Sis, if you've got nothing better to do with your time you'd better go lie

down.



*heh* If you insist, Ducky!



"I think that's done." Copper stood and flashed a quick grin Kovu's way. He glanced down at the thrusters and nodded.

"Yep. You're sure you're not coming to Carrotus?" For once Copper looked indecicive.

"I. . . don't know. I might, I guess. Did you hear about Blacksheep and. . ." she turned away slightly.

"No," Kovu said, intrigued.

"Blacksheep got pushed from the Carrotus Palace's battlements, by a Kronan. Shinyso contacted me. And then there's the matter of the sabatoge."

"Is Blackie okay?"

"Snapped rib. Nothing major. Phoebe saved her, got her wrist broken."

"Oh." Kovu was about to start work on the main fuel line when he stopped.

"Sabatoge, you said?"

"Yeah. Someone wired a bomb."

"On who?"

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting. Last Thursday Kaz's ship exploded in the Carrotan atmosphere. He survived amazingly, but I guess he's too stubborn to die. Anyway, the authorities searched the wreckage and found the remains of a bomb. That's what did it."

"Oh." Kovu pondered that as he worked. Finally Copper broke the silence.

"I'm coming with you."



Once on Firen, Wild Angel was able to get a good look at her rescuer. He was tall and muscular, with vibrant blue fur and icy eyes. A swath of pale fur decorated his arm. Angel had seen scars before, and recognized one when she saw it. Jass was, as far as she could tell, his true name and not an alias.

They were in the middle of fixing up the Webmaster when Shinyso's news came. She straightened and pushed the stunning news along to Jass.

His reaction was spectacular. He gasped and stood so straight that he nearly hit his head.

"What-" The sentence was cut off. Wild Angel quickly probed his mind for reasons. His mind closed on hers, cold and ruthless as he sought to expell her from his thoughts. Just as she was cast out, she caught the half-shielded memory of-

Now! The battlefury runs through his veins as he hears the whispered orders among the guards. Now is the time of their weakness, when they pay less attention. He straightens and shakes the chains loose with a mindprobe at the lock. It is a risk he has to take. The others see his movement, feel the locks on their chains come undone, and see his signal. Then the battle begins.

There is no mercy, no feeling. It is automatic as the entire compound erupts with fury; fighting is all he knows. The slaves are slowly overcoming the guards, slowly winning.

A black rabbit he does not remember seeing before is beside him, expertly fighting the slavers. A large black cat joins, and then a blue squirrel is beside him, loosing quarrels from her crossbow. A guard shoots his blaster at her. She does not see it -he pushes her out of the way- a blazing pain is in his arm. A grey rabbit ahead, wielding a sword that catches the light is the leader suddenly, not him, and he gladly follows-

Wild Angel wrenched herself free of the memory. Of course. He had been at the Battle of Firen, had saved Phoebe. His reaction was simply stunned recognition.

She looked at his eyes, and saw not rage but confusion. She'd brought the memory to the surface again.

"You- I saw you. There. And the squirrel and the white rabbit."

"Yes. . ."

There was no more to say.