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Anonymous- cat: I'm glad you liked that chapter and that I had improved my characterisation. Let me know what you think of this chapter, please!

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Illim came back with us, but Baras did not. To show his disgust, he spent the night at a friends house.

"I'm sorry," Illim said to me quietly back at the scoop.

(It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry you had to stand there listening to him.)

"I'm sure he has good reason to dislike me."

(He doesn't. Don't blame yourself.)

"Well, don't you go blaming yourself either, Alloran," Illim told me.

I jerked slightly in surprise. (Is it that obvious?)

"Not to anyone who doesn't know you that well, I wouldn't say. But it is to me. He's been taught to hate my people and fought a war with us. He was born at war with us, and he's not going to change his habits in a hurry." Illim paused, and grinned. "When I was a grub I was told repeatedly that the Andalites were arrogant scum and the only good Andalite was a dead or infested one. When I joined the peace movement I was told that the Andalites were our allies, as much as we may hate working with them. Now, I'm beginning to lean towards the first interpretation." "Not as strongly, of course," Illim added hastily. "It's just, the way some of these Andalites.. OK, most of these Andalites have treated me.."

(Thank you, Illim.)

"For what?"

(You've shown me why my son is acting the way he is, and how to resolve the situation. Tell Jahar I'm going to see him.)

"Wait, how have I.."

But I was already galloping away from the scoop.

I arrived at Baras' friends scoop, and walked hesitantly up to the two (Andalite scoops are open- fronted).

Baras looked furious, but kept his thoughts to himself.

(May I have a word with you alone, son?) I asked, careful to give a request, not a command.

Baras sighed, and walked away from his friend.

As soon as we were a respectable distance away, Baras began to show his emotions.

(How dare you come here, Alloran!)

I stiffened. He was calling me by my first name, not even with the War- Prince prefix. This was not a good sign.

(Baras, I'm your father. Please, let me speak.) Baras looked at me, angry yet curious. He made no sound, so I continued. (I apologise for my earlier harshness, son. I want to spend time with you, to make up for twenty- four years of absence. It must have been particularly hard on you, son. Your sister, being female, will have had plenty of support form your mother, and I'm sure she was a wonderful mother to you and gave you as much support as she could, but there are some things that a male child experiences that he would want to talk to a father about.)

Baras gave a mumbled 'yes, father.' I smiled with my eyes; we were finally getting somewhere.

(So, deprived of a father, you sought to spend time with your friends because of your having no masculine company at home. When you went to the Academy, Jahar could not help you or advise you; she had never been there herself. All your friends went prepared, but you felt lost.)

Baras looked shocked at the accuracy of my statement.

(You had no father at home, so you began to view your Academy tutor as a substitute. An honourable Andalite, you'd much rather have been a son of his than mine. You began to spend more and more time at the Academy. There, they taught you what they taught me; Yeerks are scum. Kill them. Do not be underhand or endanger innocent people, but never hesitate to kill a Yeerk. They are the enemy.)

Baras could find no words to say, but from his body language I knew I was spot on. I continued.

(You knew little of me, but you presumed that I would only hate Yeerks more than ever due to my years of enslavement. You meet the father that was never there for you, Alloran the disgraced, the Andalite whose reputation may have spoiled the chances of your becoming a Prince. Deep down, you hated me before you saw me, but you tried your best to give it a go. But then I shook your whole reality. I expected you to show respect and friendship towards a Yeerk. A creature you had been taught to kill without hesitiation, a member of the same species to the one responsible for denying you a father for your entire childhood. I spoke to you in anger for showing intolereance, I reprimanded you harshly for refusing to allow him to share our living space. This was not the sort of father you expected, not the one you wanted. No wonder you couldn't stand to stay at the scoop, Baras.)

(How did you know all this?)

(It was Illim who showed me. Unintentionally, of course. He mentioned something about how it was drilled into him form birth to hate all Andalites, and I realised it was the same for you with Yeerks. I realised how hard this was for you.) I paused. (I want you to try to give Illim a chance, please Baras, for me.)

(Can I ask one question?)

(You just did. You may ask another one, however.)

(Why are you so friendly with the.. with Illim?)

(Illim risked his life to help the humans, and communicated sometimes with what the Yeerks believed to be Andalites. If he had been discovered, he would have faced torture and then a slow and painful death. Not only that, but what Illim did was going against the beliefs he had been raised with completely. It made him have to lie to and perhaps even take the lives of those he was closest to. Before Illim joined the Peace Movement, he felt similarly about Andalites as you do about Yeerks.)

Baras was speechless. I think he finally understood.

(If he can do all that, surely you can at least be civil to him. Show him the same respect you would a Prince, although he has no title. He has earned one.)

(Yes, father.)

(Start by apologising to him on your return to the scoop. Illim will forgive you; he understands. Then take things from there.)

(Of course, father, I..I understand, now.)

My son thanked his friend for his hospitality, explaining that he must now return to his family. His friend returned the traditional replies, and we then galloped back towards our own land.

So, what did you think? I am proud to announce that the actual story content came to between 1 and 2 thousand words! Yay!

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