Jake’s Decision

Prologue

"Jake, what is with you?" Cassie demanded, looking at her boyfriend across the lunch table. "Ever since Marco disappeared, you’ve been acting really strange. You’ve barely said two sentences to me all day."

Jake casually stirred his soup. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cassie," he said. "If anyone’s changed, it’s you. I mean, first you joined up with the AAA without consulting me, then you start throwing yourself into this fight, which is something you’ve never done before."

"I’ve fought the Yeerks for as long as you have," Cassie said evenly. "I don’t need to ask your permission to do something. It was my decision to join the AAA. Besides, you joined eventually. You’re third-in-command, right behind Breeyar. What are you making a big deal about?"

"I’m making a deal about this because you didn’t talk to me about it!" Jake snapped.

"I didn’t know if you were still alive or not," Cassie snapped back. "You were lost somewhere in Old New York, and Tobias was missing. It was the only way Ax and I could get any information on where he might be."

"Oh please," said Jake. "I talked to Galuit. He told me that Ax got information because he was Tobias’ uncle, and that you found out from him. You didn’t need to join the AAA, and Galuit would’ve let you search because you’re an Animorph."

"Maybe I don’t want to be just an Animorph," Cassie cried. "Maybe I’d like to be something else. Times have changed, Jake – the world has changed. None of us are the way we were before, and you know it."

Jake looked at her. "What exactly are you trying to say, Cassie?"

Cassie lowered her head onto her arms. "I don’t know, Jake. I guess . . . this isn’t working, Jake."

"What isn’t working?"

She looked up. "This. Us. It’s not working. We’ve grown apart, Jake, and I don’t think anything is going to put us back together."

Jake stared at her. "Cassie . . ."

"It’s over, Jake," Cassie said, standing up. "I’m sorry." Then, without looking at him again, she walked out of the cafeteria. She didn’t even shed a tear.

Jake, on the other hand, was frozen in shock.

He looked up and noticed everyone looking at him. Rachel, Tobias, and Ax were the most shocked. They’d been a lot louder than they’d thought.

Jake did the only thing he could do.

He started to cry.

Chapter One – Four Weeks Later

"Jake’s what?" Tobias gasped, looking at Rachel. "Are you sure?"

Rachel nodded. "Positive. Carson read Jake’s lips, and according to Breeyar, Galuit agreed. Jake’s asked to be transferred to the Sydney unit. The Quest is leaving in about a week for her rounds, and Shamia and Imoteo will drop him off there."

Ax put his hand on his shorm’s shoulder. <Does Cassie know?>

Rachel ran her fingers through her hair. "If she does, it’s not affecting her much. But considering the circumstances of their break-up, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did know."

"I can’t believe it," Tobias muttered. "I mean, I guess I can believe it, after what happened, but . . . Australia? What’s in Australia anyway?"

"The Yeerk Naval Base," Rachel replied. "I guess he’ll like it."

"Who’ll like what?" The voice came from the doorway to Tobias and Ax’s room.

Rachel, Tobias, and Ax spun around. "Marco!" Rachel gasped, looking at the new arrival.

<You’re okay!>

"Where the hell have you been?" Tobias demanded.

Marco grinned. "It’s a long story, and one I don’t care to go into right now. So. What’s this about Australia?"

His friends exchanged glances. "What?" Marco asked. "Look, I know it’s been almost two months, but things can’t have changed that much. What’s up with Sydney?"

"Jake," Tobias said, motioning for Marco to sit down. "He’s transferring."

Marco stared. "What?" he asked, not fully comprehending what Tobias had just said. "Why?"

"He and Cassie," Rachel replied. "They broke up."

Marco’s jaw dropped. "You. Are. Kidding."

<She’s not,> Ax said. <She dumped him, right in the cafeteria.>

"She dumped him?" Now Marco was in shock. "My Lord. I knew things were rough, but I never thought . . . oh, man, no wonder Jake’s leaving. He probably can’t bear to look at her anymore."

"He broke down in tears," Tobias said, "and he’s barely left his room. He only comes out for his shifts."

Marco stood up. "Maybe I should talk to him."

"Good luck," Rachel said. "None of us have been able to get two words out of him all month."

"Well, he’ll be seeing me constantly," Marco said, shrugging. "We’re roommates, after all."

And with that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Jake was lying peacefully on his bed when Marco walked into the room, but his friend could see easily that he was upset. He could also see that he wasn’t really asleep.

"Hey, Jake," Marco whispered, shaking his best friend’s shoulder a little. "Wake up."

"Leave me alone," Jake mumbled and turned over on his side. Then his eyes opened. "Wait a minute. Marco?" He looked back around. "How did you . . . where have you been?"

"I’d like to tell you," Marco said, "but I really can’t. Not now. Rachel and Tobias just told me you were transferring out. I decided that was more important then wherever I’ve been these past couple of months."

Jake clenched his jaw. "How the hell did they find out?" he growled.

Marco held up his hands in protest. "Hey, they were just the messengers. I guess somebody overheard you and Galuit talking. Or, you talking and him thinking. Or whatever. Why Australia?"

"They were asking for reinforcements anyway," Jake said. "And it seemed to be the furthest I could get from . . ."

"From Cassie," Marco finished. Jake looked at him. "Yeah, they told me that, too. It was a little hard to believe at first."

Jake nodded. "I think it took me almost three days before I realized it was true," he said slowly, and in monotone. It was as if so much time had passed, he couldn’t show any emotion when talking about the subject. "I ship out in a few days, so it looks like soon you’ll have this place all to yourself."

Marco frowned. "Jake, are you sure about this? I mean, have you really given it some thought?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "It’s all I’ve thought about lately," he responded. "And no, you can’t change my mind." He checked his watch. "I’m on duty in ten minutes. Talk to Galuit about your shifts. See ya." He grabbed his cap and hurried out of the room. The door slid shut behind him.

But there was only silence.

"Hey, Rachel!"

Rachel looked up at the familiar voice. "Hey, Cass," she said, smiling at her best friend. "What’s up?"

Cassie stretched and rubbed her eyes. "I just spent four hours in the science department. We’ve been trying to figure out what’s causing some of the avians to have flying trouble. And it’s only certain ones, too – the ones that we find out in the wild and bring back here. There aren’t that many, but in some places they’re beginning to come back. We’re testing the air in the areas we’re finding them, looking for Yeerk chemicals and such."

Rachel brushed her hair out of her face and tucked a handful back under the hat. "Glad you switched to the science department?"

Cassie nodded eagerly. "Oh, definitely. Tactics wasn’t my field. Science is where I belong. And this place has one of the best labs ever. Just ask Coalmeer. He says if we were on Cranger, we’d be among one of the best science labs in the Andalite society."

"Wow," her friend said. "That’s something to be proud of."

The two of them began heading for the courtyard. "So, where are you off to?" Cassie asked. "You’re wearing your uniform. Are you working?"

Rachel shook her head. "I was supposed to, but Marco’s taken over his shifts. He’s even signed up for extras. I don’t know what happened to him or where he’s been lately, but I’ve never seen the boy so excited about patrol. You know?"

Cassie nodded. "I heard he was back. Everyone’s been wondering where he disappeared to. They’re all talking about it."

"That’s not all they’re talking about," Rachel said pointedly.

Cassie sighed. "Look, Rach – just because this thing's not the popular decision doesn’t mean I’m getting back with Jake. It’s over between the two of us. I don’t like the person he’s become, and I’ve changed to. We just weren’t working out."

"Actually, everyone’s pretty much gotten used to the break-up. It’s Jake’s decision that’s on a lot of minds."

Cassie stopped. "What decision?"

Rachel spun around the face her. "Don’t tell me you haven’t heard!" she gasped. "Ax didn’t tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Cassie frowned. "What’d Jake do?"

"He’s transferring," Rachel replied. "To Australia. Galuit gave the official grant this morning. Carson and Breeyar saw the whole thing."

Cassie’s jaw dropped. "You’ve got to be joking. Jake, leave this place? But we’re right in the middle of Yeerk activity. That’s like a dream come true for him."

Rachel groaned. "Come on, Cass, you know Jake’s not like that. He’s not any happier about this. He’s leaving because he can’t stand being around you. Have you noticed the way you’ve been treating him, Cassie? Like he’s some sort of fly that you can’t swat because you don’t have a swatter handy. You haven’t even said two words to him."

"Why are you yelling at me?" Cassie demanded. "It’s not my fault he can’t get over it."

"Cassie, you dumped him in the middle of the cafeteria with absolutely no warning. That’s not like you at all. Then you completely ignore him when he tries to talk to you. Has it ever occurred to you that he didn’t want to talk about the break-up?"

"Of course that’s what he wanted to talk about," Cassie said bitterly. "All he ever wants to talk about is himself. And if something happens to him that he can’t control, he won’t rest until things are back the way they were."

"Cassie, he’s the Secretary of Defense for the Andalite-Animorph Alliance," Rachel snapped. "In case you’ve forgotten, we’ve had some crises lately. One: Marco. Two: Nine. No one’s heard of him for weeks, and now, all of a sudden, we’re picking up major Yeerk activity. Three: We’ve been majorly shorthanded. We lost almost a third of our front forces on that raid two months ago. Even with Marco back we’re going to have trouble. Ax and T’auk have both gone of temporary tactics. Jake was probably going to ask you to, also. If I’m correct, I’d say Jake wasn’t thinking of himself at all. I’d say the one being selfish was you, Cassie."

Cassie looked like Rachel had slapped her. "You have no idea what I’ve been going through," she whispered. "We’ve got problems of our own in the science department. I’ve been running myself ragged . . ."

"Yeah, Cassie, how is it you’re the only scientist this ‘exhausted’? Ax and T’auk are fine, not to mention Coalmeer, and Geoff, and Shane, and almost every other volunteer. You say that Jake was too absorbed in his job, but the truth is, you’re the workaholic," Rachel went on. "And because you can’t face up to facts, you’re trying to twist the blame and put in on Jake. You know what, Cassie? I wish you were the one going to Australia instead of Jake." And with those words, Rachel turned on her heel and walked towards the dorms.

"Rachel . . ." Cassie began.

"Don’t," Rachel growled. "You’re not my friend anymore, Cassie. I don’t like the person you’ve become."

Chapter Two

"What progress have you made with Earth, Nine?" the Emperor ask in his low, silky voice.

Nine kept its gaze fixed steadily on the two red eyes of its leader. "Progress is steady," it reported.

"And the terrorist?"

A smile crept on its face. "She has been . . . taken care of. I doubt she’ll cause anymore trouble for us."

The Emperor nodded, apparently satisfied with this information. "Very well." Nine prepared to turn off its hologram when the Emperor suddenly stopped it. "You are aware, Nine, that you are under supervision for the next few cycles, aren’t you?"

Nine stopped. "My liege?"

"With the subsequent death of Three, there’s a council opening. If you prove yourself capable, we may be promoting you to Eight. Or, if we are not satisfied, you may be demoted to Ten or lower. Understand?"

"Yes, my liege." The hologram shut down, and Nine let out a growl. "Idiot Yeerk," it muttered.

"Get out of my head."

Nine whimpered in pain, and sighed in relief when it subsided. "Yes, Gryphon," it whispered, its spirit broken again.

"Hey, guys," Marco said as he carried his tray over to one of the corner tables. "What’s up?"

Geoff took a big bite of tuna salad. "Excellent," he said through the food. "The Yeerks have been quiet as mice lately, and the workload’s been easy. Maybe those slugs are finally rethinking their conquest."

Carson shook his head and put down his sandwich. Don’t count on it, Geoff, he signed. We have seen lulls like this before. Nine is probably just calculating its next move.

"I’m just trying to be optimistic, Carson," Geoff muttered. Carson arched an eyebrow, and Ax quickly repeated was Geoff had just said. Being deaf didn’t get in your way of hearing thoughts, which is a good thing considering that sign language is somewhat difficult for Andalites.

At that moment, Ax’s younger brother walked over. <Um, hi,> he said uncertainly, catching sight of Marco. He stared at him for a minute, then glanced over at Ax.

<Oh!> Ax said, suddenly remembering T’auk’s discomfort. <Marco, meet my brother, T’auk. T’auk, this is Marco, the missing Animorph.>

Marco, who had already heard about T’auk from Tobias, smiled encouragingly. "Hey, T’auk. How do you like the AAA?"

T’auk’s face lit up. <It’s great,> he said enthusiastically. <I love working in the science department. And Coalmeer’s one of the best.>

"Yeah," Marco agreed. "I noticed that. There are a lot of great people around here."

Ax watched the two of them talk and couldn’t help but compare them to himself and Tobias. He’d connected with the boy right away, and they’d been shorms ever since. Maybe T’auk would be that lucky.

Suddenly Rachel came storming into the cafeteria. She immediately ran into a man twice her size, but before he could so much as make an obscene comment she was halfway across the room and not apologizing once.

The whole table fell silent as she approached. "Something wrong, Rachel?" Marco asked cautiously. He knew better than to get her any more angrier when she was like this, but he also knew that she’d be easier to deal with if it was all in the open.

"Oh, don’t even make me start," she snarled. "I can’t believe I was ever friends with that girl. She’s nothing like the animal-loving, peacemaker, total opposite of me who used to be my best friend."

"I take it we’re talking about Cassie," Geoff said calmly. He took another bite of tuna salad.

"Don’t you dare say that name in front of me," Rachel snarled. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "The Cassie I knew no longer exists. You know, I actually thought that it might have been Jake’s fault. But now that I look at it – it wasn’t his fault.

"It was all Cassie."

<Jake. Are you sure that this is what you want?> Galuit focused his main eyes on the window overlooking the courtyard of the AAA base. <I’m ready to sign your transfer papers at anytime, but I have to be certain that this is what you want.>

Jake took a deep breath. "It’s what I want, Galuit. I need a change of scenery. Australia’s the perfect place. The base there – it’s not too different from the one here. And I’ll be able to start clean."

Galuit nodded. <Yes. I’ve seen the Australian base. It is very good.> He picked up a packet of papers. <All right. You’ve already signed this stuff off. Now I guess it’s my turn.> He picked up a pen and placed the point on the paper. <It’ll be a shame to lose you.>

"Galuit," Jake said, "I have to do this."

Galuit focused all four eyes on his third-in-command. For the first time, he saw all the pain that Jake had been hiding ever since his break-up with Cassie. And he realized that this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Quickly, before he could think about it again, Galuit scrawled his name on the first page.

As he went through the documents, one by one, he began telling Jake a little about who his fellow officers would be.

<You’ll be working under the command of Commander Joshua Banks,> he said. <I’ve working with Banks before – he’s tough, but he knows how to get the job done. Working with him will be a good learning experience for you. Then, let’s see: I do believe you’ll have a roommate there, since room is scare. I wouldn’t worry too much, though, they’ve got some good cadets. And if you have any problems, I’m available 24/7. I’ve already discussed it with Banks, and he’s agreed that you have unlimited connection with the base here.>

"Thank you, sir," Jake said. "That means a lot."

Galuit signed the last paper and smiled. <I meant what I said, though. It will be a shame to lose you. And you know that you’re always welcome back here, whether it’s permanent or just for a visit. It’s been a pleasure working with you, Jake, and I hope I’ll have to honor of doing so again.> He held out his hand.

Jake shook it. "Thank you, sir."

<You leave tomorrow morning,> Galuit said. <Can you be ready by then?>

"I’ve been ready for almost two months," Jake replied.

The loading bay was unusually crowded the next morning. It seemed the whole community wanted to see their former Secretary of Defense off. Shamia and Imoteo were getting The Quest ready for flight, and Jake was standing nervously on the loading dock.

"Jake!" Marco waved to his friend from the crowd, then began pushing his way through it. "I’m glad I caught you. Why didn’t you wake me up when you left?"

Jake knelt down and shrugged. "I don’t know," he said. "I guess I just didn’t want to say good-bye to you. It would’ve been much easier if you had waited until I was gone before you came back."

Marco nodded. "Yeah, well, fate plays some odd cards sometimes." Jake frowned. That wasn’t a typical Marco comment, and when he looked at Marco’s face, there wasn’t a trace of humor on it. Then, as quickly as he’d gone serious, the smile was back on his face and the laughter was in his eyes. Jake wondered, not for the first time, what had happened over the past two months.

"Have you seen Rachel, Tobias, or Ax?" Marco asked.

Jake nodded. "They stopped by earlier. Or, at least, Tobias and Ax did. T’auk too. Rachel sent me a note."

Marco and the others had decided against telling Jake about the girls’ fight. Instead, he nodded and looked thoughtful.

"What is it?"

Marco sighed. "It’s just . . . we’ve been best friends since before either of us could walk, Jake. It’s going to be weird to wake up and know that I can’t talk to you about how scared I am, or how fed up I am with this whole hero gig." Then he grinned. "Besides, who am I going to complain to now?"

Jake laughed. "Try Rachel," he suggested.

Marco shook his head. "Are you kidding? She’d shish kabob me."

"Well, I have unlimited communication here, so we’ll be able to talk all the time," Jake said. Suddenly he looked at the ship. "That’s Shamia," he whispered. "I guess this is it."

Marco nodded. "Take care, man," he said, holding out his hand. Jake slapped his palm against it and grinned. "Call me when you get there, or first chance you’ve got. And whatever you do, don’t be a complete drill sergeant to your new roommate."

"You got it, Marco," Jake said, giving his best friend a thumbs-up. "Talk to you in a few hours." Then, with one last glance at the crowd, he grabbed his bag and boarded the ship.

Marco looked in the direction Jake had glanced in. There, standing against the wall, was Cassie. She was laughing and talking earnestly with one of the lab technicians. She didn’t even notice that Jake had left.

She glanced up once as The Quest pulled away from the loading bay, but that was all. A second later, she was walking back towards the science department.

Chapter Three

Jake stared out the side window of The Quest. "How much longer?" he asked Imoteo.

The Andalite pilot turned his stalk eyes towards his friend. <Not much,> he replied. <In fact, if you look to your right, you’ll be able to see Sydney, Australia – or what’s left of it.>

Jake moved to the other side of the ship and stared down at the ground. The city looked almost as bad as Old New York had. The buildings were half destroyed, with chunks of rocks scattered all over the city limits. There was one building, made up of a series of half-shells. It looked somewhat familiar, but Jake couldn’t place where he’d seen it before, and he definitely didn’t remember what it was called.

<Jake,> Shamia said. <Off in the distance, in the water. Do you see that large, black structure?>

"Yes," he said after locating the dark mass. "What about it?"

<That’s the Yeerk Underwater Command Base,> Shamia replied. <And do you see that slightly healthy-looking tree near the water’s edge?>

This was much easier to spot. It was the only not-sagging tree in the whole area. "Found it."

<That’s our destination. And we’ve just gotten clearance to land.>

Slowly, The Quest began to descend. As Jake watched, the branches of the tree began to flatten out. Then, as they moved closer to the platform, the air around them shimmered. <A forcefield cloak,> Imoteo said unnecessaringly. Jake nodded.

They landed, and the tree began to sink into the ground.

Jake gripped the handle of the main office door. "All right, Jake – take a deep breath and do this." Then, after completely disregarding his own advice, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The man seated at the desk in the center of the room looked up. "You must be Jake," he said, standing. "I’m Joshua Banks – Galuit told us you were coming. Have a seat."

Jake quickly sat in the seat Banks was pointing at. "We’re glad you’re here," he said. "Galuit tells us that you were one of the Animorphs – one of the six who originally fought against the Yeerks."

"Yes, sir," Jake said, nodding.

"None of this sir business," Banks said automatically. "I understand that Galuit has a tendency towards formality, but then, he’s an Andalite. I’m human. Now, as you know, our main objective here in Sydney is to keep an eye on the underwater developments of the Yeerks. This isn’t an easy task."

"Keeping an eye on the Yeerks is never an easy task," Jake said lightly. "They always manage to slip away."

Banks looked like he was about to continue when his intercom went off. "Commander Banks?"

"What is it, Teresa?" he asked into the speaker.

"We’re picking up some unusual activity south of the YUCB," Teresa replied. "I think it would be a good idea for you to come to the bridge immediately."

"I’m on my way." Banks flicked off the intercom and turned to Jake. "Sorry to cut this short. Here’s your assignments – your room is in the fourth barracks, Room B3. I think your roommates already settled in – he’s a new transfer, too – but I told him you were coming. Will you have any trouble finding the place?"

Jake shook his head. "I spotted the barracks on my way here. I’ll be fine."

Banks smiled. "I’m glad to here that. Welcome aboard, Jake."

"Thanks, Commander."

"Room B3," Jake muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway, checking the door numbers as he passed them. "There it is." Taking out his key, he quickly inserted it in the lock and turned. When he tried to open the door, however, the knob wouldn’t open. Afraid that he’d accidentally locked the door, he tried again. Nothing. One more time, and this time he heard the lock click. It was definitely unlocked.

"Push the knob in and turn sharply to the left," a female voice said over his shoulder. "Either that, or knock loudly on the wall. My brother’s probably got his headphones on."

Jake turned and found himself face-to-face with a girl who looked like she was around his age. Maybe a little younger. She had long brown hair, soft brown eyes, and a scatter of freckles on her face. She wore the traditional AAA uniform, although there were a few differences. For starters, while Jake’s old uniform had been navy blue, this version was lavender. He checked the name sewed on the breast pocket in green.

Sharon Kishi

Tactical Unit Three

"Your brother?" Jake asked uncertainly.

"Logan Kishi," replied Sharon. "He’s a year older than me, and we’ve both only been here about six months. You must be Jake. Logan hasn’t stop talking about the fact that you were coming. He can’t believe that he’s going to be rooming with an Animorph."

Jake laughed. "I didn’t think we were that famous."

Just then, the doorknob began to jiggle. Apparently, whoever was on the other side was having trouble opening it as well. Sharon rolled her eyes. "Stand back, Logan," she called. The doorknob stopped moving. Sharon counted to ten, then slammed her shoulder into the center of the door. Immediately, the door burst open, slamming loudly against the wall. "They really need to put more maintenance into this place," she said.

Jake stepped into the room and found himself standing eye to eye with his new roommate. "You must be Logan," he said.

Logan nodded, but suddenly it was as if speech had escaped him. Sharon sighed. "Logan, he’s a normal person. You do not need to stare at him like he’s some kind of god. Come on, Jake – I’ll show you where to put your stuff."

Jake nodded and followed Sharon over to a closet. "Honestly, sometimes I feel like his mother instead of his sister," she complained as she set to moving her brother’s clothes over to one side of the closet. "He’d probably forget to eat if I didn’t remind him. Logan is such a space case. No wonder he’s still in Fourth Rank."

Logan growled softly. "That’s enough, Sharon."

Sharon grinned. "Aw, is wittle Logan afwaid of being embawassed in fwont of Big Jakie?" she teased. "Calm down, bro. I’m just playing the part of the bratty, annoying little sister."

"You forgot impossible," Logan interjected. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Actually, I came to remind you that they started serving dinner half an hour ago," Sharon replied. She turned to Jake. "You must be starving. You’re welcome to join us."

Jake found that he was smiling despite himself. "Thanks," he said. "I think I’d like that."

"So what’s Buffalo like?" Logan asked after they’d sat down. "Is the base there as up-to-date as they say it is?"

Jake took a sip of his milkshake. "I guess you could say that," he said. "We’ve had a lot of help from the Chee and the Andalites, but yeah, I guess Buffalo may be a little more high-tech than the other bases. But enough about that. Tell me about this place."

Sharon immediately launched into a description of the training areas and the different posts and jobs available, as well as information about many of the residents of the Sydney unit. For someone who’d only been there six months, she was highly informed. When she stood up to go talk to some friends, Jake looked over at Logan and raised his eyebrows.

Logan smiled. "That’s Sharon for you. Little Miss Chatterbox. Never knows when to keep her mouth shut, you know? Not that it’s a big deal. I mean, she does know to be quiet. And there are some things she’ll never talk about."

"Like what?" Jake asked, then immediately blushed. "Sorry. I shouldn’t . . . never mind."

"It’s okay," Logan said assuringly. "It’s just – she was hit harder, I guess. Our family kind of fell apart a couple years ago. Our mother was stationed with the Tokyo unit – my father was Japanese, and we were born in Japan – and one day we almost lost the whole base. Dad managed to get Sharon and me out, but Mom was with her platoon. They didn’t make it out. After that, Dad kind of lost it. He sent Sharon and me to a base in Los Angeles, and we were eventually transferred here."

"Have you seen your father since then?" Jake inquired.

"I write to him. He’s doing better. He’s thinking about coming down for Christmas – or maybe even beforehand. But Sharon doesn’t even want to give him a chance. She was eleven, and she feels like he abandoned her."

Jake glanced over at Sharon again. "She seems to be hiding it pretty well."

Logan nodded. "That’s my sister," he said affectionately.

The PA System crackled. "All Tactic Squad members, report to the bridge ASAP. Repeat: all Tactic Squad members, report to the bridge ASAP."

Logan stood up. "That’s us," he said. "Do you know what squad you’re in?"

Jake shook his head. "Banks didn’t have a time to fill me in. I haven’t even gotten my new uniform."

"Don’t worry about it," Sharon said. "You’re Tactic Squad – otherwise you wouldn’t be rooming with Logan. Come on. Banks doesn’t like to be kept waiting."

Chapter Five

Logan, Jake, and Sharon were among the last people to enter the bridge. There were already a couple dozen others in there. The first thing Jake noticed was that the three of them were some of the only kids. In Buffalo, there had been a mix, but here, most of the troops were adults.

"Good, everyone’s here," Banks said when he spotted Jake. "Now, everyone listen up. This isn’t going to be an easy task. There’s been some peculiar activity on the ocean floor south of the Yeerk base. I’ll let Stacey fill you in on the details."

Tactical Officer Stacey Orbison stepped forward. "As many of you know, the area that we’ve detected is covered with chasms and crevices, not to mention a few hot spots.

"We long ago identified this area as a volcanic possibility. This is the first time in several years that we’ve had trouble like this. What we’d like to do is send a stealth team to check it out. A team of eight will be dispatched – four tactics and four scientists. The team will take a module research sub. No fights are to be engaged unless the attack is begun by the opposition. Remember, you’ll be in Yeerk territory."

"Who’s going?" someone called from the back of the room.

Officer Orbison glanced over at Banks. "We’d like to send four of you. When I call your name, report to the sub bay immediately after this meeting.

"Mara Jerome.

"Alexander Stravinski."

"Sharon Kishi."

"Jake McCain."

Everyone started talking when they heard Jake’s name be announced. "I figured he’d put you on the team," Logan whispered. "Keep an eye on Sharon, okay?"

Jake nodded.

When everyone was dismissed, Jake turned to Sharon. "We better get going. You have to show me where the sub bay is."

Sharon smiled. "Right this way, sir."

Chapter Six

The commanding officer of the small group was Alexander Stravinski. He’d been with the Sydney branch for two years, and had been on the most expeditions. Mara was their guard. She was about twenty-five years old and one of the best underwater combatants they’ve got. Sharon needed the experience, mostly, and Jake went along as a last-minute back-up. Going into the Yeerk territory, you never knew what you’d need.

There were also four scientists going along. One was a volcanologist named Mary Barrett. Then there was her assistant, Buddy Schafer. Next came the resident oceanographer, Suzi Mancusi. And rounding out the team was head scientist Cheryl Thomas.

The research sub was state-of-the-art. Although it wasn’t extremely large – it could fit eight comfortably, nine in a pinch – it was designed to withstand extreme temperatures and water pressure.

The designated spot was about three hours away from the launch area. After an hour and a half, Mary walked over to Alexander and the others.

"All right, listen up," she said. "Where we’re going it will be extremely hot and dangerous. We’ll be going out in a smaller transport, but if it’s necessary to obtain samples, we’ll need to go out in person. Now, the transport only holds four, and we’ve got two. We’ll split off. I’ll be in transport one with Suzi, Alexander, and Sharon. Transport two will be Buddy, Cheryl, Jake, and Mara. Wet suits all around, and if you’re planning on leaving the transport, thermal suits as well. Understand?"

"Just one question," Jake said. "What’s the probability of a Yeerk attack?"

Alexander shook his head. "The Yeerks do not care about this area," he said. "We’ll be safe."

Jake bit his lip, but he knew better than to argue with the commanding officer.

"We better suit up now," Mara said after Mary was gone.

Sharon and Jake were already wearing their wetsuits, but now they began pulling on the thermal suits as well. "Planning on going out?" Sharon asked.

"If I need to," Jake replied. Then he glanced over at Alexander. Quickly, without meeting Sharon’s eye, he reached into the pocket of his uniform and removed a small hand-hold Shredder. Sharon’s eye widened.

"Where did you get that?" she hissed. "There aren’t supposed to be any weapons issued on this trip."

Jake turned to her. "We’re a little too close to the Yeerk base for my liking," he whispered. "I’ve been up against these creeps too long to underestimate them. I’m not taking any chances. This thing is just for back-up." He slid the Shredder into the suit pocket and secured it. "Keep an eye out for trouble. I’ll see you once we get back here."

Sharon nodded, then hurried off to join the rest of her group.

Mara looked over at Jake. "How do you feel about this?"

Jake shrugged. "I think Alexander’s being a little too confident. You can’t assume anything about the Yeerks."

"He’s been in this fight for years," Mara said.

"I’ve been in it longer," Jake countered. Mara didn’t know what to say to that. She nodded and turned to looking out the window of the transport, keeping her eye on the four scientists moving around on the water floor.

Jake closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on something other than the mission at hand. He ran through every train of thought he could manage, but there was something that was bothering him. Suddenly his eyes sprang open. "What’s that?" he demanded.

Mara looked at him uncertainly. "What’s what?"

Jake could hear the sound perfectly – a slow, droning hum coming closer and closer. The familiar sound shocked his mind back several years – which for him had only been months – and he raced to the back of the transport. Peering out the back window, he picked out the shape that no one would’ve caught unless they knew what to look for.

"No. Way."

It was the Sea Blade.

"Alexander!" Jake’s urgent voice echoed over the intercom. "Pull in the rest of your crew and head back to the sub. Now."

"Under who’s authority?" Alexander demanded.

"Don’t even start," Jake hissed. "We’ve been spotted by the Yeerks. If we go now, we might be able to outrun them."

The urgency in Jake’s voice finally broke through. Alexander nodded to Sharon, who started waving Mary and Suzi back to the transport. Jake’s transport was already making it’s way back to the research sub. Out of the corner of her eye, as she was helping Suzi with the thermal suit, Sharon caught sight of what had caused Jake’s panic.

"Alexander, what is that?" she asked.

"I have no idea," the Russian officer replied.

"It’s a big problem that we can’t deal with right now," Jake’s voiced cut in. "Now get moving!"

As the engines kicked in, Sharon stared at the Yeerk vessel as it hurried after them.

"Jake, they’re right behind us!" Sharon gasped. The Sea Blade was moving quickly, faster and faster. "We can’t outrun them!"

Jake cursed under his breath. "Hold tight, Sharon. I’m coming."

Chapter Seven

Jake opened the outer hatch and braced himself as the water pushed him back against barrier separating the tiny room he was in from the main sub. Before he was completely swallowed up, he took a deep breath of air. Then he pushed out into the water.

Concentrate, Jake! He ordered. He closed his eyes, and while trying not to think of the growing heat, began to change.

First came the thick blubber. The black and white markings began appearing on his skin. His arms and hands melded into large fins, and his legs fused together and split apart to create the pounding tail. Jaws of razor-sharp teeth grew from his gums, and his eyes changed in color and depth perception. His echolocation was now his main weapon. The final change was the dorsal fin that rose up from his spine.

Kicking his tail, Jake – or the orca whale who had once been Jake – surged ahead, aiming straight for the second transport and the Sea Blade.

I don’t have much time, he thought to himself. I’ll need to breath soon.

Firing off a blast of echolocation, Jake was able to find the Yeerk sub’s engines, located in the back of the long body. <Sharon – bank the sub hard left NOW!>

The sub turned sharply to the aforementioned direction, and the engines cranked to follow. <Yes!> Jake crowed. <That things’ too big to turn so quickly!> Powering forward, nose forward, Jake raced for the bridge window. If he couldn’t reach the engines, he’d go for the controls.

TSSEWWW! TSSEWWW!

The shot came from a hundred yards to the right. The first tractor beam enveloped the sub. The second hit Jake. While his tail was still pounding away, he wasn’t moving anywhere. And he was slowly losing consciousness. Just before everything blacked out, he fired one last shot of echolocation.

<What the . . . another Sea Blade?>

"Jake, wake up."

Jake blinked a couple of times, then rolled over on his side and coughed up a couple gallons of water. He tried opening his eyes, but the harsh light caused a major headache to start up. "Why does it feel like I’ve been hit over the head with a two-by-four?" he groaned.

Sharon sat back on her heels. "You were hit by a Hork-Bajir," she said, "does that explain it?"

"Yeah," Jake said, nodding. "That also explains the large cut on my forehead. What happened, and where is everyone?"

"The first sub got away," Sharon replied. "They took Alexander, Buddy, and Cheryl to another cell – I don’t know where. You were conscious enough to demorph, but then they knocked you out and threw you in with me."

"There were two of them," Jake muttered. "Two ships. There was only one in my time."

Sharon sighed. "We should’ve warned you about them. The Yeerks have tons of those subs – that’s why keeping track of them once they leave the base is so difficult."

"You’re right. I should’ve been notified. Then maybe I would’ve been prepared for the possibility of two ships," Jake said angrily.

"This was supposed to be a research mission," Sharon reminded him.

"No such thing with the Yeerks," grumbled Jake. "Looks like we’ve only got one option now."

"What’s that?"

He lifted the flap covering his wetsuit pocket and slid out his Shredder. "We bust out of here, and hopefully take some slugs down with us."

"Hey, Commander, the research sub’s docking now," one of the cadets called from the radar station.

Banks frowned. "Already?" he wondered. "It’s only been a few hours." Frowning, he turned and walked towards the door. "Teresa, take over."

Hurrying to the sub bay, Banks was relieved to see the vehicle in one piece and in working order. That’s what he thought, at least, until he realized there was only one transport sub docked to the starboard side.

"Mara," Banks said, motioning the officer forward. "What happened? Where’s Alexander and the others?"

Mara brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "A couple of the Yeerk attack ships found us," she replied shakily. "The other sub was cornered. Jake morphed a whale to try and get them out of there, but he didn’t see the second sub. They brought them in with a tractor beam, and all we could do was get the hell out of there."

Banks’ eyes widened. "Three officers and two scientists are in Yeerk hands?" he growled. "If they’re infested, well, I don’t think I need to mention that it would mean the end of this base, and possibly other AAA bases around the world."

Mara nodded. "Would you like me to begin a briefing and organize a rescue operation?"

"Not yet," Banks said. "There’s someone I need to talk to first. Obviously we were unprepared for this. I’d like to not make the same mistakes twice."

"Yes, sir."

"Please get Galuit on the line for me, Officer O’Conner," Banks said ten minutes later. "Yes, it’s important. I’ll hold."

A minute later . . .

"<Hello?>"

"Galuit? It’s Joshua Banks, in Sydney. I’m glad I caught you," Banks said, leaning back in his chair.

"<Ah, Banks. I was wondering when you’d call,>" Galuit said. "<How’s my Secretary of Defense doing down there?>"

"Jake’s everything I expected him to be," Banks said. Then he cleared his throat. "Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about."

Galuit immediately sensed something was wrong. "<What is it?>"

"I sent Jake on a research expedition as a guard," Banks said. "A few minutes ago, the research sub returned – with only half of its crew. Three officers and two scientists have been captured by the Yeerks, and Jake’s among them."

"< . . . What?>"

"I don’t think I need to repeat myself."

"<Any news from the Yeerks?>" Galuit demanded. "<Have they tried to contact you for ransom?>"

"No," Banks replied. "We’re getting ready to send out a rescue team, but until we know more about what we’re up against, we don’t stand a chance. None of our people have the ability to get in and out of the YUCB."

Galuit caught on. "<I see,>" he said. "<We’re having problems of our own, you know.>"

"I know, Galuit. But I’m desperate. If the prisoners are infested . . ." Banks let the meaning hang in the air.

Galuit didn’t hesitate this time. "<I’ll send back-up.>"

"Thank you."

Back at AAA Buffalo . . .

<Thank you all for coming to this meeting,> Galuit said to the large group assembled in the courtyard. Just moments earlier, an announcement had been made that an informal meeting was being called for all civilians, scientists, and military officials. <I’m afraid that I have some unfortunate news for all of you.>

Marco turned to Rachel. "Do you know what this is all about?" he whispered.

Rachel shook her head. "I don’t have a clue."

<Twenty minutes ago, I received a call from Commander Joshua Banks with the AAA Maritime Center in Sydney, Australia,> Galuit replied. <They have a crisis situation, and request immediate back-up. It’s quite possible that they may be dealing with a direct Yeerk attack on their base.>

Several people gasped. "How’s that possible?" someone called. Galuit held up his hand.

<A research team was abducted by the Yeerks during a check of some volcanic vents on the ocean floor,> he replied. <There’s a good chance they might be infested. Two scientists and three officers were taken prisoner.> He paused. <One of the officers was Jacob McCain.>

This created an even bigger reaction from the crowd. Marco stared at Galuit, his mouth hanging open in shock. Tobias gripped Rachel’s hand, while resting his other hand on Ax’s shoulder, who was standing rigidly and focusing all four eyes on Galuit. Out of the corner of his eye, Marco saw Cassie, who was sitting with a bunch of scientists, sit up in surprise.

<I’m sending a back-up to them immediately,> Galuit continued. <In about thirty minutes, The Quest will return to base. She and three other ships will depart for Sydney twenty minutes later. I’m requesting certain individuals, but if you wish to help in anyway, feel free to volunteer.> He nodded to Breeyar.

Breeyar stepped forward. <Would the following people report to the bridge immediately after their name is called: Geoffrey Lansing. Shane Levine. T’auk-Emanel-Cooraf. Coalmeer-Halas-Silean. Marco Sinclair. Carson McGregor. Rachel Lansing. Tobias O’Connor. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil. Acissej 1-5-5. Sytsirk 8-0-1. Cassandra Hill. Thank you. Anyone else interested in helping, report to the docking bays in half an hour.>

Marco, Rachel, Tobias, and Ax looked at each other. "Come on," Tobias said. "Let’s get to the bridge."

Chapter Eight

"Is Liagiba really going to attempt to infest the Animorph?" a voice said from outside the cell door.

"That’s what I heard," a low, guttural voice replied, unmistakably the voice of a Hork-Bajir. "At any rate, she wants them taken to the Pool immediately. What else could it be for?"

The first voice snorted derisively. "Knowing Liagiba? We’re probably better off being left in the dark."

The door opened, and the second controller, the Hork-Bajir, stepped into the room. "All right, you two – huh?"

"What’s wrong?"

"They’re not in here!"

The Human-Controller pushed passed the Hork-Bajir, almost cutting himself on the arm blades. "What do you mean, they’re not in here?" He looked around. The room appeared empty. "Great. Call back-up."

The Hork-Bajr-Controller reached over around the wall towards a speaker system.

TTTSSSSAAAAPPP!

The Hork-Bajir went down.

TTTSSSSAAAAPPP!

The human went down.

Jake and Sharon dropped down from crawlspace they’d located on the ceiling. "Nice shooting," Sharon said.

"Thanks," Jake replied. "Something I picked up over in Buffalo." He reached down and pulled a Dracon beam from the Human-Controller’s pocket. "Take this. Twist the settings to 5. That’s enough to stun but not fry. It’s guaranteed to keep a Controller down for at least six hours."

Sharon nodded and gripped the gun tightly. "Where to first?"

"We see if we can locate Alexander and the others," Jake replied. "And hope that they haven’t already been infested."

"And if they have?"

"Then we figure out how to get out of here," he said. "If they are infested, the AAA’s going to need all the help they can get."

"The Pool might be a good place to start looking," Sharon suggested. "I can probably lead us there. I’ve studied system plans that the YPM has sent us."

"Lead the way," offered Jake.

"What do you mean, the prisoners have escaped?" Nine roared.

The holographic image of Liagiba 2-0-6 took a step back and quivered in fright. "I’ve got guards all of the place searching for them, Councilmember. They will be found. After all, how much trouble can two kids be?"

"You moronic fool," growled Nine. "How many times much I tell you – never underestimate the Animorphs! And you’re dealing with Jacob McCain, leader of the Animorphs."

Liagiba gulped. "There aren’t many places they can go, Councilmember. Really. We’ll find them."

"You had better. Now. What information have to gathered about the AAA Sydney base?" Nine demanded.

"The three prisoners that we still have refuse to give us information," reported Liagiba. "Infestation is set for an hour from now. Yeerks have already been chosen for them."

"Push it up," Nine ordered. "I don’t want to give the Animorph and his companion as chance to find the prisoners and free them before we get the information."

"Understood, Councilmember." The hologram wavered, then vanished.

Nine clenched its fist. "You were right," it whispered. "The Animorph did escape. Now what?"

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Jake asked Sharon for the fourth time.

Sharon glanced over her shoulder. "I’m positive," she said. "I’ve got a photographic memory – I know where I’m going. This whole base is set up as a sort of maze. If you don’t have any idea where you’re going, you could get lost for days. It’s to keep intruders out."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he said. "And you managed to get a hold of a map?"

"All courtesy of the Yeerk Peace Movement." Sharon peered around the next corner. "Okay. We’re about to go by some offices here – we’re going to have to extremely quiet."

"Got it," Jake whispered.

Sharon gripped her Dracon beam tighter, and stepped around the corner.

An identical Dracon beam was pointing at her chest. "Freeze, human," a low voice hissed.

Sharon froze.

Chapter Nine

"So you thought you’d be able to reach the Pool without us knowing, eh?" the Controller demanded, a sneer forming as he spoke. "Foolish humans."

Sharon glanced around, but couldn’t find Jake. "The only fool I see here is you," she snapped, trying to stall for time.

The Controller laughed. "Little girl, you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Now. Where’s the other one?"

"O – other one?" Sharon stuttered innocently. "There is no other one."

The Controller pointed the Dracon beam at her heart. "Don’t play games with me," he whispered. "Where is he?"

<RIGHT HERE!>

The Controller whipped around, only to get knocked down flat by a ferociously growling tiger. Jake sunk his claws deep into the Controller’s shoulder and roared right in his face.

The Controller promptly passed out.

More voices rose up from the surrounding offices. Jake bounded off the fallen Yeerk and looked at Sharon, who was staring at him wide-eyed. <It’s just me, Sharon,> he said reassuringly. <Come on! We’re going to have to take another way, and I don’t know where I’m going.>

Sharon snapped out of her shock. "Right," she agreed. "This way."

With a dozen Controllers on their heels, the human and the tiger ran for their lives.

"Prince Breeyar?"

Breeyar stepped off The Quest and looked at the young man addressing him. <I’m Prince Breeyar. And you are?>

"Officer Logan Kishi, Fourth Class," Logan said, saluting the Andalite. "It’s an honor to meet you, sir."

Breeyar nodded. <Where’s Commander Banks?>

"Follow me, sir." Logan turned and walked towards Banks’ office. Breeyar glanced at Marco, who shrugged and nodded. Motioning to the others, they hurried after Logan.

Banks was waiting for them in his office. "Thank you so much for coming," he said, relief apparent in his voice. "We’re hard pressed as it is. There have been several Yeerk sub sightings in the passed hour, dangerously close to the boundaries that separate us from their base. And there’s still been no word from Jake or the other prisoners. We have no way of knowing if they’re alive or not. I sure hope you have a plan."

Breeyar once again glanced at Marco, who in turn glanced at Tobias. Tobias cleared his throat. "Actually, we just may have one. But it’ll take your absolute cooperation in order for us to pull it off."

Banks sat down on the edge of his desk. "I’m listening."

Chapter Ten

"Hurry, Jake," Sharon hissed to the tiger crawling in front of her. "Why are you still in that form? We’re crawling through a freakin’ airduct!"

<I’m moving as fast as I possibly can,> Jake replied shortly, <and I’m in this form because I don’t want to run into any nasty surprises and be stuck as a human. You’re keeping track of my morph time, right?>

Sharon slid across the smooth metal floor of the airduct. "Are you sure they won’t turn on the air?"

Jake laughed. <Okay, how am I supposed to know?>

"Good point," Sharon agreed. "So, how much – whoa!"

<What?> Jake demanded, but his question was deemed unnecessary when the metal began the buckle underneath their weight. <DAMMIT!>

The paneling they were crawling on, and then there was nothing underneath the two escapees.

Except a very large Yeerk Pool.

Sharon and Jake hit the Yeerk Pool at roughly the same time. Sharon’s first thought was the panic – there was no way she wanted a Yeerk in her ear. But Jake pushed through to the surface, grabbed the collar of her uniform, and dragged her to the side of the Pool. <Sharon, calm down and quit thrashing,> he said, hauling them both out. He started to demorph. <The Pool’s empty.>

Sharon glanced into the murky, steel-colored liquid – and realized Jake was right. The Pool was empty. There wasn’t a single Yeerk in the whole thing. There wasn’t anyone in the cages, either, nor was there any sign of a Kandrona feeding into the Pool.

"Empty?" she wondered. "But . . . how?"

Jake knelt beside her, once again thankful that AAA uniforms were made with morphing in mind. "This must be an old Pool," he said, "probably from when the base was first built. This place hasn’t been used in ages."

"Why do you think they abandoned it?" Sharon asked. "It looks like it’s in fairly good condition."

"There were most likely several reasons," Jake said. "One: it’s too small. This place is even smaller than the Pool in Buffalo – there’s no way it could support all the Yeerks in this base. Two: It’s so far down, they might have been having trouble transmitting Kandrona. But I think the main reason is number three: The thing I saw on the bottom of the Pool when I sank under."

"What thing?"

Jake motioned for her to stand up. "Look directly at the center of the Pool. Notice anything?"

Sharon looked. "Yeah," she said, nodding. "It seems a little – brighter, doesn’t it?"

"And the liquid is bubbling ever so slightly," Jake added. "This Pool was abandoned because it’s on the lowest level of the YUCB, and also because it was built on what was at the time a dormant volcanic vent. A volcanic vent that’s now active."

Sharon bit her lip. "Active? That’s not a good thing."

Jake nodded. "Sharon. I don’t think we have time to search for Alexander and the others. That liquid – it was way to hot for my liking. The reason I morphed out is because it seared my skin. I’m surprised it didn’t affect you."

Sharon grinned. "It’s the uniform," she explained. "It’s designed for extreme weather conditions." She held up her hands. "Really wish I had worn gloves, though." Her skin was bright red from being exposed to the heat.

Jake pulled off his own pair. "Here. Put these on."

Sharon did as she was told. "Now what?"

"Now we figure out the best way to bust out of this place," Jake answered. "There’s no submarines, of course."

"That wall seems pretty thin," Sharon suggested. "You could probably knock it down."

"And escape the rushing water?" Jake demanded. "Besides, even if I were to go whale, what about you? You’ll still be human."

Sharon darted her eyes from his gaze. "Actually, Jake, I can make it. Trust me."

"How can you make it?"

She turned to him. "Promise you won’t tell? Only Logan and Banks know."

"Know what?"

"My mother . . . she was . . . my mother was a Nartec, Jake," Sharon answered softly. "And Logan and I . . . we kind of inherited some very useful qualities from her."

Before Jake could respond, Sharon pulled away two patches on her shoulders.

Jake’s eyes widened. "You have gills," he breathed.

Sharon nodded. "Yeah. So go ahead, Jake – morph. I’ll grab onto your dorsal fin, and we can move get to the surface. If we move fast, we should make it – and while we’re at it, we’ll flood this crazy place once and for all."

For a moment, Jake stared. Then a slow smile appeared on his face. "Since my cousin’s not here to put in her vote – Let’s do it!"

Marco knocked on the door to Logan’s room. "Who is it?"

"Marco Sinclair," Marco replied. "Logan, I was wondering if we could . . ." The door swung open. ". . . talk."

Logan leaned against the doorjamb. "What can I help you with?" he asked. "Is it about Sharon and Jake and the others?"

Marco nodded. "Commander Banks said that Sharon’s your sister, and that you’re Jake’s new roommate."

"Yeah," Logan confirmed. "I am."

"The other thing that I wanted to tell you was that I’m going to need your help," Marco said. He stepped inside the room and motioned for Logan to shut the door. "Tobias has come up with a very good plan for getting Jake and Sharon out of that base – the only problem is, there’s a solid flaw in it, and that’s if Jake and Sharon escape first."

"What does that have to do with me?" Logan asked, confused.

"I can locate them easily," Marco replied, "but it won’t be exact if they’re in the water. You can help me with that – you and those gills of yours."

Logan’s jaw dropped. "How did you know?" he whispered.

Marco smiled. "That’s a secret, my friend," he said. "So, do we have a deal? I pinpoint the approximate location – you go down and get a more exact position. I relay to Tobias – they go after the Yeerks. Got it?"

The initial shock of Marco’s discovery of Logan’s Nartec bloodline faded from his eyes, and Logan snapped his jaw closed. "You can count on me," he said. "Just one thing . . ."

"Don’t worry – I didn’t tell Banks or anyone about your background," Marco said. "With luck, the only ones who’ll know you’re helping are me, Jake, and Sharon."

"This is going to be very tricky," Jake said to Sharon about fifteen minutes after they’d figured out a plan. Once they knew what they were going to do, the trick would be to figure out how to do it. The problem with Jake using his whale morph to bust through the wall was that, once a whale, Jake would be unable to get the momentum he needed to break it down.

It was Sharon who’d figured out the final step. Attached to the far wall was a series of metal pipes that ran from outside the base to a water purifier – the Yeerks way of getting water decent enough to keep their host bodies alive. Purifiers were necessary in this day and age.

If the pipes were broken between the outside and the purifier, all the water that was pumping into the base would then pump into the room, which would then fill up and enable Jake to break the wall. Hopefully Sharon would be able to remain unharmed during all of this. That was the only problem with their plan.

That and the fact that neither of them were exactly certain how far it was to the surface. Jake wouldn’t be able to hold his breath forever.

"Is this going to work?" Sharon asked, looking at him.

Jake bit his lip. "I don’t think we can risk not trying at this point," he said. "We’re lucky they haven’t found us by now – they know we went into the air ducts. They must be checking every possible exit. It’ll only be a matter of time before they realize where we are.

"Are you sure you’ll be able to bust that pipe?"

Sharon nodded. "This metal’s designed to withstand a Dracon beam, but the Shredder will work perfectly. How fast will you be able to morph?"

"It’ll take me about ten minutes," Jake said. "By then, this place’ll be mostly full."

"Better take a deep breath, then," Sharon suggested. "Start morphing . . . now."

TSSSAAPPP! TSSSAAPPP! TSSAAPPP!

The shots hit the three pipes, and then the water began gushing in.

Marco stared down at Logan. The Nartec half-breed was unaware of the astral projection floating above him, but Marco knew better than to let him out of his sight. Logan was moving around like he owned the water, and if he’d been a regular human, Marco never would’ve been able to keep an eye on him.

Fortunately, Marco’d been psychic for about three-fourths of a year, and he’d caught on to his power early on.

Of course, an astral projection meant leaving your body with other people, and while you couldn’t be entirely aware of what was going on around your physical form, one thing was for sure – you could hear very well.

"Marco. Marco!"

Marco’s eyes snapped opened. "What, Rachel?" he growled, blinking rapidly. "Didn’t I tell you not to sneak up on me?"

"I wasn’t sneaking up on you," Rachel snapped back. "I’ve been standing here calling your name for the past five minutes."

"Oh." Marco sat up and yawned. "Well, next time, if I don’t answer right away – act like a normal person and calmly shake me awake. Don’t stand there and scream in my face. Got it?"

Rachel’s eyes flashed dangerously, but she didn’t get a chance to say what was whatever on her mind because at that moment, Tobias showed up. "Any luck?" he asked Marco.

Marco sighed. "I’m still working on it. I was actually getting somewhere when your girlfriend snapped me out."

Tobias glanced at Rachel. "Rach?"

"I thought there was something wrong with him," Rachel said defensively. "I was walking by the room and there was this crazy green glow coming from inside. I was afraid something was happening to him, like that psycation episode in Elysia."

"Marco?"

Marco shrugged. "I don’t know why there’d be a green glow. I’ll send a wire to your mother when we get back to Buffalo – but I doubt it’s anything important. Now can I please get back to my search?"

Tobias nodded. "Come on, Rachel. Ax wants to speak with us." With one more glance at Marco, Rachel followed Tobias out of the room.

Marco sighed and laid back down. He closed his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and fell back into his trance.

The moment he arrived hovering over Logan again, Marco was met with the very sight he was looking for – a flare being waved from a small rock island about a mile from the nearest Yeerk sensor – just inside AAA territory. Logan was on his way back to the base, but Marco floated down to rocks.

Once again Marco’s eyes snapped open, but this time on his own accord. "Tobias!" he shouted, dashing out of the room.

Jake pushed himself to his limit as they sliced through the water. <How much further?> he demanded.

"Not much," Sharon said, then started coughing.

<What?>

"Nothing," she said reassuringly. "I’m just trying to get used to talking underwater – I haven’t done it in a while. We’ve got about twelve miles until we reach the surface."

<Twelve miles? This is going to be a strain,> Jake groaned. <How are you holding up?>

"I’m okay for now," Sharon said. "This water is burning my gills, though – I guess this must be why most of the Nartec died off. Not enough pure water. But I can manage until we reach the surface."

<Okay. Well, hang on. I’m going to see if I can go faster.>

"Don’t strain yourself," Sharon warned.

As Jake pushed himself to his limit, Sharon glanced around behind her, back at the base. Her mouth almost dropped open in surprise. The area where they was broken out was collapsing beneath it’s own weight. The base hadn’t been designed to withstand taking on so much water. Now the left side of the building seemed to be leaning slightly, and the walkway combining the two halves was beginning to crack. Looking closer, Sharon saw that the volcanic vent that had started this whole idea was becoming more active, and that the left base was now sinking into it.

"Jake," she said slowly, "we may have a problem."

<Problem?>

"The YUCB is sinking into the vents," Sharon answered.

<Oh. That’s good, right?>

"Not if it means they’re using those big submarines to evacuate, and those submarines are on a direct course to us!" Five of the big Sea Blade lookalikes were powering their engines and speeding towards them as fast as they could. "They’re going to try and ram us!"

Shooting off a blast of echolocation, Jake saw that she was correct. The subs were coming, and when it came to a fight between a Sea Blade and an orca – the laws of gross tonnage definitely applied.

"The surface, Jake!" Sharon cried. "If we can reach the surface . . ."

<They’d just be able to follow us,> Jake cut in. <They’re subs, Sharon – they can go out of water.>

"But where coming up to a break in the water, and submarines can’t jump!"

In a flash, Jake was blasting echolocation. Sure enough, someone had placed an artificial wall about three miles from where they had originally planned to surface. Did he have enough breath to make it over? Digging through the orca’s instincts, Jake had his answer – yes.

<Hang on, Sharon. We’re going to play Free Willy.>

"What?"

Jake dove as deep as he could get, then angled sharply upwards, aiming straight for the break. The subs were right behind him – the Yeerks didn’t have a clue as to what he was planning. Sharon gripped his dorsal fin tighter and plastered herself against his blubber.

The surface of the water rushed up at them. Beneath them, the lead sub began to shudder. The sudden ascent was giving them trouble – they couldn’t handle the abrupt change in water pressure! But the other four saw what was happening, and adjusted.

<One . . . two . . . THREE!>

"Marco, are you sure this is where they’re going to surface?" Tobias asked for the thousandth time. "I don’t see them anywhere."

"I’m positive," Marco said. "Well, actually, they’re supposed to be on the other side of the break, but this is as close as we could get."

Tobias sighed. "I hope you’re right," he muttered. "See anything, Cassie?"

Cassie was leaning against the railing of the boat and peering through a pair of binoculars. "Nothing," she called back. "No whale, no humans . . . nothing at all."

"It’s possible Jake could have morphed into something different," Shane commented. "Isn’t it, Rachel?"

Rachel nodded. "But we’d still be seeing Sharon. She can’t morph."

Suddenly Cassie let out a gasp. "Wait! There’s something coming up on the other side of the break!"

"Is it them?" Geoff demanded.

Shamia’s voice came over the intercom. <Prince Breeyar, we’re picking up a very unusual radar up here,> she reported from The Quest. Six shapes, five in a cluster and one moving at top speed and climbing. All angled up. They’re coming your way!>

<The break will stop them,> Breeyar confidently.

<What if they don’t see the break?> T’auk asked Marco. <What if they hit it?>

Marco, Tobias, Rachel, Cassie, and Ax exchanged looks. Then, simultaneously, they all turned towards the break.

"Cassie?" Tobias asked.

"There’s a large shadow in the water, and it’s getting bigger," she reported. "Wait. I can almost see it . . . almost . . . a little closer . . ."

<One . . . two . . . THREE!>

The water shot up as a gigantic orca whale leaped out of the water, curved its spine, and soared over the break. Right behind it came two Yeerk subs, each of which miscalculated and slammed into the wall. Jake cleared the break with room to spare, and dove back into the water on the other side.

The other three subs decided they didn’t want to become shrapnel, and Shamia reported that they had turned tail and run.

"Was that Jake?" Rachel demanded breathlessly.

As if on cue, several feet away the whale shot out of the water again. <Oh, yeah!> he shouted. <What a rush! That was a blast! Hey, everyone – you really should try this sometime!>

Next to the rescue boat, Sharon broke through the water. "Show-off," she muttered as she gripped the rope they were tossing down to her. "’Bout time a rescue team got here. How’d you guys find us, anyway? And who are all these people?" That last question was directed to Logan, who was leaning over the side to give his sister a helping hand into the boat.

Logan was laughing and crying at the same time. "I’ll tell you later, little sister. Right now, you should probably get some dry clothes on."

"Hey, Jake!" Tobias shouted to the dancing whale. "Don’t you think you should get out of the water now?"

<Tobias? What are you doing here? Never mind – tell me later. All right, everyone. I’m coming in.>

The whale drifted over to the ship, then began to shrink. When he was down to a decent size, Jake grabbed the rope and began hauling himself up. By the time he had both feet on the deck and stood there dripping wet, he was completely human.

They didn’t wait for him to say if he was all right. The moment he was finished morphing, he was swept into the most enthusiastic Animorphs group hug in history.

Epilogue

"You’re sure you don’t want to come back with us?" Marco asked Jake a couple days later.

Jake grinned. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m going to hang around here a little longer. We’ve got that volcano to look after, and after what happened, I get the feeling the Yeerks are going to be pretty active for awhile. Half their base is gone, though, so we should be able to handle what they through our way – at least until they get reinforcements."

Marco nodded. "I’m glad you’re okay, Jake," he said, giving his best friend a hug. "I’ll miss you."

"Like I said before, I’ll be back," Jake answered. "Keep an eye on everyone, okay?"

"No problem," Marco said, grinning. "See ya around, Jakester."

Jake turned to Tobias. "Thanks for all your help," he said. "Marco tells me you really took command of the situation."

Tobias blushed. "Somebody had to," he said, shrugging. "I guess it’s just the Andalite in me."

Jake nodded. "Well, at any rate, I’ve been thinking – I certainly can’t lead the Animorphs while you guys are in Buffalo and I’m here in Sydney."

Tobias looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why don’t you take command? At least until I feel ready to come back," Jake suggested. "I think you’ve proven that you can do it."

Tobias’ jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Definitely," Jake said. "I couldn’t think of a better person to lead in my absence."

Tobias tried to cover his shock. "Thanks, Jake," he said. "That means a lot to me."

Rachel stepped forward next, and threw her arms around her cousin. "Things just aren’t going to be the same around here without you, cuz," she whispered. "I’m going to miss you."

"I’ll miss you, too, Rach," Jake said, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Don’t lose that edge of yours. I hear that Galuit’s thinking of promoting you soon."

Rachel’s eyes widened. "Seriously?" she breathed.

"Seriously," Jake said, grinning. "I signed the papers myself. It was the last official act I did before my transfer. Tobias may be taking over as the leader of the Animorphs, but you’re getting my title: Secretary of Defense for the Andalite-Animorph Alliance. How’s that sound?"

Rachel looked like she was about to cry herself. "That sounds perfect!" she managed to choke out before she had to turn away. Tobias was right there, ready to congratulate her. While he and Marco talked to Rachel, Jake looked at Ax.

<Prince Jake,> Ax said softly, <I still don’t understand. Why do you have to leave us?>

"Ax, I’m not leaving," Jake said. "I’m just taking a vacation for a little while. Even Animorphs need vacations sometimes. I’m not going to be gone forever. And until then, we can keep in touch. I’ve got unlimited access to the Buffalo branch – I can call at any hour. So expect to hear from me soon."

Ax didn’t say anything for a minute. Then he looked up. <It was an honor to serve under you, Prince Jake. Tobias will do a good job, I know, but you are one of kind. I look forward to the day when you will be our leader again.>

Jake smiled. "Thanks, Ax. And don’t call me Prince."

Ax laughed. Then he gave Jake an Andalite salute, which Jake then returned to him, and walked over to join the others.

Jake felt someone’s eyes on him. Uncertainly, he looked up and over.

Standing next to The Quest was Cassie. She hadn’t come over with the others to say good-bye – it would’ve been too awkward. But as the members of the Buffalo unit began to board their ships, she stood there, watching him.

Jake gave her a smile, then saluted. Cassie, startled, smiled back and return to salute. Then someone called her name, and she disappeared into the ship.

As the four ships took off, Logan and Sharon approached Jake. "Are you all right?" Sharon asked. She knew about Jake and Cassie – it was one of the things they’d discussed while they were trying to escape.

Jake stared up at the departing ships and thought about his new friend’s question. Things between him and Cassie would probably never be the same again, nor would things be the same between him and the rest of the Animorphs. But maybe that was okay. None of them could expect to be the same way they had been when they’d first started fighting. They were growing up.

"Yeah, Sharon," he said, turning to the two of them. "I’m all right. Come on. I’m starving, and according to my watch, they're serving lunch in the cafeteria right now."

Together, the three friends took one last glance at the ships, which were now barely visible, then turned and walked away.

{Yea! It's done! I finally got another AAA story finished. Sorry about the delay, folks -- I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do with this one. I eventually came up with this, and now I'd like to know what you think. I'll accept reviews, rotten fruit, and the occasional Dracon Beam. And if there's any questions you have, feel free to ask. I always answer. Same with suggestions. I love suggestions. Now check out these reviews and see what's coming up in AAA, the Astral Dancer, and a new series featuring our favorite psychic called The Emerald Saga.}

Homecoming

Things are changing fast. With the help of the Yeerk Peace Movement, the AAA has finally gotten a way to contact the Andalite planet. Ax and T'auk are thrilled -- they can't wait to talk to their parents. They're parents are equally thrilled -- they thought they'd lost all of their children. And when they find out that Elfangor isn't entirely dead, they're even happier. But a lot has happened since T'auk left his home planet. His girlfriend's parents won't let him speak to her, and his own parents won't tell him what's going on. Then Forlay and Noorlin drop their own bomb. The Andalite government has granted Ax and T'auk the chance to return home -- with NO ARGUMENTS. Ax thought he'd be ecstatic to return to Cranger, and at first he is. Until he realizes that, while he and T'auk are going back . . . Tobias has to stay behind.

Astral Dancer #2 Terror and Tragedy

Cat never gets any rest. Barely a month has passed since Marco, Xellos, Kyra and Kaoru returned to their own worlds, and already the Astral Council's called for her again. This time she has to go to a Guardianless Dimension, and lands in a city she knows all too well. The moment she arrives, things begin to get strange. A mysterious figure in a black cloak is maliciously murdering people, and Cat knows he's a Darkstar. But she doesn't know exactly which Darkstar. All she knows is that whoever he is, he won't stop until he gets his job done. He'll kill anyone who get's in his way. She's only got two options now -- find the Leopardstone Guardian, or get herself and everyone she's come in contact with killed.

The Emerald Saga #1 The Secret Stone

Marco's life has definitely gone from strange to weird ever since he discovered he was the Emerald Guardian. He can't tell anyone about it -- which makes it especially tough around his fellow Animorphs. Once again, he's forced into a life of secrets, and for awhile everything works. He finds Darkstars and wipes them out before they can damage. Only the Darkstars are beginning to get into the AAA base, despite the protection spells placed on it. Marco's got to find out what's making so many of them show up -- in the same place -- and way. Or else he's going to have some serious explaining to do.