not coming to the rescue. The Andalites aren't I scanned each of their faces with my stalk here to help save Earth. They're here so Arbat eyes. These were not the humans I had known for and the Andalite command can settle their score so long.

  with the visser. This isn't the Marines storming in Prince Jake stood. "If the Andalites were serious about helping us, they'd have sent an invadto save us." ing force. And Cassie's right, they trade Visser

  "Exactly!" Cassie said. "It's personal. It's poThree for some other visser, how does that help litical. But there's no strategic value to the misus? And Marco's right, too. We're tired. We're so sion. No real military advantage. So that just tired there are times I don't think I can get up makes it murder."

  the energy to breathe. And now, instead of help,

  "Hey, Cassie, you know what?" Marco snapped. big-time help, we have what are obviously the

  "Who cares? I mean, who cares about all your dregs of the Andalite forces. Gonrod's a fool. moralizing? Are you even paying attention? What Aloth is just a foot soldier. Estrid's a rookie. And do you think, that the six of us are going to win Arbat's a guy off on his own."

  this war? By ourselves? Four kids, a bird, and an

  "So what's our plan?" Rachel demanded. alien? Six kids who can turn into animals, big Prince Jake said nothing.

  deal! We've hurt the Yeerks, we've frustrated It was sad. That is what I realized. Very sad. them, we've slowed them down, but we're pebWe had turned to Prince Jake so many times and bles in their shoes. This has always been about always he had been there with an answer, a plan, us being the resistance until the Andalites could or at least a hope.

  do a D-Day and save our sorry butts." Marco slapped Rachel lightly on each cheek. I had never heard Marco speak so harshly to

  "Wise up. Any plans we had — or have — are Cassie. But more shocking still was that Jake did basically worth squat at this point. The war is not step in to silence him.

  over. Earth lost."

  I had been so distracted by Estrid, by seeing The explosion was instantaneous.

  my own people again that I had overlooked how Rachel lunged for Marco. "Don't you EVER

  devastating this news would be to my friends. touch me again!" she screamed.

  They had hoped for salvation. Instead they were Rft

  59

  Marco fell to the ground and shielded his face with his arms. "Get off me. Get off me, you wacko!"

  "Stop it! Stop it!" Cassie cried. Tobias fluttered to the ground. Laughed bitterly. Tobias flapped his wings and flew from the barn.

  mm

  ""ft, right, stop it, Rachel!" Prince Jake pulled her off Marco. Shook her hard.

  Rachel reeled back and raked her hair from her eyes.

  Marco stumbled to his feet. "Face facts," he panted. "The Andalites don't care. This isn't about Earth. It's about boosting Andalite morale by wasting the guy who made an Andalite a host."

  There was a long silence. Everyone looked at me. Staring as if they expected — hoped — that I would deny the truth of what Marco was saying.

  "Ax?" Prince Jake prompted.

  I shook my head. What was there to say?

  cc

  61

  Cassie took a broom from the corner and bePrince Jake frowned. "Then what do we want gan to sweep up the glass. "Count me out, too," to do?"

  she said softly. "If this war is unwinnable, how do

  "I know what I'm going to do." Rachel angrily we justify killing Hork-Bajir? Basically, they're kicked a metal bucket. It clattered along the dirt prisoners of war. Innocent victims." floor of the barn.

  "Cassie," Prince Jake pleaded. Two injured geese sent up an alarmed gabble. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't do it A small brown rabbit who had been sitting beside anymore." She dropped the broom and ran from a bale of hay dove into a stall and disappeared the barn.

  from sight.

  Marco thrust; his hands into his pockets. Five or six grackles who had been pecking in

  "Guess I'm out, too. I'm going to enjoy what time the dirt squawked and flew up into the rafters. I've got left. Acquire a surfer dude chick magnet.

  "Rachel/1 Cassie said quietly, putting her Hangout."

  hand on Rachel's arm. "Please. We need you."

  "Marco," Prince Jake whispered. "Please." Rachel jerked her arm from Cassie's grasp. Marco put his hand on Prince Jake's shoulder.

  "From now on I'm doing it my way. No more Let it slip off as he backed away. "Jake. Ax-man. Geneva Convention warfare. If I'm going down, Live long and prosper."

  I'm taking out all the Yeerks I can before I go." Prince Jake and I were alone.

  She stalked toward the door.

  We looked at one another.
  "Rachel!" Prince Jake shouted. commands I offered him my hand to shake as Rachel whirled around. Her face red with humans do.

  anger. "I'm through taking orders from you," she Prince Jake gripped it. His eyes were sad. "I said through clenched teeth. "I'm through with can't hold you to your oath. The others are right. Marco and his stupid jokes. I'm through with It's over. Go on. Do what you have to do. And if Cassie's hypocrisy."

  you can, go home."

  Rachel lifted her fist and punched a lantern Prince Jake squeezed my hand tightly, forhanging from a hook. The glass splintered and it getting that Andalite hands are not as strong as fell to the ground.

  human hands. I knew it was an expression of

  "I'm through with all of you," she hissed. And affection. I tried to return the pressure. stormed from the barn.

  63

  an

  Prince Jake straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. "Good-bye," he said. "And thank you. For everything."

  He walked slowly from the barn. His silhouette disappeared into the bright glare of the morning sun.

  I stood alone.

  Remembering.

  It was peaceful for the first time in a long time. No arguments or debates. Quite pleasant, really.

  I said finally. tainment center called The Gardens. I knew The Under the bottom slat of a stall gate, the Gardens well. Within it was a zoo where Prince small brown rabbit appeared. Estrid quickly deJake, the others, and I had acquired a number of morphed and blinked with embarrassment at her useful morphs.

  mistake.

  We flew there from the barn. Before we left,

  I said simply. Estrid acquired an Earth bird morph. A crow. We Her four eyes looked at me and shone.

  As we descended, a square "hole" appeared in the sky. The upper hatch of the ship. We flew inside and it slid shut behind us.

  Estrid explained.

 

  65

  fid

  I felt grateful for her willingness to protect my We demorphed and she led me through the

  prince.

  hallways and corridors that connected what But what kind of an aristh would agree to seemed to be several wings. It was large for a withhold sensitive intelligence information from warship. Small for a transport.

  her superiors?

  she explained.
  and Technology Lab ship. Pretty much obsolete Or was she simply undertrained? Unsuited to by now.>

  the military because of her gender?

 
  open. I watched her fingers dance across a conShe shrugged.
  Her hands were small. And graceful. When We stood in front of a drop shaft and waited she was done, she turned her four eyes on me. for the doors to open.
  a favor of you.>

  I had noticed her four eyes staring at me Her four eyes looked curiously at my face. quite a bit.

 
  many battles together. I would appreciate if you The first lesson every aristh learned at the would refrain from reporting that he was unable academy was: "Two eyes out front. Two eyes to maintain control of his warriors. I would not scanning." Always. A soldier never, ever, focused want the others to lose their respect for him. He all his attention on the same spot.

  has fought a good fight.>

  The shaft dropped us two decks and held us

  - there. We stepped out onto the command deck. The drop-shaft door opened and I stepped in Gonrod, Aloth, and Arbat were waiting.

  beside her.

  Arbat stepped forward to greet me. I was uneasy. My request had been a test. But His voice was welcoming.

  I was not sure whether she had passed or failed. 66

  67

  Intelligence Advisor is the highest rank in the I saluted and made the traditional Andalite intelligence division. An aristh the lowest rank bow. not led. Nor had I succeeded in killing Visser Gonrod appeared mollified by the respect I Three. Additionally, I had violated — by word showed him.

  and deed — more Andalite military codes than I

  Arcould count. batsaid.

  So why was Arbat treating me with such elabGonrod bristled.

  Andalite standards.

  Arbat said to Gonrod. He wanted something from me.

 
  But what?

  Arbat walked over to a workstation where Aloth calibrated a collection of handheld shredders.

  I asked him.

  Arbat took my arm. Guided me to the terraced perimeter of the deck where we could look out through the windows at the barren scrub grass outside. He thought-spoke to me privately.

  I answered guardedly.

 
  I shifted my weight uneasily. An Apex Level 69

  A R

  Aloth snorted. Like many soldiers, Aloth had little respect for anyone who was not a soldier.

  I asked.

 

  The UAST was full of brilliant thinkers. But they were notorious for their impracticality. Not known for their battlefield skills.

  It seemed very strange that the War Council would send an aging professor of technological history to direct an assassination.

  TTrbat broke off when he heard the heavy But then, the military had obviously undergone many changes since I left the home planet. clop of Aloth's hooves approach.

 

  said Aloth. ship.>

 

  Arbat beamed.

  Gonrod and I both tried to make a detour and I saluted Arbat and quickly followed the asdrop her at a base. But Arbat was adamant that sassin down the corridor.

  she remain on board.>

 
 

  wind machine I may have to self-destruct,> Aloth He shrugged.

  70

  71

  like a princess than an aristh. And Arbat treats

 

  her that way.>

 
  around without getting lost?>

  I ven Instead, he resumed his lazy warrior's swagAloth shrugged.

  through the academy.>

  Aloth laughed cynically. I did not see the huAloth gave me a significant look and laughed mor.

  cynically. I had the feeling I had just missed

 
  "debrief you.">

  Aloth added with awry laugh.

 

  he said with a chuckle. This was the dynamic I understood. The goodnatured snubbing a lowly aristh would expect from an experienced warrior.

  72

  73

 
  <| see. Then our most likely means of finding him would be at the next meeting of The Sharing at the Community Center. He often attends. Not always. But often. Failing that, he is often in the Yeerk pool complex.>

  I explained what The Sharing was, and how Visser Three was often present in human morph to address those who attended. I told them also about the location of the Yeerk pool.

  Arbat asked.

  Gonrod I Moments later Gonrod, Aloth, Arbat, and I snapped.
  target>

  Arbat seemed

  Arbat said coldly. eager. Gonrod less so.
  Aloth said.

  for the kill, fire, watch to see the damage. Take a

  I answered.

  your brother. J have a brother, too. I wonder,

  Arbat said.

  DNA pattern. We were able to download it from Arbat ignored Aloth. Or tried to.

  your academy records.>

 

  I Gonrod said.

  asked.

  74

  75

 
  give that order and rid the galaxy of the AbominaGonrod snapped.

  seem him lose what my human friends would call I saw Estrid in the arched doorway that led to

  "his cool."

  the exit corridor. she anHe recovered quickly. questioning of this aristh?>

  I drew in my breath. I had never heard an

  Gonrod's permission was grudg aristh "announce" his plans and desires to a suing. He peered nervously at the various surveilperior officer. Typically, he waited for orders. lance screens. It was something he did every few Gonrod's eye stalks quivered angrily.

  seconds. He seemed extraordinarily ill at ease for a commander.

  Estrid appeared to have no idea she had com
  access?> Arbat pressed.

  I watched unhappily. I hated to see her re Gonrod insisted buked.

  shrilly.

  Strangely, Gonrod did not do so. Aloth suppressed a snicker.

  he answered curtly.

  Gonrod threw Aloth a belligerent look.
  she said happily. aristh has presented us with a perfectly good tarI followed her to the exit hatch. The Earth get. We will attack this meeting of The Sharing. hour was late. The Gardens were closed. There Tomorrow morning. We will hit Visser Three. And were no humans to watch us disembark and dewe will leave.>

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