A/N -- Hey, guys, it's Lisa (Lost soul) delivering another chapter. I know that some of the content in this chapter had been debated between characters for practically the entire series, but in order to keep the plot moving and to get the story forward, I had to kind of ignore that. If this is going to slow or restating things WAY too much, please let me know. R/R, thanks! As always, let me know what you think!

Chapter Twelve: Marco

"The Kelbrids are highly advanced," Frank continued, once he set the Yeerk fighter on a course for a part of space close to the Andalite home world. "Of course, you Andalites already knew that. They have faster ships, weapons that somehow can pass through zero space and space time. We think there is one that can bend space itself to destroy its enemies quicker. But, despite all of this, they are a species that develop these technologies solely to protect themselves and not harm other races."

I rolled my eyes. It was a very human gesture, but I didn't think it mattered. It wasn't like, even if this guy was Yeerk, he hadn't heard of the Animorphs. (I've heard that excuse before, but it doesn't change the fact that the Kelbrids are now in Andalite space and attacking the Andalite home world.)

Frank shook his head and looked over at me. "No, they wouldn't intentionally start a war out of just hatred or disliking of another alien race. They will only fight out of self defense. They're attacking the Andalites now to protect their way of life and to protect their people. But, I do not believe out of my years of research Kelbrid behavior that they will outright annihilate the Andalites. The first blow, as we monitored on our sensors, was just an object used to keep things in check and as a punishment for the Andalites breaking centuries of a treaty."

(So the Yeerks knew about the Treaty,) Tobias observed. (Otherwise you guys wouldn't have been watching us with such interest in Kelbrid space or monitoring Kelbrid actions against the Andalites.)

"They were watching you," Frank said bitterly, snapping his head towards Tobias. "I am not a Yeerk."

Tobias twitched his tail a bit, reacting to the aggressive nature. (Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you.)

Cassie stepped forward a bit. (You have to understand we've spent so many years fighting the Yeerks and we're so used to seeing Human Controllers, that sometimes it's hard to separate the Yeerk from his host identity.)

Frank turned away. "Yeah, I know," he spoke darkly, almost bitterly. "That's what they take from you: you're sense of individual identity. You just become part of the whole. That was the one thing I couldn't stand. I could deal with being a prisoner inside my own head, but knowing I would never be able to escape the fact that Yeerks used humans as an identity for themselves…" He sighed. "It killed me when my Yeerk escaped the ending of the battle for Earth. I knew I would never be able to return and have people look at me as a normal person. I wouldn't be liberated in the final days and freed. I would return as the Human Controller who got away, and the Yeerk would always be attached to me."

I saw Cassie's shoulder sag, and I knew she was probably reliving the final days just like I was. But I really didn't care because this guys story wasn't what I was interested in. Jake, Rachel, and Ax were trapped as prisoners on the Andalite home world, and my only real concern was figuring out how to save them. (It sounds to me like the Kelbrid's desire for peace could be a sign of weakness. Or it could mean that maybe they're hiding something.)

Frank nodded. Good, at least the guy could stay on track when things were serious. "They are extremely frail. They're bodies are small and weak. They look like what people made the aliens out to be in Roswell, New Mexico. Except…smaller heads and eyes. They aren't formidable outside of their ships, and even less of a threat with no weapon. The Andalite morphing technology is one that they haven't figured 

out how to duplicate. Well, at least from what I can tell. The Kelbrid bodies are too fail to handle the changes that morphing requires. They're afraid that one or two Andalite patrols in morph could easily overpower their society and way of life. Likewise, Andalites were afraid that one ship could easily wipe out their society. It's the reason why there was a treaty anyway."

I nodded. (The Yeerks broke that treaty.)

Frank laughed. "Yeah, they did. In their true parasitic nature, they did. Farangal was an Andalite scientist. You were on his ship when we intercepted with you. He wasn't satisfied with his science and his life, with no room for advancement. So he decided to work with the remainder of the Yeerk Empire to piece together the seeds that would start a war between the Andalites and the Kelbrids. The Yeerk Empire hoped that such a war would distract the Andalites from seeing them regroup and infest other species. And they're future hope would be to have a pact with the Kelbrids that they would not infest their region of space, and the Andalites would eventually be wiped out completely."

Cassie looked at me, and I met her eyes immediately. This guy knew we were on Farangal's ship. He also knew that we weren't Farangal. So, more than likely, this guy knew our identities. It wasn't really a problem, but secrecy was one thing that at least kept us safe for the time being. (You knew about Farangal?)

He leaned against the control panel and nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Sure did. I was on the team that coordinated the whole effort to kidnap Cassie, give Farangal funding and technology access, and made the whole thing happen. So, I guess you can thank my Yeerk that you guys are in this little situation."

So there it was, out in the open. I tensed a little. Chose my next words carefully. (So you know who we are.)

Frank held up his hands. "I know the Animorphs when I see them. You guys gave the Yeerk Empire such a run for the longest time, how could I not know your style? Of course you're not Andalites. But the Kelbrids don't know that. That was the way the plan was supposed to work out. Now there's a few dozen ships half way across the galaxy getting ready to launch an infestation on another planet while the Andalites and Kelbrids are mixed up in a crossfire."

Tobias looked at me and shrugged. (It was bound to come out sooner or later, right?)

I just shrugged back.

Frank smiled. "Look, guys, I can help you. You want to go to the Andalite planet, but I'm telling you, that's not where you need to be focusing." He got serious, and his frown disappeared. "They Yeerks are out there, and they're a real threat, and they're growing. We need to go stop it before they even get a chance to get started."

(Half of our team has been taken prisoner by the Andalite Military because they think we're renegades who started the whole mess in the first place,) Tobias said quietly. (So we were hoping to go to the Andalite home world, drop off some useful information that could be used to stop the Kelbrids, and then bail to stop the Yeerks.)

Frank turned towards the computer and began messing around. "Okay, I'm gonna fix the coordinates to take us in a little closer to the Andalite planet. But, I'm telling you, a Yeerk vessel in this part of space is not going to be a welcome sight."

I sighed. (Yeah, we know. And neither are us three now that we're practically criminals on the Andalite home world.) I stepped forward, eyeing the consol, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the situation. (Look, you know the Kelbrids better than any of us. Is there a way to get them to call off the war?)

Frank laughed. I mean, this guy actually laughed at the predicament, which to me meant nothing good was going to come out of what he was about to say. But, much to my surprise he said, "Just talk to them."

There was a moment of silence, and I just blurted. (Are you for real?)

"Yeah, I'm serious. These Kelbrids want peace more than anything. If they find out about the whole misunderstanding and the Yeerks using you guys, they'd actually call off the war.)

(See?) Cassie said. (All of these years of being bugged by you, and there is actually a species who understands my desire for peace, Marco.)

I closed my eyes, not really ready for a comeback, and just took all of this information in. I backed up, putting one of my hands on my forehead. Tobias stepped up beside me, patting me on the back. (I know what Marco looks like when he has the ideas for a plan.)

I looked up at him, really not used to the concept of also seeing Cassie behind me at the same time. (Yeah, I do. Okay, look, we need to get to the Andalite planet and somehow infiltrate it and save Jake, Rachel, and Ax. One of us will stay behind, possibly Cassie since she's best qualified, and negotiate the peace talks between the Kelbrids and the Andalites. Of course, there's still the definite possibility of being brought up for treason, but at least there won't be a war. And then the rest of us can speed out with our boy Frank here and bust up the Yeerk supply line before they have a chance to actually get anymore slugs into anymore species.)

(Sounds simple enough, right?) Tobias said, looking at me.

I laughed and shook my head. (Oh, man, Tobias. We are gonna need some new morphs.)

Frank raised his hand. "I've got an idea."

We all looked at him. He motioned towards the back area where life support was just coming back on. "There are a whole mess of humans and Hork Bajir back there, alive and well. Why not acquire a human morph and a Hork Bajir, so that way at least you'll have a body you're comfortable with, and a Yeerk host that would fit in once we get to the Yeerks."

There was another moment of silence.

(You know, we usually talk about how unethical it is to acquire sentient creatures without their permission…) I said slowly.

"You don't exactly have a choice," Frank said flatly.

Cassie sighed. And I waited a second more and she said, (Look, guys, I want to do whatever it takes to save Jake, Rachel, and Ax. I know that I would usually oppose this, but they would be really useful morphs for the situation. And given our lack of any other options, Frank is absolutely right. We don't have a choice.)

Tobias nodded. (I say we do it. Human and Hork Bajir. We aren't technically humans anymore, and we haven't been for awhile, so it'd be like any other time we've morphed a sentient being.)

Frank said, "I think I speak for everyone on board when I say anyone on this ship would do whatever it took to stop the Yeerks."

(Yeah, we know, and we really appreciate the offer,) I said. It was odd, but Frank's reassuring words were all I needed to spill over the edge into an ethically questionable course of action. But, he was speaking the truth. Anyone under Yeerk control was usually willing to do whatever it took to stop the Yeerks, and we were too pressed for time to exactly go tramping around the galaxy looking for other morphs.

(Okay,) I said. (Let's do it. Let's acquire a human, a Hork Bajir, and a Yeerk.)

("Yeerk?") I heard from three people.

(Morphing is our key advantage here. We need to have any sort of edge or flexibility we can while we're out here in a situation we didn't exactly ask to be in. And a Yeerk can go practically anywhere.) I paused before I said the next thing.

Cassie hesitated, but then said, (That doesn't feel right.)

Tobias nodded, like he agreed with her, and I was about to regret even bringing it up, but then he said, (Look, Cassie, normally I'd agree with you, but we're not the Yeerks. We wouldn't be enslaving the person forever, and we aren't out to control the entire species. We're looking to save our friends, save millions of lives from a war that shouldn't even be starting, and save who knows how many more from the Yeerks second invasion of the galaxy. Usually, Cassie, you're right about your sense of right and wrong. But this time, it doesn't really seem to matter. Save millions or worry about the momentary…not even death…inconvenience of one. I say we do this.)

I looked at Cassie. (Look, at least acquire a Yeerk, Cassie. You don't have to use it, but it's going to be handy to have a range of morphs.)

She sighed. (Okay.)

That was it from her. Nothing more, nothing less. Not like she could have gotten much less than that. But, it was kind of disheartening. Cassie had gotten kind of annoying and crazed at the end of the War about how to fight and what was right and wrong. She lost the blue box, she never forgave herself for Jake's downward spiral into depression, and no doubt she was blaming herself for the whole situation we were in. Sometimes, she really grated my last nerve, but I actually felt sorry for the kind of emotions she must have been going through. But, I didn't really have time to sort through them.


I kind of hoped that Tobias would talk to her later. I wasn't good with emotions and he would probably say things nicer and more tactfully done than I would.

Meanwhile, I opened the door to the back of the ship. (Okay, then…let's…acquire some new morphs.)

Frank said, "I'll stay up here and fly. You guys go do your thing and save the world."

I walked through the door, but looked back and said sardonically, (You know, by the time we're done, we'll have saved Earth, the Kelbrid planet, the Andalite planet, and whatever planet the Yeerks are congregating around. And we've done all of this within a day of me coming back to life after dying. Tell you what, when this is all said and done, don't even thank me. Just give me a small, freakin' vacation.)