A Surprise

(Author's note; this is the sequel to "An Alternative", which in a way is the sequel to the terribly depressing "The Only Way Out". Read them first, if you want to...)



Jake stood up. It felt so weird; he stood up. Not the Yeerk. Not Rheith. Jake moved his arms. Yep; still him in charge. It was amazing.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" Tobias said from where he was standing at the controls of the camo-bugfighter.

"Yeah," Jake agreed. He waved his fingers in front of his face. "Strange, though. I'm not used to… moving. I feel clumsy."

"Me, too. I still wish I was back a hawk." Tobias sighed.

"You're a nothlit," Jake said, nodding. "Human, this time. I guessed as much."

Tobias laughed ruefully. "No. Twist of fate. I'm not a human nothlit. I can still morph. The Yeerks caught an Andalite scientist who had figured out how to reverse it. Or at least give back the morphing ability."

"Good," Jake said. He looked out through the window. Even just moving his eyes, he felt clumsy. Blunderish. "Is that it? The Andalite hideout?"

He pointed at a beautiful, blue planet. It was more land then sea, not as Earth, but otherwise very similar.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," Tobias agreed. "You should have seen their real home planet. It was like a jewel. But now the Yeerks have ruined it. As our own home."

Tobias steered the camo-bug closer. "We've just got to remember one thing," he said. "We're in a Yeerk camo-bug. Which means they won't see us on any sort of senor until we're within eye sight. But when they do see us, they'll shoot at us. So we'll have to contact them and ask them not to."

"You think they'll believe us?"

"They have to. I thought about that, too. I've got something up here that they really would want. That box in the storage. It contains two live, healthy kafit birds that I managed to save from the Yeerk labs."

Tobias punched a few buttons on the control panel. A hologram appeared, showing an Andalite face.

"Yeerks," the Andalite sneered. "What do you want?"

"We're not Yeerks," Tobias said.

"I am no fool! I recognize you! You're Sub-Visser Seven. And… Visser Four."

"Not any longer," Jake said. "Hey, we're looking for an old friend. He's a human, he thinks he's funny, and he goes under the name of Marco."

Jake could have sworn that the Andalite flinched. Except; Andalites don't flinch. At least they didn't when Jake had last heard from them.

"How… how can we be sure you aren't Yeerks?"

"You can't," Tobias said. "but we're willing to make you a deal. We've got two healthy kafit birds in here. A gift. You send up a few fighters, escort us down to your planet, and hold us for three days. Then you know we're not Yeerks. If you shoot us down, the kafits go as well. If you don't want us near, then say hi to Marco for us and he can decide whether or not to come up here himself."

All four of the Andalite's eyes had gone wide. "Kafit?" he breathed.

Jake nodded.



"See?" Tobias said. "Simple. Now we're on the planet."

"And guarded closely," Jake said. He was feeling tense. They were sitting outside the camo-bug, in a hangar at the primitive, half-finished spaceport. The Andalites had treated them kindly, but firmly. They were to stay there. There were guards outside the door to make sure they followed orders.

The first thing the Andalites had done was to check if their claim to hold kafit birds was correct. Then they had removed anything which even resembled a spare Kandrona. Tobias and Jake were only glad to get rid of them.

Tobias shrugged. "Yeah, but we're on the planet. We've still got the kafit. This'll work out fine. I've… no, my Yeerk; Kelrok… has been dealing with refugee Andalites ever since I got infested. I know them like my own… talons, I would have said. But 'hand', I suppose, now."

"Now all we have to do is wait three days."

"Let's hope Marco is here."

Then a third voice joined them. "Of course I'm on this dump of a lousy planet, where else would I be?" Marco walked up, coming in through the door. "You guys aren't Controllers anymore, I hope. No. Of course not. A Yeerk would never have made a deal like that."

Tobias stood up. He peered at Marco. "You okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Living like a king. If any lifestyle on this piece of rubble can be called that."

"They didn't hurt you, or anything?" Jake asked.

"They? The Andalites?" Marco laughed. "Hurt me? Ha! Ha ha! And also, ha ha. Those lumps of blue fur jump when I say 'hop'."

Both Jake and Tobias stared at him. Marco looked casually back. "Glad to see you guys free," he said. "Honestly. But I'm sorry you came. Cause there's no way anyone is getting of this planet alive."

"Due to the Andalites?"

"No. Due to the Yeerks. You should know, Bird-boy. You've been in charge here ever since I was 'captured'. Those slugs are guarding this atmosphere as tightly as any force field."

Marco turned around. "Hey, you!"

An Andalite walking past outside the door stopped dead in his tracks. Both stalk-eyes turned quickly towards Marco.

"Yeah, you," Marco said. "Get me something to drink. And whatever nutso so-called War Council member you can find. Step on it."

The Andalite blinked. He glanced into the room with his main eyes.

"I SAID STEP ON IT!" Marco roared.

The Andalite zoomed away at top speed.

"Marco… 'Nutso War Council member'?" Tobias gasped. "If Ax had heard that… he'd… he'd have… nu… nu… 'nutso'?"

"Got that right," Marco chuckled. "And I'd like to see the look on Ax's face when he finds out I've demoted half the free Andalite species to donkeys."

"Donkeys?"

"They carry stuff on their backs," Marco explained patiently. "You've got no idea how useful they are. They can carry much more then they look like. Once they've lifted it up in place, which takes a while. Their hands are useless."

"How did this happen?" Jake asked. "You've got the high and mighty, the self-appointed overlords of the galaxy, the ANDALITES coming at your beck and call. How?"

"Those fools landed here with transports and themselves. Nothing else. No weapons, no warriors, no spare food. Nothing. When I landed, they were in chaos. I kind of grabbed them by the neck and shook some sense into them."

"Why did they listen to you?"

"Cause they knew I was right. I told them to work, they knew work needed to be done. And I told them that had they only helped us back on Earth, and avoided the Yeerk army from growing a hundred sizes too large, avoided Ax getting infested, the Yeerks would never have dared come to their planet."

Marco looked at the doorway, tapping his foot loudly. He muttered something about 'slow'.

"They actually listened to you?"

"Well, they had no choice, did they?" Marco snapped. "I knew about the Yeerk plans. I was of use to them. So they couldn't kill me. And without all their technology and on a planet where they barely had figured out the grass wasn't poisonous, they couldn't drug me either. And I can shout very loudly."

"Marco, do you know why we came?"

"No, I don't. Something about kafit birds."

"That was just our ticket in," Tobias explained. "We were here to ask you to come with us back to Earth."

Marco's face shifted to stone. "Earth is Yeerk, now," he said. "Last I saw of it, it was… horrible. Destructed. Ruined. Dark."

"I know," Jake whispered sadly. "I've seen it, too."

"But we can undo it," Tobias said. Then he leaned closer, and quickly made sure no-one was near. "We know where the Time Matrix is."

Marco looked astonished. Jake saw the briefest smile dance on his lips. Then he spun around, his face again firm, and met the gaze of an old Andalite who came walking in.

You asked for me, the Andalite said simply. The was he carried himself, Jake knew he was a Council member.

Behind him came the Andalite Marco had sent. He was carrying something which looked remotely like a cup in his weak hands.

Marco glared. "That took three minutes," he snapped. His gaze softened, if not by much. "You're getting quicker. Slowly, of course. And you better get even faster before I'm happy."

The Andalite stepped up, handed Marco the cup, and then trotted out silently.

The old Andalite spoke again. You called for me. Do not repeat it. Marco, this is beginning to lean towards…

"Unacceptable?" Marco filled in. "I know. That's why it's so fun."

I will never understand human humour.

Marco drank from the cup. Then he lowered it. "Neither will I. Now then. My friends here are supposed to stay here three days. I was wondering if they could be let out early."

From his tone, Marco wasn't wondering. He was simply suggesting, like an equal or even a superior, that something could be done. And should be done.

The Andalite agreed. If you say so, Marco. Just remember not to expect me to come this quickly next time. My legs are getting old and tired.

"That's okay, Jarali," Marco said, shrugging. "I'll get someone to carry you."

Jarali's eyes smiled. Then he looked at Jake and Tobias. This human is rather annoying. Not to mention extremely insulting. But we would never get anything done without him.

Jarali bowed his head fondly at Marco, who nodded back, just as fondly, and then the Andalite stepped slowly away towards the door.

"If anyone in the old days had said Marco would be bossing around the War Council, I'd have died from laughter," Jake declared. "I've never seen anything like it!"

Marco grimaced. Then turned serious. "Time Matrix?" he said. "Where? On Earth?"

"Don't tell the Andalites," Tobias warned. "They might… abuse it."

"So might we," Marco reminded him. "Where is it? If I find that thing, I'm going straight back and… undoing."

Jake nodded. "That's what we're thinking, too. Undo it all. Undo the defeat. Are you in?"

"Of course I'm in! Where is it?"

"On Earth. The construction site."

Marco blinked. "Earth? Oh, no… I should've known." He smiled. "Do the others know?"

"We haven't any clue where they are," Jake said.

"Last I heard of Rachel, she was on Leera," Tobias said. "My Yeerk used to keep track of the other officers' locations. To see if he could hop in at a disappearance and come up in ranks. Anyway, Rachel's not there any longer. And Ax was… I don't know."

"And you know what happened to Cassie," Jake finished sadly.

Marco sighed. "Oh, well. Give me two days, and we're leaving." He laughed. "I'm finally getting of this jumble of stone! YES!"

How? a voice asked. It was an Andalite female, stepping in and moving gracefully up to Marcos' side. And, where, exactly, are you going, Marco?

Marco glanced away. He made a face at his two friends, which indicated that if there was any Andalite that bossed him around, this was her.

"To Earth, Larynia dear," he said. "I need to leave. I'm… going with my friends."

Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends? Larynia asked.

"Yes, of course," Marco agreed, the words tumbling over each other in his eagerness. "This is Larynia. She's a… cousin… of Ax's. And this is… Jake and Tobias."

And you are all going to Earth, Larynia said in her clear voice. Maybe so. Maybe you are able to get of this planet. Then again; maybe not.

"We'll find a way," Marco assured her.

Anyway, Marco, Larynia continued. If you're going, I'm going. For surely you did not intend to leave me behind. Then suddenly her voice was as sharp as her tail-blade. Did you?




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Author's note;
As before, I'm only continuing this if I'm asked to... I have too much to do.