Rover Strike: Vortex

Episode 9: Namibian Gambit

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Hotrod, Alana, Kenya © David Fountain
Riley © Dylan Rinalds
Cape Hunting Dogs, Maya © Kirsten Coughlan
Dr. Buford, Hildagarde © Robert Baer Jr.
Pard, Sparrow, Celtic Squadron © K-9

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

Study
Presidential Residence
Windhoek
Namibia
18 December
10:04 PM:

The study of the presidential residence carries forth the appearance
and style of the country's former German colonizers as well as its
more recent African rulers. German drapes mixed with African tapes-
tries while the bookshelves contained old German literature and new
African ones. Seated at a large desk made from local trees, the pre-
sident of Namibia, a man in his early 60's, is busy reading some
mail under a single lamp light. Every now and then he takes off his 
reading glasses to take a sip of coffee. He leans back in his chair.

President:"Ai, those people. Can't they just accept we live here, not
           them?"

Suddenly there is the sound of loud thumps just outside the closed
study doors. The president quickly looks up and puts down his coffee.

President:"Hello?"

There is only silence. The president gets up and walks to the door.
He opens it, but only finds darkness beyond.

President:"Anyone there?"

The president steps through the doorway into the darkness, feeling
around for the light switch.

Recovery Ward
Hospital Sector
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
19 December
8:04 AM:

Striker is still lying in a hospital bed with Phoenix seated next to
him. Standing by his is bed is Professor Hubert, Dr. Buford Lovejoy,
Riley and Collin. Collin is a collie who looks like the male version
of Colleen. He has mostly brown fur with white fur running from his
face down his neck and scruff to between his legs. He also has white
fur on his paws and hind paws and the tip of his tail. He has a mane
of fur over his shoulders. He is wearing a white lab coat over a blue
shirt, brown pants and shoes. The four scientists are examining the
bandaged stump that was Striker's left leg.

Buford:"Yes, I believe this is possible."

Hubert:"He does still have feeling in that area, so that means the
        nerves work."

Riley:"We might need to make a prototype leg so we can get the right
       measurements for the new leg."

Collin(Dutch accent):"That would be a good idea. It would a big waste
      of time and resources to build him a leg that won't fit."

Collin looks at Striker.

Collin:"What kind of leg would you want, Striker?"

Striker:"What kind of? I don't understand."

Collin:"Oh, sorry. I mean, do you want your new leg to function like
        your right one, or do you want some specific modifications
        such as improved speed or storing a weapon or added strength?"

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Just a leg, Collin. Niks fancy."

Collin:"Nothing special?"

Striker shakes his head again. Collin nods his head.

Collin:"If you wish."

Buford looks at Striker.

Buford:"Do you have a feeling that you still have your left leg?"

Striker nods his head.

Striker:"Ja, I can feel my leg even though it is not there."

Buford:"The phantom leg syndrome. I will have to use specification
        PLL-16 for your leg to take that into account, otherwise it
        might make it very difficult for you to be connected to your
        bionic leg."

Riley:"We will also need to map out his nerves so that we don't go
       and wire him up wrong."

Buford:"I completely agree, Riley."

As the scientists continue discussing between each other, Corsair 
comes into the ward and walks up to the other side of the bed. The
couple turn to look at him.

Corsair:"Hey, boss. What's with all the white coats?"

Striker:"Hello, David. We were just discussing how my new leg will
         be."

Corsair:"Cool. Am I interrupting something?"

Striker and Phoenix shake their heads.

Striker:"Nee, you are not."

Phoenix:"Have a seat."

Corsair goes and brings a chair to the bed, then goes and sits down
next to Phoenix.

Corsair:"Anyway, I just want to say I managed to establish contact 
         with someone in the Vorster residence who can get us all
         kinds of info on what the South African president is doing."

Striker:"We already have someone in there. We had Bastiff inserted
         there yesterday."

Corsair:"Yeah, but he has to stay in normal dog form not to give him-
         self away. But he helped me establish a direct linkup with
         Karen Vorster."

Striker and Phoenix look surprised at Corsair.

Striker:"How did you do that?"

Corsair:"I had Bastiff check what her username was on the messenger
         she used over the Internet. Once I got it, I contacted her
         and bam. We got ourselves a new source."

Phoenix:"But how do you know you can trust her?"

Suddenly Striker chuckles, which gets Phoenix's attention.

Phoenix:"What's so funny, honey?"

Corsair stifles a chuckle while Striker responds.

Striker:"We can trust Karen, Phoenix. She helped her mother hide us
         while we were in their home. What I find amusing is that our
         Corsair here might have other reasons for contacting her."

Corsair stops looking amused.

Corsair:"Other reason?"

Phoenix:"What do you mean, Strikie?"

Striker:"Wel, David is more or less Karen's age. I will leave it at
         that."

Phoenix gets the picture and immediately looks at Corsair with a know-
ing smile on her muzzle. Corsair starts to blush.

Corsair:"Hey! It's strictly professional."

Phoenix giggles while Striker just smiles.

Striker:"Reg. What did Karen tell you?"

Corsair:"Ah, okay. Well, she told me Vorster had some of his boys from
         the intelligence agency come and sweep the house. They found
         a few more hidden cameras and mikes, which did not make the
         president happy."

Striker frowns.

Striker:"Any idea how they came to be there?"

Corsair:"Karen says they don't know, but Vorster ordered extra guards
         at the residence. Oh, and Karen said that Vorster is going
         to declare marshal law throughout South Africa to put the
         squeeze on the SLA."

Striker:"I see. Anything else?"

Corsair:"Just that Karen says there seems to be some bad blood between
         her dad and the Namibian president. She doesn't know why,
         but it doesn't sound good to her."

Phoenix:"Could this just be part of the global spat on sapiens?"

Corsair:"Don't know, but with Vorster this kind of stuff spells big
         trouble."

Striker:"David is right. We had better keep watch and see where this
         leads to."

He looks back at Corsair.

Striker:"Dankie, David. And when you talk with Karen again, tell her
         that I thank both her, her mother and Jeanette for helping
         us."

Corsair:"Will do, boss."

As Corsair gets up again, Phoenix smirks at him.

Phoenix:"Don't forget that while you two are sending virtual flowers
         to each other."

Corsair really blushes at this.

Corsair:"Oi, Phoenix."

Phoenix:"Just kidding."

She giggles as Corsair quickly puts his chair back at its place and 
leaves the ward. Once he leaves Striker looks at Phoenix and smiles
at her.

Striker:"You could not resist could you?"

Phoenix:"Oh, I was teasing him. Who knows? Maybe this might lead to
         something down the road."

Striker nods his head, and then both he and Phoenix turn back to the
scientists as they finish their discussions.

Newsroom
BBC Headquarters
London
Great Britain
23 December
12:01 PM:

This is the main newsroom of the British Broadcasting Corporation used
for live newscasts. Right now a female anchor is reading the hour's
top headline story.

Anchor:"Tensions between South Africa and Namibia escalated further
        today with allegations made by South African president Adriaan
        Vorster that the Namibian government is responsible for aiding
        and funding mutant terrorist groups. The Namibian government
        strongly denied the allegations, claiming that Vorster was
        'mad' and 'out of control'. It also said that terrorist groups
        had also targeted Namibian civilians in the past. Several other
        leaders in the region were split between the two sides. In
        reaction to the latest war of words the British foreign secre-
        tary appealed for calm and rationality between the Namibian and
        South African administrations."

She then moves on to the next headline.

Anchor:"In other news, Jewish extremists again clashed with Israeli 
        police over land being handed over to the Palestinian Autho-
        rity in exchange for allowing further settlements in the
        West Bank..."
 
She continues reporting the news.

Hangar
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
27 December
7:05 AM:

The hangar is almost fully occupied by nearly all the vehicles used by
the Road Rovers and other related units who have come here for the 
Christmas festivities. However, one vehicle, the Jet Rover, is parked 
and ready on the tarmac leading to the underground runway. Standing by 
the Jet Rover is Hotrod, Alana, Sunrise, the Master and Kenya. Kenya is 
a female Wild Dog with the fur markings typical of her species, wearing 
a brown flight jacket, trousers and boots. The Master looks at Sunrise.

Master:"So how is Jock doing over at the ranch?"

Sunrise:"He was a bit nervous at first at being free, but thanks to the
         support he got from Kya he soon fitted right in."

Hotrod:"Has he gotten any training?"

Sunrise:"Kenya's tribe did take him out on hunting trips and taught him
         some hand-to-hand techniques, but nothing major."

Master:"Good. Speaking of..."

The Master turns to Kenya and they shake hands/paws.

Master:"You are Kenya, am I right?"

Kenya:"Yes, I am. In my tribe I'm Princess Kenya."

Master:"Oh, in that case I should call you your highness."

Kenya giggles and shakes her head.

Kenya:"Just Kenya is fine. Actually, you are more highly regarded than 
       I am in our tribe."

Master:"Oh? Why is that?"

Kenya:"Your technology which turned us into cano-sapiens saved our
       tribe from extinction at the hands of poachers and allowed us
       to save many other animals from certain doom. For me to meet
       you is a great honor."

Kenya bows to make her point, which makes the Master blush a bit with
embarressment.

Master:"Uh, thank you... I think."

Alana giggles. Hotrod then decides to step in and change the subject. 
He looks at Sunrise.

Hotrod:"Has he done any kind of sharp shooting?"

Sunrise:"He's used some rifles with a good degree of accuracy. I've
         also had him do a daily round of shooting cans on a wall."

Hotrod:"That's good. He showed promise during our last mission, so
        if he can the right kind of training he could make one h***
        of a good marksman."

At that moment Shephard and Merit come walking into the hangar and
towards the Jet Rover. Shephard is carrying two heavy suitcases in
each hand, while Merit is carrying several light bags. They approach
the group.

Shephard:"Excuse me, sir, but where should we put these bags?"

Hotrod:"Put them in any of the cargo bays in the Jet Rover, Shep. We
        can easily find them."

Shephard:"Yes, sir. Come on, Merit."

Merit:"Provide the route waypoints."

Shephard shakes his head as he climbs up the steps into the Jet Rover
with Merit. As they do, Kenya is watching Shephard carefully. She
then looks at the Master.

Kenya:"Who is that human in uniform?"

Master:"Oh, that's Sergeant Andrew Shephard. He's with Unit STRIKE as
        an attaché for the US Army."

Kenya:"Really? What kind of person is he?"

Master:"Well, I don't know him personally. He is quite friendly and he
        loves a good brawl and good food as well."

Kenya rubs her chin thoughtfully. At that point Shephard and Merit 
come climbing down the stairs. Kenya once again looks at Shephard
as he approaches Hotrod.

Shephard:"Your luggage is loaded up, sir."

Merit:"To precise: your luggage is now in the upright and secure
       positions."

Hotrod:"Thanks, guys."

Shephard:"You're welcome, sir."

Shephard heads towards the hangar exit with Merit in tow. Kenya is
still looking at Shephard, now smiling approvingly. Alana giggles as
she notices this. Hotrod looks at her.

Hotrod:"What's funny, honey?"

Alana:"It's Kenya. She has THAT look."

Hotrod looks confused at Kenya, then notices the Wild Dog looking at
Shephard. He gets the message.

Hotrod:"Oh boy. Shep's in big trouble."

Alana giggles even more while the Master and Sunrise begin discussing
business and Kenya keeps looking at Shephard. Merit notices this and
taps Shephard on the shoulder to get his attention.

Merit:"May I point out that the female Wild Dog was observing you in
       a most peculiar way."

Shephard:"Peculiar way? What are you talking about?"

Merit:"She had that facial feature that I had noticed on Phoenix when
       she looked at Striker at certain times. Very unusual."

Shephard:"Oh, she was probably wondering where the eats are. I'm very
          hungry."

Merit:"Hunger?"

They come to the exit, but as Shephard walks through Merit turns around
and looks at Kenya. The female wild dog keeps looking to where Shephard
disappeared, then turns back to the others.

Merit:"Very incompatible answer."

Merit walks out through the exit, while Sunrise, Hotrod, Alana and Ken-
ya board the Jet Rover.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
1 January
12:11 AM:

Franco is still on his throne, with Champion standing behind him eating
a midnight snack brought to him by Mara. The general is looking at the 
monitor bank, where he is watching New Year's Eve celebrations around
the world. He snickers.

Franco:"Fools. Hoping that this year will be better than last year. Ha!
        Not while I am sitting here."

Just then the telephone on his throne rings. He picks it up and answers
while still looking at the monitors.

Franco(into telephone):"Speak... Ah, Spectre. Give me an update on
      your mission... uhu... yes... Good! Things are going according
      to plan. Any hint that someone suspects something is wrong?...
      Excellent... Yes, and I think the time has come to raise the
      temperature some more. Proceed with Phase B immediately....
      And you will keep me updated... Correct. Goodbye."

He puts the telephone down. Champion swallows his food before speaking
to his leader.

Champion:"What does our chameleon say, boss?"

Franco:"Things are on track. Nobody suspects my plans, especially the
        Road Rovers. And very soon all of them..."

He gestures to the celebrating New Year's Eve crowds on the television
news channels.

Franco:"... will be dropping the happy from Happy New Year."

Franco sneers, then begins to chuckle wickedly. Champion just keeps
on eating while watching the monitor bank.

Master's Quarters
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
4 January
9:29 AM:

The Master is seated at a half-crescent-shaped terminal, bathed in the
white light from a lamp above. He is facing several large monitors
through which he is holding a video conference with secretary-general 
Marcus Norwood, US President Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minister
David Cameron. At the moment the Master is speaking to Clinton.

Master:"Madam President, I can assure you: the Road Rovers would never
        ever engage in criminal activities or acts of terrorism. This
        Sapien Liberation Army used very poor imitations of our insig-
        nia and uniforms, pretending to be on our side. In truth, they
        are simply using our name for political means. You have my word
        on it."

Clinton:"I never doubted your organization's noble ideals and missions,
         Professor, but your word further reinforces my trust in you. 
         I and most of the American people are behind the Road Rovers."

Cameron:"As are the British people and her Majesty's government, Profes-
         sor. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for some our collea-
         gues across the channel. The European Union is tearing apart
         just like NATO did."

Norwood:"The same can be said for the United Nations. We got a split
         between nations not seen since the Cold War. And it's not
         the usual suspects you'd expect to see in the same camp, 
         either. We have countries like the United States, Iran,
         Canada and Venezuela in the pro-sapien camp. And in the
         anti-mutant league we have China, France, Zimbabwe, New
         Zealand and North Korea, to name a few. It's a complete and
         utter mess, and this latest spat between South Africa and
         Namibia are not helping matters."

Master:"What is the current situation between those two countries?"

Norwood:"Tense, and I'm being diplomatic. The South Africans are in-
         sisting Namibia is harboring terrorists and are claiming
         they have the evidence to prove it. The evidence is very
         circumstantial, at best. Unfortunately, instead of rationally
         dismissing them, the Namibian president is resorting to name
         calling and counter-accusations."

Master:"Now why is he doing that?"

Norwood:"Who knows? The bottom line is things are on a knife-edge down
         there. And many are seeing the Road Rovers as the cause of it
         all."

Master:"That's ridiculous."

Clinton:"That's what we're thinking too, but too many others don't think
         so. Just who is this Sapien Liberation Army, Professor?"

Master:"We don't have much information on the organization, Madam Pre-
        sident. But what we do know is that they are a radical group of
        sapiens who have a very anti-human ideology. They operate in the
        in the southern African region, mainly South Africa. They are
        very much a right-wing fringe group."

Clinton:"If they are a fringe group, how come they are causing so much
         trouble down there?"

Master:"That is what concerns me a great deal. When they first came into
        existence a scant two or three years ago they were nothing but a
        group of disgruntled sapiens talking in a bar. Today they sport
        all kinds of heavy weaponry that they could not possibly have
        afforded."

Cameron:"You suspect that somebody is financing this group, Professor?"

Master:"That's correct, Prime Minister."

Cameron:"Any suspects so far?"

Master:"We have some suspicion it might be a breakaway KH Military group
        called the Elite Guard, but we don't really have any kind of 
        real proof. My dogs are busy investigating the Elite Guard to
        see what role they are playing in the whole affair."

Cameron:"You do that. The situation is bad enough without those fools 
         adding petrol to the fire. The faster we can get them out of 
         the picture the better."

Clinton:"In the meantime, I would recommend that you keep the Road Rovers
         out of the picture for a while, Professor. We don't need to give 
         Vorster any more excuses to escalate this."

Master:"I completely agree, Madam President. At any rate, my Rovers need
        to rest and work on tracking down the Elite Guard and neutrali-
        zing the SLA's backers."

Clinton:"You do that, Professor. If you can take them out of this picture
         it will make things a little easier."

Norwood:"Much easier, especially if it really is the Elite Guard."

They continue talking about other related matters.

Newsroom
CCTV News Centre
Shanghai
People's Republic of China
6 January
11:01 AM:

This is the main newsroom of China Cable TeleVision used for live news-
casts. A male anchor is reading the hour's top headline story.

Anchor:"In a surprising and unexpected announcement, Namibian president
        Sam Njoma admitted in a public broadcast that his government
        was indeed sheltering mutant terrorist groups within its bor-
        ders. This also included criminal fugitives such as the Road 
        Rover Striker, who last month escaped justice from South Africa
        with the aid of SLA forces. While there has been no official
        word from the South African administration, a government source
        said that this vindicates their claims and justifies action
        against Namibia."

She then shifts over to the next part of the story.

Anchor:"Meanwhile, international reaction to the announcement has been
        decidedly mixed. Leading western nations largely expressed 
        shock and surprise, while many other countries said that it
        was time to take action against Namibia. The Chinese people's
        president will soon make a public statement on television."

She continues reporting the news.

Gory Byrranga Mountains
Deep In Siberia
Russian Federation
7 January
13:05 PM:

The Gory Byrranga Mountains rises up from the plains of Siberia, run-
ning from horizon to horizon. Between the foot of the mountain and a
large forest is a reasonably flat plain that runs between the two.
Snow covers nearly the entire area, though it is not snowing, and the
sky is covered with grey clouds. Making their way through the forest
are Tanarus and Elexis. They are riding on the Biker Rover, which has
modified to have skis on the front wheel and treads on the rear. The
couple are wearing the Road Rover winter uniform, along with some
extra garments for warmth and facemasks to protect their heads from
the chill wind and snow. A large backpack is trapped to the rear of
the Biker Rover. At the moment Tanarus is at the helm while Elexis
is working with a GPS unit.

Tanarus:"How much further, Honey?"

Elexis:"We're almost there. Just past the edge of these woods."

Tanarus:"Let's stop here and scout the area a little. Maybe we might
         see something from our higher elevation here."

Elexis:"Good idea, Dear."

Tanarus brings the Biker Rover to a stop not far from the edge of the
forest and kills the engine. Both he and Elexis climb off, then take
out some binoculars from their backpack. The couple head towards the
edge of the forest. Elexis looks around at the pine and fir trees.

Elexis:"I remember how Stalker sometimes took me here when we went
        hunting. It feels like only yesterday."

Tanarus:"These woods also cover the poor victims of General Franco,
         Elexis. Many of those who were killed by him at his HQ were
         buried around here."

Elexis shudders.

Elexis:"What a horrible thought."

Tanarus:"Yes, but then Franco was a horrible monster."

The couple come to the edge of the woods, where they can look down on
the plains all the way to the foot of the mountain range. They find a
small rise and lie belly-down on the snow. The two coyotes look over
the plains towards a frozen lake. That's when they see it: a large
camp has been erected near the lake, with smoke rising from fires and
heat generators.

Elexis:"Now who could that be? Hunters?"

Tanarus:"Looks too large to be a hunting expedition."

Elexis:"It doesn't look to be a permanent settlement of some kind. Is
        it perhaps a base? Or perhaps nomads?"

Tanarus:"We'd better take a closer look."

Elexis nods her head, then they both take out their binoculars to take
a closer look. When they zoom in on the camp they can see what it
really is: a temporary KH Military base. A series of tens have been
erected, arranged mainly around the large camp fires and heat gene-
rators. Parked around here are Mack Trucks, Recon Bikes and Mohican
Helicopters. Several Radar Vans are also here, arranged around a
Radar Jammer. In the center of the camp is a large tent indicating
that it is a command tent. Battle and Flame Troopers are on guard
duty while several Jump Troopers are gathered around the command tent.
The coyote couple keep looking at the camp while talking to each
other.

Tanarus:"What do you think, Honey?"

Elexis:"Definitely not a permanent KH Military base. These troops
        are not going to stay here long. But I can't make out which
        squadron they are."

Tanarus:"Take a look at the squadron emblem."

Elexis does so, looking at the Recon Bikes. She quickly finds the
squadron emblem: the KH Military insignia, but in a Celtic design.
She frowns.

Elexis:"I don't recognize that emblem."

Tanarus:"Very few would. That belongs to the Celtic Squadron."

Elexis lowers his binoculars and looks confused at Tanarus.

Elexis:"Celtic Squadron? I've never heard of it."

Tanarus nods his head, lowering his binoculars but still looking at
the camp.

Tanarus:"Nor do many in the KH Military. Some even say that Celtic
         Squadron is a rumor or a myth. The truth is, Celtic is more
         of a rogue squadron that was never really part of the KH
         Military proper. I myself knew little about them except for
         some of the important details."

Elexis:"Such as?"

Tanarus:"Celtic used to be an official KH Military squadron, but it
         was badly abused by General Franco until it was almost no
         longer a squadron. It broke away from the KH Military, and
         even after the rebellion against Franco they never could
         manage to integrate in our forces. As a result, when we
         returned they fell largely under the command of General Wolf- 
         eye and his Omega Squadron, since Celtic Squadron occupied
         an uncharted island in the Pacific called Lupus Lagoon. They
         get deliveries of weaponry and supplies as needed and some-
         times help Omega out, but they are largely doing their own
         things. I know a few other things, such as who is in charge
         and about their command ship, the Lady Vee, but I was kept
         out of the loop most of time."

Elexis:"So they live on a Pacific Island, what are they doing here at
        the foot of the Gory Byrranga Range in Russia?"

Tanarus:"I have no idea, but maybe we can hear something from the 
         camp's commander. Let's turn on the sound amplifiers."

Elexis:"Good idea."

The couple raise their binoculars, then push buttons on them to turn
on the amplifiers. They zoom in the command tent just as Captain
Sparrow comes walking out the tent to greet the Jump Troopers. In
the camp the troopers salute Sparrow.

Troopers:"Sir! Reporting back from our mission, sir!"

Sparrow salutes back.

Sparrow:"At ease."

The Jump Troopers stop saluting and relax.

Sparrow:"Give me an update. Did you find anything?"

The leading jump trooper corporal steps forward.

Corporal:"We found no trace of the Elite Guard's presence anywhere in
          the region despite covering a large area."

Sparrow:"What about the local populace in the region?"

Corporal:"The area is sparsely populated and the nearest village is
          over 40 kilometers away. But one of the elders in that vil-
          lage did tell us something."

Sparrow:"Really? What is it?"

Corporal:"The village's hunter-gatherers knew about the KH Military
          base here, but kept well clear of it. One day the hunters
          saw that a large of group of them had gathered on these
          plains, apparently looking as if they were going to move
          out."

Sparrow:"Could they tell where they were heading?"

Corporal:"They couldn't tell, sir, but he told us how they moved out:
          they cleared and flattened part of the plains to allow a
          number of big planes to land. Each time they took off, they
          carried a portion of that force. They also could see that
          the planes belonged to some humans."

Sparrow:"Humans? Curious. Who were these humans?"

Corporal:"That is the strange part, sir. The elder couldn't tell us
          who the humans were, but he did remember the markings on the
          planes and drew it in the snow for us. When I looked at it,
          the marking was the Star of David."

Sparrow looks surprised.

Sparrow:"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the planes belonged
         to Israel?"

Corporal:"Yes, sir. I asked him about it, but he had never heard of
          Israel. But he accurately drew the insignia and even gave
          the right description of the colors. And when I asked him
          to describe the humans themselves, it got even stranger. It
          seems that the humans were not only Israeli airmen, but 
          also Arabs."

Sparrow:"That's ridiculous."

Corporal:"That's the descriptions he gave me, sir. I found it hard to
          believe."

Sparrow:"Was there any distinct features of those Arabic humans?"

Corporal:"Not much, except perhaps that they all wore green turbans."

Sparrow rubs his chin, then looks back at the corporal.

Sparrow:"Thank you, corporal. Dismissed."

Corporal:"Yes, sir!"

As the jump troopers disperse, Sparrow walks quickly back into his
tent. Back at the edge of the woods, Tanarus and Elexis lower their
binoculars. Looking at each other, they are both surprised.

Tanarus:"As Hunter would say, yet another unexpected twist."

Elexis:"I don't understand it. What on earth would the Israelis, the
        Arabs and the Elite Guard want with each other?"

Tanarus:"I think we'd better get back to Mission Control. This is
         important. Come on, Dear."

Elexis:"Right behind you, Honey."

The couple get up and run back to the Biker Rover. However, their
presence does not go unnoticed. Nestled on a small ridge against the
side of mountain, someone is watching. A pair of wolf-sapiens are
here, dressed in black leather unitards and wearing yellow shoulder,
chest, knee and elbow armor. Yellow helmets cover their heads, which
have goggles and respirators on. The Elite Guard insignia are on their
chest armor, along with a silver eye underneath indicating that they
are Stealth Soldiers. Currently they are lying flat, looking through 
powerful binoculars at both the Celtic Squadron camp and the two
Rovers.

Soldier 1:"This is bad. As if the traitors weren't enough, now the
           Road Rovers."

Soldier 2:"Good thing Mister T warned the Supreme General that we
           ought to scout out this region."

Soldier 1:"Dah, but I think the time has come to report back. We've
           seen and heard enough."

Soldier 2:"Right. Let's go."

The two soldiers get up and gather their gear. The next moment they
press the silver eyes on their chests. Suddenly they fade into the
background, seemingly becoming invisible. However, a faint shimmer
against the rock wall gives away the fact that they are now on the
move.

Freight Train
En Route To Border
Upington/De Aar Railway Line
Republic of South Africa
8 January
12:07 AM:

It is dark over the semi-desert flats of the Great Karoo region. A
lone train is moving along the railway tracks that cuts through the
countryside. The many lights on them, however, indicate that this
train is a very long one. The train's carriages consist of passenger
cars, goods carriages and flatbed cars. On the flatbeds are large
objects covered in tarps, which are strapped down. Though one cannot
see what is under the tarps, the shapes clearly show that the cargo
consists of Olifant Tanks, G-5 Mobile Cannons, Scout RG-32s and other
kinds of military vehicles. The train continues on its way towards
the Namibian border.

Research & Development Laboratory Wing
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
10 January
8:47 AM:

The R&D Wing of RRHQ's laboratory is a large chamber that is connected
both to the main laboratory (two automatic sliding doors) and to the 
hangars (two large hangars doors). Half of the wing has been turned 
into a vehicle bay, while the other half looks like a laboratory. In 
here are all kinds of projects in the works, raging from new weapons 
and equipment to vehicles. Collin is here as is Riley. With them are
Phoenix, Tanarus, Elexis, Illanov and Merit. At the moment Collin is
showing the others how Riley is working on some kind of device.

Collin:"Riley here is building and testing the first part of the new
        leg Striker will receive. As you can see we've just started
        on getting the parts together. Basically, Riley is building
        the 'bones" of the leg, which will serve as the foundation
        when we add the more electronic and mechanical parts to them."

Tanarus:"How long will it take to build the leg?"

Riley answers without looking away from his work.

Riley:"Building the leg itself will take only a few weeks. A little
       over a month at most. It will be getting it to work as a real
       limb on Striker that will really be time-consuming."

Collin:"He's right. How soon Striker will be able to use that leg
        will depend on his body adapts to the bionic attachments
        and his own ability to use it."

Merit:"Also factor in the possible debugging of small programming
       errors."

Collin:"Eh... yes, that too. But we will get to it when we reach that
        stage. Meanwhile, let me she you all something else."

Collin leads the group's attention to a metal ramp, where some kind of
robotic suit on tank treads is parked. It appears as if it is still
being built.

Collin:"This is a new mechanized tank suit, designed specifically for
        Merit."

Illanov:"For Merit, comrade Collin?"

Collin:"Yes, on Striker's request. He said that there might be periods
        in future missions where Merit could risk the danger of being
        damaged. Therefore, we're built this suit to both protect him
        and to provide combat support."

Merit:"How very unusual. Is my shell to be upgraded?"

Collin:"Not really, Merit. Let me explain how the suit works."

As the collie starts to explain how the suit operates, Phoenix takes
Elexis off to one side. They are now standing a good distance away
from the others, who are listening to Collin and looking at the suit.

Phoenix:"I want to ask you something, Elexis."

Elexis:"Sure, Phoenix. What is it?"

Phoenix:"Well, it's sort of a private thing."

Elexis:"I can keep it to myself if you want me to, Phoenix."

Phoenix:"I know you would, but I still feel a little uncomfortable
         about asking you this."

Elexis looks concerned.

Elexis:"Is there something wrong?"

Phoenix:"No, nothing is wrong... well, maybe not... er..."

The pomeranian goes up to Elexis and whispers into the coyote's ear.
When Elexis hears what she whispers, she barely stifles a giggle.

Elexis:"Oh, THAT."

Phoenix:"Yes, THAT."

Elexis:"You two are married. Surely you should know you two are more
        than welcome to do it."

Phoenix:"I don't know, Elexis. I mean, Strikie had his leg amputated
         and all."

Elexis:"That shouldn't be too much of a problem, Phoenix. We didn't
        amputate his waist too. You might need to be careful with his
        other leg. It's still sore so you might want to lay off the
        rough stuff."

Phoenix:"But can I... me and Strikie do it?"

Elexis smiles and puts a paw on Phoenix's shoulder.

Elexis:"Just watch his leg, Phoenix. Otherwise, go ahead and enjoy
        yourselves. After all, you two do love each other and I think
        you need to express it in this manner."

Phoenix smiles a little.

Phoenix:"Thank you, Elexis. And can I..."

She comes up and whispers again. Elexis nods her head, still smiling.

Elexis:"Afraid he might be a little hesitant, are we?"

Phoenix nods her head. This time Elexis is the one to come up and
whisper to the Pomeranian. Phoenix blushes when she hears what the
coyote has to say.

Phoenix:"Oh! You think it will work?"

Elexis:"It definitely should get his... attention."

The two females giggle. Suddenly is there a loud crash and the two of
them quickly turn around. Merit, who has gotten into the tank suit,
has fallen over off the back of the ramp. Collin, Tanarus and Illanov
are trying to pick him up.

Illanov:"You all right, comrade Merit?"

Merit:"I think it is correct to mention that the acceleration systems
       and the directional controls require immediate attention."

Elexis and Phoenix look at each other.

Phoenix:"I'll see you later, Elexis. I think I'll follow up on your
         advice."

Elexis smiles and nods.

Elexis:"Enjoy!"

Phoenix winks, then she goes and walks out through the sliding doors.
Elexis heads back to the join the others as they struggle to lift
Merit and his suit back up onto his treads.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Franco is on his throne with Champion stand guarding, as usual. General
Seneschal is standing at the foot of three along with two of his own
captains. The monitors on the wall are all showing static. Franco is
talking to Seneschal.

Franco:"So you understand how serious this could get if they should be
        allowed to follow the leads they have."

Seneschal:"Yes, Supreme General. I certainly do."

Franco:"Good. This is what I want you to do. Firstly, try to convince
        the Celtic Squadron to either give up their mission or even to
        join us. If that fails, take what forces we can spare and
        eliminate General Pard and his troops with extreme preju-
        dice."

Seneschal:"I certainly will enjoy the latter, Supreme General."

Franco:"I have no doubt, especially since I do have doubt that that
        fool Pard would even want to join us. I do not care."

Seneschal nods his head in agreement. Franco continues.

Franco:"Secondly, have your top commando... Raul, is it?"

Seneschal:"Yes, Supreme General."

Franco:"Have Raul and his commandos cover up our tracks by capturing
        or killing any possible informants before the Road Rovers
        can reach them. Is that clear?"

Seneschal:"Crystal, Supreme General."

Franco:"Excellent. Now get going."

Seneschal and his captains salute, then turn around and walk out of
the throne room. Once they leave, Franco pushes a button on the arm-
rest of his throne. All the monitor screens immediately show all the
available news channels, which Franco watches.

Striker & Phoenix's Quarters
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
2:27 PM:

Striker and Phoenix's new quarters has both couple's their personal 
items from their previous quarters. Also here are framed photographs 
of their wedding and additional furniture. The quarters itself is now 
bigger with additional space and more closets, though it still has the 
adjacent bathroom. Striker is lying in the king-sized bed with the 
covers drawn up over his legs and waist. The sound of running water 
can be heard from the bathroom where Phoenix is taking a shower. 
Striker is looking towards the bathroom doorway.

Striker:"Your parents did a goeie job of moving our belongings to our
         new quarters. I should thank them."

Phoenix(from bathroom):"Yeah. I tried to explain to them that they did
       not need to help, but they insisted. Seems they want to make up
       for all time wasted while we were separated."

Striker:"Doesn't it bother you, Firefly?"

Phoenix(from bathroom):"Not at all. It is good to be with my parents
       and to bond with them again."

Striker:"I have to be honest, Phoenix. I am also growing closer to your
         parents. They help fill that gap in me after my family was 
         killed."

There is a brief pause as the water stops running and there is the 
sound of a shower door sliding open.

Phoenix(from bathroom):"I felt the same way about them. And about 
       everyone else here. And especially about you, Strikie."

Striker:"Dankie, Phoenix. I can say the same for you."

Phoenix(from bathroom):"Thank you. And speaking of us..."

Phoenix comes out of the bathroom, wearing the towel around her. Her
fur is now mostly dry. The Pomeranian grins at Striker while her tail
is wagging behind her.

Phoenix:"... we really need to 'get together'."

Striker frowns in confusion.

Striker:"Get together? But we are reeds married, Phoenix."

Phoenix:"Not yet, Strikie. See, there is still that special part of 
         our wedding night that was interrupted."

Striker's eyes suddenly widen in realization, then he grins at his
wife.

Striker:"Oh! THAT part."

Phoenix:"That's right, Love. And that's why, beneath this towel, I'm
         completely nude."

Striker smirks widely as Phoenix prepares to remove the towel. Suddenly
the door swings open and Corsair rushes in clutching a bunch of papers. 
Phoenix gasps and holds the towel tightly in consternation, while 
Striker looks in annoyance at the excited Corsair.

Corsair:"Boss! I've gotten some hot info!"

Striker:"And for that reason you storm into our quarters without
         knocking?"

That's when Corsair notices Phoenix's state of dress. He turns red
from embarressment.

Corsair:"Oh! Er... my bad..."

Corsair turns around and begins to leave. Striker, however, sits up
and looks at the human.

Striker:"Come back here, David."

Corsair stops in his tracks.

Corsair(to himself):"Crap. Now I'm gonna get it."

He turns around and slowly walks back to Striker. Striker looks sternly
at him.

Striker:"Eerste. Before you come in, next time remember to knock."

Corsair:"Yeah, I will. Sorry, boss."

Striker:"Goed. Nou, what is this information?"

Corsair:"Okay, I spoke to Karen a short while ago. He managed to sneak
         a peek at her daddy's secret papers with Bastiff's help. And 
         what she told me she saw in those papers is major bad news."

Striker:"What kind of bad news?"

Corsair holds out the papers to Striker.

Corsair:"Karen faxed them to me. They're plans for a full-scale military 
         invasion of Namibia."

Striker's eyes immediately widen in shock, while Phoenix looks just as
surprised as her husband. Striker quickly grabs the papers and looks
at them.

Striker:"Operation Spear."

Corsair:"That's what the invasion will be called."

Striker quickly goes through the papers, looking more and more shocked
as he reads them.

Striker:"Ai yai yai! Adriaan is van sy kop af!"

Corsair:"Sorry, boss?"

Striker:"I mean he is out of his mind! When will the invasion begin?"

Corsair:"Karen told me Vorster will give the order when he returns
         from a state visit in China. The South Africans are commit-
         ting half their forces to the attack and are waiting at the
         Namibian border for Vorster's word."

Striker nods, still looking at the papers. Finally he holds the papers
out to Corsair, who takes them.

Striker:"Give them to the Master and tell him what is going on. I'll 
         come over to him and then tell Norwood."

Corsair:"Righto, boss!"

Corsair quickly turns and runs out the door, slamming it behind him.
Striker begins to get out of bed. He looks at Phoenix.

Striker:"Help me get dressed."

Phoenix nods and comes over to help. She sighs.

Phoenix:"Guess our loving night will have to wait. Again."

Striker:"I am as frustrated as you are, Firefly."

Phoenix doesn't respond, but instead helps Striker get into his outfit
and onto his foot.

Air Force Base
Keetmanshoop
Namibia
13 January
4:01 AM: 

The Namibian Air Force Base near the town of Keetmanshoop consists of
two runways, a control tower and terminal, several hangars and a
cluster of fuel tanks. The entire airfield is lit up with powerful
street lights, while a chain link fence runs around it. The town's
lights shine in the darkness a short distance away. A few military
police officers are on duty here, but otherwise the base is very
quiet. Two officers are standing in an alley between the control tower 
and a hangar, getting out their packs of cigarettes.

Officer 1:"Do you have a lighter?"

Officer 2:"Yes, but it's almost empty. Let's hope it can light up both
           of us."

The second officer takes out his lighter and flicks it, creating a
small flame. The two others then light up their cigarettes, taking
three quick puffs. As the two start smoking they begin to chat.

Officer 1:"So how's your son doing in London?"

Officer 2:"Doing well, as always. And still asking me to come and
           visit him."

The first officer chuckles.

Officer 1:"Still scared of flying?"

Officer 2:"I am not getting on a plane. Besides, why do I want to
           go to London? The sun never shines there, unlike down..."

The first officer holds up one hand to silence his partner, listening
intently.

Officer 1:"Do you hear that?"

Officer 2:"Hear what?"

The second officer strains to listen. That's when he picks up the
noise: the sound of engines somewhere in the sky. He grunts and puffs
out some smoke.

Officer 2:"That's just a passenger plane."

Officer 1:"You sure? It sounds as if there is more than one of them."

Suddenly they begin to hear a whining noise that grows steady louder
and closed. The two officers look to the skies, confused.

Officer 2:"What the h..."

The next moment the hangar they are standing next to explodes. The
two officers are knocked down but not caught in the blast, which
blows out through the open hangar door and maintenance entrances.
Immediately the entire hangar is engulfed in flames as debris rain
down from the sky. The two officers stumble to their feet.

Officer 1:"What's going on?!"

Suddenly there is another explosion, then another. They look to see
the runway explode into large chunks of concrete. A searchlight comes
on just in time to catch a glimpse of a South African Griffon fighter
plane buzzing the airfield. The two officers watch, stunned.

Officer 1:"We're being attacked!"

Officer 2:"Let's get to the terminal! Fast!"

The two officers drop their cigarettes and make a run for the terminal.
A siren starts to blare out in the night while more jet fighters fly
past. More searchlights come on, revealing the sky is full of South
African Griffons and Hercules troop and cargo planes.

Newsroom
SKY News Center
London
United Kingdom
6:12 AM:

The newsroom is a flurry of activity this morning with staff running
to and fro. At the desk the male anchor is busy reading the breaking 
news story.

Anchor:"We interrupt your regular programming with this breaking news
        story. SKY news has received reports from Windhoek that South
        African armed forces have invaded Namibia a short while ago. 
        As of yet we do not have any further details, but we are
        hoping to get in touch with our correspondent at the British
        embassy in Pretoria to learn about what is going on. Just to
        repeat our breaking news story: South Africa has launched an
        invasion of Namibia early this morning."

He continues with the news story.

Recreation Room
Cape Hunting Dogs Ranch
Serengeti Plains
Kenya
7:02 AM:

The recreation room of the ranch is a large, spacious room with all
kinds of entertainment such as pool tables, table tennis, arcade
machines, tables to play board games, televisions and game consoles
and other kinds of recreation. At the moment the Cape Hunting Dogs
(sans Astin), Hotrod, Alana and Kenya are here watching television 
intently. Jock comes walking in, wearing denim jeans and carrying a 
warm cup of coffee. He looks at the others.

Jock:"Good morning, everyone."

Hotrod quickly turns to Jock.

Hotrod:"Better come and watch the news."

Curious, Jock walks up to the gang and sits down next to Kya on the
couch. The television is showing a live broadcast by a reporter in
Keetmanshoop. Behind him is the main street of the town, now full of
South African armored vehicles and tanks. Soldiers are patrolling up
and down the streets.

Reporter(on screen):"As you can see behind me South African forces
        have completely occupied Keetmanshoop and according to some
        sources have succeeded in taking over all of Namibia south of
        the town. South African commanders have declined interviews,
        saying that Pretoria will release a press statement later
        today regarding the invasion."

Jock is now very surprised.

Jock:"What is going on?"

Farren growls and looks at Jock.

Farren:"What does it look like? The South Africans have declared war
        on Namibia and invaded the country!"

Otieno pats Farren on the shoulder.

Otieno:"Hey, calm down and just watch the news."

Farren nods, but still frowns in anger as he watches the television
with the others.

Hotrod:"Man, things have really gone FUBAR now as Shephard would say.
        This is going to get ugly."

Both Kenya and Alana motion Hotrod to pipe down as they listen to the
reporter.

Reporter(on screen):"The Namibian president will make a televised
        speech to the nation within an hour. It is likely that he will
        condemn the South Africans for the invasion and order the
        Namibian army to counter the invasion."

Kallima:"The Namibians have got no chance of stopping the South
         Africans. Their army is not strong enough to fight this
         war machine."

Slingshot:"So the South Africans will take over the country or what?"

Sunrise:"Quiet down, Slingshot."

Slingshot becomes silent as the scene changes to the newsroom of the
national Kenyan news agency. The anchor now takes over.

Anchor(on screen):"As of this moment there is yet to be any inter-
      national reaction to the news of the South African invasion,
      but it is reported that United Nations secretary-general Markus
      Norwood will be making a statement within the next few minutes.
      We will cross over to New York as soon as it begins."

Kenya:"This is very bad. Especially if this is over the sapien issue."

Kallima:"What bothers me is that it feels like everyone is getting
         dragged into this mess, whether they like it or not."

Just then Astin comes in and walks up to the group. He taps on Sunrise's
shoulder to get her attention.

Astin:"The Master just called. He's called for an emergency meeting of
       all Road Rover unit leaders."

Sunrise:"I'll be right there."

Sunrise quickly gets up and follows Astin out of the room. The others
continue to watch the news as the scene switches over to a live trans-
mission from New York.

Throne Room
Elite Guard Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Franco is sitting and watching the monitors, all of whom are switched
to news channels reporting on the South African invasion. At the foot
of the throne is Diehard, Seneschal, Mister T, Raul and a dozen Elite 
Guard commanders. Champion is standing behind Franco, but his eyes are 
on Mara and Hildagarde, who are standing off to one side. Franco is 
very pleased as he watches the screens.

Franco:"Excellent. Phase B is working as I expected."

He looks back down at Mister T.

Franco:"What does your superiors say about the invasion?"

Mister T:"From our point of view, general, things are proceeding as
          planned and we only needed to intervene in a few places here
          and there. My superior wants to congratulate you with your
          success."

Franco:"Wonderful. Now, are we sure the Road Rovers will try and
        intervene?"

Mister T:"We are certain of it. And we will make sure they do."

Franco:"Good, good."

Franco then looks at Diehard and Seneschal.

Franco:"Are our forces ready for Phase C?"

Diehard:"Javol, Zupreme General. Our forces are ready to move on your
         command, ja?"

Seneschal:"Yes, Supreme General. We are ready to carry out your will."

Franco:"Excellent. Executive Phase C as soon as possible."

Diehard, Seneschal, Raul and the commanders all salute.

Diehard, Seneschal, Raul, Commanders:"Yes, Supreme General!"

Franco leans back in his throne.

Franco:"Dismissed, except for you Commander Raul. Stay a moment."

Raul nods and stays behind as Diehard, Seneschal and the other com-
manders turns around and leave the throne room. Mister T remains
behind, arms folded behind his back. Franco looks at Raul.

Franco:"I have asked General Seneschal to give me authority over you
        and your unit, Commander Raul. I have a task for you."

Raul:"I am at your service, Supreme General."

Franco nods and looks at Mister T.

Franco:"Go ahead, Mister T."

Mister T nods and turns to Raul, who looks back at him.

Mister T:"Right, commander. We believe that not all the Road Rovers
          will go to Namibia to try and stop the South African in-
          vasion. Some of them will be sent to track down the Elite
          Guard by following a series of trails starting in central
          Siberia. If they are allowed to get too far along that
          trail, then your Supreme General's plans could be exposed
          before they are executed."

Franco nods and looks coldly at Raul.

Franco:"And that does happen, I will not be in a happy mood."

Raul nods his head, looking a little concerned. Mara and Hildagarde
also have concerned looks, but Champion is snickering. Raul opens his
muzzle to stay something, but Franco raises a paw to silence him. The
general then begins to speak.

Franco:"What I want you to do, Commander Raul, is to go along this
        trail and start killing all the loose ends. Dead people cannot
        talk."

Raul:"But are some of them not on our side, sir?"

Franco:"True, but events have reached the point where they are no
        longer assets. They are liabilities that the Road Rovers
        should not meet. Kill them all, starting with the ones in
        Israel and Palestine. I will give you joint authority over a
        portion of Seneschal's forces to deal with this matter."

Raul:"Joint authority, sir?"

Franco:"Yes."

Franco picks up the phone on his throne and pushes a button. After a
brief moment he speaks to the individual on the other end.

Franco:"You can come in now."

Franco puts the phone down again. Moments later a new individual comes
into the throne room and approaches the throne. It is a female wolf-
sapien standing at 5 feet 5 and has completely black fur all over her
body except for light-gray fur from her muzzle down to between her
legs, the tip of her tail and her paws and feet. Her eyes are a deep
red colour and there is a scar on her muzzle. She is wearing a Stealth 
Soldier uniform, only with her helmet off. The female wolf stops and
salutes Franco.

Female(Chinese accent):"Reporting in, Supreme General."

Franco:"Welcome, Major Silhouette."

Silhouette stops saluting and stands at attention. Franco looks at 
Raul, who is staring at the female wolf.

Franco:"This is Major Silhouette. She is the leader of Diehard's Shade
        Squads and a very skilled leader. She will assist you in
        your mission. Am I clear?"

Raul looks at Silhouette, but the wolfess remains stone-faced and emo-
tionless. He sighs and looks back at Franco, nodding.

Raul:"Yes, sir."

Franco then looks at Silhouette.

Franco:"What about you, major? Am I clear to you as well?"

Silhouette:"Crystal clear, sir!"

Satisfied, Franco leans back in his throne again.

Franco:"Excellent. Go and get your orders from General Diehard. You
        are both dismissed."

Raul and Silhouette salute, though the female grey wolf is more
enthusiastic about it. The two of them then file out of the throne
room. Franco looks at Mister T.

Franco:"You may leave, Mister T. Unless you have something important
        to say."

Mister T:"Nothing further, General. I am done."

Franco:"Give my regards and gratitude to your superior."

Mister T:"Certainly, General. Good day."

Franco nods as Mister T leaves the room. Champion, meanwhile, is making
some crude signals to Maya and Hildagarde which makes his chauvinistic
intentions very clear. Maya gulps, but Hildagarde remains defiant. At
that moment Franco notices the two females.

Franco:"What are you two still doing here?"

Hildagarde:"Supreme Gen..."

Franco:"I don't care. Get out. Dismissed!"

Hildagarde and Maya quickly waste no time in leaving through the ser-
vant's door, much to Champion's frustration. He grumbles something as
Franco resumes watching the monitors. Franco giggles with glee as he
watches the scenes of war on the screens.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Mission Control
United States of America
10:00 PM:

Nearly all the Rovers in RRHQ are gathered in the briefing room, with
the Master at his podium. The screens are showing the unit leaders from
around the world. Two of the larger screens have Mark Norwood's and
Major Cadwell's images on, while the biggest screen is showing a map of 
southern Africa, depicting the South African armies moving into Namibia. 
Right now Norwood is speaking to the Rovers.

Norwood:"And the worst part was the fact that the Namibian president
         just said that his country is fighting this war on behalf of
         the Sapien Liberation Army."

Master:"He's playing right into Adriaan Vorster's hands. It will further
        justify his invasion."

Norwood:"I know, and many nations in the United Nations believe that he
         really is justified. Not only that, many other nations have
         decided to pretty much go and sit on the fence. Few nations are
         actually willing to stand up for Namibia following the speech
         by the president."

Master:"What is the US government's position, major?"

Cadwell:"I got word from the White House, Professor. We're clear on what
         we think: this is an unjustified attack on a democratic nation
         and we strongly condemn it."

Norwood:"It is a pity that many of your allies have gotten cold feet
         about join the US in condemnation."

Cadwell sighs.

Cadwell:"I know. Trouble is the UN is now hamstrung by the anti-mutant
         block, led by China, and the fence-sitters. And the US cannot
         go and rescue Namibia on its own. Our forces are stretched too
         thin in Iraq and Afghanistan already we need allies to get
         boots in Namibia."

Master:"What will happen if the South Africans take over Namibia?"

Norwood:"That's what is giving me headaches. If Namibia falls, other
         unscrupulous nations could use the anti-mutant issue to in-
         vade their neighbors. And much of the world will believe
         them too."

Master:"Not a good presidence."

Cadwell:"Pardon me for changing topic slightly, but I've been getting
         hints from you all that there might be a third party in this
         whole pro-sapien/anti-mutant business. Something called the 
         Elite Guard? Who are they?"

Norwood:"I'll answer that. The Elite Guard was the original commanding
         squadron of the KH Military before Stalker led a KH revolt
         against the Elite Guard and its leader, General Franco. We
         had thought Franco dead and the Elite Guard destroyed, but it
         seems they are alive and well. We've gotten some hints that
         the Elite Guard might be involved with SLA and working co-
         vertly inside the Vorster Administration."

Cadwell:"Anything definite?"

Norwood looks at the Master, who shrugs his shoulders.

Master:"All we have are speculations and guesses, Major. But I have
        my Rovers on the job to find out about Franco's plans."

Cadwell:"And while that's happening the South Africans are running
         roughshod over the Namibians. And there's not a d*** thing
         we can do about. The US lacks the forces or allies to do
         it on its own, and the UN is a lame duck. No offense, 
         Norwood."

Norwood:"None taken. I'm just as frustrated about this petty bickering
         as anyone else is."

At that moment Hunter, who had kept quiet along with the others, stands
up and gets the attention of all in the room.

Hunter:"Master, I recommend that the Road Rovers be dispatched to
        Namibia to help fight back against the South Africans."

Everyone's attention, both in the room and the screens, turn to Hunter.
Loud murmurs can be heard in the crowd.

Cadwell:"Wait a minute. You're saying you Rovers are to go to Namibia
         to fight the South Africans?"

Hunter:"You bet, major. We're not mixed up in politics and this in-
        vasion is not right. We're not just going to sit around here
        and watch the South Africans overrun the country and make the
        world even more polarized."

Several of the Rovers and the unit leaders murmur their agreement and
nods their heads. The Master rubs his chin.

Master:"Well, we do have experience fighting wars in the Colombian and
        Techno Wars..."

Cadwell:"But those were fought with the international community behind
         you. If you go to the Namibia you will have no help whatsoever
         from the United States."

Norwood:"Or from the United Nations, if some members of the Security
         Council have their way."

Hunter:"Nonetheless, we have to do something about the South Africans
        and the Namibian president."

Cadwell:"The Namibian president too?"

Hunter:"Yeah. He made that announcement where he said that was offering
        shelter to Striker and the SLA. Both of that is hogwash, since
        Striker right here with us and the SLA would sooner choke on
        bones than accept help from a human."

Cadwell:"So what you're telling me is that the Namibian president is
         part of the problem?"

Hunter:"We're pretty sure of it. That's why we want to go to Namibia
        and, while were fighting off the South Africans, will also
        investigate and, if necessary, arrest the president or remove
        him from office."

Norwood rubs his chin in thought.

Norwood:"That sounds like an idea."

Cadwell, however, is not as pleased.

Cadwell:"That's crazy, in my opinion. You're going out there to fight
         the South Africans AND topple the Namibian government?"

Master:"Not toppling the government, major. That would make things
        worse. We are going after the president to save Namibia from
        both him and the South African president. I believe that
        Hunter is right in that we go there to bring the situation
        to a speedy and peaceful conclusion."

There is a brief moment of silence before Cadwell finally sighs.

Cadwell:"I hate to say this, but your plan is the best. Problem is,
         I cannot officially endorse this plan and neither can the US
         government. Some people on the Hill would go apes*** if we
         backed this up."

Norwood:"I'm afraid I have to mirror the major's words. Officially I
         condemn this intervention plan of yours. But unofficially I
         am 100% behind you because it is really the only way we can
         get out of this mess with the least amount of damage."

The Master rubs his chin, thinking for a while. He then turns to the
Rovers.

Master:"Does anyone here object to Hunter's plan?"

The Master looks around, but nobody replies verbally and many just
shake their heads.

Master:"So you're all willing to go to Namibia and fight this war?"

A resounding "yes" is called out by the Rovers.

Master:"Very well. We will go to Namibia, stops the South Africans and
        investigate the president."

Just then Striker raises his paw, getting the Master's attention.

Master:"Yes, Striker?"

Striker:"Master, I recommend that Unit STRIKE continue the investigation
         into the whereabouts of the Elite Guard. Since we suspect
         they are behind these recent events it would be onnosel to
         ignore them."

Master:"That is a good idea, Striker. But you are in no condition to
        go out on a mission."

Striker:"Ja, Master. I will appoint a new leader in my place until I
         am ready to assume my duties again."

Master:"All right. You can do that after the briefing."

Cadwell:"If you are correct that the Elite Guard are behind this, then
         I say you must take them down fast. It seems the longer they
         keep hiding behind the scenes the worse things get."

Norwood:"I share the same sentiment."

Master:"Very well. The majority of Road Rovers will be sent to South
        Africa while Unit STRIKE will go after the Elite Guard. Any
        objections?"

The Master looks around the briefing room and at the screens, but no
one is making any objections. He nods his head in satisfaction.

Master:"Good. I suggest that you all go and get your teams and gear
        together and make plans for the mission. Dismissed."

The Rovers all nod, then begin to disperse. While the Master turns to
Cadwell and Norwood to further discuss the plans, the members of Unit
STRIKE gather around Striker as soon as everyone else have left the
briefing room. Striker turns to look at them all.

Striker:"It's time for me to choose someone who will be the new leader
         of our unit until I am again fit to resume my duties. Of
         course, this new leader must have the approval of the rest
         of team. Understood?"

Phoenix:"Clearly, Dear."

Illanov:"Dah, comrade."

Corsair:"Gotcha, boss."

Shephard:"Affirmative, sir."

Merit:"Understood perfectly."

Striker:"Goed. Nou, Merit. Do you think you could lead this team?"

Merit:"Negative. I lack the mature command protocols."

Striker:"I thought as much. Shephard?"

Shephard shakes his head.

Shephard:"Sorry, sir. I take orders. I don't give them."

Striker:"Reg. Alex?"

Illanov opens his mouth to say something, but Corsair steps in first.

Corsair:"Hey, no way! I am not taking orders from the Russkie!"

Illanov growls at Corsair.

Illanov:"And you think you can do better, American puppy?"

Corsair prepares to say something, but Striker growls at both of them
and they immediately pipe down. Striker looks sternly at the two.

Striker:"Wel, I think that is the answer. Neither of you can be the
         unit leader because you will be constantly sabotaging each
         other."

Illanov and Corsair glare at each other but keep their mouths shut.
Striker looks around at the team.

Striker:"But I expected that. I knew it would come down to this choice,
         but I had to go through with you all to be seker."

He turns to Phoenix.

Striker:"Phoenix, I want you to take over leadership of Unit STRIKE
         in my place."

Phoenix looks surprised at Striker, putting one paw to her chest.

Phoenix:"M-me, Striker?"

Striker:"Ja, Phoenix. I am completely confident that you will make a
         good leader. Unless anyone here wishes to object."

Striker looks at the others.

Illanov:"I think it is a good choice, comrade. I am right behind you,
         comrade Phoenix."

Corsair:"Yeah, I vote for her too."

Shephard:"Ready to receive your orders, Ma'am!"

Merit:"I approve of the choice 91,5%."

Striker nods and looks back at Phoenix.

Striker:"Phoenix? What do you say?"

Phoenix stares at Striker for a few moments, then sighs.

Phoenix:"I... I need to sit and think on it, Strikie."

Striker:"Goed, Firefly. We will give you a day to decide."

Phoenix nods, looking very unsure of herself. Striker then turns back
to the others.

Striker:"While I am absent we will have one less member in Unit STRIKE,
         so we also need to decide on a temporary member to go with
         you. So I need some names."

The others nod, then they all begin to name and discuss a number of
potential replacement members for their unit. During the discussion
Phoenix excuses herself and leaves the room, leaving the rest to go
on with the discussion.

Monitoring Room
Eta Squadron Headquarters
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

The monitoring room is a hive of activity, with staff at all their
stations and assistants moving papers and disks about. But Sky, who
is seated on his command chair, is paying no attention to all the
hubbub. His eyes are closed and he is frowning in concentration. He
remains like that for a good many minutes before finally opening
his eyes.

Sky:"Interesting development."

He stands up from his chair.

Aydrian & Elissia's Quarters
Road Rover Mission Control
14 January
8:02 AM:

Aydrian and Elissia's quarters looks very much like that of their
daughter and son-in-law, with some of their own belongings from
Shangri-La making it unique to them. At the moment the couple are
finishing getting dressed when there is a knock at the door. Aydrian
looks at the door.

Aydrian:"Hello?"

Phoenix(behind door):"Dad? Can I come in? I need to talk with you and
       Mom about something important."

Immediately both Aydrian and Elissia's attention shift to the door.

Elissia:"Of course, Dear. Come in."

The door opens and Phoenix steps inside. Her parents sit down on the
bed with a space between them.

Aydrian:"Come and sit down, my daughter."

Phoenix:"Thanks."

Phoenix closes the door behind her and goes and sits down between her
parents. Elissia takes her daughter's paw.

Elissia:"Now tell us what is wrong."

Phoenix sighs.

Phoenix:"Mom, Striker has asked me to take over the leadership of Unit
         STRIKE while he recovers. The others in our team have given
         their support to me..."

Aydrian:"But you have doubts whether you could do it?"

Phoenix nods her head, looking frustrated.

Phoenix:"A little. That and the fact that I'll be separated from my
         Strikie again. I'm beginning to wonder if he still loves me."

Aydrian then takes Phoenix's other paw and squeezes it.

Aydrian:"You're wrong, Phoenix. Striker still loves you, and this
         proves it."

Phoenix looks surprised at her father.

Phoenix:"It does?"

Aydrian:"Yes. Striker trusts you enough to take up his role in the team
         and to look after your team mates. Trust is an important part
         of any relationship and your mate is displaying his trust in
         you with this."

Phoenix looks at Aydrian, then glances over at Elissia.

Elissia:"Your father is right. If Striker didn't love you he wouldn't
         have chosen you to take over his responsibility. I don't
         think you need to worry about him drifting away from you."

Phoenix looks down, deep in thought.

Phoenix:"I never actually thought about it that way."

Elissia:"Glad you see the mean of it, my dear. And you shouldn't be
         too concerned about not being with him for a while. Some-
         times a couple need some time away from each other."

Phoenix looks up again.

Phoenix:"Really?"

Elissia:"Really. Think of it as giving each other some breathing
         space."

Aydrian:"At any rate this separation is necessary. Events in the world
         are becoming more and more serious, and Striker knows that.
         Since he is indisposed, you will have to lead your team on
         their mission to end this crisis before it gets worse. He is
         counting on you, Phoenix."

Phoenix sits there for a while, thinking to herself while her parents
patiently wait. Finally she looks up at them again.

Phoenix:"But what about our relationship? We've not been together for
         long since our wedding and we haven't yet done some of the
         things newlyweds do."

Aydrian:"I know how you feel about it, Phoenix. And believe me, Striker
         is just as frustrated at the fact that you two have no time
         for yourselves in these troubled times."

Elissia:"Just be patient, Phoenix. Once the crisis is over, you and
         Striker will have all the time in the world for each other."

Aydrian:"And I've made it quite clear to my son-in-law what I will
         do to him if his eyes begin to wander."

Phoenix blinks, then laughs and gives her mother and father a group
hug.

Phoenix:"I love you, Mom and Dad."

Aydrian and Elissia smile and embrace their daughter tightly in a
family group hug.

Aydrian, Elissia:"We love you too, Daughter."

After a few moments they finally break the hug.

Phoenix:"I probably need to go and tell Strikie that I'm accepting
         the role as Unit STRIKE leader and that I love him lots."

Elissia:"Good idea, my Dear. You do that."

Phoenix:"Thank, Mom. Thanks, Dad."

Aydrian:"Anytime, my Daughter."

Phoenix gets up and walks to the door. As she walks out and closes
the door behind her, Aydrian and Elissia embrace each other and watch 
their daughter leave.

Elissia:"Just like us when we were young."

Aydrian:"Yes, and I'm proud of them both."

Elissia:"Ditto."

The couple get up from the bed and get back to getting ready for the
day ahead.

Government Buildings
Windhoek
Namibia
15 January
2:03 PM:

This is a collection of stately government buildings built in the
architectural style of Germany. The lawns and bushes around the
buildings are well-kept and the buildings are in good condition. But
at the moment anti-aircraft guns and APCs are deployed on the lawns
while a ring of Namibian soldiers guard the buildings. A group of
reporters, both local and international, are gathered here in front of
the main office block. Among them is Melanie Malloy, who is making a
report while Samuel Knowles is holding the camera and recording.

Melanie:"It has been confirmed by the Namibian foreign ministry that
         they have accepted the assistance of the Road Rovers to help
         defend the country against the invading South African armies.
         Though details are sketchy, we can say that most of the Road
         Rovers' organization will be deployed in Namibia without any
         international backing from the United Nations or western
         powers. Meanwhile the South African government has condemned
         the involvement of the Road Rovers, saying they are propping
         up a state that sponsors mutant terrorism. This is likely to
         be echoed in several other countries aligned or allied with
         South Africa. For now, the Namibians are glad for the help
         from the Road Rovers against the Vorster regime, whose forces
         now occupy all of Namibia south of the town of Mariental.
         What is certain, is that this could make the war even more
         uglier than it is now. Melanie Malloy, al-Jazeera, Windhoek,
         Namibia."

She waits for Samuel to give the signal that he's finished the recor-
ding, then drops her reporter pose and goes to get them a drink from 
a nearby cooler. 


Adriaan Vorster has now taken the crisis to a new level and the Road 
Rovers are now forced to take action while still hunting down the Elite 
Guard. Will the Road Rovers be able to stop the invading South African 
armies and figure out is what is going on with the Namibian president? 
Will Unit STRIKE be able to track down Franco's troops? And what kind
of schemes are being executed?


THE END