Kaelen found a discreet alley to change her suit back into one of the programmed Earth outfits, then made her way around to the main entrance. She assumed that Leah would be concerned for her wellbeing, so she went upstairs to the top floor first. Kaelen made eye contact with Jenna as soon as she stepped off the elevator. “Is she in her meeting yet?”
Jenna looked at her watch then scowled back at Kaelen. “She’s in conference room eight and you have six minutes.”
A minute later Kaelen was down the hall in the executive wing. She poked her head inside the correct room. “This room has been booked—oh, it’s you!” Leah sped her hoverchair around the table as Ellie stood from her seat. Leah raised her chair as soon as she drew next to Kaelen and pulled her into a hug. “I was so worried about you.”
“I am fine. Did the authorities come to your parking garage?”
“Yes. They asked a lot of questions and I pointed at the bullet that lay on the ground, then showed them where the car had been parked. They found a spent casing there and asked if I knew the identities of the shooter or Scion. Of course, I said no. I also had the foresight to delete the parking garage security footage from the elevator cam. The others picked up the car leaving and your black blur, but they have no evidence of the rest.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you. My only concern was keeping you alive and preventing the guilty party from escaping to try again.”
“Sadly, it’s not the first time I’ve been targeted.”
Kaelen froze. “What?”
“Kaelen, I told you before that I have security with me wherever I go. If I’m driving, they’re usually following.”
“Why weren’t they with you today?”
Leah pursed her lips. “Because I’ve been spending so much time with you and I thought I’d be okay, that I’d be safe with you.”
“I—oh, Vos. You put your trust in me and I failed you!”
“On the contrary, darling, you did save me. There will always be someone out there with an axe to grind or a grudge. Plenty of folks don’t like the way Lockheed used to do business years ago, people who don’t think my family paid their full dues in regards to a few terrible events. I’ve tried to make it a force for good but the memory of tragedy is long-lived.”
“It is, truly.”
Leah loosened her grip. “My main concern is for you. I don’t want you to be found out, especially if you’re seen helping me.”
Kaelen gently cradled Leah’s hand between both of hers. “Please don’t worry. I told them I heard a gun round chambering, and the gunshot. I mentioned that I’d saved the CEO of Lockheed International, whom I recognized from the television because of your mobility chair. I indicated that not only wasn’t I nearby when it happened, but that I didn’t know anything about you or the company. Then I let them take the car I’d been carrying and flew around the world a few times to avoid tracking.”
A quiet sound came from Ellie and Kaelen looked at her for the first time since entering the conference room. “You…you flew around the world a few times? You told us you could fly, but you never said how fast.”
“Yes. My speed is exceptional.”
Leah rubbed the space between her brows with the first two fingers of her right hand. She glanced down at the watch on her slim wrist. “As much as I’d like to discuss the events that occurred before walking into work, our conference call begins in a minute. I’ll be down later when I’ve got some time between meetings, okay?”
“Fine, and I’m happy that you’re safe.”
“Oh, me too. A bullet would have made the week so much worse. First a plane crash, then some sort of hit man… I’m starting to think that someone wants me dead.”
After the first attack by Mimic, Leah had explained her suspicion that the woman was targeting her because of the previous Lockheed business model, and the horrific events that unfolded more than a decade before. Kaelen asked Wex to bring up all the articles about the mass shooting involving David Roger Coleman, as well as anything written about the company, and the Lockheeds in particular. By all accounts the family was as brilliant as they were rich, but they didn’t always make their money in ways that could benefit society. It was something that Leah felt guilty for, despite the fact that she was as much a Tuck as she ever was a Lockheed.
“Honey, don’t even joke about that! I know that we’ve struggled with your family’s public image for years, but this company isn’t the same as it was then, and you don’t deserve to be targeted.”
Kaelen agreed with Ellie. “She’s right. Your death is not a laughing matter.”
Leah sighed. “I’m sorry. I have a dark sense of humor sometimes, as I’ve explained before. Go on now, some of us have work to do.”
The fact that Leah had been attacked before concerned Kaelen. “What if something like this happens again?”
“Number one, I trust you. Number two, I’ll call the head of my security team and have them beef it up for a bit. Okay?” Kaelen hesitated. “Even if you’re with me.”
“Thank you.”
“Sorry again about the poor taste joke.” A face suddenly appeared on the large screen that covered most of the far wall of the conference room. Leah sighed and muttered beneath her breath. “Speaking of jokes…” Kaelen took that as her cue to leave and made her way out of the room and to the elevator.
Einstein was bent over a circuit board when she scanned into the lab. He looked up and gave her a broad smile. “Welcome back to work. Have you had sufficient time to recover from your heroics?”
“I…” Kaelen had been cautioned not to confirm or even speak of her identity as the vigilante known as Scion by all three Tuck women. Leah assured her that their found family were all trustworthy but that telling them of her identity could cause problems if she were later discovered or captured by the CORP. She mentioned something about plausible deniability. “Uh, I stayed with Leah to help her recover from the harrowing plane accident.”
He tilted his head one way, then the other. Einstein squinted at her, closed one eye, then opened both wide again. “You are indeed the one they are calling Scion. You are the last heir of your kind, and you have a variety of powers I don’t recall Argonians possessing. I speculate they are a product of your travel here, or something on Earth has initiated a cellular change. Perhaps it is because of the unique radiation output of Sol? Of course, we knew some of your abilities, but it seems you had more that we were not aware of.”
“Who is we?”
He smiled. “Nalla calls us Leah’s Squad. Though to be fair, I’ve only spoken of my speculation to Nalla, and she would never disclose such dangerous knowledge about one of our group.” He held out his hand toward her. “I hope you know that, Kaelen Ra-Evon.”
She hesitated, then admitted, “How did you know?”
“Know?”
“About me?”
Einstein tapped his temple. “Twelfth caliber intellect. Also, I recognized the suit and symbol from your interview.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m afraid that the attack on Leah has me rattled and not thinking clearly.”
A strange look washed over his face and he added, “Even without that, I’m always watching the world around me. It’s something I learned from the Tau.”
She knew he was referring to his job as a Watcher and contemplated the details of his past before coming to Earth. Kaelen sighed. Having genius friends certainly made it more difficult to hide portions of her life, especially if they knew her well from working together daily. “I was cautioned not to say anything to anyone.”
Einstein nodded and steepled his fingers together. “Wise. Well, if we are not speaking of the thing that shall not be named, I would say instead that I’m glad you had to leave our trivia night early. I brought your satchel with me today. It’s in your drawer.” He nodded toward the cabinet along one wall.
“Thank you, Clevna Trog. You’re a true friend and valued scientist. I’m glad to do good work with you.”
“As am I. Now, if I may change the subject somewhat…what would you do if you needed to exit this lab in a hurry? How would you go about it?”
Kaelen glanced around the large main lab, noticing the security cameras in each corner. A single door on the south wall led to a long hallway containing doors to eight rooms. One side housed four smaller labs, each one shielded, fully-vented, and dedicated to various long-term and short-term experiments. The four rooms on the opposite side of the hall were all devoted to different sub-specialties of science and filled with expensive and highly-tailored equipment for each of those specialties. The SPL was the only lab in the building that didn’t have to share such equipment or test spaces. That’s why only the best scientists were placed downstairs and why the main lab had multiple security cameras.
Unfortunately, only two levels existed below theirs. The next one down housed the company servers, and the one below that held all the maintenance and mechanical operations for the skyscraper. Being so deep beneath the ground in a highly secured lab meant she would find it impossible to reach the surface in a stealthy manner. And while she could do it rapidly by simply blasting her way upward, it would cause millions of dollars of property damage, as well as setting back countless experiments from the above labs that were years in the making.
She sighed in defeat. “I don’t know. I can’t see a way without causing structural damage, setting off alarms, or being caught by security personnel.” The more she thought about Einstein’s questions, the more it bothered her. “What if Leah were in trouble upstairs and I couldn’t arrive in time to prevent harm?”
“Leah isn’t typically in danger of physical harm on the corporate level. Corporate attacks, especially on a personal level, are exceedingly rare.”
“You didn’t hear about the incident this morning?”
Einstein came around the center work bench and took a seat at the stool. He pointed at the screen in the corner with the news replaying footage of Kaelen carrying the gunman’s car over her head. “Does it have something to do with that?”
Kaelen moved closer and took her own seat. She clasped her hands tightly together, hoping to stay the unease she felt at the thought of someone trying to harm her beloved. “The man in that vehicle fired a bullet at Leah as we moved from the van to the parking garage elevator.”
“Quark! Did he miss?”
“No, I—” Einstein was another alien with an intellect to match her own. She needed help if she were going to keep Leah safe. “I can tell you if you pinky swear that none of what I say leaves this lab.” She held out her hand, pinky up, and Einstein quickly hooked them together.
“I will honor your pledge, Kaelen Ra-Evon.”
“Good. I caught the bullet.”
Despite never wearing his image changer while working in the lab with her, Einstein’s face was incredibly expressive. His metallic brows lifted with surprise. “To do so you’d need either extreme speed, or precognitive abilities, as well as some sort of invulnerability.”
She ticked off her yellow sun powers on her fingers. “To date, I’ve discovered that I possess: maximal speed along with the accompanying reflexes and reaction time, flight, maximal strength, a near-field of invulnerability, extraordinary stamina, ice breath, maximal hearing, and a variety of enhanced radiation emitting visions, including, but not limited to, laser vision and x-ray vision.”
“That is…impressive. I’m not sure if anyone in the CORP or Earth could match the sheer number of your powers. Perhaps the only ones on or near your level would be Jove, here in LA, or T’ala and Nova up in Seattle.”
“Who are T’ala and Nova?”
“T’ala is the special agent in charge of the CORP office in Washington, like Jove is for LA. Nova works in the CORP science division there. They did an interview about a decade ago admitting that they both came to Earth as babies from the planets Reyna and Tora, and were born as soul mates. Nineteen years ago, Nova absorbed the explosion from an arsenal of bombs that leveled about thirty square miles of land in Guantanamo Bay, when she took out the rogue Chromodec responsible for the Uprising. Their powers are also impressive.”
Even Kaelen wasn’t sure she could survive such a blast. Perhaps the arrogance she’d gained since discovering her special abilities was unearned. “Oh.”
“Do you have any weaknesses?”
She trusted Einstein. “I am susceptible to high decibel sound because of my enhanced hearing. And we discovered that my flask of Argonian regenerative serum absorbed galactic cosmic radiation during the journey to Earth and had an agonizing effect on my body.”
“I was taught that Argonians are genetically engineered to be immune to radiation in all forms.”
“I was as well, but my people had clearly never encountered this, or possibly it is unique to when that particular element absorbs the radiation and reacts to my changed cells here on Earth. Luckily, there were only two flasks, one sent in each Argonian ship as part of the standard medical kit. Wex disposed of one in northern Canada and Leah has the other sample.”
“While your powers are excellent, none of them can move you from one place to the next undetected—”
She held up a finger. “I’m fast enough that the average human wouldn’t detect me.”
“Yes, but your speed gives no advantage while in a secured underground lab that is highly monitored by state-of-the-art cameras. We are accessible via elevator and emergency use stairwell only, all under observation.”
“Leah says there are cameras on every level below ground and that an alarm will sound if the doors to the stairwell are opened without it being an emergency. Only the stairwells above the main floor are freely accessible.” Einstein nodded. Kaelen slumped a bit in her stool and picked up a six-inch bar of metal they’d been using as a paperweight. She pinched it flat, working the metal into another shape in an effort to expel her nerves. “Do you have any suggestions?”
He nodded. “I can think of a few. It would take a lot of time and money to construct a secret bolt-hole leading from the lab to the surface, not to mention it would potentially expose the company to a security breach from the outside. Another idea is less risky but still potentially disastrous. That would be for you to utilize the hatch in the top of the elevator and fly up the shaft to the roof. But if the elevator were in motion, full, or there were no extra room in the shaft for you to move through…” He made an explosive sound while expanding his hands outward.
“Those aren’t good ideas.”
“They are not. But there is one other option if we can gain clearance from Leah to work on it.”
Curious, Kaelen dropped the bar onto the table with a thunk and leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the matte black top. “And that is?”
“What do you know about portals?”
“Scientifically? Not much. It wasn’t a technology that existed on Argon, though I saw it once or twice on other worlds. If I remember my history correctly, it was outlawed by the High Council to prevent foreign threat from gaining access to the surface. The Thinker Guild even developed technology that could block portals from being used to or from the planet. It happened during the height of the war with Hogath. I also know that some Chromodecs here on earth possess the ability.”
“Yes, though it is exceedingly rare. I have the schematics for a portal creator in my memory banks, but there is one problem.”
Kaelen frowned. “Would this be advancing human science too far? I thought that was against the Tau Ceti rules?”
“I know well every Tau rule in existence and it doesn’t. I’ve seen previous sketches that Leah uploaded to SPL’s private server that were originally started by Charlie years ago. He was close. No, the real problem is converting the schematics over to use materials and a power source available on Earth. I think it can be done but we need time and financial allocation to work on it.”
“This could be a valuable tool for science. Even if it couldn’t be used by everyone on Earth, it may come in handy for other things. We should present it to Leah together and see if she will give approval. Perhaps we could merge her father’s plans with the ones stored in your database. From what I’ve discovered, many materials are common across the universe. We merely need to research the molecular structure to determine what they are called here.”
“I suspect you are right about merging and common materials. I also predict that Leah herself will want to work on this project with us.”
“Leah mentioned that she’d stop in later today after her meetings with the board. We can ask her then.”
“Superb. In the meantime, I will upload my schematics to the SPL private server.” Einstein held his hand out to the computer and images flickered across the screen in rapid succession. Being an organic alien android, he was able to send layer after layer of schematic drawings and specifications remotely into the device.
It was nearly six by the time Leah made her way downstairs. She looked exhausted and Kaelen gently rubbed the back of her neck and shoulders to alleviate the tension. “You’ve had a long day.”
Leah laughed. “It was even longer for those folks on the east coast where the rest of the board was located.”
“You like science so maybe this will make your day better.” Kaelen turned to Einstein, who showed Leah his schematics for the portal generator, and compared the base points side by side with the one Leah had in the Lockheed project file.
She smiled fondly as she picked up the printed sheet. “You know this was created by Charlie. He never could get the power source worked out. Everything he tried fluctuated too wildly to be safe for regular use.”
Einstein cleared his throat. “Well, I’m ninety-nine point-nine percent positive that we can work out the power fluctuations as well as solve the material conversion. The real challenge would be in finding a stable and compact power source.”
Leah held her left arm across her middle while the right hand pressed against her chin as she tapped her top lip in thought. It was something that Kaelen had seen Ellie do on occasion. After less than a minute of internal debate, Leah nodded. “Table the desalination project and make this one a priority. You can pivot the battery work you’ve already done into the portal generator.” She moved her gaze back and forth between Kaelen and Einstein. “Give me an estimated timeline and submit the materials to special requisitions. I’ll sign off, but try to be mindful of cost, okay?”
Einstein grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.” He closed his eyes for a brief second then addressed the other two. “It is past time for me to return home. Nalla said she’s cooking something new for dinner tonight and I am looking forward to the meal.”
“What is she making?” Kaelen was genuinely curious about the art of cooking. It appeared to be a lot like science, but of a type she didn’t wish to learn. Not when so many wonderful establishments existed all around the city that could make delicious food in quantities to satisfy her.
He shrugged. “She did not tell me what, only that it would be a culinary adventure. It sounds most fascinating.”
Leah snickered. “Good luck with that.”
He packed his bag and gave a quick wave as he exited the lab. They watched him make his way down the hall through the clear windowed walls. Kaelen walked to the bench and picked up the original portal design sheet to study. She held it up and moved to meet Leah’s gaze. “From everything you’ve told me, and what I’ve seen of his old designs, your adoptive father was a brilliant scientist.”
Leah sighed. “He was also a good dad. We lost him too soon. Maddy and Ellie lost him too soon.”
“Loss has no interest in age or intent and not everyone feels loss in the same way.”
“How do you mean?”
“It’s a hole inside. Some people are large and the hole is small in comparison, leaving them able to navigate life efficiently and without too much pain. Other times they are small and the hole feels immense.”
Perhaps Leah could sense that Kaelen referred to more than the loss of Charlie Tuck. “What happens then, if the hole is too large? How do you navigate life full of sadness?”
“Only two ways I can think of. A person can minimize the hole and make the loss less significant.”
“That’s pretty impossible last time I checked.”
Kaelen nodded. “True.”
“And the other thing?” Leah moved her hoverchair so she was right next to Kaelen, then took her hand.
“You make yourself larger. Fill your life with so many new things, people, emotions, and experiences that the loss seems small when compared to all that you’ve gained.”
Leah sucked in a breath and her heart rate sped slightly. “And have you done that? Made yourself large in comparison to the loss of your planet and people?”
“I’ve begun to.”
Leah smiled at her. “Yeah?”
“I have you, Leah Lockheed-Tuck. There is no greater gain in my life. No loss can compare with having you in my heart.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Kaelen thought about their conversation and all the ways she’d changed since arriving on her new planet. She also contemplated all the ways she would continue to change. “Say you understand.”
“Understand?” Leah tilted her head in confusion.
“I’m still growing here on Earth. I continue to learn about all I can do as well as explore my boundaries. After the events this morning, I realize that I cannot remain idle as harm comes to people around me, to those I love, and do nothing. I’ll try to be careful, but I will continue to do as my conscience dictates when using my abilities in a manner that vilifies me as a vigilante. I understand if keeping me employed at Lockheed is too much of a risk with the law, or—” Kaelen stopped speaking, unable to say the next part. Her eyes watered and chest felt heavy. She looked away.
Leah squeezed her hand. “Or?”
Kaelen hastily wiped the tear away. “Or if you no longer wish to remain in a courtship with my house.” She added, “With me,” in a whisper.
“Kaelen,” she was afraid to see the look in Leah’s eyes and refused to turn her head. A soft hand came up to caress Kaelen’s cheek and pulled her face gently to the left. “Please, zhee. Nep gahn i zhetinao.”
Kaelen gaped at her. “You used my language. You know my words. But how?”
“I only know a few. Remember the laptop that you installed a modified version of Wex on for me?” Kaelen nodded. “I’ve been asking it for lessons in Argonian. Your words are incredibly difficult to say, worse than German.”
“German is a beautiful language.”
Leah rolled her eyes, but the smile remained. “What I’m trying to say, darling, is that I’m with you. You are my love and I’m not going anywhere. Promise you’ll let me help you and you won’t give up on us without open communication. Okay? Don’t be self-sacrificing because you fill a hole in me as much as I fill the one in you. We are stronger as a team.”
Kaelen pulled her into a hug, careful with her strength while she was so emotionally overwhelmed. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you for giving me your heart. I cherish it.” When they pulled back from the embrace, Leah’s face was slightly flushed. “I know you’re probably sick of my company, but would you like to have dinner tonight?”
“I could never grow tired of you.”
Leah laughed. “Okay, in that case, dine in or carry out?”
“Will we be eating at your home or mine?”
“Wherever you prefer, darling. I know it’s been days since you’ve been to your apartment. I can come to yours if you need to go home for something.”
Kaelen shrugged. “I have nothing of real value at my home save a couple of mementoes taken from Argon.” She paused for a few seconds before admitting, “My memories are lonely after a while.”
“Yes, they can be.” Leah conceded. “Why don’t we order takeout and go back to my place and watch Lilo and Stitch?”
“That is another animated movie, correct?”
“Yes, and it’s one we haven’t seen yet. Well, I’ve seen it but I know you haven’t. I think you’ll like this one.”
Kaelen’s chest felt tight in a rush of emotion. She’d grown so much since meeting Leah and happiness filled her, despite no longer living within the light of Vos. “I would like that a lot. Nalla has been educating me about Earth movies and television. She says when you go to someone else’s house for entertainment it’s called Netflix and chill.”
Leah choked and burst into laughter. “Kaelen, no. That is an old euphemism. It’s a way of saying you want to come over for the express purpose of sex, without saying you want to come over for sex.”
Kaelen blinked at the unexpected information. “Oh.” Then she made a face at Leah. “And you say my language is difficult! Earth English is complicated on so many levels that I don’t think I’ll ever become used to all the slang words and phrases.”
“Scroll through Urban Dictionary for a few hours and you might.” Leah gestured toward the exit and followed Kaelen out into the hall.
The lights in the lab were programmed to shut off if no movement was detected for more than ten minutes. It was annoying if you were sitting still while working for too long, but it did save energy, which Kaelen found satisfying. “Is this Urban Dictionary an official reference source?”
Leah snickered as they approached the elevator. “It most certainly is not. It will either help you learn Earth slang…or scar you for life.”
“That sounds unpleasant.”
A snort met her comment. “So is being tricked into looking up what a lemon party is.”
“Uh, I think I’ll avoid that one.” The elevator dinged when they reached the parking garage, but Kaelen blocked Leah’s path. “Please let me check for other people.” Leah swallowed and nodded.
Kaelen left the elevator car, listening intently for any sound of life in the garage besides their own. She focused her x-ray vision on the van, checking the entire thing for parts that didn’t belong or ones that gave off a signal that was abnormal for the machine. Once she was certain that everything was clear and safe, she moved out of Leah’s way so her girlfriend could exit.
“All good?”
“Yes, this level is empty and it doesn’t appear as though your vehicle has been tampered with.”
“Excellent. And in case you wondered, I made a call to Hans earlier today and he’s increasing my security team starting tomorrow.” Leah hit the remote to unlock the doors. “I also texted Thai Guys with my order while you were doing your inspection. We can swing by the place near my penthouse and pick up dinner on the way.”
Once they were both safely in the van, Kaelen asked, “What is Lilo and Stitch about?”
Leah explained as they made their way up the slight ramp of the parking garage to the exit. “It’s about a lonely alien who learns what ohana is from the love of a little girl. It means extended family.”
Kaelen sucked in a breath and turned to look at Leah. She sounded out the foreign word. “Ohana. I think I’m going to like this film a lot.”
“Me too, love. Me too.”
* * * *
Later, after the movie, they lay together on Leah’s couch. They’d reached a point where Leah trusted Kaelen enough to lay fully atop her body. The sound of Kaelen’s heart was strong beneath her ear, and the feel of gentle stroking threatened to lull her to sleep.
Suddenly, one of the strange cramps hit her lower back, which quickly turned into sharp pain. Leah stiffened and cried out, “Ah, shit!”
The stroking stopped and Kaelen tensed beneath her. “What can I do, is this the same pain?”
Leah spoke through gritted teeth. “Yes, but it’s not subsiding. It feels like…I don’t know what it feels like but it’s not pleasant.”
Kaelen gasped. “Leah, the muscles in your legs are flexing.”
“What?” Leah breathed through the pain and twisted far enough to see her legs where they lay pressed along the length of Kaelen’s. She focused all her energy and kicked one foot, then the other. “I did it! Did you feel that?”
Kaelen beamed at her. “You’re moving your legs. Did you do that on purpose or is it a pain response?”
“On purpose. I only wish—oh, thank fuck. Sorry, Kaelen, but that one lasted way too long.”
“I don’t like when you’re in pain. I can sit you upright the easy way.”
“What is the easy way?”
Kaelen floated off the couch with Leah on top of her body. Then she slowly tilted their joined bodies upright while holding Leah firmly against her. Once vertical, Kaelen placed Leah in the middle of the couch. “Would you like to try it again while sitting?” Leah nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, I’m going to hold my hand an inch from your ankle, randomly alternating between legs. Ready?”
“Yes.” Every time Kaelen’s hand moved in front of one of her legs, Leah succeeded in giving it an unaided kick.
After trying it a few times, Kaelen put her hand against one of the shins. “Now I want you to push as hard as you can. They did that a few times on each leg. “Your strength is definitely returning. What’s truly amazing isn’t the level of force displayed so soon into your recovery. It is the level of fine motor control you have in choosing which side to kick. I predict that it won’t be long before the nanobots and serum will have completed their task.”
Leah was silent for a few seconds. “I know we decided that the nanobots were safe enough to leave in the human body once their primary task was complete. But it’s a shame they couldn’t be repurposed or reprogrammed for another task. Like an overall health boost, perhaps.”
Kaelen shrugged. “It can be done. It would require injecting another dose of nanobots to boost the existing ones, along with a newly reprogrammed queen that can alter the original nerve regeneration focus to another helpful repair function. Is that something you’re interested in?”
“I think now that we’ve proven the technology, it’s in our best interest to see how far it can take us. Think of the possibilities, not only for nerve regeneration but tumor removal, surgeries, even cutting out malignant cancerous tissue. The nanobots could detect and remove exactly the amount needed. This will change the world!”
“Leah, you’re already doing that. But I’ll gladly do good work to help you achieve even more for the people of Earth.”
Leah smiled at her. “I knew I could count on you, darling.”