She didn't always know the reason, but she didn't care, either, and as they grew older she took more pride in her ability to keep Terrence safe and able to smile. Others would taunt him for not having a mother, though she never understood how it was his fault. Some did it because he was smaller than them, scrawny and skinny even for a Human. Though it was 19 years ago, the memories remained fresh in her mind of spending time reading comic books and exploring unoccupied construction sites with Terrence, and each confrontation she had with the others who would look for a reason to torment him. That order, combined with the likelihood of retaliation from the school's authorities, was enough to scare them off, leaving an appreciative young human who would quickly become her best childhood friend. She wasn't sure where she had first heard it, whether it was her parents telling her, or maybe something she had seen in a movie, but for whatever reason, when she left school that day at age 9 and came across a trio of boys with cat ears much like hers bullying a much younger Human student, she had the strength to tell them to leave him alone. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Instead, she carried with her a single idea, one which had led her down her life's path. Commanders, especially Alpha-grade commanders like her, were supposed to be great heroes with years of experience under their belts and prestigious lists of accomplishments. Despite the results of all of the tests that led her to command her own carrier, she felt like an impostor. Lenneth's ears twitched slightly as she drummed her fingers against her chair's armrest.
"We are now five minutes out from the Kimara system, Commander Swiftclaw."