Jyn leaned back, propping her chin on her hand with a smirk. "Oh, we'll manage. Don't keep your girlfriend waiting too long." The emphasis was a playful jab, a clear reference to her own bold offer just moments ago.

Yuna just offered a soft, shy wave. "See you tomorrow, Zaeryn."

He gave a two-fingered salute and headed for the exit, the whispers of the cafeteria fading behind him.

Back inside the cafeteria, after he was out of her sight, Yuna looked at Jyn with wide eyes, her cheeks turning a shade of pink, "Wow, I can't believe you asked him to kiss you and he did."

"Well…." Jyn smiled, "Can you believe it? I thought he would turn me down." She said. She knew she was beautiful, but so was a lot of girls,so

"Don't you think that was a little too far? You asking him to kiss you in public?"

"Oh, is that jealous I'm sensing?"

"What? Uh…. No?" Yuna's cheeks turned even red and she had a tough demeanor across her face as she crossed her arms across her chest, "Why do you think that?"

"Cause, why would you not like him?" She asked.

Yuna's cheeks burned even hotter. "I do like him…. But, i'm just... surprised, that's all. You've known him for… a day? And you're already kissing him in the middle of the cafeteria like it's no big deal."

"Well, Look around us," Jyn said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as she gestured vaguely at the tables of students. "You think he's just another guy? He's the only guy. In a school of thousands of powerful, competitive, and let's be honest, ridiculously hormonal women. Every girl in this academy is going to want a piece of him. I just decided I wasn't going to wait in line."

She walked over and sat next to Yuna and nudged her playfully, her eyes sparkling. "You should shoot your shot too, you know. You were blushing the whole time. He's cute, he's powerful, and I'm totally willing to share."

Yuna gasped, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of scarlet. "Jyn! I can't just…" she was about to argue, but when she thought of it, the idea wasn't half bad. "You really think so?"

Outside, the academy grounds were quiet, bathed in the soft, artificial twilight of the Citadel's upper levels. The sleek, dark hover-cruiser was parked exactly where he'd left it, its blue underglow casting cool halos on the polished stone.

The moment he approached, the side door hissed open. Arya stood there, leaning against the frame with a warm, easy smile.

Mireille was in the pilot's seat, her expression as neutral and unreadable as ever.

"How was your first day, Zaeryn?" Arya asked, her tone genuinely curious.

"Educational," he replied, hopping into the surprisingly plush interior. "Got detention, fought a top prospect, made a few friends, and got propositioned in the cafeteria. So, you know, a slow day."

Arya laughed, a bright, clear sound. "Sounds about right."

"Well, for you it's going to be just another day. Get used to it." Mireille said.

"I wouldn't mind somethings." He replied. 'Like kissing Jyn.'

She gave him a very faint smile as she glanced back, her eyes flicking over him in a quick assessment that wasn't professional at all. "Where to?"

"Stellan Innovations," he said, settling into the seat across from Arya. "My girlfriend's workplace."

Mireille gave a curt nod, and with a barely perceptible hum, the cruiser lifted from the ground and accelerated smoothly into the Citadel's transport channels. The flight was a quiet blur, the rigid, imposing architecture of the academic giving way to the soaring, elegant spires of the commercial and research district.

Soon, the cruiser emerged into a district that glittered with wealth and innovation. Twin spires of polished white alloy and smart-glass rose into the artificial sky, connected by sky-bridges that glowed with soft, ambient light.

A controlled waterfall of shimmering energy cascaded down the face of one tower, spelling out the company's name in flowing, elegant script: Stellan Innovations.

Holographic sky-whales drifted lazily between the towers, their forms translucent and beautiful a testament to a company that sold not just technology, but artistry.

Mireille brought the cruiser to a smooth landing on a private, elevated platform. As the door opened, Zaeryn stepped out into a different world.

The air here was different from the academy and the citadel. It was crisp, carrying the faint, pleasant scent of luxury and high-end tech.

Zaeryn walked inside, and the lobby was a masterpiece of minimalist design. Open, airy, with living walls of bio-luminescent moss that pulsed with a gentle green light.

It was just as Zaeryn remembered it, the last time he was here, three months ago. It was the first and last time he had come here.

Not having time to think about the last time, Zaeryn continued on his way. In the center of the vast space, a massive hologram of a swirling DNA helix rotated slowly, its strands made of pure, golden Vitae. Employees in sharp outfits, a blend of corporate chic and casual confidence, moved with a quiet sense of purpose.

Mireille and Arya followed him out, their combat-ready uniforms looking stark and out of place in the serene environment.

"We'll wait here," Mireille stated, her gaze sweeping the area with a guard's vigilance.

Arya winked at him. "Have fun with your… stimulating project."

Zaeryn smirked back and strode toward the main reception desk, a floating slab of polished obsidian. The receptionist, a woman with sharp, intelligent eyes, looked up at him. And the moment she saw who it was a smile made its way to her face.

A rare, and at the same time not so rare look, because Zaeryn remembered the last time here he didn't get any kind of warm welcome here.

"Zaeryn?"

"Uh hey!" He responded, taken off guard. Although he could already guess, Sage had told her to be nice to him, because he remembered the same receptionist cold to him.

"Hey, you're here to see Sage?"

"Yes, did she tell you I was coming."

"Yes she did." She gestured toward a cylindrical, transparent tube nearby. "You can find her in her lab."

"And where is that? I… uh, forgot where it is."

She nodded.

"It's on the top floor and the lift will take you exactly there. Look for an office with her name on the door." She instructed with a smile.

He nodded his thanks and stepped into the silent, magnetic lift. The transparent walls gave him a breathtaking view as he ascended, passing floors dedicated to fabrication, quantum computing, and bio-engineering labs where scientists in clean suits worked with focused intensity.

Just as the lift began to rise, movement at the entrance caught his eye. Three women were walking in one with an easy stride and bright presence, flanked by two others who moved like soldiers. Something about the woman Infront struck him as significant, or maybe familiar, but before he could get a good look, the lift had already carried him beyond view.

Back in the lobby, the grand, frosted-glass entrance hissed open, admitting three figures whose combined presence shifted the atmosphere from corporate serenity to undeniable authority.

At the lead was Princess Valerie, her posture relaxed but her blue eyes sharp as they took in the bio-luminescent moss and the grand DNA helix. Despite her casual demeanor, there was an intelligence in the way she observed everything, cataloging, assessing.

Beside her, General Eva Rostova walked with the practiced ease of someone far more comfortable on a battlefield than in a pristine corporate lobby. Her sharp eyes swept the area with a look that was equal parts bored and analytical.

Flanking them was Captain Nyx, her posture rigid, her expression all professional focus, every inch the hardened veteran and royal guard.

"Impressive design," Valerie commented, her gaze tracing the energy waterfall cascading down the tower's face visible through the glass walls. "The integration of form and function here is exceptional. Athea's architects could learn a thing or two about making power look approachable."

"I'd rather they learn how to make the palace wine cellars more accessible," General Rostova muttered, her hand instinctively resting near the hilt of the ceremonial blade at her hip.

Valerie shot her a sidelong glance, amused. "Because that's exactly what we need, you with easier access to alcohol."

"I wouldn't recommend it." Nxy said, drawing a cold glare from Eva Rostova, but she went on anyway, "You can drink, after we are done here."

Eva sighed, but said nothing.

The receptionist, her pleasant smile still lingering from her interaction with Zaeryn, looked up. Her expression remained warm but shifted to professional courtesy as she addressed the newcomers.

"Welcome to Stellan Innovations," she said with practiced politeness. "Do you have an appointment?"

Captain Nyx stepped forward, her authority radiating in quiet, disciplined waves. "We're here to see Sage Stellan on behalf of the Imperial Council." She gestured with a subtle inclination of her head toward the princess. "Princess Valerie of the Lumina Queendom."

The receptionist's professional smile wavered, then shattered completely. Her eyes widened, darting from Nyx's stern face to Valerie's composed one. The realization hit her like a physical blow. A princess. A Lumina princess was standing in her lobby.

"Your Highness!" The word came out as a choked gasp. She dropped into a hasty, flustered bow, her movements clumsy with shock. "My deepest apologies! I didn't recognize you! Please, forgive me!"

Valerie let out a soft laugh, waving a dismissive hand. "Please, stand up. You're going to give yourself a neck cramp," she said warmly, though there was a hint of command beneath the kindness. "We're just here for a chat. No need for all the ceremony."

The receptionist straightened up, her cheeks still burning with a crimson flush, but her eyes now held a look of pure, reverent awe. "Of course, Your Highness. Right away." Her fingers flew across her console. "Ms. Stellan is in her private laboratory on the top floor. I'll notify her of your arrival immediately. The lift is this way."

"Finally," General Rostova grumbled as they were led toward the transport tube. "All this bowing and scraping gives me a rash."

"Oh, don't be such a brute, Eva," Valerie teased, linking her arm with the general's. "A little reverence is good for the soul. Now, let's go see if this Sage Stellan is as brilliant as my cousin seems to think."

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