Kira Delane sat stiffly in the cold steel chair, her fingers drumming a rhythm against the armrest as she stared at the holographic map suspended in the air before her. A small red blip hovered over the distant planet of Eiridun, where she'd be headed soon. She squinted at the projection, mentally calculating the best route through the nebula systems, knowing it wouldn't be easy-nothing ever was in the outer edges of the Aurelia System.

This mission wasn't just important; it was critical. If the artifact they were after could stabilize the star, they might just save billions of lives. Her duty to the Interstellar Union was clear. But that didn't stop the tension from coiling in her chest.

"Still planning the mission before we even leave?" came a voice from the doorway, smooth with a hint of mischief.

Kira glanced up, her ice-blue eyes narrowing at the man lounging casually against the doorframe. He had a tousled head of dark hair, a half-smile that played on his lips, and an easy confidence that made her immediately suspicious. Dax Voss. She'd heard his name before, some kind of genius engineer who'd made a name for himself on Terron Prime. But the cockiness radiating off of him was not what she needed right now.

"We've got plenty of time for planning later," he added, strolling in without waiting for her permission, "especially with me on board. I'm kind of great at improvisation."

Kira crossed her arms, unfazed by his charm. "Improvisation doesn't win missions," she replied coldly. "Preparation does."

Dax chuckled softly, clearly amused. He dropped into the chair beside her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "Right. You must be the serious one. Every mission's gotta have one."

"I take my job seriously, yes." Kira's tone was clipped, but inside, she could feel the stir of irritation-and something else, a strange flutter that she wasn't used to. She hated how effortlessly he seemed to be getting under her skin.

Dax raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, Captain Delane. I'll play nice. But just so you know, when we're dodging space debris or dealing with alien traps, you'll want someone who can think on their feet."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said flatly, turning back to the map. She wasn't here to banter. She was here to make sure the mission didn't fall apart because of some cocky tech whiz who thought charm could solve every problem.

"So, what's the plan, anyway?" Dax leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I know we're after the artifact, but how do we actually get it? Eiridun's a pretty unstable place, from what I've read."

Kira shot him a glance. At least he was paying attention now. "There's an abandoned temple on Eiridun. The last known location of the artifact is somewhere inside. We'll have to deal with whatever defenses were left behind by the ancient civilizations that built it." She paused, eyeing him. "That's where your expertise comes in. The temple runs on old energy systems, and your power might be the only thing that can activate the doors."

Dax nodded, his gaze flicking back to the map, his usual playful expression replaced with a look of quiet concentration. "Energy manipulation, yeah. Shouldn't be too hard. What about you? What's your role in this?"

Kira hesitated. She didn't like talking about her abilities. Not because she was ashamed of them, but because they were... complicated. "I control gravity," she said finally, her voice steady.

Dax's eyebrows shot up. "Gravity? That's impressive. And here I thought all you did was fly ships and look annoyed at me."

She didn't bother replying, though a small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. He noticed it, of course, and his grin widened. This guy was too perceptive for his own good.

"Alright, gravity girl." He slapped his hands on his knees and stood up. "Guess we're both bringing something special to the table. But don't worry-if things get messy, I've got your back."

"I can handle myself," Kira shot back, standing as well. But there was no bite to her words, just a simmering tension that had started the moment he walked in. She could tell Dax wasn't like anyone she'd worked with before. And that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Before they could exchange more words, the door behind them slid open, and an authoritative voice filled the room. "Delane, Voss. Time to board."

Their mission commander stepped into view, flanked by two Union officers. Kira nodded stiffly and started for the door, feeling the weight of her responsibilities settle back onto her shoulders. No time to dwell on distractions. This was what she'd trained for. She wasn't going to let anything-or anyone-get in the way of their success.

As they boarded the sleek reconnaissance vessel, Kira took the pilot's seat while Dax settled in beside her. The hum of the ship's engines vibrated through the controls as Kira's fingers danced over the dashboard, setting their coordinates for Eiridun.

"All systems go, Captain," Dax said, flashing her another one of those easy smiles. His tone was light, but there was something in his eyes-a spark of curiosity, maybe even respect. It caught her off guard for a moment before she regained her focus.

Kira glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as the ship lifted off, its engines roaring to life. "Let's hope your improvisation skills don't get us killed," she said, smirking slightly.

Dax leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, his grin widening. "Relax, gravity girl. We've got this."

As the stars blurred into streaks of light around them, Kira couldn't help but feel a strange anticipation in her chest. The mission was just beginning, and she had a feeling that the real challenges ahead wouldn't come from the mission itself-but from the man sitting beside her.