Jacob Nyles:

((Admit it. You forgot about them)) Esplin snorted.

I stared at the two glaring men, seemingly cocooned in duct tape.

"Hey Buddy… and Bill. Having fun yet?" I asked.

They were awkwardly stacked in the back of the van. They also looked very close to heat stroke. Jett might be comfortable under the tarp, but she wasn't human.

"How long does it take to starve a Yeerk?" Karl asked.

"Seventy-two hours… if they've just fed," Esplin answered.

"They need water, and you don't need that much tape to restrain someone," Karl said.

"Okay. Can you take care of this? We need a second vehicle," I said.

There were too many of us.

And that was a good feeling. Even if our right eardrum was constant agony.

I sent Tin man to acquire a second vehicle, at his discretion. Which left only one immediate problem. Technically, I wasn't the one in charge.

Helaine and Torfan were in human form and correctly dressed. Torfan had been the one driving. Time to get yelled at…

((You jeopardized us all, to save a handful of humans. Most of whom abandoned you at the first opportunity!)) Helaine snarled.

To anyone else, it looked like a very angry (and attractive) college coed was glaring at me from twelve inches away. Silently.

"It may be easy to get lost in my eyes, doctor, but you need to calm down," I said, unable to help from grinning.

((I told you no more squirrels!)) Helaine shouted.

"Our strength has doubled. How is that a problem?" Esplin asked.

((They are unproven! How can they be trusted!?)) Helaine snarled.

I think I knew what the problem was. We were bringing them "home."

Where her daughter was.

A little girl without the ability to morph. If the ship was discovered… Sonili couldn't exactly hide among humanity like Torfan and Helaine. She was slightly conspicuous.

"We need to get out of this state. Then we can stop, and starve out the two yeerks properly," Esplin said calmly.

"Until then, you're human," I reminded them.

This was not going to be a fun day. I just knew it…

((()))

After an entirely too close of a call with a highway patrolman (he pulled the speeding car ahead of us over), my nerves were essentially wrecked. Lack of sleep will do that. That and driving for eight hours straight. Karl was driving the second van (behind us), with all the humans in it. I was nervous not having any of "us" in the vehicle with "them."

I was on alien escort. The utility van Tin man had grabbed (after switching the plates with a set from his travel bag), didn't have seating or windows in the back. After we dumped all the junk out (tools, etc) there was enough room for two humans and a hork-bajir to sit.

Which meant, every two hours, the andalites could remorph, one at a time. We didn't have to stop.

But we did stop somewhere in Missouri, mostly because there was now snow on the ground.

Then we waited for Bill and Buddy to finish starving. They lasted two whole days. It wasn't pretty.

Sonili-Esth-Fastil:

"Hey kid, we're home!" someone shouted. I looked up from the computer screen. I'd already seen their arrival on the perimeter sensors. That didn't keep me from running down to the main hold though. I had been alone for almost two weeks.

"Okay, blind-folds off!" Jacob called.

((Jacob!)) I laughed, as my friend helped a large human climb out of the back of the pick-up truck.

"F-f-freaking c-c-c-old—" the large dark skinned human shivered, stiff beneath his coat and gloves. Apparently he'd been forced to ride in the exposed truck-bed. Judging from the snow that was blasted into Jacob's hood, so had he.

"Man up, Tin-man, it was only minus six," Jacob chuckled.

Other humans were also climbing unsteadily out of the truck bed, one tripped and fell, half-landing on another human, taking both to the deck.

((So many—)) I whispered. Humans had been the minority among our group.

Now… now they outnumbered non-terrestrial species.

I stared up at the large human cautiously. There was something about him that I instinctively did not like. The way he moved, and stood… humans might be highly variable… but this one was a predator. My people respond to predators… violently.

Jacob noticed my tension, and edged his way unobtrusively over towards us, while still helping the hunched humans exit the vehicle's cargo area.

I was skittish from my isolation, no doubt.

But those instincts were there for a reason.

Jett rose from beneath the pile of tarps that had been wrapped around her, now that the humans had all climbed out of the truck bed.

So many humans…

Then I remembered.

((Jacob, I have something to show you)) I said.

"Okay. Just let me get these guys sorted out first," Jacob said, distracted.

My family was home.

Esplin 1894:

((Blindfolds are only a temporary measure. As our numbers grow, the risk of exposure increases)) I pointed out, worried.

"Couldn't we do what the Arn did? The whole Yeerk suicide trick?" Jacob asked.

((They were masters of genetic engineering. We lack such technology here)) I sighed.

"Even if they know we're in the mountains, that doesn't really narrow it down much for a Yeerk search party… especially between the metal deposits, and our cloak—" Jacob argued.

((—It might take time, but it gives them an area to search, which is significantly smaller than a planet)) I interrupted.

We climbed the ladder to the second deck, and wandered towards Sonili's quarters. Technically they were our quarters too, but after nearly losing an arm, Jacob viewed the space as wholly belonging to Sonili. We just slept there— cautiously.

"Alright, Sixes, Joker reporting," Jacob said, stepping through the hatch.

Sonili's hands were darting over the interface, and Jacob watched her fingers. There was something captivating about the intricate movements of so many fingers. Like watching a dance of some kind.

((Someone is looking for you, Jacob)) Sonili told us.

"That's hardly a surprise—" Jacob began.

((Someone human. Not Yeerk)) Sonili interrupted.

"Really?" Jacob asked, curiosity piqued.

((They had flags on your police file, the one related to your disappearance)) the Andalite continued, pulling up the relevant data on the display.

"How serious is this?" I asked.

Sonili blinked. So far she was the only one who knew when I was talking— during normal conversation, at least.

((For a human, they are very adept with computer coding and algorithms. I only managed to get a user name. I do have an infiltration program running, but so far, the human has avoided dark net usage)) Sonili smiled, looking happy with the challenge.

"Could they have started over? New computer, new IP address, and a new profile?" I asked. Jacob didn't know or care about computers.

((I considered that. This human has extremely elegant coding skills, but they are fairly distinct from standard coding, almost like a fingerprint. If the human logs in again, we'll know about it)) Sonili assured me.

Carger 943 (Sub-visser Three hundred ninety-two):

I had failed. Many of my people had died. That I was not responsible was irrelevant. I saved those I could, and tried to mitigate the disaster. That was all I could do. Somehow, the enemy had found us. There were six yeerks floating with me, in similar cages nearby. Other yeerks swam about us in the pool, avoiding us, and our shame, as our superiors considered our fate.

I do not know how many days I waited. It gave me time to dwell on my mistakes. How I could have done better. I had been careless. I assumed an accident had occurred, when the fireworks began. It had seemed too innocuous to be lethal intent. I remembered organizing my people, to combat the fires. Then there was pain, and burning. Something had exploded behind me.

My host had been badly injured, but the burns were only superficial. The fires were spreading too quickly, so I tried to help get the hoses in place. Then an explosion had destroyed most of the supply area.

The humans being held for off-world assignment escaped soon after, en masse. Sabotage.

Many hosts and controllers were killed… but the true blow that had nearly cut us off at the knees came from our own taxxon-contollers… the murderous creatures fell upon us, mad with hunger from the blood that had been spilled.

We were forced to kill our own brothers, even as they helplessly killed us.

My host had been killed, but I was close enough to escape, to crawl across the bloody ground, and into the Yeerk pool. The disaster had not stopped there. Taxxons came for us in the pool, still mad with hunger, forced by the press of bodies into the fluid, where they found more waiting flesh.

Many were eaten, before the Taxxons could be killed by other, more controlled, taxxons.

A disaster.

The chain connected to my cage began to rattle, and I felt my prison move, dragging me through the pool, towards the surface. My time of judgment was at hand.

((()))

I stood at attention, as best I could in a Gedd host. I kept my weak eyes trained straight ahead. The human sitting at the table was relaxed, but I could see the predatory gleam in her eyes. She shifted position lazily in the chair, studying me.

The most dangerous Yeerk in the empire lounged before me.

I was not deceived.

Many had underestimated her, had fallen for her mind-games and ploys. She was an ambush predator, a poisonous one. Most never noticed the subtle sting that sealed their fate… be it days, or hours before their deaths.

This woman had many rivals, but no enemies.

No living enemies, at least.

"Although severe, this incident is not great enough to involve the Council of Thirteen. Therefore, it is a strictly military hearing. Do you understand, Sub-visser Three hundred ninety-seven?" the woman asked pleasantly.

"Yesh, Vizzerrr," I nodded, cursing the clumsiness of the Gedd tongue.

"Good," Visser One smiled slightly.

"The Council of Thirteen placed me in charge of Earth's exploitation. The efficiency of this operation depends upon secrecy. In this way, we can allocate additional soldiers and equipment for usage by those on the front-lines, fighting the Andalites and their allies. So… you can understand how the escape of nearly three hundred hosts from the Yeerk pool could be cause for concern," Visser One observed. She paused, as if waiting for a response: an excuse, or pleading, I wasn't sure. I said nothing. I had not been asked a question yet. I did not expect to survive.

That did not mean I would bare my throat for the blade either.

I was a soldier of the empire. I would do my duty, without flinching.

"You are the last of the seven individuals I deem most responsible for this incident. Those above you in rank have placed the majority of the blame at your feet."

Of course they had. It was expected.

"I have, naturally, investigated their claims using memories from their host bodies, as well as surveillance records to corroborate their accounts. Unfortunately, your host's memories were inadmissible, due to its deceased state," Visser One continued. Her façade of friendly indifference had not slipped, but I thought I could sense a faint mote of amusement behind her cold eyes. She was enjoying this.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

I considered the question, and factored in the difficulties a Gedd host would have with any eloquent or impassioned rhetoric.

I might have had a chance with a human mouth for such a course of action… but no chance as a Gedd. It would have to be short, brutal, and to the point.

"I ahm rrr sholdjer of rrrmpirre. My acshunss arrr my oonllry defensh," I said slowly, struggling with the Gedd's damned tongue, and managed to finish my last sentence with better clarity: "Judge me brry thozshe."

A Gedd cannot stand proudly, or bravely. A Gedd is prey, and not quite stupid enough to be unaware of that fact. Even so, a Gedd may be a soldier, and I held my host as a soldier should. Ready for orders, regardless of what they may be.

Visser One idly rubbed two of her fingers together, studying me, thinking…

"You were a Hork-bajir, before your posting to Earth. Your combat record is slightly more notable than average, but you have survived every engagement you found yourself in, even against terrible odds," Visser One said slowly.

She had examined my record? Why?

"Any combat unit you served with also suffered a noticeably lower casualty rate… although no increase in average enemy casualty numbers per engagement. I find that interesting."

"You have displayed little to no interest in political advancement. In fact… I would be confident in stating that your current rank as a Sub-visser… was an accident. Am I right?"

I slowly nodded.

"A favor from a grateful Visser who did not know you well at all," Visser One chuckled.

I had served among Visser Forty-two's personal guard for several years. The Visser had "rewarded" my service with a promotion.

One did not refuse a Visser. Not if one valued living.

"After reviewing your actions within the Yeerk pool… I find you guilty—" Visser One purred.

"—of carrying out your duty to the best of your ability in a difficult situation. As punishment, I revoke your rank of Sub-Visser Three hundred ninety-two. Furthermore, I hereby transfer you to my personal guard."

A sub-visser could not serve among a Vissers personal guard.

"Of course, you will be serving my interests in a… detached… capacity," Visser One chuckled.

There was one other caveat involving a visser's personal guards. They answered only to their Visser. Not even the Council of Thirteen could command them. (True, orders could be issued to the Visser, and from there, to the guard, but that was essentially at the discretion of the Visser.) That particular blade cut both ways though. A guard could not issue orders to any ranked yeerks, and any ranked yeerk's orders (even the lowest Sub-visser's) could countermand a guard's orders to unranked yeerks.

It made a personal guard a very useful tool to any Visser. Most were employed in their obvious role as bodyguards… but some were utilized as operatives to advance their Visser's interests.

"Do you have any questions for me, guard?" Visser One asked.

"Vhat do rrr whizsh of me?" I asked, stiffly dropping onto one knee.

The visser simply smiled.

Jacob Nyles:

"Whoever taught you was an idiot," Karl said, after our third sparring session.

"But it's still pretty good for an idiot," I said defensively.

"It's passable, because of your speed and strength, but your stance is full of holes and weaknesses. You win because you usually have the drop on your enemy," Karl judged.

I remembered the fight against the Hork-bajir guard in this very hold, and knew she was right. That guy had nearly torn me apart.

"That being said, I don't think you need to learn Judo. Especially not the formal version," Karl said, wiping at her sweaty brow.

"What do you mean?" Esplin asked.

"Training reduces weaknesses, and increases reaction times with proper responses, but it also makes a fighter more predictable. A trained stance might be perfect, but it's also rigid, and its strengths are clearly visible. It also puts an experienced enemy on their guard," Karl said thoughtfully, still studying us.

"So… what are you suggesting?" I asked.

"You understand leverage, and have a basic grasp of exploiting enemy weaknesses. You're also deceptively quick and strong for your size. Your attacks are fluid, and almost completely random, difficult to predict, let alone anticipate," Karl continued. I felt a little flutter in my belly. Everyone likes knowing when they're good at something.

"But your greatest strengths are also what keep you from improving, in close combat. If I trained you in proper Judo, you would lose that fluidity. You would begin to respond to stimulus using trained responses, and become predictable, and limited," Karl said harshly.

"Okay… so what should I do?" I asked, annoyed.

"Learn to shoot," Karl smirked.

"Hey, I'm pretty good with a Dracon beam," I protested.

"You're a gut shooter. You don't aim. You react. This makes you dangerous at ranges of less than ten meters," Karl shrugged.

"Yeah. But because I shoot first, the other guy doesn't have a chance for his perfect shot to line up and hit me," I snapped.

"Relax. You're all about being a wild-card, I get that. I wasn't planning on teaching you anything with pistols. Those are most effective at your range anyway. I was thinking of rifles," Karl said smugly.

Well, shit.

((Just remember, you did ask for this)) Esplin observed smugly.

"I'm going to teach you how to reach out and touch someone," the rather scary woman said, smiling.

Sonili-Esth-Fastil:

"You're a kid?" the human asked me. She was clumsy from the crutches she was using, since the deck was slightly canted. Jacob said she mostly spoke "Spanish" which made it hard for him and the other humans to communicate clearly with her. It was all the same to my translation chip, (after she spoke enough to give it a baseline for comparison).

((I'm twelve years old)) I said sharply.

"So a kid," the human sneered.

((How old are you?)) I retorted.

"Thirteen," the girl bragged.

((Humans reach full physical maturity between eighteen and twenty years. My people are physically mature at fifteen)) I growled.

"So what?" the girl asked.

((So I am physically more mature than you, by comparison)) I snapped.

"So, do you like, bleed too, once you get old enough?" the girl asked.

I didn't understand. I told her as much, but the human didn't explain.

"You want to be friends?" the human asked.

((I already have friends. Jacob, and Jett)) I said suspiciously.

"Not that kind of friend. More like—" the human struggled, searching for some way to explain her meaning. She was confusing, and frustrating. She insulted me, then asked to be my friend?

"Like… for girl-things. When you need to talk about things you can't tell your other friends," the human explained.

((Secret things?)) I asked suspiciously.

"Sort of. More like embarrassing things you need to know, but can't ask adults about," the girl shrugged.

I'd never had a friend like that before. Did I need one?

((Will you be nicer, and less annoying if I'm your friend?)) I asked.

"Maybe," the human shrugged.

((Fine. We can be friends)) I said grudgingly.

"Okay. My name is Maria Delgada. My old friends called me Kat," the human said.

((Why did they call you Kat?)) I asked.

Maria lifted the bottom of her artificial skin, and bared the skin over her belly proudly. There was a marking there, with black ink, some kind of four legged animal. Its teeth looked sharp, so probably a predatory creature.

((What is it?)) I asked, warily.

"A black jaguar, stupid," the girl named Kat snapped.

((What's a jaguar?))

"A really scary, dangerous animal. Something you don't mess with," Maria said.

((Is it like Jacob?)) I asked. He was the most dangerous creature I knew of.

"Which one is Jacob?" Maria asked.

((He has facial scars)) I said flatly.

"Ah… the crazy-gringo. Yeah, it's sort of like him, I guess," Maria said skeptically.

She looked at me from the corners of her eyes. It was a look I recognized from Jacob. It was a "crafty" look.

"You like him?" she asked.

((Jacob is my friend, of course I like him)) I said, not understanding the question.

"I don't. He punched me in the belly," Maria said bluntly.

((Were you trying to hurt him?)) I asked.

"Maybe," Maria said, unabashed.

I rolled my stalk eyes.

I would never understand humans.

Carger 943:

"I'm still not certain why you chose that host," Visser One said.

"A Yeerk helped facilitate this attack. A Yeerk that temporarily used this host. He also saw several of the presumed perpetrators," I explained smoothly.

"Yes, but you could examine the memories and then select an… intact, host," Visser One pointed out.

"I could," I allowed.

"But you won't," Visser One smiled knowingly.

"Thomas will heal. I can use that time to conduct my investigation," I said.

Visser One nodded, "Keep me apprised of your progress, but remember this— you have only one chance."

"Understood," I bowed, and the screen went blank.

Thomas Hamilton junior flinched, as I dug through his memories again:

You're safe now. She's in my head.

My predecessor, Sub-visser Two hundred thirty-three had been aware of the unknown infestation. He had assumed a Yeerk had stolen this host, to free accomplices from the human authorities, to avoid repercussions from the Sub-vissers for incompetence.

He'd begun trying to identify the hosts involved, and through them, their Yeerks, but the hosts involved had also been unknown.

His conclusion: unauthorized infestations, that had resulted in accidental incarceration by human authorities.

His report read as such. The writer of the report was now dead, a testament to his conclusions.

He had been one of the six to lay blame at my feet.

I was the only one of seven still alive.

I would not waste this chance.

I studied the face of the man in my host's memories. A man with distinctive scars.

I remembered this man. A woman had been with him, both had been dressed as members of a delivery service. I had told them to follow me.

And they had.

Anger burned in my belly, the ones responsible for so many deaths had been within my reach. I could have killed them. Stopped this from happening.

My quarry had a name: Jacob Nyles. He was currently being hunted by most of the empire, and had been for nearly seven months, but all details as to why were restricted, by the seal of the Council itself. He was an escaped controller, according to the extremely limited biographical information available.

An escaped controller was a serious threat to our operation here, but not as dangerous as discovery by the Andalites.

It could have been worse.

I would endeavor to prevent finding out how much worse.

This Jacob was sloppy, impulsive.

He would make mistakes, leave clues.

I would track this man, and tear down everything he accomplished on this world.

It was my duty.