T.o. Harelin was bleeding profusely from his severed tail. But I knew he would rather die than live without a tail.

The humans! It hit me like a Dracon beam blast. My human friends were back in the sick bay. The captain knew their secret. In a matter of seconds, so would the entire Yeerk Empire. The news would flash to Visser Three. There would be no going home for them. Ever.

And Earth, like Leera, would fall to the Yeerks.

Prince Jake! Tobias! Cassie!

Marco! Rachel!"; I cried in private thought-speak. If one of you can hear me, you must escape! The captain is--"; The captain is a dirtbag,"; Marco's thought-speak voice said, startlingly clear and close.

What? Where are you?"; Oh, gee, Ax, we decided not to just sit in our room with our hands folded like good little girls and boys,"; Rachel said. Sorry."; Ax, we are on the bridge,"; Prince Jake said. We saw what happened. Or saw as well as we can in these morphs."; Prince Jake, it is absolutely vital that Captain Samilin be stopped!"; We can't take him out,"; Cassie said.

We would demorph too slowly. But I happen to be on the captain, and I can definitely distract him."; The Ascalin was settling toward the ground.

Through the front viewport I saw row after row of Hork-Bajir, all with weapons drawn, totally surrounding the landing area.

Do it, Cassie,"; I said grimly.

Distract him and I will do the rest. We have just seconds!"; I stared, riveted, as a flea too small to be seen became a flea too large to be ignored. It grew on the captain's back, larger, larger, with twisting, morphing features.

What is--"; the captain yelled in surprise.

FWAPP!

I struck! My tail blade whipped forward, aimed for Samilin's neck.

He jerked back, dodged. My blade hit his upper right front leg a glancing blow. All around the room flies and cockroaches no one had noticed began to grow as my human friends demorphed.

But now the captain swept his Shredder toward me and I struck again.

FWAPP!

The weapon flew from his hand and skittered across the deck.

It was the captain and I, tail to tail. We faced each other, each quivering with energy and focus, each waiting for the opening that would allow us to swing the killing tail slash.

I flashed on the scene with Visser Three.

This was the second time I had gone tail to tail with an enemy. This time my foe would not escape.

TSEEEWWW!

T.o. Harelin! He had snatched up the fallen Shredder and fired. The captain sizzled, looked horrified, then disappeared.

Computer!"; the T.o. yelled.

Emergency override, switch controls to manual!"; WHAM!

Too late! The Ascalin hit the ground hard. I was thrown off my hooves. My human friends, all back in their own bodies now, went rolling and tumbling. Only the T.o. managed to stay on his feet.

Computer, emergency liftoff!"; Unable to comply,"; the disembodied voice said. There is severe main engine damage."; I saw Harelin rock back on his hooves at this news. Humans, remorph! The only way out of here is to be invisible. Aristh, you, too."; I'm not running away!"; all yes, you are, Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. You and the humans will escape and get word of this evil to the commander. That is an order."; But--"; Do you know how to take an order?"; he roared.

all yes, sir."; Morph something small. I'll blow you out the emergency hatch. Get as far from the Ascalin as you can. You won't have much time. Do you hear me?"; I knew then what he was going to do. I knew he had no choice. He could not allow himself to be taken by the Yeerks. He could not allow any of the Andalites on board to be taken alive. And there was simply no way to escape this trap.

Prince Jake, we all have to morph small. Um ... um ... flies! Morph to flies, and fly up to the ceiling of the bridge.

There's an escape hatch."; I noticed Rachel looking at me with total disdain. Then she looked to Prince Jake.

"What do we do?"

"What he said," Prince Jake said. "Do it."

I focused my own mind on the fly morph.

I expected T.o. Harelin's face to reveal surprise or horror as I began to undergo the changes. After all, flies are pretty horrific even by Earth standards.

But the T.o. wasn't interested. He was staggering now from the loss of blood. And he was making an announcement that would be transmitted throughout the ship.

To all warriors and crew of the Ascalin.

This is the tactical officer. The captain is dead. We are surrounded. No chance of escape.

Nothing to do now but inflict the maximum damage on the Yeerks. In three minutes I will begin firing all ship's weapons. The Shredder flashback will cause the ship to explode."; He let this sink in for a moment.

Perform the ritual of death, my friends.

Thank you for your service to this ship. You die in the service of the People, defending freedom."; I was shrinking rapidly. The deck was rushing up toward me. Insect legs and insect antennae sprouted from me. But I was Andalite, at one with every Andalite on the ship.

From all over the ship, a hundred thought-speak voices spoke the words of the ritual. I couldn't help but join them.

I am the servant of the People,"; I said. I should have bowed my head, but I no longer had a head that could bow. I am the servant of my prince."; All over the ship I knew my fellow Andalites were raising their stalk eyes upward.

I am the servant of honor,"; I said, and heard the echo of all those strong voices. My life is not my own, when the People have need of it.

My life is given for the People, for my prince, and for my honor."; I fired the fly's legs, started the wings beating, and flew up toward the escape hatch. I have never felt worse than I did at that moment.

So many would die. And I would live.

.Aristh?"; the T.o. said weakly.

all yes?"; Maybe I was wrong. Maybe different races can be stronger together. Go with your humans and prove me wrong."; The escape hatch blew open before I could answer. A powerful rush of escaping air launched me out into the Leeran dusk.

Jake ... Prince Jake,"; I said.

We must get as far away as we can."; We flew, rolling and tumbling through the air, riding the strong breeze wherever it took us. When the Ascalin blew itself up, we were safe from the blast. And safe, too, from the thought-speak cries of a hundred dying heroes.

Okay. Now what?"; Rachel said.

I didn't have an answer. I couldn't think.

I just kept turning it over and over in my mind: An Andalite ship's captain had turned traitor. It was impossible. Because the more I thought about it, the more I realized he could not have been a Controller.

The Ascalin had been in space for weeks.

In order for a Yeerk parasite to have lived in Captain Samilin's brain, it would have to have had Kandrona rays. There was no way for even the captain to conceal a portable Kandrona aboard the ship.

I said ... now what?"; Rachel repeated.

I don't know,"; I said.

Well, if you don't, who does?"; she demanded. What are we going to do? Fly around looking for the nearest Dumpster so we can see if there's a tasty pile of rotting fruit?

Come on, we need a plan."; I ... I ... I don't know what to do."; We need to find a way home,"; Marco said. Obviously, thanks to Captain Benedict Arnold back there, this whole war is going bad on us. I didn't think the almighty Andalites did things like that. I thought it was just us poor, dumb, primitive humans who'd sell out to the bad guys."; How about everyone getting off Ax's back?"; Tobias said.