Chapter 15

Tobias

Ax's thought-speak cry jerked me awake as it echoed through my skull. No time to morph. I ordered the door to open and half flew, half hopped to the bridge where Rachel was groggily warming up the weapons. Ax was frantically stabbing buttons, trying to get the Messenger airborne as quickly as possible. Right behind me, Jake and Cassie charged into the bridge. (What's going on?) I asked, trying to think of a way I could help and not coming up with anything.

(A large flight of Taruff fighters are rapidly approaching our position. Sensors say between ten and twenty right now.) Ax paused to look at Jake grimly. (We're picking up a couple of bug fighters within the formation.) The engines whined as the ship tentatively rose into the still air. (This is a fight we cannot win, Prince Jake. With permission, I'm taking us out of atmosphere. We'll have a better chance against the two bug fighters, since the Taruff fighters are stictly atmospheric.)

I studied the displays. Between the rate they were gaining on us and the sluggishness of the cold-started Messenger, there was no way we were going to make it. Rachel had apparently come to the same conclusion. "It's gonna be a slugging match," she said tensely.

"Messenger, this is Mako one," Marco's voice floated over the intercom. The usual trace of humor was not present. "I'll stall them – get clear," he said grimly.

"Negative, Marco," Jake said. "You don't stand a chance. You get clear. We'll meet you in orbit."

Marco laughed, and there was not a bit of amusement in the sound. "Shut up. I can't make it home in this tin can by myself, and you'll never make it out of atmosphere without a diversion." His engines glowed brightly as he shot toward the huge enemy formation that was now visible with the naked eye. "At least I'll go out with a bang," he chuckled sadly.

He was right about one thing – he was the perfect diversion. The Taruff fighters, obviously aware of the honor shooting Marco down would bring them, all vectored in toward him, breaking their approach of the Messenger. Ax pointed the bow for space and punched it.

"Dammit, dammit…" Jake muttered, not able to tear his eyes away from the display that was rapidly counting down the distance between his best friend and certain death. I noticed something at the bottom of the display.

(Hey, what's that?) I asked, talking about the space on the ground between Marco and the traitorous Taruffs. Even as I spoke, energy shot up from the crevice toward the enemy formation, shredding it as ships exploded and went evasive. Eight Taruff fighters leapt up from the canyon I'd indicated and took up positions around Marco as they all roared toward the disoriented enemy flight.

"Elin offan ka!" A bass Taruff voice rumbled over the intercom. I counted the blips on the tactical combat screen and saw nine green and eleven reds. Especially with those bug fighters still out there, Marco was still outnumbered.

"Messenger, it's Lok! It's Lok! They're friendlies," Marco exclaimed.

"Bring us in, Ax. We're gonna turn the tables," Jake said. I could have cheered.

"We're getting a transmission from the palace, Jake," Cassie said.

"Put it through."

A holographic representation of Amni'bel's face appeared. I wasn't any good at reading Taruff facial expressions, but I'd have put my money on her being pissed. "Prince Jake, your attackers are the Oberkahn. They are vile mercenaries who sell their honor to the highest bidder. I am scrambling everything – palace security, air force, and all privately owned fighters who's owners I can persuede to fight." Sure enough, in the back of tactical screen, over a hundred green blips swarmed towards the engagement. "They will not draw another breath over the soil of my tribe."

Jake grimaced. "I appreciate the gesture, and I hope they're not too late to help." As he spoke, the two forces came into maximum range, and turbulant swirls of energy flew like rain. Fighters exploded on both sides, confusing the tactical display for a moment…and then it was a tornado of furious dogfighting. I noted that we'd taken heavy losses, though Marco was still among the living. Of the enemies, only two Taruffs and both bug fighters remained. As I watched, Marco launched a missile at a bug fighter, who dodged straight into an oncoming stream of friendly fire. The aft of the Yeerk ship ablaze, it slammed into the sand and disintegrated.

Obviously, we'd come into range of the dogfight ourselves. Rachel picked off the remaining bug fighter with a well-placed shot, and the two remaining Taruffs turned and hauled butt. Marco and the lone surviving Taruff started a lazy loop back towards the palace as the rest of the fighters swarmed past the Messenger in pursuit of the cowardly Oberkahn. Ax shadowed Marco's turn back towards Amni'bel's palace, and for once I actually appreciated Marco, and couldn't stop myself from saying so. (Mako..Marco, this is Tobias. Man, that took some balls,) I said grudgingly as Rachel shot me an incredulous look.

"Thanks, bird-man. I…wow. That was pretty brave, huh?" he asked jokingly, but I could still pick up on the undertone of adrenaline and wonder in his voice, as if even he didn't know he had it in him. If he would only stay this humble…

"Well, Tom Cruise can eat his heart out. Top Gun was a movie about a bunch of chumps compared to me. Note to Tom – I went to the danger zone. I went tooooo the dangah zooonnnneee!" he sang horribly over the intercom, and everyone with a mouth started groaning.

(Quiet down,) I said. (He's earned his little vacation from reality.) That got a laugh out of everybody as we all dropped into our previous landing areas in front of the palace. The engines of both craft powered down, and for once I felt perfectly safe.

If I'd thought we were heroes before, there was no doubting it now. The throng of blue-skinned humanoids around the Messenger was nothing compared to the sheer amount of Taruffs who'd come out of the woodworks to surround Marco and Lok. They'd all picked up on Marco's name and made a chant out of it, and the number of voices involved reverberated through the thick steel hull of our ship. Marco climbed out of the cockpit, stood in the seat and raised his hands to all of the gathered people, who roared even louder than before. "This is just great," Jake said sarcastically, and Rachel shook her head vigorously in agreement. Ax just looked troubled.

(What is it, Ax-man?) I asked. I figured something must really be wrong if Ax wasn't enjoying our unforseen victory.

(How many of Crayak's team are here?) he wondered. (We've already gotten rid of two of them. This unknown Andalite is probably still here, inciting rogue Taruffs to try an assassinate us. Some of his team has to be at the Trunsk homeworld.)

Jake perked up a little. "Their tactics are pretty clear. They don't want us gaining the support of the Taruffs. They want to kill us off or alienate us from some or all of the people we're supposed to save while the other half of their team is probably with the Trunks, getting them all psyched-out and prepared to demolish the Taruffs. We need to have a brainstorm session and figure this out." He looked a lot more troubled than he had a few minutes ago.

(Who needs to be included in this meeting?) I asked. Rachel answered for Jake.

"All of us, obviously. I think Lok and Amni'bel should be there for it too. I mean, their input is going to mean a lot if we're going to prepare the Taruffs for war, right?" Jake nodded.

(I'll go get Marco, Lok, and Amni'bel. We can meet aboard the Messenger. I'll have them here as soon as possible.) Jake agreed, and I finally felt like I was going to get to do something to help. I flew out of the ship and started rounding everyone up, already trying to think of things we needed to do. If we were going to win this thing, we all needed to start thinking strategy – and fast.