Rover Strike: Vortex

Episode 15: Invasion of South Africa

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Strayers © Steven Today
Nitro © Amanda Stephenson
Maddogs © Greg Williams

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

Union Buildings
Pretoria
Republic of South Africa
22 January
5:55 PM:

President Adriaan Vorster, his ministers and generals are all gathered 
in the war room along with all their support staff. The bleak looks on 
some of their faces tell of them only receiving the news just recently. 
Vorster looks around the table.

Vorster:"I'm sure you all now know of this invasion by a mutant force
         calling itself the Elite guard. Right?"

Everyone around the table nods their heads. Vorster looks at Intelligence
Minister Hangana.

Vorster:"Precious, how come I never got any word of a force mobilizing
         in Zimbabwe?"

Precious:"We never knew, Minister President. My agents in Zimbabwe never
          told us at the NIA anything of an army mobilizing over there.
          The only reports we ever got was about the ongoing political
          violence between ZANU-PF and the MDC."

Vorster:"So this army just appeared out of nowhere and attacked us?"

Hangana pauses nervously, and then nods.

Hangana:"It... it would appear that way, Minister President."

Vorster stares coldly at Hangana.

Vorster:"So either this army did a good job of hiding itself, or your
         department is doing a very poor job. You'd better hope it's
         the former rather than the latter if you want to keep feeding
         your family."

Hangana says nothing, but Vorster already turns to Defense Minister 
John Ntsibi and Army Chief General Achmed Pahad.

Vorster:"What kind of opposition can we provide against this invasion
         force?"

The two men look at each other before looking back to Vorster.

Ntsibi:"I'm afraid we cannot offer anything beyond light resistance."

This surprises Vorster as well as many sitting around the table.

Vorster:"What are you talking about?"

Ntsibi looks at Pahad, who sighs before speaking.

Pahad:"We had moved most of our military units out of Limpopo to join
       the battle in Namibia. Most bases have only the essential staff
       left."

Vorster:"What! Whose idea was this?"

Pahad:"It was Minister Haddan, Mister President! It was her idea!"

Vorster looks at Safety and Security Minister Grace Haddan with frown. She
looks at Pahad.

Haddan:"You mean you didn't tell him?"

Pahad:"I thought you were going to tell him!"

Haddan:"You fool! You're the one who handles the soldiers, so you were
        to tell him!"

Pahad:"But you came up with this idea, Minister! It was your responsibility
       to inform the president!"

Haddan is about to retort when Vorster bangs his fist hard on the table.

Vorster:"ENOUGH!"

Everyone in the room falls silent. Vorster composes himself before speaking
again.

Vorster:"As much as you would all like to point fingers, and as much as
         I want to fire you all for it, this is not the time for petty
         arguements and buck passing. We have a crisis on our hands and
         we need to respond in kind."

He looks at Ntsibi.

Vorster:"Ntsibi, put all our armed forces on high alert and on a war 
         footing. Get out all the reserves you can put your hands on and
         start conscripting people to fight the invaders. Use ex-MK or
         even ex-SADF soldiers and commanders if you have to."

Ntsibi:"That's an unheard of move, Mister President. You sure the people
        will like it?"

Vorster:"Nee, but they will like it even less if South Africa is over-
         run by mutants. And have the Public Enterprises Minister help
         you get factories and other business behind the war effort
         too."

Ntsibi:"Yes, Mister President."

The Public Enterprises Minister is less enthusiastic about the idea, but
agrees as well. Vorster then turns to General Cele.

Vorster:"Cele, I want you to get all of your forces out of Namibia and
         into Limpopo right away."

Cele(surprised):"But what about the mutants there?"

Vorster:"Forget them. Right now this Elite Guard is a bigger threat than
         the Road Rovers, and we need every soldier and gun we can get
         our hands on. How long will it take you to get them here?"

Cele does some quick calculations before answering.

Cele:"It will take about three weeks to move them all out of Namibia and
      get them into position."

Vorster:"Three weeks? That's absurd, general. I can walk that distance in
         less time."

Cele:"That's because you're only one person, Mister President. I have to
      move thousands of soldiers, each with his or her own gear. Then you
      need to move tons of vehicles, equipment, ammunition and fuel as
      well. I can try to and hurry them, but I'm afraid three weeks is
      the best time I can give at the moment."

Vorster sighs, and then nods his head.

Vorster:"Reg, I accept that fact. But do hurry, general. I want your forces
         here before the invading army reaches Pretoria."

Cele:"Yes, Mister President."

Vorster then turns to Police Commissioner Johannes Klopper.

Vorster:"Klopper, mobilize your entire police to help stop this invasion
         force."

Klopper:"But Mister President, my officers are trained to fight crime, not
         wars. They're not soldiers."

Vorster:"I know that, Klopper, and I am not asking your officers to
         fight. What I am asking is that the SAPS slow down the Elite
         Guard. Laying mines, blowing up bridges, supplying guns from
         your armories and taking over duties of some of the SANDF units
         to free them up for combat."

Klopper:"That's unprecedented, Mister President."

Vorster:"I know, but unfortunately we must use every possible means to
         slow down and beat this invading army."

Klopper nods in agreement. Just then Vorster's secretary comes into the
room and goes up to the president.

Secretary:"You have an urgent phone call, Mister President."

Vorster:"Put whoever it is on hold. I'm always done here."

Secretary:"Yes, Mister President."

Vorster turns back to his government as the secretary leaves the room.

Vorster:"We are facing the worst crisis ever to befall South Africa, and
         the people of this country will look to us. We can settle the
         blaming and finger-pointing later, but right now we have a war
         to fight. I want you to use every resource you have at your
         disposal to sotp the Elite Guard. Am I clear?"

Everyone around the table nods and voices their agreement. Vorster then
gets up and claps his hands in a gesture of urgency.

Vorster:"Nou, ladies and gentlemen, nou! Why are you sitting around?
         Make it happen!"

The entire staff quickly springs to its feet and start to scurry around
to make calls and pass along orders. Vorster leaves the war room and
makes his way to his office. In his office his secretary is waiting
with the telephone in her hands.

Vorster:"Hope I haven't kept the caller too long?"

Secretary:"I don't think so, Mister President. He really wants to talk
           with you."

Vorster takes the telephone from the secretary, who then leaves the
office and closes the door. He answers.

Vorster(into phone):"Hello, this is President Vorster."

Voice(over phone):"Adriaan Vorster, how good it is to finally talk with 
     the other surviving brother."

Vorster frowns.

Vorster(into phone):"Surviving brother? Who is this? What are you
       talking about?"

A chuckle is heard over the phone.

Voice(over phone):"I know a good deal about you, Mister President. But
     I am getting ahead myself and an introduction is in order. I am
     Supreme General Franco, leader of the Elite Guard forces that are
     invading your country."

Vorster's eyes widen and he holds the phone closer.

Vorster(into phone):"What do you want, mutant? You want to make demands?"

Franco(over phone):"Demands? Well, I suppose I could make demands... but
      I am not here to make demands. It's not part of my war plans. The
      only reason I am calling is to size up your character. Not that I
      know nothing about you that I don't have, mind you."

Vorster(into phone):"You know nothing, Franco."

Frano laughs over the phone again.

Franco(over phone):"So very wrong, Vorster. And you will be wrong many
      times over before my forces enter Pretoria."

Vorster(into phone):"Now you listen to me, you mutant bliksum. I will make
       you bleed for every single square meter of land all the way to
       Gauteng. We will fight your invasion until there is nothing left
       of it, and your head will decorate my office door!"

Franco snickers.

Franco(over phone):"Such defiance and stubbornness. It really does run in
      the family. Your brother is much like you."

Vorster(into phone):"My brothers are dead because of your kind."

Franco(over phone):"I am not talking about Peter, but about Gerard...
      Ah, I see I have some work to do. It was a real pleasure to have
      this conversation. Maybe next time we can meet face-to-face, in
      your office."

Vorster(into phone):"You little son of a..."

Franco laughs and hangs up the phone. Vorster stares at the receiver,
not only giving off static. He then throws it against the floor and
swears out loud.

Command Centre
Wardrome
Mussina Central Business District
23 January
4:04 AM:

The command centre of the Wardrome is now fully functional and staffed
with commanders, technical officers and assistants. The room is lit up
with overhead lights and glowing computer screens. Through the windows
one can see the remains of the city of Mussina burning in the night as
Elite Guard forces gather in and around it. Franco is seated on his
throne looking towards a bank of monitors in the ceiling. The screens
are showing images of generals Diehard and Seneschal.

Franco:"What is the status of your brigades, generals?"

Diehard:"Ze western flank is now in our control, general. Ze resistance
         vas pathetic."

Seneschal:"My third brigade is moving quickly along the eastern flank
           towards Thohoyandou. The people are fleeing like rats before
           us."

Franco:"Excellent. Consolidate and secure your first objectives before
        I give the order to move on. And be sure to have the Special
        Recovery Teams ready to begin their operations with the prime
        objectives."

Diehard:"Ze SRTs are fully prepared und ready to move in."

Seneschal:"All teams ready, general."

Franco:"Good. We advance at dawn."

Diehard and Seneschal salute. Franco then turns the screens off and
turns to other matters. Just then a Black Paw commando sergeant comes up 
into the control room, goes up to Franco and salutes him. Franco turns to
him.

Black Paw:"Team Sapphire reporting, Supreme General."

Franco:"Ah, sergeant. What news do you bring?"

Black Paw:"We have carried out your orders and have brought you the two
           captives you had requested, sir."

Franco:"Good! Bring them in."

The sergeant nods and turns to the elevator. He signals the rest of his
team to come in. The Black Paws enter the control centre, two of them
holding a struggling Melanie Malloy and two others holding a frightened
Samuel Knowles. Another one is carrying their camera and other equipment.
Franco stands up and rubs his paws together, looking at the two humans.

Franco:"Well done, sergeant. Commendably done."

Black Paw:"Thank you, Supreme General."

Franco walks up to the group to stand in front of Melanie. She stops
struggling to look at Franco, who is smiling.

Franco:"Ah, Miss Melanie Malloy. Welcome to the Wardrome. Allow me to
        introduce myself. I am Franco, Supreme General of the Elite
        Guard."

Melanie:"Why have you captured us? What are we doing here?"

Franco:"Straight to the point? Whatever happened to your journalistic
        curiousity?"

Melanie:"It kind of got left behind when your wolves abducted us."

Franco:"Ah, then you had better get it back and quickly. I am going
        to make use of you."

Melanie:"For what? Propaganda?"

Franco chuckles.

Franco:"Well, I guess we can be frank to one another. Yes, I intend
        to use you and your friend Mister Knowles here to further my
        goals. I wouldn't have bothered had my enemies not destroyed
        my own media equipment."

Melanie:"We won't work for you!"

Franco:"Is that so? Perhaps you need to be reminded of the penalties
        for disobedience."

Franco nods to the Black Paws. They immediately pull out combat knifes
and hold to the two humans' necks. Samuel almost panics, while Melanie
also becomes much less defiant and more scared. Franco brings himself
closer to Melanie until she can feel the hot air from his nostrils.

Franco:"Don't forget, Miss Malloy. You are not exactly valuable. There
        are many other journalists out whom I can and who would be more
        than happy to work for me if it means keeping their necks from
        being slit open."

Melanie considers it, now feeling much less certain of herself. Samuel
looks at her.

Samuel:"Mel, we got to do what he says! He's going to kill us!"

Franco:"Listen to your friend, Miss Malloy. He seems to have a better
        grasp on reality than you do."

Melanie glances back at Samuel with concern, then reconsiders. She sighs
and nods her head.

Melanie:"All right. We will do as you say."

Franco grins.

Franco:"Excellent choice."

He then looks at the Black Paws.

Franco:"Take them and their equipment to the holding cells until we can
        use them."

Black Paws:"Yes, Supreme General!"

The Black Paws salute, then proceed to take Melanie and Samuel out of the
control room. Franco goes back to sit on his throne and monitor activities
in the room.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
8:03 PM:

A conference is underway in the briefing room. The Master, Striker and
a few other base Rovers are seated around the briefing table. On the
screens are live footage from the Pentagon, the United Nations and the
Jumbo Rover. Cadwell, Norwood and the rest of the Rovers appear respec-
tively on these screens.

Cadwell(screen 1):"Our satellites have made passes over the area and 
       it's not looking good. The Elite Guard have already occupied the 
       first major city and are already spreading out over the countryside.
       Judging from what we see, we're estimating the size of this army 
       to range from 100,000 to 250,000 troops."

Hunter(screen 3):"That's quite a mob."

Cadwell(screen 1):"Absolutely. And the South Africans don't have anything
       to put up a fight with. Their entire army is in Namibia."

Master:"What about the international reaction, Norwood?"

Norwood(screen 2):"The various governments are still scrambling to get a
       grasp of what is going on and forming a response, but already I can
       tell what is happening. The anti-mutant side will go nuts over this
       and demand military action, while the pro-sapien will try to block
       any attempts to help the South Africans. Basically, the international
       community will be deadlocked and unable to stop Franco."

Hunter(screen 3):"But we got evidence that Franco is playing both sides,
      posing as Mister F. We just need to show it and then this sapien
      row will become a non-issue."

Norwood(screen 2):"I'm afraid it won't do much good, Hunter. Since this
       evidence will come from you guys, the anti-mutant faction will
       tear it all up as some kind of propaganda plot. Unless Franco is
       personally exposed as playing both sides, I'm afraid neither side
       is going to relent."

Master:"Which is probably what Franco had in mind when he started this
        whole mess."

Norwood(screen 2):"I'm surprised he actually had a mind to think this
       whole scheme up."

Striker sighs and shakes his head.

Striker:"Mark, you and I need to throw away any assumptions or ideas we
         had of Franco during our time at the EDF. We always thought he
         was a lunatic, but with that part of him suppressed we now see
         that he’s a genius. Crazy, certainly, but with the military mind
         of Sun Tzu, Napoleon and Alexander. This invasion was well
         thought out, planned and carried out."

Cadwell(screen 1):"But why is he launching this invasion of South Africa?"

The Master looks at Striker.

Master:"Perhaps he is extracting revenge upon you for what you did to
        him during your EDF days?"

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Nee, Franco had plenty of opportunities to come after me one way
         or another. His Elite Guard is in South Africa for a different
         reason."

Cadwell(screen 1):"And we need to figure that part out quickly if we are
       to stop him."

Norwood(screen 3):"I concur. We must do what we can to stop Franco from
       achieving his goals."

Colleen(screen 2):"But how the heck are we to stop him? His army is
       better armed and vastly outnumber us."

Master:"True, but you can still do several things. For one, you could
        scout out the Elite Guard's invasion force, work out what forces
        it comprises of, the routes they are taking."

Cadwell(screen 1):"Good idea. And you can relay the information back to
       us for analysis. Maybe we can use you guys in commando raids in
       order to slow down the Elite Guard and give us time to get our
       forces ready to tackle Franco."

Striker:"But how will the United States be able to get an army into South 
         Africa with this international deadlock?"

Cadwell(screen 1):"We won't, but that doesn't mean we will do nothing. I
       think we can put together a strike force and then send it to a
       friendly country like Brazil. Once you guys expose Franco and
       break the deadlock, we can be ready to move in right away."

Striker:"I'm not sure Adriaan will agree with that, even if Franco is
         revealed to the world to be behind this whole mutant/sapien
         hate wave."

Norwood(screen 2):"Let's worry about that later. Right now I think you
       have three clear objectives. One is to scout out the Elite Guard
       invasion force and see what it looks like. Two is to determine
       the goals of this army and slow it down. Three is to find a way
       of exposing Franco's hate wave plan to the world."

The Master nods his head in agreement.

Master:"Norwood has set out your goals, Rovers. We must stop Franco and
        Elite Guard and this is a good starting point. And do hurry; I
        don't know much time we have before he achieves his goals."

On the screen showing the Jumbo Rover's briefing room, the Rovers all
salute.

Hunter(screen 3):"Will do, Master!"

The third screen switches off.

Cadwell(screen 1):"I will go and meet with the Joint Chiefs to discuss
       putting together an expeditionary force."

The first screen switches off.

Norwood(screen 2):"And I will see if I prod some of the ambassadors. We
       may not have a smoking gun just yet, but perhaps I can sow some
       doubt amongst or even get a few concessions out of them."

The second screen switches off. The Master then turns to the rest of the
Rovers in the briefing room.

Master:"We'd better gather up any remaining units and send them down to
        South Africa. This invasion is probably one of the biggest
        challenges to face the Road Rovers and we must do everything
        we can to stop Franco. Let's get to work."

Everyone around the table nods their heads. As they get up, Collin comes
into the briefing room and walks up to Striker.

Collin:"Pardon me, Striker. It's time for another exercise run with the
        prototype."

Striker:"Not nou, Collin. We have a problem here and I need to get 
         working."

Collin:"Sorry, Striker. This cannot wait. You need to get this new leg
        as soon as possible."

Striker is about to protest, but then the Master intervenes.

Master:"Collin is right. You are needed in the field more than ever, and
        I need you to have this new leg fully operational as soon as
        possible."

Striker:"But we have a crisis here."

Master:"All the more reason not to waste time in getting you to South
        Africa ASAP. Your team, and your home country, needs you."

Striker stares at the Master, and then sighs.

Striker:"Reg, Master."

Collin:"Come, I'll help you."

Collin helps Striker get onto his crutches, then leads the spaniel out of
the briefing room.

Newsroom
Al-Jazeera News Headquarters
Qatar
6:15 AM:

In the newsroom of Al-Jazeera the economic reporter is giving an update
on the world markets. Many of the figures are deep in the red, while others
such as gold and platinum are up significantly.

Reporter:"Traders on Asian markets reacted strongly to the news of the
          South African invasion, trigging a frenzy of buying and selling
          on all major stock exchanges. As you can see the price of gold
          shot up by 10%, platinum by 13% and even the oil price has gone
          up by $5 per barrel. Meanwhile the stocks of companies like
          AngloGold and De Deers were hit hard by the news, especially
          since both companies have suffered with the recent Namibian
          war. It is too early as yet to say what the effect of this new
          conflict will have on global markets, but we should get a
          clearer picture when European and American exchanges open
          later today. Back to you, John."

The cameras switch back to the anchorman.

Central Business District
Berlin
Germany
8:32 AM:

The centre of the city is large quiet except for a march by anti-mutant
protestors along one of the city's main streets. Hundreds of people are
singing, chanting and waving anti-mutant banners while police line the
streets and keep watch. At an intersection ahead of the marchers police
officers in riot gear are keeping watch. Two officers are chatting with
one another

Officer 1:"Just look at all those skinheads."

Officer 2:"If there weren't so many of them and we weren't under orders
           I would go up and introduce their bald heads to my baton."

Officer 1:"Yah, me too."

Suddenly another shouts and points up another street. The other officers
turn to look. To their shock, a march of pro-sapien protestors are 
coming towards the intersection. The officers look back and forth between
the two marches, who cannot see each other.

Officer 1:"Uh oh!"

Officer 2:"Ach, this is going to be one of those days!"

The leader of the police officer quickly barks orders to his troops. They
then move in along with other units to try and divert the marches into
different streets before they reach the intersection.

Conference Room
Eta Squadron Headquarters
Unknown Location:

This is a large, circular room with a big round table in the middle. The
has many chairs around it and the table has the insignia of the KH
Military's Eta Squadron on it. Four doors, evenly spaced, lead into the
room while fluorescent lights in the ceiling light up the table. Eta
Squadron Battle Troopers stand on either side of the doors. At the
moment only one individual is seated by the table. It is a female
Eurasian Wolf lupo-sapien with orange/brown fur, grey fur around her eyes, 
muzzle, paws, feet and the tips of her ears and tail. She is currently
wearing a KH Military major's uniform with the name tag "Major Dusk".
Dusk looks up as one of the doors open and Sky walks in. The troopers
salute him and Dusk stands up to do the same. Sky nods to them.

Sky:"At ease, Major. And do sit down."

Dusk:"Yes, General."

Dusk nods and sits down. Sky goes and sits down next to her, then turns
to the Eurasian Wolf.

Dusk:"What did they say at the meeting?"

Sky:"The Supreme General has given us carté blance to help bring down
     Franco and the Elite Guard. General Black wanted to send his Epsilon
     Squadron in to fight the Elite Guard, but Stalker and the others
     vetoed that idea on the basis that southern Africa is pretty much
     a powder keg that caught fire. Needless to say, he was not happy
     about it."

Dusk frowns.

Dusk:"I don't like General Black. He doesn't seem to like Eta Squadron.
      You think he might be jealous?"

Sky:"Partly, but he's also suspicious of our activities."

Dusk:"Does he know?"

Sky:"Not even the surface of it. It would not hurt to keep an eye on him
     now and then, but Black is far from a threat. Let's not waste time
     and energy being concerned about him. We have more pressing matters."

Dusk nods as Sky becomes serious.

Sky:"The Elite Guard are in a prime position to achieve their goals, and
     not even the Road Rovers can stop Franco. Not without a little aid."

Dusk:"You think we should help them?"

Sky:"Yes. More specifically, you should help them."

Dusk(surprised):"Me?"

Sky:"Yes, you. You are equal to Major Twilight in terms of your psychic
     powers, and I believe you can do just as good a job as he has. I
     am assigning you to make contact with the Road Rovers and help them
     in fighting the Elite Guard."

Dusk:"Do I follow the same procedure?"

Sky:"That is correct."

He offers her a folder, which she takes and opens up.

Sky:"These are your instructions and guidelines."

Dusk nods as she begins to study the papers within the folder. Sky sits
back and waits while she reads.

Satellite Rover
High Orbit Around Earth
24 January
10:00 AM Greenwich Median Time:

The dog-shaped satellite of the Road Rovers is moving into position above
the southern African peninsula. Once in place, it extends its "eyes"
to begin zooming in on the northern parts of South Africa. Through the
spy camera one can see the vast armies of the Elite Guard marching slowly
but steadily across the farmlands and veldt of the Limpopo, leaving 
devastation in their wake.

Stealth Rover
Flying Along the Limpopo River
7 Kilometers East of Tsetsebjwe
Botswana
At That Moment:

The Stealth Rover, piloted by Tanarus, is flying low and slow along the
Limpopo River on the Botswana side of the border. Inside the others are
looking at the satellite images on the terminal screens in front of
their seats. They don't like what they are seeing.

Illanov:"Mother Russia. Franco's army is enormous. This isn't just some
         spur of the moment attack. This is a real Barbarossa that he
         had been planning for a long time."

Elexis:"I agree. This was planned long before Striker was even rescued
        from Alcatraz by the Road Rovers, so I think we can rule out
        this invasion as a revenge attack against him."

Phoenix:"But then why are they attacking? Why do they need such a big
         force? And why South Africa?"

New satellite images appear on their screens, showing the Wardrome in
the middle of the Elite Guard army. Everyone looks in awe at it.

Elexis:"My goodness! That vehicle is huge!"

Corsair:"It looks like the Technodrome!"

Shephard looks at Corsair.

Shephard:"What's the Technodrome?"

Corsair looks surprised at Shephard.

Corsair:"Dude, didn't you watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?"

Shephard shakes his head.

Shephard:"No, sir. I never watched cartoons."

Corsair stares at Shephard for a few seconds, and then shakes his head.

Corsair:"Seriously, man. When we get back home I'm going to have get
         your butt to a TV and get some cartoons for you. Anyway, the
         Technodrome was a big war machine that looked like this thing
         on the screen, except it was round and had an eyeball on top."

Shephard:"So the war machine was a big golf ball, sir?"

Corsair stares at Shephard with his mouth open, unable to answer that
question. Finally he shakes his head.

Corsair:"Look, let's just watch the cartoons later."

Shephard:"Yes, sir."

Illanov studies the satellite images intently, and then he speaks.

Illanov:"That large machine must be General Franco's command centre. He
         is personally leading the war and commanding his troops in the
         field. But attacking it directly is out of the question, comrades. 
         That machine is in the middle of the Elite Guard forces, and who
         knows what kind of firepower it has on its own."

Elexis:"Illanov is right. If half the stories I heard is true, Franco
        is so far out of our reach that he might as well be on the far
        side of the moon."

Phoenix sighs and nods.

Phoenix:"I know. I wish Strikie was here. He might have had some idea of
         what to do."

Just then there is a beep on a terminal. Only Merit notices this.

Merit:"I say, the general communication system has been activated."

Only Elexis looks up from her terminal.

Elexis:"Why did you turn it on, Merit?"

Merit:"Because I have not activated. It appears to have been activated
       from an outside source."

This causes everyone else to look up from their terminals. Tanarus quickly
checks the consoles and sees the overhead speakers are on.

Tanarus:"Merit's right. This is switched on. How did that...?"

Suddenly a female voice comes over the speakers.

Voice:"Let's just say I have my means."

The Strikers' attention are now fully on the voice. Phoenix sits up
straight.

Phoenix:"Who is this? Identify yourself!"

Voice:"Fine, but I am not telling you my name. But I will tell you that
       I am... a mutual friend."

Illanov:"Bolshoi! A mutual friend? We heard that same name back in 
         Kenya."

Corsair:"Yeah, but wasn't that 'friend' male?"

Voice:"Of course he was."

Phoenix:"Then you know him too?"

Voice:"I'm afraid I can't comment on that. What I will tell you is how
       you can gain an edge on the Elite Guard."

Phoenix:"You know how to defeat them?"

Voice:"No, but I can point you to something that could be of great and
       valuable interest to you. Perhaps it can eventually help you
       defeat Franco."

Phoenix:"What is it?"

Voice:"I am not going to tell."

Phoenix(surprised):"Why not?"

Voice:"Simple. There is not enough trust for you to believe me. I am
       to going build up that trust. To start off, I want you to go to
       the point where the Lotsane River joins the Limpopo River. It
       shouldn't be too far away for you. At the shore where the rivers
       meet is a large tree. Ten feet to the west of that you will find
       a pile rocks. Until later."

Before Phoenix can speak again, the speakers suddenly go dead. Tanarus
checks the console.

Tanarus:"She cut off."

There is a moment of silence inside the cockpit as everyone digest this
new information. Finally Phoenix looks at the others.

Phoenix:"What do you all think? Should we follow her lead?"

Shephard:"It could be an Elite Guard trap, Ma'am. Luring into an ambush
          or something."

Illanov:"But she did mention our mutual friend, comrade. Since he had
         helped us before, maybe she is helping us now."

Elexis:"Yes, but I agree with Shephard that this might be a trap. On the
        other paw, I'm curious to find out what this information is.
        Heaven knows we could use something."

Phoenix then looks at Tanarus.

Phoenix:"And you, Tan?"

Tanarus:"It's your call, Phoenix. I do think we should check it out, but
         with caution. Let's not be caught by any unpleasant surprises."

Phoenix sits back and thinks while the others wait for her decision. After
a few minutes, she finally makes the call.

Phoenix:"Corsair, can you pinpoint the location she gave us?"

Corsair:"Sure can, boss."

Phoenix:"Good. Give Tanarus the heading. Let's go see what our mutual
         friend has for us."

Corsair begins working on his terminal. A minute later the Stealth Rover
changes direction and begins to fly south along the Limpopo River.

Lotsane/Limpopo Rivers
Botswana
A few minutes later:

This is the point where the Lotsane River joins the much larger Limpopo
River. The rivers are flowing strong due to good rains. Large trees and
thick bushes line the shores of the river. The Stealth Rover comes flying
over the river, and then hovers and lands in a clearing behind the trees,
near the point where the rivers meet. Unit STRIKE disembarks, leaving
Tanarus and Elexis behind to keep watch on the Stealth Rover. They make
their way towards the trees. Merit looks around curiously.

Merit:"Such a fine ecosystem. Very fascinating."

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. I would love to bring Vicki to Botswana for a
         safari after all this is over."

Corsair:"Yeah. Hopefully you'll get a real close encounter with the big
         five."

Illanov looks at Corsair with a frown.

Illanov:"And what is that supposed to mean, American?"

Corsair doesn't reply, but simply whistles innocently while looking in a
different direction. Illanov's scowl deepens.

Illanov:"I'm watching you, American. I'm watching you very closely."

However, Illanov fails to see an exposed tree root. His foot gets caught
on it and he trips, nearly falling over. Corsair bursts out laughing.

Corsair:"Yeah, you keeping watching, Russkie! Ha ha ha!"

Illanov grumbles while Corsair keeps laughing. The team continues through
the bushes and trees by the river bank and make their way along the shore
to where the rivers meet. Shephard points to a large tree standing close
to the shore's edge.

Shephard:"I think that's the tree, Ma'am."

Phoenix:"Well, it is larger than the others. Now let's see if we can find
         what we are looking for, but keep your eyes open for trouble."

They all nod. The team comes to the tree, then follows the directions given
to them. Ten feet to the west of the tree they see a pile of neatly
stacked rocks.

Phoenix:"Merit, scan that pile for any explosives or other possible 
         traps."

Merit:"Executing command."

Merit zooms in on the rocks and does a few scans. After a minute he turns
back to Phoenix.

Merit:"Task completed. There are no explosive or harmful compounds."

Phoenix:"Then what is there?"

Merit:"There appears to be a plastic container with some paper inside."

Phoenix:"Thank you, Merit. All right, let's dig it up."

The Strikers go to the rock pile and begin to remove the rocks one by
one. They soon reveal a grey-colored plastic container. Phoenix reaches
down and picks it up. She pries the lid off and looks inside. Sure
enough, there are several pieces of paper inside. The Pomeranian takes
out one of them and reads them. On the paper are the letters "GPS" and
some numbers. She then gives it to Illanov.

Phoenix:"Alex, what does this look to you?"

Illanov takes the paper and looks it over.

Illanov:"It appears to be the abbreviation for global positioning sa-
         tellite. The numbers might be GPS coordinates."

Phoenix:"I had thought so too."

Illanov:"Perhaps we should test first, comrade. See if these really are 
         GPS coordinates."

Phoenix:"Good idea, Alex."

She takes out another paper and turns to Corsair. She gives him the
paper.

Phoenix:"Corsair, see if you can use our GPS system and figure out these
         coordinates."

Corsair:"You want them all checked, boss?"

Phoenix:"No, just one or two is fine."

Corsair:"Okay, I'm on it."

Corsair reaches for his backpack and takes out his laptop. He sits down on
a rock and starts up his laptop. After a minute he begins typing.

Corsair:"Okay, punching in coordinates now..."

The others gather around Corsair as he enters the numbers. They then wait
for the numbers to be processed. On the screen a map appears of southern
Africa. A red dot then appears along the Mozambican coast.

Corsair:"Yup, that's it. These are GPS numbers for sure."

Phoenix:"But what could be there? It's not anywhere near Franco's armies
         or even any settlements."

Illanov:"Perhaps it's because of its isolated location that it's important.
         It might be a loading point for supplies for the invasion force."

Phoenix:"Maybe. Let's see what the other coordinates show. Put another
         one in, Corsair."

Corsair:"On it, boss."

Corsair types in another set of numbers and presses enter. Another red dot
appears on the man: this one is also along the Mozambican coast, but 
further up north.

Illanov:"Another one in Mozambique, comrade. Mozambique must be some kind
         of conduit."

Phoenix:"But for what, Alex? Supplies? Troops? Arms?"

Illanov:"Those are most likely in my view, comrade."

Phoenix:"Perhaps. Let's see what the other coordinates show. Put in a few
         more, Corsair."

Corsair nods and inputs a number of other coordinates onto his laptop.
More red dots appear on the map. Some of them are along the Mozambican
coast, but others appear in Zimbabwe and on the Zimbabwean/Mozambican
border.

Phoenix:"What do you think, Alex?"

Illanov:"From what I see, comrade, is some kind of a route. The locations
         at the borders seem to be crossing points for whatever the
         Elite Guard is moving. See, they are not on any roads on the
         map and far from settlements."

Phoenix:"But why is this so important? Why would our mysterious ally
         lead us to this?"

Shephard:"Maybe we should recon one of those locations and see, ma'am.
          That why can find out what is moving through there."

Illanov:"Comrade Shephard is right, Phoenix. We need to sit at one of
         those locations and wait. I recommend we try..."

He points to a dot on the Zimbabwean/Mozambican border.

Illanov:"... this location, since any traffic will have to go through
         here."

Phoenix:"All right. Let's hit the skies!"

They all gather up and head back to the Stealth Rover for departure.

Zimbabwean/Mozambican Border
30 Kilometers Southwest of Chicualacuala
7:21 PM:

This is typical African bush countryside. Long yellow grass covers the
landscape, which is dotted with large trees and bushes. An occasional
rocky hill juts out on the general flat landscape. The sun has set and
darkness covers the landscape, though there is plenty of sounds from
the nocturnal animals coming out for the night. The Stealth Rover has
landed on a small rise, giving it just enough elevation to see over the
trees. Inside the cockpit it is completely dark except for two light
sources: the green glow from one of the console screens where Elexis is
working and the light from the PSP that Corsair is playing with. Illanov
looks irritated at Corsair.

Illanov:"Why are you playing with that thing?"

Corsair(not looking up):"Because I'm bored, that's why."

Illanov:"We are on a mission here."

Corsair:"And it's boring, that's why I'm playing games. We've been sitting
         here for hours and nothing interesting has happened. Besides,
         Elexis is using the scanner to look around in the dark so that
         gives me time to relax a bit."

Illanov:"Just being your typical lazy American self."

Corsair:"Sounds like your life was all work and no play."

Illanov snorts and looks the other way while Corsair keeps playing. Phoenix
looks at Tanarus.

Phoenix:"Do you think we made a mistake of coming here?"

Tanarus:"I don't think so, Phoenix. This is a stakeout, and usually you
         spend most of the time doing nothing before some interesting does
         happen."

Phoenix:"But what if nothing interesting happens? What if our benefactor
         is playing a trick on us, making us waste our time here while
         the Elite Guard continues their rampage?"

Tanarus:"Then we will know she was full of it and should be ignored.
         Anyway, I have a feeling that something will happen. We just
         have to be patient."

Phoenix sighs and nods, then looks out the window at the dark land. A
couple of minutes later Shephard spots something that makes him sit
up.

Shephard:"Sirs, I see a light... wait, no. Several lights. Three o'clock!"

Merit:"Actually, the time is now 7:31 AM."

Shephard rolls his eyes. Everyone else looks out the window. Sure enough,
in the distance a row of lights is moving along through the dark.

Phoenix:"What do you think? This it?"

Illanov:"It could civilians fleeing the fighting."

Tanarus:"No, this one is moving in a line. Besides, we should have seen
         refugees in the daytime by now. Elexis, can you see what it is?"

Elexis:"I'm turning the scanner into that direction."

On the screen Elexis watching is a green night vision view of the land-
scape. As she points the scanner into the direction of the lights, the
screen reveals a long convoy of vehicles. They are all army trucks with
the Red Cross insignia on the tarps. Elexis frowns.

Elexis:"It's a convoy of trucks, all of them Red Cross."

Phoenix comes over to look at the screen, her face becoming disappointed.

Phoenix:"So it might be refugees after all."

Illanov:"I don't think so, comrade."

Phoenix turns to Illanov, confused.

Phoenix:"What do you mean, Alex?"

Illanov:"Comrade Phoenix, I've been in the illegal arms business for 
         years. Often I would smuggle weapons hidden in Red Cross trucks.
         And now we have this convoy of Red Cross trucks, moving through
         the darkness away from major roads."

Phoenix blinks, then turns to Elexis.

Phoenix:"Elexis, can you check and see what is in those trucks?"

Elexis:"I can try."

The coyote female gets to work and checks one of the trucks with the
scanner. A few moments later the results are in, which makes her frown.

Elexis:"Odd. There's something in those trucks, but it's not medical
        supplies or refugees."

Phoenix:"What is it?"

Elexis:"I don't know. I can't figure this out."

Merit decides to make his own scan of the trucks. When he finishes he
turns triumphantly to the others.

Merit:"Aha. I have successfully analyzed and identified the cargo of
       those vehicles."

Everyone turns to Merit.

Phoenix:"What is the cargo, Merit?"

Merit:"It is unrefined chromite ore."

Corsair blinks.

Corsair:"Chromite ore?... Wait, you mean as in... metal?"

Merit:"That is correct."

Everyone is confused by this revelation.

Corsair:"What the heck are Red Cross trucks carrying chrome for?"

Illanov:"I'm also confused. What could chrome be used for?"

Merit:"One use of chromium is its application as alloy in the production
       of stainless steel. Other uses include manufacturing magnetic
       tape, as an anti-corrosive in well drilling, a high-temperature
       eletrical conductor and/or a catalyst."

Shephard:"So it's an industrial metal?"

Merit:"That is correct."

Tanarus:"I think we'd better follow these trucks and see where they are
         going. Maybe we're on to something here."

Phoenix:"Good idea. Let's follow them but keep our distance."

Everyone gets back into their seats as the Stealth Rover starts up in
stealth mode. Soon the craft quietly takes off and begins to follow the
convoy of trucks.

Mozambique Coastline
25 Kilometers East of Manchica
11:48 PM:

This part of the coastline is located far from any settlements as evi-
denced by the lack of artificial light. The only light that shows where
the land ended and the ocean began is moonlight reflected off the
waters. The lights of the truck convoy come into view, moving towards
the shore. Some distance away the Stealth Rover is flying behind the
convoy in stealth mode. Inside the cockpit it is dark except for the
lights on the control panels. Elexis is monitoring the convoy on the
scanner while Tanarus pilots.

Elexis:"I think we need to land somewhere. The trucks are stopping on
        the beach."

Tanarus:"Okay, I'll look for a good landing site."

Tanarus flies around until he spots a good clearing on a rise, then
brings the Stealth Rover down and lands it gently. He switches off the
engines. Once they land, everyone gathers around Elexis to look at the
scanner. On it they can see the trucks' occupants getting off.

Shephard:"Looks like they're getting ready to unload, sirs."

Corsair:"Well, this spot was marked as a GPS coordinate by our friend.
         Maybe they're waiting for a ship to pick them up."

Tanarus:"I don't see any boat waiting by the beach. Maybe we should
         wait and see what happens."

They agree and watch the scanner. After a short while something new
comes into their view: a group of hovercraft approach the shoreline
near the trucks and go onto the beach. They stop and lower ramps on
their front sides. Driving down them are trucks identical to the ones
waiting on the beach. Once they drive onto land, the other trucks
then move in and board the hovercraft.

Illanov:"This is definitely a loading point, comrades. They've changed
         the trucks carrying the chromium with these new ones."

Phoenix looks at Merit.

Phoenix:"Scan those new trucks, Merit. See what their cargo is."

Merit:"Affirmative."

Merit stands up to look out the cockpit at the beach and begins to
scan. After a few moments he is finished and turns to Phoenix.

Merit:"Scan complete. The vehicles are currently devoid of cargo."

Illanov:"I think that's because they are probably going to go back along
         this route to go pick up new cargo."

Phoenix:"But why all this?"

On the screen, the new truck convoy begins to drive away from the beach
while the hovercraft depart and head out to sea.

Elexis:"Those hovercraft aren't made to travel over the oceans."

Tanarus:"No, they're probably heading to a ship. But I didn't see anything
         on our radar."

Elexis:"I don't think we're supposed to. Look."

Everyone watches more closely as Elexis adjusts the view angle. Anchored
further out in the ocean is large, freighter-like ship. Although it has
the same basic shape, it has a more angular, sleek form, especially with 
the bridge. It is entirely black in color. This is an Elite Guard Kraken
Vessel. The hovercraft is heading towards the ship.

Illanov:"That ship has a stealth design. But it certainly has to belong
         to the Elite Guard."

Shephard:"It looks like a cargo ship, sirs."

Elexis:"That's probably what it's for. To carry this chromium ore, and
        judging from its size it can carry a lot."

Phoenix:"I think we need to head back to the Jumbo Rover and report to
         Hunter and tell the others. This looks like something that
         needs further investigation. Let's get out of here."

Tanarus nods and switches the engines on again as everyone gets seated.
Once again the Stealth Rover quietly lifts off and flies up into the
night sky, leaving behind the ship and the convoy of trucks that are
heading back inland.

Railway Line
Somewhere Between Upington and Kleinbegin
Northern Cape Province
South Africa
At That Moment:

The lone railway line cuts its way through the Great Karoo region of
South Africa. Cables for electric train engines hang from overhead
pylons dotted along the track. The occasional signal appears along the
route, showing green lights. On a dirt road not far from the tracks a
lone jeep is driving along, it's headlights cutting through the dark.
It comes to a stop near one of the signal lights. Three individuals
climb out of the jeep: two Boerboel cano-sapiens and a younger Cheetah
felo-sapien. They run to the tracks while a fourth member keeps watch
at the wheel.

Cheetah:"Is this it?"

Boerboel 1:"Yes, this is a good spot. Isolated and too far away from
            any human outposts. Let's get to work. You two dig the
            hole while I prepare the device."

The cheetah and other Boerboel nod, then take out their shovels and
begin to dig at the peddles in the middle of the tracks. The first
Boerboel takes off a backpack rummages inside of it. He pulls out a
pair of sealed pipes that are wired to a battery and keypad. He punches
in a number, then turns to the others.

Boerboel 1:"How far are you two?"

The other Boerboel turns to the first, stepping back to reveal the hole
he and the cheetah had dug.

Boerboel 2:"All done here."

Boerboel 1:"Good. Let me set the device, then you two cover it up."

The other two nod. The first cano-sapien goes to the hole and puts the
object into the hole they dug. He presses a red button on the keypad,
and the device begins to beep. The Boerboel steps back.

Boerboel 1:"Now cover it back up."

The second Boerboel and cheetah nod, then use their shovels to bury the
device under dirt and peddles. Once they are done, they run away from
the track back to their vehicle. The first Boerboel digs out a remote
control with a flip switch on it. He offers it to the cheetah.

Boerboel 1:"I think you should have the honor."

Cheetah:"Me? Really?"

The cano-sapien nods.

Boerboel 1:"It's only fair since this is your first mission for the Sapien 
            Liberation Army. Think of it as a reward for your initiation."

The cheetah smiles and takes the remote eagerly.

Cheetah:"Thank you so much, sir!"

Boerboel 1:"Just flip the switch, son, and let's watch the show."

The cheetah nods. They turn to look to where they had planted the device.
The young felo-sapien throws the little switch. A second later the bomb
under the railway detonates in a powerful explosion, sending chunks of
dirt and pieces of wood flying into the air. The sound of the explosion
shatters the silence of the night. The four sapiens watch with a grin.

Boerboel 2:"An object of beauty, isn't it?"

Boerboel 1:"Let's first see what the damage is. If the track isn't damaged
            enough we might have to set a second charge. Come on."

The trio walks back to the spot and look at the damage. A small crater is
now at the spot where they set the bomb, the iron rail beams bent out
of shape at the edges of the crater. Pieces of the wooden beams lie around
the hole.

Boerboel 1:"Perfect. Hopefully this will derail one of the military trains
            coming from Namibia."

Boerboel 2:"That should please our Elite Guard allies."

Boerboel 1:"Come on. We have to blow up a few more sections before dawn."

The trio runs back to the jeep and climbs back in. The driver starts the
engine and drives on along the dirt road, leaving behind the torn and
twisted section of railway in the darkness.

Briefing Room
Jumbo Rover
Windhoek
Namibia
25 January
3:24 AM:

The briefing room is mostly empty except for Hunter, Phoenix, Illanov
and Tanarus. They are seated up front looking towards the image of the
Master on the main screen. All four Rovers have tired looks on their
faces and their eyes are red from lack of sleep. Phoenix is speaking to
the Master.

Phoenix:"... and after that we came right back here, Master."

Master:"So you are sure this was the Elite Guard transporting chromite?"

Phoenix:"Yes, Merit was certain of it and I don't doubt him."

Master:"But why are they smuggling chromite? It's not a precious metal
        from my knowledge. And yet it must be important to Franco if it
        is being transported in secret. How did this Miss D come across
        those GPS coordinates?"

Tanarus:"We have no idea, and she hasn't called us since we discovered
         these coordinates. But without these coordinates we would never
         have discovered this Elite Guard convoy."

Hunter:"And I'll bet my milk bones that the other coordinates must be
        for other convoys."

Master:"It's certainly something. The reports that you've sent me on
        the Elite Guard invasion force has not been encouraging. Maybe
        we are on to something here."

Illanov:"Perhaps the Elite Guard's Achilles Heel, Professor?

Master:"It could be. Hunter, I want you to get Rover units to all the
        GPS coordinates and see what convoys appear. If they do appear,
        have the cargos identified. Maybe a pattern will emerge."

Hunter:"You got it, Master."

Master:"Good. Now, go to bed Rovers. You're going to need the sleep. I
        don't want you falling over from lack of rest."

Hunter:"Sure thing, Master."

Phoenix:"Give my love to Strikie, Master."

The Master smiles and nods.

Master:"I will, Phoenix. Goodnight."

The Master switches off the screen. The Rovers get up from their seats,
yawning and rubbing their eyes.

Illanov:"Bolshoi, I really need some sleep."

Tanarus:"So do I, but we're going to have to get used to it. I think we
         are not going to get a good night's rest until after the war."

Illanov:"Unless Franco and his Elite Guard give us more sleep. One that
         you don't wake up from."

Tanarus nods grimly as they file out of the briefing room. Hunter, being
the last to leave, switches off the lights.

Gona-Rehzou National Park
Near Zimbabwe/Mozambique Border
Zimbabwe
10:36 PM:

Darkness again covers the countryside, though the clouds in the night
sky are reflecting the light of the moon. The park is far from quiet,
with the sound of nocturnal creatures breaking the night silence. Another
noise is disturbing the peace: the sound of running truck engines as a
convoy is making its way along game ranger routes towards the fence that
separates the park from Mozambique. The headlights of the trucks pierce
the darkness, revealing a large hole that had been cut in the fence. The
trucks pass through the hole one by one. But the border crossing does
not go unnoticed. Not far off, hidden by the dark and a large bus, is
the Grizzly Strayer Unit. Bear and Nitro are seated on the Cyclborg,
while Amani and Puffball are in the pickup Sylvia. They watch the bobbing
beams of the trucks' headlights as they pass.

Nitro:"Not really my idea of a safari."

Bear:"We're not really on holiday here anyway, Dear. We're here to fight
      a war."

Nitro:"Still, do you think we could arrange for one after the war?"

Bear:"Sure we can... if we win the war, that is."

Nitro:"You're just full of optimism tonight, Bear."

Bear:"Aiming to please. Anyway, these are the droids... I mean, the trucks 
      we're looking for. They got the Red Cross markings on them like
      mentioned in the briefing."

Nitro rolls her eyes

Nitro:"Not another Star Wars reference."

Bear:"Hey, it was just a slip of the tongue. Really."

Nitro:"Suuuure."

Amani:"Hey, you two going to argue while the convoy gets away? Hunter
       said we're supposed to check their cargoes and we'd better do it
       before they get too far away."

Bear and Nitro agree, feeling somewhat sheepish. Bear turns to his
motorbike, Cyc.

Bear:"Cyc, scan those trucks and identify their cargo if any."

Cyc:"Yes, Bear. Beginning scan."

The Cyclborg starts scanning the trucks. Amani does the same using the
onboard scanner on her pickup truck. It takes them a few minutes to go
over each truck as they move along an unseen route. Once they are done
they check the readouts.

Bear:"What have you got, Cyc?"

Cyc:"All the trucks are carrying an approximately equal amount of the
     same cargo. They carry vermiculite ore."

Bear and Nitro are a bit surprised.

Bear:"Vermiculite?"

Nitro:"You sure you got that right, Cyc?"

Cyc:"I am 100% certain of my findings."

Bear looks over at Amani.

Bear:"What have you got, Amani?"

Amani works a bit more on Sylvia's scanner before finally looking back
up at Bear, confusion on her face.

Amani:"I scanned the cargo and identified it, but it's not weapons or
       supplies. It seems to be vermiculite."

Bear:"That's what Cyc found too."

Puffball scratches her head, also looking confused.

Puffball:"But I not understadn. Why bad guys want vermiculite? Not very 
          valuable."

Amani looks at her felo-mutant companion and nods her head.

Amani:"No, and I'm also in the dark here. Metaphorically speaking."

Bear:"But we got we came for. The GPS coordinate given to us has checked
      out. Let's get back to the Jumbo Rover and report our discovery to
      the Master. Come on."

The Grizzlies turn on their vehicles' engines once they are sure the
trucks are out of range. They then drive out onto a clearing and switch
their vehicles to flight mode. The Strayers take off into the night,
leaving behind the lumbering convoy of trucks.

Abandoned Airstrip
Somewhere in Central Zimbabwe
10:42 PM:

The airstrip deep in the Zimbabwean countryside is nothing more than a
long stretch of cleared dirt amongst the grasslands. Normally abandoned,
the strip is right now very much a hive of activity. A rough wooden
structure has been erected to act as a control tower while the airstrip
is lit up by lights powered by generators. Elite Guard soldiers are on
patrol, guarding the airstrip and the OH-10 Century Cargo Planes. The
Century Planes resemble the TU-15 Backfire bombers built by the Soviet
Union, but is modified to incorporate elements of stealth technology and
a few other technologies. The planes are parked in a row on one side of
the airstrip, which has been lengthened to accommodate the large aircraft.
Wolf-sapien technicians and workers keep the planes fueled and in working
order while operating forklifts and small cranes that have been built
at the airstrip. Coming towards the airstrip is another long convoy of
trucks. As they approach the airstrip the lights there illuminate the
bogus Red Cross vehicles. The Alpha Soldiers on duty guide the trucks to
their offloading points. From a hilltop two kilometers away sat the
TurboJet Rover, its lights darkened and even the lights in the cockpit
subdued to avoid being spotted. Inside the TurboJet is the Road Rovers.
They are all using powerful, vision-enhancing binoculars to look at the
airstrip.

Exile:"Bolshoi. It looks like secret Soviet base in Siberia."

Colleen:"I got to admit these blokes are running a serious operation
         here."

Blitz:"Look at all those tooshies. I sure would like to them bite them,
       yah."

Exile lowers his binoculars and looks at Blitz.

Exile:"Really, Weird Boy? Then why do you not go to baddest guys while we
       sit here? We can waitski."

Blitz starts to shiver in fear.

Blitz:"Erm... let's watch the trucks some more, yah?"

Exile:"Good choice, Weird Boy."

The Rovers continue to watch what is going on. The trucks pull up to the
Century Planes and forklift crews begin to unload their cargoes and put-
ting them onto the aircraft. Hunter lowers his binoculars.

Hunter:"Okay, they're unloading their stuff. Colleen, get the scanner
        out and see just what the Elite Guard is hiding."

Colleen:"You got it, Huntie Wuntie."

The collie turns to the TurboJet's control panel and begins to operate
the craft's scanner. She goes over the cargo as they are transferred
from truck to plane while the others continue watching through their
binoculars. After a few minutes Colleen reports back.

Colleen:"Scan complete. I identified the cargo, but I'm baffled at what
         it is."

The others turn to her.

Hunter:"What is it?"

Colleen:"They're loading platinum onto those planes."

The Rovers give the collie a blank stare, which she frowns at.

Colleen:"Don't do that, you blokes. Your eyes will fall out."

Exile:"Sorry, comrade Colleen. But why baddest guys smuggling platinum?"

Blitz:"Maybe they want to make new flea collars?"

Shag mumbles something which makes Exile scratch his head.

Exile:"Platinum toilets to drink from, comrade Shag? Why would baddest
       guys want that?"

Shag just shrugs.

Colleen:"Well, platinum is a valuable metal and traded on the markets.
         Maybe the Elite Guard wants to get some spoils from the war."

Hunter rubs his chin in thought.

Hunter:"You might be on to something there, Colleen. But we'll have to
        hear what the other teams say, too. Maybe there's a pattern
        here."

Blitz:"Does this mean we're leaving, Hunter?"

Hunter:"You got it, Blitz. We're done here. We came, we saw, we scanned."

The other Rovers groan. Hunter shrugs with embarrassment.

Hunter:"Hey, they can't all be winners."

Colleen:"Let's just get moving, Huntie."

The Rovers get into their seats. A few minutes later the TurboJet Rover
takes the skies and flies off, leaving behind the Elite Guard-controlled
airstrip.

EG Kraken Vessel
Anchored 7 Kilometers From Shore
Somewhere Along Northern Mozambican Coast
11:03 PM:

Sitting off the coast of Mozambique is another Kraken Vessel, almost
invisible in the night time. It's anchors are lowered, keeping it in
place. Beneath the ocean waves some distance away, the Ocean Rover is 
slowly doggy-paddling up towards the stealth freighter. Inside the 
cockpit are the Maddogs. Beowulf is at the controls while Outlaw and
Wesley are working on the computer terminals. Sapphire and Silver are
sitting back on the rear seats. Beowulf looks over at Outlaw.

Beowulf:"We're coming up on the ship, Outlaw."

Outlaw:"Right at the spot where GPS coordinates are. Stop here, Beowulf.
        Let's not get too close and trigger an alarm."

Beowulf:"Okay."

Beowulf gently brings the Ocean Rover to rest on the ocean floor. Outlaw
turns to Wesley.

Outlaw:"Okay, Wesley. Scan that ship and see what its carrying."

Wesley:"Gotcha."

Wesley begins to work with the Ocean Rover's scanning while the others
gather around him.

Sapphire:"So, what do you guys think is on the ship?"

Silver:"I'm betting its weapons."

Beowulf:"My money is on supplies for the invasion force. Ammo and fuel."

Sapphire:"This is being kept too secret to be just that. I'm saying it is
         some kind of super weapon."

Outlaw:"We'll soon find in a minute."

They all wait while Wesley continues working. When he finishes scanning
he frowns as he examines the readings.

Wesley:"Weird."

Outlaw:"What is it?"

Wesley:"I've got the scans of the cargo, but I have no idea what it is."

Outlaw:"Did you make a comparison with our data?"

Wesley:"Only with what is on the Ocean Rover's systems. I'll try and
        make a match over the RR mainframe."

Wesley works on his console a bit more, going on the main RR systems to
check the data. When the results appear on the screen he is surprised
and confused.

Wesley:"Manganese ore."

The Maddogs look at each other with confusion.

Sapphire:"Guess none of us wins the bet."

Silver:"Manganese? I've never heard of it before."

Beowulf:"I have, and I know for sure it isn't a valuable metal. Why are
         they loading ships up with manganese?"

Outlaw:"We'll have to find that out back home. Come on, let's get out of
        here before we're spotted."

Beowulf gets the Ocean Rover to rise up from the sea bottom and turns it
around. The submersible begins to paddle away from the freighter.

The Master's Quarters
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of American
16:06 PM:

Seated at his own computer in his private office, the Master is listening
to Hunter, whose face is on the screen. The Master is holding a cup of
coffee while listening to the retriever's report.

Hunter:"So that is the whole list of what they carry. All of it a metal of
        one or another."

Master:"Manganese, vermiculite, platinum, chromite and even uranium and
        gold. Some of it I can understand, but all this. It doesn't make
        any sense at all."

Hunter:"So what do we do next, Master?"

Master:"Get some sleep, Hunter. You've all had a busy night. The others
        and I will try and process all this information and see if we
        can't make some kind of connection."

Hunter salutes on the screen.

Hunter:"Gotcha, Master. Over and out."

Master:"Sleep well, Rovers."

Hunter's face vanishes from the screen. The Master leans back in his chair,
taking a sip of his coffee. He stares at the ceiling for a good while.

Master:"A reason. There has to be one. Franco didn't just launch this
        invasion out a sudden urge, and this secret smuggling operation 
        has to be the link."

He leans forward, drinking some more coffee.

Master:"Gold and platinum are valuable, and uranium can be used for nuclear 
        purposes. On their own, it would have made sense. But this wide
        variety of minerals is strange."

He sighs and tries to take another sip of coffee. He discovers that his
mug is empty.

Master:"Perhaps I should go and get another cup of coffee. And talk to
        Striker and the others. Maybe then we can make progress with this
        puzzle."

The Master gets up, turns off his computer and then leaves his office
with coffee mug in hand. With General Franco's invasion underway, the
Road Rovers face an uphill battle to try and stop while trying to figure
out his plans. Why is the Elite Guard smuggling various minerals? What
is the real goal of the invasion? And who is this mysterious Miss D?


THE END