Chapter 100 - The Calm Before the Storm
It was nearly one in the morning as Ellis LaPorte met again with the Mavelan General Jagards and a few of his trusted aides. He was nervous, but ready to begin to see the efforts of his work come together. He smoked his fine cigar, one that he’d been holding on to for the day of his greatest triumph, and looked at the other men in the room.
"Are you ready for our finest hour?" LaPorte asked them, "Our side is ready if yours is, General Jagards."
"How do you propose to do this?" Jagards said, "I never did get that part of your plan. There are nearly two thousand Mullinix soldiers around here."
"Most of them are conscripts," LaPorte explained, "This place is considered a lousy posting, so most of them are the ones who were too dumb to get themselves better posts. I’ve also been systematically making them hate this place, and by extension the country that sent them here."
"So how does that help us?" Jagards wondered, "That should just piss them off."
"When I give the order," LaPorte explained, "The few leaders that are not in my pocket will be executed. When your people come over the border there is going to be a massive panic. Since their officers won’t be there to direct them, most of them will fall apart."
"We basically come in and take control," the Mavelan nodded, "Restoring order and you become a Mavelan governor."
"You got it," LaPorte nodded, "I just have to give the order and the executions start."
"Any news out of Mullinix Centre?" Jagards asked him, "Wasn’t there some sort of ceremony on tonight?"
"La Pen?" LaPorte asked an aide, "Anything from up north?"
"Lines have been quiet since about six," Joe La Pen told them, "The news lines are quiet too."
"That’s odd," LaPorte said, "No news at all?"
"Just the usual description of the ceremonies at Mullinix Centre," La Pen shrugged, "Nothing particularly enlightening. Most likely all the reporters are at the ceremony still, covering the bullshit."
"Perfect time to start the ball rolling," LaPorte said, "The three Mullinix will be drunk at the party after the ascension ceremony. That will delay things further. I didn’t intend to kill Massimaferro, but the effects can’t be sneezed at. What do you think, Jagards?"
"Give your orders," Jagards nodded, still not sure but following his own orders from King Facie to go along for the ride, "My people should be gathered at the mountain outposts when I get back. They’ll come down the mountain at dawn."
"We’ll be ready," LaPorte said and then tapped his shoulder, "Be sure your people know to look for this patch. The ones wearing that are my troopers. Anyone else with a weapon is fair game."
"Give me a few of them to give to my commanders," Jagards instructed LaPorte, "Keep your people out of the city. That’s where we’ll concentrate at first."
"They’re on ground duty tonight," LaPorte told him, "Anyone out there is a Mullinix regular and therefore fair game."
"You got it," Jagards nodded, "See you in a few hours."
Jagards and Le Pen both left the room and left LaPorte alone. He took a long drag on his cigar and looked out the window of his mansion. He was on the cusp of his largest victory. He’d always wondered what being in power really felt like, now it was time for him to find out.
The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension Page 104