The Fortress in Orion Read Free

right,” said Pretorius, stepping back and staring at Cooper. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œWell,” said Cooper, “that’s Michkag genetically .”
    â€œExplain!” demanded Pretorius.
    â€œThe Democracy, at the cost of quite a few lives, has managed to steal a sample of General Michkag’s DNA from his own medics, and we've managed to clone him. That's what you're looking at—the clone. He's in a state of stasis right now, with language and history being fed into his brain—but he's been awake most of the time since we created him two years ago.” He paused and gave the unconscious clone a loving pat on the shoulder. “There is a Kabori psychologist named Djibmet who has ample reason to hate Michkag and the coalition he leads, and for the past two years, even since we created the clone, Djibmet has been teaching him everything else he needs to know—schooling him in Michkag's gestures, verbal inflections, everything he can teach him to help him pass as the real Michkag.”
    â€œ Will he pass?” asked Pretorius.
    â€œWe think so,” said Cooper. “Even as he lies there, he’s being fed tapes. Still, there’s only one way to find out.” He flashed Pretorius another grin. “That’s where you come in.”
    Pretorius stared at him but said nothing.
    â€œYour job will be to lead a team that will kidnap the real Michkag if you can, secretly assassinate him if you can’t, but in any event put our clone in his place, where he’ll misdirect the enemy’s forces and find some way to funnel vital information to the Democracy.
    Pretorius shook his head. “This is crazy. We won’t get within five light-years of Michkag’s headquarters. He’s better protected than our own leaders are.”
    â€œBut he won’t be in his headquarters two months from now,” replied Cooper. “We’ve intercepted a coded message to the effect that he’ll be meeting with members of a federation of human rebels, trying to convince them to join his side. The meeting will take place at a fortress in Orion in two months. You have that long to prepare your team. You can select it from any officers or enlisted men in my command.”
    â€œNot a chance,” replied Pretorius. Cooper opened his mouth to object, but Pretorius held a hand up to silence hm. “I used your people the last three times, and there are parts of me scattered all the hell across the galaxy. If I go, I’ll pick my own team—and they probably won’t be members of the armed forces.”
    â€œThat’s absolutely out of the question!”
    â€œFine. Get yourself another boy. I’m going back to the rehab center.” Pretorius began walking to the airlift.
    â€œDamn it, Nathan, it’s got to be a military operation!”
    â€œRound up your own military team and good luck to you.”
    â€œI could court-martial you for refusing a direct order in wartime!”
    â€œGo ahead. I’ll be safer in jail than trying to kidnap or kill the most important general the enemy has.”
    Cooper stared at him for a long minute. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
    â€œI really do.”
    There was a long silence.
    â€œAll right,” said Cooper at last.
    â€œAll right, I can choose my team, or all right, you’re court-martialing me?” replied Pretorius.
    â€œChoose your fucking team!” growled Cooper, walking past him and heading to the airlift. “Don’t just stand there! You’ve only got two months to turn the tide of this goddamned war. Time to get to work!”

2
    Pretorius sat on his couch, with his favorite symphony playing in the background. It was some four hours after he’d spoken to Cooper, his first night out of rehab.
    He sat perfectly still for half an hour, letting the music wash over him, trying to get used to the feel of his new body parts. Then