Division 1: The Overlord (Highway Hellriders, PA Racers)
Division 2: Gaining Traction (Traction Action, an0maly -CI-)
Division 3: Roughnecks (Blood and Iron, Joels Bastards, Hessians)
Division 4: Junkyard Dogs (PA Racers, Blood and Iron, Joels Bastards)
Division 5: Pentagon Horror (Abysmal Horrors, Hessians, Joels Bastards)

*PART 5*

Brooke was assigned to drive the Pickup and its load of fuel back to Somerset. Mellie gave her a quick driving lesson in the cramped, stifling cab, ending with "just stay down, keep your radio on, and don't shoot at anything!"

The squadron drove back toward Somerset with the three captured Ironmongers vehicles in the center of the formation, the Bullets out front, and Asp riding just behind. Brooke followed the other drivers' conversation, but she couldn't bring herself to press the button to join in. Twice their convoy was queried by other gangs, who broke off when the Legion's identity was established.

After several hours of driving, the road bent and abruptly Somerset was in front of them, a tall gray fence stretching across the desert, broken only by a single gate on the road. The Bullets slowed for the gate, and Brooke pressed her foot on the Pickup's brake, coming to a stop just behind Panther. After a moment conferring with the Somerset Militia, the Bullets started moving into the town proper. Brooke paused to let the two captured sedans precede her into the gate, then goosed her throttle to follow them.

Along the road just inside the gate were a row of metal shacks and a convoy of vehicles. Four enormous lorries huddled just off the road, their cargo doors open and a parade of parcels being stacked inside. They were surrounded by a dozen wide, square Buzzers, sheepdogs guarding their flock. Like sheepdogs, the Buzzers had teeth - each carried a pair of cannons with barrels the size of Brooke's hand with fingers outstretched. A pair of long, low Phoenixes lounged out in front, like her father's hunting hawks waiting on the glove. All the vehicles were painted in the white and yellow of the Merchants of Venice trader gang. A convoy, Brooke realized, taking produce from Somerset - some of it perhaps from Criddle Hold - and trading it for fuel, weapons, and chemicals in far-off Texan and Sarsfield. Brooke almost felt sorry for any bandit that attempted to tackle that convoy.

Beyond the waiting convoy was a second gate, manned by brown-uniformed guards on foot, carrying arm-length stubby tubes over their shoulders. A gun barrel in the low concrete bunker next to the gate tracked to point at Brooke's truck, and her fingers tightened impotently on the steering wheel.

One of the guards walked up to Panther's driver side window and held out his hand. Through the Bullet's rear slits, Brooke could see Mellie gesturing, pointing back at the rest of the squadron. The guard walked back to Asp, tube-weapon held loosely at his side and an expression of bored indifference on his face. When he reached Asp, he leaned down to the window and accepted a small cloth bag, then waved to his fellows at the inner gate. The red-painted wooden bar across the gate swung up, and one of the guards waved the Legion squadron into the town.

Brooke followed the rest of the squadron through the streets of Somerset, too focused on controlling the Pickup to look around, but when the squadron stopped to let a crowd of people through an intersection, she allowed herself to peer around at the town.

Somerset was much, much bigger than she'd ever imagined, a dozen times the size of Haven Market at least, and she had the feeling that she hadn't seen it all. A few black pre-Storm buildings loomed over the gray concrete and brown metal of the buildings that had been put up since. Most of the buildings she could see were arranged in walled compounds, with hard-eyed armed guards at the gates and prowling along the walls.

And then there were the people - the swarming, teeming crowds of people. Each compound they passed seemed to hold more people than Criddle Hold, and they were all over the streets: craftsmen bearing tools and messengers bearing parcels, children playing with toys of scrap metal and plastic, frantic mothers chasing after them, rich merchants and their bodyguards, and of course, the gangers.
The gangers made up at least half of the people on the streets. Men and women both, they were marked from the other people around them by their leather and metal armor and the weapons on their shoulders, and the colorful badges on their shoulders and chests. Brooke saw a group of women in odd robes, and couldn't help herself from staring: black leather covered them up to their necks, accompanied by white coifs and wimples. They looked like the images of holy women in Father Terrethel's chapel, except for the battle-scarred leather of their clothes and the rifles slung over each woman's shoulder. Unlike the images in the chapel, not one woman looked meek or submissive to her place in God's Plan. They smiled and waved at the Fifth Legion vehicles, and Brooke waved back timidly.

The Bullets turned down a street between two compounds, and then turned into an open compound gate. Next to the gate, Brooke could see a blue banner had been hung on the wall, displaying a pair of silver swords, crossed at their points to form a V. "FIFTH LEGION" had been painted on the wall next to the banner in blue paint.

When Brooke got the Pickup into the compound, she saw that the two Bullets had pulled forward into a garage attached to a large building, while the two Ironmongers sedans had been parked off to one side of the yard that took up almost half of the compound's space. Figures with blue badges were coming out of the row of buildings along the other side of the yard, and Brooke abruptly flushed as they seemed to all be looking at her.

A man in a long black coat pointed at Brooke, then at the captured Ironmongers vehicles. Brooke steered the truck into the space next to the sedans, then stood on the brake and stared at the controls. Let's see. Mellie said... this lever to park? It has a 'P' right there, so I move it... that way. Brooke moved the lever, then slowly pulled her foot off the brake. The truck lurched forward, then stopped, not before Brooke cried out in surprise. She pressed her eyes shut, her face going hot with embarrassment. When she opened her eyes, she saw the bustle of gangers around the compound, all going about their tasks without taking any notice of her mistake.

She shook herself, opened the truck's door, and stepped out onto the cracked concrete. Her muscles protested moving after so long in the uncomfortable plastic seat, and she rolled her shoulders and shook her legs in imitation of a few of the other crew. Something went pop in her shoulder, and abruptly she felt a wave of relief wash through her muscles.

Brooke looked around for Mellie, and spotted her friend coming out of the building, carrying Brooke's pack over one shoulder. She pointed at the pickup, and a pair of gangers moved past her, opened the pickup's bed cover, and started carrying the fuel cans toward the garage. Brooke started to grab a can, but Mellie put a gentle hand on her wrist and pulled her toward the building. "Come on, Orth told me you have to meet with Joel, and get the paperwork done."

"Who's Joel?" Brooke pulled her hand free from Mellie's as they entered the building. The walls were made of some rough gray substance, with a texture like sandpaper. An empty antechamber led to a narrow corridor lined with doorways, each with a ragged cloth curtain drawn over it. Square plastic signs hung on the wall next to each curtain. In passing, Brooke saw "SINES" and another name painted on one sign in crude blue letters.

Mellie led Brooke to the end of the corridor and a doorway labelled "OFFICE," which had an actual wooden door opening out into the hallway. Inside, a man in a long green coat sat behind a desk cluttered with papers in metal binders. The wall behind him was covered with shelves, all piled high with more binders, each with a neatly printed label on its spine. A map of Evan dominated another wall, with labelled pins sticking out of every town in northern Evan, and a few on the highlighted roads between towns.

The man looked up at Brooke's entry, closed the cover of the binder on his desk, and gestured to the metal chair opposite his desk. "So you're Brooke Criddle? Sit down, please. I'm Joel Quick, the Legion's second-in-command."

Brooke sat in the chair and studied the Legion ganger. He had the same weathered complexion as any other person who spent much time in the wastes. A network of fine white scars running between his jawline and his lips stood out against his dark skin. After a moment, he smiled at her, revealing a mouth full of shiny metal teeth. "Sines, Strang came into town this morning with a new Vampire. Can you take it down to Jake's and get it painted and adjusted?"

Mellie nodded, set Brooke's pack on the floor next to her, and vanished out the door. The door thunked closed behind her, and Brooke was suddenly aware of being alone with the strange man. Back home, she would never have been left with a man without a relative as a chaperone. Quick studied Brooke for a long moment. "So you're Brooke Criddle. Commander Orth said good things about you. Why did you leave your farmhold?"

"Ah, sir, it wasn't my farmhold, it was my father's. And he was going to marry me off to the heir of Hanlin Hold."

"Peter Hanlin?" Quick's eyebrows shot up.

Brooke froze, and her stomach dropped to her knees. The Hanlin clan would be as eager to drag her back to the Haven Valley as her father, since her disappearance would make their precious Peter a laughingstock up and down the Valley. And the Hanlins were notoriously touchy about their honor. She looked at her knees to hide the fear in her eyes. "Yes, sir. You know him?"

Quick's coat rustled. "Never met him directly, but his brother Roger is one of our gunners. Recruited him here in Somerset. And if you're over seventeen, the Somerset Militia will never let you be taken away against your will." Brooke looked up at him sharply, and the ganger's face creased in a savage steel grin. His shining teeth held not a trace of humor or pity. "And if they do take you, we'll come and get you back. Watch how those stone walls hold up to a rocket volley."

Brooke stared at Quick with wide eyes and wondered if he was joking. With the grin and the teeth and the scars, the ganger looked more ruthless and pitiless than the most terrible guards in the Haven Valley. "Um... thank you, sir."

Quick's lips closed over his metal teeth, and his smile took on much more humor and cheer. "Anything for one of ours. Do you still want to sign on with the Legion?"

All told, it didn't take more than a second for Brooke to abandon her past and grasp onto her future. "Yes, sir."

Quick slid a paper across the desk to her and handed her a pen. Brooke read through the contract, identical to the contracts between her father and his guards, and nearly the same wages. Her eyes widened, and Brooke filled in her name on the first line, and signed on the last. Swiftly, before the Legioner could change his mind.

"Welcome to the Legion, Brooke," Quick took back the contract and put it into the of his desk drawers. He shook her hand briefly, as if he were her equal, and pointed out his door. "Second door on your left is your room, why don't you get some sleep?"

Brooke noticed that she was exhausted, and pushed herself up out of the chair. "Thank you, sir." She picked up her pack and stumbled to the door, suppressing her yawns.

Mike Thornton of Caesars Ghosts died at Highway to Hell.

Stormy Rivers of finger3 died at The Dunes Race Course.

Willy Shank of finger3 died at Somerset Arena.

Michael Johnson of Blood Roses died at Dead man`s Road.

Kimberly Gallagher of Lovely Boys died at Scattered Grounds.

Patricia Young of Lovely Boys died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.

Una Lucey of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Genevieve Hanson of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Lisa Culver of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Mildred Jackson of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Cecelia Lachance of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Katherine Taylor of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Sharon Smith of TotalCarnage died at Lost Trail: Overland.

`The` Misty Knight of The F-Bombs died at Toxic Wastes.

Patricia Adams of The F-Bombs died at Toxic Wastes.

`Rude` Ruben Hurst of The F-Bombs died at Toxic Wastes.

Lester Bartels of rebelfish resurgent died at Road to Somerset.

Cassandra `West` Wynn of Gutter Punks died at Road to Elmsfield.

`One Eyed` Aaron Ackermann of Blood Roses died at Gates of Somerset.

Jonathan `Leadfoot` Marrero of Discordia died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 1.

Daniel Ray of Hellions died at Gates of Somerset.

Jane `Eyre Head` Gonzalez of Hellions died at Gates of Somerset.

Beverly Oliva of Hellions died at Gates of Somerset.

Emily Taylor of Caesars Ghosts died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

James Rouse of Caesars Ghosts died at Road to Somerset.

Robert `Not So` Sharpe of finger3 died at Telegraph Road.

Melvin Lett of Justifiable died at Gates of Firelight.

Weston Curran of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Somerset.

`Truther` Darren Williams of Crazy Canucks died at Gates of Somerset.

Dee `Santa` Claus of Crazy Canucks died at Gates of Somerset.

`True` Sue Brown of Crazy Canucks died at Gates of Somerset.

Douglas Sanderson of Justifiable died at Spooky Forest.

Timothy Whitaker of Justifiable died at Spooky Forest.

Mary `Dont` Parrish of Justifiable died at Spooky Forest.

`Tripping` Travis Wilkins of 69th Battalion died at Northern Farm Land.

Mark Akridge of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Somerset.

Stephen `Slightly` Rodriquez of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Somerset.

Grace Knutson of Caesars Ghosts died at Highway to Hell.

Joseph Thompson of TotalCarnage died at Northern Farm Land.

Robert Hyer of Caesars Ghosts died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.

Keith Castillo of Justifiable died at Gates of Badlands Truckstop.

Betty Johnson of Bad Baby Bunnies died at Gates of Somerset.

Rachel Her of Caesars Ghosts died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Angelica Storm of Paladins died at Road to Somerset.

`Ex-USMC` Adrian Shephard of Alpha Junkers died at Lost Trail: Dead River.

Loretta Dent of The Autumn Wind died at Road to Somerset.

Derek Robertson of Caesars Ghosts died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Carmen Wright of Caesars Ghosts died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Ian Schafer of Caesars Ghosts died at Gates of Somerset.

Keith Sutherland of Caesars Ghosts died at Gates of Somerset.

Jacob `Werewolf` Russo of Golden Warriors died at Gates of Firelight.

Joseph Trent of Coolerheads died at Smokey Hills.

Hildegard Haakenson of SlaughterHouse Bath and Lodgin died at Chaos Canyon.

`No Way` Jose Martinez of Coolerheads died at Double Down Arena.

Fannie `Pow-Wow` Powell of Loose Cannons died at Blown With the Wind.

Michael `MJ` Jacobson of 88 MPH died at Somerset Rally Circuit.

Aaron Juarez of 69th Battalion died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Donald Lawson of 69th Battalion died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Robert Knight of 69th Battalion died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Edward Clark of Angels Of Death died at Road to Somerset.

Wesley Wolff of Justifiable died at Gates of Somerset.

`Miss` Mia Maxey of Blood Roses died at Lonesome Highway.

`Mad` Max Diaz of Blood and Iron died at Scattered Grounds.

John McNish of Raging Jackalope died at Road to Somerset.

Michael `The Molester` Lester of Blood and Iron died at Scattered Grounds.

Muriel Dahl of Golden Warriors died at Sandy.

`Stray` Kitty Catt of finger3 died at Somerset Arena.

Andrew `Spanker` Abad of finger3 died at Double Down Arena.

Anne Oakley of finger3 died at Double Down Arena.

David `Heavy Load` Prill of Collision Force died at Salt Flats Canyon.

Paul `Hardey` Cope of Collision Force died at Salt Flats Canyon.

Dion `Snape` Snyder of Collision Force died at Salt Flats Canyon.

Xavier Smith of Iron Company died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Allen Davenport of Icarus Himself died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Brent `The English` Britton of Blood and Iron died at Gates of Morgan.

Dani `Pyro` Dayton of Rabid died at Northern Farm Land.

Emily Brooks of Rabid died at Northern Farm Land.

Mary `Driver` Denison of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Once Upon a Town.

Lee `Caffine` Coffee of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Once Upon a Town.

Carol `Line` Smith of Blood Roses died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.

`Sexy` Sandra Harness of 69th Battalion died at Somerset Dirt Racing Track.

Ronald Schweitzer of Renshai died at Texan Rally.

Tina Page of Caesars Ghosts died at Northern Farm Land.

Crystal Jackson of Caesars Ghosts died at Northern Farm Land.

Rhoda O`Neill of Caesars Ghosts died at Northern Farm Land.

`Dippy` Douglas Smith of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Somerset.

Glinda Peterson of Les Loups Gris died at Chaos Canyon.

Andrew `The Master` Mastropietro of Blood and Iron died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.

Brian Luna of TotalCarnage died at Devils Fingers.

Mary Farrish of Rabid died at Blown With the Wind.

William Canales of Rabid died at Blown With the Wind.

Shawna `Puffin` On` Green of Blood and Iron died at Scattered Grounds.

Linda `7 of 9` Borg of King of Clubs died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.

Russell `Bullets` Pierce of Renshai died at PirateCanyon.

Chuck Daley of KRU died at Forever Yellow Skies.

`Little` Louise Gardner of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Badlands Truckstop.

Richard `Stiffy` Biggerstaff of 69th Battalion died at Gates of Badlands Truckstop.

Josephine Moriarty of TotalCarnage died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.

Shannon Soria of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.

Betty Crocker of finger3 died at Interstate Mythos.

``Armless` Rachel Pate of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Gates of Somerset.

Lester Mitchell of Gutter Punks died at Lost Oasis.

Tracy `Whart` Kane of Justifiable died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.

Tony Oliver of Justifiable died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.

Ulysses `Grant` Smith of Justifiable died at Once Upon a Town.

Reginald Norman of 69th Battalion died at Northern Farm Land.

`Sir` James Daw of Road Templars died at Gates of Morgan.

Jane Grosse of The Ghosts died at Highway to Hell.

Michael Stoneman of The Ghosts died at Highway to Hell.

Michael Stagg of Rusty Nails died at Ring of Death Arena.

David Martinez of Rabid died at Northern Farm Land.

David Salyers of Golden Warriors died at Lost Trail: Overland.

Richard Griggs of Road Templars died at Once Upon a Town.

Matthew Johnson of Hitmen Trucking Inc -CTS- died at Once Upon a Town.

Jaunita `Gear Jammer` Jones of Caesars Ghosts died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 3.

Sharon `Gun Bunny` O`Connell of Iron Wraiths died at Deadman`s Drop.

Robert Criss of Hellions died at The Dunes Race Course.

Margaret `Mags` Heath of The Autumn Wind died at Somerset Arena.

Jacqueline Butler of TotalCarnage died at Blown With the Wind.

Raymond Gerken of Rabid died at Road to Elmsfield.

Anthony `Trickshot` Garcia of Caesars Ghosts died at Lost Oasis.

`Deadeye` Bobby Lockhart of Renshai died at Snowy River Pass.

Ryan `The Lion` Hernandez of Science Ninja Team died at Snowy River Pass.

Darlene Naylor of Road Rifters died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 3.

Edwin `Last Straw` Berry of Caesars Ghosts died at Sandy.

Kerry Cousar of Caesars Ghosts died at Road to Somerset.

Gerard `Gary` Evans of The Autumn Wind died at The Pit.

`Vikki` Valentine Smith of 69th Battalion died at Dead man`s Road.

Enrique O`Grady of KRU died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.

Ginger Dilley of King of Clubs died at Dead man`s Road.

Nancy Gaona of Bad Baby Bunnies died at Gates of Somerset.

Raymond Young of finger3 died at Highway to Hell.

Gary `Bouffon` Osborn of Les Loups Gris died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.

Lawrence Gary of Coolerheads died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 3.

Pauline `The Morgue` Uchida of Wasters died at Scattered Grounds.

Peter `Geek` Parker of Les Loups Gris died at Road to Somerset.

Wanda `Nurse` Maxim of Les Loups Gris died at Road to Somerset.

The gazette would like to wish everyone a happy new year and much chaos for 2063.