Champions of Valor by Thomas M. Reid

Author:Thomas M. Reid [Reid, Thomas M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780786936977
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Published: 2005-11-01T06:00:00+00:00

At 1500 Jenetta welcomed the group in the conference room. In addition to Marine Captain Galont's senior staff, the meeting was attended by the XO (Lt. Ashraf), the Song's second officer (Lt. Elizi), the chief engineer (Lt. Cmdr Rodriquez), and the chief medical officer (Lt. Cmdr O'Neil).

"It's now been a week since Petty Officer Nichols was killed, and we still have no evidence pointing to the identity of the killer," Jenetta said. "Our goal here today is to see if we can suggest a course of action that will lead to unmasking him or her. I invite you to speak freely, voicing any questions you have or any recommendations. Perhaps it might help if we first reviewed what we do know. Lt. Commander O'Neil, would you give us the results of the autopsy?"

"Yes, ma'am. As I suspected from the beginning, PO Nichols was struck twice with a blunt instrument by an assailant standing in front of him. Nichols must have tried to ward off the first blow, and suffered a broken right arm. The second blow, the killing blow, landed here." The chief medical officer pointed to a spot on the right side of his own head. "That blow both fractured his submaxilla and shattered vertebra in his neck. It was the killing blow." The doctor proceeded to explain in specific medical terms exactly what occurred before continuing with, "I place the time of death at 2345 hours, give or take a few minutes."

"Could the wound have been caused by someone's hand or foot?" Elizi asked.

"No, it was definitely a solid object. It appears to have been cylindrical, quite smooth, and about the diameter of a holo-magazine cylinder, but quite heavy and solid."

"Thank you, doctor," Jenetta said. "Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything that you're unsure of and so didn't include in the official record?"

"Well— I suspect that the attacker is most likely left-handed, and probably stands between five-foot-ten and six-foot. It would have been much more difficult for a right-handed person, or a shorter one, to deliver the killing blow."

"What if Nichols turned away and bent over in pain after his arm was broken?" Galont asked.

"That's why I didn't put my speculations into the official report. They're only accurate if Nichols remained upright and facing his attacker. While it's unlikely, the killer could be right-handed. The blows could possibly have been delivered back-hand, or with the less dominant limb."

"Thank you, Doctor," Jenetta said. "Major Galont, what can you tell us?"

"Upon discovering the body, we immediately secured the crime scene, collecting fingerprints, hair, and skin flecks. We identified all individuals represented by the evidence and determined that everyone had a valid reason for being there sometime earlier in the day. It's possible that the killer didn't leave any evidence of their presence. He or she was there for less than a minute. Although the room isn't locked, the computer keeps a log of every time the door is opened. Nichols arrived at the storage room at 2338 hours, and his ID was logged when he opened the door.

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