by Paul Danner
“Grieve.” Daniera stared at him. “But how did you know?”
“I didn’t. I suspected.” Love joined Daniera, picking up a piece of the vial. “I smelled something exotic on Odaay’s body. Very sweet and flowery. At first I assumed It was a girl’s perfume, probably Induki’s; but when we found her it wasn’t the same. But I detected the same sickly-sweet smell on her, too.”
Love sniffed the vial and then held it out to Daniera. She took a cautious whiff, eyes widening. “The Blue-8118…”
“I guarantee if you check the bodies for that specific genetic sample, there’ll be trace elements of the poison in each victim’s bloodstream.”
“But how was it introduced? The vibroblades?”
“No. This stuff is too fragile. Even with a liberal coating of the Blue-8118, the air would have eaten it away. There had to be a more precise delivery system.” Love held up a tiny, near-transparent dart. “I pulled this out of Induki. Apparently her killer didn’t have time to cover up his handiwork this time with us on his trail.”
“That explains the huge blaster holes in the other victims. Grieve was trying to get rid of the evidence.” Daniera shook her head. “It all fits, but it doesn’t make any sense. Why would Grieve suddenly change his methods?”
“He didn’t.” Love started for the door, glancing back over his shoulder. “You know, when you first came in I thought you were going to shoot me.”
“Why?”
Love continued out the door. “Oh, no reason.”
“This is an excellent bit of detective work, Love, but we’re still no closer to our killer.”
“Wrong again.” He glanced at his chronometer. “I better get going.”
“Where?”
“There’s an assassination attempt masquerading as a charity ball that I have to attend.”
“You mean we, don’t you?”
Love touched her arm and smiled. “No.”
Daniera suddenly felt light-headed. She glanced down at her arm, and the blue liquid smeared there by Love’s gloved fingertip.
“Love, you are a—” Her next words faded away with her consciousness and her last memory before the blackness engulfed her was the sound of Love’s voice…
“Thank you.”
Daniera finally awoke to the piercing beep emitted by her jacket. Still groggy and aching all over, she fumbled with her datapad. The screen read: “decryption complete.”
She touched the pad and waited for the results to appear. Moments later, the datapad tumbled from her shaking fingers. Daniera was already sprinting to her speeder bike before the pad had even hit the ground.
The Grand Ballroom of the Imperial Palace was filled to absolute capacity. Moving around in the dense crowd required patience, good timing, and prudent use of elbows. By all appearances, the Maltesara Masquerade Benefit was going to be a rousing success. The elite of Coruscant were all in attendance: politicians, businessmen, society matrons, and even some alien royalty. Vivid costumes and extravagant masks lent an air of colorful elegance to the proceedings.
The New Republic Defense Force personnel stationed around the ballroom were unobtrusive but highly vigilant, as were the costumed NRI agents scattered throughout the crowd.
The thunderous echoes of conversation and laughter suddenly died down at the blaring of regal synth-horns. All eyes focused on the towering double doors of the ballroom’s main entrance as they slowly parted.
The Chief of State finally made her entrance, attended by a phalanx of Defense Force guards dressed in bulky ceremonial armor. Leia Organa Solo looked resplendent in a simple ivory gown, star ruby medallion, and an intricate Alderaanian vizard mask. She began the long journey to the podium, moving down the long greeting line of important guests.
Down near the end of the greeting line, General Cracken stood at attention, patiently awaiting the Chief of State. Beside him, Cabe adjusted his mask.
“I wonder where they could be,” Cracken asked.
“Daniera had better be okay,” Cabe said. “I trust that Love about as much as a wampa in a tauntaun pen.”
“I have every confidence in him.” Cracken glanced nervously at his chronometer. “Well… I used to.”
Tucked in the shadows of a large column 20 meters from the receiving line, Love watched the proceedings silently. As the Chief of State moved closer, he slid the heavy blaster from its holster. He noted with satisfaction that the weapon was fully charged.
Good.
Because he was probably only to get one shot at this, and he’d have to make it count.
Daniera ignored the ache gripping her body and sprinted through the palace hall toward the Grand Ballroom. Defense Force guards stationed at the entrance reached for their blaster rifles as they saw her wild approach.
She slowed down a bit as she reached the bio and weapon scanners. Daniera hurriedly waved her identification with one hand and lifted her jacket to show them the holstered hold-out.
“This is an emergency. The Chief of State’s life is in grave danger!”
The guards exchanged glances…
Leia Organa Solo had just about reached the end of the line. Luckily, her mask hid the relief on her face. She endured the overly eager compliments of the prex of Taldan Enterprises, reminding herself as she had done a thousand times tonight that it was all for charity.
As the businessman rambled on, she absently fingered the small star ruby set in the gold medallion. It had been a last-minute gift from a secret admirer, which was unusual to say the least. But it was so beautiful, she could hardly resist. Besides, it wasn’t a good idea to offend a contributor the day of a charity ball.
She turned and offered a genuine smile to her next admirer… General Cracken.
Love stepped from the shadows and moved through the crowd, the heavy blaster held low by his thigh as he approached the greeting line from the opposite side.
There she was. Love was surprised how beautiful Leia looked up close. She had certainly not lost the regal bearing of her days as a princess.
Her back was partially turned toward him, but Love could see that Leia had just extended a well-manicured hand to General Cracken, who bowed in gentleman-like fashion.
Love shouldered aside an obese Senator in stylized Tusken Raider garb and lifted the heavy blaster pistol…
Daniera pushed her way inside the ballroom, passing the podium as she headed for the receiving line. She already had the hold-out in her hands as she hurriedly scanned the crowd. Then she saw it…
The Chief of State was greeting Cracken, but neither the General nor Cabe, who stood rigidly beside him, could see Love emerge from the crowd across the way. Organa Solo was blocking their view of Love as he took aim with his blaster.
“New Republic Security!” Daniera screamed at the top of her lungs. “Everybody down!”
Love’s finger began to squeeze the trigger. Just a few more seconds…
When he heard Daniera’s yell, he couldn’t believe his ears. Then his sight was the next sense called into question as he saw her break through the crowd, blaster aimed right at him!
“Dani?”
The blaster bolt caught him in the right shoulder, spinning him off-balance and onto the ground. His heavy blaster skittered across the floor.
The stunned crowd had gone deathly silent except for a scattering of screams.
The guards quickly formed a protective shield around the Chief of State. Cracken drew his own blaster, pushing ahead to get a better view of what was going on around him. Cabe remained where he was, flanking the guards behind Organa Solo.
“What are you doing?” Cracken yelled at Daniera, who was standing over the fallen Love, her blaster pointed right at his head.
She spared the approaching General a quick glance. “Arresting Grandyl Grieve for the attempted murder of the Chief of State!”
Love looked up at her in complete shock. “What? It’s not me—” He pointed an accusing finger. “It’s him!”
All eyes turne
d to the location that Love was gesturing.
Cabe stood there grinning, a small dart shooter tucked in the palm of his hand and pointed right at Leia Organa Solo. “Too late, I’m afraid,” he said and squeezed the trigger.
“Cabe!” Daniera screamed. “No!”
Both Cracken and Daniera opened fire, knocking Cabe to the ground, but it was too late. The dart hurtled unerringly toward the Chief of State.
The room had once again plunged into deathly silence, except for Love, who spoke a single word. “Shield.”
The star ruby on Leia’s medallion pulsated once.
One of her guards tried valiantly to step in front of her, but the tiny dart was much quicker.
The dart hit.
More accurately, it hit something, but it wasn’t the Chief of State; the projectile bounced off an invisible barrier centimeters away from Organa Solo’s skin. Its momentum irrevocably lost, the dart tumbled harmlessly to the floor.
From his prone position, the wounded Cabe roared in anger. He turned the dart shooter on Daniera and General Cracken. “Somebody’s gonna die!”
The thunderous blast caught Cabe in the chest, driving him back across the floor and into a stone column. The would-be assassin slumped over, a massive smoking hole In his chest.
“Somebody always does.” Love lowered the heavy blaster pistol and stumbled to his feet with Cracken’s assistance. “Thanks, General.”
Daniera merely stared at them. “But he’s Grandyl Grieve. I saw his records!”
Cracken smiled. “You’re right. But he has redeemed himself more times than I care to count. He’s been working for us for years now.”
“From Grieve to Love?”
Love smiled. “The General’s idea. He enjoys his ironic twists.”
“I suspected we had a mole in the NRI impersonating Grieve,” Cracken said, “and who better to ferret out the fake Grieve than the real one?”
“See?”
“I can’t believe this,” Daniera said.
“You can’t believe it?” Love touched a hand to the small wound on his shoulder. “You shot me!”
“Well…” She thought for a second. “I told you not to call me Dani.”
Cracken looked at Love. “What was the final tip-off?”
Love nodded his head toward Cabe’s corpse. “He bought a Prax Arms Stealth 2VX palm shooter from my store a few minutes before Daniera came in to recruit me for this mission.”
“And I’m certainly glad she did,” Leia said.
The trio looked up as the Chief of State approached. She ran a hand over the medallion. “This is by far one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.”
“One of my custom little creations,” Love said proudly. “A miniature particle shield generator. Only works for a few seconds or so, but in this case it was all that was necessary.”
“Thank you,” Organa Solo said, eyeing them each in turn. “To all of you.” Leia gave a curt bow. “Especially for livening up this event,” she said with a wink then added, a little louder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
As the Chief of State left them, Daniera glanced over. “Love, you are—”
Love braced himself.
“Actually, I’m not sure what you are,” she finished.
“Oh, I can tell you that,” he grinned, touching his thrumming pistol tenderly to his cheek. “Love is a warm blaster.”
Roleplaying Game Sourcefile
M’Kyas Love
Type: Retired NRI Agent
DEXTERITY 4D
Blaster 10D, brawling parry 5D, dodge 8D+1, grenade 8D, melee combat 6D, melee parry 5D, missile weapons 4D+2, thrown weapons 4D+2, vehicle blasters 5D
KNOWLEDGE 2D+1
Alien species 6D, bureaucracy 5D+2,cultures 4D+2, intimidation 8D, languages 5D, law enforcement 10D, planetary systems 5D, streetwise 8D, survival 6D+1, willpower 7D
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 5D, repulsorlift operation 7D+1, space transports 5D, starship gunnery 4D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 7D, command 6D, con 7D, hide 6D, investigation 10D, search 7D+1, sneak 5D+2
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 6D, climbing/jumping 5D+1, stamina 7D
TECHNICAL 3D
Blaster repair 10D, computer programming/repair 5D, demolitions 4D+1, security 8D, space transports repair 6D
Special Abilities:
Auditory Sense: Latarzians have an extremely developed sense of hearing, able to detect sounds in high/low ranges that many other species cannot. This adds a +1D bonus to any Perception skill rolls related to hearing.
Olfactory Sense: Latarzians also have an incredible sense of smell, able to discern and recognize odors with alarming ability. This gives a +1D bonus to any Perception skill rolls related to smell.
Force Points: 4
Dark Side Points: 2
Character Points: 32
Move: 10
Equipment: Custom heavy blaster pistol (7D), overcoat, replihide blaster holster, chronometer
Capsule: One of the more notorious agents to serve New Republic Intelligence, M’Kyas Love is something of a legend in intelligence circles. He is what they call an “X” agent: ex-skip tracer, ex-private investigator, ex-bounty hunter, and ex-Sector Ranger. Love was most recently ex-New Republic Intelligence, though no one knows why he left. His service flies were sealed and his past history classified at the highest levels.
Love may very well have been one of the best at tracking down Imperial agents and stopping them no matter the cost. He is certainly relentless, tenacious, and possessed of more willpower than a dozen beings put together. The problem is that Love is a jerk, a scoundrel, a rogue. Brash, egotistical, and temperamental, Love often worked solo because no one could stand to be partnered with him.
Eventually Love realized he was tired of playing the game that he had once enjoyed so much and left the NRI to open his own weapon shop on Coruscant. There, Love is free to build, repair, and modify his cherished custom creations, not to mention sell them for top credit.
M’Kyas Love’s Heavy Blaster Pistol “Ventilator”
Model: Modified Calban Model X Blaster Pistol
Type: Modified heavy blaster pistol
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster
Cost: Not for sale
Availability: Unique
Fire Rate: 1/2
Range: 3-6/20/40
Damage: 7D
Capsule: M’Kyas Love has modified his personal weapon with a variety of improvements: side-mounted blaster sight, galven pattern upgrade, some adjustments to the energy converter valve, and dualistic static pulse adaptors. While these improve the overall power of the weapon’s energy burst, they cumulatively reduce the range; of course, Love conducts most of his business at close range, anyway.
Daniera Karmony
Type: NRI Special Agent
DEXTERITY 3D+1
Blaster 5D+2, dodge 5D
KNOWLEDGE 3D+2
Bureaucracy 5D, languages 4D+1, law enforcement 5D, streetwise 5D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Repulsorlift operation 4D, sensors 4D+1
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 4D, con 5D, hide 4D, investigation 5D, search 4D+2, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 2D+1
Brawling 3D+1
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming/repair 7D, security 5D
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 12
Move: 10
Equipment: Jacket, datapad. NRI identification, hold-out blaster (3D+2), chronometer
Capsule: Daniera Karmony is a young, up-and-coming agent in New Republic Intelligence. Highly regarded by her supervisors, Daniera has earned multiple commendations in her relatively short tenure with the NRI and caught the attention of General Airen Cracken himself.