Chapter 3 of Signal in the Sky
By Purrsia Kat
Lion-O glanced away from the telescreen as the mischievous WilyKit and WilyKat entered the control room. The kittens were barely able to keep from bursting with laughter.
"What have you guys been up to now?" Snarf asked suspiciously. "Snarf, snarf....you better not have been loosening the tops on the salt and pepper shakers again."
"It's better than that," WilyKat beamed. "We....we put a bunch of trick nuts and bolts in Panthro's toolbox, and now he's cursing like a space pirate trying to figure out why none of them will screw into the Thunder Tank."
"We were hiding in the hangar watching him," giggled WilyKit, "but we had to get outta there before our laughter gave us away."
Lion-O knew he should chastise the kittens for sending the old panther's blood pressure through the roof like that, but he couldn't help himself. "This I've got to see." He punched a button on the control panel to reveal the scene in the hangar, his disappointment evident when the screen came up black.
"Damn," he cursed. "Figures...the camera's not working. But, there's still a way I can see--" With that, Lord Lion-O stood and lifted the Sword of Omens.
"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight....show me Panthro working on the Thunder Tank."
Snarf scoffed in disbelief at such abuse of the Eye's mystical powers of Second Sight. The Thunder Twins exchanged surprised glances, before commencing with their mutual merriment.
"What do you see, Lion-O? Tell us!" begged WilyKat.
"You two really have him going this time....Panthro just kicked his toolbox across the room. I haven't seen him this angry since you guys put cellophane over the toilet seat," he proclaimed with a hearty laugh.
"What's going on in here?" Tygra's baritone boomed from the doorway. "Is there a ThunderCat in trouble, Lion-O?" He asked sincerely, noting the lion's use of the Sword.
"Let's get out of here before Panthro comes looking for us," whispered WilyKit to her brother, tugging on his wrist. They promptly left Lion-O to fend for himself.
"Er...uh...." Lion-O sputtered, uncomfortably aware of the blush that warmed his cheeks. "Not exactly Tygra. Although Kit and Kat are going to be in some measure of trouble when Panthro gets a hold of them."
"Really, Lion-O! The Sword of Omens isn't a toy--you shouldn't use it for such trivial matters," Tygra scolded, realizing his lord had been watching Panthro fall victim to another of the Thunderkittens' pranks, rather than a Mutant attack.
"Yes, you're right. I need to show more restraint. Especially in front of the kittens...I'll go help Panthro fix the tank," he added hastily, wanting to escape Tygra's scrutiny.
"I tried to raise him right, snaaarf," Snarf muttered while following Lion-O out of the control room.
Felina approached Lion-O as he walked down the corridor. She was about to speak to him, before she took note of his distracted demeanor, and thought better of it.
"There never seems to be a right time to bring up the subject," she bemoaned to herself. It had been several weeks into her stay at the Lair and she knew the other nobles expected her stay to be a permanent one. She had wanted to tell Lion-O of her reasons why that wouldn't be possible, as seemed proper given he was their lord. But the opportunity never seemed to present itself. Her attention turned to Cheetara, who had emerged from the room ahead.
"Well, it looks like I'll confide in Cheetara, first....I have to get this off my chest," she decided before approaching Cheetara.
"Excuse me," Felina started shyly. "May I have a word with you?"
"Of course," replied Cheetara. "What's on your mind?"
Felina took a deep breath before she began to explain. "You seem to understand the ways of the scholars, so maybe it is best I tell you first....I--I can't stay here at the Lair with all of you." The lioness paused to gauge Cheetara's reaction. However, the cheetah's expression remained even.
"Go on," she gently urged.
"Really, it's nothing personal against any of you. But back at the Emite village, I was more or less able to keep to myself which allowed me to absorb my studies. And I feel like I'm a hindrance to the ThunderCats. I wasn't raised to be a warrior and I'm afraid our enemies will capitalize on that to the detriment of all of us."
"I think you definitely have some valid points, but our strength as ThunderCats lies in our pledge to stick together. You're going to have to take this issue to council," advised Cheetara.
"But what if the others don't understand?" Felina worried aloud. "Even on Thundera, the Cats Lair never felt like home. Once my father sent me off to school as a young child, I hardly spent time at home. I fear they will all vote to keep me here."
"Although it's true the scholars have a reclusive nature, we have a code and a way of doing things that have been honored for centuries. Whatever our mutual decision, it will be your duty as a ThunderCat to honor it." Cheetara wished she could tell Felina her hopes of living outside of Cats' Lair were already doomed due to an obligation she was assigned from birth. But perhaps the council would grant her wish until the time came to fulfill her destiny.
"Yes, I know," Felina conceded. "I will do what I must to uphold the Code of Thundera. I think it's best to call a council meeting as soon as possible."
"We can do it this afternoon," suggested Cheetara. "I'll get the word out."
The Black Pyramid shook as a great spacecraft landed near it. The heavy lid of Mumm-ra's sarcophagus slowly slid to the side. The ancient servant of evil stepped from his crypt, annoyed that anyone dare disturb his rest. He shuffled to the cauldron, planning to obliterate the intruder with no questions asked. A wicked smirk crossed his wrinkled lips when he recognized the ship as one he had been waiting to arrive.
"So," Mumm-ra thought aloud, "you have finally returned, Grune."
He immediately called on the Ancient Spirits of Evil to transform his decayed body to its more potent form. He preferred to present himself in his most powerful form as an intimidation tactic. He used his black magic to transport Grune into the Pyramid.
The towering Thunderian stood on the opposite side of the cauldron, his single saber tooth partially hiding a sinister grin.
"Have you done as instructed, Grune?" demanded Mumm-ra.
"Yes, Mumm-ra," Grune's deep voice boomed. "I have spent the last few months on Plundarr, gathering a Mutant army. We are ready to wipe the ThunderCats off the face of Third Earth."
"I hope you perform better in body than you did in spirit," chided Mumm-ra, reminding Grune of his failure to best Jaga in a ghost to ghost duel.
"Jaga may be a formidable opponent, but his spirit won't be able to save the ThunderCats from Grune in the flesh. Since you have returned me to the realm of the living, I have grown stronger, Mumm-ra. I will crush that cub of a lord now leading the ThunderCats," chuckled Grune.
"See that you do," Mumm-ra growled threateningly.
"I will take back all that Jaga stole form me," the wicked Thunderian declared. "I will make the ThunderCats rue the day they crossed Grune the Destroyer!"
"C'mon, kid." Panthro announced to Felina as he caught up with her at the entrance to the Lair. "You're eighteen-- it's time you learned to drive the Thunder Tank."
"Oh, this is a bad idea," Felina said with a grimace.
The panther grabbed her by the arm and lead her out the door. "Eveyone's gotta learn, kid. We may need you to drive the tank sometime. It's all in the name of teamwork."
Felina reluctantly climbed into the driver's seat of the Thunder Tank, further chagrinned when she noticed she would have an audience for her lesson. Lion-O, Snarf and the Thunderkittens sat perched upon the top of the left cat's paw, idly waiting for the show to begin.
"Don't mind them," commented Panthro. "Just concentrate on the task at hand. Now....to start the tank, press this green button and turn this handle one-quarter turn."
Felina did as instructed. With the tank's idling engine pleasantly purring, she waited for further instruction.
"Now, the steering's done by punching coordinates into the computer using this control panel," he told her, pointing at a group of keys directly in front of her. "The pedal to the your right is the gas. The break is to the left. Put your foot on the break and shift her into gear here," Panthro directed her to the gear shifter on the floor between them.
When she slipped the lever into gear, the tank ungracefully leapt forward. "No, no!" Panthro hollered. "You're not pressing the break firmly enough. And ease up slowly on it before you go hammering on the gas!"
Felina nodded and tried to ignore what surely was her amused audience. On second try, the tank slowly idled over the drawbridge. Once they crossed the bridge, Felina felt a spark of confidence and decided to give it some gas. To her horror, the tank went into a spin.
"Jaga be damned!" howled Panthro when the tank finally came to rest. "Keep your foot off that blasted samoflange!"
The lioness' humiliation was complete as she couldn't help but notice Lion-O and the others doubled over in laughter at her expense. "Panthro, I can speak the ancient tongue of our ancestors, but I have no idea what you just said!" She growled with exasperation.
"The pedal on the right is the gas...the one in the middle is the samoflange, and you can't just go hammering down on it."
He could tell she hadn't heard a word he had said; the echoing laughter of her peers had her clearly distracted. Having had enough, he reached over and punched a button on the control panel. Lion-O's eyes widened as the tank's cannon swiveled around and took aim at him. Before he could warn the others, a stinging stream water knocked them all off the cat's paw. They managed to land gracefully on their feet, save for Snarf, who tumbled into WilyKit. This sent the soaked pair sprawling across the courtyard. The scene cut through her frustration and brought a smile to Felina's lips.
"That takes care of those jokers," the self-satisfied panther said. "Now, on with--"
"Panthro!" Tygra's voice crackled over the tank's intercom. "Get back to the Lair immediately. We just got word from the Tuskas that a huge Mutant army is heading this way!"
The mood was tense outside the Cats Lair, as the ThunderCats gathered atop the Lair's head and waited amid the afternoon heat to make their stand. Given the numbers they were facing, their allies agreed to fight alongside the mighty cats. The Tuskas were stationed at the Lair's parameter. The Warrior Maidens were dispersed in and around the Lair. Even the gentle RoBear Berbils had prepared traps inside the surrounding forests.
Lord Lion-O studied the eastern horizon, watching for the first sign of the enemy. "I sense Mumm-ra's evil hand in this. That's the only way to explain how a whole army of Mutants could have made it to Third Earth."
A shock of dread bolted through Felina at the mention of the mummy's name. The prospect of facing Mutants with her marginal warrior skills was bad enough, but the thought of coming face to hideous face with that hellish creature was more than she had considered. She gripped her bow tightly as a Mutant spaceship crested over the eastern hills, heralding the impending attack.
"This is it, cats," Panthro solemnly said. "Prepare yourselves." He gave a determined snap of his nun chucks.
They jumped down through the hatch in the Cats' head. Lion-O paused for a moment to speak to Willa. "I'm leaving it up to you and the Warrior Maidens to run the Lair's defenses. You remember Panthro's instructions?" He asked the Queen of the Warrior Maidens. She nodded in reply. "Good. We're going out on the front line."
The group of cats positioned themselves for battle in the meadow in front of the Lair, just as the Plundarrian ship arrived. Hundreds of Mutants beamed down beneath the massive ship. A collective gasp escaped the ThunderCats when the Mutants' leader materialized before them.
"Grune!" Lion-O shouted with a mix of surprise and disgust. "So we meet again."
"Yes," Grune replied, his eerie laugh ringing across the battle field. "Grune the Destroyer has returned in the flesh to exact his revenge on the ThunderCats. You, who act so noble and righteous, will be brought to your knees today. You will pay for Jaga's lies and treachery!"
Felina's mind whirled. What was a Thunderian doing leading a Mutant attack against his own countrymen? And what did her father have to do with it? She didn't have much time to consider the matter, for Grune signaled the Mutants to attack.
The meadow was alight with laser cannon fire, as the Tuskas returned volleys with the Mutants. Sky cutters circled overhead, dodging the Lair's deadly beams. Panthro took on a group of jackalmen, using his martial arts skills and nun chucks in deadly combination. Cheetara ran dizzying circles around a cluster of Mutants, providing the distraction necessary for the Thunderkittens to lasso them. As a band of reptilian Mutants closed in, Tygra leapt skyward while wrapping himself in his bolo whip, rendering himself invisible. The clever tiger promptly disarmed the group with a flick of his whip. Unarmed, the scaly reptiles lacked the courage to fight. Several monkians were closing in on Felina. She drew her bow and hoped the arrows the Warrior Maidens had supplied her with would perform well. Her shot was easily deflected by one of the mokians' shields. However, they couldn't escape the sleep gas that emitted from the arrow's tip on impact.
Across the meadow, Grune and Lion-O were locked in a furious battle. Grune had once again fashioned his club out of Thundranium, causing the youthful lord's strength to fade fast. Lion-O knelt before the towering saber toothed Thunderian, the Sword of Omens' blade the only thing preventing a fatal blow from Grune's studded club.
"How can one who once pledged his life to the Code of Thundera betray it so callously?" Lion-O asked his adversary through gritted teeth.
"It doesn't surprise me that you only know Jaga's tilted version of the story, cub." Grune sneered. "It was his lying and deceit that has made me the way I am today. He seduced my wife and took her as his own. After my supposed best friend took away the love of my life, I had nothing left to lose. So why not seek power and glory, death and destruction!"
Enraged by the memory, Grune raised the club above his head, intent on delivering a head crushing blow. Lion-O seized the opportunity to use the last of his strength to vault backwards, narrowly avoiding the club. Lion-O tried to catch his breath and Grune moved in for the kill. A Tuska stepped between them, the shots from his laser gun bouncing off Grune's armor harmlessly. With a mighty side arm swing, Grune bashed in the Tuska's skull. Lion-O struggled to get to his feet only to be hit in the shoulder by a passing Sky Cutter's laser cannon. The force of the volley sent the lion sprawling onto his back, the Sword of Omens knocked out of reach.
"This is it, cub!" cried Grune triumphantly. "Say hello to Jaga for me."
Just as he was about to deliver Lion-O to the astral world, his club was whisked from his grip by a fast thinking tiger and his bolo whip.
Still weakened and with a nearly useless arm, the determined Lion-O sought out his sword. "Sword of Omens, come to my hand." Upon command the Sword slid into his outstretched hand with a growl. To his dismay, Lion-O realized he was too weak to lift the heavy Sword for battle. He knew Grune could finish him with his bare hands if he had to.
"You must rely on the other ThunderCats now, Lion-O." The specter of his mentor appeared before the weary lion. Jaga's timely advice from beyond the grave was always greatly appreciated. "If you use the power of the Sword together, you can defeat Grune."
As Tygra fought fiercely to keep Grune at bay, Lion-O took heed of Jaga's advice. Leaning against the Sword like a crutch, Lion-O gave the command that awakened the Eye's power. The ThunderCat signal rose above the battlefield, bathing it in a warm red glow. The scattered ThunderCats quickly ducked out of whatever conflicts they were engaged in to rush to their lord's aid.
Too exhausted to fight any longer, Tygra joined Lion-O in using evasion tactics until help arrived.
"Running away won't stop the inevitable," mocked Grune. "You have nowhere to go."
The pair turned and realized they had backed themselves up against a sheer wall of rock. Grune leapt toward Lion-O, his claws bared. Tygra gave Lion-O a mighty shove to remove him from harm's way. He landed at the feet of his fellow Thunderians. Panthro helped his friend to his feet.
"All of you, help me lift the Sword," ordered Lion-O. As a team, they leveled the Sword of Omens at their adversary.
"HO!" The ThunderCats shouted in unison, sending a jagged surge of energy at Grune. The force of which slammed him into the rock face.
The remaining Mutants, witnessing their commander taking a beating, lost all courage and scrambled back to their ship. Before the ThunderCats could deliver another blow to Grune, he dematerialized along with the Mutant ship.
"The code of Thundera will live on another day," sighed Tygra.
"Yes, but at a price," noted Panthro as he surveyed the silent battlefield, littered with corpses.
As Panthro and Cheetara took on the gruesome task of helping the Tuskas and the Warrior Maidens gather their dead, Tygra and Felina took care of the wounded in the foyer of the Lair. Tygra tended to the more seriously injured, while Felina dispensed herbal medications and first aid to the less afflicted. Dusk neared as the last of the wounded, the Lord of the ThunderCats himself, approached the pair for inspection of his shoulder.
Tygra poked and prodded at the torn flesh, all the while Lion-O tried his best not too whimper too much. "You're definitely going to need stitches, Lion-O. It's torn into the muscle."
"Here, let me apply some of this cream," offered Felina. "It's a topical analgesic I learned about from the Emites. It's made using some rather common herbs and works so well, it's better than your typical local anesthetic." She gingerly applied the green cream around the gaping gash.
"Hey, this stuff is great! It's numbed my whole upper arm...bring on the stitches, Tygra." Lion-O reclined back in a chair, paying no mind to the needle and surgical thread Tygra weaved into his flesh. "How long will the numbness last?"
"About six hours," replied Felina. "I made some gola leaf elixir that you can take for the soreness and whatnot."
"Well, it's great to have another medic on the team, eh Tygra?"
Felina couldn't help but giggle at such a notion. "My lord, without the ThunderCats' skills as warriors, all the medical knowledge on Third Earth wouldn't help us. I'm just glad I can at least be useful at this end of the battle."
"Any contribution is a valuable one, Felina," assured Tygra. "And don't worry about your fighting skills. You'll hone them soon enough at the rate those wretched Mutants attack."
"I'd love to claim credit for that idea to have us all use the Sword on Grune," Lion-O admitted. "But if it wasn't for Jaga's timely advice once again, who knows how things would've gone."
Felina was taken aback. "You speak with my father?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you wouldn't have known that," he apologized. "He counsels me from the astral world from time to time. Even in death your father remains and indispensable member of the team." As Lion-O spoke, he pushed back an odd feeling. Normally, speaking of Jaga only brought about a sense of reverence. In light of what Grune had revealed of Jaga, Lion-O thought of his mentor in a less than perfect way for the first time.
Felina managed to muster a nod, fighting off a strange twinge of jealousy.
"He always was more of a father to Lion-O than to me." Felina was shocked at the bitterness of her thoughts.
"What do you know of your mother?" Lion-O asked, the suddenness of such a question raising Tygra's brow.
Felina broke away from her dark thoughts long enough to answer. "Nothing. She died when I was an infant."
Tygra was relieved to see Cheetara enter the Lair and break up the uncomfortable conversation. "Excuse me, but I just wanted to ask Lion-O what should be done with the Mutant corpses," said the weary cheetah.
Lion-O rose as Tygra finished his work. "I suppose the proper thing to do would be to bury them. It will be up to us, as it's safe to say the Mutants won't be back for them."
"Alright. Let's go scout for a good location for burial," agreed Cheetara.
As Lion-O and Cheetara headed outside, Tygra studied Felina's disturbed expression. Discussing Jaga seemed to have brought about strange reactions in both Lion-O and Felina, and he could only speculate as to why.
I never wanted you to doubt me
I believe you / do I believe you
I try to block you out to hear myself
I can't believe I'm thinking to myself
Would I leave you / in such suspense
I let it go and go and go
but what you're thinking through the silence
I really wish you understood
A couple of words get so much mileage
I never felt an urge to say a word
I'd rather listen to the din of other people closing in on me
I lay in bed and think of words that you should hear
I fall asleep and then they disappear
A fall from grace / from memory
I hear a voice inside the silence
Speak your piece and all's forgotten
I hear the static on the line
Remember how this all got started
Remember...it's tilted
Tilted--Sugar
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