Chapter Three

I was able to get in touch with Erik the next day. I didn't tell him anything much, just that I needed to speak with him the next time he came to the Poolship for his feeding. I'm not sure what he was thinking as telepathy doesn't work over communication systems.

Yes, I was still having troubles with my telepathy. It was frustrating to try and think, let alone do anything else, while voices bombarded my mind. I had to figure out what was wrong, and I had to do it fast.

Anyway, Erik was scheduled to come to the Poolship that very day. Shortly after leaving the 'unloading dock' at the pool, he was going to meet me in the cafeteria. Visser Three wasn't as strict with me on the ships, as long as I stayed away from the hanger bays, so I was easily able to slip away from him to meet with Erik.

When I arrived, he was already sitting at a table with the girl I had seen at the lake. I nodded to them and sat down with them. In his thoughts, I saw what he really looked like. I saw that he had a rather powerful holographic device and sound dampener.

Good.

(I know what you are, Erik,) I sent to him calmly. For a moment, his face looked surprised and I could see his mind working over time. (I also know that the Visser has been lying to me. Extend your hologram so that we can freely discuss this.)

There was a shimmering and suddenly, Erik wasn't Erik anymore. Instead, I was looking at what looked like a steel and ivory dog that walked on its hind legs. I could still see the crowd around us, but I was certain that they couldn't see or hear what was really going on.

"So you've finally opened your eyes," the mechanical hound said to me. "Some of the Chee had bets going for how long it would take you."

"I'll let you know when I want your criticism," I snapped. He really wasn't starting this off well. "I'm here to make you an offer. I know that you've been in contact with the bandits. I also know that most of them are human and that you're going to offer information exchange."

"And everyone said that you don't like reading minds," Erik commented lightly. "I'll have to let them know that they're wrong."

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to. I've been having problems, lately. Now shut up and listen. You have a good spy network, yippee, but I can get you more than all of the others combined. I can get it from the source."

"By spying on Visser Three." Erik nodded his head in thought. I could see that he knew exactly where this was going. "So, what can you tell me about Matcom and the crystal?"

I should have been surprised by the question, but I could see in his mind that having that crystal meant he could re-write his programming. A Pemalite crystal, created by his makers. I could also see that the bandits were going to be going in after it.

"Tell your friends that they can't waste time," I told him. "I don't have specifics, but I know that they're putting in additional security measures. From what I got off the Visser, the new system goes active in two days' time. He doesn't know every detail about it, certainly not enough to get your group past it." And then I went on to tell him what I knew about the current security at the Matcom building.

"Thanks, Malia," Erik said to me. I could tell that he meant it. "And I'm sorry about Ba'giroth. He was a great warrior."

"I've got to be getting back, now," I told him, choosing to ignore his condolences. Ba'giroth was the last thing I wanted to discuss right then.

There was a shimmering and the noise level returned to normal. I left the cafeteria and returned to the Visser's side. He was going to have a meeting with some of his leading Yeerks and wanted me present. I guess he didn't even trust his most loyal servants. It was an uninteresting meeting. They were discussing feeding schedules and how long it would take to get the new Kandrona on-line. There was a lot of tension, as there always is when Visser Three is around.

The Yeerk is not known for his caring nature.

He must have been feeling generous, though, because after the meeting he gave me the rest of the day to wander about the ship as I pleased. I spent a lot of time in the training room, working with the different weapon styles. It passed the time quickly. Before I realized it, hours had passed.

I was pretty beat from the exercise. Who wouldn't be after three hours? I went to my tank in the Visser's chambers. He wasn't there. If he needed me, he wouldn't see any problem with waking me. So I slipped into the tank, changed to Malianith, and went to sleep.

I had some pretty whacked out dreams. I was swimming through the oceans where I had grown up. Ba'giroth was there with his blood son Da'niroth. We were playing Taj'nira, a game that's used for training young warriors. One of the balls suddenly turned into another female Malianith and she was begging Da'niroth to save her twin children.

I looked over at Ba'giroth to see if he knew what was going on, but there was a large gash in his chest and his purple blood was spilling into the ocean. I screamed in the dream and woke up screaming. My heart was thumping so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest.

"Warrior, you have a visitor," a gruff voice called down into the tank.

I looked up and saw a Hork-Bajir looking at me. I swam to the top of the tank and hauled myself out. I quickly changed to human and stood up next to him. I always felt short around the normal human males. Hork-Bajir make me feel like a midget.

"What visitor?" I asked him.

"Haniro wanting to see you," was the simple answer. "He's waiting outside. Should I let him in?"

"Yes."

I was curious, to say the least. No Haniro had ever asked to see me. Most of them thought I was a traitor. I could understand those sentiments. I had often thought of myself as a traitor.

The Hork-Bajir left the room, keeping the door open. I turned away from the door at that point. I could hear the Malianith slithering in, using his strong arms to assist in propeling him forward.

(So what they say is true,) a very familiar thought-speak voice said, unjudgemental. (The great Warrior allied with Visser Three.)

I could feel my heart stop. A trick, it had to be a trick. The Visser somehow knew that I had found out about Ba'giroth, so he was trying something else with me. But no, the thoughts I read confirmed it. I turned around and looked at him. Just like I remembered him.

Da'niroth, blood son of Ba'giroth, my brother, was right in front of me.