imate residents of those cities. Regina has a peculiar social
structure which makes this virtually impossible, except for the Phoenix
who are already there and have been for a long time. We thought of
stopping at Zur, but there were no arrangements to care for us there. We
went to a dome farm operated by a friend of the Phoenix in Pandorae
Fretum, and stayed there until we could trickle gradually into Ophir._

Dark: _You had quite an odyssey. Cheng, I want you to bring your twelve
in groundcars, with what weapons you can get, and attack the Canfell
Hydroponic Farm. I'll try to break it open from inside._

Pietro: _Shall I bring my group from Mars City as reinforcements?_

Dark: _No, twelve will be enough, and the conquest of the farm will
depend on speed. Before you can get there with your group by groundcar,
the government will have a well-armed force there by jet. I want you to
load trucks with supplies, gather all the wives and go straight to the
Icaria Desert to establish our colony. I'll direct you telepathically
when you reach Icaria, if we aren't already there. Cut across the
deserts and lowlands, and stay away from the roads and cities._

Pietro: _Very well. But we'll have to leave the city vehicle by vehicle,
and rendezvous somewhere in the lowland. It will take some time._

Dark: _Whatever is necessary. Do you know where the Chief is?_

Pietro: _He's here in jail in Mars City. His trial is due in twenty
days, and we had planned to rescue him sometime during the trial._

Dark: _Leave a few good men there to rescue him as soon as you've
cleared Mars City and are on the way to Icaria. Has Nuwell Eli gotten
back to Mars City yet?_

Pietro: _I don't know. We can find out._

Dark: _He has Maya Cara Nome with him. She's the girl who was the
secretary at the barber college when it was raided, and she's one of the
Phoenix now. I want her rescued, at the same time, if possible. If not,
I'll go to Mars City and do it myself later, but I want to get all of
you cleared of the city first._

Mantar: _What do you want me to do?_

Dark: _The most difficult thing of all. I want you to stay in
Hesperidum, and send out all the Phoenix you have with you to contact
those in other Martian cities. They are to rendezvous at Hesperidum, and
then you will gather supplies and form another caravan to join the rest
of us in Icaria._

Cheng: _When shall I move out?_

Dark: _As soon as you can gather your men and material toget