Note: We are back on schedule with Jake this chapter. We may have another cameo or two. I felt like writing in Toby's character was a good approach to telling the story of the free Hork-Bajir and their struggle for survival. Anyway, here are your responses.

Tiamath: Great story you have here. I'm really enjoying it!
Just one thing, though...I'm pretty sure that Toby is female, and in your note you've identified her as male. It's probably just a spelling mistake, but I thought I'd point it out because I've always found her name confusing. (You also probably already know this, but her parent's names are Jara Hamee (father) and Ket Halpak (mother)

Thank you for your input and review. I read through my chapter after I posted it and found out I had mistakenly identified Toby. She is indeed female, and the mistake was pure not thinking on my part. Apologies all around.

LucreziaNoin86: good job, but one hint,I'm pretty sure that Toby is a girl

Thank you, and indeed she is. You have to admit, in the books she comes across as a battle hardened warrior and thus seems masculine. (No, I'm not sexist.)

SilverHawk27: that was sad. oh, toby's a girl. other than that i really LOVED this chapter

Indeed it was. Jara Hamee was a famous and loved Hork-Bajir, and I hated to see him go. I know, I know, I'm the one who killed him. But I will miss Toby's father deeply.

LilManiac: Aww... so sad.
But hey, this is good! I never thought about Toby's pov before..
KEEP IT UP!

I knew I had to tell about the battle before taking the Blade Ship, and originally it was going to be in Jake's POV. Then the thought Just use Toby's POV popped in my head and I decided to.

LittleMidgett: Aw...poor Toby...wonder how everything will work out for her. Awesome...love it great!
Doin a great job dude!
Hmm...steal the Bladeship then the Pool ship...interesting!
Can't wait!

Just so you know, I have already planned Jara Hamee's memorial at her grave. And yes, I know that stealing the Pool Ship is a bit repetitive, but how else are they going to…never mind. Must not give too much away.

Jake

I let a thermal lift me up, as high as the clouds. It had been an exhausting three days, running and attacking and morphing and attacking again. From my height I could easily see from one end of our playing field to the other, and then some. I saw some of our groups attacking, and some of the Yeerks fighting back. I saw Yeerks rounding up humans for infestation. Almost our entire city was captured now, with a few dozen still escaping Yeerk detection.

Too much. It had to stop now. Before it was too late.

Then I saw it. The Yeerk Pool under the city was no longer completely subterranean. There was a large opening in the top of the dome, where the mall and various other buildings had once stood.

For at least fifteen minutes I made no attempt to flap or move at all. I just floated up high, toying with the idea of destroying the Yeerk Pool.

Some kind of explosive would do it, but no missile would ever get close enough before being incinerated by a Dracon.

We could possibly drive the explosives in a back of a truck or car, but I just as soon killed that idea as well. No human cars were moving down in the city, only Bug fighters and one- to four-seat Yeerk "cars".

Obviously, human technology wasn't good enough to beat the Yeerks. So I thought about Yeerk technology. If we stole the Blade Ship, we could turn the ship's Dracon beams on the Pool.

But then I stopped. Of course I could never order a massacre like that. Sure, they were Yeerks, but they were completely harmless to us in that Pool. If we took the Blade Ship, those Yeerks would be off of this planet in a day, so why bother my conscience?

I turned my attention to more important things. Like whether or not we could even take the Blade Ship. Ax seemed sure he could surpass the codes, but he also said that if those codes were on a time-based rotation it would take him twice as long to break in.

Chances. Risks. Things that had to be overcome in order to win. Because we had to win. Had to.

I also worried where Visser One would be when we attacked. If he was on the Blade Ship, then we were screwed. On the other hand, he might be on the Pool Ship. That is where I wanted him to be. There, we would have a major advantage over him.

As I worried and ranted to myself, I drifted back toward Toby and James' attack group. They, plus another forty Hork-Bajir and the rest of the Animorphs, would be the assault group for the Blade Ship.

I swept past an old office building and into sight of Toby's temporary headquarters. (James, Toby, get ready to assemble at the school. I'll go get the others.) Before they could say or do anything except nod their head, I lifted off.

So for the rest of the afternoon I flew in a more or less straight path along the checkpoints we had designated. One by one I signaled the Animorphs to meet at the school.

And later that day, they arrived. Roughly seventy Hork-Bajir. Thirty auxiliary Animorphs. The six original Animorphs. We were here. We were ready.

-

(Charge!) We rushed forward, in what seemed like an old-fashioned cavalry attack. A cheetah shot past me and sank her fangs into one of the six guards at the foot of the entrance ramp to the Blade Ship. Soon after a free Hork-Bajir jumped on the only human guard and dragged him to the ground.

I pounced, hitting a Hork-Bajir in the face with a paw the size of a dinner plate. His head snapped back and swung his fist instinctively. His wrist blade dug into my shoulder and held me helplessly in place as he toppled unconsciously on top of me.

I struggled to free myself, but the blade in my shoulder rendered my front left leg completely useless. As I struggled I saw a wolf, bull, lion, and Andalite take out the rest of the guards.

I kept on struggling until the weight was lifted off of me and the blade pulled gently out of my shoulder. I was lifted up by a giant, furry, black arm.

(Wake up, Jakey-poo.) Marco laughed. I shakily stood up and ordered everybody to stop.

I told the dozen "Blue Bands" to lead the assault into the Blade Ship. They sauntered up the ramp and onto the ship. We continued down the strangely empty corridor until we came to the door to the bridge. I idly wondered where everyone was.

Then I snapped out of it. (Okay, Blue Bands first. When everybody sees them and turns away, we jump. Toby and Ax will try to seal off the doors, but if they can't do it in time me, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias will hold them off. Ready? Go!) One Blue Band opened the door to the bridge and we saw dozens of humans, Taxxons, and Hork-Bajir watching various monitors. All at once they looked up at the twelve Blue Bands. All at once they hurriedly went back to work.

But the one human standing in the middle didn't appear so frightened. In fact, he seemed chagrinned. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you bozos in here?"

One of them laughed. "Visser One sent us."

The Yeerk wasn't impressed. "He told me he wouldn't send anybody to the bridge."

The same warrior laughed harder. Walking to the Yeerk in control of the bridge, he stopped and leaned close. Then he swung his fist hard into the man's throat. Immediately, the others launched at various Controllers at desks.

(Now!) I yelled, bounding into the room. Ax was beside me, slicing away. I saw Rachel rear up, knocking two Hork-Bajir heads together like something you would see on an old movie. Marco lifted another Hork-Bajir up and launched him through the air at three Taxxons. The Taxxons were sliced open and their brothers set upon them.

The remainder of the free Hork-Bajir were outside, waiting for the rush of reinforcements that was bound to come at any second. Toby went to Ax's side and I looked around.

No Yeerk was left standing. Most were dead, some unconscious, and the rest lying on the floor in terror. I saw the Yeerk who had control of the bridge before we came. He was regaining consciousness in time to see a lion, wolf, and Hork-Bajir guarding him.

I limped to his side. (Where is Visser One?) He just stared at me, then spit.

I repeated the question. He repeated his response. Then I smacked him in the head with a paw.

His head rolled around, dazed. The Hork-Bajir warrior grabbed his head and held it still. I stepped closer, my fangs inches from his neck.

(Spit again, Yeerk, and the Hork-Bajir will slice your tongue clean off. Tell me where he is.)

This time he cooperated.

"He's down in the Pool area."

(You mean on the planet?) I asked incredulously.

"Yes, on the planet. Now let me go!"

(Gag him. He might be useful later.)

Ax turned to me from the helm. (Prince Jake, I have surpassed the codes.)

(Great. Let's get this bird in the air.)