Chapter 3
Jake
We raced down the middle corridor. Menderash ran swiftly on his two legs, but he in no way could keep up with the tiger. I went at a slow pace, allowing him to run, but not exhaust himself.
((Should we check these adjacent corridors?)) Menderash asked. Though he was in a human body, it was still technically a morph, thus allowing him to use thought speak. I looked around and saw that there were quiet a few rooms and corridors branching off to our sides, but none of them could lead to the bridge.
((No, keep going on this main corridor. I know this leads to the bridge,)) I don't know how I knew, but I did. We continued to hurry on down the corridor, which eventually lead into an upward slope. At the top was a large landing that had a computer counsel on the wall near a large closed bulkhead. Menderash moved to the counsel, and immediately started to work on it.
((There is a pretty secure code to get into the bridge, but I think I should be able to override it,)) with that, the former Andalite went to work. I paced around the landing, looking back down the long corridor. A morph could attack anytime. I didn't know where they were, but they could be anywhere on the ship. And honestly, I didn't even know how many of them there were. On the bridge, there were only four more accounted for after Rachel's death. The Polar bear, Cape buffalo, and the two lionesses. We had gone over every scenario in fighting those. We hoped that these would be the morphs used to fight us as well. Just hope they don't have any more crew here, I thought to myself.
"Got it," Menderash announced out loud. The sudden break of silence unnerved me slightly. I turned to see the bulkhead doors slide swiftly open, revealing the bridge. I walked into the bridge, ready for any attack. Menderash followed closely behind me with his Shredder blaster ready to take any threat out. The bridge was a large room with many counsels, holograms, and computers. There were lights flashing on different part of the walls and sensors were going off. I turned to my right and saw a hologram, showing an image of what looked like a small mess hall. In the corner of the room I could see a large, dead animal. For a second, I stopped breathing, but took a breath once again when I realized that it was the buffalo. Good, one down, three to go, the cold thought went through my mind.
On other screens, there were images of the corridors, bunk rooms, the engine room, and a large cargo hold. There, in the cargo hold, was the image of a massive fight going on. I could see Marco, holding a long, metal pole around. His powerful gorilla arms swinging the pole like a bat and making contact with a lioness's head. The animal went down hard, but caught itself quickly and regained its footing. I could see a large male lion, Santorelli, leap onto the lioness, sinking his claws into her shoulders. The lioness spun, ripping huge gashes in herself to get away. She slashed Santorelli deep across the face, blinding him in his right eye. Marco was on her in a second, clubbing her in the hind quarters, sending her back legs out from under her. I felt horrible for the lioness. Surely the Yeerk knew that it didn't stand a chance in the fight. A part of me even commended her for keeping the fight going.
I could also see Jeanne, in her own lioness morph fighting the second Yeerk Lioness. Jeanne, or at least what I though was her, was pinning her enemy, sinking her fangs into her neck. The enemy Yeerk rolled, kicking her kind legs up and slashing Jeanne in the gut. Though no real damage was done, it did shake Jeanne loose and gave the lioness time to get up. Marco was on her in a flash. After stabbing his pole through the first Yeerk lioness's chest, Marco leapt onto the second one, slamming his powerful fists down onto her head. The Lioness continued to fight, trying to buck Marco off. Jeanne bit down hard on her left front leg and pulled, making the lioness collapse and ripping flesh off of the leg. In a few more seconds, the lioness was dead.
Finally, farther back in the room was Tobias. I have never seen Tobias use the Grizzly morph before, but looking at him, I never would have thought this was his first fight. He moved the bear morph with perfect speed and strength, battling the polar bear. The two were roughly evenly matched physically, with the edge to the polar bear, but Tobias possessed the brain of a human, bear, and hawk. He was a predator by nature, and he didn't give into things such as pain. Finally, after taking a severely mortal wound, Tobias overcame his enemy bear. I watched as he demorphed then morphed human as a human Marco comforted him.
Beautiful thing, isn't it? A voice announced. I spun around, looking for the voice. The fighting, the death.
I spun to find myself staring at a bright light. The glimmered, then slowly assumed the shape of Efflit 1318, the controller we talked to back aboard the Rachel.
((The One, I assume,)) I said darkly. I felt my muscles tighten ready to attack.
"Down kitty, don't make a move that could cause any harm now. Yes, I am The One. The supreme being here. You are in my space now, and I suggest that you learn who is in charge,"The evil creature said in a human voice and looked at me, giving a very wicked smile.
((Well, I always had a problem with authority figures,)) I said. This brought another smile to The One's face. ((Who are you? Where is our friend Prince Aximili? Where are the Kelbrids?)) I don't know why I asked those questions all so quickly, but they all just came to my mind. I guess that over the last half year I had really had too much time to think about things.
"O, aren't we inquisitive?" The One asked with a crooked smile. "As I said before, I am The One. O, not a good enough answer for the famed Jake the Yeerk Killer? Well, it will have to work. Andalite Aximili is here, with me. The Kelbrids? What Kelbrids. They never existed. They are only a, what do you humans call it, an fairy tale that I created. See, I like my space. I don't like inferior beings interfering with my work. This is how it is, u see."
((What exactly is your work? Going around, "absorbing" people's minds?)) Menderash said. I looked to see that he had his shredder aimed at The One.
"No no no, you sad example of an Andalite. I bet it just kills you to know that you ran away. You left your Prince and ran away. How tragic," The One said. He flashed another smile.
"Well, I came back," Menderash spoke out loud.
((Where is Aximili? We came for him. We don't have any problem with you, and we will leave if you just give us him,)) I asked. I was beginning to get anxious with this.
"Andalite Aximili is right here, has been the whole time," and with that, the evil being tapped his forehead. I heard a shuffling from the back of the bridge, and turned to see a Andalite walk forward. He was young looking, but also strong. He held his tail high, and his arms hung at his side with fists clenched.
AX!
Prince Aximili!
((Hello Jake,)) was all he said. He walked over to us and in a very human like motion, nodded his head and gave an Andalite smile with his eyes.
((Ax, we have to leave, now. Thank God. I didn't think we would find you,)) I said. I didn't even stop to think of why Ax had been standing there and not said anything. I didn't think of that he didn't reveal himself earlier. I was just so relieved and happy to see that he was, after all, alive and ok.
((I cannot do that Jake. I am in service to The One. He is my master now,)) Ax said. He turned his Andalite body and walked over to stand next to The One.
((What have you done with him? This isn't Ax. What have you done?)) I yelled. I coiled my back legs, and with all the strength of a tiger, I leapt. I flew at the one, claws extended, fangs bared. I was ready to kill him. Then, suddenly, I felt the tale blade hit me. Right on the side of the head, hard. Luckily, Ax hit me with the flat side of his tail, but it was enough to knock me out of the air, to the ground. Knock a full grown Siberian tiger to the ground. I hit hard, and before I could get up, Ax's tail blade was pressed against my throat. I knew he could slice right through my neck.
((Ax, what are you doing?)) I screamed. This was my friend. My fellow warrior. I saw Menderash take a nervous, scared step forward, but Ax just glared at him with his stalk eyes. Menderash raised his weapon, but I knew he wouldn't fire on his Prince. Not yet.
((I told you Jake. I am serving my new master,)) was all Ax said.