Ni-hao! AkaneKitty here. This is 'Eclipse'.

In an alternate world, the SWAT Kats are bounty hunters hired to escort Lady Calico Briggs to the lands of Avalon, a place where the sun never sets. But when Calico is apparently kidnapped by Lord Feral, a dunpeal, they must rescue her. Why has Feral taken her?

Author's Notes: I'm on a 'What if?' Trip. Just writing to get through a bit of writer's block. . .and I have been watching Vampire Hunter D *way* too much. . .

What happened to the Absolute Journey? I'm still writing for it. This is a project for killing time during Spring Break.

This story will be chaptered, with some references to the Absolute Journey. Hopefully, this series will be short.

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
"Please hold for 'HA!'" (I just love that Cingular commercial. . .)

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Eclipse:
Prelude to the Storm
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As the SWAT Kats found out through their endeavors, the alternate world isn't what it seems.

The kats are the same, but their histories are different.

In this alternate world, that runs parallel to the world they know, the histories are extremely different.

The world is still recovering from the aftermath of MegaWar II, a war that decimated the lands a thousand years ago.

It is now the present, and old technology mixes with the new.

Guns mix with crossbows and swords. Horse drawn carriages with motorcycles.

Is this world, beings such as a normal kat are few and far between. Now, there are Dragons, dunpeals, and other mystical races.

The most feared among these, and the most hunted, is the dunpeal. A hybrid composed of half kat, and half vampire. That can chose to live as a kat, or as a vampire.

It is when the dunpeal chooses to live as a vampire that causes the most problems. . .
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I'm sorry, but $10 million isn't enough."

"What! That more than covers your usual advertised protection fee!"

T-Bone sighs, adjusting his crossbow across his back "Look, Lord Briggs, taking on that family is almost like a death sentence in and of itself."

"But, since we like a challenge," Razor speaks up, his paw on the hilt of his sword, "we'll take the job on if you'll up the price to $20 million."

"Hmm. You SWAT Kats drive a hard bargain." Lord Trenton Briggs clasps his paws together. "But, you're the best hunters in the area, so I'll give you what you demand."

The light colored kat tosses a bag towards T-Bone. "That's a down payment of $1 million dollars. You'll get the rest when you safely escort my daughter to the Avalon region. We have family there."

"You mean, the land where the sun never sets?" Razor whistles. "That's quite a long distance away."

"Which is why we'll need the night to prepare." T-Bone adds.

"Very well." Trenton stands up. "By the way. . ."

"I'll up your price to $30 million if you manage to kill the kat. Consider it an incentive."

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". . .when the clouds turns into stars. . ."

"Milady, his Lordship wants you to come inside immediately. The sun sets soon."

"Huh?. . .All right. Tell Father I'll be in."

"As you wish."

Lady Calico Briggs sighs, closing a book. Sitting in her manor's garden, she watches the sun set over her father's lands. The lands owned by the House of Briggs were vast and plentiful, and his Lordship even owned land in Avalon. Calico sighs again.

"One final sunset." Calico muses, finally rising from her seat.

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"Tomorrow, Calico will leave for the lands of Avalon. He should not be able to follow her there."

Trenton sits at the head of his family's table, his emerald eyes flashing. Camilla, his wife, looks at him with concern.

"Avalon is the land where the sun never sets." Camilla says, tugging at a piece of hair that escaped its knot. "Are you sure this will work?"

"Given Feral's nature, he shouldn't be able to follow her there." Trenton sits back in his chair. "Calico will be safe."

"But, what if he finds out where's she's going?"

"That's why I've hired the SWAT Kats to take her there. They're the best hunters around, and will protect her."

"At $20 million dollars, I would hope so." Camilla notices the maid come in. "Where's Calico?"

The maid looks confused. "She said she would be right in."

The sound of a horse drawn carriage confirms Trenton's fears. He wastes no time racing to the garden.

"Calico!"

There, in a chair, was the closed book.

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The next day. . .

"I have to admit, the kat's got guts."

"What?"

"I said, 'The kat's got guts'!"

Razor nods, increasing the speed of his motorcycle to match T-Bone. Traveling across scorched lands and following carriage tracks was a breeze if you had to the right transportation.

"Kidnapping her right when the sun set. And, on hostile lands to boot!" Razor feels his sword dig into his back. "But, I thought they didn't take anyone against their will?"

"That's what Felina says." T-Bone snorts. "But, it proves what kind of kat he really is."

"You know you're talking about her uncle there."

"I don't care! It's the truth." T-Bone reduces his speed. The tracks vanished.

"I thought she was your girlfriend." Razor teases.

"No dunpeal is my girlfriend!" T-Bone retorts.

Razor rolls his eyes. "Anyway, our objective has changed from escorting Lady Briggs to the lands of Avalon to rescuing her and then taking her to Avalon. What a headache."

"With an added bonus of $10 million dollars if we kill the kat." T-Bone adds.

"The House of Briggs 'is' out for revenge, T-Bone."

"Who wouldn't?" T-Bone shrugs. "Where to now?"

"To the west. Feral's trying to escape the rising sun."

"Did I ask your expert opinion?" Razor snaps.

"No, but you would have anyway." A voice comes from Razor's left paw.

"Such a 'friendly' parasite." T-Bone chuckles.

" 'Friendly' is not the word I'd use."

"Look Razor, I know I'm a parasite but haven't I been a helpful parasite?" The voice pleads. "Also, your nonchalant attitude about going to the lands of Avalon worries me. May I remind you, my Draconian friend, of your own susceptibility to the sun?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Listen, you may not care about how you react to the heat, but becoming a piece of jerky attached to your body is not a lifelong ambition of mine!"

"I said don't worry!" Razor revs his engine. "There's a town nearby. We should ask around to see if anyone has seen Feral's carriage."

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"Uncle, you'd better let me guide the horses now. The sun will be rising soon, and you need to get in the carriage."

"I know." Lord Ulysses Feral, very regal looking in clothes and his cape, hands over the reigns of his horses to his niece. "How is she?"

"Fine, considering." Felina steadies the reigns, her hair whipping about. "It's funny how sensitive you are to the sun, but it doesn't affect me."

"Unfortunate byproducts." Feral sighs, tucking back a piece of hair that escaped its ponytail. "Regardless, we need to get to our lands. Things might become hostile for us."

"I know we have the SWAT Kats on our tail." Felina sighs herself. "I'm sure my chances with T-Bone are gone now."

"Speaking of them, why do they hide their identities?"

"I don't know. I always figured them to be do-gooder aristocrats from the east. And I doubt T-Bone would answer me."

"You like him."

Felina nods. "But, he has a major chip on his shoulder when it comes to kats like us. He's 'normal'."

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"White and black roses. He has been this way."

Razor drops the roses he'd found. "And, he should be slowing down since the sun will come up soon."

"I wonder where-"

"He's heading toward neutral lands, darlings."

The SWAT Kats turn to see a gray she-kat walking towards them.

"I should have known you'd be on the trail too, Eboni." Razor says.

"I didn't know you cared, Razor." Eboni's violet eyes twinkle. "But, we may be the only hunters on this case."

"Why?" T-Bone asks.

"Contrary to what we think, the House of Feral is well respected. They mostly keep to the selves and don't terrorize katizens." Eboni buffs her nails on her black dress. "You could even say they like them more than the House of Briggs."

"Why's that?"

"Don't know. But don't expect to get a lot of support around here." Eboni says. "I'll expect you'll go after Feral himself to get that incentive?"

"Of course." Razor replies. "What about you?"

"No thanks. I'm just rescuing the Lady. I want to keep my nine lives."

"You'd have to take on Feral to rescue her." Razor says.

"Not if its in the daylight." Eboni starts to walk away. "We're on our own after this, SWAT Kats. To victor goes the spoils!"

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"I can't believe that kat would invade my lands like that!" Trenton paces and a blistering speed. "If he manages to get her to his family's lands. . ."

"Don't finish that thought." Camilla interrupts. "The hunters will find her. But, do you think she. . ."

"No. She knew I would never allow it." Trenton stops pacing. "Feral can never have my daughter."