Elfangor took a breath, trying almost successfully to quash his urge to ask the captain what to do. He was the captain of this ship, and whatever happened would be at his command. That thought unnerved him for a moment, but he would not let such a stupid thing as an attack of nerves get the better of him.

Okay, Arbron. In ten seconds. Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one…

Elfangor disengaged the ship's engines and hit the air brakes, causing the ship to shudder violently as it dropped speed. As she ship was buffeted violently by the air currents, Elfangor and Arbron both struggled to stay upright. Arbron, with his many Taxxon legs, managed to stay on his feet.

Elfangor wasn't so fortunate, being thrown across the deck. Arbron, not having time for anything but his own task, focused his attention on the Bug fighters that were suddenly far out in front of them. Their sudden deceleration had caught the pilots of the Bug fighters by surprise, and now Arbron was in the perfect position to shoot them down.

Elfangor, struggling to get back on his feet after being thrown across the deck, saw something that he knew would have made Arbron a hero back on the homeworld. Arbron's first shot turned the lead Bug fighter into a flaming ball of airborne wreckage. His second shot blew the left Bug fighter to pieces, and his third destroyed the last one.

Elfangor was amazed that Arbron had even been able to do that in a Taxxon's body, even more so that it had been done in a planetary atmosphere while in a beat-up old wreak of a Skrit Na ship. Elfangor smiled; at least some use had been made of that awful Taxxon body that Arbron had been trapped in.

Nice shooting, Arbron. Very nice shooting.

Thanks. I guess Taxxon reflexes and senses are adapted better for this kind of use than ours are. It's kind of a relief to know that there's something actually useful about these disgusting bodies.

Arbron, we will find a way to get you out of that Taxxon morph, Elfangor said, trying to sound confidant and convincing.

Sure you will, Arbron thought bitterly, fighting the urge to project his thoughts for Elfangor to hear. Elfangor, for his part, was just starting to come down from the high that he had been on after seeing the Bug fighters destroyed. He was only just starting to consider what it must have been like for Arbron, knowing that he would spend the rest of his life in a Taxxon's body, knowing that he was doomed to a fate that most warriors would consider worse than death. Now that the rush of battle was wearing off, Arbron's instinctive Taxxon hunger was coming back in a rush, as was his despair at spending the rest of his life in the body of an oversized, cannibalistic worm.

Right then, he noticed that the ship was slowing down even further. And that his view through the main screen was shifting, twisting around. As if the ship were turning. Looking towards Elfangor to ask him if he was seeing the same thin, Arbron saw that Elfangor was the one causing the ship to turn.

What are you doing? Arbron demanded, wanting to know why Elfangor would go back just as they had escaped.

I need a place to land and conceal the ship. I need daylight to do that. And we both need to be closer to the spaceport.

Why do we need to be closer to the spaceport?

We can not just leave the others to be captured by the Yeerks, Elfangor said, still focusing on his piloting so he wouldn't crash into something in the darkness.

The others? Do you mean War-Prince Alloran?

Yes. And the humans. They are our responsibility, Arbron. You know as well as I do that they cannot be infested, with what they now know.

We are not going back to the spaceport. Elfangor, are you out of your mind?! If we go back, you know what they'll do?! They'll eat me alive, Elfangor!

Elfangor did not have to think very long before he realized who "they" were: the Yeerk-infested Taxxons, and even the non-infested ones would not hesitate to attack another Taxxon if it meant that they would have fresh meat.

Arbron, you have to hold on. For their sake as well as your own, you have to try and hold on.

This statement did not have the calming effect that Elfangor had hoped it would. In fact, it had exactly the opposite of its intended effect.

Hold on? Hold on?! Are you out of your mind?! If we go back to that spaceport, the Taxxons there will eat me! Turn this ship back around! I'm going to use the Time Matrix no matter what you say. I'm going to go back to my life!

Arbron, you can not use the Time Matrix. You know what would happen if you --

I don't care! Get out of my way, Elfangor. I'm going to use the Time Matrix whether you approve or not! I'm going to make this cursed hunger stop!

Elfangor turned to look at Arbron with his main eyes, trying to see the young, desperate aristh that Arbron really was. But for the life of him, Elfangor couldn't. All he could see was the Taxxon, something from his worst nightmares. The round, red, jellylike compound eyes, the round red mouth, filled with sharp serrated teeth, and the disgusting bloated body.

Elfangor still hated to believe that one of his fellow Andalites, someone he had started to develop a sort of friendship with, would spend the rest of his life as a vile, cannibalistic worm.

Arbron stared at Elfangor, and for a while both of them were silent. Elfangor wondered what Arbron could be thinking, but didn't have the heart to ask. Arbron, meanwhile, was getting more and more desperate as he stared at Elfangor. The other Andalite was determined that neither he nor Arbron himself would use the Time Matrix.

So Arbron knew that he would have to resort to more drastic measures if he wanted to gain his freedom from his Taxxon body. Elfangor had no way of knowing what Arbron was thinking, but he was starting to worry about his friend. Out of nowhere, Arbron raised himself up to his full height.

"Sssrrrreeeeyyyyyaaahhh!" Arbron shrieked, slamming the upper third of his body down on Elfangor.

Elfangor jumped right, out of the attacking Taxxon's path, resisting his instinctive urge to counter-attack with his tail. He knew that Arbron wanted him to, but he just couldn't bring himself to murder his friend. The force of Arbron's charge caused him to slam almost headfirst into the main control console. A cascade of sparks erupted from Arbron's impact point, and Elfangor held up a hand to shield his main eyes while turning his stalk eyes away.