A/N: This is my first attempt at anything even remotely Closet Fan, so please review and let me know what you think. This is set during the 5th book of the Animorphs Series.

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by KA Applegate, as well as some of the dialogue. I just borrowed it. :-) Story line is MINE!

Beyond My Control

Hatred comes from the heart; contempt from the head; & neither feeling is quite within our control.

- Arthur Schoperhauer

I was furious. I had invested years of work on Earth. I had created a full-proof plan of attack that only a complete dapsen could fail to carry out. All I had wanted was to get as far from that wretched planet as possible. To leave the memories behind once and for all. And now I was being called by the Council to return to Earth and clean up after his mess.

Him. Visser Three. The one person who I had requested not to take over Earth. The Council of Thirteen evidently has a cruel sense of humor, deciding to put the most maniacal and rage-prone Yeerk in charge of a covert operation. In charge of my covert operation. It had been two whole human years since I left Earth. In that time, the Andalite-loving cretin had successfully slowed the infiltration of Earth to a point of near stagnancy. He spent all of his time pushing the Council to allow him to wage an open war, instead of concentrating his efforts on the opportunity that lay before him. Fool. Didn't he realize that if he were successful he would be promoted?

Of course, that's where Visser Three's idiocy saved me. I would sooner die than allow him to seize my rank – or even to become Visser Two. To think of how he would gloat, how long he would hold it over my head…

I took a deep breath to calm myself. It wasn't going to come to that, of course. Visser Three couldn't handle Earth any better than he could handle his own subordinates. He had the highest death rate of underlings of any Visser, which said something for his brand of authority. Besides, those meddling Andalite bandits were apparently making Visser Three look even more foolish. A strange blessing to be had, but if it made Esplin Nine-Four-Six-Six look incompetent, I was not complaining.

Perhaps that is one reason why I was not thrilled at the orders I had received. Direct from the Council, return to Earth to assist Visser Three in the disposal of Andalite filth. The Council was worried that if the bandits remained at large they would begin to look bad. And that couldn't happen. So it was, 'Send Edriss to the rescue – she knows the humans better than anyone else.'

I was in quite the bad mood as the Pool Ship announced that it was about to exit Zero-Space. Visser Three and I had not seen one another since he had been allotted Earth. That last meeting had not gone well – I had been so furious that I almost resorted to Esplin-like violence. Visser Three had only made it worse, gloating and reveling that he had won.

It wasn't that I wanted Earth, or even cared for it. I just didn't want him to have it.

As white turned into black I felt a strange jolt of anxiety in my stomach. What would our meeting be like, after so much time had past? Would Esplin refuse my assistance, or continue to gloat over his victory? I flexed my fingers thoughtfully. If anyone needed to be knocked off of his pedestal it was Visser Three. If anyone was appropriate for that job, it was me.

The Pool ship landed on planet's moon. I felt a wave of nausea as I looked down at the blue and brown sphere that was Earth, home of the only Class Five species. The place where I had made my name – and committed some of the most detestable acts a Yeerk can. I turned from the image, and began assess the situation.

"Visser Three's messages to the Council of Thirteen state that there are between four and seven Andalite bandits surviving on Earth." I read aloud, Eva's voice calming my anger and anxiety. "They have been sabotaging the invasion through various morphs. Thus far no severe damage has been done, although the Andalites remain at large with their identities unknown. That fool, he doesn't even know who he is fighting."

I stopped reading. Every word on the screen was making me angrier, rather than calmer. That dapsen was making a complete mockery of my invasion! How dare he?

"Visser?" A nervous voice cut through my thoughts. It was my assistant, a young Human-Controller male who looked as if he had just swallowed a knife.

"Yes?" I responded, greeting him with my coldest stare.

"Visser Three's Blade Ship was on the surface of Earth. It just began a return path to the Pool Ship."

"Very good." I said, signaling for him to leave me alone. I looked back down at the view screen, to go over the files once more.

"Um…" The sound made me look up. My assistant hadn't moved. He looked as if he were struggling very hard to say something.

"What is it, Nephrim? I don't have time for you to be wasting."

"Well…Visser Three told me to tell you that he has a…surprise for you."

"A surprise?" I arched my brow and brushed a dark strand of hair from my face. What could the Visser possibly - ?

"Curses!" I cried, slamming my fist onto my table in a sudden rage. He had caught the Andalites! I was sure of it. This whole debacle was probably just an elaborate scheme to gloat! He lured me here, from the other end of the galaxy, to laugh in my face. It was unacceptable. What kind of low-life Andalite-loving filth…

I took a deep breath. Calm down. I told myself. It seemed that only Visser Three could work me into such a fury. Well, I would not be made a fool. I was smarter than Visser Three – all he had on his side lately was luck.

"Well, your luck is about to run out." I muttered. This game we played was rising to new levels. In the past we had always strived to be better than the other. To beat one another. It had always been personal, but now Visser Three was pulling others into it. He had dragged my entire ship halfway across the galaxy for a worthless cause. Well, it was my turn to make a move.

"Nephrim, prepare the troops for the arrival of the Blade Ship. Alert me as soon as it is docked. We need to be prepared to welcome the great Visser Three." I sneered as I said the word 'great'. Nephrim didn't need to be asked twice. He scurried out, leaving me alone to think.

Visser Three. What a strange relationship I had with him. We both fought for the same cause – the expansion of the Empire. Yet we had been at odds for decades. It was a constant struggle for superiority. I hated that Yeerk. I hated him so much it was painful…and yet…

I remembered one particular battle. We had been on the same project back then. Visser Three was on the battle-field, and I was safe aboard the Mother Ship. The mission had been under my command, so I got to choose who stayed and who did not. So of course, I sent Visser Three. The move had successfully angered him. When the battle was over, and the reports of the losses came in I received a shock. Visser Three's name had been on the list.

It had been a simple computer glitch that had announced the death of Esplin 9466, and it was corrected within minutes. That five or ten minutes during which I thought that Visser Three was dead, however...I had never felt so empty in my life.

The feeling appalled me. Here I was, my worst enemy presumably dead, and I felt lost? Had I gone completely insane? And the relief I had felt when I found out he was alive…

Well, there was no emptiness now. My insides were burning with hatred towards the half-Andalite scum. At that moment, long ago, I had realized that the rivalry between me and Visser Three was the driving force in my ambition. Without him, I had no one to prove myself to. And when he beat me, it made me very angry. It seemed as if our relationship was beyond my control. I had no choice but to participate in this game. Which meant I would just have to quell my anger and get on with making my move. I smiled coldly to myself. It was time for me to claim the upper hand. Out of all the other Visser's and Sub-Visser's not one gave me the same sort of satisfaction when I outsmarted them. I needed that rush –that exaltation. I needed this twisted game we played.

This time around Visser Three was sparing no expense to gloat. I had to quickly hide my surprise when he appeared himself at my quarters, flanked by two particularly large Hork-Bajir clothed in the red-and-black colors of his fleet. I got to my feet, sizing up my rival quickly.

(Ah, Visser One. I decided to arrive to show you to my Blade Ship personally.) He sounded ecstatic, and I felt as if my hosts gag reflex was acting up.

"Visser Three." I noted calmly. "How…kind of you. I see you still favor that despicable Andalite body."

(As I see you still insist on that weak human body.) There was a thin layer of disdain in the voice in my head. (Follow me.)

"Last I recalled, I was the one who gives the orders." I noted, moving to take the lead. Visser Three moved quickly, and soon we were walking side by side down the corridors, the guards behind us doing their best to seem menacing. I laughed inwardly. In some ways Esplin reminded me of a young human child the way he fought voraciously over every tiny detail – failing to see the bigger picture.

We entered the docking bay and my suspicions were confirmed, causing my stomach to tighten. The room itself was huge; with room enough for several Blade Ships and a fleet of Bug Fighters. A small army of both my and Visser Three's underlings stood at attention, facing my ship's newest addition, Esplin's Blade Ship, looking like any other typical Andalite general's war-machine. The hatch was open, with a ramp leading down from the hull. Standing at the top of the ramp were six creatures that were anything but typical in this environment.

It was a little bit funny to see, given the knowledge that I, combined with my host, had of Earth's creatures. A tiger, an elephant, a gorilla, a wolf, a hawk, and an Andalite were all situated, looking like some sort of ridiculous zoo.

(You see Visser One. I have taken the Andalite bandits. The crisis is over. Your trip here is wasted, and you can return to the home world.)

I gave Esplin a curt nod and stepped forward, to get a better view. The gorilla looked as if he were swaying drunkenly. Without warning, the large primate fell on his butt, making the scene even more comical.

(Why Visser One,) Visser Three gave me a smirk (You seem to have frightened the humanoid one.)

"It's called a gorilla" I replied coolly. What a fool, Esplin was. He didn't even know what he was fighting. "If you are going to be in charge of Earth, Visser Three, you should at least learn something about the planet."

(And take a human host like you did?) He looked disgusted at the very idea. Which was rich, considering that his host was one of the vilest creatures in the galaxy. (No I think not. Human bodies are weak. I much prefer this Andalite host.)

I snorted in disdain. I couldn't believe his incompetence. Weak, indeed. If it weren't for me he would have no planet to conquer.

"I took a human host and learned about the planet and the humans. And because of that I was able to begin the invasion that you have now endangered with you criminal incompetence!" That got to him. His tail quivered, and our troops stiffened. I could see the anger boiling in his Andalite eyes. I had gotten under his skin. I smiled inwardly. Good.

(You would like to provoke me, Visser One,) Visser Three said, relaxing at last. (But the fact is that I destroyed the Andalite force. I shot down their ship. I killed Prince Elfangor myself and heard his dying screams. And now I have eliminated this last, pathetic rabble of Andalites.)

I smiled in a fake semblance of kindness. There it was, Visser Three's attempt to undermine me. Of course he couldn't resist. "You want to be Visser One? You think you can take my title? We shall see. The Council of Thirteen does not like Visser's who make mistakes. And you have made mistakes. Be careful of your own ambition."

I had made my point. I turned from the scene, snapping my fingers to bring my troops with me. No doubt that Esplin would spend the next few hours telling himself how wonderful he was, and how he would no doubt be promoted. If only the fool listened to me once and awhile. The Council really dislikes it when a Visser makes a mistake. And Esplin 9466 was about to make a big one.

When I arrived at my quarters I gave explicit instructions to a couple of my Hork-Bajir warriors. They left just as Visser Three made his presence known once more.

"Esplin, when I left that was to signal that our conversation was over." I said sweetly. "Perhaps I needed to spell it out more clearly for you?"

(You act so sure of yourself now, Edriss.) He replied, (But what will you say when I am Visser One?)

"Nothing, I imagine. If you ever manage to become Visser One I guarantee you I won't be alive to see it." I responded lightly. "As long as I am alive I can assure you that I will be above you."

His tail arched, as if he were ready to end my life now so that he could fulfill the position. I laughed. "Visser Three, don't be foolish. You need to learn to control your temper."

(You are overlooking one fact, Edriss.) The voice he used with me was one which scared most of his underlings to death. I watched him coolly as he spoke. (I captured the Andalite bandits. I defeated the final threat to our conquering of Earth. In just a short time I will single-handedly have defeated the planet. What will you have done? Nothing.)

"You know nothing about what I do. You are too wrapped up in your own quest for domination to pay attention to anyone else."

(And you are too wrapped up in yourself to realize that I am the better Yeerk. I win, Edriss. This time I will win for good. You'll see. When Earth is defeated, now that the Andalite's are out of the way….)

"Visser One! I need to find Visser Th-oh." A terrified looking Human-Controller barged into my quarters, stopping dead when he saw the two of us. Visser Three looked furious at the intrusion.

(Yes, what is it?) He asked irritably.

"It's – it's the Andalites." The Human-Controller didn't look as if he were too pleased to be the one delivering the news. I smiled to myself, knowing what he was going to say.

(What about them?) One of Visser Three's stalk eyes turned to glare at me suspiciously.

"They….they have…"

(Stop stuttering you fool! What have they done?)

"They've escaped! I went to check on the guards and they were unconscious and the holding chamber was empty!" The Human-Controller howled out miserably.

(You let them go!) Visser Three turned on me immediately. I gave him a cold smile.

"Visser Three, you have been with me since we left the docking bay. I have been alone in my quarters, save you. Besides, why would I let some Andalite scum wander free?"

(You wish to undermine me! You'll pay for this, Edriss!) With that he galloped off, mercifully leaving the Human-Controller in one piece. He scurried out, no doubt to find a place to collapse.

I made sure that my quarters were locked to any more unwelcome visitors. Well, well. It seemed as if Esplin was still very beatable. I suppose it was good that I had someone to keep me on my toes. I smiled, imagining the rage that he was working himself into at this very moment. I wondered how he would try to best me next, what sort of puzzle I would have to figure out. There was one thing for certain, between Visser Three and I.

Our game was far from over.