Tennal had made his real mistake much earlier, when he’d told Oma they had separate escape plans. Oma had said, You can’t be too far apart. She must have met synced pairs before. Tennal had let slip that he and Surit weren’t acting like they were synced.

Oma wanted strong architects, and Surit, unlike Tennal, wasn’t politically useful. If Surit wasn’t synced, then she could use the remnants to brainwash him.

Tennal had sold Surit out without even realizing he’d done it.

Tennal pushed himself to his feet, terror sleeting through his brain. He didn’t know what he would have done—she was a Rank One; he didn’t know what he would have been able to do. He was stopped by an aide bursting through the door.

“Sir!” the aide said, out of breath. “The legislator is requesting permission to dock.”

“What?” Oma said, killing the screen as she turned. “Already?”

Tennal couldn’t process the news. Where was Surit?

Oma stood like a statue for a moment, then shrugged fluidly. “Well, we’re ready. Commence preparations for the meeting. Oh, and add to that”—the aide had turned to go; he stopped, attentive—“I need to talk to Lieutenant Surit Yeni. Urgently. Get him from detention.”

Tennal could barely breathe. He had no time for a useful plan of action. “I’ll do that.”

Oma turned her head. “So you’re in, Captain Halkana?”

Tennal tried not to let his terror show. She thought he was on her side; he’d burned enough bridges that joining her was his only real option. He gave her his most reasonable smile. “To get back at my aunt? Why not.”

Oma smiled back. Even if she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, there was no way Tennal could stop her from eventually getting her hands on Surit. This was her station. “Escort Lieutenant Yeni to the docking bay, then,” she said. “There’s no point in waiting. We can use him.”

CHAPTER 23

Tennal didn’t make a habit of being afraid. He had always dealt with problems by making himself into a bigger problem. There was no point worrying in advance about what would happen, especially if it was going to happen to someone else.

Tennal had never been this afraid in his life.

Even at his fastest walking speed, nerves singing like a taut wire, he couldn’t outpace the aide Oma had attached to him on the way to the detention block. Thoughts and wild plans chased each other around his head. Apparently he and Surit had dodged a bullet by letting Oma assume they were synced, and Tennal’s unforgivable slipup had put Surit right back in the bullet’s path. Surit had no idea what was coming. He didn’t know he was five minutes away from being brainwashed.