Chapter 14
Sub-Visser Thirteen relaxed into her chair. "I suggest that you make yourselves comfortable," she laughed. "When we arrive at the homeworld, you shall not be relaxing," and then she added bitterly, "ever again."
I felt fear, sorrow and despair all flood into me at once, because I knew then that our situation was hopeless. If an Andalite blade could not pierce her shield, then nothing else we had would. The Sub-Visser herself held the only Dracon beam.
"Computer, lay in a course for the Hork-Bajir planet, maximum acceleration," the Sub-Visser said triumphantly.
The ship lurched forward, and I saw the stars shift slowly into nothing, as the black of space faded out into the white, bland background of zero-space.
"Visser Three will kill you," Marco said. "He'll meet up with that buddy of his, then come and kick your sorry butt."
Sub-Visser Thirteen stood up, but did not step forward from her chair.
"No, he will not. I shall inform the Council of his treachery and the fleet will be recalled in the capital's defence once they hear the testimony of Visser Three's leftover host." Sub-Visser Thirteen laughed madly.
"You made us run through a maze," Rachel said angrily.
"On the contrary," the Yeerk argued. "I simply built the maze. You all ran through it like well-trained Gedds. Even you, War-Prince," she said mockingly.
(I shall say nothing to your Council,) Alloran said defiantly. (I would sooner die than help you.)
Sub-Visser Thirteen sighed, raised a hand to the ceiling, and immediately, Alloran's recorded thought-speak boomed through the ship, reciting Visser Three's grandiose plan.
(I will enjoy watching you die,) Alloran hissed.
"And I shall enjoy watching your spirit break when the Council of Thirteen declare you ready for a new Controller," the Sub-Visser answered with a hiss.
I stepped up to the Yeerk. (Tell me, Sub-Visser,) I asked. (If you were able to construct so elaborate a trap for us, why did you not simply destroy Visser Three yourself?)
"I am a thinker, not a doer," the Sub-Visser said haughtily. "I will not soil my hands doing the work of mere soldiers. Certainly not when such help is made so readily available to me, even from my enemies."
It was hopeless. This Yeerk had outwitted us…outwitted me. She had calculated every possible move and countermove in advance, simply to get her hands on Alloran and the rest of us. With us, she would bring down Visser Three, halt his coup, and be hailed as a hero, simply because my friends and I had investigated a murder.
It was my fault. I should have anticipated it. But I did not. I had failed my friends and shamed my people.
(I am sorry, Prince Jake,) I said in private thought-speak, as the Sub-Visser leaned back into her chair. (I have failed you, and I have failed your planet. I am useless.)
Prince Jake was not in morph, and couldn't reply, but I could see from the expression on his face that he shared my sentiment…he knew we were defeated.
(We cannot surrender, Aximili,) Alloran said to me.
(You were prepared to end yourself moments ago, War-Prince,) I said bitterly. (What can we do? The Yeerk has beaten us.)
Alloran smiled in the way that only an Andalite can, and looked to me. (I was Visser Three's host,) he said. (I am quite certain that most of the Yeerks still believe that to be true. We can use that to our advantage.) Alloran paused, and looked at Sub-Visser Thirteen. (We just need to trick her as well as she has tricked us.)
I inclined my head in agreement, and watched as Sub-Visser Thirteen tapped a few keys on the small console on the arm of her chair, and a larger console fell down from the ceiling and held in place in front of her.
(I recommend activating the ship's emergency distress beacon,) Alloran said. (All Yeerk ships are equipped with one. It will summon every Yeerk vessel within twenty light years to our location within minutes.)
I gave Alloran an incredulous look. (Pardon me, War-Prince, but why would we want the Yeerks coming to our aid?)
(Because, aristh,) Alloran said condescendingly, (if we summon a Yeerk vessel, staffed by Taxxons, we can commandeer it for ourselves, and continue our mission to destroy Visser Three, whom, if you have not already deduced, most Yeerks consider me to still be host to.)
Without moving, I relayed this information to Prince Jake, and the others in turn. If this plan were to work, it would require no less than miraculous cooperation and organisation on the parts of Alloran and myself.
I could see that both Prince Jake and Rachel approved of the plan, and that Marco did not seem to care for it. Cassie appeared dismal.
(It's a great idea, Ax,) Tobias said from a small perch he had found at the back of the bridge. (But how are we going to find this beacon thing?)
(It will be accessible from the communications console,) Alloran said, indicating the station at which Marco was sitting. (In her arrogance, the Yeerk has not locked out the other consoles.)
All of the buttons and keys on the four stations my friends sat at were still alight. Alloran was right.
(I do not know what to do, War-Prince,) I said. (You must tell Marco what to do, and how to do it very quickly. If the Yeerk finds out what we are doing too soon, she will deactivate the beacon.)
(Understood,) Alloran said. He then began to speak to Marco privately, and I watched the Sub-Visser working feverishly at her computer.
She noticed me watching her, and smiled at me. "If you are interested, I am drafting my speech for the promotion ceremony." Sub-Visser Thirteen rested her chin on a hand. "Now, what will my first act as the new Visser Three be? Hmm…decisions, decisions." The Yeerk laughed at her own humour and looked away from me back to the computer where she continued to write.
Marco risked looking to me. The Sub-Visser did not notice as my human friend shot me a wry smile, and began to execute Alloran's plan with all the precision I have come to expect of my comrades.
Keys beeped as Marco's hands moved over them, with Alloran giving him instructions and assurance as he did so.
This roused the Sub-Visser's attention.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, rising to her feet.
Marco continued to work.
"Answer me!" Sub-Visser Thirteen roared.
She got no reply.
With a hiss, Sub-Visser Thirteen sat down and began tapping commands into the console built into her command chair. In seconds, her expression showed that she knew what Marco was doing.
"You've activated the distress beacon!" she exclaimed in fear.
"Yep," Marco replied victoriously. "And in a few minutes we'll have every Yeerk in a dozen light years here to get us away from you."
The ship lurched forward as we dropped out of Zero-space, translating back to the blackness of normal space.
(Your move,) Alloran laughed. (In seconds, your own people will destroy you. How deliciously ironic.)