Fourth Vector Ch. 06

"Not at all. I think life has a way of flipping everything you thought you knew on its head. That's the beauty of it. We keep changing and growing as people. What I'm saying is don't fight your father so hard on this. You never know what the outcome might be."

"And if twenty years from now I still only want to be in the army and fight?"

Jack chuckled. "Then you can come find me and be the first one to say 'I told you so.'"

Elektra started to giggle. "I can see why just about everyone likes you. Now I know why no one has a bad word to say about you."

Jack leaned back and puffed out his cheeks. "That depends on who you ask."

"Like my uncle?" asked Elektra.

"He might have a few choice words," said Jack with a chuckle.

"Good thing he won't ever voice them again. Best thing you could have done was to kill him although I'm upset about one thing about it."

"What's that?"

Elektra turned to face him. "That you got to do it and not me. As far as I'm concerned, he's the one responsible for all these deaths in our family. I wanted to be the one to kill him and avenge them."

"Now you tell me. I could've waited for you when he wanted to spar with that sword of his," said Jack with a smile.

Elektra began to giggle again. "Perhaps a better thing that it was you then. I'm only good with a musket. If it was a sword fight, I would've been in trouble."

Jack pointed to the slash across his chest. "As it turns out, I'm not too good with a sword either."

"At least you're alive to talk about it!"

Jack chuckled. "That's true. Now I get the ultimate revenge. I get to go take his capitol city and give it back to the rightful ruler of Sorella."

Elektra smiled as she took a mouthful of food. After she swallowed she turned to look at him again. "So what's next for you? After everything is settled here in Sorella, where will you go next?"

"I'm not sure exactly," said Jack while remembering his conversation last night with Heron. "Your father gave me a lot of information about the other local islands, and he said we could go over a map of them when we get back to West Sorella. It seems like there are a lot of directions we could strike out from Sorella when the time comes."

"No matter which direction you go, you'll have to be careful, Jack. This area of the world is in a lot of turmoil right now. Not even just Sorella but everyone else. The Swabians are conquering everything in sight. The Galicians are impotent to stop them. Most of those people are skittish and frightened. You must be careful no matter where you go," said Elektra warily.

Jack nodded in understanding before giving a smirk. "One thing I've learned so far is that trouble seems to follow us. No matter where we go, we seem to attract bad attention. It may be out of my hands as I'm sure trouble will find us."

"Either way, you must be careful," said Elektra. "You've made too much of a mark on Sorellan society for you to get yourself killed for no reason."

Jack smiled. "I appreciate you watching out for us. That's always the sign of a good leader. Your father has much to be proud about in you."

"If only I could make him see that," said Elektra in an exasperated tone.

"Don't worry," said Jack. "I'm sure in time he'll understand. Just give him that time, okay?"

Elektra smiled warmly before eating the last piece of food on her plate. "I'll try. Anyway, I appreciate you letting me join you for lunch. Your company was very welcomed."

"As was yours," said Jack as the young woman got up from her seat.

"See you soon, Jack. And thank you," said Elektra as she slipped out of the mess hall.

*****

Late in the afternoon, Jack found himself at his command post on theDestiny, watching eagerly as theTiger went forth to screen their arrival in the East Sorellan capital. The sun had begun its descent over the western sky as the small, battle-scarred destroyer began to pull away from the rest of the task force to determine if the city was going to resist their arrival.

"Remember, Vicky," said Jack into his command radio. "If they show any signs of hostility, I want you to beat a hasty retreat back to the rest of the task force. We'll use our long-range guns to soften them up instead."

"Aye, Jack, we'll be careful," said Vicky.

TheDestiny and theValiant remained just off shore, waiting to go into action in case the city resisted. Beside him stood Heron, also eagerly watching and waiting to return to the city that had led the charge in trying to depose him for the past year. If the king had any anxiety about his return, his body language wasn't showing it.

"I can only imagine what you're feeling right now," said Jack quietly into the ear of the king.

Heron smiled warily. "There's a storm of emotions inside me. I'll feel better when we know what they're going to do."

Jack bit back a laugh. "You and I both!"

They awaited word through the radio as theTiger slipped out of sight. It was close to an hour later when his command radio suddenly chirped. "Jack, it's Vicky. I'd say it's safe for us to dock here."

"How does it look, Vicky?" asked Jack into the radio.

"Quiet. There's a white flag waving over the city itself and all the cannons that were lining the hill beneath the palace are gone. We don't see any signs of soldiers, but the common people seem to be watching our arrival. I don't think they're going to resist!"

"That sounds great, Vicky. Good work! We'll be right behind you," said Jack while flashing a thumbs up to the rest of the bridge. Most of them wore relieved smiles and even Anna, who had so recently been distant from him, flashed a small grin.

"Anna, take us back to East Sorella, please," said Jack while pointing to the direction of the city.

"Aye, Jack!"

TheDestiny cut through the waves easily as the task force began its approach. On the main deck, Jack spotted Greg and the rest of the marines in full uniform, prepared to do their duty should the call come for their help. Jack just hoped they wouldn't have to resort to force today.

Finally rounding the last peninsula before the city, Daimanos' capitol came into stunning view once more. Jack eagerly looked over the quiet city, his eyes darting over every feature. The city was still a stunning display of wealth inequality, with Daimanos' palace dominating the entire hillside while the squalid housing crammed together tight against the coast. If he had thought the city looked bleak before on his first arrival, it was nothing compared to today.

The entire city gave off an aura of a conquered people waiting for retribution. Even the winds had seemed to disappear as nothing appeared to move—no flags waving, no tree branches whistling to a breeze. There weren't many people to be seen, and the only thing that differentiated it from Heron's city was that most of the buildings were still standing. War had different ways of showing its consequences, and as Jack watched a small crowd of emaciated East Sorellans gather near the docks, he knew that even Daimanos' own people had suffered greatly during his watch.

Jack eyed the hills as they sailed past the long jetty and entered the port, finding Vicky's claim to be true and all of the cannons removed. He gave a sigh of relief at the city being theirs for the taking and then directed the crew to anchor the ship in the same spot as the previous week.

"Right over there, Anna," said Jack while pointing out the window. "We'll drop anchor in this spot and take the launch boats."

"Do you want to take the marines to shore with you? Just in case?" asked Abigail.

Jack nodded. "Definitely. We can never be too careful. Twitch, will you get word down to Greg and let them know to ready the launch boats?"

"Aye, sir," came the reply from his deputy as he quickly left the bridge and headed toward the stern.

Jack turned to look back toward the main city docks to where the crowd of people had gathered. Jack feltdéjà vu at once more crossing into the city, only this time without Daimanos' presence. He just hoped they'd have better luck this time around than last.

Jack felt a presence at his side and looked to see Heron staring at the docks as well.

"Looks pretty quiet," said Jack while gesturing to the city. "Are you ready?"

Heron took a deep breath and then nodded. "As ready as I'm going to be."

"Let's get moving then." Jack then turned to Abigail. "Keep your guns trained on the city. If you see us in trouble or hear my commands, send the rest of the marines. I'll be taking a platoon with me just in case."

"You got it, Jack. We'll cover your back," said Abigail with a smile and a nod. "Be careful out there. Don't get into any sword fights," she added cheekily.

With those final words, Jack and Heron descended from the bridge and made their way to the stern of the ship where several fireteams awaited their orders to board the launch ships. From Jack's perspective, he could see Greg watching them eagerly and waiting to give the command.

"Let's launch now," said Jack as soon as he closed the distance between them.

"You heard the Commander," roared Greg to the rest of the marines. "Get in your boats and let's get moving!"

The launch boats were quickly filled with the entire platoon plus Jack, Greg, Heron, Nikias, and Elektra and set a course toward the dock. Of course, Nikias knew the city and the palace the best of anyone so he was instrumental in the plan to come ashore, but also Elektra wouldn't have any place remaining on the ship when there was the potential for danger. She carried with her an upgraded NT-11, given to her by Greg from the ship's armory in recognition of her superior weapon skills.

As the boats came closer to the dock, the small crowd that gathered became ever more vibrant in their attempts to catch sight of the newcomers. Several of them pushed up onto barrels and crates for better views while others fought their countrymen to get to the front of the crowd. Jack could see another plain, white flag waving from the group, a relieving symbol that they didn't intend to fight them.

The boat just in front of Jack's arrived at the dock first and the two fireteams scrambled out to establish a basic defensive perimeter for the arrival of their commander and the king. Jack could tell by the frightened expressions on the people's faces that they weren't sure exactly what to expect from their landing and the sight of coordinated movements and heavy assault rifles had the people soon eerily silent.

When Jack's boat arrived at the dock, it was quickly tied to the side as Jack managed to pull himself up to the dock only with great difficulty. Thankfully, most eyes weren't on him as Heron emerged and stood proudly, returning to the city only after a long absence. The common people on the docks took one look at the king and began to beg for forgiveness.

"Bless my stars, it's Heron!"

"Heron, we surrender! Please don't kill us!"

"We're your loyal subjects once again. Daimanos is dead!"

"You don't have to kill us!"

On and on the people protested their innocence and the fact that Daimanos had been the one to turn their city astray from their rightful king. It all became almost too much to watch as each successive person went to greater lengths to demonstrate their loyalty in fear of how Heron may treat the conquered city.

Any other king might have acted drastically toward the population of the city. He might have punished them, chastised them, or banished them from the kingdom. At the very least, he may even treat them as lesser citizens than those that had remained loyal to him during the way.

Any other king but Heron would have had a negative reaction to the crowd. Instead the king raised his hands to his misguided children and called out to them. "The war is over. We are friends once again. You have nothing to fear from me and my men. We want a return to peace, and we want to rebuild our home. Sorella will be one again!"

At his last statement, the crowd gave a deafening roar. Those who had been so worried about the king's reaction suddenly found themselves shouting his name over and over. Women wept and children danced about like it was their very own name day. And Heron took it in with a fatherly (and grateful) smile.

"Heron! Heron! Heron!"

As the crowd moved forward to surround the king, Greg gave the orders to the marines to let them pass, and their defensive position started to relax. Jack suddenly found himself surrounded on all sides by hungry-looking and thin Sorellans, all patting whichever part of this body they could grab onto. He lost count of the number of hands that touched his shoulder or offered to shake his hand, all the while the crowd moved to pick up the king and carry him on their soldiers.

"Carry him to the palace. Heron is back!" they cried as the entire group surged from the docks through the city to the grand staircase at the base of the hill. Jack had never seen such a commotion, and judging by the look on Heron's face, never had he. The king beamed down as he was carried by the people, no doubt thankful at the euphoric response.

As they reached the footsteps of the great palatial hill, the crowd set the elated king back down on his own feet and began to chant his name once more. Heron opened his arms out to the crowd and gestured to speak.

"Thank you, my countrymen! I'm as thrilled as you are to have this deadly war firmly in the past. We are going to set things right and begin to rebuild our shattered country. With your help, we'll make a new Sorella. A better Sorella for our children and grandchildren!"

The crowd yelled in one voice, a firm stamp of approval to the king's message. Around them, several members had grabbed the forgotten standards of Daimanos and had begun to rip them to shreds, spitting on the red and black standard as it fell to tatters on the streets below. Another chant was soon taken up. "Death to Daimanos. Long live the rightful king! Down with the usurper Daimanos!"

The chant had an unusual effect on Heron and the smile that had filled his face since they landed at the docks slowly dropped. He signaled to speak to the crowd once more.

"My countrymen, now is not the time to fill your hearts with hate. My brother has already caused too much division between us and too much sorrow. There isn't a family in all of Sorella that hasn't experienced loss from this conflict, mine included. But I ask you now, let's move forward from the past. Let's put Daimanos in the past and work on rebuilding for the future."

His speech seemed to have the intended effect as the chants about the former king largely ended. The crowd once again roared his name as the entire party began to ascend the hill. It was slow going for Jack, and he found himself lagging behind the rest of the group on the way up, however Heron and Nikias stopped to wait for him to catch-up once they reached the crest of the hill. Jack gave a grateful nod to the two for waiting and together the whole group took in Daimanos' palace.

Like the rest of the city, it appeared to be in a sorrowful state. The grounds were completely empty without a servant in sight. The great fountain that so adorned the western entrance had been turned off and the group found instead a tranquil pool in its place. It was almost like the palace had been abandoned.

"Come this way, Your Majesty," said Nikias as he pushed forward from the group. The rest of them followed across the well-manicured grounds until they arrived at the stately marble columns that presented the entrance to the palace. Pushing inside the large, double doors, everyone let out an astonished gasp at what laid inside.

The palace looked like it had been completely ransacked.

The very first thing that greeted their eyes was a smashed set of china right next to the entrance. Several plates that looked like they had carelessly slipped from someone's fingers landed in several distinct piles and littered the beginning of the great hall. Others had clearly ransacked the wine cellars, leaving behind empty bottles at the spot where the last drop was consumed. A painting that had hung near the entrance was curiously missing, only noticeable by the light shade on the wall where it had once hung.

"Guns ready," said Greg, seeing the devastation. "Start scoping out the rooms."

The marines settled out to begin clearing the rooms one by one. A few fireteams waited outside the great palace as a precaution while others fanned out and looked for any possible brigands. The rest of the group waited in the great entryway as the marines cleared the palace.

It didn't take long for them to report back that the palace was largely empty. Whomever had ransacked the place didn't stay around long enough to be caught. As each team arrived back and shook their head, Heron began to look around and gape at the wasted opulence of his brother.

"All this vanity," muttered Heron. "What did it buy him? Nothing that he could've taken with him."

"Some men never pass that stage," said Jack while standing near the disappointed king. "They hear the word king and think ultimate power. For some, it never goes away."

"When I hear the word king, I just think of responsibility," said Heron with a subtle head shake. "Daimanos just saw opportunity. Thankfully, our father wasn't alive to see this."

Before Jack could respond the last fireteam arrived back to the entryway. Or rather half of the team. While usually four men made up a team, only two had arrived back. Both of them were out of breath, like they had run the entire distance from across the palace.

"Sir, you have to see this," said the one man, Nunes, while clearly panting. "We managed to stop them, but you have to see what I'm talking about."

"Lead on, marine," said Greg. "We'll follow in your wake.

Nunes nodded and turned with the other man to lead them deeper into the palace. They took a route that Jack had no familiarity with, having stayed in another wing during his brief stay during the banquet. They crossed around corners and led them down two flights of stairs into the very basement of the palace buried within the bedrock on the hill. At the entrance to the basement, the body of a dead soldier had been found, identified by his clothing. Though he lacked his musket, Jack had no doubt that whoever had killed him had taken the musket with them. They stepped around the body and quickly entered the rest of the room. What they found next earned another round of shock from the group.

A false wall had been discovered, a portion of the stonework that had been set on a track and had easily been pulled to one side to reveal a deeper passage hidden within. It had been expertly made and when closed, it would've been hard to discover to the discerning eye.

"How did you find this?" asked Greg as he inspected the false wall.

"It was wide open, sir. We didn't realize until we were inside that it was meant to conceal this portion of the palace," answered Nunes.

The major frowned. "Why conceal?"

Nunes swallowed visibly. "You'll see why soon enough. This way!"

The passageway beyond the false wall was noticeably darker and less grand than the rest of the palace. For Jack, it reminded him of a dank wine cellar forgotten by time. At this level of the palace, there wasn't any part that received direct sunlight, and the darkened corners and gray stonework held many secrets within.

"Just over here, sir," said Nunes as they approached the last corner. Greg was the first to cross the threshold, followed by the rest of the group shortly after. What they saw in front of them had many in the group speechless.

The other two members of Nunes' fireteam were the first in sight. Together, they held their rifles at a group of four men who were pressed against the stonework with their hands secured behind their heads. At their feet laid a single musket, and Jack realized they'd found who had robbed the dead soldier of his firearm. Judging by their clothing, Jack could tell they had been servants in the palace yet their tunics were all pulled high above their waists, exposing the lower halves of all their bodies.