After a good night's rest in truly comfortable beds, the SWAT Kats and Felina were escorted to a beautiful dining room where a breakfast buffet was spread.
Staring at the incredible selection of food, T-Bone drooled, "Man will you look at this food. I've never seen so many choices." Razor just shook his head as Felina stared at T-Bone loading his plate high. Giving a snort of disgust, Felina opted for a light meal of fruit, coffee and toast. Razor's faster metabolism urged him to partake of more high protein items but not to the extent of T-Bone's gluttony.
Pleasantly stuffed, they were discussing what to do until lunch time when an assistant of Khan's arrived to offer them a tour of Khan Industries. Having nothing better to do, since Cape Suzette didn't have TV or video games, they agreed. By the time the tour ended, they were suitably impressed by the building's beautiful gardens, many well-appointed offices and laboratories.
Lunch was another buffet, though this time Khan joined them. They talked about what they had seen that morning with Khan answering questions on certain areas that each had displayed an interest in but soon enough lunch was finished and Khan was leading them to his limo for the ride to the harbor.
Baloo and Kit were waiting excitedly at the dock when they drove up. After greeting everyone, Baloo and Kit climbed in and the limo headed to the secure airfield where the Turbokat was parked. On the drive, Khan, Baloo and Kit described the various sights along the way to their guests. In the daytime, the city was truly beautiful and Felina, T-Bone and Razor were suitably impressed and awed.
At the airfield, it was Baloo and Kit who were impressed by the stunning looking jet. For the next couple of hours they swarmed over and in the Turbokat. Khan's eyes gazed hungrily at the advanced equipment the SWAT Kats had stored in the jet and took Razor aside to ask many technical questions. Felina decided to listen in. It would probably be her only chance to learn more about the jet's inner workings.
After asking a lot of basic questions on flying the Turbokat from T-Bone and getting a chance to sit in the cockpit, Baloo and Kit were introduced to some odd looking bikes in the cargo hold.
"What the heck are these? They kinda look like a motorcycle, sorta." Baloo asked as he scratched his head in puzzlement.
Smiling proudly, T-Bone patted the 'bike', "This is a cyclotron. It's a jet-powered motorcycle that gets up to 200 mph. Want a ride, Kit?"
"Would I? Oh boy!" Kit hopped on the powerful bike. T-Bone passed him a helmet and climbed on in front of him. Soon they were roaring down the flight line barely visible. T-Bone took the bike down the long runway and back a couple of times before offering the same to Baloo. But the big bear declined.
"No offense there, T-Bone, but I'm not very big on ground vehicles. It's the Turbokat that I'm itching to get a ride in. Don't suppose we can do that right now though?" Baloo asked though he knew what the answer would be.
"I'd love to show you her in flight, Baloo, but right now we have to keep a low profile. Don't want that pirate to get a whiff of our presence yet." T-Bone apologized. "If there's time after the mission I'll take you up, promise." He smiled and slapped the bear on the back.
"Sure, I understand. I look forward to it." Baloo smiled back while looking at the jet wistfully.
T-Bone and Razor did a quick check of all systems and, courtesy of Khan, refueled, to ensure the jet was ready for tomorrow's battle before they finally climbed back aboard the limo. On the way to the harbor, they covered any last minute questions and details about tomorrow's mission then dropped Baloo and Kit off at their office/home. Khan returned the others to his tower for dinner. They chatted about the day's events and parted early for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long and busy day.
Pirate Island, a few days earlier...
Karnage was primping before his mirror when his second mate, Will, came in with some reports on supply and equipment needs. Will was the pirate's bookkeeper. Karnage looked over the lists and approved some and made corrections or additions to others. Handing the papers back, Karnage asked, "And how is our 'guest' doing?"
"He's not eating much and seems to have a weak stomach because the guards say he pukes every morning. Otherwise, he seems fine, Captain." Will reported.
"Hmm, we do not want him to be getting sick. Have Gibber check on the kitty just to be sure." Karnage instructed.
"Yes sir!" Will said smartly and left the Captain's cabin. He had barely been gone a few minutes before the door was slammed open again by Mad Dog.
"Captain, I overheard a radio transmission about a money flight planned by Khan for a few days from now going to Lyonesse." Mad Dog said excitedly.
"Really? Well now that is good news, yes-no?" Don Karnage rubbed his paws together greedily. "Soo, maybe we should check this out. One can never have enough money, heh?" Smirking, Karnage headed to his operations center followed by Mad Dog.
"Do we have any more information on this supposed plan of Khan's?" He asked Gibber his first mate. Gibber leaned into the Captain's ear and muttered.
"Heavily guarded, you say!" Karnage mused. "Hmmm...well we will just have to over run them will we not. Prepare the Iron Vulture and have the crew be ready to take off when we get word of the flight plan." Karnage smiled happily. Ripe pickings for plunder and just in time. He was getting antsy waiting for Khan to respond to the ransom demand he'd sent.
In the air some miles from Cape Suzette, mid morning...
"Keep a sharp look out!" The squadron leader warned the flight as they formed a protective circle around the cargo plane. He knew the pirates would be striking very soon. They were supposed to fight hard to make this look legitimate, but he was glad for their ace in the hole hiding higher up in sky from them but even that knowledge didn't completely ease his nerves. It was some twenty minutes later, when the pirates finally showed up.
Don Karnage was in the lead as he led his fleet of CT-37s in a strafing run over and around the closely guarded plane. Khan's fighter pilots engaged the pirates in earnest knowing full well the Iron Vulture was somewhere above them. As the pirates harried the fighter jets, a small group led by Karnage separated the cargo plane from its protection and was herding it toward the hidden flying fortress. However, before they could force the plane into the gaping maw, the SWAT Kats came screaming down from above.
Razor had been studying the behemoth from above and chose slicer missiles to cut all the props off the Iron Vulture. Karnage watched in horror as his fortress plunged straight down to land hard on the water's surface and begin sinking due to its cargo doors still being open. Before Don Karnage could recover to retaliate or retreat, T-Bone swung the Turbokat around and once more passed over the helpless pirate fighters that were uselessly trying to fire at the fast-moving jet. Razor chose this time to unleash a rapid spread of spider chain missiles that enveloped each CT-37, jamming their props and forcing them down to the water.
Karnage had been able, just barely, to avoid the missile net and flew away as fast as he could. Unfortunately for him, there was no way he could out fly the faster jet. T-Bone didn't even have to go to faster than light to catch the totally out matched CT-37. In moments they had overtaken Karnage and netted him up before he even registered they were there.
"Bingo!" Razor crowed as he winched up the hanging ship a bit closer to the jet.
"That was just too easy, Razor." T-Bone snorted derisively as he guided his jet back to its temporary landing area.
"Aw, T-Bone we already knew they weren't as advanced as us. It almost wasn't fair." Razor smirked.
"Let's hope Khan and his group are just as successful, Razor. Wish we could lend a paw, but we don't even know where to look for them." T-Bone sighed in concern.
"Yeah, I know, T-Bone. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best." Razor said soberly.
Further out in the pacific, hiding in a cove not far from the pirate's base...
"Your trap should be just about where we think the pirates will attack." Baloo said as they waited anxiously for word from their allies.
Khan looked at his watch, "Yes, you're right. Hopefully we will be hearing from the SWAT Kats soon."
Fifteen minutes later, the hoped for call came in. "Razor here! Pirates attacking! We are now dropping down to join the fight. Good luck to you!"
"Let's go Baloo." Khan urged.
"You don't need to tell me twice." Baloo said as he took the Sea Duck out and lifted into the air. The way was treacherous as they carefully wended through smoking volcanoes and dense fog that shrouded the islands. Kit directed Baloo through the area until they finally came upon the dangerous rear entry of the hidden base. Passing over the section that looked like ribs of a dinosaur and flying barely above the water, they slipped in the barely seen entrance. Coasting up to a shelf of rock that served as a dock, Baloo eases the Sea Duck along side and smoothly parks and cuts the engines.
"Okay, here's where it really gets hairy. Stay together and pay close attention to Kit's signals and commands since he knows more about this place than I do. There are a lot of traps so be alert. Everyone ready?" Baloo asked as he opened the cargo door and they stepped out.
"As ready as we'll ever be!" Felina acknowledged and drew her weapon out and took a defensive position near Kit.
Kit moved toward a lava tube leading further into the mountain. As they moved down the eerily lit passageway Kit pointed out the floor traps and motioned everyone to follow exactly in his footsteps. At the end of the tunnel it opened out into a chasm filled with hot lava. Only widely spaced stepping pillars of rock were the way across the cavern. Each person leaped from rock to rock. At the center a swinging razor blade swept across the rocks surface. You had to time its swing to be able to continue on to the next rock.
Sweating and tense, the rescue group moved on into another tunnel. This one had iron spears shooting out from the walls. Khan was nearly skewered except Felina had heard a rumble and yanked him back at the last second. It was a nerve-wracking few minutes as they navigated the deadly corridor. It was with a sigh of relief when Kit signaled they had finally reached the pirates main living space.
The area was lit by torches set in the walls. In a single line they quickly ran behind Kit past chambers filled with treasure and supplies. They didn't encounter anyone thankfully until they reached the cells. A huge bear wearing a horned hat was sitting on the stone floor asleep, his back against the wall near a barred door. Felina slipped up beside the guard and shoved her weapon against his neck. The guard came awake gasping and froze when he realized he was out of options. He held his arms up. Kit spotted the keys and swiped them from the bear's belt. Khan took them from him and opened the cell door. Felina switched her laser to a low setting and zapped the guard unconcious.
On a hard bed against a wall lay Feral. He looked up when the door opened and sat up quickly when he realized it wasn't the guard.
"Shere, how did you get here?" Feral asked as he got to his feet. Khan wrapped his arms around his mate and hugged.
"No time to explain now, love. We've got to get out of here." Khan urged his mate to leave the cell. Feral stared in surprise at the motley group waiting.
"Felina? You here?" Feral gasped in shock.
"Hi uncle. Let's get moving. We don't know how many pirates are left around here and it's better not to find out. Come one!" Felina said as she quickly led the way back to the Sea Duck.
It was just as deadly going back. As they passed the hall of spears, Baloo tripped and set off an alarm. It forced them to break into a run. From another tunnel a gang of pirates, heavily armed, raced after them. Felina fired her laser managing to take out a few pursuers. Kit used a trick Molly had come up with the last time they were here. Trailing behind the others, Kit spilled out a bag of marbles. The pirates slipped on them knocking more of them off their feet.
By now they had reached the teetering rocks and were leaping desperately across. Feral nearly was sliced by the swinging blade but Khan pulled him away in time and leaped with him to the safety of the far wall. Khan turned toward the rocks and fired his pistol at the thin section of one of the pillars destroying it. The pirates could not get across and had to take another route.
Heaving for breath, they were relieved when they saw the Sea Duck. Racing for the plane, Baloo reached it first and yanked open the door and made for the controls. Everyone else piled in with Felina getting in last and pulling the door tight. Khan pulled Feral down to the floor beside him. Felina dropped down nearby as Kit strapped into the copilots seat. Baloo wasted no time starting up the Sea Duck and coasting it out the way they'd come. As soon as they had cleared the entrance, Baloo quickly lifted the seaplane into a low level flight till they had cleared the ribs of rock.
He still had to take great care navigating through the fog shrouded area around the island. After many tense minutes they finally reached clear air only to run into the handful of pirates left on the island in their fighters racing for them, firing bullets into the Sea Duck. Baloo took the seaplane through a variety of evasive maneuvers he was well known for to shake their pursuers as they raced toward the safety of Cape Suzette and their cliff guns.
It was a nerve wracking thirty minutes trying to shake their pirate tail all the way home. The violent maneuvers were very distressing to a green looking Commander Feral. He grit his teeth and did his best to control his nausea but it was a losing battle. It was with great relief that they heard the cliff guns going off. Their pursuers finally left off their attack and fled. Baloo swept under the guns and into the home stretch toward the Sea Duck's berth. Ten minutes later, he came in for a perfect landing at the wharf at Higher for Hirer.