15.03, April 22^nd 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila Airport

Dressed in Hawaiian T-shirts and carrying large duffelbags, four women walk through the halls of Manila airport. Outside, the transport that just dropped them off screams its way into the clear blue sky. Jerry "Burner" O'Neill, Monica "Roughride" Lewinsky, Emma "Hustler" Peel and Cindy "Crowbar" Crow, the women of team Double D, walk through the airport like they own it, ignoring the stares and whispers of the ordinary people. Security is strict and the customs officers take a long time before they finally allow the Synners through, but the team didn't really expect anything else. When Synners walk the Earth unsupervised ordinary humans tend to get edgy. But these are desperate times, and the UTRPF simply doesn't have the manpower to send along the usual escort.

Manila was one of the few large cities that wasn't hit by a Titan Bug. Though the effects of the worldwide disaster can be felt even here, the city still seems almost normal as the Synners walk out of the airport, the hot air a marked change from the chill Russian wind they felt only that morning. The team's destination isn't the city though, not just yet, because their mission began here at the airport two days ago when a shipment of explosives was stolen from a high security facility on the airport grounds. Following the directions they were given, the Synners soon arrive at a large officebuilding. Inside they will meet mister Vindea de la Torra, the head of airport security. And he's only the first on the Synners' list today. The team has already arranged similar meetings with mister Chang Liu (the investigating detective of the Manila police force) and mister Aron de La Costa (the regional manager of Nolan Arms Incorporated, the company that produced the explosives).

20.09, April 22^nd 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila

It's the end of a long day and the team decides to check into a motel to get some sleep and look over their findings. They pass a place called The Lucky Motor Inn that looks clean enough and the Synners go inside. The small asian woman behind the desk informs them in broken English that the motel is full and that no rooms are available. The Synners exchange glances. The carpark outside didn't look that full, but the receptionist is adamant that no rooms are available. Outside, unwilling to let this go, the Synners decide to call for reservations. Sure enough, the Lucky Motor Inn has no trouble reserving two rooms on short notice. Having completed the call, the Synners pick up their bags and walk back into the motel, asking for the rooms they reserved. The receptionist claims there must be a misunderstanding and that there are still no rooms available. Tempers are getting frayed and Lewinsky suggests they leave, saying that it just isn't worth it.

Back outside, the team calls the local UTRPF headquarters. O'Neill explains the situation to lieutenant Thomas Gustafson, their local liaison, and asks him if he can arrange quarters on short notice. Gustafson provides the Synners with the address of a hotel that's friendly to the UTRPF and that will provide rooms with no questions asked.

Before checking into the hotel, the team heads into the city to get something to eat. They pick a small restaurant, which clears out quickly after they've entered and seated themselves. The owner, an older man, nervously asks them to please leave. The Synners tell the man that the quickest way to get rid of them is to serve them the food they asked for.

It's the end of an even longer day when the Synners finally check into their hotel rooms. They go over the data they got from the police and from airport security, watching the tapes from the airport security cameras. The tapes show that nobody entered or left the warehouse, which confirms the statements from the security guards. The cameras located inside the warehouse have been tampered with though, the footage showing several hours of static. It makes no sense. How was the shipment removed from the warehouse? The Synners decide that they'll have to take a look around the warehouse for themselves as soon as possible.

10.15, April 23^rd 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila

Around ten in the morning the team visits the warehouse, accompanied by the head of security. De la Torra explains that the place is used to store all the sensitive cargo that can't be left in ordinary storage. Weapon shipments, confiscated drugs, dangerous chemicals, etc. The Synners look over the various stored items until they come upon a large container which has been marked with symbols warning of radioactivity. According to the inventory, these are radioactive components for hospital equipment which can't be transported on normal flights since the risk of radioactive contamination in case of a crash is simply too great. The components are therefore stored here until suitable transit can be arranged. Smelling a rat, the Synners carefully pry open the side of the container. Inside they find no components. Instead, the entire container is completely empty except for a gaping tunnel entrance in the bare floor.

The shocked De la Torra is urgently speaking on the phone as Lewinsky and Peel lower themselves into the tunnel. Their flashlights pierce the darkness, revealing a long straight passage. "This goes straight off the airport terrain if I'm not mistaken," says Peel. The Synners slowly walk down the tunnel but stop almost halfway through. Crouching down, they study the compacted dirt floor. Synner eyes miss little, and that includes the small irregularities in the floor. Carefully prodding in the dirt with their combat knives, they lay bare the outline of landmine.

Lewinsky and Peel work their way through the tunnel, discovering and marking the location of several more mines, until they finally reach the end. The ground slopes up steeply to a hole in a floor. The hole has been covered by wooden planks. Between the cracks the Synners see what appears to be an abandoned and decrepit house. Unwilling to barge right in, the two Synners retrace their steps until they surface in the warehouse again. It doesn't take the team long to figure out where the tunnel comes up. It's a cheap housing block just outside the airport perimeter fence. The team moves in as stealthily as is possible for four larger than life women in Hawaiian T-shirts who are carrying assault rifles. However, the house appears to be abandoned. Tracks suggest a small forklift has moved around here. The rear wall of the house turns out be a large hardfoam replica which can easily be removed, providing a large access hole to an alleyway.

The Synners debate their next step. Now that they know the How, the next questions are Who and Where. O'Neill contacts Gustafson at the UTRPF and tells him the team needs some information. For starters, how soon can another shipment of explosives be arranged so that they have something to use as bait? Gustafson tells O'Neill he'll check it out and will contact her as soon as possible. In the meantime, he suggests that O'Neill tells airport security to keep the discovery to themselves. O'Neill agrees and sets out to take the necessary steps while Crow and Peel settle into a house on the other side of the alley to keep watch. Lewinsky follows one of the routes that the thieves might have taken, looking for gas stations. She finds two, both with security cameras watching the pumps.

Back at the airport Lewinsky asks O'Neill to contact Gustafson to requisition the tapes, hoping that maybe the thieves have by lucky chance used one of those gas stations. And while O'Neill is at it, could she also request a car because all this walking is getting tiresome. An hour later Gustafson calls to tell O'Neill he has the requested tapes and that O'Neill can come pick them up at headquarters along with the transport she asked for.

There are plenty of taxi's in front of the airport but not one of them is willing to transport a seven foot tall genetically engineered combat machine, even if she's wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt. O'Neill finally manages to catch a bus, though the bus probably would have driven past if it hadn't been for the little old lady who was also standing at the bus stop. The busdriver doesn't ask for a ticket, and O'Neill finds herself a seat in the suddenly quiet bus, ignoring the stares.

Back at UTRPF headquarters, O'Neill downloads the security tapes into her handcomputer. Gustafson informs her that a new shipment of explosives can't be arranged for another four days, and that the requested transport is waiting outside. It turns out to be an army jeep, painted in camouflage colours and with a large swept-back antenna. Not the most inconspicuous vehicle but hell, it's better than public transport.

O'Neill picks up Crow and they decide to swing by a local mall to get something to eat and to get some electronic supplies. The meal at the local burger joint is briefly interrupted by mall security who, after checking the Synners' credentials, suggest the Synners move on, a request which Crow and O'Neill ignore. They finish their meal at their leisure before going out to do some shopping.

22.34, April 23^rd 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila

Back at the stakeout, Lewinsky and Peel's peace and quiet is disturbed by the sounds of people approaching outside. From their second-story vantage point they see a large group of young men in the street below, all of them dressed in gang colours. They hear the sound of the front door being forced open. The gangers pour in and start searching the house. The two Synners take up positions behind the door of their room as they hear people coming up the stairs. They quickly agree on a plan. When the door is opened seconds later, Lewinsky's hand darts through the opening and grabs the man on the other side before he has time to realize what's happening. Lewinsky pulls him inside with such force that he drops the knife he was holding. The rest of the intruders rush to the door but stop short when they see the barrel of Peel's assault rifle poking around the corner.

The Synners and the gangers eye eachother wearily. The gangers are all dressed in black and red, their clothes covered with Oriental gang insignia. A young man wearing a gold and black headband in addition to his gang colours steps forward. Lewinsky asks him what he wants. The guy stares her in the eye and tells Lewinsky that she's on Cobra turf. He suggests the two Synners pack up and leave, fast.

But when threatening a Synner, it is a bad idea to step into the reach of those long arms. Lewinsky's right arm snakes out and grabs the gang leader by his right arm. With his free left arm the ganger goes for something hidden inside his jacket, but Lewinsky's left fist launches forward and crushes the guy's hand. A pair of nunchuks drops to the floor with a clatter. The other gangers step forward to intervene but Peel's aimed assault rifle quickly makes them think again.

With the gang leader in an iron grip, Lewinsky and Peel step out of the room, telling the gangers to move back. They leave the house with the gangers following at a distance. Peel calls Crow and O'Neill, telling them they need a speedy pickup. The Synners agree to rendezvous at the nearest gas station. Lewinsky and Peel make their way there, all the while keeping a careful eye on their captive and the other gangers.

While waiting at the gas station, Lewinsky spots one of the gangers using a mobile phone. She throws the captive to Peel and dashes forward, scattering the surprised gangers and causing the guy who was making the call to drop the phone. Lewinsky picks it up, thinking it might come in useful.

O'Neill and Crow arrive in the jeep a couple of minutes later and the Synners drive off, leaving the gangers behind. They take their captive to a deserted public park where they can question him in peace. They ask him about the house where the tunnel came up and demand to know who has been at work there. At first the gang leader refuses to cooperate but he soon changes his mind after Lewinsky applies some pressure to his broken hand. The ganger swears that he doesn't know anything about the house. According to him, nobody does business there, thinking the Synners mean drugbusiness. He can give the Synners the address of a drughouse that's near the location though.

The Synners change into their combat armor and head over to the address they were given. They figure that the theft of the explosives must have been the work of organized crime and have decided that the best way to get some answers is to claw their way up through the local crime hierarchy.

The team first spends some time watching the alley where the drughouse is located. They regularly see people going into the house and coming back out again about ten minutes later. They grab one of the junkies who's on the way in and question him. They learn that a guy called Manuel Agrava is running the operation and that he usually has a few other thugs with him. The Synners order the junkie to go make a buy in the same way he always does.

At the knock on the door, a hatch slides open. The man inside, seeing the face of one of the regular customers, unbolts the door. Crow kicks the door the moment it starts to open, slamming it into the thug's face. Lewinsky and O'Neill quickly enter. The second thug at the end of the hall is already going for his weapon. As he draws his uzi, the first bullets from the Synner's assault rifles slam into him, lifting him off his feet. Lewinsky, O'Neill and Crow move into the rooms beyond, while Peel stays behind to guard the unconscious thug at the door. The ground floor is quickly pronounced clear and O'Neill moves up the stairs. Two assailants open fire on her as she reaches the top, bullets impacting left and right. Synner reflexes kick into overdrive as O'Neill returns fire, taking down first one and then the other assailant with short precise bursts. It's all over in a matter of seconds.

The Synners search the rest of the house and encounter no further resistance. In one of the rooms they discover a suitcase filled with drugs and money. Unfortunately, one of the dead guys on the upper floors turns out to be Agrava. The Synners had been hoping to question him. The team leaves the drughouse, taking along the thug who was knocked unconscious, and head for the public park again. They dip the thug's head into the cold water of a fountain. He comes up spluttering. "What the fuck...!?!" he says. "No fucking today," O'Neill interrupts, and she dumps his head underwater again. The thug's name turns out to be Vinnie Vasquez. He claims not to know who Agrava was working for but says that if the Synners want to talk to one of the big guys, Gunther Tiefenbach is the one they should be looking for. Tiefenbach is a local operator and information broker, and he has contacts all over the Philippines. Vinnie doesn't know where Tiefenbach can be found but he knows that his righthand man, a guy named Emilio Cavaljo, often spends his evenings at the Quick Dollar poolhall. The Synners release Vinnie and tell him to take a hike. They also tell him to keep his mouth shut or they'll make sure others know he talked.

"Ready for action, Ready for fun, Ready for killing, And it's only gone one." Cindy "Crowbar" Crow

The night is still young and the team decides to head over to the poolhall right away. The busy nighttime district is crowded even at this late hour. A single neon sign marks the entrance to the Quick Dollar poolhall, a set of concrete stairs leading up from the street. O'Neill stays behind in the jeep and Peel takes up position in the street to watch the entrance. Lewinsky and Crow head up the stairs and emerge into a large hall. To their right there are several rows of pool tables, their overhanging lamps creating pools of light in the gloom. To the Synners left is the bar. The place is crowded but slowly goes silent as people notice the Synners standing at the top of the stairs.

The Synners walk over to the bar. The bartender stands rooted to the spot as he realises the two are coming for him. He smiles and says "Can I get you ladies a drink," almost managing to conceal a slight tremor in his voice. "No thanks," says Lewinsky, "we're looking for mister Emilio Cavaljo." At the mention of the name, the bartender's eyes involuntarily flick left. He nervously clears his throat. "I'm sorry but I really can't...". "Never mind," says Lewinsky, who has already spotted her target. To her right, at one of the tables near to the back, sits a thin middleaged man in an expensive grey suit. The two larger gentlemen sitting next to him might as well have the word bodyguard stamped on their forehead. The thin man is watching the Synners with calm interest. Lewinsky and Crow walk over. The two bodyguards start to get up but the thin man signals them down again with a curt gesture.

"Ladies, an unexpected pleasure," the thin man says with a smile. "It's not often we see such as yourself here. Please, sit down, let me buy you a drink." Lewinsky turns down the offer. "We're here on business," she says. " We want to speak to mister Tiefenbach." The thin man smiles and says the name doesn't ring a bell, but that he's more than willing to see if there's anything he can do to help if the Synners can provide him with some more information. Lewinsky tells him they need info about a shipment that was recently stolen, and that they were told Tiefenbach was the man to see for info. Cavaljo briefly considers. "Excuse me just a moment," he says. He gets up and and walks away from the table, drawing a slim phone out of his pocket. After a short conversation, he returns to the table and tells the Synners that mister Tiefenbach is willing to speak to them.

Agreeing on a meeting turns out to be a bit of a problem since both the Synners and mister Tiefenbach want to meet on their own ground. Cavaljo suggest using the vid-com system in the office of the poolhall's owner. He says he knows for a fact that the owner won't object. He leads the Synners to a back room which turns out to be a richly decorated and well-equipped office. The Synners sit down on the sumptuous chairs as Cavaljo types in some numbers on a sleek keyboard and turns the vidscreen on the desk around, revealing the face of mister Tiefenbach. Tiefenbach's bloated German features stretch as he smiles at the Synners. "My associate tells me you seek certain information," he says. "I know the cargo you refer to, and although I don't know where it is, I believe I can help you find the ones who took it. There is, however, the small matter of my payment." The Synners offer the drugs they found in the drughouse. Tiefenbach smiles and tells them that such small amounts are not of interest to him. However, he does have another suggestion. "I run various entertainment facilities around the city, including several fight pits where martial arts contests are held. Synners have a reputation for being fearsome warriors. If you would agree to take part in one of my contests, I'm sure some of my richer clients would be extremely interested. The money made would cover the price of the information you desire." The Synners consider the offer, hesitant to accept. Terms are discussed and in the end they agree to three fights, non-lethal, to be fought until one of the combatants doesn't get up anymore. Also, the Synners demand 30.000 dollars in addition to the information. Tiefenbach's smile momentarily vanishes as he hears this last demand, but it appears that the Synners have correctly estimated the kind of cash an event like this will generate. Tiefenbach grudgingly agrees the demand. The fight is scheduled for eight o'clock in the evening.

Later that day, the Synners receive word that all the arrangements have been made and they're given the address where the fight will take place. The team heads over to check it out. The place turns out to be a warehouse in the harbour district. O'Neill watches through the rooftop skylights as workers go about the preparations for the evening. So far, everything appears to be in order.

19.00, April 24^th 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila

The Synners arrive at the warehouse, Lewinsky and Peel already dressed in the spandex suits they've bought for the fight. O'Neill stays outside by the car. The rest of the team is shown in by a thug dressed in an expensive suit. The warehouse is still largely deserted. Tiered rings of seats have been set up around the center of the hall. A few people are at work finishing the last details, such as setting up a small bar. In the back of the warehouse are two mobile office modules. As the Synners are walking over, Tiefenbach steps out of the module to the left, accompanied by his bodyguards. The man is even more fat in person than he seemed on the viewscreen. He greets the Synners and invites them into the module which turns out to contain a small but expensively furnished office. Tiefenbach sits down behind his desk and produces a suitcase which he opens to show crisp packets of dollar bills. "The 30.000, up front as agreed. The information you requested will be provided after the fight. The module nextdoor is equipped as a dressing room. Feel free to use it if you wish. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be ready to welcome the guests."

Outside, O'Neill is still in the jeep, unobtrusively parked in a sidestreet from which she watches the warehouse. Limousines have started arriving, regularly depositing expensively dressed people and their bodyguards. Inside, the hum of the crowd is starting to become audible even in the office modules. Then eight o'clock rolls around and an amplified voice begins introducing the first opponents, a martial arts team consisting of three brothers. Applause from the crowd indicates the opponents have entered the ring. "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have the great pleasure of introducing for the first time in history an opponent never before seen in the ring. An opponent whose reputation is known to all. None other than one of the fearsome clone warriors of the UTRPF. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome miss Monica "Roughride" Lewinsky!!!"

"That's my cue," says Lewinsky as she gets up. Crow follows her out and slips away to an observation point somewhere to the rear of the crowd. Lewinsky walks into the ring in her black spandex suit to the applause of the crowd. The seats are packed with more suits and expensive designer dresses than she's ever seen in one place before. The audience is soon forgotten however as her attention focuses on her opponents, three Asian men dressed in simple grey tunics. One of the three has a deep scar running across his face. Another has dragon tattoos down the length of both arms. The referee steps forward. "You know the rules. The fight goes on until one side doesn't get up. Lets get it on!" The bell sounds and one of the three opponents, the one with the facial scar, moves forward to attack. Blows are exchanged and blocked. Meanwhile the other two brothers maneuver to surround Lewinsky. Knowing that a threeway fight might be problematic, Lewinsky decides to slow down her opponents a bit. As her attacker launches a kick at her, she blocks and retaliates with an vicious strike to the man's leg, putting her full strength behind the blow. The man screams in agony. A groan escapes from the crowd. Lewinsky quickly steps back to evade the other two brothers. The scarred man is still standing but now moves with a pronounced limp.

Twisting and dodging, Lewinsky moves between the other two brothers, a swift strike crippling the second brother's leg. With two of them injured, the brothers become more cautious. They gang up and move on Lewinsky as a front. With superhuman reflexes, Lewinsky darts in and out, striking at her opponents and pulling back again, blocking the brothers' counterblows. With their leg injuries, the brothers fail in their attempts to corner the lightningfast clone. Soon Lewinsky's relentless attacks claim their first casualty as the scarred brother falls from a wicked blow to the chest. The second victim soon follows, taken out by a backhand blow to the head. With only the tattooed brother remaining, Lewinsky moves in. After some furious blows and parrying, Lewinsky's right fist connects with the man's sternum, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing to the floor a couple of meters away. The crowd applauds as the referee pronounces Lewinsky the winner.

After a fifteen minute break it's time for the second fight. Once again Lewinsky steps into the ring, still sporting the bruises from the last fight. The next opponent is a local favorite, a staff-fighter named Horacio Ramos. He is a tall, squarejawed man who has his black hair tied back into a long tail. The staff he carries is almost as long as he is. The referee gives the signal and as the bell rings, Lewinsky immediately darts forward with all the speed her genetically enhanced frame can provide. Her opponent, caught off guard, moves to block but he's too slow. With inhuman precision, Lewinsky strikes at the man's right arm, her Synner strength crushing bone. Ramos tries to bring up the staff with his left hand, but a staff is a two-handed weapon and he's simply not fast enough to block Lewinsky's follow-up blow to his lower left arm. Two seconds into the fight, Lewinsky's opponent drops to the floor in agony. The crowd is silent with shock as the referee pronounces the fight over.

After another fifteen minute break, the referee introduces the final opponent. "And now, for the last fight of the evening, we are proud to introduce a grand master of unarmed combat, a legend in his own lifetime, the Black Dragon!!!" The crowd stands and applauds enthusiastically as a man dressed in the black outfit of a ninja walks into the ring with quiet grace. "Opposing the Black Dragon is another of the UTRPF's genetic combat machines, engineered to perfection, Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome miss Emma "Hustler" Peel!!!" Dressed in her white spandex suit, Peel steps into the ring, sizing up her opponent. The ninja's calm poise betrays a veteran warrior. The referee's words go unheard as Peel locks stares with her opponent. And then the bell sounds and both Synner and ninja explode into action. The crowd scarcely dares to breathe for fear of missing a single moment of the raging fury of blows and dodges, counterstrikes and parries as genetically engineered supersoldier goes up against the devastating skill of a true martial artist. The ninja dodges a lightning blow and counters with a flying kick that catches Peel in the chest, but Peel takes the blow and remains standing as the ninja lands lightly on his feet. The two fighters move through the ring in a dance of attack and counterattack, neither managing to gain the upper hand, until the moment comes when the ninja moves just a fraction of a second to slow as Peel reaches out and catches him by the arm. The ninja tries to break free, but Peel's iron grip is relentless. The fight goes into overdrive as the two opponents, now locked together, furiously strike and parry. The ninja manages to connect several times, but Peel's innate strength and toughness allow her to take the punishment. The ninja, for all his skill and speed, has no similar advantage. When one of Peel's attacks finally manages to get past the ninja's defenses, her fist connecting squarely with her opponent's ribs, the ninja buckles under the blow. Defeated, he sags to ground. And the crowd goes wild.

Tiefenbach moves aside several of the people wanting to speak to the Synners in the aftermath of the fight. "Magnificent, truly magnificent! A fight for the history books!" Tiefenbach exclaims. The Synners follow him into the office where he sits down behind his desk again. "And now for the final part of the bargain. The theft from the airport warehouse. As I told you before, I don't know who performed it or where the stolen explosives are. I do know however that this was too big and complex a job to to be done without the knowledge and approval of the local crimelord, a man by the name of Ramon Aguinaldo, or "Thumbs" as he's called for reasons I leave to your imagination. Mister Aguinaldo is a man who values his privacy and is rarely seen in public. His current whereabouts are unknown. Fortunately for you though, he has recently had a little difference of opinion with one of his lieutenants, a man by the name of José Aquino. Mister Aquino recently contacted a forgery-expert to provide him with new identity papers. The forger is an acquaintance of mine who was kind enough to inform me." Tiefenbach hands over a card with an address on it. "This is where you'll find mister Aquino and his wife. I trust that concludes our deal to your satisfaction. And if you ever decide you might be interested in another tournament, just let me know and I'm sure we can set up a profitable deal."

The cold night air rushes by as the Synners speed over to the address they were given. It turns out to be an ordinary looking house in an ordinary suburban neighbourhood. The flickering of a t.v. can be seen through the large window on the ground floor. Also, there's light coming from the first floor windows. Peel stays behind to watch the front of the house while the others move around the back. Climbing through the kitchen window, the Synners quickly and quietly invade the house. They hear an argument coming from upstairs. A quick sweep reveals the ground floor to be empty, the t.v. broadcasting to an empty room.

Crow moves up the stairs, being careful to stay to the side and to not stand on the wooden steps themselves. Once at the top of the stairs, Crow sneaks up to the door where the sound is coming from. As she carefully starts turning the doorhandle, the arguing on the other side of the door suddenly stops. Abandoning stealth, Crow throws the door open just in time to see a man trying to climb out the window. A woman is standing in the middle of the room, looking at the Synner in shocked horror. "Freeze!" Crow yells, aiming her assault rifle. The man stops moving and Crow orders him back inside.

When Aquino realises that the Synners are not assassins sent to kill him, and that they're actually after Aguinaldo, he quickly becomes very cooperative. He tells the Synners that Aguinaldo has his own private island which is called Chiolan. The crimelord has a mansion there as well as a small harbor warehouse, all of it guarded by his private army which is well equipped and has several jeeps and gunboats at its disposal. Aquino has only been to the island once and only saw a little of it, but he draws a map for the Synners as best as he can remember.

Aquino is just putting the finishing touches on the map when his face disintegrates into a shower of blood, followed a split-second later by the sound of splintering glass. There's no sound of a gunshot. The Synners hit the floor before Aquino's body has even had a chance to topple over, Lewinsky yelling "Sniper!" into her radiomike. Outside, Peel quickly takes cover behind a parked car, her eyes searching the houses on the opposite side of the street as she tries to determine where the shot could have come from. She spots a window standing open in an otherwise dark house. Judging it to be her best bet, Peel runs over to the house.

The other Synners soon emerge into the cool night air, accompanied by the rising wail of Aquino's widow. They cross the street and head for the alleyways, trying to get to the rear of the housingblock as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Peel kicks in the frontdoor and steps inside, her eyes searching the darkness inside for movement. Just then, she hears the sound of a starting engine coming from the alley behind the house. Peel runs but she knows she isn't going to make it in time. The assassin's bike is already speeding away as she runs into the backyard. The bike has just reached the end of the alley when Lewinsky's leg suddenly swings into view from around the corner, her high kick catching the assassin square in the chest and lifting him out of the saddle. The bike skids to a grinding halt on the pavement.

After searching the stunned assassin for weapons the Synners tie him up and load him into their jeep. Meanwhile, Peel has found a highpowered sniper rifle, complete with silencer, that was thrown into the backyard bushes. She stashes it in the jeep while the others go get Aquino's widow. By the time the Synners' jeep pulls away from the curb the sound of sirens can already be heard approaching in the distance.

Back at UTRPF headquarters, the team delivers the assassin and Aquino's widow into the hands of the UTRPF soldiers. Lieutenant Gustafson debriefs the team and together they discuss the situation. The Synners request that false information be leaked to the media saying that the assassin was killed in a firefight after the assassination. Also, the team requests weapons, gear and intelligence info for the upcoming assault on Chiolan Island, as well as a boat with crew and extra manpower for the team.

01.15, April 25^th 2138

Earth, Stargate Orbital Station

Heavy Weapons Specialist Conny "First Strike" Rice is just catching up on some much needed rest after a gruelling three days of near constant activity, when she is abruptly awakened by a priority duty call. Rice hurriedly grabs her gear while the dispatcher fills her in on the mission. The guy sounds almost as tired as she does. "...so you are to aid the team in their assault. Since all transports are already assigned at the moment, you'll be travelling to the drop zone by means of orbital insertion. This concludes your briefing. The on-site team will fill you in on the details. Command signing off."

Rice catches a subway that takes her to the docking ports. A tech is already waiting there to take her to the pod-bays. Rice yawns while she's being strapped into the pod, fighting to suppress the urge to fall asleep. "Come on, girl," she admonishes herself, "When your being fired at a planet in a steel coffin it's really not a good time to fall asleep on the job." She checks the harnass of the parachute that has to take her the last stretch of the way after the heat resistant insertion pod has detached itself. Finding everything in order, she signals the tech the go-ahead signal.

"It's not a job," she mutters to herself as the pod seals around her, "It's an adventure."

03.23, April 25^th 2138

Earth, The Philippines, Manila

Lewinsky is awakened from her sleep by a radiocall telling her that the requested extra manpower has arrived. At the back-entrance of the hotel are four UTRPF regulars, accompanying a seven foot tall black woman who's dripping water onto the pavement. The woman salutes. "Conny 'First Strike' Rice reporting for duty, ma'am." Lewinsky returns the salute and gives the wet clothes a quizzical look. "Orbital insertion, ma'am," Rice says. Lewinsky nods in understanding. Orbital insertions into densely populated areas are always tricky, and bays and lakes make for nice open landing zones, with the additional benefit that there's less chance of someone being brained by the debris of the insertion pod. "Grab some dry clothes and catch a few z's while you can. The supplies we requested should be ready by evening. We move then."

The team spends their timing resting, checking gear, and studying the satellite maps that have been provided by Stargate. Chiolan Island is almost completely covered by jungle, with the exception of the two hilltops that penetrate the jungle canopy on the northern and southern halves of the island. In a few places near the coastline where the jungle is less dense the vague outlines of roads can be seen. There appears to be a circular road that connects most of the coast. Also visible on the satellite images is a road that runs up the northern hill, probably leading to Aguinaldo's mansion, and the small bay with the warehouse that Aquino drew just before he was killed.

Evening rolls around, and everything is ready. The team suits up and heads out to the harbor where a boat is waiting to take them to Chiolan.

22.31, April 25^th 2138

Earth, The Philippines, off the coast of Chiolan Island

In the distance behind them, the boat that got them here is swallowed by the darkness. Avoiding rocky outcroppings and the gunboats that patrol the coast, the Synners navigate their rubberboat through the dark waters until they finally make a landing on a small beach on the northern side of the island. Rice drags the boat into the treeline while the others head out to search the landing zone. All seems to be clear. The group reunites and heads in the direction of the northern hill. It isn't long before they encounter the road that they saw on the satellite maps. As the team inspects the muddy tracks, the distant roar of an aircraft engine approaches. The Synners take cover. As the sound grows louder, they realise that it's much closer than expected and that it can't be an aircraft engine. Seconds later a small drone flies by overhead and quickly disappears in the distance. "Unmanned surveillance drones, probably following the roads," Lewinsky says. "All right people, let's move on." The team crosses the road and heads into the jungle.

After several hours of trekking the land slowly but surely starts to slope upward. The team heads further up the hillside and then changes course to move parallel to the treeline. It's already five in the morning when the team makes a brief stop. O'Neill checks the map while Rice climbs a tree to get an overview of the island from this higher altitude. "We should almost be at the road to the mansion," O'Neill says. Rice warns the team that another drone approaches. The Synners wait until the sound has died away. "I can see the warehouse from here," Rice says, peering out over the canopy again, "but it's too far to say if there's any activity."

The Synners move on until they reach the road and then start following it up the hill, staying a good ten meters from the roadside. They haven't gone much more than fifty meters when Crow signals for a halt. Her sharp eyes have spotted something in the underbrush. A device of some kind is hidden in the foliage further up ahead, but in the darkness its impossible to say exactly what it is without getting closer. The Synners debate their next move, and in the end decide to risk taking a closer look. The device turns out to be a camera of some kind. The Synners quickly head on, hoping that they weren't noticed.

They've only been walking for about five minutes when the sound of approaching trucks is heard in the distance. The team takes cover, with Rice taking position further up the road. Sure enough, two army troopcarriers soon roll into view, escorted by a vanguard of two army jeeps. The convoy pulls to a halt not far from the team's position. The Synners can hear orders being barked to the men in the back of the trucks. "Attack," Lewinsky whispers into her radiomike. Up the road, Rice pops up out of the underbrush and launches a grenade from her barrelmounted launcher into the cargohold of the first truck. Surprised cries from the troops inside are cut short by the explosion that turns the rear of the truck into a blazing inferno. Meanwhile, the rest of the team has opened up fire on the jeeps. Enemy gunners return fire from the heavy machineguns mounted on the jeeps but they are sorely outmatched by the barrage of bullets and grenades from the Synners. Soon the enemy gunners and drivers lie dead in their bullet-riddled vehicles.

Meanwhile, Rice is engaged in a firefight with the troops pouring from the remaining truck. A few of the soldiers try to outflank her but run into the rest of the Synner team as they are working their way up from the front of the convoy. Rice takes a nasty hit to her right arm from an enemy assault rifle and is forced to take cover. Despite this setback, the remaining resistance is quickly broken by the rest of the team.

Crow takes a look at the bleeding mess of Rice's mangled arm and sets to work applying first aid. Her skilled work patches the wounds up nicely. Though Rice won't be using her right arm for a while, it looks like she won't lose it. "Okay people," Lewinsky says once Crow is done, "we're heading up the road, doubletime."

A quick march later, the team discovers that the road runs straight through an army camp. Checking out the camp with binoculars, the Synners see that the entryway is flanked by two manned machine gun posts. Peel takes one of the highpowered sniperrifles the Synners acquired out of her pack and quickly assembles it. Crow does likewise. Taking careful aim, they each draw a bead on one of the sentries. "Fire," Peel whispers. The silencers on the rifles allow nothing but a short 'phump' to sound out, but the effects are immediate as the two sentries are flung back. Several more soldiers are shot before the remaining men decide they've had enough and withdraw.

The Synners head into the camp and search the abandoned crew barracks, mess hall and vehicle bay. Not far beyond the now empty camp, a cliff rises from the jungle floor. About fifty yards of jungle have been cleared in front of it. Build into the cliff is the smooth glass front of a building. A camouflagenet hangs above the entrance, and a couple of jeeps stand parked behind a long barrier of sandbags. More snipershots send the jeep crews retreating into the building. Lewinsky looks at the cleared ground in front of the cliff suspiciously. "Get the mine detector," she says. O'Neill assembles the device and starts sweeping. Sure enough, a warning sound soon bleeps from the detector.

The Synners carefully make their way through the minefield until they reach the sandbag barrier. Moving past the jeeps, the Synners walk up to the front of the building. The front seems to be made of some kind of reinforced non-transparent glass or polymer. Concentrated firepower soon makes a hole big enough for the Synners to enter. Crow and Peel take up station outside to guard the front entrance. Inside, the rest of the team discovers nothing less than a luxurious mansion. Greek columns and a long swimming pool occupying a white marble hallway are the first sights that greet a visitor. The Synners move though the building, searching all the rooms in the building's two wings. They find no-one, but do discover an abandoned security station that still has some weapons and equipment. Monitors hanging on the walls show images from cameras placed at various locations around the island.

The team moves down the main hall, deeper into the building, when suddenly out of nowhere a voice booms: "WHO ARE YOU?". The Synners search for the source of the sound and discover a speaker in the ceiling. After tearing it out, the team moves on. At the end of the long hall is an opulent library and smoking room. A door on the far end of the room opens up into a long narrow hallway which leads to a steel door. Paintings and a persian rug adorn the otherwise bare walls and floor. The Synners take down a couple of paintings and discover what looks like airvents. They stuff the vents to prevent anything nasty from being pumped into the hallway, jam the door, and then move up to the steel door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT!" the voice booms out again, but the Synners ignore it and set to examining the door.

While the others are contemplating ways to get through solid steel, Crow and Rice are still guarding the front entrance, keeping a wary eye on the clearing. Their attention is suddenly drawn to the distant sound of an engine. "Drone," Crow says, and sure enough one of the small reconnaissance drones flies into view over the trees. The two Synners shoulder their rifles and greet the intruder with short controlled bursts of fire. The little airplane, its engine and fuselage shredded, falls from the sky. On impact, it goes up in a massive fireball. "Those things must be loaded with explosives," Rice remarks before contacting the rest of the team to bring them up to speed.

Hours pass as the Synners inside work on getting into the sealed room. It's almost ten in the morning when Crow calls in on the radio. "We've got company. It's one of ours, a Synner. He's standing on the other side of the minefield, waiting. You'd better come up here." Lewinsky and O'Neill exchange surprised glances. As they emerge into the morning light, they see a handsome blondhaired man standing near the edge of the clearing. Lewinsky and O'Neill momentarily freeze in their tracks as they realise who the man is. David "Pinfire" Hurst, former Star Lieutenant of the UTRPF and currently second in command in the renegade forces of Joe "Dreadnaught" Talavera. The last the team heard about Hurst, he was with Talavera on Tau Ceti, under siege by UTRPF forces (see 'White Hunter, Black Heart'). Hurst is wearing soldier's gear, but doesn't seem to be carrying any weapons.

The Synners are surprised and more than a little wary. They guide Hurst across the minefield, and after a few short greetings ask him what he's doing here. Hurst smiles. "Normally I would have kept myself out of sight, even from fellow Synners," he says, "but a few hours ago I received a communication from mister Aguinaldo, accusing me of breaking my deal with him and sending my forces to take our shipment by force. You see, we've been doing business with Aguinaldo. He's one of the few people who has managed to lay his hands on large quantities of UTRPF supplies. I've come here to see what I can salvage of the situation. Aguinaldo has a shipment ready for us and it's imperative that that shipment goes through."

The Synners ask what the shipment consists of. "Large quantities of UTRPF assault rifle ammo and grenades, Synner combat gear and specialized UTRPF electronics equipment. Which is all, as you can imagine, rather hard to come by, especially with all that's been happening these past two weeks. Most importantly though, Aguinaldo acquired for us a sizeable amount of high-explosives, which we need rather badly."

The Synners ask how the siege is going. "We've broken the siege and escaped," Hurst says, "and that's really all I can tell you. Sorry, but the fate of a lot of our comrades rides on secrecy, and the less people who know the better."

The team tells Hurst that they need to think all this over and ask him to wait in the army camp. Hurst agrees and takes his leave. Once he's out of sight, the Synners discuss their next move. The thought of informing the UTRPF doesn't occur to the team for even a moment. The bond between Synners, all Synners, is more than just the bond of brothers in arms. In a hostile universe, serving a planet which fears and mistreats them, the only real family and friends that any Synner has are his or her fellow clones.

Nevertheless, the Synners realise they will now have to decide whether they will side with the resistance. Though Synners everywhere have a lot of sympathy for Talavera's renegades, many Synners also feel loyalties to Earth, wanting to safeguard the mother planet and their remembered families from harm. The apocalyptic attack on Earth has only strengthened these bonds. Not all Synners would therefore be willing to aid the resistance against the UTRPF. The team calls Hurst back and asks him what Talavera's agenda is, and whether the resistance plans to move against Earth in these desperate times? "No, we don't," Hurst says. "The Bugs are our main enemy. We intent to do our part in this war, but on our own terms and not as slave-soldiers. Having said that, I must say we do have need of Synners who are still part of the UTRPF." Hurst hesitates a moment before going on: "If you're interested, there's a mission coming up that we could really use a team like yours for. Of course, we'll have to get this mess here sorted out first."

To be continued...

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