Chapter 19
Rachel walked to her room, me riding on her shoulder. Rachel, I said. I missed you.
She turned her head towards me, a smile on her face and sparkles in her eyes. I fluttered down onto her held out arm. She cocked her head to the side, as though searching for an explanation. Inwardly, I took a deep breath. After you died- Lourdes or Mr. King made it look like you died- I just could not go on. I let myself live as the hawk, because the hawk does not feel the pain like humans do. I tried to forget myself. I could not, of course, because I could only think of you. I did not morph human again until a few hours ago, when we almost rammed the Blade Ship. I couldn't stand it. God, I love you Rachel, I said to her. I meant every word. However, there was no way I could ever put the extent of my pain into words. My heart had been ripped out.
Her blue eyes bore into mine. "You should have just gotten over it, Tobias, you couldn't live like that," she said reprovingly. It was a classic Rachel answer, she would not have wanted me to be so upset over her.
I couldn't help it, I said to her. You're back now though, so it's better.
She smiled even wider. "I love you, Tobias, you know that, don't you? I don't know if I ever told you that… I did in that other timeline, where I died, I know, but never like this," she said. I was so happy. She was back. I hopped off her arm and started to morph back to human. I emerged into my human form, and took her hand. We talked a bit more, about what she missed in the world when she was "dead," and about the mysterious Garatron/Kelbrid.
Suddenly, there was a loud thump, and the room started spinning. Rachel fell, and I went down a few seconds later. I heard a scream from another room. The world was going around, spinning, shaking… I felt a sudden prick of pain and felt blood flowing into my weak human eyes from a cut on my forehead. The last thing I saw before the darkness enveloped me was Rachel lying in a tangled heap, blood oozing from a multitude of cuts and scrapes all over her body.
I awoke, and immediately jumped. I was in my human body. How long had it been? I wanted to spend my life with Rachel, now that she was back, but I still wanted to be able to feel the air under my wings whenever I wanted. I suddenly grew very still. Rachel… The last time I had seen her, she had been lying in a crumpled heap. Was she okay? I looked over at the corner where she had been. There was some blood, but she was not there. I felt some, but not much, of the tension that was knotting my stomach up leave. She had been able to move. Unless someone else had to move her, I thought grimly. I shook my head. I could not afford to think like that. I started to demorph back to my hawk body, not even knowing if it was still possible. Thankfully, I felt that changes begin. I opened my wings and after a few moments, lifted myself off the ground and into the air. It was difficult flying inside, but I had been getting used to it ever since we had left earth. I had gotten some practice with it during the war as well. Swiftly, I flew to the bridge, hoping to see some sign of life. As I went through the halls of Yahal's ship, I noticed the severe damage, how the temperature seemed to be getting a bit warm, and the various things scattered in disarray all over the ground. I made my way into the Jahar II and looked around, hoping to see some sign of life. I turned a corner into the bridge, and saw a site that made my blood curdle.
Laying in the center of the room was Tom, blood gushing out of a large gash in his chest, with Jeanne kneeling by him cradling his head. "Morph," she whispered, "I know you can. It will heal you! Please, Tom, morph." A single tear fell off of her cheek. She looked at me, and I saw her heart breaking. I knew that face, it was the same one I had worn when I thought Rachel was dead. "I have only known him for a few hours, but it seems like so much more," she managed to utter. Her face grew determined. "My God, I will save him if my name is really Jeanne Emilie Gerard!" She cried. Marco strode over quickly and knelt by Jeanne, whispered something, and stood up again. He had probably told her to hush up, because she became quiet. He always had been the one who could see exactly what needed to be done. And I soon realized that she did need to be quiet, because although Tom was the main thing to see in the room, it was obvious that there was another, much more serious problem at hand. Jake was standing at the front of the bridge, speaking once again into the communications screen. The ugly face of Captain Bavaritun Larumian Hartar was onscreen. Alongside him was another Garatron, but for some reason this one seemed different, like there was nothing but pure evil coming out of him.
"Captain Bavaritun, why did you follow us and shoot at us just now? We told you before, we do not have any Andalites or Andalite technology with us." Jake's voice was steel-edged, and his face a mask, but I heard the small quaver in his voice, and knew what it meant. He had already lost his brother once, and did not want to lose him again.
Well,Jake, at this, Jake paled, for there was no way for the Garatron to know his name. Ourfriendhere seemstothinkdifferently. HeseemstothinkthatyouarecarryingtwoAndalites,oneformerAndalite,andanAndaliteshipwithyou. The entire time, the captain was gesturing to the Garatron standing at his side. It suddenly hit me, and Jake must have realized it too, because I heard him whisper, "The One!"
Youfigureditout,Jake,goodforyou, said the One. Itoldthemwhoyouwere,fortherewasnowayIwasgoingtolet youtakemypeople,andthengetawaywithit. Oh,no,therewasnoway. Ifollowedthisship,andnowIwillabsorbyou. Ihavethe powertodoso. IalreadyabsorbedthisGaratron. Its face twisted into a mockery of a smile. Youlosethistime,Jake. The One was speaking quickly like the Garatron it had absorbed would have.
Jake cut the communications. "Menderash, are there any planets nearby which would be hospitable to us?"
Menderash did something on the computer, and turned back to Jake. "Yes, the large orange planet that way-" he pointed to his left, "-should have a breathable atmosphere."
"Bring us there, as fast as possible, and land. Perhaps we will be able to hide," ordered Jake.
"Yes, Jake," replied Menderash. And so we went to the large orange planet, which for some odd reason looked familiar as we grew closer.
