21 When Rachel wants her ship back
:-:-:
Menderash had kept a low profile since they left Cava'ara. He had spoken no more than necessary to the humans in the group, and even though he understood their language he had no plans on befriending the Kelbrid, who mostly let him be, in the same manner they did all the humans – except for Rachel.
Humans. Weak, unintelligent beings who let themselves be led astray by emotions and foolish hopes. Menderash knew very well what they were like, since he now for almost a year had lived in the body of a human.
He sat still under a tree and watched them move about, talk, discuss, even laugh, and entertained himself by pointing out their mistakes and drawbacks. If someone had attacked camp right at that moment, he mused, only that oversized kii-raja would have reacted quickly enough.
If even that. The blind girl's pet monster was busy guarding that Touched.
Another mistake. The prisoner was a major breach of security. And she put a defined restriction to their activities in the area. The Blade ship was very close, and they were all doing no more than glancing up in its general direction with a certain degree of longing.
Menderash most of all. He had not joined this mission – not gotten himself trapped as a human, for tail's sake – to sit around and wait while the humans wasted time.
But even Menderash had to admit that the prisoner could have some strategic value; she knew the enemy, and was willing to help. And he knew that leaving her unwatched could prove disastrous. She herself had sworn not to escape, and as a Kelbrid warrior she would keep that promise – going to extreme lengths to do it, the blind human had explained with a smile. But as long as she was Touched… she was not to be trusted.
As another day and night passed and the group began to feel restless, the so-called leader of the group, Jake, finally agreed to do some exploring – leaving LuRi'il with only the three Kelbrid to guard her. Because if Tom had stayed behind, so would Rachel have had to do – something she was not going to agree on.
Menderash had a few more colourful expressions he wouldn't mind describing that specific behaviour with, but he kept them to himself.
Say whatever you will about humans, but who could have known they would be so defensive? A few words in the wrong direction and the entire group had turned on him like a pack of cornered farnahs.
Menderash sighed. It had probably been unavoidable. But it was truly a shame.
:-:-:
The next morning, Jake and the other humans – and Tom, of course – set out to explore.
Their main goal was to see and avoid being seen. And even Marco had to admit how useful Tom was in that department.
"But I'm not saying I trust the overgrown mongrel," he was quick to add. "Or even like him."
Rachel flashed a grin. "That's okay, Marco. I don't think he's too fond of you, either."
"Except possibly as a snack," Jeanne added.
Marco paled and moved carefully away from the kii-raja, not entirely convinced that they were just kidding. "Jake," he complained. "Make them stop..!"
"Stop terrorizing Marco," Jake ordered.
"Why?" Jeanne replied, smirking smugly. "It's so much fun."
"Maybe for you, it is," Marco muttered, keeping a cautious eye on Tom.
"What's the matter, Marco?" Rachel said in a shaky voice, eyes wide. She reached out with a hand to touch his arm. "Don't you love us any more?"
Marco glanced suspiciously at her hand, and then up at Jeanne, who was still smirking. "That depends," he said carefully, eyes narrowed.
Jake rolled his eyes, and both Rachel and Jeanne broke out laughing.
"How much further?" Santorelli asked.
"Not far," Rachel said, serious again. "I haven't been here before, but JaLa'an has, and he knows where the Blade ship is. Just a few minutes away, now, but we don't want to walk straight at it."
"So we should morph and be ready," Jake said, and began his own morph to tiger.
The others followed his lead. Marco morphed gorilla, as always, and Jeanne turned into her panther. Santorelli was a rhino, and Tobias morphed Andalite, thinking his hawk would do little good against the Kelbrid – not that Andalite would be much better.
Menderash gritted his teeth when he saw that, but again kept his mouth shut.
Their various morphs made them more or less give up any ideas of sneaking. Jake's tiger, Jeanne's panther and Tobias's Andalite could sneak well enough, but neither gorilla nor rhino was fit for the task.
Tom scouted ahead, keeping just within sight and keeping contact with Rachel, who was walking with a hand on Tobias's shoulder to guide her.
When Tom stopped dead in his tracks, tail twitching, they all stopped behind him. Rachel left Tobias and carefully made her way up to the kii-raja's side, as usual placing a hand on his head.
"Show me what you see, Tom," she murmured, thumb stroking his ear. "Show me what you see."
Tom sent her a picture of their surroundings, and a summary of what his nose and ears told him was further away, out of sight. Rachel thought for a moment, before signalling to the others to be quiet and follow.
Tom and Rachel led the group past a lot of posted guards without any incidents – that is, none that were not immediately handled. The security was so slack that Jake began wondering if they were heading straight into a very well-planned trap. But his own tiger senses gave no warning signals; they were not surrounded, and they kept a good distance between themselves and any larger gatherings of Yeerks or Kelbrid.
Curiosity led them towards the centre of the guarded area. They passed by the guards with less and less room to spare, running into more and more, having to deal with them before they caused any trouble. How they avoided discovery by the rest was beyond Jake.
Finally, they reached a large clearing. Leaving the others behind, Jake continued forwards with Tom, Rachel and thereby also Tobias. They edged up to where the last trees grew and peered out.
There was a ship. A cruiser, minimally guarded by two human-Controllers, probably technicians, who stood leaned over a table, deep in a discussion and inattentive to the world around them.
"Well well well…" Rachel murmured, a smile appearing on her face. "What have we here?"
«It's the Rachel,» Tobias said suddenly.
"What?" she snapped.
Jake, who had been looking more around than at the ship, spying for guards, now turned his gaze towards the cruiser and focused his tiger eyes. He saw that Tobias was right. «Yep,» he said. «It is. And it looks like the Yeerks have been kind enough to repair her for us…»
"I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose," Rachel grinned, a hand gripping one of the blades that grew along Tom's spine, as she 'listened' to his pictures.
«So what do we do?» Jake wondered, mostly to himself. The idea of stealing their ship back was… tempting. But the risk was enormous – who knew what precautions the Yeerks had taken? – and it would blow their cover, and running their chances of sneaking up on the Blade ship and freeing Ax. And Ax had higher priority than their ship.
«We could grab it,» Tobias mused. «There aren't enough guards to stop even the three of us. Only those two humans.»
"And another human on the other side of the ship," Rachel reported. "Tom can smell one."
«And grabbing it might be harder than it seems,» Jake warned. «We should retreat back to the others.»
«Retreat,» Tobias huffed disdainfully. «The magic word. What do you think, Rach?»
"I've never liked that term, personally…"
Jake sighed mentally. «Listen. If we steal the ship now, it'll only mean trouble. We should pull back and –»
"And do what? Retreat further?" Rachel snapped in a hiss. "This isn't an opportunity that comes back once a day, Jake. It's now, or probably never; and I'm more fond of now. I don't know about the rest of the group, but I'm going to get my ship back."
And before anyone could stop her, she had stepped out of cover and into the clearing, Tom already just a golden blur, leaping towards the technicians.
Half a second later the first technician went down, the claws of a paw larger than even Jake's ripping across his face to knock him out – but the blow probably ended up snapping his neck – and the second fell with Tom's jaws around his skull.
Rachel called her beast back in a soft voice, and from the ferocious display Tom at once turned meek again, turning and obeying at once.
«Rachel, this is madness!» Jake said, as he and Tobias came out into the clearing to join her.
"Maybe so," Rachel admitted. "But now, if we're quick, they'll never know what hit them and the ship will be hid in the lake with the fighters."
«You're not going to change your mind about this, are you?» Tobias asked.
"Of course not."
«Too late now, anyway,» Jake said, glancing at the two dead Controllers. «Tobias, get the others. Quickly.»
Tobias glared at him with his main eyes. «Do it yourself.»
«Could you stop this attitude, Tobias? We're in a mission here, and there's no room for old grudges.»
«Too bad.»
Jake shook his tiger head in exasperation, and said privately to Rachel; «You ask him. He listens to you.»
Rachel raised a hand to touch Tobias's arm. "Do as he asks, Tobias."
Tobias swivelled a stalk suspiciously towards her, main eyes narrowed as they glared at Jake, but then turned and cantered away.
"So now what?" Rachel inquired. "We enter the ship, or we wait?" Tom was at the back edge of the clearing, scouting, and Rachel felt safe enough.
Jake did not. His tiger tail twitched, ears flicking back and forth, searching for sounds. «I think the best thing to –»
"What a pleasant surprise," a third voice broke in.
Jake spun around. Standing by the front of the Rachel, merely a hundred meters or so away, was that flaxen-haired girl again. He lowered his head and snarled, but then recognized her, and the snarl died away into confusion.
It was Melissa Chapman.
:-:-:
The TO of the SwiftHoof, called Kindelil, was surprisingly young, and very intelligent. But right from the start Estrid disliked him.
He and a good dozen alert-and-ready warriors were there to meet them when they had docked the Phantom with the bigger ship and stepped out of it, into what was known as docking station three. He introduced himself by curtly stating rank and name, barely looked at the five arisths, and his first question was: «Where is the scientist?»
Estrid had stepped forwards and replied in a voice that was as cold as she could make it; «I am right here. My name is Estrid-Corill-Darrath.»
«I beg your pardon, scientist,» the TO said, making a minimal bow with his stalks. «If you would be kind enough to follow me..? There is something we need you to attend to.»
Estrid hesitated. She did not wish to anger the crew just after coming to the ship. The request sounded more like a demand, and something told her that if the TO did not get his way he would use those warriors to force his words through. But she let her stalks sweep over the arisths behind her, noticed that Larynia had raised her tail, Minalea as well, and Aralgo's main eyes were carefully narrowed.
«It has been a long trip and I am weary,» Estrid declared with her best arrogant-scientist tone. Not something she practiced often. «So are my companions. Please lead us to our quarters, and we shall see about your errand tomorrow.»
Kindelil's face flashed to both surprise at her denial and anger, and for a chilling moment Estrid thought he actually would set his guards on them. His hand was half-raised as if to beckon them… but the moment passed and his hand was lowered.
«I am afraid this cannot wait,» he said. He glanced up at the menacing form of the Phantom.
«I have established a mind-link to the computer, TO,» Olana assured him carefully. «To keep mistakes from occurring. The ship is under control.»
«Very good, aristh,» Kindelil approved, although he looked more alarmed than relieved. «Scientist? Now would be a good time.»
Estrid felt like obeying. What was the worst thing that could happen? She was about to take a step forwards, when –
«Why the hurry?» Carali wondered lowly, taking a place next to Estrid, tail half-way lifted. «You were not even aware that she was coming up until a few minutes ago, and already you have tasks for her?»
Estrid felt a wave of thankfulness.
«SILENCE, ARISTH!» Kindelil roared, but Carali held his ground, glaring at the tactical officer. «You are out of line.» He took on an arrogant face; but Estrid did not miss the stalk that worriedly glanced up at the Phantom. «As all our aristh quarters are, for the moment, filled up, you will have to stay in your ship. In the morning, then, scientist – if you do not mind.»
A bow – hurried, but of the same mocking type Estrid knew so well – and Kindelil left the docking station, swiftly followed by his warriors.
The arisths and Estrid went back inside the safety of their cruiser.
«Well, glad to be rid of him,» Aralgo said.
Olana went directly to the controls, a hand pulling absentmindedly at a stalk, expression distant. She began working at once.
«I don't trust him,» Estrid revealed bluntly.
No-one answered, until…
«Neither do I,» Olana murmured suddenly. «Look at this. I knew he had to be lying!»
«What?» Minalea asked, joining Olana to gaze down at the screens. From the way her head leaned to the side, none of it made any sense to her at all.
«He said the arisths' quarters were full. But this is a standard-model Dome ship, and such a ship has quarters for sixty arisths! And I've never even heard of a ship with more than ten. And, there are generally only a few hundred arisths at the Academy nowadays. Sending sixty to the same ship is unheard of!»
«Sixty?» Aralgo repeated sceptically, frowning. «If this ship has sixty arisths…»
«It would be strange, yes,» Olana agreed, turning her gaze back to the computers, fingers swiftly dancing over the control boards.
«But it would explain why they weren't happy to see us,» Carali pointed out.
«Although not why they were so happy about Estrid,» Larynia reminded them. «What are you looking for, Olana?»
«Crew lists.»
«Hold on now!» Carali exclaimed. «You're hacking the database? The SwiftHoof's database?»
Olana's stalks swivelled towards him. «Yes,» she said calmly.
«That's my Olana,» Minalea chipped in proudly. Everyone ignored her.
«Do you know how much trouble that would get us into if they track you?»
«I don't get tracked,» Olana assured him. Then turned her concentration back to the computer.
«Have you hacked the Daybreak's database?» Aralgo wondered curiously.
«Lots of times.» She shifted her weight to another set of hooves, seeing how Estrid's eyebrows were raised in disapproval. «Minalea wanted to see how her military record was,» she explained.
«How was it?» questioned Aralgo innocently, but he was unable to hide the grin that peered forth in his stalks.
«Not spotless,» Minalea admitted, flicking her tail.
«Details, Minalea, I need details…» he pressed, eyes glittering.
«There!» Olana cried. «I'm in. Let's see… list of arisths.» She went silent and blinked in surprise.
«What?»
«There isn't an aristh on the entire ship. All the quarters are empty.»
«Empty?» Aralgo muttered. «Then why did the TO –»
«Check again,» Larynia ordered.
Olana did. «Yes… they're empty. The area has some strange sort of life support, though…»
«Never mind that,» Carali said, taking a step back as if to distance himself from the rest of them. «Who cares, anyway? We're finally back with Andalites, and on a safe ship. Personally, I couldn't be happier. And even if they do accuse us of deserting, at least we'll be safe. Our careers might be over, but our lives won't. I'm going to sleep. And I'll see you bunch of paranoids in the morning – and that includes you, Aralgo.»
«Paranoid?» Aralgo huffed. «Me?» But after giving it some though, he smiled wryly. «Maybe just a bit.»
Minalea flicked her tail again, glancing at Carali as he spun around and left the bridge. «Hate to say it, but I think Carali might be right. I mean, sure that TO and the FO were acting a bit weird, but what can you expect? They're adults!»
Snickering at her own bad joke, she pranced away from the bridge.
«TO and FO,» Aralgo said, but only to himself. «Where is the Captain?»
:-:-:
Aralgo woke in the morning to hear a thought-speech voice calling from outside the Phantom. He left his quarters, muttering to himself, and trotted quickly to the bridge to open the door.
Three warriors waited outside. One was a fighter pilot, introducing himself as Lamnar, the second was the ship's trainer and teacher, Sathor, and the third was a nasty-looking warrior sent by the tactical officer to fetch Estrid. Sathor immediately gave the order to wake the others and bring them out for a lesson in tail-fighting.
Aralgo did as he was told with a mental groan. It was unavoidable, he supposed. As soon as adults were within half a light-year, they would find some excuse to hold lessons.
Estrid refused to come out and stayed in her quarters, mumbling something about pretending to be ill and please send her apologies, and the warrior who had been sent for her trotted away, dark in the face. But soon after the troop of sleepy arisths had assembled outside the Phantom.
Lamnar took Olana aside and asked her to show him around the Phantom, which she gladly did. The others practiced fighting stances and strikes until even Minalea's sloppy tail-handling was more or less acceptable.
Sathor left, taking Lamnar with him, and informing the group that he would be expecting them in the tactic simulation room that same afternoon.
«That's out of thought-speech range from the Phantom,» Estrid pointed out as she emerged from the cruiser.
«So what?» Carali wondered, not even looking up – he was intently focused on practicing a very complicated strike.
«Angle your blade a bit more at the root,» Larynia advised, watching him. «And it is not supposed to end up tip down – the flat of the blade should be down.»
«And since when are you the expert?» Carali snapped.
«Since I was old enough to walk,» she said calmly. «Do as I tell you and you might actually get it right.»
Carali glared at her, and she glared back, both their tails slowly being raised.
«Carali, she's right,» Estrid said with fake patience. «Try it.»
«And you, scientist, of course know everything about tail-fighting too, I suppose,» Carali commented dryly. «In fact, is there anyone here except me who isn't an expert?»
«With Ajaht-Litsom-Esth as your brother it is hard not to pick a few things up,» Estrid said. «Now about the tactical simulations room this afternoon…»
«We have to go,» Olana said. «Or they'll be furious. We don't want that. Oh, Lamnar offered me a tour of the fighters' docking stations instead, so that's where I'll be going.» She glanced at Estrid and Larynia, watching to see if they would argue.
«I don't trust these people,» Estrid said. «But if everyone just stays within thought-speech range to the Phantom and you keep your link to the computer, Olana, I'll be happy.»
«Paranoid,» Carali muttered, turning his attention back to his strike.
«The Dome is in thought-speech range, isn't it?» Aralgo asked. Estrid confirmed that, so Aralgo continued… «In that case, I am going to go have a proper run. I'm hungry.» And he left the docking station.
Olana went back inside the Phantom, mumbling about curiosity and that strange life support discovered earlier. Minalea and Carali practiced a bit more, (until Minalea grew tired of it and went inside the Phantom to take a break, after which she was too busy grinning mischievously to herself to focus seriously on any practicing) while Estrid and Larynia pointed out their errors – much to Carali's annoyance.
It was not long until Aralgo returned, with a surprised smile on his face. «You'll never believe who I just saw,» he said, half-giddy. «In the Dome.»
«Who?» Minalea wondered.
«Well, whoever it was, he looked just like… I mean, if I hadn't known better I would have sworn it was the great Prince Aximili himself! But he's on the Intrepid, everyone knows that…»
Aralgo grinned sheepishly. But Estrid and Larynia were staring; first at him, then at each other. Everything was quiet for a moment, until they both suddenly turned in silent agreement and left the room at a gallop, speeding past Aralgo and out the door.
«Hey!» Aralgo cried in surprise. «Where are they going?»
«Aximili is Larynia's cousin,» Minalea said, rolling her stalks as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
«What?» Carali managed, and both he and Aralgo stared dumbly at her. She just smiled back sweetly, and Carali asked; «But what about Estrid? What's she got to do with the Prince?»
But before anyone could answer Olana called from inside the Phantom: «Ehm… could you come and take a look? You might want to see this…»