Chapter 6

Cassie

It was absolutely awesome seeing everybody again, it really was. I couldn't home in on why I felt so uneasy about everything, I just know that I did. I guess seeing Jake again contributed a lot to my discomfort. It was great to see him as I'd always known him – Jake, the leader of the Animorphs. I didn't like seeing him the way he'd been after the war. I didn't like Jake the Yeerk killer. I guess it just unsettled me that while I would have been more than happy to put the violence and responsibilities of war behind me, that very thing was what seemed to bring Jake back to life.

Speaking of coming back to life…how could I even begin to know what to think about Rachel? I'd watched my best friend die. It was hard, but death was always around me, even before the Yeerks. I grew up with my parents teaching me that death was a part of life. Rachel dying was awful, but after everything was over and done with, there was a finality. There was something real and tangible that she'd died for, and her death was the turning point. That's why we won. It's a terrible price to pay, but I know she'd do it again, and again, and as many times as she had to. It was selfish, but I just wanted the fighting to be over and done with so I could get on with my life.

I guess I was depressed. I was in a self-pitying mood almost constantly as we hurtled through the Z-space tunnel towards the Habernon cluster, which was just south of the Yego gravity well. I was taking my duty as navigator seriously, and even though I couldn't get us around without Ax's help, I was getting better. I wasn't the only one who was taking my position aboard the Messenger seriously.

Marco, who had all but monopolized the ship's main simulator for the past twelve hours, emerged with a broad grin suited to his features. "Got 'em all, that time. The third fighter almost toasted me, but I dropped a missle going around that big building and caught him in the smoke screen." The smile disappeared as Ax nodded distractedly and punched a few more commands into the 3D terminal in front of him. "Ax, are you paying attention?"

Ax nodded. (You got the third fighter, good job,) he said distantly. He stopped keying the glowing buttons and turned his stalk eyes to Marco and narrowed them in a suspicious gesture. (Wait, you got three of fighters of what type?)

Marco's cocky smile returned with a vengeance. He leaned with a feigned nonchalance against the nearest bulkhead and pretended to study his fingernails. "I took out four fighters. Two early model bug fighters and two of the advanced series the Yeerks had started producing before the open invasion."

All of Ax's eyes were staring holes through Marco now. (Four bug fighters? Just you? You took them out with what?)

Marco acted indignant and brushed off the sleeve of his jumpsuit/fighter pilot uniform that he obviously thought of as spiffy. "Got the first two on a head to head with my shredders, outmaneuvered the other two and blew their butts into itty bitty pieces with my Viper missles. Took a couple hits, but came out okay."

Ax looked nothing less than shocked. (I don't believe you,) he said bluntly. (Send the recording of that sim to my terminal.)

Marco's brash smirk disappeared for a second, then came back more genuine than before. "I did get them all, but maybe the last bug fighter tagged me a little harder than I thought. Maybe I shut off the sim before I had to manage a crash landing."

Ax did not look any less surprised. (Still, you managed to destroy four bug fighters? Maybe humans are not as slow-witted and sluggish as I thought.)

Marco, being Marco, ignored the insult to the entire human race and concentrated on the insinuation against him personally. "Hey, humans are too slow-witted and sluggish. I just so happen to be a superior specimen." He claimed, jamming his thumb against his breastbone. I sighed so I wouldn't burst out laughing and caught a little glance from both of them. I paused my own simulator and went aft to see if I could find someone else to talk to who's ego wasn't completely out of control.

The cargo hold, as soon as the door opened with its customary swoosh, overwhelmed me with smell, color, and movement all at the same time. I took a moment to sort it out and smiled. Jake and Rachel had gotten wooden swords from somewhere and had wrapped them in a material that looked like some of the spare jumpsuits that were so plentiful aboard the ship. I assumed the Messenger's Ulanortium converter had produced the swords. The converter was a device that could spit out pretty much anything organic that you could describe to the computer. I hadn't thought of using the converter to make anything other than simple meals, but apparently Jake and Rachel had come up with several applications – the swords, the more complex padding that covered Toby's wrist, elbow and knee blades, and the robe that Jake wore. As I watched, Toby put her muscular arms up in an obvious guard, blades out, and snapped the word, "Come!"

Jake and Rachel, both deceptively stealthy, moved in from Toby's left and right. Jake delivered a high slash first, which Toby deflected with a wrist blade. Moving into Jake with his sword deflected high, she kicked out and blocked Rachel's low stabbing attempt that would have made a pincushion out of her left thigh. Simultaneously, Toby had her right elbow blade at Jake's throat and her left wrist blade jammed into the general area of Rachel's kidney. Smiling her scary Hork-bajir smile, she relaxed and Jake fell to the floor in exaggerated exhaustion.

Rachel settled to the floor and sat indian-style. "Damn. I figured at least one of us would get in that time. You're not a very good teacher, Toby," she teased lightly, but exaggerated her smile so Toby would understand that Rachel was kidding. She needn't have bothered; Hork-bajir may not have been smart, but Toby was a seer. She made Einstein look like a jerk sometimes.

"You both have to learn balance," Toby explained. "Jake, you are too worried about striking first. You make your first attempt all-or-nothing. In this sort of combat, an attack like that leaves you open and will fail most of the time."

Jake grinned without opening his eyes. "That's what you get for fighting a guerilla war for three years, Toby. Against the Yeerks, hard, fast and furious is the way to go."

"Yes, but blade fighting is not like guerilla warfare. It is not sneaky. Moves can be unexpected, yes, but that makes them more elegant. You have to let your blade flow like water in a swift stream."

Rachel tapped her chin with the tip of her makeshift sword. "It sounds like you're going to get along with these Taruffs just fine, Toby."

Toby ignored the comment and concentrated her intense gaze on Rachel. "You are opportunistic, which is not wholly bad. You wait for me to be engaged with Jake before striking. You assume that two against one means that if you wait for two of us to engage, you will be free to do whatever you please. There are two things wrong with this thinking. First of all, it puts your partner at risk. Second of all, anyone skilled in close-quarter combat is more than capable of handling multiple opponents."

(She's got a point, Rachel,) Tobias commented from his perch on the edge of Toby's hammock.

Rachel looked shaken. "No. I'd never put Jake in danger because I was scared. Never."

Toby's expression softened. "That's not what I meant, friend Rachel. It's not your choice, it's the result of your choice."

Now, Rachel just looked confused. Even though no one had acknowledged my presence, I blurted out, "What choice?"

Toby smiled. "Rachel is a true warrior. She studies her opponents as thoroughly as possible before engaging them. In seeing how an opponent reacts against an enemy, she sees flaws and possibilities that weren't there before."

Rachel seemed to relax a bit, but grumbled, "I still wouldn't let Jake get himself into trouble."

Jake stood up and shot a glance over at me. Before I could stop myself, I shyly looked down at my shoes. Tobias, as always more observant most, made a joke to break the awkward moment. "Hey Jake, where'd you get that robe from, anyway? Obi-wan Kenobi?" Jake pointed his sword at Tobias in mock anger and I gave Tobias a meaningful look to express my thanks.

Toby struck her defensive pose and Rachel and Jake raised their swords in simple guards. Before either could move in to attack, the ship flickered. I don't know any other way to describe it. The lights, the gravity, the steady drone of the engines all just cut out, and came back on just as quickly. I was about to ask what had happened when the Messenger shook violently and Ax's thought speak cry filled our heads.

(Crew to the bridge! Battle stations! This is not a drill!) Ax yelled, obviously strained but not panicked.

Jake looked at me, and this time, I saw concern in his eyes. I knew Ax was telling the truth about one thing – it wasn't a drill.