Hidden Empire

Kevin J Anderson

From the New York Times bestselling author of X-Files: Antibodies and The Jedi Academy trilogy comes a spectacular new series set in an incredible new universe…

THE SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS

HIDDEN EMPIRE

BY KEVIN J. ANDERSON

“Wondrously imagined.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A realm of wondrous possibilities….The characters are well-drawn and the plotting is fast-paced.”

—Brian Herbert, coauthor of Dune: House Corrino and Dune: Butlerian Jihad

“SF on a grand scale…richly detailed characters and planets.”

—Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine

“A setting so rich and detailed that the reader will suspend disbelief and actually be there.”

—R. A. Salvatore, author of Transcendence

“Galactic fantasy at its adventurous and romantic best….Intriguing characters love and battle among the stars. A great read!”

—Margaret Weis, author of Dragons of a Vanished Star

“Tightly plotted, fast-moving adventure with all the right ingredients: cool aliens, clever technology, intrigue, and secrets, a little romance, a lot of action.”

—Kate Elliott, author of Jaran and the Crown of Stars series

“Impressive…with the rich texture and complex plotting that marked [Dune author Frank] Herbert at his best.”

—Katherine Kurtz, author of the Deryni series

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

WARNER BOOKS EDITION

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Aspect^® name and logo are registered trademarks of Warner Books, Inc.

Warner Books, Inc.

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

Originally published in hardcover by Warner Books

ISBN: 978-0-7595-2721-8

First eBook Edition: July 2002

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1: MARGARET COLICOS

2: BASIL WENCESLAS

3: ADAR KORI’ NH

4: OLD KING FREDERICK

5: BENTO

6: ARCUS

7: MARGARET COLICOS

8: RAYMOND AGUERRA

9: ESTARRA

10: PRIME DESIGNATE JORA’H

11: ADAR KORI NH

12: RLINDA KETT

13: JESS TAMBLYN

14: CESCA PERONI

15: NIRA KHALI

16: RLINDA KETT

17: BASIL WENCESLAS

18: RAYMOND AGUERRA

19: JESS TAMBLYN

20: CESCA PERONI

21: ESTARRA

22: MARGARET COLICOS

23: ADAR KORI’NH

24: BASIL WENCESLAS

25: RAYMOND AGUERRA

26: CESCA PERONL

27: BERNDT OKIAH

28: RLINDA KETT

29: ARCAS

30: SAREIN

31: AMBASSADOR OTEMA

32: NIRA

33: GENERAL KURT LANYAN

34: ROSS TAMBLYN

35: ESTARRA

36: RAYMOND AGUERRA

37: JESS TAMBLYN

38: REMEMBERER VAO’SH

39: DAVLIN LOTZE

40: MARGARET COLICOS

41: SAREIN

42: DR. GERALD SERIZAWA

43: KING FREDERICK

44: ESTARRA

45: NIRA

46: JESS TAMBLYN

47: GENERAL KURT LANYAN

48: CESCA PERONI

49: TASIA TAMBLYN

50: MARGARET COLICOS

51: NIRA

52: REMEMBERER DIO’SH

53: PRIME DESIGNATE JORA’H

54: JESS TAMBLYN

55: KING FREDERICK

56: RAYMOND AGUERRA

57: TALBUN

58: BENETO