Fourth Vector Ch. 21

Vera smiled. "I don't have a hard time remembering that day. It was the day I met my brother. I'll cherish it forever."

Jack grinned and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Vera. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I know you will. I love you just as much. Look out for my friends, will you? Especially Kat. She might be lonely without me. Gods know that I'll be lonely without her."

"I'll take care of her, I promise," he said while pressing a kiss to her forehead.

They parted after that, and soon the whole group watched Vera and Kat give a tear-filled goodbye to each other. The two friends parted only with heavy reluctance as Jack finally came to Greg.

"Don't start crying on me now, all right?" said Greg with a smile as the two men embraced.

"Crying? Me? I'm happy to be rid of you," joked Jack, as he placed a warm smack on the other man's back.

"Yeah, yeah," said Greg before he pulled back to look at him. "Give my best to home while you're there."

"Want me to stop and see your parents or anything? See anyone for you?"

Greg thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "I haven't seen them since I was eighteen when I had to leave town abruptly. That's all right."

Jack nodded slowly. "Take care of Vera for me, okay?"

"With my life, Jack. As long as I have breath in my lungs, I'll take care of Vera."

"I know I didn't even have to ask," said Jack with a small smile.

"While I'm gone, you'll have about eighty of the marines left, all veterans of our first fights," said Greg. "I put Captain Bridge in charge of them. He'll be leading in my place."

"He's a good man. I still remember the way he stepped up to lead after Captain Bucknell was killed in Andalucia," said Jack.

"That he is," confirmed Greg. "You have the elite of the elite with you now. What you lack in numbers will be made up in quality."

"I just hope we won't need them," said Jack.

"I'm sure you won't. But do one thing for me?"

"What's that?"

Greg smiled. "Kick some Occie ass when you get there so you can get back over here?'

Jack started to laugh. "You have my word, my friend."

They embraced one more time before it was time to part. Noticeable enough, Kat's eyes were still red and puffy from her goodbye to Vera, and even Abigail was weepy in her own way too. With one final wave to the trio, Jack, Kat, and Abigail were soon on their way back to the docks.

"I miss her already," said Kat as they were no more than a few blocks away.

Jack put his arm around her shoulder. "I miss her too. All of them."

Abigail let out a long sigh. "It just sucks that it's going to be at least four months until we see them again. Two months to get back, two to come back. That's a long time."

"They'll be all right though," said Jack confidently. "Greg and Dustin are excellent leaders. With the rest of the Picardy army, and the Carinthian force, they'll be fat and bored by the time we get back."

"I sure hope so," said Kat sadly.

About twenty minutes later, the three of them arrived back at the docks and reboarded theDestiny one final time. Jack watched as the ship was untied from dock as they made their way up to the bridge, finding the rest of the division head officers waiting for them.

"Are we all ready to go?" asked Cory. "Should I get word down to the boilers?"

Jack nodded. "We are, let's join the rest of the task force back out in the bay."

Cory nodded as he began to issue orders, but soon Stephanie looked at him. "I'll issue orders out to the new Picard destroyer as well," she said, pointing to the tiny four-stacker just beside theDestiny.

Four-stacker couldn't have been a more appropriate way to describe the Picard warship. Four individual smoke stacks emerged from her hull, necessary to release the byproduct of the burnt coal in her engine rooms. Due to the smoke, it was possible to see the cloud above her long before you actually saw the rest of the ship, a reminder for Jack of the days before they adopted the polonium boilers.

It also required them to keep enough coal handy to help her reach Quiller's Cove. The Picard vessel, like the CarinthianSea Serpent, was stocked to the brim with coal to help make the four week journey to the Javan base, and the both of them rode comparatively low in the water for that reason.

Yet she was still a potent destroyer, only slightly less deadly than theTiger. The Picard vessel, namedBallard, sported four four-inch guns, as well as some smaller machine guns around the hull. Her best attacking weapon was her torpedo tubes, of which she had twelve of, making her an offensive threat to any ship she could get close enough to.

Despite her small size, theBallard was a worthy addition to the task force, and when combined with the Carinthian frigate, it made Jack's force a truly international fleet.

Not much later, both vessels emerged from their berths and turned out to sea, joining the rest of the task force in the bay. Jack looked out to see theHorton and theStardust, as their aft decks contained two airplanes a piece, a reminder of the type of technology they would get to demonstrate once they were home.

"Hey, Jack, good to see you," came the voice of Mike Cutter from theStardust. "Are you ready to take off?"

Jack picked up the radio. "I sure am. Let's head home."

With the destroyers out in front, the Javan force soon spread out in the bay as the city of Daban began to recede behind them. The sky was bluer than any in recent memory, and Jack hoped it was a positive sign for the journey to come. He didn't quite know what awaited him back in Java, but he hoped for calm seas on the way there and for the time to pass quickly along the way.

If only his luck would hold that long.

*****

That evening, Jack stood at the bow of theDestiny as the sun began to set. They were many hours away from Daban, and as they drifted along the coast of the country, he could no longer see any signs of habitation. The busyness of the city and suburbs had finally yielded to the quiet chaos of the forest. It was a mostly peaceful sight as the ship cut through the waters around the country.

So peaceful that Jack wasn't alone for long.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso long before he heard the steps behind him, causing him to jump. Turning around quickly, he saw Kat's beautiful smile as she pressed in against his chest.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she said against his body.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't hear you coming."

"What are you doing out here? Especially all by yourself?" she asked.

"Just watching the scenery of the country as we pass by it."

Kat looked up at him. "Are you wondering when we'll see it again?"

"Partly," he admitted. "Even though I know there's no danger to it, I wish we weren't leaving so many of our own behind. It doesn't feel right."

Kat nodded and then pressed against the railing beside him. "I know what you mean. They can take care of themselves though."

"I know they can. It just feels like something is missing without them."

Kat looked out to the water for a few minutes before she turned to look back at him. "Jack, what are you going to do when you get home? Are you going to tell them about Galicia? Or about your real identity?"

He took a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot about that. I'm not sure, if I'm being honest with you."

"Are you not sure if you'll tell them or are you not sure how they'll react?"

"Both," he admitted. "I can see it causing some real issues if I do. It might even cause them to strip me of the command if they deem it serious enough."

"What are you going to do then?"

"I guess I'll see when we get there," he said. "If they strip me of my command, I might not be able to get back."

"You'll still have the Picard and Carinthian ships though," she pointed out.

"True, but hardly the force we had before," he said before locking eyes with her. "I know what you're looking for. You want me to declare myself and who I am. It's just the entire nature of my command is Javan. My entire force. Without that strength, we'll find that taking on the Swabians will be much harder."

Kat's next sigh was exasperated. "I know, Jack. It's just . . ."

"What?"

"I just spent so long finding you. I want you to take up your birthright, and I don't want there to be anything holding you back from doing so."

Jack put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "I doubt there's anything in the world that could stop us from getting to that point eventually. It's even in that prophecy that you like to keep reminding me about." Jack let out a small smile. "We'll get there. We just have to be strategic in our approach. It will do us no good to see the majority of our forces striped away before we even reach Galicia."

Kat hugged him tightly. "You're right. I'm sorry if it feels like I keep pressing you on this."

"You've spent a lot of years trying to find me. I can understand why it's a priority for you."

"It's also the only way I can go home too," she said with vulnerable eyes.

Her meaning couldn't be more clear. Kat would be hunted for the rest of her life if her cousin was left in charge. She could never set foot in Galicia safely otherwise.

"In due time," he replied, rubbing her shoulder. "We're closer now than ever with Carinthia and Picardy united. Once we kick the Swabians out of Picardy, then who knows? It might be time to sail to Galicia."

She looked up at him as the moonlight reflected off her eyes. "I love you so much, Jack. I'd go anywhere with you. I hope you know that."

Jack swallowed heavily. "One day, that will mean us going to Galicia. I promise you that."

She smiled and nodded. "I trust you."

*****

A week after Jack Easterbrook had departed, King Aedan found himself over five hundred miles away from his capital city and on the march with his army along the southeasterly road to the third city of Picardy, Burwick. It was a hot day for late summer, and Aedan found his soldiers taking frequent water breaks on the way.

Their pace out of the city had been a fast one, and Aedan utilized all the trucks he could muster to drop his forces, along with the Carinthians and the Javans, a good distance away from the capital. Once they were far enough away, the roads became the biggest issue, meaning they would have to march the rest of the way to Burwick, which was still a good sixty miles away.

In all that time, a schedule had been created which they followed every day. The soldiers made camp each evening about two hours before dark, when they would sit down for a hot meal and to sleep for the night. At daybreak, they would leave camp and march fifteen to twenty miles down the road until their next stopping point. When the men had any downtime, they were supposed to keep productive, either through drilling, running, or calisthenics. This revealed two items to Aedan shortly after joining the army.

For one, the plague had hit harder than he thought. Not only were some of his regiments only at fifty percent effectiveness, but some of the survivors that had returned needed a much longer time to get back to fighting fitness. The second thing that it revealed was that the Javan contingent of the army was in much better shape compared to his own, with the Carinthians coming somewhere in the middle. With the majority of his forces being Picard, it meant they had a lot of training to do before they were considered ready to take a fortified city together.

And Burwick was definitely fortified. Reports of three regiments being in the city were soon augmented by another which detailed another regiment being on the way. However, if anyone had any idea of the Swabians waiting for them to approach Burwick before they attacked, they would soon see how mistaken they were.

It was only last night that his troops literally stumbled into the first line of Swabian resistance. A group of Picard scouts had crashed through a series of bushes about a hundred yards out from the road and unintentionally walked into a Swabian party getting ready to eat their dinner. A small skirmish broke out, and at the end of the fight, one Swabian and two Picards were dead. The party of Swabians escaped back into the woods while the entire army was put on high alert.

It revealed two things to Aedan. Number one, their approach to Burwick would be contested by the Swabians, and number two, at still more than sixty miles from the city, these skirmishes were about to become a lot more frequent.

For that reason, Aedan made his way to General Neil Fagan, finding the man riding along in a small all-terrain vehicle along with a deputy.

"General, may I join you?" asked Aedan as he stepped into the vehicle.

"Of course, Your Majesty," replied Neil instantly. "How can I be of service?"

"I've been thinking about yesterday's skirmish," said Aedan as he watched the treeline around him. "With us being some distance out from Burwick still, I'm a little disturbed that we're already running into patrols."

"It seems to be just patrols so far though, sire," said Neil. "No one has spotted a substantial body of enemy soldiers yet. Not even the aerial patrols of our Carinthian friends."

Aedan nodded. The best part about this expedition so far had been the advanced reconnaissance provided by the Carinthians of the road ahead of them. And yet, even looking down from the skies wasn't foolproof, especially with the heavy tree foliage in this part of the country.

"They don't seem to have any problems looking at the road, but our men ran into those Swabians in the forests on each side of the road, where the tree cover is so great that they can't see what's moving underneath. If the Swabians are so stupid to move entirely on the road, then we'll have no problems seeing them. The problem is that I think there are limits to even their dim-wittedness.

"I have increased the amount of patrols on each flank and put each group out further away from the main body to give us more time to prepare," said Neil. "Unfortunately, that's the best we can do until we figure out their position. We also don't know if they intend to send their main body out of the city and fight us in the open or whether these forces in front of us are just meant to harry our lines until we reach Burwick."

"We should consider the first option is the most dangerous to our force, and for that reason, we should assume it's what they're doing," said Aedan.

"At least we'll have an advantage then," said Neil quietly.

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if they are moving in the forests, that takes a few options off the table for them. For one, they won't be able to navigate or sight artillery in the forests, so we don't have to worry about that. For two, cavalry or other ranged troops will find it hard going as well. If we can press forward our advantage in numbers, we should be able to roll them up all the way to Burwick."

Aedan rubbed his chin. "You have a good point there, Neil. I guess that's why you're the general here," he said with a chuckle.

"Thanks to you, by the way," said Neil with a smile.

"Don't mention it. By the way, I wanted to let you know that I just received word of the arrival of a Carinthian general. He was a latecomer, only sailing after the arrival of the two additional regiments, but I want you to introduce yourself to him and get to know him. With his contingent making up a good proportion of our forces, it will be crucial that you learn to work together."

"I'll introduce myself immediately then," said Neil. "Where is he? And do you have a name?"

"You'll find him near the forward regiment," said Aedan. "His name is Barca, and let me know once you've met him, and then at some point, I want you to spend time with the Javans as well."

Neil made a face. "The Javans too, sire? Even with their small component?"

Aedan gave him a serious look. "The Javans too, Neil. They're our allies now, and even with their small numbers, they still took over Daban. We can learn a lot from them, so make sure you meet with them. There will be no more hanging out in your tent alone each evening."

Neil's face turned red. "I'm not always alone, sire."

"If you're not, then you're with Picard troops. This is an international army, Neil," said Aedan with a pointed look. "It's time to get to know our allies."

*****

As soon as King Aedan hopped out of his command vehicle, General Neil Fagan let out a low sigh. It's not that he wasn't used to receiving orders from the top, which was very much a fact of life at every level of the army. It's just that he felt a little out of place commanding such a large allied army when there hadn't been an army of this size in Picardy in centuries.

Perhaps if he'd been higher up in the chain of command, he might have managed it with a little more grace. But the sudden promotion to general, as well as being put in command of the whole army, left him a little uncertain of the best way to run the army, especially with the current size of fourteen regiments. It was even harder with the two international components of it as well.

Neil was still finding his feet, and he knew the king had a point. Sooner or later, he would have to get around to meeting his fellow commanders. Seeing as the Carinthian regiments were close to his current position, he decided to bite the bullet now and get this introduction out of the way.

After directing his deputy to drive the short distance to the Carinthian lines, located not far from his own in a meadow that seemed to stretch alongside the road, Neil found the command flag attached to a similar-looking vehicle.

Inside the vehicle were three men, but it was obvious who the general was from first glance. Not only was he the oldest, but he also seemed to have a certain authority around his person, an air of confidence that only those in command can radiate. He was older than Neil by at least a decade, and his weathered and tanned face hinted at a long number of years in the field. Most noticeable was the beard that covered his entire face, kept short enough to not be a hindrance but white enough to indicate his experience.

Upon his approach, the Carinthian deputies noticed his arrival and were the first to make eye contact while the general kept his nose to his work.

Neil cleared his throat. "General Neil Fagan here to see General Barca."

The deputies all looked as one to the elder man, especially as his gaze soon rose to meet Neil's. General Barca appraised him silently for several moments before he extended his hand.

"General Luis Barca, at your service."

Neil took his hand and shook it firmly. "Excellent, General. I'm told you just arrived this morning?"

"That is correct. You'll have to excuse my delay but I was only put in charge of this expedition a week ago after the regiments had all left," said the general with a consoling smile. "And please, call me Luis. If we are to be colleagues, let's shed the formalities."

"Fine by me, as long as you call me Neil," said the Picard commander.

"Consider it done already," replied Luis. "I appreciate the care you've taken of our men. They look to be well-supplied, well-fed, and well-treated. I didn't know what shape they'd be after a few weeks in the country, so you have my thanks for that matter."

"Not a problem at all," said Neil. "Fortunately for the men, there are plenty of stores to go around. The plague took a lot of eaters off the table so we have a lot of food to go around."

Luis nodded. "I heard all about it on the way over. Terrible tragedy. It is over now though, correct?"

"New cases are next to zero now, ever since the Swabians were kicked out of Daban," answered Neil.

"Good to hear that, at very least," said Luis before a quiet moment descended on both men. Neil wasn't sure exactly what more to say to the man, and it was in these moments that his inexperience hurt him the most. After a few moments had passed, he could even see Luis looking back at him, regarding him silently.