Animorphs: A New Beginning

[Cloak]

"Now, Hu," Bened said silkily, then he lunged, "prepare to die!"

Hu dodged, but Bened managed to slice off part of Hu's left ear.  The damage was purely cosmetic.  Hu could see that Bened was now profoundly much more dangerous.  Hu could not see any other alternative.  To survive this confrontation, he must devolve.

Hu became his ancient evolutionary ancestor again.  When Bened came to attack, it was clear that he was lying about the metal as it could not penetrate Hu's armored plating.  Hu gave a huge roar and took his huge paw and tossed Bened into the horizon.  But Hu knew he would survive.

He quickly made his way back to Yarin's ship.  Hopefully the others would be there.  If not, he would go to the cave.  Hu's ego was also mortally wounded.

[Chad32]

((The new computer I got from my brother in law had problems with the sound card. In my attempts to fix it, I somehow broke the computer. Now I don't have one. I'm sorry if I made you upset, Nichole, but really how much time does it take to post a paragraph or two every couple of days? Well, I didn't intend to make you genuinely angry. I have a busy life as well, but as long as the place I'm staying in has internet access I make time for my addictio--I mean hobby!

As for the next mission, we'll currently have a drama regarding Yarin's friend. Qodon will scoff at Nichole for dating Yarin, and one or both will hesitate to accept that cody is living with Yarin.))

Cody rose after a while and told the others he was going to the zoo to acquire new morphs. He needed some more variety.

[Cloak]

Hu made it to Yarin's ship, a little hot under the collar, but otherwise reasonably fine.  The shift of forms reconstituted Hu's ear.  Once Hu entered, he remembered that there were two more Nyac other then Yarin.

"Yarin, are the others here?"

[traycon3]

((I'll try and be on, but sometimes it's hard to even write a paragraph that doesn't sound...rediculous or just wrong within the context of the rp. Especially if I missed a bit and need to catch up.))

Qodon watched Cody leave out of the corner of her eyes, taking her eyes off the human for a second. She adjusted herself so that she was sort of blocking the alien's view of Yarin.

Nichole turned when Hu entered, blinking until her eyes adjusted. She had been glaring daggers at the other Nyac. Even though she had no idea what Yarin and she were talking about, she could tell it wasn't very nice. And judging by the tone of the other Nyac's voice, it was either about her or her race.
"Cody just left. And I don't know where Kelran ran off to. Is something up?"
She'd honestly be doing anything else right now. She needed to get some steam out before she blew up. And hopefully it would help get whatever was left of the antidote to finish up. Hopefully.

[Cloak]

((That's perfectly understandable, traycon.))

"Met Bened in the forest," Hu said, roughly.  "He's had an upgrade.  His claws and fangs are laced with something called animadmantium.  Supposed to be unbreakable and able to slice through any solid matter, apparently.  He overestimated the material -- it could not slice through the armor plates of a Gigantofatalismilodon.  He sliced off my left ear.  Had to devolve to beat him."

Hu heaved a sigh.  "This could be problematic, especially if the Yeerks can use this kind of thing on any of their hosts."

((I just realized there is some similiarity between the relationships Hu and Bened have to the one that Wolverine and Sabertooth have. . . .))

[Chad32]

Cody met Emily on his way to the zoo, and they went together. She said she could do with more morphs as well. They decided to go in as Human and stroll around first.

"Do you think you want to make this war your life? Like Kelran does?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't found many options. Legal ones, at least. What about you?"

"Oh, I'd like to be some kind of artist one day. Painting, music, or perhaps something else."

They went to the snake exhibit.

"A black mamba would be cool. It's one of the most venomous, and can travel faster than a horse." Cody said.

"I think the faster than a horse part is a myth."

"You know, we could easily test that out."

They snuck around and got a better variety of morphs, also enjoying some quality time together. Eventually, they came back to Yarin's ship to mingle with the new guys. Delmin talked to Cody.

<So, you're living with Yarin?>

"Yep. He's cool."

<Are you...mating with him?>

"What? No. I'm a guy. We're both into girls."

<But you both live under the same roof? That is rather odd in my culture.>

"I'm converting Yarin to my culture."

<I doubt that would happen.>

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Kelran over heared the last of Hu's statement as he loped in, "animadmantium?" he shrugged, "We used it about 10 years ago as second generation hull plating. That is, if the translator means the same metal I think it does.
We replaced it with tribnotanium, but only because tribnotanium had better energy resistance, in terms of strength its rougly like tritanium to the 3000th degree. tribnotanium is actually an animadmantium/polycarbide alloy. What of it?"

[Cloak]

Hu explained to Kelran.  But he couldn't hide his contempt for his brother, and he didn't even try.  "However, it means I have to go Gigantofatalismilodon if I want to go claw-to-claw with him.  Bened has no honor . . . being made into a freak of nature.  Allying himself with monsters.  Sadistic . . ." Hu trailed away in the Smilodite language, which basically sounded like growling to non-speakers.  Which was good -- Hu wasn't using polite language.

Hu realized that being able to devolve and re-evolve at will wasn't natural or normal, but he didn't say anything about it.  He had his arms folded and his tail was thrashing around almost angrily.

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Kelran glowered, "Well, I certainly doubt his additional plating will do him any good. You simply have enough strength to tech him his place by brute force.  And regardless of the materiel, I doubt it can stand up to my sword. We havent met the material yet that could withstand a monomolecular blade of selenium.  We would use it for ship hulls, but its rare enough to make human gold look like dirt."
He withdrew and examined his sword, "This is old... at least 1000 years. Its been in my family since before generations unpon generationf of grandfathers could remember..."

Kelran seemed to become momentarily lost in thought as he studied th eplay of light on the massive blade...

[Cloak]

Hu nodded curtly to Kelran, and causally mentioned, "This cloak is centuries old.  It was my ancestor's.  It is said to hold some deep magic.  And the power to fade from view -- as you probably have already noticed.  Each satchel every young pupil gets is sensitive to their mind, heart, and soul.  It learns it, and then will not open for anyone else.  Every master prepares their pupil's satchel.  Fortunately, Bened never recieved one."

Hu sighed deeply.  "And Kelran . . . it's not so much that he added the plating, it's just that he preverted everything he was taught.  Betrayed everyone around him.  He sacrificed his honor and his soul for the neverending quest for power.  I never imagined a Smilodite would go down the path he did.  He's lost himself so far on that path, I'm beginning to believe he can never come back."

[Yarin]

Yarin turned to Qodon and began speaking rapidly to her, he was not trying to exclude Nichole he just rarely got a chance to speak his native language. 

"What news have you from the homeworld?" Yarin asked. 

"Nya is prosperous the council of elders have recently entered into a cultural exchange with the Mantos a race of tripedal monocular winged cephalopods. A group of them living on Nya they are friendly enough however odd their appearance might be."  she said.

"Do not break the second rule of interspecies conduct never point out another species physical differences". 
How are my mother and father? Yarin asked.

They are in good health and keeping active within the community. On a more personal note I reached the Age of Significance and completed my apprenticeship as a pilot.  Have you reached the Age of Significance?" Qodon asked.

Actually I have already passed the Narcon-Gleesh.  Yarin said.

"How is that possible? You are not yet old enough."  She asked confused.

My ship encountered a temporal distortion on my way to Earth.  It accelerated my metabolic prosses whiched caused me to experience the Narcon-Gleesh early."

"What was it like?"  Qodon asked.

"It is difficult to explain, first there was the energy discharges then the torrant came and then I experienced a feedback pulse." Yarin said.

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Kelran shook his head, "We can never place limits on the perversion of a betrayer.... or the power of loyalty.
You have the advantage because you are better than he is, and I imagine that even that knowledge carries some pain with it.
But he has already placed you within his killing zone if you succumb to that."

Kelran looked for some way to shift subjects as this was obviously bothering Hu, he gestured at the Nyac, "Now what do you suppose they are on about?"

[Cloak]

Hu lifted his Encarta so Kelran would notice it.  "My Encarta can absorb languages after a few moments and provide instaneous translation.  That's how you and the others can understand me and how I can understand you.  Yarin is questioning the other two on how things are going on this home planet.  And some other cultural things, as far as I can tell."

Hu tried to mask his own curiosity on what was happening on Aruten.  He never knew if he would be able to get back there, or if he would fit in anymore.  He has changed a lot from the foolish cub he had been.

[Yarin]

Yarin finished his conversation with Qodon and walked over to Hu and Kelran.  "I have something for you Hu." Yarin said handing Hu a small device. "It is a holograph emiter contained in a small wrist device I have also programed in a forcefield so that it feels real to the touch you can set it to anything you wish."

[Cloak]

Hu thanked Yarin and placed it on his other wrist -- the one not occupied by his Encarta -- but he determinedly decided that he would not use it except in cases of emergency.  His cloak's invisibility was enough, he felt, at the moment.

((Perhaps the Yeerks will come up with some sophisicated heat-sensing technology which would make the cloak's usefullness moot.))