Cosinga pushed himself to his knees and began a terrified retreat, leaving smears of blood on the deck. But Palpatine was advancing on him now. “If the Force birthed you, then I curse it!” Cosinga rasped. “I curse it!” “As I do,” Palpatine growled. The hatch began to slide to, and he heard the voice of the guard who had escorted him from the Jafan III. “Stop!” “Cosinga!” his mother screamed. Palpatine pressed the palms of his hands to his head, then in eerie calm streaked to the hatch, pulled the surprised guard through the threshold, and tossed him clear across the cabin. Raising his face to
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