Private Shadows in Silk

[Arq*]

Silence.

Then Arq's voice returned, dead serious.

"On my way."

---

[Moments Later – Kael's Office, Lights Dimmed]

"She didn't trigger any door logs," Arq said, staring at the footage. "That elevator's on a separate loop."

 

[Kaelon Virex]

"That sigil she touched — it unlocked something. You see it too, right?"

 

[Arq*]

"Yeah. But that's not tech. That's... some kind of Force seal. Or worse — old Sith encryption. Like ancient blood-key stuff."

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael leaned forward, eyes narrowed.

"She brought something inside. Something alive. I want every crate, vault, panel, and hollow wall checked by morning. If it breathes and it's not on payroll, I want it gone."

 

[Arq*]

"And if it's... not something we can just toss in the trash?"

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael didn't answer for a beat.

Then:

"Then we burn it. We burn all of it. Not on my watch... Im gunna be useful for something."

 

[Sommer Dai]

Location: Juno's Reach – Starlight Bathhouse, Sunset Hour

The Starlight Bathhouse wasn't just a place — it was a ritual.


Carved into the edge of a sheer cliffside and suspended over the glowing salt ocean, the bathhouse glimmered like a jewel of vapor and firelight. Hanging lanterns hovered freely in the air, glowing with captured starlight, slowly orbiting the structure's dome like moons. No loud music. Just strings, soft wind chimes, and water over polished stone.


The guests? Elite, anonymous, and often barefoot.

[Inside the Dressing Suite – Later]

Sommer stood before the full-length mirror, adjusting the fit of her gown — a backless deep garnet silk piece, sculpted along the hips and slit along the right leg. It shimmered slightly with each movement, not unlike the surface of a calm lake under blood-red sky. Her lips matched the tone of the dress. Her eyeliner was sharp enough to wound.


Beneath the elegance:

• A concealed micro-blade in the inner thigh lining.
• A neural sting embedded in her ring.
• And her infamous perfume — poisonous if inhaled too deeply — worn like a crown.

She learned by now to never ever arrive unarmed. Even when radiant.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

Alyssa, in contrast, had chosen something dangerously understated — a one-shoulder black satin wrap, cinched with copper threads. Her legs bare, her feet adorned in glass-thin crystal sandals. Her hair was tied in a fishtail braid, trailing down her shoulder, with flecks of silver set through the strands like stardust.

"Remind me," Alyssa said, tilting her head in the mirror beside Sommer, "is this a spa night or a covert op with complimentary champagne?"

 

[Sommer Dai]

"Both," Sommer replied dryly. "But if we're lucky, the champagne hits first."

---

[The Arrival – Main Pool Chamber]

The central bath of the Starlight was a sprawling, terraced oasis of hot and cold pools, woven with mossy stone bridges and soft silk cabanas. Pillars of rising mist caught the glow of the stars above, as dancers, diplomats, and high-priced mystics mingled in shimmering fabrics and little else.

The girls stepped onto the platform like they owned it.

Sommer's eyes scanned. Old habits. Every exit noted. Every robe weighed for weapon potential. But her shoulders eased as Alyssa took her hand.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Relax," Alyssa murmured. "Tonight, we don't survive. We live."

 

[Sommer Dai]

[The Deeper Pools – Later]

They found their spot near the inner moonwell — a warm, glass-bottomed pool that hovered out over the cliff edge. Beneath it, the glowing ocean shimmered like a living aurora.

The two sank in side by side, drinks in hand, the water hugging their skin like silk.

"This is almost dangerous," Sommer said, eyes on the horizon. "Because I could get used to it."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Maybe you should," Alyssa replied. "Just for once."

They sipped in silence, the atmosphere thick with rosewood steam and pulsing distant drums. Laughter echoed from behind velvet curtains. A couple kissed nearby. Someone was singing off key from the upper veranda.


And for a moment… everything was light.


No Zori.
No Veil.
No shadows.


Just two women, floating in warmth, feeling the galaxy finally exhale.

 

[Sommer Dai]

The steam thickened.

Laughter drifted higher. The golden string notes swirled low over rippling waters.

And then… everything shifted.

It wasn't loud. It wasn't even sudden. But Sommer felt it — a pull. Like the temperature in the pool dropped a single degree. Like the light leaned toward a presence entering the terrace.

A few heads turned. Then more.

Across the misty stones, barefoot, he emerged.

Tall. Dark robes sleeveless and open at the chest, soaked in moonlight and steam. Barefoot. Tattoos of unknown script danced up one side of his ribs, disappearing under his collarbone. His hair was black, shoulder-length, pushed back from a sharp, handsome face.

He looked like he'd walked out of prophecy.

Eyes — silver-gray. Not glowing. Not augmented. But intense enough to quiet conversations as he passed.

And he smiled. Not a grin. Not a smirk.

A smile like a promise.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Who is that?" Alyssa whispered, instinctively lowering her glass.

 

[Sommer Dai]

"Trouble," Sommer said flatly, "or someone who thinks he can fix it."

He stopped near their pool.

Casual. Still. Like the galaxy could orbit him, and he wouldn't even notice.

"Forgive the intrusion," he said, voice velvet. "But I couldn't ignore your energy. Strong women always send a ripple."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"You a poet?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he said, his smile widening. "Just a man who believes this galaxy has more pain than it was ever meant to hold."

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer narrowed her eyes.

"And I assume you have the answer?"

"I have hope," he replied, sitting cross-legged at the pool's edge, arms resting on his knees. "And vision. Which may be more than most leaders offer."

Around them, several others were now casually gathering, drawn in like leaves on a slow current. His presence was magnetic — warm without being pushy, direct without being invasive. It made you want to believe. Or at least… listen.

"My name is Valen Deyne," he continued. "I don't belong to the Republic. Or the Outer Rim coalitions. I travel. I speak. I build bridges. Some say I'm naïve. Some say I'm dangerous. I just think… the galaxy needs healing."

"That sounds rehearsed," Sommer said, not yet smiling.

He met her eyes.

"I've watched star systems burn because men refused to speak before firing. And I've watched women like you — survivors — carry scars on their soul and still offer others shelter. You know what healing looks like."

The compliment — veiled in reverence — hit harder than she expected.

"What's your real agenda?" she asked.

Valen shrugged. "To gather. To speak. To listen. Perhaps even to change minds."

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

"Or start a cult," Alyssa muttered into her drink.

He chuckled. "I prefer to call it influence."

Then he stood. Calm. Collected.

"No pressure," he added. "I'm hosting a gathering at the Infinity Atrium in two nights. You're welcome. Both of you."

He paused.

"Just… don't mistake rest for safety. Even the softest water can drown you if you stop swimming."

And then he was gone.

Vanishing back into the mist, leaving behind only that lingering sense of something important just brushed past you.

 

[Alyssa Kydd]

Sommer and Alyssa sat in silence.

Alyssa finally turned to her friend.

"We really can't just have a normal vacation, can we?"

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer finished her drink.

"No," she said. "The .... (She looks at the camera) ... (("NUMBER OF VIEWS WOULD drop...dramatically....")) ... "But I think we were just invited to a very important storm."