Chapter 15
The Yeerk sneered. "And why would they do that?"
"Because you are holding Visser Three prisoner," Prince Jake announced, pointing at Alloran.
Sub-Visser Thirteen's brow glistened with nervous sweat, and she trembled slightly. "I have already informed the homeworld that Visser Three has a new host."
(No you have not,) Alloran said acidly. (If you had done that, some other Yeerk could claim to have uncovered the Abomination's plan. You would not give up potential for power so easily.)
The Sub-Visser knew she was trapped. I could see it on her face, and hear it in her laboured breathing.
"This is all a misunderstanding," the Sub-Visser said, raising her hands upward on a human motion of subservience.
(Come out from the energy shield,) Alloran commanded.
"I shall do no such thing," the Yeerk snapped. "If I do that, how am I to know you will not kill me?"
(Allow me to explain. If you come out of the shield, we may kill you. If you remain inside, your people will kill you,) I said, relishing the situation. (Make the choice.)
Sub-Visser Thirteen trembled terribly, but rose to her feet. She waved a hand in front of her, and the orange column of light enveloping her chair rippled into nothing.
In less than a second, Alloran was upon her. He struck the Yeerk with the flat of his blade across her back. Not hard, but with enough force to knock the Sub-Visser from her feet and onto the floor. As she fell, her Dracon beam sidearm fell from its holster, right into Rachel's outstretched hands.
Rachel levelled the Dracon beam at our former captor. "Don't move, Yeerk."
The Sub-Visser did not move.
"What are you planning on doing?" the Sub-Visser demanded of us. "Without me, you will not penetrate the security of the homeworld. That aside, you still have every Yeerk ship that beacon of yours alerted en route to us. You need me."
(All we need is your brain,) Alloran said smugly. (We do not need you, Yeerk.)
I was quite amazed. Our situation had completely reversed from being total disaster, to being the single greatest tactical opportunity in the history of the war with the Yeerks.
(War-Prince,) I said. (We know Visser Three plans to attack the Hork-Bajir world. If we act carefully, we could take down Visser Three, and the entire Yeerk leadership in one fell swoop.)
"We could end the war today," Prince Jake said solemnly.
"What you are suggesting is tantamount to genocide!" Sub-Visser Thirteen exclaimed. "If Visser Three's fleet reaches the capital, he will lay it to waste. Untold millions of Yeerks will die!"
I watched then as Sub-Visser Thirteen's face drained of colour, and she convulsed. The others saw it too. The Yeerk was in need of Kandrona; she would die without it.
Was it right to let her die in such a way? Alloran would have thought so. The decision was not mine.
Just then, a noisy alarm interrupted the angered speech on the bridge, and the lights of the Sub-Visser's ship began to glow red.
"We have a problem," Cassie said from her computer. "The computer says that three Bug fighters have just dropped out of Zero-space right in front of us."
BEEP! BEEP!
(We are being hailed,) I said. (Prince Jake, everyone, into the hold! They cannot see any humans on this vessel,) I looked at our former captor. (Except you. Of course.)
My friends scurried back into the room behind the bridge, and Alloran strode forward so that he was directly in front of the viewscreen, and I placed my tail blade within reach of the Sub-Visser's throat.
(Stay where you are, play along, and I will refrain from severing your head,) I warned her.
The viewscreen flickered to life, and a Hork-Bajir wearing a flight helmet appeared on it, with two Taxxon-Controllers behind him.
"Sub-Visser Thirt— oh," the Hork-Bajir said, having apparently noticed whom he assumed to be his leader right in front of him. "Visser Three, I had heard that you were on your way to the capital on board the Blade ship."
(Does it look like I am aboard my vessel?) Alloran hissed. It was uncanny how easily the harsh tone of Visser Three came to him. (I was travelling with this miserable excuse for a subordinate because her ship is faster. This former Andalite bandit, now a loyal Controller, helped me stop her.)
"When then, Visser, did you send a distress call?"
(Because she tried to kill me!) Alloran roared at the Hork-Bajir. (You will board this vessel, and take her into custody.)
The Hork-Bajir raised a sceptical eyebrow, or rather, the point on the Hork-Bajir face where an eyebrow would be. "I was unaware that Visser Three allowed his betrayers to live."
Oh no, I thought. Alloran had just made a fatal error. Visser Three always killed his opponents. The Hork-Bajir knew that.
"Visser Three, I have no choice but to believe that the Andalites have somehow compromised you, and that the other Andalite with you is not a Controller. You have twenty seconds to state today's security code, or I will destroy your vessel," the Hork-Bajir said neutrally.
Sub-Visser Thirteen laughed bitterly. "So much for your plan, Visser," she scoffed.
(Shut. Up,) I said, forcing my blade up to her larynx.
(You moron!) Alloran barked. (You will take Sub-Visser Thirteen away, or I will kill you, and HER!)
The Hork-Bajir looked back impassively. "You now have fifteen seconds, Visser."
Alloran faltered, and ran to the weapons station at the front of the bridge. (Take her, or die!) he screamed furiously. (YOU now have ten seconds, fool!)
"Seven, six," the Hork-Bajir intoned ominously.
Alloran closed the channel, replacing the Hork-Bajir's face with a black starscape.
Then in the corner of the window, another Bug fighter slipped out of Zero-space, and shot toward the other three. With total amazement, I watched as the new arrival opened fire on the other three. It disabled two of them in less than a second with two perfectly aimed Dracon beam blasts, and turned to the third, which by now had begun to withdraw. The other two Bug fighters drifted with their running lights dimmed. Their engines were destroyed.
The newest Bug fighter lurched forward and destroyed the engines of the last enemy ship, before turning around and moving in toward us.
"Great," I heard Marco mumble. "Now instead of being vaporised by three Bug fighters, its just one."
BEEP! BEEP!
(Not necessarily,) I said, opening the communication channel with the new Bug fighter.
"Hi guys," came a familiar voice.
"Erek!" Marco yelled, running out from the hold, past Alloran and myself and in front of the viewer. "How'd you get all the way out here?"
"Wasn't too hard," Erek the Chee replied with a mischievous grin. "I just downloaded the rest of Visser Three's research files, broke into the Yeerk hangar, tranquillised a few Taxxons and stole myself a Bug fighter."
"Oh yeah, a real walk in the park," Rachel sneered.
"Now then, can I lend you a hand?" Erek asked.