"Full emergency power to the engines," Jake said. "Ram the Blade ship."
Four words were all that he needed to say as the Yeerk fighter, the Rachel, neared to the Blade ship. Menderash, accepting his commander's order, pushed the reserves and the spacecraft leapt forward to the larger ship. No one shouted second thoughts. No one cried with fear. No one showed his or her own cowardice. The crew knew their mission well enough and was prepared to face either life or death. There was nothing that could stop them from finishing the mission. Not ever the Blade ship itself could because of its own crew hesitating to shoot down the approaching vessel.
Nothing could stop them. Nothing at all.
STOP!
A voice, which seemingly came from everywhere and nowhere all at once, had an instantaneous effect on the universe. The Rachel and the Blade ship stopped frozen in combat, hanging in the coldness and emptiness of outer space.
Within the walls of the Rachel, its passengers froze like statues, in both space and time. Painted on their faces were Jake's dangerous smile, a reflection of Rachel, Marco's tight-lipped grin of insolence, Tobias's emotionless mask, Menderash's approval face, Santorelli's courageous sight and Jeanne's anxious frown. Frozen like a framed picture.
"Why have you stopped this battle?" another voice, older than the stars in the heavens but as cold as ice, questioned in cruel laughter. "Are you afraid that this conflict has already been settled?"
"No, someone has stepped in to stop this fight," the voice said in a calm way.
"What? Who?"
"I have," a third one suddenly spoke out from the blues as a being strolled to the two divine organisms. The voice was fair and soft, like a woman. A pair of long ears, a glossy curtain of raven black hair and the fairest skin was the only distinctive aspects of the third being.
"You?" the second snorted. "You are nothing more than a simple being and now you have stepped forth to stop us?"
"No," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "Please, I did not mean to intrude... But I have come to propose a competition to you. A different one."
"Another, you ask?" the first inquired.
"Yes."
"Why should we have another competition? I am already enjoying this one," the second chuckled.
"But what are the gains to this competition?" she asked them. "The Animorphs and the Yeerks, including the One, are about to destroy each other. Would it not be a waste to let this annihilation go? To have both sides defeated in a tie? So it would be appropriate that you stop being subtle and be as direct as you can, according to your rules."
"What is this competition you proposed?" the first asked.
"A rematch. However, with the players you rejected from the beginning."
"Interesting... And why should we take your word for granted? Certainly, you are only asking us this so that your children will be saved, is that right?" the second said.
"How can I...when you have eliminated them from this existence? You denied them from the very beginning. Along with the consequences," she said painfully. "However...to show that I only offered for a different reason, I shall place your bets."
"Oh, and what are the wager?"
"If in this second competition, the Animorphs will lose, then I will give up what is mine to you."
"And that is?" the first said.
"My Karine."
A short moment of silence hung steadily. Then the second voice break into laughter.
"You want to give up your Karine? Are you a fool? To sacrifice that for them?" the second laughed.
"Yes, for I know there is a better future than this," she said quickly. That silenced the second.
"A much better future than this?" the first asked. The woman nodded.
"A much better future. You will, though, have authority over the actions that lead to the future. So what I know about this new future can be changed by your decision on the pieces. Whether to move the Queen or leave the King. That is yours to do so."
"Why do you wish to do this? You know well that risking your Karine may-"
"Bring a civil war to my people, yes. But, if I do not, will not all that has lived to breath be gone? Will everything be gone if I don't? That is why I must. Not for my people...but for everyone else," she declared wisely. "You may not understand me but let me ask you this question. Why must there be so much suffering for them under the moves you've made and yet...they have done nothing to you?"
"Suffering? Ha, that is the fun of this game. That is why I so enjoyed this," the second said.
"...To have no end in such a battle where no sides shall win... It cannot end in vain. It cannot... I will not allow this to happen," the first said in a calm way, yet his words resounded everywhere and nowhere. "You owe me in the past. Now is the time to pay part of the debt."
"And how will these actions be acceptable?" the second asked. "Surely, you know it yourself. The dead cannot rise again. And if they were to live again, wouldn't their true powers alter space-time?"
"The rules have been broken," the first said crafty. "They were denied at the beginning. Along with their deaths, other approaching allies faced the same consequence. Therefore, this scenario is unacceptable. It is now your move, and I have decided it for you. Do it."
"This is getting much exciting. As you wish. It shall start again but I propose we raise the stakes. Your Karine 'and' your children." The woman kept quietly as the second continued. "We shall use them as our Kings of this chess game."
"My King would be anonymous to you and yours to me, I presume," the first said, possibly even more interested than before. The words were driving pain to the woman's long ears.
"Yes. Exactly," the second responded, more excited than before. "Only one of those two can join them at the beginning. The original players must be maintained. The point of this new game is to gain finality."
"Acceptable. And the victory conditions?"
"If I take your King before you take mine, you lose. The rule is same for me. As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I want an all-out war to result."
"Yes. I had guessed. So you wish for a war? What a surprise. Already I am bored with this new game."
"One difference in this game, old 'friend'," the second sneered. "You think I am merely a bloodthirsty, warmongering savage. This is not true, neither is it untrue. I think of you as a peaceable fool. As we have let these characteristics dominate our past skirmishs, I suggest we do the same here, only on that woman's vision. The objection is you bring the so-called better future to reality or I prevent it from happening and crush it to extinction. That makes thing intersecting, wouldn't you say?"
"I begin to see."
"So, Queen of the Fa'derias, will you allow this?" the second said icily. "And to be sure you keep your words, you will not have your Karine aiding you in this new rematch."
"...Yes," the woman regretfully responded.
"Excellent! Now onto the champions."
"Before we move on to that," the first halted the second. "I shall accept the terms of your game under one condition. She chooses our champions and we agree on her choices of champions."
"Fine. Name our champions, Queen of the Fa'derias," the second bellowed, ecstatic that the first had finally agreed on the means to settle the score permanently. "Seven was the number for the last engagement of ours. I think that will suffice for this one."
The woman calmly breathed before speaking. "Crayak, your champions: two Howlers, Andalite Teneel-Protolas-Hendreish, the human Chapman."
"Good, good."
"Efflit 1318, Efflit 2230."
"Pool-mates, among the most ruthless of the Yeerks," the first said.
"And...Visser Three."
"Yes, a nice choice, indeed," the second named Crayak uttered. "But I believe you made a mistake. Shouldn't it be Visser One instead?"
"You may have him, but as Visser Three."
Crayak began to smile. "Very well.
"Ellimist, your champions: the humans, Jake, Cassie, Tobias, Marco, Rachel-"
"Forget that girl. She is dead, gone. Pick another."
"Remember the rules, Crayak. You agree with her choices," the Ellimist spoke out. "I agreed to all of your conditions, Crayak. Do not forget I am allowing several rules to be broken in order to give you this competition that you so desire. Is one human girl too much to ask?"
"I suppose I could let you have the girl. She is a brave warrior, worthy of another chance."
"The Andalite, Aximili-Isthill-Esgarrouth and Toby Hamee," the woman continued. "May I suggest one more champions, my champion?"
"Predictable. You only wished to name one because you expect me to object that one. I see why not. So be it."
"...Elfangor."
"You must think I am stupid," Crayak sneered again. "Tobias' father? Aximili's brother? Of all any other choices and you choose him. No deal. Never."
"Then allow him to watch but not to be involved," the woman calmly said. "Even if he could be the advantage, the game is different from the first. You will easily find more powerful players to go against those you denied. That is to happen in the near future. He would not be able to expect that. So please, grant me only this. You will take my Karine. You will take my children. Now in exchange, I take Elfangor."
"You must agree with her, Crayak," Ellimist said. "Otherwise, we shall not have this game."
"Fine. Do as you wish. But you will decide what destiny he shall have after his meeting with the Animorphs. Now we shall choose our Kings. The daughter will be acceptably good. She will be an outsider to them. Her dark side will be the key to my-"
Crayak was cut short as the other exclaimed.
"Do not presume too much. She cannot be your pawn. I had a life and destiny of my own that denied me before," Ellimist said convincingly before taking a lengthy pause. "However, I will promise you one thing. It will not be the same this time..."
Ellimist turned to the woman. "Queen Kagiso-Iekikaa, the rules have been made and the pieces have been chosen and placed. We are ready when you pledge the start. Are you prepared?"
"...Yes," she said, bowing loyally to Ellimist. "As will my children. As will all."
"The game shall start now..."
The frozen ships within the domains of the universe vanished in a blink of an eye. A void of whiteness appeared and disappeared. Undressed by the white void, was a construction site, on the blue planet.
This was the past. Within it, two children, brother and sister, were running away. Running for their life as a Hork-Bajir was on their tails. They ran, turning away from what they should have come to see, come to know. Now their deaths were a millisecond away from the deadly blades.
The girl tripped over a pipe and fell to the ground. The Hork-Bajir drew close. The girl's scream was caught in her throat.
"No!" the boy yelled. He rushed in, and stood up as a shield and waiting for his own death. A tail blade fired through his guts in one quick blow. He felt the cold cutting edge run though his body and out his back. Barely alive, he looked back to ensure his sister's life.
Cold sweat damped his face as he watched the blood he shared with her at birth exploded. Stabbed into the chest that sheltered the girl's heart was the tail blade. The irises in her eyes faded away. The crimson redness escaped from her mouth. His lips trembled. He was almost at the brink of insanity, at the brink of anger and hatred.
The tail blade slithered away, covered in a mixture of their blood. The boy and the girl fell, one dead and one still hanging to life. Weak and draining away, the boy struggled towards his sister and picked the corpse in his arms. Tears fell over her innocent pale face.
The Hork-Bajir turned its attention, seeing its job had not been done. It raised its tail blade at an angle in the sky. The boy looked terrified at the monster with tears and braced himself for the upcoming attack.
Then...all stopped.
Slowly, the boy lifted from his defensive arm and stared at the still-frozen Hork-Bajir. Amazed, yet afraid, the boy finally breathed easily. Movement stirred in his arms. The girl moaned and faintly opened her eyes, still grasping on her thread of life. The boy nearly laughed with delight.
"Shields of Karine, Eyes of Karine, no longer shall you be denied by this fate," the voice of the first resounded.
The children raised their heads at the sound of his promising voice. A void of bright white that blinded their eyes slowly engulfed them. The boy clasped dearly to his sibling as the girl clasped back.
THIS TIME, IT IS DIFFERENT...