***The events of this segment occur between parts 3 and 4 of the Battle 
for TRES HQ.  --Samhain

The Surprise...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Shadowwarrior Base,
Somewhere in Iowa

	Having just flown the rescue mission to pull Samhain out of the 
forest and then dropped him off at the parked V-1, the Shadowwarrior 
helicopter was just approaching the secret command bunker.  This was it's 
home, a place where fifty elite troops called home, where they ate, 
slept, and trained.  It was here that they spent their entire existence 
when not out wreaking havoc on B'harni's forces.  Much of their time was 
spent in quiet meditation, study, and worship of Grimace.  It was by his 
grace, honor, and glory that they fought--and died.  Nearly eleven hours 
each day were devoted to quiet thought or meditation, and sometimes 
discussion of his True Purple Glory and Worthiness.  Another eight to ten 
of each day were reserved for thinking, planning, and training for 
combat.  They owned and maintained their own equipment, had their own 
tools and skills, and sometimes even designed new equipment.  And when 
new weapons were developed, they were theirs to test before they were 
formally released to all.  Only when their meditations and labors were
complete each day were they allowed to sleep, and some of the time they 
chose not to sleep at all, instead to pursue their own projects.  But now 
they had been given a mission... they were to make life HELL for the 
invading forces.
	The helicopter landed gently on its designated pad, and the rotors 
gradually spun down to a stop.  Before they could come to a complete stop, 
however, the V-1 came rolling in as well, with nobody inside it.  The 
mission commander, just arriving with the helicopter, noted the 
strangeness of this and hurried over to it, meeting the base 
communications officer at its side.
	"Sir," he reported, "we've lost all communications.  All Jihad 
mail connections are being mailbombed and flooded.  Defensive screens 
have been set up, but it means we don't know what's going on.
	Elektra rolled down the window and spoke to the two before any 
questions were asked of her.  "That's because they were vulnerable to begin 
with you knucklehead.  I'm managing to sort through it to some degree, and 
have found 2 items of interest.  One:  Samhain is dead.  A vid clip of his 
assassin was broadcast over all channels.  I'm surprised you didn't receive it."
	The two officers exchanged a sad glance, then returned their 
focus to the voice coming from the car.  Death was something that they 
understood and accepted, but did not fear.  It was something they studied 
intently each day and knew that would come, one way or another.  But they 
knew life would go on as well, for they served the Good, the Right, The 
Cause(tm).... they served Grimace.
	"The second?" requested the mission commander.
	"TRES HQ is under heavy assault.  I have the overhead satellite 
imagery, and statistics for you as well.  Assistance is requested from 
all available personnel."
	The two again looked at eachother.  Now they knew WHERE they 
would strike--it was just up to them to decide exactly how and when.

**********************************************************

Des Moines International Airport, Des Moines, Iowa.

	Flights were few and far between, and passengers were scarce.  
Rumors of an invasion had spread fast, so people were scared, and didn't 
want to travel.  So, when two men in paramilitary garb approached the 
flight planner and manager of United Airlines, he was not entirely surprised, 
and was also willing to help out.  His pilots would fly the route from Des 
Moines to San Francisco via Denver, carrying special surveillance packages.
He was told to expect to be waved on to San Francisco without stopping in  
Denver, but not the reason.  Flights would begin immediately, and leave 
every half hour until he received word to the contrary.  A half hour 
after the last plane left, they would begin flying back, if necessary...

**********************************************************

Shadowwarrior Base

	Each Shadowwarrior assembled his or her own custom gear, and 
"special surprise" as instructed, and loaded it all aboard the 
custom-made and painted airliners.  They would wait for their time, and 
decide from the downlinked information from the United Airlines flights 
when it was time to go.

	The mission commander sat in the war room and watched the 
surveillance photos from the Denver area.  As each United airliner passed 
overhead, he got an update on battle conditions around the TRES HQ.  The 
Sponge Minion forces were dying off rapidly, and would soon be gone.  When 
he saw the X'hirjq forces begin moving into position, he gave the "Go" 
order, and hurried to his own position after sending a brief message to a 
friend at the Des Moines airport...

**********************************************************

To be continued...

"The Surprise..."
Copyright 1996
David R. Hibbs