Empire
Orson Scott Card
 The book opens with Major Malich, a Captain at the time, leading a Special Forces team in a town of some unknown country, presumably somewhere in Iran or Afghanistan, because of the use of Persian. They are attacked and return fire, saving a village with only one civilian casualty and earning Captain Malich a promotion to Major. Major Malich works at the Pentagon, where he writes the plans to find holes in American security, having no idea that they will fall into the wrong hands. The plans call for a stealthy underwater entrance into Washington, D.C., followed by a rocket launcher attack on the White House, relying on an inside informant to give the location of the President. Malich and Coleman come upon the attack in progress, and, after acquiring rifles, attempt to prevent the attack. Although they succeed in killing one of the men holding the launchers, the second fires and hits the south wall of the West Wing, killing the President, Secretary of Defense, and several others. It is later revealed the Vice President had been assassinated by a dump truck backing up into his limousine. Suspicion then turns to Malich, as he had written the plans and was present at the attack. While Malich is being debriefed at the Pentagon, Coleman is asked to participate in a right wing coup to correct the existing government. Coleman recounts the meeting on live television and retreats to Malich's side in New Jersey. The next morning they both decide to take a borrowed SUV to Ground Zero. They are caught in an uprising led by high tech mechs that fire on anyone wearing uniforms. After rescuing a squad of New York Police officers, they escape on foot via the Holland Tunnel to New Jersey where they collaborate with the National Guard to repel a horde of the mechanized warriors. Two Air Force F-16 jets are shot down into New York Harbor, one hitting the gown of the Statue of Liberty. Once back in New Jersey, Malich and Coleman join Malich's wife who used to work for an Idaho congressman who is now, due to the order of succession, President of the United States. Malich's wife is summoned by the new President. He asks for Malich, Coleman and Malich's former Special Forces buddies to help save the United States. Malich is ordered to retrieve his operations report created at the Pentagon. While there, his trusted secretary, DeeNee, betrays him, shooting him in the eye and killing him before his Secret Service escorts could react. Coleman escapes only to be pursued by more mechanized warriors and hover-bikes. They are eventually repelled by Apache gunships dispatched by the President. The new National Security Advisor, Averell Torrent, is one of Malich's former professors. He sends a team including Malich's Special Forces buddies and Coleman out to discover information about the Restoration group responsible for Malich's death and the subversion of the United States of America. Upon finding the Progressive Restoration's lair, the team, led by Coleman, reconnoiter the Washington mountain hideout. They invade and take its leader prisoner. After the defeat of the Progressive Restoration, Torrent is elected in a landslide victory as he was the presidential nominee for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Rather than wait until the next year's inauguration, the current president immediately steps down to let Torrent start his term. Towards the end of the novel, Reuben's wife Cecily begins to suspect Torrent's involvement in instigating the entire conflict in order to ascend to power. She discovers many of the key rebel leaders were taught at some point by him. From the notes Reuben left from his classes with him, she uncovers Torrent's obsession with the transition between the Roman Republic and the Empire, and Torrent's belief that the United States is in the same stage. The book ends with Cecily and Coleman, to whom she reveals her suspicions, wondering whether this is truly the case. No indication is given as to how Torrent will use his power, setting the novel up for a sequel.