Alliance Chairman of Defense Job Truniht attempts to use the recent Astarte "victory" to rally additional support for the war effort. Jessica Edwards, a widow of one of the officers killed at Astarte and a friend of Yang's, interrupts Truniht's speech and embarasses him. Yang is promoted to fleet commander of the newly formed 13th fleet and is given an impossible mission: Capture Iserlohn Fortress.
Many of the Alliance military commanders do not like Job Truniht.
Yang was promoted to Rear Admiral and given command of 13th fleet, a ragtag
outfit which is about
half the size of a regular fleet. The fleet's first mission is to capture
Iserlohn fortress.
Truniht has his own secret police, the Patriotic Knights Corps (PKC), whose main duty is to
rough up those who oppose him.
Yang is the legal guardian of Julian Mintz, who wishes to become a soldier someday.
How do Yang and Jessica know each other?
Do Yang and Jessica have some feelings toward each other?
Will the PKC leave Jessica alone?
Does everybody really know that Truniht is behind the PKC, like Yang said?
Analysis
Truniht gave Yang command of the 13th fleet with the possible expectation
that Yang will die
attacking Iserlohn.
The PKC seems to inspire fear in the populace, since no one did anything when they attacked
Yang’s house.
Yang likes tea.