Chapter 6
We, meaning Captain Evaren, Prince Alloran, Aristh Ajax, Warrior Ralimn, and myself, stood there gawking as the ship flew away.
Only for a minute.
But in that minute, we, or I, atleast, realized our future would be changed. Unless, this was supposed to happen in which our future would be the same, but...
Did I ever mention I hate space time?
Captain-Prince Evaren was the one who shook us out of it, he was the first to regain composure. Warrior Ralimn? Welcome aboard the 'Shorm'. Take the helm, Aristh Ajax, you take the weapons. Aristh Yaolyn? You can go to your chambers and rest.
I left my station, relieved I wouldn't have to stay in that stuffy bridge with the rest of them.
With Ralimn.
I walked the corridor alone, turning to my quarters. It was a small room, naturally smaller than the captain's and tactical officer's. They were important, I guess I was, too, in a way. Why else would I be on this mission?
I sighed, I was considered young, and I suppose it showed. I had so many questions.
I never knew they were about to be answered one at a time.
I never knew what happened that day the raid happened.
Never knew my brother was alive longer than my parents.
I never dreamed...
And then I did.
* * *
iEncudel! Fighter on your tail!
Careful Grauf!
Two more coming on!
Jahlil! They're trying the pincher move!
Here they come!
A face came on the screen. Jirel-Apotelm-Gaross. Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste?
I stared unblinkingly at the screen. The Commander was calling me? This couldn't be. He must have the wrong screen.
He waited. Warrior?
Wait.
Wait.
Wait!
This was no mistake. He was calling me. And he was waiting.
Era, yes? Yes Commander Jirel?
We need you out there, Jahlil. Get your fighter out there, try and draw them away. Do your best. Make your fathers proud. Good luck, Warrior.
Yes Commander. I said.
Then the screen went blank. I nodded, steadying my beat hearts. Then, I stepped out of my quarters and stepped into my fighter.
My fighter.
It took exactly .5 seconds for me to start the fighter in my rush and blast my way out of the dock.
I was in the battle.
bI was in the battle!/b
Ralimn's face appeared on my fighter screen, Good to see you could make it, Jahlil. he said grimly.
Glad to be here. I replied.
Yeah, well, you won't be.
Why's that?
Captain Sonorel hasn't hailed you yet, has he?
No, why?
You'll find out.
I paused. Ralimn wasn't one to act so, well, strange. He seemed drained from life. Blown away.
Something had to be wrong.
I noticed a blinking light to my left. I'm being hailed, I said, it's probably the Captain. Talk to you later, Ralimn.
No, Ralimn said, you won't. The screen went opaque.
Then Captain Sonorel appeared on my screen. I was slowly manuvering around the field, sending out shreddar beams. Glancing hits. I was too preocupied by all these screen popups.
Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste?
Yes, Captain.
Son, I have news to present to you. Captain Sonorel's face was grave. He was stiff, unblinking.
My hearts stopped.
What? I demanded.
The Yeerks, they attacked the homeworld, minor raids. A distraction. They Dracon beamed several places on the homeworld, merely to draw us away from Earth and/or the Rakkam Garoo system. he paused.
And?
And, Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste, your family is dead. The scoop was Draconed six hours ago, had we been able to uncover the family name, we would have told you sooner. I am sorry.
I couldn't speak. My father. My mother. Dead. My si-... Wait. How many bodies were found?
Several scoops were Draconed at once, the debri was scattered, bodies are everywhere, Warrior.
And perhaps my sister, too. Dead. Deprived form life.
Who was in command of the ships? I demanded.
Accounts vary, but each account told says the same Yeerk. Sub Visser Twenty-Three.
Thank you, Captain, I said heavily.
I wish you well, Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste. Your family looks down upon you with honor.
The screen was once again blank.
Suddenly, I turned my eyes, both my stalks and main, back to the battle. New ships were appearing out of Z-Space.
I knew. I could feel it. My hearts beat faster. My blood ran cold.
Fighters began swarming like bugs. I dodged and weaved, Ralimn's fighter beside mine. I fired.
Yes! Two Yeerks fried! I heard Ralimn's faint boast, he had shot also.
Then, a slightly bigger vessel, but a fighter, no less.
I hailed it.
A Hork-Bajir Controller appeared on the screen. "Who are you to call upon us, Andalite? You want pity?"
Despite my mood, I laughed, Oh, no. I don't do pity. Tell me, Yeerk. Is there a certain Sub-Visser Thwenty-Three aboard? Before I could say more, the Hork-Bajir was gone. Replaced by another creature.
A Garatron.
I had always heard the Garatron looked like an Andalite. It was true. We had learned of them in school. I had also hear they were rather fast speakers. This Yeerk had somehow gained control of the speech processers.
Andalite! What do you want? the Sub-Visser asked.
So, you are Yeerk who led the diversional raid. I hissed.
Yes, why do you care? Then, he paused. He got it, I saw his eyes flash triumph. Oh, pardon me, where they your families? I'm so sorry. Perhaps you'd like to join them?
He turned back to his crew, Fire! That fighter!
My fighter easily dodged the Dracon Beam, it flew harmlessly under me, hitting the Yeerk vessel coming behind me. My stalk eyes had seen him coming.
One Yeerk down, one more Yeerk to go, I whispered, punching the accelerator. Before the ship could move an inch I was there. I rammed the ship.
Cut through their bridge. When the tremble ran through the Yeerk vessel, it knocked my ship loose. A hole exactly my fighter's size appeared, the air leaked from the Sub-Visser's ship, pulling out the Yeerks.
Before Sub-Visser Twenty-Three could be pulled out, he fired. I know it was him. The blow hit my ship, glacingly, but enough. As my ship spun through space I saw the Garatron Sub-Visser Controller plunge into space, oxygenless.
WHUMFF!
My ship hit another Yeerk's knocking him and his fighter away. I was slammed again the far wall. Air, gone. Dracon hole.
Let it end./i
* * *
Aaah!
I awoke. Startled.
I checked myself. Slender legs, violet-blue fur. Scalpellike tail blade.
I was myself again.
Yaolyn.
But, now I was wiser. I knew a little bit more. I wasn't dead, as my brother had thought. I had started training at the Academy that day.
The day everything changed.
And now, years later, I finally knew who I was.
I am Aristh Yaolyn-Sirinial-Maylenee, sister of Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste, daughter of Merle-Sirinial-Yaheen and Trufar-Kraventz-Klarc.
I was myself, with more to my life and more to this journey ahead of myself.
I wasn't my brother, I wasn't a hero. Maybe someday I would be.
But it would have to be after this mission.
I finally realized life would never be the same as it was, never as easy. Not again.
We, meaning Captain Evaren, Prince Alloran, Aristh Ajax, Warrior Ralimn, and myself, stood there gawking as the ship flew away.
Only for a minute.
But in that minute, we, or I, atleast, realized our future would be changed. Unless, this was supposed to happen in which our future would be the same, but...
Did I ever mention I hate space time?
Captain-Prince Evaren was the one who shook us out of it, he was the first to regain composure. Warrior Ralimn? Welcome aboard the 'Shorm'. Take the helm, Aristh Ajax, you take the weapons. Aristh Yaolyn? You can go to your chambers and rest.
I left my station, relieved I wouldn't have to stay in that stuffy bridge with the rest of them.
With Ralimn.
I walked the corridor alone, turning to my quarters. It was a small room, naturally smaller than the captain's and tactical officer's. They were important, I guess I was, too, in a way. Why else would I be on this mission?
I sighed, I was considered young, and I suppose it showed. I had so many questions.
I never knew they were about to be answered one at a time.
I never knew what happened that day the raid happened.
Never knew my brother was alive longer than my parents.
I never dreamed...
And then I did.
* * *
iEncudel! Fighter on your tail!
Careful Grauf!
Two more coming on!
Jahlil! They're trying the pincher move!
Here they come!
A face came on the screen. Jirel-Apotelm-Gaross. Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste?
I stared unblinkingly at the screen. The Commander was calling me? This couldn't be. He must have the wrong screen.
He waited. Warrior?
Wait.
Wait.
Wait!
This was no mistake. He was calling me. And he was waiting.
Era, yes? Yes Commander Jirel?
We need you out there, Jahlil. Get your fighter out there, try and draw them away. Do your best. Make your fathers proud. Good luck, Warrior.
Yes Commander. I said.
Then the screen went blank. I nodded, steadying my beat hearts. Then, I stepped out of my quarters and stepped into my fighter.
My fighter.
It took exactly .5 seconds for me to start the fighter in my rush and blast my way out of the dock.
I was in the battle.
bI was in the battle!/b
Ralimn's face appeared on my fighter screen, Good to see you could make it, Jahlil. he said grimly.
Glad to be here. I replied.
Yeah, well, you won't be.
Why's that?
Captain Sonorel hasn't hailed you yet, has he?
No, why?
You'll find out.
I paused. Ralimn wasn't one to act so, well, strange. He seemed drained from life. Blown away.
Something had to be wrong.
I noticed a blinking light to my left. I'm being hailed, I said, it's probably the Captain. Talk to you later, Ralimn.
No, Ralimn said, you won't. The screen went opaque.
Then Captain Sonorel appeared on my screen. I was slowly manuvering around the field, sending out shreddar beams. Glancing hits. I was too preocupied by all these screen popups.
Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste?
Yes, Captain.
Son, I have news to present to you. Captain Sonorel's face was grave. He was stiff, unblinking.
My hearts stopped.
What? I demanded.
The Yeerks, they attacked the homeworld, minor raids. A distraction. They Dracon beamed several places on the homeworld, merely to draw us away from Earth and/or the Rakkam Garoo system. he paused.
And?
And, Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste, your family is dead. The scoop was Draconed six hours ago, had we been able to uncover the family name, we would have told you sooner. I am sorry.
I couldn't speak. My father. My mother. Dead. My si-... Wait. How many bodies were found?
Several scoops were Draconed at once, the debri was scattered, bodies are everywhere, Warrior.
And perhaps my sister, too. Dead. Deprived form life.
Who was in command of the ships? I demanded.
Accounts vary, but each account told says the same Yeerk. Sub Visser Twenty-Three.
Thank you, Captain, I said heavily.
I wish you well, Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste. Your family looks down upon you with honor.
The screen was once again blank.
Suddenly, I turned my eyes, both my stalks and main, back to the battle. New ships were appearing out of Z-Space.
I knew. I could feel it. My hearts beat faster. My blood ran cold.
Fighters began swarming like bugs. I dodged and weaved, Ralimn's fighter beside mine. I fired.
Yes! Two Yeerks fried! I heard Ralimn's faint boast, he had shot also.
Then, a slightly bigger vessel, but a fighter, no less.
I hailed it.
A Hork-Bajir Controller appeared on the screen. "Who are you to call upon us, Andalite? You want pity?"
Despite my mood, I laughed, Oh, no. I don't do pity. Tell me, Yeerk. Is there a certain Sub-Visser Thwenty-Three aboard? Before I could say more, the Hork-Bajir was gone. Replaced by another creature.
A Garatron.
I had always heard the Garatron looked like an Andalite. It was true. We had learned of them in school. I had also hear they were rather fast speakers. This Yeerk had somehow gained control of the speech processers.
Andalite! What do you want? the Sub-Visser asked.
So, you are Yeerk who led the diversional raid. I hissed.
Yes, why do you care? Then, he paused. He got it, I saw his eyes flash triumph. Oh, pardon me, where they your families? I'm so sorry. Perhaps you'd like to join them?
He turned back to his crew, Fire! That fighter!
My fighter easily dodged the Dracon Beam, it flew harmlessly under me, hitting the Yeerk vessel coming behind me. My stalk eyes had seen him coming.
One Yeerk down, one more Yeerk to go, I whispered, punching the accelerator. Before the ship could move an inch I was there. I rammed the ship.
Cut through their bridge. When the tremble ran through the Yeerk vessel, it knocked my ship loose. A hole exactly my fighter's size appeared, the air leaked from the Sub-Visser's ship, pulling out the Yeerks.
Before Sub-Visser Twenty-Three could be pulled out, he fired. I know it was him. The blow hit my ship, glacingly, but enough. As my ship spun through space I saw the Garatron Sub-Visser Controller plunge into space, oxygenless.
WHUMFF!
My ship hit another Yeerk's knocking him and his fighter away. I was slammed again the far wall. Air, gone. Dracon hole.
Let it end./i
* * *
Aaah!
I awoke. Startled.
I checked myself. Slender legs, violet-blue fur. Scalpellike tail blade.
I was myself again.
Yaolyn.
But, now I was wiser. I knew a little bit more. I wasn't dead, as my brother had thought. I had started training at the Academy that day.
The day everything changed.
And now, years later, I finally knew who I was.
I am Aristh Yaolyn-Sirinial-Maylenee, sister of Warrior Jahlil-Kraventz-Enaste, daughter of Merle-Sirinial-Yaheen and Trufar-Kraventz-Klarc.
I was myself, with more to my life and more to this journey ahead of myself.
I wasn't my brother, I wasn't a hero. Maybe someday I would be.
But it would have to be after this mission.
I finally realized life would never be the same as it was, never as easy. Not again.