"Have you ever thought of joining the military?" The Shadow Envoy inquired.
"I'm sorry to say, officer, but the answer is yes and the result is a no. With my father missing in action and my sister joining the military, my mother only has myself left of our family of four."
"I see." The stolid man replied. "In any case, if you ever do decide to join, look me up. The name is Senior Agent Milchor Grimet."
Luke smiled. "If I do, I will."
Milchor looked him up and down and pulled out a mechanical device. "This is a Shadowbox Tool. If you place it on your Whale's head, it should hide it for the time being."
Luke applied it to the young whale's forehead. It looked not unlike a tiny crown.
He then smiled and shook hands with the agent. The shadow envoy told them that he was sorry for the exposure during their vacation and that Leiva would join them shortly. After that, the two were left to their own devices.
About thirty minutes later, Leiva came back.
"Hey guys."
"Hey." Mia gave back.
"So, I've been offered to observe the bridge of the Carryheart- that's the name of the ship we're on right now. The captain is a 4-star general."
She gestured. "This opportunity is by no means small, but it also means I'll be unable to return home with you, and we'll have to part here."
Luke embraced her. "Sister, do what you have to do. There's only half a day left on this trip, and this opportunity will launch you even higher. Honestly, I'm proud to say that my sister is getting this far and doing this well for herself."
He pecked her temple. "That being said, I don't want you to leave us, it's just how it ended up being. Miss you, sis."
She crumpled her shoulders. "Miss you too, big bro."
After hugging her mom, she left down the hall. Private Midas returned. "If you'll follow me to the shuttle."
The three saddled their belongings. The soldier offered to help Mia with her load- and they continued until they reached the shuttlebay.
"Here you are. The shuttle captain can drop you off at your local neighborhood's launchpad. He's already keyed in the destination."
With their luggage boarded, they said farewell and hopped on. It was time for a ride.
With the seven moons rotating over their heads, they slowly descended upon the planet's capital city.
The prices to live in Firmament City were greatly exaggerated, but the Jaywalker family had a large pension. Somehow, the special, classified activities Mia's husband worked had produced enough finances to cover their financials for the rest of their lives.
After a while, they landed at the launchpad nearest their home. As the governing forces had cleared their involvement, all that was left was to feed the newborn space whale.
They stopped by a nearby pet food vendor. Ordering a large amount of Deep Sea Space Moss, they waited a short while before it was fully packaged.
Taking the special moss home with them, they walked towards a blue, three-story home with crimson bricks. A small yellow door bade them entry.
Luke set his stuff down before opening the door for his mother. Putting the items inside, he carried them to their various indoor locations.
Afterwards, he set a new sleeping area up for the space whale in his room using his spare net hammock and some blankets.
The little guy comfortable, he fed it some of the moss before disappearing to find his mother.
Mia Skywalker was busy setting supper. "Mother, after supper, I should continue my studies."
She looked up at her studious son. "Yes, I know."
"I enjoyed spending time with you on this trip. Maybe again after graduation?"
She looked down her nose. "We're not MADE of money, rascal."
"Yes, but we could manage a small visit to the crystal palace of Murr together, right?"
She rolled her eyes. If her son wanted to spend time with her, she'd find something to do with him. Him and his weird obsessions though…
"I'll see if we can find something to do to celebrate. For now, though, where are you at in your studies?
"It should be a cinch, all I need is to perform well in my practical classes and I'll be golden."
"Mmmm."
Luke was right. Due to the awakening of his Innate Spirit talent, his memory had become much greater. As a result, he was able to pass his classes with ease.
All that remained was his practical wellness classes. He had been training his body since youth. With the advent of his card creations, his talent in forming spiritual qi had skyrocketed.
The final tests were coming soon. With his personal preparations nearly completed, he was ready to move forward.