Siege

	"Owww..." Chance pushed himself out form under the truck he was working
on and rubbed the growing bump on his forehead.  The alarm was still
blaring as he pushed himself up off the sled and headed for the hanger. 
By the time he got there Jake was already suited up and at the com. 
Razor, as he went by when in SWATKat guise, keyed up the com while
Chance popped his locker and suited up.
	"What is it Ms. Briggs?"
	"It's the Past Master.  An enforcer patrol spotted him to the south of
the city with a flight of dragons.  They attempted to engage but were
wiped out!  Feral's scrambling an attack squadron to go after them, but
I'm worried they won't be able to handle this one."
	Chance, or T-Bone by his SWATKat call sign, stepped up beside Razor as
he finished putting on his glove o' tricks, "The Past Master?  How many
times do we have to put that creep down?"
Razor elbowed him lightly in the ribs and turned back to the com, "Don't
worry Ms. Briggs, we'll handle it."
	With that Razor keyed off the com and activated the Hangar doors. 
T-bone was the first into the TurboKat, dropping into the pilot's seat
he fastened on his helmet, "Razor, why don't we ever get to go up
against anything normal?"
	"Because T-Bone." Chance grinned as he fastened himself in, "Nothing
normal would be any challenge."
	T-bone chuckled, "Roger that buddy.  Hang on, here we go." Bringing the
engines up to speed T-bone opened them wide and the TurboKat blasted out
of the hanger and into the sky.

				*		*		*

	" Coming up on Radar T-bone.  Due South.  I picked up the enforcer
squadron back at the city limits.  We should have 2 minutes before they
arrive."
	"That should be more than enough time.  How many you got?"
	"I make five... no make that six bogeys.  Should be coming into visual
any moment."
	T-bone scanned the horizon, keeping his flight path completely level. 
Squinting against the sun he made out black shaped against the blue,
"I've got them.  Moving to engage."
	T-bone brought the TurboKat in from a 5'o clock line on the Dragons. 
There atop the lead one sat the diminutive form of the Past Master.
	"Hey T-bone, what do you think he's doing way out here?"
	"No idea Razor, but it can't be good."
	"Roger that, Octopus Missiles on-line."
	T-bone cut to the left a bit to get in on the Dragon's six.  But the
formation broke quickly, "Damn it, they've spotted us."  T-bone turned
into a pursuit arc behind the rear-most dragon.  The thing didn't have
speed to match the Turbokat, but it maneuvered on a dime.  T-bone had to
juke left fast to avoid the fire blast it let out back at the Kat.
	"C'mon T-bone, how can I get a shot off if you don't hold it still?" 
Chance grumbled.
	"I'd love to oblige you Razor, but this overgrown gecko wants to cook
us."  T-bone spun around and came in behind another dragon.  The thing
twisted and spun in the air like some demented worm, but T-bone managed
to keep a bead on it.
	"Here goes nothing.  Missiles away!"  Razor fired off a pair of octopus
missiles at the dragon.  Despite the beasts best efforts it was struck
clean by one of them and grappled by the missile's clawed head, "Bingo!" 
Razor grinned.
	"Don't look now buddy, but I think we're gonna have to try something
else."  T-bone pointed down at the falling dragon.  It wiggled once in
the missile's grip, then broke free and spread its wings again.
	"Krud!  These things must have been eating their Wheaties."  Razor said
with a touch of awe in his voice, "Well bring us around and I'll... What
the?"
Both SWATKats  flinched as a purple vortex opened up in the air.  The
dragons all flew for it without hesitation.  T-bone brought the Kat
around, "Do we follow?"
	"No."  Chance replied, "We could end up Great Kat knows where, or
when."  The vortex snapped shut behind the last dragon just as a deep
and rigid voice cut through the airwaves, "This is Commander Feral. 
What do you SWATKat's think you're doing?"
	Razor rolled his eyes and keyed open the channel, "The party's over
Feral, you missed it.  We figured it wouldn't be right to let him get
away without ANY resistance."
	"I don't think you're in any position to talk vigilante I don't see any
sign of your win.  Now land your plane, you're under arrest."
	Razor turned off the com and shook his head, "He never gives up does
he?"
	T-bone chuckled, "Nope, never."  And pushed the TurboKat to full
throttle.  Pulling a tight turn he blew back through the Enforcer
formation, and raced away before they could regroup


			*			*			*

	Commander Feral tossed his helmet so hard that the startled deck
officer nearly went over as he caught it.  Without looking back Feral
stalked off for the locker room.  There he replaced his jumpsuit for his
usual button down coat.  None of the other pilots got even close to in
his way, they new better.  Well, most of them did.  One lieutenant
didn't give way when he came out of the locker room.  Instead she
marched right up to him, "Geez uncle, you could skin a kat with that
look."
	Feral paused, staring down at his niece and trying to remind himself it
was not her he was angry with.  Getting his emotions in check he gritted
out, "Not now Felina."
	Felina Feral was never one to let well enough alone though, "They were
right this time uncle, admit it.  They got there in time to try and do
something about it, and we didn't."
	Something broke within Commander Feral right then and there.  Rage and
anger, not all of it from the same source poured forth into his veins. 
There was a sharp crack as his uniform's cane splintered against the
wall.  He thrust the snubbed off end of it into his niece's face,
"That's ENOUGH Lieutenant.  One more word out of you and I'll have you
thrown in the brig for insubordination."  With that he spun on his heel
and stalked to his office.  Leaving a stunned Felina Feral standing in a
dead silent hallway.  A few enforcers even plastering themselves to the
walls to be out of the way of their commander.  Feral was surprised the
window to his door didn't shatter when he slammed it.  A grateful
surprise.  Dropping himself into the seat behind his desk Feral took in
a deep breath and let it out in a wave of sudden exhaustion.  The rush
of anger flowed out of him leaving only shallow regret.
	"Great Kat Ulysses," Feral muttered to himself, "What have you let
happen to yourself?"  He looked down at his hands, still shaking from
the sudden rage.  He took another deep breath and let his thoughts flow
as he stared at the blankness of his desk.  His anger was getting out of
control.  Too many things at once.  Felina here put even more pressure
into the mix.  It's one thing to be responsible for an entire city full
of strangers.  But to be responsible for sending your own niece on
potentially deadly missions was something completely different.  The
events of the past few years and especially the months since Felina's
arrival played out in his mind as the shadows cast by his blinds slid
across his desk.  The shadow of a bird crossing that perfect symmetry
broke Feral from his reverie.  Shaking himself Feral glanced at the
clock.  6:43.  He'd been sitting here for over two hours and no one had
dared to even knock on his door.  Just as well.  Tomorrow was another
day.  Commander Feral dropped the broken end of his cane into the trash
as he left for the day.  The office was quiet.  Night crew in place, and
no more crisis at the moment.  Feral made it down to the parking deck
without any interruptions and to his car.  As he fished in his pocket
for the key to the Hum-vee.  Feral heard a throat clear behind him. 
Reacting on instinct he spun into a defensive stance.
	"Woah there tough guy."  A smallish, somewhat nondescript Kat in
Enforcer uniform with specialist bars on the shoulder stepped out of the
shadows.  His voice dropped into a deliberate southern drawl, "Gonna
take me on all by yourself  son?"
	Feral squinted in the dim lighting of the parking deck for a moment,
then his eyes widened in shock, "Marcus?"
	The other fur nodded and took three quick steps, throwing himself at
Feral.  Feral caught him mid jump and the two embraced in a quick
backslapping hug, then Feral held the other fur out at arm's length. 
"Great Kat's ghost Marcus.  It's been a long time.  How did you come to
be in MegaKat city... and... in Enforcer uniform?  What is that about?"
	The smaller Kat grinned and drawled out, "Calm down son.  There's time
enough for explaining when you buy me a drink."
	The day's events gone for the moment Feral permitted himself something
that had vanished a long time ago, a grin.  He dropped his voice another
octave, which was a feat and clipped off each sentence in a rush as he
spoke. "all right soldier.  You'll get your drink.  You have three
choices.  Whisky, whisky, or whisky."
	The smaller kat responded with practiced ease, "Well then Son, looks
like we'll be drinkin' whisky, just save the bottle in case any frat
boys walk by."
	With that Feral turned to open the Hum-Vee up again.  Marcus hopped in
the passenger side door and Feral started the car up.  Casting a glance
over at his friend of old to be sure he wasn't a ghost Feral shook his
head once and put the car in reverse.

			*			*			*

	One hour Later Feral and Marcus sat in the living room of Feral's
comfortable home.  Each held a tumbler of whisky in hand and the bottle
sat near full on the low table between them.  Feral had the couch, his
Commander's coat and sidearm left at the door.  Marcus still wore the
uniform of a Special Forces op, but had undone the collar and discarded
the beret.  A slow silence hung in the air as Feral looked between his
drink and the Kat who sat across from him.  It was Marcus who finally
broke the silence.
	"Son you look like you seen a ghost."  The drawl was gone from his
voice, but the nickname remained.
	"It's been what, 20 yrs soldier.  And now here you are, in Enforcer
uniform no less. It's a bit much."  Feral took a sip from his drink and
tipped it a bit to hear the ice clink in the glass.
	"Yeah, I'll admit it's been a damn long time.  When I had that attack
during college though... it scared the hell out of me.  I came close
son, real close.  After that."  The smaller fur shook his head and took
a sip of his own, "I didn't want to keep in touch; not with anyone.  I
know what I put people through with that, and didn't know how many times
it would happen again.  I just wanted to fade out, easier that way."
	Feral frowned a bit at his old friend and held his glass in both hands
as he measured out his words, frank words no other Kat would hear, "I
missed you soldier.  We all did.  You worried us enough as it was.  Not
like you to give up on life.  We knew something was wrong but no one
could reach you."
	Marcus nodded, "Yeah, that was my major malfunction in this life. 
Something I had to get through my skull, it took too damn long.  By
then, I didn't know if it would be best to get back in touch or not. 
Finally I decided to."  Letting out a breath Marcus looked back up at
Feral and grinned, "So.  Whatever happened to that hot number you were
with all through High school?"
	Feral took a moment to reply, and that moment spoke volumes.
	"Oh, I'm sorry son, I didn't mean to dig up old pains."
	Feral cleared his throat.  He was a fur who didn't show emotion.  That
was one of the reasons his wife had left him, why some of his friends
had left.  He hadn't expressed emotion fully since the first year of
college.  Since the last time Marcus had visited.  Feral had kept
himself in line, kept the proud exterior that he knew people depended on
him to have.  Any and all emotion has been thrown into a vault and
locked away for 'later.'  Now was that later.
	"It's all right soldier.  No.  I didn't marry her.  I met someone
else."  Feral took a quick gulp from his glass and went on.  Everything,
the marriage, the divorce, promotions, Felina, the SWATKats.  Over the
course of the night he retold the last twenty years.  He wasn't the only
one.  Marcus gave the accounts of his travels too.  16 years of travel,
then enrollment in the Enforcer program.  Marcus brushed quickly over
Feral's questions about his heart defect.  Cleared up he said, and the
docs had approved him for duty.  This was his fourth year in duty and
his last.  Time to retire back to civilian duty.  Feral stuffed down his
misgivings and worry about his friend's 'recovery.'  If Marcus ever knew
one thing in his life, it was what was best for himself.  Marcus' tale
was much less fraught with emotion than Feral's, but then Marcus usually
got emotion out at the point of impact.  That was one of his best
features, being strait up and open in even the most delicate of
situations.  Night crawled over into day as they talked.


		*				*				*

	"Grow up Chance."  Jake said, poking his head in from the other room. 
After that he pulled it back and continued drying out his fur from his
morning shower.  Chance grunted a moment while tightening up a bolt on
the transmission of the truck he was under.  "C'mon Jake, I know you've
thought about it.  Eyes."
	There was a silent pause and Chance reached for a larger wrench, maybe
Jake was out of hearing.  Then came the call back from the other room,
"I think I'd have to go with Callie."
	"Ya think?" chance called back.
	"Yeah.  I could look into those baby blues all day."
	"I suppose.  How about voice?"
	Jake's voice got louder, he was probably in the room now, "Callie
again."
	"I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one bud.  Too nasal for my
tastes."
	"Nasal?  I think it's perfect, soft, and sultry. Lingers in your ears."
	"All right.  Gonna give physique to Felina though."
	"She's a bit buff for me, I'm gonna have to go with Callie again."
	"Huh."  Chance took a moment to grab a ratchet, loosening the
carburetor that needed replacing, "Chest?"
	"Felina wins that one I think."
	"Without a doubt.  Hmm... Hair?
	"Felina again, That two tone is sweet."
	"Tail?"
	There was a brief pause, then Chance slide the sled out from under the
truck, he and Jake booth looked at each other and spoke at the same
time, "Callie."  That was without question.  The Kat who didn't get a
thrill from watching that tail swish was dead.
	"So what about..." chance's musings were interrupted as the enforcer
alert radio they had set up squawked to life, "All units all units.  Be
advised we have a situation at MegaKat Petrochem.  Units 5-13 proceed to
the area and provide backup and evacuation control.  Flight Squadron
Alpha is fueling and Zeta patrol is en route."
Chance groaned, "This must be one SICK individual, no one attacks a city
before sunrise."
	Jake chuckled, "C'mon Chance, let's hit the skies."


		*				*				*

	Back at Feral's home his phone rang at the same moment.  Picking it up
he glanced at his watch out of habit... 513AM! Kat's alive! They'd
talked the whole night! "Hello."  Feral closed his eyes a moment
fighting back the wave of weariness that comes when your mind realizes
just what you've been putting your body through.  The She-Kat voice on
the other end was calm yet tense.
	"Commander, this is Watch Captain Chavez.  We have an emergency at
MegaKat petrochem.  Some kind of mutant plants are attacking the place."
	Feral closed one hand into a fist, "Understood.  I'll head over there
and organize things from the ground."
	"Yes sir."
	With that Feral hung up the phone and went to the coat tree where he'd
hung his uniform coat and sidearm last night.
	"What's up son?" Marcus stood, setting down his empty tumbler.  The
whiskey bottle was still mostly full.  One drink between non-drinkers,
tradition.
	"The usual for this town." Feral shrugged into his weapon harness,
"Some crazed psychopath trying to wreck it.  I'm heading out to the
sight.  You're welcome to crash here if you like."
	"No can do Sir."  Marcus tugged his beret into place and drew out a set
of papers from his left cargo pocket.  Feral paused in buttoning up his
coat as Marcus snapped t attention before him, "Special Forces
operative, sniper specialty.  Marcus P. Kaque reporting for duty Sir."
	Feral held out his hand for the papers and gave them a quick once over. 
The seal was official and brought a smile to Feral's face, "Well then
specialist, let's get moving."  He finished buttoning his coat as they
headed for the door.


		*				*					*

	The situation on the ground was orderly, if bad.  Things that might at
one point have been roses had mutated to 20' masses of writhing leaves
and tentacles; each with a bright red blossom nestled within.  Enforcers
had formed firing lines and were taking shots at the things to little
effect.  Marcus had one foot out the door as Feral brought the car to a
halt.  Two enforcers quickly ran up and one gave Feral a quick sitrep. 
Marcus snagged the other soldier by the arm, "Where can I get a rifle?"
	The Enforcer pointed to an armored van a few feet away.  Marcus ran and
picked up one from the racks.  Marcus was headed back to Feral's
position when an explosion lit up the morning gloom.  Marcus hit the
dirt quickly, and a good thing too.  Shrapnel blew by overhead as two
smaller explosions chained off the original.  Getting back to his feet
Marcus spotted Feral crouched behind a squad car giving orders into a
radio.  Down the street the enforcers were retreating in good order. 
Two other squad cars were burning, along with a gas tank in the
petrochem compound.  Marcus reached Feral's position and began breaking
down the rifle, listening in as he worked.
	"Get first squad out of the compound.  And have Alpha flight
re-equipped with firefoam bombs.  We don't want these chemical fires
spreading."
	Marcus popped the power cells out of his rifle and clamped his teeth
down around the red 'regulator' insulation at the node.  One good yank
and it was off.  Slapping the cell back in Marcus went to work on the
lens assembly.  An Enforcer rifle was mil tech hardware and nothing to
shake a stick at, but civil regulations had neutered the version
Enforcers got to use down to the point where it was little more than an
overgrown flashlight.
	Another explosion sounded off down the street, closer this time.
	"Damn!"  Feral tossed down the radio and stood up, drawing his pistol. 
Using voice alone he called out, "Enforcers fall back!  From a line on
me!"
	Marcus finished his alterations and pumped the grenade loader a few
times, to be met with only a hollow 'k-chick k-chick k-chick.'  He
looked up at Feral, "No Grenades?"
	"Mayor Manx had them banned during his last election year."  Feral
replied with a good deal of venom in his voice.  He snapped off a couple
more shots at the creatures as Marcus stood up and braced himself
against the hood of the car.  The things had split up into 2 groups. 
Three of them were slowly making their way to the main petrochem
building while four more were advancing down the street on the Enforcer
position.  The enforcer fire was still carefully selected, but having
almost no effect.  Only tearing small holes in the blossoms.  Marcus
picked his shot, aimed and fired.  With its inhibitors off the rifle let
loose a thick solid beam of energy that burrowed a hole clean through
the blossom.  The creature let loose a horrific shriek and flinched
back.  Through the rent in it's petals Marcus could see something...
brain-like.  His shot had winged it and it was bleeding a pale green
ichor.  Feral was on the radio in less than a second, "All Enforcers. 
Switch weapons over to full auto, aim for the blossoms.  Concentrate on
the leftmost creature and work your fire across."
	The enforcer rifles were still woefully under powered but sheer volume
of fire rent through the thing's leaves and at the soft brain matter
inside.  Marcus fired as often as he could, but without the proper
coolant an enforcer rifle needed at least a 30-second cool down time
between shots.  The creatures fell one after the other, too single
minded to realize they were doomed before it was too late.  As the last
one fell in the street the rotor noise of  Zeta patrol echoed down the
street.  Marcus popped the cell from his overheating rifle as Feral
instructed the choppers in how to finish off the creatures in the
compound.

			*			*			*

	"Hey Razor get a load of this."  T-bone banked back over the
intersection.  Down below a trio of Enforcer helicopters were finishing
off the last of what looked like some bizarre mutated plants.
	"Look like they don't need us after all this time does it T-bone?"
	"Bout time Feral did something right for once."
	The emergency band took that moment to come alive again; "This is Watch
Captain Chavez to Commander Feral.  Another one of those things has been
sighted at the intersection of Valleywood and Bryne.  This one's a hell
of a lot bigger than the others."
	Feral's voice cut into the airwaves, "Where's Alpha Squadron Captain?"
	"Still on the ground sir, one of the anti-fire tanks exploded and tore
the wing off a jet.  Cleanup crews almost got the runway clear."
Razor reached up and tapped the back of T-bone's helmet, "Looks like
they need us after all."
	"Roger that buddy.  En Route."  T-bone pulled the TurboKat up and set
out over the City line.

		*			*				*

	Marcus shielded his eyes from the morning sun as he craned his neck
after the departing jet, "What was that thing?  Looked big enough to be
a transport, but rigged out like a fighter."
	Feral said in a low voice that was more like a growl," That was the
SWATKat's, a pair of dangerous vigilantes."
	Marcus noted the tension in his friend's voice and decided to feel it
out some, "Looks like they have good equipment, I'll say that for 'em."
Feral was around to the driver's side of the Squad car before he
answered, "Nifty gadgets, and flashy planes, but no discipline, and no
regard for public safety."
	Marcus popped open the passenger's door and scooped up his modified
rifle before getting in, "They'll get there way before we will."  He
offered.  The result was slightly unsettling even though expected. 
Feral turned quickly to him and said simply, "And?"  But the look in his
eyes said it all to Marcus.
	"Son."  Marcus dropped his voice to that calm reasoning near whisper
that worked so well, "Let them have it this time.  You know it's the
right thing to do."  The obvious internal struggle lasted longer than
Marcus would have liked, but the result was the same.  Picking up the
radio handset Feral keyed it open, "This is Commander Feral calling the
SWATKats."  Putting down the radio for a second Feral started the patrol
car and reached out the window, motioning for the preassigned squad cars
to follow.

		*				*			*

	"This is Commander Feral calling the SWATKats, respond."  Even the
second time it was still strange.  Razor opened the channel after a
moments hesitation, "We hear you Commander."
	"That thing you're about to go up against has a weakness.  Shoot for
the blossom, then destroy the brain inside."
	A bit stunned Razor closed the channel for a moment, "T-bone, you think
this is for real?"
	"Feral?  Giving us help?  I don't buy it."
	"Still, he is a pompous jerk, but I don't think he'd deliberately set
us up."
	"It's your call Sure-shot."
	Razor opened the channel again, "Roger that Commander, we'll take out
your monster."
	The reply banished any worry from Razor's mind, "Good, and try not to
cause too much damage to the city while you're at it."
	Closing the com again Razor chuckled, "That's Feral all right."

		*				*				*

	T-bone dipped the TurboKat down between the buildings and turned onto
Bryne, "Krud!"  T-bone jerked the controls around, and navigated more by
instinct than pattern as they jetted full burn into a mass of writhing
tentacles.  By the time he saw blue sky again T-bone wasn't sure whether
the TurboKat would come apart first, or he would.  Pulling into a steep
climb he circled around, "You okay back there Razor?"
	"I am, but my breakfast is gonna come up and strangle you personally in
a minute."
	T-bone chuckled, "All right, hold on, we're going back in," he leveled
off and turned back towards the intersection.  There in the middle of it
was a creature at least twice the size of the ones the Enforcer's had
fought and still growing! "We always get the fun ones."
	"Keep her steady T-bone.... Cutter missiles away!"  Razor fired off a
pair of the special make claw like missiles at the thing.  Striking dead
on target they shredded the purple blossom, revealing the pulsing green
brain.
	"eww.  Is it a law that every giant monster has to ooze something
nasty?"  T-bone let the TurboKat's path cross over the thing's body
again.  It wasn't difficult to avoid the tentacles this time, especially
after the hit it just took.  Bringing the 'Kat around he leveled it off
again, "Take your shot buddy."
	"SWATKat speedy monster removers, just one mega-missile away."  Razor
triggered the triple payload missile and sent is streaking off right on
target.  It hit dead on obliterating the brain mass.  The thing lurched
once upon impact then fall to the street again.
	"That is one Dead monster." T-bone dropped low for a final flyby.
	"Yeah T-bone, but what bothers me is where did these things come from? 
I'd say they look like the work of Dr. Viper, but where is he?"
	"Maybe the sight of the enforcers actually winning something scared him
off?"
	Razor let out a chuckle at that, "Could be.  I dunno though.  I'll
check with Callie when we get back."
	"Right on Razor.  Heading for home."

		*			*			*

	The only thing that Greeted Feral and the Enforcers when they arrived
on scene was a huge mass of plant mess spread across the street. 
Stopping the car Feral hopped out and Marcus did likewise on his side.
	"Looks like they did okay work Sir."
	"This time Marcus, this time.  They're a menace, untrained,
undisciplined, and lawless."
	"Well, get them into Enforcer school.  We could sure use a few more
with skill like this.  And that plane of theirs..."
	Feral looked around to be sure none of the other Enforcers were within
earshot, "I've tried Marcus.  They won't go for it."
	"Balancing law vs. order again Sir?  Always was your specialty." Marcus
grinned over the top of the Squad car at Feral.  He got a grin in reply
and only a moment before he would have really started to worry about his
old friend.
	"Wouldn't have it any other way."  Feral agreed.  Then turned to bellow
out orders for control and cleanup crews.


		*			*			*


	One week had passed since Marcus Kaque had come to MegaKat City. 
Felina couldn't deny the change in her uncle that had occurred.  As she
sat in the passenger seat of his Hum-vee Felina stole another glance at
her uncle.  A far cry from the lock-jawed fuming demon-kat she was so
used to.  He was loose, relaxed, yet still held a poise that would never
leave him.  Felina was snapped from her contemplation by Marcus' fingers
tickling her right ear.
	"Hey, Felina, still with us cadet?"
	He called her cadet, despite the fact that she technically outranked
him.  It seemed to be a thing for him.  He and her uncle had nicknames
for each other too, "hmm? Yeah, I'm here."
	"So tell me, what's this party gonna be like?"  Marcus slouched back
across the back seat of the hum-vee.
	"Just like any other city holiday the Mayor has made up for publicity
sake.  Bar-b-que, park sports, and several long winded speeches."
	"eehh, I'm just glad we're all off duty."
	Feral spoke up as they turned into the park, "I'd like to think that I
had some influence in that soldier."  Feral's chuckle was shared by the
others as he parked the car.

			*		*		*

	"Heads up buddy."  Jake nudged Chance in the ribs and pointed, "Felina
sighting at 3 o'clock."
	Chance turned to look where Jake was pointing and sure enough, there
was Felina. "Damn..." the word slipped from Chance's lips with a bit of
awe in it.  Felina in her uniform was a sight in itself.  Felina in a
tank top and jean shorts made his fur stand on end.  Chance knew she was
tough, you didn't make it in the enforcers without being tough, but
....Damn!  Toned didn't cover it.  Her fur was a nice dark cream except
for a dark patch of black that ran from the top of her chest all the way
down into her shorts.  Chance had seen women like this in Ms. Fitness
competitions around the world.  But he never thought... damn!   Another
elbow in his side woke him out of his daze.
	"Hey buddy, get your tongue back in your mouth."  Jake teased.
	Chance shook himself once and grinned, "Hey, what can I say?  I know
what I like."
	"Yeah, just try not to toss up a hair ball when you talk to her."
	"Talk to her?  Here?"  Chance felt his stomach tightening up already.
	"Yeah Chance.  T-bone isn't gonna be able to go on too many dates with
her.  So you better try and get to know her as yourself."
	Chance felt the knot in his gut pulling itself in three directions at
once and wished on all nine of his lives that he had his mask on right
now, "Well." He was surprised his voice didn't crack, "Guess you're
right."
	Jake chucked him on the shoulder, "Good luck pal.  I'll catch you
later."

		*			*				*

	Jake picked up a soda from one of the many hawkers around Megakat park
and made his way towards the stage where the Mayor would be making his
speech later today.  Looking around the area he tried to spot Callie
among the crowd of Kats.  The face he spotted was quite a different one. 
Moving quickly Jake weaved his way through the crowd towards the Kat. 
He was a Kat with a medium build and a face that was neither old nor
young.  When he was in range Jake tested his hunch, "Mr. Kaque?"
	The other Kat turned to Jake, from watching a volleyball game and
nodded, "That's me.  Whatcha need?"
	Jake grinned and held out his hand, "Jake Clawson sir.  I've seen your
shooting at the nationals and I'm a big fan."
	Marcus chuckled a bit in good humor, "That was a while ago.  Surprised
anyone remembers."
	"Are you kidding?" Jake heard his own voice, filled with all the
enthusiasm of a kitten.  Appropriate, since he'd idolized this Kat ever
since he was one, "I watched every one of your shoots.  It's what made
me work so hard on my own marksmanship.  I wanted to be able to do half
of what you could."
	Marcus raised an eyebrow and might have blushed if his fur weren't so
dark, "Really?  Well, Glad I did something useful other than help reduce
the clay pigeon population.  So, you're a marksman?"
	"Actually..." Jake shifted a bit, he was kind of hoping to avoid this,
"I'm an Enforcer."
	"Really?  I haven't seen you around head quarters."
	Jake was glad he almost swallowed his tongue at that.  It kept his jaw
from dropping, "You're an Enforcer?"
	Marcus grinned a warm grin, "Yep, Special forces, Sniper specialist. 
But that doesn't explain why I don't see you around Headquarters."
	"Well.."  Jake tried to find a way to make it sound less bad than it
was, he didn't find any.  "My partner and I were the scapegoats for an
accident.  Now we're stick working the scrap yard until we can pay off
the damages."
	"Krud."  Marcus sounded genuinely disturbed, "That sounds like a bum
rap.  This before Feral took over as Commander?"
	"Actually, it was Feral."
	Marcus' expression clouded a bit with concern, "Maybe you better tell
me the whole story."

			*			*			*

	Chance screwed up his courage even though his knees felt like he's just
pulled a double Immalmen at full thrust.  A couple passed between him
and Felina, giving him one last moment to run through opening lines in
his mind. 'Hi, what do you think our kittens will look like?'  'Hi would
you put your drink down so I could carry you off into the sunset?'  'Hey
there, what're you doing for the next 80 years or so?'  oi vey, was he
in trouble.

     Fate decided to kick him in the groin just for measure too.  Just
as he was coming up to her Felina turned around towards him and took a
step plowing smack dab into him.
	Thud
	"ooff, oh I'm sorry."  Felina shook her head once to clear it from the
all out collision.  Chance made like his name and tried to turn disaster
into opportunity," No, it's my fault, but hey.  Aren't you Lieutenant
Feral?"
	Felina focused more on Chance and nodded, "that's right."
	"It's good to finally meet you.  I've seen you on the news, sort of
followed your work. (not far off the mark on that one)  I was kind of
hoping someday to talk to you about it."  'Okay, that was lame, I am so
dead' Chance thought.  He braced for the brush off.
	Felina paused for a moment, as if looking him over for the first time
again, "Sure.  Why not now?"
	"I guess you're... wait... you said yes?"
	Felina's laugh was sweet and husky.  Chance thought he might melt on
the spot, "Yeah I said yes.  It's definitely better than listening to
one of the Mayor's speeches."
	Recovering enough to function, barely, Chance nodded and offered Felina
his arm.  She took it with a joking grin and they headed for someplace
to sit.

			*			*			*

	Feral levered himself up from the bench as the Deputy Mayor's car
pulled up.  He waited at the head of the parking space as Callie pulled
in.  She got out of the car, reaching back in to get her briefcase.  As
she approached Feral he straitened up just a little taller, Enforcer
T-shirt tightening up just a bit more across his chest.  Then, as often
had happened recently, he let the tension go.  Relaxing he put a smile
with his words, "Good Afternoon Ms. Briggs."
	Callie's return smile was tentative, but not from lack of emotion as
much as uncertainty of reaction, "Afternoon to you too Commander Feral."
	Feral realized he was standing at parade rest and forced his hands to
his sides, he probably should have worn another T-shirt, "Captain Chavez
coming with the Mayor?"
	Callie nodded, then said with a rueful smile, "Don't you Ever go off
duty commander?"
	Feral coughed to buy time, "Well, I." The first answer that came to
mind was 'There's never any excuse not to be vigilant' but another part
of him caught that line in his throat and told him Callie of all people
knew that.  She'd been through a lot with this city.  This new part of
himself came up with a new line, "I think I've forgotten how.  Maybe you
could lead me through retraining?"
	It took all the stoicism and discipline in him not to die on the spot
laughing when the briefcase fell from Callie's fingers and broke open. 
It hit the ground only a second before her jaw would have.  Feral had to
admit he was surprised at the words himself.  But also to some extent
thrilled.  An excited warmth tugged at him that he hadn't felt in... in
a long time.  Settling into a crouch he helped Callie gather up her
papers but held the stack in his hand when she tried to take them until
her eyes met his, "Well?" he asked quietly, forcing all semblance of
command from his voice for this one question.
	It was Callie's turn to stall, shifting her grip on her case enough to
right her glasses, " I don't know if I'm exactly the best teacher on
having a social life." She replied.
	"Then neither of us will look like an idiot in front of the other." 
Feral found the words coming faster than his mind was registering the
events.
	"Allright."  That teasing rueful smile was back," Tuesday, 6 o'clock?"
	Feral finally let go of the papers and replied, "I'll pick you up at
Town Hall.  Bring a set of casual clothing."
	Callie nodded as a response and put the last of the papers in her case
and closed it up,"Well... I better go make sure everything's ready on
stage for the Mayor's performance." She sounded almost, reluctant?
	"Then I won't keep you any longer."  Feral replied.  He felt a smile
cross his face again and found his feet carrying him away quickly, back
towards the last place he'd seen Felina.  With each step his heart
pounded louder in his chest his mind finally catching up with the rest
of him.  Kat's alive! What had he just done?

		*			*			*

	Feral didn't have time to find Felina before a piercing scream rang out
in the park.  Quickly joined by several more.  Coming out from under a
copse of Trees Feral turned and looked up at the sky where Kats were
pointing.  There in the sky was a, well, a dragon.  Twisting and
spiraling as it flew.  It belched out a gout of flame as it dove for the
park.  Lighting trees and grass afire, "Kat's alive!"  Feral thought
fast, "Felina!  Marcus!" he called out, but didn't wait for a reply.  He
instead made a fast run for his hum-vee.
Marcus was already there when Feral got to his car, piecing together his
personal sniper rifle.  	Feral gave him a brief nod before grabbing the
radio handset, "This is Commander Feral, Captain Chavez, respond, what
is your location?"
	The response came crisply and in only seconds, "This is Captain Chavez
Commander, I am en route to the park with Mayor Manx's procession."
	"Abort Captain, send the Mayor back to City hall with an escort and
bring all available units with you to the park, we have a crisis on our
hands."  Feral paused to look to the skies but kept the send button
depressed.  The dragon was there and chose this moment to let out a
titanic roar and dive for a grove of trees.
	"Bring any knights you can find with you too Captain."  With that Feral
put the handset back and popped the glove compartment.  He took out his
pistol and spare energy pack and turned to see an 'ate the mouse' grin
on Marcus' face.
	"Son, was that a joke I just heard outta your mouth?"  Marcus tightened
the stock on his rifle, finishing its assembly.
Feral paused, then shrugged, "Might have been soldier, I'll let you know
when they debrief me."  Marcus nodded, still smiling and shouldered his
rifle, "What's your game plan on this one son?"
	"We'll keep it busy until backup arrives.  I'll have Felina work to
evacuate the park once I find her."
	"Gotcha uncle."  Felina's voice came from behind both Kat's.  She had
obviously been running a good distance herself.
	"Start with the Podium Felina, be sure to get the Deputy Mayor to
safety."  With that the three Kats broke into action, each running in
separate directions.  Feral for one flank of the airborne menace, Marcus
for the other, and Felina for the podium.

		*			*			*
	Marcus slid his rifle off his shoulder as he ran.  Pulling off the
safety  as he angled to the right of the dragon's aerial show.  Oddly
enough it didn't' seem to be ranging far, just making a scene.  Marcus
crested a hill and a quick glance let him know the ground beneath the
thing was clear.  Flipping off the safety Marcus pulled the rifle up to
his shoulder and drew aim with the speed and precision that had earned
him his reputation.  With a loud crack one round of CAP ammo speed for
the dragon.  The solid slug hit dead on.  Tearing into the right side of
the thing's head and taking most of that head with it in a gory gout of
brains, bone, and blood.  The dragon stopped mid twist and plunged
towards the earth.  It wasn't more than half way down however when a
greenish good burst out of the wound and sealed it up.  Reforming the
creatures head in a mockery of the original shape.  This new head was
nastier looking as well.  The teeth longer, several more horns, and each
horn dripping a most likely unpleasant substance.
	"Kat's alive,"  Marcus swore, then realizing the Dragon had righted
itself and was flying in his direction he lifted his rifle snapping over
to burst fire.  Three rounds hit the dragon across the chest creating
three more gouts of blood and gore.  Marcus didn't' wait around to see
the results, turning tail he ran for the nearest cover.

		*			*			*

	Feral finished 'doctoring' his pistol just as the Dragon's regeneration
brought it back from it's second certain death at Marcus' hands.  Taking
aim he fired, the coherent blast of light stuck the Dragon mid flank. 
It did nowhere near the damage Marcus' rifle had but it did what Feral
had hoped.  It draw the Dragon's attention.  Firing off a second blast
too soon after the first Feral made sure the dragon was following him,
but also made Feral drop the searing hot pistol as he turned to run.
	Feral ran full tilt, using every once of speed he had in him, which was
quite a good deal for a Kat of his size.  The heavy beat of wings behind
him let him know without a doubt that the Dragon was still following. 
The pounding was so loud in his ears that when it vanished into complete
silence the hair on the back of Feral's neck stood on end. 
Instinctively he threw himself to the right and to the ground.  Not a
second later fire blasted through the space he had occupied.  The
roaring torrent still singed his fur but otherwise left him alive and
well.  Scrambling to his feet Feral got ready to run anew.  The triple
crack of Marcus' rifle was a welcome sound.  However the shower of blood
bile and intestines that rained down from above was not.  Barely keeping
his feet and surging through the mess Feral got clear before the
unkillable creature could recover from having it's chest blown out a
second time.
	With a luck that had plagued him his whole life the Dragon chose still
to lunge after Feral.  Gagging from the noxious bath he'd just been
given Feral made for a pavilion.  Feral leaped the first row of picnic
tables and hopped up onto the second before whirling to look back at his
pursuit. 
	The Dragon descended at the edge of the pavilion and hooked a clawed
hand under the edge.  With one heave it tore the roof clean away.
	"So much for cover."  Feral gritted to himself as he looked up at death
looming over him.  A shot rang out, striking the creature in the head. 
Followed by another, then a set of five in tight formation.  Looking
towards the origin Feral saw Chavez and Felina standing side be side
with a 10 man enforcer squad.  The first rank took a knee for the second
to fire.  The shots also hit the dragon, doing little more now than
upsetting it though, especially since the inhibitors were still on their
weapons.  Still Feral took the opportunity to make a break for their
lines.  Under order from Captain Chavez the squad broke into 5 man
teams, each heading in a separate direction and staging a fighting
retreat.  Felina took the squad nearest Feral so he headed for it as
well.  Scenarios ran through Feral's mind as he ran, none of them good. 
They had to find some way to put this thing down.  Just as he reached
the squad the roar of a jet sounded overhead.

		*			*			*

	"Ugh, why can't MegaKat city ever get attacked by Amazonian she-kats?" 
Razor groaned as the now deformed dragon came into view.
	"Look at it this way Razor, as long as the badguys stay ugly then
no-one else will try and take our jobs."  T-bone brought the turbokat in
low for a flyby then banked back around, "So, what're you gonna use on
that thing?"
	Razor keyed up the weapons panel and looked over his options, "Let's
clip it's wings first."  Razor selected the cutter missiles and brought
up the tracking display.  The outline of the  Dragon was clear, as were
the enforcers shooting at it, ineffectuality as usual.  Razor eased the
crosshairs into alignment, "Cutter missiles... Away!"  Razor thumbed the
firing studs just a hairsbreadth before T-bone pulled up sharply.  Razor
blinked at the shift in G-forces, he sometimes forgot about positions
when he was targeting, like the fact that the Turbokat had almost done a
nose-dive into the Dragon's back.  Coming back around The SWATKats
surveyed the Damage from their attack, two wings, neatly severed at the
bases; both oozing a thick green ichor.
	"Bingo."  Razor grinned, "Now, a quick round of swarmer missiles to
finish it off."
	"Look again sureshot."  T-bone pointed to the scene below.  The
Dragon's head half exploded, hit by some form of weapon.  Then in a
heart beat the shattered head reformed, even more twisted than before.
	"Kat's alive!"  Razor said with open disbelief in his voice.
	"So, now how do we take it out Razor?"


		*				*				*

	"Scatter!"  Feral dove to the right as the rest of Felina's half-squad
each ran in a different direction, each evenly spaced and all heading
away from the dragon.  The SwatKat's missile had hampered it's mobility
by severing it's wings, which didn't seem to be growing back, but it was
still very much a threat.
	Feral got a moment's reprieve as a three round cluster from Marcus'
rifle struck the Dragon, tearing a gaping hole in it's flank.  The
Dragon began to heal almost immediately but Feral used those precious
moments to try and reassess the situation.  His eyes scanned the park,
almost empty and ravaged by this running battle.  The stage torn  to
pieces, the only thing left standing was the refreshment stands...
	Feral turned a bit and took off, none too soon as the Dragon reared up
fully healed and quite pissed off again.  a wave of Cement rounds struck
along it's head and neck, stunning the beast and buying Feral a few more
seconds, "Chavez! Felina!  Form up on me."  Feral didn't look to see if
they followed, he just kept running for the refreshment stands.  His
ears picked up the sounds of the others falling in alongside and behind
him in moments.  Feral dropped from his run and threw out an arm, "Form
up, two lines, fast firing retreat."  The Squad fell in, with Chavez in
first rank, calling off time to keep the retreat even.  The dragon was
coming at them again.  Pulse rifle shots ringing off it's head and neck. 
The shots did almost no damage, but they slowed it up a bit, and kept it
focused on the enforcers and not the rest of the city.
	"Uncle what're you planning on doing?"
	"Me?  Nothing Felina, let's just hope those SwatKats are as smart as
you think they are.  Now, get in rank."  Feral didn't have a sidearm so
he settled for guiding Chavez, hand on shoulder, moving her and by
default he whole line slowly to the left, getting in line with his
objective.  Time passed too slowly, each round of shots seeming an
eternity apart.  The dragon looming closer after every burst.  Feral
heard the Turbokat overhead, at least three times as he backed the squad
up. C'mon SwatKats, follow our path.  Feral looked up as the TurboKat
passed overhead again, right down  the line his squad was traveling,
	"I hope that means you figured it out."  Feral mumbled under his
breath.  The Rear rank had their backs to the stand and the Dragon
wasn't more than a handful of meters away, "Allright, Break and run!" 
Feral barked out.  
	The squad ran on command but Feral stayed.  He snatched a rifle from a
passing trooper's hands and fired it right on target at the Dragon's
snout.  The ploy worked and the Dragon focused on him.  Feral ditched
the weapon and waved his arms once more to make sure then turned and
cleared the stand's counter.  Feral weaved his way past prep stands and
pushed out through the back of the tent.  His caught the white cylinder
that all of this depended on out of the corner of his eye as he felt
more than heard the dragon his the stand behind him.  The cracking of
would and tearing of cloth was joined by another higher pitched sound. 
Feral had heard that sound enough to know what it was.  match head
missiles.  Three more steps was all that Feral dared then he dove for
the ground and not a moment too soon.  The missiles stuck center target
behind him, rupturing the Propane tank and igniting the contents.  The
concussion picked up Feral and tossed him through the air like a doll. 
The effect on the Dragon was much more satisfying though.  Caught in the
middle of the blast the Dragon was annihilated.  Blown limb from limb
and scattered in messy lifeless clumps.


			*			*			*

	Marcus watched the finale unfold from his vantage point high in a tree. 
Just as the SwatKat's made their final pass he slapped one last round
into his rifle, this one slightly different from the others, took aim
and fired.  The shot hit a little off target, it only tagged the
TurboKat's wing, Marcus hoped that would be enough.  The explosion
happened just as he'd figured it would.  Feral was always good on his
feet, and at his best when working with nothing.  Marcus climbed quickly
down from the tree and made his way to the scene.  The TurboKat flew
over once more then didn't return.

			*			*			*

	Captain Sierra Chavez saw Commander Feral tossed by the explosion and
her stomach twisted in a knot.  She ducked as debris blew past the
upturned table she'd used for cover then vaulted it, running for where
she'd last seen the Commander.  She found him, another ten feet away and
out cold.  She could tell He was in bad shape as she took a knee beside
him.  Her left hand went to her collar mike as her right pulled the
emergency medkit from her pants cargo pocket.  Keying open the mike she
snapped off lines that sounded so distantly cold and mechanical they
made her sick, "This is Captain Chavez, we have an officer down South
side of MegaKat North Terrace Park.  Situation Critical, send immediate
assistance with full mobile ICU.  Look for the blast Crater."  
	When her hand left the mike it went right for Feral's neck, there was a
pulse, barely, and weaker with each beat.  Chavez ripped open her
medkit, "Jenkins!  Get over here, man down!"  	The squad's real medic
was at her side so fast he must have already been on his way.  Felina
and the rest of the enforcers were there before Chavez had opened the
syringe package.
	"Uncle!"  Felina cried, pushing her way to the front.  This was what
Chavez had feared, forcing the fear form her own voice she spoke almost
icilly, "Lieutenant, take these men and establish a perimeter.  We'll
need someone to keep the press out and guide the medical services people
to us when they arrive."
	The trauma of seeing her uncle laid out and dying could push Felina one
of two ways, thankfully it was the way Chavez needed her.  With a
stunned numbness Felina replied, "Yes sir."  And motioned for the squad
to follow her, they moved out properly, if somewhat slowly until only
Jenkins and Chavez remained, "Break out your Stim too Jenkins."  Chavez
directed as she drew the potent steroid into her syringe from its'
bottle.
	"You sure what's wise Sir?"  Jenkins asked even as he opened his own
medkit and followed her lead, "I know he's banged up bad but, two?"
	"The Commander's a big Kat Jenkins, let's hope big enough to handle two
doses, because the rate he's fading one just won't cut it."  Chavez
traced Feral's corodid artery with a finger until she found the right
spot.  She slide the needle in and pumped the Stim into Feral's body. 
She kept her finger in place as she withdrew the needle and Jenkins
handed her his syringe.  Chavez unloaded it into Feral too, slightly
slower than the first.
	"Check him for any serious externals."  She said almost as an
afterthought.  Keeping pressure on the insertion point Chavez monitored
Feral's pulse.  True to Stim's purpose it rose quickly again, not too
fast, but strong, almost pounding through the veins as the Commander's
heart went into forced Chemical convulsions.
	"No serious Externals Captain, just some second degree burns and some
cuts."
	"What I figured."  Chavez mumbled more to herself than anyone else,
"It's all inside."
Chavez felt a shadow fall across her and looked up to see Marcus
standing next to her, not one to sugarcoat things she said strait out,
"It's not good."
	"He'll live."  Marcus replied, and with such simple confidence that
Chavez felt slightly reassured herself, "Tell him when he comes around
that I went off to follow a lead."  Marcus turned without waiting and
strode off.  Leaving Chavez to wait for the ambulance to arrive.


		*			*			*


T-bone banked the TurboKat around in a lazy arc for home.  They'd spent
the last five minutes flying random; the park had been too close to home
for a direct fly-back, no sense in getting tailed.  Lining up the course
T-bone let his mind wander back to his conversation with Felina.  He had
thought he was going to die on the spot, he was so nervous he was afraid
he might start shedding but it had gone okay.  She had been in a pretty
good mood and he hadn't messed up too bad so all in all he had to call
it a succe-

"T-bone, flip over to the EM channel."  Razor's voice interrupted
T-bone's thoughts.  He casually flipped over to the emergency channel
and picked up a transmission in stream.

"-tuation critical.  Two, I repeat Two doses of stim have been
administered.  The patient's metabolism is reacting violently.  Enroute
to Manx Memorial Hospital.  Have a full emergency crew available. 
Expect contact from Enforcer Felina Feral; report her uncle's condition
as critical, but hopeful.  EM Caster out."

	T-bone hit mute for a second, "Sounds like Feral took a hit down
there."
"What do you think T-bone, should we check it out?"
"I don't think we'd be too welcomed down there.  Felina will be there
for him no doubt.  Best we can do is refuel, rearm, and try and figure
out who's behind this.  That Dragon was one of the past Master's, but it
wasn't any ordinary dragon."
"No kidding.  The way it regrew like that, hmm.  I smell Dr. Viper, and
the plant attacks last week reeked of him too."
"Think they're working together?"  T-bone turned his attention forward
and brought the TurboKat in for a landing, Razor waited until they'd
popped the canopy to respond.
"It's possible T-bone."  Razor hopped out and pulled off his helmet and
mask, T-bone finished post-flight checks on all the systems, "But
whoever it is, they're doing a great job hiding where they are.  We can
go out looking, but I don't know how we're going to find them. 
Sometimes I wish we had more than one jet."
"Perhaps I can help you there."  Both T-bone and Razor spun to face the
new voice.  As one both glove o' tricks came up to train on the Kat
walking our from around a repair dolly, "Come now, we're on the same
side aren't we?"  The Kat's roguish grin had 'I gotcha' written all over
it.
"Mr. Kaque?"  Razor's voice held as much confusion as filled T-bone's
head.
"That's me again.  Hasn't changed in the last few hours.  Nice place you
boys got here."
Razor seemed pole-axed, T-bone tried to recover the initiative, ask the
obvious, "How did you find this place?"
Marcus pointed to the two still raised glove o' tricks, "May I?"  Both
SWATKat's lowered their hands in unison and T-bone nodded.  Marcus made
his way around to the left wing of the TurboKat and pointed to a small
silver bullet hole, "Tracer round, fired it off just before you guys
left, looks like my aim was a little off, I hit too high on the wing."
T-bone heard Razor make a strangled sound, he continued to use the
obvious, "That still doesn't explain how you got here so fast"
"Well you flew over this place directly from your way out, then went
past into the desert lands out south.  I had to say to myself.  Where in
the desert would you hide a hangar?  The Salvage yard seemed a better
place to get parts, and to hide things.  So I took a peek, and got
lucky."
"What do you want now that you're here?"  T-bone felt his stomach knot,
if this Kat blew their identities it was all over.
"Same thing you do, to find out who's behind this.  This half-baked on
site co-operation stuff is a serious weak link in the program.  I figure
full-fledged co-ordination will work out much nicer.  You have the tech,
we have the manpower, and we can get things done.  Of course the
enforcers could never 'officially' condone the SWATKats.  Since no one
knows you're actually enforcers we would appear to be condoning
vigilantism."
T-bone let the sarcasm sink into his voice, "Co-operate?  With the
enforcers?  Yeah, Feral'd have a field day with that.  Not to mention
your guys can't handle what we go up against."
Marcus frowned; it was an expression that seemed wholly out of place on
the Kat's face.  He gestured to the hangar, "Look at all this.  All this
high tech stuff you've come up with.  No doubt it's advanced, and clever
too.  Now, look what we get to deal with.  Down powered weapons, tin-can
vehicles, dumdum shells, I'd say Feral and his men do pretty damn good
with what they have."
T-bone let his frustration at being found out get the better of him and
words left his lips before his mind approved them, "Feh, we could do ten
times better than all of the enforcers, without our gear."
"It's a date then.  I'll pick the time and place; you just bring
yourselves and your old enforcer gear.  We'll see how it fairs."  Marcus
walked to the stairs up and grinned, "And just so you know, your
secret's safe with me, me and one other Kat that is."
"Wait."  T-bone protested, trying to figure out how he'd been suckered
into this deal.
"The future waits for no Kat."  Marcus said over his shoulder as he
disappeared up the stairs.  T-bone climbed out of the cockpit and slide
down off the wing of the TurboKat.  Razor was still just standing there
rigid and unmoving.  T-bone reached out and tapped his friend's
shoulder, "Razor?  You okay buddy?"
The words slipped from Razor's mouth at only a whisper, a question
steeped in awe;  "You hit the wing of the TurboKat...
mid-flight...with... a rifle?"

*				*				*

Captain Chavez was pacing in the waiting room when Felina entered.  She
pulled off her helmet and tossed her gloves into it as she made her way
to the Captain, "Sir! Have you heard anything yet?"
Captain Chavez shook her head and pointed to a closed set of Operating
room doors, "They took him in there over an hour ago, and nothing so
far."
Felina actually took one step towards the OR before good sense caught
hold of her.  She couldn't do anything in there, and she'd only get in
the way.  She looked to the counter and the nurse on duty, then to
Captain Chavez again.  The older She-Kat shook her head once and Felina
sighed.  She flopped down in a waiting room chair and did just that, she
waited.
It wasn't a long wait; some five minutes after she arrived a doctor in
bloodless scrubs came out of the OR.  Pulling her mask off the doctor
made her way directly for Captain Chavez, and by default Felina.
"You the one who brought the Commander in?  Got the entire hospital put
on Alert AND used two stims on him?"
It sounded like a setup, the Captain must have known it too because her
nod was a slow one, "Yes."
The Doctor shook a finger in the Captain's face, "If you EVER, and I
mean EVER pull anything like this again, I'll have your badge, I
probably should for cramming a perfectly healthy Kat full of drugs."
The Captain looked pole-axed.  Her mouth hung open for a moment, then
worked wordlessly for another moment before a sound came out,
"perfectly...?  But I took his pulse on sight; it was practically
nonexistent.  And his ribs..."
"His ribs."  The doctor interrupted, "Are just fine.  As are all his
internals, both CAT scan and x-rays came up negative.  You got a lot of
people worried over nothing and are just lucky a double stim didn't kill
him."  The doctor turned, and Felina managed to get in before the doctor
left, "Can we go in and see him now?"
The doctor paused and nodded; though she didn't turn around, "Yeah you
can, we'll be moving him out of there and into a normal room until he
decides to go.  He's got a clean bill from me though."
Felina left a dumbfounded Chavez behind as she rushed into the OR. 
There was her uncle, stuck in a blue hospital gown, lying in bed.  He
looked perfectly healthy, but just seeing him in this setting made
Felina's stomach turn knots, "Uncle?"
Feral looked up from brushing his uniform coat at her voice, "Felina." 
His voice was stern, not harsh, but it asserted he was still very much
in charge.
Felina kept her voice down.  There was something about hospitals that
made you want to whisper, "I came to see how you're doing.  The doctor
said you're fine?"
Feral nodded, "That's right.  I was thrown clear by the blast, but I was
in the air when it hit me, so I got off with a few bumps and bruises." 
The explanation over her uncle heaved himself out of the bed, "Where's
the Captain?"
"Probably being chewed out by the doctor again.  She wasn't too happy
about the Captain doubling up your stim dosage, especially without your
being injured."
Feral pulled the gown over his head and Felina had to look away quickly. 
Her uncle was a perfect gentleman in most things.  But his sense of
physical nudity around family was different than her own.  His parents
had been very 'free loving' quite the opposite of her uncle.  She had
learned about this habit early on after coming to work on his force. 
She heard the sounds of him dressing back up in his clothes, then his
voice; "The Captain was just doing what she thought was right.  That
could have been a dangerous explosion.  If she thought my condition was
bad enough to warrant it then I trust her judgement."
"Whatever you say Sir."  Felina had a hundred unvoiced questions, but as
she studied the floor tiles intently and waited for her uncles polished
boots to step onto them and let her know he'd fully dressed she couldn't
put voice to them.  This was a game he played with her.  Toying with the
one 'delicate' area in her otherwise gun ho personality.  She felt a
flush of embarrassment rising in her cheeks as usual, and the hair on
the back of her neck prickled.  Just then the boots came, saving her any
further thought.  She looked up, still feeling the flush on her cheeks. 
Her Uncle straitened the top button on his coat with a scowl, "Grow up
Felina."  Was all he said and he stepped past her and out the doors. 
Felina winced inwardly at the reprimand and released a breath she didn't
know she was holding.  Every time she made headway with her uncle it
seemed something came along that knocked her back down to a child in his
eyes.

*				*				*

It was much later that evening when Felina made it home finally.  She
tossed her duffel down on the floor by the door, knowing full well that
her uniform would wrinkle if she didn't pull it out of the bag soon. 
She left her helmet and gloves on the recliner and headed for the
kitchen.  One long pull on a cold brew later she sighed.  Spinning the
bottle cap on the counter she went over the day's events.  The bottle
cap was spun three times more before she was done, and able to classify
this day as simply a push.  She'd lost ground with her uncle, but she'd
met that new kat who seemed all right.  And also seemed to have fallen
like a rock for her.  It was almost cute to see him falling over himself
trying to talk.  He was nice though; maybe she'd give him a call...
DAMN!  Tossing back the last of the beer Felina chalked today up as a
failure, she'd not gotten his number.
Felina headed back toward her bag, time to get the uniform out before it
wrinkled.  A sound gave her pause though, the tink tinking of the bottle
cap.  It should have spun this long.  Looking back she saw it vibrating
on the counter, a moment later she could feel the vibrations through her
feet.  The earthquake was only seconds in coming.

*				*				*

Enforcer Headquarters was a shambles.  The earthquake hadn't damaged the
building so much as sent every bit of paper splashing off of desks and
onto the floor.  In the hurried dispatches that followed there was no
time to pick it, or anything else knocked over up.  So, with relatively
minor damage it still managed to look like a war zone.  Commander Feral
stood in the Com center, picking up snippets of conversation as damage
control teams reported in all over the city, along with the extra
patrols sent out to discourage any random looting that might start.  One
voice cut in over the din of the several dispatchers on duty.
	"Sir, Zeta wing is reporting in, you might want to have a look at
this."
	Commander Feral turned to the young com Kat; the fear in his voice was
what caught Feral's attention.  The Kat switched over to his full
monitor displays. "This is live feed from Zeta leader's nose cam."
	The image that filled the screen was an odd one.  A turtle, or at least
what looked like a normal large land turtle, with black dots buzzing
over it, flies maybe.  The only thing that ruined the otherwise peaceful
image was the sight of one of Zeta's planes in the picture too.  It
looked larger than one of the dots, but was not even close to as large
as the turtle.  Add that to the fact that that creature had to be at
least a good distance off, and it smacked of what had become an
alarmingly regular parade of giant creatures bent of destroying MegaKat
City.  It was in the sand barrens, south east of the city, and a glance
at the nearby area map showed it to be about 200 miles out.  The comKat
just stared at the monstrosity, and Feral reached forward to key open
the channel, "Squadron Leader give me your report."
	"Yes Sir.  We got first sight on this thing 14 minutes ago and deviated
within allowable limits from our flight path to investigate.  It is slow
moving, very slow.  But also very big.  My estimate is that it is at
least 1000 meters in length, and perhaps one sixth that in height. 
Orders Sir?"
	"What are those things hovering over it?"
	"Unknown Sir, we haven't gotten close enough to find out."
	"Move in then, but do so with extreme caution, do not engage."
	"Yes Sir."
	The Camera view banked and adjusted at the Squad leader turned his
plane dead on towards the creature.  It took surprisingly long for the
image of the creature in the viewer to get larger, an indicator of the
distance between it and the plane.  Eventually though the dots above it
began to get larger and become easier to pick out.
	"Sir, I make twenty objects over the creature, still no definite ID on
them, but judging from here, I'd imagine each one's about as large as a
plane.  They might be an escort?"
Feral rubbed his chin, normally he'd want to investigate this, but with
all that had been happening lately, "Break off and return to base Zeta
leader.  You've done your job."
	"Yes Sir."
	Feral leaned back from the controls and spoke to the comKat who was
still looking at the screen in a mix of awe and horror, "Call up an
extra patrol for the express purpose of keeping tabs on this thing. 
They are to maintain a distance of two miles, and are not to engage
under any circumstances."  The comKat nodded, but Feral was already on
his way out of the room.  If his hunch was right, he was going to need
some serious firepower to even hope to save the city this time.


			*			*			*

Razor Threw a can of milk to T-bone as he came back down into the
hangar. The can was intercepted though, pulled out of the air with a
deft snatch by Enforcer Kaque.
            "Thanks Jake, just what I needed."  The Kat grinned and
popped open the can.  Razor blinked, how had he gotten in this time? 
T-bone was giving Razor the 'well. What do we do now?' look and Razor
was fresh out of idea of how to deal with this Kat.
	"Well, good to see you again Mr. Kaque."  Razor lied, "What brings you
by?"
	Marcus took a drink and pointed to the computer monitor Razor had been
working at, "You have to ask?"  Playing on it was live feed from an
Enforcer cam of the beast that was approaching the town, "I was curious
to see what you two had figured out about that."
	Razor pondered playing dumb for half a minute, but it really wouldn't
achieve anything in this situation, "It's called a Behemoth.  Dr. Simian
was able to fill us in earlier today.  They used to live in this area
millions of years ago.  Wading through swamps and feeding off algae as
they went."
Marcus took another swig of milk and pointed at the monitor,
"Weaknesses?"
	T-bone answered that one, "None.  Seems they only died out because they
overpopulated, it takes a lot of food to keep one of them going."
	Marcus tapped the lid of the can, "Whoever's controlling it seems to
have gotten past that problem."
	"Whoever?" Razor asked incredulously, "This whole thing reeks of the
Past Master."
	"Though that Dragon seemed more like Doctor Viper's work."  T-bone
commented as he switches the view on the monitor over to a cam outside
enforcer HQ here Enforcers were coming and going in droves, preparing.
	Razor nodded and shrugged, "Maybe they're working together.  But as of
now we don't have any leads on how to crack that monster.  Especially
not with his dragon cover."
	Marcus nodded, "Well, the info will help.  We've found what looks like
an abandoned base twenty miles south of it's present location,
underground, only satellite imaging caught it."
	"Well we should get in there."  Razor said, more to himself than anyone
else.
	"We will.  You two, four hours; in your real uniforms, south edge of
town, Megakat highway" Marcus grinned as he set the empty milk can down,
"Don't look so surprised guys.  Now you'll get a chance to show how much
better you are then normal enforcers."  With that he left back up the
stairs.  Razor looked to T-bone who shrugged rather helplessly, "You
better hope your uniform fits buddy, I think you've been putting on
weight."

				*		*		*

	Three hours and fifty nine minutes later Commander Feral was driving
his hum-vee down Megakat highway with Marcus in the back seat rechecking
a pistol.
	"Soldier, you've rechecked that piece a hundred times."  Feral glanced
back in the rear view mirror, "What's eating you?"
	"Dragon if I'm not careful."  Marcus joked with little humor, "I don't
know Son, something about this whole mess just has me spooked."
	"You mean besides the fact a prehistoric mobile land mass is going to
hit the city in five days?"
	Marcus holstered the pistol and leaned forward, "Yeah, besides that." 
This time his voice held a little more humor, "Still, I can't shake this
feeling.  Hold up, we got two passengers coming up here."  Marcus
gestured to the side of the road and Feral pulled over, two Kats in
enforcer garb stood beside the road, "Who're these two?" Feral said as
he opened his door.
	"Our backup."  Marcus replied as he got out too.
	Feral recognized the two Kats after a moment, and did his best to cover
his surprise, "Clawson, Furlong, fancy meeting you here."
	The two Kats seemed just as surprised as he, and it was Marcus who
spoke first, "I met these two at the picnic Commander.  I heard about
the situation.  Creative punishment, as always."  There was a genuine
admiration in Marcus' voice, "Still, their records indicate they're
good.  And, hearing them brag I thought I'd like to see them in action."
	Feral nodded, Marcus' story seemed to make sense, and then Marcus said
the line Feral had been dreading.
	"I also thought it would be a kicker to see the SwatKats without their
toys."
	Feral thought the two Kats took it well, Jake's jaw dropped like a rock
while Chance looked like he was trying to decide if he could take both
Feral and Marcus.  He winced inwardly as well.  Marcus always did kick
the hornet's nest.   Feral knew though, when Marcus kicked, diamonds
usually fell out.  Deciding against the riot act, Feral opted for the
simple truth, "Yes.  IT will be interesting to see you two back in
uniform, even if it's only for a short while."
	Feral did get some pleasure in the various reactions that brought out,
Even Marcus missed a beat, and so Feral went on, no sense in hiding
anymore, "I've known for a while.  It wasn't difficult to figure out. 
Flying Style, availability of parts, timing of their arrival, attitude." 
Feral crossed his arms; "You got the job done, barely.  I was biding my
time.  But if you had ever crossed the line for even a moment I would
have nailed your asses to the wall."
	There was a long silence, punctuated only by the rushing sounds of cars
passing them on the highway.  Chance was the one to speak first, "So,"
wary didn't even begin to describe his tone, "Where does this leave us?"
	Feral's mind raced through alternate solutions he'd thought up, but
they were all rejected for the one he'd long ago decided would have to
work, "We finish this mission.  Then you two go back to the Junkyard,
and I go back to headquarters.  I'll still be watching, know if you two
ever push it too far I'll come down on you so hard you'll wish Dark Kat
were the one who had you."
	Both SwatKat's nodded to that, though hesitantly.  Feral glanced at
Marcus and saw the older kat giving him an appraising look, "Well done
Son." He murmured under his breath.  Then louder, "Well, let's get out
of the road, shall we?"  Both SwatKats still looked like they were
trying to decide if they should bolt or attack, but they did pile into
the Hum-vee, taking up the back while Marcus switched to the front.  The
rest of the ride out to the site was done in silence.
The insertion went off without a hitch; Feral had to admit Clawson and
Furlong's skills impressed him.  The group had ditched the hum-vee back
at the road and humped it out four miles to the site.  The entrance was
a vent hidden under a rock outcropping.  It led down into an underground
complex that looked almost like an old military bunker.  Feral didn't
have time to think too much on it as they moved through the place room
by room.  Nothing was what they found a whole lot of, until they hit the
fifth level down.  There they came up to a door with a functioning
maglock.
	"Damn, complicated things."  Marcus frowned as he examined the lock.
"No way I can get us through this without tools."
	Feral nodded, and mulled it over, then let out a low short whistle. 
Moments later Jake came trotting up from his rearguard position.
	"Alright Clawson."  Feral pointed to the lock, "You're supposed to be a
tech genius, can you get us through this?"
	Jake took a moment to look over the lock then took out his knife. 
Marcus fell back to fill the rearguard spot with Chance while Jake
popped the casing off the lock.  Feral watched and waited for minute
after minute as Jake toyed with the bundles of wires within the lock. 
Just as Feral was about to tell him to give up the light on the lock
switched to green and the door opened a fraction with the hiss of a seal
opening.  Jake's satisfied smile was larger than simply opening the lock
justified in Feral's mind.  Still, the kids were good, if 'besting' him
kept them sharp and motivated; he could deal with it.
Feral pulled the door open a bit more to get a look inside, only
darkness greeted him, "Alright Clawson.  You and Furlong wait here at
the door."  Feral whistled the same whistle again, and then another one,
and both Marcus and Chance came trotting up.  Feral motioned Marcus
forward, and pointed to the door.  He himself took up a spot against the
wall beside the door with his pistol drawn.  Marcus slipped a foot into
the crack where the door was already opened, and pushed it open all the
way with one quick motion.  Following up he ducked into the room and to
the right of the doorway.  Feral followed up when no gunfire came,
plunging into the darkness of the room to take up a position on the left
of the door.  His eyes adjusted to the gloom quick enough, revealing
some kind of lab.  Feral lowered his pistol, "looks like we found
something."
	"Well I definitely found a light switch."  Marcus grumbled as he
stepped away form the wall, rubbing his back with one hand.  He turned
and flipped on the lights.  Feral moved the door closed as Marcus moved
further into the room.  With the door shut no one would see the whole
group at once.  Not that anyone seemed to be occupying this place.
	"Find anything Soldier?"  Feral asked as he holstered his weapon.
	"Looks like it..." Marcus was leafing through some papers on a counter,
"But there's a lot of it here."
	Feral checked out what looked like a working computer console and began
scanning through the database.
	
		*				*				*


	"Jake, do I have to tell you I feel like I've had every hair on my body
rubbed the wrong way?"
	"Same here buddy."  Jake kept his eyes down the hall as he talked, "I
can't believe Feral knew."
	"It does make sense I guess when you think about it.  Seems the old
Kat's not as dumb as we thought."
	"Definitely not.  I guess things will still work out, but something
just doesn't feel the same."
	"Yeah.  Still, it does feel... I don't know... kind of good to get back
in uniform and do something sanctioned for once."
	Jake nodded at that, and silence fell between them for a moment. 
Chance opened his mouth to speak again as something, nothing
distinguishable, just something, came into view down the corridor.  It
turned to face them slowly, "Jake, what IS that thing?"
	"I don't know buddy."  The thing raised its arms, vaguely felinoid
looking; it was covered in a green chitenous shell.  Without
presentation or pretense, it charged.
	Chance drew his pistol and dropped to one Knee, beside him Jake did the
same but remained standing.  They both snapped off shots at the thing as
it charged.  Each shot hit it square, and had no effect in the
slightest.  Chance wasn't sure how many shots he got off before the
thing hit him full in the chest.  Chance remembered thinking it weighed
a lot more than it should have before everything went black.


		*				*				*
	
	Jake dropped the useless pistol from his hand as he turned to face the
creature.  A part of his mind worried about Chance's limp form slumped
against the wall, but the rest of it was trying to decide how to hurt
this thing.  A dozen ideas came to mind all needing the glove o' tricks. 
And all he had was himself, and a knife.  Squaring off Jake feinted at
the beast out of reflex then drove his heel into its midsection with a
spinkick.  The results were, mixed.  The thing staggered back a few
steps, stunned.  But Jake was in no position to take advantage.  Pain
shot through his foot and up his leg as he connected.  He did his own
little step dance back, favoring his throbbing foot.  The creature
lunged at him and Jake sidestepped less gracefully than he would have
liked because of his foot, but good enough.  He spun on his good heel
until he was alongside the beast, and drove his elbow down into its
face.  The outcome was a bit better this time.  His arm just went numb
from the elbow down as if he'd hit his funny bone, and the beast
staggered and ran headlong into the wall.  Still, Jake realized as it
rounded on him again.  He'd run out of limbs before it ran out of steam.

		*				*				*

	A dull thump, heard even through the thick sealed door brought Feral's
head up from the computer display.  He exchanged a quick look with
Marcus, "Get everything you can gathered up, I think we've been found
out."
	Feral keyed in the print command for the files he'd been looking over
and drew his pistol, heading for the door; there was no further sound
from it.  Feral eased the door handle to open then took in his breath,
and pushed the door open.  He dropped to a firing stance in one smooth
motion doing a quick assessment of the situation.  Thinking back in
future times, Feral often had to chuckle at how the job had changed him. 
He didn't even miss a beat seeing Jake squaring off against a large
green creature.  He snapped off the obligatory trio of shots; all
bounced off like he'd expected them too.  Things were just never that
easy.  Re-holstering his gun Feral approached the melee.  The thing had
turned it's attention to him when his shots hit it, and was coming his
way.  Feral heard the door reseal behind him as he flexed his hands.
	"Feral, keep it at a distance, it's hard as a rock and strong as one
too."  Jake was moving up behind the creature, but was favoring one leg. 
Feral brought his hands up, a part of him wondering where Chance was. 
The creatures lifted it's arms and ran at him in a blind rush, Feral
slide left and planted a solid blow right against the thing's sternum. 
The blow brought the creature up short, but it reacted much faster than
Feral had planned.  It swung its arms with unreasoning savagery, one
clipping the side of Feral's head and the other catching him in the gut. 
Both blows drove him back, but the rain of punches stopped, much to
Feral's surprise.  Shaking his head once his vision refocused on the
creature, flat on its back, with Jake pinned under it.  Feral took a
step forward, but it felt like slow motion.  The creature squirmed
around as Jake tried to get free.  The younger Kat was freed all right;
a blow sent him flying back against the side of the hall with a loud
crack as his helmet hit the cement.  A deep growl slid through the hall,
and Feral realized it was his own, part of him was waking up that he'd
thought long buried and silent.


			*			*			*

	Chance's ribs felt like broken matchsticks.  He came too wheezing in
pain.  But the pain was good for something; it brought things into focus
faster, sounds, fighting.  His eyes opened sluggishly, but he forced
them to.  Feral stood toe to toe with that green thing that had laid him
out.  The two seemed engaged in some twisted parody of a boxing match. 
Blows landing on both sides looked devastating, but neither party was
dropping.  Across the way, Jake was splayed out, unconscious at least,
plastered against the wall.  It took a moment for all this to register
to Chance, but when it did the rush of adrenaline that followed was
enough to get his limbs moving again.  Pushing himself up he drew his
combat knife, "Feral, you got backup."
	Feral landed a sharp shot to the jaw of the beast that bought a moments
time, "This thing's unstoppable."  The large Kat's uniform was rent in a
dozen places, but he wasn't bleeding at least.
	"Just gimme a shot..." Chance hissed, moving up, hefting the knife in
his hand and looking for an opening.  The thing was circling again,
trying to figure out how to deal with both of them.
	"Alright Furlong, you want your shot, you got it."  Feral darted in at
the beast, which struck out at the incoming target.  Feral caught the
arm though, and used his momentum to circle behind the beast, grabbing
it's other arm and holding it in an effective if sloppy full nelson,
"Take it!" Feral yelled, straining to keep the thing in check.
	Chance was already on his way in, however tough the thing's hide was to
punches; the knife sank into it just fine.  Chance rammed the blade into
it's gut to the hilt, then twisted and zigzagged the knife,
disemboweling it in one stroke.  The beast curled up around it's wound
and let out on last wail before dropping to the ground to lay still. 
Chance dropped the knife on the body and hurdled them both to get to
where Jake lay, "Hey, Jake, you okay?" He placed a paw on the shoulder
of his friend.  This close he could see the spider web of cracks in the
back of his partner's helmet.  Chance lifted the Visor on his partner's
helmet and leaned in to check his breathing, "Jake, speak to me man." 
He was breathing.
	"oooo..."  Jake shifted slightly, his eyes opening, "what... owww..." 
Chance felt a weight lifted from his chest as Jake came around.
	"Good work, both of you."
	The praise sounded so foreign to him Chance looked around to find out
who else had snuck up on them.  But it was only him, Jake, and Feral in
the hallway, all looking worse for wear, but on top in the end.
	"mm, well, I'll say one thing for the enforcers."  Jake mumbled as he
stood up, touching the back of his head, "They make good helmets."


			*			*			*


	Marcus closed his eyes and waited for the numbness to go away.  It
slowly pulled back from his arms the tingling reached back to his chest
and finally pulled away.  His breath calmed and he realized he was still
staring at the hilt of his knife sticking out of the thing's eye. 
Whatever it was had been quick and it hit like a truck.  Pushing back
the onrushing headache Marcus snatched up the satchel full of papers and
disks and made for the door.  Outside Feral and the two SwatKats were
all looking worse for wear, and another of those things was gutted on
the floor.
	"Looks like you boys had all the fun."  Marcus forced a grin passed his
pounding headache.
	Feral tugged what was left of his flak vest into some semblance of
order and spoke, "You've got the information Soldier?"
	Marcus held up the satchel and nodded.
	"Good, then let's get the hell out of here."
	Jake piped in, "And nuke the site from orbit."
	To Marcus' surprise Feral responded to that, "Affirmative."

			*			*			*

	The exit was clean and quiet, a thankful relief to the team.  The ride
back was as quiet as the one up.  Feral pulled the hum-vee over where
they'd picked up Jake and Chance.  Marcus got ready to fill the void of
silence he knew would follow, but Feral beat him to it.
	"Alright Clawson, Furlong, listen up.  Here's the situation.  This
assignment never happened, You go back to the yard and continue on as
you were."  Feral repeated," Exactly as you were." 
	Jake popped open his door and nodded once, sharply, as he got out,
"Yes... Commander."  Chance got out the other side and both shut their
doors in sync.  Feral shifted the Hum-Vee into gear then said out the
window; "The SWATKats will be kept informed of progress on this issue. 
Including any pertinent information retrieved from the disks."  Feral
hit the gas and accelerated away, cutting off the conversation.  After a
moment Marcus decided to speak up, "Well Son, speak your mind."
	"You set me up Soldier."
	"Damn Right I did son, though you set up a pretty little ambush
yourself.  Good call on your part though.  So, what's your POA on this
little situation."
	"Wait and see, Those two are damn good, but still young, I don't know
just how bad all this rattled them."
	"Sounds like a fair plan."  Marcus looked out the back Window as they
Hum-vee slid into the City proper, a low dome-like hill crossed the
horizon, but Marcus knew this hill wouldn't be nice enough to stay there
for long.

				*		*		*

	"Alright Jake, can you tell me what just happened?"  Chance pulled off
his helmet and gloves, setting them on the back of his bike.  Jake was
doing likewise at his own bike.
	"I think we just got unofficial license."  Jake scratched the back of
his head then winced as his fingers slid over the bruise.
	Chance undid his vest and coat, stuffing them into the cargo bins on
the back of his bike.  He tugged out a civvie shirt and began buttoning
it up, "When did we lose the edge exactly?"
	"When that Kaque guy showed up."  Jake's voice had lost some of its
reverence for sheer annoyance,"
	Chance let that work through his mind as he changed pants and boots. 
Reaching for his bike helmet he spoke again, "I have this sinking
feeling that pretty soon, all this will seem like peanuts."
	Jake's voice was almost lost in the rumble of his bike starting up,
"You too huh?  Feels like the end of the world or something."
	Chance revved his engine two more than needed, wanting some small
reassurance to counter the chord Jake's words struck in his gut. 
Together they kicked their bikes into gear and headed back for the main
road and into town.

				*		*		*

	Four Days.  Four days left until that thing hit the city.  Four days
and still all they had were leads.  Dr. Simmian picked up one of the
myriad reports on her desk and tried to read it but after 50+ hours
strait without a break her eyes didn't want to focus.  All around her
the room was the same.  A dozen of the best minds in MegaKat City all
digging through the data retrieved by Commander Feral.  It was some of
the most complicated biotech Dr. Simian had ever seen.  A far cry from
her specialty, she took solace in the fact that none of the pumadyne
eggheads could make heads or tails of most of it either.  Dropping the
report Dr. Simian stood up, wincing at the aches and cramps rippling
through her legs from sitting so long.  Coffee.  She needed more of it
and fast.  This in mind she began her wandering through the halls of the
Pumadyne lab.  This place was one hell of a maze, and her wanderings
took her into rooms filled with other scientists all working on
different aspects of the problem.  She finally hunted down a half pot of
cold coffee in the Anatomy room.  Cradling the icy lifeblood she stared
up at one of the big monitors.  A rather lifeless looking young tech was
going over schematics of the beast's head.  Out of that myriad of
numbers and words a mile long something caught her eye.
	"Hey. Wait. Go back there."  She touched the tech on the shoulder to
get his attention.
	The startled Kat nodded and flipped back slowly through the images.
	"Hold it.  Alright, zoom in on this part."  Dr. Simian made a motion
with her arm to the screen and the tech complied, "What's this right
here?"  Again she gestured and the tech scrunched up his eyes, peering
at the spot she indicated.
	"That is the opening for the Optical Nerve."
"So, it goes right back into the thing's brain?"
	"Yeah.  Oh I know what you're thinking.  But the opening is too small
for an exact penetrating hit.  And anything less would probably not take
it all out.  From what we gathered on the dragon's corpse, if even a bit
of the brain is left the thing won't die.
	"Still, it's worth giving to the Enforcers."  Dr. Simian thought to
herself 'and maybe to two other Kats'
	The tech nodded and began typing up the report as Dr. Simian stumbled
back to her own desk and those blasted reports.


				*		*		*

	Two Days left.  Feral sifted through equipment lists and organizational
reports.  The Doc had come up with nothing but an unworkable plan for
beating the menace.  IT was up to raw firepower to pull it off.  A warm
touch on the back of his neck came as a surprise, and the gentle massage
it gave reminded him of just how tense he was.  Leaning back into it
Feral was able to keep himself from purring outright, but only just.  He
inhaled a moment, and caught the scent of his benevolent guest.  It
caused him to sit up again rather quickly.
	"Mrs. Briggs?"
	Callie moved around to another chair at the ops table Feral had
sprawled his work across. "You look more stiff than usual commander." 
Callie waved a finger at Feral, but her voice belied the gesture, "And
you missed your first lesson."
	All of this hit Feral rather quickly, and in his sleep-deprived state
he couldn't compensate.  His mouth opened, but no words came out, and he
was sure the look on his face was similar.
	Callie grinned that ...well... catish grin of hers, taking off her
glasses and tapping her lips with one end, "Surprised commander?  I know
I am.  You've changed a lot in these last few weeks, and I think I like
it."
	Feral shook himself mentally, and when his fingers touched one of the
reports he said the first thing to come to mind, "You're early for the
meeting."  'Alright, that was lame' Feral winced inwardly.
	Callie gave him a slightly exasperated look, but there was a good deal
of play in her eyes behind it, "Maybe I should leave Commander?"  She
cooed, standing back up and putting her glasses on, "You'd prefer to be
alone?"  Callie Turned and headed for the door, her tail twitching in
time with each step.  Feral felt a catch in his throat, "Ms. Briggs." 
He paused and slowed down a little, "it's quite alright for you to
stay."
	Callie half turned back towards him, "I wouldn't want to be a bother
now."  Her face was all business except for the hint of a smile tugging
at the corners of her mouth.
	Feral's reply was cut off by a knock on the door, and he thanked the
Great Kat, it would have been lame he just knew it, "Come in?" he called
out.
	Captain Chavez opened the door and both She and Felina entered,
"Reporting as ordered Sir."  Chavez snapped off a smart salute, and to
Feral's surprise, so did Felina.  Feral nodded and they entered, taking
their seats.  Feral caught a glance from Callie that seemed to say 'you
got off the hook... this time' he wasn't sure if he should be scared, or
eager for the next time.  Callie retook her seat and all three She-Kat's
looked expectantly to Feral.  Pushing up one of his rolled shirtsleeves
back into place Feral stood, "We have one more group coming.  But I can
outline most of the plan before they arrive."
Feral spread out a large map of MegaKat City across the table,
pre-marked with his troop assignments.  Feral let the two enforcers look
it over a moment before speaking, "The scientists were really only able
to tell us exactly how impossible our job is going to be.  I've called
up everything I can from around, and I still don't' know if it's enough. 
We'll be confronting it in fifty four hours, right here."  Feral stabbed
at the map indicating where he'd marked the front lines.
	Callie was the first to speak up, "Commander, that's inside the city
limits."
	Feral had been expecting this, "I know Ms. Briggs.  But I want every
last hour we can get to gather our forces and get them in place. 
Waiting until the time I've set forth gives us the maximum concentration
of firepower, and the best shot at knocking this thing down when it
comes."
	Callie looked back down at the map a moment, "Is it that bad?" all play
from earlier was drained from her voice.
	"Worse."  Feral admitted, "We've got no guarantees on this one.  The
evacuations have not been simply routine."  Feral pointed to a secondary
position on the map, "Captain Chavez, you'll be in Charge of the
Artillery."  HE moved his finger back to Enforcer HQ, "Felina, you will
lead the air wing.  Ten Pumadyne Striker Mk.5 attack aircraft will be
accidentally sent to us tomorrow, I've got the word of someone I trust
on that.  Your job is to clear that dragon cover if at all possible."
	Felina was looking at Feral is if he had just sprouted a second head.
	"Is something the matter Lieutenant?"
	"Um.. No sir!"  Felina shook herself, "Not at all."  Feral heard her
murmur under her breath with no small touch of awe, "Mk. 5's..."
	Feral continued to lay out troop strengths and assignments, informing
Callie of what needed to be done from the civilian end of things which
was mainly stay the hell out of the way and pray as much as possible. 
Just as he was beginning to wrap things up the door opened admitting
three Kats.  Feral folded his arms as they entered, despite the need, he
still didn't like seeing those two in their vigilante garb in his HQ
	"The SWATKats?"  The question was almost a chorus from the three
females assembled.
	"Well, your PR boys are working, eh guys?"  The third Kat, Marcus,
chucked Razor on the shoulder.
	T-bone flopped himself down in a chair, grinning like he'd had a three
canary breakfast.
	Razor moved to another chair and spoke before sitting, "We got your
information Feral, we also brought something else along."
	Feral nodded and turned to the three She-Kat's to explain before asking
about this new item, "It's that bad." He said by way of explanation. 
That summed it up well enough for all present.  "Felina, the SwatKat's
will be attached to your Squadron for this mission, but give them as
much free reign as possible for them to use every toy they've got in
that plane of theirs."
	"Yes Sir."  Felina nodded, still casting sidelong glances at the two
Kats she'd likely never expected to see in Enforcer HQ.
	"Alright SWATKat, what is this thing you've brought along?"
	Jake stood up and pointed at the mark on the map for where the monster
was to be hit, "We got the information you did about the so called
'weakness' of this beast.  We think we have something that can do enough
damage to take it out, if we can deliver the explosive on target." 
Razor pulled a 6" diameter Canister from his belt, "This, is supposed to
be the warhead of one of my upgraded mega missiles.  It's what we would
use.  I even constructed a rifle that can fire it off at a range of 300
yds with accuracy.  But." Razor actually looked a little sheepish,
"We're talking an entry point that's only two inches wider than this
shell, and is shielded by many feet of hard flesh.  I'm simply not that
good a shot."
	Feral nodded, no shame in an admission like that, still, he shot a look
to Marcus, "Soldier?"
	 Marcus shrugged and gave Feral a grin, "can't hurt to try."
	Little was changed by this new development; Feral wasn't willing to
spread out his forces on this mission.  Marcus would be hold up in one
of the houses along the deployment zone.  When the creature got in range
he'd take his shot if he could.  If it worked great, if not, then things
were already set to engage the beast.  The rest of the meeting went
smoothly enough and all assembled filed out to prepare for their tasks. 
All that was left was the endgame.

		*			*			*

The air reeked of metal and anticipation as Feral's open topped jeep
rolled down the street in the center of the procession.  Around him one
mechanized battalion of Enforcers.  The district of Megakat City they
rumbled through was empty save for themselves, and the Artillery Company
they'd just past.  Feral was sure Captain Chavez would keep the fire
fast and furious, but still, this whole operation worried the hell out
of him.  It was bigger than anything they'd dealt with so far. It was
bigger than any military operation any enforcer command had seen in the
last decade.
	Feral looked over the rooftops of the houses to the south.  There,
looming up in the distance, now only about a kilometer away was the
creature.  It looked like a building itself, except for the ponderous
motion of it's legs, and the slow swaying of it's head.  Overhead Feral
could make out the black shapes of the dragons that still protected the
monster.  He'd seen video before, but now just watching the thing move,
he wondered if they really had enough to deal with it.  Pushing the fear
into a ball in his gut Feral clenched his stomach tight around it.  This
had to work; his city would not be taken, no matter what the threat.  As
Feral double-checked every plan in his mind the cavalcade rode on.



			*			*			*

	"All systems double checked Lieutenant.  You're ready to go."
	Felina nodded to the deck officer and strapped her helmet on," All
right people, this is the real deal.  Keep it tight and defensive.  We
don't know how well these things perform."  With that she trotted out to
her flight and the rest of her wing did the same.  Felina climbed into
the Mk 5's sleek cockpit and took a moment to familiarize herself with
its layout.  Nor a whole lot different than the usual layout, just a few
nuances changed here and there to make things better.  The real
difference was the lack of a HUD cord.  The standard Enforcer jet piped
its HUD into the pilot's helmet.  The Mk. 5 went one better.  Felina
buckled on her Oxygen mask and flipped the HUD switch.  The canopy of
the cockpit went dark black and a sharp hiss signaled the cockpit being
flooded with a gas mixture that was effective for it's purpose, but
Non-fatal to Kats.  The HUD cameras activated form their hidden spots
and the flight deck materialized around Felina in perfect detail.  Her
plane was a transparent outline around her, other than that it seemed
visually as if she was floating in the air.  Important controls were
activated by hand signals from her sensor-lined gloves, and steering was
based off the positioning of her right hand in the air, not on a
joystick.
	Felina moved had hand into position, and fired the engines.  Turning
her head she looked for the flight controller.  At his signal she taxied
her plane out.  Felina marveled at how easy the control was.  The
eggheads had worked on finding the most comfortable positions for the
pilot to use for the most common maneuvers.  She looked out to her right
for the signal, when it was given she squeezed her hand close tight and
the engines fired hard, pushing the plane down the runway and up into
the sky.  Felina slid her hand to the right as she took off, climbing
into a banking turn, circling to wait for the rest of her wing.
	Felina took the opportunity to really see what she could see, which was
everything.  This HUD system gave her an all around unobstructed view. 
It was slightly disconcerting to see nothing below her until the street,
but she and her wing had all taken the mandatory drug injections before
this flight.  The drugs countered the body's natural sense of vertigo at
least, it was supposed to.
	In short order her wing was up and in formation.
	"Sweet Jacob this thing handles like a dream."
	"Can the chatter Phillips," Felina cut in.  "Alright people, we're
headed south east, out to five klicks where we'll meet our backup."
	"We really working with the SWATKat's Lieutenant?"
	"That's an affirmative Tonfeld.  As I said before, this is the real
deal."
	"I bet hell's frozen over right now.  That or Feral's been replaced by
an Alien."
	Felina had to chuckle at that; it did seem such an unlikely set of
events, "Roger that Phillips.  Feral just had a medical, so the HellKat
must be wearing a parka right now."  Felina pulled gently out of the
holding pattern and her wing followed suit, heading for their
rendezvous.

			*			*			*

	Marcus Kaque tapped his finger against the huge brass bell hanging in
the center of the tower.  He ran his fingers over its surface slowly and
idly wished he'd learned to read old Katin.  A church bell was bound to
have something inspiring written on it, and every little bit would help
right now.  Marcus looked back out one of the four small windows.  The
thing was still there, still very much real no matter how much he wanted
it to just be a bad dream.  Marcus went over all the checks on this
monstrosity the SWATKat's called a rifle.  Firing a 6" canister 300
meters through another 30 meters of flesh and into a foot wide hole. 
Not what he'd planned his last few weeks in the Enforcers to include. 
Marcus adjusted the ammo belt around his waist, 6 more canisters if the
first missed its mark.  Marcus eyed the sky dubiously; it'd been growing
darker all morning.  Rain was not something they needed today.  Marcus
checked his watch; another 15 minutes until the operation began. 
Turning away from the window he crouched beside the bell again and
lowered his head silently, every little bit would help.

			*			*			*

	Ten Alric A-9 long barrel Howitzers stood lined up neatly in a row. 
Their crews each prepped and ready.  Behind them com-techs and support
staff scrambled among the vehicles of the mobile HQ.  Captain Chavez
kept her hands behind her back so she wouldn't fidget with them.  To the
south some 1.5 kilometers was a giant beast approaching Megakat City. 
She and her crew wouldn't even get to see the thing if all went well. 
For some reason that bugged her to hell and back, an enemy you faced
could be defined, limited.  Right now she and her company were shooting
at each of their worst fears embodied.  No enemy can ever be as bad as
the ones you imagine in your head.  The sound of a vehicle pulling up
caught Captain Chavez's attention and she turned from her musings.  To
her surprise she saw the Deputy mayor getting out of the white compact
that had must arrived.  Two MPs met Callie but Captain Chavez knew that
wouldn't hold her for long.  Moving her hands to her sides Chavez made
her way towards the scene.
	"Deputy Mayor, I'm surprised to see you here.  You should be with the
other civilians."  Chavez started off strong; she didn't have time for
this.
	"I couldn't just sit by while the city is under attack."  Callie wore a
pair of faded jeans and a sweatshirt, not wholly practical but better
than the skirt and heels he was usually running around in.
	"Well, there's not much you can do here but watch Deputy Mayor.  We
won't even see the beast if all goes well.  And there's no way you're
getting near the artillery."
	Callie looked ready to argue a moment, but closed her mouth again and
just nodded, "Is there anything I can do?"
	"Stick close to me, or go back to the shelters."  Chavez turned and
headed to inspect the arty one last time, her watch had 10 minutes until
op start.  To no surprise she heard Callie fall in beside her.

			*			*			*

	"There they are, right on time."  T-bone pulls the TurboKat around to a
course that took them west northwest.  The Enforcer wing turned to match
as Razor opened the com, "Hey Felina good to see you in the skies, and
with new toys too."
"Hey SWATKats, good to be here," Felina's voice came through the radio,
"And these toys'll kick your jet's butt around the black and back
again."
	T-bone added in, "Hey, maybe after this is all over we can have a
little tousle and see who's boss eh?"
	"Roger that SWATKats.  I make 5 minutes to attack zero.  Entering
holding pattern."
	T-bone pulled into line behind the Enforcer wing and set to circling
with them, waiting for the cue to attack.

			*			*			*

	"All positions report in ready to go sir, the creature is just over 700
meters away and closing."
	Feral nodded to the report, looking over the map laid out before him
one last time.  Everything was in place; it just had to all come
together now.  A spot of water tapped down on the map, then another, and
another.  Feral looked up to glower at the rain that developed form a
shower into a downpour in moments, "Forecast said clear skies.  This
can't be normal." He growled under his breath.  The rain soaked his
uniform through in moments; the discomfort was only a distant thought
though.  In less than a minute everything had just gotten one hundred
times harder.
	"Sir!" a waterlogged com-tech shouted through the growing din of the
rain, "Thirty seconds to time."
	There was no going back, no place to retreat to.  As rain dripped off
the ends of his whiskers Feral made a choice, "Send out the order, begin
operation."

			*			*			*

	"We've got a green light Captain."  The com-tech called over the rain.
	Captain Chavez ran a hand back through her hair, pushing the sopping
mess out of her eyes, "Light 'em up."
	At her order artillery crews sprang into action, sightings and prep
commands sprang throughout followed by a chorus of loud retorts as they
let loose.  Without hesitation the crews reloaded and set off again, and
again.  The sharp barks of the arty made the glass storefront next to
Chavez rattle nervously.
	"Is this it?"  Callie asked from where she stood, just ask soaked at
Chavez.
	"This is all we have to do, Great Kat willing."  The artillery let
loose once more.

			*			*			*

Felina hadn't been the only one to let loose a string of explicatives
when the rain started, and now as she sat in the CGI imaging world
created by the radar images her plane was receiving thunder rumbled
through the skies, "Just what we need." She muttered.  A sharper clap of
thunder echoed, much closer than the first and her HUD painted images of
the explosions ripping across the back of the Behemoth.  Another set
rippled across it's carapace, neither having any effect on the huge
beast, as they'd feared, but it wasn't the beast Felina was concerned
with.  She held her breath as she watched the black shapes hovering over
it.  A third set of explosions tore into the Behemoth and the black
shapes over it scattered, Yes!  "That's our cue people, break off into
pairs and hunt those things down.  SWATKats you're with Phillips and
myself."  Felina triggered her afterburners and picked a target,
"Phillips I'm on target Alpha 7.  Watch my back, and get ready to backup
the SWATKats if they need it.  Razor, T-bone, you've got a fee reign,
just call on us if you get in trouble."
	Felina hit her burners and sped in on her target.  Like clockwork she
pulled down the lock on and fired off one of the new acid saturation
missiles the SWATKats had prepped for this mission.  Felina watches the
missile speed towards it's target and....blast right through it.  The
moment the missile hit the target the HUD repainted the dragon five
degrees up from where it had been.  Pulling in on a tight turn Felina
cursed, "This is Wing one to all Enforcer units, anyone else have a
targeting malf up?"
	"Negative W1."
	"Negative."
	"That's a Negative Lieutenant."
	"No problems here."
	Felina frowned and set her sights on her target again, "Phillips, I
want another crack at this guy, I think I've got a targeting problem." 
Her wingman fell in beside her as she lined up the shot; the dragons
were scattering farther now, but still none had turned on any of the
Enforcers.  Felina got tone and let fly with a second missile.  Once
more the missile struck the target... which was then painted 5 degrees
up, "Damn!"  Felina pulled off target again, "Phillips, my targeting
system's gone to hell, I'm going to have to switch to visual.  You have
permission to break and engage."
	Felina switched off the HUD and her virtual cockpit dissolved into
reality.  Her radar was still working thankfully, with the rain pounding
away at her plane she could barely see ten feet.  Keeping tabs on the
radar Felina pulled herself in a long curve to get her out of the
hotzone, just as she got around the turn her radio flared to life.
	"This is W 5 mayday... ma..."
	"Krud! They're coming back on us!  These things can move..."
	"Dickerson, Dickerson you there?  Respond..."
	Explosions lit the sky behind her and Felina's heart twisted in a knot,
"This is W1, wingmen report."
	"Damn, Dickerson's gone sir."  These things maneuver like a..." The
radio cut out to static again and Felina felt a chill down her spine. 
She got no more responses, the pilots were either too busy to respond,
or unable.
	"SWATKats, come in.  This is Lieutenant Feral, what's your status?"
	T-bone's voice came to life over the radio, "Up to our hips in Dragon
Felina.  If your HUD's down don't even think of coming back in here..."
The radio cut out but picked up again, this time it was Razors voice,
"Lieutenant Feral, call off the Enforcers, this is turning into a
slaughter."  
	Felina growled in frustration, it wasn't supposed to be going down like
this her people weren't supposed to be dying, "No.  We stay, If we don't
clear these things away, they'll massacre the ground troops."  Felina
pulled her plane back around; the least she could do was provide a
distraction that might let another pilot get a shot off.

			*			*			*

	Explosions blossomed overhead and daggers of light stabbed through the
air at the hulking gray blotch out in the rain.  Feral could only grip
his cane in frustration as his enforcers sent volley after volley into
the Behemoth with no visible effect.  Above him Felina tangled with the
dragons, a part of Feral's stomach turned at the idea of his niece in
this last stand, "ComKat Green What's our time?"
A nervous young Kat clipped off each word to try and sound professional,
"We Are, T plus five minutes Sir."
	"Damn."  Feral hissed, two minutes past the time Marcus was supposed to
take his shot.  In this mess, Feral doubted that was going to happen at
all.  Feral set his jaw and glared out into the rain, half musing that
he might wish the monster away.  Something caught his eye though. 
Snatching up the binoculars from his command table Feral scanned around
the feet of the Behemoth.  The rain made seeing anything almost
impossible, Feral switched the binoculars over to IR and cursed,
"Captain!" he bellowed, "Tell your men to rerig weapons, Pop safeties on
my order.  We've got incoming infantry.  ComKat Green, send that order
to B and C companies.  Look to the ground people, they're on their way." 
Feral looked through the binoculars again; confirming it wasn't just a
nightmare.  A mass of those freakish mutants from the base swarmed
around the Behemoth's feet.  Feral drew his own pistol and set about
removing the civilian safety as best he could by feel.  He kept his eyes
glued to the binoculars, watching the mass.  All around him silence had
replaced the sound of gunfire.  Explosions spoke out far off overhead,
but on the ground only the quiet click of weapons being modified could
be heard.  That silence seemed to drag out, Feral fumbled with the
powerpack for his pistol, he used to be able to do this in his sleep. 
Just as the safety came free the swarm surged forward.  Like a tidal
wave the beasts ran over the open ground, Feral dropped the binoculars
and slapped his pistol's powerpack back in place, "Here they come!"

			*			*			*

	The mutant's body made a far off splating sound as it hit the bottom of
the belfry.  The bell still swung, ringing a low sonorous tone as the
rifle fell from Marcus' hands.  Another mutant lay dead beside him, he
could just barely make out it's shape in the gloom.  He fought his
breathing, trying to get it back under control.  This time the numbness
wasn't going away.  Marcus crouched to pick up his rifle again, and this
time couldn't get back up.  His breath echoed through the hollowness in
his chest, blackness inked it's way through the shadows of his vision. 
He pushed himself to his feet, only to fall forward onto his face again.

			*			*			*

	Captain Chavez had lost count of how many volleys her crew had fired by
now.  The thunder of the big guns mixed with the thunder in the air in a
constant scream of noise.  No word from the advance elements, no word
from anyone.  A comKat pulled her from her thoughts quite literally,
tugging on her shoulder, "Captain!"  The anxiety in his voice was
liquid, "Captain, a call from the front!"
Chavez snatched the receiver from the panicked Kat and put it to her
ear, "This is Captain Chavez."
	"This is Captain Strauss, C company.  Chavez, you gotta reset your
target aspects, bring it up one K."  Static ate through the transmission
and Chavez thought she heard screaming in the background.
	"That'll put us dropping ordinance right on your position Strauss."
	"*fzztt* Know.  We've been overrun.  *rrrrzz*  mutant infantry
*zzzsssttt*  A company gone... commander too.  *crackle*  For Great
Kat's sake, drop that fire on us or no one is coming home!..."  The
signal cut out sharply, Chavez didn't even bother trying to get him back
online, "Gunnery Sergeant!  make your range five hundred meters,
sustained barrage."
	"Yes Sir!"  the response came, Chavez clenched and unclenched her
hands, fighting down a rising sense of dread.
	"What's going on captain?"  Callie asked.  Chavez had forgotten she was
even here, too late to get her out now.
	"Thing's aren't going according to plan."
The first volley went off, then a second, after the third fired it
struck Captain Chavez, they were still using the AP ammo planned for the
beast, they needed to switch to frag ammo if they were hitting infantry
now, "Gunnery Se..."  Chavez was airborne, the wind ripped from her
lungs, just as she was able to draw a breath the hard ground crushed it
from her again.  Her ears were ringing, and the metallic taste of blood
filled her mouth.  Still, everything worked and Chavez pulled herself up
to her knees.  Two of the artillery pieces were gone, flaming wrecks.  A
dragon was shredding what had been the command tent as the support staff
ran.  Chavez tried to shout an order, but her voice wouldn't' work.  She
coughed and spat.  And looked up again just in time to see the nearest
Artillery piece unload into the grounded dragon.  The frag shell blew
the beast one hundred ways from Sunday, sending pieces of burned flesh
everywhere.  Chavez pushed herself up on one knee and was about to stand
when she saw a pack of greenish mutant feleniods break from a nearby
building for the artillery pieces, "Heads up!" she shouted, her eyes
fell on something beside her.  The storefront had blown out spraying the
street with it's contents, army surplus.  Scooping up an old sabre
Chavez ran for the fighting.

	*			*			*

	"Take the two at nine o'clock"  Razor directed, cycling through his
remaining weaponry.  
T-bone followed the suggestion, using the radar to guide him as he
pulled up on line with two of the remaining dragons, "I make one more
after these Sureshot, we're almost done."
	"it's a good thing too, we've only got four missiles left, and the
enforcers are all out."  Razor lined up the shot as T-bone held the
TurboKat on target.
	"Gotta give 'em credit for hanging in here though."  T-bone commented.
	Razor was silent as the lock's lit up across his screen, then triggered
a pair of his new Medusa missiles.  The missiles streaked out after
their targets.  On impact they injected a special chemical mix into the
dragons, something that only worked on their altered chemical makeups,
without the info from the raid Razor would never have been able to make
them.  The chemical caused their tissues to calcify in moments, and the
two dragons fell from the sky, breaking up as they went, "Bingo!"  Razor
grinned and slapped the back of T-bone's flight seat, "What were you
saying T-Bone?"
	"Ahh, skip it.  So, where's the last one?"
"It's not showing up on Radar..."  Razor fidgeted with the radar
controls, trying to figure out where the last dragon had gone.  T-bone
switched back onto the enforcer channel, the chatter on it before had
been so thick neither SWATKat could think.
	"-ayday mayday, someone help me out here guys."
	"Felina!"  T-bone blinked as her voice came through the radio, he
thought she'd left a long time ago.
	"I've got one on my six and I cant' shake him, Afterburners are gone..
Steering's melted.."
	"W1 This is Phillips, I've got nothing left but guns.  Moving to your
six."
T-bone keyed in the radio, "Pull back Phillips, We've got missiles, and
we're good to go."
	"Sure thing SWATKats, it's all yours."
	T-bone Keyed up the enforcer tags on the radar, and sure enough There
was Felina's plane.  No radar image came in behind it though.  Still he
pulled around to get in line behind her plane, "You ready Sureshot?"
	"This thing's still not on Radar T-bone.  targeting isn't picking it up
either.  You're going to have to get damn close for me to aim visually
in this soup."
	"We'll get in close enough."  T-bone gritted hi teeth, nothing was
gonna hurt Felina, not while he still breathed.  The radio came to life
again as T-bone eased up the throttle, wanting to gain without running
into the dragon.
	"Whatever you're doing do it fast... I'm losing control..."
T-bone hit the mic button, "Don't worry Felina we're on-"  A fireball
blossomed through the gloom up ahead and static shot through the radio,
"Felina?"  T-Bone turned up the radio's volume, "Felina!" no response. 
T-bone Gunned the throttle, and almost ran right into the dragon.  It
twisted one way and he the other at the last second.  T-bone pulled a
High G turn that slammed him back into his seat, trying to reacquire the
dragon through the rain.
	"T-Bone, T-BONE!" Razor struggled to get out the words as the G forces
crunched him back in his seat, "Get a hold of yourself.. We can't hit
anything .. like this."
Razor's words hit home and T-bone eased up, a little, "We're taking this
bastard DOWN Razor."
Razor loaded up his last pair of missiles, "Roger that buddy.  I'll
smoke him for ya."
	"For Felina."  T-Bone hissed, through the murk of the rain he caught
it, the dark shadow of the dragon.  T-bone kicked the TurboKat over to
hover mode to keep from blowing past it.  In the rain the TurboKat was
just about as fast as the Dragon in hover mode, if much less
maneuverable, "Get him Sureshot."
	"Consider him got."  Razor lined up the shot against the murk, all
targeting useless with the dragon not on radar.  Razor aimed, fired,
corrected, and fired again.  The first Rocket sped past the Dragon but
the second hit home, calcifying it dead on the spot.
"That's it then," Razor shook his head, "That's all we can do."  Below
them the real war was going on, Razor wondered how they faired.  As he
peered out through the rain he heard T-bone shifting through com
channels, "Felina?... Felina come in.  Felina, are you there?  Respond
please."  Razor opened his mouth to say something, but decided to just
let it go.


			*			*			*

	The feeling was still gone, but the light came back.  Wet, water,
dripped down over his face.  Marcus opened his eyes and was staring out
into open air, the side of the tower blasted away by something.  Out in
the rain a darkness slowly shifted, the behemoth.  That's right, he was
supposed to stop it.  He tried to move his right arm no feeling, but he
saw it move, picked up the rifle.  He pushes himself up, and the world
spun, colors exploded across his vision.  Breathing didn't seem to help
at all.  His legs moved him to the edge.  then gave way.  He laid down
in a firing position.  Rain soaked through his fur and clothing.  There
was no line of sight to anything on the beast, much less it's eye. 
Marcus peered down the scope at a shadow, and the shadow peered back.  A
part of him noticed he didn't have to steady himself before he took the
shot, one plus.  He aimed, adjusted, and knew it was good.  As his mind
sent it's last command it sighed a tired sigh and slept.  Marcus never
knew weather his hand completed it's last assigned task.

			*			*			*

	A roar ripped through the air, a deafening shudder that rocked the
TurboKat.  a dark shadow reared up from below.  The behemoth bellowed
out, hurt.  It lurched to the right and began to fall, "T-bone."  Razor
yelped.  No response, he reached forward and gave his friend a knock on
the helmet, "T-Bone! get us out of here!"
	T-bone pulled himself from the radio and looked up into the descending
blackness.  Instincts took over from a shocked mind and he hit the
afterburners hard, pulling them out, and away from the collapsing giant. 
The rumble as it struck the earth resounded and echoed back form the
buildings back in downtown MegaKat City.  As they died away, so did the
rain.  A soaked stillness filled it's place, looking down Razor surveyed
the devastation below.  Everywhere, destroyed buildings, and, it looked
like bodies... The front Enforcer position seemed to be smashed.  And
there, not fifty yards from Chestnutt street, the line of last defense,
the behemoth lay seemingly untouched, sprawled out on it's back.
	"Kat's alive...."  Razor heard T-bone utter the oath he was thinking,
then shook his head, "Doesn't look like there's too many of those down
there..." he replied grimly, "Try taking us back to the rear position."
	"No can do Razor.  We're on fumes now.  I can't VTOL again or we're
done.  We'll have to come back on the bikes."  As they flew back, Razor
caught a glimpse of the rear position, it didn't look much better than
the forward one.

			*			*			*

	Feral awoke to the sun in his face.  And a pain through his chest.  He
tried to get up, but he seemed stuck. Opening his eyes he saw the
problem, a spar of concrete sticking through his chest.  Feral hissed as
his mind told him he should be feeling pain right now.  But he knew
there wouldn't be any.  Slowly he reaches up with his hands, and pulled. 
Inch by inch he hauled himself off the spar, all two meters of it.  As
he slipped free to his knees Feral felt the odd sensation of the cool
wind blowing through the foot wide hole through his chest.  He waited,
on his knees, the only thing he could do.  His eyes roamed the immediate
area.  This had once been a schoolyard he thought.  Hard to say for
sure.  First those things, then the artillery fire.  It had been insane. 
Feral counted three dead Kat's within sight as he waited for the wound
to close.  The silence was a good thing, it told him the beast was dead. 
There was no way it could have moved on already.  Feeling the last of
the skin seal over Feral stood up.  He winced, still tender within.  One
hand went to the hole in his Officer's coat.  Without hesitation Feral
removed the coat, no desire to have to explain THIS little secret. 
Picking his way over the rubble Feral made his way back out across the
field of the dead.
			
			*			*			*

	T-Bone pulled up to a stop beside Razor as they came to the Enforcer
position.  Kat's bustled about here and there, some carrying messages,
some tending wounded, some just looking lost.  In the shade of a half
collapsed Tent he saw Captain Chavez and two more Enforcer Captains
conversing.
	"There's our answers."  he pointed to the trio and Razor nodded. 
Together they made their way through the busy camp, not a single
enforcer bothering to stop them, and came up to the Captains.
	"Captain Chavez?"  Razor asked to cut through the hushed conversation
the officers were having.
	Captain Chavez turned to look at them.  She was a sight, an old sabre,
broken off half way down the blade, was stuck into her gunbelt and gauss
covered her right eye, "SWATKats, good to see you made it out in one
piece.  Felina was worried."
T-Bone sprang to life faster than spring flowers, "Felina? She's alive?"
Chavez nodded slowly, "She's being treated right now.  She ejected from
her plane, but burning shrapnel from it did a number on her.  Not life
threatening though, She's a Feral, they pull through."  At that Chavez
winced, as did the other two captains.
	"Speaking of Ferals."  Razor piped up, "where's the Commander?"
Chavez lowered her head, "Missing, we've got an unconfirmed report he
was KIA.  But having been gone this long, it's almost a sure thing.  We
picked up any walking wounded we could and medivaced any worse that we
found with the choppers.  Still, we haven't found his body yet."
	"And You won't for a long time if I have anything to say about it." 
Feral's rough voice cut through the air like a knife.  The whole group
looked up to see Feral walking towards them like something out of a
movie.  Battered pistol slung at his hip, his jacket missing, wearing a
replacement, non-officer's jacket, still open and undone, and not a
scratch on him.
	"Commander!"  Chavez piped up, her cry was echoed by the other two
Captains.
	"Captain Chavez, Captain Holtz, Captain Juno."  Feral nodded to each in
turn, "Where's Captain Strauss?"
The look of relief turned to one of grim reality across Chavez's face,
"Dead Sir."
Feral nodded, and folded his arms, "What's the count?"
	"Your daughter is wounded, but alright, over in the med tent.  Strauss
is dead, along with 86 more from The infantry Battalion, and another 54
wounded.  My support Company took 15 dead, 34 wounded.  We lost 5 pilots
and 7 planes.  All the arty is shot."  Chavez paused, then added, "The
Deputy Mayor is at Jacob's Mercy Hospital right now, she got cut up
pretty bad."
Razor and Feral's voices overlapped, "Callie?"  But Feral's was louder
and he pushed on, "What was the deputy Mayor doing here?"
Chavez held up her hands as it to hold back a wall, looking between the
two of them, trying to decide who wanted the information more, "She came
in just as the operation got started, I tried to keep her out of
trouble, but she vanished during the assault.  They found her near the
command tent, dragon's claws."  Razor turned on his heel, but a heavy
hand on his shoulder stopped him.  He turned back and looked up at
Commander Feral the worry in his face surprised Razor, "She's probably
still on the table SWATKat.  There's nothing we can do right now. 
You'll have no trouble from my enforcers if you want to see her while
she recovers."
	Razor nodded, and tried to relax some.  Chavez added on another item,
picking through her mind and the clouded events, "We haven't heard from
Marcus Kaque yet either.  No one scouted his position yet.  We were
going to organize a party as soon as we could."
	Silence descended among the small group as the noise continued around
them.  Feral turned and looked back towards the corpse of the behemoth,
"Don't.  Don't send anyone out until you've started the grave detail."
	"Commander?"  Captain Chavez held out a hand palm up in a questioning
gesture.
Feral's hands clenched as his sides, then unclenched slowly, "You can
handle the details Chavez.  I've got a stack of letters to write." 
there was a waver to those last words, and Feral never turned around, he
just walked off towards one of the few remaining jeeps.
	The sharp click of boots brought Razor back to the present.  He turned
and saw Chavez saluting.  The look of pride on the old She-Kat's face
was almost an aura, but as he followed her gaze Razor couldn't tell if
she was saluting Feral, the fallen, or the living.  Maybe a little bit
of all three.  After a moment Captain Holtz snapped to as well, and
Juno.  Even though he wasn't in uniform Razor turned alongside them and
brought his hand up.  T-Bone did the same and they stood as one, the sun
shining a low red as it sank towards the horizon.  The salute lasted
forever, yet was over all too soon.  Chavez spoke in a much quieter
tone, "We've got things as good as they can be handled SWATKats.  Thanks
for your help, thanks for everything."  With that she turned back to the
other two Captains and began giving out orders once more.  Razor turned
to T-bone, a hint of dampness touched at the edges of his partner's
mask.  Razor was glad his own features were hidden too, "Let's check on
Felina first.  Then Callie?"
T-bone nodded, "Sure thing, Sureshot."



					The End