“No,” I said. “But I’m glad you told me.”
FM fiddled with one of the console buttons, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. “Do you ever feel like maybe you shouldn’t have started things with Spensa?”
“I didn’t start it,” I said. “She did. But…” It surprised me how easily the answer came. “No. I’ve never regretted it. I could never regret one minute with her, no matter how it all turns out.” The strength of my conviction startled me. I meant every word.
FM’s shoulders relaxed.
“You don’t regret it either,” I said. “You’re just scared.”
FM pressed her lips together, and she nodded. “I don’t think it’s fair to him. But if you can handle Spensa running off into literally nowhere…”
Rig dropped out of flight school after his first time in the air, but he’d come with us into battle on ReDawn anyway, and he hadn’t flinched. “He knows why you’re doing this. He’s making the same call.”
“Yeah,” FM said. “And I hate him being in danger too. I almost hope he can’t get the platforms to move, because then he’ll be here and he’ll be safer.”
If the platforms didn’t move, we’d all have far fewer resources to deal with whatever the Superiority brought against us. But I didn’t point out her bad logic. I understood.
“I’m going to go wake the UrDail pilots,” FM said. “So they aren’t frightened when the platform moves, and so they can decide to stay here if that’s what they want.”
“Good idea,” I said. Alanik’s brother and the others had fought beside us on ReDawn, but this wasn’t their fight. They deserved the opportunity to decide for themselves.
“Jerkface,” a voice said over my radio. “This is Robin from Stardragon Flight. We were told to contact you as soon as we were in the air.”
Last time I talked to Robin over the radio, her flight had been called up to keep Skyward Flight from escaping to ReDawn. “Copy, Robin,” I said. “Do you have a hyperdrive?”
“We’ve got one of them in our flight,” Robin said. “Ivy and Victory Flights have a couple more each.”
“Good,” I said. “Connect all your ships with light-lances. Don’t leave anyone behind. Signal me when you’re ready, and we’ll bring everyone with us to Evershore.”
“Jerkface?” Robin said. “What the scud are we doing?”
“Defending potential new allies,” I said. “They’re under attack because the Superiority got wind of our presence there. We’ll be joining their air force in defending their planet. I’ll give you specific formations when we arrive.”
“Yes, sir,” Robin said.
I blinked. I wasn’t technically Robin’s superior, and I was giving her orders anyway. Stoff had given me leave to do that, but…
I didn’t correct her. I was going to need them all to listen to me, so this was a good sign even if it wasn’t exactly right.
Jorgen? Alanik said in my mind. Another carrier ship has arrived.
We’re on our way, I told her.
I made sure Gill was ready while FM alerted the UrDail pilots.
“We’re ready to go,” Robin told me over the radio. “My flight wants to know where exactly we’re heading?”
Had I not told them? “Evershore,” I said. “It’s a planet inhabited by small fox aliens.”
There was a pause. “Okay,” Robin said. “Thanks for filling us in.”
I sighed. Answering all their questions would take time we didn’t have. “You’ll see soon enough. All flights, prepare for hyperjump.”
FM returned to the doorway of the control room. “Gilaf and the others are getting ready. They’re in.”
“Good,” I said. “We’re going to need them.”
I’m ready to hyperjump, I said to Alanik. Get someone high enough in the air that the platform won’t fire on the planet when we arrive.
There was a long pause.
Arturo’s up high enough, Alanik said. The space around him is clear. Go.
I reached out to the other flights, finding the minds of their taynix, and gave them instructions to go to Alanik’s slug, Snide, down near Dreamspring. Then I reached for Gill in the box and instructed him to take the platform to Naga. I wanted us to emerge in the air, not drop the platform on top of the beach where the autoturrets would fire on the city.