Operation Home Front: Is It Just Me or Do We Need some
   Bureaucracy Around Here?
 Author: William Keith, TRES Corps

     Will woke up and looked around. There were more people than
   there had been last night. He wondered how many would get here
   before the assault on Sumner-X started. Which brought up an
   excellent question: when would the assault on Sumner-X start?
   What would its methods be?
         Who was going to be in charge?
    Right now, JAOs were sending those they could spare,
   specifically those who had been assigned to take out Array
   Elements and had already succeeded. If the number of people in
   this field was any indication, not more than half had been taken
   out. But the more immediate problem was that the basic unit
   structure of a military was missing.
         "Lieutenant Commander Keith?"
         He turned around. "Commander Burdoo. I'm glad you're here."
    She smiled suddenly. "While it's always pleasant to hear that,
   what in particular did you mean by it?"
    "You're an XO, and a commander. Respectfully request you take
   command of such TRES contingent here as you outrank."
    She reacted differently than he'd thought she would. "Paling"
   would be a good word for it. "I'm... the highest-ranking officer
   here?"
         "Yes, ma'am."
         "No one higher than a commander?"
         "No, ma'am."
         "No other XOs or Squad COs?"
         "No, ma'am."
         ...
         "Oh, dear. I guess I've got the job, then."
    She shook her head and became more businesslike. "I'm talking
   with HQ currently. The amount of traffic from all the RBNMA
   teams we've got is making it an incredible hassle to get through
   to anyone of authority, rank hath its... oh, yeah... privileges.
   I guess the first thing is to get all the TRES people together.
   Go through the crowd and tell them to gather around that low
   rise over there."
    "Yes ma'am. Suggest we give the other JAOs similar
   instructions?"
    "Go for it." She moved off toward the rise, paying attention to
   the JihadLinker[tm] she carried.
    Having an order, Will started wading through the crowd with
   more purpose, informing TRES people, who gladly packed up shop
   and headed toward the rise. The first LoD, DE, and other JAO
   representatives he found selected spots for those to gather, and
   he informed those JAOs of the spots, recruiting others as he
   went to help spread the news - 2000 people was a small invasion
   force, but a lot of people to talk to individually.
    Along with grouping the JAOs, Will suggested that people stop
   trying to get through to their respective HQs, and instead to
   speak to somebody of higher rank, even if it wasn't in the chain
   of command. The results were interesting to note, at least to a
   scientifically-minded person. DE people were the most amenable,
   those of higher rank(especially the officer ranks) falling in
   naturally with complete strangers. LoD folks were considerably
   touchier about moving outside their own chains of command, but
   did see the sense in allowing higher ranks to have priority on
   communications channels. TRES and others were in the middle, a
   rough organization springing up depending on the JAO.
    Finally the process was well under way, even those who hadn't
   been informed seeing the general migration. Will headed back to
   Commander Burdoo. "There're a few problems, Commander."
    "Those being?" she said, on hold for the moment on her 'Linker.
    "First, we *are* close to the Purple Forces base. I'd hate to
   be noticed and become subject to an attack."
    "First thing I asked TRES HQ. They've assured me no B'harnate
   satellites are passing overhead. As long as new arrivals stay
   under radar, the gathering shouldn't be noticed - and the HQs
   are telling people to do exactly that." She looked up at him,
   considering in a way he couldn't quite make out. "Would you have
   any suggestions as to how we could do better?"
    "Two things, ma'am. A), a perimeter at about 10 miles or more,
   Jihaddi with short-range communicators. They could tell incoming
   arrivals where we are, eliminating search time, and tell those
   flying high to get down."
    "Hmmm. It would require a large number of people... suggest it
   to whoever's heading up the LoD contingent, they've got the most
   people."
    "Yes, ma'am. B), a watch at the encampment boundary. Also out
   of sight near the two gates we know of to the base, front and
   side."
    She nodded. "I trust TRES people to do that. Be sure to tell
   the other JAOs so we don't overlap. Your other concern?"
    "Rations. There's no way our JAOs can move enough here in a
   short time without attracting attention. We might as well start
   building a base."
    She frowned at that, thinking for a longer time. "Please tell
   me you have an idea on this one?"
    "There are a few small towns in the area. If we had mobile
   people, we could ferry enough supplies. But to feed an invasion
   force... that's going to take someone with a lot of access to
   Jihad monies."
    She said so quietly he almost didn't think he'd heard it, "Yes,
   likely whoever they pick to head the force." She looked up.
   "Keep an eye out for the JAO that looks like it's got the most
   vehicles, especially large transports. Suggest the idea to the
   one with the most cargo space." She suddenly seemed to get an
   idea, and smiled at him in a way that made him wonder if he'd
   been caught doing something. "I should have someone with the
   authority to indemnify the Jihad for supplies by the time you
   return."
         "Yes, ma'am."
    The LoD contingent was being headed by a couple of Captains,
   who thought the perimeter idea sound. They listened and agreed
   to the ration problem, volunteered vehicles if they could help,
   and noted that TRES would be taking watch duties. These
   formalities done, they immediately began parceling out perimeter
   assignments.
    DE was most definitely the most vehicle-equipped, from
   A.S.S.V.A.K.T.s to something that looked like the 1-Ton Pickup
   Eaten by MechaGodzilla. Currently commanding the DE contingent
   was the highest-ranking officer, who wasn't one of the named
   ranks will knew about(he promptly forgot the man's name and
   hoped like anything it didn't show). He listened politely to
   Will's suggestion as well as the news, then set about organizing
   vehicles.
    "We'll be ready to go as soon as you can get the ID cards
   validated, Keith."
    "That should be soon, sir." At that moment, Will was tapped on
   the shoulder by a TRES Ensign.
         "Excuse me, sir, you're wanted by Commander Burdoo."
    "Oh? Right. Hang on then..." Will wrapped up the organizing he
   was laying out with the simple statement, "You can figure out
   the rest," feeling the little satisfaction he felt every time he
   took advantage of the Jihad's true asset - the Functioning
   Cerebrums[tm] of its members. "Where is she?"
         "The stand of trees beyond the cleft hill, sir."
         "Thanks."
    Apparently, she had put the word out a while back. At every
   third turn, people who knew his face or saw his nameplate were
   asking, "Are you Lt. Comm. Keith?" or saying, "Commander Burdoo
   said..." He quickly got in the habit of nodding and calling out,
   "I heard, going, thanks," which he still had the urge to
   abbreviate after enough repetitions that he lost count. Finally,
   he made it to the enclave where Burdoo was answering questions.
   Why the look of relief on her face?
    "Keith, good, you're here." Somebody had set up a small field
   table. She turned her JihadLinker around on it and everyone
   looked at him as if they expected him to perform a trick. Then
   he looked down at the 'Linker.
    Maybe he had. On that one screen were the heads - HEADS, boy,
   the guys that ran them - of three different JAOs and Triumvir
   Malaclypse. Malaclypse did the talking.
         "You are Lieutenant Commander Will Keith, of TRES Corps."
         "Yes, sir."
    "You were one of the two who initially penetrated the base
   which the Jihad must now enter to destroy the RBNMA Generator."
         "Yes, sir."
    "How would you describe your field command experience?" The
   inflection he used indicated that he'd already had it described,
   but wanted to hear it from Will.
         "None. Well, limited. I've never commanded Jihad troops."
    "And your other commands. One small detachment of security
   personnel in your state Capitol. More importantly, a group of
   sorcerors who cleared out a sponge infestation and destroyed an
   Element, also capturing information in the process."
         "Yes, sir. Neither Jihaddi."
    "There are... questions... about your... use... of police
   forces in that stand, Keith. How would you respond to them?"
    He had hoped to have more time to deal with this. But if push
   came to shove, there was the stock answer. "It had to be done.
   Otherwise, the police assault could have interfered with our
   own. Casualties were as minimal as possible."
         "I saw no measures you took to minimize police casualties."
    "Other than giving them as much information as was feasible,
   there were none possible. Sir."
    He looked at Will for a long time, as the subject of his gaze
   maintained his position. "Good. A field commander needs to be
   able to make a decision and stand by it, even if men die.
   Without that response, your lack of experience, even with all
   your other qualifications, would have eliminated you from the
   job.
    "Lieutenant Commander Will Keith, by the authority vested in me
   as a Triumvir and with the agreement of all JAOs whose personnel
   are affected, you are hereby made one co-commander of the
   assault on the base known as Sumner-X. The records will show
   this as an extension of the cross-JAO mission..."
         Whoa! Me? In command of everybody here?
    "The objective of the mission is to prevent the activation of
   the RBNMA, preferably through the destruction of the Main
   Generator located within. Your co-commander is Centurion
   Aphrodite Persephone Selene of the DE..." her promotion
   registered... "and you are now receiving the codes which will
   permit indemnification of Jihad resources for the purpose of
   rations and sundry supplies."
    Grand Admiral Marburger now spoke. "For the duration of this
   mission, you are given the temporary rank of Commander in TRES
   Corps. This will be reviewed for possible permanent status upon
   completion of the mission. Good luck, Commander."
    Will sighed and looked up, into the face of Burdoo. She looked
   relieved.
    "Y'know, I never was cut out for this kinda thing. Having me
   being .... less responsible is probably a good thing." She
   looked up at him with an evil grin. "So, Commander, why don't
   you go -- ah -- *command* while I work off all that unwanted
   responsibility by loading up the armored contingent -- Lots more
   fun, you know." She chuckled, saluted, and headed off in the
   general direction of the parking area. Will, open-mouthed,
   stared after her, listening to her absentminded voice fading
   into the distance:
    "Lessee, four 60mm guns, a couple LAWs, and we'll need about
   ten TOW missiles for the last TARAV - hey, anyone got a plasma
   rifle they don't need?"
    That woman's going to get a nasty shock when she realizes the
   amount of mobile armor I saw - or _didn't see_ today, he
   thought.

         To Be Continued