Fourth Vector Ch. 22

"I am still worried about our forces though, Admiral," continued Kuntz, baiting the tiger once more. "This plan seems to hedge everything on us being able to split up the Occitanian fleet. If they all follow after one bait rather than the other, does the plan fall apart?"

Bancroft glared at Kuntz. It went on for long enough that Jack squirmed a little in his seat, and he noticed several of the other admirals did as well. Even Kuntz seemed to feel it, and there looked to be a layer of sweat developing on the man's forehead after a few moments.

Finally, the admiral answered. "In that regard, we'll have to leave it to our commanders to properly thread the needle. I can't tell if the Occitanians are going to do one thing or another. We can only rely on surprise and a good plan to get us half the way. The other half is on you."

Kuntz seemed to know better than to offer any more of a rebuttal, and the man finally fell silent. The rest of the room knew better and didn't want to engage the admiral while he was still in fighting form.

"Well, if there are no more questions, we have a blockade to break," said Bancroft finally, putting his pointer down. "McKenzie and Kuntz have early trains to catch, and Jack and Nick need to get back to their task forces. The rest of this council will reconvene in Aberdeen."

There was a small rush of activity as all the men in the room stood and headed for the door after a brief period of goodbyes. Jack took his time to leave, gathering up his briefing and being one of the last to head to the door.

"Jack, wait up a moment, will you?" asked Bancroft as he pushed his chair in.

"Of course." Jack waited near the door for the older admiral to be ready. Once his things were gathered, Bancroft lowered the lights and moved to join him.

"What do you think, Jack? I'm curious to hear your thoughts about this upcoming plan," asked Bancroft with an easy grin.

"It's definitely a solid one, sir," he answered, picking the safe response. "I think it's our best chance of breaking the blockade."

"As do I," replied Bancroft. "With this being the number one priority in the country, I think it's our best way to get around their superior numbers."

"I hope Admiral Kuntz isn't correct though," said Jack. "If they all pile on the same targets, we might not be able to handle it."

Bancroft scowled. "Kuntz," he said brusquely. "The man knows how to be a thorn in my side. He just needs to trust the plan. That's what we all need." Bancroft then lost his scowl and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Things are looking up for us though, Jack. And maybe even you. Come out of this engagement with honor, and there might be another promotion in it for you."

Jack didn't get a chance to respond. Another officer flagged down Bancroft in that moment.

"Sir, can we see you for a second? It's about Tyrol," said the officer, clearly picking his words wisely and leaving much unsaid.

Bancroft nodded quickly. "Jack, wait here for me for a moment. This shouldn't take long."

The admiral was pulled into another adjacent room by the officer who was clearly in a hurry. So much so that he didn't latch the door all the way. There was a gap of mere inches between the frame and door which Jack spotted instantly while he waited.

At first, he was content to stand there and wait, but his curiosity was beginning to get the best of him. Jack remembered the conversation he had with Dustin back in Carinthia about his roots in Tyrol. A good number of his marines and sailors were of Tyrolean origin, the backwoods area producing a heavy quantity of fighters for the armed forces of Java.

I wonder what this could be about. Especially if it caught the attention of the navy, thought Jack.

Before he knew it, one foot was moving in front of the other, and Jack positioned himself on the wall next to the frame, just close enough where he could listen to what was happening inside without looking suspicious.

Thankfully for him, the man speaking inside the room had a loud voice.

"That's the second riot we've had there this month," said the voice as soon as Jack could begin to pick it up. "At this rate, we'll never get that shipbuilder back to full production."

Jack could hear someone else ask a question, possibly Bancroft, but it was too soft-spoken for him to make out the words.

"It's possible, but the emperor has already stationed two extra divisions there just to keep the peace, and even that's not enough right now," said the loud voice. "We're having men patrol into the countryside where the biggest problem is right now, but half the time they come back early after having been shot all to hell. The commanders are refusing to send out anything smaller than a battalion to do these patrols, and if that's going to be the case, more is needed."

The soft voice spoke again, and like last time, Jack couldn't make out the words.

"Can you spare any of your marine regiments? Even just a few? I'd hate for this shipbuilder to get behind schedule again, but I'd like to get some muscle on the ground to cover them in case this continues to escalate."

Bancroft must have agreed to that request because Jack heard a large sigh of relief right after the fact.

"Thank you, sir. I'm not sure why this is blowing up right now like this, but we believe the Ruthenians are behind it. They know a good portion of the Tyroleans still hate us for their conquest all those years ago, and my guess is they think if they can distract us with a rebellion, they'll be able to take advantage of the strife."

Bancroft's voice finally became clear, but only because Jack sensed he was moving closer to the door. Instinctively, he moved several feet away.

"Let me know at any updates when you can," said Bancroft, his voice clear now as Jack could see his hand gripping the knob. "I'll send word to get those marines to you."

"Thank you, sir! We appreciate it," said the loud voice again as Bancroft exited the room. The admiral quickly looked around, seeing Jack several feet away. Jack did his best to appear uninterested in the conversation in the room, only turning toward Bancroft once the man was near.

"Ah, there you are, Jack. Thank you for waiting," said the admiral with a friendly grin. "I was hoping you might be able to join me for dinner tonight at my residence?"

Jack blinked. "Tonight, sir? Don't you want us to get my task force in order so we can move out?"

Bancroft winced. "Yes, of course, but I thought it might be nice if we could talk a little more without all the chatter from headquarters around us. Why don't you meet me seven? As long as that leaves you enough time to still depart in the morning?"

Jack thought about it for a minute before responding. He did need to get a lot of things done before the task force left Lockhaven, and no doubt this would put him behind as he struggled to catch up. However, the chance for a one-on-one with Bancroft was too good to ignore. After all, he still needed to talk to the man about the viceroys, and this might be his only opportunity to do so before the battle.

"Of course, I'll be there," said Jack with a polite smile.

Bancroft clapped his hands together. "Excellent. I'll send my car around six-thirty to pick you up." He then reached out to shake Jack's hand. "I'm looking forward to it, Jack. Make sure you come hungry."

"Thank you, sir, I will," said Jack as the admiral was already walking away.

Well, that was interesting, thought Jack as he found himself alone once again.

A possible revolt in Tyrol was big news indeed. They hadn't actually succeeded in doing so in over a generation, despite being goaded to do so during the Desert War. This wouldn't be the first time the Ruthenians tried to influence the Tyroleans to rebel, but most of the time it was to no avail. They were probably only so bold this time because the Javans were already so occupied with the Occitanians.

As Jack made his way back to theDestiny, one thing was certain. The war on the home front was about to get much more interesting.

*****

"Anna-bear, what in the world did you order? That looks disgusting!"

Abigail made a face at seeing the plate that was put in front of her sister, a piece of meat that looked like it was nearly burnt to a crisp. Anna Wainwright cut into it with her knife and brought it to her lips with a big Cheshire grin.

"What? I like my steak well-done, that's all," said Anna as the meat slipped past her lips.

Abigail could scarcely contain her laughter. Her sister hadn't changed in all these years, and nothing was more apparent during their evening spent in Lockhaven. With Jack being invited to dine with Admiral Bancroft that night, it freed her up to spend some quality time with family. For that reason, she crossed ships to theValiant to pick up Anna, and the two made their way into the city to find a place to eat.

"There can't be any flavor left in that though," said Abigail with a disgusted face. "I bet all you can taste is char!"

Anna shook her head while maintaining a smile. The sight was so ridiculous that Abigail couldn't help but giggle.

"I've always eaten it this way, and I'm not liable to change," said Anna simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"No, I suppose not," said Abigail with an exaggerated sigh. "Still, I'm glad you were able to come out with me tonight. I know there's still a lot to do before we leave, but I didn't want to miss having a night out on the town."

"And risk missing this? No way," said Anna. "Besides with all the talk about battle, who knows when we'll get a chance like this again? Especially if we have to go back to the Fourth Vector."

"I think that's almost guaranteed," said Abigail while taking another bite of her own food. "There's still so much to be done over there. I know it stresses Jack about going back, and that's even without the battle on his plate."

"How's he doing, by the way?" asked Anna. "I haven't seen him in some time. Is he holding up well?"

"He's . . . well, I can tell he's conflicted," said Abigail, dancing around the subject of Jack's Galician heritage. It was still the biggest secret in the task force, only known to a handful of them. It was something that she even wanted kept from Anna, knowing how important it was that it stayed secret. "You know how he is though. Even when he's stressed, he still puts on a brave face. But I can tell he struggles internally."

"At least he has you though to help him through that," said Anna with a growing grin. "And that other woman. The blonde woman."

"Kat," answered Abigail.

"How are youreally doing with that? Don't give me that look, I have to ask," said Anna. "It was bad enough when it was the two of us, but how do you expect to bring him home with another woman?"

Abigail shrugged. "I think they'll see that if I'm happy—which I am—that it shouldn't make one bit of difference."

"You're really happy though, Abby?" asked Anna with a disbelieving look.

"I am, truly," answered Abigail. "Is our relationship orthodox? No. Does it make me happy and complete? Yes. It's not for everyone, and I would never pretend to say that it is. But I wake up every morning in his arms and I'm really, truly happy, Anna-bear. I can't ask for more than that."

Anna's hand darted out from across the table and stopped on top of hers. "I may not understand it, but I just want you to be happy. You're my big sister, and I want to make sure you get what you deserve."

Abigail smiled. "I really think this is it for me. He's who I'm supposed to be with. I love him."

"Good, that's all that matters then," said Anna with a mischievous look. "Even if you did steal him away from me."

Abigail's mouth dropped open. "You're the one that crawled into his bed, you little slut!"

Anna burst out laughing, causing the both of them to let loose with a stream of giggles. It was enough to make the table next to theirs look over, making them both give a silent apology at the noise.

"You may have a point there," said Anna finally. "But it's never served me wrong before."

"Oh, yeah? Is that how you got your latest boyfriend too?"

Anna grinned. "Maybe. If it's not broke, don't fix it after all."

"How is he by the way?" asked Abigail. "Still going strong? Still serious?"

"Very serious," answered Anna as her eyes trailed away from the table. She ended the statement on a high note, making Abigail think there was more to her words to come.

"And . . . what's next?" she pressed. "If it's so serious, am I going to be hearing wedding bells soon?"

Anna smiled as she put another piece of steak in her mouth. "Maybe. We haven't talked about that yet but we're getting there. We've been making other plans though."

Abigail stopped eating for a minute. "Like what other plans?"

Anna waited a moment before responding, almost as if she was hesitant to say what was next. "Like what might be waiting for us after we get out of the navy. And where to go from there."

Abigail raised an eyebrow. "So where might you be going from there?"

"Well, Ray's family has one of those big farms about two hours out from Belfort. Now, the whole reason he entered the navy in the first place was that he thought he wasn't going to inherit any land since he's the youngest son. But unfortunately, his older brother passed away early, and now Ray is going to inherit. He's been talking about possibly leaving the service to go play farmer."

"And you?" asked Abigail. "You're thinking about going with him?"

Anna shrugged. "I'm thinking about it. Maybe after this battle, we'll see what happens. I never would've considered this before, but there's just something about him, Abby. I feel safe with Ray. I see a future with him. It's making me consider things I've never thought about."

"Like leaving the navy?"

Anna nodded. "Do you think less of me?"

Abigail shook her head right away. "We all have to decide what's best for us. For you, if that's going off with this guy to be a farmer's wife, then who am I to stay no?"

Anna giggled. "You make it sound so low!"

"No, I didn't mean it that way," said Abigail. "I just meant if he makes you happy, then I can't stand in the way of that. I will say one thing though," she said as her expression became more serious.

Anna focused in on her as the smile dropped from her face

Abigail cracked a grin. "I want to meet him first. I have to make sure he's good enough for my sister."

Anna started to laugh. "Well, then, we'll have to get something set up soon! But you'll love him, Abby. I just know it. You'll see how much we care for each other, and I know you won't have any doubts about it!"

Abigail regarded her sister with an easy smile, thinking it was nice to see Anna in such good spirits. Too often in their lives, they had butted heads—over men, over priorities, and even over careers. Yet with Anna seemingly bound and determined to leave the service to move forward with her life, it only filled her with hope.

Perhaps this was her chance to make a new life.

Abigail found herself grinning back at her sister as her hand quietly snaked across the table to hold hers. "I'm so happy for you, Anna-bear."

*****

That evening as Abigail headed into the city with Anna, Jack caught the car sent by Bancroft as it picked him up from the docks. He was still dressed in his uniform, knowing that the admiral was one for appearances over just about anything else. Although if he was being truthful, Jack was hesitant about this dinner. There were still too many unanswered questions that he needed to bring up, and he wondered inwardly how Bancroft would take them.

Especially those questions concerning the viceroys, which he'd been all too eager to brush aside earlier. He wanted to find out just how far up the chain it went, and whether it was the emperor's idea to switch the terminology from ally to colony.

He pondered how best to bring those up as the car sped through the brightly-lid city until it approached the outer reaches, which was marked by more residential homes and a lot more greenery. Right before seven, the car pulled up to what could only have been described as a stately manor, resplendent with a beautiful facade of glass and brick. It was an old house created to fit an even older style, but to Jack, it was perfectly fitting for the kind of man Bancroft was—traditional.

"Jack, you're right on time," said the admiral with a polite grin as Jack stepped out from the car.

Jack gestured to the house in front of him. "This home is magnificent, sir. I really like what you have here."

Bancroft nodded. "A home away from home, if you will. Of course, I spend most of my time in Belfort, but seeing as there's naval headquarters in both Lockhaven and Aberdeen, I realized I'd need a place to live when I'm in those cities. I purchased this one five years ago, and my only complaint is that I don't get to spend as much time here."

"I can see why," said Jack as he took in the house once more, finding it all the more amazing that it was just a secondary home.

"Come inside, Jack. My cooks are having our dinner made as we speak. I hope you enjoy pasta," said the admiral, gesturing for Jack to follow him.

Jack was led through the main hallway of the mansion, one that started out with a grand double staircase that rose to the second floor. Bancroft went down the middle, where large rooms opened up on each side. After they passed about twenty or so different rooms, the admiral finally stopped in what was a formal dining room and beckoned for Jack to sit.

"I really have to give you my thanks for joining me tonight, especially with you leaving in the morning," started Bancroft as he took his seat and unfolded his napkin. "How are you doing with all of this by the way? The plan for battle?"

"I'm doing the best that I can," said Jack simply. "But I feel like the plans didn't leave room for any questions. Just about every scenario has been figured out, so I feel like we have our best shot to do this."

Bancroft grinned and then nodded. "Well, thank you for that. I have spent a lot of time on this plan, so I appreciate the endorsement. It's taken me a long time to get approval from Charles to do this."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Charles?"

"Or the emperor, as you may better know him as," said the admiral, putting his hands together. "My apologies, I should have specified."

Jack nodded politely.I've never heard of anyone refer to him by his first name. Either he has permission to do so or Bancroft thinks rather highly of himself.

Jack knew it was most likely the second option, but he didn't address anything out loud.

"Anyway, like I was saying, it took me long enough to get this approved that I wanted to make sure everything was done the right way," continued the admiral as the food began to arrive. One of his servants set a large pasta dish in front of Jack as well as filled his cup with a dark red wine.

Bancroft held out his cup of wine. "To victory at Aberdeen."

Jack raised his in cheers, watching as the admiral took down a heavy gulp. The wine was somewhat bitter on his lips, but Jack matched the other man before diving into food.

"I really do think this is going to be the start of some big plans, Jack," said Bancroft a few minutes later. "The relief of this blockade is just going to be the first step. Once the fleet is free to act, we can orchestrate another invasion of Occitania and finally put this conflict to bed."

"Hopefully before the Ruthenians get involved, right?"

Bancroft waved his hand. "If they are so stupid to do so, then yes. But if not, then we can take both of them on. The Desert War wasn't that long ago, so I would be very surprised if they wanted another war so soon. But can you imagine if they did, Jack? We could stomp out both of our traditional rivals in one grand war. Then there will be nothing to stop Java from being the preeminent power in the world."