Jaga sat in his chamber in Claudis' northern residence, looking out the window at the night sky.His chamber was lushly furnished and appointed; downstairs a party was well underway.But Jaga's thoughts were nowhere near any of it.

The Sword of Omens rested on an ornate rack on a table by the bed.The Eye (some were calling it "of Thundera") was still.Jaga found he was always aware of the sword's location, knew that a thought would bring it flying to his hand.With it lay the hope of his people, and he was never far from it at any time.

He had denied the Ministry of Science's request to examine the weapon; there was nothing to it they needed to know.Jaga understood it's capabilities, the energy absorbption and redirection, force field manipulation and sundry other obvious traits.So could anyone who saw it in action.

What was not so obvious was that the sword lived.Artificial though it was, the Eye had a structure not unlike any other organism, save it's cells were fashioned from crystal rather than protoplasm.It perceived, thought, reacted.In Jaga's hand, it became an extension of his own nervous system, expanding his perception, thinking parallel to him, enhancing his reactions.Together they were less weapon and weilder than a lethal unstoppable team.

But even this was not the sword's greatest secret, or Bast-Et's greatest gift.That mystery, while tied to the Eye, rested not in it, but in Jaga's own veins.There, along with his own blood, flowed a strain of microscopic organisms fashioned from the same material as the Eye.They increased his metabolism, improved oxygen use, sped healing, increased his strength and reduced his reaction time.

As he passed among his people, this organism spread from him to others, and then to others from them.It would take a year or two before every possible Thundercat was exposed, but when that time came, a signal would pass from the sword to the population, activating the technology dwelling within them.Then every member of his race would find themselves possessed of enhanced physical abilities...and gold-flecked red eyes.

Powering these millions of people would be a tremendous drain on the sword's energy-processing capabilities.The earth-shaking feats that had so-impressed the mutants would not be possible after this.But the combat aspects would not be affected, and there were other compensations.

After the change, Jaga would be able to issue a summons via the Eye, which any Thundercat in reasonable range would feel, even if they could not see the sigil in the sky above.But even more importantly, he could then use the sword to invoke what Bast-Et had called "sight beyond sight".With this, he would be able to look through the eyes of any Thundercat, seeing whatever they saw.

Of course, it took more than one man to win a war.Jaga looked across the room to a case lying by the dresser.In it lay the other gifts of Bast-Et, one for each of the noble houses of Thundera.Tomorrow, he would be on his way to the equatorial forests to deliver the first of them to Gideon, Lord of Panther Clan.

He heard the chamber door open and looked towards it.Chetnya stepped into the room, dressed in a silken dancing gown.She closed the door and smiled at him."Are you ever coming down?" she asked.

She was an exotic cheetah beauty, tall and shapely.She had a fearless nature, a razor wit, a brilliant intellect.She had been Claudis' personal assassin until today; now she was his personal assistant and bodyguard.

She paused, spotting a folded piece of paper on the bed.She picked it up and glanced at Jaga.When he raised no objection, she opened it and began to read.

Lord Defender

House Panther bids you welcome and prays safe travel to you.A welcoming ceremony has been prepared in your honor.Lord Gideon looks forward to your arrival.

Chetnya frowned.Jaga said, "You noticed it too."

"'Lord Defender' rather than 'Lord Jaga'," she replied."They address the office, not the person."

Jaga sighed."Claudis warned me about this.The ancient nobility will not warm quickly to a young upstart, backed by the Lord of the Thundercats himself."

Chetnya approached him, resting her hand on his shoulder.Her breath smelled faintly of wine and mint."They'll see soon enough."

Jaga smiled at her, nodded, then looked back out the window.Chetnya stood there a moment longer, than took her hand from his shoulder and left the room, a little disappointed.

Jaga gazed up at the night sky, and wondered.

She looked out at the starscape from the portal aboard Bast-Et's vessel. One of those flickering lights was her homeworld of Thundera, now light-years away.In another few days, it would be obscured completely, left behind her forever.

She thought of Jaga.She had witnessed, via the Eye, the battle for Tigris, and thrilled to the great honor bestowed on her love by mighty Claudis himself.

Even so, her heart was heavy, but not for Jaga.It was those coming generations for whom she grieved.

She knew now why those Man had called "Missionaries" had come to this galaxy.

She knew now why Man had fled, abandoning his offspring races to endless war and destruction.

She looked now in the direction of a galaxy so distant, even hyperspatial travel required thousands of years to traverse the intervening space.

Eighty to a hundred years, no more than that.Then Thundercat and Mutant alike, all the Sons of Man, must have reached a sufficient peace to allow them to face the approaching storm together.Otherwise, none of them would survive.

She shuddered.

The Kr'Lai were coming.

--The Beginning--