Chapter 103 - Enter the Train Yard
Medoferro, Simon, Paulus and Suvorov were in the lead train as it approached Taliaferro Village. They weren’t expected at this time of the morning, which helped them with the plan.
Suvorov, the experienced warrior of the group, was taking charge of the initial strike plans. Medoferro deferred to his expertise, mainly giving approval or disapproval of broad plans. He left the operational details to the man who knew how to do them.
"The first thing we have to do in this town," Suvorov said, holding a light over a map of Taliaferro Village, "Is to take the government house. There should be little resistance, but when Paulus came through here LaPorte had goons here. If they are still here, that is your first job."
"Where does that leave us?" Simon asked him, "Sitting on the train?"
"Not much call for you here," Suvorov said, "Trina would kick my ass if I had you on the front lines."
"We’ll need a command post," Medoferro said, "We’ll go with you to Government house and set up there."
"It could be dangerous," Suvorov protested.
"I’m not going in first or anything," Medo said, "I’ll be in the back letting your group clear it out. There shouldn’t be a major fight here and we need to get started with the organization."
"Good enough," Suvorov nodded, "Take a weapon, just in case."
"I am a weapon, Rav," Medoferro chuckled, "A sword would just get in my way."
"I’ve seen him fight," Simon said, "I’ve got the bruises to know he’s good. I’ll take the sword though."
"What are you going to do, Paulus?" Suvorov asked him.
"Don’t worry about me," Paulus said, "I’ve got a friend on the outside of town, one who helped me out while I was escaping. We’ll need someone up here that we can trust after we go. He’ll be it."
"Do what you will," Suvorov nodded, glad he didn’t have to provide an escort, "We’ll be stopping in five minutes. Be ready to go."
There was a nod of agreement among the people in the train. This was going to be the touchiest part of the job, as they were going to have to stage out of Taliaferro Village. The train started stopping as they entered the village. Before it had even come to a full stop Suvorov’s first line people were out the door.
Medoferro and Simon followed behind them at a safe distance as they did a quick search and headed for the government house, some three quarters of a mile away. It was a quick jog to get there, one that caused very little ruckus as this group was outfitted to be quiet.
"This is where I depart," Paulus told them, "I need to find Edgar and drag him over here."
"You have twenty minutes," Suvorov said, "I plan to have the government house under control by then."
"I’ll be back by then," Paulus promised and disappeared down an alley.
Medo and Simon looked at each other and shrugged. They couldn’t believe they were actually doing something like this. It was a lot more walking than anything else as there was no resistance in Taliaferro Village at all, not that they had really expected anything. They were mainly just being careful.
Suvorov and four others went in the front door of the government house while the rest went to secure the area. Medo and Simon, disregarding earlier orders, followed Suvorov inside. They wanted to see the local Colonel and be there to exert proper authority, lest he think Suvorov and his crew a band of marauders.
Colonel Robin Lauren was dead asleep when Suvorov’s people went into the room. The guard outside was silenced non-lethally and everyone walked in to the room as the surprised Colonel woke up. He pulled a mini bolt gun out which was quickly taken away by Suvorov. He looked at the little weapon and chuckled.
"What were you planning on doing with this?" Suvorov asked, "Poke my eye out?"
"Who are you?" Colonel Lauren demanded, "I am a Mullinix Colonel! You have no right to be in here."
"I am Mullinix Medoferro," Medo said, deciding to take the lead on this, "I have every right to be here."
"What the hell?" Colonel Lauren said, "Why are you here? I mean… you just ascended…"
"Ellis LaPorte," Medoferro said simply, "You’ve been helping him in his treason."
"I have not!" Colonel Lauren exclaimed automatically and then thought about it, "Treason? Ellis LaPorte?"
"He murdered Massimaferro," Medoferro said, looking for reaction, "And word is that you’ve been helping him."
"You’re mistaken!" Colonel Lauren exclaimed, "I have very little contact other than a bit of information passing. All Colonels do that with other local Colonels? Is that wrong?"
"What about the goons that LaPorte sent?" Simon asked him, "The ones looking for Paulus Tally?"
"They told me they were looking for an escaped criminal," Colonel Lauren explained, "I mean really… Ellis LaPorte is a traitor? How? Massimaferro died of a heart attack, didn’t he?"
"Aided by the effects of mellemaic," Medoferro said, "We kept the news from going over the wires down here because we didn’t want to tip off the fact that we were coming."
At this point Paulus and a very tired looking Edgar walked into the room, having been let in by the people downstairs. Edgar looked at Colonel Lauren’s predicament and couldn’t help having a quick chuckle from it. Paulus looked at the local Colonel with a particular disdain.
"You look surprised to see me, Colonel," Paulus said, "I did make it past your town."
"I swear," Colonel Lauren said, "I didn’t know a thing about what he was doing down there."
Medoferro took the Colonel in and realized that he wasn’t completely lying. He wasn’t being entirely truthful, but he figured that would come out in a minute or two on his own. Medoferro looked at Edgar, who looked like he wanted to say something but hadn’t yet.
"You obviously have something to say, Edgar," Medoferro said, "Say it. Now’s the time for truth."
"You’ve been lining your pockets for years here, Robin," Edgar told him, "You were even when I was Crian’s representative, you just weren’t into anything worth taking the time to prove then. This is different now. You’ve been here too long."
"Why didn’t you turn him in?" Paulus asked him, "You know better than that?"
"It wasn’t ever anything really bad until now," Edgar shrugged, "A little liquor here, a bit of turning of the eye. Nothing I could even prove. But LaPorte seems to have done a good job of turning him. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know how bad it had gotten until you showed up on my doorstep."
"I know one job you can do," Medoferro said, then turning to look at Colonel Lauren, "I think you should strongly consider early retirement, Colonel Lauren. If you quit quietly now and cooperate with us for the duration of the changeover, we’ll refrain from investigating you too thoroughly."
"I believe I’ve served long enough," Robin Lauren said quickly, glad to be getting the way out, "Time to let someone else have a turn."
"I believe that means you want Edgar as the new Colonel?" Paulus asked Medoferro, smiling.
"You got it," Medo nodded, making a decision and looking at Edgar, "If you’ll serve that is?"
"I’ll do it," Edgar said, "It has been long enough that I almost miss it. So long as I don’t have to travel, I’ll take the job just to get out of retirement. You may regret it though, I’m a lousy politician."
"Good," Medoferro said, "I don’t want another politician. I want someone who will clean this mess up. Think you can do it?"
"I don’t know," Edgar said, "But I’ll do as well as I can."
"Where are LaPorte’s goons?" Suvorov asked, "I want them arrested before they can run off and tell LaPorte?"
"Guest cottage," Colonel Lauren said, knowing that whatever Ellis had cooking it wasn’t worth his own ass, "Probably still asleep."
"We’re on it," one of Suvorov’s people said, "We’ll have this place secure in thirty minutes. We already have the line operator under guard."
"Good," Medoferro nodded, "Let’s g
et the forward station set up. We’ve got just about four hours to daylight, two of which we need to spend heading towards Cirrus."
"They should be starting on the trains already," Simon said, "I’ll go make sure that everything is in order."
"I’m going to report in," Medoferro said, "Let me know when everyone is ready to move, Rav."
"You got it, Mullinix," Rav said, remaining formal.
"Fuck that," Medo growled, "Unless we’re in public it’s Medo. I’m going to get formaled out soon enough. Now let’s get to work."
Chapter 104 - The Invasion
As Jagards promised the Mavelan troops started coming down the mountain in force just before daybreak. They had all been trained to look for the special patches that LaPorte had given his troopers. Anyone else with a weapon quickly became a target.