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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [Animorphs] Morphers - AU

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Lady_Misty, Mar 15, 2012.

  1. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42 I'd hit someone on the head for thinking that I was a lowly computer technician if I was one of the best in my class.

    So sorry! The other site I post on came back online and I didn’t use my brain when I was trying to figure out where I had been on there. Then the sole reader there wanted to give others the chance to read and review but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

    Either way I am sorry that I haven’t done anything until now.

    Here’s book thirteen!

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Hello, my name is Tobias.

    Just so you know you are not getting my last name out of me so don’t even try. Until the Yeerks are gone from Earth my last name will stay a secret from everyone but my friends.

    When we met Arbron in that abandoned construction site we were just normal kids doing normal kid stuff in a normal place in America. Until that day I thought that thinking that I was hearing my father and other siblings talk when they weren’t was one of the biggest problems that I had.

    The next one after that was trying to beat Marco at whatever new videogame either he or I had: that all changed that night a year ago.

    Now my biggest concerns are not getting killed or caught. It would spell doom on so many people if I was caught. My father and mother work with computer software. My dad is considered one of the best in the company; Arbron even told me that the Yeerks would find my dad useful in many ways.

    My mom finds errors in software so that they can be fixed before going wherever they go.

    Arbron is an Andalite Prince, a leader in their Military, he is the leader of our little group and Jake leads when Arbron is seeing how far the Yeerks have spread. Marco helps relieve stress by cracking jokes that range from hilarious to cringe worthy. There’s Cassie, our expert in animals, Anjinnl, a female Andalite Computer Technician and Aximili, an Andalite Cadet, he was very awkward with pretending to be human but Anjinnl helped him fit in better; but not before threatening him with duct tape and smacking him on the head with books. And last but not least Rachel. Rachel is gung-ho about protecting Earth.

    I have a crush on Rachel. She is smart, talented, really wants to help free Earth from the Yeerk Invasion and her being pretty is just the icing on the cake.

    That day I had been glad to get out of the house. My mom had burnt the scrambled eggs without vegetables and Leilani doesn’t like vegetables in her scrambled eggs she wouldn’t eat the other ones.

    Hoshi was complaining that Rio was running his hands through her hair and getting it dirty and to top matters off Hayden dumped her Cheerios on the floor.

    And that was just breakfast.

    When I was heading for the door to catch the bus Leilani was demanding to know who moved her sneakers; Hoshi was begging mom to wash her hair before it was time for her bus to arrive and Rio was upset because dad was telling him that he couldn’t bring Indiana, our Japanese Spitz, to school for show and tell; and that went for Champ the German Shepard as well.

    As I hurried for the street corner I laughed when I thought of my dad having to change his shirt because Hayden had milk and mashed Cheerios on her. But my mom was grateful that my dad was so willing to help with all of us. Apparently where my dad is from the fathers focus mostly on their sons and the mothers focused on the daughters. He said that it was superior complex.

    Kids at school treat me differently because my dad is a so smart when it comes to electronics. He built the computers he uses in his office a home himself from other computers. Mixing and matching the best components until he had what he wanted.

    He and Marco’s dad are good friends and go way back. They went to college together and work on many of the same projects together.

    I like school but after I became an Animorph I have just wanted to just go out looking for ways to strike against the Yeerks. But if I skipped school not only would it be suspicious my parents would ground me for the rest of my teenage years.

    Recently I tried to talk my parents into doing home-school; it went over like a lead balloon. My mom works from home and my dad alternates between work and home. One of the points my mom brought up is that Leilani needs to have structure and going to school will do that for her.

    Once the bus arrived at school I headed for my locker. If I had it my way I’d my way there would be a password on it instead of a stupid combination lock.

    The hint would be the square root of five and the answer would be ‘don’t know, don’t care’. It would be so amusing to see people trying to break into my locker by putting in the square root of five and fail.

    By the way the square root of five is 2.23606797749979; or that’s what my calculator said.

    xxxxxxx

    At lunch I sat with Marco and Jake talking about the latest video games and consoles that were in the works.

    I paused in mid-sentence when I smelt Rachel’s perfume. It had a nice scent that I couldn’t quite place.

    I turned and smiled at the sight of her, Cassie and Anjinnl heading for us.

    I slid over so that two of them could sit on the same side of the table as me. I must have had a goofy smile on my face when Rachel sat next to me because Marco smiled in a way that said ‘oh, how cute’. Rachel must have kicked him from under the table because he winced.

    “I have been named a Packard Foundation Outstanding Student.” Rachel announced as she opened her lunchbox.

    “Congratulations!” I told her with a smile.

    “You deserve it.” Cassie said.

    “Yeah, you do,” Marco began. “After all we are busy people these days.” That just earned him another kick.

    “You are a bright student.” Anjinnl said with a gentle smile.

    We were silent for a few moments as we started eating our various lunches.

    “Bromly thinks he found several places that could be important at a later date.” Anjinnl said after a few bites.

    “He said that the car wash would be perfect for a fundraiser in the future as well as a few other places.” She continued; sitting her sandwich down.

    We nodded to show that we understood. Anjinnl was telling us about possible entrances to the Yeerk Pool. We had only gone down there once as cockroaches, nearly got eaten by a Taxxon, met an alien called ‘the Ellimist’, nearly got eaten again and then barely escaped with our hides intact. But we did learn never to morph into cockroaches while sneaking into the Yeerk Pool ever again.

    The only thing that we got out of it was that we learned the location of the Kandrona and destroyed it.

    We have foiled the Yeerks plans many times. They were planning to destroy the forest behind Cassie’s place to find us but we threw a wrench in it; and learned that creatures with hive minds are not the ideal morphs. Take that Borg!

    We sort of have a new ally the Chee; an old group of androids that have been on Earth so long that they could have helped build the pyramids.

    There was some excitement not too long ago when we discovered that we could become allergic to DNA. We learned this the hard way when Rachel acquired a crocodile. For some time she couldn’t control her morphing abilities

    Arbron nearly tied Rachel down after we figured it out and a Chee took Rachel’s place. Rachel wasn’t thrilled.

    After school Rachel and I morphed into our birds of prey morphs and headed for the car wash. We talked about our day and we laughed at the fact that Amelia James, the lead cheerleader, had made a fool out of herself in front of some nerdy kid.

    /Tobias, we’re not heading for the car wash./ Rachel said suddenly. I looked around and discovered that she was right. I was somewhat familiar with the area since my family camps in the area every so often.

    I was about to try to head back in the direction of the car wash when a huge Oak Tree slid to one side. We paused and watched in confusion as two Hork-Bajir came out of a hole that the tree had covered.

    We just flapped our wings to stay more or less in place as the pair looked around. /Did we just find an entrance to the Yeerk Pool?/ Rachel asked. /It appears that we did./ I answered.

    Suddenly the sound of engines revving came from the hole. The two Hork-Bajir looked down then at each other before racing away.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    The next part should be up today.
     
  2. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    My dad is considered one of the best in the company; Arbron even told me that the Yeerks would find my dad useful in many ways.

    On the one hand, yes, and on the other... no. That thought far too scary to pursue. Yeerks with what's in Elfangor's head? Aiya.

    and that went for Champ the German Shepard as well.

    CHAMP!!!!! *runs in, hugs Champ, runs out again*

    He and Marco’s dad are good friends and go way back. They went to college together and work on many of the same projects together.

    Hmmm... does that mean that he and Loren helped Marco's dad through his grief?

    By the way the square root of five is 2.23606797749979; or that’s what my calculator said.

    There are combo locks that go that high?

    “I have been named a Packard Foundation Outstanding Student.”

    School's not suffering what with all the running off to fight aliens, huh? A little long division, a little dancing... facing seven foot bark eaters with blades...

    We have foiled the Yeerks plans many times. They were planning to destroy the forest behind Cassie’s place to find us but we foiled it; and learned that creatures with hive minds are not the ideal morphs.

    And also turned Visser Three purple!!!!

    Suddenly the sound of engines revving came from the hole. The two Hork-Bajir looked down then at each other before racing away.

    Go! Go! Go!!!!
     
  3. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42

    Elfangor is free of Yeerk control.

    Had to put Champ in. After all he is Loren's dog. ;)

    They helped as much as Steve let them but they wee there once he decided that it was time to come back to the real world.

    Not that I know of. He was talking about a keypad and an actual password and not a combo lock.

    Rachel is too cool to let her school suffer. Besides it could get her in trouble with her mother; maybe.

    Oh yes, they had their fun more than once at the Yeerks expense. [face_laugh]

    RUUUUNNN!

    I am so sorry that I took so long with this.

    I was trying to do NaNo and so I didn’t really feel that I do both.

    Long story short I fell way behind and for mine and others sanity I gave up on NaNo.

    Then I needed to think about some things before I continued too much

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Rachel and I watched in confusion as the two Hork-Bajir fled the entrance to the Yeerk Pool. It made zero sense that they were running away.

    Out of the hole about a dozen ATVs appeared and after a few moments followed after the pair of Hork-Bajir.

    I could see both Dracon Beams and regular Earth weapons on them.

    /They seem to be running away and the Controllers on the ATVs seem to be chasing them./ I said, stating what had to be the obvious.

    /We should help them./ Rachel said.

    I would have smiled if I was human.

    /The enemy of my enemy is my friend./ I stated.

    /Let’s do it!/ Rachel said as we flew towards the Hork-Bajir.

    /Hey you two, you have several Controllers coming your way!/ I told them through thought-speech.

    They stumbled but continued to run.

    /Need to go right to avoid them./ I told them.

    They hesitated and I knew that I would have to guide them. I hadn’t believed Arbron when he had told us that without the Yeerks in their head that the Hork-Bajir people were innocent and had simple minds. But this just went to show that Arbron had been right.

    But they did go to the right and continued to run.

    The Controllers fired their weapons at the pair of fleeing Hork-Bajir and missed.

    /Tobias they might need more help than what we are giving them./ Rachel said and I had to agree with her. They must not completely understand so they would need a guide.

    /Rachel stay up here and alert me of the movement of the Controllers./ I told her as I prepared to dive into the trees.

    /Hey we are going to play a game./ I told the Hork-Bajir. /Follow the bird with the red./

    The flight was nerve wrecking. I had to be so careful; one wrong move could either lead to my death or injury.

    /Tobias, there’s a chopper heading our way and you’re coming up on an access road. There’s Controllers on it with trucks./ Rachel reported.

    /Hey, we need to go a little fast if we are to escape./ I told the two aliens that were following me.

    An idea occurred to me. If they could swim they could escape.

    /Hey, if you can swim slice that sapling coming up./ I told them.

    The sapling was cut in half and I felt hope. There was a stream not too far away on the other side of the access road that we could use to help them escape.

    We reached the road and I noted the trucks coming up fast

    My heart would have been in my throat as I saw a truck move to cut them off.

    The first Hork-Bajir just jumped over the truck while the second one Hork-Bajir, which had been slowing down for the past few minutes, tried to jump only to get sideswiped.’

    The second Hork-Bajir was thrown a few feet and didn’t move.

    The trucks fishtailed in their hurry to stop.

    The first Hork-Bajir paused and raced back to the second one.

    “My kalashi!” it wailed at the second Hork-Bajir’s side. “My wife!”

    /You need to get out of there!/ I yelled as Controllers started to get out of the cabs of the trucks.

    The Hork-Bajir looked at them before it-no- he raced for the woods.

    It didn’t take long to reach the stream and the Hork-Bajir disappeared under the surface.

    /Wife, he said wife./ Rachel said after a few moments.

    /He did./ I agreed.

    xxxxxxx

    About an hour later Rachel and I were in Cassie’s Barn with our fellow Animorphs.

    Rachel and I had led the Hork-Bajir in a cave and then we informed Arbron of the situation and he decided that we needed to discuss in earnest.

    “Hork-Bajir have both males and females?” Marco asked, surprised.

    “Of course Hork-Bajir have both males and females.” Anjinnl answered. “All sentient or semi sentient species are either male or female. Only plants and a few “lesser” life forms are either asexual or have both male and female parts that can be brought out by chemical changes.”

    “Do you think that this is a trap?” Cassie asked. “I mean from Tobias and Rachel’s story the Controllers gave chase and seemed to be willing to kill them.”

    Arbron tapped his human morph’s fingers on bench.

    “We will have to ask him and see what we can learn.” Arbron said after a few moments.

    “I have several questions.” Marco said. “Do the females like to watch chick flicks or do the melt when they see a baby and do they scream when they see snakes and bugs?”

    “’Scream when they see snakes and bugs?’” Cassie asked as she casually opened a drawer, reached and then tossed something at Marco.

    Marco cried out in panic and jumped away as a harmless garter snake nearly fell on him.

    “Get it away from me!” Marco yelped.

    A few of us laughed as Cassie collected the snake and returned it to the drawer.

    “Now that we are done acting like little children we need to go and speak to our friend in the cave.” Arbron said; bringing us back to the matter at hand.

    xxxxxxxx

    We headed to the cave as a group all of us except Anjinnl, Aximili and Arbron were in morph. We had to make sure that it wasn’t a trap.

    Arbron was confidante that it wasn’t but you could never be too careful.

    Rachel was in her Bald Eagle morph. Cassie was an owl. Marco was in his gorilla morph. Jake was a tiger and I was in my hawk morph since the Hork-Bajir knew me as a bird.

    I landed on a branch and waited for everyone to get ready.

    /Hey,/ I called out to the Hork-Bajir in the cave. / I’m back and I brought friends./

    I watched as he carefully started to move through the trees, fallen branches and brambles.

    He stopped once he caught sight of Arbron, Anjinnl and Aximili.

    There was a staring contest for about a minute.

    “Andalites,” he breathed sounding both nervous and angry.

    /We heard that you escaped and wished to know if it is true./ Anjinnl stated.

    “I have my own head; Jara Hamee alone in his head.” The Hork-Bajir, Jara Hamee, declared.

    He then did something that shocked all of us. He swiped one of his wrist blades at his head and a nasty looking gash opened.

    /Gross!/ Marco groaned.

    We watched in shock as Jara Hamee pulled part of it away to reveal what had to be his brain. I didn’t see anything and then Jara Hamee pushed the wound back together and it scabbed over quite fast.

    /You are alone./ Arbron awknowledged.

    /Um, everyone,/ Cassie said. /It appears that Controllers are sort of heading our way./

    /Yeah, they even have a Hork-Bajir with them./ Rachel reported.

    /But it’s still pretty light out./ Marco said.

    /They must really want him back./ Arbron mused.

    /What if one of us morphed into him and led the Yeerks away?/ I asked.

    /That could work./ Arbron said. /There will be risks but it would be a good way to help get Jara Hamee to safety.

    /I will do it./ I said.

    There was some silence as Arbron mulled it over.

    /Are you sure Tobias?/ he asked.

    /I am sure besides I always wanted to be a weed whacker./ I answered.

    /I will follow by air then./ Arbron stated.

    xxxxxxxxxxx

    I purposely had Tobias morph into Jara Hamee for personal reasons.

    Don’t you all hate it when someone reminds/brings to your attention just how much this or that bothers you?
     
  4. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    Elfangor is free of Yeerk control.

    Sort of figured he was...

    Not that I know of. He was talking about a keypad and an actual password and not a combo lock.

    Ah. Makes sense now...

    I was trying to do NaNo and so I didn’t really feel that I do both.

    I tried to do NaNo, too. Only problem? I seem to want to write wacky crossovers between my own Animorph AU and other things... last time was The Dead Zone TV series, this time was Torchwood. No, that's not ever getting posted.

    I hadn’t believed Arbron when he had told us that without the Yeerks in their head that the Hork-Bajir people were innocent and had simple minds. But this just went to show that Arbron had been right.

    It takes experiencing it for real to understand what he means when he says the Hork-Bajir are innocents, and therein lies the tragedy.

    “My kalashi!” it wailed at the second Hork-Bajir’s side. “My wife!”

    Poor Ket, getting hit like that...

    /Wife, he said wife./ Rachel said after a few moments.

    /He did./ I agreed.

    It's the experiencing other cultures thing again. That they're like us... only scarier.

    “Hork-Bajir have both males and females?” Marco asked, surprised.

    I vollunteer to hit Marco over the head with a book for that stupid question... Oh. What Anji said works, too...

    “’Scream when they see snakes and bugs?’” Cassie asked as she casually opened a drawer, reached and then tossed something at Marco.

    Marco cried out in panic and jumped away as a harmless garter snake nearly fell on him.

    “Get it away from me!” Marco yelped.

    [face_laugh]

    Arbron was confidante that it wasn’t but you could never be too careful.

    Beta: confident (confidante is a person, this one is the state of being)

    /They must really want him back./

    ...I wonder if the Yeerks care whose grandson he is, or if they really just wanted their host bodies back. Hmmm...
     
  5. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42

    Marco probably deserves to be hit on the head with a book


    Sorry that I have taken so long in writing this. Certain things eluded me and I decided to give into my guilt and post what I have written and make this part four chapters long instead of three.

    xxxxxxxxxxx

    I would have loved to be asleep in my bed but I had volunteered to take the first watch over Jara Hamee and the newly liberated Ket Halpak for the night. It helped that I felt no need to demorph after two hours.

    It had been a little hair-raising and our favorite Visser was there in a human morph. I might not have escaped with Ket Halpak if Arbron hadn’t set a bird off that lived in the clearing.

    My new friends were hiding in a new cave since the last one had been compromised but once it was light we would be taking Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak to a valley that I half remembered from a family camping trip.

    The valley was a pretty place and I wished that we had camped there for the night all those years ago.

    I hoped that things were going well at my place; a Chee was taking my place until further notice and I hoped that he didn’t damage my reputation with my siblings too much by saying the wrong things.

    Like telling Rio that jumping on my parents’ waterbed was unacceptable. Telling Hoshi that leaning too far off of the bunk bed was a bad idea. But most of all telling Leilani to turn the bass down on the stereo

    I found myself remembering the time when Leilani’s ear-buds came out of her iPod and Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s my Life’ blared through the house.

    It would have been amusing if it wasn’t at 1:00 am.

    I spotted some movement and I turned to look at it.

    I would have smiled if I had been human. It was Arbron and Aximili.

    /I thought that Rachel and Cassie were going to take over./ I said.

    /I decided that I needed to check in on you and our friends./ Arbron informed me.

    /They seem to be alright. They do a lot of talking. Most of it seems like they are thankful that we rescued them and that they will be free./ I commented.

    I was about to ask Aximili how his mother would have felt if she knew how late it was when I had an eerily sensation.

    It was as if I wasn’t seeing what was in front of me but somewhere else. I saw some Controllers moving through the trees with Taxxons. Something deep down told me that they were somehow using the Taxxons to find Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.

    /Arbron, can Taxxons track people?/ I asked, fearing the answer.

    /Yes some can but they are few in number. My I ask why the sudden curiosity?/ Arbron asked.

    /I think that they are somehow tracking our Hork-Bajir friends./ I answered.

    /If they are then we need to discover if that is the case./ Arbron said as he started to morph into an owl.

    I watched as he flew off, leaving Aximili and I alone with the two Hork-Bajir.

    The two of us made some small talk, waiting for Arbron to return.

    /Tobias,/ Arbron’s voice said in my mind. /They are tracking us. Get Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak out of there. Aximili go and get the others. I will watch their movements./

    /Yes sir!/ I said.

    /Hey, we need to get out of here. The Yeerks are coming!/ I called out to my new friends.

    I watched as Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak slowly came out of the cave.

    I knew that they were nervous simply because it was dark.

    /I know that it’s dark but we need to get moving./

    Once they were out I flew over and settled on Jara Hamee’s front head blade. It would be the best way to lead them until it got light out.

    xxxxx

    As it got a little lighter out I called for a halt so we could get some rest.

    At that moment I was wishing for my bed and a bowl of cereal, preferably Wheaties.

    I told them that if they were hungry that they could get something to eat.

    I watched as Jara Hamee used his blades to slice up some bark from a tree and eat the chucks that he got from

    Jara Hamee offered me some but I declined by saying that I would eat later.

    I am pretty sure that a bowl of Wheaties was calling my name; and if that wasn’t the case than it was Honey-Nut Cheerios.

    Finally I told them that we needed to get moving again.

    We had been traveling for twentyish minutes when I heard something.

    /Tobias,/ Arbron’s voice said. /We’re coming!/

    A minute later Aximili came into view with Anjinnl as a Black Panther at his side. Aximili had a backpack that most likely had at least clothes and sneakers if not some food as well.

    /Aximili, please tell me that there are granola bars in that backpack./ I almost begged.

    /There are granola bars in here for you and the others./ He answered.

    It took a lot of willpower not to demorph then and there and feast on granola bars.

    /There’s also juice and water./ Anjinnl added.

    Now I really wanted to demorph.

    A few minutes later I heard the others coming as birds.

    I knew something was wrong the moment they landed.

    One of the Ospreys was shaking in a manner that I didn’t like at all.

    /Cassie?/ I asked.

    /Yes?/ she answered shakily.

    /Are you alright?/ I asked.

    /I don’t remember how long I have been in morph./ She answered with fear.

    Cassie feels the need to demorph shortly after two hours in morph. The longer she tries to stay in morph the more she struggles with pain and the desire to demorph

    I had a bad feeling about this.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    A funny thing is that I could sleep to Bon Jovi. I haven’t tried it yet but I find it soothing. And you are looking at me strange.
     
  6. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    I'll likely be doing an expanded review when I get my energy back (cold virus, not liking it), but for now: awesome job. Want more. :)
     
  7. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    It's never fun to be ill on any level.


    Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
     
  8. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    No, it isn't. And since I'm over the cold now... review!!!!!

    Telling Hoshi that leaning too far off of the bunk bed was a bad idea.

    I can vouch for that one... have done it. Wasn't fun.

    I found myself remembering the time when Leilani’s ear-buds came out of her iPod and Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s my Life’ blared through the house.

    It would have been amusing if it wasn’t at 1:00 am.

    Love, love this household... hee!!!

    It was as if I wasn’t seeing what was in front of me but somewhere else. I saw some Controllers moving through the trees with Taxxons. Something deep down told me that they were somehow using the Taxxons to find Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.

    Sneaky, sneaky Ellimist... That, or Tobias is psychic.

    Cassie feels the need to demorph shortly after two hours in morph. The longer she tries to stay in morph the more she struggles with pain and the desire to demorph

    I had a bad feeling about this.

    Me, too.

    A funny thing is that I could sleep to Bon Jovi. I haven’t tried it yet but I find it soothing. And you are looking at me strange.

    Nope. Not looking at you strange. I fall asleep to audio commentaries. Really, really boring audio commentaries.
     
  9. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007

    So glad that you enjoy Tobias's home life. :) We don't get enough of it for any of the other characters in the books.


    Sorry that I took my sweet time writing this. One excuse I have is that my computer has an issue with overheating so if I have a document up and it overheats it shuts down and I lose what wasn’t saved. So it was in the shop for a few days and I warred with myself for a few other days but finally here’s the last chapter of Part 5!

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    /Jara Hamee, Ket Halpak, what would you do if the Yeerks tried to retake you?/ Arbron asked.

    “Free or dead!” Jara Hamee yelled.

    “Free or dead!” Ket Halpak agreed.

    /Give me liberty or give me death./ Jake said.

    /Patrick Henry,/ I supplied.

    /You can demorph./ Arbron said. /If we are to help them then we must reveal our true forms to them./ He told us.

    I landed and pictured myself.

    I felt myself changing and within moments I was myself again.

    When I was finished Aximili was holding a box of granola bars in his hands.

    Without thinking I snatched the box out of his hands and pawed through the box before I discovered that they were all the same type.

    Sighing I selected one and handed the box to Jake.

    It was then that I noticed that Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak were laughing.

    “You are human!” Jara Hamee said between laughs.

    “Most of us yes.” Cassie said as she walked on unsteady legs over to Rachel; who now had the box of granola bars.

    “Yeerks wrong then.” Ket Halpak stated.

    “Yup, they are wrong.” Rachel stated as she pulled a pair of pants out of the pack that Aximili had been carrying along with a pair of sneakers.

    All of us humans quickly gathered around the pack and retrieved pants and sneakers. I recognized a pair as mine and quickly retrieved them.

    After I pulled them on I snatched up my beat up pair of sneakers. The more worn in a pair of sneakers are the more comfortable they are.

    “We picked them up from your place.” Jake explained. “We figured that it would be better than wandering around in our morphing outfits.”

    I would have done a lot to get some sleep but we had to get moving.

    /I will keep an eye on things up here./ Arbron informed us.

    /Aximili, Anjinnl, morph into your human morphs. The fewer humans that see multiple aliens that better./

    Anjinnl and Aximili morphed and also retrieved clothes from the pack before Jake picked it up.

    “Everyone ready?” I asked as I double checked my laces.

    “Alright let’s go.”

    I led everyone through the woods; heading for the valley that I knew was there. My family had taken a different way but I was sure without a shadow of a doubt that I could find it going this way.

    Small talk started mostly about school and life at home.

    Rachel talked about his sisters Jordan and Sara. She really loves them even if she claims otherwise.

    Cassie was talking about several animals at the clinic and how their progress was coming.

    Jake was talking about a test he nearly failed.

    Marco started talking about video games.

    “I nearly have all the Harry Potter games beaten.” He told us. “They are pretty simple compared to others.”

    Silence fell again for a few moments and I was enjoying it.

    “It’s too quiet out here.” Marco suddenly commented.

    “That’s because you are used to the hustle and bustle of the city.” Anjinnl told him. “I like it out here with the birds and the trees. Reminds me a little of my home.”

    “And the air is clean and fresh.” Cassie added. “We are going to be better off getting some good fresh air and exercise.”

    “Well I am getting tired of walking.” Marco said.

    “Well you know what you got to do Marco?” Rachel asked.

    “No, I don’t.” Macro answered.

    “Just keep walking, just keep walking. What do we do we walk. Oh how I love to walk!” Rachel said doing a decent imitation of Dory from Finding Nemo.

    Everyone except Marco laughed.

    “It’s not funny!” he snapped.

    /I need someone else up here to help patrol./ Arbron called down to us.

    “I will since I know where we are going.” I called up before shedding my jeans and sneakers.

    I pictured the Red tail Hawk and felt my body change.

    In a few moments I took to the sky.

    I kept on the lookout for Yeerk activity and now and then spotted a controller on the ground but they were far enough from everyone else that they wouldn’t pose a huge problem.

    Then I saw smoke; too much smoke to be a simple fire. Those blasted Yeerks had created a forest fire!

    For some reason I stayed in the area and noticed a ravine.

    I found an idea forming in my brain and I quickly headed back to everyone else.

    When I arrived they had all morphed into their battle morphs.

    /They started a forest fire./ I informed everyone as I landed.

    /We know./ Arbron stated

    /I don’t think the Yeerks care if they take Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak dead or alive./ I told them.

    /Sounds like you have an idea./ Arbron stated.

    I mentally told a deep breath and related my plan to everyone.

    Xxxxxxx

    I kept shaking my head. I still couldn’t believe that my plan had worked.

    My plan had involved someone (not Marco) morphing Ket Halpak and then me morphing Jara Hamee. We then ran for the ravine and threw ourselves off. Marco would be waiting on an alcove for us. He would then catch us as we fell and pull us in. The real Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak would play dead at the bottom of the ravine and everyone else in wolf morphs would gather around them and pretend to eat them.

    I was tired but the sight of the valley raised my spirits. It was more beautiful then I imagined.

    Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak looked around and seemed to nod with approval.

    “Good place for the Kawatnoj.” Jara Hamee stated.

    “Yes, good place.” Ket Halpak agreed.

    “What is a Kawatnoj?” Cassie asked; curious.

    “Kawatnoj small Jara Hamee or Ket Halpak.” Ket Halpak explained happily.

    “Children,” Rachel stated, “they are going to be parents.”

    /One the first to be born free in a long time; right Prince Arbron?/ Anjinnl asked.

    /Yes, as far as my knowledge goes./ Arbron agreed.

    “Wow!” Jake said.

    “I don’t know about any of you guys but I am not going to do any babysitting for them.” Marco stated.

    “Where’s your sense of adventure Marco?” I asked him.

    “I left it back home with my comic books.” He answered flatly.

    Xxxxxx

    I calmly walked into my house and was greeted by Champ. I smiled and patted his head before walking to the living room.

    I nearly laughed at the sight of Rio showing off how well he could play the dancing game while Hoshi glared at him and Leilani was trying to follow the directions from the look of things.

    I shook my head and headed for my father’s office,

    I found my father with that headset on with Hayden in his lap. I was surprised that Hayden wasn’t playing with the cord seeing that she did that a lot. I headed in and saw that my father looked sad.

    “What are you listening to?” I asked.

    My dad jerked a bit. He obviously hadn’t heard me.

    “Are you listening to the Vulcans or Klingons talking?” I asked teasing.

    Something flickered in my dad’s eyes.

    “Vulcans and Klingons don’t exist Tobias and you know it.” He stated.

    Hayden said something about Vulcans with a smile.

    “So,” my dad said as he removed the headset, ‘how has your day been?”

    I was slightly tempted to tell him that I had spent the day with my friends and aliens in the woods. That I had purposely jumped off a cliff to fool other aliens into thinking that my new friends were dead. But that would put everyone in danger.

    “It’s been good.” I replied. “I hope that my Doritos are still where I left them.”

    “They should be.” My dad’s the responded with a grin.

    We reached the kitchen and I opened the fridge and retrieved a Sprite and gave my dad the Cranberry-Grape Juice.

    I watched as my dad filled a Sippy Cup and then large glass of the juice. I found myself wondering again where my dad came from and more about his family. Yeah, he said he ran away from home when he was about my age but that was just about it. I didn’t know my parental grandparents names or where they lived.

    I remembered how if I died on a mission before we had met the Chee how I would have just vanished into thin air. Only my friends would know what happened to me. Now a Chee could take my place.

    “Dad?” I asked, as I opened the Doritos, “how would you and mom feel if I just disappeared and you never heard from me again?”

    “You’re mother and I would be worried out of our minds and start searching for you.” My dad answered as he snagged chip from the bag.

    “Do you think that your parents are worried about you?” I couldn’t stop the question from leaving my mouth.

    My dad looked pained but he didn’t look away.

    “My parents most likely believe that I am dead.” He stated. “When I left home it a dangerous time but I had to leave; I couldn’t stay.”

    I felt bad that I had drudged up bad memories for my dad.

    “So, how’s your work coming?” I asked; changing the subject as I took a sip of my Sprite.

    “You have either an uncle or aunt.” My dad suddenly said, ignoring my question. “I have always wondered if I had a little brother or sister.”

    “You could try facebook.” I suggested.

    My dad smiled a bit. “They wouldn’t be on facebook.” He told me.

    “Alan?” my mom called from the living room. “The children want to know if it’s time to watch Willow.”

    My dad looked at the stove and smiled.

    “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He called back as he prepared the popcorn popper and started to pour a few bags of chips into bowls.

    I grabbed some sodas from the fridge and headed for the living room.

    I vowed once again to protect every member of my family. I was the only one that could.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    As of now I am considering doing the 15th book next. It will feature Anjinnl revealing to the others what she has learned about her father.

    It has to happen sooner or later; preferably sooner than later.
     
  10. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    Yay for Ket and Jara and the going to be parents thing!!!!!

    “You have either an uncle or aunt.” My dad suddenly said, ignoring my question. “I have always wondered if I had a little brother or sister.”

    “You could try facebook.” I suggested.

    My dad smiled a bit. “They wouldn’t be on facebook.” He told me.

    No, no they wouldn't... but only because Ax has yet to discover the wonders of the internet.

    ...as much as I love the world being in peril due to modified horses... skipping it is fine with me. :)
     
  11. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007


    That's something to consider, Ax on facebook. Arbron and Anji would have to monitor him though.

    I will hopefully get the next chapter up soon. Life got hard for a bit.
     
  12. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42


    Sorry that I took my sweet time.

    I have anxiety and depression and treat them with medication which is in the middle of being changed for something better and then my Grandmother died. Between all of this I was debating a few things which worked out

    xxxxxxxx

    Hi, Marco here.

    I’d give you the full run down again but I find that boring when I read a series and in every single book the author gives a full rundown of what’s going on.

    Alien parasites called Yeerks are invading Earth. They want to enslave by taking over our bodies and making them our own.

    Aliens called Andalites are fighting the Yeerks and got their butts handed to them during the battle over Earth.

    Right now only eight of us, five humans and three Andalites, are fighting them.

    Prince Arbron is the leader of our group. Jake is Arbron’s second. Rachel is gung-ho about saving the planet. Anjinnl is our computer expert with Aximili as her helper; they are quite the team since she stopped hitting Ax on the head with books. Cassie is a nature lover which makes her our animal expert. Tobias is a little odd but he is observant. I am the joker of the group.

    Crap, I think I just gave you a really big rundown.

    Anyway, I was minding my own business at the Mall with my fellow Animorphs. Ax was eyeing Anji’s bag of Doritos, Rachel was looking at some fliers for some of the clothing stores, Cassie was looking, and most likely, bored, Bromley was just looking around and Tobias, Jake and I were discussing the upcoming release of the newest video games.

    I glanced around and saw our informant Erek King standing near a stand that had a map of the locations of all the stores in the mall.

    I gently nudged Jake who tapped Bromley.

    The three of us looked at Erek and he jerked his head slightly to the side. He needed to speak to us.

    “Tobias, keep an eye on Max.” Bromley whispered.

    Ax loves sugary foods so you have to keep an eye on him because he gets hyper. It’s funny since Anji can’t stand food that has too much sugar.

    Rachel grabbed Cassie’s arm and dragged her off with Anji following on their heels. Rachel was saying something about a sale at such and such store. Tobias snagged Ax and directed him towards one of the arcades.

    With that Jake, Bromley and I walked nonchalantly towards Erek.

    This had to be big if Erek wanted to speak to us.

    One thing I should tell you is that Erek is an android that is so old that he and his fellow androids watched as the Egyptians built the pyramids. Actually he’s older than that, much older. The Chee were created by an alien race that was destroyed. Since the Chee are peaceful they can’t fight with us but they can and will inform us of Yeerk activity they think we should know about.

    This had to be one of those times.

    Once we were close the air shimmered slightly around us and Erek was showing his true form: an anamorphic dog.

    “As far as anyone is concerned we are talking about a science test.” Erek stated.

    The three of us nodded.

    “The Yeerks are planning something big and it has something to do with Leerans.” Erek stated.

    “Leerans at physic and most of their planet is covered by water; how do they plan on doing this?” Bromley asked.

    “All I know is that whatever they are planning is taking place in the waters around Royan Island and that Visser One is coming to look into the operation.” Erek said.

    I felt my gut twist. Could I do something that could get my mother killed? I honestly didn’t want to know but we had to at least look into this. Maybe she would leave before we found and destroyed whatever the Yeerks were doing.

    I saw Erek look at me for a second before I nodded.

    With that Bromley, Jake and I rejoined the throng of people in the Mall.

    Jake looked at me with concern but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. I knew that he wanted to know how I felt about this.

    I could do this.

    xxxxx

    “Leerans are amphibious and sentient beings native to Leera. I have never personally met one since they are not allowed on our home world or any of our ships or military bases. The reason for this is that they are physic and can read minds at close range. It would be very dangerous for others to know our strategies, how to work our technology and where all of our bases are.” Arbron told us in the woods behind Cassie’s place.

    “So if we get too close to them they will know that we aren’t Andalites in morph but humans and they could learn our names and where we live?” Tobias asked.

    I understood Tobias’s worry. His father and mother work with computers. According to my dad Alan, Tobias’s dad, has turned down many opportunities; government project opportunities. Alan has claimed that they either don’t interest him or that someone else should take them.

    Heck, I was worried about my dad. I had already lost my mom to them and I would rather be shredded by a Hork-Bajir then lose my father.

    “Because Leerans are physic they would also know the true intentions of the Yeerks and know who are Controllers.” Arbron continued. “What the Yeerks are planning can’t be good.

    “Tomorrow we are going to go to Royan Island and look around.” Arbron finished.

    Xxxxxxxx

    The next day we flew in seagull morph towards the island that was off the mainland.

    /So, who lives on Royan Island?/ Rachel asked as we headed to the dark splotch on the horizon. /The Royan Family?/

    /According to the guidebook some guy named Royan was a bootlegger during the 1920s. It was a base of operations if you will. Some rich people live there now./ I said.

    When we arrived I looked at the house and the stuff around it. These people were filthy rich and maybe then some.

    /I bet these guys are so rich that they have politicians in their pockets./ I grumbled.

    /I wonder if Yeerks have other Yeerks in their pockets./ Anji mused.

    /I didn’t know that the Yeerks have a monetary system./ I said.

    /They don’t./ Anji answered. /But pull some strings here and there. Make sure that certain Yeerks are assigned to this or that Host. My brother told me that he sees something like that in his work; minus the Host thing of course. This or that scientist or intern will be favored over another for different reasons./

    /We need to focus on the matter at hand./ Arbron stated. /We can talk politics another time./

    We landed on a beach away from the prying eyes of the guards around the house demorphed.

    Then walking across sharp rocks we made our way into the ocean to morph. For the record I hate sharp things on my feet. It’s unpleasant and you could break something and/or injure yourself if you fell down.

    Besides, beaches should have sand on them with the occasional rock.

    After we morphed Anjinnl and Aximili moved put some space between us and them. We hadn’t thought to visit the Gardens in the middle of the night so Ax and Anji could acquire dolphins but since they had shark morphs everyone figured that it would be no big deal.

    We swam through the waters just looking for anything that could be out of the ordinary.

    /I see some hammerhead sharks up ahead./ Cassie reported. /They seem to be guarding something./

    /Can the Yeerks infest sharks?/ Rachel asked; she sounded worried and truth be told I was worried with her.

    /I doubt it./ Aximili said. /From what I read on them they are not intelligent and they are driven by instinct./

    /They seem to be similar to Taxxons in the respect that if there is blood there is a feeding frenzy./ Anjinnl commented. /But the Yeerks in the past show that they want as sentient as possible Hosts. There are fewer instincts to feel that way./

    As we swam closer to the area the sharks were they seemed to get agitated.

    /That appears to be a hologram behind them./ Arbron stated.

    /So there is something going on down here./ Rachel said.

    As we swam closer the sharks started to swim towards us.

    /Guys, I don’t think the sharks are happy to see us./ I said nervously.

    It was about then that the sharks attacked us.

    It was weird; they ignored Aximili and Anjinnl when they came over to help and they completely ignored one of their buddies when he was injured. There was blood in the water!

    Suddenly there was the sound of engines and the sharks almost scattered.

    /Why are they running?/ Cassie asked.

    It was then that we saw it: a nearly completely transparent submarine. The sharks seemed to have decided that they were to escort it.

    We watched as it passed not too far from us.

    I looked at the Bridge and noted that most of the aliens on the Bridge were familiar except for one. It looked frog like and looked slightly like a catfish as far as the whiskers at the mouth were concerned. It was also yellow.

    /A Leeran,/ Arbron whispered to us.

    I always wondered what it had to be like for people in sci-fi stuff to know that there was a mind reader in the room with them; knowing that their thoughts weren’t private. Now I know how they felt knowing that some yards away was an alien that could read my mind the same way I read a book.

    I then noticed the chair that the Leeran was standing next to. It reminded me of Captain Kirk’s Chair. The occupant of said chair was facing away from us but I knew that it wasn’t the esteemed Captain James T. Kirk in that chair.

    The chair suddenly turned; revealing occupant to me my mother: Visser One.

    Hi mom. I thought silently.

    I still get angry at night just thinking how the Yeerks ruined the lives of everyone in my family.

    /Visser One; the main creep is back./ Rachel whispered; angry.

    /Actually the Council of the Thirteen and the Yeerk Emperor would be the “main creeps”./ Anjinnl commented.

    /We will retreat for now and return when we have a better idea what to expect./ Arbron ordered.

    I was all too happy to comply.

    As we swam away I realized that I had never told Arbron about my mother being the Host of Visser One.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxx


    The piece on politics just came out and I think it works great since near the end Vissers One and Three get in that argument and Marco guesses that politics must be the same everywhere.
     
  13. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    I have anxiety and depression and treat them with medication which is in the middle of being changed for something better and then my Grandmother died. Between all of this I was debating a few things which worked out

    [:D] The writing thing takes as long as it takes, and some of us end up taking the scenic route to an update...

    I’d give you the full run down again but I find that boring when I read a series and in every single book the author gives a full rundown of what’s going on.

    [laugh] I can name two series authors that do that! (The other one is Ann M. Martin...)

    ...I must have missed something. Bromley?

    Ax loves sugary foods so you have to keep an eye on him because he gets hyper.

    Accurate representation of Ax in human form, as evidenced by the Cinnabun Incident: "One bun? One pan? It is not my fault if I misunderstood..."

    It was weird; they ignored Aximili and Anjinnl when they came over to help and they completely ignored one of their buddies when he was injured. There was blood in the water!

    Ah. They didn't crush the plan for the modified sharks, then...
     
  14. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007


    Sometimes the scenic route is better in the long run.

    Bromley is what they are suppose to call Arbron when he's in his human morph. Originally Marco was thinking of all of the Andalites by their human names.

    [face_laugh]

    They still have time to crush it with water pressure. ;)
     
  15. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42 Sorry I've been gone from this for so long.

    Sorry that I have been absent for a bit. But I am now better. :)

    xxxxxxxxxxx

    It was a few days after we had gone to Royan Island and we were gathered at the meadow where Arbron, Ax and Anji were staying. We were sitting in chairs in their shelter trying to think of ways to get into the new base and put a stop to their little operation; the only option we felt we had was to morph into sharks, hammerheads to be exact, and see if we could enter the compound that way.

    I had considered telling Arbron about Visser One using my mother as a Host but I dismissed it. I was fairly certain that he would bench me for the remainder of the mission and I felt that we needed everyone for this one.

    “As everyone here knows the Gardens doesn’t have sharks, at least not yet.” Cassie commented to us as she flipped through her biology book.

    “But there should be some at that aquarium across town, the one that is really expense.” Jake commented.

    “Ocean World?” Tobias asked.

    Jake nodded.

    “Oh they have sharks all right. My family went there on a family trip last month and none of us liked parts of it. Honestly who thought it would be a good idea to have a tunnel where not only is there water on either side of you but above your head as well in several places.” Tobias commented.

    “Do they have hammerheads?” Arbron asks.

    “Yep,” Tobias responds as he checks the time on his watch. “I got to go; I told my mom that I’d help her with a surprise for my dad.” He said as he stood and put his school stuff back into his backpack.

    As if on cue Jake, Cassie and Rachel started to pack their school things.

    I looked at my math homework and frowned. I was struggling with some of the stuff. My dad was a little busy so I didn’t want to ask him for help and asking Tobias for help on math was like asking for Stephen Hawking to explain black holes. I turned to Anji and knew that I had my answer.

    “Anji?” I called out.

    Anji turned from her seat at one of the tables to look at me.

    “I’m having a hard time with some of the new math concepts and math comes really easy for you so can you help me with my math homework?” I asked, hoping that I didn’t sound like a boy desperate for a date or something since I wasn’t.

    “If you are willing to help with my history homework we have a deal.” She answered.

    “I’ll help you.” I agreed.

    With that Anji gathered her math and history homework and we headed for my place.

    Since my dad and I now live in a house I feel leagues better inviting the others over for different things. Best of all we don’t have to worry about being overheard by neighbors and it’s clean.

    As we walked towards the front door I retrieved my keychain from my pants pocket, turned off the alarm and unlocked the door.

    We dropped our backpacks off next to the couch and I headed into the kitchen to grab the fruit bowl since Anji shouldn’t have any more junk food.

    “Do you like going to school here?” I asked Anji as I set the fruit bowl on the coffee table in front of the main couch.

    Anji looked at me, puzzled. “Why do you ask?”

    “It’s just that Max complains a lot about how primitive, backwards or incorrect what we learn in school is but you seem to enjoy going to school so I was just curious.” I told her.

    Anji sighed.

    “I enjoyed school back home but the children were never nice to me. For a long time I never understood the silent hatred and the cruelty of the male students and how the female one didn’t want to be my friend. I thought that some of it might be that I was talented but they would taunt me with personal Thought Speech so they could lie if I accused them of being cruel to me. I was once taunted by the son of a well-respected commander. He was the boldest; he only excluded the teacher from the taunts he threw at me.” Anji paused in her story; her lips quirked slightly as if amused by something. “He wasn’t as careful as he thought he was. He didn’t take into consideration of anyone entering the room since the door was behind us and all eyes needed to be forward and his Thought Speech was in a certain radius. My brother, Kilipan, came to get me along with a school official and an officer. The idiot didn’t even see my brother coming and Tilopid prided himself to be a great warrior.”

    Anji paused again apparently lost in her memories.

    “Kilipan did get in some trouble but since he was defending his sister when no one else was it was over looked for the most part. He should have been a warrior not a scientist.

    “School is better here. No one taunts me or anything, some even like the fact that I am smart.” Anji finished.

    I felt bad that I had drudged up painful memories.

    Personally I was mad that nothing seemed to have been done to curb the cruelty she had dealt with.

    I quickly pulled out my math homework so we could get going on the reason we were here.

    We spent nearly an hour working on math problems then switching to history every so often for something different.

    Finally Anji declared a short break.

    I smiled and grabbed the TV remote and started to flip through the channels.

    I stopped on a channel featuring some really stupid show and started to peel my orange.

    “Is the woman your mother?” Anji’s voice asked.

    I jerked my head up and stared at Anji who was looking at a picture of my parents. I had a moment of panic; worried that she would recognize her as the Host to Visser One but Anji just seemed curious.

    “Yeah, that’s my mom.” I told her; watching her reaction.

    “She’s beautiful.” Anji stated.

    I was glad that she left out the comment that my mom was beauty by human standards.

    “Was your dad handsome by your peoples’ standards?” I asked, remembering that her father was dead as well.

    Anji jerked slightly, her eyes wide with shock.

    Finally she turned to face me.

    “Yes, everyone considered him to be well built and I was told he had a sense of humor.”

    “Maybe I would have liked him.” I commented as I switched the channel to something less annoying.

    Anji looked surprised before she gave me a shaky smile.

    “Maybe you two would have gotten along.

    A few moments later Anji came back to the coffee table and picked up the history book. I took the hint and turned off the TV.

    I silently cursed the Yeerks for destroying our families. They took my mother and deprived Anji of having a father.

    xxxxx

    We decided to go to Ocean World in the middle of the night even though most of us could get the morph when they allowed us to pet the sharks. It would be so much easier and less stress if we snuck in at night to get the hammerhead shark morph.

    We had already dodged several guards and at least I was questioning the wisdom of doing it under the cover of darkness.

    None of us dared to speak just in case we alerted a nearby guard.

    Finally we found ourselves in a passage way like Tobias had described: glass walls on both your left and right and glass above. Yes I know that it really isn’t glass but it looks and can sound like it. The worst part was that it was really long and we could see sharks on the other side.

    I looked at Anji and she looked ready to have a panic attack.

    Suddenly we saw the beams of flashlights from around the end of tunnel. There was nowhere for us to hide and Anji, Max and Arbron were themselves.

    “We need to break the glass.” I whispered before I could stop myself.

    Arbron looked at the glass then nodded.

    /Everyone get ready to morph. Aximili, Anjinnl I am going to slash at the walls and I want the two of you to kick them as hard as you can./ He ordered.

    Arbron swung his tail and the blade cut deep into whatever it’s called but Anji didn’t have to kick it too hard for it to break so we were unprepared for the wave. And to make things worse part of the roof gave away.

    The water swept us down the corridor and one of the walls started to give away.

    I was quickly separated from everyone else and the fear that I would drown occupied my thoughts as I was pushed around by the water.

    Something rough brushed against my leg when the water slowed.

    I nearly panicked on the spot at the sight of a shark fin.

    I forced myself to calm down so it wouldn’t attack me but that didn’t mean that I liked something touching me.

    After a few more deep breaths I looked to see what kind of shark it was. I nearly laughed when I saw that it was a hammerhead; just the kind we were looking for.

    Carefully I moved over to it. Once I was near enough to touch it I did and acquired it.

    A moment later I heard the sound of something swimming in the water. I turned and saw that it was a dolphin.

    /It’s just me Marco./ Cassie told me.

    “I found us a hammerhead shark.” I told her.

    /Follow me if you can./ She said.

    It was a little awkward pulling the shark and Cassie ended up having to demorph and I morphing into a dolphin so she could acquire it and keep it calm.

    After what felt like forever we arrived where everyone else was.

    Everyone else got back in to acquire the hammerhead and then we went home. I collapsed on my bed completely drained from the day.

    In a few days we would return to Royan Island and learn what the Yeerks were up to.

    xxxxxxxxxxssss

    Wow, I ran the gauntlet.

    I had considered a friendship between Marco and Anjinnl and decided to give it a shot. I originally didn’t have the scene with Anji and Marco at his place but I tried and liked it.


    Early Wednesday I am going with my mom to Idaho to visit my sister Red. The Internet connection might not be the greatest but I will endeavor to get updates done.
     
  16. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    *waves from lurker-dom* Like I told Mira: review incoming just as soon as I finish my communications paper. :) In the mean-time... more?
     
  17. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    There's more.

    I got to Idaho a few hours ago. I had hoped to write on the plane ride but it was a little cramped. My sister's Internet is a little slow but but I'll think of something.


    Sent from my PADD using Tapatalk

    "The Starman and Moon Goddess." Han Solo - Dark Angel
     
  18. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42 I know it's quick but now you aren't left hanging.

    I know that this is long but I had a lot of fun with one part and wasn’t sure if I could cut any of it.

    xxxxxxxxxx

    A few days later we were back on Royan Island. I wasn’t really ready but I might never been ready.

    We all walked into the ocean and started to morph.

    I don’t know what I was expected for instincts but they were simple and complex. I wasn’t hungry but I was interested in the seascape; I was curious if it was a good hunting place.

    I did feel a little threatened by the others in morph.

    It was then that I heard a noise; a noise that attracted me.

    /Does anyone hear a noise that they want to follow?/ Rachel asked.

    Everyone answered yes and at Arbron’s direction we started swimming towards it. It didn’t take us long to see that it was coming from the area where we had run into the ‘super’ sharks.

    /I don’t understand why I didn’t hear the noise last time we were here./ Max commented.

    /They might not have been trying to get more sharks when we here last time./ Anji mused.

    /The Yeerks must somehow be modifying the sharks to get them to do what they want./ Arbron commented as we swam passed the four sharks guarding the entrance area.

    Now that we were behind the sharks we could see what was behind the hologram. There were three hatches of varying sizes and windows that as we got closer I could make out what appeared to be offices.

    Only one of the hatches was open and that was the smallest one; the sound was coming from it too.

    /I have a bad feeling about this./ I commented before I could stop myself.

    /Ditto,/ Tobias said.

    /I don’t like it either./ Arbron told us. /Once we are inside we will demorph./

    We swam through the hatch but before I could even start to look for a place to go and demorph metal hands grabbed me and pulled me into the air.

    I cried out it panic and I could hear everyone else crying out as well.

    The metal hands were more like the claws you see in those machines where you insert money and try to get some sort of prize.

    The shark instincts didn’t like being out of the air and frankly I didn’t like it either.

    I could sort of make out windows and figures behind them that could only be Controllers operating the machinery.

    /No one demorph./ Arbron ordered. /It appears that Controllers are watching./

    Finally the claws put me on a conveyer belt that was partially submerged in water but blocked in at the sides.

    The shark was panicked and so was I.

    Ahead of me was one of my friends and they were heading towards a huge needle.

    /Ouch!/ Cassie cried out as the needle disappeared into the side of her morph’s head.

    /Guys,/ she called out, /there’s a needle and it just injected me with some sort of numbing agent and there’s something coming up./ Cassie reported.

    /Great I hate going to the dentist./ I grumbled.

    /I bet you just don’t like having to not talk./ Rachel muttered.

    /I don’t like going to the dentist either./ Tobias told us. /I just don’t like other people’s fingers in my mouth./

    At that moment I was moved to the needle and I watched as it sank into me. I cried out and felt the area going numb.

    /Everyone they are using some sort of laser drill to make a hole in me./ Cassie report.

    She was right; I could see the laser and the smoke it was causing.

    /The Yeerks can’t be thinking about infesting sharks./ Arbron commented. /Even though they are similar in some respects to Taxxons they think too simply too much of the time. Not enough sentience to be of much use./

    /Could they be trying to somehow control the sharks Prince Arbron?/ Anji asked. /I remember hearing about using sounds to control simpler creatures./

    /Possible./ Arbron commented.

    I reached the laser and it too made a hole in me.

    /Sharks would be useful to the Yeerks trying to take Leera if the Leerans can’t read their intentions./ He continued to muse.

    I watched as a robotic hand dropped something small either on Cassie or into the hole the laser drill had made.

    /The machine just dropped something into the hole the laser created./ Cassie reported.

    The belt moved again and I heard a light splash as Cassie apparently hit deep water.

    /I’m okay but this new area isn’t very big./ She reported just before metal claws grabbed her and carried her off.

    The machine then dropped whatever it was into the hole and soon I too was dumped into the small space before being carted off by metal claws.

    I was dumped in an area that reminded me of a harbor or a marina. There were several docking areas; one had that almost transparent submarine parked next to it. But at least we could demorph then morph into something else.

    As we waited for the others I noted that something seemed different about how the shark thought and felt. At first it had dismissed the area as useless for finding food and moving on but now it was curious if food would could later.

    /Something isn’t right./ I commented to Cassie.

    /I know./ She replied.

    /Arbron something isn’t right./ Cassie said once everyone was in the area with us. /It’s as if the shark is smarter than it was before. The other senses are also better than they were./

    /Prince Arbron could this be an attempt to infest sharks?/ Max asked.

    /If they are trying to make sharks smarter and enhance their other senses then it would stand to reason that the Yeerks wish to use the sharks as Controllers instead of somehow controlling them./ Arbron stated.

    /I doubt these devices would allow us to morph any of our smaller creatures like flies./ Anji informed us. /Our birds of prey morphs just might be the right size to not create trouble with it but still get us around./

    /Good then Marco, Tobias, Aximili and Anjinnl I want the four of you to look for a way to get into the controls of the base. Once you get inside find a way to destroy the devices and the base./ Arbron ordered.

    /Yes Prince Arbron./ Max and Anji said in near unison.

    /Everyone else is with me. We will try to distract the Yeerks they get to work./ Arbron continued.

    Slowly Tobias, Max, Anji and I swam to a dock so Tobias and I could climb up once we demorphed and then Max and Anji could then climb up once they morphed into humans.

    Once Max and Anji joined us on the dock we looked around.

    “This place is huge; we might be better off morphing into birds to fly around a bit.” Anji commented.

    “I agree.” Max said.

    We made our way to an empty room and morphed into our birds of prey morphs. Tobias into a red tailed hawk, Max into a Northern Harrier, Anji into a Northern Goshawk and I into an Osprey.

    We started flying only to realize our mistake a few minutes later.

    /We need to land and walk around as humans./ Tobias said as we struggled to fly down corridors.

    It didn’t take us long to find a room but between poor flying conditions and the fact that the room was rather dark we all crashed into something. Max hit a desk, Tobias hit another desk but landed in a trash can, Anji hit something and I hit a wall.

    I was stunned for a moment and guessed that everyone had to be as well.

    /Gross!/ Tobias grumbled from the trash can. /A banana peel and an apple core./

    /I think I injured my morph./ Max commented from the floor.

    /I think I did as well./ I informed them. /Anji?/ I called out after she didn’t say anything.

    /Mother I didn’t use Kilipan’s computer to hack the school’s computers to mess with any of my classmates’ tests./ Anji’s voice called out sounding a little dazed but mostly upset. /They are always saying that the school’s system is too well made to allow tampering to that level./

    I realized that Anji had hit her head so hard she was reliving a memory.

    /Mother, please believe me. I wouldn’t do something like that even though they say horrible things about father./ Anji sounded very upset.

    /Anji,/ I called out.

    /Wha- Marco?/ Anji asked slowly.

    /Anji you hit something pretty hard./ I told her.

    /I remember hitting something./ She said slowly. /For a moment I thought I was back home talking with my mother./

    Once we cleared our heads a bit we demorphed. We searched the office but didn’t find a computer that we could use; only a laptop that didn’t connect to the Yeerks’ network.

    /I hope that the owner won’t mind too much that I messed up their perfect score on the highest difficulty of spider solitaire./ Anji said after she closed the laptop.

    In a few minutes both her and Max were in their human morphs and we borrowed some sneakers with no intent of returning them.

    Slowly we made our way down some corridors trying to act like we belonged in the base. We would peer into the rooms that were there in irregular intervals but found nothing useful.

    After a minute we came to a corridor that branched off into two different directions.

    “We should split up.” I whispered. “Anji and I will search the rooms to the left. Tobias, you and Max search the rooms to the right.”

    Tobias nodded and led Max down the right corridor and Anji and I headed down the left one.

    We searched a few rooms before we heard a strange sound and guessed that Arbron and the others must have started a distraction.

    I was about to give up when we came to a door with a strange symbol on it. It reminded me of the seal for the President of the United States or for another such position.

    “Someone’s office?” I asked Anji softly.

    “Looks like it.” She commented just as softly.

    I pressed the button next to the door just in case someone was in it. We couldn’t afford to just walk in the room if someone was already inside. I guess that Anji and I could pretend to be making out but I was pretty sure that not only does that work in the movies but I am sure Anji and I were too young to completely fool Controllers into believing we were in a relationship that was that serious.

    The door opened revealing a large chair facing away from the door with a desk in front of it.

    /They would already be dead if we were assassins./ Anji silently sent me; I nodded in agreement.

    “Enter.” A cold but familiar voice ordered; disrupting any other thoughts that I might have had.

    Anji walked into the room and I followed after her. The door closed behind us; trapping us in the room.

    Anji and I walked around the chair to the front of the desk and came face to face with my mother; Visser One.

    Visser One fixed us with an icy glare; obviously upset.

    “I asked for some new technicians and was told that I’d get four and I see only two of you. Where are the others?” She demanded coldly.

    I worked my mouth, not daring to look at Anji.

    “I believe they were held up ma’am.” Anji spoke softly; lying.

    “I think I heard that Visser Three killed them for something or other.” I lied as well with not the amount of confidence I would have liked.

    It was a stupid lie but a believable one from what I had seen and heard about Visser Three’s policy.

    “I could find out ma’am.” Anji offered trying to sound helpful.

    Visser One shook her head, the whole time looking annoyed.

    “If that clown Visser Three thinks that by getting this project backed up will make me look bad in the eyes of the Council of Thirteen he is mistaken.” She snapped.

    “This project will succeed and we will take Leera.” Visser One continued.

    “Yes Visser.” Anji and I said in unison.

    It was then that Visser One smiled cruelly.

    “You do know that your Host is the son on my Host.” She spoke.

    I nodded. “Yes Visser.” I almost whispered.

    /I won’t tell anyone./ Anji whispered in my head and I had to suppress a thankful smile directed at her.

    “Keep better control of your Host.” She snapped before looking at Anji glaring at her. “You also could have better control of your Host as well.”

    Visser One smiled again and tapped the side of my mother’s head.

    “My Host is making an awful noise and fighting for control but as you can see I am in complete control.” She stated flatly and I could tell that the Yeerk spoke the truth.

    “We have been under a lot of stress Visser.” Anji spoke respectfully. “Hosts are harder to control when you have many things calling for your attention and many worries; we will make time to rest, relax and visit a Yeerk Pool ASAP.”

    Visser One looked like she was about to say something when the roars of a tiger and a leopard echoed in the air.

    Anji and I turned in the direction of the noise along with Visser One.

    “Sounds like the stupid Andalites are here and causing trouble.” She said in annoyance.

    Visser One stood in one smooth motion. “I will go and see what is being done. You two get to your posts.”

    She fluffed my mother’s hair a little like my mom used to before she went out in public, it looked right but so wrong at the same time, and then Visser One was gone.

    I put my hands on the desk and took a deep, steadying breath. I didn’t want to look at Anji.

    Finally I looked at her and saw some pity but mostly sympathy. I was puzzled by the sympathy but I decided not to ask her about it.

    We left the office as one and started opening doors again.

    I opened one door and found a Dracon Beam being pointed in my face with Tobias on the other end. He lowered it once he saw that it was me and Anji.

    “I hope that thing is on stun.” I told him as Anji and I slipped into the office.

    “We found a computer that gives us access to the whole base.” Tobias explained, ignoring my comment, as we headed over to a desk with a computer where Max was at work as himself.

    /I am going to order your devices to leave your bodies./ Max informed us. /If I don’t then they will exit as this place is destroyed and that will be messy. I have already done it for everyone else./

    Anji and I quickly sat it nearby chairs.

    “Just do it.” I told him.

    It was very painful and had to be messy since Tobias looked away and seemed to be helping Max at the computer.

    After I felt the device fall out of me I quickly morphed into my Irish Setter and then demorphed.

    I then joined Max, Tobias and Anji at the computer.

    /It will be easier than counting to a hundred to destroy this place./ Anji said, soundly a little shocked. /But then it was easy to get into Chapman’s computer./

    “So how much time should we give ourselves?” I asked.

    /Ten or so minutes, if we do more than we run the risk of the Yeerks discovering what we have done and undoing it./ Max told me.

    /I concur with Aximili./ Anji said. /I might even put less time in and a passcode to prevent a Yeerk from reversing what we have done./

    Max just nodded as he went back to work at the computer.

    Anji went over and looked over his shoulder.

    /I have this under control./ He told her.

    “If you have things under control then we will join everyone else.” Tobias told Max.

    We left Max to work at the computer and hurried towards the sound of the battle; morphing as we went.

    By the time we reached a door I was fully a gorilla, Tobias was a mountain lion and Anji was nearly completely a black panther.

    I tried to gently open the door but only succeeded in ripping it off its hinges.

    It was an open area and Hork-Bajir Controllers were everywhere with different degrees of injuries. Arbron, Rachel, Cassie and Jake looked only a little better than some of the better looking Hork-Bajir Controllers.

    I then saw Visser One off to the side demanding that some of the Hork-Bajir Controllers get up and fight.

    /Tobias, why don’t you and Anji go and help everyone else./ I said.

    /I am going with you./ Anji whispered.

    I didn’t argue, I might need some support.

    We ran together towards Visser One and her little group. The Hork-Bajir Controllers didn’t really stand a chance against us.

    Finally it was just Anji and I facing Visser One. Anji was growling and I was doing my best to look threatening.

    “What are you waiting for Andalites?” she demanded after a few seconds.

    =Visser, only one of them is an Andalite.= A strange voice spoke in my head.

    Anji, Visser One and I both turned to look at a Leeran standing not too far away.

    Anji whispered something that I guessed was an Andalite curse.

    Visser One looked both annoyed and angry.

    “You are mistaken; one of them is a gorilla a creature that resembles a human in some respects.” Visser One snapped.

    =Forgive me Visser but-= The Leeran didn’t finish his thought before both Anji and I attacked him.

    I saw something large, long and yellow approach us out of the corner of my eyes but I was too intent on making sure that the Leeran Controller couldn’t expose us as mostly humans to look.

    /Well looks like the Andalites have made quite a mess of things here./ Visser Three’s voice said sounding a little amused.

    I would have gasped in shock if I was human and I dropped the Leeran Controller onto the floor.

    “You should have either gotten rid of them properly during the battle over Earth or destroyed them when they face you.” Visser One snapped.

    Anji and I took a few steps away from the now injured, limp but still breathing Leeran to watch the two Vissers argue.

    /As such a high ranking Yeerk you should know that Andalites are sneaky. I wouldn’t put it passed them to have placed several of their warriors here secretly to watch for us./

    “Excuses!” Visser One snapped.

    /If it is an excuse then it’s better than some of yours./ Visser Three returned.

    “You have messed up this whole invasion by not doing better searching out the Andalites.” Visser One returned.

    Visser Three laughed.

    /If anything the conquest of the human race has been slowed but not derailed completely. What would you say if you were still in charge of Earth and the Andalites were your problem and not mine?/ He asked.

    “They wouldn’t be a problem!” Visser One yelled; furious.

    /They would be as much as much of a problem for you as they are now./ Visser Three stated. /Prince Arbron-Bantec-Deromar is known for blending in with the natives of the planets he is sent to. He leads the Andalites that are more than likely trained also to blend in with planetary natives./

    “They are just arrogant Andalites; they will fall like so many others of their kind.” Visser One spoke with derision.

    /Is that a vote of confidence?/ Visser Three asked in mock interest. /So far all you have done is insult my techniques./

    “No, it isn’t.” Visser One hissed.

    /Don’t you have other planets to be on?/ Visser Three asked sarcastically. /I would have thought that the Council of Thirteen would have sent you somewhere else by now./

    “If you weren’t messing with my project we would be nearly done here and Leera would be ours!” Visser One snapped.

    /It would be counterproductive to tamper with your assignment since Visser Four and I have worked together and are friends./ Visser Three shot back.

    I was just shocked. We could clearly hear the battle between the Hork-Bajir Controllers and the others and all these two could do was yell and insult each other.

    /Anji you were right about the Yeerks and how they aren’t too different than human politicians./ I told her.

    /If we were humans I’d ask you to pass the popcorn./ She replied sounding amused.

    For a moment Anji and I just stood there and watched the two Yeerk Vissers exchange insults.

    An alarm suddenly wailed loudly through the area causing at least Anji and I to flinch.

    “Warning, Containment Fields will shut down in three minutes. Extreme hazard, evacuation is strongly recommended. Countdown will commence in ten second intervals. Have a great day.” A computerized voice politely announced.

    I wasn’t sure what to find more amusing: the fact that the computer had wished us a great day after delivering dire news or the fact that the announcement had shut the two Vissers up.

    Anji actually started to laugh hysterically.

    /That recording reminds me of the time I tampered with the environmental controls of a greenhouse on school grounds. The computer made a similar announcement after I raised the temperature, air pressure and told it to rain with my classmates inside. They were never able to trace it to me./ She recounted laughing the whole time.

    I stared at her in shock. I had never thought of her capable of something like that. Yes, she had hit Max on the head several times with books when they were in human morphs. But then seeing what she had told me about her time at school it seemed like perfect revenge.

    The two Vissers turned and looked at her with different expressions. Visser One looked speechless while it appeared that Visser Three was amused on some level.

    /Very daring for a female./ Visser Three commented clearly impressed with Anji’s brazen action against her classmates.

    The announcement came again and that was enough to snap Visser One out of her daze and she raced away from us towards the rest of base.

    /Andalites can be demons with computers; I doubt that they would have left a way for you to reverse what they have done if this female spoke the truth of her escapade./ Visser Three called after her.

    The next two minutes were a blur as Visser Three chased us around the area. To both Anji’s and my credit we didn’t scream like little girls.

    The chase ended when Anji slipped in a pool of blood that I somehow missed.

    /Got you!/ Visser Three sneered.

    I raced back and punched Visser Three as hard as I could in the nose of his morph.

    He was stunned for a minute and was silent for a second before the computer informed us that we had a minute and twenty seconds before the base was destroyed.

    /Retreat!/ Visser Three ordered loudly. The remaining Hork-Bajir Controllers that could turned from my friends hurried to comply.

    “The Containment Fields have been stabilized at fifty seconds. Have a great day.” The computer announced.

    /Visser One must have somehow reversed what Aximili did./ Anji cried out as she demorphed.

    I ran after her as she headed back into the base with Rachel and Max following after us.

    We found Visser One in her office at her computer.

    “You are too late.” She said gleefully. “Your little ploy has failed.”

    Rachel and Max charged at her.

    /No!/ I cried out. /Don’t kill her./

    They knocked her to the floor and Anji raced to the computer.

    /It’s going to take me a minute or so to bypass her passwords./ Anji reported.

    /Marco, what’s wrong with you?!/ Rachel demanded.

    /Her Host is my mother./ I whispered.

    Slowly both Rachel and Max moved away from her.

    Something yellow caught my attention and I turned to see Visser Three watching us before swimming away.

    I had a feeling that he had seen my friends spare Visser One.

    /What the name of Libom?/ Anji demanded drawing my attention back to her.

    The computer screen was flashing red with the words that the containment fields were ten seconds from failure along with an alien looking phrase afterwards.

    We really didn’t have time to react before the window shattered and water sucked us out.

    Amid the swirling water I lost sight of everyone else but I thought I saw the Leeran Controller swimming in the water.

    I quickly demorphed and morphed into a dolphin since I was in no hurry to become a shark again.

    I met up with others on the beach near the place we had landed earlier.

    I ignored Rachel as she walked over to me. I didn’t want her pity.

    “I think I heard the sub as I was swimming here.” She whispered to me before she headed towards Cassie.

    Xxxx

    Later that day found me staring blankly at my bedroom ceiling. Both Tobias and Jake had tried to talk to me about what had happened but I kind of blew them off and they seemed to understand.

    The doorbell rang but I just continued to count the discolored marks on the ceiling.

    After a minute I could hear someone climbing the stairs and the door opened. I turned to see Anji in her human morph standing there with her backpack hanging from her right hand.

    I watched as she closed the door.

    “I have something important to share with you.” She spoke softly.

    I sat up as she grabbed my computer chair.

    I somehow knew that what she wanted to share with me was big and not something that she shared with a lot of people.

    “When I was younger the adults would whisper about my brother and I. Kilipan would always tell me that what they were talking about shouldn’t affect us. As I grew older the children would tell me the real reason my father wasn’t home was because he was too much of a coward to kill himself before the Yeerks could take him.”

    Anji paused in her story to swallow; tears forming in her eyes.

    “I didn’t want to believe them. I kept telling myself that he was just undercover but when we were captured and taken to the Pool Ship in orbit I knew that everyone else had spoken the truth. My father had been taken.”

    Anji started to cry uncontrollably.

    I stared at her with wide eyes as her words sank in. She had admitted to me that her father was Visser Three’s Host.

    “They judged you for what happened to your father?” I asked, shocked at the callousness of the Andalite children.

    Anji nodded slowly.

    “Honor is everything to Andalites; without it you are nothing.” She whispered.

    I jumped from my bed and hugged her; angry that she had to live for another’s failure.

    “Does Arbron know?” I asked.

    “When I asked him after our escape from the Pool Ship in orbit he told me that he always knew but wanted to give me a chance to prove myself.” Anji told me.

    “We will free them one day.” I whispered to with conviction.

    Anji didn’t say anything but returned the embrace.

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    I am done! Yay!

    I will be skipping to book #23.


    I was originally going to skip it but one of my sisters reminded me that Tobias might not want to just get into the van/SUV with his parents and siblings if he didn’t know why they were leaving in a huge hurry.
     
  19. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    DaenaBenjen42 here's another update.

    I am not happy, my laptop; not happy! (Those that can tell me what that is paraphrased from will get a surprise.)

    I decided to do some side chapters from the POVs of Anjinnl, Arbron and Alan/Elfangor covering things that I would have skipped over and covered in the beginning of the next part.

    This is from Elfangor/Alan’s POV shortly after the events of book #15.

    xxxxxxxxxxxx

    I can’t believe that I hacked the computers of a Yeerk Facility. I had sworn on what was left of my honor that I would never endanger my family in such a reckless manner.

    At first I was only curious to know if I could hack into the Yeerk Facility in the waters of the coast of the State my family and I call home. I knew from Yeerk comm chatter that this facility was being used to increase the brain capacities of sharks to make them more suitable for infestation. They are planning to then use the Shark Controllers to help enslave the Leeran Race. Interesting enough Visser One is there overseeing the project.

    I can destroy the facility and prevent them from using the sharks as Controllers but I hesitate to do what needs to be done and kill the wife of a dear friend but the painful memories of what happened on Dezè, the Taxxon home world, how I had allowed the Yeerks to get the upper hand on my people.

    The Eva I knew would hope to die so her enslavement could end; just like War Prince Alloran.

    What happened on Dezè will haunt me until the day I die. Only four life forms know what I did that hot day and the mistake that only a child or being with minimum mental capacity could make.

    I had not questioned things too deeply, not at first. But it was far too late when I did remember the importance of Prince Alloran’s question and the danger we were all in if our two passengers had been infested.

    Something hadn’t been quite right in the ship’s cabin. I had chalked it up to Loren and Chapman being afraid of the Hork-Bajir that Sub-Visser Seven controlled, my worry for Arbron’s safety and Prince Alloran’s concern being on a planet under the control of the Yeerks and having a smarter Yeerk on his ship.

    When I saw the recordings of what had happened in our absence I had told him that not enough time had passed for Loren and Chapman to have been taken to the Yeerk Pool and infested. I had even added that Loren’s long hair was completely dry with no sign that it had gotten wet and they didn’t smell like a Yeerk Pool.

    /There are more than one way to infest a Host then to enter from a Yeerk Pool./ Prince Alloran had told me as he had come over to look at the recordings himself.

    I had not completely understood what he had meant and didn’t have time to think about it since Sub-Visser Seven attacked us before Prince Alloran had the opportunity to look at the recordings.

    My first hint should have been the expressions and the actions of Loren and Chapman when I and Prince Alloran killed the Sub-Visser during the attack on my Prince. Loren’s actions to Chapman and his actions to her didn’t fit with how they acted to each other before. I just assumed that they had bonded through their terrifying experiences.

    Prince Alloran and I had pushed the remains of the Hork-Bajir out of the airlock. I had been horrified that he had attacked us knowing that he wouldn’t stand a chance.

    Some of his blades had damaged the screen and controls so we couldn’t look at the recordings. That should have been another clue but I just assumed that the damage had been coincidental not calculated damage.

    Then next there was a personal and private discussion that Prince Alloran and I were having within firing range of a Yeerk transport that contained Yeerks waiting for Hosts. I argued that the Yeerks were defenseless and didn’t pose a direct threat to us. Prince Alloran told me that the Yeerks were not as helpless as one would think. How in their pools they could use special computers to help their fellow Yeerks in different tasks. How Gedd Controllers had murdered our warriors with stolen Shedders on Yad before stealing some ships and other technology. The warriors hadn’t stood a chance because Seerow had told them that the Gedd Controllers didn’t pose a threat and were harmless.

    And that over Hayashi, the Hork-Bajir home world, he had hesitated to attack a transport with no weapons and minimal shields. It had the look of a simple science vessel that belonged to the Koth; it turned out to be an elaborate trick. A good warrior died that day when the transport revealed itself to be a Yeerk Ship and more than capable of handling the three fighters that had been sent to investigate.

    How he wondered if he had not hesitated if we would have lost Hayashi. He could tell himself that he would never know. He still wondered though if he had destroyed that transport if the Electorate would have still pushed him to do the unthinkable; then refused to say that they had ordered it to be done.

    I had asked him if he was the one that had released a dangerous agent into the atmosphere of Hayashi. He told me that he had it in his possession and had orders to release it but hesitated to do so; he thought that if the Yeerks knew about about it they would hesitate and maybe leave. It had been stolen and released accidently by Aldrea, Seerow’s daughter before he could decide whether he should threaten the Yeerks with it or do as the Electorate commanded. But he had been punished since she had gotten passed his passcodes and stolen it.

    I had hesitated and looked at the transport. I couldn’t decide if I could or should fire.

    Before I could decide Chapman attacked Prince Alloran and I knocked my Prince out without a second’s thought. I didn’t think of why Chapman would attack a War Prince especially since he had just seen what an Andalite Tail Blade had done to a Hork-Bajir. I had just been grateful that I didn’t have to decide the fate of the Yeerk transport at that moment.

    I had assumed that he and Loren had seen Prince Alloran becoming upset and were worried about my safety. And their words seemed to back that up.

    I quickly gave Prince Alloran a sedative and a calming agent since he had become upset talking about the past. I was shocked by his admission and horrified if it was the truth.

    I thought that if could retrieve the Matrix and locate Arbron before Prince Alloran woke up he would be pleased about two less things to worry about and then the need to escape would overpower the possibility of destroying a Yeerk transport and slowing them down.

    I was a stupid child that knew nothing of war or just how cunning the enemy could be.

    It wasn’t until I had moved the Matrix from the twisted remains of the Skrit Na ship to an outer storage bay on the Jahar that Prince Alloran’s comment of there being more than one way to infest a potential Host and the events leading up to the comment came back to me.

    Both Loren and Chapman had been dragged from the captured Jahar towards the entrance of the Yeerk Pool. They had disappeared into the tunnel but less than two minutes later they managed to escape and run back to the Jahar and a minute later I had arrived.

    Prince Alloran had arrived a moment later and captured the Sub-Visser.

    A Taxxon told us that Arbron had talked the Taxxons that resisted the Yeerks into attacking the space port. He also told us that Arbron had important information for us but that Arbron wanted to give it to us in person. He told us that Arbron was waiting for us at a Taxxon Hive some distance to the west protected by rebels.

    Prince Alloran thanked the Taxxon and we had taken off.

    Prince Alloran had then asked me to look at the recordings but he never got the chance to examine them. It was then that I had gotten the sinking suspicion that in the time that Loren and Chapman couldn’t be seen the Yeerks had restrained them, held Yeerks up to their ears and been infested. No head dunking so there would be no wet hair or the smell of a Yeerk Pool.

    When I thought of that then Loren and Chapman’s reactions to Sub-Visser Seven’s demise made sense. The Yeerks in them had just witnessed the death of their superior.

    I quickly slipped back towards the wreckage of the ship; grateful that the Matrix hovered when touched so the Yeerks in Loren and Chapman wouldn’t know for sure that I had moved it.

    I stunned both of them when I saw them move not far from the Jahar. I was relieved and started to move to them when I froze at another memory

    Shortly after landing I had been separated from Prince Alloran and Arbron. I had been quickly captured by Sub-Visser Seven. While I was in his custody he informed me that he was one of the Yeerks’ leading biologists on creatures that could be useful Hosts. How he had agreed with earlier findings that the Hork-Bajir would be useful Hosts and was also one of their leading experts on my people. He even told me that he aspired to be one of the first Andalite Controllers but he was reluctant to have an adolescent for a Host; but how my superior might suit him.

    Horror filled me as I thought of the possibilities.

    I barely had the reaction time to shoot, and just miss completely stunning Prince Alloran. But I knew that he was no longer in control; I could see it as the Yeerk controlling him looked at the Shedder that had fallen to the sandy ground from a now limp arm.

    I knew before he even said anything that it was Sub-Visser Seven.

    The Sub-Visser mocked me for being so smart for figuring it out but so stupid at the same time. How Prince Alloran had had suspicions about the two humans being infested but decided that some actions could wait. But Prince Alloran had known for sure when Chapman attacked him but I had knocked my superior out before I could be warned.

    I know I should have killed them both but I had hoped to starve the Yeerks out of my Prince and Loren. I would restraint all of them but keep Chapman and Prince Alloran unconscious until the Sub-Visser starved out.

    I had drugged and securely restrained all of them before I began to move them. My mistake was not moving my Prince to safety first; I moved Loren and Chapman first. I had not even moved my Prince far when I heard the engines of the Bug Fighters. I panicked and fled to the Jahar leaving the scene before the Yeerks could arrive.

    By the time I regained my wits nearly a day later I knew I couldn’t return to Dezè. Arbron would most likely not be in that area anymore and the Sub-Visser would have been freed by his fellow Yeerks.

    I knew I could go back to my people and beg for mercy. I had the Matrix so the Electorate might brush my actions aside but Prince Alloran’s words haunted me about how they had ordered him to destroy the Hork-Bajir but punished him when they learned that the toxic agent had been stolen from him and the agent’s release had been accidental on the thief’s part.

    What was worst was that I had promised my captain, Feyorn-Gahar-Isfall that I would make sure that Prince Alloran returned from that mission. Prince Alloran would never return to Nyumbani, the home world, to help settle on a name for his coming second child.

    I had decided that it might be better everyone if I just disappeared.

    After Loren was free of the Yeerk she told me how Chapman had made a deal with the Yeerks. He traded the Human Race for his freedom.

    When we reached Earth I erased Chapman’s memories and dumped him in the country called the USA. Chapman had told Loren he was from there like her.

    I told Loren that I wasn’t returning to my people; not after what had happened. She asked me to join her on Earth. She would help me fit in on Earth and I would be able to keep an eye out for Yeerk activity.

    We had carefully created a story of how she had been abducted and I helped her escape from them in Mexico. We would then do a mixture of walking and hotwiring different cars to get to officers from her country.

    I acquired several DNA samples from different humans and preformed the Frolis Maneuver. After we were ready I sent the Jahar to a predetermined place in the area were Loren lived.

    It turned out we drove the hotwired cars more than we walked; it was just too hot to do too much walking.

    I had been amazed that we were able to fool the officers with our story but it was believable and Loren was soon reunited with her family. Her parents insisted that I come with them when I told them that I had run away from a cult like environment.

    I had quickly learned how to live as a human and entered the world of computers so I could help find any signs of Yeerks on Earth.

    Loren and I married just before we graduated with degrees in computer programming and other such things.

    We have five beautiful children. I had been worried about having children and if they would have Andalite DNA. My children do have some Andalite characteristics and they all have Thought Speech to a degree.

    Tobias’s ears are slightly pointed, he likes animals, asks questions about all sorts of things and he used to ask me about life on other planets; he stopped after the destruction of the Andalite Dome Ship in orbit. Tobias does have Thought Speech and has allowed others to feel his emotions but he rarely does either one.

    Leilani’s eyes are a more almond shaped and when her hair came in some of it was a violet color. Loren and I hid her hair under an infant hat until Leilani was old enough for us to dye it. Leilani’s Thought Speech kicks in for the most part when her mouth is slower than her brain.

    Hoshi has a build that reminds of a growing Andalite female. She could almost be one given a human body and features. Until Hoshi was almost two years old she used mostly Thought Speech with a few spoken words. I thank any higher power that might exist that only Loren and I were the ones she was directing her thoughts to. Loren and I found a way to get her to speak and that was more or less the end of her using Thought Speech.

    Rio loves staring at the stars. He likes nature but prefers the conveniences of living in a modern society. But he gets very claustrophobic in tight spaces and in large crowds.

    Hayden has no obvious Andalite features or characteristics but those could come in where she is older. She does have Thought Speech which she uses to say harder words but with encouragement she says them out loud.

    Yeerk chatter was nonexistent for years but nearly three years ago brief transmissions would be either sent from Earth or received by a Yeerk on Earth. They slowly increased over the years and became longer. Now there are always transmissions being sent to the Yeerks here to the Yeerks in other places.

    I record what I can and have discovered disturbing things: the Yeerks have taken more Andalites and they are slowly infiltrating the ranks of my people.

    Sadly I can’t do anything with this information. I know that if I warn my people my transmission could potentially be picked up and if it is then I will be hunted down. I would have to uproot my family and live on the run.

    We could flee to Nyumbani but I have no idea what they will do to me or my wife and children. Andalites have a superior complex and the thought that I have been passing as a lowly human for some twenty years, married a human woman and have human children will anger many.

    For my cowardly actions on Dezè I most likely will be banished or killed in an underhanded manner that can’t be traced back to the Electorate.

    If I am not banished and my family and I are allowed to stay Loren and the children will never fit in. I will be pitied for having a child that is considered a vecol both on Earth and there.

    Leilani for all her difficulties learning and interacting properly with others is very intelligent. She loves to learn about new things and working with computers. I had to restrict access to my work computer and the computer filled with Andalite Technology with passcodes to prevent her from doing anything to them or discovering that there was more to them than met the eye.

    Leilani will do great things one day; Einstein did.

    I watched as the computers at the facility are accessed by what I know to be an Andalite. I follow their progress as they remove the devices to increase the intelligence of lesser creatures from apparently their fellow Andalites and then program the containment fields to fail in ten minutes but failed to put in the means to prevent a high enough ranking Yeerk from preventing the failure.

    A quick look at a few recordings of high ranking Yeerks schedules and I learned that Visser Three was due soon at the facility.

    I vowed then if the containment failure was stopped I would start it again with no time to escape for the unprepared; only morph capable could stand a chance. It would be a way to end Eva’s suffering and if I was lucky Prince Alloran’s as well.

    I waited as the minutes ticked by; waiting to discover if I was needed.

    With fifty seconds left Visser One stopped the containment failure and I got to work. It was probably foolish of me but I put an Andalite phrase wishing anyone that saw the message that the containment failure was seconds away a good day when it announced that they had only ten seconds to live but I made sure that no one could reverse what was done.

    I knew that the facility was destroyed when my connection to their computers was severed.

    I stared at the screen for a few minutes just breathing.

    I hoped that the Andalites would have had the sense to evacuate or had been able to morph in time.

    The door to my home office opens and Loren comes in. I can see the worry in her eyes.

    “I destroyed a Yeerk facility.” I told her. “Eva was in it.” I continued after a moment.

    Loren pulled me into an embrace and cried with me.

    “Death can be just as good as liberty at times.” She whispered to me.

    We stayed there for a long time. The children at home were entertaining each other so we had time.

    I heard the front door open and close. A minute later Tobias peered into my office.

    “I’m home,” he announced with a smile before heading upstairs to his room.

    I have been worried about my eldest child. He has been different in a way I can’t understand. I am a little worried about the friend of his that I see now and then; the one called Max. I know Max is no ordinary teenager; a regular teenager doesn’t nearly completely rewrite complex computer software that deals with even more complex mathematical equations and algorithms. Only an Andalite would stand a chance at rewriting the software and not damage it.

    That Andalite was very lucky I was able to make it look like it was happenstance that the modifications were made. If I wasn’t so worried about being discovered I would give his superior a piece of my mind.

    “I think it’s time to spend some unscheduled time in the middle of nowhere for four to five days.” I told Loren. “No technology or anything; just us with the children in the middle of the woods with the dogs, sleeping in tents on either the ground or air mattresses and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.”

    Loren smiled.

    “That sounds very fun; we used to do that before the major slug outbreak.” She told me.

    I returned her smile.

    “Let me secure my computer and my other assignments before we start packing.” She whispered as she patted my right shoulder.

    “The children can’t have time to tell anyone that we are leaving. If a note is left saying we’re on a trip that is fine.” I told her as I moved to close out of my work and secure my computers and set my eavesdropping equipment to continuous recording.

    I quickly composed an email to my boss saying that I would be gone for a few days with my family but that my projects were ahead of schedule and I would send a progress report shortly after I returned from the trip.

    Loren and I carefully packed the children’s bags grateful that they all were in the living room watching a movie.

    Loren and I took the back way into the garage to pack the SUV. Soon we were ready to leave.

    All the children were surprised by the unexpected camping trip but only Tobias seemed to think he was being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    I confiscated all the electronics the children had while Loren wrote a note explaining we were camping to put on the front door. I ordered my computer via Thought Speech to send the email as I drove the SUV down the driveway.

    We drove away from the house and I felt good about the camping trip. It would be a good chance to reconnect.

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Sorry for any mistakes that I might have made in writing this.


    I am working on another chapter from Arbron’s POV which most likely revolve around the events of book #16 and some of his thoughts.
     
  20. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Hi, sorry that I have been gone for so long.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    My name is Rachel and right now I am worried about my friend and fellow Animorph Tobias. I tried to call him a few hours after we returned from destroying the underwater Yeerk Facility but my call went to the answering machine after ringing three or four times. At first I thought maybe he and his family had gone to the movies or to a park but when I tried to call the next day and the answering machine picked up again I was worried.

    I forced myself to remain calm as I pedaled down different streets until his house came into view. As I put the kickstand down on my bike I noticed that the front yard was bare of some of the toys I had seen on the grass on several occasions.

    As I walked up to the front door I noticed that neither Champ or Indiana were barking like one or the other had done the few times I came to the house. However I did notice a note taped to front door.

    We have gone camping for a few days in the middle of nowhere. We are sorry if we missed you but we will be back. Alan, Loren, Tobias, Leilani, Hoshi, Rio and Hayden

    I stared at the note for a few moments before I headed back to my bike. I decided right then and there to head to Marco’s since he knew Tobias’s family the best so he would know if this was normal. I mean I know Tobias said on several occasions that his family going on camping trips but I got the impression that they haven’t gone on one for some time.

    As I turned on Marco’s street I noticed Anji’s bike was parked on the front lawn and I almost paused for a moment.

    Yesterday Marco revealed to some of us that his mother is or was Visser One’s Host. I can’t imagine what that has to be like. I know that my cousin Tom is a Controller and that Jake has to live with that every day but it has to be different on many levels. I know that Marco’s mom supposedly drowned at sea about three years ago so that would mean that for about two years Marco thought that his mother was dead. He had to have learned the truth when we were captured and taken to the Pool Ship in orbit. I had spoken the truth to him on Royan Island when I had said I had heard engines as we had headed for the beach but I am not sure if it is better for Visser One to be alive with Marco’s mother as a Host or if she would rather be dead. Maybe death would be better than the dim hope of being freed.

    I parked my bike next to Anji’s and hoped she was visiting Marco for school reasons and not making him feel like a loser where his mother is concerned.

    I forced myself to be calm as I pressed the doorbell.

    A minute later Marco opened the door; he was surprised to see me but he forced a smile and stepped aside so I could enter the house.

    I immediately noticed that Anji was sitting on the couch in the living room with school books on the coffee table and on a couch cushion. I almost laughed at the idea that Marco was doing homework with Anji but I had a more pressing concern.

    “There’s a note on the front door of Tobias’s house saying that the family has gone camping.” I told them.

    Marco frowned.

    “They used to go on camping trips for three to four days but they haven’t gone for more than two days for the last year or so.” Marco said with some concern in his voice.

    “Is there a way to verify that they did go on a camping trip?” Anji asked as she headed over to Marco and I.

    Marco nodded.

    “They leave all their electronics at home. They line them up on the small kitchen table in groups of who they belong to. If they are really camping that is what we find in their house.” Marco stated.

    We all headed for Tobias’s house but headed for the woods so we could morph into cockroaches and slip in through the kitty door on the backdoor. It was a frightening race.

    Once we were inside we continued until we were in the main part of the house to demorph.

    “I never realized just how inhospitable the furniture arrangement was for morphing!” Marco grumbled as we demorphed in the living room.

    “I doubt that Tobias’s parents took the fact that an Andalite might need to demorph in their living room into consideration when they bought and arranged the furniture.” Anji commented once she morphed into her human morph.

    Marco is right: the arrangement of the furniture would make it difficult for an Andalite to maneuver through the living room as well as the rest of the house. Hork-Bajir would have issues too with the arrangement as well.

    Slowly we made our way to the kitchen and sure enough two high tech cell phones are on the table along with the cheaper one that Tobias uses along with three iPods, pink, yellow, blue, and three hand held gaming systems that I don’t recognize.

    “They went on a camping trip; has all the markers of one.” Marco stated with confidence.

    “I want to check the whole house to be on the safe side.” I told him.

    “Just don’t touch or move too many things in Leilani and Hoshi’s room; somehow they will know that someone touched their stuff.” Marco said in warning. I knew he was serious.

    There is some disarray as far as the drawers in the dressers are concerned in all the children’s rooms but it could be normal for them; Cassie has at least one that is not completely closed all the time. In the Master Bedroom there is little to no hint of anything except for the covers looked a little rumpled in a few places; as if someone had packed bags on them. I went back and sure enough all the beds, that were made, had rumpled covers from a bag being packed.

    Finally we met up in the back room of the house since it would be less crowded for Anji to demorph and then morph.

    “Should we tell Arbron that Tobias and his family are camping?” Marco asked.

    “We should so he doesn’t worry about him.” Anji responded.

    We morphed and headed back for the place we left our clothes and bikes. I did feel a little bad about dragging them here and everything.

    “Thanks for checking with me.” I told them as we headed out of the wooeds.

    “No problem,” Marco replied, “if it was something serious we would have needed to know.”

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Originally I wasn’t going to do this but I thought that it would be interesting to explore Rachel discovering that Tobias and his family were gone. Then have some thoughts on how the home isn’t morph friendly but Tobias isn’t going to think too much on it since it has been that way since he was young and before he knew of the invasion so he isn’t going to be asking why the house isn’t morph friendly. Yes he has noted that it isn’t smart to try to morph in the house but he doesn’t know that there is a reason for it.


    Guess what? I am going to attempt to write book #16 from Arbron’s POV.
     
  21. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    A communications paper, an I-Search Paper, three essays, lots of lake walks to take pictures for visual aids (the dog loved every minute of it), completion of my Phlebotomy CEU's for 2014, and a whole semester longer than I'd actually intended... I finally get to review! (Don't mind me. I put off doing my pre-reqs far too long. Things have been... somewhat nuts. Hee.)

    And... wow, there's a lot here. Review!

    “But there should be some at that aquarium across town, the one that is really expense.”

    Correction: expensive

    “Was your dad handsome by your peoples’ standards?” I asked, remembering that her father was dead as well.

    Anji jerked slightly, her eyes wide with shock.

    Finally she turned to face me.

    “Yes, everyone considered him to be well built and I was told he had a sense of humor.”

    *wince*

    /I think I injured my morph./ Max commented from the floor.

    /I think I did as well./ I informed them. /Anji?/ I called out after she didn’t say anything.

    /Mother I didn’t use Kilipan’s computer to hack the school’s computers to mess with any of my classmates’ tests./ Anji’s voice called out sounding a little dazed but mostly upset. /They are always saying that the school’s system is too well made to allow tampering to that level./

    Yep, I can imagine her hacking a school computer system...



    There will be more reviewing...
     
  22. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    I decided that this will cover some of the events of book #16 with several twists. If you forgot this will be narrated by Arbron.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    I am Arbron-Bantec-Deromar, I am an advanced scout you could say for my people that Andalites in the war against the Yeerks. My job usually is to blend in, watch for Yeerk activity and report to my superiors if I see any.

    Over a year ago I traveled from my home world to the planet Earth to investigate possible Yeerk activity. If we didn’t find any Yeerks in orbit than I along with a few others would have stayed to blend in with the humans to wait for them to come.

    But the Yeerks had been waiting for us. The attack had begun moments after we exited Zero Space and moved closer to Earth.

    Because I had had some training flying fighters I had been asked to take part in the space battle. It had been slaughter.

    Before I had left the GalaxyTree I had ordered my fighter’s computer to search Earth for any hint of Andalite Technology that hadn’t been altered by the Yeerks. I had hoped to discover what had befallen my friend Elfangor years ago when he had vanished on Dezè. I know that at one point on Dezè that he had been with Prince Alloran and in the company of the two humans that had been infested with Yeerks. I had feared that Elfangor had been taken by the Yeerks but none of our spies reported that he had been taken or reported the presence of two new alien hosts.

    After he and the two humans failed to show up among the Yeerks I had slowly created a new theory that somehow Elfangor had escaped with the two humans while Prince Alloran had somehow been captured. It didn’t make complete sense seeing that Elfangor had to have known by that point since both humans had been infested. And since the Taxxon Resistance had reported that he and Prince Alloran had boarded the Jahar together with Chapman and Loren inside there was little to no way that Elfangor could of have escaped the Yeerks unless Prince Alloran had been taken while they were retrieving the Matrix.

    I had just witnessed the a Visser’s Blade Ship destroy the GalaxyTree when my fighter informed me that it had found what could be Andalite Technology but it appeared to be in pieces.

    I decided then and there to take my chances and land. I had a human morph and could speak the human language English, which is spoken or at least understood in many countries on Earth, and learn just how long the Yeerks had been on Earth and how dug in they were.

    I have no idea why I decided to give the five humans that saw my ship the powers to morph. Some of it might had to do with the fact that I knew that I would be fighting the Yeerks with no backup. I am no warrior even though I trained briefly as one. Elfangor and I had been training as spies or something of the like when Elfangor had gotten in his head to be a warrior and begged me to join him. We hadn’t trained long before I had decided to return my training as a spy.

    They have been a help to me. They are young but are learning.

    We have used the Morphing Power to morph into dangerous animals to fight the Yeerks. For the humans it is necessary since they have no natural weapons or defenses I do it to blend in further. As long as the Yeerks believe that the human children are young Andalites the safer they will be. If the Yeerks ever were to learn the truth it would be game over for everyone as Marco would put it.

    Afterwards as I waited for the time to come to meet them at the beach I searched for Chapman and Loren. I found Chapman and learned that he was a Controller. Unfortunately I don’t know if this is because he was returned as a Controller or if Elfangor had managed to return Chapman to Earth with no memories and Chapman had later been infested when the Yeerks arrived.

    I have still been unable to locate Loren. A war had been mentioned in passing that he had been involved in but sadly I can’t remember the details. The only hint I have found was a girl fitting her general description had been abducted and taken to Mexico only to make the journey back with an orphan that had been taken about the same time as she had been.

    I had hit a dead end as humans put it.

    I had been looking through the information on the Yeerks progress that I had slowly gathered over the time I had been on Earth. The Yeerks were indeed everywhere; in government offices, the police, military and the general populous.

    However I had discovered that two other warriors had survived the battle in orbit: Gafinilan-Estrif-Valad and Mertil-Iscar-Elmand. Mertil had lost his tail blade when his fighter crashed and since Gafinilan was ill and taking care of Mertil I didn’t feel that I could ask him to help with much. He had told me that he would keep his eyes open for any kind of trouble.

    Originally I had hoped to blend in more easily with the human race but with so many different things to worry about it was almost impossible. Anjinnl and Aximili were just able to slip through cracks and attend school while it would be much harder for me to move around.

    Anjinnl does well on Earth away from those that judge her for what happened to her father. No one taunts her or is needlessly cruel to her. She would have gone far back home if she hadn’t had a cloud of suspicion hanging over her.

    /Prince Arbron!/ Anjinnl’s Thought Speech call suddenly cut through my thoughts.

    I looked away from my work as she flew in as a Goshawk and landed on a chair that hadn’t been put away from the last meeting we had at the Scoop.

    /What is it?/ I asked her, noting that something was bothering her.

    /Jake found something he thinks we should all see. We are supposed to meet at Marco’s./ She told me.

    I quickly hid the papers in a safe and sealed it before I morphed into a younger male human.

    The Scoop has been redesigned to look like a simple cabin to help keep suspicious humans away so I must put away anything that would cause suspicion.

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

    The journey to Marco home took longer than I had hoped but soon we were all gathered in his room near the desk where his computer set.

    “What did you find Jake?” I asked once everyone settled in. Humans tend to like getting comfortable before potentially long conversations start.

    Jake took a deep breath and I knew it most likely wasn’t good. Living with a Controller is a double edge blade, while you can pick up useful information you could be endangering yourself if you slip up or if the information was purposefully leaked to smoke us out.

    “I know it wasn’t smart but I was curious to know if anyone else knows about the Invasion or the Yeerks so I just googled ‘Yeerk’ and several websites came up. Most of them appeared to be ramblings of crazy people with very basic information but one of them had a lot of information including an excellent sketch of a Hork-Bajir. I didn’t dare look any further and asked Anji to help erase my browser history so Tom can’t see it.” Jake explained.

    I was immediately on high alert. I could understand the Yeerks maybe ignoring the ramblings of a few former Controllers or something of the like but to allow that much information to be out there for anyone to discover?

    It didn’t feel right.

    “Show us.” I gently prompted.

    Anjinnl stood first and put the safeguards in place and then stood aside as Jake took the chair and typed in the needed information. It took some time but the site soon was being displayed on the computer screen. Jake was right. The information was beyond the ramblings of someone that was insane but someone that knew what they were saying. It talked about the Yeerks and what they were, their habits and what they wanted. It even had a list of how deeply entrenched they were on Earth; of places they were and were not.

    It was troubling.

    “Click on the pictures.” I gently commanded.

    Within a few seconds we were looking at highly detailed sketches of Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, Leeran, Mak and many other species that the Yeerks had either conquered or were interested in, there were ever a few Andalites. One of them was unmistakably Prince Alloran and one I thought looked a lot like Anjinnl.

    I glanced at Anjinnl and noted that she was stiff.

    “Someone knows a little too much.” Rachel muttered.

    “Could it be a trap?” Cassie whispered softly.

    “It might be.” I responded.

    “We should check out the message boards.” Tobias suggested.

    Jake quickly clicked on that option and soon we were looking at boards with different titles from the habits of some of the aliens to ways to spot Yeerk activity.

    Quickly checking on all of them revealed that nearly all of the boards were started by the same person: WateryMoonArtist.

    “What kind of name is that?” Rachel asked softly. “Why not choose ‘WateryArtist’ or ‘MoonArtist’ or some other kind of variation?”

    “Maybe they are talking about the moonlight reflecting on water or it is supposed to sound dreamy.” Cassie suggested.

    I admitted silently that it was an odd name but Cassie did have a point and humans could be odd creatures. ‘WateryMoonArtist’ wasn’t the oddest or most bizarre name on that site and the few times that I had been on the Internet I had seen some interesting ones.

    “I thought I saw something back on the main page.” Marco spoke after a moment. “I think it said ‘designs’.”

    Jake went back and sure enough there was a link labeled ‘designs’. He clicked on it and before our eyes were easily dozens of highly detailed sketches of ships, equipment, weapons and buildings. In that moment I was grateful that we had redesigned the Scoop but now fear was settling in me.

    I remembered all too well in that moment what Anjinnl and Aximili reported to me what Prince Alloran had warned them about when Aximili had attempted to assassinate Visser Three. He had told them that the Yeerks were on Nyumbani and this just might be proof of that.

    We all quickly searched the site and learned that it apparently belonged and was run by ‘WateryMoonArtist’ but there was no other information. We had figuratively hit a wall for a moment.

    “We could visit the place where the site’s information is stored and get the information from there.” Tobias stated.

    “I mean Web Across America isn’t too far away and I have enough money in my shoebox that those of us with IDs can buy tickets and those that don’t can be our carryon pets.” Tobias stated.

    I was silent as I considered it.

    “What about school?” I asked.

    “We can go in two days; Teacher Workshop Day.” Cassie put in. “Only our families will know we aren’t around and we will or can just give them the same spiel about being at the Mall or with someone else.”

    I was silent for a minute before I nodded in agreement. It was already silently acknowledged that Anjinnl, Aximili and I would be the ones that would be morphing into animals that humans kept for pets for the trip.

    “Everyone, prepare for the trip and get what you even think might be needed for this trip.” I told them.

    In a few days we would be getting some answers. I just hoped that the information would be helpful and that it would lead us closer to the truth.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


    You might have noticed a few differences between what Elfangor had to say about his and Loren’s journey back to her home and what little information that Arbron uncovered. I thought that since Elfangor had said he had runaway from a cult that they might have bent the truth about him so the cult couldn’t find him. I mean if he made them sound dangerous enough people might have been willing to cover for him.
     
  23. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    I was totally wondering which book was #16... until you hit the message board thing. Ack.

    “Someone knows a little too much.” Rachel muttered.

    “Could it be a trap?” Cassie whispered softly.

    “It might be.” I responded.

    ...of course it is! (Okay. Feel better now.)What I meant to say: Of course it's a trap, but for whom?

    Elfangor running from a cult...? Oh yes. I could see that. Totally.
     
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  24. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007


    In a way the Andalite People are Cult like.

    What did you think of the rest of book 15?
     
  25. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    What did you think of the rest of book 15?

    Though book 15 is not my favorite of the teens, here goes...

    /No one demorph./ Arbron ordered. /It appears that Controllers are watching./

    Finally the claws put me on a conveyer belt that was partially submerged in water but blocked in at the sides.

    The shark was panicked and so was I.

    Of course it is... is that enough water for the shark to breathe? Didn't notice that in the book before.

    /Sharks would be useful to the Yeerks trying to take Leera if the Leerans can’t read their intentions./ He continued to muse.

    Yep, and for Leerans who have never seen an Earth shark... ack!!!

    /If they are trying to make sharks smarter and enhance their other senses then it would stand to reason that the Yeerks wish to use the sharks as Controllers instead of somehow controlling them./ Arbron stated.

    Only problem with this plan: sharks in their own environments that are super-smart AND deadly? The Yeerks are idiots, but very good, experimental idiots. And there's also the flaw in Arbron's logic: the three day time-limit for a Yeerk... and the part where a shark does not have an external ear canal.

    “My Host is making an awful noise and fighting for control but as you can see I am in complete control.”

    Only because she had a previous human host or two is Eva not kicking her butt for complete control for real. Go Eva!!!

    /As such a high ranking Yeerk you should know that Andalites are sneaky. I wouldn’t put it passed them to have placed several of their warriors here secretly to watch for us./

    “Excuses!” Visser One snapped.

    /If it is an excuse then it’s better than some of yours./ Visser Three returned.

    That's... almost intelligent-sounding of Visser Three, there. Love this come-back!

    “Does Arbron know?” I asked.

    “When I asked him after our escape from the Pool Ship in orbit he told me that he always knew but wanted to give me a chance to prove myself.” Anji told me.

    “We will free them one day.” I whispered to with conviction.

    One of the many reasons that Arbron is awesome! And... yes. Yes they will.

    Interesting that all the kids have thought speech. Like that the DNA came through.

    We drove away from the house and I felt good about the camping trip. It would be a good chance to reconnect.

    Ur... yeah. "Um... Dad? I've been drafted. By an alien. To fight a war. Against alien parasites." (But we all know that Tobias wouldn't say this to his parents. Controllers! Everywhere!)

    “They leave all their electronics at home. They line them up on the small kitchen table in groups of who they belong to. If they are really camping that is what we find in their house.”

    Hee!!!!!
     
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