This speech of Saint Cana's.
Left the whole place uncannily silent on the instant.
Every eye there fell upon Saint Cana.
Consul Andrew's gaze, like a falcon's, settled upon Saint Cana; but he did not open his mouth to her.
He demanded of Chieftain Saint George instead, "Saint George, what in the world does your Sacred Angel family mean by this!"
Chieftain Saint George's own heart at this hour was in utter disorder. He knew his daughter must have some arrangement in hand, but… this was surely… surely far too great a risk.
Daughter — even if you will not consent to the migration plan.
You need not leap out with it in a place like this.
Is this not seeking your own death?
His anxious, care-laden gaze went to his own daughter; and Saint Cana answered it with a look that bade him rest easy.
"A misunderstanding! It is all a misunderstanding! This is only a jest my niece is making with you all." Saint Cana's second uncle stepped out at this point, laughing apologetically without cease.
And at the same time he looked to his niece and to his elder brother, signing at them with his eyes without ceasing.
What in the world are these two about, raising such a scene here? They may have no wish to live, but I still do.
"This is no misunderstanding. Today I mean to clear away this rotten place, the Imperial Senate. And I mean besides to bring you to judgment — you sinners who have betrayed the Sacred Light, and betrayed the Sacred-Spirit race." Saint Cana raised a hand, and pointed at Consul Andrew, and at the crowd of nobles below the steps.
Saint Cana's gaze of contempt swept across everyone present.
"Saint Cana, if you have no wish to live, then say so outright. I can grant it you! You would bring us to judgment besides? What standing have you!" Consul Ernest of the East pointed at Saint Cana in mockery.
The crowd below pointed at Saint Cana and reviled her as well; and certain nobles who had been at odds with Saint Cana to begin with looked very much as though they would come up and set upon her together.
"Standing? You may try, and see whether I have that standing." Saint Cana smiled faintly — a smile that in days past would assuredly, to any who admired her, have overthrown a city and a kingdom.
But at this hour few had any attention to spare for it.
They thought only that Saint Cana had gone mad!
Utterly mad!
"Mad! This woman has gone utterly mad. Damn it — if you would run mad and seek your own death, do not drag us down with you. My lord Consul Andrew, I have not the least connection with them — truly, no connection whatever." The second uncle, seeing how the case stood, drew a line between himself and Saint Cana at once.
Only that no one now had any care to spare for this capering clown.
And just as everyone was wondering whether Saint Cana had gone mad, or whence this confidence of hers came.
A certain sound came from above their heads.
And thereafter, shadow after black shadow shot down out of the cloud layer.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Unidentified aircraft detected approaching. Defensive autocannon activating."
The sound of the alert system came suddenly from about the plaza, and thereafter some dozens of autocannon extended out and took aim at those shadows in the air.
Bang bang bang bang.
A curtain of fire poured toward those black shadows.
Several of the shadows were hit.
But more of them broke through that curtain.
And opened an attack upon the defensive autocannon that had fired.
Boom, boom, boom.
And with the sound of the explosions, those autocannon were destroyed to the last.
And the true face of these black shadows they all saw as well.
They were interstellar fighters!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The personnel charged with the arrangements began at once to contact the ground forces on every side, and even the fleets in space.
The fighters and drone flights upon the ground took off in the shortest time; but before these uninvited guests circling the Imperial Senate, these imperial fighters and imperial drone flights were not worth a single blow.
"What in the world is going on? Why should there suddenly be an attack? Where have these interstellar fighters come from?" someone cried out, past understanding it.
And when they made trial of contacting the outside, they discovered a thing more incredible still: their communication network seemed to be jammed, and they could not reach the outside at all.
"Saint Cana, what in the world have you done!" Consul Andrew glared at Saint Cana in fury.
Saint Cana shrugged and spread her two hands. "I said it: I mean to clear away everything filthy within the Empire. And all of it shall begin with the Imperial Senate."
"Do you suppose that by controlling us you can win? Beyond the Imperial Star there is still our Disciple family's Disciple Legion; the moment they find they have lost contact with us, they will send troops here in the first instant. And by that hour, with what will you contend against us!" Consul Andrew roared.
"Ah yes — the Disciple Legion. The ones who ought soonest of all to come under judgment are precisely they." Saint Cana narrowed her eyes, and wore the look of one calling something to mind. "When I was searching the past military documents. I found an encrypted file that had to do with the Disciple Legion. In that decapitation operation against the T5 Hive Mothership not long ago, when the critical hour came, the Disciple Legion's commander was actually anxious lest his own legion fleet's losses run too heavy. And without notifying the other friendly fleets, he withdrew from his own combat post upon his own authority. Which brought about, indirectly, the collapse of the line thereafter. Who would have thought it — the Disciple Legion turning deserters upon the field of battle! By our Empire's law, how is desertion upon the field of battle to be dealt with, my lord Consul Andrew… or ought I to address you as the Disciple family's old chieftain?"
"You slander me with a bloody mouth!" A thread of unease flickered in Consul Andrew's eyes, but he covered it over again very soon.
Upon this matter, so long as he did not own it, no one could do anything to him.
"No tears until the coffin is before you. Very well then. The Disciple Legion is your Disciple family's pride. Since it is so, I shall let you witness with your own eyes how your Disciple family's pride comes down."
Saint Cana raised a hand and snapped her fingers.
An enormous holographic projection screen appeared above the plaza.
And in the moment they raised their heads and saw the picture, every expression was blank, and terrified, and past believing.
For within the picture could be seen a great quantity of interstellar missiles, swarming all together down upon a body of interstellar warships.
And these interstellar warships the missiles had locked upon — by the crests upon their hulls.
Were precisely the Disciple Legion!
Interstellar missiles in vast number; a saturating strike of firepower lasting several minutes.
This sight fell upon the hearts of no few there like a heavy hammer, so that they could not draw breath.
And after this wave of interstellar missile attack was finished.
The attackers' own shapes appeared within the picture as well.
They were interstellar warships, majestic past all compare.
And upon the hull crests of these interstellar warships was a dragon device.
Some among the Holy Radiance Empire might not be very familiar with this dragon device.
But there were those who were familiar with it.
Consul Stanford of the South and Consul Ernest of the East cried out one word very nearly with one voice.
"The Owl Dragon Legion?"