Chapter 20
"Tell me what I want to know and I send you and the rest of the bunch home to Plundarr. Don't tell me and I'll be forced to do something I'd really rather not," Lion-O said to the captured leader of the Mutants, a lizard by the name of Brutus. The Thunderians had easily conquered the surprised Mutants and those that were not dead after the battle were now being interrogated along with being tied up. Ben-Gali had sent his group over to assist when they heard the shouting and weapons discharging, afraid that the group had been attacked.
"Why would I tell you anything Cat?" Brutus asked.
"Because you like the fact that you can still breathe air. Now, who sent you and what does the Mutant High Command want with these scientists?" The lion had to play dumb as if the Evil Chasers hadn't told them about the impending attempt at war. Lion-O figured that this botched attempt to escape the Evil Chasers had pretty much put the kibosh on any war plans considering that Plundarr was now dealing with the Interplanetary Control Force and some very unhappy peoples of the galaxy.
"It's too late Cat. You'll never know," the lizard smirked and bit down on something inside his mouth. Suddenly he began foaming at the mouth and seizing. Lion-O heaved a sigh and watched as the lizard slumped over.
"Check their mouths! Don't let them bite down! We need them alive!" He ordered. Quickly the troops got to work knocking their captives unconscious so their mouths could be inspected.
"We need to get looking for the Evil Chasers and the scientists. Once the sun disappears beyond the horizon, this desert is going to become bitterly cold," Ben-Gali spoke up as he approached the lion.
"Agreed. Load the prisoners into their own vehicle. Get Cheetara over here and we'll move on," Lion-O said. The tiger nodded and quickly found the cheetah before making sure the live captives were rounded up.
"You think you can scout ahead and see if you find anything? I think we managed to collect all the Mutants so it should be safe to use the radios again," the lion said.
"I will press ahead. I would imagine that the outcroppings would have offered the only shot at protection so they have to be around here somewhere," she nodded.
"Be careful," Lion-O smiled.
"Of course," she gave a wink and then she took off.
"Lion-O!" The familiar voice of Lynx-O drifted the lion's way and he quickly turned and found the older Cat, who had been just standing and feeling and listening. His heightened senses had been a gift despite the fact that he had to lose one to get them.
"What is it old friend?" Lion-O asked.
"Feel this," the lynx grabbed the younger Cat's hand and slapped it against the nearest rock. It vibrated.
"How in the…" he didn't get to finish the thought as the rock moved under his hand. The sand beneath the large object shifted and quickly the lion yelled for everyone to get back. Then the rock shifted and twisted as what appeared to be legs emerged from the sand.
"Rock monster…" Lion-O murmured. He watched as the rock separated itself from the other rocks and arms along with a head emerged. They reminded him of the Rockmen of Third Earth.
"Do not fire your weapons! Stand still!" The lion urged the troops. They did as they were told and surprisingly the rock creature smiled. Lion-O worried that they had just fallen into some sort of trap on a planet where they did not know the inhabitants. Then he heard a familiar voice.
"Do not be afraid! He is only trying to protect us," a man emerged from behind the rock creature. A cave had been hidden by his body and Lion-O breathed a sigh of relief.
"Doctor MacComb of the Science Academy of the Galaxy?" He asked.
"I am and you must be Lion-O," the Doctor smiled. He was short statured with a round belly and wore glasses that covered his blue eyes. His gray hair was mostly gone except for some that spanned the right side and made its way around to the left in a small band. The people behind him continued to emerge from their hiding spot and the ThunderGuard quickly stepped into help them.
"I am. We must get you and your team back to the safety of the woods. The sun is against us but luckily not the enemy. Who is your friend?" Lion-O wanted to know.
"He is Drangur and without him or you and your troops, we'd be in serious trouble. Thank you for coming to our aid," MacComb smiled and extended a hand which Lion-O shook.
"Well he must come along with us as we reach the safety of the woods. We'll need help in transporting everyone. How is your team?" The lion wanted to know.
"All accounted for with minor cuts and bruises. Evil Chase First Class Yero, sir," the Evil Chaser extended his hand to Lion-O.
"Excellent. Let's get a move on. I will just radio my scout who probably…" he didn't get to finish as a gust of wind arrived with Cheetara out front.
"Guess I didn't have to go on my fishing expedition after all," she smiled and quickly introduced herself. After the introductions, the Yero and his men promised to pilot the Mutant vehicle back to the Mutant ship and call for reinforcements to get them back to Plundarr while the ThunderCats would escort the scientists to New Thundera. Drangur scooped up the vehicle that the scientists had ridden in out to the dig site from its hiding place near the top of one of the outcroppings and placed it down on the ground for them to climb back into. He then scooped up as many ThunderGuard as he could and headed across the sands.
Once the group arrived back at the scientists' camp in the woods, they began packing up the base camp. Unfortunately they had had the Evil Chasers blast the equipment at the dig site to avoid having it fall into Mutant hands so there wasn't much to clean up there and it would be left behind. Doctor MacComb turned to his friend Drangur and spoke to him in a language that no one understood. The rock creature made a gesture and responded before heading back out into the desert.
"Where's he going?" Cheetara asked the scientist.
"Back to where he belongs. He helped us and I have let him know we are leaving. I hope that we can come back someday," MacComb sighed.
"We won't be leaving just yet," Lion-O walked over to them, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Cheetara was confused.
"They caught the Cat that attempted to harm Cavan. He died from Avian Plague. Lea is telling us to stay away until they know they have it contained," he explained.
"There's something else isn't there?" She could tell when he wasn't giving her the whole story.
"It seems that the reason Pumyra wasn't feeling well wasn't due to the Thunderian flu. She may have been patient zero. What's worse is that she's with cub and I have to tell Ben-Gali he may lose both of them," Lion-O heaved a sigh.
To Be Continued…