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"How long to build it?" Reyna asked, turning her attention back to the display.

"Give me three days for the hardware modifications," Maren said.

"Software calibration, two days," Tavi added. "We can run parallel."

"Then we build it," Reyna said. She returned her gaze to Charlie. "Looks like you've made yourself indispensable, Earthling."

"Earthling?" Charlie quipped.

"Am I wrong?" Reyna asked, her eyebrow raised. She watched as Charlie laughed softly.

"I guess not."

Reyna studied her for a beat before speaking again. "Good work."

Charlie nodded. It was small, but Reyna caught the way her shoulders settled, the way her breath came just a fraction easier.

It was then that Cael pushed off the wall and walked out of the briefing without a word.

Three days later,the gradient passage was built, tested, and holding in every simulation. Reyna stood in her office with Tavi at her side and Admiral Vondra on the wall display.

"History does tend to happen aboard the Emberkind, Captain."

Vondra's voice resonated through the display, the vibration settling into the dark water around her.

"I wouldn't call it history, Admiral," Reyna said. "I'd call it a staffing decision based on demonstrated competence."

"You're proposing to include a human civilian from a non-contact planet on a Coalition rescue mission." Vondra's geode eyes held steady. "That has never been done before. You know very well, Captain, that it will require, at the very least, a conversation with three different departments."

"She designed the transfer system," Tavi said, leaning forward. "The gradient architecture is hers. She's the only one who fully understands the real-time calibration because she built the model."

"Tavi is right," Reyna added. "Charlie deserves to be on this mission, before we get back to the Emberkind. Anything she can use to assist in the arrival and transfer of the Aetherfin on boardis vital to her knowledge. Not as a passenger. As part of the engineering team."

Vondra was still for a long moment.

"Understand, Reyna, that if this goes wrong, the Coalition will want to know why a human from Earth was on board a Coalition rescue shuttle."

"If this goes wrong, Admiral, the Coalition will have three dead Aetherfin," Reyna replied. "I'd rather explain the staffing choice."

"You make a... good point, Captain," Vondra said.

"Does that mean she can be a part of the ground team?" Tavi asked.

Vondra turned her eyes to him. "Yes."

"Alright!" Tavi exclaimed, jumping off his chair and throwing his fist in the air. Reyna stifled a laugh.

"I'm glad to see you agree, Tavi," Vondra voiced.

"Sorry, Admiral. I just know we've got the right person for the right job now. It's a good feeling when you know in your bones a mission is going to go well."

"I can understand that perfectly," the Admiral said with generosity. "But I have one condition."

Reyna sighed internally. "What's that, Admiral?"

"You, Reyna."

Reyna pinched her brows together in confusion. "Me?"