It’s been three years since Tammy and Avi had their fateful meeting in the dirty alleyway of a distant city. The boy is now nine, the girl is ten, and they’re on yet another mission for their tribe.

It’s a beautiful day in some port city belonging to some administrative region on some planet in the Gurant Empire. The sky is a rich blue, the sun is shining bright, there’s barely a cloud in the sky. A pleasantly warm, salty sea breeze blows up from the south.

The pair of assassins are wearing thin, flowy clothes designed with warm colors: whites and soft oranges. They’re both wearing light white pants, with a thicker woven skirt over top it; Avi’s skirt reaches her ankles and is perfect for hiding her tail, while Tammy’s skirt only reaches his knees, and is lopsided, with the right hip higher than the left. It’s all hand-knitted by Avi, with simple embroidery on the skirt that looks like sandy waves. She’s been getting better at making clothes and didn’t even lose much blood this time. They’re also wearing wide-brimmed straw hats, a satchel with luggage, and are hauling two large cases behind their backs, the straps crossed over their chests.

As they walk down a gently rolling hill in the port city, with the bright blue sea stretching to the horizon over the rooftops and ships in the harbor, Tammy absentmindedly hums a complicated melody. Avi walks behind him, holding his shoulders and directing the boy through the crowds. She’s a head taller than him, easily seeing over his straw hat.

“So now that we’re here,” Avi says, her ruby eyes on a swivel as she checks for danger. “Where are we going?”

Tammy continues to hum with a smile.

“Tammy?” Avi jostles him a little.

He’s still just humming away.

Avi frowns, then reaches around to pinch his nose.

“Hm?” Tammy leans back and tilts his head up, looking at his partner’s face. His hat falls off and Avi brings her left hand down to catch it, while her right keeps his nose clogged. “What’s up, Avi?”

“I don’t know where I’m taking you.”

“Hmm?” He looks around. “Oh! We’re here already? Then to the port!” He looks forward and raises his fist, charging forward at a brisk pace. Given Avi’s longer legs, she moves around to walk at his side.

“Why are we going to the port?” Avi says as she sidesteps a small group of adults talking in the middle of the grey asphalt street.

“Because we need to charter a specific ship that will be leaving later today.”

“Why do we need to charter a specific ship that will be leaving later today?”

“Because…” Tammy frowns, then reaches into the deep v-neck of his blouse to pull a piece of paper from an inner pocket. “Sorry, I forgot. I was only half-paying attention during the briefing.”

“Don’t worry, I never pay attention!” She says with a proud hand on her chest.

“That’s… you should probably stop that.” He unfolds a small piece of paper. The handwriting is significantly better than what a nine-year-old boy should have. Though, in the Gurant Empire, that he can read at all is a rarity. “Uhh, so all the competent naval officers were taken away to participate in the gurant’s invasion of some rival empire, and pirates on this planet have taken advantage of this ‘brain drain’. Our target is a retired admiral who’s been called to serve again and coordinate the navy to fix this pirate problem.” Tammy folds the paper and stuffs it back in his inner pocket. “So, we’re gonna find him and kill him before he can be a problem.”

Avi cocks her head as she looks down at her husband, “what’s ‘brain drain’?”

“Y-… you… what? You didn’t listen to- no, of course you didn’t. Basically, it means that all the smart people in the Gurant Empire were sent away to participate in that massive invasion, which left all the dumb people behind.”

Avi whistles, “across the whole Gurant Empire?”

“For the purpose of explaining it simply, yes. But in reality, no, it’s just one faction of the Gurant Empire doing it. But that faction controls this planet.”

“Wow, crazy. Politics and stuff.”

“Yeah! But ultimately, we’re killing this guy because Mr. Kashier told us to.”

“Makes even more sense!”

With a shared smile, the two lock their elbows together and continue down the hill until they reach the port. Hundreds of docks with metal ships, most of them rusting in places, and varying in sizes from small fishing vessels, military patrol boats, cargo ships, and luxury liners. Flocks of large white birds with wingspans longer than Tammy’s fly from place to place, scavenging whatever food has fallen to the ground, or swooping down to pluck it from the hands of unsuspecting travelers. The birds caw incessantly, but it’s a funny, novel sound that hasn’t yet begun to grate the ears of the assassin duo.

The port is under armed security, but it’s just local conscripts. Each of these men—short and thin with ill-fitting uniforms not designed for this warm weather—received an edict calling them for service, then underwent a week of training to learn the job. How to shoot, how to reload, when and where they’re supposed to report for guard duty. Given the brain drain, there probably isn’t a single professional soldier left on the planet, and the more ‘veteran’ conscripts were pulled from local law enforcement or private security, with their absence causing further problems everywhere.

The two approach a checkpoint that leads to a metal dock. The dock is three stories high, with a shallow multi-story ramp that connects to the top deck of a luxury liner. The checkpoint is staffed by a dozen conscripts, two of which stand outside, flanking the entrance to a small reception station, sweating buckets and checking papers. The other ten are in the air-conditioned reception station, where three currently unmanned machine guns are pointed out towards the streets in case there’s a sudden riot.

Tammy takes a deep breath, then lets it all out. His brow is tight, his eyes focused. “Let me do the talking-“

“You always do,” Avi interrupts cheerfully.

“-since conscripts can often be more dangerous than professional guards. More skittish, quick to fire at anything they deem a threat. If we mess up then we can’t get on the boat, and that means the mission fails.”

“You’ll do fine,” Avi says with a warm smile.

They get in line with three groups ahead of them. Each group is wealthy, with at least one servant carrying their luggage, and each has an interpreter servant who does the talking with the conscript. As they wait, Tammy bounces his clenched fists while Avi supportively rubs his shoulders, amping Tammy up for work. Each group is either rich and needs to pay for the tickets, or they’re on official government business and their paperwork needs to be verified. Once the initial process is done, they’re sent into the reception station to get their luggage checked.

Finally, it’s their turn.

“Greetings on this wonderful morning!” Tammy says, moving in with a raised hand and a smile.

“Hm.” The guard on the right says. The guard on the left talked to the last group, and the two are alternating, occasionally brushing sweat off their brows. “You speak pretty good for a kid. This your native language?”

“No, but I know a few,” he lies as easily as he breathes, puffing out his chest in confidence.

“Do you even have enough money to board?”

“I do indeed,” he looks down and pulls up his outer skirt, revealing a pocket sewn to the inside. He pulls out money in the local currency, given to him by Avi’s father for this mission. “I believe this should cover the fee, sir.”

The guards glance to each other, their brows narrow. “Where’d a squirt like you get this kind of money?” The second guard says.

“…” Tammy’s eyes twitch slightly, then gives a flat smile. “It was our inheritance.”

“Inheritance?” Guard one says.

“Explain,” guard two adds.

“Uh… we belonged to a group of travelling merchants-“

Avi elbows his arm, “musicians,” she corrects, her words also translated by Tammy’s psychic powers.

Tammy looks up to her with an eyebrow raised, “but we sold music and performances. That makes us merchants.” This small detour in the conversation is a psychological trick Tammy learned. If things are too scripted and clean, it’s suspicious due to Tammy’s age. There needs to be a few mishaps and misunderstandings to properly establish credibility for their cover as two children. Avi may look like a pre-teen due to her bone-tail genetics, but tammy is indistinguishably a nine-year-old boy.

The first guard shakes his head, “no, she’s right. Now continue.”

“Oh, well…” Tammy pretends to take a moment to get his thoughts in order. “We were traveling musicians, we made some money here and there…” Tammy gulps and his fair skin seemingly turns a little green from nausea, his eyes rounding as if he’s having flashbacks of something unpleasant. “Then everyone died. Uh… except us.” He quickens the pace of his voice as if he’s trying to get through this, “and that’s really the end of that story.”

The guards aren’t unsympathetic to their false plight, but they still have a job they’re barely paid to do. Guard two folds his arms, and guard one puts his hands on his hips, “how’d they die?”

“I-I only heard the gunfire since mama had told us to run by then, and we were in the trees and…” Tammy’s eyes lose focus, and his breathing is getting a little hard.

Avi frowns and cups her hands over Tammy’s ears, playing the role of a protective big sister perfectly. “Is this necessary? We have the money, do we not? Is there anything else you require?”

“Yeah, where’re you two going?”

“Across the sea.”

“Where specifically?”

“To some land. Across the sea.”

“Obviously, but which port?”

She glances to the ship behind them, “this ship is only going to one port, right? It’s whichever one that is.”

“Port Amsure?” Guard one asks.

Avi groans, “I don’t know, sure.”

“Hah!” Guard two points. “This vessel isn’t going to Port Amsure. You’re lying!”

Avi expertly closes her eyes and sighs as if this conversation really is agonizing for her. “I can’t read, and he,” she wobbles Tammy’s head, “did all the preparation. I have no idea where we’re going.”

Guard two frowns, with guard one continuing. “Did the boy tell you why you need to cross the sea?”

“Before I watched our mom get shot in the face,” she says with particular venom, “she said if we’re ever in trouble we should find our uncle who lives on the island across the sea.”

Guard one raises an eyebrow, “this ship isn’t heading to an island. It’s heading to a continent.”

Avi gives them a blank stare. “…what’s the difference?”

“One’s an island surrounded by water, the other is… a bigger island surrounded by water.”

Guard one shakes his head and opens the door, “just get in there and get your bags checked.”

“Thanks,” Avi says flatly and directs her ‘brother’ into the reception station. She removes her hands from his ears, “alright, we paid and have been cleared to go through. You okay?”

As they head in, Tammy gulps and nods his head, his bottom lip trembling. He pretends to compose himself, and by the time they enter through the door of the air-conditioned room, he’s calm.

The station has two floors in the shape of an octagon. Metal support beams and glass windows set on every wall. For the two walls that flank the guards stationed outside, the windows are pure metal with small slits where the barrels of machine guns poke through. There’s a single computer on the back wall, a single long table in the center, and dozens of chairs. The previous two groups are still getting their luggage checked.

“Over here,” the monotone voice of a guard says as he beckons the two over. Tammy and Avi comply, standing on the opposite side of the table from him. “Empty your pockets, set those cases on the table.”

The two, perfectly in sync, remove their straw hats to set them on the table, remove their satchels and put those on the table, then grab the straps on their chests to pull the large black cases over their heads, hoisting them on the table. Following this, the pair pat the right side of their chests, then left, then move to pat down their haunches, hips, and down their thighs. The two find something inside the inner pockets of their skirts. The synchronicity wasn’t planned or part of any strategy, it’s just natural for them at this point.

Tammy rolls up his asymmetrical skirt to pull out a wallet, a small map with fake directions drawn on which indicate a path across the current continent, a pocket watch, and a compass.

Avi unties a ribbon beneath the left hip of her skirt, then pulls the front flap of her skirt open, revealing her thin, baggy white pants. Her skirt is tied to the waistband of her pants at four points, so there’s no risk of her skirt falling and revealing her tail. She takes the items out of the inner pockets of the left and right segments of her skirt. A small pocketknife, a sewing kit with red thread, and a few cool rocks she found on the way; polished and smooth, with strange color combinations.

“Rocks?” the guard raises a bored eye.

“Yes.” Avi says, not understanding the question.

He shrugs and moves on. “What’s the purpose of the knife?”

“To… knife things?”

“What things specifically?”

“Well,” she looks down to retie the front flap of her skirt, “a few days ago we were traveling with a caravan, and some old guy tried sneaking up to me as I slept. So I stabbed him.”

Tammy turns and looks up at her, his eyes wide and innocent, “someone tried to rob you?!”

Avi looks down at him, her expression blank, and glances to the guard. He awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. Avi smiles and pats Tammy’s head, “sure. But I dealt with it.” She looks back to the guard, “you can’t really be a child and travel the roads without some form of protection, especially if you’re a girl.”

The guard fully accepts this fake answer and doesn’t pry further, just as planned. “Be that as it may, there may be no weapons on the ship and I’ll have to confiscate it if you want to board.” Avi grumbles and rolls her eyes, but says nothing. He then opens both their satchels and roots through the compartments, only to find spare clothes and hygiene products. “And the cases?” He opens Tammy’s first, clicking two latches on the front to swing the top open, and then doing the same to Avi’s. “Instruments?”

“Violins!” Tammy says with genuine enthusiasm in his voice, and a spark in his bright blue eyes. He approaches the table and folds his arms on the surface, standing on his toes to reach the necessary height. “This baby right here,” he taps the case, “is a Clausian Original Handcraft Mark 1 Willow-Wood with Sherban-Fesk synthetic gut strings! You can’t even find something like this on the market!”

A few guards glance over at Tammy. “Oh yeah?” The main inspector rubs his chin. “What’s the value of something like this?”

“It’s unquantifiable! All the original parts for the hull, improved with the best strings I’ve been able to find, it’s amazing!”

Avi elbows him, “they’re asking about monetary price because they want to steal it.”

“Hey!” The guard points at her, “that’s a gross accusation.“

Tammy frowns, “oh, well it’d basically be worthless in that regard. Probably barely worth the price of the materials.” Tammy reaches into the case and taps the wood with his finger, “this beauty came from another planet. Not only would you need to find a buyer who actually knows her worth, which you’d basically never find in a port like this, but they’d need a way to authenticate all the things I said, which is basically impossible.” The brilliant spark of an idea flashes in Tammy’s eyes. He smirks a little, “of course, you may know the true value, but it’s nothing more than a pretty piece of wood unless you know how to play it. Which, obviously, you don’t.” He gives off such a provocative grin.

The guard nods a few times, “oh yeah? Alright. And a kid like you knows how to play it?” Tammy leans a little closer, ready to pounce. “Why don’t you show-“

“Deal!” Tammy yells, grabbing his case off the table and setting it on the floor. He pulls his violin and bow out of the box, then carefully strums each note and twists the nobs on the end of the neck until it sounds perfect.

Avi stands to the side and shakes her head. Playing music wasn’t part of the plan, the only reason they brought their violins on this mission was because Tammy threw a fit about wanting to practice. The guards, and those in the other groups, take a break to watch the boy carefully. He certainly seems confident and eager to show his skills.

When everything is ready, Tammy puts the soft fabric section against his neck, then waits. The violin looks a touch too big for his small frame.

A second. Two seconds. Three.

It’s important to keep the audience in suspense.

Just before that suspense can turn to boredom or annoyance, he begins.

Like a gunshot, he suddenly explodes into a sprint of movement and sound. His fingers on the neck of the violin twitch and jerk and press the right strings exactly when needed, nothing out of place. His right arm slides the bow across at perfect angles, with the correct pressure applied. A feverish pace, expertly contrasting the suspense he built earlier. Note after note, no sound held for too long. His body twists and bends in flow with the music, putting his all into every strum.

30 seconds pass in the blink of an eye and Tammy begins to sweat, but he could keep this pace for hours. Avi, less concerned with the music and more focused on her husband, is the only one can fully appreciate his bright, radiant, focused smile.

The impromptu concert lasts for exactly one minute and 27 seconds. Then he abruptly stops and pulls the bow away. “And that’s,” he says, slightly winded, “all I’ve memorized from this song.”

The station is silent for just a moment, but Avi’s applause prompts everyone to join and praise one of the most impressive things they’ve ever seen. Tammy’s face turns red, and with a big smile that hurts his cheeks, he gives a few bows to the guards and other passengers.

“I’ve never heard a song like that.” A guard says.

“He’s just a kid? Not a race that are naturally short?”

“Beautiful,” the wealthy father of one group rubs his chin.

One of the young kids in the group tugs his mom’s skirt, “mommy! I wanna hear more!”

Tammy stands proud, “I have other songs too!”

But Avi moves in, “it really is time for us to board the ship.”

“Huh? Oh.” He deflates a little but quickly recovers. “Of course.” He sets the violin and bow back into the case. But he pauses, then stands up to look at the guard, “I have a few compartments in the case too! Don’t you need to check them?” This was not part of any pre-made plan and has nothing to do with sneaking aboard the ship.

The guard raises an eyebrow, “what’s in them?”

Tammy takes a breath, but Avi covers his mouth and answers. “Music sheets and spare parts. If you ask him, he’s going to say the same, but with 50 times the words.”

Tammy pouts and glares at her behind her hand.

“Fine,” the guard says. “You two paid, you don’t have any weapons, so you’re free to board.” Most people who board a luxury cruise liner like this are nobles or government officials, so lowly conscripts don’t have a right to pat them down or search them too forcefully. It’s a security oversight, but all those high-status passengers are meant to have their own security, so it was never an issue in the past. “But where’d you learn to play that?”

“Thank you,” Avi says politely while Tammy, desperate to drone out a response but unable to due to Avi’s hand, waves goodbye. The two grab their items and slip them back into their pockets, then latch their violin cases and pull the straps across their chests. They leave through the back door which connects to the metal scaffolding that leads to the ship. Instantly hit with the oppressive heat and humidity, they power through it. They’re hardy assassins after all; a cut above the common man or conscript who would complain about such weather.

When they get about halfway up the ramp, a man calls out from behind. “Excuse me, little boy!”

Tammy frowns slightly at being called little, but turns. It’s a servant belonging to one of the groups that was getting checked before them. An older man with white hair, thinning on the sides, and wearing a heavy, overly complicated black suit, hurries up to meet the pair with two large bags under his arms. The family he serves leaves the station, all but the father loudly complaining about the heat.

“Greetings,” the servant says with a huff, taking out a handkerchief to dab his forehead.

“Good day,” Tammy says politely.

Avi doesn’t speak.

“My master is a very powerful man and he’s taking a liking to you.”

Tammy smiles brightly, “he sounds smart!”

“Indeed. If you could please wait here but a moment, he wishes to speak with you.”

“Of course.” Tammy’s words are calm, but he’s bouncing on his feet. Avi takes a deep breath, then slowly exhales to cover her sigh.

A father, mother, three children, and two more servants who carry the bags slowly trudge up the ramp. The father is deeply tanned, with spots of paler skin under the collar of his shirt. The wife is wearing a beautiful dress that doesn’t seem to breathe at all through the many frills and layers. The two sons are wearing similar suits, while the youngest daughter is wearing a slightly lighter version of her mother’s dress. They’re all dressed in clean whites, with faint blues for accents. Tammy quickly notes that they’re clearly some form of aristocracy, not because of how they’re dressed or because they have servants, but because the gurant didn’t steal their children and throw them in an orphanage to be raised by the state like Tammy was. The number of children a person can keep is determined by how many bribes they can afford, but it’s hard to know if they could only afford three children, or if they only wanted three children.

“Young man,” the father says, the only one not suffering through the weather. “Your playing was beautiful.”

Tammy puts a hand on his chest and gives a bow, “thank you, my lord.”

The father glances to Avi, who doesn’t bow. She folds her arms and forces a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“My name is Sir Erden Kracken,” he puts his hand out, “and I want to buy you.”

Tammy quickly puts his hand out to shake Sir Kracken’s hand. It’s a large hand, thick and calloused.

Avi brings her arm around Tammy’s back and grabs his opposite shoulder, pulling him close, “you want to what?”

“Buy him, of course! The boy’s a natural talent; I’d be a fool to miss this chance.” The group steps to the side as another family passes them on the ramp. “Just for the journey,” he says with a slight wave to dismiss concerns. “I know a few men who’ll be accompanying us on this vessel, and I know it’ll drive them mad to know I’ve scouted such talent!”

Tammy turns to Avi, “talent! Scouted!” He excitedly returns his attention to Sir Kracken.

“Good for you,” she mutters through clenched teeth.

“I brought another girl with a good singing voice,” one of the servants, a young woman with red hair, a maid outfit, and a slave band around her wrist, gently nods her head. “I want you two to get along and perform a few songs together on the-“

“Deal!” Tammy clears his throat. “I mean, thank you Sir Kracken, I would be delighted for this opportunity to play in front of an audience.” He bows his head again.

Avi grabs his shoulders and pulls Tammy back, turning him around so his back is to Sir and the family. “What are you doing?”

“Setting up an important session since it’s not every day I get to play in front of an audience.” He says calmly.

“You practice in front of me all the time,” she whispers.

“But you’re my wife,” he whispers back, “and you love my work no matter what I do. These high-class aristocratic fellows will be able to pick apart my performance and tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

“Okay, sure, but that girl’s wearing a slave band!” She quietly shouts.

Tammy looks back at her, and the girl gives a refined smile. He returns his gaze to Avi. “Yes. And?”

“He’s going to try and enslave you and bring you with him to perform everywhere!”

“Hmh. I guess that does make sense.” Tammy rocks his head left and right as he pretends to consider his options.

“You little jerk, you’re not thinking at all.”

“No, I am.”

Avi grabs his wrist and raises it, waggling his hand in front of his face, “your thumb isn’t in your mouth right now, so you’re lying.”

“…” He sticks his thumb in his mouth, rather than biting the tip. “Ah, yes, now that I’m thinking clearly, I realize I should do it.” He quickly turns around, “Sir Kracken, I would be honored if I were allowed to play in whatever circumstance you would like. However, my sister is concerned that you will try to trick or force me into some type of slavery, so I respectfully ask that… you don’t.”

“Hahaha!” Sir Kracken’s laugh prompts the others to follow his lead and laugh as well. “Of course, of course. I wouldn’t dare think of shackling such talent.” The girl currently shackled behind him does her best not to frown. “Besides,” the older gentleman has a sly look in his eye as he wags his finger, “I get a certain feel from you. You heard about the orchestra the Planetary Governor is organizing for later this year?”

A spark runs through every muscle in Tammy’s body, and his face twists into a vicious smile. “I have.” Tammy and Avi will be part of an operation to assassinate the Planetary Governor during that orchestra; their role is to learn the violin and be invited to the orchestra so they can work from the inside. Their current mission to assassinate the retired admiral is entirely unrelated to that upcoming operation.

“You planning to try out?”

“No,” Tammy corrects, “I plan on becoming the undisputed best violinist on the planet, and for her to practically beg me to join her orchestra.” His hands are wrapped tightly into fists.

Sir Kracken smiles, “I like that. My girl will take part in it too.”

The redhead nods respectfully yet stays silent. Though she is sweating a little from the bundles of clothing.

“Heehee,” Tammy giggles, “then we should both consider this trip to be practice. I don’t have much experience playing in front of an audience, but the following days will be instrumental-“

Avi bumps him with her hip, “that’s a pun.”

Tammy takes a long, deep breath, trying his best to ignore that. “-in preparing us for the orchestra.” He quickly recovers, rubbing his chin with a calculating smile, “ooh, and, once I play flawlessly on this ship, the name Samuel Barabba will spread further by word of mouth, and that might be how the Planetary Governor hears of me! You said there will be a lot of influential people as passengers, sir? As thank you for your assistance, I promise to give you the show of a-!”

Avi elbows his arm, “excuse you?”

Tammy frowns, then looks up at his wife, scanning her face for any mistake she noticed. Then his eyes round. He just revealed that his last name is Barabba. Barabba is a famous and long-lasting tribe of assassins—Avi’s tribe which he married into.

“U-uh…” He gulps, “I mean-“

Avi grabs him by the collar and starts shaking him, “you little jerk! You totally forgot that we’re supposed to play at that orchestra together!”

“…I did?” He says, letting himself be shook like a ragdoll.

“You did it again!”

“Uh-oh! Oh, right! Haha, y-yes, Avi, of course we’re going… of course we’ll both be invited personally, ha… haha.”

Sir Kracken enjoys the display, having missed the implications of Tammy’s last name being ‘Barabba’ because, despite Tammy’s enormously high opinion of his adoptive family, the vast majority of people don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of every dissident or terrorist group across the thousands of worlds in the Gurant Empire. The man gestures his family to sidestep them and continue up to the boat. “I’ll reach out to you once we’ve shipped off.”

“I knew it!” Avi cries, “you think I suck!”

“Of course I don’t! I mean, come on, Avi, it’s just… well, you’re not as good as me, but don’t feel bad, since nobody is!”

Avi stops shaking him. “Just speak plainly, am I a lost cause? Do you resent practicing with me?”

“Avi, come on, you know I don’t think either of those. What’s important isn’t how good you are, it’s that we’re practicing together.”

“That’s just a roundabout way of saying I suck!”

Tammy glances past Avi, and Sir Kracken’s family disappears around the top of the ramp, stepping onto the ship. “Whew… Sorry about that, thanks for covering for me.” He shakes his head, “I can’t believe I was so stupid to give out my name.”

“Huh?”

“…” Tammy raises his eyebrow, “I accidentally… said my name was Barabba. Then you started yelling to distract from my mistake, right?”

“What? No.” She frowns, her brow tight. “I’m actually just mad at you.”

“Oh. Well… don’t be. We’re going up to our room to practice right now.”

“But you hate practicing with me.”

“Avi,” Tammy puts his hands on her shoulders, “I don’t hate doing anything with you. I love you, you’re my partner and my wife.” His face is stern and serious as he looks up at her.

Avi looks deep into his eyes for a moment, then sighs with a frown. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

“Heheh,” Tammy smiles warmly as he takes her by the hand and leads her up the ramp and into the ship.