What is meant by a'al and ge'ari

The rhino lowered his head and shoved, almost gently, at the unmoving form on the ground in front of him. There was no response; the human rolled limply over on her back as he shoved. Still breathing, still alive, but not going anywhere for a while. He shoved again, so she rolled over to lie on her stomach, head on the side. Still, there was no reaction.

Perfect.

She'd tried to avoid the charge, of course, moving to the side. His head and horns had missed her; his shoulder had struck, sending her flying into a tree; and then dumped not-so-gracefully to the ground by simple gravity. Knocked unconscious. By him, tree, or ground, he didn't know, and it didn't matter.

He'd sent his host – his voluntary host, in leopard morph – back towards the nearest control centre to warn about the attack, and the presence of Animorphs. That damn cape buffalo was little cause for worry, merely a nuisance.

The kii-raja had been the threat. With the kii-raja out of the way, at least for a while, things should go very smoothly. And when the kii-raja returned… there were ways of dealing with kii-rajas. Besides, by then, it wouldn't matter.

He turned his new host towards the cruiser ship – the Rachel, as the sentimental wretches had named it.

The new host was silent. He'd been told once, by a freed involuntary on Earth, that staying still and quiet made it harder for the Yeerk to find what it sought, and to reach the host's mind. The Yeerk would still find what he looked for, but not as easily. Like opening a window. If you don't open it, the thief will smash it and climb inside, maybe cut himself on a shard of glass or two. But if you do open it, the thief has easy access.

The Yeerk felt a mental sneer.

It would never strike him to inform his host of how correct that was.

Fool host.

What is it? Tobias asked at once, on instant alert at Rachel's tone.

Rachel shook herself, frowning, her hand being lifted from the black pad, shaken, and replaced there. "It's impossible, that's what it is," she muttered. "Not even the One could be mad enough to… no, he couldn't control the thing, he'd have no use for it…"

Control what?

"See for yourself," Rachel said, collecting herself again.

Tobias put a talon on the black pad, beside Rachel's hand. He was almost disappointed. A kii-raja?

But the blind Animorph shook her head. "Three blades on his tail, not one. Four toes, not three. No blades on his hind legs. Also, too big. That's an a'al kii-raja. A great kii-raja. A dominant kii-raja."

And Tom would be..?

"Ge'ari kii-raja. Lesser. Submissive. Kii-rajas live in pairs, remember? One dominant, one submissive. You can train the submissive kii-rajas. They're useful. They'll stay with whomever they learn is their master. But not the greats. The greats are only one thing, and that's dangerous. A great will eat a Kelbrid if he can catch one, and he can – even a lesser can catch a Kelbrid, and a great is bigger, stronger. They're born from lessers, in the same litters, but they're killed at birth. Obviously this one wasn't. I can't figure why any Kelbrid would allow it," Rachel said, forehead wrinkled. She had been ranting in a very un-Rachel like way, obviously troubled.

Maybe it wasn't the Kelbrid.

"Yeerks?"

A host body like that? Tobias said grimly. Do you think they'd pass the opportunity if it came?

"There's a reason why they're called dominant. Host?" Rachel scoffed. "That'd be like controlling a hungry Taxxon."

Have you ever seen them try?

"No."

Have you ever even seen one of these, alive?

"No," she admitted grumpily. "But I've heard more than enough about them. Tobias, we can't leave it here."

Tobias gave her a sharp, surprised look. We're taking it with us?

"No. We're killing it."

With that, the Hawk came into motion again, heading towards the a'al kii-raja. But soon, Rachel pulled it up to a halt, frowning and fingering the pad.

There was something not quite right about that a'al kii-raja. It was moving as if running, but getting nowhere, only ripping earth and grass out of the ground. Now and again it would shake its head – its entire body – in helpless fury, but still get nowhere.

But as the kii-raja was lifted off the ground, into the air, she noted the bug fighter not too far above it, and realised… tractor beam. The kii-raja was trapped in a tractor beam.

"You were right, Tobias," she said. "Yeerks."

The Hawk took refuge in among the trees, where the bug would not detect the small Kelbrid fighter unless it searched for it.

What are they up to?

"I don't know. But I don't like the thought of an a'al kii-raja in Yeerk hands."

Or any kii-raja in Yeerk hands, Tobias added.

He was surprised to hear a sharp Kelbrid word – probably not a very nice word – coming out of Rachel's mouth.

What?

"They're heading for the Rachel."

That basically means they know we're stealing it back.

"That basically means we're not," Rachel amended. "The a'al kii-raja will ruin everything."

Then we need to get there before the bug.

"Already on our way," said Rachel grimly, spinning the Hawk around and setting it at maximum speed.

By the time the fighter slowed to a stop and the hatch to the outside opened, Minalea had lost all feeling in her knees, and had sagged resignedly against the wall for what support it could offer, despite the strain on her shoulder.

When the Kelbrid child loosened her ties to the wall she fell to the floor, and to get her up and out of the fighter the two Kelbrid had to help her wobble along, on front legs that were all too stiff to move properly – but still managed to constantly fold beneath her weight.

They gave her little time to take in what was around her, and all she managed to note were large – impossibly large – trees, all too many Touched for her liking, and a distinct lack of Carali.

The last worried her the most.

She had almost regained normal mobility in her front legs by the time the Touched stopped, by the stem of one of the large trees. There was a group of Touched about her, now, their eyes gleaming a dangerous green and their horns whipping in great circles above their heads. She soon realised that they were arguing – they had begun with using words, but one snapped a short command, gesturing at Minalea, and after that they went over to gestures – which she did not understand. They were pointing up the tree, now and again, and that was about all she understood – or, thought she understood.

Finally, one leapt up the tree, anchoring the great claws on his feet in the bark, and made another set of gestures.

They seemed to agree. They waited while one rushed off. They waited until that one returned, a coil of thin chains in one hand.

Minalea decided that whatever they were up to, she probably wouldn't like it.

Two Touched took a firmer hold of her arms and a pair of others squatted down on either side of her with the obvious intent of tying her hooves together.

Not happening, Minalea told them. She reared and danced aside, kicking with her back legs so that they had to scatter out of her way. Not the hooves. Leave the hooves alone!

If there was any sort of freedom she liked second best to freedom in general, it was the freedom of being able to run away.

Tie her hooves?

Not a chance. Not the hooves!

But one of the Kelbrid who held her arms sent her a questioning look, and raised an arm… whether to strike her or to slash across her throat with his wrist blade, she didn't know, and she didn't care. Neither being dead or being knocked out appealed to her. Neither would help.

She froze, and stopped kicking. Okay, okay, tie the hooves, she said quickly.

The Kelbrid did. First, they wrapped several layers of thick, rough cloth around her pasterns, and then wound the chains around those. Properly, too, and so that she could barely stand, with all four hooves connected by those thin chains.

And then, to her great horror, they spun her around and began slowly but effectively dragging her up the tree, lifting her by the bonds between her hooves so that she hung upside-down.

Minalea had to summon all her courage and self-control to keep from panicking. First of all, heights were uncomfortable. Secondly, she was hanging upside-down, which was both uncomfortable and terrifying. Thirdly – which was purely terrifying – for all she knew, they might be dragging her up in order to drop her..?

Perhaps it was some sort of Kelbrid ritual. Perhaps it was –

Okay, she thought, angry with herself. That is definitely not going to keep me from panicking. Calm down.

Despite that little voice of reason, it was all she could do to keep from screaming. If she began screaming, she might never stop.

The distance between her and the ground quickly grew to extreme.

When it had gone past extreme, and was approaching ridiculous, the thick branches of the tree were so tightly intertwined that the Kelbrid were forced to use their hands more than their horns to shuffle her about – about, and still further up. If her hands had been free, she could have reached out at almost any time and not found the place to straighten her arm. If she had not been so busy being terrified, she might have been overwhelmed by claustrophobia.

Now, due to the mishmash of branches, she understood why they had simply not flown her up in a fighter.

She didn't struggle. If she did, she might fall. Despite the mass of branches, she had no chance to catch on to anything if she fell. She'd only break a few bones and continue falling, down, down, down…

The mere thought was enough to make her cooperate as well as she ever had cooperated on anything.

But if she ever had been relieved about anything in her life, it was when they finally dumped her, quite unceremoniously, in a hollow in the tree's massive stem.

The relief increased – if possible – when Carali was dumped beside her.

When the first burst of colour and joy erupted in Rachel's head – Tom's corner of her head – she lost control of the fighter and it almost crashed into a tree. Before the second explosion – always stronger – could come, she stopped the Hawk and took her head between her hands.

What the… Tobias began, worry clear in his voice.

"Tom," gritted Rachel, trying to collect her thoughts. "He's prodding again."

He's on his way?

It took Rachel a moment to understand why Tobias asked a question with such an obvious answer. Finally, when her kii-raja's mental sendings began to grow less explosive, she understood; why would Tom be coming? He was supposed to be guarding Jeanne.

"We need to pick him up, he's edgy," she said, hearing a note of determination in her own voice. "He knows I'm near but he can't smell me since I'm in a fighter." She did not wait for a comment – she simply wheeled the fighter down towards the forest floor, skimming along above it, towards the point where she knew Tom was.

What about the a'al kii-raja? We don't have all the time in the world.

"We'll hurry," Rachel said dismissingly. Through the black pad she used to control the Hawk, she 'felt' the shape of her kii-raja, and lowered the fighter even more, letting it hover about three meters off the ground. She opened the hatch, and an rush of joy – as well as several thought-pictures of the hovering Hawk – appeared in Tom's corner of her mind.

"Tom, jump," she called, one hand still on the controls but standing by the hatch; Tom's thought-pictures came closer and closer to the fighter – it was, as usual, confusing to see herself standing in Tom's vision, but she was used to orienting from that perspective. Almost like a videogame.

The kii-raja leapt; there was the screeching of sharp claws against the metal of the Hawk's floor as he landed.

Then something appeared in the edge of the fighter's felt area, having been hidden by the trees. It was a bug fighter; it was swooping quickly closer – it was firing.

Rachel moved the Hawk up and out of the way… claws screeched against metal again and a low whine and a burst of surprise in the kii-raja's mental sendings told her that Tom had almost fallen out through the open hatch, hanging on only by his front claws.

She forgot the bug, as well as her own fighter, and threw herself down to grab hold of the beast before he fell.

Tobias said a sharp word in thought-speech, but Rachel didn't really care. The fighter was still moving, as she'd told it to, heading upwards and sideways, and only Tom's head and front paws were still inside it. The rest of him – most of him – was dangling outside the hatch.

The kii-raja was only remotely concerned about this, pressing his cold nose against her shoulder, pleased to be near her again.

"Dig your claws in, Tom, climb up here," she ordered, trying to focus enough to form a mental picture of what she wanted him to do – he understood better then. "Climb in. Come on."

She pulled at him, at his neck and backspikes, and the muscles in his front legs tightened visibly as he strained to move forwards. The fighter's floor was tilted… his claws gained no true hold, and he was too heavy for Rachel to pull him in.

All her mind could focus on was the horrid picture of Tom losing his grip and falling, falling helplessly… falling until he hit solid ground far below and she wouldn't let that happen, couldn't let that happen. Not to her kii-raja. She clung on to the beast and tried futilely to pull him up to safety.

Then the Hawk detected danger; the tangled network of branches, right in its path. It gave warning, but as no command came from the helm it took its own initiative and twisted clear.

The movement sent Tom further out, and Rachel was dragged with him. She was glad she couldn't see how far up the fighter actually was – but it was almost as bad to know there was nothing except a long fall between her and the ground.

"Rachel, you can't pull him in, you have to turn the fighter so he falls in," Tobias said suddenly. Only then did the blind Animorph realise that he had morphed, to human, and was hovering over her and Tom, unsure if the kii-raja would bite him if he tried to help.

The fighter detected more branches and spun clear again.

Tom's claws screeched against metal – and then suddenly stopped. Rachel felt wind blowing past her head and shoulders – she was leaning out the hatch, only waist-down still inside the Hawk. Tobias had grabbed her around the waist with one arm and was trying to hold her in.

"There's a bug fighter nearby," he reminded her urgently. "He's getting ready to fire again. Rachel, you have to steer the fighter. Let go of Tom, you have to –"

Rachel didn't pay him much attention. "Come on, Tom, get in here."

Tom gave another whine, not understanding. The fighter twisted, avoiding more branches – due to that sudden movement, a red dracon beam narrowly missed them.

Rachel felt the intense heat of it on her face as it passed, and suddenly her head was very clear. Clear enough to understand the mental picture of a near-by bug that Tobias was giving her, and… "Tom, if you don't get in here right now I'm going to have to be very angry with you," she gritted. "And you'll be heading away from me again. Get in here!"

Tom's shoulders jerked in alarm at the risk of his human's anger… and at the prospect of being separated from her he dug his claws in and made a desperate attempt to climb in through the hatch.

Kii-raja claws tore at the metal floor and both Rachel and Tobias were shoved out of the way as Tom victoriously stormed inside. With two humans, a kii-raja, and a whole lot of luggage, the fighter was very crowded.

Rachel went for the helm, as Tom made a point of moving between her and Tobias and snarling so that Tobias backed carefully away.

The bug fired again, but now Rachel was back in control of the Hawk, and the threat was quickly dealt with. And the hatch was closed, of course.

"We still need to warn the others about that a'al kii-raja," Tobias prompted her.

"And we better hurry," Rachel agreed. "We've lost some valuable time."

Tobias decided not to comment that. "Shouldn't they be all right – as long as they can get inside the Rachel?"

Rachel grimaced, and pointed wordlessly at the floor by the hatch… which now was adorned by two sets of three deep cuts were Tom's claws had struggled to grip the metal.

Tobias found himself staring.

"And an a'al kii-raja is bigger – stronger," Rachel reminded him.

Tobias turned to stare at Tom. He looked down at Tom's knife-like claws. And requested; "Could you tell Tom to stop snarling at me?"

Rachel sent him a wicked smile over her shoulder. "What – it bothers you?"

Tobias took another look at the menacing beast, another at the ominous parallel gashes on the floor near the hatch, and gave a nod. "Yep," he admitted. "It definitely bothers me."

Jake was very, very tired. He was perfectly awake – at least, he hoped so – but he was tired. Perhaps being tired had messed up his timing, but it felt like time to leave, and more than half his team were missing. Marco and he were by the Rachel, waiting for the others to show up.

He needed Jeanne, Santorelli, or Tobias, to open the Rachel's door – they had listened to Melissa when she'd revealed the new access codes. Menderash would have been able to break his way in anyhow, of course, but Menderash was not there.

When Santorelli appeared, Jake was partly relieved. Seen Melissa and Jeanne? he asked.

No, Santorelli replied. Well… yes, actually. A while ago. Over there. He turned to toss his head in about the direction he had come from. But they seemed okay.

They should appear any minute, then, Marco concluded.

Probably, Santorelli agreed.

We still need to wait for Rachel and Tobias to return… Jake sighed, pacing a few steps.

Should I open the Rachel's door?

Incoming, Marco announced, before Jake could answer, pointing up at the sky, at the bird-of-prey-inspired shape of Rachel's Kelbrid fighter.

Tobias's thought-speech reached them, but the fighter made no attempts to land; I hope you're all set to go, cause we've got a problem on the way.

What kind of problem? Jake demanded.

A kii-raja kind of problem, in Yeerk hands. Rachel says it's a great kii-raja, a mean one – stronger and bigger than a normal kii-raja.

Bigger? repeated Marco. You mean, bigger as in bigger chance he'll leave us alone, right?

Probably depends on how hungry he is.

That's so not what I wanted to hear, complained Marco.

And considering how the Yeerks controlled the Taxxons, I'd say he is suitably hungry.

Tobias?

Yes?

Shut up.

There was a short pause. Then; Rachel just told me it doesn't matter if he's hungry. He'll attack morphables cause they don't… smell right.

Don't smell right? Jake said.

Anyone got any deodorant? Marco wondered uneasily.

According to Rachel – and tell me if I misunderstood, Rach – kii-rajas smell DNA. They don't like when they don't see what they smell. And morphables…

…have too many types of DNA, Marco finished.

Precisely.

I knew there had to be some downside to this morphable-business.

Where are Jeanne and Melissa? Tobias asked.

Out there, somewhere, Jake told both him and Rachel. Worried about Tom?

There was another pause. Tom's up here, with us, Tobias said finally.

What?

Tom's with us. We figured Jeanne had sent him off when she rejoined you at the Rachel. Although, why she'd have done that when she knew we were in a fighter…

Rachel, who'd handle best against that kii-raja, rhino, tiger, or gorilla? Jake wondered sharply.

After a moment of silence, Tobias replied; She's betting on rhino. The thick hide should be useful, and the weight, but it'd be a defensive fight. And Santorelli would have to keep his head low to protect his throat.

Heard that, Santorelli? Jake said.

Yes, confirmed Santorelli nervously. But I don't know if…

Rachel, you're in the air, keep Santorelli alive, Santorelli you guard the ship, and –

Can't I just demorph, open the door, and wait inside the Rachel? Santorelli suggested.

And risk being caught half-morphed by that thing? Not a good idea, Marco said.

Jake continued: And Tobias, get down here and open the door for us, Santorelli can watch your back. Rachel, could you send Tom, too?

But no sooner had he made that request before three bugs appeared, and the Hawk was busy.

No, stay up there, Tobias, one ground target is trouble enough to defend, Jake amended quickly. He was demorphing as he ran, towards the edge of the glade. Santorelli, go for the door as soon as you can, but don't take any silly chances. He went over to spoken speech. "Come on, Marco, we need to find Jeanne and Melissa." Before he disappeared in amongst the trees, grey fur sprouting on his back revealed that he was morphing wolf.

Rachel busied the Hawk with trying to keep the bugs' attention on herself, not on those easy targets on the ground. She had one down quickly enough… and then the bug with the tractor beam put down the a'al kii-raja just inside the clearing.

Rachel, Tobias? Santorelli called, catching the beast's scent, and probably seeing the large blob that represented it for his rhino vision.

Yes?

For future reference: I hate you both.

With the use of dracons, the two remaining bug fighters began herding the overgrown kii-raja towards the Rachel, and Santorelli.

"I was worried about that," Rachel gritted, concentrating on the second and third bugs even as she spoke.

What more? Tobias sighed resignedly.

"That kii-raja – he's learned that dracon beams hurt. He'll have learned to look out for them – and keep away. That's how they control him – that, and tractor beams. Which unfortunately means he'll be a difficult target, even for a fighter."

Hurry up, Jake repeated, for possibly the fifth time, his wolf nose along the ground as he ran.

Marco loped after, on all four, not keeping pace as well as Jake would have liked. I'm coming…

But not quickly enough. The wolf raised his head and sniffed the air, gave the gorilla a glance over his shoulder, and then rushed in amongst the surrounding trees again. Here! he called suddenly, and triumph descended to grimness in that one word.

You found them?

One of them.

Marco did not like that tone of thought-speech at all – he sped up, ignoring the exhaustion in his gorilla limbs. He caught sight of Jake again, prodding at an unmoving huddle of human on the ground.

If it was one of the two missing it had to be Jeanne, beyond question, judging from the colour of her hair. Marco continued forwards only reluctantly. Dead?

No, muttered Jake in response, shoving Jeanne over on her side. Knocked out, bruised badly, we've gotto wake her up, so she can morph.

You don't wake someone who's unconscious, Marco objected. You wait for them to wake up.

We don't have time for that. The wolf paused, head on the side. I wonder if… Jeanne? Jeanne!

What are you doing? She can't hear you – she's knocked out, remember?

A Yeerk in a knocked out person can hear thought-speech, so some part of her will have to hear.

That might be because you can aim thought-speech at a Yeerk.

There was a short silence. Then…

This is a meaningless discussion, Jake snapped. Do you have a better idea?

In fact, I do, Marco said. Without waiting to explain or hear Jake's opinion, he bent down and scooped up Jeanne, cradling her over one gorilla arm.

Careful, Jake cautioned. Broken ribs. Might be some internal bleeding…

I know, Marco muttered, adjusting his grip on the unconscious woman with a worried frown on his gorilla face.

Jake was peering at him, his head on the side. You know, this is so King Kong.

Yep. I was just about to go find a building to climb.

Do it later. We're heading back to the ship, and quickly.

You're the boss.

Don't remind me.

They started towards the others, Jake again in the lead. They had not gone far before Marco slowed to a stop, calling a low hold on, she's waking up.

Jake glanced over his shoulder, saw Jeanne stirring, and trotted up beside the gorilla as the waking human was gently laid on the ground. How do you feel?

Jeanne's face twisted into a weak grimace, groaning as she moved her shoulder in a way that obviously hurt her ribs. "Crushed," she rasped.

I can see that, muttered Jake, not without concern. Why did you send off Tom?

"I… didn't."

Then why did he go rushing off to find Rachel? Marco asked. He might not like the kii-raja very much – or at all – but he trusted that when Tom was told 'guard', Tom would guard.

"Santorelli told… him… yaysh."

Santorelli? echoed both Animorphs.

"Infested."

Jake spun around and was running back towards the Rachel already before she finished the word. Marco, look after Jeanne, was all he said, and then he was gone.

Marco rolled his gorilla eyes before aiming them back down at Jeanne. Well then. You better morph.

Jeanne did. Black panther fur appeared slowly at first, hesitantly, but then with more certainty, a tail sprouted behind her, and her limbs began reforming to the strong legs of a large cat. Marco waited, keeping an eye on their surroundings, trying to avoid urging her to hurry, even though he wanted to.

What's with Jake? she asked finally, coming up on her newly formed paws. Her English had improved drastically since leaving Earth; surrounded by English-speakers, her French accent had begun to fall away. But when she used thought-speech one was never sure if she spoke French or English – since one would understand in any case, it was very hard to judge.

Oh, nothing, Marco drawled, motioning for them to follow Jake. We just left Santorelli looking after the ship, that's all.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Author's Note;

There's supposed to be a Kelbrid picture here http://w ww.livejour nal.com/use rs/stor mfairy/36726.ht ml , but it's not working at the moment. (you'll have to remove the blanks, otherwise the link won't work… silly document uploader won't show the link properly.)