France

Mr. Wellington. Said softly a butler in a costume as luxurious as it was elaborate, entering a rococo-style reception hall.

If the chairs had not been so uncomfortable and if his host had not been so bored, Jera456 would have wanted this wait to last his whole life. The palace where he was was the most beautiful human building he had ever seen. For the first time, he understood a little of the human obsession with gold. It's true that if you put enough on the walls, it was extremely beautiful.

Jera456 got up and advanced with a conquering step towards the room indicated by the butler. But he blocked my way.

Very funny kid. Mr. Wellington. The president wishes to speak with you. Has anyone seen Mr. Wellington?

Jera456 took out his passport to prove his identity to that annoying servant.

I am Mr. Wellington.

Oh, uh, sorry Mr. Wellington? But where is your father?

In California. I have an appointment with Mr. Chirac. So if you want to keep your job, let me through.

The servant finally complied. Since the beginning of this journey, Jera456 had been discovering that without the close presence of his host's father or mother, humans were unpleasantly condescending and not very obedient with him. He set aside his annoyance to focus on this meeting that would entirely determine the course of his life. It was a gamble. Either he lost everything, or he won everything.

He followed the staff's directions to an empty office which, like all the rooms in this palace, was filled with art objects and gilding. In a corner stood, straight as an I, two servants armed with ceremonial swords.Observing closely, I saw that they also had a gun hidden in their jacket). After a few seconds, they shouted:

Mr. Jack Chirac, the President of the French Republic.

The wall behind which he was standing opened, revealing a secret passage from which emerged the person I had come to see and who might perhaps change everything.

He sat on the desk and signaled to the guard. Immediately, they left the room and went to guard the only two entrances to this room, which was now completely closed. They could finally speak frankly.

I am happy to finally meet you, Richac6487. We have a lot to talk about. But first of all, I must congratulate you on the decoration of your home. It is truly sublime, while being light enough not to offend the bad taste of humans.

Thank you, but his praises are undeserved. According to my host's memories, the Élysée Palace has been like this for centuries. The place was already like this in the time of my predecessor. Well, my host's predecessor. The French are the only humans with taste, and they are proud of it.

You definitely have a golden job. I envy you.

You are wrong. I thought like you, but in fact, it is a very difficult assignment. Of course, I am not saying this to complain. Most yeerks have much more unpleasant positions. It's just that human heads of state have almost no power. Moreover, they have to adhere to extremely demanding protocols, while other humans show them almost no respect. I can't understand it. I have thousands of soldiers under my command ready to invade any country in less than 24 hours and hundreds of atomic bombs waiting for my order to be sent. And yet, I had more power when my host was just a sweet drink manufacturer.

Oh, you must be exaggerating. The president of Coca-Cola definitely has less power than the French president.

Go tell that to the four-eyes.

Excuse me, but I don't follow you. Asked Jera456.

No matter. Let's get to the subject of your visit. Unless, like the other Yeerks, you've come only to mock me. Replied Richac6487 dryly.

"It wasn't good. I absolutely had to put him in a good position," Jera456 said to himself.

I would never mock a Yeerk who has an army under his command, joked Jera456.

It is a wise decision. So what is the reason for your visit? Since my disgrace, few Yeerks come to see me. Asked Richac6487 in a relaxed manner after the joke from his former playmate.

The few evenings he had spent with Jera456 on Alibor7 would have been the best of his life if he hadn't had to spend the following weeks in an isolation pool to recover from an STD. What irony that a parasite could be a victim of a parasite. Among all the species native to their home planet, why did that one have to follow them into exile?

I came because of certain rumors.

Rumors. What rumors? Asked Richac6487.

The rumors saying that Visser-12 not only demoted you but sentenced you to death following your unfortunate blunder.

He replied aggressively while getting up:

Now that you have seen me alive, you have your answer. Now go away.

Of course, I won't waste your precious time. It's a shame that the rumors are false. Otherwise, I had planned to offer you a deal.

He stopped.

A market? Can you see that? You think you're the first to try to trap me to deliver me to Visser-12. I knew you were ambitious, but I never would have believed this of you.

If you hide your secret as poorly, I understand why there are so many rumors.

Oh, but I hide nothing. It's Visser-12 who doesn't want anyone to know that he can't eliminate me. If the council learned that some of the Yeerks living on Earth have seceded and are pushing back the empire by threatening nuclear retaliation, Visser-12 would be immediately removed.

And then the new visser would hasten to take all necessary measures to inflict a punishment on you that would serve as an example for all yeerks who would want to rebel against the empire. The secret protects you as much as it protects Visser-12. And by the way, you can rest assured, there are no rumors at the moment. I discovered it by chance while doing research to help Visser-12 prepare his mass infestation plan during the G7.

A mass infestation during the .... You mean the four-eyes?

If by 'the four-eyes' you mean your prime minister, then no, he is not an agent of Visser-12. The Andalite bandits foiled his plan. None of the leaders present there were infested.

It's a relief. I would almost reward them.

The only reinforcement they need is help. They are just a handful. Despite their surprising efficiency on their own, they can only slow down the invasion.

Those arrogant Andalites. Once again, they have underestimated us. If they had been smarter, they would have hidden without making a fuss until their compatriots came to get them. Now, they are going to die for nothing. As soon as the invasion is over, Visser-12 will hunt them down and they will have nowhere left to hide.

It is your case too, if I'm not mistaken. When the invasion is over, you will lose all control over the humans' atomic bombs. Visser-12 will then be able to give free rein to his desire for revenge.

I will find a solution when the time comes. I always do. And something tells me that you have come to propose one to me. Since it's you, I am willing to take the risk of listening to you. But if you try to trap me, you will know that Visser-12 is not the only one capable of being vindictive.

Oh! I have no solution. I have no kind of talent in the art of war. But his Andalite warriors have proven that they are unmatched geniuses in this field.

Where are you going with this? Stop beating around the bush.

Richac6487, I appreciate you a lot, but you are severely lacking in patience and subtlety. I propose we form an alliance with the Andalites so that it is not just France, but the entire planet that secedes from the empire. We will become an officially neutral planet, but unofficially allied with the Andalites.

Have you lost your mind?

No, but if this plan fails, we will soon lose her both of us. You are not the only one having trouble with Visser-12. I reacted like you when I was offered this plan. But I met these Andalites and I can assure you that they are not normal Andalites. You know that many say they are notOf Andalite, but of human using the power of morph. I always found these rumors completely ridiculous, but now that I have met them, I understand where they come from. They are much more pragmatic than other Andalites. During our conversations, they never once referred to their damn tradition and code of honor. It's simple, I felt like they didn't even know it existed. I know it may sound crazy. And it is from a certain point of view. But I swear we can succeed.

Just tell me what I need to do.

Jera456 remains stunned for a few seconds before replying:

What, that's all. Are you convinced already?

As you said, I lack patience. When I see an opportunity, I go for it without asking questions. Boldness and more boldness. That's how I earned my stripes. And it's not like I'm risking much. Visser-12 already wants to kill me anyway. By teaming up with those Andalite scum, I'm just reducing the number of my enemies.