"I would have told you," Terenia says pitifully as the hatch opens under his command, "I just...was waiting to see whether they-" she cuts off, staring at his back.
<Whether they survived,> Efaen finishes Terenia's thought, and the words sear the inside of her brain like a live wire. Terenia jerks, trying to move away from the truth, but of course she cannot.
"I'm sorry," Terenia repeats, knowing that no matter how many times she says the worn-out phrase it will make no difference now. The damage has been done, and Terenia has no idea how to fix it.
<You can't,> Efaen hisses, <He's through with you. And now when Myitt and the others return he will not support you.>
<Idiot,> Terenia snaps back, <We needed his support. We needed him to keep us together. Now we have nothing. No one. I'll be forced out of your head and stomped on while you'll be forced into some sort of Andalite version of the Witness Protection Program!>
<I do not believe that will happen,> Efaen responds stiffly, <Captain Ossanlin will respect my wishes. We do not need this filthy Yeerk to aide us. We should be placing our hopes in the Andalites.>
"You are impossible!" Terenia cries out loud, her voice scathing as Efaen's goading warps her depression into fury. She slams her fists onto the metal floor, ignoring the sharp sting that the impact brings.