckling at the situation, “Not how you imagined this to play out, I bet,” She said as she cast a sideways glance at him. Keira stepped out of the building and they were outside now, able to call up a speeder or find a way away from here.

“So,” She turned to him curiously, “Now what?” Her whole day was open after the charity thing didn’t go exactly as planned.

 

[Koil Solus]

They continued to ask questions and occasionally Koil would look sideways towards Keira to see how she responded. Most of them she ignored. Being a politican she had to have more practice when it came to the lime light. But the question about their relationship with one another seemed to make her bristle. It was more her reaction than anything that made him stop as well.

When Keira motioned for him to do so he served one last tray and followed after her. Catching up to her he chuckled at how abnormal this whole situation was. "Far from it. But it hasn't been so bad." Leaving the building he checked up and down the street.

Koil was not sure if they had just ditched a charity event or if she just had that kind of freedom. Then again, she was the Chancellor of the Republic and she seemed like she deserved to do what she wanted. The Echani would admit he had a bit of biased considering he wanted more one on one time with her.

Now what, That was that he had asked her right before things had become heated back in that karaoke bar. He cocked his head to the side to give Keira a few options. "Well, I was hoping maybe, if it's not too much trouble, you could show me around Tirahnn. I remember you talking about it. But even if you don't feel like playing tour guide to a stubborn mando maybe you wouldn't mind having me cook for you." He did not know if she actually had a place on the planet with a kitchen. "I rented a penthouse suite with a kitchen for the week. I um...did not want to assume too much." He rarely spent is money on anything save for munitions, supplies and fuel. It left a considerable amount left over and so reserving a private place was fairly affordable. Cooking in a light freighter did not seem very romantic.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira chuckled at the realization that he had made a whole vacation out of coming here. She began to see that he was a rather spontaneous individual, but that probably came with being such a powerful man. He commanded fear and respect wherever he went, and she doubted many things could get in his way. She thought for a moment about the options, thinking about how he didn’t know this planet too much.

“Let’s start with a tour,” Keira said, calling over a speeder. Within moments, they would be in a different district altogether. It was daunting how busy and crowded it was, “Tirahnn is known for its markets and bazaars,” She explained as they whizzed past the crowds, “There is a festival going where people come from all over the galaxy to showcase their planets.”

After a moment, they came to stop at the beginning of a pedestrian entrance to the market stalls. Keira lit up as she saw all the activity, seeing countless aliens and their wares. They would walk past some S’kytiri selling jewelry and their local foods.

Keira didn’t miss that Koil was getting attention as usual, people flocking around him. He had many people trying to sell him things, and several women tried to hang off his arm, professing about how he was a hero for killing Sith. Keira shook her head, grinning, “I can’t take you anywhere, can I?” She said loud enough just for him to hear.

Chagrian, Bothans, Dug, Quarren, Twi’leks, Devaronian, Zabrak, Shistavanen and countless other races were all chattering away in other languages, customers haggling over prices and tossing things around. It was lively and music played, performers dancing and singing up ahead.

The crowds forced Keira to move closer to Koil, her hand just barely brushing against his. It wasn’t entirely clear if it were intentional or not, and she didn’t dwell on it, “I’m actually glad I found an excuse out of that event,” She admitted with a sense of guilt, “I haven’t been able to make it out to a festival in years.”

Keira came to a stop where there was a stall selling some desserts. She smiled widely, pointing out at some frozen desserts that were bright colors and had a cool smoke floating from it, “You have to try this with me!” She forked over some credits, taking one and handing him the other. It was icy cold and very sweet to taste, and it had a mixture of fruit and syrups in it.

 

[Koil Solus]

Koil was glad she had chosen the tour. If she had refused he would have understood. But the man was curious about the planet and he figured a great way to get to know Keira was by learning about the planet she had come from. His eyes took in all the sights and listened to her descriptions of everything. "Sounds like its worth attending then." A mixture of various cultures was not so strange for him considering plenty of Mandalorians once hailed from different pasts before joining the warrior culture. The Echani was no different.

When they moved through the different stands and people he could feel the mixing of culture. It was exciting for him. Normally when he wanted something he researched it, then just went and acquired it. But there was more depth in purchasing items here than just seller, product and buyer. Koil could see why people spoke about the planet's markets.

It seemed attention was unavoidable though. At first Koil wondered if it was just the nature of the bazaar but then some of them mentioned more specific comments like. "Use one of these the next time you kill a Sith Lord." or "Badgers don't quite and neither do my wares." The War Councilor just waved them off as politely as he could manage. For now he was only thinking of buying some food for later, trying to decide on what to eat and what might suite someone like Keira. Koil remembered her mentioning how spicy Mandalorian cuisine could be. He remembered his own initiation into the food at a young age but by now he had grown much more used to it.

When one woman thanked him all he could manage was a simple "um...thanks." and gently removed her arm. Afterwards he made sure everything he had on him was still there. Koil figured that pickpockets would make the markets a prime location for easy marks and he as someone they recognized might be even easier. But everything was still there. Keira seemed to be enjoying his discomfort from attention. "Did you know we don't have a word for 'hero' in mando'a, Keira?"

Koil would have lead them, breaking through the crowd so that it was easier to get through. But he had no idea where they were going. Part of him wanted to hold her hand if for nothing else than to make sure they did not get separated in the crowd but held off. The duo came to a stop in front of a stand that Keira had pointed out. "Alright. I'll try anything once."

When they were given the treat he did not eat it right away. Instead he watched the face Keira made as she tasted it. Her pleased expression causing his own face to smile. Koil grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd a little bit more but brought her to the side through some stalls and down an alley so they were out of the crowd. "I don't know if you know this but I have this thing about taking my helmet off in public." With just the two of them off to the side he felt they were fine. Undoing the strap on his helmet he lifted it up enough to get a bite of his desert. "Damn, that IS pretty good." He exclaimed and went in for another bite almost immediately. "Whatsh thish called?" The man asked with his mouth partially full of the fruit and syrup.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira looked at him curiously as he mentioned there was no word for hero, quirking an eyebrow, “Is that because everyone is expected to do heroic things by normal standards?” She couldn’t imagine an entire culture of people where war and battle were part of everyday life. She thought about the Holo footage of him fighting the Sith Lord, and she had to admit she had been actively following it. Was that always going to be his life? Would she have to witness his death on Holonet potentially?

The thoughts escaped her mind as he grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the crowds. She was still haphazardly carrying one of the desserts, grinning at his comment about not wanting to take his helmet off, “You know you’re actually more anonymous without your helmet now, right?” The irony was hilarious to her. The galaxy recognized him by his armor, and he would be a nobody if he took it off. Keira herself had to be disguised now, wearing sunglasses and hats to hide that she was out and about with such a prominent Mandalorian.

Keira watched him shovel the dessert into his mouth, his words causing her to start laughing. The display was more endearing than she could ever have expected, and she could only stare at him for a moment. This was the same man that the galaxy feared? This was the same man that served right alongside the Mand’alor, and this was the man that singlehandedly took down a Sith Lord. Now here he was happily scooping frozen desserts into his mouth.

“Cryo custard,” Keira said with a warm smile, realizing her gaze lingered on him for a bit longer than she intended. After the two were done, she would lead them through the rest of the market, stopping at performances here and there. Before they knew it, the entire day had passed and evening began to set in.

Her feet hurts from walking, and she had bags of souvenirs with her, and she was wearing trinkets from different stalls. She had even convinced Koil to put on a necklace made out of rancor teeth. Keira couldn’t have imagined completely forgetting about her job for the entire day to spend time with someone, and yet he made it so easy.

As they walked towards the exit of the market again, Keira turned to him, “I believe I’m going to take you up on that offer of homemade food now,” She said with a grin, “And I hope you brought your guitar this time.”

@Darasaurus

 

[Koil Solus]

Koil noticed she was curious about the lack of the word 'hero' in mando'a. He was happy to explain. "That is part of it. But also because a lot of things that 'hero' do..." He raised his hands to do air quotations as he said it to emphasize his point. "...are actually fool hardy. A heroic act is only seen as brave when it is successful. If someone did the same thing and fail, people tend to just shake their head and remember their final act as foolish." There was a point in time where someone had to be more pragmatic than they wanted to be. For some people that probably just seems cold.

Keira seemed entertained by his seemingly shy tendencies. But she was not wrong. "I'm starting to gather that." Maybe he would need to change his appearance. "I can alwaysh change my armor though" The War Councilor said with another mouthful of the sweet treat. The rest of his food was practically inhaled. In his mind Koil wondered if he should go back out and get another one, or two of them. "Cryo cuth-" he stopped and swallowed the last bit. "ahen, cryo custard huh? Guess I need to learn how to make it or keep an eye out for it in the future." His visible mouth grinned at the prospect of having more.

The two were not done with their tour. The Chancellor continued to lead him through the markets. Koil ended up buying a water repelent poncho that also doubled as a swoop bike cover. "Plenty of mandos wear capes, cloaks or even kamas. Kamas are basically battle skirts. I tried it out once. Didn't much care for it." he said as he adjusted the size on his own. It also doubled to hide what exactly he had on his person.

Despite this just being a tour, both of them could not help but get more trinkets and items. Koil tried on the rancor tooth necklace but did not end up buying it. "I've seen rancors. These teeth are pretty small. I have a wuffa worm tooth necklace though." The Mandalorian remembered when he had fought the beasts on Contruum Prime with Wyatt. The Angry Badger had ended up killing more Woofa Worms than he had but it was still a bittersweet memory.

They came to the end of their travels in the markets. The two of them were no longer going with the tide of pederstrians. Most of them were now coming into the markets and the couple were headed out. "I did actually. I figured even if you were busy maybe some time alone would give me a chance to practice." That was how he usually played anyways.

Hailing a sky-cab Keira and Koil would manage to fit their recent purchases into the vehicle. He gave the cab driver a destination though it was still a block away from the actual penthouse suite. The Mandalorian did not like letting strangers know where he was intending to go. He had tracked some of his targets that way afterall. But the ride was short and they had some of their nicknacks to talk about. Strange sights and people had been at the market leaving plenty to talk about. After they arrived he thanked the driver and they walked. Koil offered to carry some of Keira's items since he had purchased a little less than she had.

The lift would bring them up to the penthouse suite. Koil still had some of his belongings packed and placed inside the room. He already knew that nobody had come and gone since he had previously left it. His guitar case sat on the bed unopened. Immediately the War Councilor took the food too the kitchen setup. "Are you hungry? I can make us something right now if you want." he offered knowing they had ended up eating a few samples and purchasing a fair amount of single servings while on the move within the past hour.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira was impressed by where she was going, even more so that he snagged a place so close to downtown. She followed him in, joining in the lift to take them way up to the penthouse. Keira’s eyes widened as she stepped out, seeing the glass from all sides that overlooked the gorgeous skyline, “Wow!” She exclaimed, “Look at this place!” She walked towards the edge, marveling at the height and all the lights below. She could see the markets from here, a million glittering lights below.

“I really should enjoy some of the luxuries of being Chancellor,” Keira said with a smile, thinking about how she still used public transportation to other planets and lived in a small apartment still. She was always one to live humbly, and she hadn’t felt the need to change that just yet. Keira was distracted when he spoke about making something, “Yeah, I can help if you’d like,” She didn’t know what she was signing up for, never having made any Mandalorian dishes.

Keira took in sight of the inside of the penthouse, noting that it was mostly minimal dwellings and with bits of armor and other gadgets lying around. She spotted a bottle of wine on the counter and walked over to pop it open, pouring them both a glass.

“So…” She eyed him suspiciously as she took a sip and leaned against the counter, “Why did you go radio silent on me? And I don't wanna hear any Silent Badger quips!”

 

[Koil Solus]

Keira's excitment was not overlooked. She went immediately to the view and stared out over the city from the high elevation. He had not really taken the time to enjoy it until now. Even then the Mandalorian's gaze kept finding their way to staring at Keira.

What she said made him murmur in agreement. It was not the first time he had begun wondering if he was too focused on doing work and not on enjoying life. But Keira was starting to make him contemplate it more and was glad he was living in the moment. No worries about the galaxy. No fretting over things that had come and gone. The two of them were just enjoying the simplicity of what they had right then and there.

"Thanks. Well how about an appetizer first?" Koil prepped the oven knowing it would be used soon enough. The two of them would be able to make some dip in that time. Making small homemade flat bread the size of chips was the plan for now. They would take some time first making the dough itself but that would come soon enough. Both Keira and he were not starving for the time being. He had her begin cutting up some of the vegetables that would go into one of the two dips. . One would be spicy, the other savory.

Taking one glass for himself he poured a moderate serving. The Echani did not want to end up getting sloshed to the same extent as last time. Not yet anyways. There was always time for heavy drinking later. For now he was enjoying conversation. The fact that she specifically and preemptively demanded him to answer her question directly made him chuckle. Koil supposed he had the habit of witty retorts when he did end up speaking.

"Heh, well I got nervous. I did not want to give the wrong impression and call you too early or something. But I guess I did that anyways, sort of." He had not called women back before. Technically he had never had much in the way of a mutually felt romantic interest. This was new territory for him. "You seemed like the type of woman who deserves more than just a simple call back anyways. I'll admit I wanted to call you back the next day, despite the head ache, if that's any consolation." Koil remembered picking up the commlink and then setting it back down several times that day and in the days following. After saying it out loud he felt like an indecisive teenager and that was even more embarrassing than just thinking it.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

It was curious to see him flustered like this as he stumbled slightly over his words. Keira couldn’t help but smile, comforted by the thought that he was in the same nervous boat she was in. Despite her position, she was still vulnerable. It was obvious by now that she was interested in him, but she was afraid of being hurt just like anyone else. She had read that Mandalorians usually stuck with their own, and that made her wonder whether this could truly go anywhere or if he had walls set up.

Keira moved over to help him, putting together some of the ingredients before they began to bake it. She turned on music in the background to give some ambience while they cooked together. It was strangely human to do all this, and she wondered if it was very different from an average day in his life.

“I’m glad you came,” She said after a while, “You were definitely on my mind more than I’d care to admit,” Keira chuckled softly, that familiar redness once again tinging her cheeks. She looked over at him, “I saw you on Holonet,” She said finally, and he knew exactly what she meant, “I was worried about you getting hurt.”

It felt strange admitting all these things, but she felt comfortable now that they were alone. Keira drank from her wine, thinking about the fight she had seen, “Do you ever feel afraid before you go into battle like that?” They had no word for heroes, but how did they know what they were doing wasn’t foolish?

 

[Koil Solus]

Hearing that she had also thought of him caused him to smile. But it dissappeared as she mentioned seeing him on the holonet. It was a reminder that she had seen his more violent tendencies. Koil was not ashamed of what he did. If he had the opportunity he would do it again. But the War Councilor was concerned she had an objection to how he had appeared.

"I guess that also was part of why I didn't call you back. That..." Koil caught himself before spitting out a bad word to describe Darth Victress. He did not want to sour the mood with his distaste for force sensitives. "...Sith...was not too much trouble. Left me with a fresh scar though." He would have liked to finished the fight without her landing any attack. I could have just killed her in her sleep I guess if I was that vain. Scars were part of a warrior regardless of prowess.[

Pushing aside thoughts of targets or what could have been he focused on the aspect that mattered in the moment. He was making appetizers with an intelligent woman who was equally beautiful. He rapidly diced some of the vegetables and set them into a bowl. "The fear never goes away. Every time, before and after I feel it." Setting the knife down on the empty cutting board he looked at her more directly while she drank her wine. "My father told me that 'bravery is not the absence of fear. It is feeling fear and not letting it rule you. Being brave is knowing the risk and still defying it.' Grabbing a spoon he began to stir the ingredients together until it was a desirable consistency. Keira would have the other bowl to do herself. In a matter of minutes they would have their shared appetizers. "You, Keira Zale, strike me as a brave woman. I think I like that about you."

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira could tell he wasn’t thrilled to talk about the footage, nor did she expect him to be. However, part of getting to know one another meant addressing uncomfortable topics like that. She moved to also chop and move everything into a bowl to mix it, working in harmony with what he was doing. She paused every now and then to take a sip from her wine.

When he called her brave, she had to laugh softly, “I don’t feel brave, that’s for sure. I just do what needs to be done and hope for the best,” She sighed, “Mandalorians still terrify me,” She glanced up at him and smiled, “Though I’m quickly getting over that fear.”

She was about to focus back on the food when a really catchy sea shanty came on. It was a famous Mon Calamari song that was universally enjoyed by all races, and she hadn’t heard it in ages. Keira perked up immediately and dropped what she was doing, turning to him, “Do you dance?” She didn’t even wait for him to answer before she walked over to grab his hand and lead him out towards the open floor of the penthouse.

“This is a really popular dance and everyone-” She grinned, “Well, most people know it,” She showed him a few steps with her feet before doing a spin to show how it was done. Keira knew there were Mandalorian war songs that sounded similar to this style of music, though she hadn’t been exposed to much.

Keira grabbed his hand spun under it, moving around him and showing him the steps. They weren’t exactly coordinated in the beginning and she accidentally stepped on his foot, and it only caused her to burst out laughing. Despite the mishap, she kept going, laughing and enjoying the lighthearted time with him. She grabbed both his hands to keep going, moving to the beat of the song.

 

[Koil Solus]

Appreciating how she worded her feelings he could relate. "And that is why we don't have a word for 'hero'. Doing what's necessary, doing what is right is just...the right thing to do." Koil added a little shrug afterwards.

The music made him smile but he kept on with making the food until Keira asked if he danced. "Uuuh...I mean I-" He knew where this was going and was not sure if he would like it. But before he could finish she had grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen area. It had been a long time time since he had heard the popular song let alone danced. He knew how to do some other dances but all the same was glad for the refresher course.

He felt clumsy as she showed him how to do the steps. It reminded him of how she had made him leave his comfort zone with the karaoke. Even so, whether it was out of embarrassment or enjoyment he kept smiling underneath his helmet. Koil wanted to dance properly, to have the moves down perfectly for some reason. But the more the two of them danced he realized that doing the dance without error was not the point. She just was having fun and so he just forgot worrying about missing a step or two and just continuing to enjoy themselves.

"After all that walking around you can still dance. That's impressive." Having fun dancing was different than just walking for an extended period of time. A whistle came from the War councilor and in the next few moments three personal entertainment attendants left a bag sitting on a chair. His troupe quickly paired to the sound system of the penthouse. In a few moments they had the appropriate lighting that was befitting a club. The normal lights of the suite dimmed and the lights coming from the small music drones lit up their makeshift dance floor.

another song would come on but Koil had forgotten about everything else at that point. Their dancing switched up but it was still upbeat and lively which was what mattered. A few times he tried to do moves that he had seen other people do in cinema though only a few actually worked while the rest ended up with him just laughing at his failure to properly execute them.

Keira's smile told him everything. As a Chancellor, she probably did not have many chances to dance freely. Right now she was being herself. She was care free and it was a feeling they were sharing with one another. "I take it you're not hungry then?" He said with a chuckle.

He stopped dancing almost immediatly afterwards though. "Osik!" The echani stopped dancing and practically ran to the kitchen and turned off the oven. "osikosikosik" Opening the appliance the faint smell of smoke and burnt dough wafted out. Pulling the pan out the flatbread was clearly overly crispy if not outright burnt. His sigh at his own forgetfulness turned into a chuckle and a shake of his head. "Oh well." Koil's helmet turned to look at Keira though he had a feeling she would not care that much. It was a small thing.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

“I never need an excuse to dance!” Keira called out breathlessly as she did another twirl and came in closer to him. She paused only when the small droids came out and turned the floor into a vibrant dance scene. Keira marveled at the display, but it only led to her letting loose even more. She couldn’t remember the last time she let go like this, and she got lost in the moment with him.

When he paused to ask if she weren’t hungry, and Keira was trying to think of something clever to say. However, that was when he abruptly remembered the food, and her eyes went wide. Keira darted after him towards the oven where she could see smoke coming from it. It was a wonder that the alarms didn’t go off. She watched Koil pull out the blackened appetizers, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

The moment was even funnier because the droids kept up with the lighting and the music kept going. Keira shook her head, moving towards him to take the tray from him to help dump out some of the flatbread. She looked up right as he turned to look at her, and the smile that was on her face slowly began to fade.

Her heart began to race, and she was vaguely aware of the burning smell and the song and tone shift in the background. The lightning was still low, and she saw the different colors from the droids light up the metallic surface of his helmet every now and then. Keira didn’t hesitate this time, her hands coming up to the sides of his face, where she knew the clasps were.

Keira didn’t stop there this time, her heart practically drumming against her chest as she slowly slid the helmet up and over his head. She saw his face for the first time then, the low lighting perfectly accentuating his pale skin and those striking eyes. Keira set the helmet aside with one hand, the other hand gingerly reaching up to trace along the side of his face to feel his smooth skin for the first time.

She felt emotions run wild as she was frozen right there with him, gazing into his eyes as her blood ran hot, “Why are you looking at me like that?” She softly repeated her words back from the bar, finding herself right back to that same precipice before taking a plunge.

 

[Koil Solus]

His eyes glanced down, curious what Keira was reaching for. But realized what she meant to touch after a moment and did not shy away from it. Koil remained still, feeling her fingers undo the clasp that kept his helmet from moving. Slowly the helmet lifted off his head. A brief moment he lost sight of her. But soon his scarlet eyes were staring back without any obstruction between the two of them.

Koil was sober unlike last time. He had not even had a sip of his wine since he had been focused on making the food and then dancing. But his expression was the same as it had been in the karaoke bar. He was entranced by her and it showed.

The woman asked the same question as last time. His hear beat had speed up quickly in those short moments as they stretched in slow motion. Koil had removed his gauntlets when making the preparations on the food and now it was his turn to touch her face. His pale fingers gently held the side of her neck. Keira was warm to the touch, her pulse seeming to thunder in the palm of his hand.

"Because I want to do this." He answered and followed the words by leaning down to kiss her without any further hesitation. Koil's other hand would move to her waist pulling her close into an embrace. The music continued to play and the lights danced over them. The man did not want to let her go. The smell of smoke did not bother him nor anything else. Koil was just consumed in being with Keira in that moment.

By the time he broke away from the kiss he felt like he had ran a mile. All day Koil had wondered if he would get the chance to know what Keira's lips felt like. Fretting over if she was angry with him or thinking she would reject any of his advances. But as the day had gone on those worries had lessened bit by bit. The timing just seemed right and Keira was simply perfect so he had taken his chance. "How about that for an answer?" A hot breath escaped him wondering if he would be able to hold back any other passionate urges in the next few moments.

@Sreeya

 

[Keira Zale]

Keira couldn’t stop looking at him, couldn’t get over the details of his face, and the way his light hair hung over the top of his head. She could see his gaze so close, and she could feel his skin under her fingertips. All she could think of was how she craved more of it, and how she had wanted nothing but this since she first began to have these stirrings about him.

He didn’t hesitate before stepping forth, and she didn’t stop him. Keira closed her eyes as he captured her lips with his. He easily pulled her closer, his arm around her lithe frame. Keira could think of nothing else but the taste of him and the warmth of his skin. Her heart was pounding, and she didn’t want to pull away.

Genocide, war, Sith, Jedi, crusades, the formation of a Republic, the chaos and the good, all of that which happened in the galaxy melted away. Her fingers curled into his hair, pulling him close with yearning and hunger that she didn’t know she had. She didn’t want to hold back, and she didn’t want to think of what it meant to be a proper Chancellor. She was just Keira, and he was just Koil, and no one and nothing else mattered then.

When he pulled back, she slowly opened her eyes to look at him, coming back from a dream. When he spoke, Keira couldn’t help but smile, her hand sliding down from his hair to the side of his cheek again, “If that’s your answer, I think I have many more questions,” She whispered back softly.

Her other hand instinctively went to his chest where she would normally expect a shirt and buttons, but she met smooth metal instead. Keira’s face immediately turned hot and red, and she bit her lip before laughing softly, “I….don’t...know how to take off armor…” Her face was bright red, and she knew she botched a potentially smooth transition with her civilian ineptitude. However, it also meant that she also revealed her cards on where her mind had been racing.