Billionaire

-6:00 PM, October 25th, 2054-

As the sun approached the horizon, I found myself standing next to our beach camp. It was a gorgeous scene. The sparse clouds held shades of pink and orange. The waves sparkled and the once turquoise waters of the shallow were now covered in hues that matched the clouds.

A gentle breeze made my hair flit in the wind. It had gotten quite long. I hadn't even thought about cutting it. Maybe I should have before this visitor arrived. Unfortunately, it was too late.

A small but luxurious ship approached, diving through the atmosphere. It quickly descended before a backdrop of dim stars that just began to poke through the fading blue sky.

It landed quite close. Sand was kicked up, sending a cloud of dust floating across the beach. Fortunately, the cloud was not being shot in my direction.

The ramp of the ship quickly opened and a pleasantly familiar figure emerged.

She was wearing a tan sweater with oversized sleeves that mostly covered her hands. She had tight pants with a blaster pistol strapped to her thigh. Her silky brown hair was tied into a bun. She bared an uncanny resemblance to Padme.

I waved. "Hey Violet. How've you been?"

She looked as if she was about to speak but then silently approached me, seemingly in a daze. She then reached out slowly and gently touched my chest.

I was very confused. "Uhhh, Vi?"

She suddenly shook her head and blushed. "AHH!" She quickly took a step back and shook her head. "I- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

I glanced down, only now noticing that I was absolutely shredded. Every muscle on my body was perfectly defined and rippling with power despite being lean and tight to my body. On top of that, I wasn't wearing a shirt. Only pants.

I shook my head. "No, no. It's fine. I should have put clothes on."

I noticed her subtly bite her lip before shaking her head. "I don't mind."

I smirked. "Hehe, okay." I sighed. "So, what brings you round these parts?"

Violet nodded. "Ah, yes. I wanted to tell you in person that we have just completed the sale of our first kilo of refined coaxium."

My eyes widened in shock. "So quick?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Wanna hear the number."

I nodded with an eager grin. This was gonna be good. "Hit me with it."

She took a deep breath. My anticipation peaked as she did. "50 billion."

I blinked slowly as what felt like a grenade went off in my brain. I stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. "Holy shit… I'm a billionaire…"

She nodded. "Yes, you are. Anyways, what have you been up to? I heard something about training?"

I shook my head, waving my hands dismissively. "Fuck the training. We have to celebrate!"

She tilted her head as I felt the confusion in her mind. "Celebrate?"

I nodded as I walked towards my ship. "Why of course! Stay right there. I'm gonna go clean up."

I paused for a moment, realizing that I had almost forgotten something. "Do you have formal attire with you?"

She nodded slowly. "Uhh, yeah. Why?"

I smiled as I resumed walking. Just grab the clothes and hop in my ship. Trust me."

-9:00 PM, October 25th, 2054-

-Uscru District, Coruscant-

The airlock on the luxury speeder hissed as the entire right half of the canopy flipped upwards. Sounds of people, countless people, slipped through the ever wider opening. Soft lighting covered every inch of the area but bright flashes of white ceaselessly pierced that comfortable veil.

I stood up and stepped out from the rear passenger side of the speeder. I turned around and held out my hand. "You ready?"

Violet nodded timidly as she took my hand. Her soft palm. Her delicate fingers. My heart fluttered as she came into the light.

The world faded to black and white as I briefly admired her beauty. She had let her hair down. The wavy hazel locks hugged her back so elegantly. Her face was so carefully covered in makeup, allowing her natural beauty to shine through. The white dress with gray accents did everything to draw my focus to her exposed skin. My tuxedo was somewhat lame when put next to her dress.

A blush broke through the makeup as she was immediately overwhelmed. I turned around and found that there was an army of paparazzi on the platform. Their flashes gradually slowed down as confused expressions emerged on their faces.

I felt frustration, confusion, and curiosity from them. Clearly, they didn't know who we were. Some were probably wondering who we were. Others were probably begging for us to get out of the way so they could see someone more worth their time.

Behind the paparazzi was a line of armed guards and attendants. They appeared to be preventing the paparazzi from entering the cocktail hall.

I glanced up to my left and found a dome with structural support that appeared to defy the laws of physics. Then again, materials science here was at a whole other level compared to Earth.

The dome was surrounded by a platform with spotlights that pierced the heavens. The dome itself was illuminated by softer lighting that hugged the curved surface as it went up.

I turned my focus back to the cocktail hall before glancing back at Violet, whose hand I still held. "Welcome to the Galaxies Opera House."

I gently pulled her along as our speeder departed. It was time for us to head inside.

As we passed the flashing cameras, an attendant that was dressed differently than the others approached us with quick but elegant steps. He bowed slightly and I noticed his eyes widened with clear surprise emanating from him.

He spoke with an accent that almost sounded French. "Master Jedi, Madame, your tickets please."

I nodded before reaching into the interior pocket of my jacket and retrieving two tokens. I dropped them into the attendant's outstretched hand. "Where might we find some refreshments? We are absolutely famished."

The man briefly examined the tokens before putting them in his pocket. Then he snapped his fingers. A hovering droid quickly approached. It was holding two trays.

The attendant gestured towards the trays. "These are the two beverages we chose to offer at the door this evening. The champagne is the newest vintage from Regal Winery on Naboo. The whiskey is a single malt that has been aged for 70 years in barrels made from Laroon wood. It was just recently procured from Istabith Distillery on Alderaan. There is a wider selection inside if you would prefer something else."

I smiled before grabbing one glass of whiskey and one glass of champagne. I then offered the champagne to Violet. "I remember you saying that you prefer wine."

She giggled and nodded, gently taking the glass. "Thank you, Soryn."

I nodded at the attendant. "Thank you."

The attendant smiled and gestured towards the cocktail hall. "Please head inside. Feel free to enjoy the hors d'oeuvres inside. Everything is complimentary."

I nodded and turned, taking Violet's left arm in my right. We then walked inside.

The Galaxies Opera House was a theater renowned across the entire galaxy. Countless people dreamed of one day attending a performance.

Despite the general knowledge regarding the theater, it was a lesser-known fact that these performances only occurred after the sun had set. In the day, this theater was commonly used by academics to conduct lectures in a TedTalk like fashion. Every famous scientist had taken the stage at least once in their careers. It was an easy way to find sponsors for their research.

Speaking of the performances, they were uber exclusive. This place was a sort of pissing contest for the ultra-rich. They essentially competed with each other for who could wear the most outrageous and extravagant outfits and accessories.

The tickets alone were absurdly expensive, costing upwards of 100k credits. Only the wealthiest of magnates could afford to splurge on such entertainment. Fortunately, this barely even put a dent in my newfound finances.