CHAPTER 4:MARIEL

A few weeks passed and my concerns about the evening spent walking home with my parents were all be forgotten. Feeling exceptionally compatible, I decided that it would be a nice day to accompany my father to the space port for his final debriefing. I was making the effort to be sociable. I wanted to make up for all of the fuss made over my missing the homecoming.

I know what you're thinking, >yeah right,> but I was. I was just hoping to be more sociable with a certain warrior.

We entered the base from the same outpost that I had used on my previous visit. I saw some of the workers from my first visit. They smirked at me, but my father didn't seem to notice. All that matter was that they showed him due respect. My ears got hot (like blushing) and I followed close to my father's heels. I hate it that I act like a girl even when I don't want to.

The base was bustling this morning. I appeared that a pair of Skrit-Na raiders had been intercepted. Judging from content of the debris scattered around the ship, they must have been on their way back from pillaging. There was a ring of junk around the ship's cradle. Maybe it's just that I am a female, but I don't understand why we Andalites appointed ourselves the task of policing Skrit-Na activity. Nothing good ever comes of collecting interstellar garbage. Typically, we >relieve> the Skrit-Na of what ever treasures and lifeforms they had collected, just to make sure most of the junk is worthless. We detain the Na, leaving the Skrit onboard, so that we know where to return the lifeforms to. In the case of sentient beings, we erase this unpleasant portion of their memories as soon as we get them home.

I wasn't interested in the goings on about the ships. I was on a mission to socialize, remember? I was looking for Karrass. He was usually easy to locate. I came to the base often now and always at the same time. He took a break everyday at the time that I happened to show up. I just made things easier.

He wasn't where I expected him to be, so while I was not waiting I turned my attention back to the ship. Something was going down. A group of four warriors was standing at the base of the ship's loading ramp. They were on the alert: slightly crouched, all eyes facing forward, tails at the ready. I knew there was trouble just by the crouch– it's a flight instinct that prepares them to bolt. Most warriors were trained to control the instinct, but this bunch couldn't see their enemy, so the reverted to what felt natural.

From within the bowels of the ship, a cry rang out followed by the shriek of tearing metal. I could hear gravely screeches, banging and the scrabble of claws. I discovered that I was just as intent on the sounds as the warriors were and was just as ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of blue and green as the warriors leapt back away from the ship and the enraged Hork-Bajir burst form the hold. The two blades on the top of its head signified that the it was a female. Her red eyes rolled in terror as she took stock of the outside world. She had obviously been hiding and had reacted violently to whoever had been unfortunate enough to discover her. She had struggled, broken away, and tumbled down the ramp.

The warriors rushed her and she lashed out with her deadly blades. She caught one of the warrior's tails as it was arching toward her and had nearly severed the blade. Another, she landed a glancing blow on the cheek. The two wounded recoiled, and seeing her opening, she bounded incredibly high and landed just to the outside of their offensive circle. There was a pause while both parties momentarily regrouped.

The warriors were in no hurry to lock blades with her again and I suspect that she was beginning to feel the pain from a number of lacerations. A number of heads snapped back toward the ship as an equally bloodied Karrass skidded to the hatch, pulled a dracon beam from a stack of alien artillery, and shot the stunned Hork-Bajir point blank in the chest. She sat down heavily and stared at him panting. Slowly, she lay down. I learned later from the Na's log that they had collected the Hork-Bajir only yesterday. My first thought was, what was wrong with this Yeerk? They were known to surrender at a leaf drop. Then I had startling idea. Could this creature be free? Where would the Skrit-Na have gotten such a beast?

I felt a wave of pity for the poor brute. From her scarred dermis, I guessed that she had been used to fight for the Yeerks. That meant that she grew up knowing the Andalite as an enemy. She only fought to escape from what her mind saw as a clear and present danger. Had I been equally possessed of such a simple mind, I probably would have done the same thing.

I heard Karrass drop the dracon beam and I turned to look. The weapon clattered to the deck.He placed his hand inadequately over the three oozing wounds on his chest. Obviously she had kicked him.

He came stiffly down the ramp and approached the Hork-Bajir. She watched him, wide eyed as he lowered himself awkwardly to the ground. He placed his hands flat and palm down in the dirt. He tried to stop heaving, but the best he could do was to breath deeply of a bit, then pant. He balled up his fist and brushed his knuckles of the Hork-Bajir's shoulder. She tossed her head back and clipped her beak. She seemed visibly more relaxed. He gave her an Andalite smile then promptly stood and walked away.

Our eyes met as he passed me by and I fell into step beside him without even thinking about it.

>What was all that about?>

>She was kidnapped, dragged across the galaxy, deposited on a strange planet, and attempted to defend herself,> he responded ill-temperedly.

>I meant after you shot her. And don't take that tone with me. I didn't kick you, but I'm thinking about it.>

>They're right. You are forward. I greeted her in the way of her people so that she would know that we weren't going to hurt her. The head toss was her acceptance. The gesture was sharp up, but slow coming to rest though, which means that she didn't trust me.>

>How do you know that?>

>Know your enemy. It's as easy as that. I've been in a few battles and sometimes the Yeerks desert their hosts. It's a good idea to be able to speak with the Hork-Bajir because sometimes their nonverbal communicative efforts can be misconstrued as aggressive. Once, one of them even lead me out of a trap. If I were the common bigot, I would have killed him and been caught.>

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want him to get weird on me. So for a while, we were just silent together. And it was okay.