Author: Alex Bell (Warrior Aphrodite Persephone and Zaphyre)

[Northern MN base.  0900 Hours.  The day after the MN Dobermensch arrived
home from Pacifica.]

   Warrior A. Persephone grumpily rolled over and stuffed a pillow
over her head.  The voices outside her door continued unabated, making
further sleep impossible.
   *Can't a person get any rest around here?* she griped mentally to
her Companion, Zaphyre.  She reluctantly got out of bed and slipped a
light robe around her shoulders.
   *Obviously not,* the dragon replied sourly, wanting only to
finish her dream.
   Persephone nodded in agreement, thinking longingly of her soft
bed, crisp sheets, and... bliss dreams.
   Zaph's snort abruptly brought her back to reality.  *You humans
are weird.*
   Pers just smiled and flung open the door to her outer office.  A
young man, oblivious to his surroundings, was seated at her desk glaring
at the computer screen.  He hesitantly typed a few keys and frowned,
waiting for the machine's response.
   Its whiny voice filled the room. "I'm sorry, Sir.  You do not
have the required codes for these files.  Please speak with Warrior
Persephone before attempting further access."
   The man groaned and looked as though he seriously considered throwing
the system across the room.  "Damn it! As if I didn't already have enough
problems
around here with Pers gone!..."
   Before he could continue with his rant, Pers cleared her throat.
"Good morning, Brackard, is there something I can help you with?"
   He spun around, jumped to his feet, and snapped quickly to
attention.  His mouth dropped open in shock as he realized that his
commanding officer had returned, had just observed his tirade, and was
standing there behind him - wearing next to nothing.  Flushing, he
stammered, "Uh... S-sir... I mean W-warr... uh... Pers, you're back!"
   "Yes, it does look that way," she replied, smiling.  Blue eyes
sparkling, she gently brushed past him and softly closed his gaping mouth
with an index finger, before reclaiming her desk chair.  "So what seems
to be the problem?"
   "Which one," he muttered, forcing his eyes away from her
neckline.  "Things seem to go to Hell quickly around here when you're gone."
   Persephone gave him an exasperated look.
   "Well, it's true!" he defended himself.  "We finally got back
yesterday to find everything all messed up here. Then we discovered that
you were still MIA... Adding that to the general disruption in command
from the Pacifica casualties and the FC's abrupt departure, nobody knew..."
   "Wait a minute," Pers interrupted. "What do you mean, the FC's
departure?"
   Brackard shrugged.  "Nobody really knows.  Official word is that
he took a temporary leave of absence and left Commander Inagei in charge
for the duration.  Lots of rumors are floating about, but they're all so
far out there that nobody really believes them."
   The Warrior looked shocked.  "No wonder things have been so crazy
around here.  We're just lucky that the Evil One[tm] hasn't mounted
another attack."  She looked at the huge piles of papers on her desk with
dread. "So, where do I need to start?"
   "With this," he replied and handed her a manila packet stuffed
with papers.  "This came for you about two hours ago.  I was trying to
log on to the network to explain the situation when you... uh...
interrupted me."
   Persephone grinned up at him, then continued to scan the
envelope's contents.  She groaned aloud.  "I just get back, and they send
me to Kansas?!"
   Brackard nodded in sympathy, before excusing himself, muttering
something about other problems needing his attention.  She dismissed him
with a wave and returned to her reading.
   *It can't be all that bad, right Zaph?*
   The dragon snorted. *You - well, make that we - only wish.
Sumner County does NOT sound like my idea of a good time.* They continued
reading. *Ninety-five percent of the land is for crops?!  Why, Grimace,
why us?*
   "Persephone?" the whiny voice of Mr. Chips, her personal
computer, filled the room again. "An urgent message from the office of
Commander Inagei has just arrived."
   The Warrior sighed. "Thanks, Chips.  Connect me, please."
   Seconds later, the face of Inagei's assistant filled the screen.
"Good morning, Warrior.  We hope this message finds you in good health.
By this time, you should have received your new orders.  We don't usually
send officers out so soon after they return, but as you can see, this is
not a usual situation.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause
you.
   "You are to rendevous with the representative of the TRES Corps...
a Lieutenant Commander William Keith from the Kappa squadron at 1300
hours at the field base in Sumner County.  Please notice the change in
time.  There have been some new developments since your orders were drawn
up.  It seems that in addition to withdrawing their troops, the Spongies
have also decided to torch the fields.  Your job is to find out what's
happening and where their troops have gone.  Good luck and may Grimace's
good wishes be with you."
   This time it was Zaphyre that groaned.  *Great.  Well ready or
not, bland land, here we come.*
   Persephone snorted, secretly agreeing with the dragon's feelings
as she went to prepare for her departure.


[In the skies abouve Kansas, the same day]
[about 3 and a half hours later (1230 CST)]

   *Look at this land, Pers,* the dragon griped, gliding through the
clouds.  *It's almost as bad as that drive out to San Francisco...*
   *Wrong, Zaph,* the human replied, *it's worse.  We had a way to
escape there.*
   *Good point.  Is that the base?* she asked indicating a cluster
of buildings to the south.
   *Looks good to me - let's land by that lake and walk the rest.*
   The dragon floated gently to the ground.  She stretched
languidly, before handing control over to Persephone.  Their body blurred
and then flowed effortlessly into the shape of a young woman.  The
Warrior tossed her hair behind her, then quickly removed a jumpsuit from
her satchel and slipped ino it.  She glanced around, grateful that nobody
had seen her and started walking toward the base.

...

   Persephone wandered up to the front gate.  Greeting the guard,
she introduced herself and showed him her Doberman ID.
   "Ah... so you must be one o' them smart guys that HQ sent down,"
he spoke with a slow, slightly Southern drawl.  "Think ye'll be able to
figger it out?  Why them Spongies left the party so soon, that is?"
   Pers smiled politely, hoping to herself that not everyone spoke
this way around here.  "I hope so," she replied cheerily.  "Has
Lieutenant Commander Keith arrived yet?"
   "Well... no, not yet ma'am.  But the CO - Captain Adams is waiting
inside for y'all if you'd like to go on in."
   She thanked him and headed towards a man leaning against the side
of the nearest building.  "Captain Adams?" she asked.  As he nodded, she
continued, "my name is Warrior Persephone from the Empire."
   "Ah... yes," he answered, a large smile forming on his face.
"We've been expecting you, ma'am.  Was your flight pleasant?  My second
noticed your passage overhead about twenty minutes ago."
   Not used to having people ask her direct questions about Zaphyre,
the Warrior was taken aback and didn't know how to respond.  In the end,
she never did answer his question, as they were interrupted by the sound
of a large motorcycle.  They both turned just as the engine was shut off
and watched a rather large man dismount.
   He climbed off the cycle and brushed a few tangles out of his
dark, chocolate-colored hair with his fingers, before walking confidently
toward them.
   *You know, Zaph, he seems to move rather gracefully.*
   *For one so large, you mean?*
   *Yeah. We both know you're a clutz. <smirk> But he doesn't
really, well, look all that fat, either.*
   *You've got a point there, Pers.  He's just a really big man.*
   *But somehow he doesn't look dangerous either.  Preoccupied,
maybe, but not dangerous... I mean, look at his clothes - TRES casuals,
obviously worn more fore comfort then looks... and those eyes, * she
borrowed Zaph's abilities to magnify their vision. *See how they shine
with intelligence?*
   The dragon snorted.
   Returning their vision to normal, Persephone continued, *he just
looks safe...*  As he drew closer, she noticed a lock of hair hanging over
his cheek and had a sudden urge to tuck it gently behind his ear.  She
quickly smothered it and chided herself for her silliness.
   *You don't even know the guy, dummy.  He may look safe but what
is the one thing all men have given you?  Pain, pain, and more pain.  So
get a grip and lose those silly thoughts this instant!*
   Zaphyre laughed, highly amused by her Companion's internal
tirade.  *You know, this jaunt could be rather interesting after all,*
she teased, as their eyes began to sparkle with the dragon's amusement.
   *Shut up, Zaph,* the Warrior responded.  She forced a smile to
her lips and took a step forward, holding out her hand.  "Hi, you must be
the rep from TRES Corps.  I'm Warrior Persephone of the DE - but call me
Pers, all my friends do."

TBC...