Drew's Trouble with Cats and Roaches

Drew lumbered over to a pile of debris pushed up by previous rocket fire. He laid the bug weapons on the pile for stability. He sighted down both and fired at the last Roach in the line.

The weapon that was soaked in mud, sputtered and flashed with steam and then reached out towards that last of the armored warriors. The beam enveloped the Roach in green and then glowing pieces fell to the ground. He turned both weapons and pressed the firing triggers.

Duel green beams licked out and enveloped the next in line. As he continued to spin his aim, first one, then all the Roaches died in sequence. As he came to the last two lead bugs, they had turned and were aiming at him. He knew that his actions would lead to is death, and he was prepared.

They seemed to be having difficulty pinpointing his location. They waivered and seemed split from continuing the attack and finding the cause of death for the rest of their kind. He leveled both weapons and steadily sighted on the two last Roaches. As he was about to fire, two cat voices screamed out and cat fire erupted behind the roaches.

Drew fired before the Roaches could return the Cat fire. The bug lights burned them to the ground.

***

He limped towards the Cat's last defensive line. After much dragging and limping, Drew crested the fortifications. Two cats spun and pointed their weapons. Drew held up his hands and mentally threw his presence to the rest of the Cats, plus shouted in horrible Cat, "No Fire! No Fire!"

Both Cats stared in wonder. Drew looked at the Cats and thought "Tiffany, fucking fantastic." He slid, limped and partially rolled into the secondary defense structure.

"You killed the bugs?" asked Tiffany with total disbelief.

"Yes, they are all dead, or at least the ones on the battlefield," he said while shaking the mud and gore from his clothing.

She looked at what he was projecting from his limited mental images and was shocked. She could not understand his language, but she saw the visions of what he saw as he killed them. She could feel the hate, fear, sadness and illness at the slaughter from behind. She leaned forward sniffing at him.

"You smell like dead Cat and Bug." She said with the same distaste that she always seemed to have when addressing him. But then got another vision of where he had sheltered and what he had done to come to their rescue. "You killed 20 Bug warriors by yourself? By yourself..." she repeated the second part softly.

"Where is the Warlord?" he asked, "Or other warriors?" Drew remembered the reason for his trip and unshouldered his musket bag with the kitten's medications. Other females came out and grabbed the meds for distribution.

"The Warriors are all dead and the Warlord is dying," she said pointing towards what used to be the Warlords command post.

Drew dropped the gooey Bug weapon but cradled the clean one and limped off towards the Command Post with Tiffany keeping a safe smell distance. Drew turned and pointed back to the Creche. "Stay to protect the Kittens," he admonished her.

Tiffany rose up imperiously and almost struck out at him, "You do not order... Never order a queen." He heard and felt her.

Drew just rolled his eyes, mentally letting out a phrase "Bitch," turned and kept limping along towards the Command Post. Tiffany called out to the female guarding the dying Warlord.

The Warlord was laying on a cot covered in blood-soaked blankets. He opened his eyes and spoke one word to Tiffany "report!"

She stammered and sputtered until he put out his hand to silence her. He looked and pointed at Drew and nodded.

"21 Roach warriors killed, from what I am told all our warriors are dead. I do not know how many females still live or how many others." Drew stated sedately.

The Warlord's eyes shifted to Tiffany and she responded, "Eleven females, 12 younglings and 30 kittens survive. She paused, "Plus the damaged one here" referencing the disabled queen Meme "and one scholar, your tainted Son."

Drew was elated to know the Eddie was alive, but the conversation continued. The Warlord turned his head to Drew again and started making a speech that he could only pick up every three words. He knew it was important because of the reaction by the disabled queen and especially Tiffany. Drew could feel the emotions swell with his connection to the Pride.

Tiffany started just saying "No, No, No!" before the Warlord stated, with an amazing amount of power, "Silence!, you will kneel to the House Protector," he coughed up blood but continued "You will honor him, protect him and be his Pride, until a safe haven can be reached," more coughing and more blood out of his mouth. "Do as I command!"

Meme dropped down beside the dying Warlord pleading to stay and die with him.

The Warlord, with almost his last breath said "No, he will need your counsel, this one," pointing at Tiffany, "is too vain and full of self to be useful."

"Bow and perform your duties" the Warlord provided in the last of his command voice.

Drew was out of his depth of understanding, he thought they were talking about Eddie. That was until all the females in the room went down on their knees and bowed to him, not the Warlord.

Drews response to himself "Oh, Fuck."

The Warlord grabbed his arm and pulled him close. He spoke to him, and Drew could feel him through the connection.

"Protect the Pride, they are my heart and soul. Scrub this planet clean of all our bodies, we will not be food for the Roaches. Be my heart until you can find a proper home for my lineage."

He then pulled Drew close and sunk his fangs in Drews shoulder. Drew screamed at the pain and felt something different. There was a strong burning and stronger nausea.

Drew knew he had been poisoned and he collapsed next to the dying Warlord.

***

Drew awoke on the bridge of the Cat ship. He was slumped in the Warlord's chair but could feel the ship under him throbbing. He no idea what the fuck was going on, but all he could thing to himself was "How can I be so stupid."