Tyrna's Journey

By Gerhard Naudé and Kristen Coughlan

All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
Tyrna © Kristen Coughlan
Sprinter © Andrew Sinclair Corse

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

EuroCorp Cargo Plane
Somewhere Over Poland
24 August
7 Days Before The Techno War
5:13 PM:

The countryside of Poland was becoming shrouded in the darkness
being brought on by the setting sun. The sky is orange in the dusk,
while the clouds over the country reflected that same color. Flying
above the clouds is a 747 Cargo Plane with the markings of the
European Corporation. Inside the cockpit, the two EuroCorp pilots
were enjoying a quick coffee break while their plane is on auto
pilot with the lone security guard escorting the cargo.

Pilot #1:"So what is it we are transporting this time?"

Guard:"It's classified, but they say that of all the cargo, so I can
       talk about it. It's one of those cano-sapien things."

Pilot #2:"Like those Road Rovers?"

Guard:"Exactly. I'm not sure how they got this one, but they want it gone
       after the little incident with those right-wing environmentalist
       terrorists."

Pilot #2:"Stupid tree huggers. They always get in the way. So how did
          the suits get this one?"

The guard shrugs, sipping his coffee before speaking.

Guard:"I don't know, and I don't care. We are all paid to do our jobs,
       and no bonuses for being curious."

The two pilots raise their cups.

Pilots:"Cheers!"

They all take another sip of coffee. Suddenly a black cloud explodes
close by, rocking the plane and causing them all to spill their coffee
cups.

Pilot #2:"What was that?!"

Suddenly more of the same clouds explode all around the plane, jolting it
even more. The first pilot grabs the controls.

Pilot #1:"We're under attack!"

The other pilot also grabs his controls. The guard drops his cup onto
the cockpit floor and grabs hold of the pilots' seats.

Scout Section
GONV Cephius Division
Polish Countryside
At That Moment:

This is a small camp erected by the first war machines of the GONV
Cephius Division. It nothing more than a collection of drones, some
laser tanks and flak tanks. Right now the flak tanks are firing shells
of flak at the EuroCorp airplane flying overhead. Down below, the
light drone captain leading the scout section watches the plane. A
flak shell explodes by the plane, causing the engines on the right
wing to explode. The plane begins to loose altitude rapidly, leaving
behind a smoke trail from the burning engines. The light drone captain
turns to its detachment of light and battle drones.

Drone Captain:"Prepare to deployment to region of imminent enemy air-
               craft crash location."

Drones:"Executing demand."

The drones begin to update their maps and orders as they prepare to set
out. The plane disappears out of sight behind some trees.

EuroCorp Cargo Plane
Over Polish Woodlands
5:23 PM:

The plane's right engines are full ablaze as it looses altitude, coming
closer to a woodland region filled with trees. The plane is unable to
regain lift or even turn, and moments later it trims the treetops. The
plane's left wing catches a particularly high tree and tears in half.
The plane plummets into the forest. The impact causes both wings to
tear off before the plane crashed into the ground. The plane breaks
in half just behind the wings. The tail section skids to a half, while
the front part plows into a heap of rocks, then explodes into a fire-
ball. Birds fly away, squawking in panic.

Crash Site
Polish Woodlands
5:29 PM:

Much of the grass and some of the trees are still on fire, as is the
front portion of the plane. Debris lie strewn along a gash cut into the
ground and woodlands from the plane's impact. Some distance back, two of
the engines still burn from the mangled wings. Between the front portion 
and the wings lies the partially intact tail section. Some large crates
and a number of small crates lie scattered from the tail up to the front.
Coming in through the woods from the point where the plane hit the ground
first are a line of light drones, followed behind a small number of
battle drones. The light drone captain, armed with laser shotgun as op-
posed to the other light drones' laser rifles, points at the path of
destruction.

Drone Captain:"Conduct wide-area scan of crash location. Search and
               destroy any possible surviving biological organisms."

Drones:"Confirmed"

The drones all behind to fan out across the crash site and woods,
scanning the crash and the surrounding trees.

Point Of View
Light Drone
Crash Site
5:32 PM:

This is how the GONV light drone is seeing the world of the crash site:
everything is drawn as sophisticated wire frame images. Each kind of
object has its color: trees and grass are green, rocks are light
gray, dirt and mud are brown, the plane's metal wreckage in yellow
and the fires are orange. The other drones appear as white. Right now 
the drone is moving towards the tail section of the plane. As it 
approaches, a new image appears. A box quickly appears around it as the 
wire frame is made of a cano-sapien, in bright red. The box flashes white.

Light Drone:"Biological unit detected. Engaging hostile."

The cano-sapien starts to run away into the woods. The drone sets off in
pursuit, the red wire frame outline easy to spot amongst the trees. The
other drones nearby open fire and go into pursuit. The cano-sapien dodges
this way and that as it tries to dodge the hostile fire, but the drones
are closing in on it. Soon a new color wire frame becomes visible, the
light blue outline for inland water, in this case a river. The cano-
sapien reaches the river, then jumps in and swims downstream. The water
does not hide the cano-sapien from the drones' view and they begin to
follow the river, still firing away. Suddenly the cano-sapien disappears
in an instant. A message appears saying "TARGET LOST. TRACING..." The
drones move forward, then one can see that there is a waterfall and a
steep cliff. The drones gather, zoom in on the river and woods below
and start to scan. It picks up the dark red outlines of the local
creatures and birds, but of the cano-sapien there is not a trace. After
a few minutes, the drones zoom out again.

Light Drone:"Biological entity lost. Returning to previous waypoint
             location."

The drones turn around and begin to walk back to the crash site. 

Polish Woodlands
At That Moment:

The waterfall cascades down into a pool at the bottom of the cliff side,
from where the rivers flows in a pretty much straight path downward. Some 
distance further down the river, the figure of a cano-sapien climbs out 
of the river and dashes into the woods. The cano-sapien runs away deep
into the woods, dodging among the trees. After a while, she ducks low
into a ditch. She looks at a group of 3 light drones, which are making
scanning sweeps of the area around them. She stays low and keeps comple-
tely still. The drones walk dangerously close to where she is hiding,
their laser rifles ready.

Drone 1:"Scanning area... no hostile entities...

Suddenly gunfire echoes through the woods. A bullet smashes into the
thin armor of the leading drone's head. Sparks fly and the drone shudders
before toppling over onto the ground. The two other drones turn to the
source of the shots and begin to run for cover.

Drone 2:"Hostiles detecting. Engaging and terminating..."

The cano-sapien looks up a little and sees some humans a short distance
away. They are hiding under camouflage thermal blankets that hid them
from the drones' scanners. The two drones keep firing away at the humans, 
keeping behind the trees for cover. The cano-sapien begins to creep away,
still staying low to the ground, trying to avoid the gunfire and atten-
tion of the drones. Suddenly a stray bullet ricochets off a rock and
flies towards her. She is struck in leg and yips loudly in pain. One of 
the drones picks up the sound byte from her yip and turns around,
looking towards her direction.

Drone 3:"Possible hostile attack from rear. Scanning..."

The cano-sapien keeps low, trying to ignore the pain in her leg while the
drone searched for her. As the drone scans, a shot hits its one arm, 
causing the drone to spin out of cover. This gives the humans a good
chance for a good shot and they open fire. Bullets smash into the hull 
of the drone. The drone collapses, sparks flying from the holes in its 
hull. The cano-sapien breathes a sigh of relief, then cringes as she
feels the sting of pain in her leg. The humans get up and run to where
the cano-sapien and the drones are, weapons ready and keeping an eye
out for more drones. Their uniforms underneath the thermal blankets
reveal that they are a specialized unit of soldiers for the Polish
military. As they approach, one the soldiers spots the cano-sapien
and runs over to look at her. One can now see that the cano-sapien is
a female husky with blue/grey fur and brown shoulder-length hair. She
is dressed in bright orange overalls with the EuroCorp insignia woven
into it. She watches as the soldier calls over another one and they
begins to speak to one another in Polish.

Soldier 1(Polish):"This one is wounded."

He indicates to the wound in her leg.

Soldier 2(Polish):"What is it?"

Soldier 1(Polish):"It looks like one of those sapien creatures I've seen 
         in the media. I wonder if she is a survivor from that crash?"

Soldier 2(polish):"Maybe, but first she needs medical treatment."

The husky is confused with what they are saying. The two humans sling
their rifles over their shoulders, then kneel next to her and slide 
her arms over their shoulders. They then begin to carry her away, follow-
ed by the other soldiers. One of the soldier runs off ahead into the
woods, then comes with another soldier, who is a medic. The medic is
carrying a med kit and a plastic stretcher. The medic runs up to the
soldiers and puts the stretcher on the ground.

Medic(Polish):"Rest her on her back."

Soldier 1,2(Polish):"Yes, sir."

The two of them gently put the husky on her back on the stretcher. The
soldiers then pick up either end of the stretcher and begin to carry her
off with the others. The medic follows and works on binding the wound on
the husky's leg. She yips as he tightens the bandage and he looks up at
her.

Medic(Polish):"Can you hear me?"

The husky glances perplexed at the medic.

Husky(confused):"Huh? Do you know English?"

The medic nods and begins to speak to her in English.

Medic:"Yes, I speak English. How do you feel?"

Husky:"I'm still in a little pain. I was in a plane crash and those 
       machines tried to kill me.

Medic:"Ah. We saw the fire and the plane going down. You were lucky that 
       you managed to avoid those robots. We have been fighting them in 
       the past week. They have appeared in significant groups here and 
       there in the countryside. They're quite dangerous, and being an
       unarmed person around here is asking for trouble."

Husky:"I don't know what is going on. The people that owned the plane 
       turned me into this and separated me from my family. This is my 
       first time out of the awful lab, so I have no news about the
       world outside."

The medic then notices faint scar beneath the fur of the husky.

Medic:"Who are these people you talk about?"

The husky frowns and growls

Husky:"EuroCorp..."

The medic's face darkens when he hears the name.

Medic:"The European Corporation. We Poles know too well of it."

Husky(growls):"They murdered my mother. I'm glad to be free."

The medic sighs and shakes his head

Medic:"Nothing better can be expected from them. EuroCorp is a danger to 
       Poland. They keep saying that it will help our country, but all 
       they do is exploit the poor Poles for cheap labor and give all
       the best jobs to their own employees."

Husky:"That is awful."

The medic sighs again.

Medic:"I know, but the EuroCorp executives are too smart. They exploit 
       every loophole in the E.U. trade agreements they can find to get 
       away with it."

The husky tries to get up but her injured leg prevents it. The medic puts 
his hands on her and makes her lie back down.

Medic:"Better not move that leg until it is fully healed."

Husky:"Sorry."

Medic:"That is all right. Oh, my name is Tadeuz Wortjek."

Husky:"My name is Tyrna."

Wortjek:"Pleased to meet you, Tyrna. Just keep lying still. We will take 
         you to our temporary camp not far from here. Then I can treat 
         that leg of yours better."

Tyrna:"Thank you, Tad."

Wortjek smiles and pats her shoulder.

Wortjek:"An enemy of EuroCorp is a friend of a Pole."

Tyrna smiles, then winches in pain as the soldiers stumble a bit down a
steep hillside. Wortjek shouts at them to go easy and they nod in reply.
They and the other soldiers in the squad continue to head through the
woods toward their camp.

Temporary Camp
Polish Woodlands
6:05 PM:

This is a small tent camp erected in a clearing somewhere in the woods. 
A fire burns in the centre of the camp, where a soldier is busy cooking 
some soup. In the tent with the red cross in it, Wortjek is treating 
Tyrna. He has patched up her leg better now with the medical equipment 
he has there.

Wortjek:"There. Now you should just rest and let that leg heal."

Tyrna:"Thank you for helping me."

Wortjek:"As I said before, no need to thank me."

Tyrna sees a soldier come in and hand Wortjek a bowl of soup. The two
of them exchange a few words before he begins to eat.

Tyrna:"Wish I could I be like you guys."

Wortjek swallows the soup in his mouth before speaking.

Wortjek:"What do you mean?"

Tyrna:"Be a soldier. I want to learn how to fight and protect myself
       from EuroCorp and other villains."

Wortjek takes another sip of his soup.

Wortjek:"Well, if you want I can help enlist you in the Polish Army."

Tyrna:"Really?"

Wortjek:"Yes. We can teach you combat techniques, weapons training and
         self-defense. And another advantage is that, as an enlisted
         member of our military, we can use legal measures to protect
         you."

Tyrna smiles.

Tyrna:"Thanks."

Wortjek smiles back and sips up some more soup.

Wortjek:"Our pleasure. Now you get some rest. We will be leaving for base
         in a short while."

Tyrna nods, then closes her eyes and begins to doze off. Wortjek gets up,
goes outside and continues to eat his soup.

9:05 PM:

Tyrna wakes us as she suddenly feels herself moving. She looks around
and sees herself being carried on a stretched towards an awaiting jeep.
Around her she can see soldiers breaking down the camp, packing up the
equipment and putting out the camp fire. Wortjek is walking next to her
to keep watch on her condition. She looks at him.

Tyrna:"What is going on?"

Wortjek:"Sorry for waking you, but we are leaving for base now. Just
         keep lying still."

Tyrna:"Oh, okay."

The soldiers carrying her stretcher load her onto the back of a hummer
that has been converted to a medical truck with an open canopy. Wortjek
climbs in with her and secures the stretcher onto the deck. After a few
minutes, the hummer's engines come to life and the vehicle drives away
from the camp. The hummer goes onto a dirt road that winds through the
forest. Wortjek keeps checking on Tyrna's condition and making sure she
is comfortable. After a few minutes, Tyrna notices moving searchlights
through the woods.

Tyrna:"What are those lights?"

Wortjek looks up at the lights and frowns.

Wortjek:"Helicopter searchlights. I do not recall any of our air units
         being sent here..."

He reaches in amongst some parkas and pulls out a night-vision binocular.
He sits up and begins to look at the helicopters that are sweeping the
woods. After a few moments, he swears in Polish.

Wortjek:"European Corporation helicopters! No doubt they were sent in
         to look for the crashed aircraft... and you, Tyrna."

Tyrna looks alarmed at the lights. The lights are moving closer as they
sweep the woods. One of the lights spots the jeep and keeps following it.
Tyrna closes her eyes from the sharp light.

Tyrna:"They've seen me!"

Wortjek:"No, only our jeep, but they will see you when they come 
         closer..."

He looks around and digs out a white blanket. He throws it over Tyrna's
face.

Wortjek:"Sorry. Keep your head perfectly still."

Tyrna:"Right."

She keeps still under the blanket, while Wortjek watches the helicopters
come closer. Their beating rotor engines can now be heard clearly as they
however over the hummer, keeping pace. The lights remain on the vehicle,
then break off. The helicopters begin to fly away, no longer interested
in the Polish military vehicle. Once he is satisfied they are out range,
Wortjek removes the blanket from Tyrna's face.

Wortjek:"There. They're gone."

Tyrna:"You sure?"

Wortjek:"I'm certain of it. You just keep sleeping. It is a while before
         we reach base and you will need the rest."

Tyrna nods, then shifts a bit to become comfortable and lets the drone of
the hummer engine lull her to sleep.

Medical Bay
Polish Military Base
20 Kilometers North of Opole
Southern Poland
25 August
9:03 AM:

This is a rectangular building with high windows built into the walls and
two entrances on either side of the long wall. Arranged along either side
are rows of beds for injured soldiers. Currently only Tyrna is here,
sleeping in one of the beds. She begins to stir as she hears the sound
of marching soldiers somewhere outside. She slowly opens her eyes and
lets them focus on two figures standing next to her bed. Once her eyes
have focused, she finds herself looking at Wortjek and a Polish man in
the uniform of a high-ranking military commander.

Wortjek:"Good morning, Tyrna. Slept well?"

Tyrna slowly nods.

Tyrna:"Yes. I haven't slept so well for so long."

Wortjek:"That's good. You need the rest to recover. Oh!"

He indicates to the officer next to him.

Wortjek:"This is my base commander. He is the one who wants to speak with
         you about joining our army."

The officer nods at Tyrna.

Officer:"Greetings, Tyrna. I am Master Sergeant Tadieus Beklau. I'm in 
         charge of the base here. Private Wortjek told me that you wish 
         to join us and receive training."

Tyrna nods.

Tyrna:"Yes, I do. I would like to learn to protect myself from EuroCorp."

Beklau:"I fully understand that, but before I do that, do you swear that 
        you are only a refugee from EuroCorp and had have not done any-
        thing illegal?

Wortjek:"Tyrna escaped from a transfer to another EuroCorp laboratory,
         sir."

Beklau looks at Wortjek.

Beklau:"I know, Private, but I just need her to swear to it before she 
        can enlist."

He looks back at Tyrna.

Tyrna:"I just escaped. I never done anything illegal. This is the first 
       time I been on the outside."

Beklau nods in satisfaction.

Beklau:"Good. No offense, but it was just needed as a little legal pro-
        tection against EuroCorp should they decide to come after you. 
        Now, I will enlist you. Can you write right now?"

Tyrna looks confused at Beklau.

Tyrna:"Write?"

Beklau:"You mean you were never taught how to write a language before?"

Tyrna shakes hear head.

Tyrna:"No, they only taught me how to speak this language."

Beklau:"That is a really bad shame. We shall have to train you."

Wortjek:"Sir, I request to help teach her how to write. I will also fill
         in her enlistment forms."

Beklau:"Thank you, Private Wortjek. But make sure she signs her own 
        signature on the papers. Once done, bring them to my office."

Beklau hands Wortjek some papers. He takes them and salutes.

Wortjek:"Yes, sir!"

Beklau nods, then looks at Tyrna.

Beklau:"Welcome to the Polish Armed Forces, Private Tyrna."

Tyrna nods. Beklau begins to walk out of the hall. Wortjek pulls a chair
closes and sits down by Tyrna's bed.

Wortjek:"Right, first thing I will teach you is to write your name. The
         rest I can teach to you while you train. I will also teach you
         some Polish so that you can get along better with others here at
         the base."

Tyrna nods and smiles in gratitude.

Tyrna:"Thank you."

Wortjek smiles back, then gets the papers ready.

Wortjek:"Right, firstly we will fill in your personal details."

The two of them begin to work on filling in Tyrna's enlistment forms. 
Outside one can still hears the sounds of soldiers going through various
forms of training and exercise.

Obstacle Course
Polish Military Base
28 August
3 Days Before The Techno War
8:01 AM:

This is a course filled with mud pits, very low barb wire, high logs
stacked on each other and steep hills. A wooden catwalk runs along the
length of the course. On the catwalk are drill instructors, who are
busy shouting at some recruits going through the course, among them
being Tyrna.

Instructor 1:"Move move!"

Instructor 2:"Faster, you lazy lot!"

Instructor 3:"Come on! The enemy is right behind your sorry butts!"

Tyrna clearly takes the lead, passing through the obstacles with ease
while the other recruits trail begin and struggle to get through the
course. She keeps going, all the while the instructors keep shouting at
her and the recruits. After a short while, she becomes to the end of
the course, covered with dirt and mud and only a little winded. The
instructors watch her with approval, while hurling insults at the
recruits. The recruits finally come through and join Tyrna. They are
just as dirty as she is, but they are exhausted and are panting very
loudly. The leading instructor comes down from the catwalk and goes up
to Tyrna.

L.Instructor:"Well done, Private Tyrna, but do not get too smug about 
              being first. There will be many more days like this."

Tyrna:"Sir, yes sir!"

The instructor nods, then turns to the other recruits. He takes on a
displeased look.

L.Instructor:"All right, you lot! Take a break!"

The recruits groan with relief and begin to sit down to catch their
breath. Tyrna decides to also sit down on a nearly pile of sandbags. As
she turns to them, however, she gasps. Standing at the entrance gate of
the obstacle course is Johnston and several EuroCorp bodyguards. She
growls as she goes over to the instructor. She taps his shoulder and he
turns to her.

L.Instructor:"And what is you prob..."

Tyrna:"EuroCorp, sir. Look!"

The instructor immediately looks to the gate. He frowns when he sees
Johnston and his EuroCorp guards. He turns back to Tyrna.

L.Instructor:"Stay here, Private. I'll go and get Commander Beklau."

Tyrna nods, still growling and staring at Johnston and his guards. The
instructor quickly runs towards the gate leading to the offices of
the base's commander. Johnston then spots Tyrna and points at her. He
and his guards begin to walk towards her. At the same time the Polish
recruits and soldiers are passing unfriendly glances at the EuroCorp
executive and guards. As the EuroCorp guards approach, some take out
shackles and a muzzle, while others pull out tranquilizer guns. Tyrna
keeps her ground, still growling. When they are close enough, Johnston
begins to speak to her.

Johnston:"A-a-a-ah. Th-th-there y-y-you a-a-a-are. W-w-w-we h-have b-
          b-been l-l-looking for y-y-you."

Tyrna growls loud enough for Johnston to hear. He backs off a bit in
apprehension.

Tyrna:"I am not going back."

Johnston frowns and points at her.

Johnston:"E-e-e-enough! Y-y-you w-w-w-will c-c-c-come b-b-back. You 
          are E-e-e-e-euroC-c-c-corp p-p-p-propert-t-t-ty."

He whispers to his guards. The ones holding the tranquilizer guns nod
and take aim at her. The drill instructors suddenly shout commands in
Polish. Moments later all soldiers in the vicinity pull out their M4
rifles and take aim at the EuroCorp group. Johnston looks around in
alarm at the soldiers aiming for him.

Johnston:"Ww-w-w-what is t-t-the m-m-meaning of t-t-this?"

Just then Beklau comes running up with the leading instructor next to
him. He goes up to Johnston, frowning.

Beklau:"What are you doing here, sir? What is EuroCorp doing here on my
        base? And armed at that."

Johnston recovers from his alarm and takes on an officious tone.

Johnston: W-w-w-we are j-j-just r-r-recovering o-o-o-our p-p-property, 
          c-c-c-commander. W-w-w-we d-d-do n-n-not w-w-want c-c-conflict
          w-w-with y-y-your troops."

To make his point clear, Johnston points at Tyrna. She growls even
louder at him, baring her fangs. Beklau glances at Tyrna, then back at
Johnston and folds his arms defiantly.

Beklau:"Private Tyrna is one of my soldiers. She does not belong to you
        or EuroCorp."

Johnston is taken aback by this announcement.

Johnston:"Y-y-you h-h-have no r-r-right! S-s-she i-i-is p-p-p-property 
          of the E-e-e-european C-c-c-corporation!"

Beklau:"No, she is not. She signed the papers and we are granting her
        refugee status."

Johnston is stunned by this.

Johnston:"R-r-refugee? H-h-h-how c-c-can s-s-she b-b-b-be c-c-called a 
          r-r-r-refugee?"

To answer, Beklau takes out some papers from inside his uniform and
holds them out to Johnston. Johnston takes the papers and begins to read 
through them, while Tyrna continues to growl at him. He ignores her and 
keeps his attention on the papers. Finally he looks up, a frustrated
look on his face.

Johnston:"T-t-this i-i-is u-u-u-nheard of. I-i-i-i will t-t-take t-t-t-
          this i-i-i-issue up with y-y-your g-g-government."

He holds out the papers to Beklau. Beklau takes them, then Johnston
turns to his bodyguards and signals them to follow him. He walks back
to the gate, closely followed by his bodyguards while the Polish
soldiers keep aiming at him to make he does indeed leave. Once the
EuroCorp group is gone, Beklau turns to Tyrna.

Beklau:"Are you all right?"

Tyrna:"Yes, I am fine."

She then growls at the gate through which Johnston and his men had left
the training grounds.

Tyrna(in thought):"I hate that man."

Flashback
Laboratory Kennels
EuroCorp Underground Labs
Brussels:

This is a square room with many spacious dog kennels against the walls 
and in rows. Barks are coming from many of the kennels, which have all
kinds of breeds inside, ranging from rottweilers and German shepherds
to golden retrievers and huskies. In one of the cages is Tyrna, her
mother Maya and her siblings Jock, Armand, Raven and Harva. She is only
a few days old and is smaller than her brothers and sisters because she 
is the runt. Right now she is curled up with her brother, Jock. One
the doors leading into the kennels opens up, causing Tyrna to come
awake at the noise. Johnston, the kennel caretaker and some bodyguards
come walking in, but she only glances at them for a moment. She then
gets up, yawns and stretches and goes over to the side of the cage near
to where her father Rongue was being held. She barks at him, getting
his attention. Rongue gets up, walks to the edge of his kennel and pokes 
his muzzle through the bars to lick at Tyrna. She barks at him.

Tyrna(barking):"Daddy, what is outside the cages?"

He stops licking her and looks at her, barking back.

Rongue(barking):"Outside? Outside is the world of freedom. A world of sun 
      and moon light, of trees, birds and grass, of wide open spaces and 
      warm, friendly homes."

Tyrna(barking):"Will I get to see it?"

Rongue looks away towards the exit door that leads to the world outside.

Rongue(barking):"One day, my daughter. One day..."

Meanwhile Johnston, his bodyguards and the caretaker stop in front of the 
husky family's kennel. Tyrna looks up at the black English human. Johnston 
examines the puppies inside the kennel.

Johnston:"P-p-p-puppies? S-s-since w-w-when h-h-h-have the d-d-dogs h-h-had
          pp-p-puppies?"

Caretaker:"The male managed to get into the female's cage, and then nature
           took her course..."

Johnston shrugs and looks at the caretaker.

Johnston:"I s-s-s-suppose it d-d-does n-n-not m-m-m-matter. T-t-t-the p-p-
          puppies c-c-can b-b-b-be u-u-u-used f-f-for t-testing. B-b-but 
          such a t-t-t-thing m-m-must not h-h-h-happen again w-w-without 
          p-proper a-a-a-authorization."

The caretaker nods.

Caretaker:"We will try and prevent such incidents in future, sir."

As they continue to talk, Tyrna yips when Armand bites and pulls Tyrna 
by her tail. She whines in slight pain, while Raven and Harva bark in
approval at Armand.

Tyrna(whines):"Stop it."

Armand ignores her and keeps tugging her tail. Tyrna barks and whines, 
waking Jock. He sees the other pups bullying Tyrna. He gets jump and 
tackels the Armand, causing him to let go. The two of them start to
play-wrestle, and Harva and Raven jump in while Tyrna moves off to one
side. They all begin to wrestle among themselves and leaving Tyrna alone. 
Tyrna crawls under the kennel bars into Rongue's kennel. Raven and Harva 
see her and try to follow, but they are too big to fit under the bars.
Maya steps in at that point. She uses her paws to pull her litter together 
and begins to lick them clean to some whining protests. Johnston watches 
everything with a slight amusement. Tyrna hides under Rongue's paws. He 
starts to nuzzle and lick Tyrna to comfort and make her feel secure. 
Johnston, meanwhile, turns to the caretaker and his bodyguards.

Johnston:"I s-s-s-suppose t-t-the p-p-pups c-c-c-can b-b-be u-u-used, b-b-
          but such incidents m-m-must n-n-not h-h-h-happen w-w-without 
          c-c-c-clearance. G-g-g-get me t-t-that p-p-p-pup w-w-with t-t-t-
          the m-m-male."

The caretaker looks apprehensively at Johnston, but nods and moves to the
cage. He opens Rongue's cage gate and takes hold of Tyrna. As he tries to 
take her out, Rongue tries to grab Tyrna back. He grabs her neck and tries
to tug her away from the caretaker, who is trying not to provoke him.

Caretaker:"Let go. Come on. I'll bring her back. Promise."

Johnston whispers something to a bodyguard. The bodyguard goes into the
cage and shoves Rongue back roughly. He tumbles back as both the caretaker
and bodyguard climb out. The bodyguard closes the gate. Tyrna whines, 
wanting to be back with her father. Rongue gets up and barks angrily, 
while Maya and the pups watch with alarm as the caretaker carries Tyrna. 
Maya barks fearing for the safety of her daughter. Tyrna whines back at 
them as the caretaker takes her through the door into the laboratory 
located next to the kennels. Johnston and his bodyguards follow and 
close the door. The laboratory is a clean, very high-tech place with the 
latest equipment and computer systems. There large computer processing 
systems, smaller computers on tables, surgical tables, wash basin, tables 
with test tubes and other medical equipment, incubation chambers, 
freezers and electrical systems. Massive hospital lights hang from the 
ceiling, illuminating the laboratory. Two doors lead from the lab, one 
going to the kennels, the other heading to other parts of the underground 
labs. Tyrna is placed on the examine table as branding tools are brought 
out. One of the scientists here examine her.

Scientist:"This pup is extremely healthy and very active. A promising 
           specimen."

He takes out a stet scope and puts on Tyrna's tummy to listen. Tyrna 
growls at Johnston as he is watching from the sidelines.

Hilltop
Near Polish Military Base
Poland
1 September
12:33 AM:

This a grassy hill that lacks the dense growth of trees found mostly in
the area. Not far off, bright lights shine from the base where Tyrna
was staying. Other than the base, the sky was dark for a lack of a moon
in the night. Moving in silently from the woods behind hill, a pair of
MKIII mechs came walking up the hill, escorted by light and battle
drones. Downhill, laser tanks and MKI mechs along with combat drones
formed a line of attack, just out of sight from the guards at the base.
The MKIII mechs stop on top of the hill, while a light drone captain
scanned the base. Once it has gotten a full reading, and turns to the
mechs, raises one hand and then dropping.

Captain"Open fire."

The mechs let loose a storm of rockets at the base, illuminating the
night on the hilltop.

Central Paris
France
One Year Later
6 September
9:37 AM:

The city of Paris is still struggling to rebuilt from the nuclear blast
a few months ago (see "The Spider Cartel: Fallout"). While the streets
have been cleared, many of the buildings restored and landmarks such as
the Eiffel Tower repaired, large blocks of the city is still mostly
rubble. Trucks move through the streets with the rubble, while construc-
tion vehicles travel amongst the ruins. Large cranes litter the skyline
of the city. Mixed in the usual pedestrians and tourists are clean-up
crews, construction workers, contractors and property buyers. Among
the crowds is Tyrna, on leave from the Polish military and vacationing
in the city. She is wearing civilian clothing and visiting the shops
and areas of interests that were open, as well as watching all the
clean-up going on. As she turns around a corner into another street, she
finds herself looking at a large gang of construction workers. They are
all listening to a foreman while a EuroCorp executive stood next to him.
Tyrna growled softly to herself.

Tyrna:"EuroCorp. What are they doing here?"

The executive, who is listening to the foreman without much interest,
then glances into Tyrna's direction. His expression quickly goes from
bored to surprised to recognition. Tyrna realizes that the executive is
looking at her and turns around to walk away. The executive, however, has
already seen her and is shouting at her.

Executive:"Hey! You! Stop!"

Tyrna starts to run and goes around the corner, while the construction
workers, who got distracted by the executive's shout, watch her. The
executive turns to them.

Executive:"Get her!"

The construction workers turn to look confused at the executive. The
executive notices this and thinks quickly.

Executive:"A thousand euros for the man who captures that dog!"

The crowd of construction workers immediately breaks into a run and go
around the corner. Tyrna is trying to walk calmly down the street, but
then she sees the construction workers pointing and shouting at her.
He breaks into a run, while the workers run after her waving various
kinds of construction tools. She turns a corner to come to a huge crowd 
of shoppers. She immediately shifts the shape of her body into that of
a human woman shopper and heads into the crowd. Just as she does this,
the construction workers stop at the edge of the large crowd. They
look around for Tyrna and when they don't immediately see her, they all
split up and head into the crowd to search for her. Tyrna tries her
best to blend in and keep her movements natural. Suddenly she bumps
into one of the workers. She gasps in fright, but the worker, who is
looking for the cano-sapien Tyrna, ignores her completely and heads
elsewhere into the crowd. Tyrna breathes a sigh of relief.

Tyrna(to herself):"That was too close."

Tyrna then begins to work her through the crowd into the direction of
the hotel where she was staying. In the crowd, the workers spread out 
even thinner, now much further away from her. Tyrna comes out of the
crowd and turns another corner. Confident she has lost the workers,
she shifts her shape back into her normal cano-sapien form. She then
starts walking back to her hotel. While she does this, she glances
back for any signs of the workers or EuroCorp executives. After a
short while, she reaches her hotel. It is two-story hotel built in
classic renaissance style, though parts of the hotel are still under
reconstruction. As she reaches the hotel door, she glances back one
more time to check if no one is following her. As a result, she does
see the male collie coming out of the hotel. The two of them bump
into one another.

Collie:"Oh! Sorry!"

Tyrna quickly recovers and looks up at the collie.

Tyrna:"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have watched where I was
       going."

The collie smiles and shakes his head.

Collie:"It's okay. Oh!"

He holds out his paw to her.

Collie:"Sprinter is the name. And you are?"

Tyrna puts her paw in Sprinter's and shakes, smiling a bit.

Tyrna:"I'm Tyrna."

Tyrna looks at the collie and sees that he is very handsome to her own
eyes. Her eyes then widen as she spots two of the workers down the
street, walking towards her. Sprinter notices her alarm.

Sprinter:"What's wrong?"

Tyrna takes a step back, growling. The two workers then spot her and
shout at her. This immediately gets Sprinter's attention. He looks down
in the street at the workers running towards him. He looks back at Tyrna
just in time to see her step back and grab a chair from the tables
standing outside the hotel. Realizing what is going on, Sprinter steps
aside. Just the workers run past, Sprinter extends his one leg and trips
the workers, who fall face first onto the pavement, their weapons hitting
the pavement with loud "clanks".

Sprinter:"You don't handle a lady like that!"

The workers quickly get up and grab their tools. One goes for Sprinter
while the other attacks Tyrna. The worker attacking Sprinter swings his
spanner at him, but Sprinter ducks. The spanner smashes through the
window, sending glass shards crashing to the ground. The Sprinter then
lands a strong punch on the worker's exposed stomach and knocks the air
out of him. The worker drops his tool and gasps for air, but immediately
Sprinter lands another punch on the back of his head. The worker falls 
to the ground, unconscious. Meanwhile, Tyrna is holding back the second
worker, blocking his swings with a hammer with the chair.

Tyrna(growling):"I am not going back!"

The worker swings hard at Tyrna and knocks the chair from her paws,
causing her to yelp in pain from the impact. The worker prepares to
swing his hammer again, but Sprinter comes up from behind with another
chair and brings it down on the worker's head. The worker is knocked
to the ground, groaning from the pain in the head due to the chair's
impact. Sprinter then goes over to Tyrna.

Sprinter:"You okay? What's...?"

Tyrna's eyes widen again and she gasps. Sprinter quickly looks behind
him in time to see the EuroCorp executive appear with a large gang of
workers with him.

Sprinter:"Uh oh. Let's get out of here!"

Sprinter grabs Tyrna's paw and she starts to run with him down the
street. Behind them the executive can be heard shouting as he and his
thugs run after the two cano-sapiens. The couple runs into a crowded
market place, but the gang behind them are close on their heels. In
the market place amongst the stalls, Tanarus and Elexis, wearing some
casual clothing, are walking paw-in-paw and admiring the goods on
sale.

Elexis:"Lovely things they got on sale here, right Dear? Paintings,
        delicacies, necklaces."

Tanarus:"Yes, and all of them very overpriced."

Just then they hear a commotion amongst some of the passersby not far
from where they are.

Elexis:"Honey, do you see the commotion going on here?"

Tanarus:"Yes, I see it. I wonder what is going on?"

The couple then see Sprinter running with Tyrna holding on to his paws.
Behind them the EuroCorp executive and his worker gang are in hot pursuit.

Elexis:"Hey, that's Sprinter!"

Tanarus:"And EuroCorp behind them! Let's go!"

The two of them rush on over to help Sprinter. The executive and his
henchmen are almost upon Sprinter and Tyrna. The executive points at the
couple and yells at them.

Executive(yelling):"Halt! Hand over EuroCorp property!"

Tanarus and Elexis, having learnt what EuroCorp does, don't bother to say 
anything, and they just go in and start punching the executive and the
workers. Tanarus lands a strong punch on the executive, causing him to
stumble into a group of young men. The young men join in the fight as
well and soon a general brawl breaks out in the market place. Tanarus and
Elexis make their way out of the riot just as Parisian gendarmes arrive
with riot batons to begin controlling the crowd. The couple make their
way to the edge of the market, where they find Sprinter and Tyrna, who
are panting in exhaustion but still holding each other's paws. They all
group up.

Sprinter:"Thanks for helping shake those thugs off our tails."

Tanarus:"What happened, Sprinter? Why was EuroCorp after you?"

Sprinter:"They were after her..."

Sprinter indicates to Tyrna. Elexis immediately goes over to Tyrna.

Elexis:"Are you all right? Anything hurt?"

Tyrna holds out her paws, which are still shaking a bit.

Tyrna:"My paws hurt a bit."

Elexis:"Let me look at them."

As Elexis starts to look over Tyrna's paws and treating them with her
medical kit, Tanarus turns to Sprinter again.

Tanarus:"What happened, Sprinter?"

Sprinter:"I was in the hotel when she bumped into me. We had a quick chat, 
          and then these guys came in and attacked us."

Tanarus:"What is her name?"

Sprinter:"Tyrna."

Tyrna yips a bit as Elexis gives her a couple of injections into her arms
from the medical kit.

Elexis:"Sorry about that, but this should ease the pain. It's nothing
        serious, and it should heal up pretty quickly."

Tyrna rubs her paws a bit.

Tyrna:"Thank you."

Tanarus:"Tyrna, why was EuroCorp after you?"

Tyrna sighs before speaking.

Tyrna:"They want to take me back. I escaped from one of their transport
       aircraft a year ago."

Tanarus:"Then I think we had better get off the streets. It is not the
         best place to discuss this."

Sprinter:"Especially not with the riot in the market place getting a
          lot of police attention."

Elexis:"Let's go to our hotel. Come on, Tyrna. You can tell us your
        story there."

Tyrna just nods as Tanarus, Elexis and Sprinter guide her away from the
commotion in the market place towards their hotel.

Hotel Room
Hilton Hotel
Central Paris
10:19 AM:

Tanarus and Elexis' hotel room is well-furbished with the need furniture
and decorations. It is not top of the line, but it is certainly a good
place to stay. Seated around a small table on chairs are Tanarus, Elexis,
Tyrna and Sprinter. A serving tray with cups of warm tea is on the table.
Tyrna was busy telling the others the story of her life and was just
finishing up.

Tyrna:"... and that is why I came to Paris."

Sprinter:"Not exactly the best place in the world right now. Ever since
          the city got nuked EuroCorp has been doing all the construction
          work. So you can bet there are a lot of their people around the
          city."

Tyrna:"Too many, it would seem to me."

She growls to herself, frowning.

Tyrna:"They should not even go near me. I'm with the Polish military. I 
       signed a document that said I was a refugee from EuroCorp."

Elexis:"EuroCorp does not usually pay attention to such details if they
        think they can get away with it.

Tyrna:"I have to report this to my commander when I return to Poland."

Tanarus:"Do you think he has the authority to resist EuroCorp?"

Tyrna:"He stopped them the first time they tried to take me back."

Sprinter:"He sounds like my kind of guy."

Elexis:"Even so, I don't think even he and your refugee status will be
        able to hold back EuroCorp forever. You will need stronger
        protection against their types."

Tyrna:"Such as what?"

Tanarus:"We have told you we are members of the Road Rovers. We are
         always on the look out for recruits, so we can sign you up
         as an operative. Since we work from the United States, where
         EuroCorp has no real presence to speak off, you would be
         more secure and safe. Not only that, but your status as a
         Road Rover, plus some help from our good friend in the United
         Nations, can provide enough legal protection for you to
         stump even the lawyers of the European Corporation?"

Tyrna's tail starts to wag, her eyes hopeful.

Tyrna:"Can you really do that for me?"

Tanarus and Elexis nod.

Elexis:"Plus, you can keep your position in the Polish Army if you
        wish to keep contact with any friends you might have there."

Tyrna:"That's wonderful."

Tanarus:"So would you accept all this? It would come with a lot of
         responsibility."

Tyrna:"I was trained to be responsible. I think I can do it."

Tanarus:"Good. We can sign you up immediately."

Sprinter:"First problem, I have to point out, is that we got to get her 
          out of Paris before EuroCorp finds her. I'll bet that gang
          that chased her have told their bosses in Brussels about her 
          by now."

Elexis nods in agreement.

Elexis:"You're right, Sprinter. I think we should all leave the city
        as soon as possible."

Tyrna gets up.

Tyrna:"I need to get my luggage from my hotel."

Elexis:"Where is your hotel?"

Tyrna:"It's a block of two north of here. A short walk away."

Tanarus gets up and shakes his head.

Tanarus:"Not a good idea to go on foot right now. You should take a
         cab there."

Sprinter gets up and puts a supportive paw on Tyrna's shoulder.

Sprinter:"I'll go with her and protect her from EuroCorp."

Tyrna looks at Sprinter, smiling.

Tyrna:"Thank you."

Sprinter nods his head, grinning.

Sprinter:"Just doing my job."

Tanarus:"Good. Sprinter, take Tyrna and get her bags, then call us where
         you are. Elexis and I will pack and come pick you up."

Sprinter:"Gotcha."

Tyrna and Sprinter head for the door, while Tanarus and Elexis go get
their suitcases and start to pack.

Tyrna's Hotel
Central Paris
10:42 AM:

This is the hotel where Tyrna is staying. It is a plain hotel that is
kept in reasonably good condition with a patio where tables are chairs
are for the hotel's restaurant. There are many people seated about and
enjoying the day. Tyrna and Sprinter come out of the hotel with him
carrying her large military backpack.

Tyrna:"You don't really need to carry my backpack for me, Sprinter."

Sprinter:"Nah, I'm cool with it. I'm just helping you out. You had
          a long morning."

Tyrna:"Well, I am tired a bit. Thanks anyway."

Sprinter:"No problem."

They walk up to the sidewalk by the parking space reserved for vehicles
of guests to the hotel. Suddenly a large black van quickly pulls up,
the side door flying open. Several suited men jump out. Tyrna and
Sprinter gasp and try to back away, but some of the "guests" at the
tables jump up from behind them. The men push the two cano-sapiens
hard, causing them to fall forward into the hands of the suited men.
They are then tossed into the van. The men all quickly bundle into
the van. The van's wheels scream as it quickly drives off, leaving
behind a crowd of startled people. Quickly speeding up behind the van
is a large silver SUV, which goes after it.

Breton Metal & Steel
Industrial Zone
Southern Paris
11:08 AM:

This is a large factory used for refining iron into steel. It has a
large brick refinery, several tall chimneys and warehouses for
storing steel and iron ore. Though the factory did not suffer much
damage from the nuclear explosion, it is closed due to a lack of
power. The van comes up to the main gate and stops. One of the men
climbs out and unlocks the gate. He pushes it open and the van
drives in. Once the man closes the gate, he runs over to one of
the warehouse doors and opens that as well. The van drives into the
warehouse. Outside the factory the silver SUV stops just across
the street from the gate.

Warehouse
Breton Metal & Steel
11:11 AM:

This is a typical kind of warehouse. It has large windows in the roof
and several cranes and crane houses. There are several neatly stacked
piles of steel sheets and beams as well as shipping crates with the
factory logo on the sides. At the back is the foreman's shed. Except
for the van and its occupants, the warehouse is abandoned. The van
comes to a stop and most of the occupants climb out. Among them is
Laurant Grasson. He is male French Caucasian who stands at 6 foot 1, 
has brown hair, brown eyes and wears a crisp-pressed blue business 
suit, white shirt, blue tie and black shoes. He is carrying a brief-
case with the EuroCorp insignia on it He shouts orders to the others,
who proceed to carry out a bound and gagged Sprinter and Tyrna. They
try to struggle free, but the men are too many and too strong for
them. They are taken to one of the steel beams and are forced to
sit down on them. The men then tie the cano-sapiens' wrists to another
beam lying behind them. Once they are secured Grasson steps up to
them. He looks at Tyrna, grinning smugly.

Grasson:"Who would have guessed it? Missing EuroCorp property just
         happen to reappear back in our hands."

Grasson grabs Tyrna's gag and pulls it out of her mouth. He pulls his
hand quickly as Tyrna tries to bite him.

Tyrna:"I am nobody's property!"

Grasson:"Oui oui oui. That's what they all say, but no matter what you
         cannot just walk out of it. You are ours until we say 
         otherwise."

Tyrna:"I have refugee rights! You can't touch me!"

Grasson:"Not in Poland. But this is France. Here those papers you signed
         are not valid, so we can grab you with any legal complications."

Tyrna keeps growling at him, though her eyes look unsure. Grasson turns
to Sprinter and removes his gag. He growls at the suit.

Sprinter:"You let both of us go! Now!"

Grasson:"Oh, monsieur? And why would I do that?"

Sprinter:"I am a Road Rover, protected by international law! And she is
          under my organization's protection!"

Grasson laughs and wags his finger in Sprinter's face.

Grasson:"Oh, non. I am not falling for that one. Too many of your kind
         claim they are Road Rovers, while in fact they are not. Unless
         you have some proof, of course."

Sprinter:"My word as a Rover is proof enough!"

Grasson laughs again.

Grasson:"You word. Ha! I'm afraid I cannot accept that, monsieur."

Voice(from behind):"Then you would perhaps accept this."

Grasson turns his head in annoyance to the source of the voice. His
annoynance fades and is replaced by surprise as he sees Tanarus and
Elexis, dressed in their Road Rover armor uniforms, standing in the
open warehouse door. Sprinter and Tyrna look very relieved at the
sight. Grasson steps back as the men around him look threateningly
at the two Road Rovers.

Grasson:"Who are you? How dare you come in here?"

Tanarus:"How dare we? Simple. We are Road Rovers and you have captured
         two of our operatives."

Elexis:"We demand that you release them or face the consequences."

Grasson recovers his wits a bit.

Grasson:"Consequences? Bah! You two cannot fight your way through my
         men here!"

Elexis:"We were talking about legal consequences."

Grasson raises a questioning eyebrow.

Grasson:"Legal consequences?"

Tanarus:"We have authorization from the American embassy and the French
         government to recover our members while on French territory."

Grasson:"Really? And what proof do you have?"

Elexis:"We don't need proof, but if you really want to, you can call
        your Interior Minister and ask him about it. You do have a
        phone with you, right?"

Grasson thinks for a moment, then grins.

Grasson:"Oui, and I think I'll quickly place a call to the ministry."

Grasson reaches into a pocket and pulls out a cell phone. He puts his
suitcase down and begins to dial the number. Then puts the phone to
his ears and waits for it to be answered. He looks smugly at Tanarus
and Elexis, but the couple remain defiant. After a moment, Grasson's
call is answered. He speaks in French to the person on the other side.
Very quickly his smug look fades and he becomes more and more upset.
Minutes later he hangs up, a frustrated look now on his face. He
turns to his men.

Grasson(French):"Let those two go."

The men do as they are told and untie Tyrna and Sprinter. Sprinter
quickly helps Tyrna to her feet. Grasson comes up and pokes a threat-
ening finger into her chest.

Grasson:"This far from over, mongrel!"

Tyrna barks and tries to bite Grasson. Grasson shouts out and quickly
retreats, cowering behind his men. Sprinter looks smugly at Grasson
as he leads Tyrna to Tanarus and Elexis. Elexis looks at them.

Elexis:"You two all right?"

Sprinter:"We're fine. A bit roughed up, but okay."

Tyrna:"But wait, my luggage..."

Tanarus looks back at Grasson.

Tanarus:"You should also give back her property unless you..."

Grasson throws his hands into the air and sighs.

Grasson:"Oui oui, if it means getting rid of you faster."

He orders his men, who go into the van and get Tyrna's stuff. They
carry it up to Tanarus, who takes them. The men back off as the four
cano-sapiens leave the warehouse. Once they've gone, Grasson swears
and kicks a steel beam, promptly hurting his foot.

SUV
En Route to Charles Du Gaulle Airport
Paris
11:24 AM:

The silver SUV hired by Tanarus and Elexis is making its way through
the city streets towards the airport. Tanarus at the wheel with Elexis
seated next to him. In the back seat are Tyrna and Sprinter. Tyrna is
lying down with her head resting in Sprinter's lap, while he is busy
stroking her head fur. Tanarus and Elexis glance at the two in the
rearview mirror. They then look at each other knowingly and wink. They
continue on their way to the airport.

Cafeteria
Bank of China
Shanghai
People's Republic of China
At That Moment:

This is a classy cafeteria located in the high-tower called the Bank
of China. It is night time over Shanghai, but there is still plenty
of activity in the room. Various businessmen, most Chinese and Euro-
peans, are eating and drinking and having a good chat. Amongst them
is Rembrandt, who is talking to the bank's manager, and Johnston,
who standing behind Rembrandt. A Chinese waiter comes up to Johnston
and taps his shoulder to get his attention amid the chatter.

Waiter:"You have a private call for you, Mister Johnston."

Johnston:"All right. I'm coming."

The waiter leads Johnston into a room adjacent the cafeteria. It has
soundproof glass windows looking in the cafeteria and a long table.
Several phones are here, one of them with the receiver off the hook.
Johnston comes and picks it up while the waiter goes outside. He puts
the reciever to his ear.

Johnston(into phone):"Yes, this is Johnston... Grasson, what is it?
        ... What? One of ours?... Did you get her?... Excell... What?
        How did they do that?... Legal protection? From whom?... Oh,
        I see... No, no need to. Just let me inform Rembrandt. He will
        know what to do... Okay, good. Good bye."

Johnston quickly puts the phone down and leaves the room. He heads back
to the group where Rembrandt is talking.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Headquarters
State of New Mexico
United States of America
9 September
7:11 AM:

There is a special ceremony being held. The Master is up in his usual
place on the balcony, while Tyrna stands in front of him, her right
paw raised. Around her stand the Road Rovers, Unit STRIKE and Sprinter.
Tyrna is repeating her vows being given to her by the Master.

Master:"And that I will always uphold the ideals of the Road Rovers
        under whichever circumstances I might find myself."

Tyrna:"And that I will always uphold the ideals of the Road Rovers
       under whichever circumstances I might find myself."

Master:"So help me God."

Tyrna:"So help me God."

The Master nods approvingly and Tyrna lowers her paw.

Master:"Welcome to the Road Rovers, operative Tyrna."

Tyrna:"Thank you, Master."

Everyone else in the room clap their paws in congratulations. Sprinter
is the first to come up to her to shake her paw.

Sprinter:"Congratulations, Tyrna. Now EuroCorp can't touch you."

Tyrna:"I am very thankful for your help, Sprinter."

Sprinter:"Hey, anything to help a cute husky like you."

Tyrna laughs and playfully paws him.

Tyrna:"Oh, you."

Exile comes up to Tyrna.

Exile:"Let me give our new comrade big bear hugski!"

Exile embraces Tyrna and begins to hug her tightly. She yipes loudly
from the powerful hug.

Tyrna(in pain):"Thank you... help..."

Hunter comes up and taps Exile on the shoulder to get his attention.

Hunter:"Yo, Exile. Go easy with the new recruit."

Exile:"Oh!"

He releases her from the hug. Tyrna stumbles a bit gasping for air.

Exile:"Sorry comrade."

Tyrna:"Oh, no problem."

Shephard:"You know, sirs, perhaps warning new greenhorns about Exile's
          bear hugs should be part of standard introduction."

The Master chuckles.

Master:"That might help, Shephard."

Just then her cellular phone rings. She takes it out of her pocket
and answers it.

Tyrna(into phone):"Hello?"

Beklau(over phone):"Tyrna, this is Beklau. Thank God I found you."

Tyrna(into phone):"Beklau? Is there something wrong?"

Beklau(over phone):"It's Wortjek. He's gotten into serious trouble."

Tyrna clutches her phone tigher while everyone else looks concerned
at her.

Tyrna(into phone):"Oh no... He is all right?"

Beklau(over phone):"No. You had better come back here, Tyrna. He needs
      your support."

Tyrna(into phone):"I'll be there as soon as possible. Tell Wortjek I'm
     on my way."

Beklau(over phone):"I will. Take care, Tyrna."

Tyrna(into phone):"Yes... I will..."

The phone goes dead. Tyrna, now distressed, quickly puts her phone
back into her pocket.

Master:"Tyrna? What is wrong?"

Tyrna turns back to the Master.

Tyrna:"I have to go back to Poland, Master. One of my friends is in
       trouble. He might be seriously injured."

The Rovers and Strikers look amongst each other in concern.

Phoenix:"How bad is it?"

Tyrna:"Beklau didn't say, but I must head back to Poland immediately."

Master:"Since your friend is in trouble, I grant you permission to
        leave."

Sprinter raises his paw to get the Master's attention.

Sprinter:"May I go with her as escort?"

The Master thinks it over quickly, and then nods his head.

Master:"Good idea, Sprinter. Go with her."

Tyrna:"Thank you, Master, Sprinter."

Sprinter begins to lead Tyrna towards the hangar bay. As they leave the
room, the Master looks at the other Rovers.

Master:"Rovers, I am very concerned about Tyrna going to Poland so soon
        after being rescued from EuroCorp."

Hunter:"Yeah. At this rate she'll be raking in more frequent flyer
        mileages than me."

Colleen:"Huntie, that's not what the Master was referring to."

Hunter:"Oh. Sorry."

Striker:"I think I know what the Master is saying: Tyrna is heading into
         a possible EuroCorp trap in Poland."

Master:"That's right, Striker. I want you Rovers and Strikers to follow
        Tyrna and Sprinter at a discrete distance. Should there any kind
        of trouble, go in and help her, Sprinter and Tyrna's friends."

Hunter and Striker salute the Master.

Hunter:"Yes, sir!"

Striker:"Ja, Meneer!"

Hunter turns to his group.

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

The Road Rovers all howl, causing Shephard and Corsair to wince.

Shephard:"Note to self: get a gasmask with ear mufflers."

Corsair:"Put in an order for me as well."

Striker turns to his group.

Striker:"Let's hit the skies, Strikers!"

The Road Rovers and Unit STRIKE run out of the briefing room. The Master
chuckles and shakes his head, then goes back into his quarters.

Polish Military Base
20 Kilometers North of Opole
Southern Poland
5:41 PM:

The military is much the same since Tyrna left here, except for a few
changes to the buildings here and there and the fresh faces at the base.
Coming towards the gate of the base is a hummer of the Polish Army. At
the wheel are two military police officers, while in the back are Tyrna
and Sprinter. The jeep comes to a stop by the gate as the guard there
comes closer for inspection. He checks the identification papers of
everyone in the jeep, then nods. He goes and has the barrier risen.
The jeep drives onto the base and into the main parking lot. Tyrna and
Sprinter immediately get out.

Sprinter:"So this is where you trained to be a soldier?"

Tyrna:"Yes, this place was like my home. Come, let's go to my commander's
       office."

Tyrna leads the way as the couple head for Beklau's office. As they walk,
Sprinter looks around the base. At the far side of it he notices two
black Puma helicopters with no markings on them parked on two of the
helipads.

Sprinter(to himself):"Now what kind of rides are those? They don't look
        like the Polish military to me."

AS the couple approach the office, Beklau comes out of the building,
looking a bit apprehensively at Tyrna but still forcing a smile. She 
rushes up to him.

Beklau:"Tyrna, I'm glad to see you here."

Tyrna:"Same here, Beklau. I came here as quickly as possible. How's
       Wortjek?"

Beklau:"Still... not good. You should go and see him in the medical bay
        right away."

He looks over at Sprinter.

Beklau:"Who is this?"

Tyrna:"Oh, I almost forgot."

Tyrna introduces Sprinter to her commander.

Tyrna:"This is Sprinter, a new friend of mine. He is a Road Rover and
       he also helped me escape from EuroCorp in Paris. He's also
       managed to have me signed up as a Road Rover operative."

Sprinter holds out his paw.

Sprinter:"A pleasure to meet you."

Beklau nods and shakes Sprinter's paw, though he is looking somewhat
worried.

Beklau:"Ah, yes. Welcome, Sprinter. Now please, follow me to the medical
        bay."

Tyrna nods. Beklau begins to lead the couple towards the medical bay.
Sprinter keeps looking at the helicopters now and then but stays close
to Tyrna. Shortly after they come to the entrance of the bay. Beklau
steps aside for Tyrna.

Beklau:"Go in first. Wortjek is inside."

Tyrna:"Thank you."

Tyrna goes inside, followed closely behind by Sprinter.

Medical Bay
5:47 PM:

Everything in the medical bay is much the same as it was a year ago.
But as Tyrna and Sprinter step inside, they are met by a score of
EuroCorp commandos armed with MP5 submachine guns. Before either cano
can react, several commandoes who were on either side of the door
grab them and force them to the ground. Tyrna and Sprinter struggle
violently, but the commandoes succeed in getting handcuffs on the
couple's paws and ankles. Once they are bound the commandos force
them up onto their knees. One of the masked commandos comes up and
kneels in front of Tyrna.

Commando:"Bonjeur, mon ami."

Tyrna immediately recognizes the voice behind the mask and growls at
him.

Tyrna:"Paul Duroc."

Duroc:"Oui, at your service. Or rather, the service of those who want
       their property back."

Tyrna:"How dare you! You have no right to come here!"

Duroc:"Really?"

Duroc stands and indicates to the door Tyrna and Sprinter had come
through. Wortjek and Beklau are now standing here, closely watched by
the commandos. They both have looks of regret on their faces. Tyrna
turns to look at them in shock.

Tyrna:"Wortjek! But you're not... what's going on?"

Wortjek:"We're sorry, Tyrna. We had no choice."

Tyrna stares at them for a while.

Tyrna:"How could you?"

The two do not answer. Beklau looks up at Duroc.

Beklau:"Will you release our families unharmed now?"

Duroc:"Oui oui, your families will be released as soon as we are clear
       of the base."

Wortjek:"But you said..."

Duroc:"As soon as we are clear. Or would you rather not see your son
       grow up, Private Wortjek?"

Wortjek just sighs. Duroc turns to the commandos.

Duroc:"Let's go. Take the prisoners back to the helicopters."

The commandos nod. Two of them each grab Tyrna and Sprinter and drag
them onto their feet, while the rest form a circle around them. Duroc
then begins to lead them towards the exit on the other side of the
medical bay. As they approach the exit, there is suddenly the sound
of engines right above the building and shouts from the outside. The
commandos all stop and quickly look to the roof. The middle section
of the roof explodes, sending dust and debris flying through the air.
The commandos, Wortjek and Beklau duck down. When they get up again,
the dust had cleared to reveal Hunter, Striker, Colleen, Phoenix,
Exile and Illanov. They all their weapons aimed at the commandos.

Hunter:"Beware of the dogs."

Tyrna:"Hunter!"

Sprinter:"Man! Are we guys glad to see you!"

Duroc:"Sacre bleu! Where did you come from?"

Coming in through the exit the commandos were about to go out is
Shephard and Blitz along with a Polish soldiers. They all have their
weapons aimed at the commandoes.

Blitz:"Paws in the air, girlie men!"

Shephard:"Drop the guns, you dirt bags!"

Duroc looks at the two groups he and his commandos are trapped between.

Duroc:"Beware, you mongrels! If you touch us, the families of monsieurs
       Beklau and Wortjek will pay the price!"

Colleen:"No, they won't, guv. You're bluffing."

Wortjek:"Bluffing? How can he be bluffing?"

Illanov turns to Wortjek and Beklau.

Illanov:"We made some phone calls, comrade. Your families are untouched
         and well. These bad guys lied about that."

Beklau and Wortjek look at each other, then at Duroc's group. They have
angry looks on their faces.

Wortjek:"Release our friends!"

Beklau:"Do it, or else I will have my troops shoot you!"

Duroc looks at the commandos holding Tyrna and Sprinter and nod. They
unlock the handcuffs and foot cuffs and let go of the couple. The two of
them immediately back away to their group.

Striker:"You two all reg?"

Sprinter:"We're fine, but how did you guys get here so quickly."

Exile:"Simpleski, comrade. Master got bad wind of this so he sent us to
       followski you. We see the black choppers of baddest guys and then
       traveled in."

Tyrna:"You saved me again. I am so thankful..."

While this is going on, no one notices Duroc take out a pair of flash
grenades and pulling the pins. He tosses the grenades, then he and his
commandos duck down. The grenades land at the foot of each group.
Before anyone has the chance to reach, the flash grenades explode into
brilliant lights that blinds everyone in the room. While everyone is
rubbing their eyes, Duroc and his commandos brush aside Shephard, Blitz
and the Polish soldiers and run out of the medical bay.

Polish Military Base
At That Moment:

From the back of the medical it is a short sprint to the black helicop-
ters on the helipad. The TurboJet Rover and Stealth Rover are hovering
above the medical bay while around the base the surprises soldiers are
all looking at the Rover vehicles. Standing outside by the exit is Shag,
Corsair, Muzzle and Merit. Corsair glances inside.

Corsair:"What's all the commo..."

A fist hits him square in the face, knocking him back onto the ground.
Duroc leads his commandos out of the medical bay while he shouts at the
pilots in the helicopters.

Duroc(French):"Get us airborne! Now!"

The pilots waste no time in getting the engines started. Shag goes down
on his knees and cowers, Muzzle jumps in his cart and foams at the mouth
while Merit watches the commandos go.

Merit:"Strange how villains are always in such a haste to leave."

The helicopter rotor blades spin up to full speed as the commandoes
quickly pile into the choppers. As they begin to take off, the Rovers
and Strikers come running out of the medical bay. Shephard and Blitz
fire away at the helicopters, but they quickly disappear over the
treetops.

Hunter:"I would not have predicted this!"

Tyrna:"The nerve of them! Coming here and misusing my friends like that!
       If I ever meet Rembrandt I'll have a thing or two to tell him."

Colleen:"You and everyone in the Road Rovers, sister."

Phoenix then notices Corsair lying on the ground and groaning. She goes
to him and helps him up. He rubs his chin.

Phoenix:"You all right, Corsair?"

Corsair:"Geez... that guy packed more punch than one of Shag's chili
         specials..."

Striker gets on his watchcom and contacts the TurboJet and Stealth Rover.

Striker(into com):"Tanarus, Elexis. You can land now. The hostiles have
       left the area."

Exile goes over to Merit, who is still standing next to Muzzle.

Exile:"Comrade Merit, who did not muzzleski them?"

Merit:"I must state the fact that the use of muzzle as a weapon of mass
       destruction constitutes a safety hazard."

Exile stares at Merit, raising one eyebrow.

Exile:"You sometimes weirder than Weird Boy, comrade."

Wortjek and Beklau come out of the medical bay ahead of a group of
Polish soldiers, then they go over to Tyrna.

Beklau:"Are you all right, Tyrna?"

Tyrna(nodding):"Yes, I'm all right."

Wortjek:"Oh, Tyrna! We are so sorry we betrayed you like that. We are
         both ashamed."

Tyrna gives Wortjek a strong hug, which takes him by surprise.

Tyrna:"No, no apologies needed. EuroCorp was the one who tricked you
       with lies into letting me get captured."

Wortjek:"Are you sure?"

Tyrna:"Yes, I'm sure."

Wortjek sighs with relief, as does Beklau. Beklau's faces then darkens.

Beklau:"But EuroCorp will return again. They will always be looking for
        a way to get you, Tyrna."

Sprinter comes up to the trio, a smug look on his face.

Sprinter:"Not really. I just got word from Striker. Seems the CEO of
          EuroCorp will soon get the message that it would be in the 
          best interest of the company not to mess with Tyrna again."

Beklau:"You certain?"

Sprinter:"Absolutely."

Shag, having finally been convinced by Hunter that the commandos have
gone, mumbles out something. Striker looks at Hunter.

Striker:"What did he say?"

Hunter:"He said that he knows how to get Timmy out of the well."

Shag shakes his head and mumbles again while rubbing his tummy.

Hunter:"Oh! He's asking if there's anything to eat here."

Beklau:"Come along to the mess hall. I'll order my men to make you
        all the best food we have here. It's the least I could do for
        your help."

Tyrna:"Trust me, guys. We have some good food here."

Several of the Rovers and Strikers lick their lips.

Shephard:"Where's the mess, then? I'm starving."

Corsair:"You're ALWAYS starving, Shephard."

Shephard:"Yes, sir. Aren't you?"

Corsair:"Well, maybe now."

Blitz:"Let's eat!"

Beklau:"Then follow me."

Beklau leads the way as everyone else follows him to the mess hall. The
Stealth and TurboJet Rover begin to land on the helipads that were
occupied by the commando helicopters.

CEO Office
EuroCorp Headquarters
Brussels
Belgium
14 September
8:06 AM:

Jacques Rembrandt is at his desk going through the mails, both electronic
and on paper, that have arrived for him. The curtains behind him are not
drawn, letting the clear day's sun shine into his office. As he goes
through the mail he comes across a large brown envelope. He takes the
letter opener and cuts open the envelope. He pulls a set of folded
documents, held together by tape with the insignia of the Road Rovers
on it. Rembrandt looks curiously at the tape, then cuts the tape and
folds open the documents. He starts to read the documents. The more he
reads them, the more prominent a scowl begins to form on his face. At
one point he throws the documents down hard on the table, swearing
loudly in French.

Rembrandt(French):"Accursed UN red tape! It is just not worth cutting
         through that for one d*** mongrel!"

Beach
Lake Shore
Somewhere near Mission Control
21 September
9:05 PM:

This is the beach where Hunter and Colleen had walked before (see "A Day
In The Life"). The difference now is that it is Sprinter and Tyrna who
are now walking along the beach. Both are cuddling up close to each
other while their tails curl lovingly around each other. They continue
onward, stopping for a quick kiss before going on.


THE END