Chapter 1
Author's note Hello all I'm back yes i know its been a while anyways I tried posting this on fanfiction but no one was reading it so I thought I might post it here. Also while this is technically an Animorphs story you will find very little here you recognize. The few terms you will know belong to K.A. Applegate everything else belongs to me.
Sy-Amory a world shrouded in mystery known throughout the galaxy as the home of the Assassins Guild. The Guild had been in existence for centuries and had overseen the murders of many of the galaxy's corrupt leaders. But only recently had certain members been permitted to take assignments from the Sentient Species Coalition, the SSC was a governing body made up of 100 different alien races who met in a secret location to discuss the affairs of the galaxy.
Among its well known duties were the regulation of trade between systems, the protection and care of citizens in need and the defense against all threats to the galaxy. Its lesser known obligations included quarantining hostile planets and removing dangerous leaders from power or delegating the task to others when the normal channels of impeachment proved ineffective.
And that is where I come in, my name is Yarin, I cannot tell you my last name as I do not have one my species the Nyac are moderately telepathic and as such have no need for family names. We Nyac have four arms, six eyes, and two legs; we also have gray skin that changes color based on a camouflage reflex rendering us practically invisible. I was born in the Northern city of Geptul; my parents like all Nyac were scientists. And I was expected to follow in their footsteps. From the time I was five until I was fifteen I went to the Nyac Institute of Science when I graduated from school I began my five year apprenticeship as a genetic engineer. But when I turned eighteen that was when everything changed.
We were invaded by the Zybrians a race of hideous intelligence who knew only aggression and destruction. War had been declared and like a good little citizen I signed up to fight. For over a year we fought in different campaigns all over Nya and during that time I watched my friends and neighbors die. Eventually we beat back the invaders but my time as a soldier had left me jaded. When I returned home I discovered that for some the war never ends. I started having nightmares about the things I'd seen that no amount of intoxicating drinks would help me forget. I could not concentrate on my work and I decided to leave my home world and seek my fortune elsewhere. I packed all my possessions including my Tovreet in a 4 dimensional hyper satchel and then proceeded to 'borrow' a ship.
I spent the first few weeks in a cantina drinking away my troubles when I overheard an interesting conversation by two shadowy figures.
I became intrigued so I cloaked my ship and followed them. We neared their destination a planet with a strange electromagnetic field that hid it from my ship's sensors. The field damaged my ship and I had to make an emergency landing. As I got out of my ship I was approached by a small group of beings all were different species, some wore simple cloaks while others wore highly advanced and stylized full body armor. "Come with us." one of them, a tall imposing rhinocerid said.
We walked for a while in silence until we came to a large compound. I was brought inside a large room and taken to see a man. "I have brought the intruder Master Gath."
"Very good Master Zog Sa you may rejoin the other students oh and congratulations on your upcoming graduation." Gath said. There was just a wisp of a smile on Zog Sa's mouth as he gave Gath a curt bow and left the room. I turned to face Gath and saw that he was tall and thin with red skin, long white hair, two large purple eyes and a distinctive forehead crest.
"You must excuse Zog Sa's abrasive nature he is a Judoon after all although I do believe his time with other species here has done wonders for his personality he may even be developing a sense of humor." He said more to himself than to me. I walked over to him and saw that his two arms were covered with tattoos, though what they signified was a mystery to me.
"I'll be blunt with you Nyac, yes yes I know of your species, you didn't think I would invite you into my personal quarters without doing some research on you first."
"My name is Yarin. It means scholarly one" I said.
"Good for you." Gath replied calmly as he walked over to a pair of odd looking swords mounted on the wall behind him and took them down. They were covered with a bright green substance I could only assume was blood. He took out a rag and started casually cleaning them, all the while walking ever closer towards me.
"I commend your ingenuity by the way few outsiders even know of this planet's existence. That being said... He smiled darkly at me and in a flash had his blade against my throat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
Well for starters I'm more usefully to you alive than dead. I said projecting my thoughts into Gath's mind.
"Ah a telepath well aren't you full of surprises." he said as he removed the sword from my neck.
"You haven't seen anything yet." I said as I struck at him with my upper arms only to find my attacks being blocked.
"Come on you son of a Vondruke you've got four arms use them," He demanded.
I redouble my efforts using all my arms to try and land a blow yet it once again proved futile.
"Stop trying to hit me and hit me, you're not thinking you're just acting." Gath said as he struck me in the chest sending my flying across the room. "You need to clear your mind and use the gifts nature gave you. Again."
I gritted my teeth but took his advice I slowed my breathing and closed my eyes though even through my shut lids I could still sense that Gath was out there. I felt for his mind and when I found it I latched on.
Suddenly it all became clear to me; I could see his moves the moment before he made them.
I struck with ever increasing speed hit, block, hit, block then at the last second I grabbed his wrists with my two lower arms and with my upper arms I sent him flying into the back wall.
"Good, Adaptation, improvisation, what do you call the fighting style you just used?"
"It is called Saqora it is a combat technique I learned during the war on my home world that uses telepathy to predict your opponent's next move."
Gath grinned "I could use a man like you in my little operation I run a training facility that liquidates many of the galaxy's more tainted leaders. Welcome Yarin to the assassins guild."
That was nearly 5 years ago and in that time I was trained in many forms of armed and unarmed combat and I learned tactical and battle strategies. The public face of the guild was a school; complete with multiple dorm rooms several cafeterias and many training arenas. It was funded privately by the SSC funneled through various untraceable charities.
There are many different people on Sy-Amory some were soldiers like myself unable to fit into their respective societies, others were mercenaries, brought in by the large amount of credits the guild offered them, there were even a few religious zealots who were convinced that they were doing their creator's work by aligning themselves with such a powerful force.
I was returned to my quarters when my roommate Xrykoth looked up from the pool of water and sand he called a bed. Xrykoth was a Krast a large crustacean, and he was one of the more religious among us he worshiped a deity called Zort he was also a brilliant strategist and tactician. "What are you doing back this early?" the robotic voice of his Voder which translated his mouth striations into galard asked.
"I just got my newest assignment." I said showing him the printout
"What happened to the Moxx of Balhoon?"
"His days of greed and gluttony are over he had an unfortunate 'accident' involving a shredder and an open window." I said.
"Who did you get this time?"
"Visser Two again. The SSC is very adamant that he be taken out. I hear he's a fan of the underground Geno fights on Ansar I'm going over there to see if I can finish him once and for all"
"Good luck my friend, did you hear that the Geron finally installed their array."
The Geron's are a tall purple bird like species known for their hospitality, yet unspectacular in most other areas. They live on a militarily insignificant planet with massive crystal deposits and they use this natural resource in the design and construction of enormous transceiver arrays. These arrays collect radio waves from nearby systems and sends the signal into zero space to be heard by the rest of the galaxy.
"Really when?" I asked.
"A few weeks ago. We're already getting signals from the as far away as the Syriad quadrant.
Do you remember those Hydrolox emissions we found out in the outer rim?" he asked
"Of course." I said
"Well the SSC sent a scouting party to investigate and they found rips in the fabric of space apparently there is a species from inside the tear called the Malcolites they are very hostile and territorial and the SSC thinks they may become a threat so be on your guard." he said
"Thank you now on a less catastrophic note did you know that the Yeerks are on a planet called Earth and that the dominant species has apparently formed an underground resistance that they have broadcasted across the planet and into space, I think I'm going to send them some words of encouragement they need to know there are others out there fighting the Yeerks." I said
"You do that and once again good luck with the Visser." he said as i left.
I stowed aboard a cargo ship headed for Ansar with my satchel inside was my Tovreet and a few sedated genetically engineered creatures I had created to put into the fight. Even though I was no longer a geneticist I still had my knowledge and I put the guild's state of the art laboratory to good use and I figured if I was going to be at the fights I might as well make it convincing.
I arrived on Ansar and quickly made my way to an underground fight ring and betting parlor. I registered my creatures it would be a few hours till the fight and I was shown to a small but comfortable room to wait. I quickly got bored with this and went looking for the Visser. I finally found him sitting at a table with a pair of eating a meal in a large room at the end of a long corridor.
He was in a Kadeel host this time around. The Kadeel were a race of long necked bipedal winged reptilian warriors obsessed with a ritualistic hunting rite of passage they called the Game.
"Hello old friend," he said.
"Hello Ulisic I see you have a new host."
"Yes it helps confuse my enemies. Now before we do our little dance please come sit down you must be tired from your journey. Can I get you something to drink? We have recently conquered the Wedelon. They have an exquisite brandy."
After a quick drink we stood up and unsheathed our weapons. "So then to the death?" I asked
"But of course." Visser Two replied with a tinge of excitement in his voice.
"Tell me is this the third or fourth time we've fought." Ulisic said as our weapons clashed and the sparks flew.
"Fourth I believe," I said.
"And in all that time you still haven't realized that you're just the puppet of a greater man than yourself."
"Not a greater man just an older one and you are one to talk about puppets you parasite."
"Ah but while my need for dominance is biological yours is psychological you fear what you do not understand and destroy what you can't control."
Just then we heard sirens outside the building and the sound of shouting down the hall.
"It appears the police have found out about our little fight ring. I suggest you make your escape soon, the penal system on this planet isn't known for its friendliness towards non terrestrials, until we meet again old friend." he said as flew out the window I tried to get out unnoticed but by then the police had surrounded the building. As I was taken away in cuffs I looked up and could just see the Visser as a small dot on the purple horizon.
