CHAPTER FOUR
Disclaimer: I-do-not-own-any-of-KA's-characters...
A/N: I'm writing this in France, it's snowing outside, the room I'm in has no central heating and I am COLD. Absolutely freezing.
-hL
Okay… By the time I received the story hL had already returned to Singapore… anyway, here's the story.
-Gt
I stared at the oncoming Bug fighters with fearful eyes.
(Quick!) Jalilan hissed. (Hide! It will go hard with you if you are discovered!)
Knowing there was no time to lose, we scrambled for a clump of thick bushes and ducked behind them. Hearts racing, grass wet under us, we waited.
It didn't take long.
Several Bug fighters landed in the clearing, forming a circle around the Andalite, as he stood alone.
Maria whispered, "Hey, do you realize that Bug fighters look almost exactly like mutant cockroaches? I-mmmf!"
Hannah had clamped a hand over her mouth. "Maria. Now is not the time."
We all knew that Maria was trying to make light of a lose-win situation. And that tonight, the Yeerks would be doing all the winning. Five Bug fighters against one Andalite. It didn't take a genius.
"Shush, you lot." Jon. "Look what's just landed."
I looked- and gasped.
So that was what a Blade ship looked like in reality. In the textbooks, their colour wasn't blacker than the blackest of nights. They weren't so evil looking. But most of all, pictures could not send shivers running down your spine.
Jumping out of the Bug fighters were creatures holding Dracon beams, creatures that could only be Holsars. You want a description? OK, you asked for it. Holsars are probably the most bizarre aliens I had ever come across. They kinda look like humans, about the size of an 8 year-old, but with abnormally large heads, three-fingered hands and, where a normal person's legs should be, a thick tail. They move like snakes, slithering across the ground. Their mouths looked like V-shaped slits hacked into their faces and their eyes were compound, like an insect.
They were covered with scales, the colour varying with each Holsar. Mostly though, it was sort of a mixture of grey, green and brown, with more of grey and less of brown. Even though I knew that Holsars weren't voluntary Controllers, they still gave me the creeps, for their strange colour somehow reminded me of that of the yeerks.
Whenever the Controllers looked at the Blade ship, the look on their faces was deferential mixed with fear. They formed a sort of avenue from the Blade ship to Jalilan for the visser inside to walk down, the closest Controllers keeping Dracon beams trained on the young Andalite.
The ship's door slid open.
And out walked-an Andalite. This Andalite looked a bit older than Jalilan, and curiously like him.
I heard Jalilan's sharp intake of breath.
The Andalite-Controller clip-clopped down the avenue until he was only a few feet away from Jalilan.
(Well? Surprised to see me, proud Andalite? And do you recognize me?)
Jalilan seemed to be fighting some sort of inner battle with himself.(Yes. I do,) he said finally. (You are Visser Seven.)
The Visser's laugh echoed around the clearing.
(Oh, much more than that, Jalilan-Sorrum-Dakandyth, so much more! Come, come, you cannot hide from it forever! Admit it, while you are still uninfested, and save yourself a great amount of trouble!)
Jalilan threw back his head. (I will, though not to gratify you, but because it pains me not to say it. Your host, Arkaftor-Litan-Akhiral, is my elder brother.)
We all looked at each other. Maria had a tear coursing down one cheek.
(Oh, if you could hear my host's pleas and entreaties! He begs with me to spare you. That will not be possible, for The One will be most pleased to find out where the renegade Andalites are, my brother. Do you recall how my host, you, and your sister Veerala used to play tag together?)
(I remember nothing of the kind,) Jalilan gritted.
(Then I will enlighten you. Arkaftor used to let you and Veerala catch him, didn't he? He let you win, don't you remember? And how about that time-)
(Filthy Yeerk!)
(Tut tut, rough language won't help, you know. You and you, grab that Andalite and get him on board my ship. We'll infest him quickly.)
Two Holsar-Controllers moved toward Jalilan. Hannah grabbed Jon's hand and dropped it just as fast.
Jalilan moved like lightning. He thwacked a Controller with his bladeless tail, knocking the Dracon beam out of its hand. Before anyone could stop him, the Andalite dived for the weapon, jacked the setting to maximum and turned it full on himself.
The Dracon beam dropped to the ground. Only that and a wisp of smoke indicated where Jalilan-Sorrum-Dakandyth had once stood.
(FOOLS!!) Visser Seven thundered. His lethal tail whipped out, and the Holsar-Controller whom Jalilan had taken the Dracon beam from no longer had a head. (I hand you this Andalite on a platter and you bungle it! The One is not going to take kindly to this... You five over there, clear all the tracks and evidence that we were here from this place, the rest of you hapless idiots get back on board ship, if you can handle such a difficult task!)
Within minutes, all traces of alien activity had been cleared from the area, and the Yeerk ships had taken off again. It was as if nothing had happened. However, we knew differently.
All of us stumbled out from our hiding place. Both girls had tears pouring down their cheeks, and to tell you the truth, I felt like bawling myself. Jalilan... That good, brave Andalite had sacrificed himself to help Earth. The only thing we could do for his memory was to continue the battle- as Animorphs.
"We'll do it, Jalilan," I said and stared up at the darkening sky with moist eyes.
A/N: Ooh… touching, isn't it? Well but yeah, all these has to happen, since this whole story is based on the fact that history is repeating itself. But don't worry, most stuff will change, except the important ones like getting the morphing power. That's it for now, hope you enjoyed it! Oh, and I won't be updating much next year, because of new school, new subjects, new everything. But I'll try to squeeze some time in… remember to review for the next chappie!
-Gt
