Rover Strike: Vortex

Episode 11: The Libyan Connection

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Dylan © Dylan Rinalds
Hotrod, Criminal © David Fountain
Rongue, Raven, Mara, Raul © Kirsten Coughlan
Pard, Sparrow, Celtic Squadron © K-9
Chris © Chris Markham

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

Presidential Residence
Windhoek
Namibia
18 January
02:02 AM:

It is early morning at the presidential residence in Windhoek, though 
not everyone is asleep. Guards are on patrol on the outside, while
inside a light or two shone through the windows. Inside the residence,
the Road Rovers' North Africa Unit is on night watch, running their
turn at protecting the Namibian president. The unit's leader, Bleki
the cocker spaniel, and Cruiser the Staghound were walking down one
of the corridors. Both of them are holding cups of hot chocolate in
their paws.

Cruiser:"So what are we going to do next once our turn at guarding the
         president is over, Bleki?"

Bleki:"Hunter says we can go and sort things out there on the border
       with Angola. Seems some South African commandoes are trying to
       get some former UNITA rebels to take up arms against and we've
       got to spoke their wheels."

Cruiser:"Are other units on the job?"

Bleki:"Several are already busy in the area, but Hunter is worried
       that they won't be able to find all the rebel leaders or the
       commandoes in time."

Cruiser:"Good. The last thing we need is..."

Suddenly Cruiser stops, fully alert. He puts his paw on Bleki to make
her stop, startling her a little.

Bleki:"Cruiser! You..."

Cruiser(whispering):"I think I just saw someone sneaking down the
       corridor."

He sniffs the air, then frowns in confusion.

Cruiser(whispering):"It's the president."

Bleki(whispering):"The president? But he's asleep. I think we had
     better investigate. Follow that scent and keep quiet."

Cruiser nods, then follows the scent while Bleki follows him. The
two of them go down the corridor, coming to a set of locked doors.
Cruiser goes to one of them and sniffs at it. He points to it when
he's done.

Cruiser(whispering):"He's in here."

Bleki(whispering):"Good work. Let me see if I can hear him."

Cruiser nods and steps back to let Bleki come up to the door. She puts
her ear to the wooden door and listens for what is going on beyond it.
The cocker spaniel females hears the president's voice.

President(beyond door):"They're bringing in more forces over the Orange
         River despite the Road Rovers' efforts... The Rovers told me
         that most of their active armed forces are now deployed into
         the war... No, no suspicions yet. They are too busy fighting
         the South Africans to worry about me, except to protect me
         from the assassins... Him? Still at the House, but we might
         need to either move or bury him before he is discovered. I
         can see there is too much going on and it won't belong before
         the Road Rovers... Excuse me?... Ah, good. I will do so... 
         No, they will never know... Thank you. Kingmaker out."

Bleki is surprised by she has heard. Suddenly she realizes the presi-
dent is walking to the door. She quickly turns to Cruiser.

Bleki(whispering):"Hide!"

The two cano-sapiens immediately run into another room and quickly
but quietly close the door. Just then the door opens and the Namibian
presidents walks out. He looks around a few times, then closes and
locks the door. As he walks down the corridor, Cruiser and Bleki
peek out through their door to see him.

Cruiser(whispering):"What was he doing in there?"

Bleki(whispering):"He was talking with someone over a phone or a
     radio perhaps."

Cruiser(whispering):"What about?"

Bleki(whispering):"I don't know, but apparently it's something we are
     not supposed to find out about. We'd better go and find Hunter
     and tell him. Come on."

Cruiser(whispering):"Lead on."

The two cano-sapiens wait until the coast, then they walk out of the
room and run down the corridor to go and look for Hunter.

Meeting Room
Stealth Rover
Libyan/Egyptian Border
6:22 AM:

Both Phoenix's and Tanarus' teams are gathered here in the meeting 
room, sitting around the table with steaming cups of hot chocolate or 
coffee on it. Everyone is listening to Phoenix.

Phoenix:"As you all know, the only lead we have about the whereabouts
         of the Elite Guard is the Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi.
         That's about all know, and we need to know more from him."

Hotrod:"How are we going to do that? He's not a good guy."

Elexis:"Well, he did fess up for the Lockerbie bombing and freely had
        his nuclear program dismantled."

Hotrod:"I still don't think that puts him on the right side of the
        line, Elexis."

Phoenix:"Plus, we don't know if he is still involved with the Elite
         Guard or not. So we're going to have to tread carefully."

Phoenix then turns to Illanov.

Phoenix:"Alex, you had some business with him during your arms dealer
         days. Could you tell us something about him?"

Illanov nods.

Illanov:"Dah. The very first thing you need to know about Gadaffi
         is that he is very eccentric. You might find him supporting
         terrorists while making his country extremely secular and
         free of radical Islamists. He makes plenty of money with the
         country's oil and acts like a philanthropist. If we move a
         little carefully around him, we might be able to get the
         information we need."

Phoenix:"So how would you recommend we proceed, Alex?"

Illanov:"I think we should try one of his sons, who is a major player
         in the oil industry now. From there we will see."

Phoenix:"All right. So we first set up a meeting with one of Gadaffi's
         sons. Corsair, find out which son we can interview. Preferably
         today."

Corsair:"Right on it."

Phoenix looks around the room.

Phoenix:"In the meantime, let's get to Tripoli and wait there until we
         have an appointment. If not, we might have to consider a more
         covert approach. Right, Tan?"

Tanarus:"More risky, but definitely an option we should look into while
         waiting."

Phoenix:"Good. Off to Tripoli we go."

Everyone gets up from the table, taking their mugs and taking sips of
their beverages as they file out of the room.

Planning Room
ZP War Zeppelin "Shadow Strike"
Somewhere over Corsica
En Route to Tripoli
At That Moment:

The planning room of this Mayhem Mercenaries war zeppelin is purely
functional. The walls, floor and ceiling are bare, with only a single
light in the ceiling and a large monitor against the one wall. A pair
of automatic doors lead out of the room. A set of chairs are around a 
large round table in the middle. Seated around the table are Airie,
Paladin, Deadeye Jane and several mercenary colonels. Lying on the
table before each of them are closed folders. Deadeye is addressing 
the group.

Deadeye:"Okay, now that we're here I can tell you what our mission is.
         Our paymasters, the European Corporation, has offered us a
         bounty on a certain cano-sapien. He is, according to them,
         missing property and they want him back. This individual is
         currently with Unit STRIKE in Libya, according to our latest
         intel."

Airie is a bit surprised by this, but she quickly hides the surprised
look on her face. Deadeye and the others don't notice.

Deadeye:"I already have Rongue and Raven on recon in Tripoli. Once
         they locate our quarry we will move in and capture him. Since
         he's with the Road Rovers, we're going to have to put a lot of
         firepower into the field to get him. Now, open the files in
         front of you and take in the info on the target."

Everyone else opens the folders before them and picks up the papers.
Airie is looking carefully at the file before her, which has a full
biography and a photograph of Jock.

Visitors Lobby
Gadaffi International Foundation
Central Tripoli
Libya
8:51 AM:

The visitors lobby is a large square room with wooden walls and three
wooden doors leading to the main entrance and into the office complex
proper. Leather seats and sofas are arranged around a large, polished
wooden table. A fluorescent light shines directly above the table,
while a security camera is whirring left and right as it scans the
room continuously. A large painting of Muammar Gadaffi hangs from one
of the walls. Unit STRIKE, including Tanarus, are here sitting on the
sofas and chairs, apparently waiting. Merit is studying the painting.

Merit:"I find this very unusual and peculiar."

Phoenix:"What do you mean, Merit?"

Merit:"These images constructed from wood pulp and liquids of various
       colourations. Their obiquity is very strange. Why do leaders
       install them in such large numbers?"

Phoenix:"Well... I guess they want people to remember who is charge
         and maybe just to see how they look."

Merit:"But a mirror would accomplish the same task with the benefit
       of letting others utilize it."

Everyone chuckles.

Corsair:"Heheheh. I'm getting this image in my head of a dictator 
         standing on a podium with a huge mirror behind him."

Shephard:"So do I."

Just then a man dressed in a business suit walks through one of the
office doors and everyone looks at him.

Man:"Mister Gadaffi will be seeing you now. Please stand."

The Strikers get to their feet. The door opens again, whereupon a
good number of men and women in suits, carrying AK-47 rifles, walk
into the room. Then, to the great surprise of the Rovers, in walks
Muammar Gadaffi, dressed in traditional Bedouin attire.

Illanov:"Bolshoi. Muammar Gadaffi?"

Gadaffi:"Yes, that is I."

Phoenix:"But I thought we were going to speak with Seif al-Islam."

Gadaffi:"My son, yes. Unfortunately, he is very busy with a meeting
         with oil executives. I was just paying a visit and decided 
         to come in his stead. Please, be seated."

Phoenix:"Uh... thank you."

The Strikers sit down again, looking a little uneasy while Gadaffi
makes himself comfortable on one of the seats. He looks at Phoenix.

Gadaffi:"So you are one of the Road Rovers?"

Phoenix:"Yes, I am a Road Rover."

Gadaffi:"Good! I always follow your exploits on the news, so I'm
         honoured to host another visit by your people... or furs."

Phoenix looks confused.

Phoenix:"Another visit?"

Gadaffi:"Why yes. Two days ago a group of wolves visited me and asked
         me some questions. They said they were with the Road Rovers."

The Strikers look in surprise at each other. Gadaffi notices this.

Gadaffi:"Is there something wrong?"

Tanarus turns to Gadaffi.

Tanarus:"Mister Gadaffi, did these wolves have bright red eyes?"

Gadaffi:"Oh yes, they did. I have to admit: it does make them look
         very menacing. Why?"

Tanarus and Phoenix look at each other, nodding in understanding. 
Phoenix turns to Gadaffi.

Phoenix:"Mister Gadaffi, I'm afraid those wolves were not Road Rovers."

Gadaffi(surprised):"They're not? Then who were they?"

Phoenix:"They... well, they are after something we are looking for."

Gadaffi:"What is this something?"

Phoenix pauses for a moment, then speaks.

Phoenix:"The Elite Guard."

Immediately Gadaffi sits up, no longer looking upbeat and a frown on
his forehead.

Gadaffi:"Oh. THEM."

He spits on the floor.

Merit:"I do believe I detect contempt in your voice, Muammar Gadaffi."

Gadaffi:"More than just contempt. Anger. Hatred. I pray to Allah that
         he burns Franco to ash. What do you want to know about him?"

Phoenix:"I think we need to start at the beginning. When did you and
         General Franco first meet."

Gadaffi leans back in his seat.

Gadaffi:"I have never met Franco in person, but I have met one of his
         generals. A wolf named Seneschal. I always spoke to Franco
         through him. When we first met they offered to provide me
         and my country assistance in exchange for a safe haven and
         free reign in the south of Libya."

Phoenix:"When was this?"

Gadaffi thinks for a moment.

Gadaffi:"1983, if I remember correctly."

Illanov:"What did assistance did the Elite Guard offer?"

Gadaffi:"Three things. First was to help locate oil fields and establish
         wells deep in the desert. Second was to help start up my
         country's nuclear weapons program. And third to establish
         training camps for freedom fighters. Naturally I accepted
         it all, since I believed I was getting the better end of the
         deal."

Phoenix:"Did any Israeli cargo planes fly in and out of your country
         after that agreement?"

Gadaffi:"If I knew they did that, my air force would have shot them 
         all down. But many aircraft did fly into the south of Libya
         for some time after I made the agreement. Seneschal told me
         they were all Elite Guard aircraft."

Phoenix:"Were they?"

Gadaffi shrugs.

Gadaffi:"I don't know. I gave the Elite Guard free reign in the Sahara
         Desert, so I didn't bother to check. Looking back, I think
         that was a big mistake."

Corsair:"Sounds like you and Franco had a fallout."

Gadaffi:"A fallout?"

Illanov:"He meant an arguement, comrade Gadaffi."

Gadaffi:"Oh."

Gadaffi nods his head, his frown becoming a scowl.

Gadaffi:"We certainly had arguements, especially when I started to 
         learn that Franco and his Elite Guard were lying to me."

Phoenix:"How?"

Gadaffi:"First thing were those oil fields. At first many of their
         reports were accurate and yielded great bounties, but over
         time they started to give false information, sending my
         people hither and yon across the desert on vague clues of
         non-existent oil fields. And then came Lockerbie."

Phoenix:"The Lockerbie bombing?"

Gadaffi:"That infidel Franco was not using the camps to train freedom
         fighters. He was training terrorists of all stripes, right
         in my own back yard. And he was using them for his own needs.
         Lockerbie was one of them. I never could wrest enough infor-
         mation from Seneschal, but apparently someone on that Pan Am
         flight had annoyed Franco. So, what he does he do? He has
         his own specially-trained terrorist go and blow up the plane
         over Lockerbie and then manages to make the whole thing look 
         like it was my fault! MY fault! Libya and I suffered under
         sanctions while he just laughed."

Everyone is surprised at this revelation.

Tanarus:"But the Lockerbie investigations..."

Gadaffi:"... all pointed to me. And why not? Franco had set me up as
         the scapegoat. Oh sure, I did order my share of attacks on
         the West, but this put the international spotlight fully on
         me!"

Phoenix:"Were you angry about that?"

Gadaffi:"I was furious. I called Seneschal and warned him and his master
         that I will not tolerate their presence in my country any 
         longer. How does he respond? By massacring several of my 
         fellow Bedouin tribes! Men, women, children, even their ani-
         mals! And then Franco has the gall to tell me that it was
         punishment for MY disobedience!"

Gadaffi bangs his fist hard on the table.

Gadaffi:"That was the last straw! I mobilized Libya's armies and sent
         them out to hunt down the Elite Guard. But after weeks of
         searches, we discovered they had fled like the cowardly dogs
         they are. They took everything with them and left nothing but
         empty bases in the desert."

Shephard:"What about that nuclear program?"

Gadaffi:"A complete farce. There was a successful program, but it was
         only to the benefit of the Elite Guard. When they left, they
         took all the equipment and left me with nothing but empty
         buildings. For years I tried restoring the program, but as
         you saw I eventually abandoned it. I had poured millions of
         dollars into that program, and Franco stole all of it."

Phoenix:"Do you know where they might have gone, Mister Gadaffi?"

Gadaffi:"I would certainly like to know that too, Madam. But Franco
         left me with nothing."

Phoenix:"What about those empty bases?"

Gadaffi:"We left them to rot in the desert. There was nothing left
         there for us to salvage and they were useless militarily."

Tanarus:"Is all this what you told us the same you told those wolves
         who visited earlier?"

Gadaffi:"Very much, but they had asked for more specifics, such as
         the location of the bases. I gladly gave it to them, since
         I was told the Road Rovers were hunting the Elite Guard."

Phoenix:"Well, we ARE hunting them, Mister Gadaffi, but these wolves
         were not Road Rovers."

Gadaffi:"Who were they, then?"

Phoenix:"Part of a group that we think might also want to destroy
         the Elite Guard."

Gadaffi:"In that case, I am glad I assisted them. Full power to any-
         one who goes after those monsters. Say, could I perhaps
         offer you a bounty of ten million American dollars for the
         head of Franco?"

Merit:"Actually, I believe that your currency would be better spent
       purchasing mirrors."

Gadaffi looks in utter confusion at Merit, while the Strikers gasp in
shock.

Gadaffi:"Mirrors?"

Merit:"Correct. The mirrors can..."

Shephard quickly goes and smacks Merit against the head, confusing the
robot. Gadaffi looks at Phoenix.

Gadaffi:"What is that machine talking about?"

Phoenix:"Nothing important, Mister Gadaffi. He tends to spout out non-
         sense."

Gadaffi:"Like he did just now?"

Phoenix:"Yes."

Gadaffi:"Though so. Anyway, what do you say about my bounty offer?"

Phoenix shakes her head.

Phoenix:"No thank you, Mister Gadaffi. All we want from you is the lo-
         cation of those bases so we can continue our hunt for the
         Elite Guard."

Gadaffi:"With pleasure, Madam."

Gadaffi turns to an aide and tells his something. The aide acknowledges
and runs off for a few minutes. When he returns he is holding a map
and a red fountain pen. The aide gives the items to Gadaffi, who spreads
the map over the table and uncaps the pen. The Strikers look at the
map.

Gadaffi:"Right. The Elite Guard built many bases throughout the south
         of Libya. Most are too small to be worth mentioning, but there
         are three large ones..."

He makes three red "X"s on the map with the pen.

Gadaffi:"... at these locations. I believe they were the main bases for
         the Elite Guard in Libya. You could try searching there."

He rolls up the map and offers it to Phoenix, who takes it.

Phoenix:"Thank you for your assistance, Mister Gadaffi."

Gadaffi stands up.

Gadaffi:"It is I who should be thank you, the Road Rovers. And if you
         do finally locate Franco, give him my cold regards."

The Strikers all get up as well.

Phoenix:"We will."

Gadaffi:"Thank you. Now please excuse me, but I need to go and meet
         the new American ambassador within the hour. Good luck and
         may Allah guide you to this infidel's lair."

Phoenix:"Thank you."

Gadaffi files out of the room, followed by his aides and bodyguards.
The Strikers are lead out of the visitor's lobby through the door
that leads to the main office entrance.

Room 112
Apartment Block
Central Tripoli
9:41 AM:

The apartment block is, while not the best, was certainly a decent
one with well-kept walls and a fine carpet running down a corridor
with many doors lined along it. Each wooden door has a number on a
brass plate on it. A man appears at one end of the corridor and
walks to one of the doors: it is the man who had introduced Gadaffi 
to Unit STRIKE. He knocks on the door, which has the number 112 on
it. A few seconds later there are footsteps, following by the sounds
of someone working on the locks. The door swings open, revealing a
man wearing casual wear and a badge that identified him as journalist.
He looks at the man.

Journalist:"Ah, it's you. Got something?"

Man:"Yes, I do. A group of those Road Rovers visited the president
     today."

The journalist immediately looks interested. He pulls out a pen and a
notepad, which he then opens.

Journalist:"Do tell."

The man begins to tell the journalist what he had overheard during the
meeting. The journalist scribbles the information down on the notepad.
Once the man finishes he looks excitedly at the journalist.

Man:"So it is good enough?"

Journalist:"Sir, it is perfect. Here is your reward."

The journalist digs into one of his denim pockets and pulls out a wad
of high-denomination Euro bank notes. He gives it to the man.

Journalist:"Mayhem Magazine thanks you for your contribution to our
            celebrity column."

The man takes the roll and smiles.

Man:"Thank you. May you have a good day."

Journalist:"Same to you."

The man walks back the way he came, counting his wad of money with
trembling excitement. The journalist watches the man go, then goes
back in and closed the door. Once he has locked it, he goes to his
desk by the window and picks up a cellphone. He dials a number and
waits for the answer. When the call is answered, Rongue is speaking
on the other end.

Rongue(over phone):"Speak."

Journalist(into phone):"This is Tripoli Tabby Five. I have information
          on the primary objectives."

Rongue(over phone):"Go ahead, TT Five."

The journalist begins to relay the information he wrote on the notepad
to the Mayhem mercenary commander.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Franco is once again on the telephone with Champion standing behind him.
However, the monitors are all tuned in to show a large map of Africa
with dozens of dots and lines on it.

Franco(into phone):"Mister T, have you found out where Unit STRIKE is?
      ... Ah, in Libya... They spoke to him already?"

He swears in anger.

Franco(into phone):"I knew I should have killed him! What did he tell
      them?... D***... What?"

He begins to look interested.

Franco(into phone):"So they are now after them?... Why?... Ah, and how
      strong a force are we talking about here?... Impressive, but I
      would want my own forces in on this as well... You agree with
      that? Good. I want to make sure that the Sahara claims them, one
      way or another. And what should I do about Celtic Squadron?...
      Ah, I'm free to deal with them as I wish? Good... Thank you, 
      Mister T. And keep me updated on the Road Rovers' progress in 
      Namibia... Good day."

Franco puts the phone down, then turns his attention to the map on the
monitors.

Airfield
Southern Angola
Near the Namibian Border
10:21 AM:

The airfield, located in the semi-desert bush and grassland regions of
southern Angola, is nothing more than a dirt clearing with a few 
buildings made of rusty corrugated iron sheets. A large Hercules C-101
aircraft is parked by the buildings. It has no markings, but it is
painted in military green and brown colors. Standing guard around the
aircraft are several South African soldiers with R-5 rifles, while
standing in the shade of a large tree are a group of AK-47-armed ex-
UNITA militiamen. Watching this scene from behind a large thorn bush
a short distance away is Hunter and Chris.

Chris:"So that's a South African plane, Hunter?"

Hunter:"You betcha, buddy. And we're here to cancel its next flight for
        good and capture all the bad guys here."

Chris:"Sounds cool. What's my role in the plan?"

Hunter hands Chris a bag. Chris opens it and looks inside. Surprised,
he pulls out a small toy robot dog.

Chris:"A toy?"

Hunter:"Yeah. You're gonna let a few of these loose on the landing strip
        to distract the soldiers and militiamen."

Chris:"But how will that help?"

Hunter nudges and winks.

Hunter:"Oh, these toys got a little... surprise for them. You'll see."

Chris nods and puts the toy back in the bag with the other dogs. Hunter
points to the end of the strip closest to the buildings.

Hunter:"Let them all loose there, then get back here. We'll call you
        if we need any more help."

Chris:"Gotcha."

Hunter:"Good luck, buddy."

Chris takes the bag and begins to creep through the long grass towards
the landing strip. While he does this, Hunter calls the others.

Hunter(into radio):"Pack leader here. Everyone in position?"

Colleen(over radio):"Big Momma here, Pack Leader. Blister and I are 
       near the Party House."

Blitz can be heard growling in the background, followed by a swift
punch and a soft yelp of pain from the Doberman.

Hunter(into radio):"Uh... cool. How about you, Snowman?"

Exile(over radio):"Snowman here, comrade. Hairball and I have the
     aircraft in our eyes."

Hunter(into radio):"Sights, bud. Sights."

Exile(over radio):"You seeski it too? Good, comrade."

Hunter(into radio):"Never mind. Get ready for New Guy's signal."

Colleen, Exile(over radio):"Affirmative, Pack Leader."

Hunter turns his radio off, then looks at Chris, who has reached the
end of the landing strip undetected. Chris is still hidden behind the
long grass, unnoticed by the soldiers and militiamen. He opens the
bag and takes out the toy robots. One by one he quickly activates them
and lets them loose onto the landing strip. After the last one is turned
on, Chris creeps back to cover. The little toy dogs make tinny barking
noises as they wander onto the strip from the tall grass. Very soon one
militiaman spots the silver glint and walks towards it, AK-47 at the
ready. As he walks towards it, the other militiamen and the soldiers
notice him and ready their weapons as well. The militiaman comes close
enough to see the little toy dog robot. He looks confused at it, then
turns to his friends.

Militiaman:"Hoi! Come look at this!"

The others come running up, their rifles ready, while the first one goes
and picks up one of the toys. He looks confused at while the others
gather around him. They, too, are surprised at what they see.

Militiaman:"Where did this come from?"

The others go and each pick up a toy dog to examine, looking them over
curiously. The South Africans just watch them, still holding their R-5
rifles ready. Suddenly the little dog toys hiss out a cloud of gas into
the militiamen's faces. Before they can even react, they collapse to
the ground, fast asleep. Their collapse alarms the South Africans, who
immediately looking around with their rifles aimed in front of them.
Chris and Hunter watch the scene unfold before them.

Chris:"Wow. Nice trick!"

Hunter:"You betcha. Now just sit tight and watch this next trick."

Chris:"Gotcha."

Hunter then begins to crawling away super fast through the grass. The
soldiers form a protective circle around the airplane while one of
them runs to one of the buildings. As the soldier is about to reach
the door, Colleen suddenly jumps out from behind some ammunition
crates and karate kicks the man in the face. He falls to the ground
just a metre shy of the door. The soldiers hear this attack and all
turn towards Colleen, who is waving pleasantly at them.

Colleen:"Mornin', guv!"

The soldiers all take aim at the collie, then suddenly a fast blur
runs past each of them. When they look again, they find their R-5
rifles gone and a trail of fire running past in front of them. They
follow the trail and spot Hunter standing nearby, holding their
rifles in his arms.

Hunter:"Tsk, tsk. You'll shoot someone's eye out with these."

Before the soldiers can react again, Hunter drops the rifles and runs
super fast past them again. He lands a punch on each soldier in rapid
succession, knocking them all down. Once he is done, Colleen is clap-
ping her paws.

Colleen:"Not bad, Huntie."

Hunter:"Thanks, Colleen. Now you and Shag go and check out the party."

Colleen:"Right away."

Colleen walks towards the large building while Shag appears, carrying
a small bush that he is, vainly, attempting to hide behind. Colleen
rolls her eyes as Shag approaches.

Colleen:"Shag, get rid of the bush."

Shag:"Rheorghe?"

Colleen:"Not George. The one you're holding."

Shag:"Rhoh, rhokay."

Shag throws the bush aside. Colleen goes up to the door and knocks on
it. Moments later somebody on the other side removes latch and opens
the door. A burly militiaman sticks his head out, looking annoyed.

Doorman:"Hey! The boss is still..."

His eyes widen in surprise when he realizes he's looking at a smirking
Colleen.

Colleen:"Hello, guv. Mind if I come in?"

The man frowns and throws a punch at the collie. Colleen easily ducks
and avoids the punch, then lands one of her own. The man staggers
backwards into the building. Colleen runs in after him, kicking the
man in the chest and forcing him to the ground. Colleen looks around
the room where she is. It is a dark, square room with a single bare
lightblub giving light to a metal table below. Seated by the table is
a large Angolan man in military fatigues and a South African commando
captain. Both men look surprised at the Colleen, then the Angolan
militia leader gets up and points at her.

Leader:"How dare you come in here? I will kill you!"

Both the leader and the captain reach for the pistols on the table,
lying amongst some papers and two suitcases filled with money. Colleen
dives onto the table, grabbing the pistols and knocking over the
suitcases. Bank notes fly about as Colleen jumps off the table and
up on her feet. She removes the pistols' ammo clips.

Colleen:"Not this day, guv."

The leader lunges at Colleen, getting ready to pummel her. Colleen
simply responds by kicking him in the gut. The Angolan gasps and stag-
gers and coughs. Colleen karate chops the man on the back of the
head, knocking him out and making him hit the floor with a loud thud.
The captain, meanwhile, dashes for the open door. Shag appears in
the doorway the captain collides with the big sheepdog. He looks up
at Shag, then reaches for the doorman's gun. Shag quickly reacts by
pulling out a cooking pan from his fur and knocking the captain out
with a loud "CLANG".

Colleen:"Nice work, eh? Now get us some rope to tie these fellows up."

Shag:"Rha!"

Shag puts the pan away and pulls out some rope. He and Colleen then
proceed to tie up the men. Once done, they drag them outside, where
Hunter and Chris have finished tying up the soldiers, militiamen and 
the airplane's pilots to a large tree. Hunter looks at Colleen.

Hunter:"Everything cool?"

Colleen:"Sure is, Huntie. The party was thoroughly crashed. How's
         things here?"

Hunter:"Great. We got everyone all gathered by the tree. Exile and
        Blitz are busy getting the plane ready for the big fireworks
        display. Bring those guys here and tie them up."

Colleen:"Right on it."

Colleen and Shag bring the trio to the tree and proceed to tie them
up. While Shag goes back into the building to fetch the documents,
Hunter and Colleen empty the leaders' pockets for anything important.
Once done, Hunter turns to Chris.

Hunter:"Okay, that's it. Chris, plant the beacon so our Namibian buds
        can come and pick these guys up."

Chris:"Roger that, Hunter."

As Chris pulls out a small electronic homing beacon and begins to set
it, Exile and Blitz come walking down the ramp of the airplane. Blitz
is looking excitedly at Exile, who is holding a bone-shaped remote with
a single red button.

Blitz:"Can I push the button? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please?"

Exile(growling):"Weird Boy, I already told you to wait until we are
     OUT of the airplane."

Blitz:"Please?"

Exile growls as they go a safe distance, finally giving the bone remote
to the doberman.

Exile:"Here."

Blitz eagerly takes the remote, then pushes the red button. Seconds
later a massive explosion rips the body of the aircraft apart, sending
debris flying and the plane collapsing into a heap of twisted, smoking
scrap metal. Blitz howls excitedly.

Blitz:"Ooooh! Birdie go booooom!"

Exile just shakes his head, arms folded over his chest.

Exile:"Sometimes he makeski more than usual nonsense."

Once that task is done, Hunter gathers up the team.

Hunter:"Good work, guys. That's one less rebel group the Namibians
        will be worried about. Now let's get out of here! Let's hit
        the road, Rovers!"

The Rovers howl in unison as they run away from the airfield, going into
the long grass back to their transport. The plane leaves a huge plume of
smoke as it smolders, while by the unconscious soldiers and militiamen
the homing beacon is beeping. 

Abandoned Base
Sahara Desert
Southern Libya
10:56 AM:

The expanse of the rocky Saharan surface is broken up by the occasional
sand dune and mesas that rise above the landscape. Located at the
base in the shadow of one such mesa is a large base that is clearly
a military one. The base consists of concrete hangars, barracks and
command buildings, a large airfield with concrete terminals and a
control tower, and other kinds of concrete structures. A concrete
wall, dotted with guard towers, surrounds the complex. However, upon
closer inspection one can see that the base had been abandoned for a
while: sand has piled up in the base, burying some parts of it. But
the busy now has new tenants: the troopers and hardware of the KH
Military's Celtic Squadron have taken up residence, setting up a
temporary camp in the base. Holding position above the base is the
KHAC Queen Victoria. The Victoria looks like a scaled-down version
of the KHA Alexander, with a yellowish-tan color, a large KH Military 
insignia painted just aft of the rear-most Turbo Laser Cannon battery
and a Celtic Squadron insignia just aft of that. Dropships and 
Carriers are flying to and from the Victoria, ferrying troopers, hard-
ware and equipment to the base. Standing on a platform on the Victoria
is General Pard. He is looking down at the base, watching operations.
Captain Sparrow appears on the platform and salutes.

Sparrow:"General."

Pard:"At ease, captain. What have you got?"

Sparrow stops saluting and goes at ease.

Sparrow:"Our troops have fully secured the base and are busy searching
         the buildings. However, it is clear Franco abandoned this base
         some years ago. Most of the buildings are in a bad state of
         neglect, though some of the equipment needed to run in are
         still here."

Pard:"Defences?"

Sparrow:"None. We have to ferry our own hardware down from the Vee.
         I have ordered our troopers to man the guard towers and
         patrol around the walls. But radar shows nothing on the ho-
         rizon."

Pard:"Good. That means we can focus on hunting down Franco. Keep up
      the search and report any and all findings to me as soon as
      possible."

Sparrow:"Yes, general."

Meanwhile, down at one of the guard towers, two Covert Troopers are
on guard. They look across the vast, empty expanse of the Sahara.

Trooper 1:"Nothing. Nothing but sand, rocks and hard-baked dirt."

Trooper 2:"Yeah. And the shimmering of the heat."

Trooper 1:"That's about the only thing moving out there."

Trooper 2:"That and the dust being kicked up by..."

The second trooper stops, staring at the shimmering not far from the
base.

Trooper 1:"See something?"

Trooper 2:"Don't know what, but that shimmering looks... wrong."

The two troopers take out binoculars and take a look at the shimmering.
Immediately they notice the shimmering is out of shape, with a cloud
of dust behind it.

Trooper 2:"Weird."

Suddenly the first trooper sees it: one of the shimmering is leaving
tread marks behind in the dirt.

Trooper 1:"Holy s..."

Suddenly the shimmering fade, bringing into immediate view a sight
that shocks the troopers. A dozen vehicles are moving towards the base. 
The first is a tank with a crescent-shaped shield in front. The second
is a large dune buggy with machine guns up front and rocket packs fixed 
to the rear. The third is a giant, bipedal robotic mech, with arms 
that end in a left claw and a right laser cannon. The fourth vehicle 
is a fighter craft that looks like a cross between a helicopter and a 
harrier. The fifth and final vehicle is a treaded vehicle with a large
orb on its back. All vehicles are painted in a black/yellow pattern,
and all carry the Elite Guard insignia. From the Victoria, Pard and
Sparrow stare in surprise and shock at the opposing army, which is
drawn single-file in a crescent around the base.

Sparrow:"What the h***? Where did they come from?"

Pard takes out his binoculars and takes a look at the army. He quickly
sees the Elite Guard insignias. He growls as he lowers the binoculars.

Pard:"It's Franco."

The next instant the mechs, called Templars, raise their laser cannons
and fire at the base. At the same time, the Battery Buggies launch a
volley of rockets towards the Victoria. The laser cannons hit several
towers and the walls, blasting them into chunks of concrete. The tanks,
called Rhino Tanks, and the flying Vulture Fighters break formation
and move towards the base, immediately firing at the base defenders.
Very quickly a full scale battle is underway, with Celtic forces re-
treating behind the walls and getting defenses ready. The rockets
fly at the Victoria, but are stopped short by the ship's shields.
Pard and Sparrow watch as the rockets donate a short distance away.

Sparrow:"We're surrounded! How on earth did they get so close without
         being seen?"

Pard:"I think that is the answer."

Pard points towards the vehicle with the orb, called a Cloak Tank. The
Cloak Tanks are all staying behind the attack force, keeping out of
harm's way. Sparrow looks at them.

Sparrow:"What are those, general?"

Pard:"I'm not sure, but I'm certain they helped get their friends so
      close to us."

He growls as he looks at the advancing army.

Pard:"Well, Franco. If it's a fight you want, you will get it!"

He turns to Sparrow.

Pard:"Secure our defenses and then send these cowards running with
      their tails between their legs."

Sparrow:"Yes, general!"

Pard:"And I also think this would be a good time to try out that spe-
      cial delivery from General Thrax."

Sparrow:"I agree, general. That might take some time to prepare, 
         though."

Pard:"Then you had better get the preparations started right away.
      And rally our forces. The time has come for Celtic Squadron to
      hit back at our former leader's lackeys."

Sparrow:"With great pleasure, general."

Sparrow heads into the Victoria, while Pard watches as Celtic forces
take up defense positions against the attacking Elite Guard forces.

Stealth Rover
Southern Libya
En Route to Abandoned Base
At That Moment:

The Stealth Rover is flying across the desert, staying above the clouds. 
In the cockpit Tanarus is at the flight controls, while Elexis is next
to him. Phoenix and Illanov are seated behind them, while the others
are also in their seats. Some of them are looking out the cockpit at
the landscape below.

Hotrod:"You know, I always thought the Sahara was nothing but heaps of
        sand. I never realized there's more to it. It actually looks
        very good."

Dylan:"Yeah, if you're watching from an air conditioned aircraft."

Hotrod chuckles at Dylan's remark.

Hotrod:"There is that."

Shephard:"Man, no wonder Franco set up shop out here. It's so empty
          you could easily hide an army out here."

Phoenix:"I think that's he had in mind, Shephard. But now we need to
         know where that army went to."

Phoenix looks over at Tanarus.

Phoenix:"How much further now, Tanarus?"

Tanarus checks the flight dashboard.

Tanarus:"About fifty or sixty kilometers and we'll be there. It won't
         be long now."

Phoenix:"Good. Once we get there..."

She is interrupted in mid sentence by the sound of jet engines. Outside
a squadron of five Mayhem F-80 Sky Raiders appear from the clouds and
surround the Stealth Rover. The Rovers and Strikers look in surprise at
the jets.

Corsair:"Holy mackrel! Where did these guys come from?"

Illanov:"Mother Russia! Those are Mayhem Mercenary aircraft!"

Hotrod:"Oh, s***! This looks bad!"

Alarmed, Elexis checks the radar.

Elexis:"I don't understand it. They're not showing up on the radar! 
        But F-80s don't have stealth technology!"

She hears a beeping on the console and checks it. The coyote then turns
to Phoenix.

Elexis:"Phoenix, the aircraft are hailing us."

Phoenix:"Better put them on so we can hear what they want."

Elexis nods and pushes a button to open a communications channel. A 
moment later Rongue's voice comes on the overhead, much to Jock's
surprise.

Rongue(over radio):"This is Rongue of the Mayhem Mercenaries. We have
      your craft surrounded."

Phoenix comes up to the communications console and speaks with a
growl in her voice.

Phoenix(into radio):"How did you find us?"

Rongue(over radio):"A mysterious friend called and told us where to
      find you. I don't know who he is, but he was right about you."

Phoenix(into radio):"What do you want with us?"

Rongue(over radio):"One of our customers want us to recover one of
      their stolen properties, which you have with you right now: the
      one called Jock."

Everyone looks surprised at Jock, who is sitting with a stunned look
on his face. Suddenly another voice comes onto the overhead, this time
that of a female.

Voice(over radio):"Hey, Jock! Look to your right! Do you remember me?"

Jock immediately looks out the right window at the F-80 nearby. He can
see a female husky pilot at the controls, waving back at Jock with a
grin. Jock's eyes go wide.

Jock:"Raven?"

Female(over radio):"Long time no see."

Jock just looks forward, still very much in shock. Dylan puts a comfor-
ting paw on his shoulder.

Corsair:"I'll bet you all five bucks that the 'customer' is EuroCorp."

Hotrod:"I ain't taking THAT bet up. Too easy."

Phoenix turns back to the communications console, a look of deviance
on her face.

Phoenix(into radio):"You are NOT taking Jock back to EuroCorp! We
       will not allow it!"

Rongue(over radio):"Now, now. Don't be so rash. Look to your left."

Everyone looks out the left window. In the distance, flying parallel
with the Stealth Rover, is a War Zeppelin.

Rongue(over radio):"Fly over to that zeppelin, give us Jock and we
      will give you two minutes to get away before we make your craft
      kiss the Sahara."

Phoenix(into radio):"Not a chance."

Rongue(over radio):"We got you surrounded. Where can you possibly go
      from here?"

Phoenix(into radio):"Watch!"

She looks at Tanarus.

Phoenix:"Lose them."

Tanarus:"With pleasure. Hold on!"

Everyone buckles into their seats and hold on as Tanarus pushes forward
on the flight stick. The Stealth Rover suddenly dives down towards
the desert floor, much to Rongue and the others' surprise. Rongue then
radios the other pilots.

Rongue(over radio):"Stay with them! Force them to land!"

The F-80s then begin to dive after the Stealth Rover. The Stealth Rover
comes closer and closer to the ground, then Tanarus pulls back on the
stick. The Stealth Rover levels with the desert floor, skirting above
the desolate landscape. Behind it the F-80s are in hot pursuit, trying
to keep up with it. Above the War Zeppelin comes through the clouds,
trying to keep up.

Bridge
ZP War Zeppelin "Shadow Strike"
At That Moment:

The bridge of the Zeppelin slopes downward along the hall, with tiers
of controls with a staircase in the middle. Pilots, technicians and
officers are at controls of the Zeppelin. At the top of the staircase
is a large control panel for the captain and his first mates.  With the
captain is Deadeye Jane, Airie and Paladin. Airie is currently wearing
earphones while speaking to someone on a microphone. Deadeye Jane and
the captain are conversing.

Deadeye:"Can you keep up with them?"

Captain:"Not for long, Ma'am. We can keep them within a certain range
         for about an hour at most. After that, we loose them."

Deadeye:"Then keep up as long as you can and a fast as you can."

Captain:"Aye, Ma'am."

At that moment Airie turns to Deadeye Jane, lifting the earphones.

Airie:"Miss D is on the line. She wants to know if we are going to con-
       tinue our pursuit of Unit STRIKE."

Deadeye:"Tell her we are hunting them down as we speak. Why is she asking
         anyway?"

Airie:"She says we must break pursuit and pull back until she tells us to
       move in again."

Deadeye frowns.

Deadeye:"What? Let talk to her."

Airie hands the earphones and mike to Deadeye, who puts them on and begins
to speak.

Deadeye(into mike):"This is Deadeye Jane... Yes, I got your message, Miss
       D. Now why should we break pursuit?... What force?... You can't
       tell me? And why not?... Well, here's news. We're going after our
       targets and will fight through anybody who oppose us. Got it?...
       Whatever you say. Cheers, Miss D!"

Deadeye Jane takes off the earphones and mike and gives it back to a sur-
prised Airie. She then turns to the captain, who is staring at her with
anticipation.

Deadeye:"Continue as planned, captain."

Captain:"Aye, Ma'am."

Airie comes up to Deadeye.

Airie:"We pushing ahead with the pursuit? What about those other forces?"

Deadeye:"We're pushing ahead, yes. And those forces give us all the 
         more reason to do so. The last thing I need to have those 
         forces go and kill the target by mistake."

Airie:"Ah."

Airie looks out the bridge windows, looking very uncertain. Deadeye 
remains unconcerned as she watches the captain relay her orders to the 
rest of the crew.

Stealth Rover
Over Sahara Desert:

Tanarus is keeping the Stealth Rover as low as he can to the desert 
floor, while everyone else is holding on tightly. Elexis is busy at
the radar. Shephard looks out the windows, but doesn't see the F-80s
following them.

Shephard:"Shouldn't they be firing at us by now?"

Illanov:"I think they don't want to accidentally kill Jock, comrade."

Shephard:"Yes, sir, but they're not even making an attempt to force
          us to land or crash."

Phoenix:"They're probably just waiting for the right moment, Shep."

She turns to Elexis, who is working on the radar.

Phoenix:"Are they still behind us?"

Elexis:"Still holding formation right behind us, Phoenix. But we're
        coming up on the abandoned base, and I'm picking up a large
        number of signatures there."

Phoenix frowns in confusion.

Phoenix:"What kind of signatures?"

Elexis:"I can't say for sure. It's so mixed up that I can't tell the
        individual signatures apart."

Phoenix:"Let's hope it's someone who can get these mercenaries off
         our tails. ETA?"

Elexis:"Any second now, Phoenix."

They look up through the front windshield. The Stealth Rover is now
flying amongst some mesas. Tanarus guides it between two mesas, then
makes a sharp turn. Suddenly they find themselves looking directly
at the Victoria, with the battle ranging all around it and the base
below it. A Vulture, pursued by an attacking Orca, zooms dangerously
close past the Stealth Rover.

Hotrod:"Whoa! What's this?"

Shephard:"Looks like we got ourselves a big scrap here, sirs."

Tanarus stares wide-eyed at the Victoria.

Tanarus:"That's the Queen Victoria, the Celtic Squadron's command 
         ship!"

Suddenly the Stealth Rover finds itself in the midst of the aerial
battle above the base. A missile flies towards it. Inside the cockpit
an alarm goes off on the flight console.

Elexis:"KH missle inbound!"

Tanarus:"Enable countermeasures! I'm taking evasive action!"

Elexis quickly pushes a button while Tanarus begins to take evasive
action. The Stealth Rover turns left while a holographic projection
of it appears where it had been a moment earlier. Seconds later a
missile comes flying to the hologram. It flies harmless through it.
Inside everyone is looking at the battle raging around them.

Corsair:"Holy mackerel! We're in over our heads here!"

Merit:"I believe this is a hazardous environment to be present at the
       current point of time."

Phoenix:"Tanarus! Get us out of this battle quickly!"

Tanarus:"Definitely!"

Tanarus begins to weave the Stealth Rover through the battle, evading
enemy fire while Elexis uses countermeasures to shake off incoming
fire. Missiles, bullets and lasers are flying through the air, though
the combating Elite Guard and Celtic Squadron forces are more focused
on each other than the lone Stealth Rover. Everyone is holding on,
watching the battle all around them. The Stealth Rover makes a single
pass over the base before finally coming out the other side of it,
escaping the battle to everyone's relief.

Phoenix:"Elexis, where are the mercenary aircraft?"

Elexis checks the radar.

Elexis:"I don't see them following. We must have lost them in the midst
        of that battle."

Phoenix nods and then turns to Tanarus.

Phoenix:"Get us a safe distance from here. We need to think on our next
         plan of action."

Tanarus:"Good idea."

Tanarus begins to pilot the Stealth Rover towards a nearby mesa, away
from the battle at the base.

F-80 "Spearfish" Flight
Holding Position Near Base
At That Moment:

The five Sky Raiders are flying in a circular position some distance
from the battle. Rongue, in the lead, is busy radioing the Shadow Strike
while looking at the two clashing forces.

Rongue(into radio):"This is Spearfish Lead to Big Trawler. Come in."

Voice(over radio):"This is Big Trawler, Spearfish Lead. We have you
     holding position. Where is Gold Fish?"

Rongue(into radio):"We have lost contact with Gold Fish. We have two
      groups of sharks fighting here, and Gold Fish went right into the
      midst of the battle. Please advise on next action."

Voice(over radio):"Stand by, Spearfish Lead."

There is a few seconds of radio silence before Big Trawler speaks 
again.

Voice(over radio):"Hold position, Spearfish Lead. We're bringing in
     Big Trawler to the battle. We are planning a Large Haul expe-
     dition. Stay there and keep your eyes peeled for Gold Fish."

Rongue(into radio):"Roger that. Holding position."

The five Sky Raiders continue to circle at their current position while
they just watch the two battling forces.

KHAC Queen Victoria
Holding Defensive Position
11:22 AM:

The Victoria is holding up well to the assault, able to keep incoming
fire at bay while fighting off the Vulture Fighters. General Pard is
watching the battle from the platform, analyzing his enemies moves
and taking note of the weaponry being used. Captain Sparrow appears on
the platform holding a clipboard.

Sparrow:"Excuse me, general. Here are the latest battle reports and
         recommended orders."

Pard turns to Sparrow and takes the clipboard. He reads through it,
then takes the pen on the board and marks what he approves and what
needs to be changed. He then paws it back to Sparrow. Sparrow takes it,
but before he leaves he suddenly notices something in the distance.

Sparrow(pointing):"General, what is that?"

Pard looks in the direction Sparrow is pointing. Hovering above the
desert floor a fair distance to the south is the Shadow Strike. Pard
frowns.

Pard:"What the...?"

He and Sparrow pull out binoculars and take a closer look at the War
Zeppelin. They can now make out the F-80s flying around it.

Sparrow:"Isn't that the Mayhem Mercenaries?"

Pard:"The insignia on those aircraft is definitely theirs."

Sparrow:"Did Franco hire them to help fight us, general?"

Pard then notices something. Flying out from a hangar door on the
belly of the Shadow Strike is a group of seven Juggernauts. Juggernauts
are large, two-story tall mechs with three large cannons attached to
their backs and a pair of missile packs attached to their sides.
Flying to the ground using large jet packs, the juggernauts line up 
on the desert and deploy stability flaps on their legs. Pard sees this 
happen and lowers his binoculars.

Pard:"I think we are about to find out."

Sure enough, the Juggernauts fire an artillery volley from their can-
nons towards the base. The first shots hit a Cloak Tank, the impact
smashing it apart before it explodes. The other shots either hit
advancing Elite Guard forces or the ground. Immediately the rearguard
of the advancing forces turns around, focusing on the Juggernauts. The
Juggernauts fire again, this time at an angle. The shots fly through
the air until they land just beyond the base wall. Chunks of concrete
is blasted apart, while a few shots strike some Celtic Squadron units.
From above Pard and Sparrow are watching the Juggernauts as they keep
firing.

Sparrow:"I don't understand it, Pard. The mercenaries are shooting at
         us AND the Elite Guard."

Pard:"Perhaps they are working for someone who is not on either side."

Sparrow:"What?"

Pard:"I suspect they here for the same reason we are, on behalf of
      whomever hired them. That's why they are attacking both of us."

Sparrow:"But who could have hired them?"

Pard:"We can worry about that later. For now, we have a battle to
      fight. And I think we can turn this unexpected development to
      our advantage. Look."

Sparrow looks to where Pard is pointing. A column of Elite Guard forces
are pulling away from the base, heading instead for the attacking
mercenary forces.

Pard:"Let the Elite Guard and the mercenaries fight each other and
      keep our own forces out of that line of fire."

Sparrow:"Good idea, sir."

Sparrow heads back into the Victoria while Pard watches the battle. The
mercenaries' juggernauts now turn their full firepower on the Elite
Guard column heading towards them while firing their missiles at the
incoming Vultures.

Stealth Rover
Five Kilometers from Base
11:28 AM:

The Stealth Rover has landed on the edge of a mesa to the east of the
base, giving a good view of the battle raging there. The engines are
still running. From inside the cockpit everyone is watching what is
going on.

Jock:"Looks like the mercenaries have joined the battle as well."

Illanov:"Those weapons they've deployed are new. Looks like some kind
         of artillery platform. Very effective."

Elexis:"At least they are no longer following us."

Hotrod:"And now we can just sit back and watch these guys blow each
        other to bits. I can see why Gustav Havoc liked this kind of
        thing."

Phoenix:"Sorry, Hotrod, but I don't think we have that luxury."

Hotrod:"What do you mean, Phoenix?"

Phoenix:"This is the Elite Guard base we came to investigate for clues
         about their whereabouts. What we see before us is that the
         KH Military is also here to find those clues while the Elite
         Guard definitely wants nobody to get those clues. And the
         mercenaries might just as easily destroy the clues without
         knowing it."

Dylan:"That's not good."

Phoenix:"No, it isn't."

She turns to Merit and Corsair.

Phoenix:"Corsair, Merit. See if you can find out whether the Celtic
         Squadron have found something important or what the Elite
         Guard is here to capture or destroy."

Corsair:"Gotcha, boss. Come on, tin can. Let's have a peek."

Merit:"I say."

Corsair takes out his laptop while Merit turns to look towards the
base. Corsair hooks up his laptop to Merit, then the two of them get
to work. The others continue to watch the battle unfold in the dis-
tance. It takes a few minutes before there is finally a reaction
from Corsair.

Corsair:"Uh oh."

Everyone immediately turns to Corsair.

Tanarus:"I don't like hearing such words, Corsair."

Corsair:"Then you're gonna love this, Tan."

Phoenix:"What is it?"

Corsair looks at Phoenix.

Corsair:"The good news is that I found the entrance to whatever is
         housing the treasure chest. It's a bunker, and nobody has
         gotten into it yet."

Phoenix:"Good work, but is there bad news?"

Corsair:"Yup. KH engineers are trying to cut open the bunker door,
         while the Elite Guard are fighting towards the bunker as
         well. To top it off, the bunker entrance is on the south
         side of the base, the direction from where the mercenaries
         are attacking from."

Hotrod:"Ouch. That's bad."

Jock:"So what do we do now?"

Phoenix:"We have to move in and get into that bunker. Now."

Some of the Rovers and Strikers look surprised at Phoenix.

Dylan:"What? Right in the middle of that brawl?"

Corsair:"That's crazy! We're gonna get shot at by everybody!"

Tanarus:"No, Phoenix is right. If we just sit back, our enemies will
         either capture or destroy whatever we seek. We will be the
         biggest losers in this battle."

Illanov:"Dah, I agree. If we play our cards right, we can use our
         enemies' hostility to each other as cover."

Corsair:"Really, Ruskie? And just how do you intend we play this little
         game of Russian roulette?"

Illanov frowns at Corsair, but then turns back to Phoenix.

Illanov:"We need to drop down a strike team at the bunker, comrade. One
         team goes into the bunker to find our goals while the others
         defend the bunker from inside. Our enemies will be so dis-
         traced fighting each other, chances are good we will be draw-
         ing less fire than we can handle. Once we have what we seek,
         we can quickly get out. We might even be able to do this
         before either the Celtic Squadron, the Elite Guard or the
         Mayhem Mercenaries realize what happened."

Shephard:"I second that idea, Ma'am."

Hotrod:"Me three, Phoenix. I'm up for a slugfest."

Phoenix thinks for a moment while everyone watches her anxiously. She
then makes the decision.

Phoenix:"We'll go with Alex's plan. The Stealth Rover drops in two
         teams: one going into the bunker and the other defending it.
         Once we get what we need, the Stealth Rover will come in and
         pick us up. We must do this quickly. The more time we waste
         the greater the chances of us drawing the attention of one or
         more factions. Any objections?" 

She looks around. Some, like Shephard and Hotrod, are up for the plan.
Others, like Corsair and Dylan, are much less enthusiastic about it.
But nobody raises an objection.

Phoenix:"Then it's settled. Let's sit down and work out the plan. In
         the meantime, Shephard, you go and get us those new toys
         Collin developed for us. Take Merit with you. I think it is
         time to try out his battle shell."

Shephard:"Yes, Ma'am! Come on, Merit."

Merit:"Executing following command."

As Shephard and Merit leave the cockpit, the others gather around to
work out the plan. In the distance the battle continues.

Bunker Entrance
Abandoned Base
11:36 AM:

This is a short, squat concrete structure with a pair of rusty steel
doors at the south side of the base. The back side of the structure
slopes down into the ground. At the moment Battle Troopers are covering
a group of wolf-sapien engineers in Flame Trooper suits, watching as
the Elite Guard forces fight their way past the gate and over the
walls. The engineers are busy trying to cut their way through the door
using blow torches. Suddenly a shadow appears over them and they look
up. A distance up is the Stealth Rover, hovering directly above them.
A large hatch opens up in the belly of the craft.

Trooper #1:"What is that? Is it ours?"

Trooper #2:"Doesn't look like it! Open fire!"

The battle troopers take aim at the Stealth Rover. The next moment
something drops down from the open hatch and lands on the ground. The
troopers' eyes immediately focus on it: it is Merit, but he looks
very different. He is now encased in a large battle suit that stands
seven feet tall, drives on treads and has two large arms fitted with
some kind of cannon claws. The body is an enclosed metal cocoon while
Merit's head is covered by a helmet with a single horizontal slit in
it. On the suit's chest is a hatch with the Rover Strike insignia on it. 
The troopers aim and fire at Merit. The bullets ricochet off the 
armored suit. Merit then raises his arms and fires bolts of electrical
energy back at the troopers in rapid succession. The bolts hit their
marks, shocking the troopers and making them collapse to the ground in
a paralyzed state. Merit looks at them.

Merit:"I do apologize for this violent if warranted reaction."

The engineers suddenly realize what is going on and turn around, going
for their flame throwers. Suddenly Hotrod, Shephard, Jock and Illanov
come swinging down from the Stealth Rover on ropes. They lift their
feet and hit the engineers in the chests before they can fire or get
out of the way. The engineers hit the door and collapse. The Rovers and
Strikers detach from the ropes and move to knock out any conscious
enemies. Once done, Illanov calls the Stealth Rover on his watch com.

Illanov(into com):"This is Illanov. Door is secure."

Moments later Phoenix, Corsair and Elexis come rappelling down ropes
from the hatch. Once on the ground they get free of the ropes and
Phoenix calls the Stealth Rover. Dylan, meanwhile, begins to reel in
the ropes and then closes the hatch.

Phoenix(into com):"Tan, we're on the ground. Bug out and wait for our
       extraction signal."

Tanarus(over com):"Roger. Bugging out."

As the Stealth Rover quickly flies off away from the battle, Phoenix,
Corsair and Elexis join the others at the door.

Phoenix:"All good here?"

Shephard:"Yes, Ma'am! Seems the bad guys are more interested in each
          other than us."

Suddenly a juggernaut artillery shell explodes a short distance away,
sending chunks of concrete into the air.

Hotrod:"I think we need to take cover in the bunker. It would suck if
        we got hit by a stray shell or enemy fire."

Phoenix:"Good idea. Merit, come and cut this door open."

Merit:"Affirmative, but I most inform you that I find this new aggres-
       sion chip in my battle armor distressing."

A stray bullet ricochets off Merit's armor, making everyone duck 
briefly.

Illanov:"Bolshoi! This is a very dangerous environment, comrades! We
         need cover!"

Phoenix:"Merit, cut the door!"

Corsair:"Yeah, or else things will get really distressing!"

Merit:"Executing orders."

Merit rolls up to the door. The hatch on the suit's chest opens up
and Merit's toolkit comes out. While everyone else covers him, he
begins to use a laser to cut the lock of the door. After a few tense
moments Merit finally finishes cutting the look. He closes up his
toolkit, then uses his arms to pry the door wide enough for them all.

Phoenix:"Inside, quick!"

With Shephard and Merit providing cover, the Rovers and Strikers get
into the bunker. Here they find an old lift that runs down an escalator
shaft. Once everyone is here, Phoenix gathers them up.

Phoenix:"Right. Illanov, Corsair and I will head down into the bunker
         to continue our search. The rest of you hold position here
         until we get back."

Everyone agrees. Phoenix then turns to Merit.

Phoenix:"Get this lift started for us, Merit."

Merit:"Affirmative."

While everyone else takes up defensive positions by the bunker door,
Phoenix, Illanov and Corsair watch as Merit rolls up to a panel on
the wall near the lift. As Merit begins to work on the panel, the
bunker shudders from another nearby artillery shell explosion. Dust
and loose bits of concrete fall to the floor. Finally Merit gets the
lift operational. Lights start up down the shaft. He turns to Phoenix.

Merit:"Task completed. However, I recommend locating and activating 
       the power generator I have detected to improve visibility."

Phoenix:"Thanks, Merit. Come on, team!"

Phoenix, Illanov and Corsair get onto the lift, then she flips a 
switch. The lift begins to travel down the shaft while Merit joins
the others at bunker door.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Franco is once again on the telephone with Champion standing behind him.
This time the monitors are showing live satellite feeds of the battle
at the base in Libya.

Franco(into phone):"So they're inside the bunker now?... D***! They
      must not get to the banks below. I thought your people were
      handling the issue, Mister T... So what happened?... Ignored
      you, you say? Is that why they're attacking my forces?... So
      what should I do?... You working on it? You had better, or I
      will do something to the mercenaries. Get them out of my way.
      I will have my troops deal with the Road Rovers."

He immediately puts the telephone down, then picks it up again and
makes another call.

Bunker Interior
Abandoned Base
11:48 AM:

The lift carrying Phoenix, Corsair and Illanov comes to a stop at the
bottom of the shaft. The only light comes from some faded bulbs by
the escalator shaft. Beyond that is complete darkness. Phoenix creates
a fireball in her one paw and uses it as a torch to guide them into
the bunker proper. They walk only a short distance before coming to
some signs on a wall. Phoenix brings her light closer and sees that
is it is a trio of directional signs. One sign goes left and says
"PRIMARY DATABANKS". The other two signs go right and say "OFFICERS'
QUARTERS" and "GENERATOR ROOM".

Corsair:"Primary databanks. Guess left is the right way to go."

Illanov:"Right first, Yankee. I doubt your fancy electronic magic will
         work without electricity."

Corsair is about to retort, but Phoenix quickly steps in.

Phoenix:"Enough! We first got to get power to the bunker, then we will
         come back to the databanks. Come on."

The trio go right, following the corridors and signs until they come
to a door marked "GENERATOR ROOM". They walk inside to find a large
power generator along with petrol cans. Phoenix looks at Illanov.

Phoenix:"Alex, see if you can get the generator running. Hopefully
         there might still be enough fuel to get this place up and
         running."

Illanov:"Dah, comrade."

Corsair chuckles softly as Illanov begins to work, but he quickly
stops when he sees Phoenix looking sternly at him. Illanov goes through
the cans, finding most of them empty. However, he finds a can that is
still partially full of petrol. He goes and pours it into the tank of
the generator. Once that is done, he goes and turns it on. After a few
short sputters the generator rumbles to life. A few moments later the
lights flicker, then come on fully.

Illanov:"That should be it, comrade Phoenix."

Phoenix puts out her flame.

Phoenix:"Great work, Alex. Now let's go to the databanks."

The three of them make their way back to their signs, then follow the
one leading to the primary databanks. Very soon they enter a large,
square room with a smaller square "pit" in the middle. In the pit are
rows of large computers, while along the pit's edges are tables with
computers on them. The walls are covered with large screens. Almost
everything is covered with dust. The Strikers look around.

Corsair:"Ooo. Jackpot!"

Phoenix:"This must be why the Elite Guard is attacking the base. They
         don't want people getting the information off these machines.
         Corsair, this is your field."

Corsair rubs his hands with glee.

Corsair:"Time to work magic."

Corsair descends the stairs, following by Phoenix and Illanov. When
Corsair comes to one of the computers, his face goes to shock as he
examines the computer in front of him.

Corsair:"Oh no. No. No! Nonononononono!!!"

Phoenix:"What's wrong?"

Corsair:"What's wrong?!"

He grabs a packet next to the computer, opens and pulls out a square
black object with a hole in the middle. It is clearly a floppy disk.

Corsair:"This is what's wrong!"

Illanov:"A disk? What's so special about it, American?"

Corsair:"Dude, this is a floppy disk! These computers are ancient!"

Phoenix:"Ancient?"

Corsair:"Yeah! The company that made them went bankrupt in the 1980s!
         These computers were used when Michael Jackson was still
         black!"

He groans and tosses the disk packet aside. Phoenix and Illanov look 
at each other in surprise, then back at Corsair.

Phoenix:"But do they work?"

Corsair:"They should, boss. Trouble is, I don't think turning them on
         will help us."

Phoenix:"How come?"

Corsair:"They're most likely not Y2K compliant."

Illanov:"Y2K was years ago."

Corsair:"Yeah, but these PCs were built before anybody ever thought
         about Y2K. If I turn them on now, their clocks will reset
         back to 1900s and all the files on the hard drive will become
         inaccessible. Even if that doesn't happen, I don't think I
         can network with these fossils using my laptop. Boss, we got 
         to get Merit down here to help. Maybe he can work with these
         things. Or maybe Hotrod."

Phoenix:"I'll call him right away."

Phoenix reaches for her watchcom while Corsair and Illanov look at the
antiquated computers and equipment.

Bunker Entrance:

Everyone is in defensive positions by the door with their weapons at
the ready. However, they are at the moment only watching as the forces
outside continue to duke it out outside.

Hotrod:"I don't know why, but there's something about watching the
        bad guys fight each other that makes me feel good."

Jock:"I guess its because it means less hostile fire coming our way."

Shephard:"I find it very boring. When are we going to get out share
          of the action?"

Merit:"I say, they are making a terrible disarray. It will take many
       hours to clean and repair this location."

Just then a Mammoth Tank reverses into view, firing its massive gun
at whatever force is out of the Rovers' line of sight. Suddenly a
large mechanical claw comes reaching down, grabbing the tank's gun
and ripping it off. A giant mechanical foot then comes and steps on
the tank chassis, crushing it.

Hotrod:"Ouch. That's gotta hurt."

Suddenly a group of ten Elite Guard Paladin Soldiers comes flying into
view on jetpacks and land by the tanks. They are wolf-sapiens dressed
in mechanical suits that bear a resemblance to the armor worn by
Medieval knights. The suits come in a black/yellow color, with the
Elite Guard insignia on their chests. Each paladin carries what looks
to be some kind of rifle. The Rovers go on alert.

Elexis:"Uh oh. This doesn't look good."

Suddenly one of the paladins points towards the bunker and at the Rovers
in particular.

Paladin:"There's the Road Rovers! The Supreme General demands their
         deaths!"

Paladins(in unison):"For Franco!!!"

Hotrod:"Oh s***! The bulls eye is on us now!"

The paladins raise their rifles and fire rails of magnetic pulses at the
Rovers. The Rovers duck behind the door as the shots hit the concrete 
in small but searing energy bursts. The paladins begin to advance on
the door, but then Merit rolls out of cover and fires back at the
soldiers. Some of his blasts hit the paladins and knock them over, but
the paladins immediately get up again. The paladins then kneel and
form a line as they begin to fire back. Merit rolls back, the shots
scorching his armor as they hit.

Merit:"The hostile individuals appear to be armed with high velocity 
       magnetic rail rifles. I would advise not allow the rails to
       impact your body."

Shephard:"Yeah, got it."

Shephard peers around the corner to fire his M-249 at the paladins,
forcing them to go and take cover behind the ruined Mammoth Tank. As
the Rovers and paladins begin to exchange fire, Elexis' watch com then
beeps and she answers.

Elexis(into com):"Elexis here."

Phoenix(over com):"This is Phoenix. Corsair needs Merit down here."

Elexis(into com):"Why?"

Phoenix(over com):"Corsair needs help getting these old computers
       started up. He can't do it on his own."

Elexis(into com):"I wish I could send him down, but the Elite Guard
      are attacking our bunker with some very powerful weapons. They
      seem to have direct orders from Franco to kill us, and Merit is
      the only one who can survive what they are shooting at us."

Phoenix(over com):"They have direct orders? That's bad. Then you best
       send Hotrod down here. It's either him or Merit. Or carrying
       some old computers to the Stealth Rover while under fire from
       practically everybody. Tell him to bring Criminal."

Elexis(into com):"Right."

Elexis goes over to Hotrod, who has just returned from a run behind
Merit, using the robot as cover to fire at the paladins. As Jock takes
his position, Elexis comes up.

Elexis:"Rod, Phoenix needs you and Criminal down in the bunker. They
        got trouble with the computers. I'll help hold the fort here."

Hotrod:"Okay, I'm on it!"

Hotrod gets up and runs over to call the lift. As he waits, Elexis
pulls out her widowmaker boomerang and throws it towards the paladins.
The paladins duck as the boomerang strikes the tank hull, cutting a
gash into it before returning to Elexis. The lift finally reaches the
top, then Hotrod gets onto it and begins to ride it down.

Bunker Interior
11:55 AM:

Phoenix, Illanov and Corsair are waiting down in the bunker's primary
databanks room, hearing the rumbling battle noises coming from above.
The room shudders and the lights flicker briefly as a Juggernaut shell
falls somewhere on the surface.

Corsair:"Man, this is making me nervous."

Illanov:"You get used to it."

Corsair:"Bet you do if you spent half your life dealing in illegal 
         arms."

Illanov just rolls his eyes and shakes his head in response. Hotrod
then comes into the room. Everyone turns to him.

Hotrod:"Hey, what's up?"

Phoenix:"Glad to see you. Go help Corsair with these computers."

Hotrod:"Right away."

Hotrod climbs down into the pit to join Corsair.

Corsair:"Glad you're here, man. I need serious help."

Hotrod:"Sure. What is it?"

Corsair points to one of the computers. Hotrod looks at it, and then
realizes what it is. His eyes widen with surprise as he goes to take
a closer.

Hotrod:"You're kidding, right?"

Corsair:"Wish I was. We got ourselves some real dinos here."

Hotrod:"But this is old! I mean, I can see the name of the company 
        that made them: General Data. That company went defunct in the
        eighties!"

Corsair:"Yeah. And to top it off, I can't turn them on 'cause they are
         probably not immune to the millennium bug. That's why we need
         Criminal. Do you think he can get into these things?"

Hotrod:"Man, that's a long shot. Let me get him out and see what he can
        do."

Hotrod takes out Criminal and sets it down on the table by the computer.
He then turns the laptop on and waits for it to completely.

Criminal:"All systems are functional."

Hotrod:"Criminal, buddy. We need your help."

Criminal:"I am ready to aid you. What do you need?"

Hotrod:"Can you interface with a very computer?"

Criminal:"Depends. How old is it?"

Hotrod:"It dates from the early to mid 1980s."

There is a moment of silence before Criminal responds.

Criminal:"Are you serious?"

Hotrod:"Very serious. Do you think you access the data inside the
        computers without their clocks to reset? We think they are
        not Y2K compliant."

Criminal:"I could try, but the first problem we need to overcome is
          the fact that none of our network cables will be able to
          plug into the computers. Do you have a wire stripper tool,
          a jumper cable and a spare network cable?"

Corsair:"I got some in my backpack."

Criminal:"Right. This is what you need to do. Locate the cable the
          computers use for networking. Use the tool to strip the
          cable down to the wires and do the same with your network
          cable. Then connect the exposed parts using the jumper and
          then plug it into me."

Hotrod:"Okay, let's get to work."

Corsair begins to dig in his backpack while Hotrod behind the computer
to find the network cables. It doesn't take long for both of them to
find what they need. Hotrod begins to strip the plastic off the network 
cables with the tool until their wiring is exposed. Corsair then hooks
up the two cables with a jumper cable. With this done, Hotrod goes to
Criminal.

Hotrod:"How's it looking?"

Criminal:"It's crude, but it should work. Let me see if I can access
          it..."

Hotrod and Corsair hold their breaths as Criminal goes to work. A few
moments later he responds.

Criminal:"Success. I can access the files on their computer by hacking
          past the clock. I need to do each one individually, so that
          might take time. But the data on each computer is so small
          I can easily download all of it."

Hotrod and Corsair breathe out sighs of relief. Corsair gives the
thumbs to Phoenix, who nods in satisfaction. She looks at Illanov.

Phoenix:"Glad that worked. As soon as we are done here, we leave."

Illanov:"Dah, comrade Phoenix."

Suddenly the entire room shudders from a loud booming noise above
them. Everyone looks around.

Corsair:"Whoa! Was that a shell?"

Suddenly there is another loud boom, following the sound of concrete
cracking. Phoenix and Illanov look up to the ceiling. Cracks are
forming in the centre, which grow when there is another noise, this
time a loud thud. Loose bits of concrete fall to the tiled floor.

Phoenix:"That can't be artillery shells, can it?"

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

Phoenix nods, then she and Illanov get their weapons out. The thudding
continues, causing the cracks to increase and making larger chunks of
concrete fall to the floor. Corsair and Hotrod step back behind the
computers, putting Criminal on the floor behind the table. Suddenly
the ceiling explodes in a cloud of dust and chunks of concrete. Every-
one ducks for cover. Sunlight shines through the big hole, which
reveals a Templar mech squatting on a floor above the room. Above it
there is another hole that it had made at the surface. The mech climbs
down and lands on the floor, crushing the tiles with its mechanical
feet as it squats to fit inside the room. Phoenix and Illanov peer at
it from behind a terminal.

Illanov:"Bolshoi. Matrix would love to have a machine like that."

Phoenix:"I don't think the pilot noticed us. Think we can sneak up on
         it?"

Illanov:"Maybe, but why?"

Phoenix:"I'm thinking we should sneak up and try to get at the pilot. 
         He's definitely here to get rid of us and destroy the hardware
         in this room."

Illanov(nodding):"We could give it a try."

Suddenly the mech turns towards the terminal where Illanov and Phoenix
are hiding. The pilot can be heard speaking through a kind of speaker.

Templar Pilot:"Aha! There you are!"

The mech raises its laser beam cannon towards the terminal. Phoenix
and Illanov gasp and jump out of the way. The mech fires, the beam
blasting the terminal apart. Focusing on Phoenix, the Templar tries
to grab the Pomeranian with its claw. Phoenix is barely able to dodge
the claw as it smashes into the walls, grabbing chunks of concrete.
The Templar drops the rubble and tries to grab Phoenix. She jumps
forward, the claw missing again. Illanov, however, can see that she
won't be able to get back up in time.

Illanov:"Bolshoi! I need to think fast!"

He takes aim at the Templar with his plasma rifle and fires a blast
at it. The blast hits the Templar's shoulder, knocking some of the
armor plating off. The mech pilot focuses his attention on the source
of the blast and sees Illanov.

Templar Pilot:"Why you! I'll turn you to ashes!"

The Templar fires its beam at Illanov. Illanov turns invisible just
as the beam is shot. The blast strikes the wall behind, causing a jet
of steam to explode from a ruptured pipe. The pilot looks at the spot
with satisfaction.

Templar Pilot:"And that's what happens to those who oppose the Supreme
               General. Now for that female."

The mech turns back to Phoenix, who is now back on her feet and ready
with a pair of fireballs in her paws.

Phoenix:"Catch!"

She flings the fireballs towards the head of the Templar, aiming for
where she thinks the pilot is. The Templar acts quickly, thrusting 
its arm in front of its face. The fireballs explode against the arm,
damaging it slightly. The mech responds by firing its laser beam at
Phoenix. Phoenix rolls out of the way of the beam, quickly rising up
and throwing another fireball at the Templar. Again the pilot shields
himself with the arm. However, at this point Illanov becomes visible
again as he is climbing onto the shoulders of the Templar. The pilot
is still unaware of this and fires again at Phoenix, who dives forward
into the pit and rolls under a table.

Templar Pilot:"Now I got you! Prepare to fall before the Elite Guard!"

Illanov:"Not before you fall first!"

Startled, the pilot sees Illanov is about to smash at his visor with
the butt of his rifle. He prepares to swipe the German Shepherd with
his claw. Illanov manages to land a blow on the visor, smashing a hole
into it. But the claw manages to strike Illanov, knocking him off the
mech. He lands hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. The
plasma rifle falls some distance away. The Templar turns to Illanov,
the face of the fanatical wolf-sapien pilot now visible through the
smashed visor.

Templar Pilot:"Time to return the favor!"

The Templar prepares to smash Illanov with its claw. Suddenly Phoenix
shouts from behind the mech.

Phoenix:"Hey, you! Franco likes to lick himself!"

The pilot's eyes widen with shock, then he growls in anger as he swings
the mech around.

Templar Pilot:"None insults the Supreme General and lives!"

As the Templar turns to Phoenix, the pilot sees her standing there with
an object in her paw. The Pomeranian throws it towards the pilot. The
pilot, thinking it is a grenade, tries to shield himself with the mech's
arms again. But the object flies past the arm and right through the
broken the visor. The pilot flinches, then sees the object and picks it
up. It is a tennis ball.

Templar Pilot:"What is this? Is this the best..."

The tennis ball, one of Hunter's toys, begins to release a gas right
in the pilot's face. The pilot immediately passes out and falls over
the controls. The Templar begins to topple backward, right towards
to where Hotrod and Corsair are hiding.

Hotrod, Corsair:"Holy cow!"

Corsair takes off running. Hotrod grabs Criminal, yanking him loose
from the cable and also does a runner. The Templar mech lands on its
back, right on top of the computers, with a loud crash. Phoenix comes
running over to help Illanov up.

Phoenix:"You okay, Alex?"

Illanov:"Dah... I've had worse... ouch."

Phoenix:"Better let Elexis check up on you afterwards."

Illanov nods. Phoenix then goes to check on Corsair and Hotrod.

Phoenix:"You guys okay?"

Corsair is busy brushing the dust off his clothes.

Corsair:"I'm cool here."

Phoenix:"What about you, Hotrod?"

Hotrod is busy looking at Criminal at one of the other computer tables.

Hotrod:"Just a sec, Phoenix. Criminal, you all right?"

Criminal:"Despite that abrupt disconnection, all my systems are fully
          functional."

Phoenix goes up to them.

Phoenix:"Did he get the data before that machine fell on the computer?"

Hotrod:"Criminal, did you get the data?"

Criminal:"Absolutely. I was able to download almost all of it, though
          I will need to convert them to a more modern format."

Phoenix, Hotrod and Corsair are relieved.

Hotrod:"Good work, buddy."

Phoenix:"Great work, everyone."

Suddenly a shot blasts the computer on the table. Startled, the group
can see Paladins dropping down through the hole using their jetpacks.
They are firing at them.

Illanov:"Do we stand and fight, comrades?"

Phoenix:"No, we got what we need! Let's go!"

The Rovers grab their stuff and begin to run for the exit while the
Paladins keep firing their mag rails at them. Some of them land in
the pit and go in pursuit, while others stay behind and begin to blow
apart the computers and equipment with their rifles.

Bridge
ZP War Zeppelin "Shadow Strike"
At That Moment:

Deadeye Jane and Airie are still on the bridge, watching through the
windows and on the screens the battle below. The Elite Guard ground
forces attempting to reach the juggernauts are being blasted apart
by artillery, while the desert is littered with the wrecks of the
Vultures. Only one juggernaut has been toppled over onto its side and
Mayhem engineers are now working to recover it.

Airie:"Our new Juggernauts are certainly doing better than I had
       expected."

Deadeye:"Definitely. And soon other tiers will be outfitted with their
         squads of juggernauts."

Airie:"But shouldn't we pull back? We don't know where our targets
       are."

Deadeye looks at Airie with a frown.

Deadeye:"Can't you use your mind tricks to find them?"

Airie shakes her head.

Deadeye:"Not amongst all that. There are too minds shouting around in
         that chaos. Trying to find our targets' minds would be like
         looking for a needle in a large haystack."

Just then there is a beeping on the communications console. Deadeye
picks up the earphones and mike, puts them on and answers.

Deadeye(into mike):"Deadeye Jane here."

Miss D(over earphones):"Deadeye Jane, we are very displeased by what
      you are doing in Libya at the moment."

Deadeye(into mike):"Oh, it's you Miss D. What are you whining about?"

Miss D(over earphones):"Your reckless engagement with the KH Military
      and Elite Guard forces, that is what. We need you to pull back
      and wait. We will have information on Unit STRIKE very soon."

Deadeye(into mike):"And if I refuse, like I am now?"

There is a brief pause.

Miss D(over earphones):"Then this will happen."

A humming noise starts coming from the earphones. Deadeye Jane first
frowns in confusion, but then her eyes go wide and her face blank.
Airie turns sharply to Deadeye, realizing what is going on but keeping
it to herself. The captain also notices Deadeye Jane's odd look.

Captain:"Ma'am? You all right?"

Deadeye shakes her head, taking off the earphones and mike. She rubs
her eyes, then turns to the captain.

Deadeye:"Yeah, I'm fine. Order our forces to pull back immediately."

Airie and the captain are surprised.

Airie:"Are you sure?"

Deadeye:"Very sure. Do it!"

The captain looks at Airie. Airie looks back at him seriously.

Airie:"Better get our forces back onto the Shadow Sword, captain."

The captain glances at Deadeye Jane, then at Airie, then back to
Deadeye. He finally shrugs.

Captain:"Fine by me. I'm being paid to follow orders."

The captain and Airie begin to relay orders while Deadeye Jane keeps
staring out at the battle in the distance.

Bunker Entrance
Abandoned Base
12:18 PM:

Shephard, Merit, Elexis and Jock are holding the fort against the
attacking paladins. A Buggy has joined the paladins and the drivers
are firing their machine guns at the Strikers. Elexis is busy treating
a shoulder wound of Shephard, while Jock is sniping from behind Merit,
whose armor is now covered with scorch marks and dents.

Merit:"The damage inflicted on my shell is simply uncalled for."

Jock:"Just keep firing, Merit!"

Jock fires at a paladin, his bullet hitting the edge of the paladin's
helmet and making him duck for cover. At moment the lift comes to the
top, carrying Phoenix, Illanov, Corsair and Hotrod. They run over to
join Elexis and Shephard.

Phoenix:"You guys okay?"

Shephard:"Just a flesh wound, Ma'am. Nothing serious."

Elexis:"If I treat it, yes. Phoenix, we need to get out of here. The
        Elite Guard are busy trapping us and the mercenaries have
        stopped their shelling for some reason."

Phoenix:"I know. The Elite Guard have gotten into the bunker. If they
         capture the lift, we'll be trapped. I've called Tanarus and
         Dylan to come and pick us up."

Elexis secures the bandage on Shephard's arm, who immediately goes
and rejoins the battle. Illanov and Hotrod now also jump in and begin
to fight the paladins and the buggy.

Elexis:"Let's hope they can get through this mess."

Phoenix nods her head, then she and Elexis move up to help fight the
Paladins. A few moments later there is a beep on Phoenix's watch com.
She answers.

Phoenix(into com):"Phoenix here."

Tanarus(over com):"Phoenix, Dylan and I can't land at your current
       location. The mercenaries have retreated and the Elite Guard  
       forces they were fighting are coming back. Plus, you got KH
       Military forces closing in as well. You'd better move out of
       that bunker before you're overrun."

Phoenix becomes very concerned.

Phoenix(into com):"Move? To where, Tan? We're taking heavy fire here."

Tanarus(over com):"I can see it, but it will only get worse. There is 
       an old administration building just north of your location, a 
       short run away. If you can get there, we can land on the helipad
       and pick you up and then bug out before we draw too much fire."

Phoenix(into com):"Can you tell where it is from our location? I can't
       see much from inside the bunker."

Tanarus(over com):"Hold on... okay, coming out the bunker, you turn to
       your left and run directly north. The admin block is about 200
       metres away. You can identify it by the large water tower on
       top of it. Better hurry, Phoenix. Things will get tight very
       quickly."

Phoenix(into com):"Be ready for us."

Tanarus(over com):"Definitely."

Phoenix turns to the others and calls their attention. They pull back
behind cover to listen to her.

Phoenix:"Tanarus says they can't land at our location. Things are too
         hot and we got more forces converging on us. We need to run
         to a building just north of here and get to the helipad for
         a pick-up."

Elexis:"How far is the building?"

Phoenix:"200 metres to the north."

Corsair:"What! We got to run through all that? That's nuts!"

Illanov:"It would be nuttier if we stay here and let ourselves get
         overwhelmed."

Phoenix:"Alex is right. The mercenaries have pulled back and the Elite
         Guard forces that fought them are coming back for us along
         with some KH forces too. So we need to run for it."

Jock:"I think Merit will have to cover for us. He's the only one here
      who can actually take the hits."

Phoenix:"Good idea. This is the plan: Merit will head out and fire at
         any hostile threats, covering us as we get out of the bunker.
         We then move towards the building, keeping behind Merit and
         providing suppression fire. Only shoot those bad guys who are
         actually shooting at us and not each other. Got it?"

Everyone nods in agreement.

Phoenix:"Let's hit the road!"

Merit moves out first, followed directly behind by the others. When they
come out, however, the Paladins are not shooting at them. Rather their
backs are turned as they shoot at a line of oncoming Assault Troopers
and Battle Troopers.

Paladin:"Kill the traitors! Show no mercy for the betrayers of the
         Supreme General!"

The Paladins fire up their jetpacks and fly over to take on the troopers
head-on. Phoenix turns to the others.

Phoenix:"Lucky break, but keep moving!"

Rovers:"Aye!"

The Rovers keep moving, staying close to Merit as they proceed towards
a large concrete building to the north. The building resembles a re-
inforced office block with a visible helipad, a large water tower and
several antennae. The group go as fast as they can, keeping their eyes
on the battle all around them. Bullets, lasers and missiles are flying
about, but none seem to be aimed at the Rovers. However, as they get
closed to the administration building they can see the entrance has
been sandbagged and barricaded with furniture.

Corsair:"Crud! How do we get past that?"

Phoenix:"Leave that to me!"

Phoenix begins to form two fireballs in her paws, making them bigger
and more intense as they come closer to the barricade. Just before
reaching it, Phoenix throws both fireballs as hard as she can at it.
The fireballs hit the barricade with a powerful explosion. Sandbags
and broken furniture fly through the air as a hole is blasted into
the building. Merit rolls over the debris and into the building, with
the others close behind. Coming through the dust the groups finds
themselves in a disused lobby, where Battle Troopers are struggling
to get to their feet after being knocked over by the blast.

Phoenix:"Beat them down, quick!"

The others waste no time and quickly rush over to the troopers and
begin to punch, kick, elbow or rifle-butt the soldiers until they are
all lying senseless on the floor. At that moment Elexis spots a sign
on the wall showing a big "H" and an arrow. She points at it.

Elexis:"Look! That must be the way to the helipad!"

Phoenix:"Let's go!"

The group quickly begin to follow the arrow towards the helipad. As
they go, they find KH Battle and Covert Troopers shooting through the
windows at the Elite Guard forces outside, but fail to notice the Rovers
and Strikers. Phoenix uses the opportunity to call Tanarus.

Phoenix(into com):"Tan! We're in the building and making our way to 
       the helipad!"

Tanarus(over com):"Roger that. We'll be there to pick you up."

The group continues up towards the helipad. Finally they burst through
a door and find several Battle Troopers using TOW Launchers to try
and shoot down the Elite Guard Vultures. Merit takes action and opens
fire at the troopers. Several of the troopers are hit and left para-
lyzed on the helipad. One trooper manages to turn his weapon at the
group and pulls the trigger. The TOW missile flies towards the group,
who jump out of the way. The missile hits the doorway, blasting it
apart and blocking the entrance. Jock then runs up and hits the trooper
hard with the butt of his sniper rifle. As the trooper falls to the
ground, the Stealth Rover appears and covers over the helipad. The
cargo bay doors open, where Dylan is busy lowering the ramp onto the
pad.

Dylan:"Come on, everyone! We're ready to go!"

The group need no further encouragement and they rush up the ramp. As
they do, a damaged Vulture smashes into the legs of the water tower,
nearly causing it to collapse upon the Stealth Rover. Once everyone is
onboard, Dylan closes the ramp and the Stealth Rover begins to fly
off just as paladins jump jet onto the helipad. They fire in vain as
the Stealth Rover speeds up and flies out of the combat zone while the
battle keeps raging around the base.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Franco is on his throne while Mara is busy giving him a manicure and
Champion is gleefully looking the female over. Franco's attention is
on the figures standing at the base of his throne. It is General Parvo,
the Groomer, Colonel Gustav Havoc and Captain Zachary Storm. The bank
of monitors are currently all quiet static.

Franco:"I'm pleased that you all accepted my invitation."

Havoc snorts.

Havoc:"Invitation. You come to us, threatening to kill us if we don't
       come to you, then you tie us up and blindfold us all the way
       here."

The others murmur their agreement. Franco just shrugs.

Franco:"That IS my idea of invitation."

Parvo steps up, gesturing at Franco.

Parvo:"Let's get to the point here. WHY are we here?"

Franco:"All right. Are you aware of the war going on in Namibia?"

Havoc:"It's my favorite show, since it's on most news channels."

Groomer looks at Havoc.

Groomer:"You do like war, don't you?"

Havoc:"Hey, I'm a warmonger. I wouldn't be a good one if I was a
       peacemonger."

Franco:"I will assume that as a yes. Now, the reason you're here is
        because I need you to take care of a problem in Namibia."

Storm folds his arms, looking skeptically at Franco.

Storm:"What sort of problem?"

Franco:"Two words: Road Rovers. Still interested?"

Right away the villains become more eager to listen to Franco.

Parvo:"Keep talking."

Franco:"The Road Rovers are helping the Namibians fight off the South
        African invasion. That wouldn't a big concern for me, but
        they are starting to get too close to certain... details about
        that war."

Parvo:"And I take it you don't them finding those 'details' out,
       right?"

Franco:"Correct. That is why I am calling upon you to deal with the
        Road Rovers. You are all experienced in battling against the
        Road Rovers, so I want you all to go to Namibia and tackle
        those mutts. Succeed in this task, and I will reward you all
        well."

The villains consider the offer, with all but Groomer rubbing their
chins as if they are thinking.

Storm:"It would be just like the Gulf, only without the direct orders
       to get in the way."

Havoc:"Joining in a war IS up my alley."

Parvo:"Taking revenge on the Rovers would be nice, plus it would give
       me the chance to mutate some African animals into mutant troops
       for use in future plans."

Groomer comes up and whispers at Parvo.

Groomer(whispering):"Do you really think we can trust this one, my
       general?"

Parvo(whispering):"Why shouldn't we, Groomer?"

Groomer(whispering):"He brought us here by force, general. And now he
       wants us to be pawns in his schemes with a very vague promise 
       of a reward."

Parvo stops to think about it, then turns back to Franco. The general 
is looking skeptically at the wolf-sapien leader.

Parvo:"Just what kind of reward can I expect? You're asking us to do
       these errands of yours without telling me the pay."

Storm and Havoc nod in agreement.

Franco:"Good thing you asked, general."

Franco digs round in his pockets with his free paw, then takes out a
few small objects. He tosses it to the villains' feet. Curious, they
kneel to look. To their pleasant surprise, the objects are diamonds.
They scurry to grab the rocks, much to Franco's satisfaction.

Franco:"There is more to the one, or more, who succeeds. Do we have a 
        deal?"

The villains nod their heads eagerly.

Parvo, Havoc, Storm, Groomer:"We have a deal!"

Franco smiles.

Franco:"Excellent. Get to Namibia and get rid of the Road Rovers. And
        I trust you will be successful, right?"

Storm:"You can count on me. I have the track record."

Havoc snorts in contempt at Storm.

Havoc:"Track record of failure. I, on the other hand, will be on the
       winning side."

Parvo rolls his eyes.

Parvo:"Bah! You two are small fry compared to me! I, General Parvo, 
       will be victorious!"

As the villains are about to argue amongst themselves, Franco steps
in by banging his fist very hard on his throne. The villains turn to
Franco, who is now baring his fangs and looking very angry.

Franco:"If you lot don't succeed in your mission, or if you fail to
        stop arguing and get out of my throne room within the next
        few seconds, I will be justified in perpetrating such forms
        of pain upon you that no language in the world has the words
        necessary to describe it!"

The villains are immediately cowed.

Storm:"What are we waiting for? Let's go!

Havoc:"Yes, let's go to Namibia!"

Parvo:"We have things to do!"

Groomer:"Yes, and with all haste!"

The villains make a dash for exit. As they reach it, Parvo starts to
cough. As they leave the throne room, Parvo can be shouting "lozenge!"
from the corridor outside. Franco relaxes into his throne.

Champion:"Hey, chief. Do you really think those morons can actually
          beat the Road Rovers?"

Franco snorts in contempt.

Franco:"Them? I doubt those fumblers will succeed. Either the Road Rovers
        will beat them, or will sabotage one another in order to get a
        bigger reward from me. But I didn't hire them to win. What they
        will do is distract and stall the Road Rovers."

Champion:"Those mutts getting a little too nosy there in Namibia, chief?"

Franco:"Absolutely. My plans are at a critical phase and needs a little
        more time to become a reality. And these good-for-nothings will
        buy my plans that time."

Champion:"And what if they do manage to beat the Road Rovers?"

Franco:"In that case, if they do come back to get paid I will kill them
        anyway. I'm not accountable to anybody."

Franco begins to laugh insanely, while Champion just grins. Mara, how-
ever, is a little unnerved as she finished up the general's manicure.

Stealth Rover
Sahara Desert
Southern Libya
16:04 PM:

The Stealth Rover has landed in the desolate expanse of the Sahara
Desert, where the rocky lands have given way to typical sand dunes.
Some of the Strikers have climbed out onto the sand and are currently 
standing in the shady of one the Stealth's one wing. Tanarus, Illanov,
Dylan and Hotrod are listening to Corsair, who is holding some print-
outs from his laptop. Lying on the sand are some shovels.

Illanov:"Now, Yankee. Explain to us why we are standing out here in
         the middle of the desert."

Corsair:"Ha ha. We're here to work on your tan, that's why."

Tanarus clears his throat to get their attention.

Tanarus:"Corsair, please none of this. We furries are sweating in
         this heat."

Dylan:"Yeah, we're sweating here."

Corsair:"Sorry, guys. Anyway, I had been studying the stuff we've
         managed to download from the Elite Guard computers. Most of
         it is useless junk, but one file did give details on the
         route the Elite Guard forces took through Africa as they
         moved from Russia. They moved over land, following a series
         of beacons to guide them through the countries they went.
         Now, to get these beacons to work, you have turn one on
         and follow the signal to the next one, then turn that one on
         go the next beacon. And so forth and so forth."

Hotrod:"Can't we just trace the last beacon's signal? That would make
        things quicker."

Corsair shakes his head.

Corsair:"No dice there, Rod. You got to turn the beacons on one by one
         on site. So we got to follow, find and turn on each beacon
         until they lead us to the Elite Guard."

Tanarus:"So why are we here?"

Corsair grins.

Corsair:"Well, you really didn't think I was going to let you guys
         dig at the spot we're standing on in the bright sun, did ya?"

Realization fills everyone's faces as they look down at the still-hot
stand beneath them.

Hotrod:"Oh boy. Guess we better get cracking."

Tanarus:"The sooner the better. Dylan, go and get us some refreshments
         from the refrigerator. We're going to need the liquids."

Dylan:"Okay."

As Dylan runs to the Stealth Rover and Corsair goes to sit on one of
the landing wheels, Illanov, Tanarus and Hotrod strip themselves down
to the waists and pick up the shovels. They begin to dig away the sand
from the spot they are standing. Meanwhile up in the cockpit, Phoenix
is calling Road Rover Mission Control. She looks eagerly at the screen
as the Master's face appears on it.

Master:"Phoenix, it's good to see you."

Phoenix:"Same here, Master."

Master:"How's the mission going?"

Phoenix:"It's been very tough. It's seems everybody is fighting us,
         but we are making progress."

Master:"I hope you are successful. I'm certain you want to talk to
        Striker."

Phoenix nods her head, her tail wagging eagerly. The Master chuckles
and looks off-screen.

Master:"Then don't let me keep you two waiting. Come, Striker. Your
        wife wants a word with you."

The Master steps away. Moments later Striker appears on the screen,
smiling widely.

Striker:"Firefly."

Phoenix smiles widely.

Phoenix:"Strikie, it's so good to see your face again."

Striker:"Dieselfde. I've been having a hard time sleeping without you
         close to me. Are you doing all right so far?"

Phoenix:"I'm okay so far, Love. The others have been really helpful
         in seeing me through the challenges of leadership. But it
         has not been easy."

Striker:"The Elite Guard giving you trouble?"

Phoenix:"Yeah, they're trying to stop us from tracking them down. But
         we have even more trouble. The KH Military is also hunting for
         the Elite Guard and they're alerting Franco to what is going
         on. To make things worse, the Mayhem Mercenaries are on our
         tails too. They want Jock, and they won't hesitate to kill the
         rest of us to get to him."

Striker frowns.

Striker:"Ai yai yai. I am certain EuroCorp is behind the mercenaries."

Phoenix:"Could be, Love. We just managed to get out of a huge free-for-
         all between the three factions by the fur of necks."

Striker:"None of them were working together?"

Phoenix shakes her head.

Phoenix:"No, they didn't. They just fought one another."

Striker rubs his chin in thought.

Striker:"If that is so, then this could be to your advantage. Here's
         what you can do: try to lure the factions into fights with one
         another if you can. Not only will you be spared your share if
         hostile fire, but the two sides will end up weakening one or
         the other or both. That should make your mission makliker."

Phoenix:"I hope so, Strikie."

She leans a little closer to the screen.

Phoenix:"How's your leg?"

Striker:"Hubert and Collin fitted me with a prosthetic leg yesterday,
         so I've been able to walk around a bit. They are still busy
         assembling my new bionic leg, so it would be a good time for
         me to get up and walk around again."

Phoenix:"Does it hurt?"

Striker:"Not baie, nee. The pain has subsided considerably."

She sighs deeply.

Phoenix:"I wish I could be there to support you, Strikie. Our marriage
         isn't going the way I had hoped for. We haven't been together
         for more than two weeks since our wedding and we still have not
         made love to one another."

He leans closer to the screen, putting a paw on it. Phoenix immediately
puts her paw on the screen too.

Striker:"I share your feelings, Firefly. Our marriage is going through
         a very turbulent period, something I suspect Franco is enjoying
         a great deal in ruining."

Phoenix:"And it's something that is going to make me set that wolf's
         fur on fire."

Striker:"I'm certain you will, Phoenix. You've been as strong as I had
         expected. We will make it through this crisis, and after that
         we can be together again. Just trust in God to see you all
         through."

Phoenix smiles.

Phoenix:"I will, Strikie."

She leans forward and kisses the screen, which makes Striker smile even
wider. He returns the favor and kisses the screen too, which makes
Phoenix giggle.

Phoenix:"Your lips look so silly on the screen."

Striker blushes a little, rubbing the back of his neck.

Striker:"Er... ja, I guess... um..."

Phoenix is now laughing, and Striker cannot help but chuckle in embarress-
ment.

Phoenix:"I definitely feel better now. Thank you, Strikie."

Striker grins.

Striker:"Anything to please you, Firefly. Give my regards and well wishes
         to our friends."

Phoenix:"I will. You take care, Love."

Striker:"Jy ook, Firefly. I love you."

Phoenix:"I love you too."

Phoenix reluctantly turns the screen off. She stares at the blank screen,
then sighs and gets up to leave the cockpit. Back outside Hotrod, 
Illanov and Tanarus have managed to dig a reasonably large hole in the 
sand. By now Dylan had brought a cooler, and he and Corsair busy are 
drinking sodas. Suddenly Tanarus' shovel hits something that makes a 
loud metallic sound. They stop digging immediately.

Tanarus:"I think we found it."

Corsair quickly sets his soda down and gets up. Tanarus, Illanov and
Hotrod drop the shovels to go on their knees and clear the sand away
from a circular metal object with a handle in it. Once clear, they
step back to let Corsair handle it.

Corsair:"Okay, guys. I got this one."

Dylan comes up with a towel and some water bottles. Tanarus, Illanov
and Hotrod take the bottles and begin drinking while wiping the sweat
from their heads and chests. Corsair turns the handle and pulls,
revealing a tube with some electronics inside a glass case. He opens
the case and looks around.

Corsair:"Hmmm. Pretty old, but still working... aha!"

He finds a switch and flips it. Immediately a row of green lights
appear on the electronics board. Corsair then checks a small screen
showing some numbers. He jots it down on a notepad.

Corsair:"Okay, I got some coordinates here for the next beacon. We
         can get out of here."

He closes up the device and stands up, brushing the sand from his
jeans.

Tanarus:"Good. Now let's close up this hole."

Hotrod:"Why? Let's leave it here in the sun."

Tanarus:"Not a good idea. We don't want to give the Elite Guard the
         hint that we know about the beacons. Not only that, we don't
         need either Celtic Squadron or the Mayhem Mercenaries using
         them to follow us."

Hotrod thinks it over.

Hotrod:"Good point. Guess its shoveling time again."

Hotrod, Illanov and Tanarus pick up their shovels and begin to fill
the hole up again. While Dylan passes them drinks, Corsair heads up
into the Stealth Rover to share the information with Phoenix.

Abandoned Base
Southern Libya
16:11 PM:

The battle at the former Elite Guard base is now over, with Celtic
Squadron forces being the clear winner. Most of the Elite Guard forces
have fled, and all that remains of their presence are the burning or 
shattered hulks of their war vehicles. The base itself bears the scars
of the battle, with many of the buildings, walls and towers having
chunks blasted out of them, while the ground is covered with craters,
especially around the south side. Watching the clean-up from the
Queen Victoria is General Pard. He looks satisfied with what he sees.

Pard:"This the best you could do, Franco? You're getting a taste of
      the revenge Celtic Squadron has in store for you for all those
      years under your thumb."

Just then Sparrow appears, carrying with him the latest battle report.

Sparrow:"Excuse me, General. I have some news."

Pard turns his attention to his captain.

Pard:"Yes?"

Sparrow:"Our forces have just cleared the primary bunker. I'm sorry
         to report that the Elite Guard have managed to destroy all
         the contents within the bunker."

Pard:"What were the contents?"

Sparrow:"Computers. Those armored Elite Guard soldiers blasted the
         h*** out of all of them."

Pard:"Now that is bad."

Sparrow:"Yes, but it's not all bad. I just word from General Thrax.
         He says General Sky has found out what was on the computers
         and who has the information."

Pard(interested):"Oh, really?"

Sparrow:"General Sky says the Road Rovers managed to get the data
         before the soldiers destroyed the computers. Apparently some
         of the data tells the Rovers how to turn on a series of
         beacons that will take them along the route the Elite Guard
         took through Africa. He says we can follow the beacons as
         the Rovers turn them on."

Pard now stands to attention.

Pard:"Have the Rovers turned one on already?"

Sparrow:"Yes, and we are already tracking the signal."

Pard:"Send out the order. Get our forces back onboard the Lady Vee
      and prepare for departure. We are done here."

Sparrow nods as both he and the general head inside the Queen Victoria
to begin the departure preparations.

Oasis
Sahara Desert
Somewhere in Chad
17:27 PM:

This is a small oasis located in a valley amongst the sand dunes. A few
palm trees and some grass grow around the lake of water. Right the
Elite Guard forces that had attacked at the abandoned base, licking
their wounds. Also here are the uncloaked Hasashin Helicopters being
used by Raul, Silhouette and their forces. Hasashins are angular,
sleek transport/attack helicopters that look like a cross between a
Blackhawk and a Comanche. Along with the crew compartments there
are wings loaded with rocket and missile pods. They are painted black
with the occasional yellow marking. The Elite Guard insignia is on 
then wings. At the moment the leaders of the attack force are by one 
of the choppers, being berated by an angry Silhouette.

Silhouette:"Fools! You let yourselves get beaten by the traitors, the
            infidels and the mercenary dogs? Fools, the entire lot of
            you! I should kill every second one of you! Fools!"

As she continues to rant, some distance off Raul is sitting on the
ground behind a palm tree. He is holding a small communicator with a
screen on it. At the moment the screen is showing Sky's face.

Sky:"I see you are still in good health, Commander Raul."

Raul:"I've had better days. What do you want?"

Sky:"Straight to the point. Good. I need to speak you since events
     are starting to move forward."

Rual:"So?"

Sky:"So, soon you will play an important role for us. And once that
     happens, I can guarantee your freedom from the Elite Guard and
     General Franco."

Raul:"What is that role?"

Sky:"I can't divulge too much lest someone, like Silhouette behind
     you, decides to make you talkative."

Raul glances over at Silhouette, who is still berating the leaders
with curses, shouts and arm gestures. He looks back at Sky.

Raul:"So what must I do for now?"

Sky:"Easy. Keep following your orders, and don't get killed. Even I
     can't use a corpse. Think you can do that?"

Raul nods his head.

Raul:"Yes."

Sky nods in satisfaction on the screen.

Sky:"Good. I will speak to you later. You best get back before your
     female compatriot finishes her speech."

The screen goes dead. Raul puts away the communicator in his uniform,
then gets up and walks over to where Silhouette is finishing up on
dressing down the leaders. Unit STRIKE is on the trial of the Elite
Guard and the Road Rovers are fighting back against the South African
invasion. But the stakes are getting higher as more and more factions
become involved in the conflict. What does General Franco and his
Elite Guard have in store for the Rovers? What is going on with the
Namibian president? And will Phoenix and her team be able to avoid
both the KH Military and the Mayhem Mercenaries as they hunt down the
Elite Guard?


THE END