Rover Strike: The Spider Cartel

Episode 6: Viva Las Vegas

By Gerhard Naudé

All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
Wild Warriors © Richard Barrere

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

Special thanks to Richard Barrere for input on this story.

Main Road
En Route To Road Rover Headquarters
State of New Mexico
United States of America
17 June
8:09 PM:

This a single tarred road running through the desert of New Mexico.
It is a cloudy night, but the full moon above illuminates the desert
and the road. Travelling on the road with its lights also illumi-
nating the road is the Rhino. Inside it is Striker and Phoenix.
Striker is driving and is wearing a tuxedo, while Phoenix wears a
simple but elegant dress.

Phoenix:"That was a good night out."

Striker:"Indeed. That restaurant served some fine steaks, but their
         prices were rather steep."

She looked at him.

Phoenix:"You could take me to one of those diners Vicki's sister
         Misty sometimes goes to, Love."

He looks surprised at her.

Striker:"Bubba's Steak 'N Stuff? Aikona, Love. You deserve better
         than that."

Phoenix:"But you don't need to break the bank for me."

Striker:"For you, I would gladly give all my life's savings away."

She smiles and touches his cheek with her paw.

Phoenix:"It is good to know that you love me that much, Strikie,
         but you don't have to pay for it. My heart is already 
         yours."

He smiles back, putting his paw on her leg.

Striker:"And mine yours."

She smiles even wider. Suddenly, something catches the corner of her
eye and she quickly turns to look. Her eyes widen.

Phoenix:"Striker!"

He quickly looks forward, then slams the brakes as a large object
sits in the middle of the road. The Rhino screeches to a halt a few
feet from the object. The couple are thrown forward, but the seat-
belts keep them from flying out the window. Once they are rested,
they climb out of the Rhino.

Striker:"Wat de...?"

They see what the object is: it is a large aircraft that resembles an
F-117 Stealth Fighter, but on a large scale. It has a completely
black hull and the insignia of Unit STRIKE on its sides. The cockpit
of the aircraft is illuminated.

Phoenix:"What is this plane?"

Striker:"It looks like a stealth fighter."

The bottom of the plane slides open and a ramp is lowered down. Coming
out of the cargo hold is Professor Hubert, Illanov and Corsair.
Corsair waves at the couple.

Corsair:"Hi, boss! How was dinner?"

Striker:"Hubert, Corsair, Alex. What are you doing here in this craft?"

Hubert:"Simple. We have just undertaken a success test flight of your
        new Stealth Rover."

Phoenix:"Stealth Rover? You mean, this is our aircraft?"

Illanov:"All ours, comrade Phoenix. It can easily serve all of our
         purposes during and between missions."

Corsair:"And it can pull off some fancy moves, too."

Striker and Phoenix look over their new Stealth Rover.

Phoenix:"It's beautiful."

Striker:"Did you test all of its systems, Professor?"

Hubert:"All of it, my boy. And all of them are 100% fully functional
        and ready for use. In fact, you can load up the Rhino onto
        the Stealth Rover and fly back to headquarters with it right
        now."

Striker looks at Phoenix.

Striker:"What do you think, Love? Shall we fly back home?"

Phoenix looks at him, smiling eagerly.

Phoenix:"Oh, yes! Please."

He smiles and looks at the others.

Striker:"Reg, let me just pull the Rhino into the hangar and then we
         can fly home."

Corsair:"That's cool. Speaking of, we got some good news."

Striker:"Oh? Wat is dit?"

Illanov:"We got a report from comrade Shadow's team, the Wild Warriors.
         They were in Las Vegas on a mission to stop one of Parvo's
         dognapping business. They learned about the grand opening of
         a new casino, called the 'Spider's Nest'."

Striker:"I suppose the owner is the Spider Cartel?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. But that is not the real important information
         here. The real reason comrade Shadow reported this, is be-
         cause the cartel's drug lord will be attending the grand
         opening of the casino."

This gets Striker's interest.

Striker:"Do they know who it is, Alex?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. And I think you could be familiar with him:
         he is Francisco Ortega's cousin, Zorrino Vazques."

Striker nods.

Striker:"Ja, I remember him. Alethia and her team captured him and
         sunk his submarines during the War in Colombia. The last I
         heard of him, he and Carlos had escaped from the Florida
         prison they were being incarcerated at."

Corsair:"Anyway, since we have lost trace of that Basson dude or
         Project Trojan, why don't go chat to the big cheese himself
         about it? It would be easier than globe-trotting all over
         the place."

Striker thinks for a moment.

Striker:"When exactly is this grand opening?"

Illanov:"Tomorrow night, comrade."

Striker then nods and looks at them.

Striker:"Reg, that will be our mission then. We go to Las Vegas, get
         into the casino and interrogate Zorrino about Project 
         Trojan."

He looks at Illanov.

Striker:"Is Shadow and his team still in Las Vegas?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade."

Striker:"Goed. Contact the Master and ask him if the Wild Warriors
         can aid us. We will need some faces the cartel doesn't know
         about."

Illanov nods.

Illanov:"Right away, comrade."

He turns around and walks into the cargo hold. Striker turns to
Corsair.

Striker:"Pull the Rhino into the cargo bay, David."

Corsair:"Sure, boss."

Striker then turns to Hubert.

Striker:"Reg, Professor Hubert. Show me what the Stealth Rover is
         capable of."

Hubert:"Certainly, my boy. Come on."

Striker and Hubert walk into the cargo. Corsair watches them go, then,
as they go out of sight, he grabs Phoenix's arm. She turns to him.

Phoenix:"Something wrong, Corsair?"

Corsair:"Not really. Just this..."

He takes out a transparent CD case with a CD in it. He holds it out
to Phoenix and she takes it. She looks at it, then at Corsair.

Phoenix:"Is this it?"

Corsair:"Everything you asked me for. You should check it. Quite some
         interesting info in there."

Phoenix:"Anything...?"

She leaves it hanging. Corsair shakes his head.

Corsair:"Nope, nothing bad. Though it does raise some interesting
         questions about the boss. Come on, let's fly. You can
         check it out back at base."

Phoenix nods and tucks the CD away. Phoenix then heads into the cargo 
hold, while Corsair walks towards the Rhino.

Phoenix's Quarters
Road Rover Mission Control
11:05 PM:

Phoenix's quarters has the basic furniture in it (a bed, table,
lamp, closets) but with a personal touch. There is an orange carpet on
the floor and the bed covers are a mixture of pink and white. There is
also a dresser and photos on the wall of her and her friends (especially
of her and Striker). Currently there two sources of light in the room:
one from the lamp on the table next to the bed, the other coming from
a laptop computer screen on the table. Phoenix is sitting by the table
with the laptop. Lying next to the laptop is the CD case. Phoenix is
holding the CD.

Phoenix:"Right. Let's see what Corsair got me."

She opens the CD drive and puts the CD in. She closes it, then turns 
to the laptop. She goes to the correct drive and opens it.

Phoenix:"Quite a bit. Let's see here..."

She opens a text file and begins to read it.

Phoenix:"Adriaan Pretorius Vorster. Born in 1964 in Welkom, South
         Africa. Underwent education at Stellenbosch University and
         achieved a doctorate in financial studies in 1989. Joined
         the ANC in 2003 and became minister of finance. Last sur..."

Her eyes widen in surprise.

Phoenix:"Last surviving member of the Vorster family, who supported
         the ANC during the apartheid regime and was massacred by an
         unknown force rumoured to be mutants."

She looks up from the laptop and at a photo of her and Striker.

Phoenix:"But Strikie says he was the only survivor of the massacre. I
         wonder..."

She looks back the files and scans through it.

Phoenix:"Relations: Brother of Pieter and.... Gerard Vorster."

She looks up in surprise.

Phoenix:"A brother? Then why does Strikie act this way towards him?"

She keeps staring at the screen.

Crater
RRHQ Surface
18 June
5:02 PM:

This is the large crater at the surface above Mission Control. The
crater begins to slide open, revealing the hangar facility hidden
inside of it. The Stealth Rover, the sunlight reflect off its
smooth, black armour, flies out of the crater and heads into the
direction of Las Vegas. The crater closes up behind it.

Cockpit
Stealth Rover
5:03 PM:

The inside of the Stealth Rover has the shape of the TurboJet Rover,
but high-tech control panels line just the windows. Each seat has
a small computer terminal attached in front of it. Behind it is a
more spacious area with a fixed table and chairs set into clips in
the floor. Striker and Phoenix are seated in front, with Striker at
the pilot controls. Illanov and Corsair are seated behind them, and
behind them are Merit and Shephard. Corsair is leaning back in his
and relaxing, while Merit and Shephard admire the new craft.

Shephard:"I have to say, sirs, this thing is quite a ride. Sure beats
          the bumpy rides of the Chinooks in Afghanistan."

Merit:"The advanced technological systems here are highly efficient
       and suited for our usual mission requirements."

Corsair:"Yeah, and..."

Corsair pats the terminal in front of him.

Corsair:"... the regular upgrades these get mean I will never have
         to worry about games with too high system requirements."

Illanov looks at Corsair with a frown.

Illanov:"Is that all you think about? Games?"

Corsair sneers at Illanov.

Corsair:"At least we had games. All you guys had were gulags."

Illanov growls at Corsair. Phoenix immediately looks behind them and
talks loudly.

Phoenix:"Stop it! You are just like two naughty boys!"

Illanov and Corsair immediately quiet down and sink into their
seats like two guilty children. Behind them, Shephard chuckles.
Striker looks at Phoenix and smiles.

Striker:"Wonderlik, Love. I could not have done better."

Phoenix looks at Striker and smiles.

Phoenix:"Thank you, Love. I'll need the practice the day that you
         and I have rather unruly pups."

Striker blushes much more.

Striker:"Ahh... we have a mission to do. Let's keep our minds clear
         and awake."

Striker looks forward, but Phoenix gives him a sly wink before
looking ahead as well. The others resume doing their own thing as
the Stealth Rover flies on.

Rooftop
Hard Rock Hotel
Las Vegas
State Of Nevada
United States Of America
6:34 PM:

The sun has set and the sky is darkening, but already the lights of
the dozens of casinos, billboards, neon-signs and hotels lining the
famous Las Vegas Strip are lighting up the night. Among them is the
Hard Rock Hotel, with the well-known large guitar in front of the
cafeteria in front of it. On the rooftop is the Wild Warriors unit:
Captain Shadow, Rubius, his wife Jade, Tech, Tig, Adam6 and Eve7.
They look up into the darkened sky as the outline of the Stealth
Rover hovers silently towards the building. Once it is close enough,
the landing gear comes out. It finally comes to a silent rest on the
roof of the building, the engines stopping. One of the side doors
open up, a stairway folding out of the Stealth Rover's hull. Unit
STRIKE walks down the stairs, then go over to the Wild Warriors.
Striker and Shadow shake each other's paw.

Striker:"Goed to see you, Shadow."

Shadow:"Likewise, Striker."

The other team members introduce themselves to each other. Adam6
looks Merit, while Merit does the same.

Adam6:"Are you a military robot?"

Merit:"Negative. I am a utility drone that can provide electronic
       support to Unit STRIKE. My readings indicate that you are
       a highly advanced android."

Adam6:"Yeah, that's me. Can I open you and look inside?"

Merit backs off suddenly.

Merit:"Disassemble? That is not permitted."

Adam6:"Awww. Shucks, please?"

Shephard is looking down at Eve7, who is looking at him.

Shephard:"You're kind of young to be in this unit, girl."

Eve7:"I'm not a girl. I'm an android. Are you really organic?"

Shephard:"What? Of course I am!"

Tig comes up and leads Adam6 and Eve7 off to one side. Shadow looks
at them, then sighs and turns back to Striker.

Shadow:"Sorry about that. Those two are still trying learn about the
        world around them. They are quite a pawful."

Striker nods in recognition.

Striker:"I know that feeling as well, Shadow. I also have two children
         to look after."

Shadow:"You mean Illanov and Corsair?"

Illanov and Corsair quickly turn to the two.

Illanov, Corsair:"Hey!"

The two look at each other and frown with anger at each other. Shadow 
frowns as Striker sighs.

Shadow:"Guess that means no further discussions?"

Striker:"Ja... let us concentrate on the mission. What do you have so
         far this opening ceremony?"

Shadow leads Striker to the edge of the roof, followed by the others.
He points towards a large, lit-up casino not far from the hotel. It
is a fancy casino with a huge spider on the roof and a web made of
gold coins. Down at the lot in front of the casino, dozens of guests
begin to arrive in fancy vehicles.

Shadow:"That is the Spider Casino. A lot of rich and famous guests are
        being invited to the opening."

Striker:"Any kind of guards on duty?"

Shadow:"At first we noticed some armed bouncers and suits with MP5s.
        Later we found out that there are heavily armed troops,
        technical pickups, blacks vans, some little bird helicopters 
        and even an urban assault vehicle stationed out of sight all
        around the casino."

Striker:"That heavy a presence?"

Shadow:"Yes. If the local authorities found this out..."

Striker:"Better not. If they did, they wouldn't stand a chance against
         such a force. Has Zorrino arrived yet?"

Shadow:"His private jet landed at Las Vegas airport about a quarter of
        an hour ago. He should be arriving any minute."

Striker:"Goed. The first things we should do is set up a surveillance
         operation to scout out the area and plan our course of action."

Shadow:"I agree."

The two leaders turn to their unit members and give them orders. They
all carry out orders and begin to give some binoculars out. Corsair
connects his laptop to Merit, who looks out at the casino. Once they
are all ready, they begin to look around at the casino. As they look,
they spot guards in black suits on the roof with MP5s, some of them
guarding a blue helicopter similar to what was seeing in the Congo.
Striker notices this and turns to Shadow.

Striker:"Who's helicopter is that?"

Shadow:"We don't know his name, but it seemed like a South American
        in a business suit. He seemed very important."

Tig:"That's why he was looking down at his nose at everyone else."

Shephard:"Sounds like just the kind of guy who needs a butt-kicking."

They look down at the main entrance. Guests dressed in expensive suits
and dressed arrive in limos, sports cars and fancy sedans. Attendants
drive the vehicles to the parking lot while bodyguards and bouncers
watch them come in.

Striker:"Do you need an invitation to come in?"

Jade:"My husband and I went down there to ask. As long as you have the
      right expensive clothing and money to burn at the gambling tables
      and machines, you are welcome."

Striker thinks about it for a moment, then keeps looking with the others
at the entrance. As they do, a limo pulls up, escorted by black vans.
The doors open and guards armed with AK-74s climb out and form a circle
around the vehicles. More guards appear from the casino and line the
walkway.

Corsair:"Someone very over-important just arrived."

A familiar figure walks out of the casino: it is Diaz, dressed in a
brown evening suit. Shadow nods in recognition.

Shadow:"That is the man who came in the helicopter."

As Diaz approaches the limo, one of the guards opens the door. A
well-dressed young lady climbs out, followed by the most familiar
face of them all: Zorrino Vazques. Illanov and Striker growl in
recognition.

Illanov:"That's him, comrades. That is Zorrino."

Striker:"Ja, I agree with Alex. Just the way I last saw him two
         years ago."

Tech:"So he's our guy. Doesn't look like much."

Phoenix:"And he isn't much. He is very interested in women and
         gambling. He tries to be tough, but he is the biggest
         coward after Scooby Doo."

Eve7:"Why is he so scared?"

Tech:"I bet a lot of folks probably wants him dead, and since he is
      a coward the only bravery you'll get from him is from that
      goon squad down there."

They watch as Diaz and Zorrino shake hands. They talk as they walk
towards the casino. Behind them another familiar figure appears: the
large brown robe-covered Turwar. Corsair and Illanov both groan at
the same time.

Illanov, Corsair:"Not him."

They quickly look annoyed at each other.

Shephard:"I thought we got rid of Turwar over the Congo!"

Striker sighs.

Striker:"I was afraid of this."

Shadow:"Is he dangerous?"

Striker looks at Corsair.

Striker:"Show them."

Corsair:"Right, boss."

Corsair types in on his laptop. After a few moments the full image
of the uncovered Turwar appears on his screen. The Wild Warriors
look at Turwar.

Adam6:"That thing is Turwar?"

Eve7:"What kind of creature is he?"

Striker:"He was human apparently, but something caused him to be
         mutated into this monstrosity."

Tig:"He does look ugly, but that doesn't mean he isn't too bad."

All the Unit STRIKE members stare at Tig. Tig looses his smug ex-
pression a bit.

Tig:"That bad?"

Corsair:"VERY bad."

Shadow:"What makes him dangerous?"

Striker:"He is a very vicious creature who is quite relentless in
         pursuing his prey. He is very fast moving, can tunnel through
         the ground and floor and very agile. Also, he is able to
         somehow grow large, sharp blades from his claws."

Tech pats Rubius's shoulder.

Tech:"Luckily we have Rubius here. He can easily kick Turwar's butt in
      knife-to-knife combat."

Shephard:"I doubt he could win. He might get past Turwar's blades, but
          that skin of his is like that of a bank vault. His knifes
          would just break against it."

Eve7:"I don't understand. How could he have been transformed by the 
      cartel to be this?"

Corsair:"Good question, kid."

Shadow:"Doesn't he have some kind of weakness?"

Striker:"Gelukking, ja. He is an alcoholic and is easily distracted by
         a bottle of liquor. If you get him drunk, you have a good
         chance to escape from him."

Tig:"An alcoholic monster? That's a first on me."

Corsair:"Pun intented there?"

Tig:"Nope, but now that you mention it..."

Shadow looks at Striker.

Shadow:"So I suppose Turwar's the reason my team is here?"

Striker nods.

Striker:"Ja. We need human members inside the casino to get up close
         to Zorrino and get him to talk about Project Trojan. I
         would have sent Corsair and Shephard in, but unfortunately
         Turwar knows them. Your team has three human members that
         it doesn't know about."

Adam6, Eve7:"Us too!"

Tig:"Me three here."

Jade looks at Adam6 and Eve7.

Jade:"You two cannot go in."

Eve7:"But we're humans too."

Jade:"Human ANDROIDS. Besides, you two have the look of two young
      kids. The bouncers won't allow anyone under 18 into the casino."

Adam6:"But..."

Shadow looks at the two.

Shadow:"Sorry, but you two will have to stay here with us."

The two youngsters pout, especially Eve7. Tig smirks at them.

Tig:"Sorry, kids. Maybe when you're older."

Shadow:"You're not going into the casino as well, Tig."

Tig looks surprised at Shadow.

Tig:"Why not? I have human features too."

Shadow:"Yes, but also feline features. And those features are going
        to attract unwanted attention from the guards and in parti-
        cular Turwar. You will have to stay with us."

Tig sighs.

Tig:"Sure, boss."

Shadow looks at Jade, Rubius and Tech.

Shadow:"You three will be going into the casino for us."

Jade:"Okay, but we'll need clothes."

Striker:"Phoenix and I can lend you our clothing. Tech can wear one of
         Alex's suits."

Shadow:"Striker, tell them what they should do."

Striker:"Reg."

He goes up to Jade.

Striker:"You must ask Zorrino three important questions, but you are
         unable to get to him, that man in the suit will be your
         secondary target. The questions are: What is the goal of
         Project Trojan?; Where is it being developed?; and Where
         is Wouter Basson? Those 3 questions must be answered."

Jade nods in response, as does her husband and Tech.

Jade:"Got it."

Tech:"No problem."

Shadow:"Jade and Rubius can come riding in on Rose to the casino. Tech
        can walk to the casino and scout things out. Once you get the
        info, get out of there as quickly as possible. If things get
        out of hand, call Rose and get out of there. We will cover you
        and pick you up quickly before the guard forces can get to you."

Jade:"Sure, but why just get info and run away?"

Striker:"This is an intelligence gathering mission and a fire fight
         will not be in our best interest. We are out-gunned and out
         numbered and there is a high risk of civilian casualties
         in this area."

Shadow:"Not entirely what I'd like, but certainly here I'm not interested
        in getting media attention."

Jade:"Very well, then."

Striker turns to Phoenix.

Striker:"Go and have them dress up, Love."

Phoenix:"Okay, Love. I just hope our clothes survive with our friends
         here."

Jade:"Don't worry, Phoenix. I guarantee you I'll bring back your dress
      int one piece."

Phoenix smiles at Jade, then she leads her, Rubius and Tech back into
the Stealth Rover. Shadow turns to Striker.

Shadow:"The rest of us should get as close as possible to the casino as
        we can in case need to get my crew out. If what you say is true,
        then that Turwar is a dangerous wild card."

Striker:"Very dangerous. And I agree. Well get to the nearest building
         to the casino that we can without alerting the cartel, and
         some of my team members will keep the Stealth Rover on stand-
         by if need to make a quick escape."

Shadow:"Good idea. Let's get ready. I'll contact Rose and tell her
        what is going down."

Striker:"Reg."

Shadow takes out his communicator and contacts Rose, his cyclborg,
while Striker turns to the rest of his team and begins to give out
orders.

Casino Entrance
Spider's Web Casino
7:01 PM:

The entrance of the casino is a grand, open glass doorways with a
red carpet leading to it from the drive-in circle. Palm trees line
the walkway as do various armed suits. Guests are walking up the
walkway to the casino, chatting happily away. As the guests climb
out their vehicles, young boys drive the vehicles to the parking
lot. At the entrance, bouncers check the guests. One of them scans
the guests with a metal detector. Standing at the edge of the
walkway by the circle is Tech. He is now dressed in a grey suit
with matching tie and shoes and he is well made up. He looks out
at the Vegas Strip, watching. One of the guards goes up to him and
gets his attention.

Guard:"Why are you standing here, sir?"

Tech:"Oh, I'm just waiting for my boss. She told me to wait at the
      entrance for her arrival. Is there something wrong with that?"

Guard:"Just making sure, sir."

The guard goes back to post and Tech looks back at the Strip. As he
watches, he finally spots his "boss": Jade and Rubius come riding
up on Rose to the circle, Rubius is driving with Jade holding. He
is wearing Striker's suit and she is in Phoenix's dress. They pull
up to the walkway and climb off. A driver boy comes up to them.

Boy:"Shall I take your vehicle, sir?"

Jade smiles at him.

Jade:"No thanks. This girl is automatic."

As if to prove her point, Rose drives off towards the parking lot.
The boy watches in amazement, as do some of the guests. The guards,
however, remain as stone-faced as ever.

Boy:"Wow! I'd like to get one of those!"

Jade and Rubius walk up towards the casino entrance. Tech joins the
two of them.

Jade:"Everything okay?"

Tech:"Looking good so far. The guards got a bit suspicious of me
      hanging around, but right now that suspicion is probably gone
      since you two arrived."

Jade:"Good. Keep in character and we'll do fine."

Tech:"You got it."

Rubius nods in reply. The trio walk up to the doorway. A bouncer stops
them.

Bouncer:"Name?"

Jade:"I am Jade Brandon. This fellow on my left is my bodyguard, Rubius
      Baldwin and the guy on the right my assistant, Techinochi Carter."

Bouncer:"Welcome to the Spider's Web, Ma'am. Any weapons to declare?"

Jade:"Mister Baldwin has some knifes with him."

Bouncer:"No guns?"

Jade:"No guns."

Bouncer:"Good. Knifes are allowed if they are kept concealed. Guns 
         must be handed in at the front desk."

The bouncer with the metal detector runs checks over the trio. The
detector makes a high-pitched noise when it goes over Rubius's
knifes. Once he has checked them, he nods at them. The two bouncers
step out of the way.

Bouncer:"Enjoy your evening, Miss Brandon."

Jade:"Thank you."

The three of them walk through the doors into the casino. Behind them
the bouncers continue their task of inspecting the guests.

Main Gambling Hall
Spider's Web Casino
7:09 PM:

This is a very large open area, filled with gambling machines and
game tables. Bright lights in the ceiling illuminate the hall. Guests
mingle in the open centre area and at the various pubs at the edges
of the hall. The sounds of gambling machines and chatting guests
fill the air. Jade, Rubius and Tech are moving through the crowd.
Jade is busy talking into a microphone on her dress while she listens
through a tiny earphone in her ear.

Jade(into microphone):"We're inside. So far the guards haven't paid
    too much attention to us."

Shadow's voice answers over the earphone.

Shadow(over earphone):"Good. Now, locate Zorrino and then try to get
      him alone with you. Also keep an eye out for Turwar."

Jade(into microphone):"Roger that. Jade out."

The three of them being to look around. Suddenly, Tech spots something
and taps on Jade's shoulder. This gets her attention.

Tech:"Nine o'clock."

Jade and Rubius look to their left. They spot the robed Turwar standing
by one of the bars. He is busy drinking some of the leftover drinks in
any unoccupied glass.

Tech:"Obviously enjoying himself."

Rubius:"But not enough. Someone should give him enough to drink until
        he passes out or is too drunk."

Jade and Rubius look at Tech. Tech quickly looks at them in shock.

Tech:"Wait a minute! You want ME to entertain Ugly over there?"

Jade:"Glad you volunteered."

Tech:"But I don't have money to pay for his drinks. Plus the fact
      that..."

Jade:"The drinks are on the house on this night, so you won't go
      broke. Now get over there and neutralize Turwar. That's an
      order."

Tech sighs, then turns and walks towards the bar where Turwar is. Jade
and Rubius continue their search for Zorrino. Tech comes up to the
bar and goes up next to Turwar, who is busy emptying a small glass
of brandy. Tech takes a deep breath, then pats Turwar's bar and
signals to the barkeep.

Tech:"Hey, barkeep! A double whisky for my friend here."

Barkeep:"Coming up, sir."

Turwar turns his head to look at Tech, who smiling nervously at him.
Only Turwar's red eyes can be faintly seen from the robe's hood.

Tech:"You'd like that, since you're not getting a real drink here."

Turwar growls softly. The barkeep comes up and puts down a large
glass of whisky before Turwar. Tech offers it to Turwar.

Tech:"Bottoms up."

Turwar grabs the glass and quickly drinks down all of the whisky. He
then puts the glass down.

Tech:"You like that, my friend? Shall I get you another?"

Turwar belches loudly.

Tech:"I'll take it as a yes. Barkeep! Another glass."

Barkeep:"Yes, sir. Just be patient a bit."

Turwar turns to look at Tech, who nervously keeps a conversation
going with him. Meanwhile, Jade and Rubius keep looking around
the crowd for signs of Zorrino. After a while, Rubius and Jade spot
their quarry. Zorrino and Diaz, guarded by several nearby guards, 
are seated by a blackjack table gambling with several guests. The 
two of them walk towards the table. When they reach the table, the
dealer is calling out bets.

Dealer:"Bets, please. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen."

The participants place their bets. Jade comes up, digs around in
her dress and puts down two dollar bills.

Jade:"Two hundred for me, please."

Zorrino and Diaz look up at the new arrivals. Rubius looks in a very
shocked manner at the money Jade puts down. The dealer takes the
bills.

Dealer:"Good, ma'am. Here's your cards."

The dealer deals out two cards for her and for the others. She sits
down next to Zorrino, who also gotten his cards. Each of the players
check their cards. Some stand, some call out for more cards. The
dealer gives out cards as need. At the end, everyone turns their
cards over. Several are bust, including Diaz. Zorrino has twenty. He
looks at Jade's cards as she turns them over. She has 21.

Dealer:"And the winner is the lady in the blue dress."

The dealer pushes over a heap of dollar bills to her. She smiles and
takes them, much to Rubius' relief. Zorrino smiles and turns to her.

Zorrino:"You play well, senyora. And your name is...?"

Jade looks at him with a smile.

Jade:"Jade Brandon."

Zorrino:"Jade. What a lovely name."

He looks at Rubius.

Zorrino:"And this your husband, senyor Brandon?"

Jade giggles.

Jade:"No, he is my bodyguard, Rubius Baldwin. He just keeps me safe. 
      I do have several enemies."

Zorrino:"Si, senyora. We all need our guards. Speaking of..."

Zorrino looks around.

Zorrino:"Where is Turwar?"

Diaz:"I don't know, but most likely he could be at the one of the bars."

Zorrino:"Caramba. I hope he hasn't gotten himself too drunk."

He snaps at one of the guards.

Zorrino:"You! Go find senyor Turwar. If he's drunk, sober him up."

Guard:"Yes, sir."

The guard walks off into the crowd. Zorrino sighs and turns back to 
Jade.

Zorrino:"Forgive me, senyora. One of my bodyguards does have a bit
         of a problem with the drinks."

Jade:"I know. Rubius here sometimes gets caught with the bottle too."

Rubius doesn't flinch, but his eyes tell a different story. Zorrino
smirks at Jade and looks her over.

Zorrino:"So you are not married, senyora?"

Jade:"No, senyor...?"

Zorrino:"Oh, forgive me, senyora. My name is Zorrino Vazquez. I am
         the owner of this casino."

Jade:"Oh my. THE Zorrino Vazquez?"

Zorrino:"The very same, senyora."

Jade:"Well, it is a great pleasure to meet such a powerful man. And
      handsome as well."

Zorrino grins from ear to ear. Diaz looks suspiciously at Jade, then
at Rubius.

Diaz:"What sort of business do you have, senyora Brandon?"

Without a pause, Jade answers.

Jade:"I'm into the adult film business."

Rubius's eyes widen, but he keeps his composure. Zorrino just keeps
smiling.

Zorrino:"Well, I am not surprised, senyora. Considering your good
         looks..."

Jade giggles.

Jade:"Why thank you, senyor. Maybe I can show you some of my star
      qualities if you want. I'm not shy."

Zorrino laughs. 

Zorrino:"Maybe you and I should discuss business in my private
         penthouse suit."

Jade giggles, then winks at him.

Jade:"Why not? I'm always eager to show off my acting talent. Shall
      we?"

Zorrino stands up and offers his arm to her. She stands up and
puts her own arm around her. The two smile at each other, but both
Rubius and Diaz look with shock and suspicion at the two respec-
tively. Diaz stands up and whispers something to Zorrino. Zorrino
brushes him off, saying something in Spanish. The couple then walk
towards a nearby elevator, followed by Rubius. Diaz watches them
go, then walks into the crowd. Back at the bar, Tech is still get-
ting Turwar drinks. Turwar is hiccupping and is looking slightly
intoxicated.

Tech:"Sure feels good, doesn't it?"

Turwar makes a louder than usual hiccup. Tech nods and turns to
the barkeep.

Tech:"Another one, please."

Before the barkeep can respond, a voice cuts him short.

Voice:"Caramba. That's enough."

Tech quickly looks around and finds himself staring at Diaz and two
guards. Diaz nods at one of the guards and the guard goes up to
Tech.

Guard:"I'm afraid we will have to ask you to please leave the casino
       immediately."

As if to emphasise his request, the guard makes his holstered gun
visible. Tech gulps and nervously gets up smiling.

Tech:"Sure. Whatever you say."

Tech quickly begins to head for the way they came in. Diaz turns to
Turwar and says something to him in Spanish. After a few moments,
the four of them walk off. Turwar swaggers a bit as he walks, making
hiccups along the way.

Casino Entrance
Spider's Web Casino
7:18 PM:

Tech is walking out of the casino, watched by the guards with not too
much interest. As soon as he is out of their range, he takes out his
communicator. He calls Shadow.

Tech(into com):"Hey, boss. Tech here."

Shadow(over com):"We see you. What happened?"

Tech(into com):"I went up to Turwar and tried to get him loaded until
                he fell over. Zorrino's boys stopped me short and told
                me to leave."

Shadow(over com):"Threats?"

Tech(into com):"Not openly, but they did point out that they would
                force me out if I didn't."

Shadow(over com):"Is Turwar drunk?"

Tech(into com):"A bit, but he's still sober enough to go after Jade
                and Rubius if he is told to."

Shadow(over com):"Jade and Rubius?"

Tech(into com):"They both left the room with Zorrino. That suit fellow
    was eyeing them suspiciously."

There is a moment of silence.

Shadow(over com):"Come back to the LZ with Rose immediately."

Tech(into com):"Okay, boss. Out."

Tech begins to quickly walk towards the parking lot, while more guests
arrive at the casino under supervision of the guards.

Rooftop
Hard Rock Hotel
7:21 PM:

Both the Wild Warriors and Unit STRIKE are still here observing the
casino. Shadow has just put away his communicator and turns to
Striker.

Shadow:"Tech's been forced out."

Striker:"Ai yai yai. What about Turwar?"

Shadow:"Still a threat. The casino guards stopped him from making him
        entirely intoxicated and he is still sober enough. Also, I
        think that suit from the chopper might be on to us."

Striker:"This brings the stakes up higher. Turwar hasn't been neu-
         tralized and that meneer in the suit might just spy on Jade
         and Rubius if he is suspicious."

Shadow:"That means they are in danger. Me and my team will have force
        our way into the casino with the Olympian."

Striker:"Ja. I'm afraid our cover will soon be exposed and we will
         have to go in with force. My team and I will provide air
         support while you go into the casino. You should tell Jade
         and Rubius that they should bring Zorrino if things go out
         of paw and he hasn't talked yet."

Shadow:"I will."

Striker:"Though try and keep the civilian casualties to a minimum."

Shadow:"I make no promises. And the guards?"

Striker:"Shoot on sight."

Shadow:"Maybe I can make a promise in this instance."

Striker:"Goed. Let's get ready for aksie."

Shadow nods, then the two of them turn to their respective units to
discuss the new course of action.

Penthouse Suite
Spider's Web Casino
7:27 PM:

This is a spacious and luxurious penthouse suit. Fancy furniture are
stand about meticulously arranged, while water cascades down a
fountain statue. Potted plants of exotic origins are scattered about
the room. A large observation window looks over the bright lights of
Las Vegas. The only way into the suite is a pair of elevator doors.
The elevator doors open, revealing Zorrino, Jade, Rubius and two
guards standing there. Zorrino, Jade and Rubius exit the elevator.
Before the two guards can exit to, Zorrino turns to them.

Zorrino:"Keep guard outside."

Guard:"Yes, sir."

The elevator door closes and the lift begins to travel down. Jade
admires the suite while Rubius stands to one side and Zorrino
goes over to a large couch.

Jade:"Very nice place. I should really think about shooting my next
      movie here next time I'm in town."

Zorrino grins and sits down on the couch.

Zorrino:"Si. Plus, these windows can be shuttered and are made from 
         very strong pexi-glass. They can even stop rockets."

Jade:"Oh my. Seems you know when to use adequate protection."

She giggles while Zorrino laughs. Rubius winces again. Zorrino pats
on the open spot on the couch next to him.

Zorrino:"Why don't you and I have a more intimate discussion about
         your work, senyora?"

Jade giggles again and goes over to Zorrino. She sits down next to
him, while Rubius moves closer to the two. She begins to run his
fingers over his chest, making him grin.

Jade:"I also have a very unique skill..."

Zorrino:"Oh?"

She looks at Rubius and nods. Rubius immediately takes out a knife
and holds it to Zorrino's throat while Jade gets out her energy whip 
from under her dress and activates it. Zorrino immediately becomes
frightened.

Jade:"... leadings pigs like you into traps."

Zorrino:"Caramba! What is going?!"

Jade holds her energy whip close to Zorrino's face. He begins to
sweat in fear.

Zorrino:"I'll do anything you want!"

Jade:"Good. Then you'll answer these questions..."

Before she can ask him, there is a ping noise from the elevator. Jade
and Rubius immediately look at the elevator. The doors slide open,
revealing Diaz and a slightly drunk Turwar. Diaz has his arms crossed
and is smiling smugly.

Diaz:"Caramba. My suspicions were proven correct. You ARE spies."

Zorrino:"Diaz! Help me!"

Diaz:"Si, si. Be patient."

Diaz looks at Turwar, who makes a hiccup.

Diaz:"Kill the spies."

Turwar roars and exposes his two long blades from his claws. Rubius
quickly takes out another knife and quickly throws it at Turwar. The
blade strikes its mark, but it bounces off Turwar's skin. 

Rubius:"Power Spike!"

Rubius' eyes begin to glow, and he rushes at Turwar, slashing with his 
hunting knife. Turwar blocks and counters Rubius' offense, and even with 
his enhanced speed and strength, his blade cannot penetrate Turwar's 
armor-like skin. Turwar lunges forward, backhanding Rubius, his blade 
cutting right across the human's chest. The shirt and jacket rips in 
two, revealing his armored power suit underneath. Turwar slashes towards
Rubius again, but his arm is suddenly immoble with the crack of air. Jade 
is pulling her whip tight against his arm, holding him still. Turwar
roars and jerks his arm, yanking Jade off her feet and throwing her into 
her husband, knocking the both of them into a glass table, shattering it. 
Zorrino then acts quickly, running to the elevator, pushing buttons in a 
panicked frenzy. Diaz climbs out just as the doors open to watch the 
action smugly. The elevator door then closes. As Rubius keeps Turwar busy, 
Jade quickly gets out her communicator.

Jade(into com):"Some backup here! Zorrino got away from us and this 
    Turwar won't let us through!"

Shadow(over com):"We're coming right now. Try to get to the lobby. We
      will meet you there. Striker's team will provide some aerial
      support if you need it."

Jade(into com):"Copy that, out!"

Rubius immediately joins Jade by the observation window, with the
snarling Turwar just on the other side of the room. Diaz stands
closer and points at the couple.

Diaz:"Now there is no escape. Turwar! Kill them!"

Turwar roars and lunges at the couple. Rubius and Jade immediately
duck and Turwar slams hard into the window. The window doesn't break,
but the concrete holding the window does. The window breaks loose
and falls down the side of the building with Turwar following it.

Casino Entrance
Spider's Web Casino
7:34 PM:

The number of guests arriving has dwindled a bit. A very expensive-
looking sports car pulls up and a driver boy comes up to it. The door
lifts open and a rather fat man dressed in a suit climbs out. He gives
the keys to the boy.

Man:"Do not leave your stench on my car, peasant."

The boy is clearly offended, but he keeps a straight face and answers
through clenched teeth.

Boy:"Yes, sir."

As the boy prepares to climb in, the man shoves several guests arrogantly
out of the way.

Man:"Stand aside, commoners."

The guests are very offended. Just then the boy is heard yelling. 
Everyone, including the man, turns to see the boy jump out the vehicle
Suddenly, the penthouse window smashes down onto the car, crushing it.
As it crashes, Turwar falls out of sight into a bush. The man stares
at his ruined car with an absolutely shocked face. Some of the guests
smile smugly at the man.

Man:".... my.... my..... c.... c.... c..."

Another crash is then heard. Everyone looks beyond to see the Wild
Warrior's Olympian APC crashing through the sign out on the front
lawn. It is an APC with four anti-gravity engines instead of treads,
a minigun turret on the roof and a micro-rocket turret on the roof at
the rear. Guests (including the arrogant man) and driver boys begin
running away as the guards and bouncers take out their weapons and
open fire on the APC. The bullet just bounce off the thick reflective
armor of the vehicle as it speeds onto the walkway. Just then Turwar
jumps out the bushes in front of the APC. The APC knocks him over and
he disappears underneath it. As the casino guards keep firing, the
APC crashes through the main entrance. Meanwhile in the sky, the 
Stealth Rover is hovering in the night sky, with shots coming from it
at the snipers on the roof.

Penthouse Suite
Spider's Web Casino
At that moment:

The wind is now blowing into the room through the hole where the
observation window used to be. Jade and Rubius get up and see the
Stealth Rover hovering next to the opening. Illanov is standing in
a hatchway on the side of the Stealth Rover giving an "okay" signal.
Jade signals back to him. Rubius then hears a loud banging and turns
to look. He spots Diaz, who is banging on the elevator door.

Diaz:"Let me out! Zorrino! Come on, hombre! Let me in!"

Rubius taps Jade's shoulder to get attention. He points to Diaz and
she looks at him. She takes her energy whip and whips it at Diaz. The
whip wraps around his leg. Jade and Rubius then pull Diaz towards them,
kicking and trying to get loose of the whip. When he is close enough,
Rubius grabs him and holds a knife to his neck. Diaz stops struggling.
Meanwhile, Jade's communicator goes off and she answers.

Striker(over com):"Jade, this is Striker. Do you have Zorrino?"

Jade(into com):"Unfortunately not, but we did manage to capture his
    brown suit friend."

Striker(over com):"The one from the helicopter?"

Jade(into com):"Yes."

Striker(over com):"Goed. We can interrogate him. You two better climb
       onto the Stealth Rover. Shadow and the others are keeping the
       guards busy below, but Zorrino might send up some of his own to
       get you."

Jade(into com):"You mean we should retreat? We haven't gotten Zorrino
    yet."

Striker(over com):"Our mission is to get the answers to our questions.
       If the suit can provide them, then our mission is accomplished."

Jade(into com):"And if he doesn't?"

Striker(over com):"Maklik. We come back for Zorrino. Now, get onto
       the Stealth Rover."

Jade(into com):"Roger that. Out."

She puts away her communicator and turns to Rubius. 

Jade:"We're leaving with this guy. Let's get onto the Stealth."

Rubius nods and drags Diaz to the edge of the open hole. The Stealth
Rover manoeuvres closer until the hatch where Illanov is standing is
a few feet away. Illanov pushes an unseen button and a gangway
extends out to the hole.

Illanov:"Climb on, comrades!"

Jade helps Rubius to drag the struggling Diaz towards the Stealth
Rover. As they step onto the gangway, bullets ricochet off the
gangway and Stealth Rover. Firing at them is a Mosquito Helicopter.
It is a small, two seated helicopter painted in black. It has the
cartel insignia on the sides of the body. A suited man is firing at
them with an MP5 machine gun. Rubius and Jade quickly duck into
the Stealth Rover, pulling Diaz in. Illanov quickly appears from
cover, armed with his plasma rifle, and fires a single shot at the
Mosquito before ducking back into the Stealth Rover. As he pushes
the button to pull in the gangway, the plasma blast hits the tail
of the helicopter. The powerful blast completely blows off the
helicopter's tail. The crippled helicopter and tail tumble down
to the street below, exploding into a fireball when it crashes.
Illanov then closes the hatch.

Cockpit
Stealth Rover
7:39 PM:

Striker is at the pilot controls, with Phoenix sitting next to him
operating a terminal. Corsair and Merit are seated behind them, also
operating on the terminals. Illanov comes in and Striker turns to
him.

Striker:"Are they onboard?"

Illanov:"Dah, comrade. They also have our suit comrade, calling him-
         self Diaz."

Striker:"Goed so. Let's go."

He turns to Phoenix as Illanov goes back into the rear of the Stealth
Rover.

Striker:"Call Shadow and tell him we have accomplished the mission."

Phoenix:"Right, love."

Phoenix gets on the communication system. Striker turns to Corsair and
Merit.

Striker:"Wat do the hostiles look in the area."

Corsair:"Very nasty, boss. There were even more bad guys about than we
         could see. And they are packing even nastier heat."

Merit:"I am detecting large concentrations of technical vehicles, black
       vans transporting additional armed soldiers, light helicopters
       with armed passengers, infantry on motorcycles and several 
       urban assault vehicles."

Striker:"Ai yai yai. We had better leave and quickly."

He quickly turns to the pilot controls, while Phoenix continues to
send Shadow the plan operations.

Casino Entrance
Spider's Web Casino
7:42 PM:

All the guests and driver boys have fled and all that is left are
guards firing into the casino. Several dead guards are lying about
the area. The firing guards then see something and quickly jump
out of the way as the Olympian crashes through the entrance towards
the street. As it enters the streets, technicals, black vans, motor-
cycle soldiers and UAV tanks appear and go after the APC. UAVs are
like a M1 Abrams, but is lighter and has six wheels instead of
treads. The wailing of police and ambulance sirens can be heard in
the distance.

The Strip
Las Vegas
7:46 PM:

The famous Las Vegas strip, lined with brightly lit neon sights, gas
stations, casinos and hotels for the filthy rich, is in chaos. Traffic
is swerving off in all directions and pedestrians are fleeing in
panic as the Olympian, with the Stealth Rover flying overheard, are
being pursued and fired upon by the urban forces of the Spider Cartel.
The shots fired at the Olympian don't even dent its thick armour,
while the rockets and machine gun fire of helicopters are easily
dodged by the Stealth Rover's deceptive movements. But missed shots
from the Cartel forces end up either hitting civilians and innocent
vehicles and destroying property. The pursuing police are also coming
under heavy fire from the rearguard of the Cartel forces.

Interior
Olympian APC
7:47 PM:

The interior of the Olympian has very high-tech electronic equipment
built into it. Shadow, Tech, Tig, Adam6 and Eve7. Tech is driving
the APC, while Tig and Shadow use the electronic equipment to use the
vehicle's weapons to fire back at their pursuers. Adam6 and Eve7 try
to hold on as the APC shakes from the impact of sabots being fired
at them by the UAVs and the rockets from RPG soldiers.

Adam6:"Fun, isn't it sis?"

Eve7:"Very fun! Whoa!"

The communicator near Shadow begins to crackle. He quickly stops what
he is doing and picks up the headset.

Shadow(into com):"Shadow here."

Phoenix(over com):"Shadow, Striker says they want you to get ready to
       get the Olympian onto the Stealth Rover."

Shadow(into com):"More trouble?"

Phoenix(over com):"A lot more trouble. Our radar shows Las Vegas is
       pretty much a city occupied by an ocean of hostile forces. And
       those forces are swarming to our location."

Shadow(into com):"Our APC can deflect anything they can throw at
      us."

Phoenix(over com):"True, but the more forces come to our location,
       the greater the chance that civilians will get killed in
       the crossfire. Not only that, our mission is completed and
       there is no need to keep trading fire. Shephard says he can
       get the US Military to take of the Cartel's forces."

Shadow thinks for a moment, the resumes speaking.

Shadow(into com):"I'll accept that. How will you load the Olympian?"

Phoenix(over com):"We will fly low to the ground and open our cargo
       bay. You can then drive into our hangar. The Stealth Rover
       can carry your vehicle out of here."

Shadow(into com):"Understood. I'll tell my crew. Just be sure you
      have our door open."

Phoenix(over com):"Sure. Out."

As the communicator goes dead, Shadow turns to Tech and explains the
plan.

The Strip
Las Vegas
7:49 PM:

The Olympian is still hovering down the strip, but the pursuing forces
have grown significantly in numbers. Behind them is a scene of total
chaos and devastation: burning vehicles, toppled trees and signs and
a few burning buildings. As the Olympian hovers onward, above it the
Stealth Rover begins to fly lower until it is flying a few feet above
the street. The rear hangar door opens and a gangway lowers down onto
the street, the metal sending sparks up as it skids along the tar. The
Olympian speeds forward, then hovers up the gangway and into the
hangar. As the gangway begins to raise a motorcycle rides out of an
alley and quickly up to the Stealth Rover. The rider jumps off and
grabs hold of the edge of the gangway. He quickly climbs into the
hangar just before the gangway and the hangar door close up. The 
Stealth Rover then quickly takes to the skies, bullets and rockets
flying underneath it. The Stealth Rover flies off into the darkness.

Cargo Bay
Stealth Rover
7:52 PM:

The cargo bay of the Stealth Rover is rather spacious, resembling the
cargo bay of the Pack Rover. Three vehicles are parked in here: the
Rhino, Rose and the Olympian APC. Against the walls are several heaps 
of supplies and crates. The Wild Warriors are climbing out the APC as
Illanov and Shephard join them.

Illanov:"You fine, comrades?"

Shadow:"We're okay. How is the prisoner?"

Shephard:"We're just waiting for you sirs to strap down your ride
          before we begin to interrogate."

Shadow:"Good. Let's secure the Olympian, then we go talk with our
        prisoner."

Everyone begins to secure the APC by throwing strong nylon ropes
around it and tying the ends to rings in the walls. Shadow looks
at Rose, who is also tied down with ropes.

Shadow:"You all right?"

Rose:"I'm fine, but I protest being tied down like this."

Shadow:"You know it is safety procedure. You don't want to bounce
        about inside the bay."

Rose:"I still protest."

Striker, Phoenix, Jade and Rubius get together. The cano-sapien
couple look over their clothing worn by their human counterparts.
They are shocked at the state of their suits.

Phoenix:"Oh my! The dress!

Striker:"Ai yai yai! The suit!"

Jade:"We're sorry, but that Turwar really tore the two of us up."

Striker and Phoenix look at each other in a menacing way.

Striker:"If we see Turwar, or his boss, you and I will to give him 
         the bill."

Phoenix:"That and something even hotter."

Once the APC is safely tied down, everyone walks to one of the exits 
leading out of the bay. As they leave, the mysterious bike rider 
appears from behind one of the crates. He silently sneaks past Rose
and out one of the other exits. As he does, there is a low growl
coming from beneath the Olympian. Rose hears this.

Rose:"Hello? Who's there?"

Detention Cells
Stealth Rover
7:56 PM:

This is a small square room at the one side of the Stealth Rover. 
There are six small cells in here, two hatchways leading out to other
parts of the vehicle and one more hatchway leading out into the
open. A manhole with a ladder leads down to the lower levels. Diaz
is outside of a cell, being held at gunpoint by Shephard. The other
members of Unit STRIKE and the Wild Warriors are all here as well.
Striker and Shadow look threateningly at Diaz, who is trying to put
up a face of defiance.

Striker:"You will answer our questions, Diaz."

Diaz:"You cannot force me, senyors. I want to speak to my lawyers."

Shadow:"We will do some very ugly things to you if you do not
        cooperate."

Diaz:"I am protected under the Geneva Convention for the treatment
      of prisoners. You cannot hurt me."

Some of the Rovers laugh at this comment.

Tig:"You have no rights on this plane, pal."

Corsair:"Yeah. Besides, do you see Geneva anywhere here? Geneva, hello?
         Are you here?"

Tech:"Nope. No Geneva here."

Diaz becomes worried again.

Diaz:"I... I demand a lawyer!"

Striker:"Answer our questions!"

Diaz:"No! Never!"

Striker turns to Shephard.

Striker:"Interrogate."

Shephard salutes eagerly.

Shephard:"Yes, sir!"

He pushes a button by the hatch and the hatch slides open. The wind
blows into the room. Shephard then bends down and grabs Diaz by the
shoes. Diaz becomes very worried.

Diaz:"Caramba! What are you...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Shephard hoists him up by his
shoes, then hangs him out of the Stealth Rover. Diaz screams in fear
as he looks down at the ground far below him. Striker and Shadow
stand next to Shephard, looking menacingly at Diaz.

Shadow:"No more crap. Will you answer?"

Diaz:"Si! Si! I'll do anything! Just don't let go!"

Striker:"Reg. Firstly, what is the goal of Project Trojan?"

Diaz quickly looks back down, then up at his captors.

Diaz:"I... I don't know, senyor! Zorrino is one of few in power who
      really knows what it is for! He only gave me a few hints of
      what it is! He said it is to develop some kind of new bio-
      chemical substance!"

Striker:"For wat?"

Diaz:"I don't know! Something about using it to take revenge! That's
      all he told me!"

Striker:"Reg. Second questions: Where is it being developed?"

Diaz:"Which one?"

Shadow:"What do you mean 'Which one'?"

Diaz:"The substance has various components that were being developed
      at various locations around the world, senyor!"

Striker:"You mean there were more than location?"

Diaz:"Si, but most of them have completed work on the components
      they were given to develop! All but two are completed!"

Striker:"Where are these last two?"

Diaz:"I don't know about the one, but I know the other is a combi-
      nation of all the finished components! That second one is
      being completed at one of our island properties in the 
      Pacific!"

Striker:"Where is this island?"

Diaz:"Near Palmyra Island! It has a mansion on it surrounded by
      palm trees! The facility is just beneath the ocean surface!"

Striker:"Reg. Last question: Where is Wouter Basson?"

Diaz:"Senyor Basson at the island! He is completing the components
      there on behalf of the Cartel's Lord."

Shadow:"Lord? You mean Zorrino?"

Diaz:"No, senyor! Zorrino is only the visible leader of our cartel!
      Only a few senyors have seen the real leader, like Basson,
      Turwar, Zorrino, Vega!"

Striker scratches his chin, then signals to Shephard.

Striker:"Bring him back on and put him into a cell."

Shephard:"Yes, s..."

Suddenly Diaz's feet slip out of his shoes. Everyone watches in
surprise as Diaz falls towards earth in the darkness, his scream
fading away. 

Phoenix:"Oh my God."

Tig:"Ouch! I hate to clean that up."

Corsair then comes up and checks Diaz's shoes, which Shephard still 
holds.

Corsair:"Well, what do you know? He didn't tie his shoelaces. Guess
         I now know why Mom always told me to tie my shoes."

Tech:"Guess this means Diaz committed suicide. Shephard didn't even
      touch him, so its not his fault."

Striker:"Miskien..."

He turns to Shephard.

Striker:"... but be careful about such incidents in the future."

Voice(from behind):"Speaking of incidents."

Everyone quickly turn around. They are surprised to find Ozari sticking
out of the manhole, holding a laser pistol. He smugly aims it at the
group, particulary Striker.

Adam6:"Who is that?"

Illanov:"Bolshoi! It is Ozzy!"

Ozari becomes angry.

Ozari:"Ozari! My name is Ozari!"

Striker:"How did you get onboard?"

Ozari:"Doesn't matter. What does matter is that you are getting OFFboard,
       Striker. You either jump out and take a fall like Diaz, or I take
       care of you right here."

Jade:"You realize that you are outnumbered and outgunned here, Ozzy."

Ozari becomes even more annoyed and points the pistol at Jade.

Ozari:"The name is...!"

He suddenly stops and looks down into the manhole, confused.

Ozari:"What is poking me? What the...?"

Suddenly Ozari rises up out of the manhole... on the head of a very
fierce Turwar. Everyone is shocked. Ozari screams and grabs Turwar's
horns in fear. Turwar climbs out onto his feet, then extends his scythes
from his claws.

Striker:"Ai yai yai!"

Shadow quickly takes out his sword, the Dark Blade. The sword turns
the room dark as it sucks in light, with soon the only light source
coming from the open hatchway. Shadow takes a swipe at Turwar, but
Turwar blocks with one of his scythes and swipes at Shadow with the
other. Shadow ducks, the scythe passing a few inches above his head.
As this happens, Tech, Adam6 and Eve7 sneak behind Turwar. They
quickly push his towards the hatch. As Turwar stumbles forward, the
others jump out of the way while Ozari yells and grabs Turwar's
head. His arms blind Turwar, so he is unable to see where to grab
as both he and Ozari tumble into the open space. Illanov pushes a
button and the hatch closes to everyone's relief.

Tig:"Guess that's the last of those two as well."

Illanov:"I doubt it, comrade. Turwar has survived one fall before,
         and I think comrade Ozzy will be back again as well."

Tech:"Is it just me, or does Ozzy remind of two anime couple who 
      wear white clothes with the letter R on them?"

Corsair:"He does match that kind of tenacity."

Striker:"Wat ever the case may be, we have gotten the information
         we need. Our unit will go to Palmyra and stop Project
         Trojan. Will you be coming along, Shadow?"

Shadow:"I don't think so. My unit is going to stay in Las Vegas
        and help the army take care of the cartel's forces in the
        city."

Striker:"Oh ja. I forgot."

He turns to Shephard.

Striker:"Contact the US Military and tell them about the cartel
         infestation in Las Vegas."

Shephard:"Yes, sir. The US Army will be kicking these cockroaches
          out of the states in no time."

Striker:"Goed."

He turns to Shadow.

Striker:"Where shall we land you?"

They continue talking.

Nevada Desert
40 Kilometres West From Las Vegas
At that moment:

It is completely dark in the desert. Only the starts light up the
night sky while nocturnal animals are the only sources of noise. But
there is one other source of light: a trailer in the middle of the
desert.

Trailer Interior:

Though looking old-fashioned outside, the inside of the trailer is
very high-tech. The walls are lined with computer screens and
terminals. There is a round table in the middle of the trailer. 
Seated around the table is Parvo, Groomer, Storm, Havoc and Skeam.
They are in a meeting.

Havoc:"Explain to us again what we are doing here?"

Storm:"For our sake and that of the readers of this story."

Parvo:"Fine. I think we might be able to finally locate the head-
       quarters of those accursed Road Rovers. How, you might ask.
       Simple. This part of the USA is very well renowned for mys-
       terious aircraft sightings."

Storm:"You mean as in those black projects they claim are UFOs that
       fly around between Area 50 and 52?"

Parvo:"Precisely. And that attracts a lot of UFO sightseers to this
       region. These sightseers have also reported a good number of
       sightings of vehicles that appear to have the emblem of the
       Road Rovers."

Havoc:"So their base might be somewhere around here?"

Parvo:"It is almost certain. And as soon as we..."

Suddenly something falls through the ceiling and smashes into the
table so fast that the villains are taken by surprise. When the
dust clears, there is a hole where the table was. The villains
look at the hole.

Skeam:"What was that? A UFO?"

Storm:"No, more likely a weather balloon..."

Parvo:"Whatever it is, it just smashed up my table!"

Just then Ozari climbs out of the hole and runs for the door. He
quickly opens the door, runs out and closes it again. Parvo quickly
turns to Groomer.

Parvo:"Get that guy, Groomer! And hurt him a lot for smashing my
       table!"

Groomer:"Aye, sir!"

But just as she is about to go after Ozari, there is a growl from the
whole. The villains turn to the hole.

Havoc:"Hey, there's something else here too."

Parvo grabs Groomer's gun and points it at the whole.

Parvo:"Get out of there, or I'll kill you!"

Turwar suddenly stands up in front of Parvo. Turwar is staring in
a menacing way at Parvo, snarling at him. Parvo looks at the camera
and sighs.

Parvo:"Oh yes. It is one of THOSE nights..."

Nevada Desert:

The trailer begins to violently rock and shake as screams and snarls
start coming from the trailer.

Groomer:"Ow! Ow!"

Havoc:"Ouch! Easy!"

Skeam:"Mommy! Yeow!"

Storm:"Youch! Lay off! Those claws are sharp!"

Parvo:"Ouch!... *cough* .... Lozenge! Ow!"

Meanwhile, the dark figure of Ozari can be seen running off into the
desert away from the shaking trailer. The screams and snarls continue
into the night.

Recreation Room
KHA Alexander
Somewhere Over The Arctic Regions
9:00 PM:

The recreation room of the Alexander is well lit up. Through the
observation window one can the see polar regions, where the sun
is still shining. Stalker is here, dressed in a white suit with a
black tie and red cloak. In by the entrance are two Lambda troopers.
The doorway opens and in walks Sky. Instead of wearing a battle
trooper suit, Sky is now wearing a brown doublet and brown pants,
black belt, boots and gloves. The collars of the doublet are also
black. On his forehead is a tattoo that seems to be part of his
fur. The tattoo has a horizontal line with three pointed ones in the
shape of a triangle. Sky walks up to Stalker, who turns to him.
Sky salutes.

Sky:"General."

Stalker:"At ease."

Sky stops saluting.

Stalker:"Do you have something report?"

Sky:"Yes, sir. My Psy-Ops division has located the facility where
     project Trojan is being completed."

Stalker raises an eyebrow.

Stalker:"And him as well?"

Sky:"Yes, sir. He is currently there, along with his most senior
     cartel officials."

Stalker:"Do the Road Rovers know the location?"

Sky:"We can expect them to launch an attack on the facility within a
     few days."

Stalker thinks, scratching his chin. He then looks at Sky.

Stalker:"Thank you, Sky. You may go."

Sky salutes and turns for the entrance. He walks out and the door
closes behind him. Stalker, still in thought, turns to look back
out the window. The location of the Spider Cartel's facility where
Project Trojan is being finalized, has been located. But how close
is Wouter Basson to completing the project? What the components
being used? And who is the real mastermind of the cartel?


THE END