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Unknown Enemies

Part Nine

“Cheetara, where have you been?” A worried Talia asked once she saw Cheetara.

“Everyone has been looking for you.” The two walked further inside the new cheetah base towards the war room. “Chase has been going out of his mind looking for you.”

“Chase was really concern, hmm?” Cheetara asked.

“Yes, and angry.” They reached the door of the war room. Before Talia opened it, she looked at her friend. “You were seeing that guy, weren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cheetara denied.

“I’m your best friend, Cheetara. You know I won’t say anything. You can trust me.”

Cheetara hated to do it but she ignored her friend and entered the War Room where the other cheetahs waited.

Chase saw Cheetara entering and rushed to her side. “Cheetara, where were you?”

“I went to do some thinking. I wanted to take a break before battle,” Cheetara lied taking her seat.

“Where did you go?” Chase asked again, irritated that she didn‘t answer his question.

“That’s not your concern,” Cheetara said smartly. “I’m here and I’m not hurt. Now, how are my men?” Cheetara asked.

From the look Cheetara was sending Chase, there was no way to get her to open up about her night activities.

“We’re going to wait a little longer before we attack.” Candra said.

“What?” Cheetara asked upset. “No! I want to strike now!”

“Which will be too soon,” Che’kar spoke calmly to soothe Cheetara. “Chase has a better idea.”

Cheetara glared at Chase icily. “Oh, does he?”

“Yes,” Chase said sending the glare back at Cheetara. “It won’t be enough time for the right training we need for our soldiers. Also if we lay low, the lions will think we’ve given up since they struck us good. Lions are arrogant. They’re foolish enough to believe that.”

“We should do the plan this way,” Cheelon joined in. “It’ll be more to our advantage.”

Cheetara sat back in her seat and looked at all the elders. “You all feel this way?” The elders nodded in agreement. “Very well then. Do it.” Cheetara rose from her seat and left the room.

“Cheetara!” Chase called out after Cheetara the room. Cheetara looked back at him, expectantly. “I want to talk to you in my room.” Cheetara followed Chase into his room. When they entered, Chase took Cheetara in his arms. “I was so worried about you,” he spoke in a gentle voice. “Why couldn’t you tell me where you were going?” Chase asked.

Chase‘s arms around her felt very uncomfortable and unwanted. “I told you, Chase. I wanted sometime alone.”

“Something could’ve happen to you and we wouldn’t have known. Cheetara, you’re too important to go wandering around by yourself, especially with the war going on.”

“Chase, no one knows I’m the leader,” Cheetara said stepping out of Chase’s arms.

“You don’t know that. With the traitors of the cheetahs—“

“Cheetahs traitors?” Cheetara questioned.

“With some of the cheetahs involve with lions, they could’ve told them that you are our leader.”

“How many cheetahs are involved with lions anyway?” Cheetara asked.

“Oh, there is quite a bit, Cheetara,” Chase answered. “It surprised a lot of us, but the cheetahs agreed not to say anything to the lions but I don’t believe them,” Chase said bitterly. “We have to be very careful.” He cupped the side of her face. “I can’t lose you.” He moved to kiss her, but Cheetara turned away. She couldn’t kiss him, not after her time with Lion-O.

Chase settled on kissing her neck. Cheetara wasn’t enjoying it. It was nothing like the way Lion-O does it. Cheetara pushed Chase off her. “Chase, no. I don’t want to.”

Chase sighed irritably. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve kissed you?”

“No.”

“Too long. I’ve missed it. I’m your fiancé. I have a right to kiss you whenever I want!” He growled angrily.

“Not if I don’t want to!” Cheetara shot back.

Chase grabbed Cheetara and forced her on her back on the bed. Cheetara resisted but Chase continued to try to have his way. Finally, Cheetara resorted to kneeing Chase in his chest to get him off her.

“I said no!” Cheetara said. She pushed him off her knocking him off the bed.

“Cheetara.” Chase called out for her.

Cheetara turned to face him. “You want to kiss me. You show me respect.” She stormed out and slammed the door.

*****

“Where in Thundera were you?” Panthro asked Lion-O when he spotted him entering the lair.

“I was at my retreat.” Lion-O said.

Panthro scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I knew it.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you were going there?” Tygra asked.

“That would have saved us time in looking for you.” Panthro said. “I knew you were there, but Leela wouldn’t let us go there.”

At that, Lion-O looked at Panthro surprised. “Leela knew I was there?”

Panthro shrugged his shoulders. “No, but she didn’t want us searching for you, which we all find strange, and when I suggested that we go to your retreat, she said no and ordered us to return.”

“Where is Leela?” Lion-O asked.

“In her room.” Tygra said.

“Thanks.” Lion-O said and went up the stairs. He was curious about Leela’s behavior. Could she have found out he was meeting Cheetara? No. If she saw him with Cheetara, then she would’ve let him have it. She would’ve attacked him right then and there.

Lion-O knocked on the door and waited for Leela to allow him to come in. When he did, he saw Leela dressed in her sleeping clothes and in bed reading. Lion-O found that strange since Leela was always a late sleeper.

“Hi.”

“Hello, Lion-O. Where were you?” She asked calmly.

“I was at my retreat.”

Leela nodded her head understanding, yet Lion-O eyed her curiously. Something wasn’t right. “Aren’t you going to asked me why? You’re usually shouting if I go somewhere without saying my destination.”

“Lion-O, you’re a grown man. I can’t control you. You do what you have to do, what you want to do.” Leela closed the book in her hands. “So, what did you do?”

“I was…relaxing. I wanted to take a day off as Lord of the ThunderCats.”

“You rule an entire planet. You can’t take a day off. It’s a responsibility you’re born with,” she informed him.

“Playing hookie once doesn’t hurt.” Lion-O joked.

Leela feigned a smile. “No, I suppose it doesn’t. You’re here and you’re well. It’s late, Lion-O and I want to rest. Goodnight.”

“All right. Good night.” Lion-O said and left. Lion-O frowned as he headed to his room. Something wasn’t right.

*****

The following morning, Lion-O left to conduct business with Lion Elders, leaving Leela to attend business of her own. She was going to find out who the Cheetah Leader was. That will take her mind off Lion-O’s mistress. She entered the Control Room to find the Thunderkittens on monitor duty.

“Morning, Kit, Kat.” Leela said.

“Morning, Leela.” The twins said in unison.

“Did you two follow up on the blood we found on the ThunderClaw?” Leela asked.

“Yeah.” WilyKat said typing up some commands on the computer. A filed pulled up on the screen. Leela walked over to the side panel to look at it. “The blood type is O.”

WilyKit joined them. “And there are a lot of Thunderians with this blood type.”

“How many female cheetahs did you find with it?”

WilyKat typed in another command. All the names of female cheetahs showed up on the computers.

“Plenty.”

“Okay. The cheetah leader was at the Cheetah Elder’s base. Find the names of all the women living in that area?”

WilyKat typed some more and all the names of female cheetahs showed up.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” Leela said looking at all the females’ names. There were over two hundred names.

Well, while I’m looking at names of female cheetahs in the area, I might as well see if I can find out if Cheetara lives in this area.

“Are any of them named Cheetara?” Leela asked.

WilyKat typed in the name. He read the screen. “Yep. Ten of them.”

“Can you pull up any pictures and addresses?”

“Sure.” Kat said and pulled up pictures and addresses of all the cheetahs named ‘Cheetara.’ None of the woman looked like the Cheetara that was with Lion-O.

That’s strange. How come Cheetara’s picture didn’t come up? I thought for sure she would be living in that area. “These are all the pictures?” Leela asked.

“Yep.” WilyKat answered.

“Let’s try something else. Pull up all the females name Cheetara on the planet. Include pictures and addresses.”

WilyKit typed in some more and the picture and addresses filled the screen. “Three hundred and twelve names.”

Leela, WilyKit and WilyKat looked through all the pictures. The Cheetara Leela saw with Lion-O didn’t come up. Why she wondered. The twins couldn’t figure out why Leela was looking for someone named Cheetara.

“This doesn’t make sense. Go back to all the names of women name Cheetara near the Cheetah Elder village.”

With two punches on the keys, the names popped back on the screen.

“Why are we looking for someone name Cheetara? Do you think a person name Cheetara is the Cheetah Leader?” WilyKit asked.

Leela hadn’t thought of that. She was just trying to find Cheetara, Lion-O’s mistress, but now that she thought about it... “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Maybe we should tell Lion-O and the others.” WilyKit suggested.

“No!” Leela said sternly. The Cheetah Elders must have kept her medical records from the hospital unless she wasn’t born in one so no one could trace her existence.

Leela pushed a red strand of her hair back. “I don’t want the others to no about this. This is top secret. I don’t want my theories to be wrong and have it mention to the others.”

“We understand.” Kit said. “So, what now?”

Leela’s mind raced for something else. Cheetara mentioned a friend. Ugh! Why couldn’t she say her name? I could have tracked her down that way.

“What about residences of all cheetahs on the planet? Could you find that out?”

WilyKit sat back in her seat at the main control panel. She punched them on the screen. “There they are.”

Leela and WilyKat walked to the main monitor. “All right. Minimize it to areas near Cat’s Lair and any lion residences in the vicinity.”

“You got it.” WilyKit said and typed in the commands. “Here you go.”

Leela was amazed at her and the twin’s findings. “I didn’t think there were so many in the area. How about secret bases? The cheetahs could be hiding there.”

“Hmm, that’s going to be tougher. It may take us a while.”

“Investigate it and check out the residences. Some of those private homes could be a safe haven for these cheetahs,” Leela suggested.

*****

In the weeks ahead, Cheetara and her soldiers trained and prepared for battle. Chase noticed that Cheetara was slacking on her fighting skills. She didn’t seem to have it in her and he wondered why. She could still defeat anyone who challenged her but the whole chorography and skills were off.

As they took a break, Chase approached Cheetara with his concerns.

“Cheetara, are you all right?”

Cheetara took a seat under one of the tents over the training area. She got a bottle of water out of the cooler and drunk it in one gulp. She sat in a chair and watched the other cheetahs fight in the desert. “I’m fine. I just wish the war was over.”

“Yes, my dear. I know it’s long and tiring but victory is almost ours. Once we strike the lions again, they won’t expect it.” Chase said. “Although I altered it, this is your plan. You will be praised for years to come.”

“Yeah,” Cheetara said carelessly as she watch the cheetahs fight. “The lions are tough. They won’t conceal to defeat. How about we make a treaty with them? That way there will be no bloodshed among all our people.”

Chase put his arm around her and kissed her right temple. “You’re too kind hearted, but we can’t do that. We must kill to prove our point.” He rests his hand on her thigh, stroking it as if he had a right too. “Look, I’m sorry about the other night. You’re right. I should treat you with respect. You deserve it. Forgive me?”

Cheetara glared at that hand on her thigh. “I suppose.”

Two more weeks later, the cheetahs attacked the expected cities. The ThunderCats were caught by surprised and as the cheetahs expected, split up in groups to help. The cheetahs were far more ruthless than before. Lion-O flew in on the ThunderClaw and spotted Cheetara fighting. This was the perfect time to attack her.

Cheetara clobbered and struck down any lions that came at her but she didn’t kill them. She saw the ThunderClaw in the distance and a red-haired male. She knew it was Lion-O. Her heart fluttered in excitement. She was going to see him again but now they will be enemies and she didn’t want that.

The ThunderClaw came charging at Cheetara. Lion-O had his sword out to attack. Cheetara pulled out her sword, ready to fight him unfortunately. The two swords clash. Lion-O was more forceful on Cheetara. Cheetara fell backwards off her horse to land painfully on one knee. Chase saw this and how Cheetara‘s teeth gritted in pain. He tried to rush to Cheetara but couldn’t as a group of lions surrounded him.

Lion-O had a chance to strike Cheetara but he didn’t. He waited as she stood on her feet. Cheetara barely held her stance. Her vision was blurry. The battle and her suit were making her hot and tired. She didn’t have the strength to fight. Lion-O noticed this.

“Are you all right?” He asked concern.

Cheetara charged on Lion-O but Lion-O easily moved out of the way. She charged on him again and their swords clash. Lion-O knew something was wrong. Someone who led so many couldn’t fight so badly.

“You’re not the cheetah leader. You’re an imposter. Where is the real cheetah leader?”

“I am the cheetah leader!” She shouted. That was the last of her strength as her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

Chase killed all the lions ruthlessly, chopping heads off, fatal blows to the chest and stomach. He looked over and saw Cheetara on the ground. Lion-O was leaning over her. Chase ran through a path of lions to get to Cheetara. He ran towards Lion-O and knocked him to the ground with the hilt of his sword.

“You stay away from her!” Chase shouted. Chase let out a battle cry signaling other cheetahs.

Other cheetah soldiers ran on horse to aid Chase. They surrounded Lion-O. Chase knelt over Cheetara.

“My love, what did he do to you?” Chase picked her up. Other soldiers surrounded and fought Lion-O as a distracting for Chase to make his escape. Chase put Cheetara in a hover vehicle that was once occupied by a lion who was killed in battle. He got hold of the controls and flew off.

*****

Talia rushed to open her door, which was knocking rapidly. The female cheetah saw Chase carrying Cheetara.

“What happened?” Talia asked concern.

Chase walked in carrying the unconscious Cheetara. “I don’t know. She was fighting Lord Lion-O and all of a sudden she collapsed.” Chase said.

“Bring her to the guestroom. I’ll check on her.” Talia said.

“I’ll help you,” Chase volunteered.

“No, Chase. You’ll get in the way. I’m the doctor. I know what I am doing.”

“Okay,” Chase said as they walked up the steps.

“Did you see any wounds on her?” Talia asked.

“No bleeding, but there could be bruises. He might have hit her in the head. I did see him knock her off the horse. It could have been delayed trauma,” Chase said as they entered the room. He laid her down on the bed while Talia rushed to get her medical kit.

While she was gone, Chase pulled off Cheetara’s helmet and cape. Talia came back. “I’ll take it from here. Go,” Talia said. Chase left the room and decided to wait downstairs for her conditioned.

Talia used her scissors to cut open her uniform. After that, she pulled out her stethoscope. Talia plugged the soft ends in her ears and placed the metal piece over Cheetara’s heart.

“Heartbeat is normal.” Talia looked Cheetara over, checking for any bruises. “I don’t see any bruises on her head, arms, back…wait there’s something on her right knee. Must have been cause by the fall of the horse. I don’t see what could have caused her to faint.” Talia looked in her medical bag for some Epsom salt and waved it under Cheetara’s nose. “I better do a full exam.”

Cheetara awakened almost immediately. She looked around quickly trying to figure out where she was. She only calmed down seeing her best friend. “Talia? What am I doing here?”

“You collapsed in battle and I’ve haven’t a clue as to why. What happened?”

Cheetara sat up in bed. “I…I don’t know. I was tired. I just got sweaty. I was dizzy and I just passed out in front of Lion-O.”

“Did he hit you?”

“No, I attacked him and he dodge. He didn’t lay a hand on me.”

“How have you been feeling lately?” Talia asked.

“Tired and I have been having serious stomach cramps.”

“Stomach cramps?” Talia questioned.

“Yeah,” Cheetara said watching Talia go in her bag again. She took out her blood pressure kit and hooked it to Cheetara. She took Cheetara’s blood pressure. Talia frowned.

Cheetara saw that expression. “What is it, Talia?”

“Blood pressure is high. How long have you been feeling this way?” Talia asked.

“I don’t know. Two or three weeks I suppose.”

Talia placed her hands on Cheetara’s stomach. “Your stomach is…. distended

“Well, what does that mean?” Cheetara asked.

Talia eyed her friend carefully. She wondered how to say what it was because Cheetara didn’t know and it will be a shock for her. “Your blood pressure is high, your stomach is distended. It may be a little premature to say this but I think you’re pregnant. I won’t be sure until I give you a full exam.”

“Pregnant?!” Cheetara shouted.

“Not so loud,” Talia warned her. “Chase is downstairs and he may hear you, and I know you don’t want him to know yet because he’s not the father.”

Cheetara tried to hide her surprise. “Wh-what makes you say that? Of course the child is Chase’s.”

“Cheetara you can fool everyone but me. It’s that man who dropped you off at my place, isn’t it?”

Cheetara didn’t say anything. Talia sat on the bed. “I’m your best friend. You know I only want the best for you. You know you can tell me.”

Cheetara remained quiet. She knew the female doctor was the only one who was a true friend to her. She wouldn’t betray that.

“Yes, it’s his baby,”

“Do you want to tell me about him?” Talia asked quietly.

Cheetara wanted to, but she wasn’t sure how Talia would react. “No. I’m sorry.”

“Do you love him?”

That was a question Cheetara hoped Talia wouldn’t ask, but she couldn‘t hide it anymore. “Yes, I do.”

“That’s all that matters isn’t it?” Talia said kindly. She stood up. “What are we going to do? How are we going to tell Chase and the others?”

“I’m more worried about telling Chase than the others.” Cheetara buried her face in her hands and sighed. There was no sense hiding it, not that she could in a few months anyway. She had to tell him. She removed her hands from her face. “Send Chase in. I might as well get this over with.”

“All right. Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes. I might need reinforcement.”

Talia nodded and quickly left the room. Chase rushed in as soon as Talia called him. He went to Cheetara’s bedside. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

Chase looked at Talia. “What happened to her?”

Talia looked at Cheetara. “Do you want me to tell him?”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Chase became concern. “What? Tell me what?”

Cheetara faced Chase. “The reason I passed out is the cause of something that happened weeks ago. I’m pregnant.”

Chase jumped to his feet in shock. “You’re pregnant! How can that be?! We never slept together!”

“I know. I was with someone else,” Cheetara said quietly.

“Who?! Who is he?! I demand to know! I’ll kill him!”

Cheetara turned to him angrily. “I’ll kill you before I let you kill the father of my child!” Cheetara threatened.

The doorbell rang before anything else could be said.

“It must be the elders coming to check on you, Cheetara. I’ll get it,” Talia said and left.

Chase glared at Cheetara hurt and angry. “How, Cheetara? How could you do this to me?! To us?!”

“I’m sorry, Chase.” Cheetara apologized.

Chase crossed his arms doubtfully. “Yeah, right.”

At this time, the elders entered the room.

“Are you all right, Cheetara?” Candra asked.

“More than that.” Chase smiled putting an arm around her. “She’s wonderful. She’s pregnant.”

The elders look on in surprised.

“She’s pregnant?” Candra gasped.

“W-what?” Cheelon sputtered.

“Chase. Cheetara. You know better. The child was to come after we conquered the lions and rule the planet. You should have used precautions,” Carvel chastised.

“We know, and we’re sorry,” Chase apologized.

Cheetara hid her expressions well. She was as surprised as the elders were when Chase told them she was carrying his child.

“This is terrible. In her condition, Cheetara won’t be able to lead our fighters.” Che’kar said.

Chase stood up. “I’ll lead them. I am second-in-command after all. By the way, how did the battle go?”

“We have good news and bad news about that.” Candra said.

“What happened?” Cheetara asked.

“The battles near our vicinity went well. The battles on the outer region didn’t go so well. We had to retreat. The lions got help from the panthers. They outnumbered us so we had to fall back. We lost many cheetahs.” Carvel explained.

“The lions weren’t so arrogant then.” Cheetara said.

“We’ll have to fight fire with fire.” Chase said evilly.

“You mean get help from other clans?“ Candra asked. “Who?”

“The leopards,” Chase said.

“Yes, but how are you going to get them to fight with us?” Che’kar asked.

“Leave that to me. In the mean time, could everyone leave us alone?” Chase requested.

The elders nodded and left the room. Chase locked the door on them. Afterwards, Cheetara spoke. “Why did you do that, Chase?”

“I didn’t’ do it for you, you whore! I did it to protect my reputation. I didn’t want the others to know about this betrayal, and I don’t want you to see the guy who impregnate you again. He doesn’t know, does he?”

“No.”

“Good. Then you don’t have to tell him.” He crossed over to the bed to slap her. “How dare you do this to me after all I’ve done for you!” He slapped her again. “You go to bed to someone who isn’t your fiancée! I thought you had more integrity in you!”

Cheetara was so startled about Chase’s attacked. She thought he had backed down after she stood up and attacked him. “Chase.”

Chase sat on her legs and yanked her to a sitting position. “Tell me who he is so I can kill him. I’m going to murder the man that got your pregnant.”

Cheetara glared at him angrily. “I won’t let you hurt him! I love him!”

Chase’s face turned even more furious. “Love him. You’re suppose to love me. Tell me who he is or I’ll go downstairs and tell the elders what you’ve done.”

Cheetara stared him down. “I’ll never tell.”

From the look on Cheetara’s face, Chase saw that she would rather die than tell. It would suit her punishment, Chase thought but he knew they still needed her. “Very well. If you don’t tell me his name, I’ll have to punish you for it. The only joy I won’t get out of this is seeing your lover seeing me doing this to you.”

He kissed her roughly. Cheetara wasn’t liking this. She pushed against him. Chase broke away. “Don’t fight me. You gave yourself to your lover. You’ll give yourself to me now. I am your fiancee!”

“No, I don’t want to.”

“I don’t care what you want. This is what I want and you’re too weak to fight me now.”

He forced her down on the bed and lowered his body on hers. Cheetara did try to stop him but he was right. She was too weak from the battle to fight him off.

Still she was going to try. She tried to kneed him but he caught her leg and slapped her as punishment. “If you don’t stop fighting, I’ll tell the elders about your betrayal and they would stop at nothing to find out the father of your child, including the truth serum so if you want to protect the child’s father, you’ll relent.”

Cheetara knew he was right. If the elders found out Lion-O was the father of the child, not only would his life be in more danger but so would their child. She didn’t want to give in but she had to in order to save Lion-O.

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