Was that really necessary?

"We couldn't let the shuttle reach Kuru. Not with Mark on it. Not with Nicola on it. And definitely not with Keranya on it."

"Do you really think that Keranya would come willingly?"

"Only another couple of hours. Where's Mark?"

You can never be too careful. Why, exactly, can't these two get to Kuru? What are they to us? Where is Mark

Yeerks are danes. Just of another species.

But what of other species? Only two of them, besides us, have ever developed psychic talents. One of them is the entire planet. Unless you count the Andalites?

Because of our precogs. It's very hazy, but we know that if they go back to Kuru, they'll end up having a new program out, and that program will bring us in. And we will not be able to get back out again. The other part is confusing, but they said that they just had a feeling that if we took them, Keranya would end the war. With the Yeerks.

What? "How?"

"Well, what's that?" asked Daria out loud, pointing.

Keranya was stirring, and opened her eyes. Once she saw her unfamiliar surroundings, she immediately jumped up, putting her blocks up immediately and standing with her arms up, ready to defend herself if necessary.

Keranya smirked. "I do?" she asked out loud, showing that she could hear this unknown woman's p'speech. "Who are you? Why am I here? What do you want? You're PTs. Both of ya. But I'm not at PTC; I'd recognize it. So. Answer my questions. I may not be able to rip that stuff from you with your shields up, but I can tell whether you're lying or not. So start explaining."

"No. Out loud."

"That's right, you'd better humor me." A warning?

"My name is Daria. I go by no other."

"And I am Dave. You are here because we could not allow you to reach Kuru."

] Keranya appeared angry. "Why not?"

"Because of our precogs. You would find a way to capture us. Not let us back out; if you went to Kuru. Plus, our precogs told us something rather fascinating. Would you like to know what it is?"

"Please," said Keranya, dripping with sarcasm, "I'm just dying to know."

"It said that if we took you, that somehow you would end the Yeerk war."

Now Keranya sounded amused. "Stop the Yeerk war? Me? I always knew that you rogues-- that's what you are, right?-- were always a little-- ah, say, touched in the head?"

The two older PTs refused to respond to this challenge. "We're just as confused about it as you are, Keranya," said Dave gently. "We have no intention of harming you."

"I'd know if you did. So. What are you going to do with me? You can't send me back to Kuru, you can't trust me, and he apparently has no intention of harming me. What will you do?"

Two other telepaths cane in, and the four of them hauled Keranya into a cell. Mind you, it was a nice cell, with a bed, a food dispenser, a carpet, and even some paintings on the wall. (Compliments of Mark) Keranya, knowing that it would not help, did not try to break out or indeed break anything. She just sat down and thought. She shielded her thoughts, but you could tell that she was thinking.

About an hour later, Mark was put into the cell, still posing as a loyal member of the PTC.

"Mark!" she shrieked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Are you all right? Do you have any idea who these people are?

Oh my god . . . "When did you wake up?"

"Almost an hour ago." They seemed very surprised that I woke up so soon.

"That long?"

"Yeah." Did you see Nicola there?

Yeah. She's also out. Are you sure that they can't tell how we're talking now? They may be able to tell, but they won't know what we're saying. "So. What should we do now?"

"They have no intention of harming us, right?" Then sit tight, I guess. There's nothing that we can really do right now.

"Right." It sounded like Keranya was saying right, they have no intention of harming us, but it was really her agreeing with him about sitting tight. We should really learn to coordinate this!

* * *

The floor shook. Keranya, Nicola, and Mark were thrown to the floor. "Ouch!" cried Nicola.

"What's going on?" Mark spoke aloud for the still-latent Nicola's benefit.

"I think that we're under attack." Keranya.

"By who?" That was Nicola.

PTC, I hope. "I don't know," said Mark aloud.

One of the jolts made the camera fall to the floor.

Keranya grinned. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? she asked Mark.

Yep, he replied. In response, Keranya jumped up onto the bed and took a picture off the wall. There was a piece of wire on the back to put it up, and she pulled this off. She jumped down from the bed.

"What are you doing?" asked Nicola.

"Picking a lock. C'mon!" she shaped the wire and then thrust it into the little keyhole with wires in it. She took the wire again, and with it slit three wires: one red, two green. "Now, I'm sending a telepathic massage to it." Just then, the door opened. Keranya grinned.

"Come on!" she said, waving them toward her as she slid out of the door into the hallway. Briefly pausing at the schematics print on the wall, she turned started running towards the communications room, Nicola and Mark running behind her. When they got there, to their surprise the door was opened.

"Well, come on, let's see what's going on?" said Keranya. She punched in a few commands. "Onscreen!" she exclaimed. The blank screen suddenly lit up and showed the enemy fighters. Yeerk.

"Damn!" hissed Mark and Keranya at the same time. Keranya hit in a few controls and put the microphone to her mouth. "Come in, come in, any ships in sector--" she looked at the console-- "51 by 8 by 12. Sector 16. Is anyone out there? Emergency. We're being attacked by the Yeerks. Repeat, we're being attacked by the Yeerks. This is the" she glanced down again "Freedom." Keranya made the message start to repeat itself, over and over, then she turned towards the other two. "If a message comes through, it'll go right to here, the bridge won't intercept it."

"The Yeerks can't infest us, right?" asked Nicola. Keranya nodded. "So what'll happen?"

"If they catch us? They'll kill us, most likely."

"They'll kill us?" whimpered Nicola.

"All the more reason not to get caught!" exclaimed Mark.

"I'll drink to that," said Keranya.

"Got a drink?"

Keranya pointed to the food dispenser. "No alcohol, mister!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." He turned to the dispenser. "A bottle of sparkling cider, please? With 3 glasses?"

He got them, opened the fake champagne, and poured some into each glass. "To not getting killed by slugs?"

"Hear, hear!" said Nicola and Keranya, raising their drinks and laughing.

"Are you PTs always so crazy?" asked Nicola. "We're in the middle of a crisis, and you're having fake champagne!"

"Yep, we are," said Mark. "You'll get used to us soon enough."

"Doubt that."

Suddenly, the COM blinked on. "We got your message, Freedom. We're coming."

The three of them froze. It was as if they weren't able to move.

"Better get over to the bay," said Mark after a few minutes. "That way we can get right on."

As they were running down the halls, Mark yelled "Stop!"

Keranya turned around. "What?"

"Shouldn't we get the other people on the ship?"

"WHAT?! Are you crazy? They captured us!"

"They didn't harm us and aren't you the ones always saying that we PTs stick together? They're PTs too." Said Nicola, taking cue from Mark.

Keranya sighed. "Fine, you and I will tell them. Mark, you go down and when they get here tell them to wait for us." The two girls broke off from Mark and headed towards the bridge.

When they walked in, the crew seemed surprised, to say the least. "How did you get out?" demanded Dave angrily.

"No time for that, there's a ship here to pick us up! Come ON, or we're leaving without you! Down at the shipping bay."

With that, Keranya and Nicola ran out, with the crew right behind them. Keranya could tell that the PTs weren't trying to capture them, just following them to the shipping bay. When they got there, the fighter was already there.

"Wait for us!" yelled Daria, and all of them crowded onto the fighter. They looked over at the pilot. Human.

The pilot was concentrating on the controls in the crowded fighter. He didn't look up for several minutes. When he finally did, he seemed surprised at the number of people in the shuttle.

"We were wondering why hit was a child who called us," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"'Cause I escaped and they didn't know and didn't know that I sent out a distress signal."

"Escaped? Escaped what?"

"The cell!" said all three children in unison.

The pilot jerked in surprise. "Why were you in a cell?"

Keranya rolled her eyes. "To stop us from escaping and sending a message home, duh."

"You were kidnapped?"

"Well . . . yeah."

"What? For ransom?" he turned angrily to the adults.

"No, not for ransom!" said every single PT in there at once, including the kids.

"Then for what?"

"Their damn delusional precogs," muttered Keranya.

"What? I didn't hear you, little girl."

Everyone in the shuttle besides Keranya and the pilot held their breath to see what she would do.

"Little girl? Little girl? I'll show you little girl!" she walked up to him, slowly and deliberately. She put her hand right in front of him.

"Pain." She whispered, twisting her hand. "Pain."

"Keranya, stop it right now!" said Daria. She came and pulled Keranya away. "Sorry," she said to the pilot, "Her past two weeks have been really tough."

"You can say that again." Muttered Keranya.

"You're PTs!" said the pilot. "You're all PTs. What, these kids were rogues? Is that the 'kidnapping'?"

"No, the adults are the rogues," groaned Mark. "We're with the PTC," he said, indicating himself, Keranya and Nicola. "Can we please go home now?" he added.

"I'm sorry, but for now, we'll have to just keep you on our ship." It was remarkable that he kept his composure through this whole thing, but then, if he were an Animorph then he'd have learned how to discipline himself.

When the ship arrived at the shipping bay, and the door opened, Keranya sent the go-ahead to Mark. The two of them together could shield themselves; nobody would be able to see them. They slipped away, unnoticed. Their illusion covered them.

Where, exactly, are we going? asked Mark.

They were running down the halls when they saw a group of young adults, probably in their mid-to-late 20's. One of them was younger than the rest. There was something familiar about them. Like they were important somehow, but she couldn't quite place it. She was watching them so closely that she ran into them and was so surprised that she dropped her illusion by mistake.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said one of the women. She offered her hand to Keranya, and Keranya grabbed it and pulled herself up. Keranya took advantage of the physical contact to do a quick scan.

When she did the scan and realized who it was, she fell down again. "You're- you're the Animorphs! The original Animorphs! Well, mostly original." she exclaimed, finally using kinesis to pull herself up.

"Yep, that's us." Said one of the guys. Black longish hair, tan-looking skin. He looked kind of Hispanic.

"But . . . wha . . ." stuttered Keranya. Mark, get over here!

In a few seconds, Mark, without his illusion, appeared. He took one look at the Animorphs and said, quite distinctly, "Tobias. Rachel. Jake. Cassie. Marco. Melissa. Karen." He said, pointing to each one in turn. "I heard about this. Didn't quite believe it. Well," he said, turning to Keranya, "Is this why you called me here?" Keranya nodded.

"Wait a sec!" said the one Mark had identified as Jake. "She didn't call anyone!"

"Yes, she did. Oh!" he said, looking at them, "They just got out. They don't know about PTs yet, Keranya. Don't confuse them. It's not good to try and confuse a legend. Legends." He corrected.

I thought that you hated all 'danes and 'mutes said Keranya just as Cassie asked "PTs?"

Not all, I guess. "PTs. Word for people with Psychic Talents."

"You guys are psychic? Yeah, right."

"I'll prove it!" exclaimed Keranya. Before Mark could stop her, she made an apple fly out of Cassie's hand and do a little show in the air, and then returned it to Cassie's hand. "Now do you believe me?"

"What am I thinking?" challenged Marco.

"56. You don't have to yell, you know!"

Marco stood there, dumbfounded.

"Keranya!" said Mark. "Stop it. Don't scare them!"

"If that scared the Animorphs, then I don't know how they survived so many battles."

"I mean scared freak out."

"Oh, yeah." said Marco.

"They've had that in their time, too."

Keranya looked at the Animorphs being silent. "What, are you mutes or something? No, Mark, I meant as in can't talk."

"We can talk. It's just hard right now after just getting out of a stasis we've been in for hundreds of years." That was Cassie, if Keranya wasn't mistaken.

The ship's security officers were running down the hall towards Keranya. "Whoops, gotta go!" she said quickly, and slipped away.

"CATCH HER!!" yelled one of the officers, and Marco grabbed Keranya by the shirt.

"Let me GO!" she screeched. She squirmed, struggled, and tried to kick Marco. He held on all the tighter.

Keranya sighed. She hated to do this to an Animorph, but . . . You want to let her go.

Marco let go of her, and Keranya, feeling a little guilty, slipped away into another corridor. She heard men talking into their links, and she knew that the whole ship must be alerted to her presence. Or was it a space station? She didn't know. And, with a groan, she realized that she'd lost Mark in the struggle.

She wasn't sure where to go. Well, to the COM room, duh, she thought. Then she wondered how she would find it. She telepathically scanned the area and could find to interior map or manual. Nothing. No com units to tell you where stuff was, no maps, no helper units, no schematics, no anything. How does anyone find their way around? she wondered.

It occurred to Keranya that she could just can for COM. It would have communication machines, right? Trying it, she realized that there were communication machines all over the ship. Okay, Plan B.

This time, Keranya p'scanned for people who worked at COM. Bingo! She could tell from them where to go. Only one problem: there would be people in COM.

Keranya decided to deal with that once she got there. For now, she'd settle on getting there. Sometimes it was a bit hazy, finding the way. But it was on Level 6. What level was this? 4. Okay, where's the turbo? Searching a passerby's mind, she found which way to go. Squeezing through the doors right before they closed with 2 people already in there, Keranya said to the computer "Level 6, Green sector."

Okay, now all she had to do was find her way through the maze of corridors. Easier said then done. Most people just knew the way on automatic, and didn't have a handy little map in their heads that Keranya could use. What she wouldn't do for a "finder" PT right now. Better yet, herself be a finder. Luckily, nobody seemed to know that Keranya didn't belong there. That seemed to be the only thing going for her right now.

Finally finding where she should be, she peeked into COM, seeing 4 people in there. Keranya just knocked them out telepathically. She didn't have time for anything subtle.

As she slipped in, she quietly used kinesis to move the person in front of the LDCU (Long Distance Communication Unit) away and then stepped up to the unit and starting punching in the number for Kuru. In all her hurry, though, Keranya forgot one thing: security cameras.

Within seconds of her realizing this the security officers were in there, the Animorphs at their heels.

Keranya turned around. "Oh, yay."

One of the security officers stepped forward. "Young lady, come with us."

"No." said Keranya.

"No?" asked the security officer, amused.

"What right do you have to lock me up? What have I done?"

"You've tried to escape custody--"

"Custody that you have no right to enforce on me--" cut in Keranya.

"When someone is suspected of being a rogue PT, then we certainly are allowed to take them into custody."

"A rogue?" said Keranya, yes SAID, amused. "I'm not a rogue. I'm with the PTC."

"Then why were you on a ship with other rogues?" he asked, moving closer only to encounter the kinetic shield that Keranya set up around her.

"Because they kidnapped me . . ."

"Yeah. Right. Take the shield down, now."

"What's this about?" whispered Cassie to Rachel.

"I've got no idea." She whispered back.

Keranya, having heard them, turned to them. "What's it about? These people, who have no right to lock me up, are trying to do just that. They accuse me of something that I certainly did not do, and they're prejudice."

"Prejudice? Against who?" snorted the security officer.

"PTs. If I were a 'dane or 'mute, you'd give what I have to say half a chance!"

"Why doesn't he just go and grab her?" whispered Karen to Cassie.

"'Cause I put a kinetic shield around me." Said Keranya to Karen, having heard her. The security officer, in the meantime, seemed very nervous, with good reason. If Keranya chose to follow through with a PT prejudice sue, she could win, and both of them knew it.

"Okay," he said, "here's the deal. You call Kuru. Right here, right now. If they don't recognize you or say that you are a rogue, then you come with us. If they recognize you, you will be free on this ship until it is convenient to send you home.

"Which will get me home faster?"

"Neither. But I'm sure you'd rather be free?"

"If you let Nicola and Mark free, too."

It was Jake who spoke up then. "I don't know about Nicola, but as far as Mark . . . that may be a little problem."

"Why?" asked Keranya.

* * *

From a collective cell one floor up and 6 sections away, Mark could feel Keranya's shock, outrage, anger, and the feeling of betrayal.

The others in the cell didn't feel it, but they saw the look on Mark's face. Daria walked over. "I'm guessing they told her?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. They told her. I don't think she'll ever forgive me."

Daria nodded sadly. "I can tell that it was very hard for you to lie to her. You really care about her."

Mark nodded. "I lied to the officials, the teachers, and blocked the truth since I was 6. And yet lying to Keranya was like . . . like I couldn't keep it blocked. I really felt like scum for lying to her."

Daria smiled sadly. "That's what it's like, when you care for someone."

Mark looked at her. "And I can't go back; they know now, the PTC. I have to stay with you guys all the time."

"Well," said Keith, stepping over, "You are welcome to stay with us."

"I know," said Mark softly.

"You really did care about her, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I did."

Kerry, who was young and just became a PT, spoke up. "But she's the enemy. How can you love one of the enemy?"

"Hush, Kerry," said Daria. "No PT is an enemy, they may merely be misguided. Besides, you will learn that the heart knows neither borders nor boundaries. Now let's leave Mark alone for a little while."

Mark smiled thanks. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to be alone for a while." They moved away, but Kerry stayed a second.

"I just have one question," she said.

"Yes, what is that?"

"How did you keep the secret from other telepaths?"

Mark laughed. "That wasn't hard. When I was 6 I was told to keep the secret. Blocking so hard during the testing, they rated me at the place where I am while I'm blocking hard, therefor leaving me free to block and live up to their expectations at the same time."

"Oh." Said Kerry. She turned and walked away.

He heard a sobbing Keranya on the other end. Without his blocks up so tight, he was ever so much stronger. Why did you do it, Mark? she asked agitatedly. I cared about you. Why did you do it?

I had to do it. I had to! I didn't want to lie to you. But I didn't want to go to re-education camps either. I had to keep my secret. Mark sent to her. (A/N: The re-education camps are like the thing in MM3, only for rogues, PTs who refuse to join.)

Have you taken a look around the PTC? Who's the director? Who's the administrator? Who's the representative? Who's almost everyone in power?

Mundanes, Keranya realized, understanding. You don't want to be in it because it's run by mundanes.

I'm not going to have my life planned by mundanes! He sent.

Mark laughed, remembering his early childhood complaint to one of his friends at PTC: "What's the point of having superior brains if we can't use them?" He could just imagine Keranya saying it.

He was mildly aware that Keranya was setting the COM to contact Kuru. He considered jumbling her thoughts, making her too confused to make the call, but he knew that he wouldn't do that. He still cared about Keranya. And he'd have to think long and hard about participating in the PT War all the precogs were picking up but they didn't tell 'danes about it.

* * *

Keranya felt the connection severed, and she was too broken up right now to try to re-connect. She concentrated on aligning the arrays to broadcast to Kuru. Getting that done, all she had to do was type in the number for Kuru.

She hesitated for a moment, then typed in DNN7809SK5 slowly. The familiar face of PT-Cop Hirano showed up.

"Keranya! What happened to you? We've been worried sick."

"Sir, you know this girl?"

"Of course I know her! We've been looking everywhere for her! Where are you?"

"Told ya," said Keranya smugly. Just then, the picture started breaking up.

Aliens who were using thought-speak were using communications that were interfering with the alignments. Keranya tried to get a visual.

"What are you doing?" demanded the security officer.

"Getting a visual. I want to see these guys!"

"Out of the question. You'll--"

Marco spoke up. "Let her get a visual. I'd like to see them, too."

"Okay," allowed the officer. Keranya continued adjusting controls.

When she got a visual, she was almost sorry she did. These aliens weren't pretty, and she didn't like the vibes she got from them. They were roughly triangular with a point toward the top. Their eyes were stuck on short stalks and were pink as a rabbit's. They had mouths, but didn't use them to communicate. They pretty much closed, opening every few minutes to suck in air and reveal a fat blue tongue, along with tiny, blue-tinged teeth. Not pretty.

On sight, Rachel and Marco gasped, and Cassie whispered a word.

"What?" asked Keranya. "You know these guys?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you could say that." Said Jake. "Maybe we should connect with them."

"Definitely," said Tobias. "Let's go to the captain."

Keranya followed them, and nobody seemed to object. Maybe it was because in their excitement they forgot to tell her to get lost; maybe it was because the officer was afraid of that lawsuit; whatever, she really didn't care. She was just taking advantage of being there.

When they got to the captain's office, the Animorphs were discreet. All they said was that this was "a solution", and that they should hook up with the aliens as soon as possible. Keranya restrained herself from probing their minds. She suspected that she'd find out soon enough.

Anyone would find it hard to deny a request made by the Animorphs. Karen and Melissa still seemed dazed, so Keranya figured that they weren't part of the Animorphs yet when the Animorphs went on this mission. That was believable.

After contacting those aliens again (Keranya still didn't know their name), Keranya got the general gist that it would be soon. That was good, cause she would be there. And this was something that she wanted to see!

* * *

Mark was still in the holding cell when he caught all the excitement. Feeling around with his mind, he 'found' Keranya.

Okay, he said, I know that you're pissed at me. You probably will be for the rest of your natural life. I understand that. I would be too. But would you please, please, PLEASE, tell me what's going on?

He heard a mental sigh. Out here, I'm just as clueless. Something's going on. We're hooking up with some new type of alien species. Beyond that? No clue.

Yes. It has. But do you think that makes me happy? I don't like lying. I hate living a lie. But I'm sort of stuck in a trap. I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do, can you understand that? Mark had never been this open to anyone, but all at once he felt everything spilling out of him. I can't go back to the PTC, because they'll know and I'll be sent to a re-education camp. I can't stay here, because we're in custody and, well, I guess I'm off to the re-education camps anyway. Yep, I see re-education in my future every way I could go.

He could feel Keranya considering this. If you come clean about this, to the PTC, then I think that you can slip by without that much punishment.

Mark tried to convey his feelings. It's more complicated than that. Can you tell what I feel?

He could feel her feelings, and wondered if she was deliberately transmitting them. It means that someday I will forgive you, she whispered into his mind.

Suddenly, Mark felt the ship shake. What's going on?

The aliens are here. Gee, that was quick! Suddenly, he was inside of her. They were both there, together, inside her body, both looking out, both seeing.

Both seeing the strangely colorful ship, looking like it was built from some sort of children's book. Both seeing it dock. Both seeing the rather ugly, triangular-shaped aliens come out of their odd ship. And both of them seeing them extend a hand to the humans.

{Hello}, they said in thought-speak. {We are the Iskoort.}