"Mmm. You mean leaving one of your people on the ground in addition to Herald Masha, or just her?" 

<I would rather have someone there with her unless you'd prefer we not. Relaying questions to one of our own people would not require demonstrating any new capabilities, while giving her an earpiece would. And if we are taking on the same risk it is less awkward if that risk turns out badly.>

"Of course. I think Masha would really appreciate having someone else there with her. And it doesn't really add much risk of Leareth grabbing one of your people, since he could do that anyway if he wanted to." 

<I agree.>

So Masha can go with an Andalite named Talik to the drop point as noon approaches. Vanyel can shield the shuttle and it can go fly off in the opposite direction, then up to get a good camera angle. 

A few minutes later the image stabilizes on one of the big screens in a conference room. There are Masha and Talik and some trees.

And then a glowing doorway appears on thin air and a man with black hair and eyes steps through, accompanied by a couple of others. His expression is very level, but his eyes move around, scanning the area. 

"Herald," he says, with a courteous nod. 

"Leareth." Looking visibly anxious, she casts the Truth Spell. 

A blue halo of light appears around Leareth's head. 

"Have you been truthful with Vanyel during your, er, ten years of conversations."

"Nearly eleven years," Leareth corrects, absently. "I have never lied to him or deliberately mislead him, though I have omitted sensitive information, even when it would be highly relevant. I have kept all of the promises I made to him." 

The blue halo doesn't budge. 

"Huh." That...should probably feel more significant than it does, Vanyel thinks, watching from a distance. 

Tail-swish.

<You offered to help us with the war against the Yeerks on Earth. Is there a plausible set of circumstances under which, when you reached Earth, you would decide you preferred to help the Yeerks win.>

Leareth's expression doesn't change. "It would require you to have lied or been misinformed on significant elements of the situation, though I do intend to do my own investigation of the facts here, before committing my army and mages to your war. If the Yeerks were not the aggressors, and in fact their attack was in response to something that your people did, I - might reconsider, but would not necessarily switch sides, if their ensuing actions were what you claim. If - it somehow turns out that the conquered planets were voluntary additions to a Yeerk empire, and that the violence and bloodshed you described was vastly exaggerated, that...would be more likely to change my mind. Or - if I were to learn new facts about your people, that lead me to believe it would somehow be even worse overall for you to win. To be clear, I consider all of these scenarios quite unlikely, or else I would not be offering my help now." 

<If the Yeerks offered you more technology that we offer? Or planets of your own to rule?>

"No. Not if the other factors led me to believe the universe would be worse off if they conquered more worlds. It would at most be a minor factor, and only if I judged the two sides were otherwise equal in...atrocities committed or planned, trustworthiness, and the overall value in them achieving their aims." 

<Are you planning to take the things you learn on Earth back to Velgarth for conquest here?>

"No!" Leareth pauses, his face going still again after the temporary ripple of some-emotion.

"I am not sure yet how this will change my plans," he says finally. "However, it calls for halting all previous plans and doing a thorough re-evaluation. What I would like, is to take the knowledge of Earth and share it with all the existing countries in this world, via scholarship rather than conquest. Conquest is wasteful and - my plans before had a specific aim which is now obviated." 

His eyes narrow very slightly. "The complication, here, is that the gods of Velgarth dislike change and progress, and have systematically sabotaged many of my past efforts. I realize this is a bizarre and implausible claim, however, it is one I have extensive documentation of. My best guess is that They rely heavily on Foresight, and that rapid technological innovation makes the future more unpredictable and thus partially blinds Them. I am unsure how I expect Them to react to contact from outside worlds, and so I cannot yet speak to how I would address Their reaction." Pause. "I would be willing to sign a treaty with Valdemar promising that I will not invade them in particular, since they might otherwise feel compelled to argue against your people accepting my aid." 

<Have you ever in the past signed such agreements and then betrayed them?>

"Never." Pause. "- I have broken with a treaty after the other side had already violated their end of an agreement in a way that was costly to my goals. I have never initiated the betrayal. The ability to make and keep agreements matters and I do not make this offer lightly." 

<Do you care whether people live their lives free or in the power of Yeerks? Is it a thing you would consider when you are deciding whose work makes the universe worse off?> 

Leareth thinks silently for a  moment. "I care about the wellbeing of all the people in your galaxy, and most people want to be free and suffer if they are not, so yes, I would consider that as a factor that makes the Yeerks' rule worse. This is - an awkward situation - because Yeerks are also people, whose lives matter, and my understanding is that their lives are very limited without hosts. I am not sure how this could be resolved." 

Matirin's tail swishes unhappily.

Savil is fidgeting next to Vanyel, also looking unhappy. 

<Under what conditions would you expect your mages to defect separately from you, if the Yeerks offered them technology, power, fame, etcetera...>

"Almost none. I vet my people carefully and would do a second screening for this purpose, and none of them will be primarily motivated by power or fame. Your technology is - tempting, but I think I can make a strong case that branding the people of Velgarth as untrustworthy is not on the fastest path for Velgarth's technological advancement."