The Other Way Out





*ALMOST DAWN, EARTH-TIME*

You're not going, Larynia, Nemsar said, stepping into her path and crossing his arms over his chest. The transport that was going down to the surface of Earth was behind him, and the Andalites inside it glanced out curiously. Word had spread quickly about the captain's feisty little sister. You're not a warrior. You're staying on this ship.

I can fight as well if not better than any warrior on this ship, Larynia declared.

I'm sure you can. But if I allow something to happen to you, mother will have me scalped - with my own blade. And if she doesn't, father will. Or Merin.

Larynia took a few steps to the side.

Nemsar relaxed, thinking he'd won. He motioned for the last of his warriors to enter the small fighter-transport. He sent a though to the bridge; Are you okay up there?

Everything's fine, captain, Samaron's voice replied. All moonblade fighters released, an escort stays with the ship, and yours is the last transport. And he added privately; The humans are still in their rooms, watching the Time Matrix, and I will make sure they are provided for.

Olana and Minalea?

Both up here, captain, the TO reported.

Where else? Minalea laughed. This is the best view we'll ever get over what'll be a great space battle. So, Larynia? Get back up here.

I'm not coming back up, Larynia informed her. I'm heading down to the planet.

The planet? Minalea said. Hey, can I come too? And Olana simply said; Good luck. Neither of them put forth as much as a word of argument.

Nemsar, though, wasn't as easily convinced. No, you're not… he began, but stopped as Larynia fwapped her tail at him, twice, causing him to fall flat to the floor. She leaped over him elegantly and her hooves clopped as she landed and trotted the three remaining steps into the transport.

He began getting up. Larynia, you're not…

So stop me, she spat, glared at him, spun her stalk-eyes around to glare at the warriors in the transport. Her tail was still cocked. Despite being young - despite being a female - she looked very deadly. Anyone willing to try?

The warriors looked away, one by one, stealing glances at their Prince-captain and deciding that since it was his sister, it was his problem. They weren't going to do anything about it unless ordered to.

Cowards, Larynia said smugly.

Nemsar got back up to his hooves and made sure nothing was broken. Then he entered the transport and sealed the door behind him. Larynia watched him alertly. Fine. Come along. But I've got witnesses; it's not my fault.

Fair enough. Larynia smiled tauntingly, prancing a step or two. The transport was too crowded for any of her more elaborate dances. Giving up so easily, Prince-captain Nemsar?

We don't have the time for me to argue with you. It's as simple as that. Pilot? Take us down to the surface, to the coordinates given. Standard burn.

The pilot nodded. There was a snap and a short beep of alarm as the transport was released and immediately shot out into space. Two of the graceful moonblade fighters appeared to escort them, one on each side.

Nemsar caught his sister's gaze and held it. Be careful.

Certainly.

Somehow, he didn't believe her.



*DAWN, EARTH-TIME*

Cassie had kept silent where she sat in her cell, cowering in a corner, maybe wishing she could melt away into the wall. It wasn't cold, but she'd shivered anyway.

She hadn't been able to figure it out. The Hork-Bajir that had carried her to her cell… he'd spoken to her.

She knew that voice. Knew it well. It was Jake's voice.

But as the night moved on, she started believing that she'd just heard what she wanted to hear. The Hork-Bajir was just another Controller; she had imagined the voice because she wanted to hear it.

Simple psychology, she told herself.

She had almost convinced herself of the theory when she remembered how he'd stroked her cheek. And she couldn't have imagined that. Because his claw had - accidentally - left a scratch. It still stung when she touched it.

Imagination couldn't have done that. Pure fact.

So Cassie was back to falling between hope and despair when she had fallen asleep from pure exhaustion. Who'd have thought she'd fall asleep in a place like that?

But she must have. Because she woke again when a Hork-Bajir kicked at her. Hork-Bajir are good at kicking. Cassie rolled half-way across the room and into another corner, her head beginning to spin.

"No morphing," a Hork-Bajir voice hissed at her from behind an aimed dracon.

Cassie's newly awoken mind registered the situation and replied automatically. "Why not?"

The Hork-Bajir continued in his guttural, half understandable version of English. "If you morph and escape, we have your friends… some are useless to us. You figure rest out. Get up!"

Cassie did as she was told. She was seized by the arms, each arm bent up painfully behind her back, but she didn't mind that so much. She focused on trying to walk - at least stumble - with some dignity instead of being dragged as a trio of armed Hork-Bajir led her out of the room.

If she'd known that the Hork-Bajir from the night before silently was leaving the pool area at that exact time, she wouldn't have cared. Of course, then she didn't know what a big part he would play in her freedom.

She was taken to the pool area and pushed violently through a force field into a force field cage.

Her friends were all there.

As Jake was.

Afterwards, she didn't know exactly what happened. One second she was falling through the force field, and the next she was sitting on her knees in the centre of the cage, with Jake's comforting arms around her and both with tears running down their cheeks.

Visser One, probably watching from a safe distance, spoke. One at a time, he said. One at a time. Save the leader for last, it'll help break his spirit.

Cassie buried her head against Jake's shoulder, perhaps trying to comfort him. But she felt her own built-up courage shatter like glass at that moment.

"Jake," she wept, digging her fingers into his back. "Don't let them take me."

Jake didn't answer.

We'll start with the girl… the Visser continued. The one who morphed the wolf. Bring her out.

Cassie shuddered. She could hear Hork-Bajir steps coming up behind her. She refused to turn and look at them. Tried with all her will to freeze the moment. Because the next could not be allowed to happen.

"I love you," Jake whispered. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Carefully loosened the grip her arms had around his neck. She saw out of the corner of his eye how he looked up.

And felt his surprise more than saw it. Without warning, he flew to his feet, leaving her kneeling on the floor.

"Morph and fight!" he cried to the caged members of the resistance, all sitting gloomily, downhearted, in cages all around them. "Morph and fight!" Jake repeated in a roar, as Animorphs and rebels watched in astonishment. "The Andalites are here! Morph and fight! Fight and never give up! Never surrender! Never -"

Two Hork-Bajir leapt into the cage and a giant fist silenced the resistance leader. He fell together in a heap. Cassie caught him before he hit the floor, but the Hork-Bajir tore them apart and dragged him out of the cage.

The Hork-Bajir and Jake easily got through the force field, but Cassie was stopped by it.

"Jake!" she cried as she saw them half-carry, half-drag him away.

"Look!" Marco exclaimed, pointing at an entrance.

There was a distinct swoop. A magnificent little fighter came out of the entrance. Its wings, that had been retracted into the sides to pass through the tunnel, folded back out and together formed a sleek crescent moon, or two Andalite tail-blades, one on each side, each angled slightly downwards.

Only then did Cassie notice the identical fighter already hovering by the pool.

A green shredder beam fired once at the place where Visser One stood, but he leapt away to safety, snapping orders at his Hork-Bajir warriors and his bodyguard.

The two moonblade fighters now present in the pool area's gigantic cave cleared an area just in time for another line of crafts to zoom out of the tunnel. They landed in a circle, guarded by the two moonblades and three more who came after the bigger crafts.

Transports! Ax cried, ecstatic but unbelieving. Andalite transports!

"Get his tail loose!" Tobias ordered.

A very good idea, Ax commented.

"His tail will do absolutely zero good unless we get out of this cage!" Marco objected, but began working on removing the shackles anyway.

Cassie scanned the scene for some glimpse of Jake, but saw nothing. She tore her gaze away from where he had disappeared and looked towards the group of transports. Andalite warriors were pouring out, forming groups of five and setting out in an orderly fashion towards a cage each.

They were releasing the hosts. The trapped resistance members cheered them on as they fought their way through dracons, Taxxons, human-Controllers and Hork-Bajir-Controllers. The moonblades helped clear a path with their shredders.

They knew their way around the pool. Someone must have briefed them on how it looked. Where everyone was. And how the Yeerks would react..?

The Andalites seemed to know exactly where to go and what to do. Their thought-speech orders were shouted loudly and without hesitation. They let the resistance hear what was said as well.

Nemsar! Ax said suddenly. Marco was almost done with freeing his tail.

Aximili! There you are! an Andalite voice boomed back.

"Who's Nemsar?" Cassie asked.

My oldest cousin, Ax said.

Someone get him out of that cage, Nemsar ordered.

I'll go, a female voice replied.

Ax looked confused.

No, you won't! Nemsar called, in a voice that suggested he did not even expect her to listen.

"And who's that?" Tobias wondered.

Unless I'm mistaken, it was Larynia, Ax said. Another cousin. What's she doing here?



Jake opened his eyes again slowly, first having used his ears to make sure the room was empty. Not a breath, word or footstep had been heard. And sure enough… four plain white walls stared back at him. There was no-one there except him, where he sat in a corner.

He stood up, leaning against the wall behind him for support. But as he moved his hand forwards, it hit a force field. He couldn't even stretch his arm out straight. Barely half a meter of space in any direction. If he morphed big he'd crush himself to death. Or at least break a good number of bones.

He looked around in the corner he was trapped in. But he found nothing to cast a shadow in the force field, or in any way weaken it. And no cracks in the floor, wall or ceiling. Not even any small ones for a cockroach or ant to squeeze through.

You're awake, a dry voice said.

Jake looked up. The opposite wall, that had been white, was now transparent. A thick slab of glass-looking material. Visser One stood behind it, tail twitching thoughtfully as he watched the trapped Animorph leader with his host's main eyes.

"What do you want?" Jake asked wearily. "Why am I here?"

Two reasons. One, if I'd have let you stay out there you would have caused trouble. I cannot allow that, as you probably understand. Two, you seem to be my only way out of here.

Jake felt a cold shiver along his spine.

Visser One's Hork-Bajir guard stood and sat around him. One of them was glaring at Jake with fury, hate, but Jake had more important things to worry about and barely even noticed it.

The only Andalite-Controller of the universe sighed heavily. Rheith? Remove the force field and have someone bring him out here. And preferably do so before the Andalites find us.



Marco was standing near the force field that held them trapped. He had morphed all the way to gorilla before Ax had caught the first glances of Larynia, making her way through the crowd towards the cage. But she quickly disappeared again among the much taller Hork-Bajir.

Ax, wouldn't your cousin consider letting you out to be a high priority?

Of course, Ax confirmed, stalks circling the crowd where he had last seen Larynia. She's coming.

Could she by any chance come any faster? Marco wondered.

I'm doing my best, snapped Larynia's voice. Quit complaining. This is not turning out to be as easy as it seemed. a female Andalite appeared next to the force field. She swiped at a Hork-Bajir guard with her tail, cut the small transponder from his wrist and snatched it in her delicate hands. The Hork-Bajir flared out at her, she avoided his blades, and cut his eyes with a neat slash.

That's Larynia, right? Rachel said, in grizzly morph and near her famous grizzly mood. She was blind as always, but her nose told her there was a female Andalite nearby.

Yes, Ax said. And to his cousin; What do you think you're doing here? You shouldn't be here.

You could at least tell me you're happy to see me, Aximili, Larynia said, and tossed the transponder through the force field. Here. This will let you out.

Ax caught it on his tail-blade and then walked right out of the cage.

So, Marco said as the transponder was passed to Rachel, who sped out, handing it back to Larynia before hurrying to charge the nearest Controller. You an aristh or something?

No, Larynia said, throwing the transponder to Cassie - now wolf - and then turning to meet an attacker with a lightening-quick tail.

Then Ax's question is my question; what are you doing here?

Trying to get you out of that cage, human, isn't that obvious?

Cassie was let out and Larynia took the transponder back again as she danced forwards to meet a Taxxon. The Taxxon popped open as her tail struck, but she leaped out of the way for the reeking entrails. She handed the transponder to Tobias who stepped out, grabbed a dracon from the floor in his now permanently human hands, and gave the transponder back to Larynia.

"Thanks," he said. "and although we might not seem grateful, it goes for all of us."

Are females really allowed in battles? Marco asked curiously. Or in the fleet at all?

Larynia was about to hand him the transponder but stopped herself at the last moment. You're asking an awful lot of questions. How about I just leave you in there?

Marco looked uncertainly at Ax, who stood outside the cage, keeping Larynia's back clear. Is she serious?

Ax shrugged. You never know with Larynia.

Larynia dropped the transponder and kicked it casually into the cage. Marco snatched it up and hurried out before she had any chance to change her mind.

Hurry up, Marco, there are Yeerks to kill! Rachel called from wherever she was enjoying herself with the Hork-Bajir guards.

And our families? Marco wondered.

Let the Andalites take care of them, Ax suggested. They will be let out with the rest. We need to find Prince Jake.

Good point, Cassie said. I know which way they took him. Follow me. A wolf darted into the circle around the cage, passed between Tobias and Marco and then sped right into a pack of Taxxons, snarling to keep them out of her way. Tobias and Ax followed, leaving Larynia and Marco to bring up the rear.

A grizzly roar was heard and Rachel called; Hey! Wait for me! and then; Out of my way, you piece of Yeerk crap!

But before they reached the tunnel that Cassie had rushed into a red dracon beam shot down over the entrance. Ax and Tobias had to back away quickly to avoid the rocks that tumbled down, effectively blocking the tunnel.

Bug fighter! Larynia spat. Merin, get rid of it!

I'm on it! a moonblade near the other end of the cave sped towards them. But then Merin added; One moment now. Nemsar, what's our sister doing here?!

My question exactly, Nemsar muttered.

The bug fighter, Merin, the bug fighter! Larynia reminded him.

Merin's moonblade fighter flew over their heads. Green shredders shot out, and narrowly missed the bug that turned a sharp right. The moonblade turned, set course and steered towards it.

It looked like it would fly right over, at least the bug must have thought so, but at the last moment it twisted in the air to have one wing pointing downwards. That wing, formed like a tail-blade, sliced straight through the bug fighter. The two pieces fell to the ground, and all of a sudden the group had to scamper out of their way.

That almost hit me! Rachel roared. She hadn't seen the wreckage fall, but Tobias had tugged so sharply at her fur that she'd moved.

Sorry. then after a few moments he cried in open thought-speech; Bug fighters! Call down the extra moonblades, we're going to need them!

A bug zoomed in from a nearby tunnel and fired at Merin's moonblade. The auto of the craft saved him, veering a sharp left, and Merin cried; HAHA! Missed me, you big fat bug! before returning fire and giving chase to the fleeing bug fighter.

Behave yourself, Merin, Larynia muttered.

"Cassie's in the tunnel," Tobias pointed out.

So? Rachel snapped.

So either you're as blind as always in that morph or you don't care that your best friend is trapped behind rocks and stones and rubble in a tunnel potentially full of Yeerks! Marco growled.

Well, then say so! Rachel exclaimed. Where's the tunnel? Cassie! Cassie, can you hear me?



Cassie was almost crushed. A large rock fell from the tunnel's roof and slammed down on her back. Although it didn't crush her completely, rolling off to one side, the back of her wolf morph was broken.

Without waiting for another rock to hit her as well, she let out a howl - that was drenched in the thunder of the collapsing tunnel - and began demorphing, pulling her only partly functional body along with front paws that were already melting into fingers.

She stood up and ran as soon as the demorph had given her human legs. The tunnel wasn't done collapsing, and she held up her arms and hands to protect her head. Of course, since no-one outruns a collapsing tunnel, she was soon covered in rubble and dirt and fell handless to the ground, hoping she wouldn't be crushed to death.

And the ideal morph for that would be cockroach, she thought, before a rock found her head and things blurred and faded.



Cassie! Rachel yelled again.

"She can't hear you," Tobias said. "Or she can't answer. Anyway, we can't get in there."

Unless we suddenly got very fond of digging, Marco shot in.

Tobias continued; "We need another entrance."

Hork-Bajir coming! Ax warned.

Larynia spun around. The Hork-Bajir were still far away, but in a few minutes… Do you know what I think about those?

What? Marco said.

They're cheaters. I have one blade. They have, how many? A dozen? More? But you know what they say. Cheaters always finish last. The last was said with a grim satisfaction, not being far from rubbing her hands and grinning.

Rachel laughed approvingly. Ax? I could get used to her. Now let's go find that other way into the tunnel.

And go directly after Jake, cause that's what Cassie will do, Marco added.

One of Ax's stalk-eyes were aimed upwards. He'd been watching the battle between the very agile moonblades and the bug fighters. That was lucky, because… Bug fighter! Take cover!

Marco dove in under a still-burning piece of bug wreckage. He pulled in as far as he could, leaving room for Tobias and Rachel to squeeze in as well. Ax and Larynia disappeared off in another direction.

After the bug had zoomed over them so closely that they felt the ground quiver, Rachel stormed out, roaring. The Hork-Bajir Ax had warned about had arrived. Tobias followed, raising his dracon to fire, and then Marco.

Ax? he called. You still alive?

Yes, Ax replied, already faced by a duo of the bladed Controllers.

And so am I, thanks for asking, Larynia added. She appeared next to the pile of rubble she had hidden behind. She glanced around… her main eyes went wide. Marco! Move!

After years of hearing similar cries of alarm Marco reacted without thinking. He dove forwards and rolled. The heat of a bug fighter dracon seared his back, making his fur melt and his skin bubble like boiling water, but missed him. Marco bellowed and stumbled into some sort of cover. The bug hovered above, indecisive, but then turned and took aim at Tobias. Tobias was already halfway in under the wreckage again, and made it safely.

What's going on? Rachel demanded, hearing dracons, smelling scorched flesh and feeling the stabs of heat around her, but seeing nothing more than flashes of red light.

A bug fighter is trying to kill us all, Ax informed her calmly, bringing down the second of the Hork-Bajir and backing in under the same cover he had used before. Rachel, you're standing right out in the open. Hide somewhere. You too, Larynia.

Rachel did as she was advised, but as Larynia hurried back to her pile of rubble she shouted; Merin! Get your piloting tail over here! A Yeerk is trying to fry us!

Merin didn't answer, but a moonblade swooped up and shot down the bug before it had time to react. It stayed there, hovering above them like a guard.

They all came out of their shelters, to be met by Hork-Bajir - in decreased numbers, after the moonblade started shooting at them. Larynia leaped nimbly across the open space and joined Marco were he was demorphing.

You okay? Keep morphing, I'll take care of the Hork-Bajir.

"I'll be fine in a minute or so," Marco replied, almost totally human. A Hork-Bajir had spotted him - a morphing Animorph, easy prey - but Larynia stepped into the way and he hesitated. "It's lucky we all can morph."

Lucky for you, Larynia corrected. I can't. If I get hit, I live with the damage - or die from it. Marco glanced at her, but she had her back to him and her face would have been unreadable even if he'd seen it. Now excuse me, I've got Controllers to deal with. The Hork-Bajir had stopped hesitating and came forwards.

When Marco was done morphing she left him where he was and danced up to help her cousin, who again was quickly being surrounded by Hork-Bajir.



Cassie scrambled out from under the dirt and rocks.

Somehow, she had morphed completely to cockroach even as she blacked out. That was lucky, because otherwise she would have been killed. All the cockroach had to live through was loosing a leg and an antennae. Nothing horrible.

When her small cockroach head peeked out from under the dust that covered the rocks from the fallen roof, she stayed completely still for a few moments to find out if the tunnel was empty. Having made sure that it was, as well as any cockroach could, she began demorphing.

Back in her human shape, she hurried deeper into the tunnel. She probably should have morphed again, but for some reason she didn't. She crept along the tunnel as quietly and quickly as she could, and when she reached a turn she stood by the wall and listened for a few moments before daring to peek around it.

The tunnel was empty. She stepped into it and continued. Since the floor was made of packed dirt - this was not one of the more elaborate tunnels in the pool network - she could see footprints on it. The tunnel must not have been used often, because the only footprints she could see were those of two Hork-Bajir and two furrows after Jake's heels where he had been dragged. And Andalite hoof prints.

There must be two ways out, she thought, otherwise I'm trapped.

Fortunately she was right. She knew, because around the next corner, the tunnel all of a sudden had a floor. And white walls. And it would make no sense to make the far end of a dead-end tunnel tidy when the tunnel itself wasn't.

She continued more carefully, hoping that not even the most perceptive Hork-Bajir-Controller would hear her feet against the cold floor before she could hear the clicks from their giant claws. She was almost creeping along when the tiger came out of the other end.

Cassie stopped.

The tiger did so as well. He was limping, one front paw bleeding badly, but otherwise completely unhurt. Cassie. Good to see you.

Cassie smiled happily, breathing a sigh of relief. "How did you get away?"

I fought my way out, as the paw shows. How else? They didn't exactly sign a release form. Where's the nearest exit?

"Not this way, it's a dead end," Cassie said. "The tunnel collapsed." She walked up to him and sat down to inspect his paw. He nuzzled her neck as she did so. But Cassie quickly stood up again, brushing the blood on her fingers off on her shirt. She began morphing wolf. "Let's go," she said in a low voice. "Let's get back to -" -the others. As soon as possible. Can you run with that paw?

Of course. Otherwise I would have demorphed.

They started running as soon as Cassie was completely morphed, but her mind was distracted.

All she could think about was the wound on Jake's paw.

A tiger's bite.





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Author's Note;

I've finished the last chapter already, so it'll be up soon. But I didn't want to spoil a good cliffhanger by putting them up at the same time. *hehe*

Probably, though, everyone has figured out what happened here. It's a bit obvious.

Doesn't matter. Hope you liked this one, because it's the first where something "happens" after a long line of "eventless" chapters. If you liked it, review it. If you didn't like it, then start throwing stones at me and teach me to dance, because that's something I'm very bad at.