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tcwmatchmakingau · 8 months

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Date Night Pt. 3

Summary: Yen Ori'ken finally found her calling as a matchmaker. The work was involved and fulfilling. After helping Rex find his own perfect match, the Captain calls in a favor for one of his brothers. Yen knows she is up to the task, but this trooper proves to be her most difficult client yet.

A/N: Alright, y'all. This chapter has been rewritten so many times I can't even. Two seconds before submitting it earlier, I realized I didn't have the depth I wanted and did a lot of heavy edits and what was supposed to be the final chapter got split into two. So, now Pt 3 is more an intro to Yen and Dogma.

Pairing: Dogma x OC (Yen Ori'ken, RTL Matchmaker Extrodinaire)

Warning: SFW. Mentions of Umbara, general exploration of guilt and anxiety but nothing specific/no details.

W/C: 4,860

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Tapping the papers gently on her desk to help them fall into place in their folder, Yen smiled, satisfied that another day of good work was done, her tasks all checked neatly off her daily to-do list one by one, falling into line like synchronized swimmers. She even managed to knock a few things off her weekly to-do list, and the week had only just started.

Yes, things in her little world were neat and tidy, kept that way through meticulous organization and perseverance.

And a large part of that was thanks to Right to Love.

Matchmaking had been the family business — at least as her grandmother told it. But that was decades ago, and it wasn’t much of a stable career back on her home planet. So when she graduated from Coruscant University with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Sociology of Humanoid Species, she directed her attention toward making her mark on the business world instead.

One corporate desk job and three stints with start ups so immature the CEOs should have been wearing diapers led Yen to her wits end. One would think the realm of business would be orderly but somehow the entire enterprise operated on chaos, caffeine and petty spite.

No wonder so many companies relied on the war for profits.

It disgusted her down to her core how many seemingly well-to-do firms were war profiteers, no matter the regulatory handwaving by the Senate to grant capitalist exceptions that protected them from that title. And did these companies at least benefit the citizens of the Republic? No, of course not. Not unless you were wealthy and wanted a new speeder.

Yen had been about to quit her fourth job in as many years, more willing to face poverty in the capital than work for those self-important assholes again when her grandmother reached out. Apparently, the matchmaking community was still small enough, and the endeavor of Right to Love so large, that word had reached her Mid-Rim planet.

“Just think about it, love. You were a wonderful apprentice here, and it could be a way to continue our work. I know you have your fancy office job, but do consider this? At least for me?”

At that point, there really wasn’t much for Yen to consider other than how to best update her resume. Once she got the job, the rest of her post-grad life fell into place — she had a decent apartment, a job she enjoyed, and even made friends in the office.

Most importantly, in the six months since, she was proud to have matched ten happy couples.

It wasn’t a numbers game; more a critical analysis. A breakdown of information cleaned from clean profiles and messy interviews to put together a picture of a whole person — not just the wants they admit to, but the flaws and quirks they don’t — in order to pair them with a compatible match.

And Yen was quite good at it.

At least, that’s what her spotless record attested to. Despite not having the same amount of experience as some of her colleagues, Yen had been able to find each one a match they were happy with and currently dating.

One client was so impressed, he’d asked for some … additional help in getting another clone trooper comfortable with the process. Yen typically didn’t get so personally involved — it was hard to stay clear headed and objective if clients became friends. However, Captain Rex’s normally even tone had a hint of something … unsettled in it when he called earlier.

Clearly, her assistance was needed, and if it meant the captain would continue recruiting for her and spreading the word among his brothers of her expertise, then tonight’s small exception would be worth it.

With one last look confirming everything was in its place, Yen locked up and made her way across the city to an intimate little café. Her choice of location, one she knew would be welcoming to the men, but off the beaten path and quiet enough to allow a private conversation.

The journey wasn’t long, but she was late. Captain Rex was sitting at a table outside, facing her, dressed down in “civilian” attire. Yen was glad to see the deep bags under his eyes seemed a little brighter. In fact, his whole person seemed more relaxed, relieved. She tried to silence the small part of her that felt a little proud that her matchmaking may have contributed to this change from the first time they met.

Opposite Rex sat another trooper, his back to Yen. That must be the reluctant brother.

“Hello, sorry I’m late,” Yen said, as she came around the table to greet Rex first.

Ever the gentleman, the captain rose as Yen reached out her hand. ““Not reason to be sorry, we were early. It’s good to see you again, Yen.”

“Good to see you, too, Rex,” she said sincerely, squeezing the captain’s calloused hand before turning to the other trooper. Unlike Rex, he wore his casual fatigues. More striking than his choice to wear a uniform during off-hours was the intricate V-shaped tattoo that bisected his face. “And you must be the man Rex insisted I meet. I’m Yen Ori’ken.”

The trooper’s handshake was stiff and firm, and his eyes never once left hers. “Dogma, ma’am. And apologies. I told the Captain that this was unnecessary, but he pulled rank.”

Yen raised an eyebrow and leveled a look at Rex as she sat next to him. “Did he now?”

Rex raised his hands in surrender. “I just wanted the two of you to meet and have a conversation.”

“You can’t order someone to go see a matchmaker.”

“I didn’t. I gave Dogma the choice of desk duty for a month or one evening with good company and good conversation since he refuses to schedule his interview.”

“Oh, so your paperwork is done?” Yen asked, turning back to Dogma, who gave a small nod.

“Yes, ma’am. The Captain submitted it fifteen rotations ago through the holonet portal.”

Closing her eyes for just a moment, Yen held in a soul-deep sigh. She really should be used to the mental gymnastics clones employed to get their way. Even the commanding officers were guilty of it.

Sometimes they’re even worse, she thought, remembering Daria’s struggles with Commander Neyo. Taking a deep breath, Yen put her professional smile back on, softening it just a bit for the man across from her who sat straight and still as a board.

“Well, the good thing about being a civilian is that your captain can’t pull rank on me. This won’t work, it can’t work, if you don’t want it to. And I’m not looking to risk my record or reputation because one man is too afraid to tell his commanding officer to stay in line. So, Dogma, I leave the choice up to you.”

He looked at her like she was speaking Huttese. “Ma’am?”

“Yen, please,” she smiled softly. “Look, forget Rex for a second. Forget everything, in fact. Just take a moment to think about what you really want. Do you want to meet someone and have a partner in your life? Or do you want to continue as you are?”

The silence that settled wasn’t tense, but it weighed on the trio. Dogma looked down to the tabletop as if it held the answers he was looking for. He looked almost lost at her most simple question.

After a few more beats, he finally looked up. His body was still rigid, but now there was a softness in his eyes as he met hers again.

“I think I’d like to try. For a partner, that is. My brothers … they all look so happy when we’re on planet now.” Dogma paused, like he was trying to find the right words but then the softness drained from his eyes again. “But I’m not leaving the 501st.”

It took all her strength to keep a satisfied smile off her face, but Yen could see from the corner of her eye that Rex didn’t exercise the same control.

“No one is asking you to,” she said. “Plenty of troopers are still enlisted. And obviously your legion still spends a bit of time off planet and that hasn’t been a problem for their partners. That’s where I come in. I’ll take what I know of you and find someone complimentary in our system.”

At that, Yen reached into her purse to pull out a small datapad and stylus.

“Naturally, that means I’ll need you to be completely honest with me. Lying to me means lying to a potential partner, and that does not end well. Further, while my record speaks for itself, I am not actually a miracle worker. You may go on dates that don’t end in a relationship. You may even have bad dates. Please don’t think of these as failures. They are opportunities for me to refine my parameters and try again. Understand?”

Dogma nodded, but his face had lost some color at the mention of failed dates. It was a risk to mention, especially with a nervous client. But one thing Yen had come to realize about clone troopers is their uniform preference to have all the data and face new situations as prepared as possible.

Still, it was disconcerting that Dogma’s mouth kept opening and closing like a fish trying to breathe on dry land.

“Are you okay, Dogma?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

It had left his mouth before she even finished her question.

“Strike one,” Yen said, brandishing her stylus in admonishment. “I said I expect complete honesty. Don’t lie to me again, trooper.”

Dogma’s eyes narrowed at her, nose crinkling slightly. “I didn’t lie, ma’am.”

“Dogma.” Rex’s tone was nothing like Yen had heard before. Must be his captain voice. It worked instantly and had his subordinate leaning back into his seat.

“Fine,” he spat. “I am intimidated by the idea of a date. My experience is limited and I have no training.”

Yen nodded. “Many of your brothers were — and are — in the same boat. And us natborns aren’t really trained in this, either.” She offered another small smile, relieved to see Dogma’s durasteel spine start to soften. She waited for him to relax a little further into his seat before continuing. “We’re all just winging it and trying our best. Some are just better at hiding their nerves.”

Dogma looked unwilling to accept the revelation, but when Yen met his eyes hoping to convey her sincerity, he stared back like he was holding onto a lifeline.

Opening up to civilian life, accepting change and chaos into their worlds that, while dangerous, had been so orderly, was a challenge for many troopers. Nothing unusual or unfamiliar for her to navigate. And yet, Yen couldn’t help but feel that something deeper was at play.

Well, the only way to solve that mystery is to dive right in.

Sitting back with her datapad at the ready, Yen let herself slip fully into work mode. “Are you alright with a few questions to start?”

Despite the rocky start, Dogma was impressively forthwith and thorough in his interview answers, sparing not even the less flattering truths about his personality and habits. Unlike other troopers, he didn’t withhold any information, even about his arrest for killing the traitorous Jedi Pong Krell.

That bit of information certainly caught Yen’s attention, though she fought to keep her surprise off her face. Everything about Dogma screamed regimented order. The thought that the man in front of her could have not only defied orders but turned against a commanding officer was almost unthinkable.

All that to keep his brothers safe.

The curl of Dogma’s fists into the tablecloth was the only physical clue he gave as to how much the incident still impacted him, prompting Yen to mark patience as a necessity in his potential matches.

As the trio ordered and their food arrived, Yen’s questioning became less formal, allowing Rex to hop in with commentary and anecdotes of his trooper, as well as a few stories that brought a tint to Dogma’s copper cheeks and she couldn’t hold back a teasing smile as the trooper turned the tables on his captain, playfully exposing how awkward Rex had apparently been leading up to his first date.

As the night progressed, Yen found she was enjoying herself more than she had in a while, the banter between them flowing naturally.

She had a good feeling about this client. And as she went home that night, she felt in her gut she would find a match worthy of such an exemplary soldier.

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She was lucky she so often neglected physical exercise. Because just a little more strength in her grip and Yen really believed she could break her datapad.

Six dates. Dogma had been on six dates in two weeks and not a single one had passed muster to earn a second date.

If it was a lack of chemistry or incompatibility, she could understand. But the man was a damn vault. Every time Yen attempted a post-event interview to get to the bottom of where her analysis went wrong, he stonewalled her.

It just didn’t work out.

No, I’d prefer not to give it another try.

I’d rather start over than continue with this match.

Between his past and his general hesitancy signing up for her services, she knew she had to tread carefully with him, though she could recognize that the first date she set up was optimistic. That match being particularly outgoing and outspoken. The hope had been that a bright, extroverted energy would compliment Dogma’s introverted and quiet nature.

And maybe she corrected too far with the second, a much more softspoken match, one who would let Dogma take the lead and set his own pace.

But the last four? All perfectly lovely women, who happened to be comfortable being paired with a man who was still enlisted and had personalities that seemed compatible with Dogma’s.

So no, short of them all talking about their exes or their expectations of marriage on a first date — which she didn’t think had happened but couldn’t confirm — Yen could not understand what had gone so horribly wrong.

And from the interviews conducted with the matches, she knew Dogma wasn’t the problem. Apparently, he was a delightful date, well-mannered and respectful. A few had mentioned that he seemed nervous and stiff, maybe not the most forthcoming with conversation, but that was pretty standard for some troopers. All five were in fact quite upset to find their date hadn’t gone as well as they thought and that another wasn’t in their future.

The most frustrating thing was, Yen believed it. From all her own interactions with the man, Dogma had proved to be a grounded, driven man who was reserved but kind. Definitely an academic mind, almost like an old soul, which she supposed was ironic considering he was a clone.

So while the trooper may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there was an enigmatic yet comforting aura to him that certainly had its own appeal.

With nowhere to put the blame for the failures and no insight into what the heck was wrong, Yen was officially stuck. At this point, honestly, she didn’t even care if Dogma found a partner. Forget a relationship. She’d feel accomplished if he asked for someone’s comm frequency at this point.

Even worse was the backlog this fiasco was causing. Checking her to-do list was something that previously gave Yen a sense of focus and direction. Now, a sneer curled her nose and lips as she looked at the unchecked boxes that mocked her as her anxiety sparked.

“Oh, the scary face.” Daria leaned against the entrance to her office, raising her offering of iced caf. “So you do need an afternoon pick me up.”

“I never said I didn’t, just that I was too busy to leave.”

“Uh-huh.” Taking the seat across from her, Daria slid the drink to Yen. “Who’s pissing you off this time?”

Yen leveled a flat look at her friend.

“The 501st trooper? Again?”

Sucking down the biggest gulp of overly sweetened caffeine she could, Yen nodded. “Yup.”

“And he’s still being pigheaded about it?”

“Yes! It doesn’t make any sense! I’ve reviewed his application and interview answers at least four dozen times by this point! I know I’m setting him up with solid candidates and he refuses to give me one objective reason why he won’t consider any of them.”

She slid down in her seat that now felt too big to fill. “Maybe I’m just losing my touch …”

“No, no no no.” Daria pointed one finger right into Yen’s face, leaning across her desk to scold her properly. “We are not doing that ‘woe is me’ osik.”

“Osik?” Yen asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Bantha fodder.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t know you speak Mando’a.”

“Well, I do. Or I’m learning,” Daria explained, and if Yen didn’t know her friend so well, she may not have noticed the flustered way Daria’s fingers began fidgeting with the neatly lined styluses on the desk. “Regardless, we’re focusing on you. And what you need, my dear, is to go undercover.”

“Undercover?” she asked, her tone flat as a credit chip.

“Ok, not undercover. But you know what I mean. You need to see what’s happening firsthand.”

“Dar, please. Do not make me verbalize my refusal to go on a date with a client.”

With a roll of her eyes and a huff, Daria returned Yen’s attitude pound for pound. “Yen, please. Give me more credit than that. I’m not saying date him. I’m saying spend a little time with him so you can fill in the blanks. Think of it like field research.”

Yen leaned back in her chair, succumbing to her old habit of swiveling it aimlessly as she sipped her iced caf again. “Field research, huh?”

In the end, it really didn’t take long for her to consider Daria’s advice more seriously. As the workday drew to an end with still fewer tasks being resolved, Yen couldn’t take the uncertainty anymore. She caved, and rather quickly, too, for her tastes.

It took everything in her to break her personal code and send the message to Dogma asking him to meet up. She could hear her grandmother’s voice, chastising her the entire time, bemoaning that good matchmakers do not get to know their clients on a personal level.

It was that unspoken and unrealized disappointment that ensured Yen clarified no less than three times that this outing was a solution — unconventional though it may be — that could help her better match him and most certainly not a toe beyond professional boundaries.

Fortunately, Dogma didn’t leave her agonizing in limbo long. His reply came promptly, agreeing to her terms and leaving the planning to her.

Perfect. I just need to get to the bottom of this conundrum, and I can get things back to normal.

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Dogma fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve for the fourth time in as many minutes, though the perfectly pressed seams were already sitting properly on his wrist.

He should have said no.

She was going to ask. Again. About why his dates keep ending in rejection. Why he hadn’t connected with any of the matches she set up for him.

She’s going to find out he lied.

Dogma had no kriffing idea what he wanted from a partner. He’d asked every brother he trusted when he found out Captain Rex was going to drag him to finally meet with the matchmaker they all kept praising. And those karking idiots couldn’t come up with a single answer.

It must be his curse, or the cosmic repercussions for his actions to be reassigned to the chaotic quagmire that is the 501st.

That’s what the Force was, right?

In the end, Kix was the only one to give him any sort of suitable advice. If you don’t feel a connection to your date, that’s ok. Just move on and try again.

The dates Yen set him up on were all lovely but … he just didn’t connect with them. He couldn’t.

Pouring salt in the wound was the way Yen would look at him with so much sincere kindness in her eyes after each disappointing evening. Looking at her like that, he couldn’t say the truth he knew deep down: he’s defective. He’s not meant for a partner. He’s barely meant for the battlefield now, but at least there he has his brothers to help him.

He wondered how long until she gave up on him, until she learned the truth.

The small seed of optimism that coaxed him into trusting the system around him still urged him to keep up hope. But that little voice had shrunk and grown quieter since Umbara. It didn’t matter that his brothers all agreed his actions were justified, or that he was considered a hero now. The betrayal was still there.

But not just Krell’s. His own haunted him just as much. Sometimes more.

Despite all the extenuating facts, Dogma still broke the ultimate rule, the foundation of a soldier’s code of honor: Trust in and listen to your commanding officer.

Even Captain Rex hadn’t been able to pull the trigger. But he had. And in his heart, he knew he didn’t shoot to protect anyone. The only thing he felt in that moment was rage … and pain. And he took that out on a prisoner of war.

Now, the guilt was what he operated on. He knew that it was preventing him from connecting with anyone. But how could he tell that to Rex, his brother who somehow still believed he deserved anything beyond the chance to make amends?

How could he tell that to Yen, to this civilian woman who owed him nothing but was clearly working her hardest to do right by him?

He couldn’t. So he didn’t. He went through the motions, and tonight he knew his lies would catch up with him. He hated the dread he felt, almost wishing it could be over now.

“I should have guessed you’d beat me here.”

Dogma hid his startled jump by turning at the sound of Yen’s voice, impressed she managed to get so close unnoticed. He must have been too far into his own thoughts.

She clearly came straight from work. Her dark hair pulled back and into a neat twist, leaving only her straight cut bangs out, cutting a military straight line across her forehead. Her outfit was simple but professional, all dark colors and gold accents perfectly tailored to her form, her bag tucked neatly under her arm. Everything about her was neat and orderly, as it was each time he saw her.

There was a small, pretty smile on her lips as she looked up at him expectantly.

It took him a beat too long to realize he never answered her.

“Just like to be punctual, ma’am.”

“Yen, please. And so do I, which is why I got here five minutes early. So now I’m wondering how early you got here.”

Her tone was light, playful, and yet Dogma still felt like he was facing a test no one had ever instructed him for.

“Sorry, ma- Yen, I mean,” he said, his arms automatically falling into an “at rest” position behind his back as she took the lead and began walking across the plaza, her eyes never leaving his. “I haven’t been waiting long,” he lied.

“No need to apologize. It’s kind of fun not being the one to wait for once,” she said, her smile widening. “So, as I said in my message, I’m a bit stuck in picking your next match and since our post-date interviews haven’t yielded any new information, I wanted to meet up and touch base.

“Of course, ma’am.” He gave a short nod and fought to hide his confusion as Yen’s smile fell from genuine to stale.

“I know you’re doing it out of respect, but I’d much prefer you call me by my name,” she said, her tone firm but not angry as far as he could tell. “I’m not your commanding officer. In fact, for tonight, it would be best if you think of me as a peer.”

“A peer?”

“Yes. I didn’t fully explain in my message, but this isn’t just to meet up. I wanted to see first-hand what a date with you is like. This way, I can have better insight when picking your next match. That can’t work if you keep treating me as a superior.”

A date?

It wasn’t real. It was just for professional purposes.

And yet Dogma couldn’t understand the rush that rose through him like a wave at the prospect of a date with Yen. Even a fake one. Out of all the civies he’d met — through Right to Love and in general — she was by far the easiest to talk to. The kindest, too. He kept all the soft smiles and the gentle encouragement she gave when he told her his story locked in his memory.

He always felt supported by his brothers. But the way she guided him that night was something he hadn’t experienced before or since.

“Is that okay?” she asked, looking as if she believed he would actually say no.

He had to remind himself that technically, it wouldn’t be out of bounds for him to refuse. And he ignored the incessant thought that said he should, that this couldn’t be regulation behavior. But she was offering, looking at him expectantly for an answer but unassuming beyond that.

Like a bolt, Dogma realized that’s what made him feel so secure around her. Yen expected nothing from him but himself. And she was the first person to do so.

He realized he liked that very much.

“Yes, it’s okay.”

“Wonderful! I hope you like light shows. There’s one tonight in the plaza, set to a Pantoran opera. It isn’t too long, so I figured it would be perfect. Ready?”

Yen didn’t wait for an answer. She took his hand without another word and began pulling him through the crowd to the opposite end of the plaza.

That same wave of gentle support washed through him, just like when he spoke to her after each date, and he reveled in it. Nothing had ever soothed him like this. Even before Umbara, Dogma struggled with his anxious nature, retreating into the order and boundaries of the regulations to guide him. Nothing could go wrong if he was acting as he was supposed to.

Or so he thought. Umbara showed him how limited the regulations were, how confining. And worse, how fallible the structures of power could be to corruption. Without those pillars, his anxiety had grown worse.

His brothers helped where they could. Kix, Maker bless him, had researched medication and breathing techniques to help him in acute situations. Captain Rex was always patient with him. And while Jesse still kept a bit of distance, Fives’ exuberant friendship did wonders alleviating remnant guilt, even if he wanted to punch the ARC trooper more often than not.

But this? The feeling of Yen’s skin on his, the natural warmth that oozed out of her cut to his core, silencing the thoughts that came unbidden to plague his mind. She was a quiet power — neat, organized, controlled. And yet so damn soft as she forged ahead without worry. At least, none that he could see.

He wasn’t sure if she expected people to follow her or just became accustomed to it. Probably the latter. He couldn’t see her demanding anything. And yet, it was so natural to fall into step just behind her. More so than the captain, or even the marshal commander. He knew on that first night that he could trust her.

She would never lead him somewhere unsafe.

As the crowd grew thicker, Dogma lengthened his stride until he pulled up to Yen’s side. With only the barest of thoughts, his hand dropped hers to rest gently on her lower waist, pulling and pushing with as little pressure as possible to help ease her movement through the mass of people, his own body angled to take the brunt when bodies would collide with theirs.

Recognizing what he was doing, Yen pulled herself closer to him, throwing an appreciative smile at him before turning back to watch where she was going.

He never really had someone he could trust his battered heart to before, so being able to help her back, steer her through this crowd with her approval had notes of pride and satisfaction harmonizing with the now ingrained sense of calm.

There was something else, too. Something more foreign, but …

Oh.

Kix said to wait for a connection. Fives said he would just know. Dogma felt so stupid. Of course he wouldn’t just know.

But then again, maybe he did. Maybe deep down, he knew from that first meeting that Yen was someone special. And none of the matches she found could compare.

#tcw matchmaking au #clone matchmaking au #501st Legion #prompt submission

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