#54 The Beginning

[takenalive]

<Tell him you'll surrender the Pool ship to them.>
It was Visser One! No. No, it was the Andalite Visser One had infested for so many, many years: Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. I'd forgotten all about him. Ax had knocked him unconscious, now he was coming around. He climbed to his hooves, looking like a stunned blue deer.

Alloran started to say something, then turned his face and main eyes to Jake. <With your permission?>
That was one weird moment. Alloran was an arrogant, determined, even criminally ruthless Andalite war prince. Or had been once, long ago. And then, for a long time, that face had been the face of our deadliest enemy, Visser Three/One. And now he was meekly waiting for Jake's okay.
Jake nodded and in a very respectful tone said, "Please continue, War-Prince Alloran."
Alloran's main eyes flickered, a slight display of emotion. <Who are you?> he demanded of the Andalite officer.

<A well-named ship,> Alloran said. <Now, officer-of-the-day Offeran, you're going to want to contact the captain because you have just captured a Yeerk Pool ship. We will advance at space normal speed to any point you name. All Bug fighters will be deployed around the ship, and as we reach the rendezvous point you will see all Bug fighters self-destruct. At that time we will detach the Pool ship's main engines. All weapons will be powered down. This ship will be perfectly helpless.>

So did Alloran. <I should have mentioned that under orders from his prince, aristh Aximili has patched this communication through to the civilian net.>

All of them, including the warriors, kept stealing looks at Alloran. He had been infamous even before being made into the first and only Andalite Controller.

Then, <I hold that rank,> Alloran said.
A very long silence.
In a low, dangerous tone, Asculan said, <Alloran, you are under suspicion already for your actions on the Hork-Bajir world, I wouldn't —>
<What I did on the Hork-Bajir world was precisely what you and the fleet were preparing to do to this world,> Alloran shot back.
Asculan focused all his eyes forward, a sign of intense concentration for an Andalite. <l was under orders. You acted alone.>
<I still retain my rank,> Alloran grated. <I am a war prince. This aristh has declared a challenge and I support his challenge. The requirements of the law are satisfied.>


Alloran said, <Asculan, under the law you may declare an emergency and continue until we can arrange for the challenge to be judged at a later time. But I do not see how a court could agree that this negotiation over prisoners can possibly be called a legitimate emergency. In which case you would lose your rank and position and be exiled.>

Alloran answered instead. <Asculan will contact the fleet high command. They will talk to their political advisors and try to decide whether they can win a challenge. It would be a sort of trial, with each side presenting evidence and witnesses. The entire Andalite electorate would have a vote. It would consume perhaps half a day.>


Alloran shook his head. <I have been away from the home world a very long time. I do not know much about my people anymore. But the high command will make a cautious assessment. They are not bold or adventurous, they are more politicians than warriors. If Asculan comes back here prepared to go forward with the challenge, it will mean they are very, very confident of winning.>
"Okay. And by the way, Alloran, thanks for standing up for Ax. And all of us."
Alloran turned his main eyes to me. He gave me a strange look. <I never hoped to be free again. You freed me. I have done what I have done in my life. I am what I am, though I may have gained at least some wisdom through the years of enslavement to Visser One. Just the same, I will always be Alloran, the Butcher of Hork-Bajir. Alloran, the only Andalite to be taken alive by the Yeerks. But, disgraced, even despised, for whatever I am worth, I am yours to command.>
The speech was delivered in a low thoughtspeak tone, all emotion severely controlled. But then Alloran whipped his tail blade over his head, so fast it cracked like a whip. He smiled the subtle Andalite smile and yelled, <Do you know who did that? Do you know who moved my tail? I did. I did. I did it.>
I smiled, but more for him than for me. If he would forever be the Butcher of Hork-Bajir, what would my name be?
Alloran's exuberance seemed to shake Ax out of his funk and he raised his own tail to touch the blade to Alloran's. <Welcome back, War-Prince Alloran.>