Chapter 2

Later that day, I was feeding in the large dome of the Dome ship alone. The other Warriors and the princes were all busy with training or jobs the Captain had assigned them or something else. Some were probably in their quarters resting and what not. I almost preferred it alone, away from the accusing eyes and the taunting and the jokes…

I was mocked for being a female, yes, but there was an implicit reason that no one cared to mention. I was held in some form of contempt because of who my father was. It seemed that my instructors, Prince Elfangor, and Captain Nerefir were the only ones who treated me with respect.

Oh, and the only remaining aristh aboard our Dome Ship, the GalaxyTree—Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, Prince Elfangor's younger brother. He and I were quite close, I suppose. He was young, proud, energetic…although I must say, he needed some work when it came to his reputation. But still, I had this feeling for him…

I don't know what to call it. Honor, respect…perhaps even affection. But I would never tell him face-to-face. He was the brother of one of the greatest princes in the Andalite military, and also my close friend. Besides, females were not supposed to talk that way about males. If a male was attracted to a female, he would voice his feelings. But females should never speak about such things to males.

I ran at a slow canter around the dome, grazing as I did so. It reminded me somewhat of home, but I refused to think about it. I wanted only to run and forget about my father, forget about my mission. It was quite a heavy burden, the burden of revenge. Especially for a female…

"Hello, Warrior Saria." I stopped when I heard Aximili's thought-speak voice and turned both stalk eyes to look at him.

"So, you heard, did you?" My stalk eyes smiled at him as I turned to face him. "Do not expect me to call you 'Aristh Aximili' now."

His eyes smiled back. "Of course not. We're still friends, right? I mean, this isn't going to change anything, is it?"

I gave his tail a playful tap with my own. "What do you think?"

I took off at a gallop, and he fell into stride with me. We stopped at the stream and I dipped a forehoof in to drink. Aximili looked up to the roof of the dome, out into the blank whiteness of Zero-space.

"We'll reach Earth soon, won't we?"

I nodded, following his gaze. "Yes…and we will battle the Yeerks there. I just hope the creatures of the planet do not get involved any more than they need to…"

"Elfangor believes much of the population will have been infested already."

I turned to look at him with my main eyes, blinking in shock. "He does?"

Now it was Aximili's turn to nod. "He seemed considerably distressed about it."

We both stood there for a moment, staring into the void of Z-space. Only when Elfangor called to us in thought-speak did we move.

"Warrior Saria, Aristh Aximili, please come to the bridge."

I ran over toward the space in the dome that opened into the hallway that led to the battle bridge. I turned a stalk eye to look back at Aximili, who was looking after me, eyes wide.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked with an excited tone. "Come on! We are going to get back to normal space soon!"

He shook himself from his trance and galloped after me, still shocked. We ran quickly to the bridge, taking places on either side of Prince Elfangor.

"Prepare for return to normal space," Captain Nerefir said.

We came out of Zero-space back into normal space. Through the monitors, I saw nothing but blackness dotted with stars. And there, just ahead of us, no more than a half-million miles away, was a small, mostly blue planet.

"Is that Earth?" I heard Aximili ask Elfangor. "I didn't realize there was so much water. Can you get Old Hoof and Tail to let me go down to the planet with you?"

"Aximili, shut up!" Elfangor said quickly, casting a dubious glance at Captain Nerefir. He must have worried that War-Prince Nerefir might have overheard.

His fears were shortly confirmed. "Old Hoof and Tail, eh? Is that what they call me?"

Elfangor shot Aximili a poisonous look. "I'm sure this aristh didn't mean any disrespect."

Slowly Nerefir turned his two main eyes toward Aximili. "Ah, it's the ruffian. The wild brat who knocked me over." He nodded. "Old Hoof and Tail, is it? Well. I kind of like the name." He slowly winked one eye at Elfangor. "I suppose we'll have to let the ruffian live."

Suddenly…

"Yeerks! We have a Yeerk mother ship in orbit over the planet!" the warrior at the sensor station cried.

"They're launching fighters! I count twelve Yeerk Bug fighters," I announced, stepping up to my new battle station. "They're on an intercept course. They're be in firing range within twelve Earth minutes."

Through my stalk eyes I watched as Captain Nerefir turned his face and his main eyes toward Elfangor, while his stalk eyes kept watch on the monitors. The humor was gone from his face. "Prince Elfangor? It is time. Launch all fighters."

But Elfangor hadn't waited for orders. He was already halfway out the door. "Warrior Saria, come with me, please."

I bolted after him, Aximili close on my tail.

"Get to the dome, Aximili," his brother instructed.

"But I want to fight! I can fly a fighter as well as--"

"Do not argue with me, Aximili. Arisths do not go into battle. You are not a full warrior yet. Go to the dome. You will be safer there."

"I don't want to be safe."

I remained focused on the coming battle, my first. I listened intently to the thought-speak announcements coming from the bridge.

"Yeerk Bug fighters closing fast."

"We are entering the outer-gravitational field of the planet."

The three of us came to a pair of drop shafts. Warriors were zooming down, heading for the fighter bays. Aximili would have to go up to reach the dome.

Elfangor hesitated for just a moment before rushing on and arched his tail forward. Aximili reached forward with his own tail, arching it up over his back. They touched tail blades.

"You'll have your chance to fight, Aximili," Elfangor said. "Very soon your fighter will fly side by side with mine. But not in this battle."

"Yes, my prince," he replied, sounding very stiff and formal. As Elfangor turned to enter the drop shaft, the younger male looked sad. "Hey, Elfangor? Go burn some slugs."

"That's the plan, little brother," he said with a laugh. "That is the plan." He then entered the drop shaft.

I should have gone right after him, but I waited for a moment, staring at Aximili with my main eyes.

"Aximili…"

"Be careful, Saria," he said quietly, reaching his tail blade forward as he had done with Elfangor. I reached my own forward, our tail blades touching, and smiled sadly at him through my stalk eyes.

"Be strong, young Aximili. No matter what happens out there today, I want you to know that we will see each other again. Even if I do not return, I know our paths will cross once more."

"What…what are you saying?"

I closed my main eyes and looked away with my stalk eyes. "I thought I saw something on the sensors…"

"What? What did you see?"

"Warrior Saria, report at once." Elfangor's thought-speak voice was firm. I opened my eyes to look at Aximili.

"Farewell, Aximili. And remember, be strong."

I stepped into the drop shaft and headed for Prince Elfangor's fighter. He was waiting for me and hurried me inside. Then, we left the GalaxyTree for the last time.