Larani nodded. “Perhaps,” she said, coming forward to stand before Anna. “But you were the one who closed the wormhole. I’d say you both exceeded my expectations on this mission. Though I would have appreciated being kept in the loop.”
A blush set Anna’s face on fire. Shutting her eyes, she bowed her head to the other woman. “Sorry. Arthur wanted us to hold off.”
“Yes, I understand. You had concerns about Leyrian science teams colonizing the area. Not unreasonable, given some of our recent decisions.”
“I’m forced to concur with all of that,” Aamani broke in. “Well done, both of you. Though I would prefer it if you could stop the alien threats without drawing quite so much attention to yourselves. I have people in the field assessing the damage. We should be able to repair the road and a
