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."I urge all citizens not to panic.The valiant soldiers of the Empress' Ownare fighting courageously to defend her person.We do not yet know how thetraitors managed to initially penetrate Palace security, but I fear we haveconfirmation that at least some Navy elements have been suborned intosupporting this treasonous act of violence."All government ministers and all members of Parliament are being dispersed toplaces of safety.This precaution is necessary because it is evident that thistime the traitors are targeting more than simply thePalace.My own offices in the Imperial Tower were destroyed by aprecision-guided weapon in the opening moments of the attack, and my home andmy staff, many of whom, as you know, have been with me for years was totallydestroyed within minutes of the start of the attack on the Palace."A spasm of obvious pain twisted his features for a moment, but he regained hiscomposure after a visible struggle and looked squarely into the pickup."I swear to you that this monumental treachery, this act of treason againstnot only the Empire, not simply the Empress, but against Roger MacClintock'sown family, shall not succeed or go unpunished.Again, I urge all loyal citizens to remain calm, to stay tuned to theirinformation channels, and to stand ready to obey the instructions of themilitary and police authorities."He stared out of the thousands upon thousands of displays throughout ImperialCity, his expression resolute, as the image faded to a standard NavyDepartment wallpaper."Calm down, Kjer," Prokourov said ten minutes after Kjerulf's reply, calmlyignoring the outburst."I'm probably on your side.Taking out Greenberg was a necessity, distastefulas it may have been.But Iwant to know what you know, what you suspect, and what's going on.""Ms.Nejad, she still busy," the Mardukan said, coming back into the monitor'sfield of view."Gonna be staying busy.""Tell her to get un busy!" Kjerulf snapped."All right, Admiral.All I reallyask is that you keep out of this.My main worry is CarRon Fourteen.We've shutdown the Moonbase fighter wing, and it turns out that they're pretty unhappywith Gianetto, anyway.I've got a small squadron of loyal ships holding theorbitals.All I need is for the rest of the squadrons to stay out of it."He turned off his mike and looked over at Tactical."Any more movement?""No, Sir," Sensor Five said."But Communications just intercepted aclear-language transmissionfrom Defense HQ to all outer-system the squadrons.General Gianetto's declareda state of insurrection, informed them that Moonbase is in mutinous hands, andordered a least-time concentration in Old Earth orbit.""Crap," Kjerulf muttered, and keyed his mike."Admiral Prokourov, I take thatback.We may need active support ""Captain Kjerulf," Eleanora O'Casey said, appearing on his other monitor."What's happening?"The door looked like oak.And, in fact, it was a centimeter slab of polishedoak over a ChromSten core.Most bank vaults would have been flimsy bycomparison, but it was the last major blast door between them and Roger'smother.And, unfortunately, it was on internal control.Roger lifted the plasma cannon his third since the assault began and aimed atthe door."My treat, Your Highness," one of the Mardukans said, carefully but inexorablyPage 196ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlpushing Roger away from the door.The prince nodded and stepped back, automatically checking to be sure the teamwas watching in every direction.They were down to ten, including himself.Butthere should be only two more corridors between them and his mother, and ifthe information in the command center's computers was correct, there were noautomated defenses and no armored guards still in front of them.They werethere.If only she was alive.The Mardukan carefully keyed in the sequence to override the safety protocols,then triggered a stream of plasma from the tank cannon at the door.But thatdoor had been intended to protect theEmpress of Man.It was extraordinarily thick, and it resisted the blasts.Itbulged inward, but it held stubbornly through seven consecutive shots.On the eighth shot, the overheated firing chamber detonated.Roger felt himself lifted up by a giant and slammed through the merely mortalwalls of the approach corridor.He came to a halt two rooms away, in one herecognized in confusion as a servant's chambers."I don't sleep with the help," he said muzzily, picking himself out of therumpled tapestries and ancient statuary
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