+had left.
+
+==== Harlan: Leader of the Resistance ====
+
+After leaving the Santorini suite, Harlan returned to the auditorium,
+now dubbed the "War Room". He called for attention and stood by his
+desk, looking up at the rows of desks and those crowded into the
+viewing area.
+
+"The time is now." he said. "Now we go out and fight." He swept his
+arm around the huge room. "We all have assignments. We know what to
+do. Some of us will succeed. Some of us will fail. Some of us will die
+tonight. But the Resistance will win through. We will have freedom.
+Now go - go for Agalder! And may all the gods there are bless you and
+watch over you."
+
+He raised his fist. "Agalder!"
+
+The word came back at him with a thousand voices "AGALDER!!!!"
+
+He stood for a minute, watching his forces file out, then turned to
+leave. He ran into the Santorini sisters. Jade, Emerald, Silver, and
+Garnet stood between him and the door.
+
+Silver said "We're coming with you.". It was a quiet statement of fact
+that boded no argument.
+
+Harlan opened his mouth to protest but remembered when he had
+patronized Mellie and her reaction to his chauvinistic attitude. He
+shuddered.
+
+Looking into their eyes, he saw the fiery rage. But it was a cold,
+calculating fire and he nodded.
+
+"Thank you." he said.
+
+They climbed into two AirSedans. Three more sedans followed them.
+Harlan led the way to the Big House. He had to bring the thieves and
+assassins under the control of the Resistance. He had to find Cassidy.
+
+The neighborhood around the Big House was deserted. Houses stood
+empty, doors hanging open. Some windows were open. Some broken. A dog
+came running up to them, whining, lost. Jade grabbed her and put her
+in one of the sedans where she'd be safe and warm.
+
+The Big House was lit up like a small city. Lights were on everywhere.
+The Resistance group could hear shots and explosions. Windows were
+missing in places. Doors were on the ground or hanging askew.
+
+The group surged forward, but Harlan called out "Stop!"
+
+People stopped and looked at him.
+
+"We have to find Cassidy and his forces. If we go in there now, we
+won't be able to tell friend from foe." He looked at the house. "I
+know that place. I can find my way around."
+
+Looking back at the group, he said "You wait here. I'll find Cassidy
+and come back."
+
+Jade, Emerald, and Silver moved to stand with him. "You don't know
+that house as well as we do." Said Emerald. "We'll come with you and
+act as your runners."
+
+Harlan had to swallow his reaction. He nodded and they moved off into
+the night. They were all wearing black and they faded into the shadows
+within a few meters.
+
+Emerald led them to a door that was hanging ajar. The lock had been
+blown off. The door opened into a kitchen the size of a warehouse. The
+ceilings were at least five to six meters high. Moving quickly, but
+silently, they ran, crouching between huge machines and long tables.
+There was some fighting going on at one end of the room. Emerald led
+them in that direction.
+
+Huddling in the shelter of a freezer, they tried to make sense of what
+they were seeing. The brilliant flashes from phasers lit up the scene
+at intervals, but they could not identify the combatants.
+
+Jade suggested that they withdraw and try another exit from the
+kitchen. They turned to go to the other end and heard the sound of
+running footsteps coming closer. A young man ran up to them,
+completely ignoring the phasers that were pointed at him.
+
+He glanced at them and said "Come on. Cassidy wants you in the
+ballroom - now."
+Then he turned and ran back the way he had come. Harlan and the
+Santorini sisters stared after his departing form.
+
+The man turned and saw them standing still and ran back. "Are you
+coming? Hurry up." And off he went again.
+
+The four of them looked at each other, gave simultaneous shrugs, and
+ran after him.
+
+Their guide led them thru a maze of hallways and up and down
+stairwells. The sounds of gunfire and distant explosions grew louder
+and faded and grew louder again. Finally they ran up to a huge, ornate
+door that stood open with guards on either side. They burst into a
+room even larger than the kitchen. The ceiling was three stories up
+with mezzanines running around at the second and third floors. Floor
+to ceiling windows looked out on the lawn.
+
+Groups of people were scattered around the room, most leaning over
+tables, looking at holograms, some talking. Emerald spotted Cassidy
+across the room and they headed for him.
+
+Harlan reached the new Chief's side, but Cassidy ignored him and took
+Emerald into his arms. He spoke in her ear for a moment and then
+reached out and brought Jade and Silver into his embrace. The four of
+them stood, heads together, for what seemed like an hour to Harlan but
+was probably only a minute or two.
+
+An explosion sounded as if the battle was getting up-close and
+personal, but no one in the room even looked up.
+
+Cassidy finally turned his attention to Harlan. He nodded toward the
+door. "Yes. They are getting closer." He grinned. "Would you believe
+me if I said it was all part of my plan?"
+
+Harlan didn't smile. "No."
+
+"Then you'd be wrong. They are moving into this section." He pointed
+to a wing of the building that extended out into a wooded area. "Here,
+here, and here." He pointed to three sections of outside wall. "These
+are hidden doors. Our forces are just outside and when these thugs
+enter through here" he pointed again "we will attack from three
+sides."
+
+Then he smiled and added "If everything goes according to plan."
+Shaking his head, Cassidy said "And we all know how likely that is."
\ No newline at end of file