Fourth Vector Ch. 04

With one last sullen look, the minister hurried down the hall and turned out of sight.

"Odd fellow, that one," said Greg, watching him leave.

"Bit of an asshole if you ask me," muttered Abigail.

"He seems to have a stick stuck up as his ass," said Jack. "Hopefully, it seems like he's the only one."

"Well, what now? Go relax in our rooms?" asked Greg.

"Let's just relax ourselves for this banquet. Meet back out in an hour and we'll go down together," said Jack. The other two nodded and soon separated to enter their respective rooms.

Jack's own room was simple yet elegant. The walls were made of the same smooth marble as the rest of the giant palace. A large bed dominated the entire room as well as a simple dresser and nightstand near the bed. Inside the bathroom was a fine porcelain tub for washing as well as a simple toilet too.

Seeing as he hadn't had a proper washing since they left Java, Jack took a long, luxurious bath before the banquet. With the facilities so much better than those on the cramped ships, he was determined to make the best use of it as he could. Finally managing to scrub off all the grit from weeks of sailing, a much cleaner version of himself popped out of the tub and set about getting dressed once more.

Feeling like a new man, and noticing it was about time, Jack strolled out into the main hall, nearly bumping into Greg as soon as he was out the door.

"Ah, there you are, Jack. That was the quickest hour ever," said Greg, managing a brief smile.

"A much needed break was what it was," said Jack as he closed his door.

"Yeah, I'll say so. Say, what is that smell? You smell a little different," said Greg.

Jack turned a little red in the cheeks. "I tried out the bath."

"We're all thankful that you did," came a voice from behind him. Both men turned around to see Abigail's smirking face. "You smell a lot better."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You've never objected to my scent before."

She pursed her lips. "That you've heard me complain of."

It was enough to make him chuckle.

"You smell so nice and fresh and feminine now, Jack," said Greg with a cheeky grin. "You'll be the prettiest girl at the banquet now."

Jack raised his eyebrows at the man. "Did you forget I can still kick your ass when I need to?"

Greg raised up both hands in a mocking fight style, which was enough to make Abigail roll her eyes. "Boys, boys, boys. Can you behave? We're supposed to be diplomats tonight."

"Is that why we're here? I thought we were just here to eat!" mouthed Greg.

It took them several minutes to walk past all the stately opulence of the palace but they finally emerged into the courtyard just as the sun was a mere orb on the horizon. The eastern courtyard was just as resplendent as the rest of the grounds, and it was packed with people. In the middle of the area, a large statue of what could only be Daimanos dominated the space. The status was very active, showing the king engaged in solo combat with two enemies as a sword plunged into the heart of a third. The king's triumphant expression was the height of pride and arrogance, a rapid departure from the friendly figure Jack saw earlier that day.

"Like it?" asked a voice from behind Jack. He turned to find himself face to face with the King himself. "I had it commissioned recently from a battle with the West Sorellans. It's a perfect capture of myself in battle."

"Very impressive, Your Majesty," said Jack. "But I couldn't help but notice you have a sword in the sculpture. I thought you used guns in your fights?"

Daimanos chuckled. "We do, Jack, we do, but any man can kill with a rifle. Swordsmanship takes skill to learn. It was something that I learned as a young man and carried with me through the years. If I had it my way, we'd all carry swords with us."

Jack pondered that thought for a moment before the king spoke again.

"Come with us," said Daimanos, putting his hand on Jack's back. "Let's get you all seated at the table as our guests of honor."

Daimanos led them past rows of people on their way to the front of the courtyard. These people, no doubt various governmental officers and bureaucrats, didn't seem to suffer the same malnutrition problems as those from down in the city. All of them wore fine clothing and appeared to be a normal, healthy weight.

Once past all the bureaucrats, Daimanos presented the main table to them which happened to overlook all of the city, having an excellent view of the harbor and the Javan ships floating out at sea.

"Come Jack, you have to sit next to me," said Daimanos while patting the seat next to him. "Nikias will sit on your other side. The rest of you, please find a seat here at the table. You, my dear, are sitting right next to me," said Daimanos as he gestured to Abigail. "The most beautiful woman at the table always sits near the king."

Abigail gave him a polite smile and a nod and sat down by his side.

Once seated, the banquet got started in full force. Off to their right, not far from the statue, a small military band began to play a soft tune as a steady stream of servants erupted from the palace carrying all kinds of delicacies and foods to sample. The king's table was served first and suddenly all the open space on the table in front of Jack was filled with a wide range of dishes.

"You must try this one, Jack," said Daimanos as he grabbed a plate of a white-fleshed meat. "This fish is native to Sorellan waters and it's really quite superb."

"That's enough of an endorsement for me," said Jack with a smile. "I'll take that tray when you are finished."

Daimanos handed it his way as he grabbed yet another. "You'll eat well tonight, my friend. Sorellan food is one of the best in this part of the world."

"You have quite the operation going on here, Daimanos," said Jack while gesturing to the rest of the banquet. "All of these people, the food, the music—all of it is top notch."

Daimanos gave a solemn nod. "These people have earned a celebration. This war has been going on for so long that I owe it to them. You have here the very best people in East Sorellan society. The cream of the crop."

"And what do they say about an alliance?"

"I think most of them would be in favor of an alliance with a greater power," answered Daimanos. "Anything to give us a chance to end this terrible war."

"I think we can agree to that," said Jack while taking a bite of food. "I'm amazed by the palace by the way. Getting a chance to see the inside was wonderful. It must have taken a long time to complete."

The king chuckled as he took a lamb shank and plopped it on his plate. "That it did. It came at a great cost too because of some of the scenes we wished to display around the palace. For example, I'm sure you noticed the great mural on the portico on the way into the palace, yes?"

Jack nodded slowly.

"That mural tells the stories of the Sorellan pantheon on gods. It's our very creation story. It goes all the way back to the first king of Sorella, Decon. He was nothing but a fisherman who had fallen overboard his own ship and ended up washed ashore here in Sorella. After several days and nights, he was on the verge of starvation when our chief god, Malicoe, appeared to him in a vision. It was Malicoe that taught Decon how to hunt on dry land instead of at sea. Once Decon could begin to hunt, he became strong and healthy."

"It was then that he had another vision from Malicoe who told him that he needed a wife so that he could have many sons and father his own nation. Malicoe arranged for a virgin maiden to be captured by Decon on one of his many hunts. Eventually, Decon and this maiden, Veratay, married and she bore him seven sons."

"Well, Jack, those seven sons grew older and became the original seven warriors of Sorella. Those seven brothers were taught by their father how to be excellent hunters and soldiers as well. They became the fiercest warriors in all of Sorella, and together, they conquered the entire island, setting themselves up as the unparalleled rulers of all the land."

"That is quite impressive for just seven men," interjected Jack. "What happened next?"

Daimanos began to nod. "The same thing that always happens when you must share power. They started to squabble about it. Each of them tried to be a king in their own right and it caused a dreadful civil war on the island between each king and his followers. Eventually, one brother named Policips emerged victorious amongst all the others, capturing his siblings in one great battle. Do you know what he did next?"

Jack shook his head.

"He killed his remaining six brothers in cold blood by his own hand," said Daimanos, emphasizing the point by brushing his finger across his throat. "It was at that point that he took over as the king of the entire island, and it hasn't changed in over two thousand years. The king is the definitive center of Sorellan civic life and that isn't bound to change anytime soon."

"That's an interesting history, Daimanos. Perhaps with time, I'd like to learn more about the history of your island."

At that moment, Daimanos finished a good portion of his shank. "Anytime, Jack. Now, let's get to discussing some of the finer points of our potential alliance. Do you have any terms you wish to propose?"

Jack sat up straighter. "I'm glad you asked. There are a few things we would require of an alliance, but I'm sure it's the usual fare that you've heard before. Of course, binding our peoples together would require us to fight in each other's defense. Therefore if East Sorella is attacked, then the forces of the Javan Empire would come to her aid and vice versa. We have our enemies in our part of the world as well. Have you ever heard of the Occitanian Confederacy?"

Daimanos shook his head in response.

"We are close to war with them. If we do go to war, East Sorella would have to come to our aid as well," said Jack. "Be part of our forces and help to attack them wherever you see their ships."

"So far so good, I accept that," said Daimanos rather easily. Jack had expected more of a fight to that provision but he continued on as soon as the king had accepted it.

"Also, we would require a safe port of call at your city for the purpose of resupply and/or repair," said Jack.

"Would I have access to Javan facilities if my ships are on your side of the world?" asked Daimanos.

"Of course," answered Jack. "Each ally would be in agreement to aid the other's forces when asked."

"That's acceptable to us as well," said the king.

"Last, but not least, we would like to set up a favorable nation style of trading between our peoples. Perhaps our own special interest sector within your city to advocate for trade between our nations. Of course, we would welcome the East Sorellans as privileged traders in Java as well."

"Trade is very important to us, but I'm primarily a war king, Jack. I'll leave the details on those arrangements to Nikias, but I agree with the basic premises. Anything else?"

Jack shook his head. "That covers the finer points. How about on your side? Anything else you'd like to add?"

"I have only one requirement," said the king. "I need you to enter this war immediately, and I need your forces to help me with the final battle against the western usurpers."

Jack scrunched his eyebrow. "What do you mean by final battle?"

"We are so close, Jack. So very close to squashing this rebellion against my rule," said Daimanos with an angered tone. "At this very moment, my army is so close to the West Sorellan city, and we are poised to make the final strike. But as you can see, this war hasn't been without casualties on our part. With your forces, we can finally top the scales and emerge victorious."

"I didn't realize you were so close to final victory. You've come this far already, why do you need our help to finish it?" asked Jack.

Daimanos assumed a faraway look. "My people have been suffering greatly, Jack. Our land is tarnished, food is scarce, and every family has lost loved ones. I wouldn't be doing my duty as their king if I didn't look for a way to end this war as quickly as I could. Yes, we could probably finish it on our own but with your help and your mighty ships, we can finish the job and send our brave soldiers home."

Jack started to open his mouth to respond but above the noise of the crowd, a loud trumpet could be heard blasting from the bottle of the hill. The entire Sorellan leadership all straightened in alarm as the trumpets began to blast louder and within a few moments, the noise appeared right at the very front of the palace.

"Our soldiers!" said the king loudly. "They are back. We must see to them!"

Daimanos rose from the table and nodded quickly to his ministers. The entire group began to make their way through the courtyard to the other side of the palace. Jack waved to the other commanders and gestured to them to follow him as he hurried behind the king. Staying just fifty paces behind Daimanos, the Javans were among the first to see the group of soldiers who made their way back to the palace.

Or rather, what could still be called soldiers. The men appeared entirely broken and their uniforms were in tatters. Many didn't even carry their muskets, having long since dropped them. Their formation was practically non-existent and the men struggled up the hill at their own pace. Several of them carried their wounded comrades on makeshift stretchers.

Daimanos face went pale while watching the procession. "By the gods, have we lost? Did we lose the battle?"

The two soldiers closest to him appeared to nod easily. "They were too strong for us, Your Majesty. They fought like demons in the night, abandoning formations in order to attack us from the rear. We couldn't even rest in peace without those West Sorellan devils attacking us by surprise. A group of us even tried to surrender but they wouldn't even let us do that. They hacked all the men to bits. There wasn't a single survivor in the entire group."

Daimanos began to shake with rage. "Those bastards," he yelled. "Those bloodthirsty savages have spilled enough blood of my people. It's time to end this war!"

"Sire, that's not the worst of it," said another soldier, this one heavily splattered in blood. "They set themselves on another peaceful village. They rounded up all the children, women, and old men and cast them inside one building. Then they set fire to the town, burning them all alive. The only ones that made it out were the young women. I can only imagine what their fate will be."

Daimanos grit his teeth and roared in agony.

"We can't let them continue to do this, Jack. We have to do something," said Abigail, pleading at his side.

"I agree. This is too much. The barbarity has to stop," said Greg firmly.

"Are we all in then? Do we choose to help Daimanos? Do we accept their alliance and fight alongside them?" asked Jack.

All of them nodded firmly in agreement. They had made their decision.

It was enough for Jack that he couldn't take it any more. Fighting his way to the front of the crowd next to the mighty king, he clapped the large man on the back. "I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your peoples, Your Majesty. But I have an answer for you. We accept your alliance."

Daimanos' face looked relieved. "You won't regret this, Jack. An alliance between East Sorella and the Javan Empire will be celebrated for many years to come. With your help, we can finally end this rebellion and return to long lives of peace."

"I have at my disposal three mighty ships to help in your war, Your Majesty," said Jack. "But also, I have two companies of Javan Marines led by our Major Vaughn here. We can supplement your forces and give you some real firepower."

"That would be fantastic, Jack. Thankfully, I know my men would not have died in vain now. Your arrival has been most fortuitous. Your appearance here in East Sorella will be a difference maker for countless lives."

"We are with you, Daimanos," said Jack more quietly. "We need to bring these people to justice."

Daimanos began to rub at his chin. "I would like for us to meet together to create a new battle plan for our alliance. But not tonight, Jack. Not within the sight of so many of my dead children. We'll honor them tonight and discuss war in the morning."

Jack nodded solemnly. "It is understandable, Your Majesty. If your soldiers are so near to final victory, we should get moving as quickly as possible."

"Excellent idea, Jack. Let's cover it in the morning. I'm sorry, but I'll be cutting the rest of the banquet short. We have nothing to celebrate at this moment with this terrible news from the front lines. Tomorrow we will meet again to talk more, and tonight I will grieve for my people."

"As will I, Daimanos. As will I."

Jack kept his hand on the king's back in a show of solidarity until the large man begun to move away, retiring to the palace. As the line of ministers and other government figures began to fade away, Jack found himself left with his fellow officers and the servants assigned to them.

"We should get a good night's sleep and then prepare to meet with him in the morning," said Jack to the others. "Abigail, I want you to head back to theDestiny at first light. Start preparing the task force for war."

Abigail nodded. "You got it, Jack."

Jack then turned to the marine commander. "Greg, I want you to stay with me tomorrow while we discuss the land campaign with West Sorella. Radio your captains and let them know to start preparing for action."

"We'll get it done, Jack," said Greg with a nod.

"There's not much more we can do tonight. Let's get back to our rooms and I'll meet you all in the morning."

The three of them were escorted back into the palace after that, and as Jack retired to his own room to sleep, he could only wonder what tomorrow might bring about for their new alliance.

*****

The next morning, Jack, Greg, and Daimanos peered over a map of the entire island of Sorella. A line separated both halves of the country, the divider between east and west and their respective zones of influence. Daimanos pointed just beyond the line to give them the current situation.

"I have a large fort built right here, not far from Heron's city and right on the coast," said Daimanos, pointing to a spot not far from the enemy city. "Most of my forces are here, a few thousand of my best soldiers. They are ready for the final push to eradicate this evil from our homeland, Jack."

"Are they armed for action?" Jack asked. "The soldiers we saw yesterday didn't look to be in the best shape."

Daimanos waved dismissively. "Those men had been fighting for many months and were due to come back to the capital. My forces in the center of the island are in better shape. Now, let's talk about how you can help us win."

Jack shared a look with Greg. "Before we do, tell us what your plan is. How do you plan to win this war?"

Daimanos sketched an imaginary line just right in front of the West Sorellan city. "See this line? This is their defensive perimeter. It's strong, Jack, very strong. Their remaining forces have pulled back behind this line that makes good use of the natural terrain and makes it a tough nut to crack. For this reason, we've been taking a lot of casualties trying to assault it head on."

"Why assault it head on at all? Why not go around it? Mount a seaborne operation?" asked Jack.

Daimanos shrugged. "All of my best ships have been lost in the war. I only have what is out in the harbor, and I'm sure you noticed most of those ships are beached and therefore of no use to me right now."

"We could do this, Daimanos," said Greg. "My marines can mount an amphibious operation around the wall and attack the city from the sea."

The king burst into a wide grin. "That's exactly the kind of ingenuity I need!"