Chapter 19
Assassin?
I addressed Maggie. --You were with the Yeerks for a while, weren't you? Did you ever hear of the 'Assassin'? Is she a Controller, or a Visser, or something?--
--I can't say that I know,-- she answered. --I never heard of her before now.--
The woman, the Assassin, stopped in front of Visser Five. Taking no notice of any difference in rank, she addressed him directly, her chin high, her hands on her hips.
"Ah, Visser," she said, looking the Hork-Bajir bodied General in the eye. She had a rich, musical voice, with a strong Eastern European or possibly Russian accent.
"Sub Visser One-oh-one," replied Visser Five, emphasising her lower rank.
The woman took no notice.
"I see you have bought me a pet?" she said, glancing disinterestedly at Sam. "How pleased the Council will be." She glanced at the Visser knowingly.
"The Council shall see that I hand over the Fugitives, and, in good time, the Andalite Bandits."
"Yes, yes, of course," said the woman. "I do not care for taking this career chance away from you, Visser. The Fugitives are not my concern."
"Then what is it you want?" asked the Visser. "Surely you didn't fly all this way to make pleasantries? And last time we met, I recall your loyalties were no longer…" He paused, trailing off at the smirk on the woman's face.
"I work for Visser One, now," she said softly.
"Visser One. So you got that far then? And what is it she has ordered you to do?"
The woman scoffed, and raised her eyebrows. "Do I look like one to take orders?" she demanded. "No one tells me what to do! Not even you Vissers."
If Visser Five was insulted by this woman's blatant lack of respect for her superiors, he sure didn't show it. It was clear that, despite the fact that this Assassin was out-ranked by nearly a dozen other onboard Controllers, it was Sub Visser 101 who was calling the shots tonight.
"Then what is it you do, Sub Visser?" asked Visser Five.
"You should know me better than that, Visser Five," said the woman. "I have done you many favours, you should know by now the way I work."
"You want something from me?"
"Visser One wants something from you. Me? I do not want anything. That is my greatest quality. With nothing to want, I have no weaknesses. I have nothing to loose."
Visser Five did not seemed swayed by this woman. "What is it your Visser wants?" he asked. "Why does she not contact me directly, or run this through the Council? We are both Vissers, after all."
--Do you know,-- said Ferdie conversationally, --that my instincts are telling me we should get the heck out of here?--
--That's exactly what I've been thinking for the past eight hours,-- said Sam. --I still think you three should get out whilst you can.--
--We're not going anywhere without you,-- said Ferdie.
--Well, if I can't persuade you to get out now, then I urge you to hold back a little longer. I want to know where this little Yeerk politics thing is going. Situation could change at anytime. You guys are still in battle morphs, right?--
--Yeah, but I don't know how long we can remain out of sight for,-- I said. --It's weird that we haven't been spotted yet. I know everyone's watching the Visser, but I can't believe luck should be on our side for this long.--
--Guys - that woman's speaking again,-- hissed Maggie.
"Visser One does not want this mission to reach the ears of the Council," said the woman. "Nor, I would guess, the deck of this ship."
"And you expect me to abide by that fool's wishes?" scoffed the Visser.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Evidently, or you would not have called Visser One by the name you have just uttered."
The Visser exhaled sharply.
"What is it that Visser One does not want mentioned to the Council of Thirteen?" asked Visser Five. He shot a look at Sam - he obviously suspected it had something to do with us Fugitives, or the Andalite Bandits, whoever they were.
"No, no, it does not involve the Fugitives," she said, as if reading his mind. "Let Visser Three care for them. They are not of interest right now to Visser One."
--I wish they'd hurry up and get to the point,-- said Ferdie. --How long have we got left in morph?--
--About forty minutes,-- said Maggie, reading the numbers off a Controller's watch. ---I'm thinking we should demorph and remorph in case we need to fight - give us more time.--
--Sure,-- agreed Sam. --You three do that.-- She didn't mention the fact that she could not morph in front of the Controllers.
Ferdie, Maggie and I began the transformation back to human as quickly as possible, remorphing as soon as we were fully human. The burning pain in my back faded as the wound healed itself.
"So what does it concern?" asked the Visser, narrowing his lizard-like eyes at her.
"Your recently retrieved Andalite technology," said the woman. "With which, I believe, you intend to engage in all-out war with this planet?"
"An open attack on this planet is inevitable," growled the Visser. "It should have taken place long ago, and would have, if it were not for your Visser's foolish insistence on this quiet invasion."
"An open attack is out of the question," the woman said bluntly.
"The Council will deny that speculation once we present this technology."
"The Council will never be presented with this technology."
At this statement, the Visser laughed. A low, booming growl, accompanied by violent shakes of his bladed body. He stared at the woman.
"And I suppose you, Sub Visser, will be able to ensure that?"
The woman stared him back in the eye. "I shall ensure that. What I want, Visser Five," she declared, "is that this technology is destroyed."