Animorphs: A New Beginning

[Chad32]

Cody and Hu were now alone, with the Chief and Bened. The torture had not quite begun.

"So, tell me why that guy is still alive? He betrayed you, and killed your family, and you let him go? I don't know whether to admire that fact that you can feel that deeply for someone, or just call you retardely stupid for not ending his life painfully. Given my current mood, I'm leaning towards the second option."

Surprisingly to Cody, he felt worried about Kelran. He didn't really want to admit it at the moment, though, in case the feeling went away. Which is likely would. He was also worried about their secrets, that the Yeerks would likely find. Lastly, he wondered why Kelran wanted them to take him instead. Did he think he was stronger than cody? Maybe he was, but Cody remembered him implying it a week ago when he was at Kelran's ship. The nerve of that guy.

((What if Bened starts to like Cody after hearing him talk? And starts tempting Cody to join him. Not so much the Yeerks, but him in particular.))

[Kelran-Isthinar]

The Hork Bajir, 12 in all, dragged Kelran at dracon point to a much much larger chamber.
They then strapped him down onto a cold metal table, and proceeded with the infestation.

As the Hork Bajir contuned to stand guard, since Kelran was psossibly strong enough to break the table restraints, a human controller came along side Kelran's head with a vile slug-like being in a oair of tweezers.

Kelran flattened his ears.

The fustrated controller grabbed a fistfull of Gryphon ear and yanked up to find...
A bony plate covering the ear canal.

((Ill let you gents run the Visser and well have a lovely little repartee here...))

[Chad32]

Visser Five came over to see what the problem was, and saw the piece of bone in the way. After looking at it curiously for a few moments, he reached over and grabbed Kelran's head. Using his Calveroid's ability, he managed to get between the bone and force it back. This allowed the Yeerk to slide through and past the bone.

<We may have to have a discussion with our surgeons about having that removed, or having some muscles cut that control the flap.>

[Kelran-Isthinar]

((ok so everyone is infested for the rest of their lives. checkmate. bye bye. or....))

But the visser didnt see the second barrier.
The Yeerk came sliding and oozing back out just as quickly as it had gone in.
Kelran smiled.
"Something you should know Visser. A species evolved for intense combat, often has hidden defensive traits.
These plates are specifically for defending the brain by stabilizing the bone structure during severe head trauma, their ability to stop entry into the head cavity via the ear is merely a fortunate sideaffect.
Even if you manage to open the first one again, Ill simply slice off your appendage with the other, and we could go at this for days."

The Visser motioned to another human controller who came over with what looked like some sort of cutting tool.
But just as Kelran expected to hear the whine of the tool followed by a snap, crunch, and instant death, the surgeon stopped.
He removed what Cody would have said looked like a Tricorder from Star Trek and began waving it over the outermost plate.

"Visser... erm... We.. ah.. we cant. cut. the plate. The bone mass is so dense and its braced against the brain case, its probably like he says, a defensive bracing mechanism. But we can't cut through it without shattering his braincase. The power-to-cutting ration confined in such a small space and applied to such a large structure of bone... " the surgeon stammered into terrified silence.

The Visser was not happy.

Kelran smirked, "So you can kill me and loose acces to the my technical knowledge, a prime host body, better than your own I daresay, and the co-ordinates of my home sectors and a vast supply of such bodies and resources... or.... we could make... a deal."

[Chad32]

<Fine.> He said to the Human controller. <Return to Yeerk to a liquid container, then dismiss yourself.>

<I'm even more interested now. What is it that you would like me to do in order for you to give yourself freely to us?> He said to Kelran.

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Kelran sighed, "I thought you might be interested in that. I will allow you to implant the Yeerk...
As long as I retain some control of myself you will neither permanently harm, kill, or infest either Cody or Hu.
If you do, I will kill myself, and with me all the knowledge you seek.
What do you say? are you confident enough in your comrade? that he will suceede in wresting control from me evenetually?"

The Visser had one more question, <but why? surely you know you won't last more than a moment...>

Kelran smiled, "Dont be too sure. If you knew anything of us Gryphons, you'd know that we will take any chance to fight. Especially where saving our comrades is involved. Are we in agreement?"

[Chad32]

<Very well. Guards, bring the captives here.>

The Horks quickly went to the holding cells, and brought Cody and Hu. The Chief and Bened also came along, looking quite disappointed that their fun was over. Everyone was led outside.

<In exchange for the willing infestation of this Gryphon, I now free the andalite and Smilodite.>

"What!?" Cody yelled. "Kelran, I don't know what you're doing, but when I find out I'll do...something!"

The Horks threw them out, and they watched from a distance as Kelran was infested.

<Once I have both Humans and Gryphons under my command, the Council will empty a seat at their table for me. Welcoming me into their fold as someone who combines skill, cunning, and a dash of luck to dependably succeed where others fail.>

Cody and Hu ran for cover. Once safe, Cody spoke. "The others are still inside. Kelran is a voluntary now. We have to get the others and figure out what to do."

[Kelran-Isthinar]

The pain was intense. Vastly beyond anything Kelran had dealt with. But not yet beyond his tolerance.
He struggled, he writhed, he fought for control of his neurons. The battle was pitched evenly and it became a dull spike and counter spike of pain based trench warfare.

Then the Yeerk spoke to him. And it got harder. much much harder.

[Chad32]

((Kelran (The RAF member) should be the one to control the Yeerk character. Just like how I control Cody and Emily.))

After Emily finished morphing the Cape buffalo, she went tino a room and took a look around. Through a window, she noticed the others outside. <What is going on here? Cody and Hu are running for the trees, and Kelran is kind of spasming. Now he's heading back inside with the others. We need to go outside, guys.>

Soon, everyone was reunited in the same building as before. Emily returned Hu's invisibility cloak, and apologized about the satchel.

[Cloak]

Hu heard Emily's apologies, but brushed them away.  "Accidents happen, and activating the cloak's invisibility to hide it was a stroke of genius.  But Kelran . . ."

Hu let it hang.  He ignored the torture that Bened put him through, and the jabs that Cody made at him.  Did he really believe that Hu hadn't tormented himself through all those accusatory questions a hundredfold?

But other questions swirled around his head.  Why did Bened serve the Yeerks?  Hu knew the humans had no choice -- their bodies were not their own.  Hu felt the tiniest bit of selfish comfort knowing that Aruten was possibly untouchable, possibly being in a different realm, a different dimension, altogether.

"If Kelran loses his battle, desperate measures may need to be taken." Hu said, again brushing the horrors Bened showed him aside.  Along with the graphic tell of how he murdered Hu's family.

[Chad32]

"what should we do about the generator now? They'll find the explosives soon enough. Should we blow the generator, or maybe try to use it as a bargaining chip to get Kelran back?" Emily said.

"We're going to have to kill him." Cody said.

"I can't believe you would even think that! Kill Kelran!? He's our friend! He gave his body to free you guys, and you dare consider killing him!?" Emily yelled.

"I was talking about Bened, but I'm glad to know where your vote lies as far as Kelran goes. Bened has Hu's satchel, which sucks. If the Yeerks actually find out who Nichole and Emily are, and discover the location of the morphing cube, that would suck so much more. We have to get Kelran away from the Yeerks, by any means necessary. Every second counts."

[Cloak]

"I concur," Hu said, thrashing his tail about uneasily and axiously.  "Bened cannot open the satchel though, Cody.  Only it's true owner can.  And that would be me."

Then Hu who had been gazing toward the direction of the building, looked at Cody, directly into his eyes.  "And Bened will not be so easy to kill.  We both have the same training under my father.  I always performed better than he on the tests, but he still has the knowledge.  He's a survivor -- just as I am.  We really should be going, now.  But we mustn't be too impulsive."

[Kelran-Isthinar]

((right  Oh boy... time to play a villain...))

<Greetings. Kelran the weakling. I am Kresillet-4482, you and I are going to become very very close...>
<GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD.>
<Oho! such a fiesty mind! Oh? whats this? you have an extra line of neuro-chemical defense? impressive...
 but not impressive enough..
do you know what they call me in my pool Gryphon? They call me the death's hand. Dont you want to know why?>
<no> Kelran was being more conservative with his energy now. Digging in for a long fight.
<Well its a shame then, because Im going to show you...>
<AAAAAAAAAAAGHGHGRHG G> Images flashed across Kelran's mind, pain seared his limbs, his heart, his lungs.
<I was once a shocktrooper for the Yeerk empire. I have experienced Host death 14 times, and somehow survived.
Apparently its due to a genetic defect. Most Yeerks die if they are inside the host at the moment of neurological termination, but I have cheated this fate 14 times. What you are seeing and feeling is an exact recreation of each death.
I use these images to break non-cooperative hosts so that they can be given to other Yeerks.
Every time you deny me access to a memory, we will play through one of these little mortality scenarios randomly. Lets begin...
shall we?>

[Yarin]

(wait am i in trouble for not stopping the infestation?)

[Chad32]

((No, you're not in trouble.))