This was probably a good idea but it's just as exhausting as Leareth predicted, and he has less stamina than he realized; he woke up feeling fine physically, today, but when he gets up to leave he's kind of dizzy and unsteady again. On reflection maybe he will keep hiding in this conference room for a while. 

Melody leaves and collects a hug from Marian and more coffee, and then goes to see if she's needed elsewhere. 

Visser, 

Leareth will be available to come see you once he has made a full recovery or potentially sooner if we can come up with an arrangement satisfactory to him and to us. In the meantime I would like to take the most preliminary steps towards addressing the geopolitical situation on Earth, and start discussng the less preliminary ones. Please provide a timeline for release of the national leaders discussed; we will be monitoring the planet and prepared to intercept human weapons of war should it be necessary, and are hopeful that in conversation with them we'll be able to dissuade them from any immediate action. Once all that has been discussed, we are preparing an announcement for human media explaining the situation; I have attached our current draft. We are willing to run one from the 'Yeerk faction' concerned with host consent which we are claiming negotiated the peace with the Andalites as well. I don't think you should be the public face of it. We're anticipating inquiries about how people can be hosts, and have a website set up; I'll save that information to pass along once we've negotiated guidelines for voluntary host arrangements that protect the safety and wellbeing of both participants.

It is very important to me that we don't rush ahead of what limited trust exists so far, but I do not think that either of our interests are well served by delaying conversations with Earth's leaders until Leareth has made a full recovery and can come see you. If you want to discuss further on an insecure video channel, I've provided information for one. If you want to come to the ship, I will personally guarantee your safety. Otherwise we'll proceed with this plan, and try to retain as much flexibility as possible to work out all the details as we've come to learn more about each other.

Aileen is expected to make a full recovery. 

War-Prince Matirin-Ashal-Nelinfir

The first thing that Mhalir does is send a message to Enstat with the update on Aileen, because that, of all the things in this message, is simple. 

He still feels like things are moving too fast, and he feels - slow and stupid and scared, falling more steps behind with every turn - he wants Alloran's brain chip back (he doesn't want Alloran back, Alloran deserves his freedom, and recovery if it's still possible for him) - he wants Leareth to be there and - tell him what to do, tell him what he would do...

This is a pointless thing to want, so he sets it aside and starts working on a reply. 

He reads the draft announcement and notes down some commentary but mostly it seems fine? Mhalir knows he shouldn't be the face of the pro-consent Yeerk faction, obviously, he - would have preferred that to have been the path, all along, but he burned that future-option-value for short term fuel a long, long time ago, and it doesn't actually help to say that others had already made that choice for him, it was still his decision. (And, looking back, he's unsure how much it even helped...) He can suggest people they can liaise with, Enstat and others who work with her, give contact information. 

He does not want to discuss on an insecure video channel, and - right now it doesn't feel possible to go to the Andalite ship, at all, so he declines. There are plans in place regarding national leaders, which he can attach for Matirin to review, and if they give the go-ahead, that will all be done by noon tomorrow.

He adds that he is willing to consider a wide range of accommodations for Leareth to come sooner, but isn't sure what that would entail, does Leareth have suggestions? 

It doesn't feel like the right reply, but it'll do, hopefully, and he sends it. 

His host is thinking that she read a story a couple years ago about some German - scientists? Engineers? People in the Nazi military, anyway, in 1945, running madly around the German countryside trying to surrender to the Americans not the Soviets because the Soviets would just butcher you and the Americans wouldn't, they had principles. She is wondering which ones the Andalites are.

<So am I. Leareth, the mage from Velgarth who they allied with, thought they have principles. He does; I was in his head, I know. I am just hoping his judgement there was correct> 

He's curious to hear more anecdotes about human history if she has them, in snippets in between other things. 

After a candlemark of hiding, Leareth ventures out of the conference room again, checks if Emril can be spared from the Healing side, and then looks for Matirin. 

He is with Cayaldwin, who was finally non-bleary enough to morph and shortly after that is in perfect health and now wants to get caught up on things. He nods at Leareth and heads over.

Leareth is back to looking calm and unruffled and only a little bit tired. 

:Is the plan still that I am going down to Earth with Emril so that Mhalir can Yeerk her and read my mind and I can convince him to come up to the ship with us? I am ready to go now but I am not sure what makes sense for transport. Or whether you told him to expect us: 

<I have not told him of this, though from his last message I get the sense he's eager to make seeing you again work. Are you sure you're up for it? I think he's scared but things are proceeding smoothly enough, it can wait until tomorrow or the next day if that'll be better for you.>

:I am up for it: He smiles slightly. :It will not be pleasant, but if I can go down there with my Gifts working, I am confident it will not be the kind of awful experience that piles up to eventually cause problems with cognition: 

<If you say so. I want to have you under electronic and ideally also magical surveillance, is that possible? It seems very unlikely that he will try to grab you while you are there with no defensive set-commands but -- it would be very bad if it happened -->

:Yes, of course, I would like both of those things and was going to suggest it. Also, if I am conscious and being vigilant I am very difficult to grab, for example–: And in half a second he's sprung up a Gate under his feet and is suddenly landing in a crouch twenty feet away on the field. He stands up and walks back over, smiling slightly.

Approving tail-swish. <All right. I'll apprise the Yeerks and then we can set up surveillance, assuming they accept, but - I think they will.>

Visser,

Leareth is willing to come speak to you again on the condition that you not infest him (he can provide a Thoughtsenser, who you can use to read his mind). We have personnel available today for this, pending your assurance that they'll be safe with you and permitted to leave freely.

The Visser's reply is very fast and confirms that of course he will provide such assurance, and suggesting a location. (One where he expects it to be easy for the Andalites to provide surveillance, because of course Leareth is going to ask for that and they're going to provide it, Leareth is very careful and paranoid and he's right to be. Mhalir would not feel nearly so capable of trusting him here otherwise.) 

Leareth gets ready with Emril. He suggests that someone else Gate them down, for simplicity, and because he doesn't want to be tired from doing a lot of Gates himself. 

<Be careful> he says even though it is unhelpful.

:Of course: And Leareth heads down. 

He's in a different host, now, a human woman. Somehow it's still very recognizably him. "Leareth." 

Nod. "Visser. I wish to - give you an update on our reasoning and considerations, here. And to convince you that it is safe and very valuable for you to come up to the ship and speak with Matirin directly, before we meet to talk to the human leaders." 

Mhalir looks at him. Says nothing for a moment. 

"You're welcome to come into my head," Emril says, level. "I want Leareth to do a compulsion first that you can't override my control of my body or Gifts. That's a thing he can do. Also my Healing is off-limits because that can hurt people." Not Leareth, right now, he's so shielded - he'll take off his Thoughtsensing amulet and lower his personal mind-shields for this but won't drop any of the rest. 

He considers this for ten seconds. "Yes, of course." 

<I will be right back> he assures his host. <You can stay here if you wish, although we will not be speaking out loud so it may be boring> 

She guesses she'll stay here? Since otherwise someone will just have to fetch her in a bit. 

He slips out of her ear.