mply separate ship and
contents into their component atoms.

But that was something Thark could handle. He made a quick scan to
locate the weapon's operator and any backup, finding to his relief that
there was none. A swift thrust of darlas, and the cannon was no longer
a threat, its operator dead. It was the first death at Thark's own
hands . . . but it was not the only one for long. The defending Palace
Guards began to drop as the Seniors used viewscreen images to pick and
focus on their targets. Thark took the ones they couldn't see, the
ones hidden by Prowler's hull.

With the first wave of opposition dead, Thark opened the hatch,
extended the ramp, and led the Seniors and Sanctioners toward the pad's
entrance to the Palace. They were almost there when more opposition
arrived, perhaps a dozen Palace Guards--followed seconds later by a man
in Ranger green.

There was no time to be neat; the Sanctioners used blasters, the
Seniors darlas and soul-blades. Thark's fur was splattered with blood
by the time he reached the Ranger. Menshikov's gun was coming to bear
on him even as Thark used darlas to attack. A Ranger deserved that
much of honor, to die with @'s body unmarked.

But--Menshikov was shielded, impossible as that was! An involuntary
shield, though, however good, was no match for Thark's lifetime of
training and experience. Menshikov's face twisted in agony, and he
collapsed before he could scream.

Thark stared at the crumpled body for several seconds. The man's
shield disturbed him more than he cared to admit, even to himself. It
should not have existed! Still, he thought, perhaps in the final
extremity, a rare human could show a trace of Talent; such things had
been known to happen on Irschcha. He would check on it later, perhaps;
for now, it made no difference.

* * * * *

Corina's attention returned to the lander, where she found herself and
Medart the focus of the entire assault team's intense interest. *What
do you expect?* Medart sent grimly. *That's the second Ranger murdered
in the Palace in less than two months--maybe others elsewhere,
depending on how widespread this Crusade is.*

*Probably others elsewhere,* Corina replied, equally grim. *He will
not be content with one strike, and Rangers are essential targets for
anyone who seeks to greatly alter or destroy the Empire. I fear for
those who are not in space or otherwise out of the Order's reach.*