Fourth Vector Ch. 24

"I need to be going in now. A pleasure to meet you," he said finally once he slipped past the gate. The guard slammed it immediately shut in her face, her pretty features already turning to sorrow at seeing her chance ruined.

"I can wait here until you're done!" she yelled through the gate, a response that Jack didn't answer. He highly doubted she would wait outside all morning in the freezing cold.

"Well, it appears you have no shortage of admirers, Commodore Easterbrook."

Jack turned to find the imposing stature of Admiral McKenzie. This morning, he wore a great dark gray overcoat over his uniform, and it was cold enough that Jack could see his breath just in front of his weathered face. Even still, the admiral's look was friendly enough, reminding Jack about the promise he made to Admiral Kuntz before he died.

A promise that would still have to wait until they could be alone. On the other side of McKenzie was none other than Admiral Nick Reynolds, his dark beady eyes already locked on Jack. Like usual, the faint look of disgust was already there, only deepening whenever Jack moved closer.

"What do you say, Jack?" asked McKenzie with a subtle grin. "Ready to meet the emperor?"

"For the first time, yes," answered Jack, causing the admiral to let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry, it gets easier after the first time. You look just like I did on my first meeting, although you are much younger than I was."

Jack smiled at that, but before he could respond, Reynolds growled at them both. "Come on, let's get moving. I'm freezing out here, and I didn't want to wait forhim to begin with."

Reynolds started trudging toward the palace, leaving no doubt to whom he was referring to.

McKenzie shrugged and turned toward the palace, and together all three of them walked toward the main entrance.

As far as palaces go, this one was rather small in size. By small, that meant it only had about two hundred separate rooms, a far cry from the main imperial palace in Belfort which boasted more than double that amount. From the street, the palace could be seen to have two distinct floors, with a partition in the middle that featured an ornate stone decoration that lined the entire building. No expense was spared on the windows of the palace, coming in even intervals about every fifteen feet alongside the entire exterior on both floors.

The color of the palace was light beige which strongly suggested to Jack that it might be limestone. Once inside the front entrance, the receiving hall opened up to a large room where the ceiling was at minimum over fifty feet above their heads. It was dominated by one of the largest chandeliers that Jack had ever seen, no doubt weighing as much as ten men from the size of it. It sparkled with decorations of gold and diamonds, catching everyone's eye as soon as they stepped foot into the imposing palace.

"Quite different than all those Fourthie shitholes you've been to, isn't it, Easterbrook?" sneered Reynolds once they were directed to stop.

While it was certainly more opulent, Jack didn't dignify that remark with a response, and the three of them were content to wait for the arrival of the emperor. Below his feet, a decorative tile floor stretched out nearly a hundred feet, the main scene upon it the story of the Javan creation myth. Jack could identify the scene right in front of him, showing the taking of the wives from the People of the Lake from the original settlers.

In that moment, he remembered the full tale told to him by his grandmother, how those original settlers had been Galicians, but he noted that on the carpet at least, those original settlers were all dark-haired like their current descendants. Part of him wondered whether that was done by simple ignorance or on purpose, with the creator perhaps no more willing to give truth to what had always been a simple children's fable.

"Ah, there you are, gentlemen. Welcome to the palace!"

Jack looked up to see the arrival of Admiral Bancroft, looking crisp and professional this morning for their meeting. Out of instinct, the three of them all stood a little straighter, sticking their chests out for the arrival of the naval chief.

Bancroft stopped in front of them to look at their uniforms. His eyes lingered the longest on Jack, their previous hostility temporarily shelved for what was to come.

"You men are on time and you look the part of Javan conquering heroes," said Bancroft with a sly smile. "Come with me now. The emperor is waiting for you."

All three of them started to follow Bancroft as he led them deeper into the palace, using one of the secondary wings from the main reception hall. Jack had to fight to keep his mouth from hanging open the entire time. He'd never seen so much gold or silver in his entire life. It seemed like everything was lined with it, accentuating its appearance to the heights of opulence.

The only comparison that Jack could make with such features was that of the old palace back in Sorella, the one that housed the late Daimanos. Jack shuddered at the memory of the man, and he hoped the comparisons would end there.

At least they did for the time being when Jack caught sight of the emperor once they were led into his main study. Even still, it was a less than impressive sight.

Jack was used to seeing the emperor's profile on coins or even banners at the annual parade events in major cities for Java Day, but those resemblances had little comparison to the man now in front of him.

For one, Emperor Charles IX was old, very old. Any Javan coin would show the emperor as a reasonably middle-aged man, but Charles had to be into his seventies by his appearance alone. His skin was wrinkled and blemished, particularly around his cheeks and his forehead. His eyes were cold, dark and beady, similar to that of Admiral Reynolds but with much less passion. Big, thick heavy jowls hung on either side of his face, covered by a sparse array of gray hair.

The rest of him was in terrible shape as well. His gut exploded outward, taking up a good portion of his lap as he sat in his chair. From this vantage point, Jack had to suspect that his breasts were probably bigger than Kat's, hanging loosely down his corpulent frame. Even though he was clothed in only the finest fashions as befitting an emperor, the man underneath the robes was hardly an impressive sight.

Not far from the emperor was another, much younger man. His face could only be described by the use of one word—greasy. The man looked like he'd just run a marathon and forgot to wipe his face afterward. He hung close to the emperor, casually refilling his cup every time it threatened to become empty.

"Gentleman, may I introduce His Imperial Majesty, Charles IX, the Dragon of Java," said Bancroft with an impressive voice. As one, all four of them bowed before the emperor, touching their heads to the ground as was custom.

To Jack's surprise, when he moved back to his feet, Charles had lifted himself from his chair and was approaching them with a curious smile on his face.

"Well, don't you all look like an impressive bunch of heroes," said Charles as he stopped right in front of them. He turned to Bancroft. "A fantastic lot you have here, Bancroft. I'd have expected nothing less from you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," replied Bancroft with a half-bowed head. Jack noticed that he didn't use the emperor's first name like he had that night at dinner back in Lockhaven.

Charles moved first to Admiral McKenzie. "McKenzie, another successful operation for you, wasn't it? I daresay those Occitanians are learning to fear your name!"

"I should hope so, Your Majesty," answered McKenzie with no discernible nervousness. Of all of them, he seemed to have the most experience in such situations. "I'm looking forward to leading the next strike on those Occitanian fools."

"Occitanian fools, yes, well said, Admiral," said Charles with a beaming grin. He then moved toward Reynolds, who occupied the middle spot. "Admiral Reynolds, I'm told your force did exceptionally well during the battle."

For once, the near permanent glare on Reynolds' face evaporated, only to be replaced by a tenuous smile. It was a terrible look for the man.

"All for the glory of Java, Your Majesty," answered Reynolds, his voice squeaking in the process. Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing the man for the kiss-ass that he was.

"Next time, just try to lose less ships, Admiral," said Charles with a tap of the man's shoulder. "We only have so few to go around."

Reynolds' face turned red and he began to stammer. "A t-thousand apologies about that, Your Majesty."

"No, no, no, no time for that," said Charles while shaking his hands. "You did good, Reynolds. Real good."

That second offering of praise seemed to do the trick even if Reynolds' face stayed red at the temporary embarrassment. Jack didn't have much time to enjoy it, as soon Charles moved over and stopped directly in front of him.

"And this must be the famous Commodore Easterbrook," said Charles as he appraised him from head to toe. With the emperor being this close, Jack was suddenly assaulted by a foul smell. The man's breath was atrocious at close quarters, and he fought hard to put it out of his mind lest the smell make him faint.

"Thank you for the invitation to your palace, Your Majesty," said Jack firmly, showing none of the stutter of Reynolds.

"Ever since I arrived in this city, I hear your name more than all the others," continued Charles. "You can't walk a single street in Aberdeen without hearing the telltale yells of 'Easterbrook!' Why is it that a lowly commodore can arouse such passion in the common people?"

Jack swallowed heavily as his mind searched around for an answer. "I think the stories of my travels in the Fourth Vector may have influenced that slightly, Your Majesty."

Charles started to laugh. "Only slightly?" He turned back to Bancroft. "He's modest as well? Where did you find such an officer, Bancroft?"

"Officers like Jack don't come around very often, Your Majesty," replied Bancroft quietly. Jack spared a moment to look at the senior admiral, curious if he was telling the truth or whether he was being sarcastic. A quick glimpse of his face showed that he felt his words to be true.

"I think you and I have the most to chat about, Jack," said Charles once he turned around again to face him. "Bancroft has briefed me about your travels in the Fourth Vector, but I think the chance to hear them directly from the source would do it justice."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Jack. "I'd look forward to the opportunity to do so."

Charles grinned. "Good man." The emperor took a step back to look at all of them. "I know for certain when I say this that this room is full of the best that Java has to offer. The only regret that I have is that Admiral Kuntz can't be here with you."

"A small tragedy about his demise," said Bancroft before anyone else. "He deserved this next honor just as much as you three."

"Honor, sir?" asked Reynolds as his eyes danced between the admiral and the emperor. "What honor do you speak of?"

Charles snapped his fingers, sending his page rushing for a small enclosed box not far from where they were standing. As soon as brought it over, he lowered his head to the emperor.

"Thank you, Mortimus," replied Charles as he opened the lid. All three men gasped as soon as they saw what was inside.

Three glittering Naval Crosses, their shine sparkling as the light of the room bounced off them.

"I know that Jack here has seen one of these already," said Charles as he pulled it from the box and held it aloft. "And to think, he gets his second one now." He moved forward, pinning it on Jack's uniform next to the one he'd won from that naval battle with the Occitanians from Andalucia.

"Excellent," said Charles as he looked at his own handiwork. One by one, he walked down the line, doing the same thing for the others. Reynolds beamed with pride at the display of his own, his usual morosity long since forgotten at the reward. McKenzie on the other hand only gave a simple smile, giving the impression that he'd been in such a position before.

"You three have done so well," said Charles as he handed the now empty box back to Mortimus. "Never has a Naval Cross been more deserved. Our precious navy was going to flounder here in Aberdeen if not for you and your men. Together, you've changed the course of history, and you've changed the course of this war."

Jack couldn't help but stick his chest out a little farther at the praise. Despite his appearance, Charles could have a way with words when he wanted to, and now was a perfect example. Curiously enough, when Jack was able to pull his eyes off the emperor, he found Bancroft staring back at him. The gaze was largely unreadable, but Jack had to wonder what kind of thoughts were lurking just beneath the surface.

When Jack turned his attention back to the emperor, he was surprised to find him staring back at him. Almost as if on cue, Charles stepped closer to him.

"Such a fortunate victory shouldn't stop here," said Charles, gesturing to the cross on Jack's chest. "Nor will it. I've chosen to meet with all of you one-on-one today. Due to your victories, I've also brought along a special visitor for all of you, someone that will reward you for all that you've done. That will be revealed before lunch." Charles looked around at all of them. "Such is the benefit of securing victory for your country."

None of them said a word to that, and Jack had a feeling no one had the courage to ask what the price of defeat might have been. A quick glance to Bancroft suggested he already knew it and thoughts of exile soon filled his head.

He was also extremely curious as to whom the emperor's visitors might be. His tone during the pronouncement seemed to indicate that they would all be important people in their lives, but who would he have brought for Jack?

He didn't have long to ponder that statement. With much of that initial conversation delegating to small talk between the group of officers and the emperor, Jack listened in while McKenzie told stories of his early days as a commander and also as Reynolds talked about his time chasing the Occitanians out near Quiller's Cove (and most remarkably, he did so without casting any glares to Jack).

"And what about you, Jack? You're now a household name throughout Java for your exploits in the Fourth Vector. What's the most memorable part of being over there?" asked the emperor.

Jack had to really think about that question before he could come up with a suitable answer. In the space of a moment, all the faces of those from the Vector ran through his mind—Heron, Elektra and Nikias of Sorella, Samir, Abel, and Masud of Andalucia, Aedan and Ciara of Picardy, Reina of Carinthia, and even Numa and Vigo of the Lishkerrans. Most importantly, he thought of the three Galician women who had so entwined themselves into his life—Vera, Evelyn, and of course Kat. He thought about the battles he won, the wars they fought, and the prophecy that turned his life upside down.

With the last item being the most important, it was also the most dangerous. He'd have to tread carefully on that subject in front of the emperor.

"Just the people I've met along the way," he answered cryptically, causing the emperor to display an amused expression.

"The people?" he repeated.

Jack nodded. "The places I've gone and the people that have been there along the way. People think of the Fourth Vector as some kind of border of civilization but it's not. In it are some of the most advanced cultures I've ever seen. As advanced as Java."

The silence to his response was deafening. Reynolds and McKenzie stared at him, not quite sure what to make of his statement. Bancroft's eyes were wide, but he seemed to be staring daggers into the emperor's back. Finally, Charles offered a response.

He started to laugh.

"A sense of humor as well then?" he said, taking Jack's words the wrong way entirely. "Bancroft was right about you, son."

Before Jack had the chance to correct him, Charles clapped his hands. "All right, gentlemen, it's time for my lunch. Outside these doors, you'll find your visitors waiting for you. I'll meet with each of you individually after you get something to eat as well, with Jack here being the first."

As all the commanders offered their thanks and headed for the door, Charles grabbed Jack's arm to hold him behind. "Not so fast, Commodore. Hang on for a second please."

Jack stopped in mid-stride, allowing himself to be held back. Out in the hallway, he could hear shrieks of happiness, seeing an older woman crashing into McKenzie, someone he could only assume was the man's wife. Anxious to see his own visitor, he stopped and turned to face the emperor as Mortimus closed the door behind to the hallway.

"You deserve one more thing, Jack," said Charles with a lopsided grin as Bancroft handed him another box. "I didn't want to do this in front of the others. It's suffice to say that McKenzie was made Vice Admiral not long ago and Reynolds' showing wasn't impressive enough to offer this."

Charles opened the box, revealing a set of new insignia for Jack's collar, shoulder, and sleeve. His mouth fell open when he realized what the new markings were for, the new shoulder insignia adding an additional thin strip above the broad one.

"Congratulations, Rear Admiral Easterbrook," continued Charles. "This is for a job well done."

"I'm not sure what to say," stammered Jack. He meant it too. Receiving the Naval Cross was one thing, but achieving another promotion in the year was another. Promotions such as these were all too slow during peacetime, and they almost always accelerated greatly in times of war. Even still, he'd started the year as a simple commander.

It was a long way to jump in such a short degree of time, and Jack was sure that thought was written onto his face.

"You've shown a great measure of coolness and tactical ability under fire," interjected Bancroft, standing beside the emperor. "As well as a strategic mind that ranks up there as high as any senior officer. Welcome to the ranks, Rear Admiral."

Bancroft offered his hand in a sincere gesture. Gone was the power-hungry demagogue from Lockhaven, a confusing change of tone that left Jack feeling flat-footed. In that moment, Jack saw shades of his old mentor, and he had to wonder if he was truly back for good or if this was some scheme to win him over to his side.

It was particularly confusing to note that while Bancroft was putting the new shoulder insignia on him, the person who he threatened to overthrow was staring back at the two of them.

"Marvelous," said Charles once the insignia was on. "Befitting of a true senior officer now. Now we'll just need to find an assignment that's appropriate for your new rank."

"Thank you," said Jack with a genuine tone. "I didn't expect this. I had no idea."

Charles chuckled. "Well if you did, it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable."

Jack allowed a smirk to pass through his lips at the emperor's words. Despite not having a lot of time to base his decision, he had to wonder if the emperor's reputation was really deserved? Stories had always been passed around of Charles' cruelty or intemperance, originating from those that had contact with him while some had simply been made up because no one would acknowledge otherwise. After all, wasn't this the man that had Henrik executed in cold blood without so much as a trial?

But for the first time Jack was willing to admit that perhaps Charles wasn't the tyrant he thought he was. This meeting had defied expectations, and it certainly seemed that he was likeable enough. Of course, that could be the role that the emperor was willing to play today—kindly old father figure—and Jack would be none the wiser.