(Kelbrid Space?) Sabion echoed. His stalk eyes drooped down below his main eyes in an expression of shock. He had heard before that Alloran had gone mad, but hadn't quite believed it. Temperamental, yes, and violent, but not delusional. Yet here he was claiming that they were to be sent to the one place that no Andalite dared go.

(Raise your eyes, Warrior!) Alloran commanded. (You look ridiculous.)

(I think he looks quite appropriate,) Calnen answered. That was not surprising, considering he had the same ocular expression as Sabion.

Acario had one eye raised in a lopsided grin. (What, you didn't know? Guess the class genius and Captain Perfect didn't get the memo.)

Alloran ignored him and continued. (We have been given this mission by the highest authority because it is of the utmost importance. And it must, at all costs, remain absolutely secret. Any incursion by Andalites into Kelbrid Space will spark a war for which we are not prepared. For this reason, the War Counsel has disavowed any knowledge of this mission. They have even had it erased from their minds. We are the only ones who know.)

(What are going to be dong there?) Calnen asked. He was recovering from his shock a lot more quickly than Sabion was.

Alloran set a small holovisor on the table. An image of an Andalite cruiser appeared. And, next to it, was an image of perhaps the most famous Andalite alive. (Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill has, since the end of the Yeerk War, been hunting the Blade ship formerly in the possession of Esplin 9466, which contains the final remnants of the Yeerk military forces.)

(Why waste-) Sabion began.

(And an Escafil Device,) Alloran interrupted. That silenced Sabion. (Approximately one hectorote ago, we stopped receiving communications from him.)

(Do you think-) Calnen started.

(That is not the end of it,) Alloran continued, rolling over Calnen's speculation. (Approximately three rotes ago, several humans of note went missing.)

That seemed irrelevant to Sabion. (Why would we care-)

(Two of these humans were named Jake Berenson and Marco...,) Alloran trailed off.

After a pause, Alludra asked, (Does Marco have a family name?)

(Yes, of course.)

There was another pause. Alludra turned all four eyes on her father. (And that is...?)

(We were never formally introduced, you know,) the old War-Prince growled. (The circumstances of our various meetings were...unpleasant.)

(It was not in the mission briefing?)

Alloran sighed. (Yes, it was. But it was difficult to concentrate with a certain drunken Gedd screaming at our Scoop.)

That stopped any objections Sabion might have had. Those were two of the Animorphs. The two most famous, for that matter. (At the same time, an experimental Yeerk ship also went missing.)

Calnen twitched a stalk eye. (You think they-)

(Of course they did,) Alludra interrupted. (You're supposed to be the smart one? It's obvious what happened. Prince Aximili disappeared. His friends stole a Yeerk ship and went looking for him.)

Alloran shot his daughter a three-eyed glare. The forth eye was still scanning the area due to the force of unbreakable habit. (That is what the War Council has surmised. According to what data we could gather, Prince Aximili was at the edges of Kelbrid Space when he disappeared. We believe the Kelbrid have captured him.)

(Why do you think it was the Kelbrid?) Sabion asked. (It could have been the Yeerks. The Blade ship.)

Alloran snorted. (I know that Blade ship far better than anyone in the galaxy. And there is little chance that it would have succeeded in battle against Prince Aximili's cruiser. That was an advanced model, one that was designed to stand up to a pair of Yeerk Pool ships. It was designed to go anywhere in the galaxy and withstand anything in the search for the final Yeerk remnants. The Blade ship, by comparison, is an out-of-date pile of junk held together by the efforts of fools and pure evil. The Yeerks could not have done it.)

Calnen started talking again. (But by kidnapping him, the Kelbrid-)

(Would start a war with us, yes, we know,) Alloran interrupted yet again. (And if they were ever going to do so, now would be the time. We are very weak from the Yeerk War. Our allies, what few we have, are decimated or unable to be of any real use. The Kelbrid have always been a warlike people. If they were ever going to act on their urge, now would be the perfect time to do so. And if they could eliminate our national hero before they even had to do battle with him, so much the better.)

(So we're going to go after him,) Acario butted in.

Alloran only glared at him with one eye. (Acario is correct. Before they wiped their minds clean, the Counsel prepared a new ship for us, as well as some other bits of technology. The ship cannot be traced to the Andalite people. It is not a type ever seen before. Only this one was ever produced, the plans were destroyed, and the scientists who created it underwent a very thorough memory wipe with one exception.) He gestured to Estrid, with his tail.

(Estrid-Corill-Darrath, the only scientist who still remembers that the ship even exists, will be coming with us. You are to direct all technological inquiries to her. When we go to the ship, she will brief you on the various items the War Counsel has provided for us.)

(Why us?) Sabion asked. For once, Alloran didn't interrupt him, so he continued. (If this is such an important and secret mission, why not send the best the Andalite people have to offer? Calnen and I graduated from the academy three kilorotes ago, but we're far from experienced. And he gestured towards Acario. (He never even came close to graduating. Why us?)

(I've got no idea why you're invited,) Acario answered. (But for my part, everyone who's been to Kelbrid Space, raise your tail.) Acario did so. Everyone else, of course, did not.

(You lie,) Sabion accused. (No Andalite has ever ventured into Kelbrid Space.)

(You still got that habit of believing everything they teach you in the academy, I see,) Acario said dismissively. (I have been to Kelbrid Space. I spent three kilorotes there after a mishap with some Rakam-Garoo left stranded in their sector. Nice place, if you don't mind hiding all the time. 'Course they wouldn't know an Andalite if one slapped 'em in the face, thank Crangar.)

(What Acario means to say,) Alloran added, (is that he is the only individual in this entire sector of the galaxy who is familiar with Kelbrid Space. His expertise there are unmatched by anyone else in our race.)

(Okay, so you have your guide. Why the rest of us?) Calnen asked.

Alloran turned his main eyes on Calnen and one stalk eye on Sabion. (The two of you are in a unique position.)

(Not very unique if we're both in it,) Calnen pointed out.

(You are expendable.)

(Is that a threat?) Sabion demanded.

(It's a fact, you Gedd,) Alludra answered before her father could.

Alloran took over from there. (You, Calnen, had the highest exam scores that we have seen in the last five kilorotes. Yet, because of the sudden lack of need for strategic military skill, you have found a low post in the intelligence bureau. You are very useful, but if you should suddenly disappear, very few would miss you. And you, Sabion, as much as it disgusts me to say this, had the highest tail-fighting scores since Ajaht-Litsom-Esth. Again, you are potentially useful, but if no one ever sees you again, very few will blink an eye.)

(I am not-)

(Yes, Warrior, you are. The only reason you retained your post in the military was because according to your exams, you were not fit for any other line of work except for perhaps that of a driftball player. It was decided that you would be more useful as a potential meat shield.)

(What about her?) Calnen asked, indicating Estrid. (If she's such a great scientist-)

(She's dead,) Acario interrupted.

Sabion just started at him. (I am certain that she is alive.)

(Not according to the government,) Acario answered smugly.

Alloran sighed. (Approximately five kilorotes ago, Estrid was part of a team sent to Earth under a rogue Intelligence agent. His goal was to release a biological weapon that would kill the Yeerks. It had the potential side effect of also killing their hosts. Before going on his mission, he altered the records to state that all those who went with him on this mission were deceased in an accident. Although not precisely a secret, the fact that Estrid is alive has been kept quiet.)

(And you are going to be the one leading this mission?) Calnen asked of Alloran.

(Yes. I am just as expendable as the rest of you. A skilled leader willing to fight against ridiculous odds and do unconscionable things who can easily be cast aside without a second thought. I am the ideal commander for such a mission.)

(So it's going to be the five of us?) Sabion asked.

(Six,) Alludra answered. (I am coming, too.)

(Why you?) Calnen asked. (Are you secretly an assassin or something?)

(She is coming,) Alloran answered, (because I know very well what happened the last time I left her unsupervised.)

Alludra sighed. (Father isn't the diplomatic type. If we're going to be dealing with alien races, someone has to keep him in check. If there is anyone else here who wants to deal with his rage issues, speak up. No? What about Acario's drug problems? Trying to keep Sabion from being an idiot?) She shook her head. (You lot wouldn't last a decirote without me.)