TAC: In Loren's POV (KA's timeline: approximately ch.10)
A/N: Well something screwy is happening whenever I put in the normal figures that indicate that an Andalite is speaking, so I'm going to have to represent them as //. I'm glad to be back on this story, I've been soooo busy swimming this summer and have kept falling asleep before I could write anything. Well, anyway, here ya go.
Chapter 8
After the "meeting" with the Andalites, they pretty much ignored us. I'm sure Chapman didn't like this, but I was just glad to know what the hell was going on. Chapman was right on that point at least, I grudgingly admitted.
With the Andalites preoccupied and Chapman in one of his moods (which never seemed to go away, I thought ironically), I went over to the window to look out at space.
As I was looking at it, it suddenly turned pure white! White? What happened? Was it some sort of screen that covered the window so that other ships couldn't look inside? I wanted to ask Elfangor, but he was still busy.
I sat around completely bored out of my mind. Funny, isn't it? We were about to go to a different planet and get this "time matrix" thing and could possibly end up dead and here I was, waiting for something to happen.
After a few hours, the window suddenly showed the normal space again. This left me with more questions than before, but the Andalites seemed more tense than ever.
//This will take a precise aim. Which of you two is a better shot?// asked Alloran.
//Arbron is the one who hit the Skirt Na ship,// answered Elfangor.
What? We were going to shoot something? Why?
//Let's see what you can do, Aristh Arbron. We need to hit one engine, but leave the other functioning. And we don't want any unfortunate explosions.//
I hurried to the window as Abron went to the weapons console. After a hum, a pale green beam, like you see on Star Trek shot out into space. I followed the trajectory with my eyes and saw it hit a ship; it looked like it had hit the engines. Oh! So the Andalites wanted to take over the ship and use it to come down. Huh, that should have been pretty obvious from the beginning, Loren, I thought. They can't exactly come down guns blazing to the planet surface.
//Good shooting! They'll waste half and hour trying to figure out what happened and reconfiguring to fly with just one engine. Aristh Elfangor, take us in fast!//
The ship shot forward. I lost balance and tumbled to my feet, but not too badly. I hurried to the window again and saw that we were moving towards the ship.
//Jam their communications,// said Alloran, as Elfangor punched his console.
//A word of advice. Taxxons may be repulsive, but never forget that down in their brains they have a Yeerk. You're dealing with a Yeerk, not just a Taxxon.//
Yikes, that didn't sound good. The Andalites stood near the outer hatch and stood, apparently waiting for it to open. And when it did . . . oh God!
"Chapman! Get back! We don't know what's coming!" I yelled at him. I ran as far as I could to the front of the ship. I suddenly felt extremely helpless. What if the Andalites lost this battle? What would happen to us? I had no weapons.
Frantically, I looked around, looking for something, anything that I could use as a weapon. I spotted a pole-looking thing. I grabbed it and held it in my hands, threateningly.
I could feel the adrenaline pumping in my system but at the same time, I was scared. Scared shitless. Even though the Andalites had told us that we were going to do this, it hadn't seemed real enough, you know? Maybe I was trying to deny that it was happening. Well, forget about that!
//Remember, don't kill them all. We may need to acquire them,// said Alloran.
I broke out of my reverie. The common sense that I possessed suddenly took control. These guys are tough and they've got those phasers in their hands. As anxious as they were, I presently realized that they weren't about to take on something they couldn't handle, right?
In any case, I called out "Good luck!" for, well, good luck.
BOOM! The hatch blew open and there was a rush of wind. I saw for the first time what a "Taxxon" was. At the first sight of them, I almost threw up. They looked like gigantic centipedes, only flesh-color with red jello-like eyes. And the smell, ugh, even as far away as I was, I could smell them immediately.
The Taxxons and the Andalites froze for an instant, which scared the hell out of me. Then, just as quickly, everyone unfroze.
TTTTSSSAAAPPP! A Taxxon fell down!
TTTTSSSAAPPP! Another! TTTTSSSAAAPPP! TTTSSSAAAPPP!
I watched, in horror, at the scene. The air suddenly became baking hot, hotter than the hottest day of the summer. Sparks flew around! I saw some pipes up ahead that sparked and fell down. Covering my head, I crouched down, but continued to watch the battle.
//Stop firing! We'll destroy the ship!// ordered Alloran.
But a Taxxon was headed straight for Elfangor! The Taxxon raised its weapon, but then FWAPP! Elfangor used his tail blade to cut off the arm of the Taxxon.
"SSSRRREEEE-WWWAAARR!" screamed the Taxxon.
After that, there were only two Taxxons left. They moved back, but bent low as they went, eating their fellow dead Taxxons. I felt a wave of revulsion. They were about to die and they couldn't stop themselves from eating their comrades?! What kind of sick species were they?
//All right!// called Arbron. //We got 'em!//
//Shut up, you young fool!// said Alloran sharply.
What was wrong? Weren't the Taxxons beat? But then without warning a new species of alien appeared. It was humanoid, but had a snake-like head and had blades all over its body. It looked like it could win first prize in a vegetable chopping contest.
//Well, well, it's been awhile since I fought Hork-Bajir. I'll take the two big ones in the middle.// said Alloran.
There were four of them. The what was it? Hork-Bajur? They looked as tough, or tougher than the Andalites. I closed my eyes, praying and hoping that the Andalites would be able to take them on and that some other alien wouldn't show up after those aliens.
FWAPP! SLASH! FWAPP! SLASH!
The noise of the battle was unnerving and though I tried, I couldn't help but keep my eyes open after it started, I crouched, rooted on the spot.
At first the Hork-Bajir fought back as well or better than the Andalites, but the tide turned against them. I could see that it was especially due to Elfangor. He fought like a demon, cracking his tail blade so fast that I couldn't follow it.
He struck at one of Alloran's opponents when Alloran was out-flanked. He struck when Arbron was knocked to the floor. He struck at his own opponent.
FWAPP! FWAPP! FWAPP!
The battle was over. Elfangor was panting from the battle. He looked scared, his eyes wide with fright. The poor guy. He ran back to our ship and fell to his knees. I ran forward and took him in my arms.
"It's okay, Elfangor, it's okay."
A/N: Well something screwy is happening whenever I put in the normal figures that indicate that an Andalite is speaking, so I'm going to have to represent them as //. I'm glad to be back on this story, I've been soooo busy swimming this summer and have kept falling asleep before I could write anything. Well, anyway, here ya go.
Chapter 8
After the "meeting" with the Andalites, they pretty much ignored us. I'm sure Chapman didn't like this, but I was just glad to know what the hell was going on. Chapman was right on that point at least, I grudgingly admitted.
With the Andalites preoccupied and Chapman in one of his moods (which never seemed to go away, I thought ironically), I went over to the window to look out at space.
As I was looking at it, it suddenly turned pure white! White? What happened? Was it some sort of screen that covered the window so that other ships couldn't look inside? I wanted to ask Elfangor, but he was still busy.
I sat around completely bored out of my mind. Funny, isn't it? We were about to go to a different planet and get this "time matrix" thing and could possibly end up dead and here I was, waiting for something to happen.
After a few hours, the window suddenly showed the normal space again. This left me with more questions than before, but the Andalites seemed more tense than ever.
//This will take a precise aim. Which of you two is a better shot?// asked Alloran.
//Arbron is the one who hit the Skirt Na ship,// answered Elfangor.
What? We were going to shoot something? Why?
//Let's see what you can do, Aristh Arbron. We need to hit one engine, but leave the other functioning. And we don't want any unfortunate explosions.//
I hurried to the window as Abron went to the weapons console. After a hum, a pale green beam, like you see on Star Trek shot out into space. I followed the trajectory with my eyes and saw it hit a ship; it looked like it had hit the engines. Oh! So the Andalites wanted to take over the ship and use it to come down. Huh, that should have been pretty obvious from the beginning, Loren, I thought. They can't exactly come down guns blazing to the planet surface.
//Good shooting! They'll waste half and hour trying to figure out what happened and reconfiguring to fly with just one engine. Aristh Elfangor, take us in fast!//
The ship shot forward. I lost balance and tumbled to my feet, but not too badly. I hurried to the window again and saw that we were moving towards the ship.
//Jam their communications,// said Alloran, as Elfangor punched his console.
//A word of advice. Taxxons may be repulsive, but never forget that down in their brains they have a Yeerk. You're dealing with a Yeerk, not just a Taxxon.//
Yikes, that didn't sound good. The Andalites stood near the outer hatch and stood, apparently waiting for it to open. And when it did . . . oh God!
"Chapman! Get back! We don't know what's coming!" I yelled at him. I ran as far as I could to the front of the ship. I suddenly felt extremely helpless. What if the Andalites lost this battle? What would happen to us? I had no weapons.
Frantically, I looked around, looking for something, anything that I could use as a weapon. I spotted a pole-looking thing. I grabbed it and held it in my hands, threateningly.
I could feel the adrenaline pumping in my system but at the same time, I was scared. Scared shitless. Even though the Andalites had told us that we were going to do this, it hadn't seemed real enough, you know? Maybe I was trying to deny that it was happening. Well, forget about that!
//Remember, don't kill them all. We may need to acquire them,// said Alloran.
I broke out of my reverie. The common sense that I possessed suddenly took control. These guys are tough and they've got those phasers in their hands. As anxious as they were, I presently realized that they weren't about to take on something they couldn't handle, right?
In any case, I called out "Good luck!" for, well, good luck.
BOOM! The hatch blew open and there was a rush of wind. I saw for the first time what a "Taxxon" was. At the first sight of them, I almost threw up. They looked like gigantic centipedes, only flesh-color with red jello-like eyes. And the smell, ugh, even as far away as I was, I could smell them immediately.
The Taxxons and the Andalites froze for an instant, which scared the hell out of me. Then, just as quickly, everyone unfroze.
TTTTSSSAAAPPP! A Taxxon fell down!
TTTTSSSAAPPP! Another! TTTTSSSAAAPPP! TTTSSSAAAPPP!
I watched, in horror, at the scene. The air suddenly became baking hot, hotter than the hottest day of the summer. Sparks flew around! I saw some pipes up ahead that sparked and fell down. Covering my head, I crouched down, but continued to watch the battle.
//Stop firing! We'll destroy the ship!// ordered Alloran.
But a Taxxon was headed straight for Elfangor! The Taxxon raised its weapon, but then FWAPP! Elfangor used his tail blade to cut off the arm of the Taxxon.
"SSSRRREEEE-WWWAAARR!" screamed the Taxxon.
After that, there were only two Taxxons left. They moved back, but bent low as they went, eating their fellow dead Taxxons. I felt a wave of revulsion. They were about to die and they couldn't stop themselves from eating their comrades?! What kind of sick species were they?
//All right!// called Arbron. //We got 'em!//
//Shut up, you young fool!// said Alloran sharply.
What was wrong? Weren't the Taxxons beat? But then without warning a new species of alien appeared. It was humanoid, but had a snake-like head and had blades all over its body. It looked like it could win first prize in a vegetable chopping contest.
//Well, well, it's been awhile since I fought Hork-Bajir. I'll take the two big ones in the middle.// said Alloran.
There were four of them. The what was it? Hork-Bajur? They looked as tough, or tougher than the Andalites. I closed my eyes, praying and hoping that the Andalites would be able to take them on and that some other alien wouldn't show up after those aliens.
FWAPP! SLASH! FWAPP! SLASH!
The noise of the battle was unnerving and though I tried, I couldn't help but keep my eyes open after it started, I crouched, rooted on the spot.
At first the Hork-Bajir fought back as well or better than the Andalites, but the tide turned against them. I could see that it was especially due to Elfangor. He fought like a demon, cracking his tail blade so fast that I couldn't follow it.
He struck at one of Alloran's opponents when Alloran was out-flanked. He struck when Arbron was knocked to the floor. He struck at his own opponent.
FWAPP! FWAPP! FWAPP!
The battle was over. Elfangor was panting from the battle. He looked scared, his eyes wide with fright. The poor guy. He ran back to our ship and fell to his knees. I ran forward and took him in my arms.
"It's okay, Elfangor, it's okay."