It was late morning the following day. T-Bone and Razor had been given a tent on the opposite side the command pavilion from Elena's and Mau's tents. Again, the land was bathed in the deep red glow of the strange sun. They had both slept in, and now worked on the cyclotron's suspension after the escape through the thick forest the previous night. T-Bone had a slight feeling of being watched, and looked up to see a she-kat with light brown fur and striking emerald eyes watching them.

Elena was standing in the entrance to her tent. She had changed shirts, the new one the same as the old, except that it's color was black, and wore the Moon Talisman around her neck. Her hair was pushed back to frame her face and flow back over her shoulders, and there were two small braids, one in front of each ear, that were blood red in color. Last night T-Bone thought it was actual blood, but now he could see that it was the braids' actual color. She had a silver ear stud in her right ear. In her left ear was a matching stud, and a small silver hoop. Her fur wasn't like most kats. It was coarse and flat against her skin, as was the fur on her long tail, save for a tuft on the end of it the same shade of black as her hair. T-Bone couldn't help but notice her exotic beauty.

The tabby tapped his partner on the shoulder and pointed behind him. Razor turned around, following T-Bone's gaze to Elena. "Woah. Umm... I'm glad to see you're feeling better, m'Lady."

The she-kat stepped forward, walking over to them. They both stood up as she approached. "I am told you are the ones who saved my life. I thank you."

"Not a problem, ma'am. Name's T-Bone. And this is my buddy, Razor."

She gave a soft smile. "Your call-signs, I take it?"

They stared. There's only one way she could have known that. "You... are a pilot?"

She nodded. "My call-sign's 'Dragonfly'. And yes, I'm not from this world either."

Now Razor was very interested. Of course T-Bone was too, but in more ways than just one. "So, how did you get here?" The ginger-furred kat wondered if she was from their world, or a completely different one with different technology than they had.

"I was test-flying the prototype of the new jet I had designed, and built. The 'SilverHawk'. On my flight I saw a shine on the side of a nearby mountain. I went to take a closer look and run a sensor sweep, but was suddenly blinded from a flash. Then everything went black. I couldn't see anything, but could feel my jet spinning out of control. When I finally regained control, I was here. Unfortunately, I was too close to the ground and couldn't pull up in time. I barely had time to eject before the jet crashed." She sighed. T-Bone understood the feeling, with his own beloved Turbokat now severely damaged.

Not quite as upset as the other two pilots about their jets crashing, Razor's curiosity was piqued. "So, you couldn't repair your jet, and ended up living in a nearby village... as a blacksmith?"

She looked up, a bit surprised. "You've been talking to Birman, I see. Yes. With my knowledge of metalworking and mechanical design, it was something I could do and still enjoy."

"For fifty years?"

Another deep sigh. "Yeah. I found the talisman not long after my arrival, shimmering at the bottom of a stream. It was another two decades before I learned of it's true power."

"So... where's your jet?"

"Buried. It crashed into the base of a cliff and was covered over in a landslide."

"Ouch." T-Bone flinched. He pictured that happening to the Turbokat then shook his head to get rid of the image.

Elena's expression then changed a bit. "Cymric mention that you said your 'main weapon' was badly damaged. I assume he meant your jet. May I see it?"

Rather that risk the cyclotrons' suspension through the woods again, they took horses the several miles back to the Turbokat. Elena had a coal-black charger, a small white star on his forehead the only color on the large stallion. She rode bareback, seeming to move as one with the animal. T-Bone was given a large blood bay while Razor rode a sleek liver chestnut. The horses were swift and agile, but also surprisingly smooth, much to the relief of the two city-dwelling pilots. It didn't take long to reach the jet.

Elena dismounted and left her stallion to graze as she looked over the Turbokat. The guys could tell she knew what she was doing. She walked all the way around it, then spoke to them, her eyes still on the jet. "Amazing! I've never seen it's like. The only thing in my world that even comes close to it is my SilverHawk. I'd love to see it without all this damage."

T-Bone swelled with pride. Not only was she a pilot, but she obviously knew a lot about jets, and apparently appreciated the Turbokat's design and technology. He was very curious about what her jet looked like.

Razor dismounted and walked over to her. "We designed and built it ourselves. It's the most advanced technology on our world right now."

She turned sharply to him. "You two built this? Are you military?"

T-Bone winced. "We used to be Enforcers. The law-enforcement in Megakat city, where we live. They have choppers and jets, but nothing like out Turbokat."
"I see. So you did this on your own. Interesting..." there was a hint of something in her voice, but neither of them could make out what. Razor wondered if maybe T-Bone said a little too much, and hoped they were right in guessing she was from a different world than they. After another few moments, she spoke up again. "I think I know of a way to repair your jet."

They both yelled out in unison. "You do?"

She turned back to them with a smile. "Follow me." Without another word, she ran back to her stallion and lept agiley onto his back, the horse taking off at a fast canter before she had even fully gotten her seat. Razor ran to get back on his horse and they followed.

She led them deep into the forest to the north. The trees grew closer together and the foliage was dense. They eventually had to slow to a trot, then a slow walk as the horses carefully moved through the thickening foliage. At length she stopped and dismounted. "We have to go on foot from here. It's too treacherous for the horses."
They made their way through the thick undergrowth, which was slowly beginning to give way to large boulders and loose rocks. Leading them down a steep hill, they came to a tiny cave in the cliff side. Elena ducked inside. The guys hesitated, then followed. It was dark inside so they turned on the lights on their helmets. Elena hissed sharply. "Turn those back off."

They were about to protest, but did so any ways. Once they did, they saw a soft glow ahead of them. Razor guessed it was the talisman. He guessed wrong. Rounding a corner they looked in amazement as the sides of the cave glowed. Elena explained. "The moss here has it's own natural glow. Bioluminescence." With the glowing moss lighting their way, they made it easily the rest of the short way through the cave. It then opened up to a larger cavern. T-Bone and Razor stared at the sight in front of them. The cave had been made long ago, about fifty years obviously, from a landslide. Inside it, partially holding up the ceiling, was a fighter jet!

"With enough kat-power, we should be able to dig this out and use it to repair your jet."

The jet was smaller and sleeker than the Turbokat, designed for only a single pilot..

"Wow!" T-Bone was quite impressed with it's design. "I'll bet she's fast."

"Very fast. I designed her for speed and maneuverability above all else. Although she still has no shortage of weapons. Can carry up to seven missiles per wing with a hookup underneath for bombs or cargo containers. Three laser blasters. One under the nose and one of the tip of each wing."

"All external weaponry?"

"Yes. The two Primary engines take up most of the internal space. The rest is the fuel tanks."

"I can't wait to have a look at that engine!"

"Me neither!" Razor was also impressed with the design. "This thing's amazing! You're quite the aeronautics designer."

"Thanks." She couldn't help a slight blush. It's been a very long time since anyone complemented her work. And even longer since anyone actually appreciated it.

T-Bone then remembered that they had done some serious work beforehand with the Turbokat and the fuel was getting low. "How many fuel tanks does she have? How much does she hold?

"Tanks are all nearly full. There's two that supply the main engines. That way if one of the tanks or it's lines are damaged, I can shut it off and run off the second one. Each tank is connected to each engine, so in case of engine failure I can just switch over to run singly. Two more tanks supply the rotary thrusters, and there are three nitrous fuel packs."

"Good," said Razor. " We're gonna need those. It's real shame that we're gonna have to take this apart. If there were anyway to repair both jets, it would be a big advantage."

"I know. And it pains me with the knowledge of what has to be done. But we need your jet fully functioning. Besides, maybe one day, if I ever get out of this world, I can build another, better jet."

Speaking of fuel tanks and engines, Razor took a look at the rear of the jet. "You mentioned two main engines and rotary thrusters. How many does this thing actually have?"

"The Primary engines are over twice the size of the two Secondarys. The Secondarys power the thrusters, one fore and two aft. They're on rotaries allowing for precision maneuvering and even vertical take-off and landings."

"Just like the Turbokat," Razor noted. There was a lot about the smaller jet that was similar to the Turbokat. He was quite impressed at how this she-kat's designs seemed to match his own so well.

"I tried to work in the nitrous boosters for additional speed bursts. Problem is they made it a little too fast. The shielding just isn't designed for the extreme gees or the produced heat."

"Have you tried heat shields?"

"As I said, this is just the prototype. I was working on a heat shield design for later use."

"We installed them on the Turbokat a little over a year ago along with our own jet boosters. They work perfectly but have to be constantly checked for safety. If they come even slightly loose we've got a problem."

"Really? Well, there's got to be a way to make them more durable."

'Trapped here for 50 years, and this is only her prototype jet? Wow, if she had stayed in her own world her technology may have even succeeded ours!' "I've been working on it. We were actually doing a practice flight when we ended up here. One of the shields came loose. Maybe you could take a took at it and see what you think?"

"Sure!"

T-Bone finally turned away from his own inspection of the jet. "So, are we right in guessing your from a different world than we are? But with similar technology?"

"Yes, you are right. However, unlike you, I have no wish to go back to mine."

"What? Why not?"

"Because it's military ruled. We have no freedom. You do whatever the government tells you too. I was an aeronautics and weapons designer. Not because I chose to be, but because I was good at it. Even though this world has no technology, people can actually live as they wish. That is, until Shade Kat appeared." She hesitated a moment, then finally shook her head and decided to ask the question that's been bothering her all day. "If you don't mind me asking, you've been here, what, three days now? This isn't your world. No-one here knows who you are or what you've done beyond three days ago..."

They looked at each other. Both knew what she was getting at. It was T-Bone who spoke up. "You want to know why we're still wearing our masks?"

"Well... yes."

Razor shook his head. "It's who we are. When we wear them, we're the SWAT Kats. When we don't..."

"You're still the SWAT Kats. At least, here you are any ways. It's going to be days, perhaps even weeks, to rebuild your jet. Please, I would like to know what my saviors look like."

Again they looked at each other, each trying to decide what to do. Finally, T-Bone made the decision. She was right, and there was no way he could stay like this for as long as it would take to repair the Turbokat. Slowly, he pulled off the mask, then looked back to Elena. She smiled. Razor did the same.