Chapter Eighteen I ran across a lush field of grass, hooves pounding. Breathed deeply the good air of the home planet. Peace. And quiet. There was my mother, ahead. And my brother. Elfangor! It had been so long, too long since we had spoken together…. “Wha…” I sat up. No lush field. Just the hard floor of the anti-air control center. And the blood oozing slowly from my thigh. Chapman hadn’t shot to kill. Just to incapacitate. How long had I been out? And why had I fainted? I had sustained far more serious injuries without losing consciousness. Perhaps it was this particular human morph. Whatever the reason, I was ashamed. Not only had I failed to gather the necessary information from Chapman regarding Visser Two’s whereabouts. I had allowed a personal emotion to get the better of my military sense. This was one episode I would not share with my friends. Quickly, I demorphed. Becoming Andalite had never felt quite so welcome. Skreeeeet! Carefully, I sliced out the lock on the door and broke out of my prison. The battle itself was not also taking place somewhere belowdecks. I could hear all too clearly the cries of the wounded.

Chapter Ten <Jake, something’s definitely going on.> Marco directed our attention to a particular area of the flight deck. Something was going on. <Looks like preparations for a ceremony or something,> Cassie noted. <Los of sailors in white uniforms. They look pretty spiffy….> <Maybe an inspection?> Jake wondered. <No. Look. They’re getting ready for a landing. Someone’s coming on board.> <And I’m guessing his name is trouble,> Marco shouted over the loud THWOK THWOK THWOK of an approaching transport helicopter. <Something to do with Operation 9466?> Tobais wondered. We watched as a perfectly orchestrated GW flight deck crew helped the helicopter land. A few moments later, several naval officers emerged from the aircraft. According to Jake, one of the men was an admiral. According to Marco, the “big cheese.” And then I saw someone among the admiral’s entourage who, in a perfect world, should not have been there. He was wearing a navy officer’s uniform like his colleagues. But I recognized him all the same. <Prince Jake.> <I seem him, Ax. Chapman.> <You were right, Marco. The name is most definitely trouble.> We watched as the captain, the admiral, and his entourage went belowdecks. Chapman went with them. <Okay,> Jake said. <We’re going below. Follow me.> <Aye aye, Captain. Let’s go, me maties!> <Marco. Please. Shut. Up,> Rachel said, lifting off after Jake. <You know, I just can’t win with her. Tobias, you must be a saint.> <Cut it out, you two,> Jake said quietly. <Everybody. Do the gull thing. Circle, swoop. Then, one right after the other, drop down the airshaft after me. And keep your eyes open.> <Oh, goodie. Nothing a bird likes better than to drop down into a narrow, confined space,> Tobias commented. I took off after the others. The wind made it somewhat difficult to

People. <They didn’t even have a chance,> I said. This navy aircraft carrier, once in devoted service to the people of the United States, had become a floating island of death. Its captain enslaved and then left to die. Its crew almost decimated. I turned away from the scene of wreckage. Only to witness yet another horror. A few yards off. Marco. Kneeling awkwardly, trying to help a sailor with severe wounds. I could see that from where I was standing. The sailor was dying. The sailor who had saluted him! This had to stop. I had to stop it.