A/N: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is Shepherdboy17, the author of Beyond the Reaches of Time and dax0042's friend. I'm working with dax0042 on Western story and I know it's been quite awhile since I started writing, but I'm back in the game. I've given dax0042 to use my characters, Tommy Briggs and Hector Feral. Anyway, here's chapter 2 to Justice of the west.
Rex Shard's body was being taken away to the morgue as Callie Briggs and Commander Feral arrived outside of the saloon to check up on Tommy and Hector.
"What happened to you, Tommy?" Callie asked as she saw Tommy had minor cuts and bruises.
Tommy looked away and said, "I had an accident. I slipped on a water puddle and hit a table."
"Come on, Tommy, I know there was a bar fight when I see one."
"Fine, we admit it. I was inside of the saloon meeting up with Hector at the craps table when Rex Shard was threatening us and the SWAT Kats stepped in to protect us and killed Rex Shard," Tommy confessed the truth.
"Is that true?" Commander Feral asked Hector.
"Yes, father, every word of it. Rex Shard was threatening to kill us, but the SWAT Kats saved us," Hector said.
"Hector, how many times have I told you to stay away from gambling games until you are 18?"
"At least 4 times, Dad."
"That's right. You and Tommy can go off, have fun and hunt for dinner, but I want you to be home before sun down. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," Hector said as he saluted.
"Good. You're dismissed," Commander Feral said.
"Come on, Tommy, let's go!" Hector called as Tommy tried to catch up with him. "Love you, Dad!"
"Love you too, Hector, and be safe!"
"Be careful out there, Tommy," Callie called.
"I will, Callie. I'll come back; I promise!" Tommy said.
"God knows that you will as well as I do!"
Hector and Tommy went into the Sonora Desert with water in their water canteens, ammo, Winchester rifles and beef jerky. The heat was unbearable as they had to make some stops under rocks to cool down. Little did they know that they were being stalked by Apache and Navajo Indians. Hector crouched down to the ground as he steadied his rifle when he saw a rabbit standing still. Hector slowed down his breathing as he took aim with his rifle. When suddenly, the Indians let out their war screams and surprised the kids.
"It's an ambush!" Tommy shouted as he and Hector ran for their lives.
"Apache and Navajo! Let's get out of here!" Hector screamed as they ran across the desert sand while the Indians were shooting arrows at them.
"We'll outrun them!" Tommy said until he and Hector fell into a trap hole.
Later that evening…
Dark Kat was rendezvousing with Turmoil at the canyons of the Sonora Desert. Turmoil arrived as she approached the Omega leader.
"I see that you have finally made it, Turmoil," Dark Kat smiled.
"Cut to the chase, Dark Kat. What do you want from me?" Turmoil asked rudely.
"Manners, lady. What I really want is you to go along with Dark Hare," Dark Kat said as a blonde-haired, cream furred rabbit came alongside him. "He is the Pastmaster's apprentice and he will be joining with you to take down the SWAT Kats. Especially, T-Bone as I recalled that he broke your heart. You want that do you? After what he did to you?"
Turmoil thought about it and said, "What do I have to lose?"
Dark Kat laughed. "Indeed," he said as he left Dark Hare and Turmoil alone.
"Shall we go downtown and do business, my lady?" Hare said.
The sun was setting over the horizon as Helena Feral, Hector's mother and Commander Feral's wife, was starting to feel worried when Hector didn't arrive home before sun down. "Honey, Hector hasn't come back home before his curfew. Have you seen or heard from him and Tommy?" she asked Commander Feral.
"No, dear, and I'm starting to feel that something is terribly wrong," Commander Feral frowned.
At that moment, they heard a knock at the door. "Come in," Helena said.
The door opens and Callie walked in. "Tommy hasn't come back at my home or our parents," Callie said to the Ferals.
"It's just as I feared. Something has happened to them," Commander Feral said as he got up from his chair. "Steele."
Lt. Steele came in and stood before his commanding officer. "Sir!" he said.
"Assemble some our best soldiers. Form up a search party and go out into the desert and bring my son and Ms. Briggs' brother back quickly."
"Yes sir," Steele said as he left.
"Wait, I'm going with you too and the SWAT Kats. We'll cover more ground with a bigger search party," Callie said as she gathered her family and Tommy's and Hector's other friends, Harvey, Wally and Joey.
Back in the desert, Tommy and Hector were in a tent when one of the Native Americans splashed water on Hector and Tommy to wake them up.
"What happened? Where are we?" Hector asked Tommy as they were being escorted outside of the tent.
"I don't know, but wherever we are, this isn't good," Tommy said.
"What do you think they're planning to do with us?"
"I don't know, but I think we're going to find out ourselves."
They stopped at a huge bonfire as a Texas bull appeared in front of the bonfire. It was the Apache and Navajo chief, Kain. "How," he said.
"Hello, Chief," Tommy nervously smiled.
"How," Hector said as he tries to be friendly.
"What brings you two out here in these parts? This is scared territory. Our safety could be compromised by you two," Kain said as he looked at the boys.
"No problem. We can keep a secret. We took a left turn in one of the canyons. In fact, we don't even know where we are," Hector negotiated for he and Tommy to be let go free and without incident.
"It's too late for that!" Kain shouted.
"Kain!" a vixen named Kayla and her sister, Tera, called to Kain as Tommy and Hector turned their heads right.
"Wow! What a gal!" Hector whistled.
"Hector! Try to show some manners to those women," Tommy said as he tried not to stare at them and cause some trouble with the Natives.
"This place is sanctuary for all of all of Dark Kat's and the Pastmaster's enemies. You know that," Tera said.
"These two are dangerous!"
"Your judgement is clouded," Kayla said.
"My judgement keeps all of you arrive. These two can't be trusted and I'll prove it. Bring them to me!" Kain said as two Apaches brought them to him closer when Kain sensed the magic is strong with them.
"No!" Kayla shouted as she and Tera tried to fight off the guards.
"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen," Tommy prayed as he and Hector were at Kain's feet.
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy," Hector prayed along with Tommy. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil."
"Wait!" Kain said as he looked at a Native painting that Kayla and Tera made to see that the SWAT Kats, Tommy and Hector are the warriors who will help them in their war against the Pastmaster and Dark Kat. "Guards, I change my mind. These two are not our foes, they're friends of the SWAT Kats. Release them and bring them food and water."
The guards cut off the ropes from Tommy and Hector's hands and feet. Kayla and Tera gave the boys food and water as they received some generous hospitality from the vixens. "Thank God and thank you all," Tommy sighed in relieve.
"You're welcome and please call us Kayla and Tera," Kayla said as she and Hector gave them a kiss on the cheek and a quick one on their lips. This caused Tommy and Hector to blush bright red, faint and knock out.
Back with the search party, Dark Kat had some of his men to dress up as the Native Americans and ordered them to kill many of Commander Feral's men as possible.
"Tommy!" one soldier called.
"Hector!" Lt. Steele called as he saw one of Dark Kat's men. "Excuse me, have you seen where Tommy and Hector went?"
"No, but I can lead the way with my primal senses," the Omega lied as he and other Omegas fired at the soldiers. Lt. Steele ran and took cover from one of the turned over wagons and returned fire. However, the army suffered heavy casualties and Lt. Steele ordered one of his men to deliver a message to Commander Feral.
"Take this to Commander Feral! The natives have declared war on us!"
Back in Willow Creek, Commander Feral was at home pacing back and forth; worrying where his son and best friend been to and what happened to them. One of his massagers came in and said, "Sir! News from the field."
He gave the letter to Commander Feral as he read out loud, "Search for Tommy and Hector delayed. Lt. Steele's search party ambushed and suffered heavy casualties. Natives declare war on Willow Creek."
He furiously clutches the letter and throws it away. "Assemble some of my best men. Load up the ammunitions and weapons wagons. I'm going out there to not only find my son and his friend, but bring the forces of Hell to these savages," he said as he put on his uniform and got onto his horse.
Little did they know, the Omegas have already started to put their plan into action as Commander Feral left Willow Creek unprotected. They started to gather everyone into the town hall.
At the train station, one of Dark Kat's men arrived at Dark Hare who was holding a bodyguard rabbit by the neck and said, "The Trojan Horse plans are not in the General's quarters."
"Where are the plans you have intercepted? Have you done with those plans?" Hare interrogated Captain Blake Quickfeet.
"We didn't intercept a telegram or mail. This is a consular train. We're on a diplomatic mission," Blake lied.
"If this is a consular train, where is the ambassador?" Hare asked as he chocked Blake and threw him at a wall. "Commander, tear this train apart until you find those plans. And bring the passengers, I want them alive!"
"Yes, sir," one of the Omegas said as they started searching the cargo train.
A cute blonde bunny, Leia Bunny, crept out with a Colt revolver.
"There's one. Set for stun," one of the Omegas said as Leia shot at one of the Omegas.
She tried to make a run for it, but one of the Omegas fired a stun round at her and she stopped dead at her tracks.
They walked up to her and one of them said, "She'll be alright. Informed Lord Hare that we have a prisoner."
Out in the desert, Commander Feral and his men went far out into the canyons as he noticed some rocks were falling off from the rocks as well as some movements in the dark.
"Be on the lookout men. We're not alone," Commander Feral said as he had his eyes and ears up.
Then, one of Commander Feral's men saw some cigarette on the ground as one of the soldiers asked, "Anderson, have you been smoking cigarettes again? I thought you gave up on them 3 weeks ago?"
"What do you mean? I did quit and that's not one of my brands that I smoked," Anderson said.
Then, an arrow had pierced through one of the officer's neck as the Natives let out their war cry.
"Get down!" Commander Feral shouted.
"We got the drop on them!" Kain said.
"Ah, shoot! It's an ambush!" Commander Feral yelled as he opened fire at the Natives but the canyon pass was too narrow and dark to coordinate their efforts as they taken down quickly.
Commander Feral woke up to see many of his soldiers bound and gag as they stood before Kain.
"You kats are nothing but a dangerous, heartless, untamed species. Especially you, Commander Ulysses Feral. My people have cried out in sorrow when your men have attacked our people and you will pay for your crimes in full," Kain said.
"It's you that will pay for what you had done to my men and Lt. Steele. They were…"
"Silence! You alone are to blame for their deaths! Time to die, Commander," Kain said as he drew his tomahawk and aimed for Commander Feral's head.
"Stop!" Kayla defied as the spiritual leader of the tribe.
"Kayla! How dare you interfere with me for a second time!" Kain growled.
"These men are responsible for the attack of our people. I had a vision that some of Dark Kat's men have dressed themselves as Commander Feral's soldiers and our people. They have coordinated their attacks to make us go to war with the wrong people."
"Then that means…" Commander Feral gasped. "We left Willow Creek and our families unprotected!"
"Dad!" Hector called as he ran to see his father, cut his ropes and free him.
"Hector!" Commander Feral hugged Hector back. "Are you and Tommy okay?"
"Yes, we were in the same situation you and your men are but Kayla and Tera saved us. We owe them our lives and we should help them, father."
"You're just like your mother when you try to reason with me. Did I ever tell you that?"
"Every time I reason with you," Hector smiled.