Chapter 16

Prince Jake tied Sub-Visser Thirteen's arms and legs together with some optical data network cable from the hold, and Rachel, in grizzly bear morph, proceeded to smash up all of the computers on the bridge, before tearing the Sub-Visser's command chair from the deck, and hurling it into the hold.

"You plan on leaving me here?" Sub-Visser Thirteen shrieked. "You can't!"

(We can and shall do whatever we please, Yeerk,) Alloran hissed maliciously. (I'm sure a Skrit-Na raider will detect you at some point. Before your oxygen runs out, who can say?)

Sub-Visser Thirteen hissed at us. "Our deal is officially terminated!" she shrieked. "A Yeerk vessel shall rescue me, and I will tell the Council that you are all human!"

(Not all,) Tobias corrected.

"Silence, you filthy pigeon!" the Sub-Visser said furiously.

(Can we take that chance, War-Prince?) I asked. (We cannot have our identities revealed.)

(I concur,) Alloran said. (Set the ship to self-destruct. If she plans on betraying us, we have no choice but to kill her.)

"You can't!" Cassie said, squaring up to Alloran. She stood nearly two feet below him, and with one swipe, Alloran could decapitate her, yet Cassie was not afraid.

(The Yeerk has brought it upon herself by betraying us. She must die, for the good of your planet.)

"That's crap," Cassie hissed. "You just want to kill her because she's a Yeerk. That woman you're condemning to her death? She's an innocent human with no choice in the matter!"

Sub-Visser Thirteen laughed grimly. "My host is voluntary. She is happy to die with me. We are friends, and friends do not abandon each other."

(Do not preach to me of morality, Yeerk!) Alloran roared, lifting the Sub-Visser to her feet.

"Stop it!" Prince Jake yelled, stepping between Cassie and Alloran defiantly. "She's coming with us."

(You dare to defy me, human?) Alloran asked darkly.

Prince Jake met Alloran's fierce gaze without fear. "You're no different to Visser Three."

FWAPP!

Alloran struck Prince Jake across the face with the flat of his tail blade and knocked my friend from his feet to the floor next to the Sub-Visser.

(Prince Jake!) I yelled. I had to help him, but I was no match for Alloran. He would kill us both.

(How dare you, human!) Alloran screamed. (I will kill you for your insolence!)

It was clear to me now that being host to Visser Three for so long had irrevocably changed Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. He was insane.

Fortunately, Rachel had noticed this before me, in her grizzly bear morph, she punched Alloran square in the jaw, thumping the War-Prince three metres across the bridge.

Alloran howled in pain, and braced himself against the wall. He ran at Rachel and slashed at her with his tail, narrowly missing her throat, before Rachel leapt at Alloran, and got him in, quite literally, a bear hug.

Rachel held Alloran up from the ground, keeping his body in one enormous arm, and his tail in the other. I was impressed with her strength. An Andalite tail is nothing but nearly unbreakable bone and a single coiled muscle, it was a testament to Rachel's fighting prowess that she could restrain Alloran so.

Marco freed Sub-Visser Thirteen, and helped her to her feet. The Yeerk inclined her head graciously, and walked across the bridge to a small alcove in the wall with the Yeerk symbol for medicine on it; a small sun emitting Kandrona particles. Her eyes were dark, but she kept her composure. Her need for the Kandrona must have been at breaking point.

Sub-Visser Thirteen opened the cupboard and withdrew a small hypodermic needle, filled with a shimmering blue liquid.

(Whatever you're doing, hurry it up,) Rachel said, her voice strained. (He's not making this easy.)

Alloran screamed and tore at Rachel like a maniac, and tried desperately to extricate his tail from her grip. If he did, Rachel would be dead before she could do anything to stop him.

The Sub-Visser calmly walked to Alloran and jabbed the hypodermic into his jugular vein, and instantly, the crazed War-Prince went limp, and became perfectly still.

(Is he dead?) I asked cautiously.

"I am not a coward," the Sub-Visser snapped. "I injected him with enough tridithalifane to keep him unconscious for a week."

Rachel inelegantly dropped Alloran to the deck.

"Are you going to explain yourself now?" Prince Jake demanded, glaring at the Sub-Visser.

She smiled. "Yes. I made you believe that you had been abducted against your will in order to see whom you were more loyal to; me, or the Andalite. I'm glad you made the correct choice."

"If we're going to work together, we need to trust each other," Cassie said in agreement.

"Quite," the Sub-Visser said with a nod. "Now, perhaps we should enlist the help of your friend?"

Erek stepped forward from the back of the bridge, shining majestically in the dimmed light; his ivory reflecting like a hundred small mirrors.

"What do you need?" Erek asked.

"Your design schematics would be nice," the Sub-Visser said jokingly. "Pemalite technology could have awesome potential, in the right hands."

"Not your hands," Rachel said with a hiss.

"What about mutual trust?" the Sub-Visser asked, with a somewhat hurt expression.

(Trust is earned, not given,) I said firmly.

"Very well," Sub-Visser Thirteen said with a huff, "if the android will not share his secrets, I have another plan. Are you able to remotely interface with computer systems?"

"Not unless I have the access codes," Erek replied. "And so long as the end result doesn't involve killing someone."

"What about the Hork-Bajir pilots of those Bug fighters?" the Sub-Visser asked. "You killed them."

Erek's canine features looked offended. "I didn't. I disabled them so they can't call any help. I made sure no one was hurt."

"Fair enough," Sub-Visser Thirteen said nonchalantly. "But if I were to give you defence codes for a Pool ship, could you shut it down?"

"Yes."

(What are you planning?) I asked.

"I have decided to change my plan. According to my estimates, Visser Five's fleet should not have departed for the Hork-Bajir planet yet. If we leave now, we can reach them before Visser Three does."

I looked to Prince Jake warily. (Are we to proceed, Prince Jake?"

Prince Jake took a deep breath. "Yeah, we're going in."

To Be Continued in

Animorphs:

The Caretaker