Fourth Vector Ch. 37

"We could certainly use more of each," chimed Greg.

"You're not kidding," replied Jack. "Unfortunately, most of our industry towards making both was left on Picardy. That might be another advantage toward getting that country back on our side, but we can't go into this final showdown with the Swabians without some technology on our side. We're going to need to develop our own."

"That shouldn't be too hard with the airplanes," said Abigail. "We still have all the seaplanes with the force. If we could have some Galician engineers get with the Carinthians, I'm sure we can get our own designs on paper."

"Actually manufacturing them would be difficult though," said Kat. "A good portion of the industrial district in Kalmar was damaged in the fire. While they've recovered a good bit, I'd doubt we'd have any mass output for quite some time."

"Either way, we need to get on it," said Jack firmly. "The Swabians have the advantage here that we don't. We need to put our best people on it and get something rolling quickly."

"I can take on that task, Jack," said Bill quietly. "I know a good portion of the leading industrial figures on our side, and I can coordinate with the force to get engineers with their people."

Jack let out a small grin. "Thank you, Bill. You might need a second-in-command though to do it. I fully intend to take all of you with me when we leave Galicia and someone will have to remain behind to see that it's carried out according to our wishes."

Bill thought for a moment before a smile appeared on his face. "I know just the man to do it."

"Perfect," replied Jack. "I guess we're all settled then. We're going east. We're going to have roughly a month to prepare our forces before we go and we'll settle that timetable in another meeting but perhaps we should start preparing the force to leave. We have a lot to do in the interim but at least we have a plan now. Picardy has been fought over for too long, and you are all well-aware of the struggles of the Nax. It's time to bring freedom back to both of those suffering people."

Judging by the faces of the rest of the council, everyone was in agreement with those words. The next strike would soon be a reality.

*****

On the other side of the world, another group of suffering people were trying to win back their freedom.

Trevor Downing stood in the direct sunlight and rubbed his hands together. It was cold enough that he could see his breath, and the warmth of the sun was needed to counter the chilliness of the day. Only twenty feet away, his army continued to move on, trudging through the cold as they made their way deeper into the valley.

Normally, winter time would see an end to the campaigning season but not this winter. Trevor was determined to press home his advantage after his last victory, remembering the day two months ago when he'd destroyed Roland Smart's force and took the Javan colonel's life. It was a hard-fought victory but it was also one that spelled a new change for the course of the war.

The fledgling Tyrolean Army had withstood a blow from a seasoned and numerically larger Javan force, proving to the world that they could stand up to the Javans. Until that point, the fighting had been on a smaller scale, and when it did get to such a level, the Tyroleans had lost like the time when they assaulted the prisoner of war camp.

Trevor's victory meant they actually had a chance at winning this war. With that victory came a sudden rush into the ranks.

Trevor's army no longer measured in the low thousands. From all over Tyrol, men had been streaming into camp, encouraged by the defeat of the Javan beast and wanting to be part of history. At the muster this morning, over twenty thousand men were counted, a tenfold increase in their numbers.

Of course, bringing on that many men hadn't been without challenges. Foraging for food and supplies was more than a full-time job now for many in the army, and Trevor realized just how much food was needed to sustain an army of that size.

Training was another matter unto itself. Gavin had nearly lost his wits at trying to train the newcomers. Almost every member of the existing army before the battle had been turned into an officer in some form but that was challenging as well, as many of them were still not trained enough to be turned into overnight leaders.

They were making progress though. They were starting to move more like an army instead of a large rabble of humanity. What's more, their spirits were buoyed at the prospect of not only defeating the Javans but at potentially taking the war into Java. There wasn't a single soldier in the army who thought that Tyrol hadn't suffered enough, and if they could move the fighting to foreign soil, then so be it.

That was why Trevor decided to come down from the mountains, moving into the central valley of Tyrol on his way north. His goal was to continue to move north until they reached the Javan border, and from there, he was going to seek out the next Javan force and destroy it totally.

It was a lofty goal for an army that had so recently been on the brink of annihilation but Trevor was feeling confident in their progress. He also had an ulterior motive as well. With Tyrol picked clean of food and supplies, his growing army would soon need the bountiful stores of Java to keep their bellies full. He not only intended to destroy the Javan Army but he also was going to live off their people in keeping his army fed.

Trevor's goal meant marching through the ruined towns of Tyrol, and today would be no different. It would be slightly noteworthy for him though because they were about to march directly through Amboy.

Trevor had mixed feelings about being back in Amboy again. It often felt like it was another lifetime ago when he'd lived in the town, working at the small store and having not a care in the world. His life was so much simpler back then, long before he'd been a rebel or a general, and the biggest worry he'd ever had was whether a shipment of food was going to come on time or not. How he longed for those days of simplicity once again.

Maybe someday, he mused.Someday when the war is over and Tyrol is at peace. Then I can get back to my simpler life.

"You're doing it again."

Trevor was interrupted from his thoughts by the ravishing form of Nina Powers. Nina was walking by his side with her usual coy smile, but this time, her eyebrow was raised as she addressed him.

"What do you mean?"

Nina pointed to his head. "You're deep in thought again. You've been quiet all morning. Are you nervous about being back in Amboy?"

Was he truly nervous? That was a deep question. On the surface, the answer was no. He knew not to expect much from Amboy. The town was still ruined from the last time the Javans had marched through, burning and killing everyone in sight. To that end, Amboy barely existed as a town and he'd had no expectations that anything would be different.

Even still, Amboy was a reminder of who he really was. It reminded him of his past life, the one where he didn't have so much responsibility on his shoulders nor so many men relying on him to lead them to victory. In that regard, Amboy was a symbol of how far he'd come, and he was determined not to let himself go backward.

"Trevor?"

"Sorry," he said with a quick shake of the head. "You can say there's a lot on my mind about being back in Amboy again. It's hard to explain."

Thankfully, he didn't have to explain it to Nina. She already knew. And in a few days, it would be her turn as they marched through what remained of the town of Bushing. There wasn't a soul within the army that didn't know about loss, and all of them had seen enough death to last a lifetime.

Nina wrapped her arm around his. "It will be okay. We'll be marching right through and that's all. We'll get through this."

Nina's confidence was just what he needed to hear. When they crested the last small hill before Amboy, Trevor found his breath catching in his chest.

The devastation was still there just like he'd imagined. Most of the buildings were nothing more than the foundations. The lucky ones had roofs but they were in the minority by far. Open fires were visible as the remaining residents tried to keep warm. It looked very much like the destroyed town that it was.

But in that devastation, there was still life. Trevor could see children playing in the ruins, something that made him smile despite the misery. The children knew only the harsh realities of war and depression and yet they were still able to make the best of their situation. Was it not an adequate metaphor for the entire country? Despite everything that Tyrol had been through, was there not a hope for a better tomorrow eventually?

His army continued its march through the town. Trevor saw a few familiar faces but not nearly as many as he'd expected. The Radleys were still there, and they were one of the few that still had a roof on their old dwelling. Danny Peters was still alive but judging by the loss of his arm, he'd had a bad encounter with the Javan authorities. Even old Gerty Bean managed to give him an evil glare as he marched by, just like the ones she used to give him when he was younger and trampled through her garden.

If anything, it just proved to Trevor that life was resilient. If a town like Amboy could still retain her spirit, then there was hope for all of them.

He felt Nina slightly tugging on his arm. "Are you okay?" she whispered as soon as they were on the other side of Amboy.

Trevor nodded his head. "I am," he answered honestly. "Even after everything they've been through, life is still in Amboy. They can rebuild themselves, just as we've rebuilt ourselves after the last battle. As a people, we're stronger than this war, and despite all the hardships we've faced, we're going to get through this to the other side."

Nina managed to look surprised. "Well, I certainly didn't expect that. Maybe coming through Amboy was a good thing after all. You definitely seem reinvigorated."

Trevor nodded. "We're going to end this war once and for all. We're going to keep moving north until the Javans try to stop us. Once they do, we're going to defeat them again and again until they sue for peace. We've been fighting long enough. It's time to wrap this war up once and for all."

Nina could only look back proudly. She didn't have to say a single word in response.

Together, they would find a way to end this war one way or another.

*****

For the first two weeks after Jack's war council, nearly everyone was involved in planning the strike east. Jack was kept busy from the early hours of the morning until late at night and that was just for the things he could control directly. He also had a small army of logisticians working tirelessly on making sure the Galician Army would have the adequate amount of supplies and food for the new campaign.

Jack also had to touch base with the other heads of state for his allies. A flurry of dispatches were sent out to the other countries to confirm plans for the invasion. Hendrick Tysen gave his blessing to move the Samarans to Naxos and then to Picardy. Santino Altieri was very enthusiastic about the idea and that was even in comparison to King Aedan, who would have left the day he received the dispatch if he could.

All throughout the allied force, hope for a better future was prevalent. Nearly everyone was looking forward to liberating Picardy and a new esprit de corps was building within their ranks.

Nearly everyone. Of all those that were busy preparing for the invasion, at least three to four members of Jack's entourage were more concerned with orchestrating another event.

Those three to four were Kat, Abigail, Vera, and Evelyn, and that event would be Jack's wedding. The women were determined to have the wedding before they left Galicia, and it added yet another factor to Jack's already crushing schedule.

That was no more demonstrated than when it was nearly ten o'clock in the evening, and Kat and Abigail were still having Jack try on separate robes for the wedding.

"No, I'm not a fan of this one," said Abigail as her nose wrinkled and she shook her head. "It's just too... flashy."

Jack had to bite his tongue. "I don't think I own anything anymore that isn't flashy. The king's wardrobe isn't exactly known for being plain."

"I know but I don't want you to steal the entire show," replied Abigail. "It would be nice for Kat and I to get attention in our dresses too."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes but that's mostly because he didn't have a moment of peace to do so before Kat was already urging him to change into something new.

It took over five different outfit changes before the girls were happy with his outfit but Jack was reminded that he didn't exactly get a say in the choice of theirs.

"So when do I get to see what type of dresses you'll be wearing?" he asked as he put on his sleeping clothes. "I don't remember getting a chance to give my opinion."

Kat and Abigail looked at each other and both started to giggle. "Don't you worry about that. You won't see it until our wedding day. We want to surprise you with our outfits," said Kat.

"And we really want to see your tongue fall out of your mouth when you do," added Abigail with a sultry grin.

"Between the two of you, I'm sure you'll have no trouble with that," said Jack. "You could wear a sack that covered you from neck to toes and I'd still find you both sexy."

Kat turned a little red. "Our dresses aren't exactly that modest."

"Well, they are a little modest," said Abigail. "But sexy too. We opted for a middle ground between sexy and modest."

"And I think we chose well in that regard," said Kat finally.

Jack couldn't help but smile. Even after all this time, he was amazed at how famously the two women got along. If not for their physical appearances, it was almost like the two were sisters with how in sync their responses were to each other. Jack knew there were other factors at work with both women. The loss of Abigail's only sister seemed to have confirmed Kat into a surrogate role, and seeing as Kat never had a sister to begin with, she took to the other woman like a long lost sibling.

And yet there seemed to be no jealousy whatsoever. There'd never been any accusations of favoritism or special treatment, and the two women managed to share like they've been doing it their entire lives. Even when it came to John, Abigail was just as much of a mother to the child, and frequently Jack would wake up in the middle of the night to find her rocking the baby back to sleep.

This was the kind of permanence that would make any man happy. Two beautiful, intelligent, and thoughtful women who were happy to share their lives with him without a care in the world.

How'd he gotten so lucky?

After the end of the fashion show, Jack crept into bed, completely exhausted from the day. John was already asleep in his bassinet and it didn't take long for Kat and Abigail to change and join him under the blankets.

"There's still so much we need to do but I'm so exhausted," said Abigail with a heavy yawn as she rested her head against Jack's chest.

"We can keep planning tomorrow," replied Kat, taking the opportunity to rest her head on the other side of Jack's chest. "We're going to run out of time if we don't keep pace."

"I'm sure this has probably come up already but when exactly are we getting married?" asked Jack. "I haven't heard anyone set a date yet."

Kat tilted her head to look at him. "A week from today, Jack. As long as everything is all set for it, we'll get married in a week."

A week's time wasn't too long to wait, and it would still give them another week before they were scheduled to depart for Naxos. Jack couldn't help making a joke about it though.

"A week of freedom left for me," he teased before letting out an audible sigh. "Whatever am I to do?"

Two different hands jabbed him in the stomach causing him to yelp.

"Like we're not the best thing to ever happen to you," said Abigail.

"And like we're not practically married already," added Kat.

"I'm just teasing, girls," said Jack with a chuckle. "Half the time, I just want to say something to see how you react to it."

Kat stuck out her bottom lip. "That's an awfully cruel trick to play on your future wives."

Jack silenced the dissent by kissing Kat. By the time he pulled away, a dreamy smile appeared on the blonde woman's face. "Never mind, Jack, I take it all back."

"Hey, wait a minute, I want some kissing too," argued Abigail.

That was an easy request to fulfill and she moaned softly when Jack kissed her.

"Better," said a much relieved Abigail.

"Do you ever wonder what things will be like when we're actually married?" asked Kat after a moment of silence. "I mean do you think anything will change between us? I'm not trying to jinx our relationship but we have such a great thing going right now. Will any of it change when we're married?"

"I don't think so," said Abigail after a moment's thought. "Like you said earlier, we already act like we're married. We're all committed to each other, especially now that we have a baby in our midst. How could anything change?"

"I'd have to say I agree with Abigail," replied Jack. "The entire time I was away from you both, you're all I could think about. You two got me through my imprisonment, and I don't know what would have happened if I didn't have you. I don't want to picture my life without you both in it, and I think getting married is only putting an official stamp on what already exists."

It was Kat's turn to press home a kiss. She put some serious passion into it before she pulled away. "That was the right answer in case you were wondering."

Jack chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd like that."

"Jack is right though," added Abigail. "This is just making official what already exists. For all intents and purposes, we're already married. I just want the title. I want to be your wife officially. I want to be Abigail Kincardine."

Kat sighed happily. "Katherine Kincardine."

Jack looked at both of them. "Only a week until that's a reality. And then you're both stuck with me for better or for worse."

Abigail patted his chest teasingly. "There are much worse fates out there, my love."

"When you figure out what one is, let me know," joked Jack.

The women were quiet for a moment and Jack allowed himself to picture what would happen in a week's time when they really were married. He tried to imagine the ceremony and that's when another question popped into his mind.

"Wait a minute," said Jack. "How exactly will this work when we get married? I mean as far as the ceremony itself?"

Abigail looked at him. "What do you mean, Jack?"

"I mean I've only ever seen weddings between two people," said Jack. "How are we going to do this with the three of us? Are we all going to recite vows at the same time? Are we going to do one pairing first and then the other right after? What exactly is this going to look like?"

"I already have it all planned out, love," replied Kat. "I had to dig quite a long way through the record books to find historical precedence for our union."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Jack. "I thought you said the Galician kings of old used to have two wives?"

"They did, Jack, but they rarely married them both at the same time," added Kat with a giggle. "Most of the time, they started with one and then added another later, which doesn't change the marriage ceremony that much. However, I did find one where one of your ancestors married two women at the same time and that's where I'm drawing my inspiration from."

"So how's it going to go?"

"It'll be just like a normal marriage ceremony except that Jack will be situated right in the middle of the aisle," explained Kat. "Abigail and I will be on either side of you. Each couple will recite the commitment vows when asked but I'm also going to throw in something unique as well."