Title: The Post-Animorphs Saga

Author: weetzybat

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Hope to finish it one day, though…

Note: I can't believe I have to use parentheses for thoughtspeech. Lame! In any case, this is not my best work, but this chapter was 3/4 written from six months ago and I wanted to post something...and it transitions nicely into Yossarian's backstory, which I spent a helluva lot of time thinking up.

Summary of Previous Chapter

Isacor has captured the Visser, leader of the Yeerks, but things have never been that simple. The Yeerk has recognized Yossarian, and claims she also is a Yeerk.

Chapter 29...truth has never been an easy burden…

I am not gifted at determining the mood of someone, especially an alien species like humans, who use their entire face for expression rather than just the eyes, to which I am more accustomed. I also suspect their hands are a means of communication, since they always appear to be in motion. I feel that if I could only determine the meaning of some of their hand gestures, I would be able to understand them a lot better.

Standing in front of Yossarian, I was equally confused. Her eyes glared at me in anger, but her hands were twisting together in fear. Yet her voice was flat and betrayed nothing.

"A Yeerk."

(Yes.)

"Me."

(Yes.)

"And you believe him because…"

(I did not say I believed him.)

"Your face says you do." She was staring straight into my eyes, but I found I was unable to meet her gaze.

(He recognized you. If you had seen his face--)

"This is crazy. How could I be a Yeerk? Do you realize how long we've been in space now? They need a Kandrona; without it, they'll die." All four of my eyes focused on her now. She stopped, instantly regretting the words.

(You seem to know a great deal about Yeerks, Yossarian.)

(Sounds like personal experience to me.) Trentil had appeared in the doorway, eyes narrowed, tail arched aggressively.

(Where is the Visser?) I asked him privately, all eyes still on Yossarian. I had ordered Trentil to take him to the medical bay as soon as we boarded. His skin was turning an odd gray-green color that, I was fairly sure, was an abnormal skin tone for a human. His clothing was soaked in dark blood. I felt a moment's worry about Haieta's skills as a surgeon, but now wasn't the time for doubts. Trentil's face did not betray a thing, so I was relieved when he finally spoke.

(Recovering, unfortunately. I have to admit, Haieta is handy with a scalpel…) He sounded grudgingly impressed. (How is the interrogation going?)

(Questioning, not interrogation,) I told him privately, then speaking publicly to Yossarian, (Why did you cut communications after you saw the Visser?)

"I-- " She was struggling for an answer. "It's your stupid ship. I pieced together the Oberon from nothing! You can't expect everything to work perfectly!"

(My Prince, I think I know how to find out if she's telling the truth.) Haieta had appeared beside Trentil. There was a sureness in her posture I hadn't noticed before, even a slight swagger. (An outdated machine which can scan the brain. It will no doubt pick up something as large as a Yeerk, if it happens to be sharing the same space.)

"Listen, it isn't what you think," there was no anger anymore, just naked fear. Her eyes widened, darting between the three of us. I remembered an Earth animal that had the same look in its eyes when it had felt cornered, trapped. "I'm not like them. I'm not your enemy!"

(But you are a Yeerk.)

"I helped you when no one else would. I saved you when no one else could. Don't you dare compare me to him. To that parasite!" She seemed to be choking on her own words, and the anger was back.

(That's a very interesting choice of words, coming from you. I wonder how your host feels about all this?) Trentil commented.

"I am her. Without me, she doesn't exist. She feels nothing; she is nothing."

(Then you won't mind vacating the body and proving it.) I could not believe I was having this conversation. Nowhere in my training had we ever learned anything about this. The Yeerks had ceased to be a threat, and the information given to us regarding them was purely historical. I know I should place her in holding with the other Yeerks, but some part of me must have wanted to believe her story. A part of me wanted to believe that I hadn't just put my entire crew at risk.

(What I would like to know is how she is still alive when we've been traveling for weeks in deep space with no visible kandrona aboard.) Haieta mused out loud. (She must have put something here on the ship. It could be anything.)

"Look," Yossarian interrupted, with the air of someone coming to a particularly difficult decision. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything, but I need your promise--"

(We do not owe you a promise. Who are you to make demands on us, who hold you at our mercy?) I could see my weapons officer visibly bristle, his every word spat in disgust.

(Very eloquent, Trentil, but I think that is my decision to make,) I said to him quietly. More than anything, I wanted to know this human's, or was it Yeerk's, story. I desperately needed to hear something truthful for once. (What promise do you need?)

"That you will listen to the whole thing, without interruption or judgement, until the end." Her anger and fear seemed to have disappeared, and now she simply looked exhausted, the pressure of the secrets she carried finally taking their toll.

(How will we know you are telling the truth?)

"The Visser will corroborate part of my story. The Chee could attest to another. As to the part in between, you will only have my word that I will not lie to you. Can you accept that?"

(I will listen to you.)

"I knew you would." She closed her eyes briefly, digging into memories that may never have been uttered to another living being until this day. I did not say anything to Haieta or Trentil. I had a feeling that they wanted to hear this story as much as I did.