B37C21 - Kill Garatron

"Tseeeer!"

Yes!

From the arched roof of the vast underground space that is the Yeerk bastion . . .

From what seemed to be the very center of the high dome, past the steel supporting beams, down, down past the high walls of dirt . . . came the cavalry.

A red-tailed hawk.

A northern harrier.

And in the talons of the hawk and the harrier - a cobra!

Fast, muscular, crushingly strong. A body that was nothing more and nothing less than a long and powerful whip.

A whip and a mouth that contained fangs and sacs of deadly poison.

Kinda the perfect morph for Marco, when you thought about it.

(...)

"Tseeeer!"

The inspector looked up. Shifted his hooves and seemed to tense when he saw the three Earth creatures so close, only yards above his head.

Once again, I struggled to my feet. Watched as Tobias and Ax released their dangerous burden within striking distance of the Garatron!

Who didn't zip away. Who looked down at the slowly wriggling creature. Dismissed it as unimportant. Looked upward.

To watch Tobias, flapping madly to regain some height. Then coming back around again, diving, talons outstretched, for the inspector.

The inspector moved, maybe only an inch or two, but so amazingly fast that Tobias missed. Circled, struggled for height again.

<Ax! Hurry!> I shouted.

Hork-Bajir! I hadn't heard the visser give an order but Hork-Bajir, ten or fifteen of them, were moving toward the Garatron from where they'd gathered around the cages of human-Controllers.

To his aid or . . . for a moment I wondered.

But the inspector's attention was riveted on Ax, who was demorphing to Andalite. And then, up, to the screeching, attacking bird . . .

<Ow! Don't these guys cut their toenails?> Marco, being carelessly stepped on by a running Hork-Bajir. Then, more deliberately stomped . . .

<Get a clear shot, Marco!> I cried.

<Gee, I hadn't considered that option . . .>

ZZIIISSSPPP!

The Garatron was back in action. He dashed away from Marco's reach. Spun madly around Ax.

Fwapp! Fwapp! Fwapp!

Ax missed, every time.

<Keep him busy, Ax-man,> Marco ordered.

Slither, coil. Uncoil, scrunch. Forward, slow but sure.

The cobra advanced silently around the Hork-Bajir guards who had gathered in a loose ring around the battling inspector and Ax.

To make sure the inspector didn't walk away? To make sure he fought to the death? Whose death?

But their eyes weren't on the ground. Their eyes were on the spectacular, dizzying display of stunning speed before them. On the madly, futilely slashing young Andalite.

Slither, coil. Uncoil, stretch.

Closer and closer.

Close. Inches.

HSSSIIIPP!

Marco launched!

For a brief moment I saw more of the inspector than just a blue blur as Marco held one of his legs with his fangs. As he pumped killing poison into the Garatron's unsuspecting alien body.

Marco had struck the Garatron while he was moving at full speed. Like snatching a bullet out of the air.

<You're fast, Yeerk,> Marco said. <I'm faster.>

And then Marco released his victim, slithered, coiled, uncoiled, and stretched off behind the confused Hork-Bajir.

But still the Garatron ran!

<Oh no!> Cassie said. <What if the venom doesn't have an effect on the Garatron?>

<We've got to help Ax! Let's do it!>

But before Cassie and I could drag our battered bodies back up the pier and into the fray . . .

The Garatron! The inspector was slowing. Stumbling.

Still circling Ax, but his long tail drooping.

One slim front leg suddenly, awkwardly, entwined with the other.

<What is hap - pen - ing!> he cried, even his speech was slower, thicker as he came to a faltering, swaying stop.

<Are you experiencing a problem, my dear Inspector?> Visser Three boomed, his voice dripping phony concern.

<Cassie, now! Into the Yeerk pool and get to osprey or seagull,> I commanded. I didn't turn around when I heard a smooth sliding dive be hind me.

<Ax - you, too. Go bird, now! Everybody! I don't know what kind of macho game is going on with these two guys, but we are so out of here the second we get the chance!>

<You okay to fly, Rachel?> Tobias, still circling.

<Yeah. I'm okay. Just get Marco. And everybody, go out the way we came in.>

The inspector fell to his knees. And then rolled over onto his side. I rose into the air with difficulty and watched the Garatron's legs straighten, stiffen.

The ring of Hork-Bajir guards stood still, Silent and unmoving. Not going to the inspector's aid. Not making any attempt to stop Ax from finishing his morph. Not preventing Tobias from swooping down to grab Marco in his talons.

Too afraid to infuriate the visser by turning their attention to the polar bear in the Yeerk pool.

But the visser was watching and noticing everything.

<Inspector!> he cried. <Look! The Andalite bandits are getting away! You must go after them!>