Meanwhile, at the New Earth Police headquarters, officers scurried by as Accura wobbled through the crowd wearing leg braces-one of her legs aching as someone bumped into her.

"Hey, watch it, will ya!" she yelled. She glanced at the captain walking beside her. "What's all the rush about?"

"They're preparing for an attack," Captain Taupe said matter-of-factly. "The SS6 training camp has reported massive damage to their base and half of their men dead, and requested assistance."

"So you plan to storm over there and die, is that it?" Accura questioned. "You know I can take him. Trust me."

"With broken legs?" Taupe shook his head. "You've done enough, I'm sure, and we'll reward you for your information on Vecto. However, we are not sending our men to the base."

"Then how do you propose to beat him?" Accura asked. "I'm telling you, he's likely to see Dr. Azmeck and-"

"That's enough." the captain said, stopping in the middle of a busy hallway and glancing nonchalantly at the hired mercenary. "You know as well as I do how powerful Vecto's shields are. So we have been given orders to launch Intrepid 18."

"What?" Accura was taken aback. "You mean you're going to launch a gigaton nuclear missile at him? Forget about the SS6 base-it'll annihilate the whole region!"

"With someone as dangerous as that robot roaming around, killing our men, sacrifices must be made."

"But those are human lives! Why not evacuate them first?"

"We have been given direct orders from Sable himself," Taupe said through clenched teeth. "Now, I'd suggest you take your money and leave. We no longer need your assistance."

Accura paused, looking deep into Taupe's brown eyes. She had never thought he'd stoop so low as to sacrifice hundreds of soldiers for the destruction of one being. He would never have done that back when she used to be in the police force-but then again, he wasn't in charge then.

"Fine," Accura said, turning her back to him. "If that's how it's going to be, I'll make a note not to help you when Vecto comes back from the grave."

"Accura . . ." the captain said, now trying to soften things.

"I'm done with you," she said and walked away without looking back.