The Past is The Future Chapter 10, a thundercats fanfic

THE PAST IS THE FUTURE….

A ThunderCats Fan Fiction work by Frederick P. Kopetz.

Chapter Ten

"A Battle Royal"

Third Earth itself was not the only place in the Sol System where there was conflict.

The space around the Sol System was currently in dispute, claimed by both the Galactic Federation, which was now controlled from an ancient world just beyond the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, and a New Galactic Empire which was said to be reforming deeper in the Galactic Center.

The Federation and the New Empire currently had an uneasy truce of sorts going, and in areas only lightly patrolled by their forces, free trade, as well as its handmaiden, piracy, were both flourishing.

Near Pluto, a small private vessel, hauling both cargo and passengers, was in distress. It was hauling a charter towards Titan, which was currently the only outpost of known Galactic Civilization left here in the Sol System, which had been devastated some centuries ago by Mumm-Ra.

"Sol System Titan Outpost, please respond! This is Captain Villarni! We are on a mission of peace towards Leptilia, bound for a stop at Titan! Titan Patrol Forces, respond!"

"Negative….contact….Captain….detected Berthold Radiation 1200 space kilometers from Pluto…difficult to respond…navigation…difficult!"

"What do you mean, it's DIFFICULT?" said Captain Villarni as he banged his hands on a console on his ship. "We are under attack!"

And, indeed, they were under attack.

Villarni's ship, the Hargis, was rather smallish, maybe one hundred and twenty-five meters in length.

Chasing it was a pirate vessel. The pirate ship was a vessel that they had just escaped from a few days ago near Planet Abraxas.

The pirate ship, about two hundred and twenty meters in length, was known as the Vertus, and she was under the command of a Mercenary and Pirate Captain known as Captain Shinar.

Shinar was a furry alien creature of the Gralski Race, who also looked somewhat Canid, and he wore a purple jumpsuit, boots, and a monocle. He opened up a channel to the Hargis and said, in a sharp, pronounced accent, "Really, Villarni! Your continuing to fight for your rights is a gesture vhich is downright pathetic and NICHT Volkisch! All I vant, under rights of salvage, since your ship vas damaged by me in fair battle, is your cargo and passengers. Your crew gets to live! Or do I have to raise the red flag and stop showing you any sort of quarter, Captain?"

"I have informed you Shinar! We are on a mission of peace to Leptilia!" said Villarni. "And you have learned that I am NOT defenseless!"

"A few small pulse laser mounts, and you say you are NOT defenseless?" snapped Shinar. "Danek! Lock our main guns 1200 meters in front of zat ship; ve fire across zer bow now, and…"

"Main guns locked on," said another pirate of Shinar's race as status boards in the Vertus went green.

"Open fire! Here is your warning shot, SCUM! I EXPECT TO HEAR YOUR SURRENDER, NEXT!" said Shinar as he nodded.

The Vertus opened fire on the Hargis a moment later.

The greenish fire from the pirate ship just missed the smaller vessel.

Then, a moment later, as Shinar began to laugh, Danek sat up transfixed as he watched his sensors. "CAPTAIN! Large object to our stern; range, three thousand! She just appeared from outta nowhere! It's covered with Berthold Radiation…in fact, it's stinking with it! It's got damage o' some kind, but it's coming behind us to intercept!"

"VAT?" yelled Shinar.

Then, a moment later, six titanic beams of energy blasted past the Vertus; one of them raked the pirate ship's hull as Shinar's crew panicked.

"Captain!" said another one of Shinar's men. "Sensors are picking up a leaking, unstable tachyonic drive from that vessel! Its length is two hundred and seventy-five meters! Mass, about a hundred thousand kilograms! It's a bloody Capital Ship!"

"Worse!" said Danek. "It's a Ghost Ship! It's the dread Ghost ship we've heard about! It looks like a lost Naval Ship and it's bearing down on us! Visual!"

Shinar looked at the visual of the ship as it came up. It was a huge, sleek vessel, mostly steel-grey in color, with a large, prominent bridge tower like an ancient battleship, but sleek and trimmed in yellow and chrome. It had four huge gun turrets that held impressive large energy cannons, many smaller gun mounts, and it bristled with missile tubes, ports, and sensor and radio masts all over the ship, her main engine port at the stern, and her four auxiliary engine ports. The huge vessel was smoking from damage near its stern. At its bow, it had two huge ports, lined in some red-orange material that glowed slightly with suppressed energy. Shinar then said, "No…it's not **the** Ghost Ship! The Legends say the Ghost Ship looks like an old ocean-going vessel turned into a space warship and she is supposed to be dark blue on top and red at the bottom. This is a more modern space warship with two huge red-orange ports at the bow and lots of gun turrets," said Shinar. "She's something of a similar class, but she's definitely a space battleship!"

"Message from the ship, coming in to us in code in bits!" said another member of Shinar's bridge crew. "I quote, sir, '…why don't you pick on someone your own size, pirates? This is the ESS North Carolina! Why isn't Earth answering our hails? Stand down and help us render aid to that smaller ship, or you'll get much worse than MY shot across your bow! OVER! RESPOND!' Our answer, sir?"

"Play nice, but lead them to Third Earth. Don't let them get near Titan to request reinforcements," said Shinar. "If the Federation gets me…"

"We know, sir. We'll try to play nice and get them to go towards Third Earth…"

"Nice," said Shinar. "Stand down for now from our attack upon the Hargis. Let Mumm-Ra have them! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! A disabled ship that big will bring me lots of exchange from Mumm-Ra if I sell him the salvage rights next time I see him! Wonderful! Just Wonderful! " snapped Shinar.

Mobilization was well under way in and around Kievski as the sun began to set in the Dog City.

Graulus' and Germasi's scouts reported that the enemy army was coming from the northwest, just beyond the ancient ruined structures that the ThunderTank had come through.

Cheetara was now running in the night as she ran towards the enemy forces as a scout to bring back her own report to LionO.

LionO had not wanted her to go, but she had insisted. She had said, "LionO, I am again your sworn Cleric, at your side in battle, but doing what I can to defend you in battle has not started. I have my speed, and I can run far ahead of anyone, get a picture of the enemy forces, and run back before I am detected. It's logical that I go out as our own vanguard."

LionO had agreed to that, but Cheetara had noticed that he had insisted on giving her a quick hug before she ran off. She returned the hug, nodded, and took off.

She was running now, running fast towards the enemy forces.

"Two centuries…no, make that three….Kaynar is on the right flank with Hammerhand, damn him!"

Cheetara continued to run, with the dirt of the fields around Kievski feeling good under her toes as she ran. She avoided some laser fire by pole-vaulting at high speed over some rocks with her staff.

A few Jackals tried to grab her, but Cheetara held no quarter and she used her staff to literally brain them at high speed as they approach; the feel of their skulls breaking open under her staff was gruesome but satisfying.

Then, her heart skipped a few beats as she beheld and sensed a darkness in the central tank at the center of the enemy ranks.

"Mumm-Ra," she hissed to herself as she felt his cold and darkness. "This confirms LionO's vision in the Sword…he's personally leading this force!"

Cheetara stopped, taking cover behind some rocks as she weighed in her mind as to whether she should or should not try to assassinate him at close range in a high-speed charge that might mean the death of her, but would assure victory.

Cheetara bared her fangs and readied herself to spring, but she stopped when she felt…

…something that had to be from deep space touching the battlefield.

Mumm-Ra was shouting orders at Sslythe when he stopped in mid-sentence as he looked up at the sky, his laughter quailing as he suddenly sensed and felt another spiritual Power, as strong as his own, momentarily touching his spirit.

"There is something out there, Sslythe," he suddenly murmured. "A Presence…that I have not felt, ever since…"

"Since when, Lord?" said Sslythe.

"Since a great battle long ago, since when my Lord was killed. He was brought down by a Power far greater than mine…a Power that died long ago…yet it lives…what….what is it?"

Far away, out in space beyond Neptune, the mind that commanded the North Carolina also felt Mumm-Ra. Hers was a mind that was there out of space, out of time. This was neither her proper time nor her place, and the young middle-aged Captain of the vessel which had come forward in time over twelve thousand years, a woman who was blessed (or cursed?) a few years after her most famous two cruises with psychic gifts not of her asking sensed Mumm-Ra and her teeth gritted, in an expression of rage matching that of her famous husband, who was still a great hero whose legend still lived on in this time, a legend that still resounded dimly, even in these days…a legend that was again evoked when one said only one word; which was….Yamato.

The woman did not know it yet, but she had come forward into a time where she had literally become something like a demi-goddess as a Guardian after her body had died.

Her dark brown eyes, which had passed into legend in this time, narrowed under the brim of her Captain's hat as her Flight Group Leader looked at her. "Yes, Mister Wakefield?" she said.

"Skipper, it's pretty obvious that we've come forward in time. Mister Bando tells us that we've come through an unnatural warp…"

"…yes, a wormhole that will close in nine weeks, as he predicts, and a warp that I don't dare to do a hundred and eighty-degree turn and try to traverse back until the last day or two it will be open, so that its impending collapse will help push us back precisely to August 2214. Because of the laws of physics, Wakefield, we're going to be here for nine weeks in this strange time, probably…about fourteen thousand something AD. Nine weeks for us, maybe a minute or two at the other end due to time dilation. Damn Bolar Black Hole tech! That was a dirty trick, hitting us as we were making a warp out from that last battle where that Commodore hit us after we made a truce with that other commander after we beat him. I'll bet the others are making them pay for it…"

"That pirate ship, ma'am," said Commander Fujiko Miyazaki, the young woman who was the North Carolina's navigator-pilot.

"We're going to keep on tracking them," said the Captain of the North Carolina. "They want us to go towards their Earth, and I'm going there. I've decided it already."

"Why, ma'am?" said Miyazaki in dismay.

"Because she's sensing the same things that I am," said Lieutenant Commander Sasha Wakefield.

"You've got that right," said the Captain. "I'm sensing a presence…something I have not felt, since…a battle I was involved in in 2209 that's still classified."

"What sort of battle?" said Miyazaki.

"It was a Black Op," said the Captain of the North Carolina as she thought back in her mind to when she had encountered this…mummy…before…over five years ago, on Lord Ekogaru's ship.

Then, she turned her mind to Third Earth, and said, "There's others there. Miss Miyazaki. Take us on course towards Earth after we escort that small ship to a safe haven near Titan."

"Aye, aye…Captain Wildstar," said Miyazaki as she saluted her Skipper.

Cheetara let her head clear, and then, while Mumm-Ra stood in shock, she ran back towards her own ranks, barely noticed by the enemy as she sped back towards Kievski.

Back in Kievski, a few minutes later, Cheetara saluted the guards and said, "Take me directly to Lord LionO. I've scouted out their ranks, caused some damage, and confirmed my King's vision. There is something very interesting going on in deep space, as well.

"So," said Panthro as they met around a table in Boyar Pitor's Palace. "Let's get this straight, Cheetara. Mumm-Ra's out there?"

"Yes, he is," said Cheetara. "He's in personal command."

"If I can capture or kill him," LionO said, "We can regain the Tech Stone from him. With that Stone, I would have the power over Technology he has."

"Yeah; we would have had it back at Avista," said Panthro. "Except for Pumyra."

LionO gritted his teeth as Cheetara reported, "I've seen her there, too. I sense she and I are going to meet again."

"That…sounds like trouble," said WilyKit.

"And, on top of all this, I have sensed that there has been a battle out in space, near Third Earth," said Cheetara.

"There's still activity around Third Earth, deep in space?" said Pitor.

Cheetara nodded. "There are several ships that have taken an interest in Third Earth. I used my senses and saw a pirate vessel, a small freighter from the Federation…"

"The Federation still exists?" said Panthro "I thought it was long-dead."

LionO shut his eyes. He said, "I have the distinct sense that this may be the first battle of a much wider war."

"You may be right," said Pitor as the others nodded.

THREE HOURS LATER….

The War Council was over.

LionO was checking on WilyKit, who had just been operated on, before going out to the battlefront.

Doctor Panremus looked at the other Thundercats and at WilyKit's bandaged head. "I've operated and inserted a drain. The pressure is coming off; but now, it's a matter of 'wait and see' to see how, or if… he recovers.

"How? If" said WilyKit.

"His brain has received some major damage," said Doctor Panremus. "I'm not sure when the damage to his brain will heal. I've done what I can do. Now…all we can do…is wait."

"And leave him in the hands of the Reverend Ones?" said Cheetara.

Doctor Panremus nodded.

At that, WilyKit held Cheetara and began to cry harder than ever. "I want vengeance! Do you hear me? I WANT VENGEANCE for those people who did this to my brother!"

"Vengeance," said LionO. "Vengeance, we will have."

And, at that, he gritted his teeth.

Far away, to the West, Tygra, Chaniell, and the people of Tineras were having their own problems.

Tygra was flying the Feliner, surrounded by two wingmen known as Aklen and Tallis. Both of them were Northern Clan Tigers, who were ostensibly loyal to Bengali.

"Where are the radar blips that you state you picked up?" said Master Cormus over Tygra's comlink.

Tygra grinned and said, "The radar's always right. Like me. We'll find them!"

"Tygra!" snapped Aklen. "They just found US!"

Tygra looked up.

There were two Mutant Sky-Cutters. Sslythe was flying one of them, and Kaynar was flying the other.

The third plane that was attacking them was The Storm Charger itself.

In the Storm Charger, laughing like mad, was Mumm-Ra. He was now in his Ever-Living Form, and he was filled with wrath.

"Good day, Thundercat!" said Mumm-Ra. "It's a bad day for you, isn't it?"

"Why do you dare attack our city, Mumm-Ra?" snapped Tygra. "I had heard…"

"What have you heard, you Thundercat outcast?" hissed Mumm-Ra with utter contempt in his voice.

"I heard you wanted to cut some kind of deal, Mumm-Ra," hissed Tygra. "Something that would protect us…"

"Yet allow you to finish LionO?" hissed Mumm-Ra. "Yes. I know that offer well."

"Which one of the Mutants made it? Lady Chaniell says there was a Messenger."

"Yes, Tygra? A Cat known as Pavren? Pavren…the Puma of Thundera…"

"I thought he was dead," said Tygra.

"He was," said Mumm-Ra. "I'm going to tell you a secret, Tygra. When I want to walk amongst you unmarked, I take the form of Pavren."

"So, Chaniell…?"

"Was speaking directly to ME," hissed Mumm-Ra. "Do we have a deal, Tiger? Or do I shoot you out of the sky like the one-eyed piece of sewer trash that you are?"

Tygra hissed, and bared his teeth. "Do you promise me I will be King?"

"Yes, but my King, Tygra."

"Mumm-Ra, you and I have an understanding."

"Very good. I was hoping we would," hissed Mumm-Ra as he grinned. "I will help you build your realm. Kaynar, Sslythe, break off the attack. We have an understanding with the Lord of Tineras. Soon…soon to be the Lord of the Thundercats."

Kaynar and Sslythe just began to laugh at that.

When Tygra landed, the other two Tigers were shocked to see that the attack had ended, and even more shocked to see that Tygra let Mumm-Ra's ship and the Mutant Commanders' ships land peacefully at the airfield in Tineras.

They were shocked even more when Mumm-Ra came out of his ship in his Mummy form, and shook hands with Tygra. The Tigers saw Tygra talking with their enemy as if he was an old friend. Tygra then opened his comlink and said, "Master Cormus?"

"Yes," said Cormus coldly.

"I am now Lord of this City, and that should NEVER be questioned!" snapped Tygra. "You are my third in command after the Lady Chaniell. I have cut a deal—with the Coalition. This city is now under Mumm-Ra's protection."

"I'm delighted," said Chaniell as she slapped Cormus aside and took the com-link herself. "Good day…is Pavren there?"

Mumm-Ra nodded and changed form. "Yes. Pavren the Puma is here. You will have quite a nice surprise later, my dear."

"Mmmmmm," said Chaniell. "If I didn't love Tygra, I'd consider a roll in the hay with you…"

Pavren and Chaniell laughed as Tygra seethed, thinking, Mumm-Ra, get this straight. She is mine….

I heard that, Mumm-Ra's voice hissed in Tygra's mind. Just a bit of teasing…

I hope so…thought Tygra.

You mean, I hope so, My Lord? Mumm-Ra hissed back in his mind. Remember who you speak to, Tygra. And remember you are not indispensable. None of my underlings are. Are we clear?

Tygra just nodded.

"This way," said Pavren. "I know this city better than you Cats think."

"Damn him," muttered Aklen.

"I wish Bengali was here. Or…LionO," whispered Tallis.

"You and me both," whispered Aklen.

FOUR HOURS LATER….

In the night, near Kievski, it was dark and quiet.

LionO and the other commanders were in position. LionO was in command from the rear, from the stockade on top of the city.

He had a comlink that connected him to Graulus, Panthro, Germasi and Bengali.

"We're in position, Lord," said Germasi. "You have the high ground to use the Sword from where you are. The strategy is to lure the ground troops towards the city."

"I will blast them from one flank," said Panthro, who had a full load of missiles and weapons in his ThunderTank.

"I've got the other," said Bengali, who was in a tank similar to the ThunderTank used by the people of Kievski.

"My Century will assist Germasi and his dogs in luring the enemy into your sights, LionO," said Graulus. "Then, we will fall off to each flank to meet up with the others, giving you free play with the Sword. We will then box in any survivors and we will all act to crush them."

"I'm at the gates below you," said WilyKit, who was alone on her hoverboard with the Forever Bag.

"Let's take our positions!" snapped LionO.

The enemy began their onslaught less than an hour later.

Mutant star-shells illuminated the area around the city as artillery fire began to slam into the Dog positions.

Germasi's group drew first blood, using long-range laser rifles to shoot at the Mutants.

LionO heard screams as Graulus' group engaged a group of Lizards and Apes. The battle of Lizard against Lizard was bloody, grotesque, and soon, Sslythe was signaling a retreat as his Lizards were hit from two sides by Graulus.

"We're falling back, Lord!" said Sslythe into a comm-unit.

"WHY?" yelled Mumm-Ra.

"My men received coded orders on the Net to come this way! FROM GRAULUS! That Lizard led us to our doom, curse him!"

"Did you ever change your internal codes, fool?" snapped Mumm-Ra.

"No," said Sslythe.

"You should have changed your ident codes when he defected, you lamebrain!" roared Mumm-Ra. "You…"

Then, they heard LionO's roar of "HOOOOOOO!" in the distance.

The Sword of Omens let loose with its energy flare a moment later as LionO blasted the Mutant positions from the high ground on the city wall.

Most of Kaynar's squads were wiped out. In fact, the Jackal General himself lay on the ground, screaming, because he had actually lost an arm to LionO's flame.

"Sslythe, I am not depending upon you any longer!" roared Mumm-Ra as he let the wind blow his tattered robes and Mummy bandages about his emaciated form.

Pumyra ran up, and she stood smiling as Mumm-Ra stood up on a rock. "I have had enough of this and need to take the battle to that accursed Lion personally!" He looked up at the skies and intoned, "ANCIENT SPIRITS OF EVIL! TRANSFORM THIS DECAYED FORM INTO MUMM-RA, The EVER-LIVING!"

Mumm-Ra screamed as the transformation happened, and his body twisted and mutated into his Ever-Living Form!"

"Pumyra," he hissed at the Puma woman he had brought back from death and possessed. "Come with me. We have a certain Lion to deal with…and now!" At that, Mumm-Ra drew the Sword of Plunn-Dar and said, "Pumyra, let's get to it!"

"Yes," she hissed, with an evil grin.

WilyKit had just unleashed the Northern Clan Tigers and the eight stray Thunderians she had secreted in the Forever Bag. A battle was going on at the Gate of Kievski as Hammerhand and Bersekers had fought their way through to the Gate.

Panthro drove the ThunderTank around and unleashed some missiles at the Berserkers as the Northern Clan Tigers caught some of the others with whips and some used swords to run them through.

LionO fought on, personally engaging Hammerhand on the city wall, with the aid of Cheetara, who ran around him in the confined space and smashed his helmeted head.

"YOU BITCH!" he said, gasping as LionO ran him through.

Grievously wounded, the Berserker leader used his teleport belt to return to the rear.

"How late is it, Cheetara?" said LionO.

"About close to the sunrise by my senses," said Cheetara, who snarled and held up her staff when she saw a shadow coming over the city walls.

"What is it?" hissed LionO. He held up the Sword of Omens and snarled as…

…Finally, in the embers of the night, maybe twenty-four hours after they had arrived in Kievski, a form drifted from the air like a vile bat, on vile wings.

LionO finally stood and confronted the monster. No words were necessary as he held the Sword of Omens out before the beast. "Mumm-Ra. So, you've finally found us!"

"Finally, LionO. You ran nice and far this time, over a thousand rills, but didn't you think I would eventually find you and your scrawny, mangy band, Thundercat?" said the demon as he stood towering over LionO.

"You have no right to be here, Mumm-Ra. These people are peaceful!"

"Peaceful? They shot at me, the Lord of Third Earth! They cost my General Sslythe an arm as he was trying to retreat! Damn your ideas of peaceful, you idiot!"

"And you're going to try and confront me?" said LionO.

"I have no need to do so, LionO. I have servants!" roared Mumm-Ra.

"What sort of servants?" snarled Cheetara as she ran up beside her Lord and squeezed his free hand. LionO squeezed back and nodded.

"Servants like me?" said Pumyra as she leapt on LionO from nowhere. "Servants who will take your Sword?"

Pumyra's attack with an electrical whip staggered LionO. Somehow, even after all they had been through, he was not expecting the cat he had once loved to try and kill him.

LionO struggled free, as Cheetara ran around the three combatants like a blur. She had spotted a support beam near where Mumm-Ra was standing. She flashed around and struck it a glancing blow with her staff.

Mumm-Ra staggered and fell off the edge of the stockade as part of it began to collapse.

But, Pumyra smiled and found a piece of broken wood.

Before LionO could react….

…Pumyra ran him through with the piece of wood.

LionO screamed as he stood there, impaled.

Mumm-Ra laughed as he drew the Sword of Plunn-Dar.

"And, now, LionO," hissed the Undead Devil Priest. "For…the…Kill!"

He raised the Sword, and murmured an incantation.

Nothing happened.

"What?" he roared, suddenly feeling, at long range, another mighty psychic power in the distance. "The Skies!" he hissed. "An interloper, thinking that they can offer you aid by attacking me! No matter! You're dying, anyway!"

"Yes," hissed Pumyra as she kicked LionO in the face as he tried to pick up the Sword of Omens. "He's losing blood quickly, and too weak to pick it up! Do you like that, dear?" she hissed at Cheetara.

"Get out of here, BITCH!" hissed Cheetara at Pumyra, who threw back her head and laughed. Mumm-Ra's laughter could also be heard as he stood, and wheeled back up, on his wings, to confront LionO as he collapsed…into Cheetara's arms.

"Cheetara," he gasped.

"Kneel down, LionO," she said gently as tears ran down her cheeks. "I have the Sword. I'll help you pick it up…" she said as a vision came to her….

The vision was clear, yet remote, as if she was watching that little clip from that lost Human device known as a "computer".

Cheetara saw a tall man with blue skin and blond hair confronting a smaller man clad in white in a room filled with fire and smoke. No, it was not just a room…it was the bridge of an ancient starship.

The smaller man had wild brown hair, a white uniform, and he was bleeding severely from an arm.

He was holding a weapon on the taller man, but he staggered and fell.

The weapon fell from his hand.

A woman in gold ran in from nowhere, screaming words Cheetara did not recognize.

Whoever she was…she looked like a young Goddess in dirty gold tights and boots…until Cheetara realized that the woman looked much like one of the Reverend Spirits of Good herself!

The woman ran in, guarded the man with her body, and she took up the man's fallen weapon, (***the man is her commander, her lover, Cheetara realized in a flash***) and pointed it right at the tall blue tyrant.

A flash of an explosion illuminated her face in sharp relief as the blue man stood stunned.

Then, the woman looked right at Cheetara and snapped at her, "Follow my example, Cheetah! PICK UP THE SWORD! YOU CAN STOP THEM!

Then, the vision faded.

Cheetara knew what she had to do.

She kissed LionO, and with a sudden resolve, she picked up the Sword of Omens in her trembling hands.

Immediately, the red War Stone in the hilt changed color slightly to a sort of flaming violet as the power of the Sword merged with Cheetara's spirit for a moment as Pumyra grinned at her.

Cheetara held LionO's hand and said, "Just grasp my arm…my darling. I'll do the rest."

"D…darling?" said LionO.

Cheetara smiled and nodded. Her King was dying and she knew it. She owed him this much…this final chance at redemption and honesty.

"Darling," said Cheetara. "Unlike her, LionO, I LOVE YOU!" she said.

Then, snarling at Mumm-Ra, she held up the Sword. "EAT THIS, DEAD THING!" she screamed.

And, red fire blasted from the Sword of Omens.

The fire went right through Pumyra first.

She screamed as she was caught in the energy, writhing as she began to burn from the inside.

The Puma snarled, "I HATE YOU ALL!" as the fire overtook her, and her flesh burned.

A moment later, nothing remained of Pumyra except a ragged, charred skeleton, clad in the burning remnants of her torn dress.

The remains of Pumyra crashed to the earth, where they lay there, smoking.

The remaining energy hit Mumm-Ra in the chest, throwing him back with a scream as he fell back towards the enemy lines.

Then, he, too crashed to Earth, shrinking back down into his Mummy form, more dead than alive.
He looked at Addicus. "You're still intact, Ape! Good!"

"Yes, Lord. Are you?"

"Ready my Storm Charger," he hissed. "This battle is not over yet! I'm going to strafe the spot where that damned Lord of the Thundercats cowers, and I will FINISH HIM! Then, I will have the Sword at Last!"

"Yes, Lord," said Addicus as he helped Mumm-Ra walk to the Storm Charger.

LionO, still in pain from his wound, looked up as Cheetara helped him hold his head up.

Mutant planes in dark red, along with steel-grey fighter planes from the Vertus were wheeling about the city, strafing Lizard troops from Graulus' Century, along with some of the Dog troopers.

Some of them were bombing the city, too. Fires, screaming, carnage, and the wails of Dog women parted suddenly from their husbands or children by the bombing raid came to their ears, and LionO said, "Cheetara, look at this. This is like the fall of Thundera all over again. Are we going to lose this battle?"

"No," said Cheetara. "LionO, just hang on. I am watching over you, and you have to have faith. I told you that I was advised in that vision we would be delivered."

"By whom?" said LionO as he looked up and saw some green dots in the air as more planes came. ** Just more mutants ** he thought. ** It's hopeless **

"By a source quite unexpected," said Cheetara. She looked up at the green dots, followed by some blue dots. Those dots soon focused in on the planes from the Vertus and from the Mutants.

Cheetara bowed her head; but then she smiled as she saw that the newcomers in the air were not joining up with their enemies.

They were attacking them!

Cheetara smiled as she took a count of the newcomers. "By the Reverend Spirits of good…there's sixty new fighter planes…on our side!"

"How can you tell they're on our side?"

"Some of the green planes…I've never seen a design like this before…are bombing the Mutant ranks! And I recognize the blue ships! They're from Avista!"

"What?" said LionO.

LionO looked up as one of the green planes broke off in pursuit of a Mutant plane coming towards them. It attacked the Mutant plane with lasers blasting from its nose.

The Mutant plane exploded only about an ell or so from the city walls. The green plane kept on coming, waggling its wings at them in salute. It a sleek, fast design, painted dark green on top, blue-grey on its belly, and the ship had something like a stylized Tiger Shark mouth painted on its belly.

LionO caught only a glimpse of the pilot; the pilot's gender, or species, could not be told, but the pilot had on a black uniform, with a gold arrow, and a bright red helmet with a black stripe painted down it. The pilot waved a gloved hand at them from in the cockpit and blasted away.

In the meantime, in the air, Mumm-Ra, who was now again in his Mummy Form, hissed as he roared towards Kievski in his Storm Charger.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil….help me find that cat…help me find that wounded, dying cat!"

He roared towards the burning city.

He hissed a little as he looked at his sensors and caught a plane on his scope. "Heading toward my Six, are you?" he hissed. "No one can outmaneuver me," he said as he threw his plane into a mad dive and a flip.

"Rid of you," Mumm-Ra hissed, as he looked back, and saw blue energy whizzing past his ship. "What?" he hissed.

He looked back. The plane was relentless, and he could not get rid of it. It was one of the newcomers' planes, he figured out, but of a different design than all the others. Mumm-Ra's tormentor was flying a sleek plane that was mostly silver-grey, trimmed in gold and in red. Its nose held three prominent cannons, and had the number "02" on it in white.

"I'm going to warn that damned pilot off," hissed Mumm-Ra as he opened a comm-link.

All that came out of his speakers was static.

Then, the enemy pilot did a powered flip and shot at his plane.

His Storm Charger suffered a hit wing, and began to buck as the enemy plane nimbly flew up beside his, and, to Mumm-Ra's shock…

…he saw that not only was the pilot a human…she was also a young woman! Her shapely form, athletic like Cheetara's, was clothed in a tight gold uniform and boots with black markings. She wore a helmet of red with a mirrored visor that hid her face…except for embers of a Fire that burned in her eyes.

Then, her voice came into Mumm-Ra's mind. "So you lived, Suthekh-Ra? How did you manage it? What sort of boot of Lord Ekogaru's did you lick to live, accursed one?"

The use of his prior name enraged Mumm-Ra. "I know who you are, BITCH! How dare you insult me like that?"

"You insult me by existing," hissed the young woman.

"How is it that a girl from Earth became a near-goddess?"

"I did not walk an easy path, Mumm-Ra. My beautiful Earth. Blasted by the Gamilons long ago in your time; but fresh still in my memory. We rebuilt the battleship Yamato into a space battleship rechristened the Argo and travelled into the Magellenic Cloud to find the Cosmo-DNA machine, which would heal Earth. When trying to defend my ship and my darling Derek Wildstar, I turned on the machine. I nearly died, but began to change then. I had a hidden alien heritage that the machine awakened," said the woman.

"Oh….that's your story, human?" Mumm-Ra snapped.

"Yes! Then, we fought the Empire of the White Comet, and after I married my darling Derek, everything changed when the planet Pellias was brought to our Galaxy by Ekogaru. We defeated him with the aid of Aliscea and Astrena of Pellias, and with the aid of the Pellian Matrix. After still other battles, Aliscea gave me the Pellian Matrix, or the bulk of it, before she went mad. It awakened what turned out to be scraps of the DNA of Pellias and Iscandar hidden in my body from ages of descent. I also found I was the last of the line of the High Queens of Pellias. I wanted you to know this, and I wish you to know that I, the White Orchid, the Renewer, the High Queen Nova Wildstar of Terra, now Captain of the Space Battleship North Carolina, am about to finish you, Mummy, whom I have met on the field of battle twice before. Only this time, your end shall be forever!"

Nova raised her hand. A bright fire came from it that Mumm-Ra was able to see.

That terrible Light bored into his soul.

Then, the Sun came up over Kievski.

Mumm-Ra could not close down the visual sensors in time. Blinded and burned by Nova's terrible Light, and by the Sun, he screamed and began to twist and wither, being burned alive by that horrible Light as his bandages began to burn and his desiccated skin burned.

Then, last of all, he heard LionO gasping "HOOOOOOO!" as the red Light of the Sword of Omens hit his ship full-on. The ship began to explode, and he teleported out of his Storm Charger to the pit of his Black Pyramid. He needed darkness.

He needed to hide.

He needed the help of the Ancient Spirits of Evil.

Mumm-Ra vanished from the field of battle, defeated, as the energy of the Sword of Omens ripped his Storm Charger apart. A coup-de-grace was issued by a missile from Nova's Super Star Fighter, and the remains of the fighter fell to Third Earth, causing panic in the Mutant ranks.

"Another ship is approaching the scene, Skipper!" said Wakefield in Nova's headset.

"How large?" she snapped.

"It's the pirate ship…"

"Green Hornets, break off contact with the Mutants," Nova ordered. "We have to attack Shinar's ship before he can bombard this battlefield! Let's take them from three angles! ATTACK!"

Nova waggled her wings over Kievski. A struggling LionO saluted his unexpected ally with the Sword of Omens before he collapsed into Cheetara's arms.

Then, he blacked out and heard and saw no more.

EIGHT DAYS LATER….

LionO woke up, moaning softly.

The first person he saw at his bedside was Cheetara, who now had on a white sundress. He looked down at himself.

He had on…nothing but his own fur.

He pulled the blankets over his lap as his face grew hot under his fur. Cheetara only smiled at him as he covered up.

She said, "Thank the Reverend Spirits that you're well!" She then hugged and kissed him.

He kissed back.

Then, the Lion sat up in bed, smiling as he saw WilyKit and WilyKat coming into the room.

"When did you get better?" said LionO.

"Not long after your bleeding stopped, they said," said Panthro.

"I'm not out of the woods yet," said WilyKat. "I'm getting…these dizzy spells."

"We defended the City," said Halas, another one of the Dog commanders. "But, at a heavy cost. We lost Germasi in the fighting. He died very bravely."

"We have a major problem, LionO," said Panthro. "And a new enemy."

"What is it?" said LionO. "Pumyra's dead. So, I guess, is Mumm-Ra…"

"The Reverend One, the Lady herself, appeared to me in a vision," said Cheetara. "I'm told he didn't die. Not yet. She allowed you to live, LionO, and she also helped WilyKat get better. I also know where the last Stone is now."

"You do?" he said, excited. "Where?"

"An island state known as Ni'phangu; a few day's sailing across the Eastern Sea from Land's End at the fabled city of Xi La. If we can get there, we can gain passage to Ni'phangu," said Panthro. "Luckily, a ship is waiting there for us already."

"What sort of ship?" said LionO. "A sailing ship? A triamterene hauled by oars? Maybe even a steamship?"

"Better than all of those," said Panthro. "I got a glimpse, just a glimpse, of the fantastic ship those planes came from. You know…the green planes who helped us? They came from an ancient Human ship from beyond our time, beyond our space. The Past lives again for a bit…in the shape of the ancient Earth Defense Federation Space Battleship North Carolina, a ship, I'm told, of the Andromeda class. They provided us with Thundrillium, LionO! They had a load of it aboard ship; the ancient Humans call it something else, but it helps run their engines, too."

"That sounds great," gasped LionO. "Why the long face?"

"Some other ships came in near the end of the battle. They were shot down, but one of the pilots was carrying a letter for you. He died," said Panthro.

"When?" said LionO. "When he crashed?"

"No. When I tore the treasonous Tiger apart with Bengali's help," snapped Panthro. "I recognize the seal on the letter. It's the seal of the Lord of Tineras."

"Which is where I sent…Tygra…" hissed LionO, who tore open the letter.

He began to read, out loud, through gritted teeth:

A letter, from Tygra, Lord of Tineras, and Regent of the Throne.

To, LionO, former Lord of the Thundercats, now without a political base.

My Brother:

This letter is the hardest letter I have ever written to you, but it must needs be written.

I have established a Base of Operations in Tineras, and I have come to an accommodation with the Powers that Be. While you fight needless battles and wander The Third Earth as a vagabond, I am rebuilding the Thunderian Nation in Tineras. We have the electricity back on now, and we are making this city beautiful and secure, with the help of the Coalition.

Our Father, so-called, lost a war. Claudus is dead. The old ways died with him and Jaga. The Code of Thundera should no longer bind us. A new Age is coming, an Age where animal kind across the Globe will be at peace, and we will work with the Coalition for peace. Yes. I have signed a Compact with Lord Mumm-Ra. He is allowing us to rebuild, and He has promised us we can eventually rebuild Thundera itself from the ruins.

I believe that due to my claim, since I am the Elder of us, we should recognize reality at last and realize you were never meant to be King and that you should abdicate, since you are not suited by temperament to sit on the Throne . I am, and I will be King when Thundera is rebuilt. Therefore, unless you wish to be marked as Renegades, I order you, LionO, to come to Tineras with the other Thundercats so you can do fitting homage to myself and to Lady Chaniell and to surrender to me the Sword of Omens. I will be merciful. You will be Third Lord of the Thundercat forces, after General Panthro.

To Cheetara; the ways of the Clerics are dying. You can train WilyKit as a replacement. I beg thy forgiveness, and I ask you to finish the Bond with me you were to begin in the Elephant Village. Then, in my harem, you will serve as Second Lady of the Realm, under Chaniell's guidance; and you can prepare her for her Anointment as Queen, fittingly, as the second of my Wives.

I pray to see you back in Tineras in thirty days. I would hate to issue a warrant for your arrest as Rebels, my friends.

Cordially and with Love;

Lord Tygra; Once and Future Lord and King of the Thundercats.

"Whiskers! The bastard!" said LionO . "That deranged BASTARD!"

"I hate him," said Cheetara. "I'll never return to him…or join his…his…Harem," she said with scorn. "And he is NOT Lord of the Thundercats."

Then, she sat by LionO on the bed, held his hand, looked in his eyes, and said, "LionO, you are the Rightful Lord of the Thundercats. I am your Head Cleric, my King, the Rightful King, and I will not resign or stand down…and I also pray to be your Queen!" she said as her words shocked the others. "Bond with me, LionO. Let me be your Queen," she said as she held him.

"Cheetara," said LionO as he stroked the Cheetah's spotted, tawny mane on the top of her head. "I love you. I…I…accept your offer. Even though it goes against all protocol…"

Then, he pulled her close and kissed her.

The Thundercats applauded.

"We shall be Bonded in ten days," said LionO. "Bengali, Panthro, make all of the arrangements for a true and fitting Royal Wedding. And make sure a letter regarding the wedding and other matters is sent to Tineras after the event."

"Yes, my King," they said together.

TO BE CONTINUED….

With Chapter Eleven