A/N

Hey, guys. Sorry for not updating for a long, long time. Long story short, a lot of stuff happened in my life. You'll probably be glad to know that I've finally been able to move in with my fiancé, Gina and have never been happier. I don't have Internet at home, though, so I have to go to the public library to access it, and unfortunately, that blocks FFN, so I haven't been able to post this yet.

FFN being blocked means, also, that I can't reply to reviews, so if you reviewed something of mine and didn't get a response, that's why. I can read them just fine, I just can't reply. So if you really want my response to a review, email it to me, or send me a message on Neopedia, or something; I'm not difficult to get in touch with.

So yeah...sorry about the delay. Enjoy and such.

P.S., you can thank John3Sobieski for uploading this for me.

CHAPTER 31
David

I fell asleep. There's not much to say aside from that. I was supposed to be keeping watch for Alloran and I dozed off. I just couldn't keep my beady little eyes open. Have you ever felt so tired that it's an effort to keep your eyes open? It was like that. I don't know why I was so exhausted. I'm worried that maybe I'm just getting old.

Al didn't say anything about it; I appreciate that. I didn't need to be reminded about it. He figured that whatever shame I was feeling over it – which I'll admit was a lot – was punishment enough. Andalites are like that. We had a job to do anyway. Lirem was acting as suspiciously as Alloran, and that couldn't fly.

Naturally, someone as powerful as Lirem had his own private grazing fields outside of his Scoop. There was no one else around as we landed and demorphed from our bird forms.

((Okay, Al; this time, we go in together. If Lirem's not home, you get into his computer. If he is, let me do the talking. I know how guys like him think.))

((Agreed,)) Al nodded as we entered the Scoop. Lirem was standing before the desk, his hand on a small, turquoise oval that was probably the latest computer available on the Andalite homeworld. He didn't notice us come in. Maybe age dulled his senses – I could understand that. My ears and nose aren't what they used to be.
((Lirem,)) I called. He dropped the computer and spun around, tail snapping into a combat position. At least he still had his reflexes, for the most part. ((We need to talk.))

((Is there some emergency?)) he asked, lowering his tail.

((I'm not sure yet,)) I admitted. I kept an eye on his tail. If he was working with our enemies, he'd get violent when we called him out on it. I hoped Al could take him. I've seen Al decapitate Kelbrid; Lirem should be no problem, but people can surprise you. Especially people who feel trapped. ((There's something we need to discuss.))

((Is it the insubordination of entering my home uninvited?))

((I've got my orders,)) I answered simply.

((Yes, well...I'm hereby revoking those. I am busy, 'human' and do not have time for interruptions just now.))

((Unfortunately, Councilor, I'm not part of your army.))

((Are you saying that War-Prince Tobias did not send you?)) he pressed.

I thought about it. And about how Putin had asked us to see to some things here. ((My orders come from a different source, Councilor,)) I answered. ((And the one who sent me is very concerned about this election.))

((This election is no business of your people,)) Lirem answered simply. ((Now, remove yourselves or I will have you removed.))

((Who the Andalites choose as their leader isn't my business; but if the Yeerks are involved...then it's everyone's business.))

((Yeerks? What are you talking about?))

Time for a gamble. Politics was always about bluffing. ((You're not acting like yourself, Lirem. Yesterday, you were polite, civil, simple – like any Andalite should be in an election. And then you started playing dirty. Spreading dirty rumors and truths best left buried. That doesn't sound like an Andalite to me.))

((What are you implying?))

((I'm not here to imply anything. You're not acting like an Andalite, Lirem. I don't have any doubts about why. The question is just whether they took you by force or if you made a deal with them. How long have you been a Yeerk puppet, Councilor?))

Lirem's tail twitched but he didn't strike. ((I am no such thing! How dare you!))

((Did they come and take you or did you go to them, Lirem? You knew you couldn't win this one on your own. You needed help. You were so desperate to cling to your old power that you made a deal with them, didn't you?))

((Now see here! I-))

((Or did they take you? Maybe I'm talking to a slug right now.))

((I am not a host!))

((We'll know that in three days, won't we?)) I posited.

This time, his tail came into an attacking position. ((I am no Yeerk puppet, you insolent-))

((Then explain yourself,)) I interrupted. ((You are very suddenly not acting like yourself. Having a slug in your head is a better explanation than most.))

((Regardless of what you may think -))

((Oh, it isn't just me, Lirem. At least, it won't be. As soon as the rumor of this gets out, it's over for you. No one's going to give a vote to someone they even suspect is a host. And before you get any ideas,)) I added, ((there are five people who know we're here. So if we happen to...disappear...the rumor will be pretty firmly cemented.))

Lirem's tail sagged. ((What do you want, child?))

((Just the truth, Lirem. You're not acting like yourself. Why?))

LIrem sighed. ((It was Jaham. This was his suggestion this...distasteful business.))

((Jaham?)) I asked.

((He would like to be the Head, of course, but he is satisfied as the leader of the War Council. If I could keep my position, he could keep his. If Alloran or that child Caysath is elected, we will both lose our authority. We have fought this war for a long, long time, rat. Jaham and I know what we are doing. It is best that things remain as they are.))

((Your people seem to disagree,)) I answered.

((Sometimes, they do not know what is best,)) he answered.

((And you do?))

((Yes, child; I do. As does Jaham. It is for the good of the people that we remain in power. So we had to discredit Alloran – Jaham said it would not be difficult. We only had to remind the people of the things they already knew. Alloran was our most dangerous competition, you see. But with him discredited, there are no troubles for us now.))

((Caysath,)) I answered.

((He is young. Inexperienced. Unproven. In a time like this, the people will not put their lives in the hands of one such as him. One with experienced is needed, and that is what Jaham and I possess.))

((David,)) Al said privately, ((if 'playing dirty' was Jaham's idea...))

((Yeah,)) I agreed. It meant that Lirem was, at least, still an Andalite. Jaham, on the other hand... ((Guess it's off to candidate number three.))

CHAPTER 32
Jeanne

Melissa and I picked ourselves up off of the ground. Several Hork-bajir lay around us. Some were fine, some were badly wounded. There was no sign of Erek or the Emperor. That meant they were both in the ship, and Erek was powerless to stop the Emperor from doing whatever he wanted. Pemalite security measures, particularly on the ship, tended to be pathetic.

One of the Hork-bajir lying next to me started to stir. I stamped my foot down on his throat. Melissa looked at me, her head cocked to the side. ((The less people the tell, the better our chances are,)) I explained. I wish I felt as casually about it as I sounded. This sort of thing was in line with my training; I found it distasteful in the extreme.

Melissa joined in, and we managed to finish off the Hork-bajir before any of them could rise to defend themselves. I wish that made me feel good instead of sick. ((Okay...so what do we do now?)) Melissa asked.

((Ronnie and James are on that Dart ship, headed for the Pool ship. Hopefully, we warned them in time for them to do something. The Emperor has the Pemalite ship and Erek...)) I trailed off.

((Erek's safe; Chee are nearly indestructible, right?))

((Yes, though...I fear that the Emperor is going to learn of there existence very, very soon.))

((We need Erek and the ship,)) Melissa responded. ((The Emperor has to take the ship somewhere. Where would he go? The Pool ship?))

((Maybe,)) I admitted. ((Though if he did, I do not know how we could follow him. The ship is so fast he could be there and back by now.)) A minor exaggeration, perhaps, but the Emperor could easily find himself anywhere in the galaxy in a short amount of time. How could we find him?

((Does he know that?)) Melissa asked.

((Know what?))

((How fast the ship is. I mean, he has to stay nearby, right? To meet with the Ssri'Kai. He can't just go on a joyride in his new car. Not far anyway. He'd have to come back here.))

((Perhaps, but it is possible that while investigating the ship, he will discover its speed. He could be anywhere.))

((Maybe, but where would he want to go? Even in that ship, the Yeerk homeworld is days away, and he's got business here. I'd bet he'll come back here, probably really soon. I just don't know where.))

((Erek will undoubtedly be with the ship and the Emperor. If he is nearby, I might be able to locate him,)) I answered. ((We need to get back to Erek's room so that I can get my iHolo. We can track him with that as we did when we first arrived.))

((How were we doing that, exactly?)) she asked.

((All of the Chee are connected to an advanced intranet they call the Cheenet. Al hacked into the Cheenet through the Pemalite ship and wrote an app that allowed me to track Erek through his signature in the Cheenet.))

((Is it normal for us not to tell each other when we're doing things like that?)) Melissa asked. I detected a strong note of bitterness in her voice.

((I am sorry. I did not think it was particularly important,)) I answered. ((Had I known you were interested in the technical aspects of how we were locating Erek on this planet, I would have informed you.))

((It might be nice to be informed every once in a while.))

It was fairly obvious there was something deeper here. ((What haven you not been informed of?)) I asked carefully.

((Where to begin? How about someone mentioning that there were standing orders to give Jordan, Sara, and Kristina morphing power? None of you thought that was important?)) I was about to respond, but she did not give me the chance. ((Or how about giving me more information on that whole Nartec thing? All I knew about that was what Jake told me, and that wasn't a mission briefing. It's like everyone here knows a whole bunch that I don't and nobody tells me anything.))

((There is a lot to tell, Melissa. How can we know where to begin?))

((Maybe with your list of other people to add to the team,)) she answered. ((Are there others you've got plans for? Maybe Marco's butler. Everyone's parents? Family pets?))

((There are no others, as far as I am aware.))

((You sound way too calm about this.))

I began walking back towards the Ssri'Kai city, demorphing as I went. I would need to arrive in morph, but if I was wounded, questions would be asked. "I trust our leaders, Melissa. I would think that you trust Jake, at least. If he does not tell you something, he must have reasons for it."

((Even things that could help keep us alive, like information about the Nartec?))

"Jake and Tobias are human, Melissa."

((One of them is.))

"Both make mistakes, and both forget things. They still need to adjust to this new dynamic. There was a time when there were only six of them – of us. Everyone was present for just about every mission. Everyone already knew everything. Neither of them is accustomed to informing other Animorphs of past missions. It just does not occur to them most of the time. It could very easily have been a simple accident."

((And you just accept that and move on? Like it didn't happen?))

"A great many things have happened to me that I wish did not,)) I answered. ((Missing a few bits of information is the least of them. There are bigger battles to fight, Melissa, and we cannot afford to fight among ourselves."

((Is it fighting to question Tobias and Jake? You said it yourself: they make mistakes.))

"Yes, they do. And questioning is fine. But they are not here to question now. And none of this will help us locate Erek and the ship."

((This is all falling apart, you know,)) Melissa said from behind me. I could hear the usual sounds of morphing. When she spoke next, it was with her own voice. "This whole mission. Who knows what David and Al are doing? You heard what the Emperor said about allies on the Andalite planet. They could be in danger and we know nothing about it. We've got no clue if Ronnie and James are still alive. And here we are, stuck on a planet that can't even know we exist while the freaking Yeerk Emperor runs around with the most advanced piece of technology we've ever seen."

"Things...could be going better," I admitted.

"It's just...none of this is how it's supposed to be, Jeanne. It's not like Jake's stories at all. In his stories...everything usually turns out alright in the end. Even when they didn't win, they always made it away, always in one piece. Always together. Now how many pieces are we in? How are things going to be alright? We've still got to stop the Ssri'Kai leaders from getting infested and we know nothing about that. We need to find Erek and the ship, too and I don't know which is more important. We're alone here, Jeanne. And now we're stranded. If we stole a ship right now – as if we even could steal a ship from a bunch of Ssri'Kai – it'd take us months to get home. This...it's not right."

"Things are not as they once were," I answered. "This war is not the First War. We are not the first Animorphs. It is necessary for us to adapt to the way things are now. You and I have an advantage in that, Melissa."

"I know we do, but still...this just isn't..."

"I know what you were looking for when you joined us, Melissa," I said to her. "Some things have changed. But some have not. And the Animorphs...we have always been here for each other. The war we fight is a lonely one, and there are very few we can turn to. Only each other. Few others know, and no one else can understand. We are not perfect, but I would walk through fire for you as quickly as I would for Marco." I hoped that was true. I wanted to believe it was. I wanted her to believe it, too.

"Erek counts as one of us too, doesn't he?"

"With everything he did, I believe he does."

"That means he's our first priority, then. The Ssri'Kai aren't going to get Yeerked any time in the next few hours. Let's find us a robot."

CHAPTER 33
James

Dart ships are nice, but Ronnie and I figured that trying to make off with one of those would get us noticed. But we also figured that one of the transportation shuttles that live inside of the Darts wouldn't be missed for a little bit. We weren't expert pilots, but after our last experience, Ronnie was pretty sure he could get us to the planet. The transport was Z-Space capable and if he understood the coordinates right, the Pool ship was reasonably close to the planet, just waiting for the signal to attack.

The Emperor's hangar was still deserted, so we figured we'd grab his ship and be on our way. There was only one left in the Dart ship, since the Yeerks destroyed the other one when we launched it a few hours ago. A thought struck me as we slid into the pilot and co-pilot seats. "Do you think Yeerks ever listen to the stereo while flying?"

Ronnie gave me a look then punched the engines.

It wasn't a very fun ride. First we dropped through a Raminite door on the underside of the Emperor's ship, hovering just above the hangar floor. Then we shot forward out into space. I guess whatever fancy thing the Yeerks have to account for G-forces wasn't switched on because my cheeks were being pulled backward. The ship made some distressed-sounding noises that I assumed meant we were being followed by Bug fighters. "That isn't going to be a problem, is it?" I asked Ronnie.

"Probably not," he answered. A moment later, the ship lurched. For a moment, I thought we stopped. Then I took a look at the viewers. What should have been black was white – for that matter, so was what should have been green or blue or any other color. Everything was white. Z-Space. I didn't know exactly how it worked, but I knew enough to know that even entering directly behind us, just seconds afterwards, in the exact same spot, the ships wouldn't exactly be able to follow us.

"Do they get radio stations in Z=Space?" I asked idly.

Ronnie gave me that look again.

I'm not sure how much time passed in Z-space. There isn't anything to mark time or distance there, and if there was some kind of Yeerk clock, I didn't know how to read it. It felt like forever, but things seem to take longer when you're stuck in a box with a guy who keeps glaring at you.

We emerged within sight of a medium-sized planet with a lot of grey and pink. I guess they weren't fans of chlorophyll. We weren't alone, of course. There was one very large ship in orbit above the planet. It looked like an X, with the ends curved forward. Piercing the center was what looked like a very large spike, tapering to a sharp looking tip at the front. The rear appeared to be some sort of engine, judging from the glow.

"Capital ship of some kind, judging by the size," Ronnie commented. I shrugged. It looked big enough to me. There were several smaller ships, according to our sensors.

"Let's give them a big, friendly hello," I suggested. "Even if they don't understand it."

Ronnie pressed some buttons. "This is-"

A sharp screech cut through my ears. It sounded like someone cutting through a rusty pole with a chainsaw. I had heard that sound before, unfortunately. "Oh good, it's a Ssri'Kai ship." I leaned towards the control panel. I had no idea what Ronnie had been speaking into. "Could you repeat that?'

Unfortunately, they did. I think my ears bled a little.

"Ronnie, I don't suppose this ship can translate..."

I wish he'd stop giving me that look. "Alright...looks like we're not going to get any discussion done. Let's try to dock with them."

"Excuse me?"

"If they don't blow us into little pieces, we might be able to communicate with them in some way," I explained.

"I don't like that 'if'."

"It doesn't tickle me, either." Nevertheless, Ronnie guided the transport ship towards the Ssri'Kai capital ship. I guess they figured we didn't have any weapons – or weren't capable of doing any significant damage even if we did – because no one shot at us. Ten smaller ships came from somewhere in the capital ship to escort us. They were about our size, with the same general design as the capital ship, but the forward-points of their central spikes were flattened.

We followed them into a hangar on the ship. "You got records of the stuff we got from the computer, right? I don't want to come here without proof."

Ronnie gave me a new look this time, one that involved raised eyebrows. "I was supposed to have proof?" My jaw bounced off of my knee. "Just kidding. I...let's go with emailed...myself a copy of everything. We can show it to them."

Ronnie and I emerged from the transport ship to see more Ssri'Kai than I've ever wanted to see. Now, don't get me wrong, I know these ones weren't Controllers and probably weren't going to try and cut me open. But my first experience with them was not a pleasant one. I still remember that Apostate ripping out Cassie's liver... It's not something I like to think about.

They were armed, I realized after a moment. I guess it never occurred to me that creatures so deadly at close quarters would carry weapons, but they had them. At first, I wasn't sure it was any sort of ranged weapon, but I took a closer look and was convinced. It was basically a cylinder about two feet long and five inches thick at the far end. It slowly tapered until it almost looked like a sharp spike. It was actually hollow, though. I guess that's where the painful stuff came out. Each Ssri'Kai had one strapped to its left wrist, with a little ring around their biggest claw that I assumed fired the thing. I got a pretty good look at them, seeing as about thirty of them were pointed at me. Another thirty were aimed at Ronnie.

"Do you want to say it or should I?" I asked him.

Ronnie sighed. "You can. You're the one in charge of this whole thing."

"Alright." I turned to one of the Ssri'Kai. "We come in peace."

One of the Ssri'Kai stepped forward out of the crowd. I noticed that they weren't all the same. They had the same body shape, of course. Poisonous quills covered their bodies except for a bit of scale around their wrists and the base of their arrow-shaped heads. Black, expressionless eyes gazed at us levelly. They had clawed, hooked hands and dome-shaped feet I knew could stick to just about anything. Pencil thin lines of color ran all along their dark-blue bodies. Some were red, some were purple, some gold, some white, some blue, some green...you get the idea.

The one who stepped forward had gold lines running along his body, just like all the Apostates we saw. I wondered if there was something to that. Maybe it indicated rank or something. There was something on his neck scales that reminded me of a collar. He tapped it a few times. To my surprise, English came out of his mouth instead of that ear-killing screech he gave before. "Welcome to the Grunn'Kire. Our sisters on Ssri told us that strangers were in the sector. You were not invited here. Expect neither welcome nor violence. Why have you come?"

"Those strangers you mentioned?" I began. "We've got some information to share with you about them."

CHAPTER 34
Al

Jaham-Estalan-Forlan was certainly one of the most powerful Andalite leaders – and one of the most powerful individuals in the known galaxy. He was the leader of the War Council, a subgroup of the Electorate. The people select the members of the Electorate by popular vote, and choose the Head of the Electorate the same way. The members of the Electorate, in order to facilitate smooth government, create various councils as needed to oversee various aspects of the Andalite world. There were councils for scientific advancement, councils for the arts, and, when the Yeerks began their war, the War Council was formed. Jaham had been the head of the War Council for a long time. Now, he apparently thought it was time for something greater.

David and I were in our bird morphs, floating in the sky above Jaham's scoop. Unlike the other Andalites, Jaham had guards. Four Andalites were keeping watch in the field outside of his Scoop. Did he have something to hide or was it just the paranoia of a life-long soldier?

((Al, I'm starting to think something...))

((What is it, David?))

((Alloran and Lirem are pretty much out at this point. Between all the dirt on Alloran and Lirem being so unpopular, it's between Jaham and Caysath. And I...really don't think Jaham winning is a good idea.))

((We are not here to interfere with due process,)) I reminded him. ((Only to make sure Earths enemies do not manipulate events.))

((Jaham was the one who wanted to quarantine Earth, Al. I'm not sure I don't consider him an enemy. He was willing to sell us all out to the Yeerks. He even ordered Ax to help them do it –or at least not to help us fight back. He isn't what the Andalites or the rest of the galaxy need. They need someone who's going to stand up with their allies not leave them on their own.))

((While I do not disagree, David, that is not our place.))

((Call it going above and beyond the call of duty.))

I had difficulty believing what I was hearing. David was actually suggesting that we determine the course of the entire Andalite population, and a great many others besides. ((It is not our place,)) I repeated. ((It is not a decision we can make. Perhaps if Prince Tobias said differently...but even them, I do not know...))

((This one's a no-brainer, Al. The guy who wanted to sacrifice his allies versus the guy who stayed and fought for the Hork-bajir. No contest who's the better choice.))

((Then let us hope that the Andalite people can see that for themselves,)) I answered. ((They are far from ignorant or foolish, you know.))

((Yeah, but I just...don't trust democracy sometimes,)) he answered. We were both silent for several minutes. Then, ((So do you want to handle the guards or should I?))

((I do not have a plan for them. It is unusual for an Andalite to utilize body guards, even one such as Jaham.))

((Suspicious,)) David agreed. ((I can handle this. You be standing by, I don't know how long it will keep them distracted.))

((What are you going to do?))

((You'll know when it happens.)) Sometimes, I think my family might be rubbing off on David.

David flew off in another direction while I continued to hover over Jaham's scoop. I knew that David wanted Jaham to lose the election; he was hoping we would find something to drive Jaham out of the running. To an extent, I was as well. But I had to be objective about the situation. If Jaham was clean, it would be up to the people to decide.

Five minutes later, I saw something odd. A small fire started a distance away from Jaham's Scoop. Not close enough to threaten it yet, or to be seen from it, but close enough that when it was noticed, the guards would have to go extinguish it.

Another few minutes passed as the blaze grew. At last, I saw Jaham emerge from his Scoop and speak to one of the guards. Then the guards headed in the direction of the fire. Jaham returned to the Scoop. I swooped down and landed in the grass outside. I was about to dimorph when I heard something. An Andalite voice, one I did not recognize.

((..dispose of them?))

((It would be dangerous,)) Jaham answered. ((I believe they are here on orders from war-Prince Santorelli. Removing them would attract his attention, and you know how...troublesome...his kind can be.))

((I am not worried about the humans. They are well in hand. Our ally on Earth is seeing to that well enough.))

((With all due respect, Captain-Prince, underestimating them is not only foolish, it is nearly suicidal. Disaster is inevitable unless the most extreme caution is taken.))

I did not dare demorph now or move closer. They were clearly discussing David and myself and whether or not to kill us. Jaham, at least, was urging caution. But if he knew that I was listening... I could not edge closer to see who he was speaking to. Sneaking up on an Andalite is impossible. What was going on here? Jaham was still leader of the War Council. Why was he speaking to this Captain-Prince as though to a superior?

The unseen Captain sighed. ((Are they any threat to our immediate plans?))

((I do not believe so, Captain-Prince. They cannot stop what is to come.))

((Then leave them be keep your eyes on them. I do not want to add the complication of a War-Prince with suspicions. And troublesome friends.))

((It will be so,)) Jaham answered. There was a pause in the conversation. Then, ((Is there any word regarding progress on Ssri?))

Ssri? That was a Yeerk operation. These Andalites were involved with them, clearly. What was gong on here?

((The units will arrive within hours, along with their commander. All is going according to plan. That is all you need to know, Jaham.))

((As you say,)) Jaham agreed, sounding disgruntled.

((AL! They're coming back! Where are you?)) David called in my head. I flapped as quickly and quietly as I could manage. It would be a disaster if they knew I was listening. Jaham would surely try to kill us.

((David, there is a situation.))

((Yeah?))

((Jaham appears to be part of some sort of conspiracy in league with the Yeerks.))

David was silent for a few moments. Then, ((You know...I'm almost glad to hear that. At least it means we can expose him and make sure he doesn't win.))

((I am not certain about that. He was speaking to a Captain-Prince. That is a very powerful individual, and I expect there are more. There is no way to know how far this conspiracy extends.))

((Probably to Lirem, at least,)) David answered. ((He and Jaham have always stuck together, haven't they? No idea who else might be involved...))

((We will have to inform Prince Tobias. I fear he might need to come personally.))

((Yeah, I think so. In the mean time, we'll need to think about what we can do to help out Caysath. I know you don't want to meddle, Al, but...))

((This is why we are here. Do you know how to rig an election, David?))

((I've got a few ideas))

CHAPTER 35
Melissa

None of the Controllers stopped us to ask questions when we returned to the Ssri embassy. At first I thought that was weird. Wouldn't the Emperor have told them what happened? I mentioned it to Jeanne, though, and she explained it to me.

((The Emperor believes we were traitors. He will not trust most of his subordinates, so he will not have told them what is going on,)) she answered. That meant no one stopped us on our way to Ereks' room. We got a little lost a couple of times, since we didn't know the layout of the Ssri embassy, but we made it there eventually. There was a Hork-bajir standing outside of the door, with a Dracon beam at his side.

((A guard,)) I noted. ((He probably knows something's up.))

((Agreed,)) Jeanne acknowledged. She spoke to the guard. "The Emperor sent us to aid the investigation."

The Hork-bajir made some sort of facial expression. I couldn't tell what. Slowly, he nodded. "As His Highness commands." He opened the door. Ereks' room had been virtually destroyed. The furniture was in pieces, and anything that looked like a computer or document or anything else that might contain information was torn to pieces or being poured over by the six Hork-bajir and one Taxxon in the room.

((Didn't know they still had those,)) I commented about the Taxxon.

The guard closed the door behind us. With him inside of it, I noted. ((Jeanne, I think this guy's suspicious.))

((I get that impression, though I cannot imagine why.))

"They say they were sent to help," the guard told the others.

I thought about it for a moment. ((Well...'aid the investigation' isn't really something most Hork-bajir Controllers would say, is it?))

The Taxxon hissed something in its ear-splitting language that I didn't understand.

((Perhaps, but...))

One of the Hork-bajir nodded in response to whatever the Taxxon said.

Something else occurred to me. ((Hey, these would be the ones the Emperor actually trusts, right? The ones he's sure aren't traitors?))

((Yes.))

The other Hork-bajir were starting to look at us funny. I was getting a bad feeling.

((Then wouldn't these be the same Yeerks he'd trust to take over the Ssri'Kai leaders?))

There was a pause. ((Yes, I believe so.))

The guard's hand tightened around his weapon. I noticed that the others were unarmed.

((So taking these guys down would be a good idea, right?))

((I believe so,)) Jeanne began. That was all I was waiting for. I like to take action. I can't just...stand around. Not this time. But I don't want to be reckless. Since Jeanne agreed...

I spun around and slashed at the guard's throat. He jerked back, but my kneeblade caught him in the gut. He doubled over, dropping his weapon. I grabbed it off of the ground. When I turned around, it was already a scene of madness. Jeanne already had one of the Hork-bajir down; she must have caught him by surprise. Another one was bleeding badly, stumbling away from the fight. I wasn't too surprised. Jeanne was actually trained for this sort of thing. But she didn't have a chance against four Hork-bajir.

One was far enough away from the fight that I could be sure I wouldn't hit Jeanne. I fired. He stumbled and fell. I guess the thing was only set to stun. The others were too close for me to shoot at safely. I didn't want to hit Jeanne, even if it was only on stun. I dropped the gun and rushed in, slashing at one of the Hork-bajir.

He spun and blocked me, countering with a swipe across my chest. It drew blood but I pulled back before he could cut too deeply. I kicked at him but he dodged it. He lunged forward with his head, thrusting his horn-blades at me. I jerked to the side and slashed at his neck. I made a cut but he got out of the way before that went too deeply. Not your average Hork here.

Jeanne dropped another one, but I couldn't pay too much attention to that. Mine was slashing at me with one blade after another. Arm-elbow-foot-knee-horn-foot-elbow-wrist, over and over again. I blocked or dodged most of them, but more than a few cut me, too. Most of them not too deeply, but I was still losing blood quickly. So was he.

Jeanne finished her second Hork-bajir and turned to help me. It only took a few seconds after that. He turned to face Jeanne and I sank an elbow blade deep into his back. I think I cut something in his spine. He fell to the ground and Jeanne finished him off. I was breathing heavily. ((Not fair,)) I complained. ((I only got-))

Suddenly, my chest felt like it was burning. My body was numb, and blackness was swimming at the edge of my vision. What... Then I saw it. The Taxxon had picked up the Dracon beam. The injured Hork-bajir was just heading out the door. Jeanne leapt over me and landed on the Taxxon with both feet. Green-yellow goo exploded all over the place. I noticed a smoking hole in the ceiling where the Taxxon's shot had missed Jeanne. She picked up the weapon, thumbed the switch, and fired at the limping Hork-bajir. He disappeared.

Jeanne stuck her head out into the hallway. ((No one appears to be coming, but it is impossible to be certain. We must act quickly. Can you demorph?)) She was already starting to do that. I concentrated, though it was hard to do it over the burning in my chest. I was glad I didn't set the weapon to a higher setting. Slowly, I resumed my normal body and the pain went away.

Jeanne located her iHolo. It was intact, though the Yeerks probably were going through it. They'd know far too much, then. They wouldn't be telling anyone, though. "Erek is near," Jeanne said, surprised. "Two miles to the west of here. The Emperor must have put the ship somewhere the Ssri'Kai weren't likely to look."

I climbed to my feet. "Okay...Let's go get him back. I think it's probably a good idea for us to get out of here anyway. I don't want Ssri'Kai walking in to find this."

Jeanne nodded and we remorphed. The iHolo easily fit in the palm of her claw, so if she held it right, no one would see it. We passed a pair of Ssri'Kai heading towards Erek's room as we left. Maybe they heard the disturbance. Or maybe they were just walking.

Once we were outside of the embassy, we had to make our way out of the canyon, which wasn't as hard as it might have been. We couldn't walk on walls like the Ssri'Kai, but Hork-bajir can climb. We managed to climb up the side of the canyon without too much difficulty, then we were running across the flatlands. Hork-bajir can run a couple miles without even breathing hard, which was definitely good for us. We made it in less than ten minutes.

The Pemalite ship was waiting for us, tucked into a smaller crevasse with fewer crystals than the city. There was a smaller tower on top of the tallest crystal, and a few Ssri'Kai walking around on them, but I got the feeling these ones had already been infested by the Yeerks. They didn't bat an eye at the Pemalite ship.

Or at the Blade ship next to it.

CHAPTER 36
Ronnie

The Ssri'Kai didn't have a whole lot of forces in the area. Their thinking was that a planet so close to Ssri didn't need to worry about any sort of attack, and if they did they could call for help. That was the thinking, at least. We quickly found out that their z-space communications weren't getting through. I knew there were ways of blocking and intercepting those transmissions. I guess the Yeerks were close enough to do it.

Most of the fleet was made up of ships provided by the local population, the Grunn. Their ships looked like amorphous blobs, with weapons seemingly placed anywhere. Apparently, though, they weren't completely random because their ships were identical. They were about half the size of the Ssri'Kai ship. I wasn't filled with confidence.

When I was a Controller, my Yeerk wasn't a military type; not really, at least. He mostly did paperwork, so to speak. When he joined the Peace Movement, he made sure that important things got misplaced, lost, sent to the wrong person, etc. Anything he could do to disrupt operations. It was surprisingly effective. He was starved to death when the Visser learned what he was doing.

Even so, I knew a little bit about the Yeerk military – it would have been impossible not to. Pool ships were powerful, but Blade ships were more dangerous. Their weapons were just as dangerous, and they were more maneuverable. They were the real assault ships of the war effort. We had to deal with two of them, plus a Pool ship and all of their fighters. We had one Ssri'Kai ship, six Grunn capitals, and their assorted fighters. Technically, we had them outnumbered.

I was...not confident.

James and I waited on the bridge. We weren't going to be very useful here, unfortunately. The Ssri'Kai were better tacticians and actually knew what they were doing. We were just there to provide information about the Yeerks. There was one Grunn with us, acting as a liaison between the Ssri'Kai and the Grunn fleet. He was entirely hairless, pale orange, about five feet tall, with a lower body almost like a kangaroo's, but without the tail or pouch. His upper torso was muscular, but not overly so. They had thick arms, though I couldn't tell if it was muscle or fat. Their hands were also thick, with just two fingers and a thumb. Their heads were almost human shaped, with a wide mouth and a pig's snout for a nose. They only had one eye, which sat at the top of their heads on what looked like a roll of fat folded over on top of the nose. Not a particularly pleasant race to look at, but I've seen worse.

Not a chance against a Kelbrid or a Hork-bajir.

The section of the bridge we were on was raised about ten feet above the rest of the deck, where Ssri'Kai stood before various displays. We were on a flattened spire that jutted into a cylindrical room. Ssri'Kai stood on the walls and ceiling as well as on the floor. That was normal on the ship, though it was disorienting. Not something I was going to get used to.

The Yeerks dropped out of Z-space a few miles from us. In space, that doesn't mean much. One of the Ssri'Kai called to the Captain, who stood next to us. He responded in kind. On one of the holographic displays, I saw a bar start to fill. It took a full minute, but when it was done, the Captain nodded. A beam of pale-blue light lanced forth from the tip of the ship's spire. I couldn't tell how thick or long it was, but let me tell you: judging by the planet we were over, it was one big laser. It hit the Pool ship dead-center.

One of the Ssri'Kai called something. The Captain nodded and explained to us. "Their shields are down."

The Grunn moved to engage. We would be playing defense. The big laser had to cool down , and then be charged again, but we had other weapons in the mean time. The Blade ships and Pool ship were out of range, though. They were releasing fighter squadrons. The Grunn did the same, with ships that were as asymmetrical and amorphous as their capital ships.

I didn't have much faith in the Grunn pilots, but I was still shocked. They first Grunn squadron met a squadron of Bug fighters. There was no chance for the Grunn. They were simply obliterated. Unlike most Bugs, these ones had shields, for one thing. But the pilots were just...completely out of the Grunn's league. When they got a little closer, I could figure out why. The squadron leader was flying a Bug that was slightly different from the others. There was something slung underneath it, and the Dracon cannons were bigger. The whole ship was painted a blazing shade of red.

"Naronn," I said to James. I expected him to be commanding the battle, but I guess he left that to the other commanders. They'd follow his orders, I knew. His squadron wheeled through another Grunn squadron, annihilating them without any losses on their side. "Captain, that squadron is going to rip the Grunn apart piece by piece. Their pilots don't have a chance. You need to send in your fighters."

"As you say," The Captain acknowledged. He accepted our advice readily, assuming we knew more about the Yeerks than he did. I liked the guy. He called out in his language and moments later, five squadrons of Ssri'Kai fighters flew from the ship's hangar.

The Blade ships were engaging the Grunn capitals, with the results I was expecting. Two of the Grunn capital ships were already drifting apart, and one of the others was badly damaged from a fight with the Pool ship. We fired the giant laser again and this time, it cut straight through the center of the Pool ship, coming out the other side.

"Aim lower," James advised. "The engines and Kandrona generator are under the ship." He pointed at them on the display. "Take those out and they're dead."

We moved to engage one of the Blade ships as it finished another Grunn capital. The Ssri'Kai fighters met Naronn's squadron. It wasn't going very well for them. For each Bug they shot down, they seemed to lose four of their own. I heard Naronn was phenomenal, but I didn't realize just how good he was. Tobias was probably the best pilot I ever saw in action, and he couldn't have touched this Yeerk. Not in a thousand years. It would be like a trout fighting a polar bear. The gap between them was insurmountable, and the Ssri'Kai didn't have much more chance either.

Another pair of Grunn ships broke apart under fire from the Pool and Blade ships. This was a massacre. How could things be gong so badly? The Ssri'Kai were supposed to be great. If we had more Ssri'Kai ships, it might have been something else... As it stood, things did not look good. "Any brilliant ideas?" I asked James.

"Not a one," he muttered. "Man, how do Jake and Tobias do this stuff?"

We fired the giant laser again. This time, it pierced straight through the engines. I hoped it took out the Kandrona generator, too. The Pool ship started to wobble, unstable now. We were close enough to one of the Blade ships to bring all our weapons to bear. We opened fire from guns I didn't even know we had.

That was when two new ships appeared. One I didn't recognize. It was huge – maybe three times the size of our own ship, which was about twice the size of the Pool ship. This thing was MASSIVE. It was a star-burst pattern, completely asymmetrical, with huge spires like skyscrapers jutting out at all angels. It was like a giant spiked ball, almost. One the size of a moon. We're talking Death Star sized. "What the hell is that thing?" I demanded.

James shrugged. The Captain shook his head. "I do not know."

I almost didn't notice the second ship next to it. I probably wouldn't have, if the sensors hadn't pointed it out. As shocking as the first ship was, the second one really confused me. Because, see, this was one I recognized. An Andalite Dome ship. "Help?" I asked.

"A Dome ship? Has to be," James answered. Just before the Dome ship opened fire on us.

We were taking fire from a Blade ship, a Dome ship, the Pool ship, and our fighters were being torn to pieces. I didn't know what the star-bust ship could do and I didn't want to. There was no chance now and the Captain new it. He said something to his officers that I didn't understand, but I could figure it out.

We were falling back to the planet. We had no chance in orbit. We'd take them on the surface.