she wasn't planning on coming back. she didn't want to kill anymore. she just wanted it to end. she didn't forget her responsibilities. She said several times what she should do for the world instead of for Karen. She just didn't want to kill. if you didn't want to kill, what choice would you make?
That kinda sounds exactly like shes forgetting her responsibilities. She pretty much just gave up. It's a shame that she has to kill and hurt people, but she and the other Animorphs were given the responsibility to save the world. It's all on their shoulders. By giving up, Cassie is condemming so many people to a horrible fate. Plus, she's turning her back on her friends, whose chances of winning are drastically cut without her in the battle.
If I'm not mistaken, Cassie had quit the Animorphs prior to making that "small peace" with Aftran. She was losing her animals, losing her friends, losing herself to a war with every battle. She wanted out. Quitting was the first step. Making small peace was the completion to the cause. She allowed herself to be trapped feeling she had nothing to lose, and only peace to gain.
I admire her bravery. No one can ever call Cassie a coward, or inconsiderate, or even foolish. B/c she was the farthest thing from that. The girl knew what she was doing. She understood the consequences, anticipated, waited, and acted on her instincts which were usually right.
How is being compassionate foolish? Or unintelligent? You need people like her in war. If her empathy made her weak then I don't know what strong is. You dont have to be a blood-thirsty killing machine all the time. Sometimes it takes more than that just to win.
Oh, and because of Cassie they were able to start the Yeerk Peace Movement, right? Wasn't that beneficial in anyway throughout the remainder of the series, all the way to the end? I think so