Species discussion Leerans

[buffyangellvr23.livejournal.com]

We know they're an aquatic race that was hard to infest due to their spread-out brain. This is another really interesting race. I'd love to know what prompted the development of the psychic abilities they have. And that kind of brain in general...it's interesting that the Yeerks were able to find a way to infest them.

I do love the 'human,Leeran and Andalite joining together' quote in The Decision.

I wonder if the gang still had their Leeran morphs later, given the whole situation behind going to that planet. Even if they did, I wouldn't use that morph a whole lot, that's for sure.

Comments

[kleenexcow.livejournal.com]

I have surprisingly many thoughts on Leerans. Lord, I'm nerdy. Here we go:

--If the series had gone on for long enough to warrant more Chronicles, Leeran Chronicles would have been on my top 3 (the other two being an Arbon-centric Taxxon Chronicles and a Chee/Pemalite Chronicles--either on the Pemalite Homeworld or focused on once they made Earth, either would have been sweet). The reason for that being I think the Leeran war would have been fascinating. Not a single tactic the Yeerks used on Earth would have worked on Leera. And the stakes for would have been really high for us as readers--if Leerans had become widepread hosts it would have been bad news for humanity. Although I guess we did get a little of that in #18. Theory: Visser One's strategies were better suited for taking over Earth, and Visser Three's were better for Leera. Discuss?

--I'm going to be perfectly honest...I don't really remember what was "won" in 18. I know they accomplished their short-term goal, but that wasn't really the end of the entire war, was it? Did it have something to do with why the Yeerks don't just bring some more Leerans to Earth? Because thinking back, that strikes me as a bit of a plot hole--All the Yeerks think they need is to get a Leeran close enough to an "Andalite Bandit" to find out where they're feeding, and boom, ambush. Basically, the Leerans are the equivalent of the Yeerk's ability to know all its host's secrets...except Leerans can do it with eeeeveryone. Was the only reason we never really saw them again because they're aquatic?

--I remember The Escape being a really decisive Leera book, too. Not that any of it took place on Leera, but the Animorphs did prevent sharks from becoming the Leera-Yeerk war's equivalent of the Earth-Yeerk war's Hork-Bajir.

--I think the moment when our heroes have just morphed Leerans--and they don't know how to shut if off yet and they're unconsciously reading everyone else's mind--had the potential to be a much bigger, more far-reaching event. I mean, it could have been much more embarrassing, but on a serious note also significant in the way they related to each other after that. But, I guess, awkwardly agreeing that "none of what we heard is true, let's never speak of this again" is really the best you can do under those circumstances.

--I love Ax, but I'm pretty sure he mentions Andalites keeping Leerans in zoos. And they stopped not because it was morally unethical but because it was embarrassing. So really, he needs to shut up about us eating cows.

On a completely unrelated note, last night I was hanging out with some peeps in my grad program--two my age and one about ten years older. And I mentioned Animorphs and the older guy was like "what?" So then when I started to explain, the other two started joining in, too, and it was cool because I didn't know these two other people and I shared an interest for this (amazingly awesome) 90's book series. Until one of them said "Yeah, so Marco was really funny, but he had some dark shit going on because his brother was infested." And the other guy my age was like "WHOA. WHOA. IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE OUT MISINFORMATION YOU NEED TO STOP. IT WAS HIS MOM. REREAD THE SERIES, POSER." And now I have a new best friend. (This story brought to you by alcohol.)

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be perfectly honest...I don't really remember what was "won" in 18. I know they accomplished their short-term goal, but that wasn't really the end of the entire war, was it? Did it have something to do with why the Yeerks don't just bring some more Leerans to Earth? Because thinking back, that strikes me as a bit of a plot hole--All the Yeerks think they need is to get a Leeran close enough to an "Andalite Bandit" to find out where they're feeding, and boom, ambush. Basically, the Leerans are the equivalent of the Yeerk's ability to know all its host's secrets...except Leerans can do it with eeeeveryone. Was the only reason we never really saw them again because they're aquatic?

iirc the "Leeran" war was won after #18. At the beginning of the conflict, the Animorphs thought all was at stake was the main continent, which the Andalites basically threw to the Yeerks. The Andalites were conspiring ~~under the sea~~ with the Leerans to rig the main continent to explode with what was I THINK a really really really high-yield explosive. That's what Ax and Jake were tasked to set off in the bat cave or whatever and then Jake disappeared, and the Hork-Bajir came down to sabotage the bomb and Ax told the Andalites to set it off THE SECOND HE SNAPPED BACK TO EARTH!!!!

SUPER INTENSE!!!!

so basically after 18 there would be no more Leeran hosts besides what the Yeerks already had b/c Leera had been won. That's why Visser Four came to Earth in MM3 to steal the Time Matrix and give us all the valuable historic lesson that humans are assholes.

Also,

I love Ax, but I'm pretty sure he mentions Andalites keeping Leerans in zoos.

If you know where that happens, I'd super appreciate it, b/c that's a pretty huge fucking detail about the Andalites that I don't remember at all. If they're keeping sentient species in zoos...I mean, yeesh. I feel like you may be thinking about some Visser Three morph that came from one of the Andalite moons, but I think that was in #12

[kleenexcow.livejournal.com]

So, the Leeran war was over b/c the Animorphs blew up the continent (which the Leerans didn't really need) so that the Yeerks had no land area to serve as home base? I guess that kinda makes sense (although let's be real, those Yeerks are serious bitches, they'd probs just find a civilization to steal underwater ships from, but it's cool, KA, I'll accept it.)

OKAY, so am I making that up? I'm pretty sure that happens in 15. When Ax is explaining what the Leerans are, and he's like "We used to keep them in Zoos, but then we stopped because it was embarrassing." And Marco said "What, do they fart or something?" And then Ax told them all about the Leerans being psychic.

CITATION NEEDED because my books are in storage in Texas and I cannot reference them. I am fully willing to admit I could be hallucinating this. Although I'm kind of not-so-secretly planning liberating them while I'm home for Christmas and bringing them back to LA.

Speaking of best friends, why are we not real life besties yet?

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

well I mean the Andalites were already pretty well-established with their submarines and shit in the Leeran bubbles, so the Yeerks would have to steal underwater ships AND THEN get those to the planet through an Andalite blockade b/c that's just what I assume the Andalites would do AND THEN they'd have to fight in the oceans that the Andalites and Leerans both occupy.

I mean, I think you're right, that solution was probably A LITTLE too simple but 18 is still like my favorite regular series book so I will defend my baby :(

Okay I have 15 here is what Ax says I'mma just c/p all his dialogue...

Yes, I know what a Leeran is. I have heard of that species...But where did you hear that word?...(bunch of exposition)...Where did you hear about Leerans?...They are an aquatic race. Their planet is mostly water, like Earth. Only their land masses don't have much life. The most advanced lifeforms are in the oceans. The Leerans are a sentient race of amphibians...At least, that's what I learned in school. I've never met a Leeran, of course. They aren't allowed on our world...(Marco asks if they're dangerous)...Of course not dangerous. More like embarrassing...Leerans are supposed to be psychic. They can read minds. At lest they can do it if they're within close range. We have technological and military secrets we don't want the Leerans to know. Plus, you know, thoughts you might not want strangers listening in on. Now, where did you hear about Leerans?

then blah blah blah and it ends with the cute little joke about Irony Gods. Pgs 23-25 in #15.

SO NO ANDALITES IMPRISONING SENTIENT SPECIES IN ZOOS. Phew, that would have pushed them pretty comfortably into "huge dicks" territory from "ambiguously lovable/contemptible." And that's what I love about them.

yeah, why aren't we bff yet? I guess partly b/c I am dirt poor and living on meager food/gas/fun but I've got a little holiday job right now and WE'LL SEE what happens next month re: employment, so we should def hang out. You live basically downtown, right?

[kleenexcow.livejournal.com]

WELL, GOOD. I'm glad the Andalites aren't massive dicks who imprison other species. I really didn't want to believe that, but Leerans come up and all of the sudden I'm thinking I'm rediscovering a repressed memory of something I'm mad at Ax about. PHEW. Problem solved.

And you have a point re:Yeerks on Leera. They'd have had to fully entrench themselves in a major war, to get a species to help them with a different war. It probably made more sense to focus on Earth where the Andalites have apparently decided to adopt the baffling strategy of dispatching only six warriors.

I should have prefaced all of my opinions on Leerans with the disclaimer that #18 is one of my least-read books...I lost it pretty soon after it came out, and it was the only book I was missing until a few years ago. (...and I dropped #28 in a bathtub...I was hard on my Ax books.)

Between final papers and packing and stuff, I don't really have any time before I head home, but we should totes hang out in January. Yeah, I live basically downtown. But I'm highly mobile. I'm not going to make the mistake of saying that I can just drive to where ever you are without first finding out where that might be (as once that landed me in Anaheim, and then, because I cannot learn from my mistakes, a second time I ended up agreeing to that before I realized where Santa Clarita is). But the point is that I am compromise-able to being the one that has to drive further to spare your gas budget.

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

I know Ax mentioned Andalite zoos at some point, but I just checked #12 really quick and couldn't find it. Maybe it was #10 idk

lol I dropped 36 in the bathtub and that is the event I consider the end of my Animorphs obsession. But honestly neither 28 or 36 should be mourned TOO MUCH. 18 is great though, anyway now I have an idea for some kind of birthday/whatever gift for you :)

That definitely happened to me a couple of times. "Hey Jenny, you want to take a class in Arcadia?" I GUESS? Where's Joshua Tree again? lol it takes a while but before long you'll figure out where the green zone of LA is, that Palmdale and Santa Ana are bad and Silverlake and South Pasadena are doable.

fwiw I live in Van Nuys which isn't TOO FAR and we could meet up at some central location. Maybe somewhere fun like the Grove or somewhere else in Hollywood, I hate driving into Hollywood but when I do I want it to be worth it you know?

[kleenexcow.livejournal.com]

If Andalite zoos aren't in 15 then I have no freakin' clue. Although it is personal head canon of mine that zoo field trips were Ax's favorite thing, like any other self-respecting terrible student who just spends his time staring at girls. (Now, that would be a chronicle: The Andalite Chronicles 2: Andalite Valley High)

Haha, I appreciate the sentiment but by now I've replaced any that needed it. I'm even current on the re-releases, which theoretically should be shameful but I have no regrets about! :)

Yeah, I'd be totally cool for meeting somewhere in that general area. I feel good about our progress in this decision! I'll PM you in January when I get back and we can pick a date? Sorry, buffyangellvr23, we're done. :D

[acts_of_tekla]

I know space zoos in general are mentioned in AC WRT the Skrit Na, and 25 has the aliens that were killed for computer parts, but I don't recall Andalite zoos coming up anywhere. I genuinely wish we knew more about Ax's school days though, or more about the Andalite school system in general. Especially since Ax is supposed to be the Andalite equivalent of the human Anis' age, and I really have to wonder WTF is up with an advanced society that sends 13-year-olds into space battles.

[natural-blue-26.livejournal.com]

And you have a point re:Yeerks on Leera. They'd have had to fully entrench themselves in a major war, to get a species to help them with a different war. It probably made more sense to focus on Earth where the Andalites have apparently decided to adopt the baffling strategy of dispatching only six warriors.

I always wondered if Yeerks were just really really bad at counting, because the fact that they don't ever focus on that always kind of lol'd me. ^_^

[chordatesrock.livejournal.com]

One reason they might not have noticed is because the Animorphs are occasionally aided by other animals. There are the helpful Orcas in The Mutation, the whale in The Message and the chimpanzees in The Experiment.

Sorry to necromance your thread.

[natural-blue-26.livejournal.com]

On a completely unrelated note, last night I was hanging out with some peeps in my grad program--two my age and one about ten years older. And I mentioned Animorphs and the older guy was like "what?" So then when I started to explain, the other two started joining in, too, and it was cool because I didn't know these two other people and I shared an interest for this (amazingly awesome) 90's book series. Until one of them said "Yeah, so Marco was really funny, but he had some dark shit going on because his brother was infested." And the other guy my age was like "WHOA. WHOA. IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE OUT MISINFORMATION YOU NEED TO STOP. IT WAS HIS MOM. REREAD THE SERIES, POSER." And now I have a new best friend. (This story brought to you by alcohol.)

This is one of the best RL stories I've read on the comm EVER.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the gang still had their Leeran morphs later

I think not, because of how they got there and snapping back. If they did, it would mean they could just morph Leerans in the middle of the night in their houses for a moment while everyone else was asleep and use telepathy to be sure whether or not their relatives had been infested. And Jake could spy on the thoughts of Tom's Yeerk.