Author's note: Same as usual-most characters and some place names belong to Capcom. The rest are my imagination's. Also, most dialogue between Lariozan characters, partially for conveniece and partially because I know little Spanish, will be translated to English. Gracias.

Megaman Legends: The Lariozan Connection
Chapter Four: Impending Attack-Again!

The Gessellschaft landed slowly on a sparse clearing. Awaiting the occupants were thirty-six armed rebels in casual wear, as well as a man in bandages floating in the air, a big man wearing armor, and a lanky blond- haired man in jungle outfit.

"Jeepers, where's Loath?" was the first thing Teisel said after landing.

"Teisel, don't you remember? He's in the Black Eagle, and won't be joining us!" Tron replied in a somehow irritated tone. "Besides, that fat bastard doesn't always keep his appointments. How do you do, Glyde?"

"Oh, fine, fine," the blond replied casually, turning around to introduce the others. "Well, yoou already know these folks, Bola," pointing to the levitating guy, "and Klaymoor," to the fat man in the metal suit. He then turned to a long-haired, burly man in army fatigues and said, "This is Comandante Rojo, their leader. And over there, the bearded feller, that's Comandante Azul. These are the leaders of the Frente de Liberacion Nacional de Larioza, FLNL. I'm sure we can get to business right now."

Comandante Rojo first approached the other commander and told him some commands, then turned to the Bonnes. "Bienvenidos a Larioza (Welcome to Larioza). I do think we have some business to attend to."

"Thanks," said Teisel after it was his turn to shake the former's hand. "First, about the arms & ammo, they're all here," he said, as he pointed to crates being brought out of the ship by five rebels and a forklift operated by two servbots. "Good thing you decided to pay before you order."

The rebel leader checked the crates, all filled by assault rifles, grenades, bullets, mines, rocket-propelled grenades, bazookas, mortars, and pistols. They even had red berets and Kevlar suits.

"All those for you," beamed Tron. She had made the prototypes for most of the guns and explosives, as she had the Gesselschaft's laboratory especially expanded for weapons and robot manufacturing. Then, under an inconspicuous label, the Bonnes would sell the arms to governments, rebel groups, gangsters, any other client. The money generated by this scheme got them not only millions, but billions of zenny, joined by piracy activities and illegal digging in ruins, enough to build themselves about 30 Draches (combat airships) and add another 40 servbots to their army of 50. "And, now, Comandante, the second agenda."

"Oh, yes, seƱorita hermosa (beautiful lady), yes, I almost forgot, yes," the Comandante said in a reminiscing manner. "Time for Operation Death's Head."

The party then boarded a jeep headed to a rebel-controlled town.

"This, mi compadres (my, er, compatriots?) is my humble office. You folks could call it as your home while your ship is being fixed," Burnley said to them as they entered a 6-square-meter space in the building. The office had a small refrigerator, a TV set, a medium-size desk, a swivel chair, a PC, a bookshelf cluttered with books, magazines and other reading paraphernalia, a map of Larioza, two videophones, and a window overlooking the street eight storeys below.

"Say, how come you have an office in this building?"inquired Barrell as he looked around the office.

"Best place anywhere, the Von Blucher Building. I wanted a space for ALPRA near the embassy. Looking back, a damn good idea, if you asked me. And by the way, there are some magazines there. Let Tacio, my secretary, get them for you."

Roll then asked, "Do you have Common Science? The Mechanic? Holon? Any technical magazine?" Roll loved machines and everything technology. "Well, sport, I do have the Comprehensive Guide to Armed Forces Weaponry and the Army Technical Journal. All currents."

For the next three hours, the folks inside (including Data, sorry I didn't include that dancing monkey a while ago) tried to relax. Barrell was reading the broadsheets on the desk, Megaman and Data looking at the window scenery with a glass of water in his left hand, Roll engrossed with the magazines, and Burnley and Tacio watching TV ("I still don't get these soap operas on RTRL 1, too complicated for me,"Burnley remarked.)

Megaman asked while looking at the window, "What dragged this place to civil war anyway?"

At this point Burnley turned from the TV and replied, in a glum voice, "You know, Volnutt, it started when General Porfirio Cruz was overthrown by a coalition of Church, labor, civil and military leaders. There were protests six years ago. When the secret police cracked down, some army captains told their men to fire at the vans being used by the Commission of State Security, CSE, and they did. Soon, the secret police and the renegades were trading fire, and by day's end, some tanks sealed off the Almaceda Palace, while protesters cheered on as Cruz was led away on an armored van.

"The Transitional Revolutionary Council could not agree on how to govern the country, and when a democratic constitution was framed, the far-left walked out of the coalition and declared a revolution. When Arnulfo Romero won the first presidential elections, the rebels attacked the east of the country, and the former called on Gen. Moran to become defense chief. After that, all hell really broke loose-the rebels hated him. Kidnapping here, bombing there. The communist movement later split, and the largest of the factions, FLNL, controls a quarter of Matienza province. Those rebels attacked San Gabriel last week. The major suprise wasn't that the rebels actually got half of the city before being repulsed by Army troops. It's how powerful their weapons were-pirates may have smuggled them in."

As Burnley was about to speak again, a march version of "O Tannebaum" was heard on TV. The screen had a quartered shield with four crossed flagpoles behind it anda wreath of laurel leaves below, and with a condor on top.

"It's Christmas already?" Roll remarked.

"No, silly, it's the National Anthem," the journalist replied. "The President's about to speak. There was an attack by rebels and some pirates on Yoceda town a while back. Tacio, the recorder! And get ready to translate!"

"Yessir!", the secretary replied as he pressed a button on what appeared to be a cable converter.

"Well, I'd better work on what I'll say on network TV. Tacio, will you please translate the speech for them?"

"Si," Tacio replied.

A thin, slightly-tanned man with a long nose and salt-and-pepper hair (for history buffs, a lighter-skinned, younger and taller version of Pandit Nehru) appeared on the screen. He was in a black tuxedo and a yellow-blue- red sash, and his background was an ornately-decorated wall, complete with flags.

Arnulfo Romero, President of the Republic of Larioza, was speaking.

"*Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow countrymen, good evening. Today, elements of the so-called National Liberation Front of Larioza have launched a fierce, barbaric attack on the city of Yoceda, and are now surrounding the city. Intelligence sources have learned that they are being supplied and supported by foreign criminals, who share their ambition of dividing and subjugating our beloved Fatherland.

"I, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, authorize the deployment of four brigades and a cavalry regiment to relieve the brave soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division under Major General Pedro Carbonell. I am sure, that with the help of our Armed Forces, the enemies of the Fatherland can expect nothing but total and crushing defeat. I beseech you, fellow countrymen, to support our soldiers by being either with them or for them. With persistence and support, I do believe that peace will come back to our shattered nation.* Buenos tardes, y viva la Patria Lariozana! (Good evening, and long live our Lariozan Fatherland!)"

"Oh, great, time for recording ," Burnley said as he pressed the button on the recorder. "Since I'm part of a newswire, I don't have to file a live report-thank God network reporters are here." After he exited the sound-proof corner that he had set up in his office, he heard Megaman say five words, words that made Cedric Burnley, ALPRA's San Gabriel correspondent, wish he never had answered.

"How far's Yoceda from here?"

"Oh, just then kilometers. Takes just 45 minutes to get there by car sans the checkpoints," he replied, wearing a helmet with the marking TV and a Kevlar jacket. "Why? And by the way, Tacio, wake up Esteban and tell him to get the recorder and camera. Tell him I've filed half of my report."

"I'm coming with you, Mr. Burnley," Megaman said straightly.

Burnley, Barrell, Roll, indeed, everyone got pale. "Are you insane? You can't get there! E-e-e-even i-i-if you get there without being turned back by the checkpoints, you'd be coming back here in a stretcher or body bag!" Burnley exclaimed. "Me, this job of mine takes no sides, but you? To fight those bastards off would be like trying to fill up a rock garden , one by one, with pebbles!"

"Please, Mr. Burnley! Now, I do think I know what the rebels are after, and maybe I can negotiate with them or fight it out!"

"Well," said Data, you can't possibly duke it out with the pirates and seven thousand rebels at the same time, ki-ki!"

"I think fighting them's impossible, much less talking to them," Roll said in a concerned tone. "Besides, you only have the Buster gun and water spray with you. I do think we can't fly with the Flutter right now."

"And even if we can," Barrell joined in, "we can't get to the pad. There's a saying here: Unless you're going out of Larioza, once you go out, you can't get in. There's tight security around the aerodrome.

"Guess you're right," Megaman said after a couple of deep thoughts. "But we can't possibly sit our butts in this room doing nothing while those rebels take the ride of their life."

Later on, Burnley thought to himself as the van moved into a checkpoint, "What was that boy thinking and he decided to go in this mess? And why was I stupid enough to agree? I just hope Volnutt behaves in this van."

Indeed. Find out what happens to our Digger amigo as he battles the Bonnes in Chapter Five: Skirmish on Highway Four, coming soon.

P.S. The asterisk you saw? That means a paragraph has been translated.

P.P.S. For those who want bondings, I'm trying to make this story as neutral as possible-for now. No spin involved yet!

P.P.P.S. I'm running out of ideas, people! Give me some wholesome ideas at ceig13@yahoo.com. Those who do and are considered will be credited.