From:
Subject: Desert of Fear part ?
Date: 02 May 2002 20:56

Tailless Tiger

Harmon " Final emergence in ten minutes sir."

Magnus " How far away are we going to be?"

Harmon " About three AU sir."

Magnus " I have loaded available geographical data, establish a
geosynchronous orbit over the Vale."

Varne " What O Lord and master is your brilliant plan?"

Magnus " Don't call me Lord Varne, and to answer your question I have no
idea.  I think we will have to go with brute force and ignorance."

Varne " Bugger!"

Harmon " Pardon me Sir, but I do not understand."

Varne " He means make the showiest possible arrival and then wait to see who
tries to kill us.  Mind you Lord, why can't we just take out the whole Vale
area from orbit?"

Magnus " This damn contract.  It calls for neutralising the party of the
third part, Old Stony, with minimum disruption to the native ecosystem.
Dropping half a dozen kinetic missiles or a twenty megaton nuke does not
qualify as minimum disruption, though I will consider that as a last resort."

Harmon " Emergence, updating astronomical information.  Time to orbit thirty
minutes."

Magnus " See if you can get an update from the Watcher and dispatch a probe."

Harmon " Probe dispatched Sir, I regret to say the Watcher is not answering."

Varne " The drawback of buying military surplus Lord."

Magnus " Well it was cheap, and if the damn thing had not lasted as long as
it did, which was far longer than I expected, we would not be here.  Ready
the assault boat with Boris, Igor and four of the Arachnid Combots, I think
that is all that will fit."

Varne " Why the Arachnids Lord?"

Magnus " An eight foot high spider should make people think, and besides we
will need transport."

[ Six combots made their way to the docking bay.  Two looked like knights in
full plate, the other four were giant spiders.]

Harmon " The probe has reported Sir.  There are two major energy sources, one
would seem to be the Vale and the other is mobile, there are a few other
minor sources which are too small to get a location on.  Fifteen minutes to
orbit Sir and the assault boat is ready and loaded."

Varne " Last time we were here, there was some residual high tech, the mobile
source will be Avis City."

Magnus " Time to go, Harmon take up orbit and wait for orders."

Harmon "Yes Sir."

[ The assault boat smashed into the atmosphere crossing the Vale at Mach
Three and heading for a landing in the Desert.  In the Avis City Control
Centre, previously dark screens lit up as alarms sounded.  In the Vale the
figure on the throne howled in mingled fear and hate.  In the Servi city, the
shaman smiled and started issuing orders.  The sonic boom covered all the
inhabited land knocking down several fliers.]