Fourth Vector Ch. 10

"Get that rear turret trained on that ship right now, damnit," yelled Kyle into his radio.

"Turn the ship hard to port," said Jack. "We need to offer up a full broadside!"

"Keep up speed while we turn," said Cory into his radio. "Once we're in position, we're going to let loose with all guns!"

The heavy cruiser pushed hard to port, and Jack waited as the rest of his ship lined up with the Swabian warship now running parallel to their position. Exposed as it was, it also gave them the advantage of having all the turrets to lock onto the enemy ship, and now all he waited on was Kyle's readiness.

It came not a moment too soon. "All three turrets locked, Jack. Ready when you are!"

"All right, let's open up and give them a salvo. Fire now!" said Jack.

In the next instant, all nine guns of the mighty cruiser opened up with a fiery blaze as a trail of orange, speckled light blasted into the air and then arced down in a wondrous display of firepower. Jack watched with bated breath as each shot came crashing down in the vicinity of the Swabian warship. Unfortunately, all their shots missed the mark, falling just short of the warship.

"Kyle, we need more range. We barely touched her," said Jack.

"We should have her position in now," said Kyle while issuing another command.

"Look, Jack," said Abigail while pointing out the window. "The Swabian vessel is turning again!"

Jack watched as the vessel once again began to turn away from them, this time changing its course back due east and presenting a smaller overall target. Whoever the commander of this ship was, they were doing all they could to keep Jack from dialing in their position. Thankfully, the current turn meant that only their rear turret could get a good shot on theDestiny, which missed by only a short margin, throwing up a mist of water against the main deck.

At that moment, theTiger, which was still between them but closer to theDestiny, let off a salvo with its five-inch guns. Although several of the shots connected, they did little damage. The guns on the destroyer were just not powerful enough to dent the Swabian vessel.

"What do you want to do, Jack? Turn with them or keep the same course?" asked Abigail.

"Don't turn just yet. Let's get another three-turret shot in before we turn," said Jack before turning to Kyle. "How long until those guns are ready?"

"Another twelve seconds, Jack!"

Jack counted down the time in his head all the while the Swabian vessel presented a smaller and smaller target. With each second feeling like an eternity, the guns of the heavy cruiser were finally ready for action.

"Fire now!" yelled Jack.

The ship rumbled and roared once more except this salvo had much more luck than the first. Jack gave a grim smile as one of the shots landed right against the superstructure of the Swabian vessel, causing its own fireball and another source of heavy black smoke to erupt from the bowels of the ship. Jack watched through his binoculars and could just barely make out the sight of twisted metal from the portion that had been damaged by the shot.

"We got her," said Jack before turning to Cory. "Turn us to head due east. Follow along the enemy ship!"

TheDestiny began to pivot as she once more turned into the sun to match the Swabian ship. The extra time spent before the turn meant that the ships were traveling somewhat parallel now, even if the Swabian vessel was still ahead of them, they still could utilize the majority of their turrets. The warship had a much more precarious situation in that the heavy smoke from their damage was no doubt obscuring their gunners. One of their turrets had taken some damage because their next shot only opened up with the forward units, and the shot never really came close to hitting theDestiny.

"We just need one more good shot," said Jack before looking back at Kyle. "How long until ready, Kyle?"

"Five more seconds! Four, three, two, one, now!"

"Fire!" yelled Jack.

A most awful explosion erupted from the Swabian vessel as several of the shots connected with her superstructure and hull. One of them sparked a heavy fire that engulfed half of the main deck while the other shot pierced through a section of thin armor near the waterline to punch through the hull near the stern. Jack watched with some satisfaction as the ship began to slow down, and soon enough theDestiny was rapidly making up ground between them.

"That's got to be the end for them, right?" said Abigail at his side. "There's no way they could survive a hit like that."

"Watch the ship now. That hit is too close to the waterline," said Jack. "Keep your eyes on the stern and see if it starts to sink."

It didn't take long for them to be able to notice, even at their distance, that the stern was starting to go under. Jack watched as the fire raged out of control against the superstructure as the stern steadily lowered below the waves. That was when he got his next message from Vicky on theTiger.

"Jack, it's Vicky. We are locked on with a torpedo. Permission to fire?"

Jack considered having her hold off as the damage that was now done was almost certainly fatal. Yet, the Swabian ship let off one more salvo, a signal that it hadn't surrendered just yet, and made up Jack's mind for him.

"Go ahead and fire, Vicky. Good luck," he said into the command radio.

Using his binoculars, he watched the smaller destroyer and searched the waters nearby for the telltale signs of a torpedo launch. Finally finding it after several moments, he watched the path of it as it led straight to the bow of the ship. In a flash, another explosion sent a fireball straight into the sky as the torpedo made contact.

At this point, there was nothing left to do. With multiple fractures along her hull and with the fire burning out of control, the ship wasn't much longer for existence.

"Keep away until the ship goes under but prepare to go rescue any survivors," said Jack as they watched with grim satisfaction. The two ships waited and watched as the warship steadily lowered, soon all but disappearing under the waves as only the last portions of its superstructure remained visible. That's when they noticed something peculiar.

"Is it just me or are they still shooting at us?" asked Jack while watching the ship. All around them, small arms fire started to pepper theDestiny, all coming from a handful of shooters still on the sinking ship. While the rifles weren't powerful enough to cause even the slightest damage to the ship, it was testament to their desire to keep fighting.

"Why would they still do that? Can't they see the situation is hopeless?" said Abigail. "What's the point of fighting still?"

"I have no idea, but we're going to hold off on that order to go rescue survivors," said Jack. "Let the bastards drown if they're going to continue to fight."

In another ten minutes, the Swabian vessel slipped completely below the waves. In a matter of minutes, it was almost like you couldn't tell a mighty warship had once occupied the same spot. Left behind were a couple dozen sailors, although most of them didn't look like they wanted to be rescued. It mattered not to Jack and given enough time, they too slowly dipped beneath the waves.

Once the warship was gone, Jack finally turned to look at the rest of the officers. "You all handled yourselves extremely well. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Kyle, your men's shooting was on point, and Cory, our maneuvering was outstanding."

Kyle was the first to smile. "I just couldn't let them hit us and cause any damage to our newly repaired ship. Didn't feel right."

Jack started to chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you took that into consideration. Either way, all of you made me very proud today."

"Not bad for a fight that lasted a little more than an hour," said Abigail before grabbing her binoculars and looking out the bridge. "Although I hate to be the one to say it, that slave vessel is out of sight again."

"Damnit," muttered Jack. "I was hoping we wouldn't have lost that trail."

"It shouldn't matter much to us now though, right, Jack?" asked Cory. "It's almost a guarantee they are heading back to Andalucia now, right?"

Jack started to nod. "They almost have to. And that means we will be too."

With the threat posed to them finally dissipated, the task force continued on a course due east while the lockouts kept a steady attention to the horizon, watching out for the Andalucian slave trawler. It was only around midafternoon when Jack reentered the bridge after spending the last hour in his quarters. Abigail was the only one present and smiled as he sat in his command chair.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder if I might need to have Brittany watch the bridge while I went to look for you," she said while moving toward him. She sat down next to him at her own post and her hand snuck into his.

"Just getting some work done," said Jack before he shot her a grin. "Did you miss me that much?"

"I was just thinking we never really got the chance to finish what we started this morning." Abigail arched an eyebrow, making it obvious what was on her mind.

Jack started to chuckle. "Tonight then. I hardly doubt we could get away with anything here in the bridge."

"Although it might be fun to try." Her hand crept out of his and teased its way up his thigh.

"Not that the idea isn't tempting, but you never know who might walk through that bridge door at any time."

Abigail giggled and winked. "That's part of the excitement!"

He leaned over and kissed her. "You're trouble but I think that's why I like you so much." Before she could respond, he pointed out to sea. "I take it you've seen nothing of that trawler then?"

She shook her head. "Not a single sighting from me or the lookouts. I even changed our course so that we're heading more east northeast to compensate for their turn north. Nothing yet."

Jack nodded. "They just have to head back to Andalucia. It's the only thing that feels right."

"I just hope we find them before we get there. If we have to go searching for one whole trawler on an entire island, we're going to have our work cut out for us."

"Not to mention, the entire population will probably not be as hospitable as the Sorellans," added Jack.

Abigail pursed her lips and turned away from him. "It makes me a bit nervous to be going there."

"Why's that?"

She shrugged. "Where to even begin? They're bound to be hostile after what just happened and they're definitely working with the Swabians. It's a land we know next to nothing about and they don't have the best reputation according to everyone we met. Oh, and there's the whole slavery thing," she said with a sarcastic tone. "How could it not make me nervous?"

"I know, I'm not enthusiastic about it either. But we need to rescue the people on that slave ship. Especially Kat, we need to rescue her."

Abigail turned to him and locked her eyes on his. "You feel something for her, don't you?"

Jack stammered, finding himself lost for words. "I . . . well . . . it's complicated, Abigail. She's supposed to be our guide and the more I've come to know her, the more I think she can help us. There's a lot more to her than meets the eye."

If he expected her to be angry or upset, he was caught off guard. Instead, she smiled at him. "She is a beautiful woman, I'll give her that. And I know you're attracted to her, even if you wouldn't admit it to me."

Jack swallowed. "I'll admit that. I am very attracted to her."

Abigail nodded. "I suspected as much."

"It doesn't change the way I feel about you though," said Jack, trying to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.

She turned and looked at him again. "And howdo you feel about me?"

"Strongly. Very strongly," he said with a confident tone. "And you?"

"The same," she answered. "Possibly more than that. I'm not sure, I haven't unpacked feelings like these in a long time."

Jack nodded. "And if I had similar feelings for Kat? What then?"

Abigail's eyes rolled up in thought. She kept him waiting for a few minutes, nearly sweating her response before finally resting her eyes on him again. "I guess it answers that question."

"What question?"

She started to smile. "Who would be the woman I shared you with."

He wasn't fully convinced just yet. "I know you said that the other night, but I just want to make sure we're on the same page. You could take that? You could entertain another woman with us?"

"Jack, I meant what I said that night. Even if I just had a piece of your heart, that would be enough," she said in a tone barely above a whisper. "I know how you feel about me, and I know it's more than just a strong feeling. I also know that I feel the same way. But I also get the impression that this woman has more of a role to play in all of this, especially if you feel so confident about it. If this is the way things need to be, then I accept it fully."

"It won't be easy," warned Jack. "You might get hurt. I might get hurt. There will always be a risk to this."

"Perhaps the risk will be worth bearing once we invite her into bed," said Abigail with a coy smile.

Jack started to chuckle. "No wonder I thought I didn't stand a chance with you. Intelligent, sexy, and a mind that's almost permanently in the gutter. You're every officer's dream woman."

Abigail gave a throaty giggle. "And don't you ever forget it!"

They continued to banter and make light conversation for the next hour as the evening descended on them. It was just about time for Jack to grab dinner when they noticed something on the horizon. Something large.

"Do you see that over there?" he asked while pointing to the looming mass of darkness just in front of them.

Abigail grabbed her binoculars and approached the window. "Jack, I think that's land."

He joined her next to the window and began to peer out as well. Sure enough, the large mass began to expand, filling their entire horizon until there was no doubt what was in front of them. A new island, a large landmass, and one that they'd hoped to avoid all this time: Andalucia.

"Let's bring it in a little closer," said Jack. "Not too close, but I want to get a better look at the land. Especially if we're going in."

A call from the radio came in next. "Jack, this is Vicky. Are you seeing what we are?"

"We sure are, Vicky. Hang in back against us but let's stay off shore. No reason to go in guns blazing yet."

As they approached the island country, Jack began to take stock of the terrain. When he first learned of the island, he'd been told that it was a desert landscape, a harsh environment that produced a hostile people. Sure enough, the first thing he could see just beyond the coast appeared to be a wall of sand that just didn't end. It extended well beyond the beaches into the interior, where great mountains of sand and dunes appeared to shape the entire country. Just on the horizon, situated just before the dunes, looked to be a city.

But it was a city unlike any other that Jack had seen. Just about all the dwellings looked like they were made of the sand itself, rising up from the ground and naturally forming the housing. There was a noticeable lack of any other colors beyond the light-brown color of the sand, even disregarding the deep blue of the ocean. From this distance, Jack could tell it was a mercantile city, with a great number of docks lining the entire seafront expanse. It looked like the kind of city that slaves would be brought to before being sold.

"We're going to start here," said Jack while pointing at the city. "Just about any of those ships could be the trawler we're looking for."

Rows and rows of ships dotted the city's quays, hundreds of them alone. Most of them looked exactly like the slave trawler they had briefly seen during the battle. As they got closer, Jack got a clear view of the slave pens that dotted their decks, perfect cages to prevent their human bounty from escaping or trying to drown to escape their fate. One of these had to have brought Kat here, and he would turn over every stone in this country to find her.

He couldn't leave her stranded in such a desolate land. Jack was determined to rescue Kat at all costs.

--------

Fleet Admiral Percival Bancroft was furious.

The head of the entire Javan navy stormed down the hallways of the imperial palace in the capitol city of Belfort, his footsteps sending an angry chorus of echoes down the marbled interior. In his hand, he carried yet another dispatch from one of their major shipbuilders, the manufacturer once again at a complete standstill while waiting on raw materials.

It was a scene that had played out numerous times during the previous weeks since war had been declared. With most of the fleet bottled up in port at Aberdeen, it was of critical importance that new ships were launched in an effort to turn the tide against the Occitanians. And to create new ships, he needed steel. Getting that steel was the hard part, as all the smelters were on the other side of the continent, with only a basic rail network to connect the entire country together. And his imperial idiocy, Charles IX, thought it best to still be moving his troops on the rails instead of the materials to build their first bulwark of defense—their ships.

Bancroft made his way to the royal quarters while holding up a hand to the guards stationed just outside the door. Normally, a better example of propriety would be shown for the emperor's sake, but not today. Bancroft was too pissed at the man's blatant overruling of his standing orders. After all, it was Bancroft that supplied the order to prioritize the rail network for raw materials, an order that could have only been overruled by someone as stupid as Charles IX.

Bancroft resisted the urge to sneer. Could he not understand that troops made not a lick of difference if their ships could roam the seas at will? That as much money as they'd sunk into the navy to make it a viable threat to the Occitanians, it was entirely pointless to let it rust to hell without seeing any action in Aberdeen? What was worse was that the emperor paid him to do a job, and it was one he could scarcely do fighting with two hands tied behind his back.

The admiral came to a full stop right outside the emperor's office, finding his page, Mortimus guarding the door.

"Ah, Admiral Bancroft, now is not the best time—"

"Out of my way, you idiot," snarled Bancroft. "Your betters have things to discuss."

The young page turned a deep red at the insult. It was a testament to his experience serving the cruel emperor that he didn't immediately crumble at such an insult.

"His Imperial Majesty is not to b-be disturbed right now," squeaked Mortimus. "He's in the middle of—"

"I don't recall asking what he's in the middle of," snapped Bancroft. "And if you don't move away from this door right now, they're going to have to fish your worthless body out of the damn river!"

Mortimus' expression turned to fear and he slowly backed away from the door. Seeing the young man finally cowed, Bancroft threw open the door and stepped inside, finding the emperor sitting at his desk. The slovenly and disgusting Charles IX barely looked up at the commotion outside his door, nor did he offer any greeting to the head of his navy.

"You should not be treating Mortimus in such a fashion," Charles said calmly while his attention stayed on paper he was working on.

"Why did you countermand my order?" said Bancroft as his hands went to his hips. That this was the Javan emperor in front of him mattered little in this particular moment. Bancroft knew Charles was a weak man, and he hoped to browbeat him into getting what he wanted. It was a new strategy for the normally honey-tongued admiral but times were getting desperate. The Occitanians would not wait for them to be ready.