1. The problem asks us to evaluate the expression: $-13 - (-30)$. 2. Recall that subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding its positive counterpart. 3. So, $-13 - (-30)$ simplifies to $-13 + 30$. 4. We perform the addition: $-13 + 30 = 17$. 5. Therefore, the value of the expression is $17$.