"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - StarShield Book 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

Neither of them had noticed that the sound of the cards had stopped.




┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 21
Chapter 4: Keepers of the Citadel
тАЬ. . . homeworlds of the DтАЩRakan Empire. Prince Lystan assured the constituted governments of the
First Estate that the Imperial Family, while not in direct control of the rebel elements of the Imperial
Fleet, would do everything in their power to persuade those elements not to threaten or attack worlds
in their space. тАШThe Worlds of the First Estate are holy ground to us, and we shall do all in our power
to prevent the desecration of our ancestral home.тАЩ Ukard of Brishan, acting Lawgiver of the Council,
was cautiously optimistic . . .тАЭ
Evon wrestled his thoughts away from the intermittent broadcast monitors set into the wall and
reigned in his stride for the fourth time, struggling to hold back his impatient legs and keep his place at
the back of the team. If he didnтАЩt pay attention, heтАЩd stumble all over someone. Now, that he reminded
himself, would really make an impression in the Citadel.
Not that he minded being at the back of the crowd. In fact, though he had done quite a bit of
field work in his time, he preferred the role of passive observer to active participant. Perhaps that was
why he liked it in the Atis Librae as much as he did and never pursued a transfer into the Vestis. Watch
and learn was his motto. ItтАЩs always good to know where you are going to land before you jump.
In their current situation, he wasnтАЩt yet sure just where stable footing could be found.
тАЬтАШ. . . with the hope of peace in our age.тАЩ
Their approach to the planet had gone well enough, he mused, although the outgoing traffic in
the system seemed to be unbelievably heavy. The closer in system they came, the thinner the flight
traffic. Queekan тАФ rather, Vestis Shn-dar, he reminded himself тАФ had cleared them to land at the
Citadel itself rather than at the Yarka starport. It was probably just as well, Evon noted as they passed
over the landing bays of the sprawling facility, since every spare inch seemed to be occupied by a ship
of one kind or another. Evon had occasionally taken a holiday trip to Yarka тАФ the capital city of Tentris
and, perforce, the DтАЩRakan Empire тАФ and had even had occasion to come here during the League
Conferences when it seemed that everyone from a dozen systems had suddenly decided to invade
Yarka all at once. Even so, he couldnтАЩt remember seeing the starport as crowded as it appeared to him
flying overhead today.
They had landed in the CitadelтАЩs Third Garden of Harmony, one of several walled enclosures
forming rings around the central tower of the Citadel. Garden was hardly an appropriate appellation,
for the entire area had been paved over to accommodate the landing of craft such as theirs. It was safe,
it was secure and, more importantly, it was firmly in control of the Omnet Bradis Librae which corre-
lated the reports for six interstellar sectors which included the bulk of the DтАЩRakan Empire.
Now they were marching along down the long pearl corridor of the Citadel itself following this

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 22
inexperienced Vestis into something unexplained while listening to the constant babbling of the Omnet
local news broadcast. These folks, Evon thought, must really like to hear themselves talk.
тАЬтАШ. . . safety of the interstellar tradeways. This is Edith Marston, reporting from KтАЩplik in the
Clin Sector.тАЩ In a related story, the Imperial Assault Tender DтАЩRapiene was recovered without incident
last week . . .тАЭ
Evon turned sharply toward the nearest wall display crystal. тАЬWhat? ThatтАЩs a lie!тАЭ
тАЬ. . . following its near escape from the orbital docks of Isdor IV. The ship had apparently
entered trans-stellar drive on its own initiative but was soon recovered when it emerged in the Enway
system . . .тАЭ