Fourth Vector Ch. 14

For the first time that morning, Ravencross spoke up. "I've been there and returned. I can assure you that you're in no more danger there than you will be here. I know Commander Easterbrook personally, and I can tell you that he's a good officer. You won't be going into any more danger than you normally would in battle."

"I'm inclined to agree with Ravencross here," added Lucas. "We've had reports from Commander Easterbrook ever since he entered the Vector months ago. While he's seen his share of action, there's nothing out there now to make us assume further entry into the Vector would be dangerous for you."

Dawson then turned to face Luke. "You've been there before. What's it like?"

Luke shifted his eyes to his fellow officer. "You'd be surprised how much like home some of the lands are. One of them in particular, Sorella, reminds me of Java. Just much smaller of course. It's something you'll have to see for yourself, but I'd doubt you'd have any problem with it once we get there."

Dawson thought about that for a moment and nodded, speaking no more.

"So it's settled then," said Reynolds. "You are to prepare to leave at once. It will take you a couple weeks to make the journey into the Vector and link up with Easterbrook so you better get moving now." He then turned to Cutter. "Commander Cutter, I'll be moving my headquarters from your ship and taking up residence on thePaucis. Can you arrange for my things to be transferred?"

"Of course, sir," said Dawson quickly. "It was an honor to have you on board my ship, Admiral."

"As it was an honor to serve with all of you," added Reynolds reluctantly. "I hope no one soon forgets all that we've accomplished as part of this task force. We saved Quiller's Cove and gave the Occitanians a bloody nose that they soon won't forget. You were also part of the force that sank an enemy battleship with only cruisers. That doesn't happen much in history. You should all be very proud of what we've done together."

The three men offered salutes to their commanding officer. Reynolds stood up from the desk and saluted them in return. "Thank you for serving with me. You're all dismissed."

The three of them filtered out soon after that, leaving the two officers alone. Reynolds' shoulders slumped forward as soon as they were gone, completely defeated.

"Do you want some water, Admiral?" asked Lucas, watching his body language.

"No," he whispered. "Water won't return my task force to its former strength."

"You know, you should remember what you told the commanders before they left," said Lucas. "You have a lot to be proud about for what you've done here. I'm sure Bancroft sees that, and your next assignment will be more prestigious."

"I can only hope, Lucas. All I know is that the sting of this will last a long time. Who knows when I might receive my next assignment. For now, I'll have to be content with operating a reduced force here at Quiller's."

"Quiller's isn't all that bad," said Lucas with a lopsided grin. "I rather like it all the way out here."

Reynolds nearly snorted with laughter. "As if you had much of a choice. Bancroft exiled you out here how many years ago?"

"Nearly eight."

"Eight years of being out here, and you're rather content with it?" Reynolds chuckled to himself. "I'm not like you, Lucas. I need to get back home where all the action is."

Lucas patted the defeated man on the back. "All in due time, Admiral. All in due time."

Reynolds turned to face him, a steely glint in his eye. "I meant what I said earlier. I know Easterbrook is involved in this, and I won't rest until he's been sufficiently punished."

*****

That evening, Commodore Lucas waited until after dark before he crept out of his headquarters and headed down to the harbor. The only lighting available was from the sporadically-placed streetlights, and Lucas did his best to avoid them on his way. It wouldn't do well for Admiral Reynolds to catch him at his intended destination, and for that reason, stealth was of the utmost importance.

Once he made his way down to the docks, he sighted theValiant at its berth and made for the gangplank. The officer in charge of security had been alerted to his arrival, quickly shuffling him onboard the ship and down into the commander's headquarters. It was only once the door was shut to Commander Ravencross' room that Lucas felt confident enough to take down his hood, revealing his face.

Luke Ravencross sat at his desk chair, watching the commodore with amused eyes. "Good evening, sir."

"Evening, Luke," said Lucas with a grin.

"You weren't seen, were you?"

Lucas shook his head. "Only by your watch officer, I'm sure. Can he keep a secret?"

"He's one of my best, sir. I'd trust him with my life."

"Excellent. Well, it looks like you got what you wanted today," added Lucas with a chuckle. "Back to the Fourth Vector you go."

Luke grinned in return. "It seems Jack's pull with Bancroft is still as strong as ever. I'm a little amazed at how quickly that order came through."

"As am I. However, you should've seen the fit that Reynolds pulled as soon as he got it."

"How bad was it?"

"Surprisingly, he didn't damage anything, although I'm sure his voice is still a little hoarse this evening."

"He'll get over it," said Luke. "Jack needs us more than we're needed here."

"Just remember to keep this between the two of us. You had the records erased from the logs like I asked you, right?"

"Of course. The last thing I need is to have Admiral Reynolds on my case."

"You may want to warn Jack about that," said Lucas. "Reynolds is convinced it all came from him."

"Well, he did have a starring role, so technically he's not wrong. But I'd like to keep it so that our names are left out of that as much as possible."

Lucas chuckled and nodded. "You and me both. Are you all about ready to leave?"

"Just waiting on theHorton to be loaded up. She only slid out of dry dock two days ago from the damage she took in battle, so she's a little behind the other ships."

"Good," said Lucas. "Are your ships as loaded up as can be?"

"With as many supplies as we can take. Why do you ask?"

Lucas tried not to smile too wide. "Because you'll need to take something else with you. Something that will require a lot more space."

*****

On the third morning after Jack was crowned as the next king of Andalucia, he awoke shortly after dawn. Excitement gripped him. According to theSciavo, his army was close to the city and should arrive by midmorning. He was so excited to see the rest of his people, especially Abigail and Vera, that he had trouble sleeping, restless against Kat's sleeping form.

She didn't have a hard time noticing his lack of sleep. She cuddled up against him and kissed his shoulder. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"On and off," he replied. "Not great though, to be honest."

Kat giggled. "I could tell. You wouldn't stop moving the entire night, and you kept waking me up."

"I'm sorry," he said with a chuckle. "You should have just pushed me off the bed in that case."

Kat grinned and then kissed him. "I thought about it, believe me!"

She remained pressed into his side as their tongues dueled with little urgency that morning. Despite the fact that her hair was a mess from the way she slept and that she had a small case of morning breath, Jack couldn't stop kissing her. Everything he did with Kat just felt right, and he wasn't one to relinquish his hold on her until he was good and ready.

"You're affectionate this morning," she whispered against his lips as their kissing finally broke. She was one to talk, as she was subtly grinding herself against his erection.

"Someday soon, I'll show you just how insatiable I can really be."

Kat moaned against his lips. "You promise?"

He nodded softly, earning another kiss from her.

"As much as I would love to stay in bed with you all day, we should eventually get up. We don't want to still be wrapped up in each other when they get here," she said.

"Why not? It might make for an interesting visual," he teased.

Kat giggled and poked him, soon after throwing her leg off the side of the bed and standing up. They still hadn't progressed to sex, and for that reason, she was still fully clothed in her sleeping wear. She gave him one last kiss as he sat up against the bed and soon disappeared into her own chambers.

Jack wiped the sleep out of his eyes as he stood up from bed, quickly approaching the window to look out of the palace. His bedroom faced the rest of the city of Septhada, and he watched as the sun began its ascent over the oasis city. It was quiet still, as mornings usually were, and he could only see just a handful of people out that early.

Probably slaves, he thought. The slaves were always the first ones out and usually the last ones in.

Now that he was king, he had a unique firsthand perspective on how slavery operated here in Andalucia. And it wasn't a pretty sight even from the top. Slaves practically ran the entire city, as well as the palace. There weren't many Andalucians who did anything more than either keep their home or fight in the wars. It was little wonder why an entire clan could pick up and move across the country, and then send its entire male population to fight. All the other work was done by slaves, enabling the males to focus solely on fighting.

A cruel system, no doubt. But how can I change it? How can I free them without completely collapsing Andalucian society?

It was a question Jack had to ponder for most of the morning. Shortly after he left his chambers, Bazu had fetched him a light breakfast and started the morning report. Jack had only just gotten his breather from that report when hisSciavo guard rushed into the throne room.

"Your Majesty, it appears your army has arrived," said the guard, gesturing to the southern approach.

"Wonderful," said Jack. "Let's go out and meet them. Come, Bazu, you can meet the rest of my friends as well."

Bazu gave him a delighted smile. "I'd appreciate that, Your Majesty!"

Jack, Bazu, and the small group ofSciavo crossed the palace grounds to the southern end of the fortress, where the cloud of sand and dust could already be seen for miles on the southern horizon. A small road led out in that direction for several days until it became a mere path, but it provided the best course for them to follow to the city.

Jack watched with a grin as the first elements of the army came into view. At the very front, he could see a small honor guard made up of Andalucian warriors and Javan marines, soldiering side by side in a partnership that had won him the throne of the country.

Behind that honor guard were the faces of those he most wanted to see. He started to wave at the group as soon as he saw Abigail's face, watching from a distance as they came closer. Vera was right beside her, as was one of the marine officers, Captain Bridge, as they began to enter Septhada.

Vera was the first to spot him, waving in return and pointing him out to Abigail. The two women soon broke out in a near run as they rushed to greet him, a movement he soon reciprocated. Meeting near the middle, Jack watched as both women came crashing into him at the same time.

"Jack! You're alive!" gushed Vera, crushing into his left side.

"We missed you so much," sputtered Abigail, crashing into his right.

"I missed you both too," he said with a laugh. "How was the journey up here? Any issues?"

Vera pulled away first and shook her head. "Not one. It's the quietest I've ever seen this country." She then made an amused face. "It was almost . . . pleasant!"

Jack chuckled more. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you both."

"And us too," said Abigail before turning to look back at theSciavo guards lingering nearby, as well as Bazu. "Jack, is it all true? Are you the king here now?"

He nodded. "Can you believe it?"

"Scarcely at first," she admitted. "I thought it was too good to be true, but to hear your voice over the command radio and to know that you were still alive filled me with all this hope." Abigail then smacked his chest with enough force to catch him unawares.

"Ow. What was that for?" he muttered.

"Don't you ever go off and scare me like that again!" she said while pointing her finger. "You have no idea how worried we were. You didn't even tell us when you were leaving!"

"In my defense, I told you my plan," said Jack with a confused expression.

"You told us the plan but not when you intended to do it," countered Abigail. "You could've at least given us warning when you were leaving. But no, we had to find out when yours and Greg's sleeping bags were found empty the next morning. Do you have any idea how jarring that is?"

"It had to be that way, Abigail," he said quietly. "If you'd had seen me leave, I don't think you would have allowed it."

Abigail crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at him while she did it. It was a look that he knew well from her, even if it was hard for him to take it seriously sometimes. She always looked so sexy when she was pissed off.

"That doesn't change the facts, Jack."

He put his hands up. "I know. I apologize for the way I left. I thought it would be . . . easier to just slip away. I knew that you both would know where I was going. It was a hard thing to do regardless."

"It was just as hard on us too, Jack," said Vera quietly.

"Well, I'm sorry," he said. "The important thing is that we are all here alive. The plan worked. And I never thought these words would ever come out of my mouth, but I'm the king here now." He gestured to the palace fortress behind him. "You'll have to come inside and see the place."

Vera gave him an eager smile, her disappointment with him already forgotten. "And here I thought the idea of you being clan chief was strange enough. But the fact that you're king here now is absolutely ludicrous."

Jack chuckled. "I'm still getting used to it myself." He then turned to Abigail, whose anger hadn't been forgotten so easily. "Come up with me, okay?"

She slowly nodded as she regarded him with guarded eyes. "Don't ever do that to me again, Jack."

"I promise," he said, taking her hand. "Do you believe me?"

She studied him for a few moments before slowly nodding her head. "I do. You're lucky I love you."

Jack smiled. "Yes, I am. Come, let's get a camp set up for the entire army. It looks like most of them are catching up to us now."

The long trail of warriors and marines had finally caught up to the trio as relieved Javan faces saw their commander for the first time in weeks. Jack could only wave and grin as the men let out a loud cheer at seeing him, many of them whooping and hollering long after passing his spot. It wasn't long until Captain Bridge neared his location, offering a crisp salute upon seeing Jack.

"Commander, you're looking well," said Bridge with a cheeky smile. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Captain, and you," said Jack, pushing forward to shake the man's hand. Bridge was one of those officers who had worked his way up through the ranks, only attaining his current position upon the death of his predecessor when they were still stuck on the plateau. "How are the men? Are they well? Are they in good shape?"

"As best shape as can be," said Bridge. "Especially now that no one's trying to kill them every second of the day."

"That is a plus," said Jack with a chuckle. "It looks like the war here is over."

"And are those guys on our side now?" asked Bridge while pointing to one of theSciavo, his wicked sword glimmering in the sunlight. "That'll take some getting used to."

"All under my command," confirmed Jack.

Bridge let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear it. Where's Major Vaughn?"

"Back at the fortress. Come, we have much to discuss. Bring Captain Reynolds with you, and once the men are settled, come up to the fortress."

"Will do, sir!"

Jack directed the army to the position to set up camp, greeting many of the faces that he hadn't seen since he left in the process. Chief among them were his deputies for each clan, Samir for theNumratha, Abel for theMuthada, and the trio of Masud, Wabu, and Hafiz from theBurlada. Once he extended the same invitation to them as he did with Captain Bridge, Jack went back up to the palace to find the rest of the group, a broad smile still prominent on his face. It was good to see all these familiar faces once more after so much turmoil.

If his smile could have gotten any larger, it would have at the first sight that greeted him when he stepped back into the palace. Greg and Kat had been waiting for the arrival of the others in the main entry hall, and the very first thing he saw was Kat and Vera wrapped up in a hug, tears streaming down both of their cheeks.

"I never thought I would see you again," cried Vera as the two blonde women held each other. "You have no idea how happy I am to know that you're alive."

"Alive and well," said Kat happily. "Jack's been taking good care of me." Her last words earned a flicker of recognition from Vera as she eyed Jack right behind her. Vera whispered something into Kat's ear, which made her nod in confirmation. It gave Vera a reason to hug her even tighter.

"I felt so helpless when they grabbed you back on theSwordfish," said Vera. "I just panicked and had no idea what to do so I ran and hid. I'm surprised you're even still happy to see me."

Kat shook her head quickly. "You did what you had to do to stay alive. No one can blame you for that, least of all me. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart fell when I saw the ship burning out of control as the slavers sailed away. I thought you were a goner."

Vera smiled. "I would've been if not for Jack and Greg. They led the rescue party that saved me."

"That's also how we figured out what happened to you," added Jack from her side. "And where to go looking for you."

Kat nodded her head confidently. "Do you see, Vera? It was all for good purpose. Our meeting here was not by accident. The fates guided us to this very spot."

Before Jack could roll his eyes at another whisper of prophecy, he turned to watch Abigail hug Greg, chatting like old friends about all that had happened since their separation. It felt too good to have all of those he cared about the most in one room again.

Well, almost everyone, he thought while remembering Luke and the crew of theValiant. He hoped that wherever they were, they were safe and hunting Occitanians.

Once Abigail was done talking with Greg, she slipped over to his side and wrapped her arm around his. Turning to look at her, he could see that she was watching Kat and Vera chatter excitedly to themselves, catching up on all the events of the previous few weeks. The gaze in Abigail's eyes was locked firmly on Kat, and there was something behind them that Jack had never seen before. Could it have been jealousy?

"Is that her?" she asked, leaving no doubt to whom she was referring. "Is that Kat?"

Jack nodded in response, and walked closer to the two Galician women. His heart pounded fiercely at the first meeting of the two women, hoping that their private sentiments would still rule the day after their initial greeting. Kat seemed to notice that Jack had moved closer, her eyes locking on Abigail as they appeared at her side.

"This meeting is long overdue," said Jack. "But it's time it happened. Abigail, this is Kat of Galicia. She's volunteered to be our guide as long as we're in the Fourth Vector, and she's a large part of the reason why we're in Andalucia in the first place."

He then turned to Kat. "Kat, this is the commander of theDestiny, Abigail Wainwright. Her and I have sailed together for months, and there's few people in the world that I trust more."