"No, Mary Sue," Cassie said. "We don't know what it means that you're a heretic. Tell us."

Mary Sue looked up at us, then shifted her posture. She liked an audience. {The Helmacron Empire has decided I am a heretic because of my belief in things that go against The Documented Truth.}

{The Documented Truth?} Tobias echoed.

{Yes. The combined knowledge, logic, and determinations of the Helmacron Empire.}

"All one page of it," Marco muttered snidely. I glared at him. We really didn't need interruptions right now. Jordan was in danger, maybe already infested. I willed Mary Sue to talk fast. I might as well have willed a rhino to tapdance.

{Naturally, The Documented Truth is updated quite frequently. Facts added, removed, and altered appropriate to the mandate of the Helmacron Imperial Research Facilities.}

{Facts are altered?} Ax repeated.

{Of course,} Mary Sue said in surprise. {If we did not frequently alter our facts, we would never be able to correctly document the entire known universe.}

"Of course not," Cassie soothed. "Go on." She glanced at me. Knew how anxious I was. I gritted my teeth and waited.

{Currently, The Documented Truth shows that the World Desolator was destroyed on its mission to Earth, and that is why it has never returned.}

"Wait, back up," Jake said. "What's the World Desolator?"

'Don't back up. Get to the point!' I wanted to scream. But Mary Sue held the cards at the moment. If she had a way to bust into the Yeerk pool, I would just have to keep my cool.

That's not what I'm best at.

{What is the -- do you massively oversized creatures know nothing?} Mary Sue protested. {The World Desolator was one of the Helmacron Empire's prized new ships. Smaller than others, yet able to travel through Z-space, with all the power and weaponry of a fully armed Eradicator class vessel!}

"And it was sent to Earth?" I prompted impatiently.

{That is correct. To pulverize your species into submission.}

Marco snorted, then choked quietly. I clenched and unclenched my fist.

"But The Documented Truth says that it we destroyed it," Cassie said.

{No! The Documented Truth would never state anything so ludicrous, or people might lose faith in it! The Documented Truth currently shows that the World Desolator was crushed by a black hole that formed directly in its flight path, then vanished again without a trace.}

"Freak black holes appearing out of nowhere and vanishing without a trace is more believable than some kid taking a pop at this ship with his BB gun?" Marco said, sitting up. "Yeah, okay, that makes sense."

{Yes,} Mary Sue said. {That's just it. It makes perfect sense. Which led me to doubt the veracity of the statement. I took my life in my hands and researched what happened to the World Desolator. Denying The Documented Truth is a serious crime.}

"Punishable by exile to Earth," Jake said.

{Death is too honorable of a punishment for such an action,} Mary Sue acknowledged. {At any rate, I performed extended research, and discovered the true fate of the World Desolator. When I began telling others about my findings, I was arrested and exiled in disgrace. And you know my story from that point.}

"Well, that's just beautiful. Thanks for sharing. HOW DOES THIS HELP US SAVE JORDAN!?" I yelled, knocking Mary Sue over with my breath. Disgusted, I slid her into Cassie's hands. We hadn't been looking for her autobiography, we needed help!

Jake shot me a warning glance, then returned his attention to Mary Sue. "You said you could get us into the Yeerk pool."

{Oh. Yes. My research concluded that the World Desolator must be on Earth. The crew had evidenced many strange psychological factors. It is my belief that the the World Desolator actually defected from the Helmacron Empire. It is a renegade ship, and it is currently hiding on this planet.}

{So?} Tobias asked.

{Any Helmacron ship could easily gain access to a Yeerk pool complex.}

I stopped pacing.

Marco straightened. "Wait. Are you saying what I think? We're talking about calling up the Helmacrons for reinforcements?"

I looked at Jake. He had this funny half-smile on his face. "Yeah, Marco. I think that's what we're doing."

"That's insane," Marco said flatly. "Their ships are the size of soda bottles. They have absolutely no fear, in a very idiotic, subconscious deathwish kind of way. They're a species of lunatic, leader-murdering, mini-feminists!"

{I object! Do I deride your species in your presence?} Mary Sue cried.

{Yeah,} Tobias said. {All the time.}

"Will the World Desolator help us?" Jake asked Mary Sue.

{If helping you would hurt the Yeerks.}

Jake nodded. My heart leaped up into my throat.

"How do we get in contact with them?" Cassie asked.

{I will instruct you how to use a satellite-based vocal communication device to break into Helmacron frequencies.}

{You need a cell phone,} Tobias interperated. {Check.} He spread his wings, and swooped into the night air.

{Once they arrive, it will be necessary for you to be resized in order to fit into the spacecraft.}

Jake nodded. I could see the wheels turning in his head. "We shrink, tunnel in, sneak over to Jordan's cage, shrink her, load her on, get out. It works."

Ax nodded his agreement. {Indeed. In fact, it is one of the best methods of Yeerk pool infiltration we have discovered to date.}

Adrenaline was beginning to flood back into my system. We were going to do it. We had a way of beating the Yeerks. We had allies. Sort of. "Teaming up with the craziest species in the galaxy to bust some Yeerk heads," I laughed, feeling a little dizzy from the energy that was beginning to hit my system.

"Oh, go ahead and say it, Rachel," Marco said.

I grinned. "Let's do it."