After taking the oath with the others, John went straight into a discussion of the People's Party's future.
To John's surprise—almost disbelief—when he proposed recruiting veterans to build a covert force, Hawk produced a three-year development plan detailed enough to cover all sixty-three territories of the Empire.
Hawk had even divided the plan into stages. Its precision and detail were breathtaking.
John carefully reviewed Hawk's proposals for veterans' welfare taverns, a job-placement association for unemployed veterans, and community-based party development. Once he was satisfied they were on the right track, the group discussed how to evade scrutiny by the Inspection Forces and filled in a few details.
With everyone's approval, John adopted the document as the party's development plan.
Then they divided up the responsibilities.
As the plan's author and one of the party's strategists, Hawk naturally took charge of carrying it out and overseeing it. Mia became his deputy, responsible for coordinating its implementation and compiling reports on any problems.
For intelligence, Barnabos and Ian, who both worked at Imperial Military Intelligence Section Five, would secretly gather information on the Old Guard Party, the Reformist Faction, and Duke Mosesiris, allowing the party to track the power struggle as it unfolded.
John gave the others work as well. He assigned Laiya, Lunebo, Miles, and Igonila, all from noble or wealthy merchant families, to use their family and business connections to win over Neutral Faction nobles or members of the public and try to recruit them into the party.
John sent the remaining members to join up with the original members of the 1st Battalion and spread the party's beliefs among the new recruits of the recently formed 303rd Division.
Only after they had reshaped the beliefs of the entire 303rd Division and turned its new recruits into fighters truly loyal