CHAPTER SEVEN:

Late one afternoon about a week later, Lioness-A got a message through the comlink about a party of Sabers that were wanting to come and meet with Lord Lion-O.

"I'll speak with Lord Lion-O and get back to you on when a good time would be for him to meet with you," Lioness-A told the saber on the other end of the comlink. The saber nodded and cut the connection as Cheetara came into the control room.

"What was that?" she asked. Lioness-A sighed.

"It's the sabers. They're ready to make contact with Lion-O and discuss a few things. I told the saber there that I would get back to them on a date and time when Lion-O can see them," Lioness-A answered. "I told Lion-O about it and he said to wait a few minutes and let him get with Tillen about a good meeting time and place."

"Interesting. Yet I have a vague feeling that something's not quite right with this," Cheetara replied softly as Lioness-A scowled.

"Somehow I knew that we weren't going to get away with this. From what I can remember from the histories when Grune went evil, his tribe joined him and most of them were labeled as outcasts not long after. Some of those may have returned also and may have trouble settling in," Lioness-A said as Lion-O came into the control room.

"Are they ready to meet with us?" he asked as Lioness-A nodded with a sigh. "What is it now?" he asked. "Something's bothering you."

"The way this whole thing is going together," Lioness-A replied, "it's only been a week after all, but I wonder if something's going on. I also found out that we're missing one of the clans for this meeting."

"Hmmm, which one?" Lion-O asked.

"The clan that Grune was from," Cheetara told him as Lion-O frowned. "We thought they were banished when he was, but new reports have shown some of that clan returning recently. I can say that they are not happy about the whole thing," Cheetara added.

"We're going to have to go ahead with the meeting and get it over with. Maybe we can find out what's going on from one of these saber clans that will be at the meeting," Lion-O observed as Cheetara nodded.

"Do we have a meeting time and place in mind yet?" Lioness-A asked. "I need to send that information to them soon."

"Let me talk to Tillen and Lynx-O right quick and I'll let you know," Lion-O said and thought a moment. "Page them and have them come to my office," he added as Lioness-A nodded. She turned to hit the pager button as Lion-O withdrew from the control room.

"You and Lion-O have a great sense of knowing what's going on," Cheetara commented as Lioness-A smiled.

"It comes in handy for some things," Lioness-A replied and paused as she heard Lion-O's voice giving her some information. *Okay what day again and do you have a location set?* Lioness-A asked her brother. She turned around and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen as Cheetara blinked.

"What was that about?" Cheetara asked. Lioness-A grinned and held up a piece of paper with a date, time and location written on it. "I take it that's the date and location of the meeting," Cheetara said as Lioness-A smiled and started up the comlink to call the sabers with the information.

"The possibilities for my twin bond with Lion-O are endless," Lioness-A said once she cut the connection. "Wilykat and Wilykit should be able to do it pretty soon themselves if they haven't tried it before now."

"Are all twins bonded that way?" Cheetara asked as Lioness-A nodded. "I think Wilykit figured it out before her brother did, but they're doing the same thing you two are doing," Cheetara added as Lioness-A chuckled. "Why do the females pick up on it first?"

"I think it's tied into puberty," Lioness-A replied as Pumyra came into the control room.

"What's tied in with puberty?" she asked. Lioness-A smiled at the puma and filled her in and was rewarded with a soft chuckle. "I figured that puberty might be behind why your bond's so strong now," Pumyra added as Lioness-A got up and stretched.

"Time for me to go work out for a bit," she said as Cheetara and Pumyra smiled. Lioness-A left the control room and went by the kitchen to see if she could rustle up some food from Snarf. On the way there, she ran into Tygra.

"Where are you heading?" he asked as she smiled.

"Just got off duty and thought I would see if Snarf had anything for me to eat. I'm starved," Lioness-A said as Tygra smiled. He followed her to the kitchen and Snarf gladly set out a meal for the lioness and tiger. After the meal the two returned to the control room to see if anything new had happened.

***********

About a week later, Lion-O was in his office preparing a speech for the upcoming event with the sabers when the door buzzer went off. Lion-O looked up, slightly irritated and called for whoever it was to come in. He was surprised to see Lynx-O and Tillen. He waved them inside and they took seats on the sofa.

"What brings you two by?" Lion-O asked as he leaned back in his desk chair.

"We were checking to see if the speech was ready and also to see what you were planning on doing with the sabers that are coming to this meeting," Tillen replied. Lion-O paused a moment. He hadn't really had a chance to think about that.

"I'm not really sure what I'm planning on doing with the sabers." he admitted. "I was hoping one of you two had an idea." The two thought a moment and then Lynx-O finally raised his head.

"I think I may have a solution Lion-O," he said and went on. "This will be for the sabers that want to end the hostility between us. They can come here and join our society on a trial basis to make sure that they are fitting in and not causing any problems. Those that want to end the hostilities should accept the offer without any problems."

Lion-O thought a moment and then finally nodded. The solution was the best one and by far, the safest. But there was one problem.

"What about the sabers that are against this?" Tillen asked, voicing the question on Lion-O's mind.

"We'll have to be extra diligent and watch for any signs of trouble," Lynx-O replied and turned toward Lion-O. "I suggest using the Thunderguard to monitor the countryside near them and be alert for any suspicious activity," he added as Tillen nodded.

"I can organize that while you two handle the meeting with the sabers. I was planning on having some of the Thunderguard present for that meeting anyway, just to be safe," Tillen said as Lion-O nodded.

"Go and get everything ready then while I work on this speech and the terms of the agreement for the trial basis," Lion-O said as the two rose to leave the office. After they left, Lion-O went back to writing the speech and then wrote out the terms of the agreement.

About two hours later Lioness-A stopped by to see how it was going and found Lion-O still working on the agreement with Tillen. They looked up as she came in.

"Snarf sent me to tell you two that dinner's ready," Lioness-A as her brother sighed.

"Better eat now and work on this tonight then," Tillen observed. "I need food in me to concentrate," he added as Lioness-A chuckled.

"You'll have plenty of time after dinner," Lioness-A said as the two followed her to the dining room. Delicious smells wafted from the doorway as they walked in. Lion-O looked around and saw Cheetara holding a place for him. The three filled their plates and made their way over to the table amidst several other Thundercats.

"Thanks for holding me a spot," Lion-O murmured as Cheetara smiled. Tygra, seated across from her pulled out a chair for Lioness-A even as Tillen sat on the other side of Lion-O.

"Snarf outdid himself this time," observed Panthro who was seated a few seats down. The Thunderkittens were across from him.

**********

As the rest of the week went by, Lion-O calmly prepared himself for the meeting with the sabers and decided that the best way to deal with them was to offer them the agreement of the trial basis and see if they took it.

As for Sindaris and his rebel group, they were planning the day that they would assault the capital and take the throne away from Lord Lion-O. It was payment for the way this group of sabers had been treated ever since Grune was exiled.