Calnen saluted Alloran as the younger Andalite entered the bridge of the ship. Alludra was standing by her father, as she had been all night. He was not acting like himself at all, and that worried her. (Report, Calnen,) Alloran commanded.
(I have finished analyzing Rah Jaget. Sabion is watching her now. It is as I expected. Rah Jaget is giving off incredible E. particle readings. The concentration surrounding her is as great as what we found on the Def planet.)
(What do you make of that?)
(Rah Jaget was exposed to more E. particles than any living being I know of. It is probable that those particles attached themselves to her.)
(Logical. And what do you think of her claims of prognostication?)
Calnen thought about it. (It is difficult to say,) he answered. (Ordinarily, I would discount it as impossible. However, there is some scientific merit to it this time. The effects of E. particles in this situation have never been studied. And as you know, I have only a basic understanding of them to begin with. For myself...I would wait for more evidence before making a decision. Though there is currently sufficient evidence for me to keep an open mind.) That last bit sounded wrenched from him.
(Alludra? Your thoughts?)
Alludra snorted. (It is absurd. No one can see the future, father. No matter how many E. particles are floating around them.)
Alloran nodded. (What does Sabion think?) he asked Calnen.
(If Sabion had his way, War-Prince, he would gladly stand in front of that tree for years, waiting for that branch to snap off.)
(I see. So the only one who believes this is Sabion.) His thoughts on that matter were obvious from his tone. (Calnen...Set a course for Ulian, emergency speed. I want to reach there as soon as possible.)
(Of course, War-Prince. Though if I may, I understand the destination, but why the haste?)
(What we have is a Hork-bajir who can allegedly see the future. And she claims to have seen two things that concern me: Andalites fighting some red creature and a dead Andalite. I would rather not arrive late and find one of my soldiers dead, would you Calnen?)
(I shall set the course immediately, my Prince.)
Acario led them to the restaurant the next morning. It was a small place in an out-of-the-way section of the city. The production yards were where the mechanics and engineers built ships. The workers usually had quarters near the yards, so there were always places to eat and drink nearby. There was an acrid smell to the air here, one that only got stronger the longer one stood in it. The sky was darker here, the sun dimmed by the smoke of the factories. Here, the ground was covered in metal sheeting. Some of it was intentionally hammered into place. Some had been dropped ages ago and never removed. Workers of all sorts of races crowded together, some going to tasks, some coming from them. No one paid attention to the two Andalites who moved through them.
Estrid and Acario entered the restaurant quickly, glad to escape the pressing crowd. It was a single-room, circular building, not particularly clean but not revolting either. The food preparation area was in the center of the building, with a counter around it. A bloated, off-white being stood in the center of the ring. It was vaguely egg-plant shaped, with thee bulbous eyes at the top of its body and a ring of tentacles around it. They snapped left and right, preparing food for the customers.
Acario strolled up to the counter. (What do you have for a couple of grazers?)
One eye rolled from Acario to Estrid and back. The being's voice sounded muffled, as though it's mouth were buried somewhere in its body. "For you two, I can blend up something. Just as long as you didn't bring any more of your friends."
(Our friends?) Estrid asked. Acario was glad she kept that private.
(The Taxxons,) he explained privately. Louder, he said, (Our friend mentioned something about that. You know what exactly happened? He was kind of vague on the details.)
"They aren't details I'm going to forget. Four of your worm friends came in. They didn't care what was in front of them, they ate it. At first, they were my best customers. Then I ran out of food and they decided to chomp down on one of my cooks. That was the last straw. I would have chopped them all up if your friend hadn't come in, pulled them out, and paid me."
(Glad he got that taken care of. That's why we're here, actually. Our pals have been causing problems all over the place. We're trying to track down the victims and make amends. We wouldn't want our good name ruined, you understand?)
"While you're on the subject, I got to thinking last night. And I was thinking that while your friend paid for the damages, I did lose an employee... I'm not sure what he gave me was worth a sentient's life..."
Acario nodded gravely. (Oh, absolutely. I don't have much money on me at the moment, but I might have something you'd like a bit more...) Acario pulled a small bottle out of his satchel. (How does four ounces of salt sound to you?)
"S...s...salt? You...you have four ounces of salt?" the being stammered.
(Oh, I've got plenty more than that. Pure, granulated salt. Iodized, even.)
"You...have more, you say?"
(Much more. So let me lay this out for you. Maybe - and this is just maybe, you understand - our 'friends' aren't so friendly anymore. Maybe that money they paid you was stolen from my employer and I want it back. And maybe I don't know where exactly these 'friends' of mine are. Do you think you might have a clue? If any of that were true, that is.)
"Oh, I've got more than a clue. I'm not the only one who's had to put up with those worms. I've heard stories from all kinds of people. Two days ago, someone came in here, talking about how an entire block of the building he was renting was suddenly filled with the things. And how they ate two of his neighbors. I know where they are." He gave them an address in the production yards.
(If I didn't already know where my friends were, I'd be grateful. I might even give you this,) Acario answered, dropping a small bag from his satchel onto the counter. (Two more ounces. I think that might keep your mouth shut about this little talk, don't you?)
"Oh yes, I think that'll do nicely. A pleasure. What are you called, friend? If all your kind are so generous..."
(Oh, me? I'm just a garden variety Hooloovoo.)
The being stepped back. "Hooloovoo you say..." It stepped forward again and pushed two tentacles against Acario's shoulders. "You need to get out of here. Now. Get off this planet."
(You know, if you know something dangerous to me, it'd be courteous of you to tell me.)
The being lowered its voice. "There's a Howler hunting for a pair of Hooloovoos. I should have recognized... You have to leave. Now!"
(Oh, that. it's alright. I killed him last night.)
"He was in here this morning."
That made Acario's usual grin drop. (This morning, you say...)
(Acario,) Estrid began, (Before last night, the Howler was only looking for one...Hooloovoo. Now it's looking for two. There must be another Howler!)
(If there were two hunting me, there would have been two there last night. Howlers don't take chances; they play to win.)
(Then where did this second Howler come from? I know we killed the first one.)
"You need to go," the sentient repeated. "I don't wish to see you both slaughtered, and not in my diner. Please, go. Run away. Leave the planet. You're a generous sentient, Hooloovoo. I don't wish that on you."
Acario nodded. (We should go,) he agreed. (We've got other places to be anyway. Thanks for the info. Enjoy the salt.)
The two exited into the pressing crowd again. (We should morph,) Estrid suggested. (As it is, we stand out very vividly.)
(Good point,) Acario nodded. He pressed a hand against the next being he passed, a snakelike creature with a long gash on its stomach for a mouth and a single eye at the end of its body. Estrid did likewise with a roughly dog-like creature. They stepped out of sight, into a dark alley, and morphed. A few minutes later, they were as unremarkable as it was possible for them to be.
(Salt?) Estrid questioned when the re-entered the crowd.)
(A delicacy in Kelbrid space. There aren't a whole lot of places to mine it.)
(Could they not desalinate the oceans?)
(They could, if most of the oceans had salt water. As it is... I made sure to stockpile a bunch of that before we left. Here, it's better than money, and less traceable.)
(I worry about the Howlers. How many do you think there are?)
(One. Like I said, they play for keeps. If there were two on this planet, we would have encountered two last night instead of just that one and a handful of idiots.)
(But we killed the one last night.)
(Apparently not. Like I said, Howlers don't die easy.)
(That one did. I am certain of it.)
They argued over the probability of more Howlers for the next several centirotes as they made their way to the address the restaurant's proprietor had given them. As far as residences in the production yards went, it was nice. A tall building, probably a converted factory. The outside was clean, if not polished, and the street around it was kept free of debris. The metal sheeting was pounded down intentionally here. If one had to live in the production yards, this was the place to do it.
Acario slithered through the front door with Estrid following. (We're looking for someone,) Acario said to the being behind the desk. It looked oddly like a sunflower with a bee perching on it's face. (About six-feet high, blue, tail with a sharp blade.)
"Four eyezzzzzkinny armzzzz?" it buzzed.
(That would be him,) Estrid answered.
"Hezzzere. To be honezzzt, I don't much care for him. Givezzzzzzme a bad feeling."
(He has that effect on people,) Acario answered. (Is he here now?)
"He left a few hourzzzzago. Most of hizzzfriends are still here. He'll be back. I don't know when."
(That's all we need for now. Could you give me a buzz when he comes back? I can make it worth it for you,) Acario suggested. Estrid rummaged through his satchel until she found some more salt. She set it on the counter.
"I don't zzzzzzzee any problem with that," it answered. Acario listed off their ship's contact information and they left.
They were about halfway back to the ship when Estrid stopped. (Acario...let's go down that alley. Not down this street.)
(Any reason?)
(I...I just have a very bad feeling about it. I...we should go down the alley.)
If he possessed shoulders, Acario would have shrugged. (If you say so.)
Estrid led them down the alley and then stopped at an intersection. (It is getting worse. Something...it is bad. I...we should demorph.)
(You feeling alright?) Acario asked, though he did start to demorph. He felt a little uneasy too. Just Estrid making him paranoid. That's what he told himself.
(I...No, I am not,) she answered. She had, naturally, finished demorphing before he had. She was by far the most talented morpher Acario had ever seen. His cousin had been a professional estreen and she didn't come anywhere close to Estrid's talent. She waited for him but was clearly agitated. She paced around him in a circle, eyes darting every direction.
Acario just finished demorphing when he heard a sound from above him. That was the direction Andalites tended to forget about. They were an overland species; looking up was not natural to them. Both turned all four eyes towards the sound. There was a figure silhouetted in top of a nearby roof. It was about human sized and shaped, with a bow-legged posture.
(Howler!) Acario called. He raised his Shredder-gauntlet and opened fire. Estrid did the same. The Howler leapt from the roof onto one near them. They followed, a line of Shredder fire trailing behind the monster. It only ran faster. It was drawing closer and closer. Faster than the other one had been, it seemed.
(Estrid! Get to the ship.)
(I am a warrior too, Acario.)
(Well, I'm not. I'm a crook, and that's why there's this bounty on my head. You've got a mission to complete. Go tell Ally that Aximili is here. He needs to know I'll meet up with you later.)
(A soldier does not abandon her friends,) Estrid argued.
(I'm not a soldier!) Acario answered.
(Yes you are! You agreed to come on this mission, you agreed to accept Alloran's authority. You are a soldier whether you like it or not!)
(Estrid, please! Just go!)
(No!)
(GO!) Acario shouted. Then, quietly, as though he did not want to admit it, he added, (I can't let anything happen to you.)
Estrid paused. For all his disgusting advances in the past, he sounded like he meant it. Had she misjudged him? Perhaps his intentions were more honest than they seemed.
Of course, then he added, (You're the best looking girl I've seen in years. I can't let a Howler carve you up!)
It was the sincerity she had heard sneaking through his words earlier that decided Estrid. She began morphing immediately. Crow. It could fly. She could get to the ship, inform Alloran, and then get back to help Acario. She was certain he would still be alive. He wasn't the type to risk his life.
Acario opened fire on the Howler again. This time, he aimed under the Howler's feet, a the building. Chunks of it blasted away and the bounty hunter fell several stories to the ground. There was a sickening crack of splintering bone as it landed. Only a few moments later, it was on its feet again. It was enough time for Estrid to morph and fly away.
"Come and play, Andalite."
Acario smiled as one stalk eye watched the fleeing crow. (How about tag?) Acario posed as the Howler advanced on him. He waited until it was only a foot away before he moved. He snapped both hands up in front of him. One aligned the crystals of his cestus, shielding him. The other was his Shredder-gauntlet. He pushed it through the shield and fired. The flashback numbed his hand, but the shield protected him. The Howler flew several feet backwards, a smoking hole where its chest used to be. It was already healing as Acario watched. (You're it.)
Sabion and Rah Jaget stood a few paces apart, facing each other. The Warrior had learned the hard way that, left alone, the Hork-bajir would just stare into space, cutting herself inadvertently until she again collapsed, screaming about an eye. Sabion had found a way to keep them both busy, though. Something he enjoyed.
The Andaltie slashed his tailblade at Rah Jaget. The Hork-bajir danced backwards, out of Sabion's reach, only to rush forward again with a slash of her own. Sabion stepped back and parried it, striking once more. Rah Jaget deflected the blow and countered. So it went. Attack, parry, counter. Strike, dodge, counter. Over and over again. It kept Rah Jaget's mind focused. And it gave Sabion something to do.
They fought for a few decirotes before Sabion became aware of someone else in the bubble. He tilted one stalk-eye back and saw Alludra standing casually, watching. The young warrior started pressing his attacks harder. Rah Jaget began to fall back, a look of concentration growing on her face. Sabion pressed harder still, forcing the Hork-bajir around the bubble, keeping him on the defensive.
Rah Jaget backpedled, her arms swinging faster than he realized they could. She was tired and barely holding up. It was a matter of moments now, she knew. Unless she...did something. What? What to do? What would her Yeerk have done? Her eyes fell on a tree. Rah Jaget started retreating towards it as Sabion battered at her. Rah Jaget's wristblades and elbowblades caught the blows, but her arms were almost completely numb now. They felt like lead. Nevertheless, she was not about to just give up.
The Hork-bajir stopped with her back to the tree. She watched Sabion bring his tail back for another strike. Then, Rah Jaget lept straight up. There was a satisfying THWOK as Sabion's tailblade got buried in the trunk of the tree. Rah Jaget landed behind the Andalte and pressed his wristblade to his throat. "Rah Jaget win."
Sabion twitched his tail, activating the laser-sheath around it. The trunk of the tree was no longer any sort of barrier to him. He twitched it off as soon as he had his tail free. (Good, Rah Jaget...) He trailed off. It was embarrassing, really, to be beaten by a Hork-bajir. And in front of Alludra...
He was about to speak to her when Alloran entered the bubble. (Have you informed him?) he asked.
(He was occupied,) Alludra answered. She focused on Sabion. (We received word from Estrid. They've located Prince Aximili. But Acario is under attack by a bounty hunter. A creature called a Howler. According to Acario's reports, they're extremely dangerous.)
"Howler..Howler red?" Rah Jaget asked.
(Affirmative,) Alloran answered.
"Rah Jaget see grey Andalite fight Howler," he said matter of factly. As an afterthought, she added, "Rah Jaget see dead Andalite."
All turned to stare at her. After a few moments, Alludra asked, (You saw a dead Andalite. Acario? They greyish one?)
"Tall grey Andalite. Fight red alien. Rah Jaget see. Rah Jaget see grey Andalite die.)
Alloran shivered. Alludra would never believe it, he knew. Sabion would. Calnen...who knew? But as for him... He had seen far too many strange things to ignore something like this. At last, he said, (Rah Jaget. You think you see the future.)
"Rah Jaget see not-now. After now," the Hork-bajir confirmed. With a smile, she added, "Future."
(You said you saw Acario die.) Rah Jaget nodded. Alloran's eyes fell on the tree. (And you said you saw that branch fall from the tree?) The Hork-bajir nodded.
Alloran stalked over to the tree and twitched his tailblade, activating the laser-sheath. (What are you doing, father?) she asked.
The old War-Prince hacked through the trunk in one clean blow. The whole tree fell to the ground. (Changing the future.)