Cat Fight

by Pars001

©Copyright 2016 Pars001

Chapter 1

Bill sat at his desk, god, he was tired. This job was shit, but he wanted to eat, so he kept at it. Old; he felt so old, he was surprised he made it in every day. After all, what did he have left to look forward to? Go home to his cat; eat a cold dinner that was leftover from the night before. Just once, he wished he had something different in his life, at least a woman friend. Smiling, yeah, he thought that would be a nice problem, but they all saw him as a creep or stalker.

Sighing, he made his way to the elevator to head home, stopping a moment; he had to go back and get his keys. Stepping back into the office, there was a crashing sound; Bill looked back into the hallway, seeing that half the hall had collapsed. Shaking his head, he gathered his keys and made his way down the fire escape twenty floors. Christ, he thought, he’d sleep good tonight.

Emerging on the street, Bill saw the emergency equipment that was arriving. Smirking, Bill watched, mouth open, as they all walked around him and kept going inside. What the hell was going on? Walking by the fire engine, both front tires exploded then went flat, a moment after he passed. Shaking his head, he just kept going; might as well head home. With no friends, there wasn’t all that much left to do.

Looking up, Bill saw that it was clear out; smiling, he decided the 10 blocks wouldn’t be that bad after all. Halfway home, Bill was suddenly pushed against the wall, a gun in his face. “Ok asshole, hand it over! All of it!"

Bill nodded as he started to empty his pockets; he was just starting to hand the man everything when a car appeared out of nowhere. Bill tried to warn the man, honestly he did, though nothing seemed to come out of his mouth. The man was there one second and cut in half the next; Bill just stood there, his mouth hanging open.

The car stopped, and a very attractive woman got out. She looked at the mess and what was left of the man. Shrugging, she was about to get back in her car when she slowly turned and stared at Bill. OMG! Bill thought, is she thinking of running me over also?

Walking over to him, the woman gave him a serious look over and reached out to push his chest. Taking a step back from the light shove, the woman’s eyes opened wide as she waited, tapping her foot. Then she looked up and stated, “Well?”

“Uh ... excuse me? Is everything alright?” Bill asked the woman, now that he’d found his voice.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll deal with you in a moment. What do you mean you can’t? He has a what?!!” Turning, the woman began to re-examine Bill all over, though the biggest surprise was when she grabbed his crotch! The next thing he knew, he was across the street against the wall of a building. The woman was also against a wall on the opposite side of the street.

Shaking her head, she quickly got to her feet and drew a strange-looking gun. Bill started to laugh; it actually looked like those guns he’d seen in sci-fi pictures. An angry look on her face, the woman pulled the trigger; that’s when the strange, really strange part started to happen. Bill saw her pull it then the world stopped moving, even the wind; what the fuck, Bill thought. Shaking his head, he simply walked away.

The woman blinked; what the hell? She’d pulled the trigger; that son of a bitch was an enemy agent, he therefore had to die. Blinking again, she stared at the empty space as the beam hit the wall and dissipated.

Bill kept going, now to his small apartment; he quickly escaped inside. His cat came running immediately; looking up at him, Bill could swear she had a concerned look on her face. ‘Ok, today is getting stranger and stranger,’ Bill thought.

“Hey Twitty girl, daddy’s home; sorry I took a little longer than I thought I would. God, what a weird ass day, you should have seen the kibaras at work.” At his feet, the cat’s eyes were suddenly wide in surprise.

Bill went into the shower; he felt sticky as hell, quick shower and a nap that might help.

Twitty looked at the bathroom door and padded her way into the bedroom. Opening the closet, she walked to the back, touching her paw to a spot on the back wall; a black flat box appeared. Opening automatically, the cat’s paws moved in ways that a normal cat's paws should.

Giving a heavy sigh, the cat waited until a balding man came on the screen, “This is Control, identify.”

“This lookout 5431-x royal,” the cat said, a strange voice coming from the feline.

“Confirmed, connecting.” A moment later, another man took the first’s place.

“Hello Twitty, something must have happened if you are reporting in.” The man said, a small smile on his face.

“Yes sir, it is apparent that the mind shield has started to fail. Also, I am starting to pick up increased energy readings from him. I believe he has finally started to emerge. Oh, he used a homeword today, Kibaras.” The cat reported.

The man’s eyes went wide; this was the best news he’d had in a long time. “Guard him well, Twitty; the future of our world depends on him ... and you.”

“May I please take off this form? I long to walk on two legs again,” Twitty asked.

“NO! You know you can’t until he can detect you.” Getting quiet, the man said. “I am sorry, daughter, it has to be this way. If he is starting to emerge as you say, then it won’t be long. Be well and safe.” With that, the box was dark and again hidden on the back wall.

‘Crap,’ Twitty thought, ‘he better be. She was tired of walking on all fours!’ Twitty heard the shower shut off and exited the closet. She was going to have to watch him even more now, she thought with a sigh.

Bill walked into the bedroom stark naked; Twitty had to avert her eyes. She might be in another form, but by god, she wasn’t dead!

“You know, now that I think about it, the woman I saw later that hit the robber?” Bill told Twitty. “She was strange also. I swear she pulled a ray gun on me. Then she fired it, but everything froze, so I just walked away. Strangest damn day I have ever had!”

The cat’s eyes got wide again; he had used the time freeze? She hadn’t detected it! Holy crap! He WAS emerging! Opening up her senses to their fullest, she was almost blown away by the amount of power that he was showing. Sighing inwardly, she hoped he finished soon; she so longed to walk upright again. She understood it was her duty, but it had been 5 years now! She wished she could kick some sense into the man; a royal just didn’t deny who they were like this.

“Another thing, Twitty,” Bill continued. “I could swear she grabbed me between the legs, and we were repelled against each other in opposite directions!” Bill looked at his cat, who he swore had a startled look on her face. “I know, as I said, this has got to be the weirdest day I think I have ever had.

---

Across the city, the woman shook the bum, making the man pass out. “Bah! Useless! If any of you are holding out on me, I’ll skin the lot of you!” Throwing the unconscious man against the wall for emphasis, the woman smiled evilly and walked out of the alley. Getting into her car, she rolled up all the windows and touched several spots on the dashboard.

“This is agent xzxx-9,” the woman said, irritated.

“This is main control, hold your ass! You’re early to be reporting in, x-9,” a young man said.

“Cut the bullshit, you asshole!” The woman suddenly snarled at the man.

“You have been on that backward planet far too long,” another man replied a moment later.

Sighing, the woman nodded, “I am sorry, father, and I am somewhat frustrated. I found him today, but like an idiot, I administered the wrong test. I agree with you, father, five of their years is far too long.” Taking a deep calming sigh, the woman continued. “I actually saw him! Then he time froze me before I had a chance to counteract it. At least we know he is still alive.”

“WHAT!!? He time froze you? I think we need to bring you home, Gleena, while there is still time,” the man said, his face softening.

“No, father, I am the only one who has seen him in all the time the agents have been here. Besides,” here the woman smiled, “The test was a failure considering who he is, but the energy has helped me greatly.” At this, the woman’s guise changed slightly; her hair went from blonde to red, and her breasts grew a size as her butt became tighter.

The man’s mouth opened in surprise, “So he really has started to emerge. How much of your power do you now have?” The man asked, excited.

Reaching inward, the woman’s eyes went wide as she reported, “It feels like I have half of what I should. Let me try something.” The man watched as the woman’s shape changed into a large cat. Well, almost; she was about half and half. She had the tail, some red fur, the ears, and whiskers. Sighing, the woman nodded and changed back. “Oh god, father, that felt so good!”

“I know, Gleena; it was good to see you in our other form. Try to find him; it should be easier now with half your strength back,” the man said, then was gone.

A thin smile crossed her face as she felt the calmness taking hold of her. God, it was good to be almost normal again!

Twitty stretched out; god, she hated to stay like this; she wished she could speed up the process!

Bill had called in; he wasn’t feeling all that well. This was a first; he hadn’t called in the five years they had been here. Damn it, Twitty thought, whoever this agent woman was, she had obviously affected the mind shield.

Sighing, she knew they would have to relocate soon; the agent would be able to track Bill a hell of a lot easier now.

She had already started sending messages to Bill. He should start to feel an urgency to move out of the city as fast as possible. Looking over at Bill, she HOPED the messages were getting through; without the full mind shield in place, it might not work.

Again, Twitty sent a message to Bill; come on, she thought, we have to get out of here! Sighing, she was contemplating sending another, though she was afraid that it might be too soon. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door; Twitty could suddenly feel the agent on the other side.

Activating an emergency switch, both her and Bill vanished as the woman kicked the door open. Damn it, she cursed, then her eyes opened wide as she felt the energy trail. Well, she thought with a sly smile, sloppy, sloppy! Twitty breathed a sigh of relief; that had been close. Thankfully, they couldn’t follow them. Bill picked up Twitty, stroking her fur. OMG! Twitty thought, this is worse now that he is emerging! Twitty’s tail twitched as the feeling started to build in her. Suddenly purring, Twitty was screaming inside as she was orgasming. Quickly, she had Bill on the bus, heading out of town.

Gleena appeared where they had been a few moments later. Stretching her hand out, feeling in all directions. Ah! There they were, not too far ahead. Shouldn’t be too hard to catch them. Activating a switch on the watch she was wearing, her car came around the corner and stopped in front of her. “Agent xzxx-9, omicron, pi, epsilon, nu, omega, A override.”

“Confirmed,” came a mechanical voice, then the door opened. “Tracking, full spectrum, orbital, and ground.”

“Compliance, search parameters?” The voice responded.

“Track these energy signatures,” Gleena said as she started to feed the information to the micro A.I. through a cyber link.

“Tracking enabled, now calculating time to intercept,” the voice told her.

“Delay interception; track for now only. We are under orders to not interfere with this primitive culture,” Gleena stated.

“Order understood. Now entering stealth mode,” the A.I. answered.

They followed for at least an hour; the bus made frequent stops. Then, more than a mile out of the city, the bus made its last stop.

Gleena smiled as she watched Bill and his cat get off the bus. That was sweet. Even as a human, the man liked...! Gleena growled and pulled her weapon. So, they had a guard on him! Damn! She should have known that it wouldn’t be that easy!

Gleena waited. She didn’t know how much power the guard had, probably more than I do, she thought. Sighing, she had to do this; there was no other way.

Twitty was finally starting to feel better; she hadn’t felt any pursuit. They were home free now; all she had to do was repair the mind shield. Simple, right? Sighing, she had already started reaching, seeing the cracks that the agent had made. Funny, she thought, they were glowing; they only did that when-oh crap!

Bill felt the woman before he saw her, turning; his mouth dropped agape. Panicking a moment, again everything froze, well, almost everything. The woman was smiling as she made her way to Bill.

Bowing low, the woman said, “Hello, Bill, we have been looking for you for a very long time.”

Bill looked at the woman suspiciously, “Uh huh, who in the hell are you? I saw you earlier; you had a gun. I hate guns! Leave me alone!” Bill had backed up to a tree as the woman touched his arm. This time she was thrown at least a thousand yards away. Bill could feel the tree start to give way as he and the now uprooted tree were traveling in the other direction!

Shaking her head, the woman smiled as she felt her power course through her! ‘Ah!’ she thought as she changed into a large red-headed human/cat form and quickly caught up to Bill. ‘It’s time to end this,’ she thought; at least the time freeze was over. Advancing, her claws out, Gleena growled as the small gray tabby of Bill’s got between her and Bill.

“NO!” Bill was suddenly screaming, then he grasped his head. It seemed as if a thousand beams of light shot out of Bill as he struggled to regain his feet. “NO! Stop, Gleena!” Turning, he looked at his tabby and waved a hand over her.

A startled sigh escaped her throat as the tabby started to grow to a large cat also. Both females looked at each other and smiled wickedly. Both turned and bowed low to Bill, who was suddenly transforming into a huge two-legged, yellow-spotted human/cat.

“Sire,” they both said at the same time. “We fight for the honor of being your mate.”

The now Cat/Bill looked at both of them and growled. “I have been here on this primitive planet for five of their years. I came here to be left alone. I left instructions that I wasn’t coming back. Why have you disturbed me?” Cat/Bill roared, causing both females to back up.

Both females looked at each other, trembling at the power of Bill, and then Gleena spoke up. “Sire, your older brother was killed in an accident over five cycles ago. You said that if you had to rule again, that we were to come for you. It was hoped that the image of your sister would revert you back. I apologize for administering the wrong test.” Bowing her head, tears escaped her eyes. “I accept any punishment you deem fair, my lord.”

Cat/Bill nodded, disturbed at the news of his brother, and then he looked accusingly at Twitty. “Why was I not told sooner?”

Twitty shuddered, then spoke, “Sire, we were told nothing of this. I have languished these five years in that form. I have awaited the time you grew tired of this existence and were ready to return home. Your emergence today, I thought was the start of that. I didn’t know it was an agent until you told me. Since we were not contacted, I thought it was an enemy agent.” Twitty also had her head down, tears falling from her eyes. “I have failed my lord; I also await your punishment.”

Cat/Bill scratched his elongated chin; so they were both in the dark. Nodding his head, he could feel the hand of both of his uncles in this. Concentrating, Cat/Bill smiled; he had the perfect plan. A small sphere opened in front of him, then another.

“I am not pleased with either of you, uncles,” roared Bill, holding up a huge paw to keep the men quiet. “I am going to take one of these, your daughters, as my mate,” here Bill sneered. “The other dies! As befits the daughter of a traitor! I can still cripple the empire, as I hold all the power. Sit back and watch as one of these precious resources is laid to waste!”

Cat/Bill nodded as both females bowed to him and bared their claws, both in an attack stance, a look of bloodlust growing in their eyes. They had hardly started when Bill heard both of his uncles start to cheer, then chat kill about their own niece. Cat/Bill hadn’t been idle as the two females were hissing at each other, sizing the other up.

It was half an hour later when Cat/Bill nodded. Standing up, he knew that this was dangerous; even as powerful as he was, they were in the midst of bloodlust. Even when he roared at them, they only smiled and tried to kill each other even harder.

Finally, Cat/Bill jumped in the middle of both of them. Grabbing both around the neck, he pointed their noses at the spheres where their fathers had a bloodlust of their own. Both females stared in astonishment. Their fathers were telling them not to stop, that the empire would be theirs. All they just had to do was kill their cousin.

Shocked, both of the females hissed at each other and tried to attack the other. Roaring, Cat/Bill grabbed both arms, twisting. “I said STOP!” Both looked at him, shocked. Didn’t he want one of them dead? Confused, they looked at him. The look on his face confused them even more.

Sighing, Cat/Bill explained, “I want both of you,” here he started to lick the blood off both of them, causing quite a bit of purring. “I am afraid that both of your fathers only wanted the throne. They used both of you. I have had both of them arrested. I’m sorry, but they will be executed soon.”

Both of the females smiled at Cat/Bill; they really didn’t care he wanted them both! Purring harder, they both started to rub against Cat/Bill as they both became more excited. Cat/Bill smiled; once, just for once, things were going his way.

Then suddenly, Bill looked at Twitty, “I want that damned force shield off now! No wonder I felt like a bad luck charm!”

Twitty and Gleena smiled, “Yes, Sire,” Twitty replied, purring louder as she and Gleena licked Bill’s face.

Chapter 2 - Return to Home

specton - 2 1/2 minutes

quant - 2 1/2 years

heckson - 2 1/2 miles

---

Bill was pacing outside the city, where was that star cruiser? They had ample time to reach this primitive dust ball of earth. Looking over at his two guards who would soon be his mates, he smiled. They were both still in their cat form. Unlike him, they craved their true cat form.

Twitty, a grey striped tabby with white streaks down her back. Gleena, a red-colored cat resembling a Bengal tiger. Both were half cat and half, Bill guessed, something approaching human. They had both been ready to fight to the death for the honor of being his mate. Laughing, Bill thought that was a joke, him? A desired mate?

Sighing again, Bill knew there was a lot he’d have to do when he returned. That is if he returned! The length of time it was taking the star cruiser to get here, he wasn’t so sure. Looking at his chronometer again, his face started to twist into anger.

“I want both of you to call Xendra. Let them know I am more than displeased that the cruiser isn’t here yet. It has more than enough time to reach this system.” Bill roared, transforming a moment into his full cat form.

Both Gleena and Twitty were trembling at the raw power that their mate was showing. Both pulled out their small but powerful communication devices. Almost frantically, they were calling the cruiser’s commander and command control, advising them both that they best hurry.

“The commander states he should touchdown in two spectons,” Gleena advised Bill.

“Xendra command says they were delayed by a magnetic storm of one hundred hecksons across,” Twitty purred.

Bill nodded; he normally wasn’t this impatient, though with the death of his brother, he felt that haste was best at this point. Grabbing Twitty’s communicator, he growled, “Command, I want triple guards on my uncles. If they escape, I will hold all accountable! No matter where you hide, I will find you!”

“Yes, Sire!” The voice at the other end said as there was suddenly a lot of shouting. “They will still be incarcerated when you return, Sire!”

“Good, I am not really in a good mood to go hunting when I get there!” Bill growled out again.

There was a gulp, then the other voice said, “Yes, Sire, I wouldn’t want that for you either!” Clicking off, Bill was relieved when a moment later, there was a rush of air, then a door opened in front of them.

Both females drew the same type of gun Bill had seen Gleena with earlier. Nodding as he looked over their shoulders at the standard skimmer gun of the royal guard and special agencies. Advancing, both females took up positions on either side of the opening. As the commander stuck his head out, he suddenly had a barrel digging into the side of his neck.

“I do not recognize you, should I dispatch him, Sire?” Twitty stated as she bared her claws and fangs.

“Recognition code?” Bill growled out low and menacing.

The commander swallowed hard, “A beast with eyes of moonlight, fur knotted like wool. The teeth like pearls, so bright, He slips away.”

“The response?” Bill growled as Twitty pressed harder into the commander’s neck, her claws out ever closer to the commander’s throat.

“A shadow,” the commander replied.

Bill nodded, then walked up to the commander, smacking the man across the face, causing a few places to bleed. “This type of sloppiness won’t be tolerated. I should kill you on the spot! As I am in a hurry, best you remember! If there is another instance of this, you will find yourself staring at the sky as you bleed out. As I said, I should rip your insides out! Let’s go now!”

The commander had everything inside in record time. Another thirty seconds and they were in space.

“Commencing hyper drive.” There was a whine, then the ship shot forward. The commander came to Bill and saluted. Bill nodded, then the commander reported, “Sire, we should be arriving within 24 spectons.”

“Good, I am anxious to execute both of my power-hungry uncles. Part of your offenses is forgiven, commander. If we arrive in the time you have stated, then I might remove even more.” Here Bill pointed a finger at the commander. “I suggest that you don’t push it, though.”

The commander saluted, then bowed. Turning away, he breathed a sigh of relief. His mate wouldn’t be pleased he’d upset the king. Most of the penalties he’d incurred, though, were removed so she wouldn’t be as pissed off. Shaking, he’d rather face the king mad than his mate on an anger spree. She was after all of the same clan as special agent Gleena. The commander ruminated.

“Sire?” Gleena said after a few minutes. “I hope you don’t keep these restrictions on him. His mate is a sister of my clan. Though what she saw in his wire hair clan I’ll never know.”

Bill looked over at Gleena, a smile on his face. “Actually, I heard that they are fantastic lovers,” Bill said, a smile crossing his face when Gleena’s mouth dropped open.

“By the great feline! If I wasn’t your mate, I would have to find out! Wait, sire! You are joking, aren’t you?” Gleena asked.

“Ha!” Twitty laughed. “If you knew him as well as I do, you’d know he NEVER jokes! Sorry, sire, but I have been your guard for four quants.”

Bill waved her comment away, a broad smile on his face. “Yes, but that was with a full mind shield enwrapping my mind. It has been known that they can dull the sense of humor.”

Twitty got an extremely hurt look on her face, "I apologize if the shield made you that way, sire. It was only just a standard total mind shield.” Throwing herself at his feet, she started to beg his forgiveness.

Shocked, Bill reached down and lifted Twitty’s head to stare into his eyes. “As of this moment, you are mine! You both are mine! No one may touch you, no one may disobey you. Remember, rule fair, rule smart. I have the power to remove you from your position as queen. I will not hesitate to do so if it means the safety of my, of our people!”

Both females were bowing and pledging themselves to him and the people.

Bill was going over all the reports that he could. There were, after all, two quants to catch up on. Nodding, he could see many of the brilliant things his brother had tried to do. It really was a shame that such a grand ruler as his brother had been killed. Plus, there was the fact that he now had to try and fill his brother’s shoes.

Bill realized that he’d fallen asleep for a few spectons when the commander announced that they were on approach.

Bill’s eyes snapped open. He saw that both Twitty and Gleena were standing a vigilant watch over him.

“We thought it best to let you rest, sire. Breaking a full mind shield can be very tiring,” Gleena said, staring at him. Looking down, he saw that he’d half transformed into his lion-type form. A small mane of yellowish fur around his shoulders drew his attention. Sighing, he switched back to his human guise. “Sire, your regular form is so strong and handsome!” A trembling with excitement Glenna started her long tail twitching back and forth.

“Yes, sire, soon we will see only your true form. I am excited to see you in your total Xendran form!” A slow panting Twitty was saying.

Shaking his head, Bill was unsure about correcting them. His people were actually both human and feline. Many, it seemed, had forgotten that simple fact. All the centuries that they had been settled on Xendra had, it seemed, dulled that fact. That was the reason he’d chosen to hide on the mother planet of Earth. It was perfect hiding as a human; any odd behavior was just shrugged off as him being eccentric. There would have to be something done about the people forgetting just where they had come from.

Sitting up, Bill strode to the front of the ship, watching as the blue and green planet of Xendra quickly came into view. Sighing, Bill had to make himself ready. There weren’t all that many who knew what he looked like; it was... Suddenly, a wide smile lit up his face as he looked at his two mates. Aside from them, perhaps a few techs in control and the special agent center, no one knew what he looked like!

“Commander, change course now!” Bill said as he lunged at the computer. Hearing the engines strain as they made a hard turn while slowing had Bill smiling. A moment later, a huge explosion came from where they would have been! “As I suspected! My traitorous uncles were hoping I wouldn’t be paying attention! Control! Find out where that blast came from, take all there! I want a few left alive for questioning. If they resist, kill them. If they don’t, I want them in prison! Remember my earlier warning!”

A young Chartreux clan male snapped to attention, then started yelling orders. “Position already charted, a full company is halfway there,” the male replied. Speaking into another communication device, the male yelled, “Take as many alive as possible! The king’s orders! If you kill them all, you’ll have me, and then the king to deal with! Get it done!” The young male was growling.

Bill was smiling; this was more like it! If all went well, he might need to have the male promoted. Then again, Bill thought with a wry smile, we’d have to see about that.

“Advise when the position has been taken. Also, check that my other uncle doesn’t have the same type of trap awaiting us,” Bill advised.

“Do you really think that both of our fathers would try the same ambush?” Twitty asked, a little upset.

“I wouldn’t put it past either of them. You both know I am going to subject both of them to the mind bender?” Bill asked them both.

“Yes, Sire,” they both answered at the same time. “It is what is expected for all traitors,” Twitty replied. “I would expect nothing less of a response from the throne. Especially after such a villainous attempt was made on your majesty’s life.”

“Hmm,” Bill said. “That is all well and good, but what are your personal thoughts about what they did? Actually, I wish to hear from both of you.”

“Sire,” Glenna started. “I am a loyal servant of the throne and the crown. I have made it my life’s work to protect the king and therefore the Xendran people.”

“I swore a sacred oath to protect the life of the king and the royal family. Though I found it completely distasteful to be in pure feline form, I went through the pain for your safety. I would gladly sacrifice my life protecting you,” Twitty told Bill while bowing to the floor beside Glenna.

“At present, you both are the only ones I completely trust. Like most of our people, I know that both of you disliked the human form. Therefore, you both are the only ones I feel I can relay this information to. While on Earth, I did research on certain rumors I remember from when I was a child. Though the mind shield was in place, I had a strong desire to find out. Rumors that our people were from Earth.”

Both females gasped at the news that Bill just told them. Then they both laughed. “They are only wild rumors, sire,” Glenna told him with a certain amount of certainty.

Bill’s smile faded as he shook his head no. Twitty whispered, “We have been told that such rumors were pure heresy!”

“As declared by the cult/religion of Miw. No, I found compelling evidence that all of us are descended from Earth. Even more evidence of where the ancestors left from,” Bill explained to them.

“That’s why we were in that ancient place last Earth year! I remember, sire, but nothing looked anything like we have today,” Twitty told him.

“Maybe not to you, but do you perhaps know what this is?” Bill said as he held up an odd-shaped, ancient-looking bracelet. It was an aquamarine color that drained the color from her face as soon as she saw it.

“An elite royal guardian band,” Twitty whispered as she looked at her wrist, seeing almost her own bracelet. To her eye, they looked exactly the same! That was impossible! The church! They had declared... shaking her head, a small smile lit up her face. “It appears that we have been around far longer than we thought!”

Glenna’s mouth was hanging open; this was all forbidden by the church! Only the king could... suddenly smiling, she nodded; he was the king, there was no denying it! Sighing, she could see that she and Twitty were going to have their hands full in the next few weeks. Especially after he was crowned and came out with this compelling evidence. Shaking her head, she wondered just what else he had up his sleeve.

Glenna was about to comment when the commander knocked at their door. “Come,” Glenna said as Twitty took up a position beside the door, shutting down the lights. The door opened as the commander stood there.

“Sire?” The commander said into the darkened room, his short tail twitching slightly.

“Speak,” the commander heard a female voice from the darkness.

“Control is calling for his lordship. I came immediately as I thought it was very important,” the commander said, stepping back a step.

Good, Bill thought. The commander was learning far faster than Bill thought possible for a wire hair clan member. “I’m coming,” Bill said as he strode past the commander, both Glenna and Twitty close on his heels.

On the bridge, the entire crew bowed to Bill, then went back to their duties. “What have you found, Captain?” Bill growled out.

“It was as you thought, sire. There was another high-energy particle weapon pointed at your position. I thought they might have backups, so we started searches of other sites owned by the traitors,” the young Chartreux clan male reported.

“What did you find?” Bill said, a small smile creeping onto his lips; he was enjoying the efficiency of this control officer.

The Captain smiled. “We found two more particle weapons. I am still not feeling it is safe yet, sire. I called to let you know I have full units on the way to all six properties that are owned by the traitors. You should be able to land soon, sire.”

“Thank you, Major. Keep me informed,” Bill said, a sly smile on his face as he watched the young Chartreux sputter for a moment at his new rank.

“Yes, Sire! Will do! Control out,” the Major said, then clicked off.

“So, it appears that both of your fathers have been planning this for quite some time. It wouldn’t surprise me if they have weapons at those other sites also,” Bill told both Twitty and Glenna.

“Honestly, sire,” Glenna started, “they had a good plan, but they both forgot something, a fatal flaw they missed.” Glenna said, causing Bill to snap his head around to stare at her.

“What was the flaw in their plan?” Bill asked, more than interested now.

“Why, Sire,” Glenna stated. “Both of us,” Glenna said, indicating herself and Twitty. “We are both the best at what we do. Neither of us will stop until our goal is reached. I think our fathers thought we would abandon our duty for our family. I never could, as I feel neither could Twitty. We are both totally devoted to our duty, to you, Sire.” This last spoken in a whisper, even as both Twitty and Glenna blushed!

‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ Bill thought. ‘I can obviously trust them far more than I thought.’ Turning, Bill motioned for the commander. “I need a witness for this. As a member of the space force and an officer, your word will hold far more weight. Kneel before me, Twitty Glax, Gleena Nox. As of today, you both are in command of the elite guard. You both are in control of the special agencies. As the King-elect, I publicly name the both of you as my life mates. I name you both as my queens when I take the pledge.” Bill reached to each of the females' shoulders, touching them.

Speaking at the same time, they both said, “Your lordship, we pledge to you and the people of Xendra. We will rule fair, we will rule just, to protect the king and the people.”

“Arise, future Queens of the realm. Queen-elect Twitty, Queen-elect Glenna.” Many on the bridge had tears in their eyes; they hadn’t seen this in their lifetime, hoping it wasn’t the last of the ceremonies that they might see.

“I need to finish these reports,” Bill said to all present. With a sigh, Bill sat at a back table, going through what was left.

It was about four spectons later that the commander approached Bill. Standing there, the commander wasn’t about to interrupt the future king.

Looking up a moment later, Bill nodded his head; the commander was far better than Bill thought. He was good! “Yes, commander?”

“Control is calling, Sire,” the commander stated.

“Good! The Major is as good as his word.” Walking to the communicator, Bill started, “Report, Major!”

“As I suspected, sire, there were high-energy particle weapons at the other sites also. We were able to take all of them with only a few killed. I’d say we have thirty prisoners out of the forty that were manning the cannons. They will all be available when you land, sire.” An even younger female snapped a salute to the Major, then reported that the leader of the cannon that had fired had escaped.

The Major growled viciously then calmed. “What is your next step?” Bill asked the enraged Major.

“It appears, sire,” the Major whispered, then took a deep breath, “that I need to go hunting!”

“Good, Major. Meet us at the landing pad. I feel a need to go hunting myself!” Bill told the young Major, whose face showed shock then a wide smile broke across it. “It would be an honor to hunt with the king. Though I must warn you, sire, I am quite good!” The Major replied.

“We shall see, Major! We shall see!” Bill said and clicked off as he heard the ship's engines shut down.

Stepping to the door, Glenna and Twitty both scanned the outside then nodded to Bill. “All clear, sire.”

As the door opened, the Major was standing there, his grey fur shining in the light. “We need to go! The traitor has a head start on us!” Bill smiled, as did Twitty and Glenna. This was going to be a grand homecoming, that was for sure!

Bill nodded to the Major, then closed his eyes as he started to shift into his normal feline form. With a loud roar, Bill took off, with the Major behind him followed extremely closely by Glenna and Twitty. Bill felt so free as he felt the wind rush by his face. Within moments, they were at the site.

Sniffing the air, he could almost see the male that had escaped. The nervousness as he fled to avoid capture. Disgusted, Bill looked at the Major. “Kill him when we catch up to him.” The Major’s purring smile and flicking tail was all that the Major responded with.

Chapter 3 - Cleaning House

Bill and the Major had been running for almost an hour, following the scent of the male. Suddenly, there was a break in the forest they had been running through. Before them lay the sprawling castle of one of his uncles.

Growling, Bill stopped as they saw that the castle had been fortified with heavy artillery. Cursing, Bill also noticed the heavy shields on the exterior. Snapping out a communicator, the Major called command control.

“I need heavy batteries at Castle Krong. We have a traitor within its walls,” the Major said.

“We can’t authorize that without the permission of the king. There is no king or king-elect so...” A male voice replied from command.

Snatching the communicator from the Major, Bill growled, “This is the king-elect. I want that traitor taken into custody now! Submit him to the mind bender! Now, send out the big guns or I might just have all of you under the mind bender!” There was a number of voices yelling, and two minutes later, a ship appeared and settled near them, as an older male stepped out, looking around.

“Amb...” The male started when he spotted Bill.

“No!” Shouted Bill, effectively quieting the man. “I go by my human name, at least ‘til I ascend the throne! Though it is good to see you, General Roth.”

“As it is, your kingship,” the older male said as he bowed.

“I am not the king yet,” here Bill sighed, “that will be soon enough. First, it appears that there are many who do not wish for me to take the throne. It seems that we still have a den of traitors left after I had both of my uncles incarcerated.”

The General gained a twisted smile as he asked, “How would you like me to do this?”

Bill was also smiling as he said, “One warning, then destroy the shielding. Another, and if they don’t surrender?” Here Bill’s face twisted in anger for a moment. “Then blow the hell out of the place!”

The General’s smile got bigger as he ordered the huge battery into place. Nodding, the General thought, they might have heavy artillery, but it was nothing compared to the royal batteries!

Opening a channel, the General said, “By the order of the king-elect, lower your shields! Surrender to the royal guard or we’ll destroy your position!”

For a moment, the General thought there wasn’t going to be a response, then static came from the com. “We do not recognize the bastard brother of the dead king! We defend the rights of the king’s uncles to take the throne!”

A smile slowly crept onto the General’s face. Nodding, the General watched as the cannon opened up. Even as he watched, the General could see the holes starting to form in the shielding. A few more powerful blasts and the castle’s outer walls and shields were shredded.

Turning, the General informed Bill, “Walls and shielding down, sire.”

Bill nodded and grabbed the com. “I suggest you come out now! This is the only warning you get, then we will level this pathetic castle that you think you are safe in!”

There was a great amount of shouting over the com, then several hundred males were marching out the front. Even as they marched past, Bill was still hunting for the one they had been after. They were about halfway through the line of males when one whirled, drawing a gun. Faster than anyone thought possible, Bill crossed the fifteen feet between them. Growling, his tail swishing left and right rapidly, Bill had the tabby male in the air by the throat. Hissing at the male, Bill threw him to the ground and started to rip him to pieces.

Snapping his head up, Bill’s claws dripping the blood of the dead male, he growled, “Any others? I am not the weak, mindless fool my uncles led you to believe! Well? Are there any others that wish to die? Ah! Cowards!” Whirling, Bill growled at Twitty and Glenna, who were looking at him with heated looks. “As I said, I do not need guards. Mates, yes, but not guards!”

“You might not be so assured later, sire!” Twitty growled back at him, her ears back and her tail flicking.

“No matter what you say, your brother the king ordered us to watch you. I cannot disobey an order from the king!” Glenna growled, her teeth and fangs showing, her own tail flicking rapidly.

Sighing loudly, Bill threw up his arms. It would be impossible to argue with them; it was, after all, their duty. Both Twitty and Glenna looked at each other and smiled broadly; they knew they had him. He might be the next king, but even he couldn’t refuse them their duty.

Turning back to the line of prisoners, Bill kept looking for the leader of the group that had fired on the ship. Finally, the last male marched past, causing Bill’s eyes to narrow, then he and the Major took off for the castle.

Quickly picking up the scent of the male again, Bill and the Major set off. They were again very closely followed by Twitty and Glenna. Another hour saw them rapidly approaching another castle. Looking back at Twitty, he growled, stopping just out of range of the weapons. “This is getting ridiculous!” Opening up a com channel, Bill growled, “General Roth, have you returned yet?”

A moment of silence, then the General was answering, “No, sire, though I was about to.”

“I need you by Castle Krang; the traitor has run to my other uncle’s castle!” Bill almost shouted.

“Be there in a moment!” General Roth answered.

Two minutes later, the ship was dropping beside them. “Same way, sire?”

“Perhaps,” Bill said as he stared at the castle. Opening up a channel, Bill stated, “I have already taken Castle Krong! I have no use for traitors that hide enemies of the crown. Turn the traitor over NOW or I will not hesitate to level this place. You have one specton, no more. No discussion, no deals! Well?! You have Three-quarters of a specton!”

There was a moment of silence, then a line of Xendrans were marching out. Bill nodded to the Major, then the General, as he took off for the back of the castle. Far ahead of them, they saw a figure running at breakneck speed from the castle. Smiling, Bill increased his speed, as did the Major and Bill’s mates.

Bill was surprised that the male was keeping a good distance from them even with the increase in speed they had made. Pushing himself and the others harder, Bill was starting to eat away at the distance. Roaring, Bill could smell the fear of the escaping traitor. Still, how was he as far ahead as he was?

Finally, twelve spectons later, they were within sight of the traitor. Still, Bill was surprised that the lone male had kept them at bay as long as he had. Pushing harder, Bill felt his legs start to ache from the prolonged chase. Suddenly, they all broke into another clearing in front of a third castle! Bill poured on the speed, though a moment later, the shields caught him unaware as he slammed into them.

Picking himself up, Bill started to curse; this was no common male. Thinking a moment, he pulled out his com. “Central!” He roared. “I want status on the prisoners!”

There was a few moments of silence, then a voice came from the com. “Sir! Both of the prisoners are gone!”

“I want all guards held; all duty personnel will submit to a truth scan! I’ll be there soon!” Shutting off the com, Bill roared his disapproval of the situation. “Roth!” Bill shouted into the com. “Transport to central; we need to be there as soon as possible. I am afraid I am going to end up executing half the staff at the rate things are going!”

“Yes, Sire. I’ll be there in a moment,” came Roth’s voice.

It was a mere two spectons later that they were landing beside the ship they had come in on. “You made sure that they are all loyal?” Bill asked the General.

“I made sure, sire. They are loyal to me and you,” Roth replied.

“Good. I need to have the troops on my side if I am to set this world right!” Bill growled.

Entering central, there were more than just a few people lined up against the wall waiting. Suddenly, there was shouting as one of the guards was making a break for it. Bill was in the guard’s path in a moment as he clotheslined the male to the floor.

“I’m sorry, sire; he...” The female tech started.

The guard laughed as he looked up at Bill. “You? Now I know I made the right choice; you haven’t the guts to…”

The man stopped talking as Bill savagely put his hand through the male’s chest and ripped out his still-beating heart! Leaning close, Bill smiled, “Wrong, asshole, you’re dead!”

The guard smiled. “I may be, but so will you; they can’t be beat!” Without ceremony, the guard fell over dead.

Standing up, Bill looked at all the central staff with a low growl. Bill stated, “I hold the same fate for any others that wish to betray the crown! I’d rather get this over with and just have you confess; no one can resist the truth scan. Not when it is set at full intensity!” Bill waited, but no one was forthcoming. “Fine, if you lie at all on any question, you are gone. The lie will determine if you die!”

Two more guards came forward and knelt at Bill’s feet. “We were told that you would lead us to a life of ease. That you were going to ban the hunt. Your Uncles told all who would listen. They were holding our families in Castle Krang that you liberated. We both regret our decisions and await your decision of death for us. Knowing our mates and children are safe, let us accept the punishment that you will deliver.”

Bill nodded as the two guards confessed to him, not only to save their honor but the lives of those not involved. Leaning close, Bill whispered to both of them, “I might spare your lives, providing you take the oath and point out other traitors that have yet to come forward.”

Both males’ eyes were wide as they both readily agreed. Bill had the troops with the General lead them away. In central’s command room, Bill had both of them point out another five guards, three servants, and four techs.

“I want all twelve of them submitted to full intensity truth scan!” Bill hissed.

The General smiled then stated, “You do realize that might kill them. If they don’t die, then they will be mind-wiped, sire.”

“As if I care! This needs to be done to clear the traitors out of command. This is the first area we need clear!” Here Bill smiled at the General. “Besides, I have a few toys that I think you might find of great help!” Bill stated, to which the General nodded with a look of interest.

It was soon after that Bill and the General were waiting for the first of the traitors. The first three were led into the interrogation room rather calm, at least until they saw Bill and the General. Suddenly, the troops were having to fight to keep the prisoners under control.

One male actually broke loose, heading toward Bill in a murderous rage. Suddenly, the male found himself a few feet off the floor and having trouble breathing with Bill’s hand wrapped around his throat. Throwing the struggling male to the floor, Bill hissed, “You aren’t getting out of it that easily! Strap him in!” Bill hissed even more, his ears back.

Still struggling, the male was finally strapped in as the machine was turned on. “You will get nothing from me, you false leader! After they are done with you, you’ll have wished you’d died in that attack!”

Nodding, Bill watched as the male grimaced as the power started to climb. “Oh, I’ll get plenty from you. You’d be surprised what you can survive and not die. Especially when it is the mind bender; in case you don’t know, it uses images of past pain and memories. At first, it is nothing, but as the power increases, it ceases to be just a nuisance as the memory of the pain becomes real.”

Suddenly, the male screamed as the power levels hit 60%, panic apparent on his face.

“Now, if you wish to have a mind after this, tell me of my Uncles' plans!” Bill said to the now panic-stricken male.

“NO! Keep away!” Turning and looking at Bill, the male laughed. “I told you nothing!” Bill nodded as the power was increased to 70%, causing renewed screams from the prisoner. “There is more, unless you want to be a useless vegetable, talk!”

Panting, the male hissed at Bill, who nodded again as the power went to 80%. This time, the male screamed for a full speckton before Bill asked, “As I said, there is more but not to your mind. You are dangerously close to cerebral shutdown and wipe. Talk, tell me of their plans!”

When the male only smiled between pants, Bill nodded again as the power went to 90%. This time, the male let out a blood-curdling scream as he bit his lip and clenched his hands so hard they started to bleed.

Bill looked over at the white-as-a-sheet female tech. “Neuro pathways opening, sir. We are now recording everything. I estimate we should have it all within two specktons.”

“You bastard!” The male in the chair shouted. “You could have done this without the pain!”

“No,” Bill growled, “you are a traitor and no matter what, you die today. As a traitor that was involved in trying to kill me, you deserve far more pain than you are receiving!” Bill looked over at the tech who finally signaled they had it all.

Reaching over, Bill hissed at the male, “Go to hell, you piece of filth!” Then turned the power all the way up, causing the man to scream continuously until his head flopped to the side with his tongue hanging out.

“Sir, I am reading stoppage of almost all cerebral activity, should I disconnect?” The female tech asked.

“No, when there is none, then you can.” With that, Bill walked out growling at the others that were shaking in the hallway waiting. “All of you face the same fate: talk early and your death will be quick. Delay, and I guarantee it will be extremely painful!”

Smiling as he moved past, he heard all of them start to babble as soon as he was around the corner.

“Masterfully done, sire; your father would have been proud,” the General said as soon as he caught up to Bill.

“I told you, Roth, I am not the king yet. I still have to be crowned; for that, I have to clear house. Wouldn’t do to have to be dodging the whole time I am crowned. No, I want most of this to be done before I ascend the throne.”

“I realize that, sir. The thing is, the realm will tear itself apart if there isn’t a king for too long. As you well know, without leadership, the whole kingdom will go to war,” the General advised Bill.

“I know, I know. Like I said, we have to move quickly and clear as much as possible. Would you prefer that I was killed and one or both of my Uncles took the throne?” Bill asked the General.

Shaken a bit, the General could only imagine the perpetual war that would ensue. If either or both of them had the power of the crown, they would destroy the world and the kingdom long before it fell. Sighing, General Roth nodded, “So, suggestions?”

Bill stopped a moment; it had been quite a long time since anyone had valued his opinion. “I want you to gather every soldier that is loyal to the crown. If we have enough, I mean to take that castle we left that the traitor escaped to. I want all that we captured put to the truth scan. If we can trust them, let them go; if not, execute them.”

The General was nodding as he opened a comm and started to issue orders. A few minutes later, the General had an answer for Bill. Walking up, Bill was in discussion with a newly appointed Major. “I have an answer for you about the troops, sir,” General Roth told Bill.

“Ah, good, General. I was discussing tactics with the Major here. I have to admit he is a superb hunter-tracker. Damn near as good as I am.” Pulling the General aside, Bill advised him, “I was thinking of promoting him to Lieutenant Colonel, though I thought you might want to put some input into this.”

"From what I saw, he would make a fine Lieutenant Colonel. We are at a low of Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels; if anything, I feel it would be a great help. Besides, if he really is almost as good as you, I could definitely use him," the General said, a broad grin on his face.

"The thing is, I still have need of him in central command also. Hmm, split duty. I do believe he’d like that. A chance to get out and hunt? Hell, I’d jump at that! Alright, I am glad we are in agreement," Bill told the General with a wide smile. Walking back to the Major, Bill asked, "I take it you’d like to have split duty?"

"If you mean I’d get a chance to hunt more, then hell yes! Though I’d need to find far better officers for command while I am out," the Major said.

"That shouldn’t be too hard, Lieutenant Colonel," the General said as he removed the gold oak leaves and replaced them with silver oak leaves.

The Lieutenant Colonel’s mouth dropped open. “I ... but ... sir?” Was all that the young officer could get out.

Bill walked up to the male, shaking his paw. “I need officers that I can trust. After today, I know that of you. Your hunting skills will be wasted if you stay in command all the time. So I take it you like the idea?”

“Yes sir!” The young officer said as he snapped off a salute to Bill. “I’ll do all I can to help you, sir! Though sir, I don’t really feel I deserve the advancement in rank. Really, sir...”

“Look,” Bill growled low, slightly irritated. “To do what I need done, you need to be at a higher rank. I could make you higher if that is what you’re after!”

“No sir!” The young officer said, snapping off another salute. “I won’t complain anymore.”

“Good, then I want you to go through all the records of everyone in command. I want all the traitors out of there. If anything looks out of place to you, let me and the General know. If you don’t have complete trust in the officer, I do not want them in command. Not even duty officer. Have I made myself clear?”

The Lieutenant Colonel smiled. “Good, finally we’ll get real officers there and not a bunch of half-assed idiots!”

Bill and the General both had to smile. It appeared that this young officer was going to work out far better than they had hoped! “Good, another thing that you’ll notice about the rank? People will have a tendency to listen to you far more than they did before. Alright, I expect a report in a day or two and all the suggestions you want to be there in command,” Bill advised the young officer.

“Thank you sir, I’ll do everything I can to make command an actual help to the realm.” With that, the Lieutenant Colonel turned and made his way back to central.

“Damn, I hope I haven’t signed his death sentence,” Bill told the General.

“No, I feel great things from that officer,” the general said. Turning to Bill, he stated, “as I do from you, sir!”

Chapter 4 - Capture

Bill - Lion clan

Twitty - Grey Tabby clan

Glenna - Bengal clan

Mikos - Chartreux clan

Commander of star cruiser - Wire hair clan

General Roth - Leopard clan

Theta - Cheetah clan

Cornelius - one of Bill’s Uncles

Niaco - Bill’s brother’s mate

Bill looked at the General for a few moments. “Yeah, you and everybody else within the realm still have a shred of decency. Remember, Roth, I am not my brother; we tried it his way and look what it got us. No, this time we do it my way! As you well know, that will involve a hell of a lot of blood!”

The General’s face was concerned for a moment then he began to smile broadly. “Good! It’s about time we returned to the kingdom we were during your father’s reign! Lord knows none of this political crap would have been going on. Don’t get me wrong, I loved your brother and faithfully served him and the crown. It was just that his policies came at a time when the kingdom was still unstable after your father passed.”

“I know, old friend. I miss him fiercely also,” Bill said, a moment of sadness showing on his face. “I remember when I was younger, the battles the kingdom had, to try and tame the savage planets. I intend to reunite all the worlds like he had. This kingdom was great in his day and I intend to make it that way again! I also intend to not let the planets be lost to the madness of isolation again!”

General Roth sighed, and then his face brightened. “I was right! You are much like your father, with a touch of your brother in you.”

Bill’s head snapped around to stare at the General, “I fail to see where you think I am a touch like my brother!”

Smiling, the General said, “Had it been your father no matter what, he’d have ripped the chest of both those you employed to shreds. No, I think you are a lot like your father, but I also think you are far more intelligent. It appears that you do not allow the feline side of our makeup to completely rule your thinking.”

“I thank you for the compliment, Roth.” Here Bill stared at the General’s face for a moment. “At least I think it’s a compliment. I hope I don’t regret not correcting you later, Roth!” Then with a sigh, Bill shook his head. “I have a long and difficult road ahead. I am afraid I am going to be leaning on your experience more than I had at first thought.”

The General’s face was suddenly shining with pride. “I live to serve the crown and the king. I have been serving this royal family a long time and hope to continue for some time still. As always, it is a great honor to serve.”

A huge smile lit up Bill’s face as a thought came to him. “You know, there haven’t been any knights in the realm in a long time.” The general’s face showed a sudden sadness at the thought. “I think that after I am crowned I should correct that. What do you think, General?”

General Roth thought for a moment, “I think that would be a splendid idea! As you said, it has been far too long since there were any. Do you have any candidates in mind, sir?”

Bill got a serious look on his face, thinking for a moment then he turned to the General. “As a matter of fact, I do, actually only four at the moment.”

“Only four,” The general asked, a suspicious look coming to his face.

“Oh yes!” Bill said, a perplexing look on his face. “Though at the moment, I only know the location of one of them. I believe with their help, we could avert the collapse of the realm.”

The General was nodding his assent but was still looking at Bill with suspicion. “Yes, I agree if such as you said exist. So just pray tell, who are these amazing four individuals?”

“Why, General Roth,” Bill said, a wide smile coming to his face. “I thought it was obvious!”

“Forgive me, sir, I must be getting old. May I have the names of these amazing four that I may contact them?” Roth said, still a little suspicious.

“I believe you remember my father’s old elite guard?” Bill said.

“Yes, sir, considering I was a member of them!” The general said slowly.

“I intend to knight all four of you! As of right now, you are the only ones I consider to be of trustworthy character,” Bill said as he turned, realizing the General was no longer following him.

That was a preview of Cat Fight. To read the rest purchase the book.

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