A Wish


(Author's note; this would be part eleven. Part one is "The Only Way Out", and part ten is "Second Defeat". Enjoy!)



"A way into the base?" Tobias said. "Yes, good! Any way at all!"

Rachel smiled and told them the plan, as she was watching the prisoners being loaded into transports at the other end of the valley. Seeing what was probably their last sunrise in freedom.

It is risky, Ax commented calmly. He was practicing tail-attacks on a thoroughly rotten log that might have been there for ten years.

Tobias disagreed. "Risky? It's insane!"

It sounds like the Rachel Marco told me about, Larynia said with a smile. You might as well start morphing.

They all turned to look at her.

"What do you mean, 'we' start morphing?" Tobias wondered suspiciously.

Larynia sighed. You said, Rachel, that we can 'hitch a ride' on the prisoners. As flies, or cockroaches, or flees or mosquitoes. I only have one morph; human. Which means I will have to be the prisoner you 'hitch a ride' on.

Too risky, Ax snapped.

"Are you sure, Larynia?" Tobias said. "Last time, you…"

"Almost got killed," Rachel finished. "In fact, you'd be dead long ago if you hadn't morphed."

Larynia shook her head. It's the way it must be, she insisted. Ax's face was set at a dangerously stubborn expression. Or do you want to leave me here?

We'll hide you in the camo-bug, Ax said. You'll be safe there. You know where it is, Tobias.

Tobias nodded. His face was also stubbornly set. His hand, wearing that iron glove, was flexing all five fingers thoughtfully.

Larynia sighed and spread her hands wide. Fine, she said. And her eyes smiled. But you never know. I might get worried. I might think you've been caught. I might… just might… come to the base with the camo-bug to look for you. And me, alone, in the base… are you sure you'd like that?

Ax's face shifted. You wouldn't do that.

Larynia's smile, if she'd had a mouth, would have widened. Instead, her eyes took on an innocent expression. Wouldn't I?

Ax transferred his weight to another set of hooves. Tobias, can you block the controls of the camo-bug?

Tobias nodded, but Larynia's face darkened as she glared at her cousin. Don't you think I know how to get past a control block? Don't insult me, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil. Don't you dare.

Rachel put her hand on Ax's arm. "It's a way in." Ax glared at her. Tobias wrinkled his forehead. But Rachel turned towards him and said "You said 'any way', Tobias. This is that way."

Trust me, Larynia said.

Not if I can avoid it, Ax replied cautiously.

Larynia smiled. It was just what Ax used to say when they were younger. I won't be alone, she said. You'll be there, too. All I'll have to do is tell you I'm in trouble, and you'll be right there.

"Right there and in trouble with you," Tobias muttered. He shook his head. Then he glanced at Rachel.

"Let's do it!" Rachel cried and clapped her hands.



"Marco," Jake whispered, kicking softly at the person he thought was Marco. "Marco, this isn't naptime."

A guarding Taxxon looked suspiciously at Jake, who pretended to be unconscious. Jake was lying on the floor of what could be nothing else than a Yeerk transport. He was tied with force field ropes, which meant he wouldn't get them off without the controls for them. And the Yeerks had the controls.

Morphing out would be just as impossible. Any attempt to morph would be noticed by the force field ropes. And they would cause a pain in the prisoner which was so strong that it was impossible to concentrate enough to finish the morph. Or to demorph back.

Jake knew. He'd been, when he was a Controller, in charge of the project that had developed the technique.

The heap of prisoners on the floor was a jumble of Hork-Bajir and humans. Jake wasn't able to turn or twist enough to see who they all were, but he was pretty sure that the person lying with his back to him, just by Jake's feet, was Marco.

Just great. Not only was he captured, now Marco was as well. That is; maybe.

"Marco!" Jake hissed. But there was no response.

Jake glanced up again. Jordan was still hanging by her wrists from the roof… of course. How would she have gotten down? Why did he even hope for that?

Reith, Jake's former Yeerk, would have added that hope was pathetic.

But one more thing. Tobias had once replied to that by "not when it's all you've got". Jake hung on to that sentence. Of course there was a way out. He'd been miraculously freed after five years as a Controller. Freed by Tobias, who actually had overpowered his Yeerk. And if that could happen, anything could happen.

Right? Of course.

Jake didn't like any of it. And he started feeling stressed - if not panicky - when there was a slight tremble which announced that the transport was lifting.



You're not alone, Rachel reminded the Andalite. Remember that.

Larynia took a few more steps. Her stalk-eyes darted around nervously. The cuts she had given herself - to make it look more real - troubled her mind more than her body. They made her feel unsafe.

We're only a demorph away, Tobias added.

Somewhere in her fur were the three fleas. Larynia focused on that, on not being alone, and on looking scared and confused, as she pretended to stumble down into sight of the Yeerks.

Looking scared wasn't a problem. The problem was not to turn and dash away.

Larynia scolded herself for even thinking about running away. She had been the one to insist things had to go this way. She couldn't back out. So she gathered up her willpower and forced herself slowly down the slope, towards the Yeerks.

If anyone ever had told Larynia that she would be voluntarily caught by Yeerks, she'd either have laughed or cut that anyone's eyes out. But there she was. The though caused her to start giggling.

Are we there yet? Ax wondered worriedly.

Not yet, Larynia snapped. Being afraid made her short-tempered. Keep quiet. You're disturbing.

The last of the Hork-Bajir were beginning to notice her now. They began rushing up towards her, dracons aimed, eyes shining. Yeerks would do almost anything for an Andalite host. And the Yeerk who caught one would get one.

Larynia again told herself strictly that she was there to be caught. If she was caught, she'd be brought to the base. And that's what she wanted. That was the point of the entire plan.

They're coming, she said, her voice not as steady as she'd have liked it to be. What do I do? What do I do?

Pretend you're too weak to resist, Tobias said calmly. But try, anyway.

Larynia stumbled again, and fell - careful not to hurt herself. Then she quickly - but not too quickly - got to her feet. She focused all four eyes on the Hork-Bajir, letting her stalk-eyes wander away to the sides now and then. She swayed a bit, and readied her tail as clumsily as she could.

The Hork-Bajir laughed at her. She suppressed the fear with anger that boiled inside her, and took on a face of forced concentration.

She let her tail lash out at a Hork-Bajir. A tail meant to miss, even though the Hork-Bajir laughed harder when it did.

They surrounded her. She let them. She kept lashing out with her tail, missing every single time, and she kept pretending that it took all her strength just to keep her eyes focused. They talked to her. Told her to follow them.

No, she replied slowly. Never. And her tail lashed out again, to miss.

A Hork-Bajir raised his dracon. He had set it to low power.

I'll be stunned! she warned the three fleas. Don't demorph.

She didn't have time to say anything else before the Hork-Bajir fired. She didn't feel herself collapse. She didn't hear Ax screaming about demorphing.



Michael was silent as usual when his Yeerk, Adriss, led a prisoner from the transports to the prison at the lowest floor of the base. But Adriss wasn't silent. She was gloating over Michael's memories from the time he had been led through those corridors himself. And the infestation not long after.

I remember the first thing you said to me, Adriss chuckled. You said there would always be a resistance. That one crushed last night was the last one. It seems, human, that you were wrong.

Michael paid no attention to her. She was never quiet, and after six years, he was more than used to her babbling.

Oh, Adriss continued. those were the days, huh? You kept screaming for weeks. Never gave up. Breaking you down was one of the most interesting things I've ever done.

Michael felt the familiar hate and anger steaming inside him, but Adriss laughed at it. I'll miss guarding prisoners, she confessed. But no resistance means no prisoners. All for the best, I guess.

The prisoner refused to enter her cell. Adriss lifted the electric rod that Michael carried and struck the back of the prisoner's neck. She screamed and fell forwards. Adriss closed the door, giggling to herself.

"Prisoners," she said fondly with Michael's voice. "There's almost always a flame of rebellion left in them. Well then. Back for the next one." She sighed. "Probably the last prisoner I'll ever escort."

She turned Michael and made him walk back through the halls. Up the corridors, towards the docking area.

The next prisoner was an Andalite female that looked about to fall over any moment. Adriss received strict instructions to keep an extra eye on her, to which Adriss replied "I know, I know. Andalites are harder to escort" and took the leash that was fastened to the Andalite's collar.

Adriss made Michael make sure the sheath on the Andalite's tail-blade sat securely tied to her hands, and pulled at the leash.

"Come along," Adriss sneered with Michael's mouth. She tapped the Andalite's shoulder with the electric rod, and the Andalite jumped forwards in shock. "I don't have all day."

Then Adriss made Michael laugh as she tugged at the leash and the Andalite followed her into the corridors.

"So how come a noble Andalite that you ended up like this?" Adriss asked.

The Andalite stumbled along behind her, but said nothing.

Adriss pulled at the leash and almost made her fall. The Andalite hissed; None of your business, filthy Yeerk.

Adriss made Michael laugh again. "You'll break like the rest of them," she said. "Believe me. I've seen it happen to the strongest."

They walked further into the corridors. Finally they found themselves alone in a corridor. And suddenly, the Andalite stopped.

Adriss tugged at the leash. Nothing happened. Adriss raised the rod warningly and turned around with sharp words waiting to be said.

They kept waiting.

For the Andalite female didn't look half-dead any longer. She stood proud, refusing to move an inch. Hate burning in her eyes.

Beside her stood another Andalite. And behind her, two humans.

Sleep well, the other Andalite said. His tail whipped forwards and Michael felt it strike the side of his head. He didn't feel anything more.



Larynia shuddered. Cousin, if you don't mind, GET THIS COLLAR OFF ME!

Ax smiled and FWAPPED his tail forwards. The collar fell off and landed with a metallic clang on the floor. Ax let his tail sting the sheath, and the restraints that held her hands, and they too fell away.

Larynia stretched out her tail and rubbed her wrists. I am NEVER doing that again, she hissed. Never. Never!

Tobias glanced around. His hand had demorphed complete with the iron glove, which he had included into his normal shape with some practice. Now he was nervously making sure it sat properly on his hand. "We don't have all day."

Rachel nodded. She picked up the electric rod and held it in one hand. In her other she took the dracon from the fallen guard and handed to Tobias. Her own dracon was strapped to her leg. "This way," she said, and set off down a corridor.

Larynia, Ax and Tobais followed. They hurried through the corridors, carefully avoiding meeting anyone. Rachel and Ax both knew the corridors by heart, from spending a lot of time there - as Controllers, of course.

They reached a corridor with a locked door. Over the door was one word: "Restricted". Rachel stretched out her hand, placed it on a smooth, square surface. The words "ID please" flashed in green over her fingers.

Rachel drew a deep breath. "Sub-Visser Two, Jethir one-two-five, host Rachel, Animorph."

Nothing happened for three seconds. Rachel's face shifted, and she jerked her hand away, as "False ID" flashed and the square suddenly sprout tentacles that tried to grab her. But she had escaped. The tentacles slithered back into the square again.

"That was close," she whispered.

Ax nodded. That proves it. They know we're free. And they'll know about someone trying to break in here, too.

"Good for us that I know the code," Rachel said, grinning. She lifted the electric rod, and placed it on the flat square.

There were a few flashes of electricity. The pad began smoking. Then Rachel lifted the dracon with her other hand, putting it on lowest power, and fired at the square.

There was a small snap. The door opened obediently.

Larynia was watching approvingly. How did you do that?

"The square just checks the ID. If it is incorrect, or no ID is given, the tentacles sprout after exactly four seconds. The door opens if the tentacles don't come, and since I didn't give an ID and fired the dracon to stop the tentacles…"

The door opens.

"Yeah."

Brilliant, Larynia said. For us.

The four of them entered the small room. There were three corridors leaving it, going down and deeper into the network.

We don't have much time, Ax said. So listen quickly. Three corridors. One holds normal prisoners. One holds morphable prisoners. The third, the wide one, holds high-priority prisoners… rebel leaders and so on.

"Great," Tobias said, peering into the corridors. "And each one is about three hundred meters long. Must be over two thousand cells down here!"

Ax continued. We won't find anyone in the low security corridor. We might find someone in the morphables corridor. Jordan will be in the high-priority corridor. If Prince Jake was recognized, he will be too. And Marco.

Rachel nodded. "I'm going to the last one. Jordan might be there."

Larynia, go with her, Ax said. Larynia glared at him but followed Rachel into the widest corridor.

"So, Ax-man," Tobias said. "Every other door?"

Ax nodded. The two of them stepped into the middle corridor and started checking who was inside the cells through the small force field windows.



Rachel and Larynia used another method. The doors on the high security cells were windowless, edged by force fields and the only way to see who was inside was to look at the computer screen next to the door.

But all the cells were empty. It went pretty quickly to check them all, click a button, see that it was empty, and continue. They came nearer and nearer the end of the corridor without finding anything.

But then Larynia spoke. Rachel, she said. It's Jordan.

Rachel took the three steps across the corridor and looked down at the screen. "Or what's left of her," she said bitterly. Then she started working on opening the door. "Keep checking the other cells."

Larynia nodded and disappeared. Rachel worked her way past the security and got the door opened.

She stepped in.

Jordan lifted her head and glared at her. Then her gaze softened, and turned to worry. "What are you doing here?" she said in a weak voice.

"Saving your butt," Rachel replied. She eyed the force field that ran across the room, splitting it in half. She looked at the force field restraints that held Jordan's wrists, knees and neck to the wall.

She looked over the wounds that covered Jordan from head to toe and shivered.

"Go save someone else," Jordan said. "Get the Time Matrix. I'll be… fine." Then her forehead wrinkled. She looked as if she would have shook her head, if she'd been able to. "No. There's one thing I need to tell…"

"Sara." Rachel whispered. She was fingering the force field, trying it's strength. It was too strong to blast with a dracon. Actually, the dracon would go straight through it. It was a one-way force field. "Dead. I know."

Jordan sighed. Her fists clenched and unclenched.

"How do I get you out?" Rachel asked.

"You've worked with prisoners," Jordan said with a weak smile. "You should know."

"I've never tried to break anyone out before."

"So I'll tell you. You can't break anyone out."

"Of course you can."

"Not from these cells. The force fields are altered up in the main control room. Visser One himself is the only one with the access codes," Jordan said. "You know that, Rach. I've tried a few dozen times to break people out of the high security cells. It's impossible. If anyone knows, I know."

"I can get past codes," Rachel said stubbornly. There was a strange pain in her chest. "I lost one sister. I'm not losing another."

"Impossible," Jordan insisted. "You don't have time."

"I'll get you out."

"No. You'll get caught."

Rachel went over to the wall. Felt the edges of the force field. Felt for the tremble that was a switch. A weakness.

Jordan saw what she was doing. "It's no use."

"Anything to get my sister out," snapped Rachel. She was systematically going through centimeter by centimeter of the force field. Looking for that tremble. Growing more and more desperate.

"Rach, I need you to do something for me." Jordan's voice was steady, but here hands were clenching and unclenching again.

"What?"

"I don't want to be a host. I…" she drew a deep breath.

Rachel suddenly realized. She looked up from the force field, with an expression of fear on her face. Her head began shaking, almost by itself.

"Just one last favour, sister." Jordan's voice was still steady. "I need you to kill me."



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Author's note;
*rubs hands together and grins* Hehehe. (But wait. I've done that twice now. Oh, crap. That happens sometimes...)
Five reviews before the next part, please!