Chapter 7 (Shaliph 443)

I walked down a set of concrete stairs into the New Resistance's briefing room. It was a run-down basement in an abandoned building, the last place anyone would expect the Yeerk Empire to be making a comeback. But, of course, we had to hide our intentions. At least for now.

In the darkened room, packed with former Yeerks, I spotted Yenlin seven-hundred-and-five and Korash thirty-six. They were both long-time members of the New Resistance, and higher ranking than me. But we'd been friends forever, having known each other since our pool days.

Actually, we were somewhat more than just friends. Yeerks don't simply pair off in couples like humans. We reproduce in threes, and our romantic lives naturally follow the same pattern. Yenlin and Korash were my desani. Literally translated, my 'life-mates.'

If it weren't for the Yeerk-nothlit act, I think that Yenlin, Korash and I would have one day given our lives together for the next generation.

But of course now that can never happen.

Korash's human morph was male, a late teenager, several years older than mine. He was tall and rugged-looking, with short black hair and a modest beard. His eyes were a soft hazel color, and even though we Yeerks rarely judge appearances, I knew he looked handsome.

Yenlin, on the other hand, had picked a very unconventional nothlit form for a Yeerk. Outwardly, he was an Andalite. It had taken him a long time, but he had found the few unscrupulous Andalites that would be willing to let him acquire them (almost always at a steep price), and had created a mixed morph. He actually despised Andalites, and had trapped himself as one for no reason other than to provoke them, because he knew it would make so many of them furious. His Andalite form was male, but he looked fairly androgynous. His build was tall but slender, almost delicate. He had light blue-grey fur with a slight purple tint, spring-green eyes, and a long, thin tail.

I made my way over to the two of them, standing between them as we waited for the briefing to begin. Korash subtly hugged me, resting his arm around my shoulders, and Yenlin greeted me in private thought-speak, ((Welcome to the party, Shal.))

A Hork-Bajir soon appeared at the front of the room and began speaking to the crowd, briefing us about Project Legacy. The room immediately quieted, all of us listening carefully to what he had to say.

Actually, he only told us very little. We were simply informed that the first phase of Project Legacy was in progress, and we were to be sent to the Hork-Bajir home world to test a new technology that was being developed. The scientists working on the Project would also need protection in the event that their operation was discovered, so we would be armed with some of the best weaponry the Resistance had, in order to serve as guards. We would be given some of the latest model Dracon beams, bought on the black market.

"You will receive a more detailed briefing en route to your destination," the Hork-Bajir said gruffly. "We cannot give you more information at this time, due to the secrecy of this operation. Dissemination of any of this information is punishable by death," the Hork-Bajir continued, then glared around the room and added ominously, "Or worse."

He gave us a moment for the import of his threat to sink in, then opened a hidden door in the back wall of the basement. Motioning us to follow, he led us down a long flight of stairs. I didn't know how far underground we were, but, by the time we reached the bottom of the stairway, I guessed it must have been close to how deep the Yeerk pool had been buried.

Finally, we emerged into a larger room, where a single ship was housed. It was an Andalite passenger ship, big enough to hold at least a hundred plus crew. We boarded, filing two at a time through the ship's hatch, and finding seats among rows of chairs that had obviously been added on after the ship was built. Korash and I sat towards the back, near where there was an open area for Yenlin to stand.

We didn't have to wait long before the ship took off. We were able to watch out of side windows as the ship piloted through a long tunnel, and finally burst to the surface through a sliding door that had been hidden in an open field.

After we left the atmosphere and escaped into Zero-space, another superior officer, human this time, called for our attention. It was time for the second, more detailed briefing.

The technology that the Hork-Bajir had so vaguely referred to earlier was explained to be a mind-control device, designed after salvaged Arn technology and Yeerk physiology. The devices, code-named 'Nets' (which was actually an acronym for Neural Energy Transmitters), were nearly complete after three years of development, and would soon be ready for testing. It was estimated that each Net would allow control of up to a hundred subjects at once, depending on the mental strength of the user.

If these devices worked, the New Resistance could take back everything we had lost in one fell swoop.

The next stage of the Project would be to spread our forces, recruiting more Yeerks to use the Nets. Because of the nature of the technology, if there were any Yeerks left in their natural bodies, they could have an innate advantage in dealing with the mind-to-mind interface, theoretically being able to control thousands.

Once we had a sizeable force of these 'super-controllers,' as they were being called, we would declare war and take back all the planets the Andalites had taken from us, starting with the Hork-Bajir, spreading to our own home world, the Taxxon world, and earth. Even the Andalite home world might one day be within our reach!

Once we had control of the galaxy once more, we would force the Andalite scientists to find a way to reverse the nothlit condition. Then we could be Yeerks again! Free to live our own lives, free from Andalite oppression!

And, best of all, because of our new technology, we would be more feared than ever before! We would be lords of the universe! The mighty Andalites would cower before us!

Nobody would dare to tell us that our way of life was wrong, ever again.

Yenlin smiled, the way Andalites do, with just his eyes. ((Well, well,)) he said smugly. ((Looks like the war isn't quite over, after all.))

Korash grinned back. Then he jumped out of his seat, too excited to sit still, and pumped his fist into the air, a gesture of triumph. Yenlin and I joined him, raising our fists in proud exultation.

"For freedom!" Korash proclaimed.

"For freedom!" I answered. ((For freedom!))