Rover Strike: Vortex

Episode 19: Regime Change

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Maddogs © Greg Williams
Strayers © Steven Today
Collie Squadron © Robert Baer Jr.

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

Vaal River Bridge
N1 Highway
Gauteng/Free State Provincial Border
South Africa
13 February
11:48 AM:

This is a concrete bridge for the N1 Highway spanning across the Vaal 
River, one of the biggest in South Africa. To the north one can see the
city of Vereeniging while to the south lies the town of Sasolburg. At
the moment the highway is filled up in all lanes with traffic heading
southbound. Alongside on the sidewalks people are making their way across
the river in droves, carrying whatever possessions they can carry. In
the river itself every boat is being used to ferry people across. In the
sky above a news helicopter is circling the bridge. A cameraman from al-
Jazeera is filming the situation below while a reporter provides some
narration.

Reporter:"Roads are jammed with vehicles as hundreds of thousands of
          people flee their homes, heeding an evacuation order issued
          by the government. With Elite Guard forces closing in one the
          capital, many have fled in their cars or on foot with whatever
          possessions they can carry. Scenes like these are repeating
          themselves across the province."

The reporter continues the narration while the helicopter continues to
circle above the exodus of humanity.

Harbor
Durban
Kwazulu-Natal Province
South Africa
14 February
7:09 AM:

The harbor of the coastal city of Durban, which would normally be full
of commercial freighters and cargo ships, is now occupied by dozens of
Chinese warships. Most of them are transports that have docked to unload
soldiers and their equipment. Local dock workers help the Chinese as they
unload tanks, APCs, trucks, helicopters and crates full of guns and other
combat gear. As soon as they are unloaded, the Chinese troops and vehicles
immediately begin to drive into the city to join the rest of the forces
already making their way up to the N2 highway leading to Gauteng. At the
docks a reporter from the Chinese CCTV news service is giving a report
while her cameraman films her.

Reporter:"Behind me the forces of the People's Army are being unloaded,
          already prepared for combat. Work has been going around the
          clock as the race for Pretoria between the PLA, American forces 
          and the Elite Guard is coming down to the wire. With no opposition
          from local forces and indeed even support from local police and
          government structures, China faces no hurdles as her troops make
          their way to Gauteng."

She continues reporting as the work behind her goes on non-stop, with more
vessels arriving in the harbor.

Colesberg
On the N1 Highway
Northern Cape Province
South Africa
9:12 AM:

The small Karoo town of Colesberg is nestled amongst a cluster of hills.
The N1 highway runs through the northern part of the town with several
filling stations along the way. At the moment a long line of US Army
tanks, jeeps, trucks and other vehicles are making their way up north
along the highway. Local police officers are helping to direct traffic.
A CNN reporter and his cameraman are riding in the back of one of the
trucks.

Reporter:"You can see the long line of vehicles as US forces travel
          up towards Gauteng via the N1 Highway. US commanders have so
          far been mum on a timetable or when they will reach Pretoria,
          but they are positive they can get there ahead of the Elite
          Guard."

He continues reporting while the vehicles move on along the highway.

Office Building
Johannesburg
Gauteng Province
South Africa
12:02 PM:

The city of Johannesburg is almost completely deserted by now. The
streets are eerily quiet for the most part. The only exceptions are a few
criminal elements taking advantage of the situation, who scatter whenever
any of a number of military trucks pass by. A truck stops every now and
then at an empty building. At one office building soldiers are busy
unloading large yellow plastic drums and carrying them inside under the
watchful eyes of their commanding officers. The soldiers are all wearing
rubber gloves and facial masks. One of the soldiers carrying the drums
trips on the curb and nearly drops the plastic container. This earns him
a swift rebuke from the lance-corporal in change.

Lance-corporal:"Hey! Careful with that bl***y drum!"

Soldier:"Sorry, sir!"

The soldiers continue carrying the drums indoors while across the street
another truck stops. The lance-corporal watches as those soldiers begin
unloading their drums as well. Like the others, these drums have square
consisting of four squares colored red, green, blue and white to mark
the contents as chemical. A skull and crossbones below it signal the
hazardous and deadly nature of the drums' contents. All over Johannesburg
more such drums are unloaded at designation structures and sites.

Computer Room
Jumbo Rover
Windhoek
Namibia
15 February
8:01 AM:

All the computer wizards and experts of the Road Rovers are at work here.
At their computers they are processing information, relaying it to other
teams in the field, getting updates from allied forces and the news 
channels or just going over files. Off to one side is Hunter and Striker.

Hunter:"So what's new here, Striker?"

Striker:"It's very tense, Hunter. Our teams are doing their best to either
         delay Franco's forces or keep his commandoes from hindering the 
         advancing American and Chinese forces. It's still a tight race,
         however. To make things worse, there has been complete silence
         from Vorster's administration and his army is no longer advancing
         as quickly as before."

Hunter:"Why the sudden slowdown? The South African forces are closer to
        Pretoria than either the Americans or Chinese."

Striker:"Geen ideë. Vorster might have decided to abandon Pretoria to
         the Elite Guard, hence the evacuation orders he sent out. But
         it is still against his character."

Hunter:"You haven't really met him in a long time, Striker. Maybe he's
        changed."

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Everything in the last year point that he hasn't, Hunter. But
         then, who knows what goes inside my brother's head? Those
         around him in the Union Buildings might have changed his mind
         and take a different approach to the situation."

Just then Corsair comes up and taps Striker's shoulder. The spaniel turns
to him.

Corsair:"Sorry to bother you, boss, but I've just received something
         funny."

Striker:"Funny? Funny in what way, David?"

Corsair:"We've picked up a signal from some who is trying to contact us.
         They're sending out calls on various wavelengths, specifically
         asking for our help and providing a phone number."

Hunter:"Hey, we're the good guys. If someone wants our help, we're there
        to aid them."

Corsair:"Except that number has a catch in it."

Striker:"What is this catch?"

Corsair:"I've traced the phone number. It's a government number, and it 
         leads to an office inside the Union Buildings in Pretoria."

Hunter and Striker are surprised by this information.

Hunter:"Just another unexpect..."

Striker:"Are you absolutely certain about this, Corsair?"

Corsair:"Definitely, boss. Come see for yourself."

Striker and Hunter follow Corsair to his computer. Corsair sits down on
a chair, then points to the information on his screen.

Corsair:"There's the number given."

The two canines take a closer look to study the number. At first glance
it looks like an ordinary phone number, but they quickly notice the
government prefix number.

Hunter:"Yup, that's a government number all right."

Striker:"And you traced it to which office in the Union Buildings?"

Corsair:"Just a second..."

Corsair uses the mouse to pick the window containing the information. He
brings it up for viewing.

Corsair:"From what I gather here, the office belongs to the Safety and
         Security Minister. Grace Haddan is her name."

Hunter:"Was it her who made the call?"

Corsair:"Nope. It was a guy who sent out that message."

Striker and Hunter contemplate this information while Corsair leans back
in his chair.

Corsair:"So what's the call, boss? Do we reply to this number or do we
         ignore it?"

The cocker spaniel looks at the golden retriever.

Striker:"What do you think, Hunter?"

Hunter:"It's a little suspicious. It could be an attempt by Vorster to
        lure us into a trap. On the other hand, this could be the first
        sign of cracks in his administration. Maybe somebody finally
        realized it's better to work with us against the Elite Guard."

Corsair:"Dunno about that. According to the profile info Grace Haddan is
         a member of a Vorster's inner circle long before he even became
         president."

Hunter:"That's why I said it could be a trap. But if she really has
        decided to turn it would be a big plus. It's at least worth a
        try to call that number."

Striker nods.

Striker:"Ja, it would be a good idea not to ignore this offer until we
         have heard what they have to say."

The two canines turn to Corsair.

Hunter:"Make the call, Corsair. Let's see if we've won the jackpot or
        a booby prize."

Corsair:"Should I route your call around? It will delay any attempts by
         them to trace it."

Striker:"Goeie ideë, David. Let's take precautions."

Corsair:"Okay. Let's me just set it up for you."

Corsair turns to his computer. He plugs in a microphone and turns on the
computer speaker. He then sets up a route for the call to follow around
the world. After a few clicks and taps he brings up a phone program and
gives the thumbs up.

Corsair:"We're good to go."

Hunter leans forward, picks up the microphone and dials the number with
the keyboard. On the screen a blue line appears, rapidly bouncing from
country-to-country and continent-to-continent until it reaches Pretoria.
A phone can be heard ringing a few times before being answered. A male
voice answers.

Voice(over speakers):"This is Safety & Security Minister Grace Haddan's
     office."

Hunter(into mike):"Yeah, I'm calling about a... certain message that we
      may have received."

There is a brief pause.

Voice(over speakers):"One moment, sir."

Hunter and Striker look at each other, not saying a word as they listen
to the call being relayed. After two more rings the line is answered,
this time by a female voice.

Voice(over speakers):"Yes?"

Hunter(into mike):"Hey there. How's it wagging?"

Voice(over speakers):"Wagging... is this the Road Rovers?"

Hunter(into mike):"Maybe. Who's asking?"

Voice(over speakers):"This is Safety & Security Minister Grace Haddan. I
     am seeking the aid of the Road Rovers."

Hunter and Striker look at each other again, this time with more surprise.
The retriever turns back to the microphone.

Hunter(into mike):"Why do you want our help?"

Haddan(over speakers):"I'm sure you're aware that the Elite Guard is getting
      closer to Pretoria as we speak."

Hunter(into mike):"Yeah, but American and Chinese forces are on their way as
      well. And your own forces are almost there too. They can help beat
      back the Elite Guard."

Haddan(over speakers):"Vorster doesn't see it that way. He thinks that, 
      aside from the fact that he doesn't trust any of you, nobody will 
      be able to keep the Elite Guard from reaching Gauteng first. So he
      and his staunchest supporters, including many of my colleagues,
      are preparing Operation Blood River before we abandon the province
      to Franco."

Corsair:"Oooh, Blood River. That doesn't sound good."

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Nee, it doesn't. Especially if you know what Blood River means
         in South Africa's history."

Hunter looks at the spaniel.

Hunter:"What does it mean?"

Striker:"Blood River was the name of a battle that took place between a
         small group of Voortrekkers and a large contingent of Zulus. It
         took place by a river where the waters turned red from all the
         blood spilled."

Corsair makes a face.

Corsair:"Gross."

Striker:"So this Operation Blood River leaves me very worried about what
         Vorster is doing."

Hunter turns back to the microphone.

Hunter(into mike):"What exactly is Operation Blood River, Minister?"

Haddan(over speakers):"Vorster has ordered everyone to evacuate the
      provincial cities and government will soon be abandoning the Union
      Buildings as well. At the same time, however, Vorster has ordered
      key buildings in major cities and across the province to be booby
      trapped with dangerous chemical bombs."

Hunter, Striker and Corsair's eyes widen at this revelation.

Hunter(into mike):"And then what?"

Haddan(over speakers):"Then? When the Elite Guard comes in and takes over
      the province, the bombs will be detonated. This will result in large
      areas being covered in chemicals that will kill most living things
      within a certain radius. Elite Guard soldiers, animals, plants, any
      humans who failed to heed the evacuation order. Or any Americans or
      Chinese, if they reach the cities first."

Hunter:"Yet another expected twist. Bummer!"

Striker:"Ai yai yai. Adriaan must be mad."

Hunter(into mike):"How many sites are being booby trapped?"

Haddan(over speakers):"At least about 1,500 sites."

Corsair whistles.

Corsair:"Dude, there's NO way we can get all those sites. Not and still
         fight the Elite Guard and the South Africans."

Striker:"I agree. This is a very serious matter. We have to tell the
         others about."

Hunter nods, still speaking into the microphone.

Hunter(into mike):"Do you have a plan on how to stop Blood River, Minister?"

Haddan(over speakers):"Actually, I was hoping you would... what?... I'm
      sorry, I have to go."

The line suddenly goes dead, leaving only static coming over the speakers.

Corsair:"Guess somebody was coming into her office and she didn't want him
         to know about her call."

Hunter puts down the microphone.

Hunter:"I'll go and inform the Master about this."

Striker:"Reg. I'll stay here and try to contact Haddan again."

Hunter:"Cool."

Hunter walks out of the computer room while Striker and Corsair turn their
attention back to the phone number on the screen.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
A Few Minutes Later:

The briefing room is almost empty, save for the Master. On the screens are
Norwood and Hunter, with Major Cadwell being absent. Hunter has just told
them about the plans received from Minister Haddan.

Hunter:"... and that's basically the whole story."

The Master sighs.

Master:"Murphy's Law is getting a real workout lately. Just when you think
        we've defused one situation another one immediately jumps up in
        its place."

Norwood:"Just some twisted version of Groundhog Day. But this will have to
         be dealt with. Operation Blood River simply cannot go ahead. It
         might, and that is a very big might, stop the Elite Guard. But the
         various consequences from it will have huge implications for
         everyone."

Master:"Are you sure you know nothing else about Blood River, Hunter?"

Hunter shakes his head.

Hunter:"Not a thing, Master. Vorster had his family leave their estate for
        the Vorster Mansion in the Cape, taking Bastiff and Fola with
        them so they can't tell us anything new now. And Haddan had to
        cut the call short, probably to prevent Vorster's loyalists from
        finding out about her backroom dealings with us."

Master:"This is going to be a big problem. If what the Minister says is
        true, then we simply won't be able to disarm all the chemical
        bombs in time. Or even a fraction of them and not incur casualties.
        And it will only buy more time for Franco's troops to reach the
        capital at the same time."

Norwood:"The only way I see how Blood River can possibly be stopped is if
         Vorster cancels it. Only he has the executive power needed to
         prevent it's execution. But Vorster hasn't listened to me or
         anybody else and I doubt he will start doing so now. Thus, I
         think it's time that his executive powers be taken away and
         given to someone more sensible."

The Master and Hunter look in surprise at Norwood.

Master:"Wait, are you seriously talking about a..."

Norwood:"... a coup de tat. Regime change."

Hunter:"Whoa! I would not have predicted this! Regime change is a pretty
        tall order, Mark."

Master:"No offense, Norwood, but the Road Rovers do not overthrow govern-
        ments. Not only that, whether we like it or not, Vorster is the
        democratic leader of South Africa."

Norwood:"True, and my enemies at the UN would have my a** if they found
         about this idea. But let's consider this: Vorster may be the
         legitimate leader of South Africa, but his rise to power was
         orchestrated by General Franco. We have evidence that he had
         poisoned Vorster to prevent him from being killed with most of
         the government by the SLA, whom Franco had manipulated. That
         would be a reason to overthrow him. Another is the fact that
         his fellow countrymen and now even members of his own inner
         circle are starting to see he is as much a part of this problem
         than the solution. Blood River is the most glaring example of
         this. Combine with this with how Franco, who is the mastermind
         behind this whole crisis, made him president should give us
         enough of an excuse to get rid of him."

Master:"Are you saying we should assassinate him?"

Norwood quickly shakes his head.

Norwood:"Oh heavens, no! Striker would rip my guts out if I gave the
         order to have his brother killed. A peaceful regime change
         would be easier to sell to the Security Council and the public.
         All you would have to do is help this Minister Haddan and her
         friends take over the government without bloodshed. If we can
         get the South African government on our side it would make it
         so much easier to form a united front against the Elite Guard
         and stop Franco."

Norwood leans forward, putting his hands together.

Norwood:"I know this is asking a lot from your organization, Professor.
         But we have no options. Blood River must be stopped. Not only
         because of the chemical mess it will create, but if it does
         NOT work, Franco and his followers will have a free pass into
         Pretoria and even get his paws on the Blood River chemical
         stockpiles."

The Master bows his head, sighing.

Master:"I do not like the idea, but you're right. Vorster must be
        removed from office if we are to defeat Franco. We will begin

        making plans to carry out this coup, but I must warn you that
        my Rovers will not shed blood if it comes to that."

Norwood:"I'm not expecting you to, and I would actually appreciate it.
         If this Minister and her friends can help, then there will
         be no need for violence. And if things do go south, then I
         will take full and sole responsibility."

Hunter:"No worries about that, Mark. We Rovers will be good, good dogs
        and make nobody gets hurt. Well, almost nobody."

Both Norwood and the Master give Hunter suspicious looks.

Master:"'Almost?'"

Hunter looks a bit uncomfortable, tugging his collar as if it is a bit
too tight.

Hunter:"Well, Blitz will inevitably end up biting one or two behinds."

Both men blink, but the Master then starts to laugh. Norwood, however,
sighs in exasperation.

Norwood:"Look, just make sure to keep the violence down to only the
         necessities. Please?"

Hunter salutes.

Hunter:"Will do, Mark! We won't let you down."

Hunter's image disappears from the screen. Norwood looks at the Master.

Norwood:"Sometimes I wonder what the h*** we were smoking when we
         decided to take up these positions of power."

Master:"Maybe it is just the machinations of fate, Mark.

Norwood:"Well, fate is making my hair go grayer faster than I feel
         comfortable with."

The Master can only chuckle at that remark.

Briefing Room
Jumbo Rover
Windhoek
Namibia
11:00 AM:

All the Rover units are gathered in the briefing room. Hunter is up on 
the podium, while the unit leaders sit in front with the rest of their 
team members behind them. On the big screen is a map of South Africa, 
specifically the province of Gauteng. Blue markers representing US and
Chinese forces are visible on the edges of the map, while green markers
representing South African forces are scattered around the map. But the
cluster of red markers representing the Elite Guard are very close to
the provincial border. Hunter looks at the Rovers.

Hunter:"Okay, Rovers. We got ourselves a big challenge here. The South
        Africans are implementing a last ditch effort to stop Franco
        called Operation Blood River. They are booby-trapping the entire
        Gauteng with chemical bombs that will explode if the Elite Guard,
        or the allies forces, enter the cities."

More than a few Rovers whistle or raise their eyebrows in surprise. The
unit leaders look at each other.

Outlaw:"Wow. Vorster must be grasping at straws now."

Bear:"Yeah. Very deadly straws at that."

Hunter:"Thing is, Norwood believes that Blood River won't work properly
        because the South Africans are using chemical weapons. The Elite
        Guard might not be terribly inconvenienced if Franco continues
        to prove how savvy he is. Even if it does work, it also poses a
        threat to the US and Chinese forces advancing on Gauteng. Since
        Vorster and his closest allies are refusing to work with us to
        stop Franco, Norwood has recommended that, in order to stop Blood
        River, we go to Pretoria and overthrow the government."

Everyone except Striker and Hunter are taken aback by this announcement.

Colleen:"Blimey! Are you guys serious about this?!"


Ben Maddog:"Overthrow the government? You're talking about regime change
            here, Hunter. In the middle of a war, and a democratic
            government too!"

Hunter:"Yeah, I know it sounds bad. But listen up. We have friends inside
        the Union Buildings who can help us. They are Safety & Security
        Minister Grace Haddan and Intelligence Minister Precious Hangana.
        They contacted us about Blood River and were the first to make the
        suggestions of a coup de tat. Our job will be to go in and capture
        Vorster as well as key members of his cabinet. Once they are out
        of the way, Haddan and Hangana and their friends will take over
        the government. They will make the South African forces work with
        us instead of against us, so it will give us a big boost in the
        fight to stop Franco."

Bear:"But how will we do that? Security around the Union Buildings won't
      consist of a few black suits with pistols. We're talking about

      armed soldiers backed by heavy gear and big guns."

Hunter:"That's why I've got a plan here."

Hunter holds up a remote and pushes a button it. On the screen a photo
of the Union Buildings from the Satellite Rover appears. A number of
icons representing soldiers, vehicles and bunkers appear on the map. All
eyes turn to the screen as Hunter uses a rod to explain the plan.

Hunter:"Here's the deal. The Union Buildings has got a number of troops,
        APCs, tanks and bunkers strategically placed around it. Most of
        them are concentrated on the open field out front. What we will
        do is this: most of us will launch attacks head-on, drawing
        attention and acting as a distraction and diversion. Unit STRIKE
        will then sneak in from behind and head into the buildings to
        capture Vorster and key individuals. Once they have done that
        and gotten out the rest of us will break off the attack. We're
        only here to draw their attention, so no heroics or big pushes
        unless told otherwise. Your team folders contain sets of targets
        that you can attack in no particular order."

While the other unit leaders flip through their folders, Hunter presses
the remote again. This time the map is replaced by a series of photos
of Vorster and his cabinet. A number of them are highlighted with red
circles. Hunter turns to Unit STRIKE.

Hunter:"Okay, here's your targets. Vorster is obviously the big fish so
        you should go for him first. The others you need to go for are...

He taps at the circled photos in order.

Hunter:"Defense Minister John Ntsibi, Army Chief Achmed Pahad, Police 
        Commissioner Johannes Klopper and General Mosioua Cele. There
        are others, but Haddan believes they can be swayed. But this
        lot is Vorster's most hardcore supporters and they will need to
        go."

Corsair:"Funny how these guys are all the ones who handle the departments
         with the guns."

Illanov:"All the more reason to be rid of them."

Hunter:"Right, but don't forget that Vorster is the top dog. Capture him
        even if you don't get the others."

Striker:"Ja, we will get him and his allies. Have you sorted out our
         entry with Haddan?"

Hunter:"Yup. She's given us the info on the secret escape tunnel that
        you will use to get in. I've placed it in the folder."

Striker nods and opens the folder, containing the information files as
well as the photos. Hunter waits until everyone has had a chance to
get a brief look at their folders before speaking.

Hunter:"Okay, everyone. Let's make this one count. The Elite Guard are
        closing in fast on Pretoria and the outcome here could determine
        who ultimate wins this war. Is everybody ready?"

Everyone in the rooms nods, shouts "ready" or gives a thumbs up.

Hunter:"Good. Let's hit the road, Rovers!"

Most of the Rovers howl in unison, causing those who don't howl to cringe
from the loud noise. Everyone then gets up and begins to file out of the
briefing room.

Briefing Room
Wardrome
First Tactical Brigade
N1 Highway
Gauteng/Limpopo Provincial Border
At That Moment:

The briefing room inside the Wardrome is utilitarian in design with only
the necessary equipment such as a computer screen and several rows of
chairs in front of a table. At the moment General Franco is at the table
while seated before him are two squads of Black Paw commandoes. The leader
of the squads, a black wolf called Sergeant Elraz, is seated up front. 
Elraz has just finished reading the files in a folder handed to him by
Franco.

Franco:"Do you understand what needs to do be done, Sergeant?"

Elraz nods.

Elraz:"Yes, Supreme General."

Franco:"And you will carry it successfully, correct?"

Elraz:"You can count on us, Supreme General. We will not let you down."

Franco:"Good. And if you should meet the Road Rovers?"

Elraz:"We will bring their heads packed in ice, Supreme General."

Franco smiles, folding his arms behind him.

Franco:"Excellent. Go forth and show our enemies we are not to be
        trifled with."

Elraz and his wolves all stand up and salute General Franco. Franco
watches them file out of the briefing room, a sinister grin on his
face.

Office Building Rooftop
Pretoria
South Africa
17:01 PM

The top of the office building in Pretoria is a pyramid-shaped glass
dome that shares space with air conditioners, ventilation shafts and
maintenance sheds. Through the glass one can see the interior of the
office building, revealing empty offices, lobbies and meeting rooms.
Like the capital, the structure has been vacated and now stands empty.
The only exception is the Road Rovers, who are gathered on the roof.
Hunter and Colleen are looking towards the Union Buildings with bino-
culars while Exile and Blitz set up several distinctly dog-shaped
mortar launchers they are digging out of Shag's fur. Hunter and Colleen
are busy scoping out the forces that are defending the South African
seat of power. A military camp has been set up in an open field in
front of the buildings, where most of the troops are. APCs are parked
along the road running up to and in front of the buildings. Strategically
placed AA-guns and bunkers dot the area. Everywhere there patrols of
soldiers and snipers hiding on the rooftops.

Colleen:"They certainly haven't skimped on the security."

Hunter:"Yeah, you'd think there is a war going on or something."

Colleen lowers her binoculars and gives Hunter a pained look.


Colleen:"Oh, Huntie..."

Hunter lowers his binoculars and looks at Colleen.

Hunter:"Sorry, Colleen. This isn't time for the lovey-dovey stuff. We got
        work to do."

Colleen rolls her eyes in exasperation as she and Hunter go over to the
others. Blitz and Exile are making the final adjustments to the mortars
while Shag places the mortar shells on a neat heap between them.

Hunter:"Is everything ready here?"

Exile gives the "a-okay" hand gesture.

Exile:"Dokey okey, comrade. We're ready to launch the gas shells."

Hunter:"Awesome. Load 'em up and take aim. Fire on my signal."

Exile, Blitz and Shag nod. As they get ready, Hunter uses his collar 
communicator to call the other Rover units. His first call is to Striker.

Hunter(into com):"Striker, you guys in position?"

Striker(over com):"Affirmative. We are on the north side of the hill with
       the Union Buildings in sight. Ready to move on your signal."

Hunter(into com):"Awesome. Just wait for the smoke."

Striker(over com):"Copy that. Waiting for the smoke."

Hunter then calls the other Rover units.

Hunter(into com):"All units, status report."

Outlaw(over com):"This is the Maddogs. We're ready on the east side."

Bear(over com):"This is the Grizzlies. All set and ready on the south 
    side."

Ben(over com):"This is the Collie Squadron. In position in the west."

The other units report in that they are all in position and ready to
begin the operation. Hunter listens to each reply before he is finally

satisfied.

Hunter(into com):"Cool. All units, fire once the first shell lands."

Unit Leaders(over com):"Roger that."

Hunter switches off his collar and turns to the others. Exile and Blitz
are each holding a shell in their paws, positioned just above the open
mortar tubes. Shag is standing by with two more shells in his paws.

Hunter:"You guys ready?"

Exile:"Dah, comrade. Mortars ready to fire."

Shag:"Rha rha!"

Blitz:"Let ze shelling begin, yah?"

Hunter:"Cool. Fire when I give the signal."

They nod as Hunter and Colleen turn back to look back out at the Union
Buildings with their binoculars. The other Rovers watch as Hunter lifts
one paw into the air. He holds it up for a second, then quickly drops
it. Blitz grins.

Blitz:"Let ze shelling begiiin."

Exile:"You are repeating after yourself again, Weird Boy."

Blitz and Exile drop the shells into the tubes and turn away. An instant
later the shells are ejected with "FWUMP!" into the air. They arch
through air, slowly losing to gravity. They then begin falling to the
ground. The whistling noise made by their descent is the only warning
the South African soldiers get before the shells land on empty ground.
Instead of exploding, the shells release thick clouds of purple smoke
that obscures everything it covers. The soldiers all jump into action,
grabbing their weapons and running to their vehicles and positions. Back
on the rooftop Blitz and Exile continue to launch shells while Shag hands
them reloads, the three of them developing a rhythm. Hunter and Colleen
watch as the shells begin to cover the front area of the Union Buildings
in a thick cloud of smoke. Acting on this signal, the Rover units that
have taken up positions in the nearby buildings begin to fire at the
soldiers, deliberately making sure their shots miss anyone but enough
to scare them.

Hunter:"And that, dear readers, is why smoking can be bad for your 
        health."

Colleen lowers her binoculars and looks quizzically at Hunter.

Colleen:"Who are you talking to, Huntie?"

Hunter:"To the readers of this fanfic. After all, it needs to be educa-
        tional as well as action-packed and intriguing."
       
Colleen stares Hunter with a look that seems to say that she thinks he
is mad.

Colleen:"You really need to stop watching Captain Planet, Huntie?"

The golden retriever looks confused at Colleen.

Hunter:"Who?"

The collie sighs and rolls her eyes again, then looks back out at the
chaos in front of the South African seat of power.

Office of the President
Union Buildings:

Adriaan Vorster's office is now almost bare with most of its important 
items removed or in boxes waiting to be moved. Vorster is standing behind
his desk listening to Defense Minister John Ntsibi and General Mosioua 
Cele while packing his files into a briefcase.

Mosioua:"Most of the marked sites have now been armed with chemical
         bombs and the remaining sites should be ready in a day or
         two, Mister President."

Vorster:"Excellent. What about the trigger system?"

Ntsibi:"The system is being set up at the army base in Mafikeng. Once we
        have the government set up there you will be able to trigger the
        bombs personally."

Vorster:"Goed. Be sure to..."

Suddenly they hear the confusion outside as the shelling begins, followed
the sounds of weapons fire. All three men look up and towards the source
of the sounds.

Vorster:"What the h*** is that?"

Both Ntsibi and Cele pull out pistols and rush for the door. Cele gestures
to Vorster.

Cele:"Stay here, sir!"

The two men rush out and shut the door. Vorster opens a drawer in the
desk and takes out a loaded revolver and a case of spare cartridges.

Hillside
Behind Union Buildings:

The hills that rise behind the government building is covered mostly with
shrubs and bushes, which immediately gives way to a fence and neat grass
lawn. Hiding in the bushes is Unit STRIKE. Striker(in his experiment power
suit) is watching as the snipers on the rooftop rush over to the other
side to join the firefight. Phoenix, Illanov, Corsair, Merit(fitted into
his combat shell), Tanarus and Elexis are staying low and out of sight,
keeping their eyes and ears open. Striker scopes out the area for a few
more minutes while the fighting continues on the other side. Satisfied,
he ducks down and turns to the others.

Striker:"Reg, everything is going to plan. Proceed forward to the meeting
         spot, but keep your eyes open for any ambushes or sighs of
         trouble."

They all nod in agreement. Striker then leads the team down the hill,
staying within the bushes and shrubs to reduce the chances of being seen.
After a short while they come to a ditch that appears man-made. At the 
end of the ditch is a large hatch partially hidden by a bush. The hatch
is standing open.

Phoenix:"That looks like the hatch Haddan had described to us."

Striker:"Ja, but keep your guard up. Come on."

Unit STRIKE moves into the ditch and proceed to the hatch. As they

approach it a man in a security uniform appears and signals to them.

Man:"Come on in. You're still in the clear."

The team goes to the hatch and steps inside. They find themselves inside
a stone tunnel lit by the occasional gas lamp. Striker turns to the man.

Striker:"You're with Haddan?"

Man:"That's right, sir. I'm Felix. I was told to stay here and keep watch."

Striker:"Pleased to meet you, Felix, but where is Haddan? We were told 
         she would meet us here."

Felix:"But she did, sir. She's already gone back with your friends."

The team looks at Felix in confusion.

Striker:"Our friends?"

Felix:"Yes. They came here and we brought them in. They said they were 
       with you Road Rovers. Haddan has guided them back to the Union 
       Buildings."

This confuses most of the team.

Corsair:"Okay, who's gone off the script here?"

Striker, however, becomes very anxious. He grabs the Felix's uniform and 
looks at him in the eye. Felix becomes a little startled.

Striker:"What did this team look like?"

Felix:"They were like you. Human dogs, or wolves in their case. They were
       dressed in black uniforms and carried rifles I haven't seen before.
       I only caught the name of the leader, Elraz."

Now the rest of the team has alarmed looks on their faces. Striker keeps
pressing Felix for information.

Striker:"Did they have a marking on them? One of a yellow triangle in a
         red circle?"

Felix:"Not all of them, but one of them did."

This is enough to raise alarm bells within the team. Striker immediately
pushes Felix away and starts to run down the tunnel, swearing loudly.

Phoenix:"Striker, wait for us!"

Illanov:"Mother Russia! This is bad!"

Tanarus:"Very bad! Corsair, alert stay here and Hunter!"

Corsair:"Gotcha!"

Corsair quickly pulls back his sleeves to expose his watchcom while the
others run after Striker. Felix looks perplexed at Corsair.

Felix:"What's wrong?"

Corsair:"I hate to break it to you, but you people have just let the
         bad guys. Those wolves are from the Elite Guard."

Felix's face goes pale and his eyes wide.

Felix:"Oh no! Oh Lord!"

Felix immediately starts running down the tunnel before Corsair can
stop him. Corsair sighs and calls Hunter on his watchcom.

Office Building Rooftop
At That Moment:

Hunter and Colleen continue to observe the action down below while
Blitz, Exile and Shag continue to fire the gas shells from the mortars.
Hunter's collar beeps, making him lower the binoculars to answer the
call. He taps the tag on the collar.

Hunter(into com):"Hunter here. What's up?"

Corsair(over com):"This is Corsair. We got a BIG problem over here."

The golden retriever frowns.

Hunter(into com):"What sort of problem? Was the rendezvous a trap?"

Corsair(over com):"No, worse than that. The rendezvous party was here,
       but they accidentally mistook an Elite Guard commando squad for
       us and let them into the Union Buildings."

This makes Colleen look at Hunter in alarm, whose own eyes have jumped
wide open.

Hunter:"I would NOT have WANTED to predict this! Triple bummer!"

Corsair(over com):The others are rushing in to try and get the Elite
       Guard before things go to s*** here. Got any advice?"

Hunter(into com):"Just make sure you guys stop them. We'll keep the
      South Africans off your backs as long as we can."

Corsair(over com):"Gotcha. Over and out."

The collar's communicator goes dead. Hunter sighs and rubs his forehead
while Colleen shakes her head.

Colleen:"Bl***y Elite Guard. Just WHAT we ordered."

Hunter:"Oh yeah, VERY much and with all the sarcasm in the world. Let's
        just hope they get them before things turn topsy turvy."

Colleen nods grimly, looking over the battlefield at the Union Buildings.

Emergency Tunnel
Union Buildings:

In contrast to the design of the government building, the tunnels used
for emergencies are nothing but bare concrete walls with cables running
along the ceiling and the occasional light bulb. There are several doors
here, each one opening to a flight of stairs leading up to a certain part
of the building. Ministers Grace Haddan and Precious Hangana are waiting
at the bottom of the stairs along with some aides. Coming down the tunnel
towards them is the Elite Guard Black Paws commandoes led by Sergeant 
Elraz and escorted by some of Haddan's guards. Haddan steps forward as
they approach.

Haddan:"Are you the Road Rovers?"

Elraz:"That is correct. I'm Sergeant Elraz.

Haddan:"Excellent. I'm Minister Grace Haddan and this is my colleague,
        Intelligence Minister Precious Hangana."

Elraz nods towards Hangana.

Hangana:"I hope you haven't had trouble coming in?"

Elraz:"Nothing we can't handle. Now let's not waste time. What have you
       got for us?"

Haddan:"Follow me."

Haddan and Hangana lead Elraz and his team up the stairs. When they reach
the top they find themselves coming out into what looks to be a kitchen
area. Elraz and his commandoes look around warily.

Elraz:"Where are we?"

Hangana:"This is the kitchen adjacent to the cafeteria. The offices are
         just beyond it."

Elraz:"Is there anybody here?"

Hangana:"No, they've already abandoned this part of the Union Buildings.
         Most of the staff have left ahead of the Elite Guard's arrival
         and now it is only Vorster, us ministers, a few aides and the
         security guards."

Elraz:"Do you have floor plans of the building we could use?"

Haddan nods, pointing to a nearby table where a suitcase is. Haddan goes
to it, opens the case and takes out some rolled-up blueprints. She
removes the rubber bands around it, then spreads it out on the table,
using some heavy kitchen utensils to keep the blueprints from rolling
back up. Elraz and his commandoes gather around as Haddan starts to
explain the floor plans to them.

Haddan:"This is Vorster's office, and adjacent to it is the makeshift
        war room from where we have been running the war. The offices
        of the ministers run along this corridor. To reach it you take
        this corridor and head up these stairs. There shouldn't be as
        many guards there, but they do patrol those areas frequently."

Elraz:"How many guards are there at the offices?"

Haddan:"At least two at each office entrance, with an additional four
        soldiers at Vorster's office. A group of four other soldiers
        patrol the corridors."

Just then one of the handheld radios carried by Hangana beeps. Hangana
quickly answers it.

Hangana(into radio):"Yes?"

Felix(over radio):"Minister, this is Felix! We've screwed up!"

Hangana and Haddan are confused, but Elraz quickly realizes what is
going on and makes a few vague gestures to his commandoes.

Hangana(into radio):"What do you mean?"

Felix(over radio):"Those wolves we let aren't Road Rovers! They're
     Elite Guard commandoes!"

Shocked, Hangana and Haddan quickly look at Elraz only to find him
pointing his fingers at Haddan's chest. The Black Paws have their
SCAR-BP 100 silenced rifles aimed at the other humans.

Elraz:"The Supreme General thanks you for your support."

Suddenly Elraz's fingers transform into sharp needles that he immediate-
ly stabs into Haddan's chest. Before Hangana and the others can react
the commandoes pull out combat knifes and silenced pistols and attack. 
The humans are unable to even cry for help before the wolves overwhelm
them. The guards and aides are stabbed or shot to death while Hangana
is shot in the gut by a silenced pistol. Elraz pulls his needle fingers
out of Haddan, who can only stare in shock at Elraz before slumping to
the ground. Hangana falls over backwards, dropping the radio.

Felix(over radio):"Minister? Minister, you there? Hello?"

A commando comes up and crushes the radio with a boot. Elraz turns his
fingers back to normal and wipes it clean.

Elraz:"Stupid fools. Mistaking us for the Road Rovers, pha!"

He then turns to his commandoes and points to the door to the stairwell.

Elraz:"Close the door and barricade it in case the real Rovers come
       along."

Commandoes:"Yes, sir."

The commandoes go over and close the door. They then shove a stove
against it to keep it closed. Elraz takes one more look at the blue-
prints on the stable to memorize the layout, then readies his silenced
submachine gun.

Elraz:"Move out, stay close and keep quiet."

Commandoes:"Yes, sir."

Elraz and his commandoes head out of the kitchen into the cafeteria,
leaving behind their unfortunate human victims. Meanwhile, back in the
emergency tunnel UNIT Strike is trying to keep with Striker, who is
running ahead of the group. Felix is running directly behind them, still
trying to raise his superiors on the radio. Tanarus joins up next to him.

Tanarus:"Any luck?"

Felix shakes his head.

Felix:"Nothing. It just all went quiet. I fear the worst."

Tanarus:"So do I."

They keep running until Felix points out the stairwell they are to take.
Felix goes up first, closely followed by the Strikers. He knocks on the
door.

Felix:"Hello? Anyone there?"

There is no response. Striker gets his Sonic Rifle ready.

Striker:"Open the door."

Felix nods and unlocks the door, but when he tries to open it it only
opens a few centimeters before hitting something. Felix tries to force
it open, but is unsuccessful.

Felix:"Something is wrong. The door won't open properly!"

Striker looks down at Merit, who is waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

Striker:"Merit, scan this door and see what is blocking it."

Merit:"Executing command."

The robot focuses on the door with its scanner, checking to see what
lies beyond it. The drone spots the stove behind the door, and then
reports back to Striker.

Merit:"There is a kitchen appliance obstructing the door."

Striker:"Can you move it?"

Merit:"The appliance's weight is within my ability range to move."

Striker:"Then do it. Hurry!"

Everyone stands back as Merit drives up the steps, the treads of its
combat shell managing to get a grip on the surface. Once Merit gets
to the top it applies its arms to the door and begins to push forward.
Slowly but surely the stove on the other side moves away until Merit
is able to drive through into the kitchen.

Merit:"Task completed. Oh, I say. What a terrible mess."

The rest of the group charge into the kitchen. They stare in shock at
the sight of the bodies on the floor.

Corsair:"Oh boy! We're late to the party."

Felix rushes over to Grace Haddan and checks her vitals. Striker comes
up next to him.

Striker:"Is she...?"

Felix checks Haddan's pulse, then shakes his head sadly.

Felix:"I'm sorry. She's passed on."

Striker pinches the bridge of his muzzle, sighing.

Striker:"Ai yai yai."

The others check the rest of the fallen humans to see if anyone is still
alive. Phoenix finds Hangana lying on the floor and checks her pulse. She
blinks, then turns to Elexis.

Phoenix:"This one is alive, Elexis!"

Elexis and the others rush over. Elexis readies her medical unit and begins
to treat the unconscious Hangana.

Felix:"That's Precious Hangana, the Intelligence Minister!"

Striker:"What is the minister's condition, Elexis?"

Elexis does a quick check of the minister before answer.

Elexis:"Still alive, but barely. I can reduce the seriousness of her
        injuries, but she will need to be moved to a hospital later on."

Just then Illanov taps Striker's shoulder to get his attention.

Illanov:"Comrade, I found something."

Striker comes over to Illanov, who is standing by the kitchen table where
the blueprints are still lying.

Striker:"What do you have, Alex?"

Illanov points to the blueprints.

Illanov:"These look like the floor plans for the Union Buildings."

Striker examines the blueprints. Felix comes over to look, then taps the
paper.

Felix:"Yes, it is. The minister was going to use to help guide your way
       through the building."

Striker:"Give us a quick overview."

Felix nods and gives a brief summary on the important information, trying
to give as much as he can in a short period. Finally, Striker nods in
satisfaction.

Striker:"Goed genoeg. Stay here with Elexis. The rest of the team, let's
         roll!"

The Strikers follow their leader as they head into the kitchen, weapons at
the ready. Felix goes over to help Elexis take care of Hangana.

Office of the President
Upper Office Level:

Vorster is still by his desk, holding his loaded revolver in one hand and
listening to the battle outside. An aide comes in.

Aide:"Excuse me, Mister President. Minister Ntsibi wants me to inform you
      that helicopters are on their way to airlift you and the others to
      safety."

Vorster:"Good. What is the situation outside?"

Aide:"We're not sure, but so far the attackers haven't made moves towards
      the Union Buildings. There also hasn't been any reports of casual-
      ties, Mister President."

Vorster:"Good. Do me a favor and find Minister Haddan. I need some input
         from her right away."

Aide:"Yes, Mister President!"

The aide leaves the room while Vorster goes to the window to take a brief
look outside.

Stairwell
Lower Office Level:

This is a short flight of stairs leading up to the next floor. Elraz and
his commandoes are moving up the steps, weapons raised and eyes open for
trouble. At the bottom of the stairs lies the bodies of two guards who
had the misfortune of running across them. Coming up to the top of the
stairs the squad can hear voices. Elraz motions his team to keep it down
and stay back. He then moves to the top and goes to peer around the
corners. Just as he does the aide appears at the top of the stairs. Both
he and the commandoes stare in surprise at each before one wolf quickly
fires and his submachine gun. The aide is hit in the chest, but instead
of collapsing to the floor he stumbles out of sight and shouts.

Aide:"Help! Help! Intruders in the building! Help!!"

Elraz:"D*****!"

Elraz looks at his commandoes, dropping the silent approach.

Elraz:"Let's move out!"

Commandoes:"Yes, sir!"

Elraz and his commandoes storm up the steps and turn the corner. The
wounded aide had already ducked into an office. However, shouting is
coming from down the short hallway. Elraz and his team moves forward,
weapons ready to shoot anybody in their way.

Corridor
Lower Office Level:

Unit STRIKE is moving along the corridor leading from the dining area
to the stairwell. Along the way they come across the bodies of guards
that the commandoes have taken down.

Phoenix:"My God, they're killing everyone in their path."

Tanarus:"And we'd better hurry before they start shooting up the South
         African government."

Just before they come to the stairwell a group of soldiers appear at
the other end of the corridor beyond the steps. One of the soldiers
points to the Strikers.

Soldier:"There's the attackers!"

Striker quickly turns to his team.

Striker:"Everyone behind Merit!"

The team quickly moves to take cover behind Merit's large shell as the 
Soldiers take up firing positions. The troops then open fire, but their 
Shots bounce off Merit's armored shell. Merit raises his arm cannons as 
It moves forward.

Merit:"Loading anti-personnel projectiles."

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Negative! Load the bean-bag shells, Merit!"

Merit:"Affirmative. Loading pacification shells."

Merit changes the ammunition while the gun barrels switch to that of a
shotgun. The robot takes aim at the soldiers and starts firing the bean
bag rounds at them. The soldiers duck for cover, but find it is in short
supply. A few of them are hit in the legs, the impact from the bean bags
causing them to buckle and collapse to the floor in pain. Merit moves on
and provides protection to the rest of the team until they reach the
stairs. When they get there, Merit stops and the team quickly goes up the
steps. Striker then turns to the robot.

Striker:"Hold them down and keep our escape route clear!"

Merit:"Procedure confirmed and processed."

Striker then runs up the stairwell, followed by the rest of the team.

Upper Office Level:

The main office corridor is in chaos. Staff members and ministers are
running for their lives as a gun battle ensues between the security guards
and soldiers and the attacking Black Paws. The gunfire is occasionally
punctuated by an explosion as the commandoes toss grenades. Every now
and then Elraz sends in a pair of Black Paws into an office to shoot up
everyone they can find in there. In the war room, Police Chief Johannes
Klopper and Army Chief Achmed Pahad are giving orders to the officers 
just outside the door while General Mosioua Cele and Defence Minister 
John Ntsibi are having important documents burnt and the computer drives
wiped clean. Just then Vorster opens the door and looks inside.

Vorster:"Wat de h** is going on out there? Have they gotten in here?"

Ntsibi quickly looks up at Vorster.

Ntsibi:"Mister President, the situation is very dangerous right now. Stay
        in the office, lock the doors and barricade them!"

Vorster doesn't answer, but he gets the message and understands the gravity
of the situation. He heads back into his office, slams the door and locks
it. Klopper turns to Pahad.

Klopper:"We must get the president out of here!"

Achmed:"We can't move him yet! It's too dangerous!"

Klopper:"It's too dangerous to bloody LEAVE him here! We need to move him
         now! There are many escape routes from this building!"

Achmed:"I got reports that the attacking force got in here by using one of
        those escape routes! We can't move the president until we are sure
        the escape routes are clear!"

Klopper:"This is crazy! We need to move him now!"

Ntsibi comes up and nods in agreement.

Ntsibi:"I concur. The president is in too much danger by staying here and
        the enemy is right down this corridor. Find a way to move him out,
        even if you have to drive an APC through the front."

Achmed:"I'll see what I can..."

Suddenly a ricocheting bullet hits Achmed in the chest. He shouts in pain
and collapsed, to the shock of Klopper and Ntsibi. Both men grab him and
drag him into the room, with Klopper kicking the door closed. Once in,
Klopper calls over an aide to help the Army Chief while Ntsibi grabs Cele's
arm to get his attention.

Ntsibi:"Get our troops in here and have them remove the president out of
        harm's way! By any means necessary!"

Cele:"Yes, Mister Minister!"

Cele sprints over to a radio and grabs it. Inside the president's office,
Vorster is pushing file cabinets and potted plants against two of the three
entrances. Once done, he goes behind his desk and flips it over onto its
side, spilling its contents on the floor. Vorster kneels behind the desk
to use it as makeshift cover. Further back the Strikers reach the top of
the stairs and enter the corridor. Striker and Illanov take up positions
on either side, scanning the corridor for hostiles.

Illanov:"Looks clear, comrade."

Striker:"Goed. Move forward."

Unit STRIKE proceeds into the corridor. Just as they come to the first
open office door, a shimmering shape catches Phoenix's eye. She looks
closer and is able to make out two humanoid shapes just up ahead.

Phoenix:"Look out! We got cloaked bad guys!"

Sure enough, the shimming figures decloak into two Black Paws with their
guns aimed at the group.

Striker:"Into the office!"

The commandoes open fire on Striker and Illanov. The bullets hit Striker's
chest and Illanov's one arm, but the spaniel's armor manages to protect
him. Illanov yelps in pain and falls into the office as the others rush
in. In the office Shephard takes position by the door and returns fire
with his M-249, causing the Black Paws to recloak and duck out of sight.
Elexis quickly checks on Striker and Illanov.

Elexis:"You two all right?"

Striker:"I'm okay, just some bruises, but check Alex. He's bleeding."

Illanov shakes his head, holding his wound with one paw.

Illanov:"Nyet, comrade. It's just a flesh wound."

Elexis:"Let me heal it up anyway."

While Elexis works on Illanov's wound with her medical kit, Striker goes 
to the door to join Shephard.

Striker:"Can you see them?"

Shephard:"Negative, sir. They're playing hide and seek, and I can't stick
          my head out there without risking getting it blown off. As long
          as they're cloak they get that split second extra that will give
          them the edge in surprise."

Striker:"Hold this position and watch for grenades they might throw at
         us."

Shephard:"Roger, sir!"

The spaniel then goes back to Illanov, where Elexis has finished up healing
his bullet wound.

Striker:"Alex, on my signal switch on that EMP jammer of yours. It might
         help disable those stealth suits outside."

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. Give me the signal when ready."

The German Shepherd holds up the EMP Jammer in his one paw. Striker nods 
in satisfaction, and then returns to Shephard while taking out his Colt
revolver.

Striker:"When I give the signal, we jump out and neutralize those hostiles."

Shephard takes out his Desert Eagle.

Shephard:"Yes, sir!"

Striker goes to the door and takes a quick peek around the corner. Once
he is ready, he gives the thumbs-up to Illanov. Illanov switches on his
EMP Jammer. Striker then looks at Shephard.

Striker:"Nou!"

Striker rolls out the door and Shephard jumps out after him. They quickly
get the two uncloaked and surprised commandoes in their sights and open
fire. Striker manages to score a direct hit right between a wolf's eyes
with his revolver. Shephard, using his incredibly fast reflexes and
reactions, lands several shots on the other's commando's chest and the
rifle in his paw. Both commandos fall to the floor as Striker and Shephard
rush forward to check if their targets are down. Once satisfied, Striker
calls to the others.

Striker:"All clear! Forward!"

The rest of Unit STRIKE come out of the office and rejoin Striker and
Shephard as they move forward. Up ahead Elraz and his commandoes are
closing in on the president's office door, pushing back the security
guards and soldiers while also going into neighboring offices to shoot
any ministers and officials they can find. But the closer they get to
the president's office the fiercer the resistance they are encountering.
At one point Elraz turns to his squad.

Elraz:"The next door up head leads to the war room. We will duck into
       his office here..."

He thumbs at one empty office.

Elraz:"... and then move out in stealth mode. Understood?"

Commandoes:"Yes, sir!"

Elraz:"On three... one... two... three."

Elraz and his commandoes quickly rush into the office and wait for the
shooting to stop. Once it does, the Black Paws go into cloak mode and
move out. They stay low, moving along the wall quickly towards the open
war room door. Inside the war room, Klopper goes to the door and pushes
it open slightly to look outside.

Klopper:"Things are quiet now... we should move the president right now."

Ntsibi:"You sure that's a good idea? We must wait until the troops have
        secured the area."

Klopper is about to turn to Ntsibi to reply when suddenly the door swings
open and hits him hard. As he falls to the floor, Ntsibi and Cele see
Elraz and his men materialize into the room. Both men try to raise their
personal firearms, but the Black Paws open fire first. They gun down
Ntsibi, Cele and their aides before quickly closing the war room door
as shouting alerts the soldiers and guards to what is happening. Klopper
tries to grab his gun, but Elraz pounces him and tabs him with his needle
claws. Once the commandoes have killed everyone in the room, Elraz goes
to the door that leads to Vorster's office. He opens the lock, but finds
he cannot push it open. He turns to one commando.

Elraz:"Blow this door."

Commando:"Yes, sir."

Elraz steps back as the commando comes up and begins to place explosive
charges on the door. Meanwhile Unit STRIKE comes to where the president's
office is, but they are spotted by one of the security guards.

Guard:"There! More mutants!"

Immediately all gun barrels turn to Unit STRIKE's way. Striker points at
the empty office where the Black Paws had been earlier.

Striker:"In here!"

The team rushes in, firing first to throw the soldiers and guards off
before they can retaliate. Once inside, Shephard closes the door while
Striker confers with his team.

Striker:"Reg, we need to get past those troops without harming or at
         least not outright killing them. Any suggestions?"

Corsair:"We need to bring Merit up here. There's too much aggro out
         there for us to get through without receiving a few new holes."

Tanarus:"I agree. We'll need some cover if we're to get to Vorster's
         office."

Just then a stifled sneeze makes them look towards one of the curtains
in the office. Striker gestures to the others to check it out. Phoenix
and Elexis approach the curtain, their weapons ready. Phoenix then grabs
the curtain and pulls it away quickly as she and Elexis take aim to who
is behind it. A portly man in a suit lets out a startled gasp and raises 
his hands, eyes wide.

Man:"Please don't kill me!"

Corsair:"Well, that's no Elite Guard."



Phoenix:"Who are you?"

Man:"I'm Qondile Khenyeza, Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry. Are...
     are you going to kill me?"

Both Phoenix and Elexis lower their weapons.

Elexis:"No, we're not here to kill you."

Khenyeza:"You mean you're that group Haddan said she would in here?"

Upon hearing that, Striker immediately comes up to the minister.

Striker:"You were in on Haddan's plans?"

Khenyeza:"Yes, that's right. I was supposed to help with the..."

Striker(interrupting):"Geen tyd for that, minister. We need your help.
       We need someone to pacify the soldiers outside this office so we
       can get to Vorster's office before the Elite Guard gets him."

Khenyeza:"Elite Guard? Are they the ones who...?"

Striker:"Ja, that's them. Will you help?"

Khenyeza nods quickly.

Khenyeza:"Yes, I will. What do you want me to do?"

Striker:"Go out there and tell the soldiers to back down. We don't need
         them shooting at us and we don't want to shed blood."

Khenyeza:"And the Elite Guard?"

Suddenly there is a loud bang from the war room next door. Everyone jumps
from the loud noise as loose items shake and fall over. In the president's
office, Vorster ducks behind the table as the door between his office and
the war room explodes into a cloud of wooden splinters and debris. The
blast knocks away the heavy furniture he had placed against the door.
When the smoke clears, Vorster remains hiding behind desk, clutching the
revolver. Elraz and his commandoes come to the open door, weapons raised
and scanning the room. They don't see Vorster, but they do spot the desk
lying on its side.

Elraz:"The target must behind that desk."

Commando:"Do we flush him out with a grenade, sir?"

Elraz:"Better not. The Supreme General wants him alive and in one piece.
       Keep the war room secure; I'll deal with Vorster."

Commando:"Yes, sir."

The commandoes head back into the war room while Elraz quickly moves
forward and ducks behind a ruined filing cabinet. Vorster hears his
faint movement and fires his revolver over the edge of the desk.

Vorster:"You want me? You will have to kill me!"

Elraz, remaining behind cover, responds.

Elraz:"Temping, but Supreme General Franco wants to meet you. In person
       and alive."

Vorster:"That so, mutant? I dare you to try!"

Elraz makes a few gestures to his commandoes, ordering them to hang back
and wait for his signal. They nod. Elraz then goes into stealth mode and
starts to belly crawl his way towards Vorster's desk. Vorster keeps firing
a shot every now and then, unaware of Elraz moving towards him. At one
point Vorster takes the opportunity to take a quick peek over the desk.
Elraz then uncloaks and pounces the president. Vorster quickly spots the
wolf in the corner his eye and swings around, raising his revolver. Elraz
grabs Vorster's gun wrist and pushes the revolver away just as shot rings
out. The president and the wolf start to struggle as the other Black Paws
rush into the room. There is a fierce struggle as Vorster fights back with
all his might. He kicks and punches, the force of the blows surprising
the commandoes. But soon they overwhelm him. The Black Paws tie his wrists
and ankles together, then place a gag in his mouth. While this is going on
Elraz makes a radio call.

Elraz:"This is Boarding Party Leader to Mothership. The Captain is secure,
       requesting extraction."

Mothership:"Copy that, Party Leader. Mothership is inbound and will be
            there in a few minutes."

Meanwhile, Striker and his team are getting ready to make their move. They
gather at the door with Minister Khenyeza while Merit comes lumbering up
the corridor. The spaniel looks at the minister.

Striker:"You verstaan what you need to do? Do you have any questions?"

Khenyeza:"No, no. I'm ready."

Striker:"Goed. Go for it and stay with Merit."

Khenyeza:"Okay."

As Merit comes to the door, Khenyeza steps outside and in front of Merit.
He holds up his hands as he approaches the edge of the balcony. The guards
instinctively raise their weapons.

Khenyeza:"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

The guards and soldiers immediately identify the minister and relax their
aim. Khenyeza continues, still moving forward while Merit stays just out
of sight in the corridor.

Khenyeza:"A special forces unit has arrived to rescue the president! Do
          not open fire on them!"

The guards and soldiers lower their weapons at the same time as Striker
and his team come out of the office. Merit moves forward, providing a
potential shield as the Strikers move towards the war room door. The
guards and soldiers see who the special forces are with some surprise. A
young soldier is the first to protest.

Soldier:"Hey! Those look like mutants! We must stop them!"

Khenyeza quickly focuses on the soldier.

Khenyeza:"They are special forces, you idiot! Stand down!"

The young soldier is taken aback, staring with wide eyes at the minister.

Soldier:"But..."

Khenyeza:"You want a court martial, soldier?"

The soldier quiets down while the rest of them can just watch Unit STRIKE
rush into the war room. They scan the room with their weapons raised, but
there is nobody here. Just then there is the sound of a window breaking
and the oncoming noise of helicopter's spinning blades.

Tanarus:"I think they're getting ready to leave."

They move to the door leading to the president's office. Several bullets
fly past, forcing the team to take cover. Striker quickly looks and then
ducks back.

Striker:"Two commandoes behind a desk, directly in front of the door. 
         Merit, go through first. The rest follow behind him."

Merit:"Command acknowledged."

The robot makes its way past the debris and bodies, then goes through the
door. Two Black Paws have moved Vorster's desk to allow them to cover the
entrance. They immediately open fire on the robot. Merit moves forward
while the rest of the team gets behind him and return fire. The comman-
does duck behind the desk and cloak themselves. They then make a break
for the window, which has now been smashed open. Illanov sees their
shimmering form and fires his plasma rifle. His shot hits one Black
Paw just as he jumps out, the impacting causing him to cartwheel in the
air before crashing on the lawn outside. Immediately the commandoes
outside fire at the window, smashing the remaining glass but not really
much else. Outside, an Owl Helicopter is landing on the back lawn as
Elraz and his commandoes drag Vorster towards it in a hurry. Some of the
commandoes hang back to lay suppressing fire at the office window. The
Strikers are kept back by all the gunfire.

Illanov:"Bolshoi! We're not going to get through here in time!"

Striker:"But we must! They're taking my brother to Franco!"

Before anyone can stop him, Striker runs up to the open window and fires
his sonic rifle at one of the commandoes. The powerful sonic blast hits
the commando and knocks him over. The other commando starts dashing for
the helicopter. Striker jumps out the window and lands in a bush under
it. Vorster is dragged onto the chopper, followed by Elraz and the other
commandoes. Striker quickly stands up and runs towards it while the rest
of the team begins to jump out of the window. The helicopter doors close
as it begins to lift off the lawn. In desperation Striker fires several
low-level sonic blasts at the cockpit. The sonic blasts hit their mark,
but they're not strong enough to do more than crack the cockpit windows.
The Owl Helicopter lifts off the ground, then immediately cloaks. Striker
stops and can only watch helplessly as the shimmering shape of the
chopper takes to the sky and flies off to the north, quickly vanishing
from sight. Phoenix, Illanov and Tanarus come running up, also watching
the Black Paws make their escape.

Phoenix:"This is terrible!"

Tanarus:"In more ways than one. Franco has practically taken out the
         South African government now. We need to get out of here now."

A loud crash behind them makes the Strikers swing around. They see Merit
lying on its back as Corsair tries to get the robot back on its treads.

Corsair:"Merit, you idiot! You can't jump out the window with the shell
         on!"

Merit:"I say. My systems analysis assured me a descent was possible."

Corsair:"You descended, all right! Geez, you're heavy."

At that moment Elexis and Shephard come climbing out of the window in a
hurry. Shephard goes to help Corsair get Merit back up while Elexis goes
to the others.

Elexis:"We better leave. Some of the soldiers and guards are calling our
        friend's bluff, and more are still coming in."

Striker:"Ja, there's nothing more we can do. This mission is a failure.
         Let's get back to the Stealth Rover right away."

Once Merit is helped up, the Unit STRIKE members begin to run across
the lawn to the fence at the end of the property. Behind them shouts
from soldiers and guards jumping out of the president's office window
and coming from the nearby parking lot can be heard. Some of them try
to fire, but their shots are too sporadic and dispersed to actually hit
the fleeing Rovers. Tanarus and Shephard fire back, also taking wild
aims to ensure they don't actually hit anybody. As the team approaches
the fence Illanov fires his plasma rifle and blows a hole into it. The
team quickly goes through the hole and into the cover of the bushes.

Office Building Rooftop
At That Moment:

Hunter and Colleen continue to observe the action down below, but now
Blitz, Exile and Shag have joined them after firing all of the mortars.
Hunter's collar beeps and he taps the tag.

Hunter(into com):"Hunter here."

Striker(over com):"Striker here. We got to pull out. The Elite Guard has
       captured Vorster. Repeat, the mission is a failure."

All the Rovers look at Hunter in shock, who is also somewhat taken
aback.

Hunter(into com):"You sure, Striker? Is it bad?"

Striker(over com):"Very bad. Not only that, the Elite Guard killed an
       unknown number of people, some of them government ministers. We
       are heading back to the Stealth Rover immediately."

Hunter(into com):"Okay, we're getting outta here too."

Hunter turns off his collar and turns to his team.

Hunter:"Let's get out of here, Rovers. We're finished here."

Exile:"Mother Russia, you mean baddest guys have wonski?"

Hunter:"This round is theirs, I'm afraid."

Colleen:"Oh, bloomin' wonderful."

Shag whimpers. The Road Rovers begin to head for the stairwell leading
down into the building. Hunter contacts the other Rover teams on his
collar.

Hunter(into com):"All units, this is Hunter. Retreat! I repeat, get your
      tails outta here. The mission is a failure."

There are shouts of surprise from the other unit leaders.

Outlaw(over com):"That's not how this episode usually ends!"

Bear(over com):"You can't be seriously saying the bad guys won?"

Hunter(into com):"I'm afraid so. And according to Striker it got worse.
      We'd better get out of here before we get the blame."

Ben(over com):"Oh s***. Okay, Hunter. We're leaving right away."

The other unit leaders reluctantly agree to the retreat. Hunter turns
off his collar as he focuses on climbing down the steps.

Control Room
Wardrome
First Tactical Brigade
N1 Highway
Gauteng/Limpopo Provincial Border
19:42 PM:

Franco is seated at his throne, looking outside at his forces as they
move through the rapidly darkening countryside towards their destination.
The radio on his throne beeps and Franco picks up the receiver to answer
it.

Franco(into radio):"This is the Supreme General. Speak... Sergeant Elraz?
      Did you complete your mission?... Really? And Vorster?... Excellent.
      Excellent! You and your men did very well! I'm sure there will be a
      promotion or two waiting for you all! You have the gratitude of the
      Supreme General himself! When will you arrive?... Good, I will be
      waiting."

Franco puts down the receiver, and then rubs his paws in glee.

Franco:"This time, Striker, I have won! Now this operation can get back
        on track!"

He begins to laugh in maniacal manner.

USS Abraham Lincoln
2 Kilometers Off The Coast
Cape Town
Western Cape Province
20:03 PM:

The United States aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is currently floating
near Cape Town, whose lights can be seen in the distance. The entire craft
and its escorting destroyers are also lit up. Fighter planes and helicopter
periodically take off and land on the deck of the carrier. On the deck is
a news reporter, speaking towards his cameraman under one of the flood-
lights as he gives a life broadcast report.

Reporter:"I can confirm that South African President Adriaan Vorster has
          been abducted and many of his cabinet ministers were killed in
          an attack on the Union Buildings in Pretoria. It is unclear as
          to who is responsible for the attack, with sources claiming
          either the Elite Guard or the Road Rovers, though the latter
          has denied involvement in the killings. At the moment the
          South African Minister of Water Affairs, Qondile Khenyeza, has
          taken over as the presiding head of state, but it is still
          unconfirmed as to which ministers were killed or injured. The
          minister will make a speech to the nation a in a few minutes..."

He continues reporting the news.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
A Few Minutes Later:

The briefing room is almost empty, save for the Master. On the screens are
Norwood and Cadwell, with Hunter being absent. Instead, his screen is
showing the latest CNN news broadcast on the incident in Pretoria.

Cadwell:"We've just learned about this on the news, Professor. What the 
         h*** happened?"

Master:"I've only gotten preliminary reports from Hunter, but it seems the
        Elite Guard managed to get into the Union Buildings before my
        Rovers could."

Cadwell:"How did that happen?"

Master:"Hunter said something about our allies mistaking the Elite Guard
        commandoes for the Road Rovers and letting them in."

Cadwell groans, putting one hand to his face in exasperation.

Cadwell:"This is just great."

Norwood:"How did Franco get the jump on us like this without us knowing?
         And how in the world did his commandoes stumble upon our allies
         in the Union Buildings like that? That is too big a coincidence."
         
Master:"I've been speculating about that myself."

Norwood shakes his head.

Norwood:"It doesn't matter. Franco has Vorster prisoner and managed to
         effectively decapitate the South African government. While it
         might prevent Blood River from being activated, this is a huge
         blow to our efforts to stop the Elite Guard."

Master:"Hunter mentioned that this new person in charge, Khenyeza, is one
        of our allies."

Norwood:"With all due respect to the man, I don't have much faith in a
         government that is run by the Water Affairs Minister. All the
         top leaders are either dead or in hospital. And now who knows
         how the South African armed forces will react to this news. One
         thing I have to be certain of: the Road Rovers are not responsible
         for this attack, right?"

Master:"That's right. We have Khenyeza's word to back us up."

Norwood:"Good. That should keep the flak off your backs and off the
         coalition forces. But we need to fix the problem fast. Franco
         has scored a big victory here, and if we don't do something about
         it he could up end up actually winning this war."

Cadwell:"We can't let that happen! The consequences of an Elite Guard
         victory are too ghastly to comprehend."

Both the Master and Norwood nod grimly. With Vorster captured and the
South African government now in shambles, the pressure is mounting on
the Road Rovers and their allies. Will they be able to bounce back from
this setback and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? Or will General
Franco finally emerge triumphant over his opponents?


TO BE CONTINUED...