FROM THE ARCHIVE: VS: I’m delighted to have my friend Author EG Manetti here today to talk about FLETCHER! I loved her Twelve Systems Chronicles series and it’s a delight as a reader to return to that world…
EGM: Beloved by my readers, Fletcher is one of my favorite secondary characters from the Twelve Systems Chronicles. The Twelve Systems Chronicles end with good triumphing over evil, and the newly discovered Thirteenth System admitted to the governing council. But Fletcher, along with a handful of other characters, had not achieved his happily ever after. With some reader prompting, I decided to provide some of these characters with standalone novels set in the universe of the Thirteen Systems.
Returning to that universe, and discovering what happens after the great victory, was even more intriguing than I expected. With so much wealth to be gained in the Thirteenth System, the predators will and do come out of the shadows. It is also fascinating to explore the rich and varied lives of these secondary characters who played supporting roles in the first series. As a writer, I found it challenging and entertaining to have the major characters from The Twelve Systems Chronicles appear in secondary roles.
In many respects, Fletcher bridges the Twelve Systems Chronicles and Thornscore. A member of the warrior elite, he lived a life of privilege and appreciated his good fortune. Charming and gifted, he was honorable and courageous, treating everyone courteously regardless of station. In the final volume of the Twelve Systems Chronicles, Fletcher was shot down while defending the Thirteenth System from evil conspirators. When I first wrote the battle, Fletcher did not survive crashing onto Bright Star Deuce. It was intellectually honest: people we love die in wars, and characters we love die in fictional battles. But I kept waking up at night thinking, “I have got to save Fletcher.” So, I did.
He did not come out unscathed. He almost dies and does end up losing an arm and a leg. In the opening chapters of Fletcher: Thornscore, Volume 2, we see Fletcher waking up in a hospital, missing half his limbs. Even with the advanced prosthetics of the Thirteen Systems, his career as a moon racer is over, and he will not be allowed to explore the Thirteenth System. The physical, emotional, and spiritual pain from his injuries and losses drive his behavior, decisions, and the related plot developments. The man who returns from war is not the same man who left to explore the Thirteenth System.
Clarice, another beloved secondary character, worked her way up from the lowest levels of society to a position of respect and wealth. But her success came at a cost, leaving her emotionally closed off. She had known Fletcher for years and admired him, although it was a detached emotion. The insouciant version of Fletcher that went to explore the Thirteenth System made her wary. The stoic version that returned slides beneath her defenses before she even realizes it.
Together, they find a way to move past their wounds. And, since it is one of my books, there is intrigue and mayhem along the way.
In the following excerpt, Fletcher and Clarice are on board the Shimmering Horizon, making the journey between their homes in the Third System and the planet Fortuna in the Fourth System. Several others from Serengeti are making the voyage, including Rigel, another warrior. It is late in the evening. With Clarice’s assistance, Fletcher escaped an onboard nightclub where he was overwhelmed by a crowd fascinated by the hero flyer or curious about his machine parts. Fletcher: Thornscore, Volume 1 is written in dual POV; this passage is in Clarice’s POV.
“Rigel is not yet thirty. It is different.”
“And you are all of thirty-three.”
He ran his free hand through his hair. “It has not been that long since I was a new protégé, giddy with success and adult freedom. Rigel’s revels are naught that I have not done.”
How could he compare himself to Rigel? “You were never like Rigel. You always valued the women you chose, no matter how brief the liaison.”
He slanted her a quizzical glance. “How would you know that?”
Rather than admit her fascination, she prevaricated with a portion of the truth. “After the Festival Brawl, we watched you. Those of us who are now Thornscore. None of us were of Iron Hammer, then. You had no cause to aid us.”
“Except for a warrior’s honor.”
Does he have no notion of how truly rare that is? “And that is why you were never like Rigel. You were never that heedless of others.”
“You think not?” His smile was rueful. “There was a time when I was familiar with every indulgence in Crevasse City. Somehow, it seems decades gone.”
She could understand that. The guards cleared the riser carriage and motioned them within. As it rose, she said, “You fought a war.”
He shook his head. “A battle. With heavy casualties, but not a war.”
“A stealth war is yet a war.”
“What say you?”
“I was at the siege of Serengeti. That was three-and-a-half years ago.” As it often did, her heart ached for the friends who died that day. “We did not know it before then, but we had been battling the despoilers from the first.”
Fletcher flinched. “I was not at the siege.”
Pulling away, he stepped from the riser, not waiting for the guards.
She had forgotten how that had stung him. She hastened after him, catching his tunic sleeve. “You were engaged in the stealth war immediately after. How many bells did you spend learning stealth? Seeking evidence of despoilers. Playing a part meant to distract and confuse? You were at the maze melee. I have no doubt there were actions I know naught about.”
He raised his gaze to lights twinkling overhead in a facsimile of a starry night. “It was cat-and-mouse the entire time we were on Fortuna preparing for the Nightingale’s flight. Spreading misinformation. Shocked when it entrapped those who we thought honorable. Friends.”
It was as she suspected. “I was somewhat shielded. Rebecca, Tabitha, and Lilian—it was worse for them. They had to look upon the results of the atrocities we failed to circumvent.”
His gaze dropped to her face. He turned her hand in his and raised it to his lips. “We are all decades older than those who had not that experience.”
“I sometimes wish that it had not been my path to walk. But I am glad my actions helped order a galaxy where such evil will not threaten Chrys’ son and many others.”
Fletcher’s expression warmed. “You are remarkable.”
He dropped her hand to cup her chin. She could have pulled away but did not wish to, and they were alone in the corridor but for the guards. His lips were warm and firm, sliding across hers. He tasted of whiskey, valor, and something without a name. Something that set her senses tingling in a manner beyond anything she had ever known.
FLETCHER: Thornscore, Volume 2
FLETCHER
Once a galaxy-renowned Moon Racer, Fletcher’s competitive career ended in the battle for the Thirteenth System. Shot down over Bright Star Deuce, he was fortunate to survive, his left arm and leg replaced with state-of-the-art prosthetics. Now only half a warrior, he is relegated to testing new technologies for Serengeti.
The first step is the Fourth System, where the technology will be tested before being deployed to the Thirteenth System. However, there are forces in the Thirteen Systems that do not want the colonization to succeed and will do anything to ensure the expedition’s failure.
When chance places Clarice on the same transport to the Fourth System, he discovers the former apprentice has developed into a beguiling woman. Torn between duty and desire, he must forge a new path into the future.
CLARICE
Once a lowly apprentice, her skill, courage, and honor promoted Clarice to legalistics protégé. Through years of deprivation, she learned to value every success. Years of humiliation have conditioned her to weigh every relationship for benefit and never risk her heart.
Handsome, charismatic, and a warrior of impeccable lineage, Fletcher Detrenti has been on the periphery of her life for half a decade. She admired his bravery, respected his honor, and enjoyed his easygoing nature. She was shocked by the withdrawn and taciturn man who returned from war. Bound for a distant system in his company, she cannot resist the pull between them.
Universal link: https://books2read.com/FLETECHERThornscore2
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/fletcher/id6478937545
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fletcher-eg-manetti/1145018917?ean=2940186174080
Thank you so much for the opportunity to post about FLETCHER!
Thanks for being my guest this week and best wishes for the new book! Can’t wait to read it…
Congratulations, EG!