Read Online The Thirteenth Man by J.L. Doty - Free Book Online

the Duke de Satarna up to?”
    Arthur raised an eyebrow. “He wants to marry Dieter off to Delilah. Lucius is getting old and can’t last forever, or Nadama could help him along a bit—­then Martino could die of an overdose after he takes the throne, or something of that nature.”
    At hearing Nadama wanted to marry his son and heir to the princess, Charlie felt a pang of jealously. And Charlie had heard that at any official function Lucius’s heir, Martino, was never without a full drink and usually ended up stumbling about. His predilection for drink, drugs, gambling, and women was apparently no secret.
    â€œWith no heir,” Arthur continued, “Delilah would become queen, Dieter her consort, and in a few years he could be properly crowned.”
    Charlie asked, “Could he really get away with that?”
    â€œOh yes,” Arthur said. “He’d have to move carefully, and patiently, but if he did it right, yes he could.”
    Arthur turned back to Cesare. “Please, no admiral’s stripes.”
    â€œAll right,” Cesare said, “but I’m promoting him to full commander, and I won’t hear any argument on the matter.”
    Cesare needed appeasing, and Charlie could see that Arthur understood that as well.
    Cesare continued. “And I’ve got a flotilla I’m putting under his command: two heavy cruisers, two medium frigates, and three destroyers.”
    Arthur started to object, but Cesare cut him off. “Charlie’s my wild card. I want everyone to see him in charge of a significant force that won’t question any order he gives. That’s why I’m assigning his fellow POWs to him. That’s two thousand men who’ll do almost anything he says. That’ll keep Lucius and the rest of the Nine on their toes. But it won’t elevate his rank so much they’ll fear I might elevate him further.”
    Cesare turned to Charlie. “I want that flotilla in fighting shape, and ready for deployment anywhere in the Realm.”
    It felt good to have Cesare barking orders at him again, almost as if the intervening years on the chain had never happened. Strangely enough, that simple return to normalcy made him feel more at home than all the welcoming embraces. The one thing keeping him from feeling truly happy, though, was the thought of Dieter and Del. He did want to have that dance with her, but the likelihood that would ever happen grew less with each passing day.
    C harlie took command of the flotilla, and after a little over two months on deep space patrol, he and his officers had it ready for whatever Cesare might throw their way. Cesare had sent Add, Ell, and Roacka with him to continue beating up on him, and Charlie was back in full health, though all three reminded him constantly he was one of their worst students.
    Charlie was at his desk in a small office in the flagship reviewing performance reports when the computer said, “Commander, Captain Darmczek wishes to speak with you. He says it’s urgent.”
    An hour ago they’d down-­transited for a nav fix. It was standard procedure to contact the nearest de Maris outpost or relay buoy, from which Darmczek had probably received orders of some kind. “Patch him through.”
    Darmczek’s face appeared on a screen embedded in the surface of Charlie’s desk. “Good afternoon, Captain,” Charlie said politely.
    â€œWe’ve got new orders,” Darmczek said. “We’re to make for Traxis and proceed with all due haste. We’re setting up the new heading now and realigning the flotilla. We should up-­transit within the hour. There’s also an urgent message for you, coded private and sealed with a de Maris encryption key. I’ve forwarded it to your console.”
    â€œThank you, sir. Is there anything else?”
    â€œNothing,” Darmczek said, and killed the circuit.
    As the screen went blank, Charlie