Chapter 1: The Surprise
Disclaimer - I heavily used Vulgarlang and Grok to build Galard into a full-ish language.
Fun fact there's only like 10 lines of Galard in the entire series in spite of how common it should be. I did my best.
My name is Lorash 639 of the Santa Barbara pool. If you're reading this, either we won, or more likely we lost in a very big way, so filshig with our lingering sense of convention.
Yes, I am technically an American citizen. Pending the inevitable Supreme Court lusfahir if we win, I'll even be able to vote independently of my host. Eventually, maybe. In 2014. In theory, we'll be a red white and blue heroes at that point. Worst case I can hide behind our children, but we'd hate having them fight a battle on our behalf. Life has been rough enough for them as-is.
Anyway, yeah. Let's start. It's a journey. If you want to judge me, a-fe hallot fa'. I work with what I have.
A series of host assignments rang out through the pool, and my name was among them. I felt sick when my name came up.
The announcement came suddenly and harshly - my mucus thickened and my palps retracted close. Not in a good way, either.
With no choice, I got in line uneasily.
There was only one reason they'd be assigning me a host. I swam quickly to a nearby terminal for details; I was relatively far down the line, so I had at least a little time.
"Unidentified human caucasian female, involuntary," was the title.
There was no other information aside from "Witness of an altercation between Andalite terrorists interfering with Imperial operations near Santa Barbara County Public Care Center. Stunned via Dracon as part of incident 262."
Splashing echoed through the pool from the infestation pier periodically, with the occasional shouting of angry humans distorted by pool fluids. With no choice, I got in line uneasily.
The lines from the brief feedback I had recieved from my training dealing with hosts flashed through my mind.
From the voluntary Gedd - "Good Yeerk."
I had been extremely proud. I'd done my best to integrate myself into the Gedd's thought processes and work with them, as I'd been taught. I'd been marked top of class. Being Gedd had been a blast.
At current time, the splashing at the pier quieted as Toren 1153 got control of her new body. After a few moments, the pier guards forced a new host's head into the water and the splashing resumed.
From the 'voluntary' Hork-Bajir - "Not like other Yeerk. Nicer, it thinks very loud but like me. But better."
My pride had grown, with a minor concern about what he'd meant by saying I thought too loud.
From the 'voluntary' human - "Augh. Guh, it feels like my brain was just a ram stick. She's good, I don't know how you grade this stuff but put her down for top marks on mental domination. She just reads a thought - not even a thought, I wasn't finishing any of them so maybe proto-thoughts? - and completes them. She's gonna be good with involuntaries, really good."
My unease was palpable at this point. I was reassured that I was an exemplar of the Imperial model of symbiosis.
Salen 522 disappeared into a struggling human ear. The pier guards maneuvered him put of the way, not giving him time to fully gain motor control. There were a lot of bodies to process, and the excited squeaks of Yeerks getting a first time permanent host assignment echoed.
From the involuntary Hork-Bajir - "I'll be good! Not that one ever again!"
We were symbiotes. Jeth Sarnak had had a rough life, with both of his parents dying on the Hork-Bajir homeworld and himself losing an eye in combat with the Andalites, but... he would have died of disease ten years prior had we not intervened.
We were symbiotic. We had to be. Life for our hosts was better with us, even if they never understood.
This had to be true, otherwise everything was a lie.
At current time, an unconscious human head was forced into the water. Hair spread all over the surface of the pool near the pier. My number was called again as I swam to my new host.
From the involuntary human - "It was almost like I stopped existing. It just read and reframed everything in its own terms before I could even completely form the thought. Please, please, just kill me."
Regardless of my unease, I pushed through the sea of hair covering my soon-to-be host's ear. I writhed for a few moments to free myself from a few persistent strands, and then pushed forward.
I couldn't help guilty excitement as I squeezed into the presented canal. It was warmer than the pool and extremely tight, but I'd already been stress-releasing mucus. I slickened further with anesthetic, and I slid the rest of the way into the warm cavity with exhilaration.
Electrical activity, dimmed by unconsiousness, still flickered through the neural tissue. As I flattened and began sinking in starting with the brainstem, I gained enough sensation to feel myself being pulled away from the pier and another host being forced into the poolwater.
I was a symbiote. Not parasitic. Symbiotic, even if some of our hosts didn't understand it was for mutual good.
With great unease, I began to sink in and connect to its - her - my - higher functions.
I was lying on my side, my wet hair half covering my face. I was going to need a shower before I went home. I clumsily sat up, hindered by the painful lingering Dracon stun, and forced my eyes open.
It was about as bad as I expected - I'd been dragged roughly several meters and my clothes were filthy as well. I felt the first flicker of consciousness in my host but she was still completely disoriented.
I stood up, stiffly, and turned to Sub-Visser 104 - the big male Hork-Bajir overseeing the pier.
"Ly mo-gam killim kis, call ja ka-go' fyke chall kir muhi."
Sub-Visser 104 nodded at me, accepting my report. I staggered my unconscious body towards the voluntary waiting area - regardless of anything else, I was going to grab petty cash and hit the gym for the showers there.
My host had another flicker of wakefulness. I was focusing on keeping us mobile, which took enough focus I couldn't do a full scan of her memories yet. My side still hurt where we'd been stunned.
Ms. Berenson snapped to full consciousness as we exited the Santa Barbara pool complex, skipped fear, skipped confusion, and jumped straight to an incandescent form of rage.
Filshig.
If we couldn't come to peace with it... We could already read from the human side that legal terminology for non-consensual intimate partnerships was already in place. From the human memories we could already reconstruct how the human legal system would treat what we were doing.
(Toren’s POV – New Narration Style) Chapter Summary Toren, a low-ranking Peace Movement Yeerk, is assigned a new host at the Yeerk Pool. The host turns out to be Rachel, who was captured after being stunned by a Dracon beam while investigating a Hork-Bajir. Toren reviews Rachel’s memories, takes control, and begins the delicate process of maintaining cover while dealing with Rachel’s raw emotional resistance for the first time. Expanded Outline 1. Assignment at the Pool Toren is in the Yeerk Pool, swimming among other unhosted Yeerks. A low-ranking Yeerk official assigns hosts from a recent batch of captures. Toren is given a human female — described only as “low value, involuntary, recently acquired.” No special instructions. Toren accepts the assignment without complaint, as is expected of a low-rank Yeerk. 2. First Contact with Rachel Toren approaches the infestation pier. Rachel’s body is being held by Hork-Bajir-Controllers. She was captured after being hit with a Dracon stun while investigating a Hork-Bajir in the city. The Yeerks assumed she was just a random curious human. Toren enters Rachel’s ear. The infestation process is described from Toren’s perspective — the flattening, the connection to the brain, the sudden flood of memories and sensations. 3. Reviewing Memories Once fully integrated, Toren begins sifting through Rachel’s memories. This is where the new narration style is established. Rachel’s thoughts appear as raw emotional flashes rather than full sentences. Toren reads them in real time and responds. Key Internal Exchange Example: My host had a violent flash of panic and rage the moment I settled into her brain. “Easy,” I said calmly through her mouth as the Hork-Bajir released her. “Fighting me will only hurt you. I am not here to break you.” She had another sharp spike of fury mixed with confusion. “I am Toren 1153. Peace Movement. I was assigned this host. I did not choose you, and you did not choose me. We are stuck with each other for now.” Rachel’s next flash is a strong, half-formed impulse to try and seize control of her body or attack the nearest Controller. Toren finishes the thought before it can become action. “You cannot overpower me right now. Your body is still adjusting. Save your strength.” 4. Playing the Low-Rank Yeerk Toren pilots Rachel through initial processing. She speaks and moves exactly as a low-ranking, newly assigned Yeerk would — slightly stiff, obedient, and impersonal. She answers questions from other Controllers with short, correct responses pulled from Rachel’s memories. Internally, Rachel has another burst of resistance and fear. Toren addresses it directly. “I can feel you trying to fight. It will not work. But I will not hurt you if you stop struggling. That is more than most Yeerks would offer.” 5. First Real Conversation Once they are away from other Yeerks and moving through the city toward Rachel’s home, Toren allows a more open internal dialogue. Rachel’s thoughts are still fragmented and emotional. My host had a flash of deep violation and grief at the loss of control over her own body. “I know,” I said quietly. “This is not what either of us wanted. But I am not your enemy. Not in the way you think.” She had a sharp, defensive spike of suspicion. “I am Peace Movement. I want hosts to be willing. I want this war to end. You were captured because you saw something you should not have. Now we are both in danger if we are not careful.” 6. Heading Home Toren guides Rachel’s body toward her house while continuing to review memories and maintain the low-rank Yeerk performance. Rachel has another wave of protective fear toward her family. Toren acknowledges it. “I will not harm your family. But we must be very careful. One mistake and everything falls apart — for both of us.” Chapter Ending Hook Toren stands outside Rachel’s house for a moment, looking at it through Rachel’s eyes. Rachel has a quiet, heavy flash of dread about what comes next. “We go inside now,” I said. “And we begin.”
Key Lines / Style Examples for Chapter 1 Toren speaking through Rachel (early, formal):
“I am Toren 1153. I was assigned this host.” “Fighting me will only hurt you.”
Toren responding to Rachel’s emotional flashes:
“I can feel your anger. It is understandable. But it changes nothing.” “You were captured because you saw a Hork-Bajir. They assumed you were just another human. Now we must make them continue to believe that.”
Internal narration style (established here):
“My host had a flash of [emotion]. ‘[Toren’s response]’”
This chapter sets up:
Toren as assigned rather than heroic intervener. The new internal narration style from the very beginning. Rachel’s capture being mundane rather than dramatic. The first seeds of their uneasy partnership.