Star Wars - Love is a Warm Blaster - Unpublished Read Online Free PDF Page A

Love to pull even with it.

    Love one-handed the bike and reached for his pistol, but before he could even slide it from the holster, Daniera let out a strangled cry.

    Love whipped his head around to see if she’d been hit, just in time watch her leap from their bike onto the rear of the merc’s. It was a close call as to who was more stunned, Love or the Rodian….

    “No riders,” Daniera grunted and slammed the butt of her hold-out against the mere’s neck. Before the dazed Rodian could react, she shoved him off the bike… and into a rotting compost pile below.

    Love exchanged a look with Daniera, who pulled her bike back alongside his. “Remind me not to upset you.”

    “Too late,” Daniera grinned as she gunned the bike and tore after the speeder truck.

    They found the speeder truck in a dimly lit alleyway a few hundred meters away. Completely powered down, the vehicle was ominously silent.

    Both Love and Daniera dismounted and made a careful approach.

    The only noise was from the drizzling downpour that suddenly erupted over head… the Undercity’s microclimates of rising air and condensing moisture often created tiny rainstorms where one would least expect them.

    Love wrinkled his nose. The air was thick with the smell of rotting garbage, corroded metal and stagnant water. There was one other odor that Love instantly recognized…

    “Stay here a minute,” he ordered.

    Daniera was about to argue, but saw the look in his eyes. She nodded quietly. And the rain quietly drizzled down around her.

    Love pried open the side door and stepped inside, blaster at the ready. The two Rodian mercs were both slumped over in the cockpit, each one bearing a point-blank blaster hit to the back of the head.

    He carefully continued to the back of the truck, and found her sprawled across the floor. Love kneeled next to Induki’s body. The girl was very beautiful, and younger than he’d originally thought.

    Love traced a finger over the gold-handled vibroblade stuck in her chest. He leaned down, closing his eyes for a moment as he took a whiff of the dead girl’s perfume…

    Then he knew.

    Love heard a strangled gasp and looked up as Daniera finally entered.

    After taking a moment to compose herself, she asked, “Grieve was already here?”

    “Probably inside the whole time. Cleaning up his mess.” Love stood back up. “It was sloppy to leave witnesses in the first place.”

    “What do you mean?”

    Love tossed her a cred stick. Daniera’s eyes widened as she read the amount. “This was in her pocket. Grieve probably paid her to take Odaay to the Kaerlia Queen, although obviously the Senator didn’t get what he paid for…”

    “But why would Grieve suddenly alter his habits? The blasts those Rodians took don’t appear to be generated by the same weapon.” She gestured at Induki’s body. “And the girl was actually killed with the vibroblade.”

    Love passed her as he exited the truck. “Well, you’re half right.”

    “What?”

    Love stepped outside into the rank alley, brushing the raindrops that quickly accumulated on his coat. “That was definitely a standard blaster wound. Very standard. As in issue.” He flipped one leg over his speeder bike. “And the girl wasn’t killed by any sharp weapon, at least not the most obvious one.”

    “You’ve completely lost me.”

    Love shrugged as the bike began to power up. “It’s hard to follow in the footsteps of genius.”

    Daniera mounted her own bike, pushing her damp hair out of her eyes. “So where is it leading us now?”

    “I have to confirm a suspicion of mine.”

    “Then let’s go.”

    Love shook his head. “I need you to go back to Cracken’s office. Scan the NRI’s reports on all of the victims.”

    “Our best analysis specialists have poured over those files since this mess began. What makes you think—”

    “Concentrate on the toximorphic screens,” Love interrupted. “Don’t tell anyone what you’re