Chapter 2

(We are within visual range of Visser Five's fleet,) Ax announced with his usual Andalite serenity. We were about to go into a battle we could very well lose, and he was cool as a cucumber.

"Is the cloaking device still working?" Sub-Visser Thirteen demanded of me.

"Looks that way," I replied.

The Yeerk returned her view to the window of the Bug fighter, and along with the rest of us, stared disbelievingly at the Yeerk armada in front of us.

(Three Pool ships,) Ax said coolly. (With a half-dozen Serpent-class battleships, and two squadrons of Bug fighters, all docked. One of the Pool ships is thirty-three percent larger than the others. I surmise it is the flagship.)

"This is crazy," Marco said from behind me. "We're just one fighter, against that!"

(That seems to be the plan, Marco,) Tobias said dryly. (It may be suicidal, but if it all goes as she thinks it will,) he said, looking at Sub-Visser Thirteen with piercing raptor eyes, (We'll be fine.)

(Might I ask how, despite the impressive size of that fleet, that Visser Three plans to launch a coup d'état?) Ax asked the Sub-Visser. (Surely the Hork-Bajir planet is defended more heavily than Visser Three seems to think?)

The Sub-Visser's face fell for just a moment. "The vast majority of our fleet has been diverted to the Anati system under the temporary command of Visser One. Visser Three knows this. That is why he does not need a larger fleet than this."

Sub-Visser Thirteen walked over to Erek and handed him a computerised notepad. "This is the latest EFA code."

"EFA?" I asked. "What's that?"

Sub-Visser Thirteen sighed like an exasperated teacher. "EFA. Emergency fleet access code. It's a security system we borrowed from the Andalites."

(You mean stole,) Ax grumbled. (Yeerks do not borrow.)

The Sub-Visser rolled her eyes. "The EFA code allows one Yeerk of Visser or Sub-Visser rank to assume command of a ship in the event that the ship's actual commander is killed or incapacitated."

"But Visser Five isn't dead," Cassie pointed out.

"And the gas won't kill him either, just knock him out," Erek added.

"But the computer will not know that," Sub-Visser Thirteen said slyly. "The wonderful thing about tridithalifane is that it makes anyone affected by it appear to be in a coma, rather than simply unconscious."

I was beginning to understand the plan. "You can get Erek to trick the computer into thinking that you're the ship's new captain?"

"I can," the Sub-Visser said with a triumphant smile. "Provided, of course, that the Android can deploy the gas."

"The android has a name," Erek snorted. "And yes, I can spread the gas." And then Erek added with uncharacteristic animosity, "hopefully before you die of Kandrona starvation."

The Sub-Visser laughed a bitter laugh. "Just deploy the gas."

Erek's hands flew over the keys. He looked occasionally from the console out of the viewer, and back again, before stopping.

"I've set it on a time delay," Erek said. "In two minutes, the bridge will be flooded, two minutes later, the Hork-Bajir barracks and the private quarters where you say the visser will be."

Sub-Visser Thirteen, despite looking like my mom after working a seventeen-hour day, smiled, and breathed deeply. She walked stiffly to the helm at the front of the Bug fighter, where Ax stood awkwardly.

She gestured on the viewer to an area on the Pool ship. "There is an emergency docking port there," the Sub-Visser said, her voice cracking under the pressure of Kandrona starvation. "Pilot the Bug fighter toward it."

She's about to die, I thought. You'd think she could manage a please.

Ax didn't grumble anything back at her. Instead, his nimble Andalite hands tapped a few keys, and the Bug fighter began to move, worryingly fast, toward the Pool ship.

I was about to yell something nasty at Ax, but in a split second, the Bug fighter stopped.

Around me, Jake, Marco and Cassie had shut their eyes, and one by one, they opened them. I decided not to smirk.

I heard a loud clang, and the fighter shook as something hit it from outside. Sub-Visser Thirteen walked to the back of the cockpit, and turned to the left wall. I noticed that there was a circular door, like a submarine's porthole.

"You," she snapped, looking at Jake. "Open this."

Jake looked exasperated, but got up from the deck, walked to the Sub-Visser, and put his hands on a circular handle on the door. The Sub-Visser did the same.

"Turn it anticlockwise," she said, her voice drained.

With little resistance, the door began to open.

"Five seconds," Erek said from his station.

The porthole then swung open and slammed into the wall at Jake's side. He jumped backward in surprise, and the Sub-Visser managed a weak laugh.

"The gas has flooded the bridge," Erek said. "I've sealed the bulkheads connecting it to the rest of the ship. If you follow the corridor in front of you, you will be there in about minute."

Marco got up, brushed past Ax, and stood between Jake and the Sub-Visser. "You sure about this, Fearless Leader?" he asked, giving the Sub-Visser a foul look. "She's gonna betray us."

"You're so yellow, Marco," I said, striding past Cassie and the unconscious Alloran. "If she wanted to do that, she would have done it already."

I got a filthy glare in return, and a weak smile from the Sub-Visser, and knew my work was done.

(I suggest we err on the side of caution,) Ax said, walking to the door and standing at my side. (I advise battle morphs for the duration of this mission.)

"Good idea, Ax," Jake agreed. "Everyone, make sure you're something that can do some damage."

That was fine with me. Since the corridors in the Pool ships were big enough for Hork-Bajir, I guessed that a Grizzly bear would fit just as easily.

"Better be quick, guys," Erek said from his station near the front. "The second load of gas is about to be deployed in the Hork-Bajor barracks and private quarters. You can morph when you get to the bridge."

Erek had a point. We had to be in position when the rest of the ship was affected by the tri-whatever gas, because if Visser Five was anywhere other than the bridge or his quarters, he could stop us from taking his ship, and we had less than half an hour before Visser Three was due to arrive.

To my surprise, Marco was first out of the door and into the Pool ship. I stood still for a few seconds, shocked, and watched as Jake and Sub-Visser Thirteen walked out, with Ax trotting out hot on their heels.

"You'd better be off too, Rachel," Cassie said from behind me. I whirled about in surprise. To think, I'd nearly forgotten that my best friend was even there.

I gave Cassie a suspicious look. "Don't you mean we had better get going?"

Cassie shook her head, and wiped sweat from her brow with her 'inexpensive' sleeve.

"I'm staying here with Erek and Alloran," she said.

"Why?" I asked. I knew Cassie wasn't exactly a fighter at heart, but I refused to believe that she had become a coward.

"In case something goes wrong, I want to be here with Erek to rescues you," she said, forcing out a brave smile. "He can't attack the Yeerks, even to save you, and we know we can't rely on Alloran to help."

I nodded. Alloran had proven to be less than helpful.

Giving Cassie a quick hug, and waving goodbye to Erek, I headed to the porthole door, stepped through it, and raced after the others.