<I don't have an actual plan contingent on us presenting through a filter that isn't installed for purposes that don't exist as three humans instead of five such that we need to figure out a configuration today. I'm just noting that the constraint is 'go in as humans, Yeerks, or other host species' and not 'go in as humans' - come to think of it, unless Visser Three likes having equipment around that can zap him, Andalite morphs would probably be safe too.> (Write, write.)

<Anyway. How - unified, I guess, is the Yeerk population? Are the ones on Earth generally on board with the infiltration effort or is there a chance of dividing them against themselves?>

"If anybody's got qualms, they're not dumb enough to talk about 'em."

<Okay. Other aliens besides Yeerks, Andalites, Hork-Bajir, and Taxxons who might be relevant at all?>

"Not that Aspret knew about."

<How likely do they think Andalites showing up and saving the day is?>

He shrugs. "There was that one ship that Elfangor came off of, but nobody acts like they're expecting another one."

<And all Elfangor's shipmates were wiped out, like Visser Three said? Or was he posturing?>

"Down in flames," Trouble confirms. "That's the story. So if he was lying, he lied to his own side too."

Write, write. <If he kicks it, who takes over?>

"Good question. I'm not sure," says Trouble. "He got the job from Visser One, and that's pretty much all I know about Visser One, so maybe Visser One will come back or maybe somebody'll get promoted."

<How does the general structure of Vissers and so on work?>

"There's a Council of Thirteen back on the home planet, and they're the big bosses. Then there's Vissers - no idea how many - the lower the number, the more important they are, and a bunch more Sub-Vissers with the same deal. The rest of them have numbers too - Aspret is Aspret 112 - but that just means they're the umptieth Yeerk born with that name."

<Are the local Yeerks in pretty regular contact with the higher-ups?>

"Well, Aspret sure wasn't. If anybody else was, she didn't hear about it or it didn't seem important."

<What about ordinary Yeerks on other planets?>

"What, are these ones in contact with them, you mean? No. The higher-ups might be; the grunts aren't."

<Interstellar communication is expensive? No one thinks it's important? They're on radio silence for security reasons?>

"I think it's more like a hierarchy thing. You have to get a ways up the ladder before you're allowed into the fancy shit."

<What sorts of things earn rewards like that?>

"Not that she told me about."

<Do you have any based on what she told you?>