Chapter 21

Lion-O arrived the next day with backup as promised. Cheetara had refused to leave Leo's side and no one faulted her for that. Sahara however, knew she could not sit in the hospital anymore, especially since she could not help her brother. She wanted to know how their prisoner managed to block himself from her powers and she wanted to know how Electroshock had escaped. The Evil Chasers were still on the lookout for him but so far they had come up empty-handed.

"How many casualties?" Lion-O wanted to know once he pulled Lea and Ben-Gali aside in the Conference Room.

"We've got twenty dead and fifty in the hospital with everything from cuts and bruises to broken limbs and Thundrillium burns," Ben-Gali filled him in.

"All the prisoners are accounted for?" The lion asked.

"All of them are locked up. The dead were taken by the Evil Chasers so their information could be added into the intergalactic bad guy database," Lea explained.

"I'm sure Mandora called it something else," her brother chuckled.

"And I'm sure I'd be damned if I could remember it," the lioness chuckled too.

"So what is the plan with Pali?" Lion-O got serious again.

"Mandora talked to him and suggested that you take him back to New Thundera. It would be better for everyone involved if he went home and the trial for Kiaan remained here," his sister said.

"I'll take her advice then. How is Shay and Captain Ashok?" The King was concerned about their friends.

"They're in medically induced comas to try and limit the brain damage. The doctors aren't sure how damaged they are and whether or not they will wake up. Mandora has been temporarily reinstated to active duty to be Third Earth's Evil Chaser liaison until Shay's condition can be determined. In the meantime, Evil Chaser HQ is sending a temporary replacement so Mandora can go home," Ben-Gali spoke up.

"Good thing I brought Alexei along then," Lion-O smiled slightly.

"She could use someone to be with her when we send Pali back home," Lea nodded in agreement.

"Ok then I guess we've got everything covered. Convene a meeting of the Third Earth Council and get the ball rolling on the trial for our prisoners. I'm going to see if I can check in with Ro-Bear-Bill and Ro-Bear-Belle and see how they're doing. Excellent work saving them by the way. There aren't words for how we all were feeling about them back home," Lion-O smiled at Ben-Gali.

"Without Cavan and the Evil Chasers, it would have certainly been a dark day," the tiger nodded. The King clapped him on the shoulder and then headed out of the room in search of the leader of the Berbils. Lea and Ben-Gali got to work with their assignments, both of them looking forward to having this nightmare end.

Meanwhile, Sahara stared down the prisoners. The two guards outside the room had immediately let the Princess in, without questioning why she was there. She approached the Captain, whom she could tell, was trying to figure out who she was and why she was there.

"Inspecting the damage to the prisoner?" He asked.

"Hardly," she replied before closing her eyes. She attempted to see if she could feel anything in the room but her sixth sense remained inactive.

"All right girly. What are you playing at?" Kiaan wanted to know.

"Nothing. It would seem the being I seek is not here. How'd you manage to convince Electroshock to escape the Penal Planet? What exactly could you offer him besides a form of freedom?" Sahara asked after opening her eyes.

"Nice try girly but I won't go incriminating myself," he said.

"Prison break is hardly the worst charge against you. Destruction of Third Earth gives you about three million counts of attempted murder. Your eternal soul will be serving your prison term long after your dead," she smirked. Of course there was no comeback for that. She was right after all and he knew it.

"Death is only the beginning sweetheart," that was not what she expected to hear from him.

"If you're expecting your ancient Mutant Gods to save you, I figure they're too busy," she said. Now she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The conversation had triggered her sixth sense somehow. Suddenly she did not feel safe.

"Sword of Omens! Come to my hand!" She called out. They could both hear the roar from inside the Lair. Within a few moments the Sword had left her father and found its way to her hands. The guards ran into the room to see what was going on.

"So you are the blood of Lion-O, King of Thundera, Lord of the ThunderCats," Kiaan smirked as if he knew something she didn't.

"And you are not who you say you are," Sahara knew that the Sword's movements would have attracted attention by everyone, especially her father and they would be inside the room to help her and the two guards.

"This vessel was convenient. The added bonus was its knowledge of the one you call Lea," the Mutant Captain was obviously not who she was speaking to anymore. The Sword growled in her hands and the litah did the only thing she could think of at the moment. Leveling the Sword at the being she shouted,

"HO!"

To Be Continued…