I know that this is long but I had a lot of fun with one part and wasn't sure if I could cut any of it.
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A few days later we were back on Royan Island. I wasn't really ready but I might never been ready.
We all walked into the ocean and started to morph.
I don't know what I was expected for instincts but they were simple and complex. I wasn't hungry but I was interested in the seascape; I was curious if it was a good hunting place.
I did feel a little threatened by the others in morph.
It was then that I heard a noise; a noise that attracted me.
/Does anyone hear a noise that they want to follow?/ Rachel asked.
Everyone answered yes and at Arbron's direction we started swimming towards it. It didn't take us long to see that it was coming from the area where we had run into the 'super' sharks.
/I don't understand why I didn't hear the noise last time we were here./ Max commented.
/They might not have been trying to get more sharks when we here last time./ Anji mused.
/The Yeerks must somehow be modifying the sharks to get them to do what they want./ Arbron commented as we swam passed the four sharks guarding the entrance area.
Now that we were behind the sharks we could see what was behind the hologram. There were three hatches of varying sizes and windows that as we got closer I could make out what appeared to be offices.
Only one of the hatches was open and that was the smallest one; the sound was coming from it too.
/I have a bad feeling about this./ I commented before I could stop myself.
/Ditto,/ Tobias said.
/I don't like it either./ Arbron told us. /Once we are inside we will demorph./
We swam through the hatch but before I could even start to look for a place to go and demorph metal hands grabbed me and pulled me into the air.
I cried out it panic and I could hear everyone else crying out as well.
The metal hands were more like the claws you see in those machines where you insert money and try to get some sort of prize.
The shark instincts didn't like being out of the air and frankly I didn't like it either.
I could sort of make out windows and figures behind them that could only be Controllers operating the machinery.
/No one demorph./ Arbron ordered. /It appears that Controllers are watching./
Finally the claws put me on a conveyer belt that was partially submerged in water but blocked in at the sides.
The shark was panicked and so was I.
Ahead of me was one of my friends and they were heading towards a huge needle.
/Ouch!/ Cassie cried out as the needle disappeared into the side of her morph's head.
/Guys,/ she called out, /there's a needle and it just injected me with some sort of numbing agent and there's something coming up./ Cassie reported.
/Great I hate going to the dentist./ I grumbled.
/I bet you just don't like having to not talk./ Rachel muttered.
/I don't like going to the dentist either./ Tobias told us. /I just don't like other people's fingers in my mouth./
At that moment I was moved to the needle and I watched as it sank into me. I cried out and felt the area going numb.
/Everyone they are using some sort of laser drill to make a hole in me./ Cassie report.
She was right; I could see the laser and the smoke it was causing.
/The Yeerks can't be thinking about infesting sharks./ Arbron commented. /Even though they are similar in some respects to Taxxons they think too simply too much of the time. Not enough sentience to be of much use./
/Could they be trying to somehow control the sharks Prince Arbron?/ Anji asked. /I remember hearing about using sounds to control simpler creatures./
/Possible./ Arbron commented.
I reached the laser and it too made a hole in me.
/Sharks would be useful to the Yeerks trying to take Leera if the Leerans can't read their intentions./ He continued to muse.
I watched as a robotic hand dropped something small either on Cassie or into the hole the laser drill had made.
/The machine just dropped something into the hole the laser created./ Cassie reported.
The belt moved again and I heard a light splash as Cassie apparently hit deep water.
/I'm okay but this new area isn't very big./ She reported just before metal claws grabbed her and carried her off.
The machine then dropped whatever it was into the hole and soon I too was dumped into the small space before being carted off by metal claws.
I was dumped in an area that reminded me of a harbor or a marina. There were several docking areas; one had that almost transparent submarine parked next to it. But at least we could demorph then morph into something else.
As we waited for the others I noted that something seemed different about how the shark thought and felt. At first it had dismissed the area as useless for finding food and moving on but now it was curious if food would could later.
/Something isn't right./ I commented to Cassie.
/I know./ She replied.
/Arbron something isn't right./ Cassie said once everyone was in the area with us. /It's as if the shark is smarter than it was before. The other senses are also better than they were./
/Prince Arbron could this be an attempt to infest sharks?/ Max asked.
/If they are trying to make sharks smarter and enhance their other senses then it would stand to reason that the Yeerks wish to use the sharks as Controllers instead of somehow controlling them./ Arbron stated.
/I doubt these devices would allow us to morph any of our smaller creatures like flies./ Anji informed us. /Our birds of prey morphs just might be the right size to not create trouble with it but still get us around./
/Good then Marco, Tobias, Aximili and Anjinnl I want the four of you to look for a way to get into the controls of the base. Once you get inside find a way to destroy the devices and the base./ Arbron ordered.
/Yes Prince Arbron./ Max and Anji said in near unison.
/Everyone else is with me. We will try to distract the Yeerks they get to work./ Arbron continued.
Slowly Tobias, Max, Anji and I swam to a dock so Tobias and I could climb up once we demorphed and then Max and Anji could then climb up once they morphed into humans.
Once Max and Anji joined us on the dock we looked around.
"This place is huge; we might be better off morphing into birds to fly around a bit." Anji commented.
"I agree." Max said.
We made our way to an empty room and morphed into our birds of prey morphs. Tobias into a red tailed hawk, Max into a Northern Harrier, Anji into a Northern Goshawk and I into an Osprey.
We started flying only to realize our mistake a few minutes later.
/We need to land and walk around as humans./ Tobias said as we struggled to fly down corridors.
It didn't take us long to find a room but between poor flying conditions and the fact that the room was rather dark we all crashed into something. Max hit a desk, Tobias hit another desk but landed in a trash can, Anji hit something and I hit a wall.
I was stunned for a moment and guessed that everyone had to be as well.
/Gross!/ Tobias grumbled from the trash can. /A banana peel and an apple core./
/I think I injured my morph./ Max commented from the floor.
/I think I did as well./ I informed them. /Anji?/ I called out after she didn't say anything.
/Mother I didn't use Kilipan's computer to hack the school's computers to mess with any of my classmates' tests./ Anji's voice called out sounding a little dazed but mostly upset. /They are always saying that the school's system is too well made to allow tampering to that level./
I realized that Anji had hit her head so hard she was reliving a memory.
/Mother, please believe me. I wouldn't do something like that even though they say horrible things about father./ Anji sounded very upset.
/Anji,/ I called out.
/Wha- Marco?/ Anji asked slowly.
/Anji you hit something pretty hard./ I told her.
/I remember hitting something./ She said slowly. /For a moment I thought I was back home talking with my mother./
Once we cleared our heads a bit we demorphed. We searched the office but didn't find a computer that we could use; only a laptop that didn't connect to the Yeerks' network.
/I hope that the owner won't mind too much that I messed up their perfect score on the highest difficulty of spider solitaire./ Anji said after she closed the laptop.
In a few minutes both her and Max were in their human morphs and we borrowed some sneakers with no intent of returning them.
Slowly we made our way down some corridors trying to act like we belonged in the base. We would peer into the rooms that were there in irregular intervals but found nothing useful.
After a minute we came to a corridor that branched off into two different directions.
"We should split up." I whispered. "Anji and I will search the rooms to the left. Tobias, you and Max search the rooms to the right."
Tobias nodded and led Max down the right corridor and Anji and I headed down the left one.
We searched a few rooms before we heard a strange sound and guessed that Arbron and the others must have started a distraction.
I was about to give up when we came to a door with a strange symbol on it. It reminded me of the seal for the President of the United States or for another such position.
"Someone's office?" I asked Anji softly.
"Looks like it." She commented just as softly.
I pressed the button next to the door just in case someone was in it. We couldn't afford to just walk in the room if someone was already inside. I guess that Anji and I could pretend to be making out but I was pretty sure that not only does that work in the movies but I am sure Anji and I were too young to completely fool Controllers into believing we were in a relationship that was that serious.
The door opened revealing a large chair facing away from the door with a desk in front of it.
/They would already be dead if we were assassins./ Anji silently sent me; I nodded in agreement.
"Enter." A cold but familiar voice ordered; disrupting any other thoughts that I might have had.
Anji walked into the room and I followed after her. The door closed behind us; trapping us in the room.
Anji and I walked around the chair to the front of the desk and came face to face with my mother; Visser One.
Visser One fixed us with an icy glare; obviously upset.
"I asked for some new technicians and was told that I'd get four and I see only two of you. Where are the others?" She demanded coldly.
I worked my mouth, not daring to look at Anji.
"I believe they were held up ma'am." Anji spoke softly; lying.
"I think I heard that Visser Three killed them for something or other." I lied as well with not the amount of confidence I would have liked.
It was a stupid lie but a believable one from what I had seen and heard about Visser Three's policy.
"I could find out ma'am." Anji offered trying to sound helpful.
Visser One shook her head, the whole time looking annoyed.
"If that clown Visser Three thinks that by getting this project backed up will make me look bad in the eyes of the Council of Thirteen he is mistaken." She snapped.
"This project will succeed and we will take Leera." Visser One continued.
"Yes Visser." Anji and I said in unison.
It was then that Visser One smiled cruelly.
"You do know that your Host is the son on my Host." She spoke.
I nodded. "Yes Visser." I almost whispered.
/I won't tell anyone./ Anji whispered in my head and I had to suppress a thankful smile directed at her.
"Keep better control of your Host." She snapped before looking at Anji glaring at her. "You also could have better control of your Host as well."
Visser One smiled again and tapped the side of my mother's head.
"My Host is making an awful noise and fighting for control but as you can see I am in complete control." She stated flatly and I could tell that the Yeerk spoke the truth.
"We have been under a lot of stress Visser." Anji spoke respectfully. "Hosts are harder to control when you have many things calling for your attention and many worries; we will make time to rest, relax and visit a Yeerk Pool ASAP."
Visser One looked like she was about to say something when the roars of a tiger and a leopard echoed in the air.
Anji and I turned in the direction of the noise along with Visser One.
"Sounds like the stupid Andalites are here and causing trouble." She said in annoyance.
Visser One stood in one smooth motion. "I will go and see what is being done. You two get to your posts."
She fluffed my mother's hair a little like my mom used to before she went out in public, it looked right but so wrong at the same time, and then Visser One was gone.
I put my hands on the desk and took a deep, steadying breath. I didn't want to look at Anji.
Finally I looked at her and saw some pity but mostly sympathy. I was puzzled by the sympathy but I decided not to ask her about it.
We left the office as one and started opening doors again.
I opened one door and found a Dracon Beam being pointed in my face with Tobias on the other end. He lowered it once he saw that it was me and Anji.
"I hope that thing is on stun." I told him as Anji and I slipped into the office.
"We found a computer that gives us access to the whole base." Tobias explained, ignoring my comment, as we headed over to a desk with a computer where Max was at work as himself.
/I am going to order your devices to leave your bodies./ Max informed us. /If I don't then they will exit as this place is destroyed and that will be messy. I have already done it for everyone else./
Anji and I quickly sat it nearby chairs.
"Just do it." I told him.
It was very painful and had to be messy since Tobias looked away and seemed to be helping Max at the computer.
After I felt the device fall out of me I quickly morphed into my Irish Setter and then demorphed.
I then joined Max, Tobias and Anji at the computer.
/It will be easier than counting to a hundred to destroy this place./ Anji said, soundly a little shocked. /But then it was easy to get into Chapman's computer./
"So how much time should we give ourselves?" I asked.
/Ten or so minutes, if we do more than we run the risk of the Yeerks discovering what we have done and undoing it./ Max told me.
/I concur with Aximili./ Anji said. /I might even put less time in and a passcode to prevent a Yeerk from reversing what we have done./
Max just nodded as he went back to work at the computer.
Anji went over and looked over his shoulder.
/I have this under control./ He told her.
"If you have things under control then we will join everyone else." Tobias told Max.
We left Max to work at the computer and hurried towards the sound of the battle; morphing as we went.
By the time we reached a door I was fully a gorilla, Tobias was a mountain lion and Anji was nearly completely a black panther.
I tried to gently open the door but only succeeded in ripping it off its hinges.
It was an open area and Hork-Bajir Controllers were everywhere with different degrees of injuries. Arbron, Rachel, Cassie and Jake looked only a little better than some of the better looking Hork-Bajir Controllers.
I then saw Visser One off to the side demanding that some of the Hork-Bajir Controllers get up and fight.
/Tobias, why don't you and Anji go and help everyone else./ I said.
/I am going with you./ Anji whispered.
I didn't argue, I might need some support.
We ran together towards Visser One and her little group. The Hork-Bajir Controllers didn't really stand a chance against us.
Finally it was just Anji and I facing Visser One. Anji was growling and I was doing my best to look threatening.
"What are you waiting for Andalites?" she demanded after a few seconds.
=Visser, only one of them is an Andalite.= A strange voice spoke in my head.
Anji, Visser One and I both turned to look at a Leeran standing not too far away.
Anji whispered something that I guessed was an Andalite curse.
Visser One looked both annoyed and angry.
"You are mistaken; one of them is a gorilla a creature that resembles a human in some respects." Visser One snapped.
=Forgive me Visser but-= The Leeran didn't finish his thought before both Anji and I attacked him.
I saw something large, long and yellow approach us out of the corner of my eyes but I was too intent on making sure that the Leeran Controller couldn't expose us as mostly humans to look.
/Well looks like the Andalites have made quite a mess of things here./ Visser Three's voice said sounding a little amused.
I would have gasped in shock if I was human and I dropped the Leeran Controller onto the floor.
"You should have either gotten rid of them properly during the battle over Earth or destroyed them when they face you." Visser One snapped.
Anji and I took a few steps away from the now injured, limp but still breathing Leeran to watch the two Vissers argue.
/As such a high ranking Yeerk you should know that Andalites are sneaky. I wouldn't put it passed them to have placed several of their warriors here secretly to watch for us./
"Excuses!" Visser One snapped.
/If it is an excuse then it's better than some of yours./ Visser Three returned.
"You have messed up this whole invasion by not doing better searching out the Andalites." Visser One returned.
Visser Three laughed.
/If anything the conquest of the human race has been slowed but not derailed completely. What would you say if you were still in charge of Earth and the Andalites were your problem and not mine?/ He asked.
"They wouldn't be a problem!" Visser One yelled; furious.
/They would be as much as much of a problem for you as they are now./ Visser Three stated. /Prince Arbron-Bantec-Deromar is known for blending in with the natives of the planets he is sent to. He leads the Andalites that are more than likely trained also to blend in with planetary natives./
"They are just arrogant Andalites; they will fall like so many others of their kind." Visser One spoke with derision.
/Is that a vote of confidence?/ Visser Three asked in mock interest. /So far all you have done is insult my techniques./
"No, it isn't." Visser One hissed.
/Don't you have other planets to be on?/ Visser Three asked sarcastically. /I would have thought that the Council of Thirteen would have sent you somewhere else by now./
"If you weren't messing with my project we would be nearly done here and Leera would be ours!" Visser One snapped.
/It would be counterproductive to tamper with your assignment since Visser Four and I have worked together and are friends./ Visser Three shot back.
I was just shocked. We could clearly hear the battle between the Hork-Bajir Controllers and the others and all these two could do was yell and insult each other.
/Anji you were right about the Yeerks and how they aren't too different than human politicians./ I told her.
/If we were humans I'd ask you to pass the popcorn./ She replied sounding amused.
For a moment Anji and I just stood there and watched the two Yeerk Vissers exchange insults.
An alarm suddenly wailed loudly through the area causing at least Anji and I to flinch.
"Warning, Containment Fields will shut down in three minutes. Extreme hazard, evacuation is strongly recommended. Countdown will commence in ten second intervals. Have a great day." A computerized voice politely announced.
I wasn't sure what to find more amusing: the fact that the computer had wished us a great day after delivering dire news or the fact that the announcement had shut the two Vissers up.
Anji actually started to laugh hysterically.
/That recording reminds me of the time I tampered with the environmental controls of a greenhouse on school grounds. The computer made a similar announcement after I raised the temperature, air pressure and told it to rain with my classmates inside. They were never able to trace it to me./ She recounted laughing the whole time.
I stared at her in shock. I had never thought of her capable of something like that. Yes, she had hit Max on the head several times with books when they were in human morphs. But then seeing what she had told me about her time at school it seemed like perfect revenge.
The two Vissers turned and looked at her with different expressions. Visser One looked speechless while it appeared that Visser Three was amused on some level.
/Very daring for a female./ Visser Three commented clearly impressed with Anji's brazen action against her classmates.
The announcement came again and that was enough to snap Visser One out of her daze and she raced away from us towards the rest of base.
/Andalites can be demons with computers; I doubt that they would have left a way for you to reverse what they have done if this female spoke the truth of her escapade./ Visser Three called after her.
The next two minutes were a blur as Visser Three chased us around the area. To both Anji's and my credit we didn't scream like little girls.
The chase ended when Anji slipped in a pool of blood that I somehow missed.
/Got you!/ Visser Three sneered.
I raced back and punched Visser Three as hard as I could in the nose of his morph.
He was stunned for a minute and was silent for a second before the computer informed us that we had a minute and twenty seconds before the base was destroyed.
/Retreat!/ Visser Three ordered loudly. The remaining Hork-Bajir Controllers that could turned from my friends hurried to comply.
"The Containment Fields have been stabilized at fifty seconds. Have a great day." The computer announced.
/Visser One must have somehow reversed what Aximili did./ Anji cried out as she demorphed.
I ran after her as she headed back into the base with Rachel and Max following after us.
We found Visser One in her office at her computer.
"You are too late." She said gleefully. "Your little ploy has failed."
Rachel and Max charged at her.
/No!/ I cried out. /Don't kill her./
They knocked her to the floor and Anji raced to the computer.
/It's going to take me a minute or so to bypass her passwords./ Anji reported.
/Marco, what's wrong with you?!/ Rachel demanded.
/Her Host is my mother./ I whispered.
Slowly both Rachel and Max moved away from her.
Something yellow caught my attention and I turned to see Visser Three watching us before swimming away.
I had a feeling that he had seen my friends spare Visser One.
/What the name of Libom?/ Anji demanded drawing my attention back to her.
The computer screen was flashing red with the words that the containment fields were ten seconds from failure along with an alien looking phrase afterwards.
We really didn't have time to react before the window shattered and water sucked us out.
Amid the swirling water I lost sight of everyone else but I thought I saw the Leeran Controller swimming in the water.
I quickly demorphed and morphed into a dolphin since I was in no hurry to become a shark again.
I met up with others on the beach near the place we had landed earlier.
I ignored Rachel as she walked over to me. I didn't want her pity.
"I think I heard the sub as I was swimming here." She whispered to me before she headed towards Cassie.
Xxxx
Later that day found me staring blankly at my bedroom ceiling. Both Tobias and Jake had tried to talk to me about what had happened but I kind of blew them off and they seemed to understand.
The doorbell rang but I just continued to count the discolored marks on the ceiling.
After a minute I could hear someone climbing the stairs and the door opened. I turned to see Anji in her human morph standing there with her backpack hanging from her right hand.
I watched as she closed the door.
"I have something important to share with you." She spoke softly.
I sat up as she grabbed my computer chair.
I somehow knew that what she wanted to share with me was big and not something that she shared with a lot of people.
"When I was younger the adults would whisper about my brother and I. Kilipan would always tell me that what they were talking about shouldn't affect us. As I grew older the children would tell me the real reason my father wasn't home was because he was too much of a coward to kill himself before the Yeerks could take him."
Anji paused in her story to swallow; tears forming in her eyes.
"I didn't want to believe them. I kept telling myself that he was just undercover but when we were captured and taken to the Pool Ship in orbit I knew that everyone else had spoken the truth. My father had been taken."
Anji started to cry uncontrollably.
I stared at her with wide eyes as her words sank in. She had admitted to me that her father was Visser Three's Host.
"They judged you for what happened to your father?" I asked, shocked at the callousness of the Andalite children.
Anji nodded slowly.
"Honor is everything to Andalites; without it you are nothing." She whispered.
I jumped from my bed and hugged her; angry that she had to live for another's failure.
"Does Arbron know?" I asked.
"When I asked him after our escape from the Pool Ship in orbit he told me that he always knew but wanted to give me a chance to prove myself." Anji told me.
"We will free them one day." I whispered to with conviction.
Anji didn't say anything but returned the embrace.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am done! Yay!
I will be skipping to book #23.
I was originally going to skip it but one of my sisters reminded me that Tobias might not want to just get into the van/SUV with his parents and siblings if he didn't know why they were leaving in a huge hurry.
