A Prime Opportunity [Closed to Rachel and Aximili, set before Fauxbellion]

[meat_mooks]

It was rare to spot the Daligig outside of restricted zones, and even more rare to find one of the hidden entrances. They knew the ship better than the crew, and purposely chose what times they utilized said entrances to minimize the chances of being seen.

Rachel and Aximili had hit the jackpot, though.

A lone Daligig walked through the pods in the pod cavern, confident that she was not being watched or followed. No one ever spent time in that area of Stacy. She didn't even have any Kessek bodyguards to protect her. She headed for a slime-covered wall, spoke a command, and waited for a panel to appear. She then put her hand on the panel for several seconds.

|| Biometrics accepted. You are authorized to enter. ||

She walked through the opening that materialized, the door closing automatically behind her and disappearing completely into the wall as if it had never been there, along with the panel.

Comments

[mynameisax]

Ax whizzed in high after the Daligig, dodging the closing of the door by seconds and flipping up to land upside-down on the ceiling. He could only hope that he hadn't just led Rachel into the equivalent of a Gleet BioFilter.

< Did you make it through? > he asked in private thought-speak, watching the Daligig with his compound eyes.

[psychicbear]

< In one piece, even, > Rachel 'said' from a a spot on the wall nearby. Or at least she assumed it was nearby-- it was hard to spot him with the fly's vision, but the important thing was that they were both in. They were ready.

< Let's do this. >

[fate_favored]

The Daligig, still completely unaware of being followed, pulled out a datapad and started tapping a few keys on a console embedded in the wall. Lines of code appeared in a foreign language that neither would understand.

Strangely, Stacy stayed silent about the Animorph intrusion instead of sounding an alarm.

[mynameisax]

Ax counted several tense moments before he decided that they had neither tripped an alarm, nor was Stacy about to expose them.

The plan was to acquire the Daligig, to see if it were possible to masquerade as one of them and investigate further. They hoped to use the acquiring trance to keep the Daligig unaware of their actions -- and hoped that the action wouldn't trigger Stacy's defenses.

While it was unfortunate that Cassie and the others had been returned to Pod Sleep, Ax was a little relieved that they didn't have to argue about the necessity of the act verses the violation of a sentient being.

< See if you can find an alcove or something where we can hide, > he told Rachel, finally. < I'll demorph first, I'm faster in my natural form than you are. >

[psychicbear]

If there was one thing Rachel was glad for, it was the lact of that 'sentience' argument-- this was necessary, end of story.

< Got it, > she grumbled in reply. She didn't like it-- she'd rather act now but at least it wasn't benching her or something. She didn't really wait, though-- she buzzed down, peering through insect eyes for something that looked like it was out of the way enough to give her cover to demorph when it was time.

Landing, she started to privately count off. There was no need for too much of a time delay, so if Ax didn't signal-- well, she was hidden anyway.

[fate_favored]

The Daligig continued her work, frowning every now and then at her datapad. She never spoke a word.

The alcove Rachel was in was in the perfect spot for her to demorph and not be seen until she wanted to be. There also happened to be another alcove on the opposite side that was perfect, and the background noise of Stacy's systems would mask any sounds they made while demorphing.

[mynameisax]

Ax likewise demorphed in the other alcove, and peered out with a single stalk-eye to make sure that the Daligig was still focused on her work before he eased out into the corridor. He moved carefully, and as silently as possible, thankful for the flesh-like floor that muffled the sound of his hooves.

If only he could simply run up and render her unconscious! But no, that would almost certainly trigger the Warden's defenses, and Ax did not want to think too much about what the Daligig might do to a crew member found threatening one of their own in a secret (and undoubtedly forbidden) area of the ship. Ax breathed as slowly as he he moved, reaching for meditative calmness and finding nothing but tension.

< You can start demorphing, > Ax thought-spoke privately. < If we are to do this, we will need to do it quickly. >

Just a few more inches...

[mynameisax]

Even the time it took to travel back from the hidden entrance used by the Daligig wasn't enough to clear Ax's system of the thrill of their success. He and Rachel had not only succeeded in acquiring Daligig DNA, but they had also succeeded in escaping unnoticed by the Daligig, and unmolested by Stacy. Ax wasn't sure if it was because the ship approved or because the ship simply didn't care so long as the Daligig remained unharmed.

Leaving Rachel to continue to seek out other hidden entrances aboard the ship, Ax returned to the Drunken Dragon to report their success to Kang.

[governorkang]

Kang noticed Aximili almost as soon as he walked through the door, but he didn't acknowledge the andalite beyond a glance and a subtle twitch of his left wing before returning to his conversation with another person, waiting for him to speak.

[mynameisax]

Ax moves up to the bar, waiting patiently for a break in the conversation. Fortunately for them, Ax was in more departments than just Kang's secret one.

< Councilor, > he said when it seemed that Kang could be pulled away. < May I have a moment? I think the roots of the Garibah tree might be loosening some of the stones in the nearby Labyrinth, but I'd like a second opinion before I begin digging things up. Do you think that you will have time in the near future to be that second opinion? >

The Labyrinth did seem to be one of Stacy's blindspots, since Ax and the Animorphs had succeeded in keeping Tom down there when they had been trying to starve Iniss out of his head. The pit would also be useful for restraining Ax until he could control the Daligig morph.

He hoped he could control the Daligig morph. They didn't seem entirely like a hivemind, but he wouldn't know for certain until he tried on the body.

[governorkang]

Excusing himself from the conversation, Kang turned to Ax, "Certainly. I can do so now, if you'd like. It's not very busy at this hour." It was perfect. It was known by several people on the ship that he had construction experience, largely with stone and wood, so it made sense to consult him on such a matter.

He waved to one of his barmaids to let her know that he would be back, and stepped away from the bar. "Lead the way, Aximili."

[mynameisax]

< I would appreciate that, thank you, > Ax said, leading the way out the door. < I am reluctant to do anything that might harm the Tree, you understand, but we don't know what the purpose of the Labyrinth is yet. If it is some sort of... > he waved a hand as if searching for a word, < 'binding circle' or something and the Tree's roots disturb it, the Tree might be greatly damaged in addition to all of the harm done to the rest of us. >

Those who hadn't figured out, by this point, that the Tree was deeply important to Ax hadn't spent enough time around the Tree. He visited it constantly, tending it and the grasses around its base with great diligence, and it was likewise obvious that Ax didn't have a great deal of time to spare for anything like a hobby. It was a perfectly sound reason for the two of them to go off and spend some time out of sight -- not to mention that the Labyrinth's unsettling aura would deter the more casual eavesdroppers. And as for the more intent ones...

Ax concentrated on his comm ring and contacted Rachel to come back and keep an eagle-eye on the proceedings.

[governorkang]

"We don't want a repeat of the Nightmare King," Kang agreed, following. He remembered that incident well. "I'd rather not harm the tree unless it's necessary either."

[mynameisax]

< No, we don't, > Ax agreed, not bothering to repress a shudder. The two of them continued in silence -- at least, that was what anyone listening in would hear.

< We succeeded in our primary objective, > Ax told Kang privately. < I can also find my way back to the location of the hidden entrance. However, the fly's sense of hearing is somewhat uncertain, and I am unable to say that I could reproduce the password that allowed the Daligig to access that area. We may want to set someone to watch the area, or perhaps set up some recording equipment. >

[governorkang]

Kang carefully hid a smile, not speaking until they entered the labyrinth itself. It wasn't all that far from the tavern. He kept his voice low, just in case, as they went deeper into the maze.

"Stacy didn't interfere?"

[mynameisax]

< Not at all, > Ax answered, still using private thought-speak. He didn't want to say so to Kang until he had some sort of proof, but Stacy may have even helped. There had been conveniently-sized alcoves in the area where he and Rachel had acquired the Daligig's DNA, he just didn't know if they'd been there before or if Stacy had shifted them into existence.

< I assume that she would have done so there if she were going to, rather than waiting for us to leave and doing it secretly. >

[governorkang]

"Interesting," Kang scratched at his chin. "She did intervene with Howard and Orc's punishment. I don't think it'd be too surprising if she helped us again."

[mynameisax]

< Perhaps, > Ax agreed cautiously. < I would not want to count her assistance as a sure thing in future plans, however. Not until the theory has more support. >

He lead Kang toward the center of the maze -- even if his sense of time was scrambled in the Bleed, his sense of direction remained perfectly operational. < I've told you that the mind of the morph-capable person needs to struggle with the mind of the basic mind and instincts of the species they are transforming into, correct? > he began, cautiously.

[governorkang]

Kang nodded, "Neither would I." He trusted that Aximili knew where he was going.

"Yes. You're going to attempt to morph it?"

[mynameisax]

< There would be little value in acquiring the DNA otherwise, > Ax said, making an effort to keep his expression and body language neutral. < I should also say that species that are members of a hive mind can be particularly difficult to overcome. The Daligig do not appear to be such a species, but I would rather attempt this in an area where you could cripple me should it appear that I am struggling to control the morph. >

It wouldn't be fun of course, but they both knew that the damage wouldn't transfer back to Ax's natural shape, and it was better than asking Kang outright to kill him. Ax only hoped that the Daligig didn't have some sort of psychic connection that would alert them to a surprise new member.

[governorkang]

If Aximili needed someone to injure or kill him, Kang was the right person to go to. The expression on his face didn't change at all as he put a hand on the hilt of his sword, "I understand completely."

[mynameisax]

Ax nodded his head, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

They'd reached the center of the maze, and Ax moved to flick on the switches to the lights that he and the other Animorphs had left there after their failure to free Tom from Iniss' control. They kept the pit fully illuminated, though it was still an eerie sort of place.

< Morphing can also be unsettling to watch, > he added. < And to listen to. > Breaking bones, organs shifting around, body parts appearing and disappearing...no, not exactly pleasant. Fortunately the technology made the process of turning into a completely different creature entirely painless.

[governorkang]

"I've seen it before. I've seen much worse," Kang shrugged, drawing his sword from his scabbard just in case.

[mynameisax]

< I'm certain you have, > Ax replied, main eyes still cast down to the depths of the unsettling pit. He'd never gotten used to the aura of this place -- it still made his fur prickle with the sensation of being watched, though they'd checked the place over multiple times and not found anything. That didn't mean there wasn't anything, especially not on this ship, and the sensation would only be made worse by the loss of his three hundred and sixty degree vision.

He squared his shoulders removed the sling he habitually carried things in on board the ship, leaving it safely at the base of the wall. Another breath and he began moving down into the pit, mincing uncomfortably on stairs at an incline not designed for Andalite use.

Maybe they ought to have a net over the top of the pit for this sort of thing. Something for next time -- if there was a next time. He glanced around the pit, but still found nothing.

< I'll begin, > he announced privately to Kang, and concentrated on his mental image of the Daligig he'd acquired, beginning the morphing process.

[governorkang]

It was the first that Kang had ever been to the pit, and it unnerved him, too. He waited patiently, watching the morphing process with a mix of disgust and fascination.

[mynameisax]

Morphing was rarely logical, and almost never the same twice (unless one was an estreen, which Ax certainly was not).

In this case, the first thing that happened was that his fur melted like curls of wax over a candle flame, ran together, and hardened into an exo-skeletal shell. Inside of the shell, Ax's bones dissolved into nothingness while his muscles and joints and organs began to transform and rearrange themselves. One of Ax's two hearts ceased to beat, and he glimpsed his tail and its blade being sucked into his rump through the dimming sight in his stalk eyes before they withered away completely.

Interestingly, he felt no splitting in the lower region of his face where the Daligig appeared to have mouths. Perhaps it simply hadn't formed yet, he was not all the way through with his morph...

The hard shell around his body began to strain as organs and muscles Andalites simply didn't have or carried in other places began to form and writhe within him. Ax almost felt a sensation of strain for a moment before the exoskeleton cracked open like some horrible egg, forming the joints and overlapping plates of chitin that would allow him to move with an eerie, insectoid grace.

All in all, the process took about two minutes, as best as Ax could judge on board this ship. He braced himself for the first hint of a hive mind, but felt nothing of the sort. Much like the other times he had morphed sentient or near-sentient creatures, the instincts were quiet and not particularly overwhelming. He turned his doll-like face up to Kang where he watched from the lip of the pit.

"I believe I am successfully in control of this morph, sir."

[governorkang]

"Excellent," Kang smiled. If the morphing process had bothered him, it didn't show on his face or in his body language. "Is there anything interesting you've noticed about it yet? Any risk of you being sensed by the Daligig?"

[mynameisax]

"I do not believe they can sense me," Ax said, experimentally flexing unfamiliar muscles. "...I will say that this--" he gestured upward with a hand and suddenly his 'face' split apart, revealing that it was actually composed of carefully folded mandibles, "--isn't really the Daligig's face. I assume it's some sort of evolutionary trick? Perhaps originally so that they could pass as a somewhat similar species?"

He didn't have a mirror down there with him, he had no idea what the true face of the Daligig looked like.