(What is that smell?) Estrid demanded as they entered the housing complex. Landing the ship had proven easy enough, in spite of the fact that Acario's motor coordination and judgment had been somewhat impaired by the time the moon was in the proper position. He contacted some associates of his, who prepared a place for them to land. So far, though, Estrid and Acario had met no one. Their landing field was in the slums, where a building used to be before it was reduced to rubble. Someone had cleared them a space large enough for their ship. Estrid had no idea who that was.

After landing and concealing the ship through a combination of the cloaking device and spraying the area with some sort of chemical that made it smell repugnant to any sensible species, Acario filled a pair of satchels with objects from the ship and led Estrid to what he called his scoop away from scoop. It was a single-story building where, Estrid gathered, sentiments paid the owner to allow them to live there temporarily.

Though Andalites had no currency among themselves, they quickly learned that something of the kind helps when dealing with other races. There was much trade in the galaxy, and what was worthless on one planet might be worth a fortune on another. Various roots and herbs from the Andalite world, for example, were known to have amazing medicinal effects on certain species. It was common for Andalites to trade these for materials that they needed to build ships, weapons, and whatever else they might need.

Acario swayed a bit as he walked. Whether it was a cocky swagger or a drunken stumble was difficult for Estrid to guess. Both seemed equally likely. (That smell?) Acario sniffed as he entered the building, its doors sliding open in front of him. (Probably a Gurhurunarian. They seem to find it attractive.)

(Someone should tell them that they are wrong.)

(Maybe. And maybe someone should tell us that we shouldn't be eating grass. To each his own.)

Acario approached a desk, behind which sat something that looked very much like a large blob. Its flesh sagged heavily from its body, drooping off like it was melting. The whole thing was various shades of brown. Acario rested his elbows on the desk and his head in his fists. (Hey there. The name is Schish. A friend of mine told you about me an hour ago.) Estrid sighed. Schish was a word unique to the Andalite people – and not a polite one.

"Of course, Na Schish. Please follow me. Your friends are already waiting inside."

(Excelent,) Acario smiled. The blob led the way down a narrow hallway. Acario followed him into the enclosed space without any sort of hesitation. Estrid took a few deep breaths and tried to recall more frightening things she had seen and done. A narrow hallway was not as bad as being in a Yeerk Pool. Not at all. That made everything seem better.

The blob stopped in front of a door labeled with numbers Estrid did not recognize. He handed Acario a small, shiny device that was semicircular in shape. Estrid fought the urge to vomit from her hooves as the blob rubbed against her, shoving its way back to its desk. (No wonder we wanted nothing to do with this sector,) Estrid muttered.

(It's not so bad. Those Hurn are great cooks,) Acario answered, pressing the device against an indentation on the door. The door slid into the floor with a clanking noise. The machinery was definitely faulty.

The room was simple. There was a waste-disposal facility as well as a cleansing station. There was a bed that they would find no use for. Laying on the bed was an extremely large insect of some kind. It stood up when they entered the room. Its head was disc-shaped, with a pair of mouths under it and the eyes on top. Beneath its head was a segment with six arms extending from it. Four were weak, delicate things. Two were large, crab-like pincers. It had a third segment where its four delicate legs connected to its body. The whole thing was a burnt orange color.

"Acario," It greeted them. Acario had been kind enough, or intoxicated enough, to upload the information he had about the Kelbrid language into the ship's computer so that all of the Andalites could learn it. Estrid knew, from his reports and descriptions, that this was not a Kelbrid. It was a species called the Cho-ka-bi.

(Chal-Van,) Acario greeted the insect. (You have more arms than I remember.)

Chal-Van glanced at Estrid, then back to Acario. "I could say the same about you. What's this all about, Acario?"

(I'm looking for someone.)

"Someone's looking for you."

Acario's stalk eyes narrowed. (Tell me about it in a minute. This is actually important.)

"It's always something with you."

(Usually four or five things. The one I'm looking for is someone like me.)

"Another Hooloovoo?"

(Yeah, one of us. He's going to be with some other creatures you don't recognize. Tall, blades on all their limbs, pretty dangerous looking. They're going to want a ship and want it fast. There might also be some big, giant worms with them. They eat...everything. You hear about anything like that?)

The Cho-ka-bi appeared thoughtful, but it was difficult to say. "There might be something. Someone I know owns a restaurant in the production yards. He came complaining to me because some customers came in one night and ate everything. Including one of the employees. I think he said something about big worms."

(That sounds like Taxxons,) Estrid agreed.

(We'll check that out,) Acario nodded.

"Other than that, I don't have much for you now. I'll get some people on this. How important is it, Acario?"

Acario shrugged. (Not sure. Important enough I went back to my homeworld. This other Hooloovoo...he's looking for someone called the Allseer. I think he might be that hermit everyone was excited about last time I was here.)

"That might be nothing. Might be dangerous," Chal-Van said, shrugging four of his arms. "I'll keep some feelers out and keep you updated. But you need to know that someone's been looking for you. They've kept a bit of pressure on me."

Acario leaned his upper torso against the wall. (Yeah?)

"What in Ouer-Shev's name did you do on Ormandi Secunda?"

(Oh. That.)

"Yes, that. I don't make a habit of digging into your business, Acario, but whatever you did made an enemy out of someone very, very important. Someone with a lot of power wants your head nailed to their desk."

(This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened to me, you know. I'll be fine.)

"You don't understand, Acario. They hired a professional to find you."

(I've had bounties on my head since I was an adolescent,) Acario responded. (I'm here, they aren't.)

"This one's different. What did you do, Acario?"

(If you need to know...one thing led to another and I ended up putting my tail through a Kelbrid Underoy. I got out of the sector after that.)

"You killed an Underoy!" Chal-Van shouted. He looked around frantically, as though afraid assassins would appear at any moment. He put two delicate claws on Acario's shoulders. "Listen, Acario, you can't stay here long. This bounty hunter is going to find you and he's going to kill you."

(What's so dangerous about this one? You and I've both had to deal with this sort of thing before.)

"This time it's different," Chal-Van said quietly. Even more quietly, he added, "They sent a Howler."

It had been a full rote since the mission to Svutan. The entire time, Alloran, Calnen, and Rah Jaget had been holed up in Alloran's quarters, trying to figure out just what in yaolin had happened. A village slaughtered, Yeerks killed in the heads of their hosts and, as near as Alloran could tell, all of it caused by an Animorph. He knew from long experience that they were capable of some incredible, impossible things, but this...this wasn't possible. They did not possess this power, he was sure of it.

After a rote of study and thought, Alloran summoned the crew to discuss what was happening. Sabion and Calnen stood stiffly at attention. Alludra slouched a bit as usual. Rah Jaget tried to imitate their formal posture. The last thing Alloran needed was a Hork-bajir to babysit. He already figured out how to solve that problem, though.

(First order of business,) he addressed his crew once everyone was on the bridge. The War-Prince paced in front of them, his stalk-eyes always scanning the equipment. (Rah Jaget is to be conveyed into Warrior Sabion's custody. You will be responsible for her safety and well-being, Warrior Sabion.)

(Me? Why?)

(Because you are the only one here who thinks at the same level as a Hork-bajir,) Alloran snapped. (Only someone with a mind like that would ask 'why' when I give an order.) Alloran calmed down and continued. (Using Rah Jaget's account and our own observations, we have reconstructed approximately what happened. It is...not pleasant.)

Calnen gave a thought-speak command to the ship's computer. A hologram appeared in the center of the bridge. It was from Rah Jaget's point of view, an approximation of her memory of the event.

They stepped off of the transport ship, into the forest. Seven Hork-bajir would be enough for this. They were to gather hosts for infestation. The transport ship took off, headed for a nearby planet. They would be back with a new ship and a new pool. When they returned, this village would be ready for infestation.

They climbed the trees and moved with stealth that most would not think Hork-bajir were capable of. It took them less than an hour to reach the village. They watched, observed, keeping an eye on the village all night. The Kelbrid governor seemed to be gone. The natives remained. They were primitive in the extreme, kept that way by the Kelbrid. They would be exceedingly easy to take.

They came at dawn, dropping out of the trees and into the village. Negotiations went well. It was easy to convince the natives that they were messengers of the Kelbrid, servants of the Gods. They were welcomed with open arms. The Yeerks told the Def of a ritual they would undergo when more Messengers arrived. It was so, so easy. The Def would willingly walk into Yeerk pools. So simple.

Then it came. There was no warning, just a scream. Everyone moved to battle positions. In the market square, there was a bird. One with brown feathers, a cruel beak, and a red tail. On the ground in front of it was a Def. It was obviously dead, but there were no visible wounds on the body. Rah Jaget's Yeerk recognized the bird. The Animorph. Tobias. The Yeerk gave the order to attack.

The Def charged at it with primitive weapons. Spears, rocks, slings. And suddenly, they fell down, dead. The bird didn't move, didn't blink, didn't say or do anything. But there was no doubt in Rah Jaget's mind that the Animorph had killed them. Suddenly, it was changing, shifting. The Yeerks did not approach it.

It changed into a human. A young human, barely more than a child. Wild blonde hair. Dark eyes. He walked towards them. Suddenly, Rah Jaget felt an odd emptiness. Suddenly, with no idea how or why, the Yeerk had lost control. He was free. And he had no doubts that the Yeerk was dead. The Hork-bajir looked at each other, confused and frightened. Then someone shouted something, called the Animorph a demon. The Hork-bajir attacked. The Def attacked. The Animorph struck back.

Def and Hork-bajir fell and died. He advanced, not turning or looking anywhere but at the sphere where the Kelbrid had made their temple. Rah Jaget knew better. He hid in the sphere, peeking out through the doorway. The closer the Animorph got, the more violent the destruction became. Def and Hork-bajir were dismembered, torn to pieces, shredded like bark.

At last, the Animorph entered the temple. He turned to Rah Jaget, met his eyes. Rah Jaget wept. The Animorph put a hand on his shoulder. "Ax is my problem. If you get interfere, you will be fighting powers you can't understand or beat. If you involve yourselves in this, you are going to die." He paused, then added, "Alloran."

Everyone was shaking. Calnen had vomited from his hooves. Alludra was gripping the console for support. Sabion and Rah Jaget were visibly quivering. Finally, Alludra asked what everyone was thinking. (What in yaolin is going on?)

(I had Calnen use the ship's sensors to examine the scene. Share your findings.)

Calnen nodded slowly, composing himself. (The ship's sensors found unbelievably high concentrations of E. particles in the area,) Calnen answered. (Not only was the village crawling with them, the corpses also showed some of the highest amounts ever recorded. My conclusion is that someone has found a way to weaponize E. particles, and that the attacker was utilizing that weapon.)

(He was unarmed,) Alludra argued. (Where do you think he was concealing this weapon?)

(Impossible to say,) Calnen admitted. (It is possible that the weapon was being used from a remote location.)

(Can E. particles have this sort of devastating effect?) Alloran posed.

(I do not know, War-Prince, but that seems to be the case. I will need to consult Estrid on this matter. She is far more of an expert in this than I am. She might be able to tell you something new.)

(What does all of this mean?) Sabion answered.

(I know a thing or two about Animorphs,) Alloran answered. (I know that the one we're dealing with is named Tobias. He has more combat experience than many War-Princes. He is extremely skilled at surveillance and observation. He thinks quickly and is used to acting alone, without the support of others. I do not believe he means us harm, but he believes harm will come to us. If he was warning us, then we must be very, very careful. And if he was threatening us, we must be even more careful. He is every bit as dangerous as his father was.)

(His father?) Sabion asked.

Alloran nodded slowly. (Yes, Sabion. Tobias is, in many ways, one of us. He is the son of Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.)

Andalites did not sleep in beds. Unless they were Acario. He was comfortably sprawled on his side, under the blankets. Estrid had decided to sleep standing up, as any self-respecting Andalite would. Of course, Acario had never been accused of having much respect, self or otherwise. Estrid was sleeping peacefully. She was rudely awakened by Acario's voice in her head. (Don't move. Pretend to still be asleep.)

She did as she was told. (I would not need to pretend if you were not so rude. What is it?)

(Oh, a small matter. I hear a few beings on the other side of our door.)

(You woke me up for that?)

(I also hear the sound of an interface hack unlocking said door.) That got Estrid's attention.

(How do you know it is an interface hack?)

(I've been present at the hacking of many interfaces. If we were in our own sector, I could probably tell you who made the thing. Now, when sentients break into my room in the middle of the night, they're usually here to kill me. As soon as someone comes in, get below the bed and morph to something small. Get back to the ship and wait for me there.)

(I am more a warrior than you are, Acario,) Estrid said hotly. (I am not going to run from danger.)

(Fine then. You stay here and fight the assassins, I'll go hide in the ship. Come let me let me know when you're done.)

There was no further time for argument. The door clanked into the floor and Acario opened fire, shooting from the Shredder mounted on his palm. Estrid was about to join in, but it was like everything was happening too fast for her to follow. As soon as she aimed at one of the shadowy figures, It was already dropped, as was the one beside it. For all his faults, Acario was a very good shot. Not one to wait around, she rushed forward, her tail darting faster than Acario could follow. In the time it took him to fire, she slashed one of the creatures three times, leaving it crippled and dying on the floor.

Suddenly, part of the wall behind Estrid was torn away. A rectangle about four feet tall and two feet wide was missing. Silhouetted by lights from outside was a being Estrid had never seen before. It was about as tall as a tall human. Its blue eyes seemed to glow. Its sharp teeth drew into a smile. Its flesh was red and black, like cooled lava. There were sharp claws on its writs. One of those claws was at Estrid's throat.

It grabbed her, wrapping one arm around her upper torso, pulling her in front of it. A shield between itself and Acario. Acario dropped the last one in the door way and turned to face this new creature. (The Howler, I presume.)

"The Andalite," the Howler growled.

(Okay, you know way too much already. Good thing a Shredder through the brain cures all that. Are you going to hold still or is this going to be interesting?)

The Howler only grinned. "Come and play, Andalite. We always win."

(So do I.) He fired. The green beam disintegrated the Howler's head. There was nothing left of it. But it didn't release its grip on Estrid. Slowly, horribly, its head began to grow back. Acario paled a bit. Estrid, ever the scientist, was more fascinated than anything else. (Okay, that's a neat trick. But I've always got a few of my own.)

(Acario, I can distract him for a moment,) Estrid said privately. (If I acquire him, he might loosen his grip. I can get out of the way. Do you think you can kill him?)

(I blew his head off, and now he's just smiling at me. I'm not sure how to kill that.)

(I have heard of these creatures,) Estrid said. (Aximili once told me that one was killed by a fall. Sufficient trauma should do it.)

(Got it. I think I know what to do. Ready when you are.)

The Howler and Acario watched each other, waiting for an opening. Estrid focused on the Howler. She felt its DNA flow into her. It didn't go into the trance like she was expecting, though. Its grip loosened a bit, but not like she was hoping. Still, she tried to pull away and struggle out of its grasp. She kicked with her hind legs and slashed with her tail. Finally, after several agonizing seconds, she was free. She leaped over the bed and turned, prepared to shoot.

As soon as Estrid was out of his line of fire, Acario opened up. One beam went directly into the Howler's head, into its brain. Three more struck it in the chest, blowing away any important organs that might be there. Acario shot it in the legs, too. There were always important arteries in legs. Six shots in six very precise locations. All in the amount of time it had taken Estrid to get to the other side of the bed and turn around.

Acario kept shooting and Estrid joined in. After about thirty seconds of shooting, there wasn't enough left of the Howler for it to possibly regenerate. (This could be a problem.)

(Why is that?) Estrid asked.

(I've never known a Howler to give up on something this easily. Something is definitely not right about this. At all. First thing tomorrow, we investigate that restaurant, then we find someplace better to hide. I'm going to go tell the manager that we need a new room for the night.)

(Wouldn't it be better just to go back to the ship?)

(No. They probably want us to do that. Then they'd know where our ship is. We'll sneak out of here in morphs. Tonight, let's get some rest.) He turned to go.

(Acario...where did you learn to shoot like that? It was...impressive.)

(I have... I had a brother. He died when his ship crashed, though. A real shame, too. Not just for me, either. He was best sniper the Academy ever saw.)

(I find that unlikely. I met the best sniper the Academy ever saw.)

(Hate to break it to you, but unless his name was Aloth-Attamil-Gahar, he was lying to you.)

(Actually...it was.)