The Arisths

Book Two: The Escape

Part 3

We're going down!

Our stolen Skrit Na ship spiraled down through the air, trailing fire. A gray, Skrit Na skyscraper loomed before us and soon we would be a dark scorch mark on it.

You've got a plan? I yelled to Terace.

Yes, He replied. Morph to kafit bird when I say "now". He picked up a Skrit Na Dracon Beam and aimed at the wall.

TSSSEEEWWW!

Terace blew three large holes in the ship and everything not bolted to the floor was sucked out of the ship. The deadly spiral we were in became more eratic, sending my stomach into a spiral of its own.

NOW! Terace yelled.

I began to morph to kafit. My legs were sucked into my body and I collapsed onto the floor. My arms became flat and became wings. Five more wings grew on either side of my body, twelve in all. My tail split into many, which became long and curled. My face bulged into a beak and my sight and hearing increased significantly. Brown feathers then covered my body and the morph was done. Terace, who was also done morphing, took off.

Esgarrouth, get to the hole and fly. It's our only chance.

I flew towards the make shift opening and was sucked through. I spilled out into empty space, and the ship's backwash sent me tumbling. I opened my wings and tried to balance myself, and then started to fly. I looked back at the Skrit Na ship. It spun through the air until it slammed into the side of a skyscraper-

BABOOOOOOM!

It exploded in a fiery plume of orange, flinging shrapnel through the air.

TSSSEEEWWW!

The Bug Fighters behind us swooped in and opened fire.

Bug Fighters on our tail! Terace yelled

Excellent perception. I snapped.

Terace and I dodged the red Dracon Beams, hoping to live for a few more moments…

Suddenly, an enormous, golden, stream lined ship appeared in front of us.

What the-?

And then I recognized it.

The Golden Nebula.

The Shredders fired, destroying both Bug Fighters. Terace and I swooped into the docking bay and quickly demorphed. We galloped at full speed to the bridge, where Caroof was waiting, operating the controls.

About time you to showed up. He said shortly.

Then, a gruff, Hork Bajir voice crackled over the radio.

"Andalite vessel. Surrender or be destroyed. You cannot hope to defeat us." I knew whom this voice belonged to: a Yeerk who had identified himself as Visser 10.

I don't think so Yeerk. Caroof snarled.

He grabbed the trigger of the main Shredder and yelled:

OPEN FIRE!

TSSSEEEWWW!

Light blue laser beams lanced towards the Blade Ship, slicing into its hull like a tail blade. The middle of the ship ruptured into flames, spilling black shrapnel into the air like blood from a wound. Accompanying the debris, were the singed corpses of the Yeerk crew, which toppled through the air before plummeting downwards. In a few brief seconds, all that remained were the wings and half of the cockpit. The two Skrit Na ships shrouded the wreckage in a tractor beam and towed it towards the surface.

Terace spoke into the thought speak loud speaker.

Okay everyone, we're getting ready for our quick escape, but first I need someone to send our Skrit Na prisoners home. In an escape capsule, of course. He turned away from it and said, Caroof, maximum burn in fifteen minutes. We need to get as far away as possible.

Right. Caroof replied and turned to the controls.

* * *

We chose our hiding place carefully; landing on the dark side of an uninhabited moon called Orphass. We projected holograms over the ship, making it look like the moon's surface and put the ship in stealth mode, so we would not show up on radar. I retreated to my cabin, one of the many on the upper deck. It was a relatively large room, or at least bigger than what I was used to, since the arisths cabins on a Dome Ship are not what you would call roomy. Like the rest of the ship its floor was covered with grass and its ceiling was a hologram of my native sky. There were pedestals around the room, which displayed my only possessions: a picture of my parents and the holographic wish flower from when we were waiting for Assinko to be born.

Assinko…

I hadn't thought about my brother much lately; hadn't paid much attention to him. We had been very close when we still lived on the homeworld, but we had been drifting apart since we both became arisths. I had made new friends and I had started to ignore Assinko. Soon, he began to tag along behind me, always trying to be part of the conversation. And I just ignored him even more. Now I was starting to see Assinko was maturing, his youthful enthusiasm slowly changing into mature arrogance. And it was only now that I realized he was trying to be like me. I had never thought of myself as oozing with arrogance, but I guess that I've always had a little pride. I couldn't let Assinko become like that. As his older brother it was my job. It was my duty.

* * *

Terace called us all to the bridge to discuss a new plan. We made ourselves comfortable; Maheen leaning against the bulkhead, Caroof hunched over the computer, typing furiously, Assinko walking around, eating the grass, and I stood in front of a window. Terace paced back and forth as he talked

As you know, our main priority here is to get a Z- Space drive and get home. But something that seems more important has come up. Caroof was able to hack into the computer of the Skrit Na ship we boarded before our little… fiasco. He has been able to crack most of the security codes, but one file will remained unlocked without a few pass codes. He glanced around the room. This file is about Yeerk activity. Something big. Very big.

This brings me to my second point. Caroof has been able to pinpoint the location of these codes: Hilderat Base on the Seventh Moon, head quarters of Visser 10 and the Yeerk database in this system. In case you don't know, he was the one in the Blade Ship today. He added.

We need to infiltrate the base, but the plan is dangerous, He took a deep breath. One of us has to be captured.

What? Maheen made a choking noise. After all that time we spent getting those battle morphs? Why don't we just trample it and get on with our lives?.

Terace answered.Okay, one: the fortress has too many outside defenses and we need someone to shut them down from the inside before we can launch a full assault. Two: if we trample the base, how do we hack into the computers and get the codes?

Maheen rolled her eyes.

Well anyway, who is the lucky one? Caroof asked.

I will. Terace, of course, always the first to step forwards.

No, I will, Caroof said. I know how to hack into the computers.

Caroof, no offense, but you're a pretty slow morpher. I'll go. Maheen said.

I saw Assinko tensing his muscles, preparing to step forwards. I had to step forwards, had to protect my brother…

I will! I yelled. Everyone looked at me, startled. I… I have the the, uh, smallest battle morph so I can fight easily in, uh, tight hallways.

Everyone gave me odd looks.

Are you sure Esgarrouth? Terace asked.

I looked over at Assinko.

Yes, definitely.

* * *

The Seventh moon, a windswept, red rock floated before us. For the site of the Yeerk database, it was relatively quiet, with only a few Bug Fighters in orbit.

This is it? Caroof said, obviously as surprised at the lack of security as I was. I thought there would at least be a Blade Ship.

Suddenly…

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

A red diode flashed and beeped, warning us of incoming ships!

LOOK! I yelled. Bug Fighters were appearing everywhere, shedding their cloaking shields.

TSSEEEWWW!

They fired! Red Dracon beams screamed towards us, weakening our shields with each blow.

Everyone! Battle stations! Terace yelled into the loudspeaker. We have to hold them off as long as we ca-
A hit broke our shields and plowed into the bridge!

BABOOM!

The compter console exploded, sending a rain of shrapnel across the bridge!

AAAAAAAHHH! Terace screamed, but Caroof didn't make a sound, he simply slumped onto the floor…

NO!

Esgarrouth… Terace groaned.

I looked down to see a gaping cut in his stomach, a piece of shrapnel jutting out of it. Blue black blood spilled out onto the floor.

Esgarrouth… g- get to an esc- escape pod. Continue… the mission. He managed to gasp.

But Terace, I-

Go, Esgarrouth. He said. GO!

I ran as Terace yelled as loud as he could:

We are g- going to self destruct and take as many Yeerks as we can down with us. Recite your rituals of death and sleep well my friends.

I heard their rituals as I climbed into the ovular escape pod. I heard them even as I jettisoned the pod.

FWWOOOOOSSSH!

I careened towards the moon, paid no attention by the Bug Fighters who were attacking my friends. I looked out the rear view port at the Gold Nebula. It looked like a dying animal, defenseless and wounded.

Ten seconds later it erupted in a noiseless flash.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NONONONONO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

My friends, my brother all gone! Dead!

I collapsed onto the floor the sorrow becoming too much for me to handle. I felt as though a corrosive acid had eaten my hearts.

Terace. Assinko. Caroof. Maheen.

All gone.

And then my blood started to rise, to boil like magma. I stood up and looked at the moon. The scum who killed my friends were there, and they were going to pay.

Even if it were the last thing I did.

Author's Note:

Well, I hope you enjoyed this installment, and besides my usual pleas to REVIEW, PLEASE! I also have some interactivity in this note: A CHARACTER POLL!

Whose your favorite character so far?

1.Terace

2.Esgarrouth

3.Assinko

4.Caroof

5.Maheen

Tell me in your review and I'll post the winner in the next part of the story.

Vote away!

John