Chapter Three

A/N: Aurgh! WRITER'S BLOCK! Gt is helping me out on this chapter, so thanx! P.S- I'm following Gt's story, so The One is a Yeerk. Another thing, I'm on holiday, so I might not be able to get to a computer very often… hL
Sorry I posted it so late, that's 'coz I'm sick for over a week… Can't stop vomiting… longer chappie. Gt :(

Disclaimer: Need I? Read it in from Chapter 1...

Not just an Andalite fighter. A ramp descended and someone walked down.

The same being on page 134 of our history textbooks.

An Andalite.

He spread out his arms in the universal gesture for: Look, I am not going to blow your head off with a shredder, and his voice resounded in our heads.

(Do not fear me. I come in peace.)

No one answered. We were all still too shell-shocked.

The Andalite, thinking we were suspicious, raised his tail blade up over his shoulder for all to see, holding it so that he could not use it. At this, we all gasped, Maria gave a little half-scream, and even Hannah turned pale.

He no longer had a tail blade. A weapon, probably Dracon beam, had burned it clean off. Burnt blue fur carried on up the length of his tail, culminating in a blackened stump where the blade used to be.

At our reaction, the Andalite glanced down at his tail and gave a start.

(My apologies. I had forgotten about my tail blade. When you lose a body part you have had all your life, it is easy to forget the appendage is non-existent.)

I smiled weakly.

(Now, I have come to Earth on an extremely perilous and most probably suicide mission.) He paused; waiting for us to drink this in. (My name is Jalilan-Sorrum-Dakandyth, one of the Pure Andalites.)

Our bewilderment must have registered on our faces, because Jalilan started explaining.

(Well, what better place to start than here? A Pure Andalite is one, which is uninfested by those cursed and filthy creatures, Yeerks,) Jalilan said with hatred in his voice.

Jon gasped. "I thought Alloran was the only infested Andalite in the universe, and not any more either!"

(Sadly, this is not so any more. Quite a number of Andalites have since been infested.)

"B-but the Yeerks are defeated! There aren't any more of them!" Maria stuttered.

(That is why I have come to Earth to tell the first I met the sorry news. First, you must be sworn to secrecy. Never reveal this to a living soul.)

"Why?" Hannah asked.

(Because human-Controllers are once again around you.)

I felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer.

Jalilan started explaining.

The plan to capture the Andalites had been executed with fiendish simplicity. A race of aliens, who were fundamentally on good terms with the Andalites, had since been infested by Yeerks under a leader, as yet unknown. These aliens, Holsars, had been forced by their Yeerk captors to infiltrate a Dome ship, on pretext of a peaceful trading mission.

Once they had gained access to the Dome ship's inner sanctum, the Holsar-Controllers had pulled Dracon beams and sheathed the Andalites' tail blades before any damage could be done. Then it had been a simple matter to infest the Andalites, over a hundred in number.

Now, the new Andalite-Controllers were scouring the Andalite homeworld for the other Andalites, who had taken refuge on one of the planet's lesser moons. Knowing that the Yeerks would once again try for Earth, Jalilan and his twin sister Veerala had been chosen for the mission to Earth.

The two siblings had stolen two Andalite fighters from the Controllers, but, in the process, had been spotted by guards and fired at.

That was when I lost my tail blade, Jalilan explained.

"Why didn't you-"

(With the yeerks hot on our trail, there was hardly any time to even think of morphing,) Jalilan laughed bitterly.

Under heavy Dracon beam fire, Jalilan and Veerala had been forced to split up. He did not know whether his sister had reached Earth.

(Another thing,) Jalilan said, (according to the Andalite Intelligence, there will be two forces of Yeerks trying for Earth, one led by an unknown leader, and one by Visser One.)

We were all stunned. I tried to protest.

"B-but Visser One is in prison- I mean- how could he-"

Jalilan interrupted. (Apparently, a loyal crew of sub-vissers have helped him to escape, leaving behind a substitute Yeerk so no one will suspect. They also have stolen a host from the other Yeerk forces for the Visser. I believe you have heard of this particular host.

"Who is it?" Jonathan asked.

(Tom, elder brother of the Animorph, Jake,) Jalilan replied.

"But…," Maria started.

(No, contrary to common belief, Tom is not dead. He did not kill Rachel. Somebody had morphed him, while he himself was somewhere else, rallying his own yeerk forces. According to my sources, a few controllers under the command of Visser One had found Tom, captured him, forced his yeerk out and had it replace Visser One after erasing his memory. The yeerk was then 'given' the thoughts of Visser One, fooling everybody who talked to him.)

All of us stared dumbly at Jalilan.

Without waiting for us to get over the shock, the Andalite continued, (So, as I said before, there will be two forces trying to take over Earth. In time, you will find out who is leading the second force.)

"No!" Hannah exploded. "We're not going to be pulled around like-like a bone two dogs are fighting over!"

If Jalilan had had a mouth, he would have smiled. (I thought you would take that attitude. That is why I am about to give you morphing power.)

"What-the blue box?" I said, trying to grasp the unexpected turn of events.

(Yes. The blue box. The morphing cube. The Escafil Device. Call it what you will, it is inside the ship. Wait awhile and I will go and fetch it.)

When he came out, he was holding the morphing cube in his seven-fingered hands. (Touch it.)

As we each laid a hand on the box, Jalilan explained our task.

(Trust no one. You cannot expect help from the Andalite homeworld, nor the human government. Several of your leaders are probably already infested. Hold the Yeerks off as well as you can. Slowly recruit other people, ones who believe the Yeerks are back. Here,) he placed the box in my hands, (is the morphing cube. Keep it safe.)

Flashes of light in the night sky made us look up. Several balls of light seemed to be heading straight for the glade. Jalilan's stalk eyes were riveted on them.

(Bug fighters!)

A/N: Remember to review. Too sick to type the next chappie in 'the controller'. Will try to post it ASAP. Don't feel well, gotta go now. Gt :(