Lynx Headquarters that next afternoon

All of the clan elders sat around the table, and carefully listened to Cheetara as she gave the next orders.

"Now that the tigers have been weakened, we shall strike the panther and lion clans in Claudus City."

"Who shall we strike first? And when?" Che'kar asked.

"We will strike both clans tomorrow morning at dawn," she answered.

Lynx-kahn turned his head to her. "Both? How are we going to do that? We don't have enough man power to do that!"

Cheetara folded her arms and explained her plans. "All of our available soldiers are here. The forty-eight hour deadline that I gave you has expired. I want the lynxes and the pumas to attack the East sector of Claudus City. I will be there initially to watch it start, then I will leave to lead the cheetahs in the strike on Menach, the town where most of the panthers reside. Chase will lead the troops fighting the lions, and Carvel will help me lead the attack on the panthers. Since panthers fight best at night, we will attack them at the first sight of the rising sun."

"But why should we attack both at once?" Candra inquired.

"The best way to win is to keep your enemies guessing," Cheetara relayed. "If we are successful tomorrow morning, the war should end. I'm expecting the panther and lion elders to give in and agree to a truce."

"We will be successful," Chase added. "I will stake my life on that!"

Carvel stood up and began to pace the room. "Yes, I agree with Cheetara. We should strike again as quickly as possible. We don't know how long it will be before our enemies retaliate. And once these clans give themselves up, all of us will live on Thundera without fear again. I'm just sorry that it had to come to this."

"And what if Lord Lion-O leads the lion clan?" Lynel asked.

"I will take care of Lion-O," Cheetara quickly responded. "I'm the only one who has a chance against him."

Chase grinned to himself pleased with her response. "Cheetara and I will continue to train our soldiers until tonight."

"I will give further orders tonight," Cheetara commanded. "This meeting is adjourned."

All of the elders stood up, gave their various salutes, and disembarked in different directions.

The next morning

Cheetara, Chase, and the lynx and puma warriors arrived on the outskirts on the east side of Claudus City. Cheetara ordered the lynxes and pumas to quietly surround the perimeter. Their orders to attack were given earlier that night. It was now 4:30 in the morning. It would be another five minutes before the attack began. Cheetara looked at the quiet city. She saw a few guards at the tower of city, but it appeared that they were falling asleep. Chase laid a hand on Cheetara.

"Are you okay? You seem nervous."

Cheetara sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. "I am. I'm kind of nervous about attacking two cities at the same time. It's risky having our forces separated, but it must be done."

"I think you're worried about leaving me to lead this battle and not you."

"Yeah, I am. I'm thinking they may have a surprise attack, and you all would be captured. It'll be my fault."

Chase laid his hands on Cheetara's shoulders. "Don't worry about me. I know what to do. We will win."

A walkie-talkie hanging on the right side of Cheetara's waist came on. Cheetara picked it up. "Cheetara here. Are the cheetah soldiers ready at the panther village, Carvel?"

"We're ready, Cheetara. Just waiting for your arrival," Carvel said through the walkie-talkie.

"Good. I'll be there soon. Cheetara out." She turned off the communicator and placed it back on her waist.

Cheetara took her binoculars around her neck and saw all her soldiers were ready to attack. She also saw some of the soldiers as they were finishing pouring oil around a government building. The leader on the other side saw Cheetara through his binoculars. She raised her right hand signaling him to get ready. Through her binoculars, Cheetara saw a puma soldier pull out a bow and arrow. A lynx set a stick on fire and put fire on the end of the arrow. The puma took the arrow and put it on the bow. Cheetara then dropped her right arm, and the leader on the other side signaled the puma to go ahead. The puma released the arrow and it flew in the building. In moments the building was on fire, and since dynamite was planted in the building earlier by the pumas and lynxes, it caused a loud booming explosion. The guards looked from their tower and saw the building on fire.

"Attack, my warriors! Attack!" Cheetara ordered.

Lynxes and pumas came out of their hiding places to attack the lion village. The lynxes immediately seized the tower, but the guards continued to fight from their tower. Other lions who gathered their guns and other various weapons from their homes began to fight.

"Okay, Chase, it's up to you now."

Chase gave Cheetara a quick hug. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Go," he said releasing her.

Cheetara closed her eyes concentrating on the telekinetic lesson Chase gave her on teleportation. She thought about being at the panther village with her warriors. A yellow glow surrounded her body, and in a flash she was gone. A yellow light in the form of Cheetara's body appeared by Carvel. A moment later Cheetara appeared.

It was still dark. The sun was to rise in only ten minutes the panthers were still sleeping. Only the guards of the city were up. The cheetah fighters were hiding in the thick green grasses of the village, the trees, and in different buildings of Menach.

"Ready when you are," Carvel said as the cheetahs begin loading a cannon.

"Wait a minute. We need to know if the panthers know about the lion attack. Stay here," she whispered and ran to the tower where the panther guards looked over the city. She was so fast that the scanners did not pick her up. Using her telekinetic power, Cheetara lifted her body with her mind and gently glided to the top of the tower. She quietly listened to the conversation between the two panthers.

A panther guard was pouring himself some coffee as he sat down at the table when another panther guard entered panicked. "We've just receive word that the lions are being attacked at the East Side of Claudus City."

"It must be those blasted cheetahs."

"The cheetahs may be leading them, but the fighters are the lynxes and pumas," the guard said.

"Well, I guess that mean the cheetahs won't attack us now, but we'll be next and we'll be ready," the angry panther said as he slammed his mug down on the counter breaking it.

Cheetara lowered herself to the ground. She swiftly ran to the other cheetahs. She raise her right hand. "Ready!"

A cheetah put the cannon ball in the cannon.

"Aim!"

The cannon fuse is lit as the two panther guards looked out the tower.

"The cheetahs..."

"They're here!" A panther said shocked.

"Fire!" Cheetara commanded.

The cannon fired at the tower. The panthers were able to make their escape before it hit and blew the top of the tower off.

"Charge, cheetahs!" Cheetara ordered her warriors.

The cheetah warriors began charging into the city ready to attack and kill.

Cat's Lair...that morning

The morning alarm knocked all the Thundercats out of their beds. Panthro was in the control room when the rest entered.

"It's an attack, isn't it?" Lion-O asked.

"Yes. The Lion clan at the East Side of Claudus City has been attacked," Panthro said.

"I see," Lion-O said and closed his eyes for a moment. He mentally prepared himself to face the battle and Cheetara. "Lynx-O, monitor the situation and keep us alert. I'll fly there in the Thunderclaw and the rest of you take the Thundertank. Let's go, Thundercats!" Lion-O commanded.

It wasn't long after they have left that Lynx-O's voice came over the radio.

"Come in, Thundercats! Emergency!" Lynx-O voice was very concerned.

"What is it, Lynx-O?" Lion-O asked.

"The cheetahs have also attacked the panther village in Menach only twenty miles from the lion village being struck," Lynx-O reported.

Panthro contacted Lion-O in the Thunderclaw. "What's the plan, Lion-O?" Panthro asked with a lot of concern in his voice.

"You keep heading towards the lion village. I'll go to the panther village," Lion-O said and turned the Thunderclaw, heading for the panther village.

Menach

Although the cheetahs surprised the panther clan, the panthers were not to be easily defeated. They proved to be strong fighters. Morning may not have been the best time for the panthers to fight, but they were fighting the cheetahs stronger and harder than anyone expected they would, especially Cheetara. Seeing her cheetahs at a standstill with their foes, Cheetara began to think of a plan to defeat the panthers.

"Cheetara," a wounded cheetah called as he ran to her as fast he could. "The cheetah forces are slowly weakening. We must retreat."

"No!" Cheetara spat. She was not going to lose. The cheetahs depended on her to win. "We mustn't retreat. I have a plan." She closed her eyes and concentrated. Mentally she connected to her fighters.

Cheetahs, return to me at once, but form a star pattern. Kalil, Kalari, Citraka, Cheelon, be the endpoints of each side of the star.

The cheetahs followed Cheetara orders and slowly retreated. The panthers began to praise victory and charged after the cheetahs. They stopped when they saw the cheetahs in a star pattern with Cheetara at the head only five feet in front of them.

"Surrender now, or suffer the consequences!" Cheetara warned.

"Never!" the panther leader said. "One of our own died by a cheetah, and you must pay for that. Charge, panthers!"

As the panthers charge toward them, a yellow force field surrounded all the cheetahs. The panthers charged anyway, but the force field knocked them back. Growing angry, they charged again and again until Cheetara noticed them weakening and slowly backing away. The yellow glow around Cheetara and the other four cheetah bodies frightened the panthers a little.

My warriors, Kalil, Kalari, Citraka, Cheelon, and I will teleport a group of you around the panthers. They are weak, so when you are teleported around them, attack with everything you've got. NOW!

Groups of cheetahs left Cheetara and were surrounded by the panthers. As soon as they materialized by the panthers, they attacked.

Cheetara fell to the ground in a weakened state from all that she had done. Her strength was drained. Carvel and the other cheetah elders quickly gathered around her and helped her up.

Candra and Chet stayed by her side as Che'kar and Carvel left to join the fighting. The three cheetahs watched silently as the panthers were slowly losing ground in the battle. Cheetara quietly wondered how the other attack was going. She knew that the lions were strong warriors and could easily defend themselves. But the sheer number of the lynx and puma soldiers would be the greater advantage. Besides, she had faith in Chase's leadership and skills. He was just as determined as her to win this war.

Overhead, Cheetara heard the sounds of a vehicle. She glanced up and saw Lion-O flying the Thunderclaw. He was carefully studying the fighting taking place below him.

"We must go," Candra remarked as she too saw the Thunderclaw.

Cheetara shook her head. "No, we are not through here."

"Don't be foolish," Chet chided her. "Look! The panthers are beginning to retreat. They are running into the forest. There is nothing more we can do here. It doesn't appear that the panther elders will give themselves up so easily."

They watched as Lion-O landed the Thunderclaw. He quickly got off of it and ran to them. "Call off your people, Cheetara!" he yelled out.

Cheetara told Candra to stop the cheetahs, but only because she had already decided to do it herself. The female elder nodded and left her with Chet so that she could pass the orders to the others.

As Chet continued to support her, Cheetara tried to calm her heart as she saw Lion-O running towards her. He stopped in front of her and noticed how weak she appeared. "Are you alright?" he questioned her, forgetting everything that was happening around him.

"Does it look like I'm fine?" she spat out, a strand of hair covering her face. "If the lion clan would have left us alone in the first place, none of this would have ever happened!"

Lion-O was taken aback by her response. It sounded nothing like the Cheetara he knew. "You have done this to yourself!" he shouted back.

The other cheetahs began to gather behind their leader. Che'kar, Carvel, and Candra made their way to the front to stand next to Cheetara.

"How dare you! It has always been the lions' goal to banish the cheetahs from Thundera, at least those that are not killed. You know that I have no choice!"

"That's not true. I command you to decease your attacks on the clans!"

Cheetara put her hands on her hips and icily remarked, "You forget, I'm not a Thundercat anymore. You can't order me around."

Lion-O roared in anger. He replied, "I am Lord of the Thundercats! All Thunderians must obey me!"

"If I follow your command, that would leave us all in a suicidal position. You know very well that the lion clan will attack us."

Before he could respond, Cheetara turned to the cheetah elders around her. "Let's go."

They nodded and closed their eyes. The four of them teleported themselves, Cheetara, and the other cheetahs to the lynx headquarters.

Frustrated, Lion-O ran a hand through his hair and surveyed the area. Once again, he and the other Thundercats were left to clean up the mess.

Tiger Headquarters...early Afternoon

"I can't believe they struck both our clans at the same time. Those cheetahs are certainly not to be taken lightly," Luther growled angrily.

"Well, with Cheetara leading them and being Cazar's descendent, we shouldn't be surprised," Lavarius said.

"Where do you suppose they would strike next?" Pantharo asked.

Tyland leaned back in his chair thinking. "Let's see. Cheetara attacked the Tiger clan, and then she does something totally unexpected like attack both the lion and panther clans. She's trying to be unpredictable, but she is also trying to end this war as quick as possible. I think that she will try to attack us next, here at the Tiger Headquarters."

"Are you sure about that, Tyland?" Lionel asked.

"I believe so. Cheetara took part of our force away by attacking and capturing the tigers in Claudus City, she tried to conquer the lion and panthers, but our forces retreated. So I assume she will attack us next to get us to surrender. If we surrendered, then the war would be over," Tyland explained.

Pantharo nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. We'll get all our forces here as soon as possible, but I think after an attack like that, Cheetara and her forces may have to rest, especially Cheetara. One of the panthers told me that she collapsed at today's battle."

"I also heard Lord Lion-O arrived, but it was too late for him to do anything except order that the battle cease," Lanardi added. "I wonder what he thinks of his precious cheetah now."

A tiger entered the closed room. "Excuse me, elders, but Lord Lion-O is here." The tiger stepped aside and allowed Lion-O to enter.

"We heard you were at Menach this morning," Pantharo said.

"I was, and I want to say that I am sorry that the cheetahs attacked your clans. I also wanted to say one more thing. I have decided to lead the lions in the war against the cheetahs," Lion-O told the elders, but he knew his heart would not be in this battle. The worst thing he thought could happen in this war is about to come true: he would have to fight Cheetara.