Ni-hao! This is "Back in Business," a part of the Arcana Saga.

Just when Chance has a 'chance' to ask Jake about what he saw at the shrine, the SWAT Kats are summoned back into action by a silent alarm at MegaKat Biochemical. But, even after the lull of hardly no action, will they be so eager?

Author's notes: Sorry for being late with the chapters! I'll try not to let it happen again. Eclipse: HOD kept me busy.

In my culture, to dream of a fish means someone's pregnant. It's pretty accurate, too. Why do I mention this? You'll see.

Be on the lookout for updates to Callie's and Feral's journal.

As always, send any comments or questions to AkaneKitty@aol.com. Or, drop me a line in my review section at Fanfiction.net. Enjoy!

Ja ne,
AkaneKitty
http://akanekitty.suddenlaunch2.com

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The Arcana Saga:
Back in Business
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"*Who was that she-kat with Jake? Could she be a girlfriend? Why hasn't he told me...?*"

Chance runs his paw along the TurboKat's body, feeling its coolness. "*Why am I feeling that the SWAT Kats may be no more...and that I'm actually enjoying this time off?*"

"Hey! I figured you'd be down here."

Chance turns to see Jake climbing down the stairs into the hangar. "Hey yourself."

"Missing not being able to be in the cockpit?" Jake crosses the hangar to Chance's side.

"I am...a little." Chance looks wistfully at the TurboKat. "But, not with the desire I thought I'd have."

Jake feigns shock. "Am I talking to the real Chance Furlong a.k.a. T-Bone, pilot extraordinaire?"

"The one in the same." Chance chuckles. "But, I guess I'm enjoying civilian life for the first time since the day we were kicked out."

"So, what's that say for us?"

"I don't know." Chance looks at Jake, who had turned his attention to the TurboKat.

"Maybe we should take her out of mothballs for a quick spin. See how Feral reacts to us."

"That sounds good."

Jake looks at Chance. "You seem like you want to say something, buddy."

"Umm..." Chance looks towards the ground. "*Should I ask him? I guess I should be forward, but he'll know I followed him...*"

"What is it?"

"I..." Chance steels himself. "Jake, who is..."

Chance is cutoff by one of the alarms coming the TurboKat. Jake scrambles into the cockpit. "A silent alarm at MegaKat Biochemical has been tripped."

"Who do you think it is? Katra?" Chance calls up to him.

"It was the last time." Jake breaks out into a big smile. "The SWAT Kats are back in business! But, what were you going to say?"

"It was nothing. Let's get ready." Chance sprints off towards his lockers.

****************************************************

"Damn it! I should have known they might have updated the alarms." Katra busies herself with removing an air grate. "Now I have to be quick."

Katra slips through the narrow opening the air grate provided, landing on her feet in the chemical vault of MegaKat Biochemical.

"Let's see here..." Katra takes out a penlight and moves its beam across shelves. "Now, that katalyst should be around here somewhere..."

"Need a little more light, 'darling'?"

Katra whirls around. "Who said that?"

"Don't you know?"

Light flood the room, and Katra finds herself looking upwards.

"...Dark Kat?"

*********************************************************

"Commander-sama...there is a silent alarm at MegaKat Biochemical."

"Any action over there that you can tell?"

"No, sir."

Feral sighs, cradling his cell phone to his ear. "One time it was Katra, the other a false alarm."

"Awaiting your orders, sir."

"Hmm... Applewhite, you take some Enforcers over there and check it out. Anything out of the ordinary, you let me know."

"Yes, sir!" Applewhite hangs up the phone.

"I really hope this doesn't bite me in the tail." Feral sighs, putting away his phone.

"And, why's that, Commander?"

Feral turns to see Camilla walking towards him. "Camilla-san...How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Camilla looks him. "Trouble at work?"

"Maybe. The incident is in a gray area." Feral says. "Waiting for Callie, too?"

"Yes. I wanted to check up on her since she injured her ankle." Camilla sighs. "Where has she gone?"

********************************************************

"Finally! That's the last piece of paperwork!" Callie slips a piece of paper into a folder. "It's about time."

"Think anyone will find out, Briggs-sama?" Anshi puts away some pens.

"I don't think so. I control the system, so the press won't be able to find out until the application process is closed." Callie hands Anshi a file. "File that under the appropriate header."

"Hai, Briggs-sama."

********************************************************

"Looks like someone has defiantly been here. Enforcers have been talking about it."

"Typical Feral. I wonder if he'll show up?"

Razor moves over to the open air grate on the roof of MegaKat Biochemical. T-Bone joins him. "According to my glovatrix, it looks like this grate leads to that new vault."

T-Bone peers down the air grate. "Only one way to find out."

Razor raises an eyebrow. "Think you can fit?"

"Of course! It isn't *that* small!"

*************************************************************

"Let me go! I don't owe anything to you!"

"And, just who's territory have you invaded?"

"Excuse me? Since when was this your territory, D.K.?" Katra twists away from Dark Kat's grasp. "You haven't captured the black market *or* the city yet."

"I will soon."

"You know, you were much better before your accident, D.K." Katra smiles a bit. "You weren't so domineering."

"So were you...Monique."

"*Don't* call me that!" Katra turns away from Dark Kat. "That was in the past."

"It's only been six years."

"Long enough." Katra folds her arms. "So, will you let me get that katalyst or not?"

*************************************************

"Huh? What's with the group?"

"Calico, I was just talking to the Commander to past some time. We were waiting on you." Camilla says as Callie and Anshi both enter the office. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel a lot better." Callie says, looking at Feral. "What brings you by?"

"Clawson invited us to dinner." Feral says. "I was wondering if you'd be free to go."

"I'd love to." Callie enters her office. "Thanks for asking me."

"Will you feel up to it?"

"I have to test out my ankle sometime." Callie smiles at him. "The Banquet is in two days."

"Such a same shame that the Mayor is forcing you two to go." Camilla sighs.

"I don't mind, mom. We can use it to announce."

"Announce because of Manx? Or," Camilla claps her paws together, "because you two are really couple?"

"Quit being nosy, mother." Callie sits at her desk.

Camilla chuckles. "That explains my dream, then."

"What dream?"

Camilla smiles at her daughter. "I dreamed of a fish out of water."

"Mother!" Callie turns red, while Feral clears his throat.

"So, should I be expecting..."

"Mother, that's entirely premature!" Callie's blush deepens.

"Really? I'm pretty accurate with my dreams."

"You must be thinking of another she-kat."

Camilla shakes her head and smiles. "I don't think so."

"Mother!"

***********************************************************

"Hear anything?"

"Negative." Razor moves between the various shelves of the vault. "Maybe this is a false alarm."

"With a open air grate? I don't think so." T-Bone pauses behind a pillar. "But..."

T-Bone starts to say more when Razor puts a paw to his lips. "Shh!"

"Look, if you just let me have the katalyst, I'll stay out of your way."

T-Bone looks at Razor. "Katra?"

"Too late for that."

The SWAT Kats look at each other. "Dark Kat?"

"Why would Dark Kat be talking to Katra?" Razor whispers.

"I don't know, but maybe this is our chance to get them." T-Bone readies his glovatrix. "Let's go."

***************************************************

"Look." Katra grabs a bottle off the shelf. "What do you want so I can leave."

"Reverting to the past would be nice."

"Back to the time before your 'unfortunate' accident?" Katra smiles a little. "When you were 'normal'? That's a tall order."

"Yes, it is."

"Do you wish you could be normal again? Or, do you like being with your experiments more than..."

"Hold it you two!"

Katra looks towards the source of the voices. "SWAT Kats!"

"In the flesh." Razor trains his glovatrix at the two. "Thought we had disappeared?"

"I was hoping that a certain someone had taken care of that."

"Well, we're still here." T-Bone aims his glovatrix at Dark Kat. "And, why are you here, Dark Kat?"

"Planning my getaway."

"Huh?"

"Until next time, SWAT Kats!" Dark Kat grabs Katra around her waist and disappears through a hole in the floor.

"Damn it! I should have known he'd have a way out!" T-Bone pounds his fist into his gloved paw.

"True, but we'd better get out of here. The last thing we need is Feral blaming us for this mess." Razor refers to the hole in the floor.

"Yeah. And, we should see Callie, too." T-Bone takes a look around. "Looks like one bottle is missing, and that could cause problems."

"Roger that." Razor starts to walk away, then stops. "Hey, T-Bone..."

"Hmm?"

"What were you going to say? You know, back home?"

"This isn't the place to be talking about that." T-Bone runs past him. "Come on, let's go see Callie."

"Affirmative." Razor starts to walk slowly.

"*Should now...be the time...I tell him?*"

*********************************************************

"Callie? Callie, are you there?"

"I'm here, Mayor."

Manx enters Callie's office with Kandi on his arm. "I've come to check if someone from the outside has filed to enter the election for Mayor."

"No one from the outside, Mayor."

"Any street level politicians?"

"None so far."

"Good." Manx rubs his paws together. "I should run away with the vote for sure. Especially since you're going to announce with Feral. I'll get all those lovely votes."

Callie says nothing, returning to her work.

"You are going to announce...aren't you?" Manx asks.

"Of course. At the banquet." Callie smiles, which unsettles Kandi somewhat.

"And, you're right. All those votes *are* lovely..."


To be continued...