The Betrayal of Emilio Torres

[chavez]

Teresa was laying on the floor in the highest placed bell room. She checked the viewfinder again. The side-face of Mr. Cunnings (how she started to call him) was covering most of it's view and an infrared dot was pointing on his ear. No one was able to see it without special equipment. Teresa slowly moved her finger and placed in on the trigger. She closed her eyes and took a slow but deep breath...

***

a few days ago...

Teresa was laying on the couch in her tiny room at Yaren base when she heard a silent beep, signalizing a received message of high importance. She reached for her comm pad and read the message from Tethys with utmost interest. She shouldn't have access to that frequency, but father send her all the codes necessary and she decided to use them quietly.

While she was watching the latest news from Rheinland, she used a remote terminal to log in the Tethys' database and reviewed the last known location data of brother Torres. Successful arrest of a well known corsair was of course among the top news and a long time was dedicated to it on the channel. There was something that engaged her attention. She rolled back the picture in one corner she saw a smiling face of Alex Cumming. All she knew about him was they together founded one of the biggest shipping companies, the Republican Express, known as RepEx.

"Why the hell is he.... Oh my... This can't be..." she whispered when she realized the truth. Brother Emilio Torres was betrayed by his closest friend. She exerted a lot of effort to calm down, but anger consumed her completely and as usually, she quickly started to create the plan. Torres had to be rescued, there was no question about it and with the data from Tethys they knew the most probable location where he's being held. But that cunning RepEx bastard couldn't be let to escape with no harm. No way...

She closed her eyes and tried to think for a while...

After some time she clapped her hands and stood up. It was a great plan. The rescuing operation (and she was sure the Elders were already planning one) will be more successful if someone is able to provide diversion. And what could serve more than an assassination of one of most successful businessman in Rheinland, Alex Cummings? She smiled and packed up her things quickly. She decided not to tell the Elders about it as they would most probably forbid it, her mission was too dangerous.

But there was another thing she needed yet, a rifle. she used her remote terminal again to log into the Elders' database, used a few clicks to review the list of the armory items and after some time she finally found what she was looking for...

Name: Leyenda del Cid
Weight: 4,43kg, without scope
Length: 1081mm
Barrel length: 678mm
Feed system: Li-Pol battery cells, NTW45-YK
Sights: Cad-N3 infrared dot sight
Muzzle velocity: 2400m/s
Effective range: over 600m
Description:
Corsair Pulse Sniper Rifle is one of the latest results of pulse technology advancement. It follows the famous corsair line of guns Tizona and Colada del Cid which are known for their shield busting capabilities. However it was discovered that their pulse discharge can be effectively used in the sniper technology. The variety of damage is dependent on the amount of energy used and diameter of the beam. Wounds caused by this rifle differ from small area penetration to complete cremation of the target. Shots fired by this rifle are invisible and there are almost no audible sounds produced when the shot is fired, which are obviously very famous features for snipers.

Picture:


Bottom line:
This is simply the best corsair pulse sniper rifle corsairs have to offer.

She jumped into her Centurion and flew to Crete. She didn't have to break into the armory as she again could use the codes from her father. The Leyenda's case was made of special polymer-titanium composite disabling all scanners to view it's inside, another very handy feature especially when one doesn't need attention.

Teresa left the hangar, headed to the public platform and took the first shuttle to Freeport 9. Once there, it took her some time, a lot of smiling and a fat bribe to one old zoner in the bar to persuade him to lend her a fast and agile light fighter, the Arrow, which was usually used for recon missions inside enemy territory. What use could it have for a Zoner remained a mystery but at that time, she didn't have the time to care. It was Zoner tagged and she already hacked her reputation so she could use the prepared story that she was hired by Zoners to deliver a special package to Mr. Cummings. "Special package indeed, you filthy rat..." she whispered for herself and left Freeport 9.

Since then everything was running smoothly. She successfully used her story at Planet New Berlin Docking Ring, let the Rheinland Police scan her ship and landed. She landed the Arrow on a previously found place and hid the Leyenda's case in the bell tower she decided to use for the shooting as there was a perfect view of the whole courtyard as well as the stage for Mr. Bastard's speech which was already being prepared. She applied for the hostess job directly at RepEx Recruitment Office so she was able to gain some information from the inside. Everything she needed was secured and she was intensively waiting for next day...

***

Mr. Cunnings was still saying some pointless crap, when Teresa opened her eyes again. Then a thought came across her mind. Why kill this man, when instead she could make him suffer. And suffer for a long time. She smiled, adjusted the beam's diameter and increased the energy output. Then she quickly moved the infrared pointer on his knees and pulled the trigger. The rifle produced a silent buzz and as a result bottom half of Mr. Cunnings disappeared in a single flash and he fell on the ground. It must have caused him enormous pain as he just lost both of his legs and got seriously burned in the middle part of his body. Loud scream of the public was heard from everywhere, and there was no time to loose.

Teresa put the rifle back into the case, ran down the stairs and hurried to her Arrow. She was not spotted yet but her fast departure, which was breaking all the traffic rules finally concentrated all the attention of the Rheinland police on her. Just as she wanted, a large fleet of police fighters followed her when she headed to the clouds nearby Hamburg jump hole.

While she was running she sent a message to the rest of the brothers...

Message to: The Brotherhood
Comm ID: Teresa Chavez
Importance: HIGH

Brothers,

no time to explain, but that RepEx bastard has just received a special present for me, turn on the news if you can, but I also discovered that brother Torres is going to be transferred from Elbe Station somewhere in the Hamburg system in a couple of hours (saturday, 22GMT).

I successfully distracted half of the Rheinland Police fleet and I hope I'll be able to loose them in the clouds, maybe with a bit of Unioners' help, hopefully. Meet me in Munich system, near Sigma 17 jump hole and we'll attack the transport together. It shouldn't be very well guarded.

Bring my centurion, please! This ship (Arrow) is fast, but I don't want to fight in it, it lacks firepower...

Wish me luck...

Teresa Chavez out.

---

If I die, I forgive you, father. If I live we shall see.....Teresa Chavez