"What…is the Prime Yeerk?" Tellion demanded of the Ellimist.
The deceptively tiny creature floated about the way one would pace when they were in deep thought.
That is a rather tricky question to ask Tellion. The Ellimist said. But I suppose, the most accurate answer would be to say that the Prime Yeerk is an organic artifact. A living tome of an ancient past of your people.
"That," Tellion spoke clearly, "does not make any sense."
Perhaps I should just explain a very, unique, part of your people's history to you so that you can better understand the whole of everything.
Tellion waited in silence with a mixture of hard held patience and yearning knowledge. The Ellimist clearly took a moment to himself to process how he was going to speak to her as well. When it passed, he spoke to her the way a teacher would to a student.
Long, long ago, in an ancient time when even the Andalites themselves gazed up at the stars in curious wonder, your people, the Yeerks, were not one people…but two.
"Two? I don't understand." Tellion said.
Allow me to elaborate further. There was a…divergence in the primary Yeerk genome. A completely separate strain of Yeerks, very similar to the common Yeerks that you already know of, but not the same. These Yeerks were very different, able to bond with hosts on a far more, personal level, than what the primary body of Yeerks were capable of. They were few in number, roughly eight percent of the overall Yeerk population on your homeworld, but they were more powerful, at least that's how they saw themselves. They were the first Yeerks to discover the ability to invade the bodies of the Gedd and achieve a higher state of living. They were the first Yeerks to create anything that remotely resembled an organized system of government, going forth and subjugating other pools of lesser Yeerks, and establishing themselves as the true and rightful rulers of your homeworld. They created the ancient Council of Thirteen, and your numerical cast system that merits the worth of a Yeerk based upon their number. In fact, you may not fully understand this, but the word Visser roughly translates into your ancient tongue as 'conqueror', yet another relic of the past that translates out into the present. In short, these Yeerks established themselves as a sort of, hierarchy among your species.
"A hierarchy of Yeerks?"
Precisely. But despite all that they had achieved, they were still just as limited as your people were until recently to their Gedd hosts and their limited understanding of the universe that surrounded them. However, they eventually captured the attention of a greater power. An ancient species that watched their under goings from afar.
"Who were they, these watchers?" Tellion asked.
It does not matter. They have long since vanished from the face of the galaxy and all known memory of their existence has also disappeared as well. The point is, they wished to enact a grand experiment, to see what sort of evolutionary arch would transpire with outside interference. So after much deliberation and quantitative calculating, they engaged in their plan. They came to your world, much like the Andalites did not so very long ago. Only this time, they came with cruel and emotionless scientific purpose. Utilizing long lost technology, they were able to capture and remove this divergence of Yeerks from the primary population. Once secured, they took this different strand of Yeerks from your homeworld and placed them far, far away on the opposite side of the galaxy for observance of evolutionary advancement. In the process, as it was with the Andalites, these Yeerks were taught science, mathematics, engineering, and other forms of advanced civilization from these observers. No tech was more importantly taught to them than the portable Kandrona Ray generator. You are very familiar with this type of tech, are you not Tellion?
"I'm very familiar with it." Tellion answered, her full consciousness fixated upon this wild and almost impossible tale she was being told.
As it were, these Yeerks were planted on an unsuspecting world, and much like what happened first with the Hork-Bajir, then the Nahara, and sadly others, these Yeerks utilized their newfound knowledge and desire for higher existence into forging an Empire of enslaved species very akin to what your own kind is now doing. But, there was a very important difference between you and them.
"What was the difference?"
Unlike your Yeerk brethren, these Yeerks bonded with their hosts on a level that your kind couldn't ever understand. They felt all of the pain and anguish that they had inflicted upon their slaves as if they were experiencing it themselves. It proved…far too taxing of an experience for what most of them were capable of enduring. It drove a great rift within their fledgling Empire, almost to the point where they were in danger of destroying themselves and all around them. Then, they collectively came to a great revelation. They didn't have to exist in perpetual pain and torment in order to achieve higher existence. They found another way.
"There's…another way?" Tellion asked, her excitement growing at the idea of her people not having to make others their slaves in order to attain higher existence. "They didn't have to enslave other species anymore?"
Precisely Tellion. They utilized all of their combined knowledge and understanding of both biology and engineering, and created a new species. A bio engineered platform for them to exist within that didn't require such suffering, and bonded themselves to these new organic platforms. And thus, they achieved the ultimate goal of what your Yeerk kin now seek, whether they full understand or know it yet. True symbiosis. Their slaves were freed and returned to their natural developmental states, and these other Yeerks have now found their equilibrium within the universe. They have achieved balance in existance.
"Then…we can do it too?" Tellion exclaimed, becoming almost fully entrapped at the idea of Yeerks turning away from their horrific path of conquest and destruction. "We can find equilibrium? Tell me how this was done, and I'll show my people this other way. I can help to save them from themselves!"
It would be pointless at the present time I'm afraid. The Ellimist replied sadly. Your people are fully committed to conquest and total power, and they cannot truly understand the suffering they are inflicting upon others the way your ancient cousins could. And as long as the Andalites loom over them with the threat of destruction, they will never accept any idea that diverges from that collective mindset. I'm sorry Tellion.
Her head dropped with the sadness of knowing that the Ellimist was right. Her people, they would never accept any way of existence other than total conquest and enslavement of other helpless species and worlds. Not as of now. Not as she hoped and desired for them. It made her feel, truly alone among her kind.
"Then why are you telling me this? What does any of this have to do with me?"
Because Tellion, it does. These observers, they were not perfect. No one is. Despite their most careful scans and best attempts, even they were not able to fully capture all of the hierarchy Yeerks. Some were left behind on the homeworld. And over a very, very long period of time, the remnants of the hierarchy Yeerks mixed their unique genetic algorithms with the common strand of the Yeerk masses, eventually the uniqueness of what they were vanished in the endless sea of genetic material of your people. So lost was this special DNA combination that that only once in a very long time does a Yeerk come into being with the perfect matchup of all the necessary traits to create a hierarchy Yeerk, or as would be more commonly known as, a Prime Yeerk.
Tellion was still trying to understand all of this. Of hearing of a long forgotten ancient account of her people's history upon the homeworld that she had never seen, that on the other side of the galaxy there existed genetic cousins of them that had found a path to higher existence that didn't involve cruel subjugation of helpless species. And that there was still a trace of them that existed within her own people. And yet, the Ellimist had still not really answered her question. Again, like he always seemed to do, the deceptively weaker appearing being spoke.
I know you yearn for answers Tellion, but I hope that your thirst for knowledge does not take you down a path you will eventually regret.
"I told you that I wanted to know everything." Tellion warned him. "What is so important about this, 'Prime Yeerk'?"
It is a, symbol…so to speak. A true connection to the origins of your homeworld. The coming of a Prime Yeerk was viewed as something akin to a great prophet, or a Seer if you prefer, of the Yeerks that will lead them into a new era of existence, whatever that would be. It is something that is only well known among the Yeerks that still exist upon your homeworld. Outside of it…
Tellion really didn't know what to make of what she was hearing. She had never, ever heard of this Prime Yeerk before. Not by any Yeerk she had ever interacted with, or even through the hushed whispers of those that dared to say things that were not expected to be spoken of by any Yeerk.
You've never heard of the Prime Yeerk before? I'm not surprised. It's a closely guarded secret known only among the most highest of Yeerks. It is a secret that is only rivaled by knowledge to who the Emperor of the Yeerk Empire really is.
"You're talking about…the Council of Thirteen?"
Yes. Only the members of the Council are aware of the legend of the Prime Yeerk.
"But, this doesn't make any sense. Why would the Council hide this?"
Because Tellion, if the existence of a Prime Yeerk, its legend and meaning for the Yeerk species, were ever to be made known to the general populace, it would shake the Yeerk Empire to its very foundations. It would become a rallying cry for all of the lower ranked Yeerks that suffer and die at the whim of those that call themselves their betters. It would very likely cause a civil war among the Empire. The Prime Yeerk is a direct threat to the power of the Council, and the Emperor himself.
"But how could one ever tell that they were a Prime Yeerk? We all look so much alike." Tellion said.
See for yourself. The Ellimist said, pointing to Tellion's side. She followed the direction of his finger, and felt her stomach tighten at the sight of an image of a Yeerk floating in front of her. She glanced at the Ellimist.
"What is this?"
He looked at her. It's you Tellion. It's your natural body.
She glanced at the image again, and felt nothing but disgust at the sight of her true form. She didn't want to be reminded of what her real body looked like. Its hideous form just didn't seem to fit her personality at all.
"Why are you showing me this?" Tellion asked with a sneer. "I already know what I look like, and it sickens me."
The Ellimist shook his head slightly. No Tellion, look harder.
Even though she didn't want to, Tellion still felt compelled to honor the Ellimist's request. She had to, after everything that he had done for her. So Tellion did. She looked very clearly at her true self for the first time in her life. When she did, it was then that Tellion noticed something.
At first glance, her natural body appeared just as any other Yeerk, from a distance. Same sickening slug shaped frame. Four miniature fins for maneuvering in the Yeerk Pool. A pair of palp antennae to communicate with other Yeerks as they same through the Kandrona soaked metallic liquid that kept them alive. But that's where the similarities ended. Upon closer inspection, Tellion observed that instead of the dull greyish and green tone of a normal Yeerk's coloration, hers was different. The tone of her own body was more of a yellowish tan, with a dark blue tint to the edges of its ridges rather than the dark purple of regular Yeerks. And on her underside, where her thousands of control tentacles resided, a faint luminescent light resonated. Each end of those tentacles was tipped with a shimmering glow, something that was never known to exist by her, or any other Yeerk that she had known of until just now. As strange as it was, seeing this image took away the feeling of disgust within Tellion of herself. Instead, this new form appeared to be somewhat, well, beautiful. Such an alien concept for her to hold for herself.
This was something entirely different. Yes, if one was looking hard enough, she would easily stick out among a collection of a hundred Yeerks, maybe even a thousand. Easily.
But then why hadn't anyone noticed? Surely if she was so different, then someone must have seen…
Tellion felt a sinking feeling overcome her as she thought more about it. No, no one had seen the difference. In her people's blind and deaf state, no one would have noticed the difference. They would have never seen her entering her various prior hosts since their heads were submerged in the Yeerk Pool. And the only time she would have been visible to anyone would have been when she was falling from her host's ear and into the Yeerk Pool, which was only a partial portion of a second.
"So then…this means…" Tellion fought to find words, but they kept vanishing in her confused state.
You're not as unique as you think you are. There was another, not long ago. Ask the Ellimist to tell you the truth of who you really are, and the legacy that you're a part of.
"Crayak…" Tellion whispered, shuddering again at the mere mention of his name.
There was part of her, a great portion of her psyche that didn't want to know, but it was overshadowed by her desperate need, and deeply held desire, to know the full truth. Swallowing hard, Tellion asked the Ellimist the question that she felt deep down she didn't want to know the answer to.
"Crayak told me, he said that, there was another. Not long ago. Who was it?" she asked.
Tellion…don't…
"Please! Tell me. If you want to prove your friendship to me, then you need to tell me the truth. Who am I really? What did Crayak mean when he said that I was a part of a legacy?"
The Ellimist lowered his head, eyes closed, and a sigh that caused the surrounding foliage to shudder passed from his small mouth. Nothing was said between them for a time, a time that she didn't dare to try to make any sense of, for she knew that time was of no true meaning to her in this place. He drew in a deep breath, one that sent a powerful gust of wind washing over Tellion's back, before daring to lift his head. When he did, the Ellimist stared straight into Tellion's eyes. The sadness that lurked within them said more to her before his first words.
Look deep within yourself Tellion. He told her. You already know the answer to that question. Some part of you, no matter how small, must have always known. The unexplainable connection that you felt to that Yeerk, of how you always felt drawn to him for reasons you could never truly understand. He was everything that you yearned to become.
Hearing him say those things, the way he spoke of her past, Tellion felt the truth of it all drop down upon her like the full weight of this planet's moon pressing upon her head. There was one Yeerk, in her earlier and far more ignorant days, that she looked up to. Admired. Idolized. Aspired to become. It was his tales of greatness that helped to shape and mold Tellion into following her own path. A path towards true peace throughout the galaxy. But…then that would mean that she…
"No…" Tellion gasped in the lowest of breaths. "That's…that's not true. That…can't be true…"
I warned you about seeking out truth Tellion. The Ellimist told her.
"I changed my mind. I don't want to know." she begged him.
I can't now. He said to her with great sadness in his voice. Your questions have now become part of the great game. And I must abide by the rules. I have to answer.
"It's not possible!" she lied to herself. "He died!"
This truth is not easy or without its pain, Tellion. It is just simply the sad, bitter, and painful truth of your origins. And the legacy that you are a part of.
"I…I just can't be…" Tellion mumbled, unable to hold back the tears of pain of what she knew she was about to hear, the truth that was about to finally be confirmed to her.
You, Tellion 7854, are a direct descendant, and the closest living genetic link of many generations of Yeerks…
A part of me will always exist inside of you. Mocked the harsh voice one last time.
….to Akdor 1154, the very founder of the Yeerk Empire. The one betrayed the Andalites and initiated the bloody war between your people and them that rages on even today. The one that unleashed the full darkness of the Yeerks upon a helpless and unsuspecting galaxy.
She stumbled backwards, her mind collapsing from the full truth of what she was being told.
And you Tellion. You are the next Prime Yeerk.