Okay, I think I finally cleaned up all those little places the text was wigging out. Sorry I procrastinated on it; it's kind of my thing...
Chapter 16
Out next target was the chemical plant. Jeanne flew cover this time, in owl morph. Darkness had fallen, so we were crouched in the open, not far away from the plant.
Like the water pumping facility, the chemical plant was alongside the river outside of town. The river was between us and the facility, since there were no nearby woods in which we could hide. We thought our side of the river would be safer than the other.
Prince Tobias turned to us. "Okay, it'll be a bit different this time. I once saw a Garatron run across water, so Marco can do that. Al, I want you to go to a small morph. Hitch a ride on Marco. The same thing goes for David, but without the morph. When Marco gets to the other side, get ready to fight. Al demorphs. David goes lion."
"What about you two?" Marco asked, already morphing.
"We'll be waiting in the river, as sharks. Backup."
Rachel glared at him. "I have to be backup?'
"Propane's next."
"Oh. Okay. Marco can sit back and watch that one."
((.AlDavidyoutworeadytogoyetorwhat?What'skeepingyou?))
((I am only halfway into the fly morph,)) I told Marco.
((Closeenoughlet'.Hopon.))
With some degree of difficulty, I climbed onto Marco's back. ((Ready to go,)) David called.
((I am as well,)) I added.
((.))
My fly senses exploded. Vibrations were all around me! Not just vibrations. These were VIBRATIONS! They could not be ignored. The whole world was exploding. ((Marco! Slow down!))
((Couldn'tevenifIwantedtoAl.))
Suddenly, we came to a dead stop. No slowing, just an instantaneous stop. FWAP! ((.))
I flew from Marco's fur. David leapt, already growing into a lion. I was rapidly becoming an Andalite.
FWAP! FWAP! FWAP! ((Comeonkids!))
I heard Jeanne call to me from above. ((Morph faster, Alloran. You too, David. More are coming. They're flanking you. Marco can't take them all.))
((.))
I was fully Andalite now. I could see that Marco was running circles around a group of guards. Probably Controllers. More were coming around the building.
David turned to face me. ((I'll take the guards. You get us through this fence.))
I nodded, then raised my tail. SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! I cut through the links of chain. ((Is this a large enough hole?)) I asked.
((Could you fit a lion through it?)) Jeanne asked.
SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! ((Now I can.))
Marco materialized next to me. ((Let'sgetgoing.)) He glanced over his shoulder. ((YoureadytomoveonDavid?))
David cuffed the last remaining guard with his paw. ((Now I am.))
Marco dashed through the fence. I was right behind him, since he was going slowly. For a Garatron, it was a leisurely stroll. David paused, then pulled the hole open wider. He barely squeezed through. ((Getting out won't be a picnic.))
Inside the fence were three buildings. One was a large factory of some sort. One was a garage. The other looked like a small office building.
((Where do we go?)) I asked.
((Choose fast,)) Jeanne told us. ((I see some boats a mile or so upriver. The Yeerks called in reinforcements. I think I see some Kelbrid with them.))
((Right,)) I heard Prince Tobias say in my head. ((Rachel and I will try to stall them. You have to be out before they get here.))
((Splitup,)) Marco decided. ((I'lltaketheoffice.))
((I can check out the garage,)) David decided.
((That leaves me with the factory.)) I set off for my goal.
((CallifyouneedhelpI'llbetehreinaflash,)) Marco called.
I pulled on the door of the factory. It was locked. SLASH! I removed the door handle. The door was easy enough to open after that.
Inside, the place was full of drums. I didn't recognize any of the labels. Although chemistry was part of my education, humans called their chemicals by different names. And the ones that went into the Yeerk pool were certainly disguised.
((AHHH!)) I heard David yell.
((What is it?)) I asked.
((The garage is full of guards. They were waiting for us in here. I'm hit pretty bad...))
I heard Prince Tobias's voice. ((David, demorph. Get outside. I'm in hawk morph. I can get you.))
((Whyareyouinhawkmorph?))
((Because they'll recognize me that way. I need the Yeerks to see me. Especially when they run into the surprise Rachel just set up for them.))
((Whatsurprise?))
((Giant squid. She'll handle the boats. Make this fast, though; a squid can't handle the river for long. It's far too shallow.))
((I'm fine,)) I heard Rachel argue. I could hear weakness in her voice. I had to move fast.
((There are a lot of chemicals in here,)) I told them.
((Jeanne, go in with Al. I'm sure you'll be able to help him think of something.))
A moment later, an owl flew through the door. Jeanne landed on my back. ((Okay…Alloran, I knock over that drum to your left.))
I swiped it with my tailblade. It fell the floor. A green liquid started to spill out.
((Good. Now, do you see that blue container over by that wall?))
((I see it.))
((Roll it over here and cut it open. Mix it with that green one you just knocked over.))
I did as I was told. In the distance, I could hear the TSWEEE of Shredder fire.
((AHHH!)) I heard David yell again.
((It's just me, David,)) Prince Tobias assured him.
((I know. Please don't eat me.))
((Then stop squirming. Marco, keep those Controllers distracted. Jeanne, Alloran, hurry up. The boats are almost here. Get 'em, Rach.))
Jeanne spoke to me again. ((Now, here comes the tricky part. Spill that jaune barrel over there.))
((The what?))
((The yellow one, I mean. Make sure the liquid makes a line from the yellow one to the blue and green ones.))
I did as she instructed. ((Now what?))
((Use your tailblade to make a spark. The yellow liquid will burn. When the fire reaches the blue and green ones, this whole factory will be cendres.))
((Yeahthat''thinkaboutJakewhileyoublowtheplaceup.))
I slashed my tail across the ground. A spark jumped to the yellow liquid. It caught fire and started to burn. I had only a few seconds before it reached the other combustibles.
I turned and ran.
Chapter 17
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!
The whole world exploded. I was thrown several feet by the blast. The entire plant was leveled. The office and garage were reduced to rubble. The factory itself, as promised, was ashes.
The human-Controllers who Marco had been keeping busy were lying on the ground, unconscious or dead. Marco was lying there, too. He was already demorphing.
I concentrated on my owl morph. It was a little difficult. My ears were ringing, my vision was blurry, and I was tired. Morphing takes a lot out of you. I suddenly realized that we would be doing more morphing tonight than I had ever done in my life.
Still, the changes came. Feathers replaced fur. I shrank. My blurry, dim eyes were replaced with the clear vision of the owl. I took wing over the destruction I caused.
Jeanne, Marco, and I flew up into the night sky and looked down on what we had caused. The whole place was rubble. The fence was destroyed. Bodies lay here and there.
On the riverbank not far away, a pair of boats lay overturned. ((Where is Rachel?)) I asked.
((Look up,)) Jeanne instructed.
An owl, a golden eagle, and a red-tailed hawk circled above us. ((Oh man,)) David said. ((Al, I am getting the most amazing updraft from your little bonfire.))
Prince Tobias answered my unspoken question. ((The Controllers ran off when Rachel attacked them. Something about running into a giant squid in the middle of the night in a calm river really got to them, I guess. Come on, we're behind schedule. Propane time.))
((My favorite part.)) Rachel, of course.
The propane distribution center was on the other side of the town. We decided to fly there in the Reliquary. It was cloaked, so no one could see us.
Once inside, Marco collapsed in a chair. Everyone looked tired. Even David did not have his usual energy. Prince Tobias lay back on his bed, his hands behind his head, his eyes closed. Rachel lay beside him. Jeanne sat in another chair. I leaned against the wall.
"Man, this isn't a good idea," Marco moaned. "Too many morphs tonight. Can't we call it a night?"
Rachel shook her head. "No. Propane's next. I've been looking forward to it all night."
Prince Tobias nodded. "We're only halfway done. We've still got to attack the propane, the sports store, and the pool."
"Dude, there is no way we can take them all tonight," Marco argued. "Jeanne, what do you think?"
She looked unsure. Or maybe just tired. "I think… I will obey my orders."
Prince Tobias shook his head. "Give us your opinion, Jeanne. Do you think we should do it?"
After a moment, she nodded. "It is important to our mission. But I am not sure it can be done. If we are voting whether or not we should continue, I will vote not."
"David?"
((I think…I understand fear. To make the Yeerks afraid, we have to seem superhuman. Invincible. Immortal. They can't know that we get tired. They have to think we'll just keep coming, all the time. They can't think that they'll ever get a rest. I know that kind of fear. I say we have to keep going. That's the only way to scare them.))
"Alloran?" my Prince asked.
((I will go where you lead, my Prince.))
"No. Give me your opinion."
((I agree with David. We must seem like something unnatural if we are to create the myth you want. But we should be mindful of our limits. We are creating a myth; myth is not fact. We are mortal.)) I added, ((Of course, if you ask it, I will do anything.))
"Then we go on. I'll make some coffee. That ought to keep us up for a bit."
Ten minutes later, we were drinking coffee, looking down on the propane distribution center. David and I were in human morph. Marco assured me, from personal experience, that, if you fed coffee to a rat, it would die.
Marco darted his eyes around the ship. "Man, Tobias, this is really good coffee," he said rapidly. "It's kind of like being in Garatron morph."
I nodded. I couldn't keep my hands from twitching.
Jeanne looked at Tobias suspiciously. She was twitching as well. "Tobias, what is à ce café?"
Prince Tobias gave a weak smile. "Drugs."
"No, really," David insisted.
"Really. Sorry, but I drugged you guys. I laced the coffee with a small dose of some stimulants I…let's say bought…at a hospital earlier today. You needed energy and I knew you wouldn't agree to it if I told you."
Marco looked betrayed. "You…you drugged us? I'd be angry if I wasn't busy wondering where or not I was going to die."
"You'll be fine. It's just adrenaline."
I was shocked. For a Prince to lie to his warriors, drug them, and send them out into battle…it was unthinkable. It was…it was something the original Alloran might have done. Was that good or bad?
Chapter 18
High on ill-gotten adrenaline, we prepared to assault the propane distribution center. Prince Tobias turned to me. "Alloran, you keep watch this time. We'll do this fast. In, blow it up, get out."
I morphed to owl and watched as the others went to their battle morphs. Marco and Jeanne were a pair of Garatrons again. Rachel was a grizzly bear. Prince Tobias was a Howler. David was once more a lion.
The Reliquary, responding to Prince Tobias's thought speak commands, brought us in low. I flew out through roof hatch. The other dropped through the floor.
I got as much air beneath me as I could. Prince Tobias had told me often enough that height was the best thing for a bird. With my owl eyes, I could see the center below me.
Jeanne and Marco raced around the parameter, clearing out the guards. It took them maybe ten seconds. Prince Tobias, Rachel, and David were already advancing on the center.
Massive tanks of propane were stationed throughout the center. ((Hey,)) Rachel called, ((if I puncture one of these, the rest will go up in flames, right?))
((Anduswiththem,)) Marco muttered. Well, as much as a Garatron is capable of muttering.
((,)) Jeanne warned.
((Okay. You get on that, Jeanne. We'll handle anyone who shows up.))
((Can I go too?)) Rachel asked. ((I want to be the one to pres the button.))
((Thebuttonwillprobablybemorelikeacomplicatedseriesofkeys,)) Marco commented.
((I don't care. I want to do it.))
Prince Tobias nodded. ((Marco, come back with me and David. We'll keep an eye out. Everything look clear, Alloran?))
((All is clear,)) I told him.
I watched as Rachel and Jeanne disappeared into the facility. Prince Tobias, Marco, and David prowled around the outside. ((Thisisn'tright,)) Marco complained.
((Yeah,)) David agreed. ((The Yeerks should have been waiting for us by now.))
((Itshouldhavebeenatrap,)) Marco added.
A moment later, ((Okay, it's time. In two minutes, this place will blow sky high. It'll make Alloran's little bonfire look like a candle.))
((WellatleastRachel'shappy,)) Marco sighed.
((Two minutes? Time enough,)) came a new voice. Guraff.
I looked around. Where was he? There! Six shapes on the ground started to grow into Hork-bajir Morph-capable Controllers, probably hiding as bugs. Even I couldn't have seen them.
((Rachel, Jeanne, get to owl morphs. We don't have the time or the energy to fight them here,)) Prince Tobias ordered. ((When they're done, David, you demorph. Alloran will air-lift you out of here. After that, Marco, you run away from here; I'll pick you up in the Reliquary.))
((What about you?))
Prince Tobias smiled with his Howler mouth. ((I've got a bit of a myth to spread.)) To Guraff, he said, ((Didn't you hear, Guraff? I can't die. Ask Inriss 812.))
"I have been around since the beginning of this war, young beast. No one is invincible."
My Prince raised his Howler claws. ((We'll see.))
Marco attacked in a blur. His tail, cracking like a bullwhip, slashed a Hork-bajir A pair broke off to fight him. He ran around them in a figure-8, lacerating them. They weren't fast enough to touch him. Not even an Andalite could have hit a running Garatron.
Prince Tobias leapt at three Hork-bajir His claws worked like magic. No matter how fast they moved, no matter how hard they fought, the Hork-bajir could not touch him.
Guraff advanced on David. "The traitor. It is time that you regret what you did."
((The only thing I regret is ever turning against the Animorphs in the first place. Well, that and that I didn't ask Rachel out when she was available.))
((Heythat'smyonlyregrettoo,)) Marco called, still running. ((MaybewehavemoreincommonthanIthought.))
Guraff was impossibly strong for a Hork-bajir For any creature, really. He dove on David. They grappled, but it was a losing fight for David. Guraff split his stomach open with a knee-blade.
I had to do something. I remembered the stories about the first war. So I did what my Prince would have done. I tucked in my wings and dove.
"TSEER!" I screeched. Guraff glanced up. I raked my talons across his eyes.
He actually laughed. "Another scar! I will remember this, Alloran-Sirinial-Fangor. It is the first time you drew my blood. It will be the last."
By the time he looked away from me, David was limping away, demorphing. I swooped down and sank my talons into his back. ((Sorry,)) I apologized.
((Just get me out of here!)) he yelled.
Rachel and Jeanne joined me in the air. ((Prince Tobias,)) I called, ((the center will explode in thirty seconds.))
((Got it. Marco, it's time to go, man.)) Marco gook off. Prince Tobias turned back to Guraff. ((In about twenty seconds, this place will be gone. I can survive that explosion. Can you?))
Guraff hesitated. Then, "I am no fool. Everyone, cockroach morph. We will not die here."
Tobias started to walk away. ((My Prince, perhaps it would be best for you to increase your velocity,)) I suggested.
((I'll be—))
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!
I saw the explosion carry my Prince through the air. He landed several yards away from where he had stood. I could see his spine. The blast had scorched away his flesh.
Miraculously, his body started to heal itself. Flesh covered his spine. He stood up, cracked his neck, and then looked upwards. ((That stung a bit.))
The Reliquary descended. With one leap, he landed in the ship. We followed. When we demorphed, Rachel looked like she was prepared to strike him. "Don't ever do something like that again!"
He held up a hand. "I'm too tired to argue."
A moment later, we retrieved Marco. He just sighed. "So, I suppose you want to press on to the mall now."
"Yep. We've got to finish what we started."
"Then I'll need some more coffee."
Chapter 19
The mall is a different place at night. The normally brightly-lit hallways are dark and, in some cases, frightening. Iron gates were pulled over stores. The air of happiness was gone. It felt like a tomb.
From the Reliquary, I had remotely disabled the security cameras. There would be no evidence of our passing except for a destroyed sporting goods store.
((It's just around this corner,)) Rachel assured us. She was in her grizzly bear morph, which meant that she had abominable eyesight. Still, Prince Tobias trusted that she could navigate through the mall.
We turned the corner and found the store. I was surprised. It was deserted. The metal gate was pulled securely down. I was expecting an attack.
((Hmmm…pretty tight security,)) Rachel muttered. Then, she grabbed the gate and pulled it out of the wall. ((Oh, that took care of it.))
Rachel then started pulling things off of the wall. Our plan here was simple. Destroy everything. If we did that, the store would have to close for a time. That would at least delay more tours of the caves.
Jeanne whipped her tail left and right, breaking anything even remotely fragile. I did the same, though my targets were a bit sturdier.
David leapt around, breaking things. His claws tore up bicycle tires, twisted metal, and shredded shirts. ((You know, this is how I always said we should use our powers.)) Almost instantly, he added, ((Sorry, that was a joke. Rachel, don't attack me.))
((Hey, everything alright in there?)) Marco asked. He was an owl, keeping watch outside.
((Yes,)) I confirmed.
((That's what worries me,)) Marco sighed.
We spent five minutes tearing up the store. In all that time, no alarm sounded. No one arrived. Nothing happened. I was also getting worried.
((Alright, let's bail,)) Prince Tobias decided. ((We've still got to deal with the pool.))
One by one, we exited the store. ((That was fun,)) Rachel said, licking one claw. ((I really think—))
SLAM! A steel gate slammed into the floor behind us. SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! More and more gates hit the floor. We were suddenly separated, boxed into little compartments.
I could see the others though the gaps in my gate. ((Oh, here's the trap,)) Prince Tobias sighed.
Rachel attacked her gate, but it didn't move. ((Yeerks,)) she hissed.
As if on cue, and they most likely were, the panels in the roof above me pulled back. A Kelbrid dropped into my cell. I caught glimpses of the others. Jeanne had to fight one Kelbrid. Rachel and Tobias each had to battle two. Guraff dropped into David's cell.
((Ah, my friends have arrived at last,)) I heard the thought speak voice say. I knew the voice in two ways. I knew it as the voice of my uncle, Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. And I knew it as the voice of the Visser, Esplin 9466.
He appeared on the other side of the gates. He paced confidently, gesticulating with his tailblade. ((I saw your list, Tobias. I knew what it meant. So all I had to do was wait. The losses of the other facilities are regretful, but I decided it was worth it if I got to kill you.))
((Then why hide out there?)) my Prince taunted.
((I am no fool, Tobias. I know what that Howler body would do to this Andalite one. Besides, I do not want you dead. I want you captured. The Kelbrid will see to that. Their poison will weaken you until you collapse and pass out. Then, I will have you infested.))
The Visser turned his eyes to David. ((The traitor will, of course, be killed. He would be too difficult to infest anyway. Every time he demorphed, he would kill the Yeerk in his head. It is much better this way.))
He smiled an Andalite smile. Somehow, he managed to make my uncle's warm smile into something cold and cruel. ((And now, if you will excuse me, I will be leaving. It is far past my bedtime. Finish them.))
My Kelbrid swung his stingered arm at me. I dodged it and counterattacked with my tailblade. I struck him, but he did not seem to care. My wound was a scratch to him.
I could feel the wind whipping around me. Jeanne was circling her Kelbrid, slashing at it with her tail. She did not even draw its blood.
I hear Rachel give a roar as she attacked. One of her forepaws slammed a Kelbrid against the wall of her cage. The other did the same to her second opponent. She was crushing their throats, but they were stinging her repeatedly. The poison would drop her soon.
David was slashing and clawing at Guraff, but the massive Hork-bajir was getting the better of him. Guraff had more blades, more stamina, and a lifetime of experience. David was out of his league and already exhausted. It would all be over soon.
Prince Tobias was backed up against one wall of his cage. The Kelbrid poison seemed to be able to halt the Howler's regenerating capabilities, so my Prince did not wish to be struck. He was holding his own, but he was the only one. It was only a matter of time.
((Everyone,)) Prince Tobias called, ((brace yourselves. This might not even hurt the Kelbrid but it might give you an opening. Be ready.)) Then he unleashed the weapon that gave the Howler its name.
"KEEEROOOOOOWWW!!!"
My brain exploded. That's what it felt like. It was worse than the explosion at the chemical plant. I slapped my hands over my ears. I felt blood.
But my Kelbrid stumbled. He wasn't nearly as hurt as I was, but he had hesitated. I attacked.
My tailblade sunk deep into his throat. His black, acidic blood sprayed all over the place. It melted part of the wall of my cage. That was all I needed.
I began to morph to fly. It was time to flee. Once I made it to the Reliquary, I would be safe.
Before I morphed, I looked around. Jeanne was gone. In her cell, Rachel was finishing off a Kelbrid. Two more lay in shreds at the floor of the cage Rachel had vacated.
Prince Tobias had dispatched his Kelbrid and melted his way through the wall into David's cell. He and Guraff stared at each other, unsure how to proceed.
((Alloran, go,)) he ordered. I nodded and morphed. It was time to go.
Chapter 20
We were all basically collapsed inside of the Reliquary. No one had the strength to move. No one even had the energy to be thankful we were alive. And I do mean all of us. Guraff and Prince Tobias had called a truce and let each other walk away.
After what felt like an hour of silence, Prince Tobias spoke. "Okay. Final target."
"No. No way," Marco interrupted. "We can't do it. Not even with all the drugged coffee in the world. We don't have the energy, Tobias."
Jeanne nodded. "I cannot go on. I felt tired even in my Garatron morph. Do you know how hard it is to tire one of those things?"
((I'm with them this time,)) David decided. ((I know all about fear, but I also know about exhaustion. If we keep pushing ourselves, we'll die. Then what will they have to be afraid of?))
My Prince turned to me. "I'm still going. Are you going to follow me even now, Alloran?"
I looked at him. He was lying on his bed. He did not even have the strength to sit up. He couldn't possibly be allowed to continue. It would be his death. But he was my Prince. I had no choice but to follow him.
((I will follow you, my Prince,)) I said. ((But I cannot allow you to go on tonight. If you try to attack the Yeerks again tonight, I feel that it is my duty to stop you.))
"You would disobey me for my own good, eh?"
I thought about it. ((Yes. Yes I would.))
He laughed. "See, Rachel, I told you he'd do it. Congratulations, Alloran and David. You passed."
((Passed? Passed what?))
"I never intended to attack the pool. That would be suicide, even if we were in top shape. But I could use this mission to test the two of you. David, you could easily have tried to turn back to the Yeerks. Instead, you didn't even offer them a deal. You were ready to die with us. As far as I'm concerned, you're off probation. No more adult supervision. You're a full-fledged Animorph."
He turned to me. "As for you, Alloran, I needed to see just how far you would go. How far could I bend you before you broke and decided I had to be stopped? You'd follow me to hell and back. I always knew that. What I needed to learn was whether you'd ever let me go that far in the first place."
((Did I make the right decision, my Prince?))
"I don't know. But once, Guraff told me a story about our father. Elfangor was just an Aristh at the time. Alloran-Semitur-Corass ordered him to fire on an undefended transport ship full of Yeerks. Elfangor didn't do it."
((Was that right or wrong?)) I asked again.
"I don't know. Maybe neither. But that was the decision he made. The way I see it, you made a similar choice. I don't know if it was right or wrong, but it's what Elfangor would have done. That has to count for something."
With a little smile, he added, "And by the way. The coffee wasn't drugged. A little caffeine was all it took to wire you and David. Jeanne, Marco, and Rachel were in on the whole thing."
We all fell asleep on the Reliquary shortly after that. I woke up at three hours past noon the next day. It seemed that everyone else was just waking up as well.
Prince Tobias sat in a chair, sipping a cup of coffee. He was reading a hologram of that day's local paper. "Would you look at this," he said. "It seems that some masked people, one of them either a midget or a kid, robbed a bank. They were never caught and no photos have been released."
"Good," Marco sighed. "What else?"
"A malfunction at a water pumping facility left a small section of town without water last night. Nothing serious. Not as serious as that explosion that destroyed the chemical plant. It seems that some drums fell over and exploded. A bad mix of chemicals, apparently."
"Apparemment," Jeanne agreed.
"In an unrelated story, the propane distribution center also caught fire. No one was harmed."
((Good,)) David sighed.
"And finally, some kids vandalized a store in the mall. No suspects. No videos. But the store is closing for a few weeks. It turns out that they were uninsured."
"Poor planning," Rachel sighed. "I'm making breakfast. Who wants pancakes?"
We all turned to stare at Prince Tobias. He was the one we trusted to lead us out of these situations. He did not disappoint us. "You know, Rachel, we all had a long day yesterday. Let's just go out for breakfast. No need for you to cook."
"Well, if you're sure you want—"
"We're sure," Marco butted in.
"Well, let's go them."
I was thousands of light-years from home. There were no other real Andalites with me. But I was far from alone. My family was here.
Marco, who reminded me so much of my other uncle, Aximili. Jeanne, a warrior I now trusted as much as I trusted any other. David, my shorm with whom I had shared an experience of brotherhood that no one else has ever shared outside of the Anati race. Rachel, who in our short time together has become like a sister and mother to me. And Prince Tobias.
He was my Prince. But more than that, he was my brother. And in some ways, my father. He was a friend, my family, and a fellow warrior. He was wise, brave, strong, and cunning. He was my hero.
It was the six of us against the entire Yeerk Empire. Against all the arcane power of The One. Against logic, reason, and all odds.
We Andalites have a deep rooted optimism that we try to keep in check. But this day, I could not keep it down. I couldn't help but feel optimistic.
We could win. We would win. As long as I had my family.
And now, to leave you with some words of wisdom from Streetlight Manifesto:
"I know it's hard but so are you
And so am I and we'll pull through together, together
And I said that it's been years but I still fear
That someone dear will leave me here forever, forever and I said: hey!
Hey! You've got to keep trying
You've got to keep holding onto what you've got
Because what you've got it sure ain't a lot
And hey!
Everyone's falling down
Everyone's holding out for what you've got
But what you've got, it sure ain't a lot."
—Failing, Flailing
Don't miss the next installment of the Animorphs series:
63: The Homecoming
We met aboard the Reliquary, the ship that Tobias, Rachel, and Alloran called home. As usual, Rachel had a hot meal waiting for us. And, as usual, we were afraid to eat it. Rachel was good at many things. Cooking was not one of them.
Tobias, our fearless leader, ate without hesitation. Slowly, the rest of us joined in. "Okay," he said. "As you know, Alloran rigged our computers so that they would get all the information the Yeerk computers did. We know from this information that the Yeerks are going to open a second front."
"Bring it on," Rachel said. "We can take them."
Marco shook his head. "No, we can't. And they know it. We can barely hold our own here. If they open up a whole new invasion, that's the ballgame. We might as well call it quits."
Tobias nodded. "That's why we have to stop this before it even starts. We have to go to where it's happening and shut it down. Now."
David sighed. "Guraff will be in charge. Or the Visser himself. I can't imagine the Visser trusting anyone else with this. It won't be easy."
I respect David because he knows our enemy. He worked for the Yeerks not too long ago. He understands their inner workings. Also, he has a similar mentality.
"Where is this invasion going to take place?" I asked.
Tobias gave me a sleight smile. "Our home town. Another reason we have to stop it now. I'm sure none of you want your families to get infested. Possibly for the second time."
"How do we stop them, my Prince?" Alloran asked. He was in his human morph as well, looking like a younger Tobias.
Rachel smiled. "Blow stuff up." Then, she looked questioningly at Tobias. "Right?"
He nodded. "Complete sabotage. Find where they want to set up their Kandrona and destroy it. Find out where they're building their pool and level the place. Find out what Yeerks are in charge and take them out. Don't give them an opening. Don't let them breathe."
Marco nodded. "Sounds like fun and all, but that will attract a lot of attention. This was has to stay secret."
"We can make it look like an accident," Rachel said. "Right Jeanne?"
I shuddered. "Oui. We can make it look like un hasard."
"Oh, she's speaking French again," Marco said. "Say something else."
"Marco, now really isn't the time," Tobias began.
"Hey, I just learned that we're about to lose this war. I can't think of a better time."
Rachel glared at him "Marco? Do you remember the deal we made?"
Marco turned just a bit pale. "Oh, come on, Rachel. I'm not—"
"No excuses. You know the rules."
Marco hung his head. "Fine. Carry on, oh fearless leader."
David, Alloran, and I exchanged glances. I was certain that this was somehow related to the first war, since only the original Animorphs seemed to understand it.
Tobias sighed. "As I was saying, this new invasion is back home. The Visser will probably start it himself. Guraff will take over here, where they're well situated."
"This won't be easy," David reminded us. "Stopping an entire invasion? Not easy at all."
"When has it ever been easy?" Marco answered darkly. "We've got no plans, no targets, no idea what to do."
"Well," I said, "we could try to end the invasion here instead. We crippled them not long ago.
Rachel shook her head. "I want to keep the Yeerks out of my home. Leave this for later."
Marco answered her. "It isn't about what we want. It's about what we can do. But I think it'll be easier to end this new one. I say we go home."
I nodded. "It will be easier to prevent than to cure."
"That's true," David agreed. "Take it from a guy who used to carry the plague."
"You were not a plague rat," Marco argued. "I know. I caught the rat you morphed. No plague."
"Maybe I picked something up on that island," David responded. "You never know."
"Could we concentrate here?" Tobias asked. "We were taking a vote. Rachel?"
"We stop them at home first," Rachel said. Then, more forcefully, "They are not getting their hands on my family." She looked at me. "On any parts of my family."
"I will go where my Prince commands," Alloran decided.
Tobias nodded slowly. "Then we're going for it." He smiled. "Everyone, pack your bags. We're going home."
Preview Summary
The Yeerks are opening a new front. The Animorphs know that they can't fight two wars. This second invasion has to be stopped before it can even begin. But there is a complication. This new invasion is in the Animorphs' home town.
Jeanne, Marco, David, Rachel, Alloran, and Tobias have to put an end to this before it gets any farther. But Jeanne has been thinking of quitting the war ever since Santorelli's death. Seeing her father may be too much for. She may not be able to carry on. This might be her last mission before she calls it quits.
She wouldn't be the first…