Chapter 8

"Please, Visser!" the Sub-Visser begged weakly. She had recognised the voice as well. "Have mercy upon me! Visser Three, please ―"

"NO!" Visser Three howled. "I am not Visser Three, you pathetic worm! I am War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass!"

Impossible! Alloran was Visser Three's host; a broken Andalite who had once begged us for death. I refused to believe that this broken, disgraced warrior had overpowered a Yeerk as strong as Visser Three. And what had happened to his body…? It was most certainly not Andalite…at least not on the surface.

"You will die, Yeerk!" Visser Three/Alloran screamed. "All of you will DIE!" This voice was new to me, though it was had the trademark tones of Visser Three beneath it. Even in his human morph, there was something uncannily evil about Visser Three that was evident to any of us. I heard it now, even in this monster's voice.

"Please, noble Andalite," Sub-Visser Thirteen whimpered. "I declare my allegiance to you, War-Prince Alloran. Just, don't kill me…"

Alloran cocked his head to one side as though some mad animal that had been given a command it did not quite understand, and dropped the Sub-Visser to the floor.

She took several deep, drawn-out breaths, refilling her hosts' lungs with life-giving oxygen, before standing up and staring upward into the crimson eyes of War-Prince Alloran, or rather, the being who had once been Alloran. What I saw was neither Andalite nor Yeerk. It was a monster.

"You won't be sorry about this, Visser ― I mean, War-Prince," the Sub-Visser simpered, rubbing her throat emphatically.

"Yes," Alloran drawled. "Well if I am, you will be sorrier."

(She will betray you, War-Prince Alloran,) I said in public thought speak. I wanted the human Controller to hear me. I would make her pay for this indignation. (She will use you to get what she wants, and then she will destroy you.)

(SILENCE!)

I was shocked. The thought speak had come from Sub-Visser Thirteen!

(Don't you see a strategic opening when you see one, Andalite?) she said. (If we work together, we can destroy Visser Three and this crazed Andalite host, whatever it is. Are both not common adversaries?)

Before I could ask 'how', the Sub-Visser continued.

(I have developed a means of allow humans to use as well as receive thought-speak. It is still experimental, though I believe the implant to have great potential.)

Alloran watched both of us interestedly, but simply smiled.

(She's trying to trick us, Ax!) Rachel called. (We can't trust her!)

(I am prepared to take that risk, Rachel,) I said dourly. (you must go and tell Prince Jake to come here with the others.)

Rachel said nothing. She looked at me with eyes that betrayed her sorrow at leaving me behind. (I will be back,) Rachel said resolutely. And with that, Rachel fluttered through a ventilation shaft, and was gone.

(I am counting on it,) I said lightly to myself. (What is your plan?) I asked the Sub-Visser warily.

The Sub-Visser shot a wink at me. (Follow my lead, Andalite. I know Visser Three. I can manipulate him quite well.)

(This is not Visser Three, ) I pointed out. (It is a crazed Andalite host, as you put it. And that makes me better suited to dealing with him.)

(Agreed,) the Sub-Visser said bitterly.

(War-Prince Alloran, I am aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil, brother of Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. I await your orders,) I said. (I am willing to follow you to death or victory, whichever release me first.)

(I do hope you are acting,) Sub-Visser Thirteen said wryly. (I am convinced, though I'm not sure he is.)

I had worked with a Yeerk before to destroy Visser Three, but that time I had failed. It was that day that I first glimpsed upon the broken Alloran; the Alloran who had pleaded for death. I would not fail this time. The Sub-Visser was expendable.

(War Prince Alloran, I am prepared to follow you,) I repeated.

Alloran glared at me, as if sizing me up to see if I was worthy of serving him.

"You may serve me," he said haughtily. "But be warned. I do not take kindly to treachery." Alloran looked menacingly at Sub-Visser Thirteen. "Did you know that Yeerks scream when you pull them from a brain?" he asked her.

The Sub-Visser's face turned a pallid colour. She trembled. "You are a monster, you Andalite murderer!" she said fearfully.

"NO!" Alloran snarled, smashing a wall with one of his hands. "I'm not the monster here, you are!" His tail swayed from side to side. Alloran wanted to kill her.

(War-Prince, you have killed the Yeerks and their Controllers?) I asked reproachfully. (Killing non-combatants is in direct violation of the Prime War Directive, surely you ―)

"SILENCE!" Alloran barked furiously. "How dare you, a mere aristh, preach to ME?"

There was something wrong with this creature. It was no Andalite. I had read reports on War-Prince Alloran, and this was not he. He was revered as a brutal, ruthless warrior, but a honourable one. Any Andalite would show remorse for such a brutal, unnecessary killing.

No Andalite, certainly not a War-Prince, would murder innocent humans. Even is this creature's body was not Andalite, if its mind were, it would not be capable of such an act. Never.

"You are a brutal murderer, Alloran-Semitur-Corrass," Sub-Visser Thirteen said bravely, holding a Dracon beam in one hand, and with the other smugly on her hip. "I had thought that the murders were Visser Three's handiwork, clearing out his unwanted associates. But to find out that it is you; an experiment gone wrong," the Sub-Visser burst into laughter.

Alloran screamed madly and ran at the Sub-Visser.

TSEEW!

A Dracon beam burst out from Sub-Visser Thirteen's weapon and struck Alloran in the side. He stumbled forward, but raised his tail and smacked the weapon from the Sub-Visser's hands so hard that she fell to the floor with a broken wrist. Alloran stepped over to her.

"I was planning on letting you live," Alloran snarled. "But now I ― argh!" Alloran's knees buckled and he fell down. His eyes bulged and glowed red behind the iris. I knew what I was seeing. Visser Three was fighting him. Were it not for my fear, I would have laughed at the irony of it all.

Whatever creature was now host to Visser Three, it was apparent to me that it was far superior to any host that any Yeerk had ever taken before. Generally speaking, the higher ranking the Yeerk, the stronger its ability to control a host body. If Visser Three could not exercise complete control over this monster, its power had to be incredible.

"Kill him!" Sub-Visser Thirteen screamed. "Kill Visser Three!"

The Sub-Visser's Dracon beam lay only a metre or so from me, and Visser Three was defenceless. He was so involved in trying to regain control of the host that he was completely open to attack.

I picked up the Dracon weapon from the dust and shrapnel-covered floor of Sub-Visser Thirteen's laboratory, and I levelled it at Visser Three.

Then, all four of the creature's eyes focused on me, and all four of them betrayed the same emotion.

Fear.

Visser Three was afraid. I looked at him deeply. He was more than afraid. The Abomination was terrified.

"Kill him, you moron!" Sub-Visser Thirteen screeched. "Kill him NOW!"

(How does it feel, Visser Three?) I asked. (How does it feel to know that your life is in my hands?)

The creature struggled to move at me. Two thick muscular arms tried to reach out, but then withdrew. Alloran was fighting Visser Three. Despite his apparent madness, Alloran-Semitur-Corrass still wanted to die. I admired his resolution.

"Enough of the amateur dramatics, you Andalite idiot!" the Sub-Visser yelled at me.

I ignored her, and squeezed the Dracon beam weapon up to its highest setting. If I fired it now at Visser Three, there would be nothing left of him other than a bad smell in the air.

Then to my surprise, Visser Three began to laugh. He laughed loudly and heartily. Perhaps he had finally gone truly mad.

(What exactly do you find so funny, Abomination?) I snarled, aiming the weapon at his head. My arms trembled with rage. How dare he mock me?

"You are a fool," Visser Three cackled.

(And you are about to die,) I countered. (Perhaps you should remember who is holding the gun.)

Visser Three looked at me incredulously and grimaced. "I am about to die?"

(Yes, Abomination,) I said forebodingly. (Yes you are.)

"If I am about to die," Visser Three said, restraining laughter, "then why do you tremble so?"

I stared at Visser Three for a moment in disbelief. What was he talking about?

"ENOUGH!" Sub-Visser Thirteen cried. She hit me over the back of the head with a piece of metal and grabbed the Dracon beam from my hands.

I stumbled and fell onto the floor as the Sub-Visser started past me and fired on Visser Three.

The Dracon beam lanced out with its trademark whine toward Visser Three and hit…nothing.

Visser Three was gone.

"WHAT?" the Sub-Visser exclaimed in disbelief. "Where did he go? He was right there! I had him!"

"Yes, you had me," Visser Three laughed.

The Sub-Visser whirled around and Visser Three smacked her across the face with the flat of his tail, sending the human flying across the lab into a concrete wall.

Sub-Visser Thirteen slumped over. Unconscious.

Visser Three advanced on me. I couldn't move. The Sub-Visser's attack had nearly knocked me out.

"Now, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil," Visser Three crooned. "Who is about to die?"

There was a terrible silence, and then, Visser Three raised his tail.

(Still you!) came a furious voice. It was Rachel!

My hearts quickened. Standing framed in the doorway to the Sub-Visser's lab, was a tiger, a wolf, a grizzly bear, a gorilla, a Hork-Bajir, and Erek King.

"More Andalites!" Visser Three roared exultantly. "Good," he said, somewhat more calmly. "And I thought this was going to boring."