:: Hork-Bajir Chronicles
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ALDREA

The battle raged!

I raced along the front of the log Yeerk pool. Between raging monsters and shouting, shredder-firing Hork-Bajir-Controllers.

I had never experienced anything like it before. It was not what I had expected. The shouts and cries. The moans of pain. Brilliant explosions going off everywhere. The smell of charred flesh.

I ran in panic, only barely remembering my goal. I reached the end of the log and turned right, racing uphill again toward the fighter that was parked there.

No guards! The Yeerks who should have been protecting the fighter had rushed to join the battle. A fatal mistake!

I ran for the fighter. The Yeerks had even left the hatch open. It was incredible. So easy!

I plowed inside, skidding to a halt. The noise of battle seemed farther off now. Like it was happening somewhere else entirely. I heard less shredder fire.

Focus, Aldrea, I told myself. I was trembling. I stood before the communications panel. The Yeerks had altered some of the controls, but it was still basically a familiar Andalite panel.

<Computer, activate communications array,> I ordered. <Outgoing message. First address: Andalite home world. Priority one, two-way communication demanded. Second address: Andalite space fleet. Priority one, two-way communication demanded.>

<Ready,> the computer said.

<Open channels,> I said.

<Channels open. Begin message.>

I faced the panel. I tried to compose my expression. I knew I must look pretty wild. More to the point, I looked young. And female. The Andalite military was almost entirely male.

<This is Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan. I am communicating from the Hork-Bajir home world. I ->

Out of the corner of one stalk eye I saw the threatening shape loom up behind me. I spun and whipped my tail around. But the Hork-Bajir-Controller was quick. He blocked my tail blade.

He delivered a backhanded blow that connected solidly with my face. My legs buckled. I fell to my knees.

"I don't think I can allow you to call for help, Aldrea, daughter of Seerow."

My head was spinning. But even as I slumped over onto the deck, I thought, Why isn't he using his blades on me? He could easily destroy me.

The Hork-Bajir-Controller pressed one of his claw feet down on my upper body, pinning me down, helpless, unable to reach him with my tail.

"Computer. Terminate communication."

<Communication terminated.>

The Hork-Bajir -Controller looked down at me. "You've caused a lot of trouble, Andalite. Your friends are busily butchering my people out there."

<Go ahead. You want to kill me. Go ahead!> I cried with a lot more courage than I really felt. I was sick with fear. And just plain sick from the spinning in my head.

"Kill you? No, no, no. Not me," he said. "I don't want to kill you. I want to make you my host. I will be the first Andalite-Controller ever. I will have complete access to your every secret, to all the scientific and technical knowledge you possess. See, I've studied you Andalites. I admire you."

He didn't want to kill me? Then there might be time. Just maybe enough time. I had to stall him. Distract -

WHUMPF! The kick came without warning.

<Argghhh!> I groaned. I nearly passed out.

"Terribly sorry, but I need you to stay put. I'm going to power up this fighter and use its shredders to cut down your little army of DNA mistakes."

The kick had knocked the wind out of me. I think I actually did pass out, but only briefly. I couldn't move, but I could still think. And what I thought of was a single, simple picture.

The picture of a Jubba-Jubba monster.

The Yeerk was busy powering up the shredders. And then busy using the fighter's maneuvering thrusters to turn it toward the battle, bringing the shredders to bear.

One blast from the powerful shredders at this point-blank range would end the battle. He was actually laughing to himself as he brought the weapons around.

Then he noticed.

"Aaahhh! " He jumped back, eyes wide in disbelief.

I was halfway morphed. Halfway morphed into a Jubba-Jubba monster.

<I don't guess you Yeerks know about this bit of new technology yet,> I said.

"What are you doing?"

I reached for him and closed my huge, three-fingered hand around his neck.

<What am I doing? Destroying you, Yeerk. This for my brother. For my mother. And for my father.> I tightened my grip. The power in my hand was incredible! I could easily have ripped him apart. I felt the dull monster mind, barely more than a flicker of simplest intelligence, not even sentient. I felt its blunt violence. It's powerful DNA-encoded urge to destroy.

But I had practiced the morph. I knew how to dominate the monster's instincts. I knew how to keep my own Andalite mind in complete control. And that proved to be a mistake.

The monster would have snuffed out the life of the Yeerk without a second thought. But I was an Andalite. We are not beasts. The Hork-Bajir- Controller's tongue lolled out. He flailed helplessly. His eyes rolled up into his head. He stopped thrashing.

I released my pressure. And I still felt the pulse in his neck.

I carried him to the hatch and threw him outside. I closed the hatch and secured it. And then I demorphed.

<Computer, resume previous communication.>

<Begin message.>

<This is Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan. I am communicating from the Hork-Bajir world. Designation Sector Five, RG-Two-One-Five-Seven-Eight-Four. Prince Seerow, his wife, and son have been killed. I am his daughter.>

A face had appeared on the screen before me. A young warrior, oozing arrogance.

<The announcement of Prince Seerow's death is hardly a priority-one message,> he sneered. <Priority one is reserved for messages of the utmost ->

I was not feeling patient. I'd been punched, kicked, and stomped. <Then maybe this will be important enough for you: The Yeerks are here. Here in force, in orbit, and on the ground.>

The young warrior nearly fell over. <What?>

<I said the Yeerks are here.>

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