The spirit watched his young charge train, and smiled at the sleek form of the muscular Jaguar appreciatively.  In a few more years, when the reflexes were ingrained, when the muscle mass had been built to its ultimate extent, all this flesh would be his.  And this time it would be Jaguar flesh he was making again, as it should be.
        "You are doing well, Jagad," came the unearthly voice of his instructor and confidant.  The master of NeoThundera, and the personal guardian angel of every Thunderan alive.  Dead or alive, they worshipped him.
        "Thank you, Jaga, my master," said the youth, breathing heavily after his strenuous sword workout.  Jaga had him working with oversized blades since he was a young boy.  Jaga had personally overseen their construction, making sure that they had been made of the densest, heaviest materials available, but the balance was still perfect.  And Jagad had grown strong, with broad shoulders, heavy muscles, a beautiful jaguar pelt, and when he used a real sword it was like a plastic toy for him.
        Jaga smiled at him but didn't lay a hand on his shoulder.  He had never touched the youth, never possessed him.  Having two spirits in one body put stress on it, aged it at double the rate.  No, Jagad was untouched...flawless. A body worth keeping for centuries.  Only one spirit would ever possess it. Unlike his last several temporary homes.
        That thought grated at him.  He'd put so much time and effort into putting Lion-O right where he had wanted him.  A finely built up and trained body, a royal birthright, it would have been so perfect.  All he would have needed to do was kill the boy, take his place, and reappear on Neo-Thundera and sweep the Jaguar council away.  Then, at long last he would be completely free to do what had to do for the people, completely unhampered.  Damn the boy.
        And his loss of Tygra had been an unexpected setback as well.  Tygra had been a stop-gap, a temporary home at best, and the poor tiger hadn't really been prepared for the strain of it.  Nor had Jaga been overly careful with him. But if the bodied died unprepared, it would have taken Jaga's spirit with it, so he had fled when Lion-O hurled his hiltless blade at Tygra's throat.  He hadn't been able to get back since.
        He hadn't been able to get to anyone on Third Earth.  That either meant someone very powerful was blocking them or the planet was gone.  Since ships had been dispatched by the council at his urging to do just that, he was confident it was the latter.
        The fleet had arrived within communications range a few days ago.  They'd talked to the second officer, and gathered the reports.  They had encountered resistance, but that hadn't been unexpected.  Lion-O was resourceful, and there were creatures on Third Earth that wouldn't have taken kindly to their planet being destroyed.  Ancient forces.  They would have to check the
returning ships very carefully to insure that there were no unwanted passengers looking for a new home with them.
        A young messenger burst into the room breathless.  "Lord Jagad!  Is Jaga with you?"  A nod from the stout youth prompted the messenger to continue in a hurried voice.  "They've landed sir, the fleet!  They landed 2 days ahead of schedule, last night!"
        "What?!" roared the ghost.  How had they managed to slip in past the planetary guard?  Third Earth had not been destroyed at all, and his enemies had been on the planet for nearly a day, doing who knows what.  "Assemble the Council of the Jaguars!" he boomed.  "Jagad, you remain here, and get some rest.  Things may become very tense in the next few days."
        The messenger blanched and spoke up.  "The council has already been convened. They have summoned you.  They, and some...visitors."  Jaga had heard enough, and with a toss of his cape faded out of the room, thinking furiously on his way to the council chambers.
        "What is the meaning of this?" he boomed to the assembly as he appeared, putting on his most savage visage for their benefit.  They didn't answer.  He looked at them each in turn, glaring at the haughtily, noticing the jaguars for the most part failed to even meet his gaze.  What was happening here?
        "I'll explain that," said a deep voice from the back of the room.  Jaga's spectral eyes widened in shock as he heard the voice.  Lion-O.
        "Guards, seize him, kill him!" spat Jaga, gesturing to the fiery maned intruder.  The guards did not move.  A small motion from one of the council members reinforced this.  Jaga could feel the rage and disbelief building inside him.  "You dare disobey me?!"
        "They wouldn't dare to obey you," continued Lion-O slowly.  "It would seem that someone intended me to someday return, Jaga, or at least someone intended to return in my body.  All that the son of Claudus would need to do to regain his throne is to show up and prove his identity.  Of course that would mean that they," he gestured to the jaguar council, "would be out of a job, but that didn't concern the person that set this all up.
        "Of course they weren't exactly pleased when they found out about this. Apparently they didn't know that you had such plans for me, Jaga, keeping me alive, and hidden on some far away world, being cultivated for an eventual triumphant return.  It sounds almost like a betrayal, when you put it like that.  And the council seemed none to pleased by that when I told them the
particulars.
        "They also realized how bad this is for all of you.  We have at least five hundred witnesses from the crews of the ships you sent to attack Third Earth, and by now they are spread out all over the planet.  They can get the truth out within an hour.  The truth that the council knew the last of the Kings of Thundera was alive.  The truth that the council personally dispatched warships to commit mass murder in an attempt to assassinate the rightful heir to the throne.  If these truths were spread, I don't think even their magic could save them.
        "But I offered them a deal.  I would hold back the truth.  I would allow the jaguars to serve as advisors and wizards, as it was in the old days.  I would allow their clan to keep a facade of dignity, and so long as I live and am pleased with their service, my five hundred truth bearers will keep their mouths shut.  There was, of course, a pricetag attached.  We would need a scapegoat.  Someone to blame my long disappearance on.  Someone to take responsibility for sending the fleet out on its mission of extermination.
        "I have nominated you, Jaga, to fill that role.  My price was you.  And so the council has delivered you to me."  Lion-O drew his blade and stepped towards the spectre.  No one in the chamber made a move to stop him.  "They will not attack you, but they won't lift a finger to prevent me from destroying you first, and your reputation after that.  How does it feel, Jaga? How does it feel to be betrayed like that, I wonder.  How does it feel to be all alone on my planet," grinned Lion-O cruelly.
        Jaga ran.  Spectre or no, he ran like a terrified animal.  He had underestimated the boy, badly, and it was costing him everything.  He ran for Jagad, his only hope of facing Lion-O with the protection of flesh, and his mind reached out for his only hope as he heard Lion-O padding after him like a monstrous leonine hunter.  Jaga reached out through space for the vestment of his power.  With that, and with Jagad, he might have a chance against his former puppet.  Winner take all.
        And across the galaxy, a blade was nestled in a small dark room, locked away by Tygra's orders after he had laid it down.  The blade growled, and a glowing slit of an eye opened on its hilt as it was awakened.  The Sword of Omens erputed from Cats Lair like a dread spear of light and disappeared into the night sky.  It had been called.