too long to hand over.
Then we can get on to Wanta.
- Wanta?
- That's our next assignment.
- Something to look forward to, eh?
- Yes, sir, I'm looking forward to that no end.
Where exactly is Wanta, sir?
- How long till we make planetfall?
- Just over two hours.
You'd better check out which gun kits you want.
- Do you think I'll pass for a Helot?
- No problem.
When Helotrix was first settled,
the old Stock Equalization Act was still in force.
Every Earth race had to be represented.
I didn't know Helots were originally from Earth.
Everyone came from Earth originally.
That's a well-known fact.
It's a well-known opinion, actually.
- Most well-known facts are.
- But not in this case.
Helotrix is one of the oldest colonies and the first
to gain independence from the empire.
Until the Federation grabbed it back.
- Come on, Dayna.
- Right.
That idiot's looking forward to it.
He can't wait to go snooping around Helotrix.
He's good material, is Tarrant. One of the best.
He's not the man for the job.
Tarrant has about as much subtlety
as a Tarzian Warg Strangler.
All I'm saying is Tarrant's going
to walk straight into trouble,
and get himself killed or captured.
If he's dead, he can't talk.
But if the Federation find out
we're hanging around, we won't stand a chance.
Not in this ship.
At least in the Liberator
we could always outrun them.
Vila, if the Federation do have some new weapon,
the Helots will know all about it.
All Tarrant has to do
is ask a few questions in the right places.
Even your Tarzian Warg Strangler
might manage that.
You think so?
Well, you better give him a list of questions
and then a map to find the right places.
Doesn't have much time for Tarrant, does he?
Oh, well, Tarrant is brave, young, handsome.
There are three good reasons
for anyone not to like him.
He has a point, all the same.
- About Tarrant?
- (Chuckling) About the ship.
It was never designed
to tangle with Federation cruisers.
Oh, I'm working on them.
- You are?
- With Orac's help.
These old freighters are fitted
with short-burn boosters
to help get their payloads into orbit.
Orac is figuring out a way to redesign them
to give us extra in-flight speed.
- I thought he was keeping unusually silent.
- Probably sulking.
One of the almost human things about Orac
is that it does not like to work.
- Orac.
- Yes, Avon.
- Any progress with the booster problem?
- There has been no reply yet.
What do you mean, no reply?
I passed the programme to computers
specialising in engineering design.
- You mean you can't handle it yourself?
- The art of leadership is delegation.
They'll push out a patrol to check our casualties,
so you'll have a chance
to catch them in the open for once.
Now, bait the ground well, and then deploy
the rest of the column beyond Post 3.
- Any questions?
- We'll be in the open, too.
If they send in gunships we'll be cut to pieces.
Take them by surprise.
Hit hard and they'll have no time to call gunships.
And then you get out again fast, all right?
- MAN: Prisoners?
- We don't take prisoners.
- You should be in command.
- I'm passing command to you, Hask.
Take over the column till I get back.
Hunda, why don't you think again?
- Do you have to go?
- Yes.
If I'd have gone last time Igin would still be alive.
- And you might be dead.
- Look, we're losing this war,
but if we can destroy the Magnetrix terminal,
we may still have a chance,
and it's our only chance.
- There are plenty of others. I'm willing to try.
- You're not a geologist.
We need to know the exact point
where we can start the shaft.
How long it's going to take,
what sort of equipment will be required.
And a dozen other questions
that only an expert can decide.
How are you going to get into the city?
We haven't found an entrance yet
that isn't covered.
That's true.
They probably got Igin on their detector screens
before he got 50 yards.
I'm going to swim in under