Lirem-Arrepoth-Terrouss.

Head of the Council. Veteran of more battles than I could count. His appearance on the screen would have made me lose concentration, but I was too awed to dare.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes. Yes, um. Yes. Yes, I know you. I mean, I don't know you, but I know who you are." He ignored my babbling. "I mourn the loss of your brother and all aboard that ship. Now tell me: Did Elfangor break our laws and give technology to the humans?"

"Um, well ... the humans were helpless. Our force had been destroyed. There was nothing to stand between the humans and total domination by the Yeerks. They needed some weapon." Lirem stared at me with a gaze that was known to make great princes tremble.

"And how have you come to contact us? This is a Z-space transmissions "I ... I ... I made some modifications to a primitive human device."

"So, you also break the law. You also transfer technology to the humans."

"The humans are not our enemies!" I said. I surprised myself by practically yelling. "They won't have a chance. These few humans are all that resist the Yeerks on this planet. Elfangor knew that. He did what he thought was right!"

To my surprise, Lirem did not tell me to be silent. But his eyes grew darker, his expression more serious than ever. Then he said, " AristhAximili, once before an Andalite did what he thought was the right thing. He transferred technology to a weak, backward species. He did it be cause he thought they should be able to travel to the stars. Do you know the name of that Andalite?"

60 "Prince Seerow," I said.

"Prince Seerow. Yes. He was my first prince. Did you know that? Many centuries ago when I was an aristhlike you." Lirem looked hard at me.

"Do you know what happened because of Seerow's Kindness?"

"Yes," I said grimly. "Yes, I know. I have seen what happened because of Seerow's Kindness."

For a moment no one spoke.

Then Lirem said, "Young Aximili, your brother Elfangor is a hero. The people need heroes in this endless war. I do not wish to tell the people that in the end, Elfangor broke the laws.

There can be no forgiveness for a prince that breaks the laws. Unlike an aristh. So ... I ask you to think again. Was it truly Elfangor who gave this technology to the humans?" I couldn't believe what Lirem wanted me to say. He wanted me to lie. He wanted me to clear Elfangor.

"I...I was wrong when I said Elfangor did this," I said, too shocked to argue. "It was ... it was me. I gave the humans the morphing technology."

Lirem continued. "Cut off from your prince, alone, not yet trained, not yet a true warrior, you broke the laws, aristhAximili. Is this true?"

"Yes," I whispered bitterly.

"In the name of the council, I forgive your error." Lirem said. "What's done is done. Per haps ... in some way I am too old to see, this may all work out for the best."

"Yes," I said blankly. Why had I done this? Why had I communicated with my home?

"Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, you have done a brave thing, taking on this guilt. I know the temptation to go beyond the law when helping a brave people fight the Yeerks. I was an advisor to the Hork-Bajir. They were our allies, but they were not Andalites. They were not our people."

"But. . ." I knew I should shut up. But part of me was getting angry. "But the Hork-Bajir ended up losing everything."

Lirem's eyes were cold. "You are an Andalite. You are not a human. Obey our laws. I am giving you an order: Resist the Yeerks. But give the humans no information and no technology. Do you understand my order, aristhAximili?"

"Yes."

"The fleet is engaged in many parts of the galaxy. We are doing well against the Yeerks. But it will be some time before we can come to Earth. Fight the Yeerks. If you are half the hero your brother was, you will bring honor on your family."

61 From what seemed like far away, I heard a faint voice in my head. "Ax --- on the move. --- guy. Think he --- ."

But at that very moment, Lirem said, "Aximili, we have your father. He would like to speak to you."

"Ax - you hear? -- there's -"

"Aximili-kala," my father said. It was his nickname for me.

I couldn't believe it was really him. "Yes, Father. It's me. It's me, Aximili. I'm on Earth. I don't know how long I can talk, not long."

"Is your brother there?"

It came so quickly, the question I dreaded. I almost lost the contact. I desperately wanted to see my father's face and listen to his words. But at the same time, I did not want to tell him that his oldest son was gone.

And there was another thing I did not want to tell him.

"Elfangor," my father said. "Is he . . ."

"Father. Elfangor is ... he was killed."

My father looked like someone had punched him. He rocked back.

I looked away. I had tried so hard not to think about Elfangor being gone. Somehow it wasn't real till this moment. Seeing my father's pain made me feel my own.

"Did he die well?" my father asked. The question is part of the ritual of death. It was the question he had to ask.

"He died in the service of his people, defending freedom," I said. This also was part of the ritual.

My father nodded. "And has his death been avenged?"

This was the part I had feared. "No, Father."

My father looked up at me. "You are now the eldest son. The burden of revenge is on you.

Do you know his killer?"

"Yes."

"And does his killer still live?"

"Yes."

"And do you, Aximili, take up the burden of avenging your brother's death?" 62 "Yes."

The ritual was complete. We had both said all the things we were supposed to say.

"I am so relieved to see that you are still well," my father said.

"Yes. I ... I wanted to see you," I said. "I couldn't - " The connection was broken. Instantly, totally. I was staring at a blank screen.

"Sorry, but you were breaking my heart," a human voice sneered. "I had to cut you off."

I spun around. A human! He was thirty feet away.

And he was holding a weapon, pointing it at me.

Only slowly did I realize that it was no human gun. The weapon in his hand was a Dracon beam. Standard Yeerk issue.

"You and I have a lot to talk about, Andalite. Quite a lot."

I was frozen. I could not move. The human-Controller was too far away for me to hit with my tail.

"Don't try it, Andalite," he sneered. "I'll fry you before you can even twitch that tail of yours."

But then . . .

"Tseeeeeeeeeerrr!"

Tobias dived from the top of the dome at full speed, wings swept back, talons raked forward.

He aimed for the man's face.

The man threw up his arm. Talons raked the bare flesh of his forearm, leaving red slashes behind. But the man had held on to the Dracon beam. Tobias flew past. Shreds of the human's shirt hung from his talons.

I leapt forward. Too late!

"Freeze! I don't want to kill either of you, Andalites, but I will if I have to!" the man snapped.

Tobias swooped away to perch on the huge telescope itself.

"I just want to talk," the human-Controller said.

"You're the one holding the Dracon beam," I pointed out.

Then, he did something that amazed me. He knelt down and placed the Dracon beam on the floor. He kicked it aside. The weapon went skittering across the polished floor.