Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Animorphs, but I don't, do I? KAA owns them.

#55- The Contact

Chapter 1

My name is Cassie. Starting when I was thirteen, I fought the Yeerks with my five friends, Rachel, Jake, Tobias, Marco, and Aximili-Egsarrouth-Isthill. You can call him Ax. The Yeerks are a parasitic species that comes and squeezes itself into your head, and takes complete control of your body. Of course, if you do not know who and what the Yeerks are by now, you have been away from civilization for way too long. Anyway, for three years, the six of us stood up to the Yeerk empire. The six of us being Rachel, my best friend forever, who was beautiful enough to be a model, and the only one of us who liked the war; Jake, Rachel's cousin, the leader of the Animorphs, and, I guess, my boyfriend.  There was also Marco, Jake's best bud and the class clown, who unwillingly fought until he learned that his mother was host body to Visser One; Tobias, who used to be a bully magnet, but he was not anymore now that he was stuck in morph as a red-tailed hawk, and he was also Rachel's boyfriend; and Ax, an Andalite stranded on earth, Tobias' uncle and shorm, who lived in the shadow of his brother Elfangor. We only had one weapon: Morphing technology. We could turn into any animal we touched. A dolphin, a wolf, an ant, a fly, a cockroach, a horse, an osprey.

But three years ago, we finally defeated them. They are no more. But in the process, Rachel was killed right after killing Jake's brother, and because of that, Jake went into severe depression and we drifted apart. Tobias disappeared into the forest after Rachel died, showing up only once in public to take her ashes. Ax became a prince, but I just learned that he was kidnapped by the Blade Ship, a space ship that held the last few fighting Yeerks. Jake came to me, telling Ax's fate. He told me that they had escaped into Kelbrid space, where Andalites could not go. He was going to rescue them, and he said that I could not go along. He asked where Tobias was, knowing that Tobias would have had contact with me, at least. Then, he left. And I knew I had said good-bye to Jake forever.

I suddenly fell down, sobbing uncontrollably. Ronnie grabbed my arm, and pulled me back up. "I'll never see him again. Never. Oh, my God, Ronnie, never. Never again. Never!"

"Cass, what happened? What did he say? What is going on?" Ronnie demanded.

"I can't tell you. I would, but- no." I paused. "I can't. I have to go. Good-bye, Ronnie. I hope to see you again." I gave him a small peck on the cheek, turned around, and morphed. As I flew off, I heard his voice saying "Cass, where are you going?" Soon I could no longer hear his cries. I flew to the main area where the Hork-Bajir stayed in Yellowstone, and scanned the area for a certain someone. There, I saw her. Nearly seven feet tall, with blades coming out of her forehead, elbows, knees, and tail, Toby is the leader of the Hork-Bajir, and a seer, meaning that her intelligence rivals that of an Andalite, not that of one of her fellow Hork-Bajir, who have the mentality of a two-year-old.

Toby! I called. Listen. The Blade Ship kidnapped Ax, and went into a part of space the Andalites cannot go into. Jake, Tobias, and Marco are going to rescue him. They wouldn't take me. I have a plan. They're going to need my help, I can feel it. Please, come with me. I circled down and landed, then demorphed.

"Cassie," Toby said in the guttural voice of a Hork-Bajir. "I cannot leave, my people need me..."

"Please," I pleaded with her. "Please."

Toby looked down at me. "Cassie, Jark is not ready for the responsibility yet. I cannot leave."

"Jark? Who's Jark?"

"Jark is my son. He is different. He is different like my great-grandfather was different, and like I am different."

"You mean he's a seer?" I asked incredulously. Suddenly, a young Hork-Bajir boy jumped down in front of me. Even though I have been seeing Hork-Bajir for years now, their appearance still frightens me, especially when its so sudden like that. I could not help but jump.

"Mother," the little Hork-Bajir said. "I am ready. I have learned and been educated. And we are no longer under the threat of being found by the Yeerks. I can teach the Hork-Bajir the new way, whatever that may be. I will one day find out, and maybe you will be back by then. Mother, I am ready."

"Jark, you were spying on us!" Toby exclaimed. "I do not doubt that you want to lead, and think you are ready. But Jark, you're only a few years old!"

"Yes, but Mother, how old were you when you became leader of the free Hork-Bajir colony? How old was Great-Great-Grandfather Dak Hamee when he taught our ancestors how to fight? He was only a tiny bit older than me. You were much younger than me. Besides, Tobias, our liberator, is in need of help. He is the savior of our people, and your namesake! Won't you help him, and the rest of his friends, our friends, the Animorphs?"

"Jark..." Toby sighed.

"Toby," I said. "My friends are up there, going after the Blade Ship. It's my deceased best friend's boyfriend, the love of my life, and his best friend up there. Please, you have to help me."

"Who else will go?" Toby asked.

"I don't know. I was hoping you could help me decide."

She shrugged her massive shoulders, a very human gesture.  "Okay then Cassie. Let's go."