Calnen was almost unaware of the other Andalite in the room with him. He had his hand pressed firmly against the interface panel and was pouring through the records the team had taken from the Blade ship. Estrid was doing the same, though in a different way. She was concentrating on technical data, like how much power had been used recently and what sorts of foodstuffs for the hosts were aboard to try and find out where the Blade ship might have been going and where it might have gone.

Calnen himself was focusing on other things. References in messages to the crew, hidden memos between the commanders, etc. They mentioned places Calnen did not recognize, but that was no surprise, considering Kelbrid space was undocumented. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds, of bits of information to sort though. But Calnen couldn't think of anything that might tell them where Prince Aximili and that Animorph had gone.

Alloran and Sabion were combing the Blade ship, trying to find out, from what was missing, what was present, and what was destroyed where Prince Aximili might have gone. Acario and Alludra were scouring Acario's report on Kelbrid space, trying to figure out where it was even possible for the Yeerks to have gone with the prince.

(Calnen, does this really serve a purpose?) Estrid asked, shaking him out of his own thoughts.

(What do you mean? We need to find Prince Aximili-)

(Not that. This, right now, trying to figure out where the Blade ship might have been going. It will not tell us where Prince Aximili is, since he will almost certainly be incapable of going to his destination.)

(True, but if the Yeerks were going there before, I am certain that wherever they may be right now, they will be bringing Prince Aximili to their destination eventually. I wonder though... What do they even want with him? Why bring him here?)

(I would think that was obvious. For one thing, they want another Andalite host. For another, if they plan to reestablish the Yeerk Empire, starting a war between the Kelbrid and our people would help immeasurably. With us weakened by war with the Kelbrid, we could not stop them again.)

(I suppose so. Yet I think there is more to it. We have spent approximately six hectorotes in space, searching for clues as to the location of the Blade ship or the one stolen by the Animorphs. A hectorote before we left, we lost contact with Prince Aximili. That means that the Yeerks have had seven hectorotes to do whatever it is that they want to do with him. Yet they have not yet started the war. There is a bigger plan at work here.)

(Perhaps something just delayed the start of the war? It takes time to mobilize forces and to-)

(Normally I would agree, but if the Kelbrid have already been alerted by the Yeerks that there is an Andalite in their sector, the Kelbrid would certainly have captured the Blade ship. But I have found nothing to suggest that they have revealed themselves to the Kelbrid.)

(You have a point. It does not appear that the Blade ship was at any point impounded by the Kelbrid..It has visited numerous Kelbrid worlds, but I do not think they actually contacted the Kelbrid. What could they be doing?)

(Looking for someone, I think Their intraship memos seem to indicate it.)

(Who?)

(I do not know, other than that it is a Kelbrid. Or perhaps multiple Kelbrid. It is impossible to say. The name utilizes symbols that this ship does not know how to translate. I am not certain how I would begin to pronounce it.)

(Perhaps Acario does. He spent two kilorotes here.)

Calnen just snorted at that. (I doubt he will be of much use, unless you a1re looking for the nearest scoop of impropriety. And Crangar knows what diseases he picked up from this sector. Personally, I would not even touch him. He is probably highly contagious.)

Their unnamed ship drifted around the two wrecks for three rotes before Alloran was satisfied that he had exhausted everything the Blade ship had to offer. There was nothing more to find there. All the information it was possible to get had been recovered. The reports and records were read. Now, it was time to try and figure something out. Alloran paced around the command deck while Calnen, Sabion, and Estrid stood at attention. Alludra slouched, and Acario was missing.

(Where is that westerner?) Calnen demanded. It was clear from his tone of voice that westerner was as good as a curse to him. In that regard, at least, he was not much different from his eastern brethren.

(He had some...thinking...to do,) Alludra answered. (I decided not to join him.)

(Why is he permitted to indulge such habits?) Sabion asked. (On the homeworld-)

(We are not on the homeworld,) Alloran interrupted. He was tense, ready to get moving. The longer they stood around waiting, the farther from them the Yeerks and Prince Aximili got.

(Fine, then. On any proper starship-)

(There is nothing proper about this ship or its mission,) Alludra prompted.

(So none of you think that this is a problem?)

(Of course it's a problem,) Alludra answered. (Acario is an addict. But if he just stopped doing things like this, his body would not be able to take it. It would shut down and it is entirely possible that he would die.)

(So much the better,) Sabion argued.

(No, he is at least useful as a guide,) Calnen admitted.

(Perhaps if we limited his intake,) Estrid began.

(If you all want to keep discussing my drug habits, I can just come back later and tell you where the Yeerks took your friend,) Acario suggested as he entered the deck. There were visible traces of yellow powder around his breathing slits.

(You know?) Estrid asked.

At the same time, Sabion asked, (What is on your nose?)

(I don't know exactly,) Acario answered. (But I'm sure we can figure it out with some help from the old Butcher here. And he can probably help me figure out where the Yeerks went, too.)

(I found some clues on the Blade ship,) Alloran answered. (All of the portable Kandrona generators were taken. All of the Bug fighters were launched several rotes before the crash. However, a transport shuttle, larger than the Bug fighters and z-space capable, left shortly afterwards. There were no traces of unhosted Yeerks in the ship's pools aside from a handful of deceased ones. What can we assume from this, Calnen?)

Calnen thought about it briefly. (It seems logical to me that there were few survivors of the crash. Those who survived, Prince Aximili among them, took the transport shuttle, the Kandronas, and the unhosted Yeerks, and fled. It is clear from their supplies that they intend to remain in Kelbrid space for an extended stay, and perhaps begin a new infestation. They will need hosts, after all. How many hosts could the transport shuttle carry?)

(Fifty at maximum capacity,) Alloran answered. (I doubt it was full, though. There were maybe one hundred hosts on that Blade ship when it left our space after the battle above Earth, and I saw a great number of deceased on that ship. Approximately fifteen were killed in the initial crash, and there were numerous others who died on lower decks due to depressurization of the ship, lack of oxygen, or freezing to death.)

(I see. And what are the ship's movement capabilities?)

(It was only designed for ship-to-ship transfer, so its Z-space capabilities are limited,) Alloran answered. (It could move only a handful of parsecs even at full power. Perhaps five at the most. It was designed so that it could draw on Kandrona generators for power, but it seems unlikely that the Yeerks would do that, as they were forced to abandon the primary generator on the Blade ship and would not know when or where they can obtain more generators. Likewise, the ship can be used to recharge a generator. At most, they are seven parsecs away.)

Calnen bobbed his tail. (Very good. Alludra, when you were reading Acario's report, did you find any inhabited worlds within seven parsecs of our current position?)

(There are two planets, one six parsecs away, one that's one away from that.)

(Two inhabited planets?) Alloran asked. (Which one do you think the Yeerks are more likely to go for?)

(I was thinking about that earlier,) Acario interrupted. (I figured that they'd run for the nearest one, even before you started in about hosts and transports shuttles and all that. If your ship gets mangled like the Blade ship did, you're going to get help as soon as possible.)

Alludra added, (One is a primitive world Acario has never been to. According to some information he picked up from a traveler, the natives there thought the Kelbrid were deities. When the Kelbrid showed up to conquer them, they found worshipers instead. So they keep a few of their people there to keep the natives in line, but for the most part, the Kelbrid are lax there. If it isn't a Kelbrid structure, it's a bunch of sticks and straw.)

(And the other world?) Estrid asked.

(Much more high-tech,) Acario told her. (My bet is that the Yeerks would go there, grab another ship, and get back on track going wherever it was they were trying to get to. I think we could still catch them there if we gave it a shot.)

(They would not be able to obtain a ship easily,) Estrid agreed. (Even if they just infested the one in charge of a ship, they would have to have it refitted for their own purposes. Places to keep the hosts, pools, and probably have a better Kandrona created. With the destruction of the Animorphs' ship, they will most likely not be in a hurry, as they have no way of knowing that someone is still following them.)

Alloran nodded. (That's all true, but they won't be going there, will they Calnen?)

Calnen bobbed his tail. (No, War-Prince, they will not be going there. Not first, at least. The Yeerks will need hosts, so they will strike the primitive world. There, they will capture what hosts they can and then they will go to the industrialized world. Most likely, once they have the necessary ship, they will return to the previous planet for more hosts.)

(My thoughts exactly,) Alloran agreed. (I see I did not make a mistake in choosing you for this mission. We will go to this primitive world, then, and see if we cannot catch them there. If we find no sign of them, we will immediately move to the industrialized planet. Acario, Alludra, do these planets have names?)

(Svutan is what they call the primitive world,) Acario answered.

Alludra concluded, (Ulian is the name of the industrialized one.)

(Good. Knowing some of the crew of this ship, I feel I should remind you of our capabilities. There are six of us. That is all. Therefore, it would be a bad idea to attempt to engage the Yeerks in battle. If we find Prince Aximili, we will take him quietly and we will leave. It is imperative that we not be detected by the Kelbrid, even if they do not know what we are.)

(There is something else, War-Prince,) Calnen added. (From what I can gather from the Blade ship's logs, the Yeerks were looking for someone. I asked Acario to attempt to translate the name, as the script in which it is written is not one that our computer is familiar with.)

(He asked Alludra to tell me,) Acario clarified. (I got you a translation, but it doesn't help us very much. It's Kelbrid script. Ancient Kelbrid, in fact, something the only use for special things like naming planets and giving out titles. The person the Yeerks are looking for is someone the Kelbrid call 'the Allseer', roughly translated.)

(Is there a smooth translation?) Alludra asked.

(Who Sees All Things Through The Power Of The Blood Of The Stars,) Acario answered. (I like my translation better. Easier to keep in your head.)

Calnen took over from there. (I believe that Estrid and I have been able to narrow down where the Yeerks might have been going, and where they will go after this detour if we fail to catch them. Estrid?)

(According to the records the Blade ship had of its fuel levels before the crash, it was prepared to travel as far as fifty parsecs before they ran completely out of energy,) Estrid explained. (Using the information in Acario's report on Kelbrid space, which I programed into the ship's computer, I was able to create a map of all planets we know to be inhabited within that range of our current destination.)

A holographic star chart appeared in the center of the room, projecting down from the ceiling. There were countless stars dotting the map. (Working off the data I collected from the ship's logs it was clear that the Yeerks visited numerous worlds in various quadrants and appear to be moving galactic north.) Suddenly, most of the bright points disappeared. (Judging by the worlds they have already visited on the search for this 'Allseer', we can assume they are only visiting worlds that can be inhabited by traditional life forms.) Four worlds lit up and then disappeared. A green circle appeared, encompassing eight different worlds. (Based on this information, we believe that the Yeerks were going to a world within this circle, one of these eight.)

(They're going to a place called Yanak 6,) Acario answered.

(You're sure?) Alloran asked. (How do you know?)

(They're looking for someone called the Allseer,) Acario told him. (Now, I've never heard that name before, but I heard a lot of rumors while I was in Kelbrid space. About five kilorotes ago, while I was making the trek back to our sector, I started hearing rumors of some sort of traveler with...weird powers. That made me decide to stick around for a bit. There were all kinds of rumors, none of which could agree on anything except that this being existed. They couldn't agree on age, gender, race, or even what his powers were. But there were is worlds where I usually heard you could find him. Four of those were the four the Yeerks visited. Yanak 6 is one of the other two. I'd bet my tail that this is the guy the Yeerks are looking for, and that's where they're going to be looking. I think that's where we should head.)

Sabion, who had decided it would be wisest to remain silent during a strategic meeting at which he had nothing to contribute, finally found reason to speak up. (Our mission is not to stop a bunch of Yeerks from finding some Kelbrid mystic who is probably not even real. It is to rescue Prince Aximili and return home.)

Calnen tried to keep the sigh out of his voice. He failed. (Sabion, as soon as they can, the Yeerks will go to Yanak 6 in search of this mystic. We could set a trap for them there.)

(If Acario's assumptions are correct,) Sabion retorted. (And need I remind you that he does not even know what he has altered his bodily chemistry with? His judgment cannot be trusted at the best of times and especially not now.)

(Nevertheless, it sounds reasonable to me,) Calnen answered. (However, if we set a trap at Yanak 6 and something goes wrong, we will have no idea where the Yeerks are going to go.)

(Huorn,) Acario argued. (That's the sixth place people say this Allseer is.)

(If they find us at Yanak 6, they will know we are on to them,) Calnen responded. (There is no chance they would go straight to Huorn, they would try to lose us first. And we could not simply set another ambush at Huorn, they would be prepared for that. Waiting for them at Yanak 6 is too risky.)

(Calnen is correct on this,) Alloran decided. (Right now, our biggest advantage is that the Yeerks do not know about us. The longer we wait around in Kelbrid space, the greater the chance is that they will hear a rumor or something that will alert them to our presence. Too much of a delay will ruin our advantage of surprise. It must be up to us when we reveal ourselves, and to what extent. And I believe we should do it soon.)

(If we strike them now, we might succeed in concealing our numbers. At the very least, the Yeerks will most likely not realize that we think we know where they are going to go,) Calnen continued. (That is an advantage we can keep even after they know about us.)

(We will go to Svutan, then,) Alloran decided. (We will attempt to capture Prince Aximili there. Just in case that fails, though, we will go to near Ulian first and send a team to investigate and make sure the Yeerks are not already there.)

He took a look at his soldiers, if they could be called that. Acario had to lead this part of the mission. He was the only one capable of doing that. It would be pure idiocy to send Sabion with him. Aside from the fact that they would not accomplish anything together, if it came down to a fight with the Yeerks, Alloran needed Sabion's help. Calnen would not be of very much use to Acario, military smarts would not be what was needed for the task and again, he would be more useful helping Alloran. Alludra...Alloran knew the sort of trouble those two would get into if he let them loose in an alien city together. That left Estrid.

Alloran sighed at the thought of that. She was smart. She would stay out of too much trouble, wouldn't she? (Acario and Estrid will go to Ulian and scout the situation. If you encounter Yeerks there, delay them if possible but try not to reveal yourselves.)

(But Uncle Ally, you know how I love to reveal myself.)

The flat of Alloran's tail smacked the side of Acario's head. (That doesn't even make sense. We're always naked.) He sighed. ( Calnen, Alludra, and Sabion will come with me to investigate Svutan. We might see a0n end to this mess before long.)