Riding to the perimeter of Chandar, Urko stopped abruptly, raising a cloud of dust. Barda and the twenty soldiers following stopped at Urko's signal. It was hot and the gorillas were all tired from their long journey. Urko pointed to half of the unit and barked, "Surround the village. Let no one leave. The rest of you split up and search the dwellings." He paused, then added, "I warn you, if they are here and you let them get away… " he stared at the gorillas one by one, until each in turn averted their eyes.

Satisfied, he urged his horse onward, leading the remaining soldiers into the center of the village. Frightened citizens scattered from the menacing pack of gorillas pounding down upon them. "You," Urko shouted, directing his men, "search over there. Barda, over there," he continued, "and you," pointing to the two soldiers nearest him, "Come with me. We have work to do." The two soldiers hunched their shoulders at Urko's grim expression and followed him to the two small dwellings at the far end of the village center.

Urko and his men found both homes deserted. They came back outside as Barda shouted, gesturing at them from two dwellings over. Urko quickly strode to the doorway where Barda awaited and entered the small home occupied by a man about 50 years old. Staring contemptuously at the human for a moment, Urko shifted his gaze to Barda, who nodded silently. "Where is the chimpanzee?" he demanded of the human. The man stared back with wide eyes and did not answer. "Speak!" Urko roared, and grabbed his rough shirt with a massive fist.

"He's - he's gone," said the man, whose name was Kabon. He seemed to be gathering his wits about him after the initial shock of seeing the Supreme Commander of the militia walk into his home.

"You lie. Humans always lie!" Urko said, eyes boring into the man. "But you will answer me, and answer truthfully. Or you will die!" Urko shook Kabon like a dog shaking a rat. His dark muzzle glowered scant inches from the human's face. When the man still did not reply, Urko growled and slung the man to the ground. Slowly, Kabon got up on his knees and pulled himself upward, using a nearby table for support.

Kabon's eyes widened as he spotted the pouch with the magnetic disk inside, lying on the table. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he saw Urko's eyes follow his own. The great dark eyes widened dangerously. Kabon snatched at the disk, but Urko swept his arm out and easily knocked the man aside. "What have we here?" he questioned, voice made terrifying by its sudden quietness. He pulled the disk out of the pouch delicately, huge fingers exploring the smooth surface of the disk. Taking his time, he advanced upon the human. Kabon felt a deep thrill of terror, replacing the calm he'd earlier fought to gain.

"Where did you get this?" Urko's expression was calm, but Kabon knew instinctively that his life was hanging from a very thin thread. "Are you afraid? No need to answer. The astronauts brought this with them. And the chimpanzee. But tell me this, human - it's a strange and evil thing, I sense. What is it's purpose?" Kabon, paralyzed, saw an unholy anticipation in Urko's face. His fear became almost intolerable as he realized that Urko hoped he would prove uncooperative.

"I don't know what it is, I swear," Kabon stammered, almost too frightened to force the words past his lips. Urko motioned to one of the soldiers. The first blow smashed Kabon's head into the table, and the power of that leather-clad fist sent a rush of bile from his stomach into his throat and nose. The second blow struck him hard on his ear, and he heard the crack deep inside his head. The gorilla hooted, grinning malevolently, and raised his fist again.

Kabon spoke, fighting to keep from vomiting. "I saw Burke with it just before they left."

At the mention of Pete's name, Urko's face flushed with rage. "You harbor enemies of the state! And Burke is the worst of the lot!" He paused, remembering when he and Burke were trapped together in the underground of a crumbling, ancient city. His hands balled unconsciously into fists as he thought of the picture he'd discovered on the underground wall…the unspeakable horror of his own kind in a cage, imprisoned for the amusement of humans. And Burke - the man had made a fool of him with all his lies. His clenched fingers ached with the desire to smash Burke's face.

"What else do you know? Tell me, or…." Urko turned as a female human fled swiftly into the dwelling, followed by a gorilla soldier. She stopped abruptly, aghast at the scene before her. It was Liska.

At Urko's motion, one of the soldiers who crowded the room grabbed the woman by both arms.

"Father!" Liska said urgently.

Urko smiled. "Ah, your daughter. How convenient. I'll give you one last chance to tell me where the fugitives are, and what this is," he said, shaking the disk in his hand, "or she will pay the price for your defiance."

"Please, I told you…they've gone. They've been gone for nearly three hours now. All I know of the thing you hold in your hand is that Pete called it a disk. I overheard him talking to Alan about it, and Alan said it's their only chance of getting back home," Kabon said, all in a rush. Liska's arrival had taken all the fight out of him. The only thing he cared about now was the safety of his daughter.

"And where did they go?" questioned Urko.

Kabon's heart sank, head pounding sickeningly. He felt the blood-lust in the air, and part of him understood that he would not survive this interrogation. "I don't know," he said, and one of the gorillas back- handed him viciously. Liska screamed in protest, lunging towards him. As if in a nightmare, Kabon watched as one of the gorillas raised his gun and shot her cleanly through the chest. Liska crumpled to the ground as Kabon's despairing cry echoed throughout the village.

Urko turned to the gorilla who'd shot Liska, slamming his arm down with his own. "Did I tell you to shoot?" he screamed, glaring at the frightened gorilla. "Barda! Why is this soldier in our unit? Surely you don't consider him one of our best!"

"Not anymore," Barda answered, shoving the soldier out the door, cursing.

Urko breathed heavily for a moment, then sighed, considering. He shrugged. "The renegades have infected the village, anyway. After the search is concluded, burn it. To the ground." He turned and walked outside.