respectable enough.
He was working on a deep space project,
searching out mining planets.
If you run the relevant sets of figures together,
you will see that he delayed his information
just long enough to manipulate
the commodities market.
- That's not really crooked.
- You tell that to his Federation masters.
Is that what you threatened to do?
I merely reminded him that since I got
the information from the Federation computers,
somebody else might also piece it together.
In which case,
he would find himself in a penal colony.
- So you blackmailed him.
- Naturally.
He's coming round.
Gerren, that was a damn fool thing to do.
You could have ruined everything.
Didn't have much choice.
The Federation smelt a rat.
I wanted to get the stuff out
before their team arrived.
- You should leave that sort of thing to us.
- I told you, there was no time.
Besides, from what I've heard,
she might be more than a match for you.
Well, now.
Just who are they sending?
Your move.
Oh, I must greet our opponents, Gambit.
I'm glad to see they're punctual at least.
(Beeping)
We're honoured by your visit, Commissioner Sleer.
I wouldn't call it a visit, Belkov.
That makes it sound like a holiday, which it isn't.
And I doubt whether you'll feel honoured
by the time I'm finished with you.
You've been placed under house arrest,
pending the results of my investigations.
Yes, well, Mecron II is a very strange planet.
You'll find it difficult to investigate
without my help.
I could have you executed on the spot, you know.
Yes, that is true. But that would guarantee
you didn't get the Feldon crystals,
and that wouldn't enhance your reputation
with the Federation, would it?
By the way, what am I being arrested for?
Production has been consistently below target.
Your excuses have been, to say the least, evasive.
Accidents to members of the previous survey team
for which we have yet to receive
satisfactory explanations.
What do you expect? This is a strange place.
We're working under difficulties.
This isn't a game, Belkov.
We want those crystals and we want them now.
And I'm the only one who can get them for you.
It is a game, Commissioner,
and I hold the winning hand.
No hand is a winning hand until it's played,
Belkov.
You should know that.
We've still got one advantage.
She doesn't know about the crystals
Belkov's hidden in the Orbiter. We do.
It didn't do Gerren and his friends much good,
did it?
Well, no, but Soolin's right though.
Servalan will be more worried about the mining,
the stuff they're digging up now, won't she?
Unfortunately
they're not digging up anything much.
There's virtually no Feldon left.
Belkov has milked this planet for 12 good years.
Now he knows the game's up,
he wants to use the crystals to buy his survival.
- So he'll do a deal.
- With Servalan?
- He'll certainly try.
- I wish him luck.
So do I.
Why deal when you can steal isn't just my motto.
It's not that easy.
The ship's stacked with booby traps.
We couldn't even get past the first one.
- Master.
- Yes, Slave?
There appears to be someone on Mecron II
attempting to make contact with us, Master.
But there shouldn't be anyone there
who knows we're coming.
- They seem to be getting impatient.
- Who does?
I fear I'm unable to identify them, Master.
I regret this failure most bitterly.
Orac?
The message is coming
via a Federation-class Alpha-197 computer.
It appears to have been modified
in rather extraordinary ways.
Spare us the technical details,
just give us the message.
It offers visual contact. Do we accept?
Well, since they obviously know us,
and we don't know them...
Quite. All right, Dayna.
- Good day to you.
- Belkov!
- Gerren?
- Yes.
So you survived. Oh, well done!
But no points for you, I fear.
I shall have to mark you down as "retired hurt".
- Can we get to the point?
- Yes, perhaps you're right.
It wouldn't do either of us any good
if that Federation squadron