Operation Phoenix:  The Pennsylvania Front
by Arsenal the Lone Warrior

        An explosion rocked Base One.  Arsenal ran into the monitor room, 
strapping on his Excalibur Body Armor while doing so.
        "What the hell was that?!" he yelled.
        "A wave of Purple Alliance fightercraft is attacking the area," one of 
the technicians called back.  "There are two hundred fighters over Eastern 
Pennsylvania and New Jersey alone, and several thousand across the globe."
        "DAMN!"  Arsenal spun towards a monitor.  "Contact General Petronis.  
Have him send as many wings as he can to fight these Alliance fighters.  And 
fuel up my Stingray."
        "Sir?"
        "I'm not gonna sit by and bark orders," he stated, adjusting his 
helmet.  "If they're attacking my turf, them I'm gonna fight them.  To the 
Death, if neccessary."  Arsenal turned an ran down the hallway to a drop tube.
        He fell into the cockpit of his Y-11 Stingray.  After a quick check of 
the systems, he hit the afterburners, rocketing out of the launch tube and 
into a war zone.

        After dogfighting for three hours straight, Arsenal was starting to 
think the battle was hopeless.  Every time he or one of the Blood Jihad pilots 
downed a Purple Alliance fighter, three more seemed to take it's place.
        Suddenly, a new fighter entered the air battle.  Several Alliance 
fighters blew up, causing many of their wingmen to look away from the main 
battle.
        "Looked like you could use a hand, handsome," a familiar voice piped 
through the tac-unit.
        The ex-Pink Ranger's Firebird Zord eased in beside Arsenal's Stingray, 
before zooming off to engage in other dogfights.
        <Great,> he moaned inwardly.  "Thanks for the assist."
        "Does that mean you believe me?" she called back.
        "As long as you shoot at the invaders, and not at me, I don't care 
*what* you're story is right now," he countered.

        After another two hours, the third wave of Blood Jihad pilots arrived 
to reinforce Arsenal's gains.  He took this time to land for refueling and 
rearming.
        Kimberly Hart appeared in a grey beam of light next to him.
        "Grey?" he asked.  "I thought you were the *Pink* Ranger?"
        "I've been experimenting," she answered, removing her helmet.  "I'm 
calling myself the Shadow Ranger, now.  What's all this about?"  She indicated 
the battle.
        A few months ago, a team of Jihaddi thwarted one of B'Harne's attempts 
at world domination.  One of us, Galand, decapitated him.  It seems he's back, 
and out for blood."
        "So what can I do?" she asked.
        "Just keep shooting them down," he told her.  "I'm gonna head out in 
an M-5 to Texas."
        "What for?"
        "The Jihad needs leadership.  I'm gonna try and find the Mahdi."