Beyond the Fires of War

In the neutral Piradin area, Kazaar and Domel recruiters try to enlist aliens for their troops. Cobra is there to retrieve a briefcase that thieves stole from the Merce Temple. Meanwhile a battle rages between the two forces and he finds a child with a dying grandfather trapped under rubble. Cobra agrees to take the child to Killadeen spaceport. They are captured by four Kazaar survivors under Lieutenant Shella. Cobra says he's Johnson, a scientist conducting historic research. In a struggle, the briefcase falls open showing the National Royal Rubies. The Kazaar troops agree to escort Cobra and the child to Killadeen spaceport, 200 km across the Vella Desert in exchange for part of the treasure. On the way they suspect one of the group to be a Domel spy. With mistrust and attacks, only Lieutenant Shella, Cobra and the child arrive at on the outskirts of Killadeen spaceport. Lieutenant Shella is revealed to be the Domel spy, but Cobra fools her into being shot by hard-skinned light-sensitive beetles. Cobra leaves the child with the National Royal Rubies at the spaceport to be picked up by her mother. Cobra and Lady leave empty-handed.