Categories > Books > Animorphs > The Progression
DISCLAIMER: See Ch. 1.
A/N: Finally, at long last, I'M ABOUT TO COMPLETE THIS FIC...
This chapter is dedicated to Rurouni Tyriel, whose /X-Men: Evolution fic "Graduation" played a small role in the writing of this fic, especially in the thing with how some things change, and other things never do change./
This chapter is also dedicated to everyone who read and reviewed my work. Thanks for helping me get this fic to 100 reviews and beyond! You know who you are!
CHAPTER 21
Jake
All my days and half my nights were consumed by reading military texts, from books on strategy to biographies of both the famous and the infamous of Earth's wars. Heck, I even read Ender's Game and its sequels, just to make sure.
Believe it or not (and chances are you would believe it), some people, even serious professor types, actually thought about ranking me up there among the top historical figures in history because of the role I played in the Yeerk War. Should I be surprised, given how practically every college on the planet tried to get me to attend them?
In fact, some people even claimed I was the best thing since Alexander the Great since I fought and won a war at an even younger age than when he become a soldier and created an empire spread across three continents. (In my honest opinion, that comparison to Alexander was just statistical. I mean, come on, I never even conquered things to begin with, nor would I have ever wanted to.)
I didn't like fighting for the heck of it and think of it as a game, like Rachel did. But I did know when, where, and how to fight.
I was Jake.
I was an Animorph.
I was going to fight.
Tobias
Since I technically never registered with the government, I had no qualms about just taking off. Edit that: I had no qualms about taking off, leaving only a single note behind.
Yes, I left a note. It read only two words: GONE FLYIN'.
Personally, I think it was a nice touch. Marco would doubtlessly be amused by it later when he found out about it.
I took care of some other things before I left, of course. I at least told all my friends (Jake, Marco, Cassie, Ax, and Toby) that I was going off with the Kelbrid.
I was on the Kelbrid ship, and I pulled my weight and contributed to what I could, trying to be a generous guest. I'll say this much about the Kelbrid "mothership" I was on: Sometimes, you'd think it was made out of crystals or feathers rather than metal.
I also enjoyed martial arts training with the other young recruits currently on board (the Kelbrid word for "cadet" is /leetan/.) There were other times when I had to help, but after all, it was a warship with training, so obviously I had to pull my own weight (so to speak).
But since this was all part of an opportunity of a lifetime, I wasn't about to start complaining about anything.
I was Tobias.
I was an Animorph.
I was the son of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, nephew of Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.
I was one who would fight alongside the Kelbrid.
Cassie
Both Jake and I had once thought at maybe there was some kind of future for us.
Maybe that could have happened if, somehow, Earth was never invaded by the Yeerks and Elfangor hadn't come to us - but that was all now moot.
But on the other hand, there was no denying that if Jake and I hadn't had that special bond, we may not have lasted through the war very long.
Ah well. Perhaps it was for the best anyway.
Jake is just as much a warrior as I am a pacifist.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses, their advantages and disadvantages, their pros and cons, as does everything else in this universe.
I was Cassie.
I was an Animorph.
I would strive for peace even in the face of war.
Marco
What? You were expecting me to go on again about how I'd rather help somehow from home rather than go fight on the battlefront again?
Well, apparently not.
I was Marco.
I was going to do what I do best.
I was also going to make sure that it somehow coincided with helping to fight this new enemy.
Aximili
I had never been before been so torn over where I would be fighting the enemy and doing my duty as an Andalite prince.
Perhaps I had been on Earth and among humans for so long that a part of it just stuck with me.
Perhaps it was because I had made friends there whom I fought along with, friends who ended up doing more against the Yeerks on Earth than my own fellow Andalites, as ashamed as I was to acknowledge that.
I think I was beginning to see my father's point of view, about how that planet had claimed so much, especially from my family, that made him - and sometimes, myself - wish that I never had anything to do with it.
But then, I would have never experienced so much good from it, either.
On a cosmic scale, lots of things are neither "good" nor "bad" - they just /are/.
Just as I was who and what I was.
I was Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.
I was an Andalite prince, and an Animorph, more or less.
I had my duty - but also my loyalty, and not just to the Andalite People.
Alloran
It turned out that I was able to track Esplin 9466 from the Andalite home world. Using all the information I had given the Electorate years ago, I would work alongside others to help search for this monster who had ruined so many lives... including my own.
Yes, there was that old shame I felt, for things I was and wasn't responsible for... but at the same time, I could feel a new opportunity for pride and honor in the air.
It would help fuel my work, and help prove to everyone that I was capable of doing something right.
I was Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
I was a disgraced Andalite war-prince.
I was not about to avoid this coming conflict in which I could do so much good for those who needed someone to fight for them.
Vegren
In a way, I was honored to become an acquaintance - "friend" might have been too strong a word - of the great Tobias, the Animorph.
It was also an honor to fight alongside people of different races who didn't deserve to become a slave to Setheon, "The One" - although if half the rumors passed down from generation to generation of Kelbrid were true, then no one deserved to be a slave to that unnatural, freakish monster.
As far as anyone knew, he represented all that was evil and foul in the universe.
And it was up to us, Kelbrid or otherwise, to stop him.
I was Karmaad Vegren Alterr din-Kalmesh.
I was a Kelbrid warrior.
I was doing my part in what simply had to be done.
Arklan
I think there is something deep in human nature which makes them to feel the urge to fight from time to time. Some people, maybe even other humans, would frown upon how human history spanning several Earth millennia is filled with fighting, war and death. However, ever the optimist (practically a prerequisite for being an ambassador, in my honest opinion), I knew that if humans as a whole had managed to last those several Earth millennia by trying to repress those urges to fight as much as they could, they obviously must have been doing something right.
I also think the trick was to redirect the targets of their urge to fight at other people - people who clearly deserved it.
It was a lesson I had learned long ago among my fellow Yeerks who fought with me against the corrupt leadership at the time, and the same still rang true with these humans.
I was Arklan 256.
I was a Yeerk ambassador, with the rank of Paxxor One.
I was not about to give up with what I was doing for the good of the galaxy and everything and everyone in it.
Illim
I talked a lot more with Adam (a.k.a. Mr. Tidwell) and Erek as time went on. Not just because they were my friends, but also because associating with people like them reminded me of why I do my job.
In a way, Earth was like home to me. Whether it was the Yeerk or the human in me talking, I didn't take the threat of destruction to my home very lightly.
I was Illim 871.
I was a Yeerk ambassador, with the rank of Paxxor Five.
I was not about to let everyone whom I cherished and everything I fought for in a previous war be wiped out in an upcoming war.
Toby Hamee
My training was going well. I could only hope the war could go well, in our favor.
Either way, I was determined to make my parents and ancestors proud, doing what I just had to do.
I was Toby Hamee.
I was a Hork-Bajir Seer, descendant of Dak Hamee and Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan.
I was going to protect my people, one way or another.
Esplin
It took a few days, but finally, I was let out of that horrible prison.
After all, I couldn't take over "The One's" growing followers while I was still stuck in that... /substance/, now could I?
I'm sure he knew that I would have no problems taking over and deposing him. And I was quite sure that he would have no problems getting rid of me if he began to view me as too much of a threat.
It was all a kind of game, waiting for the other to let his guard down, and then strike.
I may have lost my chance to take over the Yeerk Empire... but I knew that there would be eventually be a chance somewhere down along the line where I could take over Setheon's... well, whatever he was going to call it.
I rather doubted that anyone could rule forever/, let alone /live forever (or at least for an unbelievably long time).
In my opinion, the trick was just to stay in power for as long as possible.
I was Esplin 9466.
I was also Lord Esplin.
And some day... I would rule it all.
Setheon
It was a late hour according to my personal schedule, and I was regenerating ("sleeping" may not be the most accurate term) within my private chambers in my inner sanctum.
More slaves were being captured for my Yeerk minions, more ships and weapons were being built, more resources were coming in... and soon, we would be ready to fight.
Of course, I also had my covert people in place. I already had spies and traitors waiting for when the time was right, and I had more to convert to my cause.
Soon, I would rule this galaxy, as part of Crayak's grand design on this plane of existence, while he himself would beat that wretched Ellimist at their little "games." We could shape this entire galaxy - no, this entire universe - as we were to see fit. Almost like father and son, Crayak and I would rule all.
But until that glorious time, we would fight.
I am Setheon.
I am The One.
I am the prodigy of Crayak.
I am the one who will rule it all.
A/N: ...AND THIS FIC IS COMPLETE!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this, because I certainly did! The next story will be entitled "The Unthinkable" but in the meantime, stay tuned for my next fic, "The Yeerk Chronicles". Rest assured that I will write this "mini-series" and not leave it hanging! After all, I certainly didn't start this whole thing I have going just to end it! -Quillian
/EXTRA MATERIAL!/
OFFICIAL "BACK COVER" SUMMARY!
Supposing that this was an official Animorphs book, the back cover might read something like this...
You know the story. You know the heroes, you know the villains, and everyone else in between. You know the battles they fought, you know their successes and their failures. You know how it all began, how it all happened, and how it all ended.
Or maybe it /didn't end.../
What started as a simple mission to rescue Ax from this mysterious being called "The One" somehow changed into something else altogether. There are strange new allies, familiar old enemies, and certainly lots of surprises to go around.
Where the /Animorphs series left off, this series resumes. And as our beloved heroes are about to learn, some things change, and some things never do change.../
LANGUAGE ROOTS...
When I first saw the word "Kelbrid" and first tried to imagine what they would look like, somehow the idea of them as birds came to mind. (I think must have been the "-brid" in "Kelbrid.") And since we never see any sentient bird-like races in the Animorphs series, I thought to myself, "Well, why the heck not?"
As I was writing this, I found and purchased this Star Wars book by Ben Burtt, who did the sound effects for the franchise ever since Episode IV came out in 1977. It's entitled /Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide/. He got some languages by taking existing Earth languages and altering them to sound sufficiently different. For example, he got Huttese from Quecha, as well as Ewokese from Tibetan, and so people who can speak either language might recognize that language which got edited for the movies. If you want to check out more, then the book shouldn't be too hard to find.
Anyway...
As someone who currently studies Latin in college, I figured I'd model the Kelbrid language and names after the Latin language and the phonetics within. Perhaps someday I'll make a complete guide to how to pronounce sounds in the Kelbrid language (and let's face it; since I'm writing this, I just might have to do that eventually), but in the meantime, here's how to pronounce the few Kelbrid names and words shown in this story...
kar-MAADÂÂ - a rank in the Kelbrid military, which one Vegren Alterr currently holds. (There is no "c" used for writing Kelbrid words with the Roman alphabet, only k or s/. This is done to avoid confusion with the letter "c," which is sometimes used for both sounds. Also, /aa is pronounced "ah," or like a short "o," like in the word /hot/.)
Veg-ren AL-terr - the name of a Kelbrid warrior. (The "g" in a Kelbrid word is always hard, like in the word /gather/, and never soft, like in the word /gem/. If you want that soft sound, then that's what the letter "j" is for. Also, "-err" is pronounced like a short "e," since it's in front of a double "r." Think of the name "Eric" as an example. Otherwise, if it were an "e" in just in front of a single "r," then it would be pronounced "-er.")
Skib-a KRAE-nell - the name of a Kelbrid scribe. (A single "a" is most often pronounced like "uh." The "i" in his name is short. The "ae" diphthong is pronounced like a long "a," like in the word /say/.)
Savent-I Pakkenna - the name of a Kelbrid ambassador. (For the most part in the Kelbrid language, the "i" is short; however, if it comes at the end of a word, it's pronounced "ee.")
LEE/Â/-tan - a rank in the Kelbrid military, about equal to a human cadet or Andalite /aristh/. (The double-e is pronounced just as it looks, and the same goes for "tan.")
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
In my honest opinion, one of the greatest and most creative freedoms a writer can have is the freedom to come up with names for his or her characters.
So, where did I get the names of all the new alien characters, you ask?
I just thought that "Vegren" sounded cool. However, it would only be later on after I came up with that name when I found out that in the New Jedi Order book series, there was a Jedi Master named Vergere; she was a Jedi Master situated among the Yuuzhan Vong for fifty years, ever since the Clone Wars, and she was of a bird-like race known as the Fosh. (However, I haven't read any of the NJO books except for the first one, Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore, so I really don't know much, if anything, about her.) "Alterr" I got, not from the Latin word /alter/, which means "other," but from the Italian word /alto/, which means "high." (Maybe he flies high, gets high up in the Kelbrid military ranks... Who knows?)
"Skiba" I got from the third conjugation Latin verb /scribere/, meaning "to write," which is fitting for a scribe. No idea how or where I came up with "Kraenell," however.
"Saventi" I got from the second conjugation Latin verb /salvçre/, which means "to be well." "Pakkenna" I got from the Latin noun /pax/, which means "peace."
"Aldexen" I got from the name Alexander. Yes, that's the name of the famous and legendary Alexander the Great, but just don't expect many parallels there. (Interesting fact: "Alexander" comes from Greek words and means "defender of men.")
"Sujak" I got from the name of Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine. A bit of a stretch, but hey...
In one of the last chapters of /The Andalite Chronicles/, when Elfangor is returned by the Ellimist to where he belongs, the Andalie name "Seerian" is mentioned. However, considering how all the other Andalite pilots were killed before Elfangor jumped into the fray, chances are whoever this "Seerian" was died. Well, either way, I just decided to use the guy's name. Likewise, there was some poor Yeerk named "Arklan" in /The Hork-Bajir Chronicles/, whose name I decided to use for my Yeerk OC.
"Tenrash 223" I got from Temrash 114 (the Yeerk who infested Jake in book #6). I noticed slight differences between some Yeerk names (like "Esplin" and "Eslin"), and figured such a name was likely and sounded "Yeerk-ish" enough. I got the number "223" by taking the number "114" and raising the first two digits by one and decreasing the last digit by one.
"Qualaramoonrun" is a nod to my good friend Alara Moonrunner.
Finally, I got "Setheon" from Seth, the name of a dark ancient Egyptian god. Interestingly, "Setheon" is also an anagram of "the ones," and this being is known as "The One."
SNEAK PEEK(S)!
The next fic in this series will be "The Yeerk Chronicles".
It will be narrated from the POV of Arklan 256; and it will also show an occasion or more when she and her fellow rebellious Yeerks unwittingly helped out the Animorphs without either party ever realizing it. Sorry, but not much more can be said about it than that!
The next fic in the series after that will be "The Unthinkable".
Ooh, now this fic I'm looking forward to... We learn some more about Vegren and a few of the other Kelbrid; we Tobias on the Norshk homeworld (will Ax maybe join him?); anti-alien tensions rise on Earth (think of the Friends of Humanity, a.k.a. the FOH from any X-Men thing, except for aliens instead of mutants, and there you go), making things difficult; a couple of old people from Rachel's life return in more than just cameo appearances; lots of new traitors come out of the woodwork from nearly all the different species involved, one way or another; and lots of unthinkable things will happen, hence the title. Intrigued?
Well, time to get writing again... see you later! After all, trying to write you own /Animorphs mini-series ain't easy! Cheers, /Quillian
A/N: Finally, at long last, I'M ABOUT TO COMPLETE THIS FIC...
This chapter is dedicated to Rurouni Tyriel, whose /X-Men: Evolution fic "Graduation" played a small role in the writing of this fic, especially in the thing with how some things change, and other things never do change./
This chapter is also dedicated to everyone who read and reviewed my work. Thanks for helping me get this fic to 100 reviews and beyond! You know who you are!
CHAPTER 21
Jake
All my days and half my nights were consumed by reading military texts, from books on strategy to biographies of both the famous and the infamous of Earth's wars. Heck, I even read Ender's Game and its sequels, just to make sure.
Believe it or not (and chances are you would believe it), some people, even serious professor types, actually thought about ranking me up there among the top historical figures in history because of the role I played in the Yeerk War. Should I be surprised, given how practically every college on the planet tried to get me to attend them?
In fact, some people even claimed I was the best thing since Alexander the Great since I fought and won a war at an even younger age than when he become a soldier and created an empire spread across three continents. (In my honest opinion, that comparison to Alexander was just statistical. I mean, come on, I never even conquered things to begin with, nor would I have ever wanted to.)
I didn't like fighting for the heck of it and think of it as a game, like Rachel did. But I did know when, where, and how to fight.
I was Jake.
I was an Animorph.
I was going to fight.
Tobias
Since I technically never registered with the government, I had no qualms about just taking off. Edit that: I had no qualms about taking off, leaving only a single note behind.
Yes, I left a note. It read only two words: GONE FLYIN'.
Personally, I think it was a nice touch. Marco would doubtlessly be amused by it later when he found out about it.
I took care of some other things before I left, of course. I at least told all my friends (Jake, Marco, Cassie, Ax, and Toby) that I was going off with the Kelbrid.
I was on the Kelbrid ship, and I pulled my weight and contributed to what I could, trying to be a generous guest. I'll say this much about the Kelbrid "mothership" I was on: Sometimes, you'd think it was made out of crystals or feathers rather than metal.
I also enjoyed martial arts training with the other young recruits currently on board (the Kelbrid word for "cadet" is /leetan/.) There were other times when I had to help, but after all, it was a warship with training, so obviously I had to pull my own weight (so to speak).
But since this was all part of an opportunity of a lifetime, I wasn't about to start complaining about anything.
I was Tobias.
I was an Animorph.
I was the son of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, nephew of Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.
I was one who would fight alongside the Kelbrid.
Cassie
Both Jake and I had once thought at maybe there was some kind of future for us.
Maybe that could have happened if, somehow, Earth was never invaded by the Yeerks and Elfangor hadn't come to us - but that was all now moot.
But on the other hand, there was no denying that if Jake and I hadn't had that special bond, we may not have lasted through the war very long.
Ah well. Perhaps it was for the best anyway.
Jake is just as much a warrior as I am a pacifist.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses, their advantages and disadvantages, their pros and cons, as does everything else in this universe.
I was Cassie.
I was an Animorph.
I would strive for peace even in the face of war.
Marco
What? You were expecting me to go on again about how I'd rather help somehow from home rather than go fight on the battlefront again?
Well, apparently not.
I was Marco.
I was going to do what I do best.
I was also going to make sure that it somehow coincided with helping to fight this new enemy.
Aximili
I had never been before been so torn over where I would be fighting the enemy and doing my duty as an Andalite prince.
Perhaps I had been on Earth and among humans for so long that a part of it just stuck with me.
Perhaps it was because I had made friends there whom I fought along with, friends who ended up doing more against the Yeerks on Earth than my own fellow Andalites, as ashamed as I was to acknowledge that.
I think I was beginning to see my father's point of view, about how that planet had claimed so much, especially from my family, that made him - and sometimes, myself - wish that I never had anything to do with it.
But then, I would have never experienced so much good from it, either.
On a cosmic scale, lots of things are neither "good" nor "bad" - they just /are/.
Just as I was who and what I was.
I was Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.
I was an Andalite prince, and an Animorph, more or less.
I had my duty - but also my loyalty, and not just to the Andalite People.
Alloran
It turned out that I was able to track Esplin 9466 from the Andalite home world. Using all the information I had given the Electorate years ago, I would work alongside others to help search for this monster who had ruined so many lives... including my own.
Yes, there was that old shame I felt, for things I was and wasn't responsible for... but at the same time, I could feel a new opportunity for pride and honor in the air.
It would help fuel my work, and help prove to everyone that I was capable of doing something right.
I was Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
I was a disgraced Andalite war-prince.
I was not about to avoid this coming conflict in which I could do so much good for those who needed someone to fight for them.
Vegren
In a way, I was honored to become an acquaintance - "friend" might have been too strong a word - of the great Tobias, the Animorph.
It was also an honor to fight alongside people of different races who didn't deserve to become a slave to Setheon, "The One" - although if half the rumors passed down from generation to generation of Kelbrid were true, then no one deserved to be a slave to that unnatural, freakish monster.
As far as anyone knew, he represented all that was evil and foul in the universe.
And it was up to us, Kelbrid or otherwise, to stop him.
I was Karmaad Vegren Alterr din-Kalmesh.
I was a Kelbrid warrior.
I was doing my part in what simply had to be done.
Arklan
I think there is something deep in human nature which makes them to feel the urge to fight from time to time. Some people, maybe even other humans, would frown upon how human history spanning several Earth millennia is filled with fighting, war and death. However, ever the optimist (practically a prerequisite for being an ambassador, in my honest opinion), I knew that if humans as a whole had managed to last those several Earth millennia by trying to repress those urges to fight as much as they could, they obviously must have been doing something right.
I also think the trick was to redirect the targets of their urge to fight at other people - people who clearly deserved it.
It was a lesson I had learned long ago among my fellow Yeerks who fought with me against the corrupt leadership at the time, and the same still rang true with these humans.
I was Arklan 256.
I was a Yeerk ambassador, with the rank of Paxxor One.
I was not about to give up with what I was doing for the good of the galaxy and everything and everyone in it.
Illim
I talked a lot more with Adam (a.k.a. Mr. Tidwell) and Erek as time went on. Not just because they were my friends, but also because associating with people like them reminded me of why I do my job.
In a way, Earth was like home to me. Whether it was the Yeerk or the human in me talking, I didn't take the threat of destruction to my home very lightly.
I was Illim 871.
I was a Yeerk ambassador, with the rank of Paxxor Five.
I was not about to let everyone whom I cherished and everything I fought for in a previous war be wiped out in an upcoming war.
Toby Hamee
My training was going well. I could only hope the war could go well, in our favor.
Either way, I was determined to make my parents and ancestors proud, doing what I just had to do.
I was Toby Hamee.
I was a Hork-Bajir Seer, descendant of Dak Hamee and Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan.
I was going to protect my people, one way or another.
Esplin
It took a few days, but finally, I was let out of that horrible prison.
After all, I couldn't take over "The One's" growing followers while I was still stuck in that... /substance/, now could I?
I'm sure he knew that I would have no problems taking over and deposing him. And I was quite sure that he would have no problems getting rid of me if he began to view me as too much of a threat.
It was all a kind of game, waiting for the other to let his guard down, and then strike.
I may have lost my chance to take over the Yeerk Empire... but I knew that there would be eventually be a chance somewhere down along the line where I could take over Setheon's... well, whatever he was going to call it.
I rather doubted that anyone could rule forever/, let alone /live forever (or at least for an unbelievably long time).
In my opinion, the trick was just to stay in power for as long as possible.
I was Esplin 9466.
I was also Lord Esplin.
And some day... I would rule it all.
Setheon
It was a late hour according to my personal schedule, and I was regenerating ("sleeping" may not be the most accurate term) within my private chambers in my inner sanctum.
More slaves were being captured for my Yeerk minions, more ships and weapons were being built, more resources were coming in... and soon, we would be ready to fight.
Of course, I also had my covert people in place. I already had spies and traitors waiting for when the time was right, and I had more to convert to my cause.
Soon, I would rule this galaxy, as part of Crayak's grand design on this plane of existence, while he himself would beat that wretched Ellimist at their little "games." We could shape this entire galaxy - no, this entire universe - as we were to see fit. Almost like father and son, Crayak and I would rule all.
But until that glorious time, we would fight.
I am Setheon.
I am The One.
I am the prodigy of Crayak.
I am the one who will rule it all.
A/N: ...AND THIS FIC IS COMPLETE!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this, because I certainly did! The next story will be entitled "The Unthinkable" but in the meantime, stay tuned for my next fic, "The Yeerk Chronicles". Rest assured that I will write this "mini-series" and not leave it hanging! After all, I certainly didn't start this whole thing I have going just to end it! -Quillian
/EXTRA MATERIAL!/
OFFICIAL "BACK COVER" SUMMARY!
Supposing that this was an official Animorphs book, the back cover might read something like this...
You know the story. You know the heroes, you know the villains, and everyone else in between. You know the battles they fought, you know their successes and their failures. You know how it all began, how it all happened, and how it all ended.
Or maybe it /didn't end.../
What started as a simple mission to rescue Ax from this mysterious being called "The One" somehow changed into something else altogether. There are strange new allies, familiar old enemies, and certainly lots of surprises to go around.
Where the /Animorphs series left off, this series resumes. And as our beloved heroes are about to learn, some things change, and some things never do change.../
LANGUAGE ROOTS...
When I first saw the word "Kelbrid" and first tried to imagine what they would look like, somehow the idea of them as birds came to mind. (I think must have been the "-brid" in "Kelbrid.") And since we never see any sentient bird-like races in the Animorphs series, I thought to myself, "Well, why the heck not?"
As I was writing this, I found and purchased this Star Wars book by Ben Burtt, who did the sound effects for the franchise ever since Episode IV came out in 1977. It's entitled /Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide/. He got some languages by taking existing Earth languages and altering them to sound sufficiently different. For example, he got Huttese from Quecha, as well as Ewokese from Tibetan, and so people who can speak either language might recognize that language which got edited for the movies. If you want to check out more, then the book shouldn't be too hard to find.
Anyway...
As someone who currently studies Latin in college, I figured I'd model the Kelbrid language and names after the Latin language and the phonetics within. Perhaps someday I'll make a complete guide to how to pronounce sounds in the Kelbrid language (and let's face it; since I'm writing this, I just might have to do that eventually), but in the meantime, here's how to pronounce the few Kelbrid names and words shown in this story...
kar-MAADÂÂ - a rank in the Kelbrid military, which one Vegren Alterr currently holds. (There is no "c" used for writing Kelbrid words with the Roman alphabet, only k or s/. This is done to avoid confusion with the letter "c," which is sometimes used for both sounds. Also, /aa is pronounced "ah," or like a short "o," like in the word /hot/.)
Veg-ren AL-terr - the name of a Kelbrid warrior. (The "g" in a Kelbrid word is always hard, like in the word /gather/, and never soft, like in the word /gem/. If you want that soft sound, then that's what the letter "j" is for. Also, "-err" is pronounced like a short "e," since it's in front of a double "r." Think of the name "Eric" as an example. Otherwise, if it were an "e" in just in front of a single "r," then it would be pronounced "-er.")
Skib-a KRAE-nell - the name of a Kelbrid scribe. (A single "a" is most often pronounced like "uh." The "i" in his name is short. The "ae" diphthong is pronounced like a long "a," like in the word /say/.)
Savent-I Pakkenna - the name of a Kelbrid ambassador. (For the most part in the Kelbrid language, the "i" is short; however, if it comes at the end of a word, it's pronounced "ee.")
LEE/Â/-tan - a rank in the Kelbrid military, about equal to a human cadet or Andalite /aristh/. (The double-e is pronounced just as it looks, and the same goes for "tan.")
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
In my honest opinion, one of the greatest and most creative freedoms a writer can have is the freedom to come up with names for his or her characters.
So, where did I get the names of all the new alien characters, you ask?
I just thought that "Vegren" sounded cool. However, it would only be later on after I came up with that name when I found out that in the New Jedi Order book series, there was a Jedi Master named Vergere; she was a Jedi Master situated among the Yuuzhan Vong for fifty years, ever since the Clone Wars, and she was of a bird-like race known as the Fosh. (However, I haven't read any of the NJO books except for the first one, Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore, so I really don't know much, if anything, about her.) "Alterr" I got, not from the Latin word /alter/, which means "other," but from the Italian word /alto/, which means "high." (Maybe he flies high, gets high up in the Kelbrid military ranks... Who knows?)
"Skiba" I got from the third conjugation Latin verb /scribere/, meaning "to write," which is fitting for a scribe. No idea how or where I came up with "Kraenell," however.
"Saventi" I got from the second conjugation Latin verb /salvçre/, which means "to be well." "Pakkenna" I got from the Latin noun /pax/, which means "peace."
"Aldexen" I got from the name Alexander. Yes, that's the name of the famous and legendary Alexander the Great, but just don't expect many parallels there. (Interesting fact: "Alexander" comes from Greek words and means "defender of men.")
"Sujak" I got from the name of Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine. A bit of a stretch, but hey...
In one of the last chapters of /The Andalite Chronicles/, when Elfangor is returned by the Ellimist to where he belongs, the Andalie name "Seerian" is mentioned. However, considering how all the other Andalite pilots were killed before Elfangor jumped into the fray, chances are whoever this "Seerian" was died. Well, either way, I just decided to use the guy's name. Likewise, there was some poor Yeerk named "Arklan" in /The Hork-Bajir Chronicles/, whose name I decided to use for my Yeerk OC.
"Tenrash 223" I got from Temrash 114 (the Yeerk who infested Jake in book #6). I noticed slight differences between some Yeerk names (like "Esplin" and "Eslin"), and figured such a name was likely and sounded "Yeerk-ish" enough. I got the number "223" by taking the number "114" and raising the first two digits by one and decreasing the last digit by one.
"Qualaramoonrun" is a nod to my good friend Alara Moonrunner.
Finally, I got "Setheon" from Seth, the name of a dark ancient Egyptian god. Interestingly, "Setheon" is also an anagram of "the ones," and this being is known as "The One."
SNEAK PEEK(S)!
The next fic in this series will be "The Yeerk Chronicles".
It will be narrated from the POV of Arklan 256; and it will also show an occasion or more when she and her fellow rebellious Yeerks unwittingly helped out the Animorphs without either party ever realizing it. Sorry, but not much more can be said about it than that!
The next fic in the series after that will be "The Unthinkable".
Ooh, now this fic I'm looking forward to... We learn some more about Vegren and a few of the other Kelbrid; we Tobias on the Norshk homeworld (will Ax maybe join him?); anti-alien tensions rise on Earth (think of the Friends of Humanity, a.k.a. the FOH from any X-Men thing, except for aliens instead of mutants, and there you go), making things difficult; a couple of old people from Rachel's life return in more than just cameo appearances; lots of new traitors come out of the woodwork from nearly all the different species involved, one way or another; and lots of unthinkable things will happen, hence the title. Intrigued?
Well, time to get writing again... see you later! After all, trying to write you own /Animorphs mini-series ain't easy! Cheers, /Quillian
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