A/N: There are a few character deaths in this chapter, just so readers are warned. I've tried not to make the violence too intense for ThunderCats.
Jackalman's Rebellion II
ACT II
Lion-O, Panthro, and Ben-Gali made it to the Tree-Top Kingdom in about five minutes. They were aghast when they saw the mayhem that had taken place there. The tree trunks were almost cut in half, and numerous Warrior Maidens lay injured on the ground, including Nayda, the scout Maiden. Willa, one of the few who was unhurt, ran about, tending to the wounded and looking for dead bodies.
"Willa!" said Lion-O, jumping out of the ThunderTank, "What happened here?"
"I say, it looks terrible around here!" said Ben-Gali.
"Yes, it is," said Willa, "Thank you for showing up, Lion-O. That creature they call the Demolisher nearly destroyed all of Tree-Top Kingdom! I was afraid he was going to kill all of us!"
"I'm surprised he didn't," said Panthro, "Our enemies have always wished for nothing less than our destruction."
"The Sword of Omens showed me Jackalman's second rebellion as well as what happened here," said Lion-O. "It's so unlike that coward to do any sort of thing on his own, especially after his last rebellion. And I don't know why the Demolisher is working with him, although I'm not so surprised that Safari Joe is with him too. One coward deserves another."
"I'll say," said Willa, "But Jackalman seems to be more in control of his facilities now. He and his men act like they know exactly what they're doing."
"The Mutants always act like they know what they're doing," remarked Lion-O, "They never learn from their mistakes. As loathe as I am to agree with Mumm-Ra on anything, he was right when he told me that once."
"Yes," said Ben-Gali, "But even though I've never met these guys you call Safari Joe and the Demolisher before, I think we should still keep a closer watch on the affairs of Third Earth for a while."
"I'm with you, Ben-Gali," said Lion-O. "Willa, we're going to call the Tower of Omens. They'll send Pumyra over at once. She a good healer, and she can help you heal your sister Maidens and guard the forest from further attacks."
"Thanks, Lion-O," said Willa gratefully, "I can take care of myself, but I'm glad to have Pumyra here to take care of the wounded, especially Nayda. She's looking pretty bad."
They all took a look at Nayda. She was resting, conserving her energy, while doing her best to stop the bleeding of her wound.
"Well, we're glad to be of help, Willa," said Panthro, "Just let us know if any further chaos happens on your territory."
"I will," promised Willa.
Far away, in the Mutank, Jackalman was driving far away from the more hospitable parts of Third Earth.
"Where exactly are we going, General Jackalman?" asked the Demolisher.
"We're going to Dark Side, the forbidden territories," said Jackalman, "The Lunataks live there in their flying fortress, Sky Tomb."
"And who are the Lunataks?" asked Safari Joe, "Are they good hunting prey?"
"They're a bunch of arrogant trolls with super abilities, much like the ThunderCats," said Jackalman. "They come from the Moons of Plun-Darr. They think they're invincible geniuses, what with their high technology and natural super talents, but I think that with the help of your holojector, Safari Joe, we can find some weaknesses in their attack patterns."
"Glad to be of help, General," Safari Joe said. "Mule! Show me some information about these Lunataks!"
"Right away, sir," said Mule, setting up the holojector inside the Mutank. Soon, they were looking at a moving image of the Lunataks, and Mule was describing them.
"Lunatak prey," he started, "Luna, Amok, Alluro, Chilla, Tug Mug, and Red Eye. Luna is the self-appointed leader of the Lunataks. She is smart and clever, and very forceful, but her body is too small and weak to be of any use in an attack. Amok is her inarticulate bodyguard and mount. He is immensely strong and rough with his enemies. Alluro, while not much of a physical fighter, can control people's minds with a crystal ball he keeps on the end of a psyche club, and trick them into thinking that they are being treated gently. Chilla, who has little regard for life in general, can freeze objects and people with her icy breath, and conjure up fireballs to throw at enemies, as well. Tug Mug is a short, stubby Lunatak who can jump to extremely high heights due to his high gravity legs, and carries a gravity turbine that can make enemies heavy as stone or light as air, to make them easier targets for his allies. Red Eye is the one with superb eyesight, able to see into the infrared and even sees ThunderCat Tygra when he's invisible, and uses a flying discus attached to his chest to shoot lasers and fire at his enemies, as well as trap them in a circle of fire."
"Weaknesses: Luna is small and weak; Amok is very dumb, and is easily distracted by candy; Alluro is helpless without his mind-control psyche club; Chilla is vulnerable to fire and rock salt; Tug Mug is overconfident, and can be defeated by turning his own gravity turbine against him; and Red Eye can be blinded by very bright light."
Safari Joe whistled. "These trolls sure do look dangerous. Any recommendations, General Jackalman? Demolisher?"
"We need to work together and use all our weapons together to overcome their overconfidence," said the Demolisher, "I just hope you boys can do that, 'cause I sure can."
Jackalman laughed. "I don't doubt that we can give those Lunataks a run for their money if we work together. Of course, my fellow Mutants haven't made it easy for me to do so, which is one of the reasons I'm staging this rebellion in the first place. They and I can never work together!"
"Well, we will," said the Demolisher, "Because that's what good fighters do. Right, Joe?"
"Right!" said Safari Joe, "When the reformed Safari Joe goes hunting, he uses all the help he can get, instead of just charging into danger, like I used to do!"
"Then it's agreed," said Jackalman, "We will defeat the Lunataks for good this time!"
The three of them let out a cheer of anticipation. Dirge did his cheerleading act again.
In Dark Side, the Lunataks spotted them before they spotted the Lunataks. They had been trying to stoke the Thundrillium-powered engines again, which had been becoming harder and harder lately, when their sensors had picked up the Mutank driving through the territories.
"Blast those Mutants!" said Luna in her loud voice, "I'll bet they're crawling back to us yet again for some help with yet another pathetic scheme!"
"Maybe that crow called Vultureman wants Thundrainium for another of his Thundrainium cannons," hissed Chilla.
"Luna!" said Red Eye, "You have got to see this!"
"What is it, Red Eye?" demanded Luna.
"It's the Mutants, all right, but only one of them, that wimpy dog, Jackalman!" Red Eye explained, "And there's another dog-like creature with him, plus a dumb-looking armadillo, a stupid robot, and a man dressed up like a safari hunter!"
"Let me see!" said Luna. Red Eye brought up an image of the inside of the Mutank.
"Now what would a jerk like Jackalman be doing going solo from his fellow Mutants?" Alluro wondered.
"Yes," said Tug Mug, "And who are those tough-looking guys with him? They sure don't look like the type of people that can outfight us mighty Lunataks!"
"Be careful, Tug Mug!" said Luna warningly, "We have to be careful with these trespassers, or they could defeat us easily. Sky Tomb's power source has almost been compromised by now, and we need to be careful how we use it."
"Ssssss! They can't defeat us! No Mutant has ever been a match for a Lunatak, not even the mighty Ratilla!" said Chilla coldly.
"Yes," said Alluro, "What sort of genius information could a Mutant like Jackalman give to his new accomplices to warn them about our talents?"
"I'm just saying," said Luna impatiently, "That we have to fight them with all our strength, pull out all the stops. We can't risk them figuring out our weaknesses."
"Mutants! Destroy the Mutants and their allies!" said Amok.
"Then what are we waiting for?" said Tug Mug. "Let's go crush ourselves a Mutant!"
"This argument has to stop now," said Red Eye, "They're here!"
Indeed, for the Mutank had stopped outside of Sky Tomb just then. Luna operated a loud hailer and said, "All right, Jackalman! We know you're in there! Now come out of that stupid tank nice and easy, and maybe we'll be a little merciful on you! The same goes for your new friends!"
Jackalman laughed. "Me, surrender to you? General Jackalman? Nyah, ha, ha, ha, ha! I don't think so." he replied.
The Lunataks were steamed by that remark. "How dare you talk that way to us, you coward!" yelled Luna, "No Mutant crosses through Dark Side without answering to us, and you're not an exception!"
"Well of course I'm answering to you, Luna," said Jackalman, "But you see, we're not here to beg of you or to surrender our inferiority to your superiority. We're here to fight you, and defeat you!"
"I'd suggest you listen to the good General, Lunataks," the Demolisher cut in, "He knows what he's doing, and you don't."
The Lunataks started, and then they laughed. "Oh really?" said Tug Mug, "You think you can destroy us? I'd like to see you try!"
"I'd love to!" said Safari Joe, impetuously hopping out of the Mutank with his Gatling gun. "I love a challenge I can sink my teeth into!"
The Lunataks blinked at him. Luna said, "Fine, then! You want so badly to fight us? We'll give you that fight right now! In fact, we won't even use the weapons of Sky Tomb against you, to make things marginally more fair. Lunataks, get down there and fight!"
In a matter of moments, the Lunataks were outside of Sky Tomb and on the ground. Safari Joe, the Demolisher, and Jackalman stepped forward and prepared to fight them. Mule and Dirge stayed a decent amount of space away from the thick of the action.
"And don't start thinking you can remain safe back there, you two dummies!" said Tug Mug, "When we're through with Jackalman and his 'rebellion,' you're next!"
"I can defend myself," said Mule, who held a spare rifle in his hands.
"But I can't!" said Dirge.
"That is what you get for never training to fight, yourself," replied Mule. Dirge let out a whimper.
Red Eye was first to step forward and fight. He removed his discus and flung it at Jackalman. The Mutant ducked it, and it flew back to Red Eye. The Lunatak threw it again, and this time, fire shot out of its bottom. Jackalman dodged this attack, too.
"What's the matter, Mutant?" mocked Red Eye, "Still a coward at heart like you always have been? We told you, you can never defeat the Lunataks!"
He got ready to throw the discus one more time, but this time, Safari Joe acted. He fired his energy bat directly at Red Eye's eyes. It danced in front of him, and it suddenly became blindingly bright. Red Eye covered his eyes, unable to see for a long time, and Safari Joe shot the discus to pieces with a blast from his gun. Finally, he shot Red Eye himself in the chest armor, wrecking the last remaining technology linked to the all-seeing Lunatak. Red Eye fell to the ground, dead.
Evidently, Jackalman's soldiers were tougher than they had bargained for. Alluro was pushed forward by Tug Mug and Chilla. Nervously, he took out his psyche club and sent the crystal ball flying over Safari Joe. The hunter was caught in the hypnotic light of the ball.
"Come now, Safari Joe, let's be sensible. You don't need to fight for Jackalman, you know," Alluro said soothingly.
"Be sensible, I don't have to work for Jackalman," Safari Joe muttered.
"Not this time, snake!" shouted Jackalman, leaping forward and smashing the crystal ball with his axe. Then he lurched toward Alluro and chopped the empty psyche club in two. Safari Joe quickly recovered from his hypnotic experience.
"My powers! They're ruined forever!" Alluro moaned.
"And so are you, Lunatak!" The merciless Demolisher ran toward Alluro, picked him up, and threw him into a ravine.
Tug Mug was stunned. "What in Plun-Darr's name is this!? Jackalman has never been this tough before! And those troops of his are-"
"Stop chattering and get in there, Tug Mug!" screamed Luna from Sky Tomb.
Tug Mug mumbled incoherently to himself, but he jumped forward, bouncing high in the air, aiming his gravity carbine at the three rebels. His intention was to make their bodies light enough that they would fly into the sky and out into unprotected, open space, and perish. But when he landed close to them, Jackalman charged and swung his axe at Tug Mug, and Tug Mug kept jumping away from each swing, mocking Jackalman's supposed clumsiness. But Jackalman had a strategy this time; he was drawing them closer to his two comrades in arms, and the Demolisher was getting ready to attack again.
At last, Tug Mug powered up the gravity carbine to full strength on the 'float' function, but before it fired, the Demolisher wrestled it from Tug Mug's grip and aimed it at him. The gravity carbine shot Tug Mug, and he floated high up into the sky, farther and farther away, until he was lost forever in the stars.
Luna couldn't believe what she was seeing. She screamed at Chilla to finish them off. Hastily, the ice Lunatak blew her icy breath at them, freezing them where they stood. Only their heads were exposed. Mule and Dirge were dismayed. Chilla laughed at her foes and said, "What could you possibly use to escape an ice cube, Jackalman? How about you, Demolisher? Safari Joe?"
"Simple," said Safari Joe, "First, fire!" He fired his gun, and it shot out flames that quickly broke and melted the ice around them. "And now, rock salt!"
Chilla gasped, but she had no time to flee, because Safari Joe was already pelting her with large pellets of rock salt, melting away the ice that always surrounded her and exposing her to the heat of Dark Side. She pleaded for mercy, but Safari Joe and Jackalman hadn't come there to show mercy. Joe kept shooting her until she sank to the ground and died, dehydrated and overheated.
Luna screamed her rage. She was all alone now, except for Amok. She quailed, afraid to go out there herself, and she somehow managed to activate the weapons of Sky Tomb, firing everything the floating castle had on its frame. The rebellion of Jackalman was pushed back for several minutes by the barrage of laser fire as the three soldiers took cover. But during the fighting, Mule had snuck back into the Mutank, which Luna hadn't noticed due to being distracted by the battle, and while she concentrated her firepower on Jackalman's rebellion, Mule fired a missile into the face of Sky Tomb.
Some of the laser cannons were badly damaged, but the explosion blew open one of Sky Tomb's eyes, and Luna and Amok came flying out of it. Jackalman came out of hiding, along with his men, and approached the two of them. Amok was soon on his feet and got ready to "smash their heads in," as he put it. But Safari Joe tossed some candy to Amok, just the kind he liked, to distract him. He followed the candy and began to chow down on it. And while he was distracted, Jackalman raised Slithe's axe and...
"No, Amok!" Luna screamed. But it was too late. A second later, Amok's severed head fell on top of what was left of the candy.
Luna let out a howl where she lay. Nothing was going her way at all. She was alone now, the last of the Lunataks. And then, she saw Jackalman and his cronies looming over her. She screeched in terror and despair.
"No, please!" she begged, "I'll do anything! Just spare me, you lunatics!"
Jackalman snickered. "A Lunatak, calling us lunatics?" His soldiers laughed.
"Sorry, Luna," said Jackalman, "But Mutantkind is through with your verbal abuse, and frankly, I think you and your dead pals should've stayed trapped in that molten rock, where you belonged. Then you'd be spared this fate."
He nodded to Safari Joe, who armed his gun with its smallest lethal ammo. Luna had time to scream, "NOOO-!" one last time before the bullet hit her in the chest and ended her life.
"Ha! Safari Joe does it again!" Safari Joe shouted.
"Let's here it for the Demolisher!" cheered Dirge. "He's the best! The Demolisher is the best!"
Jackalman let out a cheer of pride, waving his axe in the air. "General Jackalman proves his worth at last! Today, the Lunataks! Tomorrow, the ThunderCats! Nothing can stop us now!"
"I am not entirely inclined to agree with that assessment, Mutant," a deep voice said from nearby, "But based on all your performances today, I might be willing to give you the chance to try defeating the ThunderCats."
They all started in surprise and turned. In the shadows, off to the side of Sky Tomb, stood the Ever-Living source of evil himself, Mumm-Ra.
END OF ACT II