disclaimer--see chapter 2

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Chapter 9—a flight and a mission

Silver called me that night.

"You were serious, right? About going out?" he asked.

"Of course I was!" I was nearly insulted.

"And the offer still stands?"

I smiled, "Yep."

"Then I think I'll take you up on it. I would have said yes earlier, but I was afraid it was a big joke."

"Jacob Silver, you know me better than that!"

"Yeah, I guess I do. Sorry," he sounded sheepish.

"I'll be over there in a few minutes. Meet me outside," I said.

"Okay, see you in a bit."

I let out a whoop, then covered my mouth, heading downstairs.

Evidently the parents heard me.

"I'm headed to a friend's. See you later," I said, heading for the door.

They looked at each other and shook their heads at me. evidently this was a battle my real parents would win over the slugs.

"Who is this friend?" mom asked.

"A friend. Named Jacob. I met him a few months ago," I said honestly.

"What's he like?" asked dad.

Crap! What a time for Yeerks to act like parents.

"Nice, shy, respectful—can I go now? He's waiting for me," I said impatiently.

"Where will you go from his house?" mom asked, "why doesn't he pick you up?"

"Mom, it isn't a date! We're going for a walk and there's a great path by his place." Actually I was thinking of flying, but I'm not telling the Yeerks that.

"Okay, you can go, but we want to meet him next time," dad said.

Yeah and determine his possible worth as a host? No way.

"Oh, and the president of the Sharing is coming to dinner again Wednesday. We hope you can join us this time."

I left with a non-committal grunt.

I flew to Silver's in record time, then we left for a nighttime flight in Tobias' meadow.

((So, what are they like in their natural state?)) he asked.

((The Yeerks? Are you talking about Eslak?))

((Yeah, the Yeerk.))

((Kind of a grey-yellow slug about a half-foot long. Squished neatly under my paw,)) I said, ((Not much to look at. It's hard to believe that something that harmless is a danger to the entire planet!))

((Well, every sentient species has its quirks.))

((Yeah, and this one happens to have a need to dominate someone's mind.))

((Talk about your control freak,)) he laughed.

We flew around like that for about an hour, then landed and demorphed near Aximili's scoop.

"So, where next?" he asked.

"I think the Hork-Bajir are asleep by now—plus you have to get lost to get there, I don't think I could do that on purpose. The Gardens are still open, but only for like 20 minutes. Where do you think we should go?" I asked, careful to be quiet—Aximili may be sleeping.

"Let's fly around some more, we're bound to find something to do."

I agreed.

We hadn't flown more than ten minutes when I saw the young female Hork-Bajir jumping from tree to tree, obviously fleeing something.

((Toby, what's wrong?)) I asked, spiraling down.

"One of our renegades was captured! He's at the infestation pier! They'll find the way to the valley!" she said, frantically looking behind her, "Okay, the bug fighter is gone—come on, we have to get Tobias or Ax or someone!"

I turned to Silver.

((Get the team, there's no time to lose!)) turning back to Toby, I said, ((take me to the pool.))

She was reluctant, but she led me to the Yeerk pool complex.

"Dep was taken in there!" she said, showing me the way. I saw a guard up ahead.

((I can't go in there like this!)) I said, quickly demorphing. She understood immediately, taking a blue band off her arm. She gave it to me and put my hand to her own.

"Acquire me. I have to get my group home, and I haven't the morphing technology. Put the blue band to your shoulder, call yourself Eftran 4177, Hork-Bajir elite controller. It gets us in. hurry!"

I acquired the Hork-Bajir seer and morphed. The instincts were dull, sentient, and I put the armband on. I marched up to the entrance.

"Halt! Who are you?" asked the human guard.

"Eftran four one double seven," I said.

He looked me up and down, then ushered me in.

I looked at the infestation pier, then around at the horrors of the pool. Cages along a side of the pool, humans walking up to deposit their Yeerks, struggling against their captors to escape reinfestation.

One young Hork-Bajir being led to the infestation pier. Outside I heard the arrival of my friends, half asleep, but awake enough to battle.

I walked forward, closing my mind to anything but the young Hork-Bajir going ever closer to the end of the pier. I was already formulating an escape plan as I ordered the controllers to bring Dep this way.

"On whose orders?"

I pointed to my armband, "Visser 3 wants to personally speak to the Hork-Bajir," I said.

They brought Dep to me and I looked at the child. He looked frightened but I couldn't comfort him yet.

I was halfway out of there when I heard the loud thoughtspeak bellowing.

((WHERE IS THE RENEGADE!))

SHIT!

"Galfrash! A blue band told us, visser, that she was going to take him to you," said the Hork-Bajir nervously.

FWAPP!

One less Hork-Bajir controller to worry about. I ushered Dep back to the entrance, then looked him in the eye.

((I am not Toby Hamee, child. But I am not a Yeerk, either. When we get outside, hurry to the Valley,)) I told him, ((understand?))

He nodded, "Go home," he repeated.

I ran to the entrance, my way suddenly cleared by a bear, a gorilla, and an orange and black Siberian tiger.

((Hey, guys, how's it going?)) I asked.

((Oh, just an average night with a newbie waking us up and saying that you took a leisure trip to the Yeerk pool to save a Hork-Bajir kid,)) Marco said, holding the door open for me and the kid.

((Nice morph,)) Rachel said.

((Thanks,)) I said, pushing the child out the door. He immediately ran for the valley.

I turned to fight.

((ANDALITE BANDITS!)) yelled an Andalite who exerted evil. He stood at the door, looking out at us.

((Visser 3,)) I retorted, looking him in the eye.

((Michelle, don't let on that you're human!)) Jake warned. I nodded.

((I don't recall seeing you before. Oh, well, you seem a worthy host for one of my generals. Capture it,)) the Visser ordered.

((Funny, I wasn't a worthy host last week,)) I laughed, telling Jake.

I fought the controllers with them easily, as if I'd done this daily. The others backed away one by one.

((Visser 3, is that the best you can do? Wait…of course it is,)) I laughed as Andalite as I could, ((I forget, under the Andalite there's only a Yeerk.))

The Yeerk seethed with anger, walking slowly towards me, tail raised.

I looked up and jumped into the trees, hooking a wristblade into the limbs, ((I will fight you one day soon, Yeerk. Count on it,)) I said, jumping away from tree to tree.

I heard the Visser's howl of rage a mile away.

"Thank you for rescuing Dep," Toby said, giving the child to his parents, "I heard you were brave."

"It was funny to hear the Visser yell," I said, "And Dep is just so cute."

((Few humans consider Hork-Bajir children "cute,)) Tobias said.

"It's an apt description," Toby said, smiling.

"Hey, Silver, I noticed Beth, Cassie and Jason were absent. Why?" I asked.

"Cassie knew the others could handle it and the others were sleeping like logs," he said.

I shook my head, "Well we should go to sleep."

He yawned, "Okay. See you tomorrow."

He gave me a kiss before we began our morphs. Chaste though it was, my mind blanked and for a second or two I couldn't find my morph.

"See ya," I whispered, finding my morph. I morphed quickly, to hide my reddening cheeks as he flew away.

Toby and Tobias kindly pretended not to notice.

I went home.