Operation: Home Front - Finding the Way
	Author: Will Keith

	"I think we're lost, Will."  Selene compared the views down the
left and right hand passages at a T-intersection.  No such intersection was
marked on the three-dimensional map Will was projecting from his staff, the
one which had a route in, a gap, and then a dot in the general vicinity of
the Main Generator, where Merengue had transferred before she was captured.
They were closer to the Generator, but were obviously not where they were
supposed to be.  Best guess had the Generator located down and in the
direction of the blank wall, reaching high above their heads as seemed
common for this part of the base.
	"You're probably right.  Any advice on which way to go?"
	Cecrops said, "I hear the other force attacking from that
direction," and waved a hand in the general area to the left and back where
- to everyone's relief - best guess had identified them to be.
	Burdoo pointed out, "If they're to keep attention away from us, we
might as well keep away from them."
	Selene nodded.  "Sound advice.  To the right, then - and everybody
keep your eyes peeled for ways further down and back."  They set off.
	Will whispered to Selene, "We may have to break past something,  or
even cut a wall, if we can't get in.  Thaleia and Jambavan have been doing
well so far -"
	"I understand, things will get more complicated.  But the security
systems aren't my real worry, it's what will happen if we meet up with a
squad of sponges not engaged in the general battle.  Once we get in a
firefight, we start burning time."
	They followed the corridor for some hundreds of feet, checking
likely-looking doors and listening for the sounds of an approaching patrol.
The brightness of the overhead lights and the reflectivity of the neon
coloring obscured objects and features until the troop was almost on top of
them.
	Jambavan whistled softly but sharply.  As they had been doing so on
their way in, the group froze.  He made his way to the front and weighed a
small object in his hand.  With a flick of his wrist, a metallic disk flew
up and attached itself to an innocent-looking metal box high on the wall.
They looked at him curiously.
	"Routing hub for the security systems in this section," he
explained. "B'harnese centralization lends itself so well to single point-
of-failure attacks. That," he gestured towards the disc, "ought to disable
them all for about an hour or so, so we can safely move faster and not
worry about being detected by anything other than patrols now."
	They nodded and moved ahead.  Lights, lights, walls, locked rooms,
empty chambers, until...
	"Finally," someone said.  "An intersection."
	"Indeed," said Will.  "Best guess still has the Generator to the
left. Let's go."  He stepped out into the hall.
	He turned so fast on the stone floor his boot skidded, and his next
step back into the safety of the previous corridor was a scramble near all
fours.  Energy weapons fire blazed across the intersection behind him.
	He leaned up against the wall.  "Good news.  There's a huge door
back there marked 'Do Not Enter' in big letters.  Bad news you can guess."
	Burdoo cocked her rifle.  "Well, it's not like we didn't expect him
to have it guarded."
	Alarms began to sound in their section.  Will said, "Yeah.  Let's
just hope that's the right door, otherwise this is going to be bad."
	Selene turned to the group.  "All right.  Everybody in this half -"
she swept an arm - "we'll lay down some cover fire.  Cross the intersection
so we can have twice as much fire space."
	Cecrops, who hadn't been in the selected group, spoke up.  "Suggest
I help with that group, ma'am."
	"Fine.  Will, ready?"
	"Ready."  The group behind them prepared to break for it.  "They're
probably coming this way.  Be ready to flank them if they do."
	He turned, then called over his shoulder, "Oh, and don't be afraid
of the Bots."
	Cecrops nodded, then said, "Wait a minute.  Bots?"
	At Selene's signal, three Jihaddi poked around the corner, one
laying prone, one kneeling, one standing.  They started up a barrage of fire, 
gaining their troops a moment to cross.	Cecrops called up his Shield and 
ferried across about ten of their group.  Will, doing it the old-fashioned
way, threw up the illusion of empty intersection and had his bunch run like
hell.
	The kneeling Jihaddi took a shot in the chest before the three
pulled back.  A TRES soldier wearing a Red Cross armband pulled him away
from the trio to begin a search in the wound.  Right into the empty spot
stepped another Jihaddi, LoD.
	Between Will and Cecrops, close to fifteen made it to the other
side, with one Jihaddi being killed by a random spray of automatic fire
from a Bot.
	Thaleia, in the back as her skills dictated, asked Selene - "Bots?
Inside a base?"
	"Look at these walls.  Under the garish paint, these are solid
granite.  They'd probably take only middling damage from a missile."
Noticing that the group had split satisfactorily, she called out.  "Now
phase your attacks from either side.  Keep it arrhythmic, don't let 'em
latch onto a pattern."
	Will signaled Jambavan on the other side.  "What's your estimate of
how much damage we're doing?"
	Jambavan sampled the view a few times, playing peek-a-boo and then
closing his eyes to analyze the image.  "Some," he called back.  "Whether
it's enough depends on your time frame."
	"The spongies?"
	"Letting the Bots do most of the fighting right now.  They're
hanging back."
	Selene declared, "Then we'll just have to up the damage rate."
	"Right," agreed Will.  "Trooper Cecrops!"
	"Yes, sir!"
	"Gather five of the guys with the heaviest weaponry over there.
Bring them here."
	"Yes, sir."  He quickly had his volunteers and raced back across,
as Will got the same type of bunch from his side.
	"Now then, Trooper - how good is that Shield?"
	"Hasn't busted yet, sir."
	"Good, because I'm about to count on it heavily.  We're going to go
out there and stand in the middle of the intersection.  I'm going to work
up a little surprise and then y'all are going to let loose on the Bots.
Understand?"
	In front of a chorus of "Yes, sir"s, Trooper Cecrops said, "I hope
you understand I'll have to drop my Shield to shoot."
	"Then don't shoot.  Stand there and save our asses while they
shoot.  O.K.?"
	"Yes, sir."
	"Good.  Hang on, then."  He closed his eyes and raised the staff,
speaking quietly.  "Air and water, frigid things / wind and snow, thy song
I sing ..."  Cold wind began to blow toward them, the staff turning
translucent whitish-blue.  "Gather ye in freezing mist..."  Points of
moisture began to dance above their heads, growing more pronounced.  He
pointed toward the intersection.
	Cecrops strode boldly out into the line of fire, both arms stiffly
up and holding the Shield against a stunningly hard rain of ammunition.
Soldiers took their places as Will raised his staff above his head, sending
the wisps of ice higher and wilder.  "...Let very air become my fist!"  He
swept the staff down, pointing toward the three Wyrm Bots that were
standing there and firing at them.  Ice-blue spheres of liquid oxygen left
trails of mist behind them as they whistled down the hall, striking joints,
guns, and sensors.
	Suddenly brittle metal in weapons snapped as hot lead tried to
force its way through, or extreme energy pulses tried to focus within them.
The assault lessened with shocking quickness as their weapons refused to
function and limbs stayed where they were or snapped their frames.
	Will ducked behind the Shield.  As spongies took up the attack, his
soldiers obeyed their orders and concentrated their fire on the remnants of
the Bots still functioning.  Under their combined fire, the icy armor of
the Bots began to shatter, exposing circuitry and, more efficiently,
pilots.  In short order, they were no longer a threat.
	The spongies looked at each other wonderingly.  Will and the team
took the time to retreat back to cover as the spongies decided it was best
to make contact.  They began heading for the Jihaddi.
	Selene addressed both groups.  "Ready yourself for hand-to-hand
combat."  Hand weapons were drawn, pistols unholstered.  She herself moved
back a ways.  Casting a quick glance and smile at Will, her pendant flashed
and white fog surrounded her, expanding to much larger, a single point of
light shining within it.  It faded and there stood Zaphyre.  In return,
Will looked inward a moment and turned his staff horizontally.  Some trick
was played on everyone's eyes, and two versions of him stepped to either
side while one stood there.  The three planted their staffs and winked at
Selene.
	The team didn't blink; after all, this was the Jihad.  Weirder was
commonplace.  The spongies reached them.
	Zaphyre launched herself overhead and into the middle of them.  A
second later, spongies had gotten the message and were quickly giving her
space, although that second had been enough for a twisting reptilian form
to lay three of them in bloody heaps.
	Several spongies, seeing an opportunity to attack a few they
thought would be weaker, made a bunch and began hacking and shooting their
way towards the back, where medics worked over wounded and techs stood
guard.  The first of them to reach Thaleia fell to an inelegant sword-swipe
across the throat.  Similar things began happening to the rest of them
until a group of Jihaddi broke off from the main fight and took them from
the back.  Throwing Thaleia a shakily-returned salute, they melded back
into the fray.
	Jambavan and Cecrops worked back to back, Jambavan attacking those
spongies in front of him while Cecrops and his Shield guarded the Warrior's
back, allowing the Trooper to catch enemies in an unyielding vise and do
lethal damage quickly, then move on to the next attacker.
	Burdoo was generally in the vicinity of Will - one of the Wills, at
any rate.  As she ducked, dodged, and generally removed her attackers with
a single well-placed, low-power shot to a vital organ, she had to make an
effort to fight off confusion.  Will's three melded in and out of one
another, sometimes two images, sometimes Will and one, sometimes all three,
and you couldn't tell which was real until a spongie had taken a hard,
maybe crushing blow from a whirling staff to the skull or eye or larynx.
But by that time, they had remelded and the cycle had begun again.
	"Cycle" was a good word for it - it was a fluid, rolling, twirling
style, deceptively slow but always powerful.  It was almost hypnotic.  Not
until she looked down did she realize that those who took a blow to the
larynx were out of the fight, having their own problems, but not... yet...
dead.  From the same man who showed an obvious preference for knocking his
opponents unconscious, it was an unfeeling battle logic that jarred her.
	Will slowly fought his way out of the fray to the edge, off in the
corridor to the right of the one they'd entered.  He surveyed the melee -
the Jihaddi were doing their job, and quickly.  The number of spongies was
down to half and falling fast.
	A voice called out behind him.  "Jihaddi!  I didn't think any had
gotten here ahead of me."
	He turned.  The speaker was rushing toward him and wearing a
Wyrm-Minion uniform.  He couldn't fathom the reason for the sentiment, but
he didn't need to.  He pointed his staff and gathered energy.
	"Don't shoot!  I'm a Jihaddi!"
	"You've got twenty steps to prove it, mister."
	"Lieutenant Turbo, TRES, Australia, and..." he slowed to a stop.
"you'll get all the proof you need in about a minute."
	Selene stepped up beside Will, herself once more, and pointed her
'Blaster[tm].  "What's that supposed to mean?  Will, who the hell is this?"
	"Hopefully, Lt. Turbo of TRES.  I am awaiting proof."
	"Listen, um-" he checked the as-yet-unchanged rank insignia on
Will's collar - "Lieutenant Commander Keith, the proof consists of about a
million spongies on my tail, and there's bad news for me and worse news for
you.  The bad news for me is, they really are after a Wyrm-Minion, just not
me - I'm an escaped infiltrator - and not this bunch, which were assigned
to track me down.  So it's not as strong a proof as it'd usually be.  The
worse news for all of us is, they're not your usual run of spongies.  I
think the Lyran with them enhanced their programming or something."
	Selene echoed, "Lyran?"
	Will asked, "Why would a Lyran use spongies to go after a Wyrm-Minion?"
	"You heard of this Rhyn character?"  Will and Selene exchanged a
look.  "Thought so.  Well, his superiors didn't take kindly to his
initiative.  They're here to kill Rhyn, although to let the plan go forward
if they can.  Will you keep me or do I have to run some more?"
	"Can you handle a brief but deep psychic probe?"
	"Um, O.K. - Ow!"
	*He's for real.*
	"Thanks, Kit."
	*Unless he's good enough to trick me.*
	"Thanks a lot, Kit."  He turned his attention back to Turbo.
"Allright.  You're with us.  Selene, get someone to keep an eye on him.
You - take that thing off and put on a dead man's jacket."  He stepped
closer.  "We wouldn't want you to get shot by mistake or anything."
	Turbo was about to reply when a double-time marching block of
spongies trotted across the far end of the hall.  Selene bodily grabbed
Turbo and threw him into the hall they'd just come from, but a spongie on
the left side saw him before the move was completed.  He shouted to the
rest of the troop, and they all shifted direction, heading towards the
Jihaddi.  A double-time War Chant was still as ghastly as any other, and
Thaleia quickly provided a sound net for the Jihaddi.
	Worse yet - these spongies sent curt messages over comlinks.  One
word: "Converge."
	Selene looked at Will.  "I don't like the sound of that."  Almost
as she spoke it, spongies wearing the same expressions appeared down both
ends of their own cross-hall.  The Jihaddi hunkered down and tried to force
the spongies back into their own cover, but - typically - they didn't seem
to get the idea.  With the bravery of only the insanely stupid, they
pressed on.
	"This may be an obvious suggestion, but getting the hell out of the
vicinity might be a good idea."
	"Preferably in the direction we want to go."
	"We've gotta clear that passage or we'll get creamed going down the
opposite way.  Ideas?"
	"Yeah," Will said.  "I think I can clear the head of every spongie
in the hall, but it'll be a few minute's work.  Front rank!" he called.
"I'll need some cover fire!  All Jihaddi - I'm about to start a mass
despongification working.  Don't be alarmed, you'll be in the net, just go
with the flow."
	"Will?  Cover fire?"
	"Don't panic...  They should have stopped shooting by the time I
get out there."
	"And... going with the flow?"
	Will grinned.  "Trust me."  He stepped back, raising his arms into
the gesture which began the spell, the traditional "defiant arms to the
sky" pose,  and shouted the arcane words which began the incantation:
	"SWING LIIIIVES!!!"
	From the surprised Jihaddi and the unconcerned sponges came the
answering shout, pausing gunfire: "Swing lives!"
	Selene looked back at Will.  Then she did a double-take.  Yes...
his uniform had changed, hopefully only for the duration,  into...
	Will put a hand on the brim of his hat, turning into a sharp,
classy profile, and chanted rhythmically.  "A-Whon!  A-Two!" - break into a
run for the intersection, visible to all personnel -
"A-Whon-Two-Three-Four!" - knee slide, head back -
	"Heeeeeeey!"
	o/~ You're in a Zoot Suit Riot... throw back a bottle of beer... o/~
	o/~ You're in a Zoot Suit Riot... run a comb through your coal-
black hair.o/~
	Three halls of spongies were in better formation than they'd ever
been.  As one, they moved like a trained dance troupe, swingin' like it was
1945.  The Jihaddi were having considerably more fun, going at it
individually.  Will step-turned, right in time with the music, knowing what
he'd see right behind him...
	...and caught Selene, laughing as she spun into his arms, a
glittery blue dress catching the light, then out to face him.  They
not-quite lost themselves in the music for the moment,  careful to keep an
eye out for a new squad, not seeing one,  matching steps, back-and-forth
twists and turns.
	"Ending coming up," Will said, just loudly enough for the Jihaddi
to hear.  "They'll join up with us for a big finish.  I'll leave the music
on after we go, it'll keep them busy.  Selene, move with me to the empty
hall."  Grin.  "And get ready to *move*."
	The brass wailed, the percussion quaked, the groove grooved.  The
Jihaddi made the lively center of blocks of posing, rock- and-rolling
sponge troops getting down to the music.  Will and Selene tumbled about
their mutual center of gravity (*[Laugh]  Zaph?  This is how /we/ fly...*);
finally, as the music crashed its way to the top, taking advantage of the
ten-foot ceiling to perform an aerial spin.
	Selene landed soft as a feather in a dip position, one arm gently
catching her and spiraling her down.  They held there for just a few beats.
	"Big Band's Greatest Hits" started up.  The Jihaddi brushed
themselves off, some chuckling, some looking a little put out but not
complaining at the lack of weapons fire.  Will's zoot returned to normal,
as did Selene's dress.  He looked around, nodded at the the progress, and
said, "Let's go."
	They set off finally through the great doors, everyone glad to be
en route once more.
	"Will?  We gotta do that under less lethal circumstances some
time..."

TBC...