A/N: "klick" is a military term which references kilometers. I used the military spelling of it, just so you know. :) Enjoy!
Chapter 16
The ThunderCats, backed by at least fifty ThunderGuard troops, were a little more than half way to SG-17 when a distress call went out over the airwaves on the emergency channel.
"This is Doctor MacComb of the Science Academy of the Galaxy. We have Mutants inbound and no way to protect ourselves. They're going to be on our doorstep any minute. Anyone within listening range, please help!"
"Doctor, this is Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats. We are on our way but we are approximately an hour and a half from you. We are coming at full speed. Do whatever you have to, to protect yourselves. Do not attempt to engage the Mutants. We'll deal with them," the lion said.
"Thank the stars you're on your way!" The transmission was then interrupted by someone shouting in the background,
"The Mutant ship landed half a klick from here! We've got fifteen minutes tops before we can't get out!"
"Doctor run!" Lion-O ordered over the radio. The transmission from the scientists died without another word.
"We've lost them my King and I'm giving her all she's got but we're not getting there any faster," Punthar explained.
"Just do what you have to, to get us there as quickly as possible," the lion nodded before picking up the radio handheld receiver and making a private call to the ship flying next to him.
"How fast can we push these ships?" He asked Ben-Gali after the tiger was brought to the phone.
"Best we can hope for is shaving our time down to an hour. We push any harder and not only will the landing on SG-17 be incredibly bumpy but we'll not have enough fuel to make the trip home," Ben explained.
"Making it back home won't matter if the Mutants have taken the planet and killed any of the scientists," Lion-O pointed out.
"No it won't but we can't afford to have someone from New Thundera bring fuel to us either. It would slow our response time getting off the planet which might not be a good thing considering the deteriorating conditions on Plundarr," the tiger said. Lion-O heaved a sigh. Ben-Gali was right.
"All right. Push your ship as hard as you can. With any luck Doctor MacComb and his crew know where to hide," the lion said.
"With any luck, they do. Over and out," Ben-Gali ended the call and Lion-O quickly returned to the bridge. He ordered the engines to be brought to the speed required and prayed to Jaga that the scientists would be out of harm's way for just a little longer.
Meanwhile on New Thundera, Panthro stormed into the hangar which made all the mechanics scatter. He'd just seen who had messed with the time clock on the video and his blood was boiling over. Lea tried to calm him down but she was just as angry. Cavan and her unborn cub could have been killed and that did not sit well with anyone.
"Where is he?" He shouted as the panther arrived at the workstation of the Cat who had done it.
"Who sir?" One of the mechanics was brave enough to ask.
"That sniveling coward of a manager Che?" Panthro wanted to know.
"He called off. Sounded dreadful on the phone like he was dying or something," Gol spoke up.
"Oh he will be dead when I get through with him. ThunderGuard, on my six. We have a traitor to find," the panther ordered. Quickly, five of the ThunderGuard soldiers moved behind him and loaded into the back of the ThunderTank. Lea hopped in the front seat with the panther and they tore off out of the hangar and into the city.
To Be Continued…