ReDawn (Skyward #2.2)(63)

“We’ve been successful here,” Jorgen said. “We were able to save Alanik’s people and establish an alliance with them.”

FM and Rig appeared in the doorway. Rig’s hair was a bit messier than normal, probably due to some human mating ritual. I was still fuzzy on the details of all that, but humans were clearly uncomfortable discussing these things, so I wasn’t going to ask.

    Arturo at least had been open to talking about his former girlfriend when we spoke before. Though the idea of asking him about human mating rituals felt…disorienting.

“That’s good,” Cobb said. “I’d like you to return as soon as possible for a full report. And bring some representatives of the UrDail with you, if you would. We’d like to begin official talks with them.”

Jorgen looked over at me. “Is it safe, sir?”

“Of course. It’s perfectly safe. The shield is holding fine. You have nothing to worry about. I have new orders for you as soon as you can get your people back here.”

FM and Rig exchanged a glance.

“You said before that the UrDail should stay away,” Jorgen said. “Because you worried they might become a bargaining chip in the negotiations with the Superiority.”

“Oh,” Cobb said. He sounded surprised, like he’d wanted to pretend he’d never said that. “No, the negotiations are at an impasse. If you return immediately, I can—”

Jorgen pushed the mute button on the hypercomm. “Something’s up with Cobb,” he said.

“Is your mother in the room with him?” FM asked.

“Maybe,” Jorgen said. “But why would he respond to my call if my mother was right there?”

“Maybe he got the message that you’d tried to reach him in front of her,” Rig said. “So he didn’t have a choice.”

    “Or maybe it’s not him,” I said.

The three of them stared at me.

“What?” Jorgen said.

They didn’t know. We hadn’t had time to tell them. “The Superiority stole the holographic technology from Spensa’s ship. The Rinakin who was working with Unity was a fake—a Superiority plant. If they did that to us…”

“Scud,” Jorgen said. “You think maybe this isn’t Cobb?”

“Cobb didn’t behave like himself when we saw him last,” FM said. “I assumed there must be an explanation.”

“I think Alanik just gave us one,” Jorgen said.

“Jorgen?” Cobb said over the hypercomm. “Are you still there?”

Jorgen turned on the microphone again. I’d missed the last thing Cobb had said, and I didn’t think he’d paid attention to it either. “I’m here, sir,” Jorgen said. “I’d like to speak to my mother, if that’s all right.”

That was a good move. Jeshua might not be helpful when it came to diplomacy, but she’d surely be on our side if she knew she was dealing with a Superiority fake.

“You’ll have to be sure she’s not also a plant,” I whispered, and Jorgen nodded.

“You can talk to her when you return,” Cobb said. “I need you here immediately. That is an order.”

Jorgen muted the microphone again. “This has to be a trap.”

“It sounds like it,” I said.

Jorgen swore and turned on the microphone again. “Sir, I’m ordering our people to prepare to return,” he said. “It may take us a bit to gather the UrDail delegation together.”

    “Get here as soon as you can,” Cobb said.

“I will. Thank you, sir.” Jorgen turned off the microphone. “I need to communicate with my mother somehow. Warn her and the assembly that the Superiority has infiltrated the DDF.”

“What do you think they did with real Cobb?” FM asked.

“They probably replaced him when they met for peace talks,” Rig said. “Right after you left for ReDawn. We worried it might be a trap, but Cobb and Jeshua went anyway because the offer to negotiate a truce was too good to refuse. And they didn’t want to let them inside the shield because that could potentially be worse.”

“That sounds like the Superiority,” I said. “They pretended to talk about peace and used the opportunity to undermine you.”

“So Cobb has been in their custody for a while,” FM said. “Do you think they’ll hurt him?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” I said.

“I can’t contact my mother directly,” Jorgen said. “She’s not cytonic.”

“We could contact Spensa’s grandmother,” I said. “She might know something, since the Superiority is demanding your cytonics. They might have collected her by now.”

“Yes,” Jorgen said. “That’s true.”

I was already reaching out through the negative realm, finding Detritus and canvassing the planet. I found Gran-Gran’s mind far enough from the planet that she had to be in a ship.

That wasn’t a good sign.

Gran-Gran, I said, It’s Alanik. Are you all right?

    These vat-suckers are looking to trade me for their own freedom, Gran-Gran said.

Who’s trying to trade you? I asked.