Chapter 18
Back on SG-17, Cheetara carefully scrambled up the face of the outcropping and scoped out the area. The Mutants had definitely come this way as she could see their trail of footprints and some sort of wheeled vehicle. Carefully she picked her way up until she heard voices in the distance. Crouching down behind a peak that jutted upwards, she spotted two reptiles below.
"Where do you suppose they hid?" One asked his partner.
"Out here? Unless they buried themselves in sand, they had better cover in the woods," the second one shook his head.
"Point but don't you think we'd have tripped over them by now?" The first one wondered.
"I guess. Either way it was a mistake to follow them out here. If we get stuck out here after dark it will be freezing and they won't survive any longer than we do," the second one replied. Cheetara turned her focus away from them and quickly skittered her way back down off the outcropping. Looking around and not seeing anyone nearby, she extended her bo-staff. Coming out from her hiding spot she easily knocked their heads together and they fell to the sandy desert floor. Rushing to a spot where she could signal the rest, she quickly urged them on, using the metal canteen to flash light in their direction.
"That's the signal. All right, half of you stay here with Ben-Gali. The rest come with me. The scientists could be hiding in the forest so keep your eyes and ears open," Lion-O ordered. Ben-Gali took command as he watched them scoot across the sands toward the relative safety of the outcropping.
When they reached Cheetara, she led them to the two Mutants and Lion-O quickly had them tied up. He sent two scouts on ahead to follow the winding path through the rock formations to see if they could find anything else.
"They don't have the scientists yet according to what I overheard. My guess is that we aren't far from the dig site," the cheetah explained. Lion-O was about to comment when the two scouts came running back toward their group. They hadn't been gone long enough for any kind of journey and the lion gave them a look.
"The Mutants are on the other side of the bend. They appear to be searching for the scientists still," Corporal Ashi explained.
"How many?" Lion-O asked.
"About thirty and they're armed to the teeth," Corporal Lino said.
"Should we engage sir?" Ashi wanted to know. The troops were eager to do so and Lion-O knew that if there happened to be more than thirty they would be giving away their position. However the Mutants would eventually come back this way, forcing them to deal with them anyway.
"I need my five best shots," Lion-O instructed. Four men and one woman approached him and he then continued to give instructions.
"Find sniper positions and do what you can. I'll be bringing the troops up behind you so be mindful of that. We need as many as we can alive so we can pump them for information but do what you must in defense of your fellow soldiers. Good luck and happy hunting," the lion said. The five quickly saluted and then headed off down the path and up the sides of the rock formations.
"Ready?" Lion-O asked the rest of the group. They were slightly outnumbered but they would make do. Quickly they headed down the sand pathway and took aim at the enemy. One of the snipers picked off on of the Monkians near the front of the group, they turned and were face to face with the Thunderians.
"For Thundera!" Lion-O shouted. The group charged at the Mutants who were completely caught off guard.
To Be Continued…