Sommer Dai's heels clicked with purpose down the cracked duracrete walkway of the
Black Vault Bazaar — Nar Shaddaa's worst-kept secret for
serious weaponry and serious ghosts.
She moved like she belonged, because she
did — even in her tailored coat, even with the glittered black slit dress underneath. Every step echoed the blend of
glamour and grit that made her infamous.
And those heels?
Deadly.
Each one fitted with
hidden vibro-blades, expertly sharpened and rigged to deploy with a twist of the ankle. A final gift from an old Zeltron friend with a wicked sense of humor.
In her purse:
—
A perfume bottle filled with pressurized sedative gas
—
A forged data chit for misdirection
— Her
old pendant from the streets, now just a reminder of who she used to be
But this trip wasn't nostalgia. This was prep.
The arms dealer, a scrawny Besalisk named
Garnok, wiped sweat from his upper chin as he watched Sommer inspect the array of blasters in his secure case.
"Concealable. Lightweight. Enough punch to take down a Hutt if you aim right," he said, tapping a sleek, matte-black piece with twin-barrel modifications.
Sommer tested the grip. It fit snug between her ribs and the lining of her jacket.
"I want it tuned to red crystal output," she said. "Silent as it can be. Flash-guarded."
Garnok winced. "Price jumps for crystal mods. You sure—"
She raised an eyebrow.
He shut up.
She dropped credits. No haggling.
Later, she parked her speeder with valet service outside the
SkySpire Terminal, slipping the attendant a few extra credits for a "don't-look-too-closely" tip.
She walked in alone. Just her clutch, her comm, her confidence, and the chill that always crept in before a new chapter.
She reached a bench near the public transport platform, where ships roared overhead like screaming ghosts. She sat, adjusted her coat, and opened her comm for one last message.
This one to Andrew.
She stared at the blank screen for several moments before finally speaking — soft, clear, intentional.
"Andrew...
I know it's hard for you to say some things. Maybe the hardest things. Maybe words don't work the same when you've spent your life behind a machine.
But I heard you, in my mind.
And I believe you love me."
"But love isn't always a future.
And I don't see how one works for us.
Maybe it's the timing. Or the fire we both refuse to put out. Maybe it's the parts of ourselves we keep trying to fix alone.
Just... don't chase me. Not this time."
"Thank you for saving me.
For seeing me."
She ended the message and hit
send.
It was done.
She didn't cry.
Not this time.
She boarded the
public shuttle alone, blending in with off-worlders and refugees, smugglers and shopkeepers. No VIP treatment. No private suite. Just a leather strap above her head and a neon overhead light that flickered too often.
As the shuttle lifted off and roared toward the
Southward Spire Line, she glanced at her comm again — no reply from Andrew.
She closed her eyes.
But somewhere ahead,
Alyssa Kydd waited.
And with her… maybe some clarity Sommer hadn't known she needed.