Rover Strike: Vortex

Episode 12: Angels of Mercy

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Strayers © Steven Today
Nitro © Amanda Stephenson
Dylan © Dylan Rinalds
Hotrod, Criminal © David Fountain
Mara, Raul © Kirsten Coughlan

Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be 
sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com.

Union Buildings
Pretoria
Republic of South Africa
20 January
8:01 AM:

Sitting at his desk in the Office of the President, Adriaan Vorster 
is busy going through the files in a folder. The folder is marked
with the symbol of the defunct Earth Defense Force and big letters
that say "DE-CLASSIFIED". He is deeply involved in the reading.

Vorster(reading):"The Elite Guard was the former commanding squadron
       of the KH Military. It was led by General Franco, who was
       responsible for numerous atrocities, the first confirmed cases
       beginning in the late 1960s. The Elite Guard consisted ex-
       clusively of loyalists and fanatics who would only obey the
       orders of Franco(see Appendix 4H for list of known high-
       ranking officials). The Elite Guard were eventually forced out
       when the other KH Military squadrons rebelled. EDF agent Stri-
       ker was at the forefront of the rebellion and succeeded in
       not only driving out the Elite Guard, but also in assassi-
       nating Franco."

Vorster rubs his chin, deepi in thought.

Vorster:"Strange. If Striker and this Franco were enemies, then why
         are the Elite Guard spying on me? Let's see what else these
         papers have to say..."

He begins to go through the pages. Just then his office door opens and
his secretary comes in. He looks up from the papers.

Vorster:"Ja?"

Secretary:"Pardon me, Mister President. The ministers are preparing
           their briefings in the war room."

Vorster:"Goed. Tell them I'm on my way."

Secretary:"Yes, Mister President."

The secretary leaves the room. Vorster gets up, puts the files back
into the folder and places it into a drawer. He then leaves the office
and makes his way to the war room. Coming, Vorster sees General Mosiuoa
Cele and several of his ministers already seated at the table. They get
up as he approaches.

Vorster:"Dankie, sit down. Let's get to work."

Everyone sits down by the table. Vorster looks at General Cele.

Vorster:"What is the latest from our forces in Namibia?"

General Cele clears his throat and looks down at the papers on the table
before him.

Cele:"Our offensive in Namibia has stalled about 70 kilometers south
      of Windhoek. The biggest reason for this is terrorist attacks
      by the Road Rovers on key bridges, roads, supply and ammunition
      dumps, fuel depots and some of our convoys. This has delayed
      our forces long enough for the Namibians to organize into an
      effective resistance. Most of our covert operations are being
      countered by the mutants as well."

Vorster clenches his teeth, crumpling a piece of paper in one hand.

Vorster:"Curse those mutants! Curse the whole lot of them!"

He looks back at Cele, pointing an angry finger at the general.

Vorster:"Tell your forces to switch their focus. Ignore the Namibian
         army. Orders are to have our forces launch full attacks
         upon these mutants! They are now the primary objective!"

Cele:"No prisoners, Mister President?"

Vorster:"No prisoners. Geen, got it?"

Cele:"Yes, Mister President. I will relay the new orders to our in-
      vasion force."

Vorster nods in approval. He then turns his attention towards Minister
Precious Hangana.

Vorster:"Precious, has the NIA found out where Striker is hiding in
         Namibia?"

Precious shakes her head.

Precious:"Nothing, Mister President. There are many mutants in Namibia
          right now, but none of my agents could identify any of them
          as Striker. We suspect he might have fled the country."

Vorster snorts in contempt.

Vorster:"Like a coward, but then I don't expect anything better. Keep
         up the monitoring work there. And have you found out anything
         more about the Elite Guard or who planted those bugs in my
         house?"

Precious:"We are still following up leads and making background checks
          on everyone who was in your home, but so far nothing has
          turned up. My foreign agents had more luck: our embassy in
          Libya reports that some mutants met with Ghadaffi a few days
          ago. The topic they discussed was about the Elite Guard."

Vorster leans closer, interested.

Vorster:"Really now? What did our people pick up?"

Precious:"Seems this mutant group, called Unit STRIKE, is hunting down
          the Elite Guard. Ghadaffi gladly pointed out that the Elite
          Guard had been operating in the south of Libya, but there
          were several incidents where the Elite Guard betrayed him."

Vorster:"Serves him right if he thought he could trust mutants. Was
         there mention about where the Elite Guard is now?"

Precious:"No, but the mutants had gone to investigate some of the
          abandoned bases there to track them down."

Vorster nods.

Vorster:"Reg, this is what I need you to do. Get your people at all
         our embassies in northern and central Africa to work. See if
         you can track this Unit STRIKE. Maybe they will lead us to
         the Elite Guard."

Precious:"Yes, Mister President."

Vorster then turns his attention to Minister Grace Haddan.

Vorster:"Grace, any news about the SLA and their activities in their
         borders?"

Haddan shakes her head.

Haddan:"Nothing."

Vorster raises an eyebrow.

Vorster:"Nothing?"

Haddan:"Nothing. We've been keeping our eyes and ears open, but the
        SLA has been keeping so quiet that they might as well not
        exist."

The National Police Commissioner Johannes Klopper smirks in satis-
faction.

Klopper:"Maybe the mutants have learned that you do not go an neuk
         around with our government."

Several others around the table murmur their agreement. Vorster thinks
for a moment, then shakes his head.

Vorster:"Nee, the SLA is up to something. Mutants don't submit so
         easily."

Precious:"Maybe the SLA has fled to Zimbabwe. Or even Namibia."

Cele:"If they are in Namibia, my troops will make sure that they stay
      there. Permanently."

Vorster:"Could be, but let's not take chances. We all saw what the
         SLA could do to our society and our nation. We must keep up
         the pressure on them. Teach them what their proper place in
         this world is."

The ministers and generals all nod and voice their agreement on the
matter. The meeting then continues to other matters on the agenda.

Briefing Room
Jumbo Rover
Windhoek International Airport
Namibia
8:41 AM:

The briefing room of the Jumbo Rover, which is parked in one of the
airport's hangars, is mostly empty with only a few groups conversing
here and there. One of the groups is Hunter and the Grizzlies Strayer
unit. Bear the malamute and team leader, Nitro the timber wolf, Amani
the native American and Puffball the felo-mutant are listening to
what Hunter has to say.

Hunter:"Okay, Grizzlies. Today it's your turn to protect the Namibian
        president, so I figured I'd let you know of a slight modifi-
        cation to your orders."

Bear:"A modification? What sort of modification?"

Hunter:"Well, let's just say that I'm super suspicious about our man
        in the presidential office."

Nitro:"Super suspicious now, Hunter? Isn't there anything you're not
       'super' at?"

Hunter rubs his chin, deep in thought.

Hunter:"Kinda hard to say, really."

Nitro rolls her eyes. Amani steps in.

Amani:"What's wrong with the president, Hunter?"

Hunter gets back to the issue at hand.

Hunter:"Oh! He's been acting kinda funny lately. Talking alone behind
        closed doors, sneaking out at night."

Bear shrugs.

Bear:"Maybe he has a mistress."

Nitro elbows Bear in the side, making him grunt and give Nitro a pained
expression.

Bear:"I'm just saying."

Nitro:"Careful, Bear."

Hunter:"We don't know if he has late night dalliances or not, but in
        the context of this war going on it's very funny. So I want
        you guys to go and keep a little closer eye on the president
        and see what he's up to."

Puffball:"Us spy on president?"

Hunter nods his head.

Hunter:"I wouldn't use the word 'spying', but basically yeah."

Bear:"So we're going to be 'not spying' for what?"

Hunter:"Don't know, but let's say you watch to see if he starts making
        deals behind our backs. Like signing a peace treaty with the
        South Africans, joining an alliance with the Sapien Liberation
        Army or hiring the Mayhem Mercenaries. Stuff like that."

Bear:"Backdoor deals, eh? I think we can do that."

Hunter:"Especially with your good ears, Bear."

Bear grins.

Bear:"So when do we start?"

Hunter:"Well, the president should be waking up any minute, so you can
        go and relieve the North African Unit right away."

They all get up. Hunter smirks.

Hunter:"Good luck and happy 'not spying'."

Bear grins and winks.

Bear:"Oh, we will definitely do our best at 'not spying'."

Nitro and Amani roll their eyes as they get up and prepare to leave
the briefing room.

Stealth Rover
Sahara Desert
Chad/Sudan border
8:48 AM:

The Stealth Rover is flying across the desert, crossing the border
between Chad and Sudan. Inside the cockpit, Tanarus is the pilot
while everyone else are in their seats. Corsair is busy checking his
laptop. Phoenix looks towards him.

Phoenix:"Where is the next beacon?"

Corsair:"Well, the next beacon is about 40 miles to the east, right
         across the border in Sudan. Let's see the coordinates."

Corsair finds the coordinates and passes them on to Tanarus. Tanarus
makes a slight course correction, but the Stealth Rover keeps flying
eastward. Hotrod looks at Corsair.

Hotrod:"Say, is this beacon in Darfur?"

Corsair:"Looks like it."

Hotrod:"Isn't Darfur the place in Sudan that's been in the news over
        some genocide?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. That is the place."

Dylan:"Isn't it dangerous to be here? I've heard some stories about
       militias running riot here."

Phoenix:"We need to follow those beacons if we are to find the Elite
         Guard, Dylan. We got no real choice."

Tanarus:"But it wouldn't hurt to take some precautions to prevent us
         from getting into trouble. We will have to avoid patrols
         and any refugee camps. The less people know we are here,
         the better. Plus, the Elite Guard might have eyes and ears
         amongst the populace, the militias or both."

Phoenix is a little surprised.

Phoenix:"The populace? The people of Darfur are being attacked and
         driven from their homes. How can they be dangerous?"

Tanarus:"They are desperate, Phoenix. The Elite Guard could easily
         bribe them with food, water, protection against the militias.
         Or simply threaten them. We are dealing with a ruthless foe
         here, Phoenix. We cannot take chances."

Phoenix nods in agreement, though she is still a little uneasy. The
Stealth Rover continues on for a good distance while the Strikers
keep watch for any hostiles. Finally Corsair signals to Tanarus.

Corsair:"Head's up, Tan. Beacon is five miles out, directly east."

Tanarus:"Roger."

Tanarus slows down the Stealth Rover and comes in lower as he prepares
to land. As they approach the target zone, a small tent camp comes
into view. Several makeshift tents have been set up around a large
thorn bush and a few trucks and a tanker are parked here. A number of
people are going about the camp, but stop and stare as the Stealth
Rover approaches. The Strikers are surprised at what they see.

Elexis:"That looks like a refugee camp."

Corsair:"And I hate to break it, but the beacon is right in the middle
         of the camp."

Jock:"What do we do now?"

Phoenix thinks it over quickly, and then shakes her head.

Phoenix:"We have no choice. We will have to land and go into the camp
         to find that beacon. The people have spotted us anyway."

Illanov:"Dah, I agree. We cannot turn away now."

Tanarus:"I'll set her down near the camp."

The Stealth Rover flies over the camp, then begins to land just a
short distance away. Immediately the people in the camp rush towards
the Stealth Rover, looking very relieved and overjoyed.

Hotrod:"Uh oh. Seems we're attracting a crowd."

Corsair:"Oh man. Look at them all. You'd think Paris Hilton showed
         up."

Dylan:"They look happy to see us."

Phoenix:"Maybe, but keep your guard up, guys. We're not in friendly
         territory."

Everyone nods as they begin to disembark. Outside the people have
completely surrounded the Stealth Rover, but they step aside to
allow the passenger ramp to be lowered onto the ground. When the
Strikers and Rovers appear at the top of the steps a great cheer
comes up from the crowd. The group looks guardedly at the people,
ready to act in case of trouble. When Phoenix reached the final
step she is immediately accosted by a woman carrying a baby. The
woman is talking excitedly in Arabic, but Phoenix is caught by sur-
prise.

Phoenix:"Er.... I'm sorry... I don't..."

The others have similar experiences as they reach the ground too. They 
get surrounded by very happy and excited people who are all speaking 
at the same time.

Shephard:"Sirs, this mob is making me nervous."

Merit:"I say, this mass verbal communication is not very efficient."

Hotrod:"Wow, they look at us as if we're the Beatles."

Corsair:"Man, I can't move in this crowd! Everybody seems to want to
         talk me at the same time!"

Suddenly a loud and commanding voice shouts in Arabic. Immediately
the crowd quiets down and turns to the voice. Some of the people make
a path to allow an African man wearing a blue turban and white robes 
(which is covered with spots of dried blood) to approach. Behind him
are several men dressed in dark grey robes and carrying AK-47s. The
African comes up to the ground, looking very pleased.

African:"Allah must have answered my prayers! Please forgive the
         people for storming up to you like this, but they are very
         desperate for help."

Phoenix:"It's all right, Mister...?"

African:"I am Mohammed al-Yusuf. I am a cleric and the de facto leader
         of this camp."

Illanov:"Because of the guns?"

Illanov points to the men behind Mohammed. The cleric realizes what
Illanov means and shakes his head.

Mohammed:"No, I am not a thug, though it might appear to be. I would
          not even let a gun anywhere near this camp if it was not
          for the danger from the Janjaweed."

Tanarus:"Those militias we've hearing about?"

Mohammed:"Yes, them. They've been harassing this camp for weeks now
          and me and my men have been doing our best to hold them
          back. But they are whittling down our numbers and we cannot
          fighting them off for much longer."

Phoenix:"Can't you move to a safer location? Chad, perhaps?"

Mohammed shakes his head.

Mohammed:"Chad is not safe, either. The militias ignore the borders
          and periodically raid inside Chad as well. The only place we
          can go is to southern Sudan. The Janjaweed won't follow
          us into that region, but we need an escort to protect us."

Phoenix:"Southern Sudan? How far do you need to go?"

Mohammed:"We need to travel about 300 kilometers before we can say
          we are save. That, or meet one of Sudan's southern rebel
          groups. Please, help us. We don't much to offer, but we
          will be eternally grateful for your assistance."

Phoenix turns to her group.

Phoenix:"Do you guys think we can escort them? Three hundred kilo-
         metres isn't that far."

Corsair:"That's crazy! You want us to get us saddled up with refu-
         gees? We already have enough problems without having this
         excess baggage."

Dylan:"But we can't just leave them here to the mercy of those militias. 
       I think we should help them."

Elexis nods her head.

Elexis:"I agree. These people need our help."

Illanov:"Bear in mind, comrades, that the militias will probably come
         after us if we are spotted."

Shephard:"If they do, I'll be more than happy to send them packing.
          We're the Road Rovers. Isn't it our job to protect the inno-
          cent from evil, sirs?"

Hotrod nods his head in agreement.

Hotrod:"Darn right, Shep. We'd be letting down the good name of the
        Road Rovers if we don't help. I vote we do it."

Corsair:"Guys, don't forget we got mercenaries on our butts, with the
         KH Military not far behind. Plus, we could end up running up
         against the Elite Guard."

Tanarus:"Corsair has a good point. We'd be putting the refugees at
         risk of being caught in the crossfire. But personally I do
         feel we have an obligation to help these refugees. If we are
         to hold a vote on this, I'd vote to help."

Several others murmur their agreement, but Corsair is not looking
happy over the idea.

Corsair:"And what if this beacon here points in a direction we are not
         going?"

Illanov:"The beacons can wait, American. Life is more precious than
         some machine buried in the ground."

Phoenix:"Okay, then. Let's vote: all in favor of us helping these
         people, raise your paw or hand."

Immediately everyone except Corsair and Merit raise their hands or
paws. Everyone looks at Merit.

Phoenix:"Merit, what do you think?"

Merit:"This is very curious, this escort proposal, but I do find it
       rather confusion. What will the eventual purpose be of such an
       operation?"

Corsair looks at Phoenix too, hoping for some change in the plan.

Phoenix:"It will be to keep these people alive so they can have a chance
         at life."

Merit:"Oh, you recommend that they be kept assembled on the journey?"

Phoenix:"Yes, Merit."

Merit:"In that case..."

Merit raises his mechanical hand, much to Corsair's dismay.

Merit:"I add my vote of approval."

All eyes then turn to Corsair. Corsair looks around, then sighs and 
throws his hands into the air.

Corsair:"Fine, let's get these hitchhikers outta here. But I'm not
         being held responsible if someone gets hurt through some-
         thing I didn't do."

Phoenix:"No, you won't be. I am taking this decision."

Having voted, Phoenix turns to Mohammed.

Phoenix:"Mister al-Yusuf, tell the people to get ready to move as
         soon as possible."

Mohammed smiles broadly, shaking Phoenix's paws eagerly.

Mohammed:"Praise Allah! I am thankful for your assistance, Madam!"

Phoenix:"Better not thank me until we get you to safety."

Mohammed nods his head, letting go of Phoenix's paws.

Mohammed:"I agree. We face much danger from the militias."

Phoenix:"I must warn you, Mister al-Yusuf. We are being pursued by
         other factions who are more dangerous than the militias.
         They are mainly after us, but they will not hesitate to go
         after you and your people."

Mohammed:"I see. Nonetheless, it is a risk I am willing to take. I
          will get the people ready."

Phoenix:"As soon as you are ready, we leave."

Mohammed nods, then turns and begins to bark orders to his men and
the people in his charge. As this happens, Phoenix turns back to the
group.

Phoenix:"This is going to hard, so you had better get your gear out.
         Get all your vehicles out too. We're going to need them on
         this track. Corsair, you and Merit go find that beacon and
         record the data. Once the escort is complete, we can head
         to its location. Let's get moving!"

Everyone nods their head. The Strikers and Rovers head back into the
Stealth Rover, while the people head back to the camp and begin to
pack up for the trip. One of Mohammed's armed men stops and looks
briefly towards the Stealth Rover, with only his eyes visible through
the turban mask he wears. He then goes back to help the others.

Rally
Black Forest
Germany
8:51 AM:

In a clearing amongst the trees of Germany's Black Forest, a large
crowd of people have gathered. There are many stalls selling goods
and refreshments, while a big stage has been set at the one side
with the clearing. The state has several large speakers and a huge
television monitor. It looks like a festival, but closer inspection
reveals just what it is: the stalls are selling items that berate
non-humans and mutants, while many of the people are skinheads. There
are all kinds of neo-Nazi and anti-mutant signs, flags and banners
around. It is clearly an anti-mutant rally. Upon on the stage a man
taps on a microphone stand, causing a loud whistling noise that gets
the crowd's attention after a few moments. The man looks around.

Man(German):"Brothers and sisters! I can see you are all here to come
   and see one person tonight. One who knows that humans at the top of
   the ladder, and not some hairy mutant."

A loud cheer erupts from the crowd. The man smiles.

Man(German):"Then let me introduce you to our greatest ally! A human
   who knows how to put mutants in their place! A human who knows that
   man is the superior creature! I give you..."

He turns to the screen as it flicks on. A dark silhouette shaped like
a human head appears on it.

Man(German):"Mister F!"

The crowd erupts with cheer and applause as Mister F appears on the
screen. Mister F raises what looks to be a hand and the crowd hushes.
He begins to speak.

Mister F(German):"Friends! Fellow humans! My brothers and sisters! I 
        greet you in the name of humanity!"

The crowd cheers again, but quickly hush up to let Mister F speak.

Mister F(German):"I am pleased to tell you that our cause against the 
        scourge of a mutant plague is getting stronger and stronger. 
        Allies from around the world are convincing more and more people
        about the error of helping or supporting these beasts. From
        the Americans Only Party in the United States to the Party of 
        Chinese Peoples, we gaining ground and beating back this mutant 
        tide. And as we grow stronger, our foes grow more desperate. 
        The war being fought in Namibia is a last gasp attempt by them 
        to try and score a victory against one of great patrons: Adriaan 
        Vorster!"

The crowd jeers and boo, shouting all kinds of anti-mutant slogans for
a few seconds before they quiet down again.

Mister F(German):"But even that is a futile effort! My sources tell me 
        that the South Africans are winning the war, and the real humans
        within the international community support Vorster in his 
        efforts! On all fronts, more and more pro-mutant puppet leaders 
        make way for leaders who know the natural order of things! Who 
        know that humans are on top, and beasts below, not vice versa!"

Again the crowd cheers. Mister F then speaks in a soft, sinister tone.

Mister F(German):"Yet this makes our enemies even more desperate. I 
        myself am a target, hence the reason why I appear before you 
        veiled in secrecy. And they are everywhere, looking to get back
        at our righteous cause. Why, some might even be in this very
        crowd!"

An angry rumbling of agreement goes through the crowd. Mister F then
reverts back to his commanding tone of voice.

Mister F(German):"But these are just mere spasms of a dying cause! We 
        are on the path to victory! And nothing, nothing, can stop 
        humankind from regain his dominance over beasts! We shall be
        victorious!"

The crowd erupts in cheers, applause and loud whistling. They then
begin to shout in unison.

Crowd(chanting):"F! F! F! F!"

Mister F(German):"And now I must be you, my brothers and sisters, 
        farewell. There are many others who will need an inspirational 
        word to help them keep up the fight. Long live humanity!"

The crowd again cheers and applauds as Mister F's image disappears
from the screen.

Media Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

The lights have just come on inside this square room. Cameras and
studio lights are arranged around a polished black screen. Wires
lead from the lights and cameras to wall plugs and mixing equip-
ment. General Franco is seated in front of the screen, taking off
the black mask that hid some of his lupine features. The Elite Guard
producer is checking with his crews while a female wolf runs up to
begin wiping the sweat from the general's forehead. The producer comes
up to Franco with a list, looking pleased.

Producer:"Excellent, Supreme General. You were terrific!"

Franco grins.

Franco:"I know, but then it is really easy to manipulate these extre-
        mist fools. Is that the last group?"

The producer checks the list and nods.

Producer:"Yes, sir. That was the last human right-wing group on the
          list. We can now move on to the sapien right-wing groups."

Franco:"Finally! This lousy mask was making me sweat." 

Producer:"It should be smooth sailing now, Supreme General."

As the make-up artist begins working on Franco, Mara comes in carrying
a mobile phone. Franco looks at her.

Franco:"What is it?"

Mara nervously holds the phone out to Franco.

Mara:"A call from Silhouette."

Franco grabs the telephone, then dismisses Mara, who quickly leaves the
room. Franco puts the phone to his ears and speaks while the make-up
artist keeps working.

Franco(into phone):"Silhouette, what is the latest update?... They
      followed the beacons into Sudan?... Curse them!... What?...
      Refugees, you say? How many?.... Hmmm, interesting... No, let
      them be. I think I will make a few calls and have our Sudanese
      partners take care of them. What about the traitors?... Keep
      tabs on them, and begin hunting down those beacons. Use any
      means to destroy them. Cut this loose end ASAP, got it?...
      Good. I trust you WILL be successful, captain?... Excellent."

Franco lowers the phone and ends the call. He then dials a new num-
ber and waits for an answer. A moment later the call is answered.

Franco(into phone, Arabic):"Minister Yussif?... This is Mister F. How 
      is your new job as defense minister?... Good. And I trust you 
      have not forgotten who helped you get that job?... Glad to hear
      that, because you have a chance to help pay that debt... Now
      listen carefully: a group of cano-sapiens are moving through
      Darfur along with some Darfurians. I want them all dead... Yes,
      just like that. Think you and your allies can do that?... Good.
      I trust you will be successful, otherwise... you follow?... Then
      get to work."

Franco ends the call and gives the phone to make-up artist, who has
just finished up making Franco look less sinister. His fur is now a
black/grey huge and his red eyes are now covered with blue contact
lenses.

Artist:"There you are, Supreme General. Ready for the cameras."

Franco:"Good. Which group is first?"

The producer looks at the list.

Producer:"The Australian Kangaroo Alliance is first on the list, 
          Supreme General."
 
Franco:"Then let's get started."

The producer nods and turns to the crew.

Producer:"Okay, people! It's show time!"

The crew prepares to make the broadcast while Franco gets ready for his
next public announcement.

Windhoek
Namibia
9:02 AM:

The usual patrol and guard soldiers are at their posts around the
palace grounds, going about their duties. At the entrance, the Namib-
ian president is getting into a limousine while an escort of police
and military vehicles await. Watching from a distance by one of the
gates are the Grizzlies. Bear and Nitro are seated on Cyc the Cycl-
borg, while Amani and Puffball are seated in Amani's pickup Sylvia.
They watch as the limo's doors close and the convoy begins to move.

Nitro:"There he goes. Did they say where they were going today?"

Bear:"I asked his office, and all they told me was that he was going
      out for an inspection of the defenses."

Nitro:"That's a pretty vague answer."

Bear:"Yeah, I know. Fortunately they said we could tag along if we
      wanted to, though not too close to the convoy."

Nitro:"What for?"

Bear shrugs.

Bear:"Dunno why. They didn't give me the chance to ask."

Nitro:"Sounds fishy to me."

Beat:"Yeah. Anyway, head's up. Here they come."

The Grizzlies see the convoy approach their gate. Bear and Nitro put
their helmets on and Bear starts up Cyc, while Amani starts up Sylvia.
They wait for the convoy to arrive. The guards at the gate open it up
and let the convoy drive out onto the streets. The Grizzlies then
get onto the path and head out the gate once the convoy passes. They
wait until the convoy has gotten a good lead, then the team begins to
follow it into Windhoek proper. The convoy winds its way through the
mostly-abandoned city to the main street, then proceeds along it
towards the east. The Grizzlies remain behind the convoy all the time,
keeping a respectful distance from it. While they are driving, a
number of sedans with tinted windows start to gather behind the
Grizzlies. Amani looks in her rearview. 

Amani:"Hmmmm. A number of cars with tinted windows appearing out of
       nowhere? Puffball, you and I better keep an eye open."

Puffball looks back and sees the cars.

Puffball:"I have bad feeling."

Amani:"Me too."

Despite their suspicions they continue driving. As the convoy begins 
to come to a street light, it suddenly accelerates and speeds away 
from the Strayers, much to their surprise.

Nitro:"Hey! What gives here?"

Bear:"This looks fishy. We'd better keep up."

Bear gives Amani a paw signal to speed up. The Grizzlies begin to
speed towards the intersection. Just as the convoy gets across the
intersection, a large furniture van suddenly appears in the street
and stops right in front of the Grizzlies. Bear and Amani immediately
stop their vehicles, tires screaming on the street. The sedans then
quickly pull up around the Grizzlies and stop. The next moment armed
men get out of the truck and sedans. They are dressed in black and
red uniforms with red berets and are holding energy weapons. The
Grizzlies look around.

Nitro:"These uniforms look all too familiar."

Bear:"I bet next comes the moment where the leader appears and we all
      gasp in unison when we recognize him or her."

Sure enough, two individuals climb out of the truck and approach the
Strayers: it is Gustav Havoc and Lieutenant Skeam. The Grizzlies gasp
in unison.

Grizzlies:"Havoc!"

Havoc:"That's Colonel Havoc to you, Strayers. And now I..."

Bear suddenly interrupts Havoc.

Bear:"Let's get to the point. You have somehow managed to escape and
      have now captured us to take revenge for all those times we
      beat your tail. And next you will threaten to kill and/or harm
      us in one way or another unless we tell you where the other
      Rovers are so you can get them too. All the while you will say
      all kind of monologues, during which you will grin in triumph
      and rub your hands in glee at the prospect of getting even. Did
      I miss something?"

Havoc is staring at Bear with his mouth hanging open. He then recovers
and turns to whisper at Skeam.

Havoc(whispering):"I hate it when that happens."

Skeam(whispering):"Yes, sir. Me too."

Havoc turns back to the Grizzlies, pointing at Bear in annoyance.

Havoc:"Fine, so you took the fun out of it. I guess this means we can
       right to the point where we take you hostage."

Bear:"Okay."

Everyone looks surprised at Bear.

Nitro:"What are you doing?!"

Havoc:"Are you serious?"

Bear:"Yeah, but before you can do that we want to kick you and your men's
      tails, get you into prison and get moving to catch up to the convoy
      we were escorting."

Havoc blinks, then frowns and shakes his head.

Havoc:"Enough foolishness! Get them!"

Suddenly Bear guns Cyc's engine, the motorcycle pointed directly at Havoc.
Before the man can realize what is going on, he is scooped up on the front
of the cyclborg. He gasps in shock, clinging for dear life as Bear drives
down a street. Skeam and Havoc's man stare in stunned surprise, and as a
result, fail to stop Amani from driving Sylvia through a gap after Bear.
Only then do they snap out of it. Skeam turns to the men.

Skeam:"Quick! After them!"

They all pile into their vehicles and immediately set off after the
Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Bear is driving through the streets with Havoc
clinging to the front of Cyc. He is panicked at the turn of events, his
eyes wide while he watches the malamute drive very quickly.

Havoc:"What are you doing! Stop, please!"

Nitro:"Please? I didn't a please earlier. Did you, Honey?"

Bear:"Nope, Honey. But I think I did hear someone say faster. So let's
      go faster!"

Havoc:"What! No!!!"

Havoc screams as Bear speeds up. Behind them the sedans quickly catch
up. Two pass Sylvia to pull up alongside Cyc while three sedans come
up alongside and behind the pickup. One sedan suddenly knocks against
Sylvia, causing Amani to swerve to the left. The sedan on the left then
smashes against Sylvia, knocking the pickup to the right. Amani realizes
what they are trying to do.

Amani:"Oh no, you are NOT playing tennis with my truck!"

The right-hand sedan begins to swerve, when suddenly Amani hits the brakes
and makes a sharp turn. The sedans pass by Sylvia so quickly that the
surprised drivers are unable to stop. The one sedan crashes into the
second one and both vehicles crash through the front window of a liquor
store. The third sedan hits the brakes and spins out onto the sidewalk.
Amani looks at the crash in the store.

Amani:"Guess this proves you don't drink and drive."

She then notices the third sedan. She looks at Puffball.

Amani:"Puffball! Get those guys before they recover!"

Puffball(hesitantly):"Yes, Mistress!"

Puffball jumps out of the truck cab and runs out towards the sedan. The
soldiers inside see the big felo-mutant approach and begin rolling down
the windows. But Puffball acts quickly. She goes and kneels next to the
car, grabs the underside and begins to lift it.

Driver:"Hey! What are you doing? Stop!"

The soldiers try to get their windows rolled down in time, but by then
Puffball manages to lift the sedan up enough to tip it over. The car
rolls onto its roof, causing the soldiers to fall onto the ceiling. As
they struggle to get out of the overturned car, Puffball runs over and
jumps into Sylvia again. Amani hits the gas to get away quickly.

Amani:"Nice work, Puffball!"

Puffball:"Thank you, Mistress. It good work out too."

Further ahead, the soldiers in the two sedans next to Cyc are trying to
grab Havoc off the motorcycle. Bear, however, keeps swerving just out
of reach. Havoc by now is looking very pale and blubbering insensibly.

Bear:"Honey, I think the soldiers want to hear your singing voice."

Nitro:"Yeah, they literally want a piece of me. Guess I had better
       oblige."

Nitro takes off her helmet and turns her head towards the left hand
sedan. She takes a deep breath, then unleashes her powerful sonic howl
at the vehicle. The soldiers immediately grab their ears and wince in
pain. Suddenly the whole vehicle pops apart. The exterior flies out
while the wheels jump loose, causing the undercarriage of the vehicle
to crash onto the road. Momentum sends the engine and the soldiers in
their seats forward. They and the engine skid for a short distance
before coming to a stop. The soldiers, including the driver, who is
still clutching the steering wheel, stare dazed and confused at the
escaping cyclborg and its riders. Nitro puts her helmet back on.

Nitro:"Once again, another fine performance."

Bear:"Yeah. Pity you can't do an encore."

The other sedan is still trying to get Havoc off Cyc. A soldier tries
to make a grab, but Bear suddenly pulls up and grabs the man's arm.
Bear then yanks the startled trooper out of the car and releases his
arm. The soldier hits the road and rolls a short distance.

Bear:"And now he's eating gravel. And the rest are about to eat smoke."

Bear pulls out a tennis ball and flings it through the now unoccupied
passenger window. The ball releases a thick cloud of smoke, causing the
soldiers to caught and bringing the car to a halt in a fountain. Bear
checks out the scene in his rearview.

Bear:"Is that the whole lot?"

Nitro looks behind them to get a better look. The furniture truck is
coming up from behind. Skeam is in the passenger seat of the cab while
another soldier is driving. Skeam leans out the window and fires his
energy gun at Cyc. One shot hits the street close to Cyc's wheels.

Cyc:"Bear, that person is aiming for my tires."

Bear:"Then let's make it difficult for him to aim."

Bear starts to swerve around in the street, much to Skeam's annoyance
and Havoc's terror. Skeam has a hard time to draw a proper bead on the
motorcycle and fires shots that miss their targets by a wide margin.
The Grizzlies then see something up ahead in the street. A road block
set up by the Namibian army using trucks and tanks. An opening is left
for civilian vehicles to pass, and currently a water tanker is stopped
in that opening by the soldiers.

Nitro:"Bear! That's a dead end!"

Bear:"Crud! And if we stop we're going to get run over or shot before
      those soldiers can act!"

Cyc:"Then allow me."

Bear:"Allow you? What do you...?"

Cyc speeds up, heading towards the road block very quickly. The truck
driver also speeds up. Bear clutches Cyc's handlebars tightly, while
Nitro hugs her husband tightly. Havoc just keeps clinging for dear life.
The soldiers see the two speeding vehicles approach and begin to warn
them to slow down. When they see that is not happening, they scatter
out of the way. A gap appears between two of the parked tanks. Cyc goes
and zooms right through the opening. The furniture truck tries to do
the same. Unfortunately, it is too wide and is squeezed in between the
two armored vehicles, coming to a complete halt. But Skeam and the
soldier manage to avoid injury thanks to their seatbelts.

Soldier:"Sure glad we wear our seatbelts, wouldn't you agree Lieutenant?"

Suddenly both Skeam and the soldier find themselves looking at the rifle
barrels of the Namibian soldiers. Skeam groans and buries his face in
his hands.

Skeam:"Yes... how fortunate."

As the soldiers pull Skeam and the soldier out of the truck, Bear calls
Amani on Cyc's communication system.

Bear(into com):"Amani, where are you?"

Amani(over com):"I had to take a detour around that road block, but I'm
     tracking you guys on GPS. Are we going after the convoy?"

Bear(into com):"No, we're going to have to leave it. We have to go and
    interrogate Havoc. Meet us back at the Jumbo Rover."

Amani(over com):"Okay, Puffball and I will meet you there."

Bear ends the call, then looks at Nitro.

Bear:"What do you say we go to the Jumbo Rover and have a chat with our
      passenger here, Dear?"

Nitro:"Sounds like a good idea. I think he's gotten his share of fresh
       air."

The couple look at Havoc, who is now paralyzed with fear, still clinging
to the front of Cyc. They chuckle and Bear speeds up, taking a left turn
as they head to the airport.

Interrogation Room
Jumbo Rover
Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport 
9:49 AM:

This is a simple, divided room within the 747. A wall with a two-way 
mirror separated the interrogation cell from the observation room. In the 
interrogation room, Blitz and Exile are busy grilling a rather nervous
Gustav Havoc while Hunter watches. In the interrogation room, the 
Grizzlies are watching through the window. Hunter then comes and enters
through the door that separates the two comes. He closed the door behind
as the Grizzlies turn to him.

Bear:"So what did Havoc reveal, Hunter?"

Hunter:"Well, between secret arms dealings of his past and his mother's
        recipe for chicken pies we did manage to get some details about
        what he's doing here."

Amani:"You mean besides causing trouble?"

Hunter:"Yup. Seems he and his lackeys were sprung from prison and brought
        here to fight us."

Bear:"By whom?"

Hunter:"He didn't want to say."

Bear:"Oh, come on Hunter. Havoc was paler than snow when Nitro and I got
      him off my bike. He must have said something."

Puffball:"He very scared when I took him into room."

Hunter:"I actually thought the same thing when you first brought him in,
        Bear. But it seems whoever sent him here made it quite clear if
        he talked, this guy or gal will do some nasty things to him that
        not even our best threats can beat."

Nitro:"Wow. It must have been some threat to keep a villain like Havoc
       from spilling the beans."

Hunter:"Yeah, and it looks like he won't be telling us much more for
        now. What about you guys, Bear? Did you manage to learn something
        about the Namibian president?"

Bear shakes his head.

Bear:"Sorry, Hunter. Havoc's intervention kept us from following the
      president. He seemed to have been heading to Eros Airport, but when
      we quizzed the people there, they all said they never saw him."

Nitro:"I don't want to sound pessimistic, but there is something fishy
       about this whole war."

Everyone else in the room nods in agreement.

Hunter:"I agree. I think you guys should try and locate the president. If
        you are successful or not and have some time, find out how Havoc
        got into the country."

Bear:"Gotcha, Hunter."

Hunter:"Happy hunting!"

Hunter heads through the door back into the interrogation cell. Bear looks
at his team.

Bear:"Let's get going, then."

Amani:"Can't we wait first? I want to get the dents and scrapes off my
       trucks."

Bear:"Sorry, Amani. I'm afraid war waits for nobody. Come on."

Amani sighs as Bear leads the Grizzlies out through the door marked "EXIT".
The interrogation continues in the next room.

Marrah Mountains
Gharb(West) Darfur
Western Sudan
12:03 PM:

The Marrah Mountains, a range of volcanic peaks, rises up from the base-
ment rock ground of the West Darfur region. The ground is covered mostly
with sandy soils, through there are sporadic forest covers amongst the
mountains. Unit STRIKE and the refugees are traveling in a convoy along
a road that is marked only by the tire tracks of previous vehicles. The
refugees are piled onto five vehicles: the tanker truck in the middle
of the convoy and two flatbed trucks both ahead and behind the tanker.
The Rhino, with Phoenix and Illanov, are at the front, while Elexis and
Jock are riding on the Biker Rover alongside the tanker. Hotrod is in 
his Camaro with Corsair, bringing up the rear. In the sky above the convoy 
is the Stealth Rover, with Tanarus at the flight controls. Shephard is
in one of the flatbeds with Mohammed, Dylan and Merit (who is back in his 
battle shell). Mohammed is sitting opposite Shephard, reading a Koran.

Shephard:"That the Koran?"

Mohammed looks up and nods.

Mohammed:"Yes, this is the Qu'ran. Why do you ask?"

Shephard:"Just curious, that's all. I always hear about it, but I've never
          actually seen it."

Mohammed:"You're an American Christian, right?"

Shephard:"Yes, sir. Catholic actually."

Mohammed:"I've heard some... stories about you people. That you're all
          godless, moral degenerates. No offense."

Shephard:"No taken, sir. It's actually  kind of funny."

Mohammed(surprised):"Funny?"

Shephard:"Some Christian leaders say the same thing about Muslims. And
          of Christians who do not stick to their version of the faith.
          Saying they will burn in h*** if they don't act like bigots."

Shephard then gives a few examples of such leaders. Mohammed blinks, then 
bursts out laughing.

Mohammed:"What a surprise! Islam has leaders who act and talk just like
          that. I guess there is not much difference between us, is
          there?"

Mohammed tells Shephard of a few similar leaders in his own faith, causing
Shephard to laugh as well.

Shephard:"Guess we both have our bad apples, sir."

Mohammed:"Indeed, but I see both sides have majorities who are tolerant 
          and devout. This strengthens my faith in humanity."
 
Shephard:"Ditto, sir."

Merit:"I find it curious how humans have to make subjects that are simple
       so unnecessarily complicated. Is it a common for humans to confuse
       themselves?"

Shephard and Mohammed stare at Merit, then both of them burst out laughing
at the robot. Merit looks at Dylan.

Merit:"I say, how unusual."

Dylan just smiles.

Dylan:"Just another of the many quirks that we have in life, Merit. Makes
       it all worth it."

Merit:"Quirks? You mean that organics have bugs in them too?"

Dylan blinks, then also begins to laugh at the perplexed robot. Meanwhile, 
in the Camaro, Hotrod and Corsair are having a chat. Corsair is not 
looking pleased.

Corsair:"Man, this is nuts."

Hotrod:"What? Helping these defenseless people?"

Corsair:"Look, Hotrod. I'm all for doing humanitarian work and being the
         good guy and all, but like they say there is a time and place for
         everything. And now is not the time to go escorting refugees
         through a place that we know is not Disneyland."

Hotrod:"Face it, bud. You lost the vote when everyone else decided that
        we should help."

Cosrair:"Democracy sure can suck at times."

Hotrod:"Yeah, but it is always for the better."

Corsair:"Really? We're out here in the middle of what is essentially
         hostile territory, escorting a bunch of refugees who can barely
         defend themselves. We are trying to chase down the Elite Guard,
         a bunch of loony killers who make the Nazis look nice, plus we
         are being followed by both the KH Military and the Mayhem Mer-
         cenaries. And we might get to sample the wonder hospitality of
         those Jarweeds..."

Hotrod:"Janjaweed."

Corsair:"Whatever. And to make it even more exciting, in the middle of
         our little turkey shoot convoy is a tanker filled with stuff
         that is certain to be very touchy when it comes to fires or
         bullets."

Hotrod:"I'm also not happy about taking that tanker along, but that was
        the only vehicle left to carry refugees."

Corsair:"See? Mark my words. We're not going to get through this day
         without some kind of nasty accident befalling us all."

Hotrod:"Quit whining, will ya? I can see why Alex doesn't like you. Just
        be cool and alert and we'll make it through. Trust me."

Corsair remains skeptical. He then notices something in the Camaro's
rearview mirror and looks back. Some distance behind them there is a
cloud of dust being kicked up.

Corsair:"Oh man. I hope that's just a dust storm."

Hotrod:"What do you mean?"

Hotrod looks in the side mirror and sees the dust cloud as well.

Hotrod:"Uh oh. Better let the others know."

Corsair:"I knew it."

Corsair activates his watch com and begins to call Phoenix.

Corsair(into com):"Boss, I think we got company coming up behind us."

Up ahead in the Rhino, Phoenix pulls the vehicle a little over to the side
to see past the convoy's dust cloud. In the rearview she can see the cloud
that Corsair mentioned. She quickly pulls the Rhino back into formation.
Illanov looks at her.

Illanov:"Trouble, comrade?"

Phoenix:"I think we have trouble coming up behind us."

Illanov looks back while Phoenix gets on her watch communicator to alert
the other members of the team.

Phoenix(over com):"Get ready, everyone. We may have possible enemies coming
       from behind us."

The entire team gets ready for action. Mohammed sees Shephard pull out his
M-249 and arm it.

Mohammed:"What's going on?"

Shephard:"We might have hostiles coming up behind us."

Mohammed looks back and sees the dust cloud. He squints to try and see who
it is. He then gasps when he sees that it is armed men on horseback.

Mohammed:"The Janjaweed!"

Shephard:"Oh, c***!"

Mohammed puts his Qu'ran away and quickly shouts to his men, who quickly 
get their AK-47s ready. In the Camaro Hotrod and Corsair are checking the
approaching dust cloud and can make out the horsemen.

Corsair:"Oh, man! Those horsemen got guns!"

Hotrod:"Sounds like the Janjaweed we've heard about. Are they only on
        horseback?"

Corsair:"Yeah."

Hotrod:"Then it's time to kick a**!"

Hotrod suddenly hits the brakes and spins the car around. He then speeds
directly towards the horsemen coming towards them. Corsair looks alarmed
at Hotrod.

Corsair:"Hotrod! What are you doing?!"

Hotrod:"Just hang tight, Corsair! You'll see!"

Corsair looks ahead in alarm as the Camaro speeds towards the horsemen.
Up ahead, the Janjaweed on their horses ready their rifles as the see
the vehicle approach. Just as the Camaro is about to get into firing
range, Hotrod pushes a button on the dashboard. The Camaro begins a
rapid transformation, turning from a car into a tall, Transformers-like
mech. Corsair is surprised by the transformation.

Corsair:"Whoa! You never told me this car could do this!"

Hotrod:"This is nothing. Watch!"

The transformation of the Camaro into a humanoid mech catches the Jan-
jaweed horsemen completely by surprise. For a brief moment they stare
with shocked expressions at the mech coming towards them. They then
recover and try to aim at the Camaro, but by then it is too late. The
Camaro rushes into the horsemen, arms spread out. The horsemen try to
dodge the Camaero, but many get knocked off by the arms. The Janjaweed
stop and try to shoot at the mech, but their bullets ricochet off its
armor. Corsair looks around at the horsemen.

Corsair:"Whoa! They're shooting at us, Rod!"

Hotrod:"Time to kick some serious butt!"

Hotrod then begins to steer the Camaro into attack mode. He begins to
punch, kick and slap the Janjaweed gunmen off their horses, their star-
tled mounts galloping away while they bite dust. The Camaro picks up
two screaming men and begin to use them to knock their other comrades
from their horses. While some Janjaweed try to keep their ground, many
of them still on their horses run away.

Gunman(Arabic):"By Allah! We must flee from this demon car!"

The horsemen begin to make a break for it. Some of them try to grab
their panicked mounts, while others just hitch rides or even run away
on foot. The Camaro comes to a stop and Hotrod and Corsair watch the
Janjaweed run back the way they came.

Corsair:"Fantastic a**-kicking, Rod!"

Hotrod:"Serves them right. Hoohaa!"

Corsair:"Man, I gotta get a car like this!"

Hotrod grins, then pushes another button. The Camaro shifts back to
its normal vehicle form and begins to head back to the convoy. Up in the
Stealth Rover, Tanarus is busy looking at the scanner. He can see several 
red dots coming towards them with letters and numbers next to them. He
notes all the information before contacting Phoenix.

Tanarus(into com):"Phoenix, we got more hostiles inbound. Ground scan
       is showing a number of vehicles coming in from the east. Looks
       like jeeps and trucks."

Phoenix(over com):"How many?"

Tanarus(into com):"Looks like about ten to twelve vehicles."

Phoenix(over com):"Roger. Keep us posted, Tan."

Suddenly Tanarus sees another set of dots appear, this time from the
north. He quickly checks before calling Phoenix again.

Tanarus(into com):"Phoenix, we have more contacts coming in from our
       rear! And they are many more in number, twenty or so!"

Phoenix(over com):"Oh no! More vehicles?"

Tanarus(into com):"Many more, yes."

Phoenix(over com):"Better get ready to use heavy artillery, Tan. We're
       going to need the firepower."

Tanarus(into com):"I agree. We'll need it."

Down below, Phoenix alerts the others about the incoming armed forces.
In the truck, Merit does a scan of the east, where there is a gap between
the mountains. Shephard and Mohammed are watching him. Merit finally turns
to them to report.

Merit:"Six utility vehicles and five medium trucks are approaching from
       the east, nine kilometers inbound. The men are armed with automatic
       rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers."

Shephard:"Normally only those rocket launchers would be a problem, but
          even a bullet is dangerous now. Merit, you got to stop those
          trucks before they can get close enough. I'll lay down some
          suppressing fire to keep those troops from using their RPGs."

Merit:"Confirmed. Employing defensive combat posture."

As Merit readies for battle, Mohammed gets out his rifle and arms it.

Mohammed:"Can I assist?"

Shephard:"Yeah, keep those people from shooting us. Merit will stop their
          vehicles, but we need to keep them from firing back."

Mohammed:"Right."

Mohammed then shouts out the same orders to his men while Shephard arms
and readies his M-249 on the side of the truck towards the incoming 
forces. Meanwhile, Phoenix pulls the Rhino off the track and drives
towards the eastern vehicle column. She looks at Illanov.

Phoenix:"Use your plasma rifle on the big trucks. They pose a bigger
         danger to the convoy than those jeeps."

Illanov:"Dah, just get close enough."

Phoenix nods, then Illanov climbs over to the back seat. She pushes a
button to open the roof and Illanov stands up, arming his plasma rifle.
While they do this, back at the convoy Elexis looks at Jock.

Elexis:"How close do we need to be for you to snipe?"

Jock:"I can fire from here, but my shots could end up missing more than
      hitting. The closer the better."

Elexis:"Okay, I'm going to slow down. You tell me when you can get a
        good shot at that army behind us before they get into range of
        us. Got it?"

Jock:"Got it."

Elexis eases on the throttle and the Biker Rover begins to slow down.
Jock gets his sniper rifle off his back and looks behind him. He checks
through the scope at the vehicles, checking his range. The Biker Rover
falls further behind the convoy while the enemy forces close in fast.
Jock takes aim at a jeep and pulls the trigger. The rifle fires and a
few moments later the bullet is seen ricocheting off the jeep's grill.
The jeep serves a little after the driver is startled. Jock reloads the
rifle.

Jock:"I'm in range!"

Elexis:"Go for the tires or engines if you can!"

Jock:"Okay!"

Jock resumes firing while Elexis keeps the Biker Rover as steady as
possible. Realizing they are being sniped at, some of the armed men in
the vehicles return fire, but their bullets either miss by a good dis-
tance or do not travel far enough. Jock is more successful, shooting
out the tires of one jeep and causing the engines of two others to
billow out large clouds of smoke. All three vehicles are forced to a
standstill. The other vehicles begin to swerve around, making it hard
for Jock to draw a proper bead on them. He still fires and manages to
smoke another jeep, but many more of his shots miss.

Jock:"Elexis, they got smart! They keep moving around too much for me
      to get a good aim on them!"

Elexis quickly looks back at the vehicles before replying.

Elexis:"Keep firing anyway! Their swerving around is slowing them down
        a bit!"

Jock:"Okay!"

Jock resumes firing, trying his best to hit something while the vehicles
continue to swerve. In the sky above, Tanarus turns the Stealth Rover
towards the eastern group of vehicles. He presses a button the control
to make a bomb hatch open underneath the Stealth.

Tanarus:"Time to see what Collin's new 'Immobilization Globes' can do."

Tanarus turns the Stealth in a wide arch until he is able to fly across
the path of the vehicles. When he comes in front of the enemy force, he
pushes a button. The Stealth Rover begins to drop dozens of the new im-
mobilization globes. The globes are round balls of hollow plastic with
a small metallic device on one side. The hollow is filled with a sky
blue substance and each ball is the size of a soccer ball. The globes
fall to the ground and then roll onto the side that has the devices.
As the vehicles approach the globes, they begin to beep. When the jeeps
and trucks are right upon them, they make a buzz before activating. The
globes suddenly bounce up into the air to the surprise of the soldiers
in the vehicles. The globes then burst violently in mid-air, sending out
large clouds of blue goo onto the soldiers and drivers and covering them
with the extremely sticky substance. Some of the globes bounce right
underneath some of the vehicles or are driven over and explode below,
splashing the sticky goo onto the undercarriages. Immediately there is
chaos as the vehicles swerve into one another, overturn, spin out or
simply come to a dead stop. Drivers and soldiers struggle to wipe the
goo from their faces, bodies and guns, but the substance is like glue.
After a few moments only three of the original force of jeeps and trucks
are left to pursue the convoy. Tanarus watches the scene from the skies
above.

Tanarus:"Collin was right: these globes do get you out of sticky situa-
         tions. And they get the enemy into one, too. He he he."

Meanwhile, Phoenix has put the Rhino between the convoy and the remaining
vehicles still coming towards them. Illanov watches them approach, wait-
ing for them to get into range. He can see that there are three jeeps
and two trucks still left. The German Shepherd arms his plasma rifle and
takes aim at the trucks. He fires off a blast of plasma at one. The one
truck driver sees the blast and attempts to swerve out of the way. The
blast clips the rear corner of the truck, causing to spin and finally
tip over, dumping the soldiers to the ground. Illanov aims at another
truck and fires. This time, however, the driver is able to (barely) avoid
the plasma blast. By the now soldiers are returning fire. One soldier
fires off an RPG at the Rhino. Illanov gasps and ducks down into the
Rhino.

Illanov:"RPG, comrade!"

Phoenix looks and spots the incoming rocket. She hits the brakes and the
RPG zooms past in front to explode harmlessly against the ground. Phoenix
then turns the Rhino towards the vehicles.

Phoenix:"Now it's our turn. Hang on!"

Illanov nods, holding on to the seats as Phoenix speeds towards the on-
coming vehicles. The soldiers open fire with their AK-47s, but their
bullets bounce off the Rhino's armor plating. The Rhino comes close to
the vehicles, then Phoenix does a sharp u-turn that throws Illanov to
one side. The Rhino's rear is now facing towards the enemy. Phoenix hits
the accelarator and pushes a button on the dashboard.

Phoenix:"Let's see how they like a game of blackjack."

The Rhino's Blackjack Mine launcher appears under the rear and begins
to launch the spinning explosive discs in rapid succession. The drivers
of the vehicles don't see the small discs flying towards them until it
is too late. Some of the discs strike their targets and detonate against
the front wheels or the engine grills. Engines are blasted apart or
vehicles are brought to a standstill from the small but powerful blasts.
the discs that miss explode harmlessly into the ground. Illanov watches
the action and grins, reaching forward to pat Phoenix's shoulder.

Illanov:"Nice work, comrade!"

Phoenix:"Thanks, Alex."

Meanwhile, Jock and Elexis are trying to hold back the incoming vehicles
behind the convoy. But they are being pushed closer and closer to the
convoy and Jock is struggling to get a shot into them. To make matters
worse, some of the Janjaweed horsemen have resumed their pursuit and
joined the vehicles. From the refugee trucks, Shephard, Dylan, Merit and
Mohammed are watching the enemy force get closer and closer.

Dylan:"They're getting very close. Looks to me like we're going to have
       to fight them off."

Shephard:"If that's the case, let them. I'm in the mood to kick some
          serious butt."

Merit:"I must state for the record that I am not looking forward to
       engaging in battle."

Mohammed then spots something in the skies and points at it.

Mohammed:"Look there! What are those?"

The others look up to where Mohammed is pointing. At first it is hard
to say what it is, but the objects quickly close the distance. When they
get close enough, one can see it is a pair of Mayhem Mercenaries Helix
Choppers. Jock also sees the helicopters and taps Elexis' shoulder.

Jock:"Elexis, we got more problems! It's the mercenaries!"

Elexis quickly looks in the rearview, then backwards when she can't see
the helicopters. She then spots the choppers.

Elexis:"Helix choppers! You're right, it is the mercenaries!"

Elexis alerts the others and they are also become aware of the choppers.
The enemy forces focus their attention on the convoy and don't see the
helicopters coming towards them. The choppers come flying overhead and
past them, then stop and turn sideways. Suddenly, the Helix choppers
and the soldiers inside begin to open fire as they in a circle around
the vehicles and horsemen. Chaos breaks out as the Helix's arclite
cannons and the mercenaries' arclite rifle shots blast apart the enemy.
The soldiers and horsemen try to shoot back, but are quickly cut down.
From the convoy everyone is watching the battle going behind them. Mo-
hammed raises his hands into the air.

Mohammed:"Allah be praised, we're saved!"

Dylan looks at Mohammed.

Dylan:"I hate to tell you this, but I think you might thanking Allah a
       little too quickly."

Mohammed stops and looks confused at Dylan.

Mohammed:"What do you mean?"

Dylan:"Those aircraft belong to the Mayhem Mercenaries, who are after one 
       of our number. And to get him they won't hesitate to attack us, or
       you if you get in the way."

Mohammed lowers his hands and looks in alarm at the Helix Choppers.

Mohammed:"You mean they are enemies too? Then why are they saving us?"

Shephard:"They don't the Janjaweed to accidentally kill their objective,
          so they're taking steps against these militias. And once they're
          done chopping up those guys, we're next."

Back inside the Rhino, Phoenix and Illanov are also observing the Helix
choppers. Illanov looks at Phoenix.

Illanov:"Comrade, we can fight those helicopters, but I'm worried that
         they might hurt the refugees before we can stop them."

Phoenix:"I agree, Alex. We have to break away from the convoy, but the
         problem then is that they will then be defenseless against any
         further Janjaweed attacks."

Illanov:"We'd better decide on a plan soon, comrade. The mercenaries are
         almost done with the Janjaweed forces."

Just then the Biker Rover pulls up alongside the Rhino. Jock taps the
driver's window to get Phoenix's attention. Phoenix rolls down the win-
dow.

Elexis:"Jock thinks he has an idea how we can lure the mercenaries away
        from the convoy."

Phoenix:"What is it?"

Jock:"The mercenaries are just after me, right?"

Phoenix:"That's what they've been told."

Jock:"So if Elexis and I were to go another way we can lure the merce-
      naries away from you guys. They are not after the refugees."

Illanov:"That sounds like a good plan, comrade Jock."

Phoenix looks at Elexis.

Phoenix:"Elexis, you think you can avoid the mercenaries long enough for
         us to get the refugees to safety?"

Elexis:"Definitely. I doubt the mercenaries will try to shoot at us since
        they don't want to risk hitting Jock."

Phoenix:"Okay. You two go and draw their attention away from us. We'll
         call you when we've gotten the mercenaries to safety and come
         help out against the mercs. Got it?"

Elexis, Jock:"Got it."

Phoenix:"Good luck!"

Jock and Elexis give thumbs-up, then the Biker Rover pulls away from the
Rhino and starts heading back to the rear. Meanwhile, the Helix choppers
have finished neutralizing the militia forces behind the convoy and are
now turning towards it. Inside one of the cockpits is Airie, who is 
seated behind the pilot and co-pilot. They spot the Biker Rover coming
towards them.

Pilot:"We have an incoming enemy vehicle, Ma'am. Do we engage?"

Airie:"Let me check first."

Airie takes a pair of binoculars and looks towards the Biker Rover. She
can see Elexis on the bike. Elexis turns the Biker Rover so that Jock
becomes visible to Airie.

Pilot:"We are almost upon them, Ma'am. Do we engage?"

Airie then sees Elexis gun the engine. The Biker Rover takes off from the
main route and heads into the wilderness. Airie quickly lowers the bino-
culars and turns to the pilots.

Airie:"Go after that motorcycle! The primary objective is on it!"

Pilot, Co-pilot:"Yes, Ma'am."

The orders are relayed to the other helicopter and both Helix Choppers
change course, going after the Biker Rover. The strikers watch as the
helicopters move away from the convoy.

Dylan:"Look! They're moving away!"

Shephard:"Guess they don't have the stomach to battle us. What a shame."

Meanwhile, the convoy is coming to a spot where the path passes between
two large bushes. Lying half-buried in the ground are several spikes
coming out of small, hastily covered mounds. The Rhino is the first to
drive over a mound, but nothing happens. As the other vehicles drive
over, the spikes are pushed into the ground with no effect. As the last
vehicle in the convoy, Hotrod's Camaro, comes across Merit looks at
Dylan and Shephard.

Merit:"I do believe we have just crossed a minefield."

Dylan and Shephard look at each other, then back at Merit.

Dylan:"Minefield? You mean we are driving over landmines?"

Merit:"We were, but have now crossed the field."

Shephard:"How can you be sure it's a minefield? If it was, we would have
          blown up."

Merit:"I do find it highly unusual that those explosive devices did not
       function."

Shephard:"I think you need some oil in your gears."

Merit:"But I operate with electronic circuits and hydraulics. Petroleum
       products would not benefit me."

Shephard rolls his eyes while Dylan just shrugs. Back at the bushes,
several Janjaweed militiamen who were hiding behind them come out. One
of them is sputtering with rage.

Militant(Arabic):"By the Beard of the Prophet! Why didn't these mines
        work! This is sabotage!"

He kicks one mine free of the ground, then picks it up and looks. Marked
underneath are the words "Property of the United States Government". He
throws it to the ground.

Militant(Arabic):"Cheap infidel garbage!"

Suddenly the thrown mine explodes, causing a chain reaction that makes
the other mines explode as well. Back at the convoy, Corsair looks at
Hotrod.

Corsair:"Did you hear a thudding noise of some kind?"

Hotrod:"Nope. If my car was having engine trouble I would have known it
        by now."

Corsair:"Oh, guess I'm just hearing things."

Up ahead, Phoenix contacts Tanarus in the Stealth Rover overhead with her
watchcom.

Phoenix(into com):"Tan, any more hostiles inbound?"

Tanarus(over com):"Nothing in immediate range, but where is Elexis going?"

Phoenix(into com):"She and Jock are luring the mercenaries away from the
       convoy, since they are after Jock and not the rest of us."

Tanarus(over com, concerned):"By themselves? Isn't that dangerous?"

Phoenix(into com):"Yes, but the mercenaries want to get Jock alive, so we
       don't think they will do anything rash that could end up harming
       or killing him."

Tanarus(over com):"I see. Nonetheless, I would like to keep an eye on 
       them on the radar."

Phoenix(into com):"That's probably a good idea, in case they need help 
       or the mercenaries decide to come after us for some reason."

Tanarus(over com):"Then I will..."

Suddenly the communications channel goes static, much to Phoenix's
surprise.

Phoenix(into com):"Tan? Tan? Tanarus, can you hear me?"

She taps her watchcom to try and see what is wrong. A moment later the
static clears up, but a new voice is now speaking over the communi-
cator.

Voice(over com):"Ah, Miss Phoenix, I presume?"

Surprised, Phoenix answers back.

Phoenix(into com):"Who is this?"

Voice(over com):"Such a lovely voice. I can see why Striker chose you as
     his mate."

Phoenix looks back at Illanov and sees that he, too, is hearing the voice
over his watchcom. She turns her attention to back to mystery caller.

Phoenix(into com):"Who is this? Identify yourself!"

Voice(over com):"This is Supreme General Franco of the Elite Guard, my
     dear lady."

Phoenix and Illanov look at each other, shocked looks on their faces. In
the background of the communication channel Corsair can be heard saying
"Holy c***!". Phoenix replies.

Phoenix(into com):"How did you find this frequency?"

Franco(over com):"What, no chit-chat, my dear? I would really love to
      hear from the mate of my arch-enemy. Oh, wait. You are too busy
      escorting a group of refugees through hostile territory in Darfur.
      But I see you are handling the militants and the mercenaries well,
      so far. I think I will need to talk to my... associate in Khartoum
      about his failure."

Phoenix(into com):"What do you want from us, Franco?"

Franco(over com):"Other than your deaths? Just the chance to hear your
      voice before you perish. Afterwards, I am going to let your
      b*****d husband know how you died a horrible death and were left
      to rot in Sudan. I'm sure he will appreciate that news."

Shephard(over com, background):"Bring it on, dirt bag."

Phoenix(into com):"We will not be intimidated, Franco. We will hunt you
       down and bring you to justice."

Franco can be heard laughing insanely over the speakers, then there is
static silence. Illanov shakes his head.

Illanov:"Mother Russia. I can understand why Striker never liked this
         fiend. Comrade, we better get these refugees to safety fast.
         Before Franco's forces intercept us."

Phoenix:"You're right, Alex."

She calls the others on her watchcom.

Phoenix(into com):"Okay, everyone. You all heard Franco. He's definitely
       got a nasty surprise waiting for us somewhere en route, so we
       need to stay sharp and get these refugees out of here as quickly
       as possible. Understood?"

Tanarus(over com):"Roger."

Shephard(over com):"Copy that, Ma'am."

Corsair(over com):"Gotcha, boss."

Merit(over com):"Commands understood."

Phoenix(into com):"Good. And Corsair, could you put Hotrod on for me?"

Corsair(over com):"Sure thing... Hey, Rod. Phoenix wants a word with ya."

There is a brief moment of silence before Hotrod's voice comes over the
communicator.

Hotrod(over com):"Yes, Phoenix?"

Phoenix(into com):"Could you perhaps explain to us what you did back
       there?"

Hotrod(over com):"Er... you mean with those bad guys on the horses?"

Phoenix(into com):"Yes. You never told us that your car could suddenly
       turn into a giant killer robot."

Hotrod(over com):"Oh!... Well, it doesn't really transform suddenly...
      it takes a few seconds. I guess I kinda forgot to tell you all."

Phoenix(into com):"Hotrod, if you want to be part of the team you had
       not hide such important information from us. I'm glad your car
       saved us, but we should have known that before."

Hotrod(over com):"Sorry about that. I'll try and tell you guys more
      about it once we have these refugees out of here."

Phoenix(into com):"I agree, but you better keep your promise or else I
       will tell Alana."

Hotrod(over com, groaning):"Oh, man..."

Corsair(over com):"Heheheh. She's gotcha there."

Hotrod(over com):"No kidding."

Meanwhile, some distance away the Biker Rover is trying to stay ahead of
the pursuing Helix Choppers. Elexis dodges past trees and rocks while
Jock keeps an eye on the helicopters.

Jock:"Elexis, do you think I can try and make a shot at them?"

Elexis:"Only if they start shooting to kill. Let's not pick a fight here.
        These choppers can pack quickly a punch on their own, never mind
        the soldiers inside."

Jock:"All right."

Inside the lead Helix, Airie continues to watch the Biker Rover as it
continues to drive on through the countryside. The pilot and co-pilot
keep the helicopter on the vehicles tail.

Co-Pilot:"They're leading us on a merry chase here."

Pilot:"So? Let them. We have enough fuel to chase them around until the
       sun goes down."

Co-Pilot:"But we're not in friendly territory here. I don't know about
          you, but I don't want to get shot down by some random towel head 
          with an RPG."

Airie:"He's right. We cannot waste our time chasing them all over the
       place. We're not being paid for it."

Pilot:"There is that fact. So what should we do, Ma'am?"

Airie looks around the terrain, noting the generally flat countrywide,
before answering the pilot.

Airie:"If they get out into the open again, try and fly as close to them
       as possible. Let's see if we can't snatch them right off their
       motorcycle."

Pilot:"Roger that, Ma'am."

The pilot relays the order to the other helicopter. They keep up the
pursuit, moving as close as they can to the Biker River without risk
hitting some random tree. When Elexis drives out into more open terrain,
the Helix choppers quickly close in. Airie moves to the back of the
helicopter as they pull up along either side of the Biker Rover. Jock
looks left and right.

Jock:"They're boxing us in!"

Elexis looks to either side and sees what is going on.

Elexis:"Just sit tight! They can't come any closer or they'll catch
        each other's rotors!"

The helicopters are now almost level to the ground. The side doors of
either chopper slide open. Sky Soldiers suddenly begin to fly between
the helicopters, each one trying to grab Jock as they make a pass. One
nearly manages to dislodge Jock from the bike but looses her grip. The
husky struggles back upright. Elexis looks left and right and sees a
sky soldier from either chopper begin to make a grab for Jock.

Elexis:"Hold on, Jock!"

Elexis suddenly hits the brakes, causing the motorcycle's rear wheel
to lift up into the air. The helicopters keep going and the surprised
Sky Soldiers fly into one another. The soldiers land on the ground
and roll a good distance. The Helix choppers' pilots pull back on the
sticks to bring the aircraft to a stop. Elexis quickly turns the Biker
Rover around and opens the engine again. Jock watches the mercenaries
as they try to recover.

Jock:"Nice work, Elexis! But those mercenaries are still coming after
      us!"

Elexis:"I know, and I think it's time for us to shake them off!"

Jock:"I won't complaint!"

Elexis turns the Biker Rover towards a forest of trees some distance.
Behind them the Helix choppers have picked up the fallen soldiers and
are again in hot pursuit. As they make for the trees, Elexis calls out
to Jock.

Elexis:"Jock, I want to think out loud!"

Jock:"Think? About what?"

Elexis:"Anything! And think loudly about it! One of those mercenaries 
        I saw in the helicopters can read our minds! Try to confuse her!"

Jock:"Think loudly? Er... I'll try!"

Jock frowns as he tries to think, while Elexis keeps the motorcycle on
course. Within a few moments they reach the tree and go under the cool
canopy of the trees. Behind them Airie and the pilots watch their quar-
ry head in amongst the tree trunks and bushes.

Pilot:"They've gone into those trees, Ma'am."

Airie:"Circle around the trees while I try and locate them."

Pilot:"Roger, Ma'am."

The two helicopters split up and begin to patrol around the edge of the
forest. Airie closes her eyes, her mind psychically trying to locate the
coyote and husky. She smiles when she picks up Jock's mind.

Airie:"Aha. Gotch..."

Suddenly she finds herself being bombarded by a rush of random thoughts
from Jock, which range from sights and foods to images of his past and
even shows he saw on television. Airie is taken aback by this.

Airie:"What... what is doing? I can't figure all this out... has he
       gone mad?... I can't pin down his location with all this!"

The choppers continue to circle while Airie struggles to locate Jock and
Elexis. The pilots and soldiers keep watch on the edge of the forest.
Suddenly the Biker Rover, now in flight mode, comes out of the centre
of the forest, sending frightened birds flying. The motorcycle quickly
gains altitude to stay out of the mercenaries' line of sight. Jock
holds tightly to Elexis while still thinking loudly to keep Airie off
balance. Suddenly the Stealth Rover appears them, opening up its hangar.
Tanarus's voice comes over Elexis' helmet speakers.

Tanarus(over com):"Hello, Dear. I believe you need a lift?"

Elexis(into com):"Glad to see you, Honey. Thanks!"

Elexis guides the Biker Rover into the hangar. Once inside, the hatch is
quickly closed and the Stealth Rover flies off towards the south at high
speed. Below, the Mayhem Helix choppers continue to circle around the
forest.

Relay Beacon
50 Kilometers Southeast of Nyala
Janub Darfur
At That Moment:

The landscape here is mostly sandy with plenty of shrubs and bushes
rising up from the sand. There isn't much sign of human habitation
except for a few dusty trails made by goats and trucks. Not far from
one of these trails two Elite Guard Mosquito Helicopters have landed.
Raul and Silhouette are watching as Elite Guard soldiers use spades to
dig up a spot in the sand.

Raul:"So what are we going to do with the beacon once we find it?"

Silhoutte:"We drop in a grenade and destroy it. It's usefulness to the
           Supreme General is long past and our enemies are using them
           to track us down. That's our orders."

Raul simply nods. He then watches as some of the soldiers unload large
metallic spheres and begin to bury them in the sand.

Raul:"What are those, captain?"

Silhoutte:"Those? We are leaving them here as a surprise for the Rovers
           when they come round here. The Supreme General is eager to
           see how these new toys designed by Hildagarde perform."

Raul watches as the soldiers continue their work. While Silhouette is
looking another direction, Raul checks on an item in his pocket. It 
appears to be a DVD case. He quickly hides it again before Silhouette or
anyone else notices.

Refugee Camp
Outside Nyala
Janub Darfur
3:17 PM:

This is a tent city erected outside the main provincial city. Dozens of
people are in the camp, while the occasional relief or aid worker go
about helping the needy. Feeding tents, tents for the Red Cross/Crescent
teams and the occasional United Nations/African Union APC stand out
amid the sea of tents. People stop and watch as the convoy escorted by
Unit STRIKE comes driving along one of the paths. Excited children wave 
and point at the Rhino, Camaro and the Stealth Rover. The convoy comes 
and pulls up by a particularly large tent with a green crescent on it,
signaling it is a mosque. The cleric comes out of the tent to watch
with the crowd as the refugees and the Strikers disembark. When Mohammed
approaches the cleric, he smiles and rushes over to embrace Mohammed.

Cleric:"Mohammed, my brother! Praise Allah the Janjaweed did not get to
        you!"

Mohammed:"Josef, you have no idea how happy I am to see you or this place.
          I am feeling so much better in spirit."

Josef:"But how did you all manage to get here? The stories I heard from
       the north was not promising."

Mohammed indicates to the Strikers. Phoenix is walking up to the two men
while the others help the refugees off the trucks and get some of those
who need assistance to the medical tents. Crowds are gathered around
them, looking curiously at the cano-sapiens and the Stealth Rover that
had just landed. Merit, in particular, is being crowded by a large group
of children, who are laughing and poking the robot.

Merit:"I say! All this attention is most confusing."

Josef stares at the Strikers, especially at the cano-sapien Illanov,
Tanarus, Elexis, Jock and Phoenix.

Josef:"My God. But they're dogs! They're unclean!"

Mohammed:"But without their help and protection, me and the others would 
          have died out in the desert, Josef. Dogs they may be, but they
          have saved our lives."

Josef:"Truly, Allah's ways are mysterious."

Phoenix comes up to Mohammed and Josef. Josef notes Phoenix's shirt,
denim jeans, jacket and boots, which differ greatly from the traditional
dress worn by the other women in the camp. He tries to avert his eyes.
Mohammed looks at Phoenix.

Mohammed:"Ah, Phoenix. This is Josef, a good friend of my late father."

Phoenix:"Pleased to meet you, Mister Josef."

Josef:"Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you as well. Could you excuse me? I need
       to go and help these people."

Josef quickly walks off. Phoenix watches him go, then looks at Mohammed.

Phoenix:"Is there something wrong?"

Mohammed:"Josef is a little on the conservative side, so seeing you dres-
          sed like this kind of bothers him. But it's not as bad as some
          others I've known, so don't let it concern you."

Phoenix:"Okay. So everything is all right now?"

Mohammed:"Now that we are here, we are now safe from the Janjaweed and
          have access to food and medicine. The camp is not much, but the
          conditions here are much better than in the villages. I don't
          know how to thank you all for guiding these people to safety."

Phoenix smiles and shakes her head.

Phoenix:"You're all save, Mohammed. That's enough for..."

Just then Corsair comes up, holding his laptop.

Corsair:"Boss, we got a big problem."

Phoenix and Mohammed look at Corsair. Phoenix loses her smile.

Phoenix:"What's wrong?"

Corsair:"I was busy doing a check on the location of the next beacon, and
         here's the bad part: signal's dead."

Phoenix:"Dead?"

Corsair:"Dead. Gone. No longer working. See for yourself."

Corsair shows Phoenix his laptop. The Pomeranian looks at the screen for
a few moments before looking back at Corsair.

Phoenix:"Did you note the location when you checked the last beacon?"

Corsair:"I only downloaded the signal code. I didn't note the exact lo-
         cation because we were so busy transporting refugees."

Phoenix groans.

Mohammed:"Is there something you seek?"

Phoenix sighs and nods at Mohammed.

Phoenix:"Yes. We are busy tracking down a militant organization by
         following a series of beacons buried in the group."

Mohammed:"Beacons? What do they look like?"

Phoenix describes what the beacons look like while Mohammed listens to
her carefully. When she finishes, Mohammed speaks.

Mohammed:"I think I know the location of a device that looks like the
          ones you described."

Phoenix and Corsair look surprised at the man.

Phoenix:"You do?"

Mohammed:"I think so. Last time I was here, a group of children had made
          a discovery while playing around. Josef and I went to look,
          and we found the device barely sticking out of the sand. We
          dug until we could see what it was. Afterwards we decided that
          it was either government property or something that belonged
          to an oil company. So we buried it again."

Phoenix:"Can you remember the location, Mohammed?"

Mohammed:"I think so. I just need a map."

Corsair comes up and holds the laptop so that Mohammed can see the map
displayed on its screen. Mohammed studies the map for a few seconds,
then points at a spot.

Mohammed:"Right there, at that spot."

Phoenix:"Are there any landmarks or features at that location we will
         recognize?"

Mohammed:"Yes. The beacon is near two large trees standing close to one
          another, the only pair that close in that area. You shouldn't
          miss it."

Phoenix:"You getting this down, Corsair?"

Corsair:"On it, boss."

As Corsair turns away to type in the location's coordinates, Phoenix
smiles at Mohammed.

Phoenix:"Guess now it is our turn to thank you, Mohammed."

Mohammed:"You helped me, so I helped you. Our debt to you is settled."

Phoenix:"Thanks. Now, I must apologize for leaving so soon, but time is
         not on our side. We have much to do and our enemies know we are
         hunting them."

Mohammed:"I understand. May Allah guide you to your goal."

Phoenix:"Thank you, Mohammed. You and the refugees take care."

Mohammed:"Farewell, friends!"

Phoenix and Corsair go to gather the others. After a short while they
load up the Rhino, Biker Rover and Hotrod's Camaro into the Stealth
Rover, then board the craft. As the Stealth Rover takes off and flies
away, Mohammed, Josef and the people in the camp wave. As this happens,
one of Mohammed's bodyguards comes up to him.

Guard:"Pardon me, sir, but I think we are missing someone."

Mohammed:"We are? Who is it?"

Guard:"That new fellow, sir. The one who offered to work with us for
       free?"

Mohammed:"Curious. When the last time anyone saw him?"

Guard:"Nobody has seen him since we arrived, sir."

Mohammed scratches his head, looking over the camp.

Mohammed:"Now where could he be?"

Relay Beacon
50 Kilometers Southeast of Nyala
3:42 PM:

The Stealth Rover comes flying low and slow over the countryside, turning
around when it passes a pair of large trees standing close to one another.
It hovers closer, then lowers its landing gear and settles on the ground.
Minutes later the Strikers and Rovers disembark and look around.

Illanov:"There's the trees, comrades."

Hotrod:"But where's the beacon? That's the question."

Phoenix:"Everyone split up and search around the trees. Check anything 
         weird in the sand."

Everyone nods, then the group split up and begin to search around. They
move slowly, scanning the ground for any signs of the relay. After a
few minutes Shephard makes the first discovery: the rim of what looks
to be a hole or crater. He moves closer to see what it is. Suddenly
seven objects burst out of the sand around the crater and jump into the
air. It is the metallic spheres buried here earlier. Each sphere quickly
unfolds in midair, revealing not only a trio of red eyes but a set of
four propeller-like blades. The blades quickly spin up, allowing the
sphere to fly as well as acting like saw blades. Shephard gasps, reaching
for his desert eagle.

Shephard:"Sirs! I got hostile..."

Suddenly one of the spheres charges down at Shephard. He tries to dodge,
but the buzzblade manages to cut the side of his face. He shouts in pain,
then begins to run. One sphere begins to pursue him while the others go
for the other Strikers. The other Rovers hear Shephard's shouts and see 
the flying buzzblades. Dylan is closest to Shephard.

Dylan:"Hold on, Shephard!"

Dylan grabs a rock as he rushes to help Shephard, who is trying to get
his pistol out while the buzzblade harasses him. Dylan comes up and
hits the buzzblade with stone, causing a shower of sparks and sending the
sphere spinning off into one direction.

Shephard:"Thanks!"

Dylan:"No problem, bud!"

Shephard then takes aim on the buzzblade and fires. One shot hits right
in the eyes of the sphere, causing it to go dead and fall to the ground.
It tumbles over the sand before coming to stop.

Shephard:"Take that... ouch..."

Shephard groans from the pain in his face. The others run up as well, but 
find the buzzblades coming towards them. They scatter as the buzzblades 
attack, making strafing runs in an attempt to cut the Strikers with their 
spinning blades. Corsair ducks as one tries to decapitate him. The blades 
just miss him, cutting the top of his hair.

Corsair:"Holy mackerel! These things are flying chainsaws!"

Hotrod comes up holding a metal bat in one hand. The buzzblade spots him
and comes zooming towards him. Hotrod readies the bat.

Hotrod:"That's right! Come on!"

The buzzblade comes close to Hotrod, who then swings the bat. The impact
sends the sphere spinning off a short distance.

Hotrod:"Strike one!"

The buzzblade recovers from its spin, then comes flying back at Hotrod.
Again Hotrod swings the bat, hitting the buzzblade.

Hotrod:"Strike two!"

The sphere spins off, but recovers and comes buzzing towards Hotrod. It
is now leaving a trail of smoke.

Hotrod:"Strike three..."

Hotrod hits the buzzblade with the bat, shattering it into several spark-
spewing pieces. But one of the spinning blades breaks free and stabs
Hotrod in the left arm. He gasps in pain, dropping the bat and grabbing
the wound before cursing out.

Hotrod:"Ah ****!"

Jock attempts to shoot a buzzblade with his rifle, but his shot only
manages to ricochet off the blades. He gasps as the sphere charges down
on him and attempts to shield himself. The buzzblade strikes his rifle
and spins off in another direction. Jock falls to the ground unharmed,
but to his shock he finds the buzzblade had cut his rifle in half.
He then hears the buzzblade and looks to see it coming again. The husky
tries to struggle to his feet as the sphere closes in. Suddenly a well-
aimed rock strikes the buzzblade, sending it smacking into the sand.
Jock scrambles to his feet while the sphere's spinning blades get stuck
in the sand. Jock looks and sees that Dylan had thrown the rock.

Dylan:"You okay?"

Jock:"Yes, I am. Good throw."

Dylan:"Thanks. Let's help the others."

Jock:"Good idea."

Tanarus and Elexis are each being pursued by buzzblades, running away
from the spheres. Tanarus looks at Elexis.

Tanarus:"Honey! Run towards me and do exactly as I say!"

Elexis:"Okay!"

The couple turn and run directly towards each other, the buzzblades
following and getting dangerously close. As they are about to collide
with one another, Tanarus shouts out.

Tanarus:"Duck!"

The two coyotes immediately dive down just before they meet. The two
buzzblades fly over their heads and collide with one another. Their
blades slice into each other, sending metal scraps flying before both
buzzblades malfunction and crash to the ground. Tanarus gets up and
looks at Elexis.

Tanarus:"Nice work, Dear. You did great."

Elexis:"We're a team, Dear. We both did great."

Meanwhile, Phoenix is preparing to throw some fireballs at an incoming
buzzblade.

Phoenix:"Let's see if you can take the heat!"

She tosses one fireball, then the other, at the buzzblade. The first
fireball misses, but the second one strikes its mark. Phoenix watches
the sphere is knocked into the sand, but then goes wide eyed when she
sees the buzzblade spin along the ground towards her. She tries to
get out of the way, when the buzzblade bounces free and cuts through
her jeans and into her skin. Phoenix yelps in pain and collapses to
the ground, clutching the wound on her leg. Suddenly she finds herself
looking at the trio of eyes of the sphere, which is charging towards
her head. Suddenly a boot kicks it away, making it smash against one
of the two trees. Illanov jumps over Phoenix, holding his plasma rifle
like a club. Before the buzzblade can free itself from the trunk, the
German Shephard smashes it with his rifle, shattering it into a dozen
metal pieces. Illanov then runs over to Phoenix and kneels next to her.

Illanov:"Comrade! Are you all right?"

Phoenix:"That... thing nearly cut my leg off. What about the others?"

Illanov looks up. Nearly all of the buzzblade spheres have been beaten
except for one. Going around the other tree, a damaged buzzblade is
following Merit who, in turn, is following the buzzblade in an attempt
to fix it. The two robots go round and round the tree in a vain pursuit
of each other. Corsair comes up, holding a tree branch. He waits until
Merit passes, then shoves the branch in front of the buzzblade. The
sphere hits the branch and spins into the tree, the impact breaking it
for good. Merit comes back round the tree and sees the broken sphere
on the ground.

Merit:"Oh, it has ceased moving. How convenient."

Corsair:"Merit, what were you doing?"

Merit:"I was attempting to repair this damaged unit as per my standard
       operating procedure."

Corsair:"And the fact that it was trying to slice your head clean off
         didn't ring any alarm bells?"

Merit:"I do not possess any form of bells. I use advanced signature
       and danger sensors."

Corsair groans.

Corsair(to himself):"Man, I so walked into that one."

Corsair takes Merit as they go to rejoin the group. Elexis is busy
tending to Phoenix, Hotrod and Shephard's injuries. Hotrod winces
and clenches his teeth when Elexis pulls out the broken blade.

Hotrod:"Ow! Man, that stings. Felt like someone had stuck a hot poker
        into me."

Elexis:"Don't be such a baby, Hotrod. You'll be fine."

Hotrod nods as Elexis heals him up with her medical unit. She then
moves to Phoenix, who is looking at one of the buzzblades Dylan is
holding.

Phoenix:"Any markings on it, Dylan?"

Dylan:"Just this one."

Dylan moves the sphere so that Phoenix can see. On the metal side is
the insignia of the Elite Guard.

Phoenix:"Elite Guard. So this is what Franco meant when he called
         earlier."

Dylan:"He's definitely not kidding around. He really wants us dead."

Phoenix:"So we'd better move quickly and be on our guard. That can't
         be the last surprise Franco has in store for us."

Just then there is a frustrated shout from Corsair. Phoenix and the
others look to see that Corsair and Merit are standing on the edge
of the crater. Corsair has his hands in his hair. Once healed up by
Elexis, Phoenix gets up and dashed over to Corsair and Merit.

Phoenix:"What's wrong?"

Corsair:"See for yourself."

Corsair points into the crater and Phoenix looks into it. Inside is the
relay beacon, or what is left of it. The beacon has been blasted open,
it's guts a blackened ruin and debris lying on the edges of the crater.
Phoenix stares with wide eyes.

Phoenix:"Oh no."

Corsair:"Oh yes. What you see here is the reason why the signal is
         dead."

Phoenix:"Can you recover anything from it?"

Corsair:"No way, boss. This is an EX-beacon. What Franco's buddies didn't
         take they broke."

Phoenix:"Merit? Can you fix this?"

Merit:"It is unfortunate for me to report that this device is beyond my
       ability to repair. Almost all the components have been damaged
       beyond salvage."

Phoenix looks down at the broken device in despair.

Merit:"Should I recover the disc?"

Phoenix and Corsair immediately look confused at Merit.

Phoenix:"Disc? What disc?"

Merit:"A DVD disc appears to have been placed upon the device after it
       was destroyed. Should I recover the disc?"

Phoenix and Corsair look at one another, then Phoenix looks at Merit and
nods.

Phoenix:"Yes, please."

Merit:"Executing recovery process."

Merit climbs into the crater and begins to dig around inside the remains
of the beacon. After a minute the robot comes climbing back up, holding
the DVD case in one hand. He gives it to Phoenix.

Merit:"Recovery process completed."

Phoenix looks the DVD casing over, then opens it up to find a new DVD 
inside.

Phoenix:"This looks brand new. Merit's right: this was put there after
         the beacon was destroyed."

Corsair:"Are we going to play it?"

Phoenix:"Yes. We don't really have much choice now."

Corsair:"It could just be a message from Franco to taunt us. Or it could
         contain a virus."

Phoenix:"Maybe, but I have a feeling Franco's troops didn't put it there.
         They were expecting us to be killed by these flying saw blades.
         Here, take it and go get it ready for viewing."

She gives the DVD to Corsair.

Corsair:"Okay, boss. Come on, Merit."

Corsair and Merit head to the Stealth Rover, while Phoenix goes to check
up on the others' injuries.

Conference Room
ZP War Zeppelin "Shadow Strike"
Somewhere Over Darfur
At That Moment:

The Shadow Strike's conference is a square room with padded, sound-
proof walls and strobe lights in the ceiling. Metal chairs, fixed to
the floor, surround a round table. Deadeye Jane, Airie and a few top
officers are here.

Deadeye:"So we've lost them again?"

Officer:"No, Ma'am. We have their location somewhere in southern
         Darfur, but they're beginning to put some distance between
         them and us."

Deadeye:"Curse them. They keep slipping through our fingers!"

Airie:"Maybe, but I think I may have discovered a weakness."

Everyone's attention turns to Airie.

Deadeye:"What is it, then? Speak up, Airie."

Airie:"When Jock confused me with all those thoughts he sent out, I
       had assumed none were of any value. But I went through my
       memories again, and I discovered that he had, accidentally,
       revealed the location of his mate."

This piques Deadeye's interests.

Deadeye:"A mate, you say?"

Airie:"Her name is Kya, a wild dog female. She and Jock became mates
       while being held captive in South Africa. Not only that, but Kya 
       is pregnant with his pup."

Deadeye:"Do you have a location?"

Airie:"That's the best part. Kya is living on a Road Rover affiliate's
       ranch in Kenya."

Deadeye grins.

Deadeye:"That is the best part. And since it seems our quarry is going
         south, it makes all the more the convenient."

Officer:"So do we change course?"

Deadeye Jane shakes her head.

Deadeye:"No, we keep following the quarry. But a send team out go and
         capture this Kya. Let's use her as our trump card. Airie, go
         assemble a team and give them all the info on this Kya, her
         location, everything."

Airie:"Yes, sir."

Deadeye gets up.

Deadeye:"Let's get moving."

Airie and the officers stand up, then they all file out of the room.
The Strikers have managed to save the refugees in Darfur while defeat-
ing all attempts by Franco, the Janjaweed and the mercenaries to
hinder them. But with the relay beacons now destroyed, where will the
team go to now? What will the Mayhem Mercenaries do with Jock's mate?
And what is on the mysterious DVD?


THE END