Ni-hao! This is "Beautiful Stars," a part of the Arcana Saga.

It looks like Feral isn't the only one with orders not to disturb. Felina tries to convince the SWAT Kats not to tell what they overheard. Manx thinks up a way to get more votes.

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay. I was doing research on some aspects of the story.

The constellations that Feral and Callie describe are from the "Real" world and some that I made up. I also fudge some details.

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

*******************
The Arcana Saga:
Beautiful Stars
*******************

"The Rings. One of the smallest constellations there is."

"Two stars of blue and red make up the gem in the ring. Some say that those two stars are among the most beautiful in the sky."

Callie and Anshi sit in the darkened room of the Planetarium, each taking the atmosphere. The projector splashes different constellations at different
intervals, making it hard for Callie to keep up. Anshi giggles.

"That's very astute, Briggs-sama."

"Well, it's something your brother showed me long ago. I'm just remembering it." Callie folds her arms.

Anshi is silent for a moment. "I see. . ."

"Beautiful, aren't they? The Fall constellations."

Anshi turns towards the voice. "Oniisama. . ."

"Love is beautiful, isn't it?" Feral walks into room. "Just like Castor and Pollux of the Gemini, they posses two of the most beautiful stars."

"Seeing you two together remind me of Gemini's beauty."

Callie blushes. "That can't be. . ."

Feral smiles a bit. "I see you got away from your boss."

"Barely. He was running around by the time Anshi and I left." Callie replies, feeling her face return to its natural color. "He definitely has something
up his sleeve."

"When does he not?"

Callie shrugs. "Well, since you're here Ulysses, pick out a constellation for us."

"Yes, please do, oniisama." Anshi concurs.

"Hmm." Feral looks up. The projector makes another change. "Draco."

"Draco?" Callie's eyes look up towards the North Star, and glances to the right of it. "Come on, Ulysses. That's too easy."

"Sorry." Feral chuckles. "I'm just thinking about my brother."

"Brother?"

"Hai." Feral nods. "Clawson. My oniisama."

Callie looks up again. "What does Draco have to do with Commander Clawson?"

"Clawsons are Draconians. The Dragon is their symbol." Feral looks up also. "Did you know that Draco is facing the west?"

"West?" Callie concentrates on the constellation. "Now that you mention it. . ."

"Draco flips in the sky ever two years. It goes in every direction: North, South, East and West." Feral steals a glance at Callie. "Clawsons are the Dragon of the Sky, with their Dragon facing the West."

"Wow. . ."

"Next year is their Dragon Year. A time for celebration." Feral says distantly. "I impede their celebration. . ."

Callie looks at him. "Huh?"

Feral shakes his head. "It's nothing."

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

"The Stirring of the Soul. . .What does it mean?"

Phoebe sits in the Clawson's condo, attending to the task of braiding her hair. The Clawsons had left, leaving Phoebe to her own devices.

Phoebe takes a deep breath, putting a paw to her heart. "J-kun. . .Is this what I think it means?"

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

"Phoebe. . ."

"What was that Razor?"

"Nothing, T-Bone."

T-Bone sighs internally. He and Razor had decided to take a routine patrol around the city. But, it turned out to be very routine. Razor's mental distance wasn't helping either.

"Either the criminals are in hiding or Feral is really doing a good job," T-Bone comments, mostly to himself.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Razor replies, taking note of his scanners. "Hey.  My scanners are picking up some Enforcer traffic on one of their private
channels."

"Tune us in, bud."

Razor adjusts a dial, trying to find the frequency. Finally, he hits on the traffic. "Bingo!"

"Come on, Felina. You can tell me."

"What do you know? It's Gina." T-Bone says.

"There's not much to explain, Gina." The SWAT Kats recognize Felina's voice. There's a short pause. "But, maybe there is. . ."

"Go on."

"Think about it this way. You rank your dates, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, think about Uncle's decree as a ranking of a date."

"Decree?" Razor asks. "Of what?"

"Should we cut in and ask?"

Razor smiles. "Are you kidding? Of course!"

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

"So, he's out on a date?"

"I didn't say that."

Felina expertly guilds the helicopter through the city's skyline. Gina busies herself with binoculars.

"But, this is the reason he's been happy?"

"You could say that."

"Wow." Gina removes the binoculars from her eyes.

"Let's hope nothing happens, or he will quickly lose that good mood."  Felina continues her focus on the controls.

"Well! So the old stooge can be happy sometimes? Scary!"

Felina glances around, startled. "Who said that?"

"We did, Lieutenant." T-Bone says, loud and clear through the helicopter's radio.

"What the. . ." Gina adjusts the dial. "How the hell did you guys get this frequency?"

"Easy. I just left that to my partner." T-Bone says, nonchalantly.

"That's understandable." Gina replies. "Because a ogre like you wouldn't have been able to!"

Razor's laugh comes through the radio. "Well, at least we know Gina's back!"

Gina crosses her arms. "Whatever."

Felina, meanwhile, is quiet. "Hey, guys. . .Got a moment?"

"Sure."

"Then, meet me at the park." Felina says. "We need to talk."

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

"Darling, that's an excellent plan!"

Kandi perches herself on top of Manx's desk, taking out her nail file in one swoop.

"Isn't it though?" Manx practices his golf swing. "But, I have to be careful of Callie's mother. The she-kat can get this reported to the governor. I do not want that."

"Well, how about we get 'Ms. Briggs' off by herself and tell her about it? Kandi hops down off of Manx's desk. "She can't refuse after that."

"But, where?"

Kandi smiles. "The park."

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

"So, what do you think of the city's new Planetarium?"

"It'll be fine, once it's completed." Feral takes another look around. "How much did the mayor put into this?"

"*I* put in as much as I could." Callie sighs. "I had to really scrimp to get the city's end of the funding."

"Figures." Feral says. "What was his project at the time?"

"The Towers."

Feral cringes. "That again?"

"It would have. . .until Daddy convinced him otherwise."

"You Briggs' have a way of 'convincing' kats."

Callie looks innocent. "We do?"

Callie's cell phone begins to ring. Callie sighs. "Anshi, get that for me."

"Hai." Anshi reaches into Callie purse for the phone. "Hello?. . .Manx-san.  . .Hai, I'll tell her."

"Manx?" Callie asks.

"Hai. He wants you to meet him at the park. Immediately."

Callie crosses her arms. "Anshi, can you stall him?"

"I can."

Feral chuckles. "Don't want to go?"

"Nope." Callie looks at him. "Of course, I'll expect a ride from you."

"All right."

"Then, I'll be going now." Anshi stands up.

"Be careful of that step, Anshi. It hasn't been very stable."

"Hai, oniisama."

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

"What's wrong, Lieutenant? This isn't like you at all."

"Her dealing with you, for starters."

"I can deal without the snide comments, Gina."

T-Bone and Razor sits on one of the picnic tables in the park Gina and Felina stand close by.

"Deal with it, hotshot." Gina smirks.

T-Bone shrugs. "Well, Felina?"

Felina clasps her paws together. "I want you to promise me not to tell what you heard."

"Promise?" T-Bone laughs. "Come on! This is too tempting."

"Listen! If Uncle heard it from any other source it would be all right," Felina says. "But, if it comes from you. . ."

"Feral would be mad. At us. As always." Razor crosses. "We can deal with it."

Felina sighs. "My Uncle is a kat."

"Of course he's a kat! Why'd you say that?" T-Bone asks.

"Sometimes I think you forget."

"What that's supposed to mean?"

Felina starts to say more, but she hears voices. "Shh! Duck down!"

The SWAT Kats, Felina, and Gina duck behind the tables just in time enough to see Manx and Kandi stroll by. Anshi trails behind them.

"I'm sorry, Manx-san. Briggs-sama has sent me ahead to alert you of her unavailability?" Anshi says.

"What do you mean that Callie is unavailable?" Manx asks, turning to
face Anshi.

"Briggs-sama is. . .umm. . .petitioning votes on the west side." Anshi crosses her claws behind her back.

"I bet she is," Felina mumbles.

"Votes? Well, that alright," Manx says. "But, I need her here."

"She will be along shortly." Anshi says.

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

"Orion and Scorpio."

Feral and Callie still continue to watch the stars in the Planetarium. Feral makes himself comfortable.

" The Hunter always stays one step ahead of the Scorpion. It is said that Scorpio has his stinger ready to strike."

"Hmm." Callie looks up at the constellation of Orion. "Scorpio is a part of the Zodiac, right?"

"Mmm, hmm." Feral smiles a bit. "Also my sign."

"Really?"

"Don't I fit the part?"

Callie shrugs. "I wouldn't know."

"Like Scorpio chases Orion, we Scorpios on the ground also like the chase."

Callie looks at him. "Chase?"

Feral's smile grows. "The chase is the best part, Calico."