To GriffonSpade, thanks for bringing up Ax's omission in the previous chapter. I don't know how I (or my proofreader) missed that. So embarrassing! I've updated Chapter 6 to fix that little oversight.

And now for the longest chapter yet!

Update 7/19/05: I've made a few slight tweaks to this chapter to correct a few grammar mistakes and hopefully clear up a few things.

Cassie

As we listened to the double-dealing senator argue with the Air Force officers, Ax spoke up.

(We have approximately 10 minutes left in morph,) he said. (I suggest we locate a secure place to demorph.)

(I don't want to go too far,) Jake said. (I want to hear what these people have to say to Kinsey.)

(The room right next to us, the one with the little window,) Rachel said. (It looks dark. We'd be safe as long as we stayed away from the window.)

(Alright,) Jake said. (Let's go.)

We buzzed away from the argument in the conference room and squeezed under the closed door to the next room. Jake, Marco, Rachel, Tobias, and I landed on the ground directly below the window and demorphed. Ax demorphed right in front of the door, directly to our right.

The room that we had demorphed in was obviously someone's office; it probably belonged to the general in the next room. There was a large desk in the center of the room, perpendicular to the door. Behind that was a hutch, on which rested various knickknacks. I couldn't get a good look at them in the dim light. On the wall across from the desk was a small chest.

"OK," Jake said after a moment. "So what do we know?"

"Kinsey's lying, for one," I said.

(You think he's a Controller? That the Yeerks actually managed to infest him?) Tobias asked.

"Nah, he's just being a typical politician," Marco said, resting his head on the wall and stretching his legs out in front of him. "They lie. They try to control the situation. It's what they do."

"Alright, Kinsey's lying," I said. "We figured that out. But there's something huge going on here. It sounds like the U.S. Air Force has a space ship."

"That Prometheus thing they were talking about?" Marco said. "Yeah, they were saying something about a hyperdrive?"

(They have been watching too much of your science fiction television,) Ax said. (It must be a term for a new, at least for humans, chemical propulsion system.)

"Why do you say that?" I asked Ax.

(It could not possibly be a faster-than-light propulsion system, as your movies and television programs present such a thing,) the Andalite replied. (Zero-space is the only feasible method of faster-than-light travel.)

"Who's to say they're not the same thing?" Rachel asked.

Ax was silent.

(There's also the stargate thing they were talking about,) Tobias said, getting us back on track. (They seemed to bring it up a lot.)

"I have no idea what that could be," Jake said. "I mean, Kinsey seemed to connect it with aliens and outer space, but it didn't sound like a ship or anything. Any ideas? Ax?"

(I do not know what this stargate could be, Prince Jake, but I seriously doubt it to be a starship or any method of space travel,) Ax said, still sounding peeved about the hyperdrive. (Though it could be a probe, I suppose. Or some as yet uninitiated government project.)

"I think we need to contact Erek," Jake said. "Let him in on what's going on."

"How?" I asked.

"I can see a phone on the desk."

"You're going to use some general's phone to call Erek?" Marco asked incredulously. "Are you nuts?"

"You got a better idea?"

"No, but you're still nuts."

Jake crawled to the space between the desk and the hutch behind it and carefully peered over the top of the desk. The phone sat on the left side of the desk. Jake grabbed it and brought it to the floor with him. It was a typical office phone with about a hundred speed dials. Speed-dial "1" was labeled "Granddaughters." The Pentagon was number "2."

"At least this guy has got his priorities straight," I said. "But is it really a good idea to be using that, Jake? I mean this is top secret base. Wouldn't the calls be monitored?"

"I don't know," Jake admitted. "Maybe not from the boss' phone. And besides, wouldn't the Chee's secure number bypass all that?"

"I hope so." I said.

Jake

It took me one try to figure out that I had to dial "9" to get an outside line. I dialed the secure phone number that Erek had given us shortly after we met. He answered on the second ring.

"Yes?"

"Erek, it's Jake," I said.

"Jake! What's been going on? We had lost track of you and the senator. Where are you?"

"It's a long story, but the senator's fine. He's involved in something heavy though. And we're in Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado."

"You're in NORAD?"

"Um, no, according to what we've overheard and the big plaque on the wall, we're in the SGC."

"And that is...?"

"No idea."

I explained to Erek what we knew and what we had learned from the senator and by eavesdropping on his meeting. I told him about the Goa'uld, Prometheus, and Kinsey's lies.

"So he knows about the death gliders?" Eric asked.

"Yeah," I said. Then I had a question for Erek. "Erek, was Ra a Goa'uld?"

"From what you told me, it certainly seems that way, but we never heard him referred to as anything other that a 'god,' either by his subjects or Ra himself."

"Greaaat."

"At least it seems their technology hasn't changed much in 5,000 years," Erek said. Then he got back on track. Now, you said the Air Force has a spaceship with a hyperdrive?"

"Yep."

"And what is a hyperdrive?"

"What?"

"I mean, what is their hyperdrive? I know what it is in the Star Wars sense. Have humans developed Z-space flight?"

"Got me. Ax is certain that it's not real. That it's just a fancy sci-fi-ish name for some basic propulsion system."

"We have a few people in the Air Force. We'll look into this."

"Your programming let's you work in the military?"

"In non-combat roles, yes. We're usually in the bureaucracy. We also have a few people in the various branches' JAG corps. But that's not important. I like the idea of bringing the military up to speed on the Yeerks."

"Judging from some of the weird stuff, they've been talking about in the next room, it should be easy. As long as their not Controllers, I mean," I said.

"Hopefully not, if this place is as secret as you say it is. Not even the Chee know about it. But what about the senator?"

"He's lying through his teeth right now," I said. "He's not going to be brought on the inside if we can help it."

"I trust your judgment, but now I need to switch gears a bit. Jake, some big developments have gone in the short time since you've been gone," Erek said.

"Liiike…" I pressed, not liking where this was going.

"After the attack at the factory, Visser Three's acknowledging the death gliders as a threat. He's going all out trying to track them and take them out. So far he's had no luck. This Goa'uld is staying well hidden."

"Well, maybe that will keep him out of our hair for a while."

"There's more. It was actually just announced right after you guys left. Despite the threat posed by this Goa'uld here, the Yeerks are opening up a second front in the war to enslave humanity."

"What do you mean?"

"Jake, the Yeerks have found another planet, light-years away, inhabited by humans."

"WHAT?" I hissed.

"Jake, keep your voice down," Rachel said.

"How is that possible?" I asked Erek.

"I have a theory involving Ra, but this isn't the time. What's important is that when the Yeerks get there, these people won't stand a chance. The world is much less populated than Earth, but there are still millions of people on it. Somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred million, actually, according to Yeerk population estimates. And they're centuries behind Earth technologically. These people are in the classical age. Roman Empire- level technology."

"How do you know all this? About the planet, I mean."

"The Yeerks sent a long range probe. They even got pictures. It's weird. Snowcapped mountains, huge forests. It looks like British Columbia or something."

"Do the Andalites know about this?" I asked.

"According to the Yeerks, no. That could be Yeerk propaganda, but this world is pretty removed from the Andalite beaten track."

"How did the Yeerks find it?"

"These Yeerk long-range probes I mentioned? They fire off a slew of them every so often, in all directions. Sort of like the Voyager or Pioneer probes, but faster, more advanced, and with the sole purpose of finding new worlds for the Yeerks to expand onto."

"Anything else?" I asked, wanting to end the conversation before Erek could bring up anymore bad news.

"Yeah. Visser Three isn't going to command the invasion of this new human world, but he's going to have significant input because of his experiences here on Earth. Plus, a large number of human-Controllers here are going to be transferred to the new planet as a sort of fifth column. The Yeerks have never had the opportunity before, Jake. The same race on two planets that know nothing about each other? It's unprecedented."

"Great, I'm witnessing history," I said unenthusiastically. Then I realized the point Erek was making. "Wait, so between the Goa'uld and this new planet, Visser Three's going to be distracted and the Yeerks here on Earth are going to be shorthanded."

"You got it," Erek replied. "So now would be an opportune time to strike at the Yeerks. And if you can get the military behind you to do it, all the better."

"Wait, why are they sending so many people away from Earth if their dealing with this Goa'uld crisis?"

"Right now the Yeerks are just trying to find this guy. They don't really need a lot of manpower for that. Plus, remember how primitive the other humans are? It won't take the Yeerks long to enslave them. Probably within a couple of weeks of completion of the Pool."

"So if we're going to take a stab at the Yeerks, we better do it now."

"Exactly," Erek replied. "I better let you go, Jake. If you're hiding in some general's office I don't want to keep you. Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks," I said grimly, and hung up.

"Well?" Marco said.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose before answering. "I brought Erek up to speed about what's going on here. He agrees with informing the military."

(But what did he say that got you so riled?) Tobias asked.

I sighed. "He says the Yeerks are preparing to invade another planet populated by humans."

"WHAT?" three human voices and two thoughtspeak voices exclaimed.

"That was my reaction."

(This is not possible,) Ax said. (The Yeerks must be bluffing. There are no humans besides those on Earth.)

"You only discovered Earth and us, what, twenty or so years ago?" Rachel said. "Isn't it possible that there are other human civilizations out there that you don't know about yet?"

(I suppose it is possible,) Ax conceded. (Yet, it is extremely unlikely. How would they get there? What is the original human homeworld? It opens up too many questions.)

I had to say, I had trouble believing it as well. But I trusted Erek, and because of the opportunity his revelation gave us, I felt I had to defend the point. "Erek said that these guys are primitive, so they wouldn't have any of the stuff that would clue in aliens to their presence, like radio or radiation or something," I said.

"Do the Andalites know about this plan?" Cassie asked.

"Probably not," I replied.

Ax snorted. I thought he was about to make some further comment about the unlikeiness of humans away from Earth, but he stayed silent.

"I have a question," Marco said. "Not that this isn't interesting, and Lord knows I wouldn't wish the Yeerks on anyone, but what does this have to do with us?"

"The Yeerks are spreading themselves out. With this new front and the problems the Yeerks are having with our new alien 'friends,' they'll find themselves shorthanded, which is good news for us." I paused. "But they wouldn't be shorthanded for long."

"Meaning?" Marco asked.

"These alien humans are hundreds of years behind us in technology. Ancient Roman stuff. They'll be a pushover. Millions of easy hosts for the Yeerks. Three hundred million was the number Erek said. Three hundred million instant human-Controllers. Reinforces why we're here, I think."

(What do you mean?) Tobias asked.

Marco nodded; he got it now. "We have to let the military know now," he said. "Let the military bring their arms to bear against the Yeerks while their operations are spread out, before this influx of human-Controllers." He frowned. "But what about the Goa'uld?"

"So far that guy's doing everyone a favor by striking against the Yeerks," I said. "And like the girl in the other room said, they can't find him. Fight the enemies we can find, right?"

"Uh-huh," Marco grunted, clearly not convinced. "And what if the Yeerks are the only thing keeping this guy from barbecuing Earth?"

I hesitated. It was a good question, but then I said, "I don't think so. From what Erek said, at this point Visser Three is busting his butt trying to just find this Goa'uld. Aside from the slaughters that we saw, they apparently haven't really engaged one another. So really nothing is keeping this guy from going all out. And I would think- hope- that Erek would know if the Pool Ship or the Blade Ship were getting shot up in orbit."

"If this alien can find Yeerk bases on Earth, why can't he go after their ships?" Cassie asked. "I would think they would be easier to spot."

"Beats me," I said. "I know we all have a hard enough time trying to figure out the Yeerks. Don't make me try to figure out some aliens we only know through their ships and secondhand knowledge. Maybe the Goa'uld are just as stumped by the Yeerk stealth technology as the Yeerks are by theirs."

(It would seem to me, then,) Ax said, (that rather than simply informing the military of the Yeerk presence, it would be more beneficial to actually team up. We have experience against the Yeerks, and , judging by the conversations we have overheard, the military has experience against these Goa'uld. Through a partnership, we could devise a way to effectively combat both our foes. However, it might be difficult if this second human world is indeed a ruse.)

"Ax, how big is the galaxy?" I asked.

(Why, it is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter and contains several hundred billion stars, but what does that-)

I cut him off. "And of that, how much have the Andalites explored? How many star systems?"

(I-I cannot exactly recall. Many.) Ax said nervously.

"Uh-huh." I wasn't convinced, but I dropped the matter, having made my point.

"Ooooh," I heard Marco mutter. "Ax got told."

(Hey guys,) Tobias spoke up. (The senator just stormed out of the room. Said something about the Goa'uld and then threatened the officers' jobs and just left.)

"Wait," Rachel said. "You've been listening to them this whole time?"

(That is why we chose to demorph in the room right next to them isn't it?) Tobias cocked his head at me.

I scratched my head. "To tell you the truth, I kinda got overwhelmed by what Erek was saying and forgot about that. But never mind. What have you heard?"

(I've only been listening off and on. The conversation in here was way more interesting, but after we left the meeting became mostly just Kinsey making thinly veiled threats and questioning people's competence. They did mention what I think, judging from the context, is some other alien race. Asgard, I think. Apparently there's some politics involved with these Asgard, the Goa'uld, and the guys in the next room.)

"Isn't Asgard the realm of the Norse gods?" Cassie asked.

(Not unless the Norse gods have advanced technology.)

Ax sniffed, but didn't say anything.

(They've also brought up another planet,) Tobias added.

Now Ax spoke up. (What planet?) he asked with unexpected interest.

Tobias ruffled his feathers in a way that looked for all the world like a shrug. (Got me,) he said. (They used some kind of code or designation system. PX...P5...Something like that.)

"Can you tell if the Air Force guys are staying put?" Rachel asked.

(Yeah, for now,) Tobias replied. (They, um,) he paused apparently listening. (They seem to be questioning Kinsey's motives in coming here. Trying to divine his intentions. Oh, that and mocking him.)

"So what now, Fearless Leader?" Marco asked me.

"We need to set the record straight," Cassie said. "Refute Kinsey."

Marco looked at Cassie. "So, what? We just walk into the conference room?"

"Why not?" I said suddenly. "We came here to inform, and as Ax said, possibly team up with the military. Besides, it will have an impact. Four kids, a hawk and an alien waltzing out of a guy's office? It'll definitely have an impact."

"Yeah, an impact as security unloads on us." Marco said. "Let's not forget that there are armed soldiers on this base. Going out there now is insane."

"You say that about all our plans," Rachel said. "And you're not dead yet."

"And it's not for lack of trying," Marco shot back.

(You know, Jake,) Tobias said, (we could demorph in there, in front of them. It would definitely get their attention and by just having a couple of us go, we wouldn't risk everyone.)

I thought about it. "No," I finally said. "Whoever went out would be exposed while they demorphed. After all we've been through, I don't want anyone to die because of a twitchy soldier freaked out at a bug turning into a kid."

(Like Ax isn't going to freak them out.)

"Ax can take care of himself," I said. "Right, Ax?"

(Yes, Prince Jake,) Ax replied, deftly twirling his tail a little.

Tobias cocked his head. (Alright, I guess.)

"I do agree, though, that not all of should go," I said, "Marco and Tobias will hang back in here ready to step in if things do get ugly."

I sighed. "Alright, then. Ax? You'll go first. We'll be right behind you."

(Yes, Prince Jake.)

I felt a little cowardly putting Ax in front, but among the Animorphs he was the most effective fighter in his natural form. Also, I planned on using him as a rudimentary Yeerk detector. It seems that a lot of Yeerks can't look at an Andalite without shouting something like "Andalite scum!" or at least making a recognizable look of contempt. Erek had said that the odds of the base personnel being infested were small, but you could never be too careful.

Ax

Rachel, Cassie, and Prince Jake gathered behind me as I slowly pushed open the door of the office.

All heads in the room turned towards the door as it swung open and I stepped through it.

I indeed did have an impact as I stepped into the room, which was expected, since these humans had likely never seen an Andalite before.

"Whoah!"

"What in God's name!"

"Holy Hannah!"

All five human pushed their chairs back from the conference table. Four of them leapt to their feet, while the man whom Marco had called the general remained seated. The large dark-skinned man with the odd head marking approached me threateningly, while the woman moved to a large red button on the wall. It was not difficult to guess the function of the button.

(Please do not activate the alarm. We do not mean to harm you.) I said as reassuringly as I could.

Luckily, that seemed to have the desired effect. The woman stopped, her hand inches from the alarm. The large man also halted in his advance toward me.

I did not believe that any of these humans were Controllers. A Controller would most likely have called me Andalite filth and tried to kill me, despite anything I said.

The human I recognized as Col. O'Neill furrowed his eyebrows in a human expression of confusion.

"We?"

The Animorphs stepped out from behind, making the soldiers' eyes widen in shock.

"We," Prince Jake said.