16

"I can not believe how completely frustrating this is." Tygra sighed and sank into a chair in the council room.

"I know, Tygra. I know." Lion-O himself had a large headache. "It's been four days now; I am worried sick. Now I know how Snarf feels most of the time."

"What do we do?" Wilykit asked worriedly. "I mean we know what the problem is, and we think we found all the portals..."

"...but we had to get rid of them! How are we supposed to find out how they work?" her brother finished. The remaining ThunderCats had found what they hoped was all of the portals to the other dimensions, but had not wanted to take the chance that either by accident, or by Mutant interference, that some innocent being would get trapped in another world.

"It would have done us little good, Wilykat," Panthro said. "Those were only the results of this...whatever the hell caused this blasted phenomenon. To find out how they work, we would have to go to the source; to whatever is causing this."

Tygra nodded. "Yes. And if what we think caused it is correct, that means one thing."

"Mumm-Ra!" the twins cried together, as if spitting out a curse.

"Yes, Mumm-Ra. Going to his pyramid is a dangerous business." Lion-O shook his head. "And I had hoped to figure this out without actually going there. But as the Sword of Omens shows me nothing, I'm afraid we have little choice."

Panthro stood. "Well I'm ready."

"Us too!" Wilykit said, as she and her brother also stood.

Tygra joined his fellow ThunderCats and nodded grimly, drawing his bolo whip. "All right, let's get this over with."

"ThunderCats, ho!" Lion-O cried as he ran for the hangar. Echoing the battle cry, the others followed.

***

It had been hell finding a ship going to Plundaar, and even more hell sneaking aboard it, but once again, Lynx-O, Pumyra and Snarfer were crammed into the cargo bay of a transport. And this one was even less roomy. "When I thought of being a ThunderCat, I never thought it would entail this," Pumyra grumbled, as she removed Snarfer's elbow from her eye.

"It is not all glory and honorable battles, Pumyra," Lynx-O said gently. "This may be the lowest we have had to go," He was thinking of the necessity of leaving Thundera to its death once more, killing off more than half of their people. ",but hopefully we will be able to put it behind us soon."

"Wh-what if this doesn't work out and something really horrible happens?" Snarfer asked with his usual lack of optimism.

Lynx-O said grimly, "Then Lion-O and the other will be on their own on Third Earth." And hopefully the time stream will not be completely messed up, he added silently. Blast Mumm-Ra, anyway!

"Ohhh, snaaerfer, snaaaarfer," the young snarf wailed softly.

It took the little group only a few hours to get where they were going, and Lynx-O outlined his plan on the way in hushed tones. "I have no idea how far into Plundaar's future Cheetara is," Lynx-O said, "but if we can find the right person here in this time, we may yet be able to hope she will get our message."

"But, but who?" Snarfer asked.

"Well, I do know a little of Cheetara's past, Snarfer, there was a young man from Plundaar she had seen for a short period. He was put to death for courting a Thunderian, but if we could find his family..."

"Ohhh, good idea, snarfer, snarfer. Goood idea."

"Do you have any idea who they were, Lynx-O, or where they would be?"

"I have no idea, Pumyra. But we must find out."

"What...what if it takes more than two days now to find it?" Snarfer asked. "Oh, no, how will we get it to her in time?"

"Easy, Snarfer. Remember we are dealing with time here, and Cheetara is far into the future. It would not matter if it took us a month here. If we tell our contact the correct date in the future to give it to her, it doesn't matter how long it takes now. Our problem is staying alive and unharmed."

"So we have to find someone who will be able not only to pass a message down the generations to whenever Cheetara is now, and from what Cheetaan told us it's more than a dozen generations in the future, but we also have to make sure they can find a trustworthy Mutant in that time that can get into a heavily guarded Mutant prison and give a written message to a Thunderian captive?" Pumyra shook her head. "That's going to take a lot of luck."

"You're right. But luck is all we have now," Lynx-O said. "Blind luck, if you will." The elder lynx chuckled at the small pun, and although Pumyra whapped him playfully on the arm and tried to give him a dirty look, she giggled. It was a nervous giggle, but nevertheless it was nice to hear. "Have faith, Pumyra. I have no idea if this will work, but if we do not have faith, or give up hope, then we know for sure that it will fail."

Pumyra only nodded.

***

"I'll kill them," Caleb growled. "I'll kill every one of those militant, sadistic bastards." It was the anniversary of his son's death. It had been two years now, but the wound still stung on this day, stung badly.

"Now...now Caleb, you can't think like that. The Plundaarian military is strong, very strong. You wouldn't get very far before they put you to death too." She patted her large belly. "And we have another one coming that will need his or her father."

"I don't care!" The elder wolf Mutant spun around to glare angrily at his mate. His anger was not at her, but he could not keep the hatred from his face or his voice, even as he looked upon his beloved wife. "They killed our son for doing no more than falling in love!"

"She was a Thunderian, Caleb. She's lucky they let her live."

Caleb growled. "I am ashamed to be a Plundaarian, Lupinee. Ashamed. There are so few that know honor, and that respect life." The rage suddenly gone, Caleb sank tiredly into a chair. "He was my only son, Lupinee, my only son. He went to war with the idea he could maybe bring honor to our family, our race even, and they killed him."

No longer able to hold her tears back, Lupinee burst into tears and squeezed into the large plush chair next to her mate and cried into his tunic.

Caleb sighed and stroked her fur. "I know, Lupinee. I know." They had been through this the previous years, and his mate was right. He had this child to think about. And he hoped that its presence, once born, would fill the hole in his heart left by his first born.

***

"Well that was easy," Pumyra said. She held a hard copy of an address not far from the military base.

Lynx-O chuckled. "The Mutants' military might be powerful, Pumyra, but they are not very smart at times. A Thunderian with a little knowledge of technology should have no problems getting into the system, as we have demonstrated. They are far behind most races in that aspect."

Pumyra snorted. "You can say that again." She looked up "Well, here it is."

"Yes," Lynx-O said." They had hidden themselves carefully on the trip here, and now they would be taking a chance. But from what Cheetara had told Lynx-O, her lover's family had known honor. "Let's talk."

As Caleb comforted his wife, there was a knock on the door. "Go away!" he called. Now was not the time for a visitor.

"We must talk to you, please!" An elderly voice called back.

Caleb frowned, his ears twitching. That sounded like a Thunderian voice! Gently setting his mate aside, he stood and opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw who was at his door, and he drew his laser pistol. Lupinee in the background fearfully stepped back, and Lynx-O and Pumyra took defensive stances as Snarfer hid behind them.

The wolf growled. "What do you want here, Thunderian?" he demanded.

Though Lynx-O was ready to fight if he had to, he made no move. "Please, we must talk to you. We mean no harm." Here he would have to take a large risk, and moving slowly, removed his light shield, extending is slowly toward the Mutant. He advised Pumyra to hand over her weapon as well.

Caleb looked at the shield suspiciously, then snatched it. Lynx-O stood tensed, to see whether the risk had been a mistake or not. But when he heard him take Pumyra's weapon as well, setting their weapons on a nearby desk, and then setting his own weapon there as well, he knew it had been the right thing to do.

The wolf Mutant opened the door. "Come in," he said curtly. "What do you want here?"

After the door had been closed to prying eyes, Lynx-O said, "Thank you. Do you know a Thunderian named Cheetara?"

Both Caleb and his mate gasped. "Y-yes..." Caleb said, clearly shaken. "Yes, my...my son..."

Lynx-O nodded. "Yes. Cheetara and your son had fallen in love, and your son was killed for it." Lynx-O bowed his head. "I am sorry that it happened."

Caleb looked at his visitors with a new expression. "Thank you," he said, not knowing how else to respond. He was not used to hearing sympathy for a Mutant death from a Thunderian. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lynx-O." After he had told the wolves who they were, Lynx-O went through the whole story, leaving nothing out. He had to trust these people, and so could do no less than give them the entire story.

"You know..." Caleb said. "Had any Mutant come up to me with this story, I would have laughed in his face and booted him out the door. Our races are deadly enemies, and I'm amazed that I am more inclined to believe your story that I would one of my own race."

"Then you'll help us?" Pumyra said with a tone of urgency.

Caleb nodded. "Those bastards killed my son. I have another child on the way, perhaps by doing this I can get my vengeance without risking my child growling up without a father."

Lynx-O nodded sympathetically as he handed a parchment with a carefully worded explanation of everything to the wolf, one that would tell Cheetara exactly what had to be done. There had been some concern over whether she would take it seriously, but with the cheetah's sixth sense, she would know. They hoped. "I wish you luck...my friend." He extended his hand.

After a minute, Caleb took it. "Thank you." Then he said, "You better get off of Plundaar." He thought a minute. "There should be a transport leaving in an hour and a half at the docking bay a couple of miles away. You should be able to get on it with not too much trouble." He returned their weapons.

"Again I thank you. We will take our leave now, and once more extend our sympathy." Lynx-O nodded to the wolf couple as he and his companions left the house, and skulked in the direction he had said this transport was.

"Wow..." Snarfer said. "Maybe all Mutants aren't so bad..."

"No," Lynx-O said. "They are not, Snarfer. There are many Plundaarians that know honor. Unfortunately the leaders of the planet are corrupt, and keep their people subdued. Come, we must get back to Thundera before out luck here runs out."

***

It had not run out yet as they made their way to the docking facility that Pumyra and Snarfer could now see in the distance...until they tried to sneak into the ship.

BREET! BREET! BREET! Thunderian life forms detected! Thunderian life forms detected!

"SNARFER!" The young Snarf cried in surprise. "Oh no, the ship has automatic sensors!!!"

"Stay calm Snarfer!" Pumyra said. "Get inside!" She nearly threw the young Snarf into the ship and closed its doors to the onslaught of mutants coming their way from outside.

"Pumyra, how big a ship is this?"

"About as big as the flagship the ThunderCats used to get off of Thundera!"

"All right, prepare for a fight. I say ten to fifteen for a crew!" Pumyra leading the way, as her sight would be of more use in this situation, they ran down a corridor towards what they hoped would be the control Room.

"Lynx-O!" Snarfer wailed. "Behind us!" He whipped around with his muscular tail, tripping one of the three Reptilians that was following them, drawing their weapons.

Pumyra whirled around. "No lasers, they have two battle axes and a sword, Lynx-O!"

Lynx-O was already taking out his shield. Snapping it open, he allowed the light from the ship to charge it, and sent a blast at the sword-wielder, who was bringing his blade up to skewer the older man. The lizard cried out and sprawled backwards.

Pumyra had taken one out with her sling, and the one Snarfer had tripped got up and took a swipe at the little guy, she nailed him, too. "Run!" The Mutants would not be out long. If they could only lock themselves in the control room!

As they ran, Lynx-O stumbling a little over anything that might be in the hallways, they came to a large door. None of them could read Plundaarian, but Snarfer took a look at the primitive controls and fiddled with them. With flying sparks, the door opened.

"Uh-oh..." Pumyra said. They had found the bridge all right, but there were six Mutants inside, and all turned in surprise, while one of them, a young looking one that might have been only a trainee, called the ship's crew to the control room. Within seconds the Thunderian trio found themselves surrounded by ten Mutants. Well Lynx-O had been right, Pumyra thought. There were thirteen of them including the ones they had already fought.

The commander of the ship growled, and barked a command in his language. At this signal, the Mutants attacked!

Fight or surrender, that was the question here, and Lynx-O had to make a quick decision. If they were caught, they would be interrogated. Lynx-O had a healthy respect for the Plundaarian interrogation techniques; one of them would likely give away their mission, and it could not be endangered. "We fight!" he cried, and the little band of time-fugitives began a desperate battle.

Part 15

Part 17

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