Chapter five
Tobias
She turned toward me. "We meet again, Andalite."
A voice I knew well. A voice I'd hoped never again to hear. Taylor.
>Taylor.>
"I take it you survived."
>How you survived is more miraculous than how I did.>
She smiled. A face once disfigured, an arm taken away by a fire, all melted once again. A horrific creature rather than a Human-Controller. And I had to see this beauty disfigured once more. Something that never should have been, but is.
"The fact that I'm alive is enough for you to know right now. However…" She trailed off. "Demorph, Andalite."
Cassie:
He never saw the Bug Fighter coming. A simple shimmer, nothing more, and Tobias was brought towards it.
>Ax! What is that?> Jake asked, stalling in mid-air.
>He's being drawn in by some sort of Yeerk tractor beam, Prince Jake.>
Jake didn't even bother telling Ax not to call him prince. >Tobias! Try to get out of there!>
>I can't…> Suddenly he stopped moving. Another shimmer, then Tobias disappeared.
>Tobias!> Rachel yelled.
>Bug Fighter, Taylor maybe?> Marco asked.
>Possibly,> Jake answered. >Tobias? Can you hear me?>
No reply.
>Ax, can thought-speak penetrate force fields?> I asked.
>It can penetrate most of the Andalite fields, but as this is a Yeerk ship…>
>…We have no way of reaching Tobias, Rachel finished for him.>
>He's handled Taylor before,> I said to Rachel.
>Yeah, but he barely survived both times.>
>Look, Rach, we'll get Tobias out of there.>
>But when? After she's tortured him to death?>
All was silent.
Taylor:
"Demorph, Andalite. It's as simple as that."
The hawk didn't make a move, nor did anything change.
"Demorph," I said, reaching for my Dracon weapon.
Of course, hawk eyes miss nothing.
>I will not demorph unless you promise I am safe, no infesting…> His eyes darted to my hand. >No shooting.>
I lifted my hands. "Deal, Andalite."
I saw small tufts of blue fur come from feathers, arms from wings, and an extra pair of legs sprout from his body. Eyes reshaped, two more eyes sprouted on his head…
The tail. I had overlooked the tail. And anything of this magnitude that was overlooked, could cost me my life…
FWAPP!
The blade at my throat, all too familiar.
>Yeerk.>
"Andalite," I countered.
>Tell me what you are doing here.>
"What is any self-respecting Yeerk going to do?"
No reply.
>Of course. Any Yeerk would be commended for capturing the Andalite bandits…>