Fourth Vector Ch. 29

"That would be my guess too," said Lindsay. "And by the time we reach that point, we should be able to know for sure."

Abigail looked back at the map and frowned as something occurred to her.

"What about any Swabian ships we come across along the transit though? Are you sure this bond will be strong enough to detect that he's not on these ships? My worry is what happens if we get in a fight? Will we have to hold back our fire for fear that Jack might be on the ship?"

"I don't think that's how that works," said Lindsay. "Unless the bond strengthens rapidly on the way to an engagement with the Swabians, he's probably still too far away for us to tell. If we encounter any ships and the feeling is still rather dull like this, it's a safe bet he's not on the ship."

"But what if he's injured or hurt?" asked Abigail. "Or if he's dying? I would think that would weaken the strength of the bond, wouldn't it?"

Lindsay made an apologetic face. "I think it would but I'm not entirely sure. You could be right and I would think that even if he were wounded, I'd still be able to feel him strongly if he were that close. I can't give you an exact answer though, I'm sorry."

Abigail nodded and took a deep sigh. "I'm not upset with you. I just wish I felt this bond so I could know what you're experiencing. I wish it was more concrete with what it meant."

Lindsay smiled. "It's too bad it can't give me a number on how close he is. Like he's only five miles away in that direction."

Abigail actually laughed. "That would make this much easier, yes!"

"I can only guess how frustrating it is for you," said Lindsay quietly, after the laughing stopped. "It probably sucks that I can feel him and you can't, with you being his lover and all."

Abigail nodded. "That's one part about this I really don't like. I can only imagine what it'll be like when we get to Galicia. When every street beggar can feel him but I can't."

"Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you can feel it in the same room. Sometimes it's so strong that you can't think of anything else."

Abigail smiled sadly. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

"This whole thing does bring up an interesting question though," said Lindsay, changing subjects slightly. "What's the end game in all of this? Say we do find out that Jack is in Swabia? What do we do then?"

"Well, if you ask guys like Dustin or Greg, they'll want to assault Swabia themselves to get Jack back," said Abigail with a lighthearted chuckle. "But for the rest of us, I don't know. Swabia is the one place that I really don't want him to be because it limits our options so much. We can't just go attack them. If he went north or west to Apulia or somewhere like that, we might have a few more options on the table to find him but what do we do if he's actually in Swabia?"

"Swabia does make it difficult," agreed Lindsay. "Probably more difficult than if he was going to Galicia."

"I don't have a good answer for that question," admitted Abigail finally. "If that's the case, then we'll let Kat know and see where it takes us. One thing is for certain though—if Jack is in Swabia, we'll figure something out. I won't abandon him to those monsters."

*****

It was the next morning that the first Swabian ships were located on the horizon.

Abigail rushed into the bridge, where her team was already monitoring the situation and communicating with the rest of the task force.

"Are you certain they're Swabian?" she asked while taking her binoculars and approaching the window.

"I'm sure, Abigail," said Stephanie, already at the spot and watching them. "They're flying the Swabian flag. Black and white, with the black eagle on the left side."

Abigail looked as well just to confirm the sighting. Sure enough, she could catch a glimpse of it on ships as they floated a short distance away. She scanned the entire group of them, trying to determine their purpose. Most of the ships looked to be unarmed cargo ships.

"Supply convoy it looks like," said Abigail after studying them.

"Appears that way," said Stephanie. "It makes sense. The Picard City of Zarah is not too far away. These ships could be maintaining that route."

"So it looks like we have ten cargo ships, one cruiser, one destroyer, and three frigates," said Abigail as she put her binoculars down. "Let's move forward to engage. Radio the rest of the commanders to let them know. I want you to sound battle-stations right away."

Stephanie gave her a tepid look. "What about Jack? What if he's on the ships?"

Abigail looked past her to Lindsay, who was a short distance away, the woman having followed her into the bridge. "Lindsay, what do you think? Has the bond strengthened at all?"

Lindsay didn't respond right away. She approached the glass and held her hand against her heart. There was a moment of silence as she seemed to ponder where or not Jack might be with the ships.

In the interim, Abigail's radio buzzed.

"Abigail, it's Luke. Did I hear these instructions correctly? You want us to attack these ships that might have Jack on them?"

"Stand by for a minute, Luke." Abigail leaned against the Galician woman. "Now is the time to figure this out. Are you for sure that he's not on those ships?"

Lindsay turned and gave Abigail a firm, confident look. "I'm sure. He's not on them."

It was all the confirmation that Abigail needed. She brought the radio back to her lips. "Jack is not on these ships. Repeat, Jack is not aboard. Commence battle-stations at once and open fire when ready."

Even though some hesitant looks were shared on the bridge of theDestiny (and indeed throughout the entire task force), the ship's alarm systems soon blared.

With the Swabians now in sight, it soon became apparent that they wouldn't achieve surprise over their quarry.

"Abigail, I have the lead cruiser circling back around. So too is the destroyer and the frigates," said Stephanie from the window. "It looks like they are going to put themselves in-between us and the convoy."

"Not a problem, we'll have plenty of time to spare for that convoy after the battle," said Abigail. "I want us and theStardust to focus on that cruiser. Have theValiant focus on the destroyer and our destroyers can tackle the frigates. Issue the orders out to all the commanders."

The battle actually kicked off with the Swabians getting the first volley out. The lead cruiser sent out an arcing shot that managed to cause some light damage on theStardust. Abigail watched as flames licked the main deck on the Javan cruiser before they got an answer in return.

"I need that ordnance now, Kyle," said an increasingly impatient Abigail.

"Locked and loaded, Abigail. Ready when you are," said Kyle after another few seconds.

"Fire away," she ordered.

The ship rocked as the forward turrets unleashed a fiery salvo that raced toward the Swabian cruiser. The volley actually overshot the cruiser by about a hundred yards, causing an adjustment on Kyle's side before they were ready to fire again.

The second salvo hit the mark, hitting the starboard superstructure right where it connected to the main deck. The Swabian ship appeared to buckle in the water and a heavy cloud of smoke erupted from her wounded deck.

TheStardust was having a hard time connecting a shot to the cruiser. The first two volleys from the warship missed their mark entirely, forcing them to make timely adjustments on the positioning of their main guns. It was the third volley that connected with the target, this one taking out the rear turret of the enemy cruiser and taking their firepower down by a whole third.

"Great shooting over there, Mike," commended Abigail after witnessing the destruction.

Meanwhile, the destroyers were having a much easier time mopping up the frigates. They were less than half the size of the Javan destroyers and lightly armored judging by how easily they took damage. TheWickes was able to sink one by relying on her 5-inch guns alone followed shortly by theHutchins who managed to capsize another frigate a few minutes later.

The most spectacular fireworks of the day belonged to theValiant though when a shot from her struck the ammunition compartment on the Swabian destroyer. The destroyer was ripped apart at the beam, and each portion took on heavy flooding. She slipped under the waves a mere ten minutes after the explosion, her threat long ended.

With the destroyers and the frigates meeting their ends, it was time to take out the enemy cruiser. Abigail gave the command to Cory to steer the ship hard starboard in an attempt to bring all turrets into action against the warship. The ship began to tug hard in that direction a moment later, but it wasn't until they completed the turn minutes later that they were able to get the rear turret locked on target.

"Do it, Kyle. Fire away," instructed Abigail.

The ship rocked with another heavy round of ordnance that sparked multiple fires on the enemy cruiser. There was to be no respite for them even as they got off another shot against theStardust (which didn't cause too much additional damage). TheStardust repaid that damage back in kind and soon the enemy cruiser could be seen with a noticeable list to port.

"She's going under, Mike," said Abigail through the radio. "Keep firing."

"Aye, Abigail, one last good salvo should do it!"

Mike proved to be prophetic in his words. The final volleys from both ships was the death knell for the Swabian cruiser. Sailors could now be seen abandoning the ship, dropping into the cool waters of the southern ocean as the portside list grew more pronounced. The guns stopped firing once the propellers raised from the water while there was a last scramble for positioning as the survivors attempted to get out from the shadow of the large ship.

A few minutes later, the great underside of the ship was fully visible. Several survivors tried to climb aboard but it was a futile effort. The ship seemed to bob in the water for a short while before ultimately slipping under.

The aftermath of the battle was about as routine as it got. The damage to theStardust was attended to, and although it was nothing serious, it would require some minor repairs the next time they were in port.

There weren't many Swabian survivors that were plucked from the water, with many of them being trapped within the capsized cruiser or having perished with the explosion on the destroyer. The men who were plucked from the waters were placed on theValiant for the time being while the rest of the destroyers were given permission to go after the rest of the convoy. They made short work on the unarmored supply ships, sending all of them below the waves.

It was the only action that the task force found during their entire transit of the Picard coastline. It wasn't until a day later when theDestiny was rounding the southwest corner that Lindsay found Abigail once again.

"It's the strongest it's ever been at this point," said Lindsay, confirming the suspicion that they all held. "This is the closest part of Picardy to Swabia, isn't it?"

Abigail nodded. "According to this map, Swabia is just across this narrow strait of water."

"I was hoping that I was wrong on that," said Lindsay quietly. "Unfortunately, the bond isn't wrong."

"I'll send out a dispatch to Daban," said Abigail before letting out a long sigh. "We should let them know that Jack is in Swabia."

*****

Regaulfus Avila had never been happier.

It was the day of his official coronation and all the lords and officials from across the empire had gathered in the emperor's hall to witness such a historic event. Avila was clad in his finest robes for the occasion, brilliantly displayed in shades of red and gold. His crown was thus far missing from his head, but it wouldn't be for long.

That would be the whole point for the ceremony today. It was the official crowning of the new emperor that brought them all to the palace, an event that truly capped off his reign (despite the fact that he'd already been reigning for close to two months).

Like the day he'd executed the old emperor, Aurelius, Avila was surrounded by all the lords of Swabia as the ceremony began. Triumphant and festive music played in the background as he walked slowly down the gilded hall, nodding to others along the way and receiving their blessings for a long reign.

His objective was the raised dais at the end of the hall, just in front of his throne. On that dais was his crown, and when Avila reached it, he placed the crown on his head and turned to face the crowd. The symbolic meaning of such a gesture was lost on no one. There wasn't anyone to crown a Swabian emperor except himself. He was responsible for gaining the throne as well as keeping it. It was only fitting that he placed the crown upon his own head rather than to delegate the task to someone else.

After all the pomp of the coronation ceremony, it was time for the festivities. A route was planned through the city of Dagobern to allow the common people to celebrate Avila's crowning. It was to be an event unlike any other in recent memory. Avila would be pulled along by a chariot of horses while his soldiers walked along behind him, all of whom were veterans of the battle that displaced Aurelius.

Next would come the lords and their courtiers, their position behind the emperor befitting their status as the next rung in the Swabian hierarchy. After that would be the dancers and musicians, keeping the tone of the festivities and giving the people another reason to enjoy the event.

That last portion of the parade was usually Avila's favorite. In it, all the enemies of the new emperor were paraded and scorned by the people. Often, they threw whatever they could at the ragged prisoners such as eggs or worse. These prisoners were always foreign enemies of the emperor. It wasn't seen as fitting for the new emperor to treat a former emperor in such a way, which was the reason why Aurelius was executed in the manner he was a month ago.

Avila just wished he could have seen the treatment of Jack Easterbrook by the people of Dagobern. He would have enjoyed witnessing this one last punishment by the Swabian people before he was exchanged with the Galicians for the opportunity to attack Apulia and Samara.

That had been one area that Eric Rosdahl was most agreeable. Avila could tell that Rosdahl was about to burst a blood vessel when he requested that Samara be given over as well for a possible attack, but the Galician regent truly wanted to get his hands on Easterbrook. He'd given over Samara after barely five minutes of thought.

Avila would hold up his end of the bargain. After the parade was over, Easterbrook would board Rosdahl's ship and make the voyage back to Kalmar for a certain and swift execution. Meanwhile, Avila would ready the Swabian armies.

*****

The day before Easterbrook was to be exchanged, Avila called together another meeting with his personal allies, Clovis of Lindau and Godric of Selz. Also present was General Ferberg, as well as two others who weren't normally part of the inner circle. Eba of Klevic had shown some basic promise in recent weeks, enough that Avila considered giving him a chance despite the man's checkered past. The last guest was Avila's own cousin, Adalbert, who had enjoyed the sights and pleasures of the imperial palace for a job well done.

Ferberg was leading the current discussion, which was centered around the large map of the West where groups of forces were now located.

"This is the plan to be executed as soon as each lord arrives at his respective area of influence," said Ferberg as he stood next to the map. He brandished a large pointer for use.

"Starting in the southeast quadrant, Lord Eba of Klevic will lead the charge against the Sorellans by conquering their island for the use of their extensive rubber trees. He will be given three regiments with which to complete his task, given from the regiments of Cormfeld."

Eba nodded nervously, no doubt surprised at his change in luck. It hadn't come from Avila's benevolence. Quite the opposite in fact. Avila was going to hold his wife and children hostage in order to ensure proper behavior. He figured that Sorella would be the easiest nut to crack, and if Eba could take care of that without any issue, he just might be man enough to handle larger assignments.

Ferberg swept his pointer northeast. "The land of Andalucia will go to Lord Clovis of Lindau as his assignment. To that purpose, he will take five regiments to subdue those desert savages."

"I take it there's not much on Andalucia in the way of resistance?" asked Clovis.

Ferberg shook his head. "Not unless you count bows and arrows as much of a threat. The island is ripe for invasion."

Next, Ferberg swept the pointer north. "For the land of Picardy, I will take another seven regiments to complete the subjugation of Daban and prepare a springboard attack for Carinthia."

"How many regiments are on Picardy at the current time?" asked Clovis while looking at Picardy. "My eyes count thirteen."

"Your eyes don't deceive you," answered Ferberg. "Their current strength is around ten thousand effectives with their recent losses. Since these new regiments are near full strength and since we'll be bringing reinforcements for the existing regiments, I'll have about twenty thousand men to finish the job."

Clovis nodded, finding the answer acceptable.

"Finally, we come to Apulia," said Ferberg while moving to the last country just due north of Swabia. "Lord Godric of Selz will lead the charge here—"

"A shame for that," interrupted Godric before he gestured back to Picardy. "Give me the assignment where there will be more fighting! I'm a soldier damnit, and Apulia will be a cakewalk. Give me the tough assignment on Picardy!"

"I want you in Apulia for a reason, Godric," said Avila, speaking up for the first time. "The Apulians are critical to the entire plan. That position is also the one most exposed to secondary threats like the Samarans or the Galicians. Even though we have a deal with them, I still don't trust them. I want my most trusted lord taking over Apulia."

Godric let out an unsatisfied sigh but he knew better than to argue with the emperor.

"Don't get out of sorts, Godric," continued Avila as he cracked a smile. "Once the position on Apulia is secure, you'll lead the jump over to Samara. Then you can be known as the conqueror of both Apulia and Samara. I thought you might enjoy those titles."

Godric's frown melted away, only to be replaced by grim satisfaction. "It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?"

"That it does," confirmed Avila before he looked back at the map. "So there we have it. The final plan. My four trusted deputies will strike out and make crippling blows against our enemies. Apart from Eba and Ferberg, who will organize their armies on Cormfeld, I want both Godric and Clovis to organize their forces on their respective lordship islands. The goal will be to strike out within one month's time. Are there any questions?"

All the lords shook their heads.

"Good," said Avila with a grin. "The Swabian Empire is on the march, my lords. Let's go take what is ours!"

*****

After Avila dismissed Ferberg and the other lords, it became noticeable that there was only one other occupant left in the room.

"What about me?" asked Adalbert once the two men were alone. "What's going to be my role in your grand plan?"

Avila walked away from the map and approached his cousin, sitting down beside him. "You've surprised me, Adalbert. In a good way, no doubt, but a surprise nonetheless."

"I take it you're referring to Easterbrook?" asked Adalbert.