The Prince, Lex, and Wayra made their way back to the Yautja camp. The Yautja workers were busy putting equipment back into the shuttles to transport back to the mother-ship. Lex stared at the tanks filled with Yeerks that were being transported inside. "You're taking Yeerks back to Yautja Prime?" Lex asked alarmed.
"Of course. We will study them," the Prince said as if it were nothing.
"You know what they're capable of," Lex pointed out.
The Prince gave her a dismissive gesture. Wayra stared at the Yeerk tanks but said nothing to protest his father. "You will need kandrona radiation," Lex reminded him.
"That has been taken care of. We confiscated the Yeerk kandrona generators," the Prince said.
Lex could do nothing as the shuttles lifted off the Hork Bajir world into space.
Aboard the Yautja battleship, the Prince took his seat on his throne. "We are receiving a transmission from the Andalite War Prince," the Captain informed the Prince.
"I shall receive him," the Prince allowed.
Alloran's face appeared on screen. His thoughts were converted to Yautja words so all on the bridge could understand. "The Taxxon fleet is almost here," Alloran said.
"Yautja ships will intercept them in time," the Prince said confidently.
"This will be the first time Andalite and Yautja have fought side by side," Alloran noted.
"This will be a day long remembered," the Prince replied.
The Yautja fleet arrived as expected. The Prince immediately contacted the Admiral of the fleet. "I am taking command of the fleet," the Prince ordered.
"The fleet is yours," the Admiral said graciously.
The Taxxon fleet then arrived. Like their bodies, the ships were shaped like worms with tentacle appendages. The Taxxon fleet immediately launched fighters that resembled lady bug insects. The Prince waited as the Taxxon fleet came closer to the planet. "The Andalites want a report on our strategy to counter the Taxxons," the captain said to the Prince.
"Tell him to have patience," the Prince said.
Lex waited worried as the Taxxon fighters came closer. The Prince inputted commands into his arm chair. The Yautja fleet moved into position behind the Andalite ships. The Andalite warship launched fighters and the battle began. The Prince watched as Andalite and Taxxon fighters exploded in space near the planet.
"Move the fleet to Yautja Prime. We are leaving," the Prince said suddenly.
"What? The Andalites will die," Lex objected.
"The decision has already been made," the Prince said dismissively.
Yautja ships turned away from the battle and accelerated away from the Hork Bajir world. "Father?" Wayra asked confused.
"To use a human expression, we are killing two birds with one stone," the Prince said to him.
Lex watched helplessly as the Andalites were quickly overwhelmed.
On board the Andalite warship, Alloran noticed the Yautja fleet departing. "We have been betrayed," Alloran realized.
"We must fall back," Elfangor suggested.
"Launch the missile," Alloran ordered.
"Sir?" Elfangor asked.
"The Hork Bajir cannot fall into the hands of the Yeerks," Alloran said gravely.
The Andalite warship fired the missile into the atmosphere of the Hork Bajir world. The genocidal missile would target the Hork Bajir DNA at the sub-atomic level. There would be no hope of cure or resistance to it. "We must retreat," Alloran ordered.
On the way to Yautja Prime, the fleet broke up to conduct hunting expeditions and galactic patrols. The Prince's battleship made its way to Yautja Prime and then all went down to the planet's capital. "You and my son will go back to the palace while I conduct business at the bio-lab," the Prince ordered.
Lex sighed and walked with Wayra back to the palace. "Father didn't ask about my trophies," he said bothered.
"You don't have any," Lex said.
"That is what makes it strange," Wayra replied.
The Prince arrived at the human game preserve and met with the administrator. "Bring me a physically fit male human," the Prince ordered.
"As you wish, my Prince," the administrator replied and then gestured for his subordinates to find one.
The Prince brought forth a tank filled with Yeerk slugs. "What are these?" the administrator asked curiously.
"They are Yeerks. They infest sentient creatures and then take control of their brains. Humans are not only weak in body but also in mind. If a human were to be infested by one of these Yeerks, I wonder if there would be a different result," the Prince considered.
"An intriguing proposition," the administrator agreed.
A human male was brought forth with his hands bound. "Keep him still," the Prince ordered and then used prongs to take a Yeerk out of the tank. The Prince delicately brought the Yeerk close to the human's ear until it went completely inside. The Prince waited as the human struggled and then finally the Yeerk was in control.
"What do you want from me?" the Yeerk infested human asked in English.
"As you can see, the Yeerk is able to access the human's memories including his language. The Yeerk now has access to all of the human's memories," the Prince said to the administrator.
"A perfect infiltrator," the administrator commented.
"Yes, but of course, a Yautja would never be fooled by a Yeerk imposter," the Prince said confidently.
The Prince then turned to the human. "If you manage to survive for three days, you will have your kandrona radiation," the Prince told the Yeerk infested human. "Then the cycle shall repeat itself continually."
"When will it end?" the Yeerk asked fearfully.
"The hunt never ends," the Prince replied.
As soon as the Prince arrived at his palace, he received a message that the Yeerk infested human was dead. The Yeerk had desperately come out of the dead human's ear and was collected. The Yautja at the preserve placed the defeated Yeerk in another human for another hunt. The Prince frowned at the results disappointed.
Lex entered the throne room to give the Prince important news. "I have discovered that I am pregnant again," she told him.
The Prince seemed bored ignoring Lex and concentrating on the failed hunt. "What is the sex of the child?" the Prince asked.
"I don't know," Lex admitted.
"Don't bother me with this unless you know the child is male," the Prince said dismissively.
Lex stared at the Prince somewhat stupefied. She told herself that this was nothing new from him. "Your son seeks an audience with you," she added.
The Prince turned away from his data-pad. "My son waits for permission to enter these chambers, but you do not," he accused.
"Don't you remember? I never ask permission to enter," Lex shot back.
The Prince nodded. "He may come," the Prince allowed and dismissed Lex.
Lex stormed out of the room and saw Wayra waiting patiently. "You may come in now," she told him sympathetically.
Wayra eyed Lex in wonder and then entered the room. "What is it?" the Prince asked him.
"I failed in my hunt, father. I must redeem myself," Wayra said on his knees.
"The Yeerks are an intelligent species. There is nothing to be ashamed of," the Prince said calmly.
"But I...," Wayra began confused.
The Prince walked over to Wayra. "We are strong, because we work together as a community. There is no point in individual accomplishments. We are one of many, a piece of the whole," the Prince told him.
"You have never taught me this, father," Wayra said confused.
"You were not ready to understand. Your comrades died, because they obsessed over their own kills. You and Lex survived, because you worked together with the Hork Bajir and the Andalite," the Prince said.
"I understand," Wayra said reluctantly.
"There will be new hunting opportunities soon," the Prince promised.
"Where, father?" Wayra asked.
"On Earth," the Prince answered.
After several days, the Prince studied the results of his experiment. The Yeerk infested humans were able to escape the Yautja hunters for longer periods of time than the normal humans. The Yeerk infested humans coordinated together and created elaborate traps. They managed to actually injure a Yautja warrior during a hunt.
The Prince activated a hologram from the floor displaying an image of the administrator. "What is your wish, my Prince?" he asked.
"Bring me Yautja prisoners to be infested. I want to see if a Yeerk infested Yautja will prove to be a challenge," the Prince said.
"My Prince, to be a slave of an alien slug is worse than death. What of their dignity?" the administrator protested.
"I assure you that their slavery will be temporary," the Prince said implying their death was imminent.
"My Prince, even the worst criminals have command of their bodies as they are slain in the hunt," the administrator pointed out.
"This is in the pursuit of science. I will have no further objections," the Prince said dismissively and then turned the hologram off.
The Prince then noticed Lex enter the room. "What is it?" he asked annoyed.
"You didn't come to my chambers last night as expected," she pointed out.
"You are pregnant, so there is no need," the Prince said coldly.
"That's not the only reason for mating," Lex pointed out.
"You've never complained before when I have skipped you," the Prince recalled.
"There was usually a reason like when I was away or injured," Lex replied.
"The pregnancy has made you hormonal. You make inappropriate demands," the Prince said rudely.
"What do we have together if not this?" Lex asked.
"You still think like a human mating for pleasure's sake without affection, loyalty, or respect," the Prince pointed out.
"That's what you find interesting about me. It is what makes me different than any other female," Lex said.
"You are quickly becoming boring to me," the Prince insulted.
Makawee entered the throne room on schedule. The Prince stood up from his throne as a gesture of respect. "I take whatever I want but no one takes from me. What I do not give, you cannot take," the Prince told Lex.
Lex simply stood there embarrassed as the Prince walked with Makawee to the next room. It didn't bother her so much that the Prince was no longer giving her affection. She feared being dismissed into the unknown once the Prince became tired of her.
The next day, Makawee requested Lex to her chambers, and she was obliged to come. Still, Lex didn't bother to go through proper protocol and simply barged in. Makawee continued to braid her hair not surprised by Lex's entrance.
"The Prince was different than usual last night," Makawee commented as she continued to look at herself in the mirror.
"Did you send for me, so you could gloat?" Lex asked impatiently.
Makawee turned to face her. "I have no need to do that," she said. arrogantly. "Our session last night only lasted a few hours. He had technique but lacked passion," Makawee described.
Lex wasn't following. The Prince often took no longer than an hour with her. He said he kept it short the way humans do. "I wouldn't know about such things," Lex said feeling awkward. She never imagined detailing her sex life with another wife.
"The Prince left with Wayra to Earth this morning. It is curious he did not invite you," Makawee said.
Lex felt a sense of dread at the news. No doubt the Prince and his son were going to go on a murderous rampage before coming back. "It may be due to the pregnancy. I don't know," Lex said.
Makawee paused to consider. "I think…the Prince is an imposter."