[Mod advice] Modded ascension and traits

[dek_torres]

Hi, struggling with modding something in, hoping someone here can help me. Report below.

Background:
I'm modding in an alternative ascension path to synthetic, whereby after researching synthetic tech instead of transferring consciousness into a machine (and becoming robot pops) your species installs a near-sapient AI assistant through a neural chip. Basically, they remain cyborgs, but AI-assisted, always networked.

What I've done so far, what's working as intended:
Created relevant traits, copied the Flesh is Weak special project and event chain, got it working so that it amends all pops and rulers with the new L2 (level 2 cybernetics) trait.

What's not working

1. All leaders have the L2 trait, with the old cyborg trait removed as intended. But when new leaders spawn in the pool for recruitment, they just have the old cyborg trait rather than the new one.
2. The ascension project creates a new sub-species, as intended. But the new species has the cybernetic trait AND the L2 cybernetic trait, when I only want it to have the latter and remove the cybernetic trait.

What I want to know to solve this:

1. How do I create a link between a species trait and a leader trait? For example, when a species has the cybernetic trait, new leaders spawned of that species get the cyborg trait. But I don't know how to get this to work for my new L2 cyborg trait. I hope it's not hardcoded. For clarity, I'm not talking about traits that have effects on leaders, like leaders get a passive +40 years lifespan bonus from the cybernetic trait. I'm talking about a species having a trait (cybernetic) causing leaders to spawn with a different leader trait (cyborg).
2. How can I amend the below code (which sits as a scripted effect) to remove a trait from a newly created species? I've tried adding in remove_trait = trait_cybernetic within the create_species command, and an alternative using the event_target outside the entire species scope, but it still won't work and I'm not sure what else to try.

robmod_create_l2_species_mod = {
    species = {
        save_event_target_as = changing_species_l2

        create_species = {
            is_mod = yes
            name = this
            name_list = this
            plural = this
            class = this
            portrait = this
            traits = this
            traits = {
                trait = trait_robmod_l2
            }
            homeworld = this
        }
    }
#more stuff happens here but not relevant
}

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Rob