Perhaps he thought it was, and that was what sickened Elfangor the most. But more than that, Elfangor was tired. Heartsick from thinking of Arbron, and weary of being on a planet was controlled by his people's worst enemy. So he did as he was told.

Elfangor noticed that Loren was watching him. She seemed afraid, which was understandable given what she had just gone through. But, there was something in her eyes that made Elfangor uneasy. Chapman seemed tense, afraid of what they might do to him. But his eyes… he had the same hardness in his eyes that Elfangor had seen in Loren's.

What made you come back with us? Elfangor demanded of the male human. Do you expect mercy from us? You betrayed us. You betrayed your fellow human. You told the Yeerks about Earth. You betrayed your entire species.

"Not my fault," Chapman snapped. "I was on Earth, minding my own business. I didn't ask to be captured by the Skrit Na. I didn't ask to be taken halfway across the galaxy by you Andalites. I was just trying to protect myself."

By making deals with the Yeerks? Alloran laughed. The Yeerks do not make deals, human. They enslave.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Chapman sneered. Then he seemed to slump, losing the tough façade he'd put up. "Look, I'm sorry, all right? I'm just a stupid kid, okay? Give me a break."

We are coming back over the spaceport, Elfangor announced, sounding listless. There is a lot of smoke, but you should still be able to get a good targeting lock with the shredder.

Neither Andalite spoke, and Alloran just stared out the forward screen. With the magnification set at maximum, the elder Andalite could see the devastation that the Taxxons had caused. The Bug fighters at the spaceport had almost all been disabled. Some were burning, and others had been tilted on their sides.

The army that the Living Hive had assembled had managed to do a great amount of damage to the Yeerks, that much was obvious. But, Elfangor could also see the platoons of Hork-Bajir surrounding the remaining Taxxons. Other Taxxons were busily feeding. Somewhere in that mess was Arbron, but Elfangor couldn't tell one Taxxon from another, even after having spent an entire day among them.

He was still worried about Arbron, and he knew he would be until they left this planet, and probably for a long time after that. Elfangor looked over at Alloran. The War-Prince was currently calibrating the targeting scanners. The older Andalite was taking his time, not wanting to chance missing a shot that he considered so important.

Once he had targeted the transport ship, Alloran seemed to notice Elfangor's gaze. Taking a half step back from the weapons station, Alloran waved Elfangor over to the firing controls. Elfangor came over to the indicated spot, wondering why Alloran had not fired yet.

Fire, aristh Elfangor, Alloran ordered.

Uncomprehending at first, Elfangor almost asked Alloran to repeat the order. Still unable to understand his commander's order, Elfangor turned to face him.

What?

I said fire, Alloran snapped. Fry those Yeerks. You spared them once, now undo that mistake. No one will have to know of your earlier cowardice.

Elfangor stared at the button that would fire the Jahar's Shredder cannon. This was war, in war you destroyed your enemies. Killed them if you could. And Alloran was a War-Prince, that meant that Elfangor was practically required to follow his orders, no matter how immoral they might be.

Elfangor's finger hovered over the firing stud. There were more than five thousand Yeerks inside that transport ship. Elfangor didn't know the real number, since he hadn't taken the time to count. They were the enemy, that was true.

But, to kill so many of them, with a simple movement of his finger? No. That, Elfangor could not make himself do, no matter what Alloran did to him for refusing. He stepped back from the control console. Alloran's tail blade was at his throat the minute the War-Prince noticed this action.

Do you think you can fight a clean war, Elfangor? Alloran demanded. Is that it? Or are you one of those that are happy to have someone like me doing the dirty work?

They are defenseless, Elfangor answered, as calmly as he could under the circumstances.

They are the enemy! Alloran screamed. Hypocrites! You're all a bunch of stupid hypocrites! We lost the Hork-Bajir war because of weak, moralizing fools like you! Because of fools like you, I am disgraced and shunned. Sent off on trivial errands with nothing but a pair of arisths under my command!

War-Prince Alloran, I honor you, but -

What does it matter how you kill the enemy? Alloran demanded, clearly not listening to a word Elfangor had said. What does it matter if you kill them with a tail blade, or a Shredder, or a Quantum Virus?

A Quantum Virus?! Elfangor thought, horrified. He had heard rumors, all Andalites had, that the Yeerks had accused them of using a Quantum Virus against them. Everyone had just assumed the Yeerks were lying, trying to make the Andalite military look bad in the eyes of the people. Now, to find out that those allegations were true… it was almost incomprehensible.

And to be standing next to the one responsible for the death of so many innocent Hork-Bajir… Elfangor did not even want to think about that.

You… you used a Quantum Virus on the Hork-Bajir world? Elfangor asked, wanting Alloran to deny it. Wanting him to say that he had just been giving another example of killing methods, or something to that effect.