It was three weeks after our first mission. We'd had two more successful missions since then, and I was proud to finally be doing something important. One day, I came home one day to find my father in the monitor room, staring into the space just above Earth.

"Dad?" I asked. He didn't move. I came and touched his shoulder. "Dad what is it?"

I looked to the screen. There was a big long ship with a dome at the top in the midst of an enormous battle. That's what he was looking at. Apparently there was a battle happening just above Earth's atmosphere. Foolishly, I looked up at the ceiling, then, shaking my head, I focused on my father again. This could be very bad; a battle above could have disastrous repercussions for us down here. That would explain my father's strange behavior, but there seemed to be something else upsetting him as well.

"Dad?" I asked again, louder this time. He turned to look at me. I couldn't get a fix on his expression. It ranged from relief, to pride, to fear and then finally, terror.

"It's the Andalites, son." He said. His voice cold. I looked at the ships fighting above and pictured Andalites piloting them, having come to save Earth.

"Isn't this good?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Right now, no. The Yeerks are too strong. I don't think the Andalites assumed it would be this difficult. Visser Three has a new Blade Ship. That alone could do a lot of damage."

"Couldn't you help?" I asked. "You have a ship too, right?" As I spoke, I realized how foolish I was being. That would blow our cover. Not to mention how little one small, barely armed ship could do. But my father seemed to take my comment to mean something else.

"I can't ever help." He whispered quietly. My eyes widened. I had no idea he felt that away about helping his people. There was something off about his tone. I sensed there was something he would tell me now, something important that needed to be said, that he had to get off his chest. I crouched down next to his chair and waited for him to speak.

"I left my people, Tobias." He said, looking me in the eye. Whatever discomfort he felt over his decision, I knew he didn't regret it because of me. "And that was shameful. If the Andalites ever found out I had done this, I would be disgraced, my name destroyed. Yet that is not what I fear. I have made my peace with my decision, however I cannot fight. I must stay here to protect you. Although, more than that, I do not want the Andalites to take me home with them. If they found me, they might. I can't ever leave you, so I must stay here, in this room, only watching, never interfering, though it pains me greatly."

I stand up and out my arms around my father to let him know I am there for him. I know he will not cry, yet one tear slips down my face. He holds me to him with one arm as the other controls his view of the battle. Something catches his eye, and he starts in surprise. He zooms in on a single fighter ship spinning out of control. It zooms past the other ships heading straight for the planet. My father is fixed on it, following its path down to Earth. In the midst of the battle, not many notice him. Even so, all the other Andalite fighters are engaged. No one can come help him. The Yeerks are busy as well and leave him for dead.

My father typed a lot on the keyboard and the monitor showed him the fighter's path, where it will crash. I start. That's right near where we live. Somewhere in the woods. My father put his head in his hands. I saw the pain in his entire body.

"Father can we save him?" I asked quietly. He lifted his head slowly to look at me, tears in his eyes.

"Tobias, I can't..."

"Not you, Dad. Us. The Animorphs. We can save him. One Andalite, Dad. One. That's all I'm asking for. Look at him; they're going to leave him. He'll die. And then the Yeerks will make sure no one ever even knows he was there. Let us save him."

I saw how badly my father wanted to. After a long struggle in his eyes, he finally said,

"Alright. Take Jake, go save him. Wait for my command." It was a Saturday. I called Jake's house to see if he wanted to hang. He said sure. Two minutes later, with the help of bird morph, he came. Over the past few weeks, Jake had changed. A lot. He no longer had that fear in his eyes, that need for admiration or fear. He stood taller, and he no longer looked as sullen. The war had changed him. He knew what it was like to fight for the little guy now. He knows what it's like to be bullied, but now he was fighting back, in a way that matters. As the missions passed, he became more confident in his abilities and I found he had surprised even me, with the maneuvers he'd pulled off.

"This mission will be like none other." I told him, once he was inside. "It's a rescue mission."

His eyes widened and I smiled at him. We flew to the clearing where the ship was estimated to land. Thankfully, there were no Yeerks there yet.

The pilot has gained enough control of his ship to make a landing. My father announced. But it will not be a smooth one. We wait under the cover of the trees in wolf morph for him. I heard the sound of it coming before it was visible. Then even when the sound magnified, I could not see the ship. It's cloaked. I realized. The moment it landed it appeared, but not for long. The moment it was on the ground, the hatch opened and an Andalite came sprinting out. He ran a few meters to the left of us into the forest. A second later, the ship exploded. This was good. Perhaps the Yeerks would think he had died in the crash. With our noses we sniffed out where the Andalite was hiding. The moment he saw us, he stiffened and raised his tail blade.

Tobias... Jake told me privately.

I know. I replied. It was one thing seeing an Andalite on a screen, something completely different in person. It was an incredible moment for us. But we would have to take the time to enjoy it later. The Andalite still had his tail at the ready.

Peace, Andalite. I told him. He was shocked, but still didn't lower his blade.

I was not aware of other Andalites on this planet. And in morph no less. He spoke.

There are many things you are unaware of; we would like to make you aware of them. I said, reciting the speech Elfangor had made Jake and I memorize.

I am warrior Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil. He said. What are your names? You must be of considerable rank to be on this planet without any of Andalites up above knowing of it.

I said nothing. I had frozen at the name Aximili. At this point I remembered nothing. I told Jake to continue while I stood frozen.

Dad? I asked.

I know, Tobias. He replied.

But...

Just bring him here.

Yes, Father.

Jake was addressing Aximili. We are not in a secure area at this time. We would prefer to answer your questions only once we have you in a safe environment. Please follow us.

My uncle looked wary. It was a little suspicious that we didn't give him our names but there was no other choice. He had to trust us.

You can trust us, Aximili. I said, finally having found my voice. It wasn't on the script but I felt it was needed.

Jake, again, continued. We have a morph for you to wear until you can be hidden. He said. There is no need to be afraid. For what other creatures could have the Escafil device? We know only Andalites have the technology to morph. This was a very carefully planned part of the speech. Elfangor knew Andalite pride would not allow for other creatures to have the morphing ability. It might blind him into trusting us. Aximili nodded, and we led him to the injured fox we had laid down on the ground and covered in mud to mask the smell of a kill. There were other wolves in this area and we had to be wary of them. Aximili acquired the fox and we set off. We led him to a protected spot and waited for cover of darkness. Luckily, it wasn't that far away, so we still had time left in morph. We led him to the residential area and ducked behind houses to avoid being seen.

The easiest way to hide is to blend in. I told the obviously confused Aximili. I don't think he trusted us yet, but he followed us home. We used the backyard tunnel to the basement to get in. The moment we were all inside, Jake and I had to demorph quickly, and out of sight. We left Aximili in the big open room and went upstairs through the side door. It was so quick he didn't see and now he was alone. He remained mostly calm, as a credit to him.

Where have you gone, Andalites? Have you been traitor to your kind, sell out to the Yeerks?

There are no traitors here, Aximili. My father spoke up. The room was mostly dim, Aximili standing in the middle. Jake and I were in our normal forms now. We waited in the viewing room for my father. He was in the secondary room in the basement, waiting to come out. I knew Aximili recognized the thought speak voice he had heard and obviously thought he was mistaken.

Elfangor? He asked, disbelieving.

Yes, brother. He replied. Jake looked at me. I nodded silently.

"Do you want me to leave?" He whispered.

I shrugged. "You can stay if you want." I didn't care that Jake was here. I was too focused on my father and uncle.

How is this possible, brother? Your ship crashed. You died.

I didn't, brother. I survived. I came to this planet to live. My father's voice is strained. I know he's trying to keep the shame out of his voice.

Where are you, Elfangor? Let me see you.

There is no need for that.

Why hide yourself from me? Like your associates told me, you have nothing to fear.

There is much you do not understand Aximili, I do not wish you to be frightened. My father was scared. I realized. For all his pride and acceptance, he is afraid to face his brother. I partially start my hawk morph in order to speak to my father privately.

Father, don't be afraid. Think of me. He is your brother. He deserves to see you. I think my words helped because a moment later, he stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello Aximili." He said with his mouth.

Aximili, shocked, takes a step back. What is the meaning of this brother?

I told you there was much you don't understand. I know you are wondering so I will tell you. This is my form now.

Aximili narrowed his eyes. You were wrong Elfangor. There is a traitor here. Someone who betrayed all his kind and lied to all those closest to him.

Elfangor stepped closer. "Aximili, please."

No Elfangor. How could you do this to me? To Mother and Father! You were my hero! I grieved when you died, we all did. Aximili's face looked in pain. You were supposed to have died a hero! As someone who had saved us all. This, this unthinkable. You have destroyed your own legacy.

"Aximili." My father pleaded. "You do not understand because you did not go through the pains of war as I have. You have not had to make decisions that broke your heart. You have not had nightmares of the screams of those you have destroyed all in the name of good." I saw tears in my father's eyes as he spoke of his past. "I understand your anger; I have never forgotten the shame of that decision. But if I had to go back and choose again, I would not change what I have done. I was not able to continue in the life I was living. In a way, I did die. But I was reborn as this." My father spread out his arms, presenting himself to his brother. "I was able to continue living, in a way I could no longer do as an Andalite. I built a life for myself here. I was able to carry my burdens, but only where I was comfortable. Where no one knew me and the only legacy I had was what I did further."

Aximili no longer glared at my father, but he was still visibly upset. Jake beside me had looked away. I could tell he felt he didn't belong here. Yet he stayed. I think he stayed for me and I felt gratitude towards him.

Why, though, Elfangor? How? What made you come here, to this rock to live, away from your family, all alone? Why Earth?

"It's a long tale Aximili. But I will share it with you. It was before you were born..." This story I knew by heart. After my mom had died, I had made my dad tell it to me over and over again. I loved it. It was full of sorrow, and had sad ending, but it was also the story of how my parents fell in love. The story of the Skrit Na and their cargo. I watched Jake beside me. This story was new to him. I was sure a lot of the things were unfamiliar to him, but he recognized the significance of this tale.

"Once you joined the army," my father was saying, "I knew I had to protect you. The horrors I had tried to push to the back of my mind all came back the moment I held a Shredder in my hand again, when I flew a fighter ship again. And it was all worth it, just so I could protect you, so I could make sure you never went through the things I did. And then, you were out of my division; they promoted you, and you deserved it. But that meant I could no longer protect you. What happened to you could no longer be my responsibility. So I was torn. I could not go back home again, alone, where I didn't belong, nor could I stay in the military. I needed a place to rest."

I saw my father sit down on a bench and put his head in his hands. "I couldn't just leave the army though. So I made it look like I had been lost and came to Earth. I married the woman I had grown to love and made a life here."

And what of your associates? What are their reasons for being here? Have they simply accepted your treachery?

"Aximili," my father said slowly, "those wolves you met in the forest were not Andalites." Of all the things Elfangor had said, none of them hit Aximili like this one.

You broke the law of Seerow's Kindness? He breathed. Before he had shouted, now he barely made a sound. Yet the tension in the room had never been thicker.

"Aximili—

HOW COULD YOU? Of all the laws to break, you must choose the worst. I used to think so highly of you Elfangor! I looked up to you! Do the traditions of our people mean nothing to you now? At all? You left your people, and that was your decision, but you could have left it alone for the rest of us! You didn't have to change everything!

"Aximili, ENOUGH!" For the first time I can remember, my father raised his voice. His presence suddenly overwhelming, my uncle took a step back. You could see the Andalite within him then. The power, the proud and experienced warrior, the fierce commander. "These people are defenseless!" He continued. "Do you not feel pity when you look at them, and know what the Yeerks will do to them? Do you know what has happened on the Hork-Bajir homeworld, Aximili? The horrors our people have created? This is what I hope to prevent here. In coming here, I have become a part of this world, and its responsibilities. I have the opportunity to try and save it, you don't think I would do all I can? The humans are not the Yeerks. Yes, they have faults of their own, but so do we, so do us all. I hope to save a race instead of let it be destroyed. The humans, and especially the ones I've chosen, will not betray us. They have no reason to. And you have no reason to distrust them."

So who then, are these humans so deserving of our gifts?

"One of them is your kin, Aximili. You met him not long ago. One of those wolves...was my son."

For the first time since he'd arrived, Aximili looked calm. There was a change in his eyes, a look of understanding and respect. Andalites take family very seriously. I understood this.

"Would you like to meet him?" My father asked. All of a sudden, I grew very nervous. I was not prepared for this. My father, guessing correctly at my feelings, reassured me.

It's alright, Tobias. It'll be alright.

"Tobias!" He called aloud. "You can come out now." Slowly, Jake watching me, I stood up from my chair and taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

I had seen him as a wolf, and definitely smelled him, but now I was seeing him with my own eyes. I could study him in more detail now. The first thing I noticed was the stalk eyes. Ever moving, they caught my eye. I studied his tail next. I'd always wanted to see an Andalite tail in person.

"Hi Aximili." I said. "I'm Tobias."

The no mouth thing was a bit disconcerting at first glance; however he still seemed to be able to smile without one. It was in his eyes. He held out his hand, which I took. His hand was warm, it felt nice. I smiled. "I've heard so much about you." I said. "My father told me so many stories of his little brother."

And how did he describe me?

"As brave, and valiant, as headstrong and a good soldier who looked up to his brother. I always imagined you as older, Andalite me. Someone I could be when I grew up. Besides my father." I smiled again.

Thank you for that, Tobias. This means a lot to me.

I nod my head and turn away. "I'll go and do my homework now, but I so enjoyed meeting you, Uncle Ax." I said, for an excuse to leave. I looked at my father before I left the room, and smiled at him. He smiled back and I noticed his eyes were glistening. I found myself wiping mine as well as I opened the door and the moment I sat back down in the chair, I lost control.

"Hey man, you ok?" Jake asked me. He clapped his hand on my shoulder. "It'll be alright."

I nodded my head and rubbed my eyes. I got control of myself and took a deep breath. "I know, Jake. I'm fine. Thanks."

"No problem." I did say I was going to do homework, so I invited Jake upstairs to do it with me. I had no idea what it was that made me cry. All I knew was I was so happy Aximili was here. There was something about having another person part of my family - let alone an Andalite - here that I loved. I'd never realized how much I wanted it to be more than just me and my dad, like it'd been since my mother died. My uncle Ax was here now, and I was happy.