Esplin 9466

The time was at hand. And sooner than I thought. He had the girl with him? Perfect! I had dismissed her at first. But it occurred to me that our troublemakers were probably communicating with humans more likely than the Andalite scum.

Fools or not , it was in their blood to distrust Andalites.

Yes , our troublemakers were fellow Yeerks. The human Cassie and the fool named Aftran942 had started a Peace Movement. Curse them both!

I smiled to myself. The Hett Simplatt pool had suffered dearly in recompense for what their fellow had done. It was my example of what would happen to anyone even SLIGHTLY connected with rebels .

But that pool has always turned out radicals. Too many Yeerks going soft.

My own pool , Sulp Niar , is still , and always will be the most honorable . It has harbored many of our loyal brothers.

Shaiel 985 being the exception. Utter disgrace to our pool. He befriended first a human boy , his first host , then one of the foul Mendelites. Now there was not only talk of peace with humans , but with Mendelites as well. Disgusting!

Of course , he changed his designation and somehow escaped the night of his execution. At first we thought he was assassinated , because we found his host dead. But he was found out again later and I strongly suspect he was aided both times when he escaped.

I burned with humiliation and rage. Alloran actually had the nerve to laugh.

/>Something amuses you/.I snapped.

/>No. I just never thought I'd see the day when you were afraid of your own people turning against you. You will rue the day the Mendelites joined the war./>he sneered.

I didn't bother to answer him. True , the Mendelites were certainly good at convincing people at that peace garbage. Another reason to destroy them. Before they contaminated the minds of more of my people.

I called my troops and issued my orders.

>/There is only one Andalite and one human residing in his pitiful dwelling./> I said. />I want that human brought to me. Alive. Uninjured if you can manage it. Kill the Andalite if it pleases you. But I want the girl./>

>/So like you , Yeerk. You'd never let another Yeerk get an andalite host. They would rival your power and you worship power.he was disgusted. I could care less./>

But I actually almost felt a measure of pity for the andalite incompetent. He was so sure , so confident that those fools in the forest would prevail.

His spirit sank to his hooves when they brought a kicking , screaming , threatening , human girl before me.

She was furious. But also saw fear. And grief. Both are wonderful tools.

Obviously upset over what my men had done to the Andalite , she cursed me and all my family before me , and then swore an oath on my death.

I laughed and struck her in the stomach with the flat of my blade. He eyes went wide , she gagged , and hunched over.

/>My , my. Didn't your andalite teach you self-defense/>I sneered.

My men laughed appreciatively.

She glared and spat at my hooves.

>/Angry , are you? Amusing. I shall have fun breaking you./>

Alloran burned with despair and pity. I normally would have taunted him , but that could wait. Pleasure first.

" You..you..you..EVIL!" she screamed , for lack of not having anything bad enough to call me. " I'll never forgive what you did! You are lower than scum! I despise you!"

>/Oh you mean the Andalite died/>I said in pretended remorse. />How very ...tragic./>

My Hork-Bajir commander retold the events in Galard. Alloran listened stunned. His Andalite sensibilities stunned.

I laughed. More than laughed I roared with glee.

/>You loved the Andalite , eh/>I taunted. />Did he return your feelings/>

Her face went a very red color. " What are you talking about!" she stammered.

/>Come , come. He expressed as much, did he not/>I persisted , thoroughly amused by the thought. But the girl just stared at me with innocent like ignorance. Then slowly , almost unconsciously , she brought her hand to her cheek.

/>Do you even know what an Andalite kiss is/>I mocked her ignorance. >/Of course he was probably delirious in his last moments if life, and thought it was one of his nasty little friends on his homeworld.>/

" SHUT UP!" her eyes burned as though set to flame. She charged at me taking a futile swing.

I launched my tail at her head , turning the flat of my blade until almost the last second , leaving her a nasty souvenir across the forehead.

She crashed to the ground unconscious. Her head bled profusely.

" Visser..?"

>/Leave it untreated. Our little friend must learn the virtue of humility before a Yeerk Visser. Bring her to a holding cell. Then notify me when the pain brings her back to conciousness.>/

I chuckled. Little human girl , you will be very useful to me.

Reubren:

I had beheaded quite a few Hork- Bajir on my way out of the scoop. But the ones that had Melissa escaped! And I was badly injured.

I was now wondering the forest , leaving a trail of my blood. The gaping wound in my chest kept throbbing and bleeding. I was disoriented and weak.

I had to get to the Mendelites. They were closest as they dwelt in the woods. I could not stop thinking of how utterly I failed Melissa , and that kept me going. And even after that , she said she loved me , and begged me live.

I love you Reubren. Please live...please..

/>You are safe here.>/That's what I said. And I failed.

You're not safe Melissa. You will be ripped away from me and dragged off by the enemy Melissa. You will probably die Melissa. And most likely you'll suffer before you do. And if not...I didn't want to think of if not.

I wanted to fall into bitter sobbing. I wanted to scream. But there was no time.

And before I lost my grip on her...did she even feel it? Did she even know what I'd done? That I loved her too?

I need you Melissa , my shorm , my more than shorm. I need you to throw your arms around me when I'm not strong. And I need you to laugh at my cautiousness. And I need you to get angry when I get overly arrogant. I need you to care. I need your smile. Please be okay.

I pushed on. Had to think..okay there's the lake , so I have to go east.

>/Hurts./>

Ignore the pain. I plowed forward. I was walking at blind speed. Branched and bushes tore my skin and I didn't care.

In the distance I saw the Mendelite home built in the trees. Close to the sky they so loved. Like we love our wide fields.

I grasped the tree trunks and steadied myself. But the world didnot stop spinning.

>/Hel ./>my voice rasped. />Help! Someone./>

>/Reubren? Reubren! What has happened?>/

Aximili. Relief. I slumped against the tree and blacked out.

When I awoke I was lying sprawled on my side on a futon. I heard voices. What could have fooled me to be a young human boy with bright red hair and brown eyes leaned over me.

Since their planet was once one before the Ellimist divided it , they were very distantly related to humans. But the outline around the iris of their eyes shown in a totally different color. M.C., the boy leaning over me for example , had blue that outlined his brown.

He is the diplomat of the group. But he hates conflicts and dealing with them... though for some reason it seems to make him the person for it. Just as the human Jake dislikes being a leader, yet it suites him. All of them were forced into this war when soldiers ran short. One day in school they were informed that they had no choice. I am sorry to say our commanders had something to do with it.

It was supposed to be training , but the ship was attacked. And this handful escaped to the nearest planet: Earth. They didn't morph. They didn't need to. They made up for it in their superior fighting skills , and normal though they looked , no andalite should take them lightly.

" He's in bad shape." M.C commented. " Someone should call the chee."

>/Don't the Everstens have the better technology?>/ Aximili asked.

" Yeah but they have a Helmecron problem. Something about Helmecrons and liquor."

Practically all of them stared. " They didn't go into detail okay? I'm just repeating what they said."

" Ax what happened?" Matt , the Mendelite with brown hair asked. He is our strategist. He likes to plan the missions. I sometimes think he would have made a good tactical officer. He and Marco get along, as they both seem to like 'sarcasm.'

>/I do not know. I found him that way. >/Aximili said.

" Melissa is gone too." Lavender said. "Something stinks."

A Mendelite girl with jet black hair, and brown, green tinted eyes was Lavender. Lavender is a very talented artist and very mischievious….and a good person even if impatient. If not for her espionage skills, I would say Lavender did not belong in this war at all. She can really fade into the background when she wants to. But then, none of them really did or wanted to belong in this fight at first. They were just children following orders.

" I'll get the Chee." M.C. stated. A boy with brown hair and a solid build left the room. He is a very diplomatic person. He is the only Mendelite to befriend a Yeerk. He allowed him to keep his life. After being made controller the others found out. They could have starved him out , but M.C. said it was better this way. No one would have to die. That Yeerk's name is Shaiel. I guess losing his father in the war gave him a certain appreciation , or respect for life.

>/Melissa..Yeerks.>/I gasped.

" Sabrina!" I heard Madison yell. " He's coming around!"

Her light red hair reached beyond her buttocks. It was tied at the end in a sort of band humans use. Her brown rimmed, green eyes widened. She is a true fighter. But she doesn't loose herself in the violence. She believes in a clean fight - almost to a dangerous extent. Her area of expertise was studying other alien civilizations.

Sabrina ran to my side. " Reubren! What happened to you?" she asked urgently.

...attacked me...they took her.I gasped.

Blue , violet rimmed eyes widened as she looked down at me. " The Yeerks attacked you , and they took Melissa?"

/>Yes./>

I rolled one stalk eye towards their faces. So human , yet so unlike human. Yet they are the closest relatives to humans. But their abilities! They have an almost photographic memory and can somehow generate a strong energy source out of there body that can actually lift them off the ground. They call it flying , but the scientific explanation is a bit longer. I suppose the Ellimist split the Everstens , humans , and Mendelites up for this reason: if all three planets were still one , then the Yeerks would be conquering 3 races at once. We do not know if this is actually why , but it is the explanation we go by.

Sabrina took charge as she usually does. " We must get him help , or he will die. First priority. Second we figure out how to save Melissa."

" I'll spy all the information you want!" Lavender said gleefully.

" You'll be ok, man." M.C. reassured me. He sat beside me. " Won't he, Erek?"

" I am not a doctor. And he has lots of internal injuries. But I think if we act now , we can save him." The Chee replied.

The Mendelites were once ordered return to their home world, but had defied the order. They stayed for the sake of their human brethren. When they did not change their minds, their council gave up on them for dead. Our council is rather furious with them and it does not make Mendelite/Andalite relations look well, but I don't think they care about what either side thinks so long as they doing the right thing.

There you go. They are essentially a good race, but they are not blindly obedient. They have strong beliefs. They usually try to make peace with an enemy, but they do not let the enemy walk on them. And if accomplishing something good offends society or they break the rules so be it. Their disobedience would shock any Andalite. However, if you can look past that , they're really - brave.

But Madison , Sabrina's shorm sometimes disturbs me. She befriended Rip and is our connection to our Eversten allies.

Unlike Lavender who feels about the same as I do when it comes to Rip. Doesn't trust her.

Yet as a whole I like them. And I was grateful that they were there in my time of need. But all I wanted to do was get away from them as soon as possible and find Melissa.

NOTE: coincidently, if anyone know a trick to making the thought speech signs actually show when I load a document PLEASE enlighten me. By all means.

( Well , it looks bad for Melissa , ne? I hope I gave a good description of the Mendelites. Criticism is welcome. I wonder how the peace movement will contribute to this story.hmm. This one of my longest chapters so consider yourselves honored. I usually don't go out of my way like that.)