As Fia ran, she talked. "Here's our situation. They've moved from the inner office to the receiving chamber, the one used for the Birthday tithes. There are two entrances, the main antechamber and the staircase that Gregor uses. We're coming down the staircase, and 'Lene is flanking them in the corridor. What we've got to do is clear the way, and then bring Gregor and Laisa back up to the private quarters." She handed Miles a stunner. "That's set to wide beam. Everyone else has normal stunners. Yours will take out a roomful of people, so wait until it's clear of allies."

"How can we tell the allies from the enemies?" asked Miles.

Fia snorted. "Only Ina and Lexi can tell the difference with any accuracy, and as far as I know, they're with the Emperor."

They came to a barricade. Fia touched the little device on her wrist. Something sparked in the heap. "Power's too high," the woman mumbled. "All right, it's safe. Help me clear this out."

The Armsman with the scanner nodded all-clear.

They had cleared an opening just big enough for Miles to crawl through when stunner fire caught Pym. It was coming from the other side.

Fia cursed, and shot an ampule into Pym's arm. "He'll be all right. Miles, clear the room!"

Miles fired his stunner through the barricade, just as nerve disruptor fire hit their mutual shield, point blank. He blinked away the afterglow of blue fire, and the raw terror. I want my space armor! The other Armsmen had succeeded in knocking open a larger hole, and they clambered through.

The modified stunner had taken down all their assailants. Here was a servant, two palace guards, and even a member of the cleaning staff. Fia pushed Miles on before he could gawk any longer.

They cleared out two more rooms and a corridor in the same fashion. "Why are they acting like that?" Miles asked.

"That's the effect of pentacrine," said Fia. "It's a derivative of fast-penta which amplifies post-hypnotic suggestion. The ampule I gave Pym is an inoculant for the stuff. That organic stench is a by-product. They must have used barrels of it, to dose most of the staff. Our timing was pure luck."

Miles nodded. Anyone could be our enemy. That's why they warned me about ImpSec, and why poor Kapas shot at Gregor.

"Here's the door to the staircase," Miles said.

"Wait," Fia said. "Do you have a communicator?"

"Yes."

"But it's not secure."

"That won't matter, Father's called ImpSec by now."

Fia took a breath of the pungent air. "Hmm. The dosage is too large to have much left over… all right. Use your communicator, and direct extra men to Ekaterin. I don't want us flanked, either."

Heart pounding, Miles called Illyan and told him.

"Fine, Miles, but where the hell are you?" Simon growled over the comm. "And what about the Emperor?"

"Simon, we're----"

"No time," Fia hissed, just as Illyan said, "Never mind, ImpSec's arrived in force. You'll have company soon." The line went dead.

Fia swore. She kicked the door open.

A barrage of fire greeted them. They were at the top of the staircase, completely unprotected, save for the energy shield. Miles hoped it would hold. He motioned for his Armsmen to stay behind them. "Slowly," Fia said, "We need to conserve the shield's energy."

They advanced carefully down the stairs, trying to dodge the energy bursts. It was too dark to see the details of the room, but Fia fired purposefully into the shadows. Yelling "Shield!" she tossed down a small metallic object, presumably to her confederates.

Suddenly the fusillade abated. Fia grabbed Miles and took off down the stairs.

They passed Gregor and Laisa's hiding place behind an upturned table. Miles's vision adjusted to the darkness. The scene was nightmarish. A mob of guards, servitors, and kitchen maids blocked the entrance of the antechamber. Ivan's group was picking them off, but there were too many of them.

"Now!" yelled Fia, once they were clear of the Emperor. Miles fired the stunner.

Most of the company fell, but a few guards remained standing.

"They've got shields," said a low voice by his ear. Miles was startled to see the woman, Raina, or Ina, crouching beside him. "Pull back! Chances are, your shield won't hold for long."

Fia hustled Miles back up the stairs, on the heels of the man---Lexi---and Gregor and Laisa. There was a crackle of blue as disruptor fire hit the shields. Lexi and Fia cursed, simultaneously.

It happened too quickly, even for combat-hardened Miles. There was a blinding flash of blue fire, and Lexi collapsed. Miles heard a yell behind them, and despite his better instincts, glanced back. Raina stood at the foot of the stairs, unprotected, aiming what looked like a needler at the advancing guards. Only afterwards did Miles realize that she was screaming in a strange language. Disruptor fire flashed about her. She moved quickly, and the needler fired.

"Keep moving!" It was Lexi. He was limping, but alive.

Miles scrambled up the last steps, panting. They ran silently through the halls. Through luck or shrewd planning, they did not meet anyone else, ImpSec or otherwise. They did not stop until they reached a study which had a single door and no windows.

Raina entered soon after; Miles hadn't seen her following them. She said, "Everyone here? Good. Now we have to deal with ImpSec."