*Chapter 6*
Cassie
(Cassie knows more about this than I do. This will be her story portion.)
Things happened quickly now.
With terms now approved, the Yeerks on the Pool ship formalized their surrender.
The Pool ship joined the Andalite fleet in entering close Earth orbit where we contacted the remaining Yeerk ships and gave them the stark choice: Resist and die, or surrender and be transformed.
Some Yeerk ships contacted the Yeerk home world and received instructions to fight. But the Andalites had all the technical data of the Pool ship -- including disabling codes, combat tactics, communications ciphers. The ships that resisted were destroyed. The rest surrendered.
The Yeerk crews were shuttled to the Pool ship where they left their host bodies to return to the now-refilled pool. Newly freed humans and Hork- Bajir worked with Andalites to keep the ships flying.
Jake had one more run-in with Asculan over possession of the great trophy prisoner, Visser One. But Jake won that confrontation, too. Visser One remained our prisoner.
We Animorphs -- including the cloaked Rachel -- and the newly minted Prince Aximili, with our prisoner, landed Ax's official liasion ship, a sleek Fast-Courier, right into the middle of the Mall in Washington. Not a mall, the Mall, a a sort of open green space with the Capitol Building at one end, the Smithsonian Institution and various government buildings on both sides, and the obelisk of the Washington Monument at the far end.
We called ahead, not wanting to terrify anyone. There were roughly a thousand cops and twice that many newspeople waiting for us.
It was, as Marco said, a "shiver-my-spine moment."
A sea of microphones and video cameras and flashbulbs. Ax and Jake, and to a lesser extent Marco and I, gave a sort of brief explanation of what had been happening, and where things stood now. Rachel, meanwhile, stood just off to the side, head masked by the cowl. No one paid much attention to her. I bet she resented not getting any attention, but it was for the best, after all.
Needless to say, it was kind of a big news day.
Tobias was silent throughout. If he even heard the questions he didn't show it. And then, as Marco was telling yet another amusing anecdote, Tobias spread his wings, caught an updraft, and flew away. I watched Rachel look up after him, a watery glint seeming to come from her eye.
The next day an Andalite scout ship reported finding a human body floating in space. Young, female. The Blade ship had jettisoned her body before going into Zero space.
Or, at least, that's what everyone else assumed. I knew different. That the body was actually the work of Erek, and that Rachel, of course, was alive and well.
The Andalites brought "her" to California. Near the devastation that was all that was left of our homes.
I was there when "Rachel" returned. Rachel's mother was as well. So was Rachel, actually. She wanted to see Erek's work. So did I. The Andalites treated "her" body with great respect. "She" had been wrapped in some sort of soft cloth. I guess it was the Andalite way.
They uncovered her face and Rachel's mom and I -- and Rachel -- identified the body. Rachel then pulled me to the side and commented on how real it looked. She was almost afraid that it was her. I couldn't help but smile.
Two days later, at Rachel's suggestion, we cremated the body. She of course wouldn't have wanted to rot in the ground...it would have been too much like her getting dirty. The body and casket became a few handfuls of ashes in a pretty china urn.
Everyone was at the memorial ceremony. By this point our story had swept the planet. Everyone alive knew our names.
The memorial had to be held outside. Fortunately it was a nice day. You could see the Pacific Ocean from the spot in the cemetery where Rachel's monument would be placed. There was an honor guard of free Hork- Bajir. Two dozen Andalite warriors stood at attention. Our friend and ally General Doubleday was there and quite a few men and women in uniform. And, lastly, the tall cloaked figure just outside the memorial grounds. Guards tried to usher her away, but she showed an invitation which I had given her earlier, and they backed off.
Jake and Marco and me and Ax. We all gave little speeches. The President of the United States was there. He gave a speech, too.
Rachel later told me that she loved the memorial. She laughed at how it had been way over the top, but that it was great to have that kind of attention...even if it was a funeral procession.
The ceremony was almost over when I saw him. I'd been watching the sky. I knew if he was still alive, he would come. I caught Rachel's eye, and nodded slowly, turning my eyes up. She did the same, then smiled and nodded back.
He wheeled high overhead, riding a thermal. His hawk eyes would see everything of course, even from half a mile up.
But as the band played some horribly depressing music, down he came. He swooped down and landed on the box, wings flaring. One of the ushers moved to chase him off. Jake took the man's arm.
Tobias closed his talons around the urn's small handle. He glared fiercely at Rachel's mom. She was crying, had been all along. She sobbed and nodded her head, giving her permission. I took that chance to steal a glance at the actual Rachel. In the shadows, I could see her morphing. Her bald eagle form was almost complete.
Then Tobias looked at me. I said, "Yes, Tobias. She would want it." Then, in a voice only he could hear, I said, "But Tobias, I'll tell you this. Miracles can sometime come in on eagle's wings."
He looked at me funny, quizzically, then took off.
I don't know where he found the strength to lift that urn, but he did. He flew away, low at first, then, catching a thermal, he bore the urn away into the sky.
I turned back, watching out the corner of my eye as the bald eagle lifted off the ground, following Tobias toward the horizon.
Jake looked at that sight, as if somehow pondering. Then he looked at my face, my totally beaming, radiant face, and somehow, he knew the truth....somehow, but he didn't show it.
Cassie
(Cassie knows more about this than I do. This will be her story portion.)
Things happened quickly now.
With terms now approved, the Yeerks on the Pool ship formalized their surrender.
The Pool ship joined the Andalite fleet in entering close Earth orbit where we contacted the remaining Yeerk ships and gave them the stark choice: Resist and die, or surrender and be transformed.
Some Yeerk ships contacted the Yeerk home world and received instructions to fight. But the Andalites had all the technical data of the Pool ship -- including disabling codes, combat tactics, communications ciphers. The ships that resisted were destroyed. The rest surrendered.
The Yeerk crews were shuttled to the Pool ship where they left their host bodies to return to the now-refilled pool. Newly freed humans and Hork- Bajir worked with Andalites to keep the ships flying.
Jake had one more run-in with Asculan over possession of the great trophy prisoner, Visser One. But Jake won that confrontation, too. Visser One remained our prisoner.
We Animorphs -- including the cloaked Rachel -- and the newly minted Prince Aximili, with our prisoner, landed Ax's official liasion ship, a sleek Fast-Courier, right into the middle of the Mall in Washington. Not a mall, the Mall, a a sort of open green space with the Capitol Building at one end, the Smithsonian Institution and various government buildings on both sides, and the obelisk of the Washington Monument at the far end.
We called ahead, not wanting to terrify anyone. There were roughly a thousand cops and twice that many newspeople waiting for us.
It was, as Marco said, a "shiver-my-spine moment."
A sea of microphones and video cameras and flashbulbs. Ax and Jake, and to a lesser extent Marco and I, gave a sort of brief explanation of what had been happening, and where things stood now. Rachel, meanwhile, stood just off to the side, head masked by the cowl. No one paid much attention to her. I bet she resented not getting any attention, but it was for the best, after all.
Needless to say, it was kind of a big news day.
Tobias was silent throughout. If he even heard the questions he didn't show it. And then, as Marco was telling yet another amusing anecdote, Tobias spread his wings, caught an updraft, and flew away. I watched Rachel look up after him, a watery glint seeming to come from her eye.
The next day an Andalite scout ship reported finding a human body floating in space. Young, female. The Blade ship had jettisoned her body before going into Zero space.
Or, at least, that's what everyone else assumed. I knew different. That the body was actually the work of Erek, and that Rachel, of course, was alive and well.
The Andalites brought "her" to California. Near the devastation that was all that was left of our homes.
I was there when "Rachel" returned. Rachel's mother was as well. So was Rachel, actually. She wanted to see Erek's work. So did I. The Andalites treated "her" body with great respect. "She" had been wrapped in some sort of soft cloth. I guess it was the Andalite way.
They uncovered her face and Rachel's mom and I -- and Rachel -- identified the body. Rachel then pulled me to the side and commented on how real it looked. She was almost afraid that it was her. I couldn't help but smile.
Two days later, at Rachel's suggestion, we cremated the body. She of course wouldn't have wanted to rot in the ground...it would have been too much like her getting dirty. The body and casket became a few handfuls of ashes in a pretty china urn.
Everyone was at the memorial ceremony. By this point our story had swept the planet. Everyone alive knew our names.
The memorial had to be held outside. Fortunately it was a nice day. You could see the Pacific Ocean from the spot in the cemetery where Rachel's monument would be placed. There was an honor guard of free Hork- Bajir. Two dozen Andalite warriors stood at attention. Our friend and ally General Doubleday was there and quite a few men and women in uniform. And, lastly, the tall cloaked figure just outside the memorial grounds. Guards tried to usher her away, but she showed an invitation which I had given her earlier, and they backed off.
Jake and Marco and me and Ax. We all gave little speeches. The President of the United States was there. He gave a speech, too.
Rachel later told me that she loved the memorial. She laughed at how it had been way over the top, but that it was great to have that kind of attention...even if it was a funeral procession.
The ceremony was almost over when I saw him. I'd been watching the sky. I knew if he was still alive, he would come. I caught Rachel's eye, and nodded slowly, turning my eyes up. She did the same, then smiled and nodded back.
He wheeled high overhead, riding a thermal. His hawk eyes would see everything of course, even from half a mile up.
But as the band played some horribly depressing music, down he came. He swooped down and landed on the box, wings flaring. One of the ushers moved to chase him off. Jake took the man's arm.
Tobias closed his talons around the urn's small handle. He glared fiercely at Rachel's mom. She was crying, had been all along. She sobbed and nodded her head, giving her permission. I took that chance to steal a glance at the actual Rachel. In the shadows, I could see her morphing. Her bald eagle form was almost complete.
Then Tobias looked at me. I said, "Yes, Tobias. She would want it." Then, in a voice only he could hear, I said, "But Tobias, I'll tell you this. Miracles can sometime come in on eagle's wings."
He looked at me funny, quizzically, then took off.
I don't know where he found the strength to lift that urn, but he did. He flew away, low at first, then, catching a thermal, he bore the urn away into the sky.
I turned back, watching out the corner of my eye as the bald eagle lifted off the ground, following Tobias toward the horizon.
Jake looked at that sight, as if somehow pondering. Then he looked at my face, my totally beaming, radiant face, and somehow, he knew the truth....somehow, but he didn't show it.