Private Shadows in Silk

[Sommer Dai]

"Still building those?" Sommer asked, settling beside her.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"It calms me. Something about seeing all the pieces fit together."

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer smiled, watching her work. "You're really good at it."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Thanks," Alyssa replied. Then glanced sideways. "And you're really bad at letting people be there for you."

 

[Sommer Dai]

That hit a little harder than expected.

Sommer didn't answer right away.

"I know," she finally said. "I'm used to being the one doing the saving. Or the fixing."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"That must be exhausting."

Alyssa shifted, sitting up slightly, their shoulders brushing.

"You don't have to be a queen out here," she said. "You can just be Sommer. The girl who once dragged me out of a spice den with a black eye and a stun baton."

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer laughed. "That was a fun night."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"You bled all over your boots."

 

[Sommer Dai]

"They were knockoffs."

They both laughed again, but the moment lingered.

Soft.

Charged.

Sommer turned her head just a little. Alyssa met her eyes — eyes that had seen war, smuggling lanes, lies, lust, longing — and now, something simple.

Something real.

"What is this?" Sommer whispered.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

Alyssa shrugged, smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.

"Maybe it's nothing. Or maybe it's what you find when you stop chasing people who can't say what they mean."

They leaned closer — neither rushed, neither reckless — until the space between them was just breath.

And then they kissed.

Slow. Curious. Unspoken.

Not because they needed to escape.

But because for once — maybe — they didn't.

 

[Sommer Dai]

Location: Juno's Reach – Outer Rim Free Zone, One of Six Floating Spas Above a Salt Bloom Ocean

The Starseam dropped out of hyperspace with a gentle hum, its arrival barely registering in the tranquil, orchid-tinted atmosphere of Juno's Reach. The planet was like a dream — pale blue clouds swirling above crystalline waters, volcanic ridgelines casting long shadows over floating sky-spas tethered to ancient repulsor anchors.

"This place feels illegal," Sommer muttered as they descended, peering out the viewport at the floating structures — carved in stone and wood, speckled with moss, gold, and eternal flame torches.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"It kind of is," Alyssa said. "No customs. No scans. No history of snitching."

The freighter docked on a vine-wrapped landing pad connected to a spa sanctum dome, built from black obsidian and coral stone. Waves crashed far below, but everything here was silence and steam. Even the droids spoke in whispers.

 

[Sommer Dai]

[Within the Spa Sanctum]

Inside, the heat wrapped around them instantly.

Soft harp-like music played from the ceiling. The air was laced with jasmine oil and volcanic salt mist. Robes were offered. Blasters checked. No comms allowed beyond the threshold.

"Feels like we're walking into a temple," Sommer said.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Then leave your sins at the door," Alyssa replied, unfastening her jacket and tossing it without hesitation.

They were led through winding paths of lush thermal gardens, toward their private pool suite overlooking the edge of a 700-foot waterfall that emptied into glowing saltwater blooms below.

 

[Sommer Dai]

[Private Suite – Later That Night]

Sommer sat on the edge of the steaming mineral pool, her hair wet, robe open just enough to feel the night air against her legs. Alyssa floated nearby, only her eyes and nose visible above the water.

"I haven't relaxed like this since…" Sommer started.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Since ever," Alyssa finished for her, surfacing with a splash.

They laughed.

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer poured a glass of sparkling blue spirit from the tray between them and offered it to her friend.

"To survival."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"To better mistakes," Alyssa corrected, clinking glasses.

They drank. They stared at the alien sky.

 

[Sommer Dai]

The silence was comfortable now.

"Did you mean it?" Sommer asked softly, tracing a finger along the water's edge.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

Alyssa didn't play dumb. "The kiss?"

"I don't do things halfway, Somms," Alyssa said. "And I'm not here to rescue you. I just like who I am when I'm around you."