I went back over the interrogation. I’d felt threatened and cornered, but Ahiga hadn’t been mean. He hadn’t asked anything out of the ordinary, and now that I really thought about it—as I held the man’s shaking, sweaty hand in mine, half-pulling him across the catwalk—I realized he hadn’t really interrogated me. There’d been no questioning my answers. No persuasions. He never rushed me, even when took a long time answering because of my breathing exercises. He’d been endlessly patient with me. In the moment, it’d been intense, but it’d actually been pretty mild.

Questions popped into my head, and I glanced around the hangar. There were cameras all around—some hovering in the air and others mounted to the walls and ceilings. I couldn’t be sure what they were looking at or how much they could hear, but I figured there was so much going on here and it was so incredibly loud that the chances of SpaceTech doing more than keeping a cursory eye on us were probably pretty low.

I squeezed Ahiga’s hand tightly, and the fear cleared a little from his eyes. “Are they listening?”

“No. Not with so much noise echoing against the metal walls. In theory, they could read our lips, but not with how close we’re standing. Not here.” He motioned to the small, black glass window across the hanger from us. “I’ve been in the control room. Camera angles are working to our advantage.”

I loosened my grip on his hand. “So can I ask you something?”

“Yes. We’re good until we get closer to the next ship, but keep your head down.”

I glanced back. We had two more catwalks before we reached the middle ship. And then a few more before we reached ours. “You said Declan requested you to have custody of me.”

“Yes.”

“And why would he do that?” Declan had to have a good reason.

“Because, like Declan, I’m on your side. I don’t want a war. Getting you home in one piece. Getting you to convince your father that we’re not all evil shitbags. That’s our one shot.”

I was the one shot? That was absurd. No one could have that much sway. Especially not me. “You’re placing a lot on my shoulders that shouldn’t be there.”

“No. I know who you are. You, Declan, and Lorne. The three of you together—you’re the ones that could change this. It might seem like a lot, but that’s what you were born into. I can’t change who you are, but I can help you as much as I’m able while we wait for Declan.”