Fourth Vector Ch. 30

Aedan shook his head. "I won't sacrifice Daban again to a half-baked plan! I just got the entire city back. What you're asking me to do is to give up coverage of her again which would allow the Swabians the opportunity to retake the city!"

"Cities can be rebuilt," said Greg quietly. "Men cannot. We all admit that Jack is the most important person we have on our side."

Most of the room nodded, even Aedan.

"Hell, he's so damn important that the man has his own prophecy," said Dustin with some well-timed comedic relief.

"Exactly," continued Greg before he turned to look at Aedan. "We don't need all the marines. I'm willing to leave the majority of them here in Daban for the city. We can choose a small cadre of veterans to go on the raid but I'm more than willing to lead a raid on Kalmar if it means we can free Jack." Greg fell silent after that statement, a pensive look written into his face. It became obvious that an internal struggle was playing out beneath the surface.

Abigail nodded her agreement to Greg's words. "And I'm willing to take them there with the task force, or what's left of it."

That was still a touchy subject as most in the room knew. Technically, Abigail was not the senior officer in charge of the Javan task force at the moment. Captain Barnabas, the man in charge of theCenturion, had pulled rank on her and had gotten a transmission from Admiral Bancroft putting him in charge during Jack's absence. His presence at the helm of the fleet had caused a considerable degree of tension with the other commanders—many of whom had stated privately that they would still look to Abigail's leadership despite the situation.

Aedan appeared to be flabbergasted at their sudden resolve. He turned to look at Kat, no doubt silently asking for her intervention.

She never gave it.

"I'm sorry, Aedan," she said softly as she nodded to Abigail. "I'm on their side in all of this. I won't let Jack die needlessly at the hand of my cousin. Whatever help they need, I'm willing to provide. If that means that the three of us sail alone to Galicia with theDestiny, then so be it."

Aedan took several deep breaths, no doubt disappointed with the outcome. Knowing he was beaten, he finally threw his hands up in the air.

"I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you," he said while pouting. "But I would hope that whatever forces you leave with will be tiny indeed. We've fought so hard to keep Daban in our hands. I will not have it relinquished again."

Greg was the only one to nod to that request. "We can discuss it later on this morning and see what forces are willing to come. With this being a likely suicide mission for many of us, we might not have many takers."

*****

At the end of the war council, Greg stayed behind as Aedan, Kat, and the other Galicians except Vera all left the room. Staying with him as well was Abigail, who would no doubt want to discuss the potential rescue mission to get to Jack.

"It seems we stirred up a hornet's nest this morning," said Abigail with a smile and a determined look.

"Isn't that the truth," replied Greg. "I can understand Aedan's position but I get the feeling he doesn't understand ours. More is at stake than just Daban."

"I don't think he would be able to admit that out loud," added Vera. "He may know it deep inside, but I have a feeling those words will never pass his lips."

"Well, I meant what I said," said Greg. "I'll take any marines that want to go on this mission to find Jack. I imagine we won't have a need for many volunteers. He's well-respected in the force, and I'm sure some of them would welcome the chance to get off Picardy for a change."

"I think getting the marines is going to be the easy part," said Abigail with a worried look. "The bigger question is what do we do about Barnabas?"

Greg actually smiled. "I was just about to ask you that. You do know what will happen if you leave on your own, don't you?"

She nodded. "I can likely say goodbye to my career if that's the case."

"Are you willing to risk that?" asked Greg.

He expected her to reflect on that answer for longer than she did.

"Absolutely," she answered instantly. "This is about something that's greater than Java. This is for Jack and all that he represents."

Greg nodded. "I'm glad you're set in your answer. Truthfully, my own heart is a little more troubled."

Vera looked his way with some confusion. "Why are you troubled about it?"

"Java is the only home I've never known," he replied. "If we go through with this, I'll share the same fate as Abigail. We'll be called traitors and rebels by our own people. That's a heavy pill to swallow. It could mean never seeing home again. Never seeing any family. That's a big ask of anyone."

"I wouldn't attempt to make light of your situation, Greg," said Abigail quietly. "Jack has undergone much of the same struggle in the past year."

"And he's not even set on it," argued Greg. "And he's had the year to think about it!"

"I think Jack is more set on it than you might realize," said Abigail. "He tiptoes around the subject with me, something that doesn't surprise me. But I think his loyalties have shifted. It's evident in his actions."

"And you don't find that troubling?" asked Greg.

"I did at first," admitted Abigail. "Until I realized that a world without him in it is not one that I want to live in. He's as much a part of me as my own heart. Asking me to live without him would be like asking me to live without air—impossible. If it would come down to a choice against Java on one hand—with their corrupt ruling party and aggression led by men like the emperor, Bancroft, or even Barnabas—and Jack on the other, I know which one I would take."

Greg let out a long sigh. "You make it sound so easy. The problem that I struggle with is that I swore an oath to fight for Java. I gave them my word. How can I look myself in the mirror each morning to know I went back on that oath?"

Abigail shook her head. "Greg, I won't force you to do anything you can't do. You don't have to come with me. Like you said, I'm sure there will be other marine volunteers to make this attempt, and hopefully an officer to lead them, but that doesn't have to be you. I wouldn't ask you to go against your country or your word."

Greg reflected on that for a moment before he replied. "I'm just not sure if I'm there yet. I want to sleep on this. After all, we'd still be a day or so out before we could expect to leave."

"At the very least," confirmed Abigail. "Besides, I need to figure out what to do about theCenturion. Barnabas is too much of an ass that I wouldn't put it past him to fire on us if we tried to leave him behind."

Greg nodded before he turned to Vera. "And you? Where is your heart in all of this?"

Vera reached over and grabbed Greg's hand. She squeezed it gently as her eyes became watery. "I'll be going with Abigail on this one. It took me all the years of my life to find out I had a brother. I won't let death come to him without fighting back."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," said Greg with a small smile. "I take it you would still go even if I didn't?"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I would, Greg. Not just because he's family though. I believe in what he represents. His purpose grows larger by the day. I really believe the worst thing we can do is abandon him."

Greg nodded again. "There are some days when I wonder what I've gotten myself mixed up in. When I was assigned to this mission, I thought I'd just get the chance to see a few exotic locations and to fight off some warring tribesmen. I thought it was going to be boring. How wrong I've been about it all."

Abigail actually laughed. "I thought the same thing the first time I met Jack. I thought we were just going to spend one night together." Surprisingly, she turned a shade of red at the thought. "But it grew into something more. I love him because of who he is but I don't just do this out of love. I do this because I believe in him too. I believe in his purpose."

"I guess I have some thinking to do," said Greg as he attempted to get up from his chair. "You know, it's funny. When the news came out about Tyrol, my first thoughts were about managing the impact of the news with the Tyrolean men in the force. The last thing anyone wanted was for them to rebel against us. What I'm contemplating would actually makeme the rebel, not them. How funny it is how life works out sometimes, hmm?"

"To the people that matter, Greg, you would never be considered a rebel," said Abigail softly. "And I'm sure that Jack has a place for you after all of this. With the task that's in front of him, he's going to need to have good men by his side."

Greg gave her a pensive smile. "A good man wouldn't consider rebelling in the first place."

*****

Greg spent the rest of the day out in the field, talking with the men. There was considerable interest from many of the veterans who'd been in Jack's force for over a year to be part of the rescue mission. It was a great showing as to what the marines were made of because not a single one of them turned Greg down when he explained that it could very likely be a one-way mission.

"Won't be one-way if the marines are involved, sir," explained a sergeant in the southeast quadrant of the city. "Anybody else, sure, but not the marines."

Greg could only smile at the responses he'd been given. He expected nothing less from the men who'd continually engaged forces larger than themselves and came away victorious.

The larger challenge was his own reconciliation. He'd begun to wonder if he made a mistake in volunteering himself in the earlier council meeting when he knew what it would do to his career. He loved the marines and everything they represented. Could he really throw it all away, along with his home, for a cause that, while noble in every aspect, wasn't his own?

That was the question he was thinking about later on when a frantic Abigail showed up at his quarters in the palace. It was not quite time for dinner, but when she showed up with the look of need so prevalent in her eyes, he knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his expression already turning at the sight of her.

"Can you come down to the harbor?" she asked quickly. "We have a major problem."

"How big of a problem?" he asked.

"Big," she repeated. "I'll explain on the way but a Javan viceroy has just arrived in Daban."

Shit, thought Greg.

"Let me grab my rifle," he said.

It took him only a minute to get ready to leave but another ten before they arrived in the main harbor where a handful of Javan supply ships could be found floating next to theCenturion. On the docks was Captain Barnabas, and he was already discussing something with the man who looked to be the viceroy.

"I told them I was going to get you," said Abigail as they approached. "Truthfully, I can't resist this on my own and I need your help."

"I'll do what I can," said Greg. "But I can't exactly deflect a representative of our government."

Abigail gave him a panicked look before they were greeted by Barnabas a minute later.

"Finally, there he is," said Barnabas as he took in the arrival of Greg. He looked back at Abigail. "You really took your time in finding him, didn't you?"

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Greg. "Why am I needed here?"

Barnabas gestured to the new arrival. "Lt. Colonel Vaughn, as the senior officer in the marines here on Picardy, I wanted to introduce you to the new Viceroy of Picardy, Lord Paul Ferris."

The new viceroy was short in stature. He was a young man, no doubt the middle son of some Javan lord with nothing better to do. His hair was reddish-brown and his face was thin and willowy. When he spoke, his voice resembled that of someone suffering from a cold—whiny with a touch of hoarseness.

"Tell me, Colonel, is this country always so . . . provincial?" asked Ferris while fanning his nose. "This city smells like a dump and do all the people look like proles or is it just the kind that work the docks?"

"It's all of them, I'm afraid," chimed Barnabas. "There's a savagery present here that makes you want to catch the next ship straight back to Java. You don't really get used to it."

Ferris looked upset. "What a disappointment."

Greg shared a cautious look with Abigail before he spoke up. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Lord Ferris? I wouldn't have expected to see a viceroy here until the war was over on Picardy."

Ferris shook his head. "No, I argued that same point but the emperor was insistent that I be sent as soon as possible. He wishes the new members of the empire to start contributing whatever resources they can to our war effort. Since we are now fighting on two fronts, it's imperative that the new colonies shoulder as much as they can in resources since they now benefit from our protection."

Greg winced several times during the viceroy's speech. It wasn't hard to see why these viceroys were so incompatible with what the original mission was in the Vector. Treating these people like colonies was a surefire way to get kicked out of the Vector entirely.

"All that being the case, I can't make much of a guarantee for your safety right now, Viceroy," said Greg, trying a new tactic. "The war is only a few thousand yards in that direction. If the Swabians attack, I'm afraid you might get caught up in the middle of the fighting."

Ferris' eyes went wide. "You're quite sure of that? The war is that close?"

Greg nodded with some exaggeration. "I'm quite sure. Perhaps you might want to wait back in Quiller's Cove until we finish the war. That way, at least I know you'll be safe."

While Ferris might have bought that excuse, Barnabas wasn't having it.

"You'll be quite safe here," said Barnabas while shooting a glare at Greg. "Especially with the regiment of marines you have for your protection."

That got Greg's attention. "I'm sorry, did you say regiment?"

"That is correct, Colonel," said Ferris. "Since there is a war going on here, and seeing what happened to that poor fellow Lucius Grant, the emperor has seen fit to add a full regiment of marines to my assignment. I'm here with the 6th Marine Regiment, which as you know, is one of the most veteran formations in the service right now."

Greg gulped heavily. He knew all about the famous 6th Regiment. Its roots went all the way back to the time when there were only a handful of marine regiments in Java. The 6th had fought in every Javan war going back at least five hundred years. More recently, the 6th had fought the Desert War in Ruthenia. Its steadfast refusal to retreat turned a likely calamity into what became an overwhelming victory. There weren't many regiments as famous as the 6th for their sheer quality.

"You have the 6th?" repeated Greg.

Ferris offered the most slavish smile. "Only the best regiments for the best lords in Java."

"Now then, since I have made my introductions to both the senior naval and marine commanders on the island, I would very much like to get an introduction to the king of this land," said Ferris. "We would need to have a discussion on their obligations to Java."

"I thought you two would be willing to lead our viceroy here to see the King Aedan," said Barnabas.

Greg and Abigail shared a worried look. "I'm afraid a meeting today won't be possible," said Abigail, speaking up for the first time. "King Aedan is quite preoccupied right now."

Barnabas rolled his eyes and pointed to Greg. "We were talking to the colonel right now. Know your place,Commander."

Greg felt the rage building inside him. Abigail was more of a leader than Barnabas could ever hope to be. His easy dismissal of her presence was a slight that he wouldn't ignore.

"She's quite right about that," said Greg while staring daggers back at Barnabas. "We just left Aedan earlier and he's in no condition for a meeting."

"Hmm, well, he'll have to make time," said Ferris impatiently. "The colonies do not get to dictate to us their availability. I will make my way to the palace regardless." The viceroy then turned to look at Barnabas. "Will you lead me there, Captain?"

Barnabas put on a triumphant smile. "Of course, my dear Viceroy."

Greg and Abigail could only share a helpless expression.

*****

"An outrage! That man is an insult to everything I hold dear! How could you think to send such a man to see me?"

King Aedan was so upset that his nostrils were flaring. Greg didn't blame him. It had only been an hour since the meeting at the docks with Viceroy Ferris. In that time, Ferris and Barnabas had made their way to the palace, shamelessly forced their way past the guards and intruded on the king while he was eating a meal. It only took about ten minutes for Aedan to get angered enough that the meeting devolved into a shouting match.

Aedan still hadn't lost any of his luster as he told the entire tale to Abigail and Greg while Kat watched on.

"For any man to call Picardy a colony? Where do they find such nerve? That was not the arrangement I made with Jack when he was here!" yelled Aedan.

"We know, believe us," said Abigail. "Jack faced the same problem in Sorella and Andalucia already. Javan leadership is determined to plot their own course in regard to the countries of the West without much care for reality."

"Sorellaand Andalucia?" asked Aedan incredulously. "Why am I just hearing about this now? How was the matter resolved? Tell me it was resolved without those vile men still holding the position of viceroy on those islands?"

Kat shook her head. "The one on Andalucia is still there. The Sorellan one almost caused a war to break out that was only salvaged by Jack at the cost of his standing with his own leadership."

"Well, you're going to have to do that again," said Aedan impatiently. "You're going to have to make this viceroy go away!"

"It's not that easy," said Greg with a sheepish look. "Like Kat said, Jack only did it at a great expense. He ruined his relationship with the emperor and the head of the navy since it went against their policy. That's not something that we can do easily."

"Picardy will not be a colony, Greg," said Aedan while crossing his arms. "I will not allow this farce to continue nor will I be providing any supplies or war materials to that vile man."

"Perhaps there is something we can do in the meantime," said Kat while trying to find a middle ground. "We weren't on Sorella when that viceroy showed up so we couldn't intervene. Perhaps we can mediate the disputes between them both so this doesn't need to escalate."

Abigail shook her head. "I'd be surprised if we got anywhere with that. Greg and I have met the viceroy. I'm not expecting much from him."

"He looks just the way he acts," confirmed Greg. "The man is a weasel through and through."

Kat started to look desperate. "Is there nothing you can do?"

There was a moment of silence as all eyes drifted toward Greg. Even Abigail seemed to be focused on him, a subtle reminder of their conversation from earlier.

This was another line in the sand though, one that wasn't easily crossed. Jack's removal of the last viceroy probably caught the emperor and his men by surprise. They wouldn't be so surprised the second time around and would demand heads in return.

Was Greg really ready to sacrifice everything for Jack?

"I don't know what more I can do to help here," said Greg finally, earning another exasperated sigh from the king. "I'm a marine officer first, not a politician. This is quite outside my realm. This is where we need Jack."

Aedan's response was calmer than anticipated. "Jack is not here, Greg. While I don't have many doubts that Jack could find a way to dissolve this, someone is going to have to step up in his place, and it's going to have to be from someone who works under the Javan flag. Right now, that's you and Abigail. I can't prosecute a war against an aggressive imperial power while another one operates in my backyard. You need to get your house in order. Please do so before you come see me again."