(You rigged the game, Ellimist,) Crayak accused.

The Ellimist laughed in his booming, everywhere-at-once voice and replied, (How is this so? You wanted the Yeerks to take Earth. I wanted to stop them. I guided the five humans and the Andalite to see possibilities, as per our rules. You assume that six primitives succeeding against an entire empire must mean there was cheating involved, when you know that's not the case. You're being a sore loser, Crayak.)

Crayak swelled at the insult, but did not explode, did nothing physical to the Ellimist. He was unable to restrain himself entirely, however, and made a star in a remote, insignificant corner of the galaxy go nova. The Ellimist did not chide Crayak, though. It bent the rules of their game, but Crayak's anger was insatiable. Something had to be done before Crayak threw borders and boundaries to the wind and went after the Ellimist, resulting in another cataclysmic clash of their powers, destroying billions of sentients in the process. (I know humans as well as you do, Ellimist. You know they are a people of passion, and that is their weakness! You know that without interference, the one called Jake would never sacrifice his own cousin and brother! Not even to save the entire race!)

(And how would you have it, Crayak? If I keep letting you change and modify our rules, soon you will be doing whatever you see fit with nothing to hold you back! I am reasonable, unlike you. You want a rematch? How would you have it work?)

(My Howlers are useless now, and I concede that I lost the battle between your Animorphs and my children, fair and square. I enjoyed that competition, however. A few players of yours verses a few of mine is a fine sort of entertainment, indeed. Why not raise the stakes?)

The Ellimist was intrigued. (What do you have in mind, Crayak?)

(Your Animorphs and my faithful Yeerks, including the One, are about to destroy each other,) Crayak said, gesturing to the point in space and time where the two dominant beings had frozen their most recent battle, right before the Animorphs and Yeerks had their ultimately fatal collision. (It would be a waste to let our loyal soldiers annihilate each other. I propose that we stop being subtle and be as direct as we can, according to the rules, of course,) Crayak said the last part mockingly. (You pick a race anywhere in the galaxy, and I do the same. We each then pick one individual from that race, who will be the prize piece, the King of our chess game.)

(My King would be anonymous to you, and yours to me, I presume,) the Ellimist said, possibly even more interested than before.

(Yes. Exactly,) Crayak responded, more excited than before. (You send some diplomats to your chosen race, and I will do the same. Now, these are the rules. We can only speak to our respective races through our diplomats. No direct contact.)

(Acceptable,) the Ellimist stated. (Next rule?)

(When we choose our races, their planets must be relatively close to one another. I will not wait around forever, Ellimist,) Crayak snarled as he sensed a protest from his nemesis. (The point of this new game is to gain finality.)

(Fine,) the Ellimist calmed Crayak. (What are the victory conditions of this…new game?)

(If your chosen King dies, you lose. That rule is the same for me. As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I want an all-out war to result from our diplomats' messages.)

(Yes, Crayak. I had guessed. So, you want a war? What a surprise. Already I am bored with your new game,) the Ellimist said.

(One difference in this game, old 'friend,') Crayak sneered. (You think I am a blood-thirsty, war-mongering savage. This is not untrue. I think of you as a peace-loving fool. As we have let these characteristics dominate our past skirmishes, I suggest we do the same here, only more directly.)

(Both of these races will be reasonable, Ellimist. Capable of independent thought. Able to choose between war and peace. After the messages are delivered, our diplomats can play any role they choose in this new conflict. Your diplomats will be allowed to contact my chosen race, if they so choose.)

(I begin to see,) said the Ellimist. (If open war occurs, resulting in the death of one or both of our Kings, you are more likely to win.)

(Yes,) said Crayak. (But if your diplomats are able to outwit or outfight mine, peace and prosperity could possibly reign between our new chosen peoples. In which case, I lose and you win. Forever.)

(What will be the penalty for losing?) the Ellimist asked.

(Permanent exile,) Crayak announced. (If you lose, you must leave both this timeline and this galaxy, never to return. It would be all mine to play whatever games I choose. If I lose, I will leave, back to where I came from, and will most likely be destroyed.)

The Ellimist thought it over for a long time. In a normal timeline, it would have been millions of years before Crayak received an answer. But for these two beings, time was meaningless. Either one could have made a second last a billion years or the other way around.

(I accept the terms of your game under the condition that we agree on each other's choice of diplomats,) the Ellimist responded.

(Name your champions,) Crayak bellowed, ecstatic that the evasive Ellimist had finally agreed on a way to settle the score permanently. (Seven was the number for the last engagement of ours, I think that will suffice for this competition as well.)

(The humans, Jake, Cassie, Tobias, Marco, and the Andalite, Aximili-Isthill-Esgarrouth,) the Ellimist replied instantly.

(Predictable,) Crayak grumbled. (You have only named five, and that is because you expect me to object to your last two.)

The Ellimist nodded. (Who would you trade for me to include the human, Rachel?)

Crayak considered. (Forget the girl, Ellimist. She is dead, she is gone. Pick another.)

(I agreed to all of your conditions, Crayak. Do not forget I am allowing several rules to be broken in order to give you this competition that you so desire. Is one human girl too much to ask?)

(I suppose I could let you have the girl. She is a brave warrior, worthy of another chance,) Crayak conceded. (But in exchange for her, I will have two Howlers. Two untainted Howlers.)

(Done!) the Ellimist agreed. (And the last one…in order to receive him, I should only have to exchange one champion, Crayak. I want Elfangor.)

(You must think me stupid,) Crayak sneered again. (Tobias' father? Aximili's brother? All of your champions would be strengthened tenfold by his inclusion. No deal. Never.)

The Ellimist sighed, but it was a battle he didn't expect to win. (I will send Toby Hamee with them, then.)

(Your diplomats are chosen, Ellimist. Hear mine,) Crayak said. (In addition to my two Howlers, I will send Visser One.)

The Ellimist considered. (You may send him, but not in Alloran's body. And if I win, he will go right back to his prison on Earth.)

Crayak actually smiled. (Ellimist, if you win, you can toss him into the sun if you wish. I will not be able to stop you.)

The Ellimist did not smile back. (He will go back to his prison. I do not interfere unless I must, Crayak. I do not like playing games with sentient lives.)

(Very well,) Crayak responded. (I will also have Efflit 1318 and Efflit 2230.)

(Pool-mates, among the most ruthless of the Yeerks,) the Ellimist commented. (I accept.)

(Last of all, I want the human Chapman and the Andalite Teneel-Protolas-Hendreish,) Crayak stated.

The Ellimist understood the decision to send Chapman. Even after years of being enslaved by the Yeerks, he was still power-hungry and ruthless, an anomoly in human psyche. But he had to search to find this Teneel Andalite, and when he did, the Ellimist was appalled as he read the creature like a book and shocked that he'd never felt the Andalite's burning hatred and bloodlust, not unlike Crayak himself. (You've been hiding Teneel-Protolas-Hendreish from me,) the Ellimist accused.

(Have I?) Crayak challenged. (Or have your powers so diminished that you can't pick anomolies out anymore?)

(It matters not,) the Ellimist snapped. (After this, nothing will matter to one of us. I am ready when you are, Crayak.)

Crayak laughed. (This has been long in coming, Ellimist. Let it begin.)