Fourth Vector Ch. 31

"Now we just need to wait for the Swabians to arrive," said Jack. He turned to look over at Lindy, and that's when he noticed that one of Lindy's men had come running up to the colonel.

"Hey, Jack, you might want to see this," called out Lindy after a moment.

Jack trotted back over to see that the colonel held a message in his hands. "What's this?" he asked.

"My man here reports that the Apulian Director is approaching the city," said Lindy calmly. "He sees our forces have seized the city and he wants to know which side we're fighting for. He's about to open fire on us since he thinks we're working with the Swabians!"

*****

Eric Rosdahl couldn't remember a time when he'd been this furious.

He took a fine plate of china and launched it with full force until it shattered into the walls of the castle at Kalmar. It broke into a hundred different pieces but not before letting out a piercing noise that made the rest of his servants flinch.

He wanted more china to break. He wanted other things, particularly bones of those that he considered his enemies, to break as well. First and foremost on that list was Jack Easterbrook but he was now joined by a growing list of new names.

Lindell Wilson.

Russell Taylor.

Bill Calland.

And now, Arthur Chapman.

Rosdahl seethed at the way his best general played his last move. Chapman had waited until the dead of night to steal away on the newly arrivedVoyager with two of his best regiments. The battleship was far out of reach by the time that he was alerted of their treason.

All of their names were added to the list of those he would kill when the time came.

For now though, he wanted the city to run red with blood. The only issue with that was the city of Kalmar was in turmoil.

Questions came from every man, woman, and child about the events of two weeks prior. There were whispers amongst them—hushed voices that spoke of the bond and of a king that was long since thought deceased. Rosdahl's grand plan to execute the last living remnant of the Galician royal house went up in flames as once again, the heir eluded his grasp.

"Jack Easterbrook will pay for this," he muttered under his breath. "I swear on all those living and dead that I will make him suffer before this is all over."

His servants gave him a wide berth. They knew what could happen when he was this angry. After all, it was only a few days prior that he'd beaten a servant to death and tossed him off the highest balcony of the castle until he fell to his death some three hundred feet below.

Rosdahl wasn't a man to be trifled with and he would prove that to everyone before the end.

The first task was securing what was left of his armed forces. Desertion was rampant. Many units were at half-strength, their brothers-in-arms nowhere to be found. Nearly a fifth of the Galician fleet was now considered rogue, and whether Rosdahl liked it or not, he was being sucked into this growing war with the Swabians by the presence of Jack Easterbrook.

War was the only way forward but he needed a secure base before he could think about prosecuting the conflict.

It was for that reason that what forces were left under his command were being forced to swear a personal oath directly to him. No more were they bound to serve Galicia only. Moving forward, they would swear directly to Eric Rosdahl and owe their lives to him. It was a small measure but a needed one at that.

He couldn't have any more of his forces melting away to join Easterbrook.

The next task he needed to do was to get those loyalist forces of his in key points around the city to resist any attack by Easterbrook's forces. He wasn't so naive as to think that Easterbrook would just leave for good because he'd managed to escape once.

One day soon, the man would make a serious attempt for the crown. Rosdahl was determined to be ready for such a threat.

A large portion of the existing fleet was mustered and stationed in Kalmar moving forward, moved from their existing base in the city of Austad. The regiments that swore their loyalty to him occupied the key choke points in the harbor itself and around the city.

Kalmar was turning into an armed camp. He was never going to permit another humiliation in his own city again.

The last task was the one he dreaded the most.

"Magnus, I need you," he called to his body servant while snapping his fingers. The man quickly stopped cleaning up the broken china and appeared at his side.

"I need you to send a dispatch to the emperor," said Rosdahl calmly. He didn't clarify which emperor he was talking about. Magnus would know that he meant Avila.

"To the emperor," Magnus repeated while taking notes. "I'm ready for the message."

Rosdahl took a deep breath. "Tell him that our foreigner friend has managed to escape."

That admittance alone would cause Avila some definite frustration. No doubt he would curse Rosdahl for the bargain that they struck, although he was sure that Avila still got the better end of the bargain—after all he got Apulia and Samara out of it.

"Tell him that Easterbrook is gathering rogue forces in the area of Apulia. No doubt he'll contest his forces in the country."

Magnus continued to write before he looked up again. "Anything else?"

Rosdahl took another long breath. "Tell him that Galicia will aid the struggle against Easterbrook. We will join forces with the Swabians to help them prosecute their war."

Even that one earned a funny look from Magnus. Many of the servants stopped what they were doing, even if only temporarily. What Rosdahl had proposed had no precedent in history. A Galician and Swabian alliance? Joining forces against the same enemy?

At any other time in Galician history, that notion would have been madness.

Such was the fate of those that opposed Jack Easterbrook and what he stood for.

"I will get this message off to him immediately, sir," said Magnus as he finished writing and began to walk away.

Rosdahl sighed and looked outside to the rest of the city. The conflict that he'd been trying to avoid had now sucked him in.

I swear to the gods that I will kill Jack Easterbrook if it's the last thing I do!

*****

The Apulian Army made for a pitiful sight.

Jack received his first sight of the bedraggled force as it made a tentative camp out on the plain beyond the fortified neck. The yellow and green flag danced with the stiff breeze but it was among the only signs of life in the force. As Jack looked over the camp, he could only see a weary band of half-soldier, half-citizens as they set about making their defensive positions.

There wasn't much they could use for cover out on the plain. Jack could see them digging into the shallow soils but due to the presence of the tidal flat, no doubt they would strike water much more than a few inches below the ground. It was a tenuous position, and they wasted no time sending a delegation forward to the neck.

"The Director is asking whomever is occupying the city to meet with him in the center," informed Lindy, briefed by one of his men who had spoken with the delegation. "They want to find out whether they need to treat us as friend or foe."

Jack turned to look at Bill. "Have you any experience with the Apulian Director? Do you know of the man?"

"I know of him but I don't know him personally," said Bill with a shake of the head. "What I've heard about him has been confirmed by multiple sources. He has quite a forceful personality. It seems he's rather . . . uncompromising."

There it was. The rest of the story that Bill hadn't told him earlier. Perhaps it might not be as easy to make the Director see sense as once suggested.

"He's going to have to learn to compromise then if this is to move forward," said Jack with a shrug. "Put together a small force and I'll meet with the man in the no-man's-land between our armies. Bill, I'd like you to come with me. Make sure the Galician flag is clearly visible as we go out. I want him to understand who he's about to meet before we get there."

No more than a platoon of soldiers was needed as the guard for Jack as he went forward with Bill. Once Jack was out from all that rocky terrain, he felt immediately exposed by the barren landscape. If these negotiations went sour, they would have only a small window to make it to safety before the Apulians could rain fire down on their heads.

Between the two armies, a small white tent had been set up to act as the meeting place. Jack and Bill approached the tent to find the Apulians were already waiting there for them. Two men could be seen at a makeshift table and it wasn't hard to tell they were the ones in charge. One man was clearly dressed in military fatigues and seemed to have witnessed better days. The other had deep bags under his eyes yet his gaze was fierce and unyielding. Jack pinned him for the Director before they even started.

"By the way, do you know the name of this Director?" he asked Bill before they entered the tent.

"Director Santino Altieri," answered Bill. "But my knowledge of the man is now exhausted. I'm curious what he's likely to say in all of this. After all, it's plain as day that their army is in rough shape. They don't exactly have much to threaten us with if they choose to go down that path."

"Let's just hope he keeps his head about him," said Jack. "Men with nothing to lose can be dangerous opponents."

As soon as they were in the tent, Jack and Bill approached the table. The Director was a short man, only coming up to Jack's chin. He had a sun-kissed complexion that was as dark as some of the men he'd seen in Andalucia. His hair was short and kept close to his scalp. He had deep lines of worry wrinkles in his forehead and his nose was just a bit too large for his face.

The meeting didn't get off to the right start from the beginning.

"Who are you and why are you occupying my lands?" asked Director Santino Altieri as he glared at Jack. "You're infringing on the sovereign territory of Apulia and have occupied this city in an act of war. I have to ask if you're working with the Swabians."

"Galicia doesn't work with the Swabians," replied Jack calmly. "At least not under my watch."

"Your watch? And you are?" asked Altieri. "I know Eric Rosdahl and you look nothing like him."

"My name is Jack Easterbrook. I'm the heir to the Galician throne and the rightful king of the country," said Jack with a hint of pride.

Altieri didn't look impressed. "There is no Galician King."

"I can assure you there is," said Bill from Jack's side. "As the Lord of Hemswell, I can attest that this man is the rightful king of our people."

"And why does the Galician King find himself in Apulia?" asked Altieri. "I've heard rumors of a Galician-Swabian alliance. Is this the manifestation of it? Will you and this new Emperor Avila split Apulia between yourselves? At what cost was it to join his wicked alliance? Once all the Apulians are enslaved, will you split the revenues of the country?"

Jack shot a wary glance at Bill before he answered. It was clear that Altieri was deeply bitter over the experience of his country in the last few weeks. In a lightning fast campaign, he'd seen over ninety percent of his country fall to the Swabians without much in the way of resistance. For a man that already had the reputation of being uncompromising, Jack wasn't surprised to find him as resentful as he was now.

"I can assure you that my force is here as a friend to the government of Apulia," said Jack. "As is my entire army and navy. Apulia mustn't be allowed to fall to the Swabians."

Altieri actually snorted. "You expect me to believe that? Your army has now occupied the last remaining city in Apulia, putting yourselves in position to crush my army between yourselves and the Swabians who are directly behind me. I won't let my guard down just so your two forces can squash mine between them."

"The Swabians are that close to you?" asked Jack. "Only a day behind?"

Altieri shrugged. "They nip on our heels most days. Advanced scouting forces that can move quickly pick off my rear guards. I wouldn't be surprised if they arrived by nightfall. And what pickings they will have. The last defensive position afforded to my army has been stolen from us. We won't last long on the plain. By tomorrow morning, you and Avila might be the only remaining lords of all Apulia."

"By tomorrow morning, you and I will be contesting any Swabian approach to Arezzo," corrected Jack. "As I've said already, I have no desire to fight you. My only goal is to prevent Apulia from falling so that we can begin to roll back the Swabians from their recent advances."

Altieri snorted again. "Good luck with that. My government has reported Swabian advances in all directions. Sorella has fallen as has Andalucia. Picardy is on the brink of falling and has been for months. Who else is to stand in Avila's way? Samara is as weak as Apulia, and for some reason, the only Galician force to leave their borders in two hundred years is now directly in front of me. You'll excuse me for not believing your intentions right away."

"You don't have much time to pick a side," said Jack, finding his temper rising. The Director was being too bullheaded about the entire affair. While he had a right to be suspicious, his obstinacy was going to get what was left of the Apulian Army destroyed for no good reason.

"Better dead than to pick the wrong side," shot back Altieri.

"Enough," said Jack while putting his fists on the table. "If I wanted to kill you, I could do so easily. Your position is completely exposed. All I'd need to do is snap my fingers and I could mop up your army in a matter of hours. You have how many men out here? A couple thousand? You're in no position to dictate anything to me so if I were you, I'd keep quiet and listen to the terms I have to offer."

Jack expected a fight. Even the Apulian general next to Altieri looked at his boss with an expectant gaze. Any other hothead might have called off the negotiations at that moment, but that was the first time that Jack saw something from the Director that gave him hope they could eventually form a partnership.

Altieri said nothing. In fact, he just looked back at Jack calmly as if debating the next thing to say. Since he wasn't arguing back, Jack took the opportunity to continue with his thoughts.

"You have no force that is capable of resisting the Swabians," said Jack. "And soon enough, you won't have anywhere to retreat to. Arezzo is on the coast but the land extends westward for another day or so at most before you have nowhere left to go but the open ocean. If the Swabians don't crush you tomorrow, they'll do so before the week is out."

"And you have another option?" asked Altieri for the first time.

"I do," replied Jack. "You can join us. As you can see, the rough neck behind us makes for a natural defensive position. We can see everything out on the plain for miles. We'll see the Swabians coming for a long way off, just like we saw your force. As long as we can keep Arezzo under our forces, Apulia will live. As long as Apulia lives, we can bleed the Swabians dry until the time comes to take back the rest of your country."

"Or until the Swabians send more soldiers to complete the job," said Altieri.

"They're occupied on many fronts right now," said Jack. "Reinforcements won't come as easily as you might think. With their resources stretched, we can keep them pinned down in Apulia until the time comes to strike back. It's our best option, but the first step in that plan involves us combining our forces."

Altieri actually nodded and then gestured with his head toward the city. "And how many forces do you have to defend the city?"

"About three thousand men and a significant naval force," answered Jack. "While we are light in fighting men, your forces combined with mine and supported by my battleships will prevent Arezzo from falling any time soon."

Altieri's next response was actually surprising to Jack. "Do you really think we have a chance against them? Do you think we can actually win against Swabia?"

"Not by ourselves we can't," answered Jack. "But together, we can. I've crafted an alliance that stems from Picardy and Carinthia to my own forces. Five hundred years ago, just such a force stood up to the Swabians and won. We can do the same again this time around, but I need your partnership."

"In that war, the Galician King was the overlord of all," said Altieri. "Are you demanding my allegiance in the same way? Am I to become your vassal?"

"I don't have much interest in acquiring vassals," said Jack honestly. "My only interest is returning Apulia to peace under the control of her own people. If I can accomplish that while destroying what remains of Avila's forces, I'll consider my task complete."

Altieri didn't answer that. Instead, he turned around and looked at his general first and then the rest of his forces. The two men began to whisper to each other out of earshot of Jack and Bill. Their secret negotiations went on for a few minutes while Jack and Bill largely communicated to each other nonverbally.

Bill offered him a small smile.Good job, Jack. You just might have made him see sense.

Jack rolled his shoulders.We'll see if he takes it.

Bill tilted his head.He doesn't have many options left to him.

Finally, Altieri returned to the table. His uncompromising glare was back and for a moment, Jack thought he might actually be too stubborn to accept his deal.

"I don't have a lot of options open to me right now," admitted Altieri. "One way or another, either your force or the Swabian force could destroy what's left of my army. With that in mind, I'm going to take a gamble and bet on an alliance that's older than myself. At one time, Galicia and Apulia were firm allies. Despite not knowing much about you, Jack, I can see you're not Eric Rosdahl. I'm willing to gamble that your force will do what you say it will. If that's the case, I'll tentatively accept your offer to join our forces."

Jack let a small smile pierce his lips. He held out his hand to Altieri to shake on their deal.

Altieri didn't take it immediately.

"I have a few caveats to that request," said Altieri. "For one, I still protest your occupation of my land. If we do join forces, I'll want the Galicians off Apulian soil the second the Swabians are defeated. I won't destroy one master just to bow to the other."

"An occupation of Apulia is not my intention," said Jack, pulling his hand back. "Like I said, this is about more than just Apulia. The Swabians have become the enemy of all the free peoples of the West. I won't rest until they are defeated."

"As you say, but I'd appreciate your word on this matter," said Altieri. "Secondly, I won't become your vassal. You may wield significant power in Apulia but it is I who rules the country in the end. I recognize no overlord and we will be joint partners in this venture."

"I ask for no vassalage so your requests are accepted," said Jack. "But on one condition. Your men will work with my army and coordinate your movements with mine. We'll be stronger as one force. Independent action can only see us defeated in detail."

Altieri considered that request for a moment before nodding. "I'm light on generals anyway. If you have good fighting officers within your force, I'm willing to let them do their jobs."

"I have the very best with me," said Jack proudly. "Your men will be in good hands."

"We shall see," said Altieri. "Then I accept your proposal. I just hope I don't live to regret it."

Altieri's hand actually jutted out to meet in the center. The man's gaze was hard but Jack detected the slightest bit of relief at the prospect of a united defense. Sticking together was their best chance at saving Apulia and even someone as bullheaded as Altieri could see that.