MURKY FOG
The harbor was thick with fog and discarded waste bobbed on the gentle waves. The night was still, expect for a group of restless sinister souls. They were hiding in the darkness, waiting for the catamaran of the Ceres Police Force to dock at birth twenty-seven. It was carrying a valuable cargo the rebels wanted to get their hands on. They had done this many times before. The operation had been going on for years. Preparing for the right moment - the moment when Elite delegates from Tanagura as well as the surrounding planets, would gather for an important meeting. It would happen a few weeks from now and the preparations were almost complete. The assassination attempt on Iason almost two years ago had failed, and so had the kidnapping of the ruler of Cantoine. The Blondies managed to circumvent and escape their fate. However, those were only sporadic operations built on chance. This was well planned and far more massive then anyone had dared to dream. It would bring Tanagura to its knees and its habitats would be ripped from their thrones. It was time for the rebels to rise once again and destroy the omnipotence of Jupiter and Her allies.
They saw the catamaran dock into the birth. The crew onboard was unaware of the watchful eyes behind the mist and thus never gave it a thought to be more alert in mind. The first shot pierced the air like silent warrior, defeating the target in sight. The body of the officer didn't even realize that a part of the head was destroyed. The officer staggered a few more steps before the drop in blood pressure was so great that the body could no longer stay erect. The lifeless mass of flesh fell overboard and remained bobbing on the surface of the dirty water. The other police hardly had time to react. The rebels had struck with surprise and from the protection of the mist. The officers and security guards could not fight an enemy they couldn't see. One crew member after the other was taken out by snipers and EM-grenades that created powerful electromagnetic storms, which destroyed not only electronic devises on the boat, but also the impulses of the heart. The grenades were quiet and in the dead of the night the catamaran seemed ever so peaceful. No one could tell that the crew had been destroyed and its cargo of advanced weaponry was being loaded into an anonymous truck. By the time an assembly of the Ceres Police Force came to their rescue, there was nothing to collect but a useless catamaran carrying dead bodies - a ghost ship.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Raoul received the call in the middle of the night. The captain had apparent tenseness in his voice, but the Blondie was contained despite the news. He knew there was a connection between the stolen weapons and the upcoming meeting of the Elite delegates forms the surrounding worlds. He also knew that the Ceres Police was too weak to handle any larger conflicts if the opponents had advanced weapons to attack with. After finishing his discussions with the captain in charge, Raoul contacted the only person he knew was capable to fight back with brutal power. Hari Fachtna, the chief of the Enforcement Intelligence Bureau, who had apart from trained soldiers, also droids, aircrafts and advanced weapons and vehicles at his disposal. And judging by his characteristic cruelty, he wasn't the one who thought twice about using excessive force. Hari Fachtna was an unusual Elite, with hair as black as the night and a deep scar across his face, and possessed an intelligence that kept him close to madness. However, he had spine and if there was something Raoul appreciated in someone, then that was loyalty. Hari Fachtna was impossible to bribe and his promises were written laws. He never backed down and was always to be counted on.
"...I understand," the chief mumbled. He was still in his office, which Raoul could see in the background of the displayed image on the communicator. "I shall gather a small army of protectors and go over the blueprints of the conference centre to place them out at proper positions."
"I think it will be needed," Raoul agreed. "The meeting will take place for three days. There will be over a hundred delegates and more then twice as many chaperons, including servants, escorts, Pets and assistants. I would appreciate if they left as they came, my dear Hari Fachtna."
"Trust me, leader Am. They will be protected."
Raoul nodded but he was still hesitant.
"According to the captain at the Ceres Police, this was not an isolated event," he set forth. "There has been similar attacks against weaponry cargo in the past."
"Twice before, yes," the stone-faced Elite clarified. "But they were caught and the weapons retrieved. If you are thinking about the rebels, my dear leader, then I can assure you that ever since Jupiter annihilated them, their chances of mobilizing have been very slim. Ceres have been well isolated."
Raoul nodded and sighed dejectedly.
"Yes, but isolation also means having no control over what happens within the borders. Tanagura can be breached with guerilla tactics."
Raoul received no answer and thus continued.
"Very well. I shall not be the one to tell you how to act within your field of expertise. I have appointed you head of security for I trust you are the most suitable for this task. However, I advise you, chief Fachtna, not to underestimate the hatred towards the delegates."
The cold-hearted man on the other side lit a cigarette and combed his hair backwards with his fingers as he exhaled the grey smoke.
"I will have seven aircrafts standing by for emergency pickup if anything should go out of control, which I sincerely doubt. In addition, I will have a droid army ready to take on any resistance from the crowd. Will that be satisfactory?"
Raoul tilted his head from side to side, clearly demonstrating his skepticism.
"Truthfully speaking, chief Fachtna, and I do think you agree, the resistance will not come from the crowd. If anything will happen there will be larger problems to handles then just a howling group of people outside the conference centre. I am not oblivious to the issues in Ceres, so please, be straight with me on this matter. I do not wish to be lulled into false security. Tell me the truth, for both of out heads will be sacrificed if a conflict emerges."
The face in the communicator illustrated his agreement with a wicked smirk.
"Alright, leader Am, I'll tell you what I think. There will be conflicts and there will be bloodshed. And you are absolutely right," he pointed at Raoul with his fingers as he held the glowing cigarette. "There has been a lid on Ceres even since the rebels were defeated at Dana Burn, but Ceres has been boiling for a long time and sooner or later...when the pressure builds up, the lid will be blown off. It will happen sooner rather then later, but we are prepared. Therefore, I think it is better for you to deal with the matters concerning political issues."
"And those obvious failures of weapon smuggling? Do you share my opinion on that those were diversions?"
"I do," Hari Fachtna agreed nodding. "I think they let the police catch them for two reasons. One, to make them think that the gangs were caught, and second, to find allies in the prisons. These are no longer small fish, my dear leader. Over four hundred prisoners released the past three years have disappeared into Ceres and no one knows for sure where they are. We know they are planning something, but not when and where. However, a gathering of all Elites is a perfect place to start a war."