Fourth Vector Ch. 40

Jack didn't wait for a response. He soon pushed out of his tent, leaving the three women to themselves. It wasn't that he was upset with them in any shape or form. Rather, he wanted a moment of peace. The sky was shimmering with the light of thousands of stars, and Jack couldn't help but stare at them and ponder his own fate. He seemed damned no matter what happened in this campaign. Either the Swabians would win the war, and his life would be seemingly forfeit in the process. Or they would win and the consequence would mean Jack's death as the price for victory.

Neither option gave him life at the end of the conflict.

Jack let out a deep sigh as he crossed his arms. Sooner or later, he would be faced with the end results of the war. And he would find out which prophecy was correct.

And he just hoped that he could stay alive in the process.

There was someone else that he wished he could keep alive--a small family of five that deserved life more than anyone.

At that moment, Jack wondered how Thomas was making out with his separate mission.

*****

Across the ocean, Lt. Commander Thomas Wentz of the destroyerStingray inched ever closer to the country of his birth. That country was Java and his entire crew, as well as himself, was of Javan descent. Yet despite flying the Javan dragon flag from the stern of the ship, the loyalty of the destroyer didn't lay with its home country.

No, Thomas was one of Jack's men. Those brave few that had forsaken their homeland in the quest to do the right thing. That meant that Thomas and his men turned their backs on Java and agreed to keep fighting with Jack, especially as he became more than just an ordinary Javan officer.

If he was being honest with himself, Thomas still had doubts about his path, especially late at night when the only sounds that could be heard were the creaking of the ship. It was a tough pill to swallow to become a turncoat to one's own country and to seemingly abandon everything and everyone that he knew. At times, Thomas was amazed that most of his crew went with him as well, only losing a few men to detention--those that wouldn't fight against their former homes.

Oftentimes, Thomas asked himself why he chose to fight for one man instead of his country. The money was never an issue. The moment that they were cut off from Java, Thomas' salary and those of his crew were taken over as an obligation by Jack, and he'd never missed a payment.

Pride was often a factor. In recent years, the Javan Empire had done little to instill pride in their own people, even with the wars going on. It had become harder to take heart in the notion of being Javan, but that wasn't the reason why Thomas went over to Jack.

The answer, in all truthfulness, was that Thomas believed in Jack's cause. He believed that Jack was meant to come to the West and to be the king the Galicians were looking for. He believed that the Swabians needed to be stopped and that Jack's alliance was the only power capable of doing just that.

Thomas also believed that this was the right course--the most moral course--and that it superseded any petty squabbles that the Javans were currently engaged in.

Of course, that was cutting to the heart of the matter. Thomas believed that Jack could and would win this conflict. An eternal optimist, Thomas had every faith that this war could be ended, and one day, maybe not a year from now, maybe not five, he would eventually be able to go home without being called a traitor.

That day wasn't today though, and Thomas felt a severe pining of anxiety as they neared the Javan coast. The reason was because they were aiming for subterfuge against their home country--all part of a secret mission that he'd been tasked with before he left the West.

"You are to use any means at your disposal," advised General Greg Vaughn, a Javan like himself, as Thomas was briefed on the mission. "That includes feigned deception. Make the Javan government think you intend to surrender your ship but carry on your mission in the process. Then, when you locate your target, you are to immediately abscond from the area and return to the West with all possible speed."

"And the target?" asked Thomas. "What am I looking for?"

Greg shook his head. "Not what. Who."

That was when Thomas learned that the people he was looking for were none other than Jack Kincardine's adoptive family, those that were still living. That target centered around Jack's sister, Jocelyn Hutton, a married woman with three children in her mid-thirties.

The reason for the mission became obvious at that point. It wasn't a secret that there existed an enmity between Jack and Emperor Bancroft, fueled by their ambitions and divergent life choices. The entire force knew that Jack had almost been assassinated back in Picardy on the orders of an assassin directly from Java. Bancroft's fingerprints were all over the deal, and there was little doubt that another would eventually show up.

There was another distinct possibility as well. If Bancroft failed to reach Jack, there was always the chance he could act against someone he could reach. Jocelyn and her family were Jack's only living relatives under Bancroft's thumb, and the threat against them became too dangerous to ignore.

"I don't need to remind you how important these people are," said Greg at the end of the briefing. "This is Jack's family. There's no telling what Bancroft might do to them if he thinks to act against them. Getting them out of Java is the most important task at hand right now, and that's why Jack authorizes any plan that you deem fit to accomplish that task."

With those words in mind, Thomas set out across the great ocean on a course back to his home country. TheStingray made good time as she cut through the waves, and it would only be another day or two before they neared Belfort. The plan was already set in motion for what they would do once they arrived, but that didn't mean that Thomas didn't want to have a briefing with his officers that morning to make sure everyone was on the same page.

There wasn't any room for mistakes on a mission so perilous.

For that reason, Thomas gathered all the bridge officers of theStingray into a small meeting room not far from his personal quarters. Thomas trusted his bridge officers implicitly, not only for their skill, but also due to the fact that he'd been serving with them for a long time.

First was the head of operations division, Lt. Lizzy Mueller. Lizzy was a longtime friend ever since they met back in the Academy. She was one of the coolest operators that Thomas knew, and he couldn't remember a time when he ever saw Lizzy flustered in the course of their work. Her cool head and knowledge made her one of the mainstays of his team.

Next was the head of engineering division, Lt. Van Sarcur. Van was a man of relatively few words, which wasn't that surprising seeing as he was Thessalian by birth. Van was as intelligent as Lizzy was calm, and more importantly, there wasn't anything that happened on theStingray that Van didn't know about. He was one that operated behind the curtains, keeping the ship in good order and making it look effortless in the process.

The last bridge officer was the one that Thomas knew the longest. That was because Lt. Cash Wentz was his brother. The two of them had grown up in the mountainous area that ran through the middle of the Javan continent, separating Java proper from Thessaly. Both brothers hadn't so much as seen a body of water larger than a pond before they enlisted at the Academy, but that didn't stop them from excelling at their studies. Cash was just as equally capable as Thomas was, and the fact that they didn't share the same rank was up for debate, especially with Cash.

If you listened to Cash tell it, it was because he wasn't as big of a kiss-ass as his brother was, and that was the reason he was still a lieutenant. However, Thomas knew the real reason. Where Thomas was ever the eternal optimist, Cash was the complete opposite.

He seemed to look for the bad in everything he did. That pessimism didn't endear him to his fellow officers or superiors, and despite his excellent abilities, he was stuck as a lieutenant for the time being.

Thomas knew how to handle this brother though, and that was part of the reason why he requested the transfer of Cash to theStingray, where he could keep an eye on him. Out of sight and mind as the head of weapons division, Cash couldn't piss off their superiors while he was under Thomas' watchful eye.

He could still piss off Thomas though, but Thomas considered that as part of the territory of having a brother.

"This meeting again?" asked Cash as he arrived in the room, the last of all the officers. "I thought we were all lock-step on this already?"

Thomas resisted rolling his eyes at his brother. "Now that we've almost arrived, I want to make sure that everyone is aware of our plans. There's a lot riding on this and lots of ways for this to go awry. In other words, brother, have a seat."

Cash knew better than to grumble but he took his seat right next to Lizzy, allowing Thomas to begin the meeting.

"All right, thank you all for coming," said Thomas. "We are nearing the Javan coast. By my estimates, we'll reach Belfort tomorrow afternoon around 2pm. We've been lucky so far in that this mission has been without incident or sighting by any in the Javan command but no doubt they will know we're about to arrive due to radar alone. They might even scramble ships to intercept us."

"And if that's the case, we are to put up our white flag over the Javan flag, correct?" asked Lizzy.

"That is correct, Lizzy," answered Thomas. "Remember our backstory here. We're defectors from Jack Easterbrook officially, and no matter how high up the chain we go, we will always come back to that story. Just to make sure we're all set with that story, let's go through it one more time."

Thomas snapped his fingers and pointed at Van as he assumed the role of a Javan interrogator. "Why did you defect in the first place?"

Van answered him like it was something he'd practiced several times over. "We had no other choice. They told us we had to go along with them or they would kill all of us. We waited until we had an opportunity to escape and then made our move."

"Good," said Thomas with an approving nod. He then snapped his fingers again and pointed at Lizzy. "Why did you wait so long to come back? Easterbrook defected months ago."

"We thought it was important to maintain some semblance of trust before we made the break," said Lizzy. "If we broke off right away, he might send his full force after us, no doubt expecting a run. We waited until they least expected it and got away at the best time."

"Excellent, Lizzy," said Thomas with a grin. He then turned to his brother. "Why should we accept you back? Have you become tainted by association with a rebel force?"

Cash pursed his lips before answering. "Possibly. Sometimes it is hard for me to get the stench of rebellion off of me."

Thomas let out a deep sigh. "That's not the official answer I'm looking for."

"Oh, sorry," said Cash, who demonstrated that he was anything but. "I meant to say that I can't wait to kiss Javan ass again. It's better than kissing Fourthie ass!"

Thomas stared daggers at his brother. He stepped closer until he could level the full force of his glare against Cash. "We'll discuss this later."

"Thomas, I have to ask you," started Lizzy as she changed the subject. "How are we going to go about finding this Jocelyn Hutton and her family? Isn't locating one family within Java going to be like finding a needle in a haystack?"

"Without any clues, it would be much harder," said Thomas while shaking his head. "Fortunately for us, we do have some intel on the family and where they live as well as where they work. Their current whereabouts should be either in Belfort or Lockhaven, much of which depends on the husband, Roger, and his occupation. I do know the name of the last company that Roger worked for, so that should be a helpful starting place. We also have sketches of all the family members to go on. We can assume they are being watched due to their relationship to Jack so it's going to make observation of the family trickier."

"What are we to do if the family is under house arrest?" asked Van. "Can we spring them? Are we allowed to shed blood if it means freeing the family?"

Thomas nodded. "We've been given authorization for doing whatever is necessary to get them aboard. But with that being said, we don't want to start a war here. We need to use subterfuge and stealth wherever possible. Remember that getting them back to theStingray is just part of phase one. We still have to get back to the West."

"That also means we take them whether they want us to or not," added Cash. "Even if the little brats go kicking and screaming, we still have to bring them."

Once again, Thomas stared daggers at his brother. It was the second time now that he'd spoken out with a pessimistic comment, and Thomas had about had enough. It would need to be addressed.

"Either way, we all know the task in front of us," said Thomas. "We've gone over this thoroughly and I have the utmost confidence in all of you. Tomorrow when we arrive in Java, we'll have one shot to get this right. I know this team will get it done. Dismissed."

All three officers stood up at that time and headed for the door. Thomas was quick to grab his brother's arm before he could leave.

"You stay," said Thomas with a fierce glare. "We need to talk."

Cash gave him a dismissive look but he ultimately planted himself back in his seat. Seeing the situation with the brothers behind them, Lizzy and Van didn't wait up, promptly shutting the door behind them.

Thomas wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Do you have to constantly undermine me when I'm talking with the rest of the officers?" he asked his brother, crossing his arms across his chest. "Do you ever give it a rest?"

Cash took a deep breath and rolled his head around. "What? I thought I brought up some good points!"

Thomas leveled his head to lock eyes with his brother. "No, Van and Lizzy brought up good points. Your comments were entirely unnecessary. You know, some would say that you like to give your brother a hard time."

At last, Cash showed a hint of a smile. "I've been doing that for over thirty years now. No reason to stop now, right?"

"At least keep it under control around the other officers," said Thomas. "When you talk like you just did, it looks like you're undermining my authority."

Cash waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not undermining your authority whatsoever. You're in charge here. I get it and so do they."

"Just keep it under control, will you, Cash? You don't need to be so damn moody all the time."

Cash grumbled under his breath. It was so low that Thomas had to ask him to repeat it.

"I said it's easy for you to say. You're the commander of the entire ship. I'm just your screw-up brother," mumbled Cash.

Thomas lost the glare and moved to sit next to Cash. "You're not a screw-up. Youare a pain in the ass, and there's no denying that but you're no idiot."

"Says the brother that's already a lieutenant commander while I struggle as a lieutenant for another year," said Cash. "I know I can be a bit difficult but still."

"A bit difficult?" repeated Thomas while raising an eyebrow. "You should be thankful that I brought you under my command. I can deal with you and your acerbic tongue. Any other commander might have thrown you out of the navy by now. And it would have nothing to do with your abilities I hope you know."

"Yeah, yeah, it's because I have a mouth on me, I get it," said Cash. "Listen, I know the real reason why I think this mission is all kinds of fucked up. And I know you know what I think about it."

Thomas certainly did know. Cash had made it all kinds of clear what he thought about the mission during the entire journey across the ocean.

"It's a needless risk that puts all of our lives in jeopardy while rescuing five people who aren't even that important," reiterated Cash. "How can anyone not be pissed at this assignment?"

"It's not just five unimportant people, Cash. It's Jack's family."

Cash snorted. "And so what if they are? We have family too. Did he ever consider that when we had to switch our allegiance to him instead of Java? It could be all of our families on the chopping block now. Why does he get to rescue his?"

"Because he's the king, that's why," said Thomas. "And we owe him our allegiance now like you said. We fight for Galicia."

"I fight for who pays me," corrected Cash. "And I don't love the idea that our parents could be put at risk for that. Or Lydia for that matter."

Thomas nodded without saying a word. Lydia was their younger sister by about ten years. She was a bright girl with her entire life in front of her, and it wasn't the first time that the two brothers worried about the fate of the families of those defectors against Java.

Perhaps Cash did have a point? Why did Jack Kincardine get to rescue his family while the rest of them had no such choice in the matter?

Even as the small voice in the back of his head asked the question, the answer was already forming on his tongue.

"We're not at war with Java, at least not yet," said Thomas. "We might still be able to be reunited with our families when this is all over. Jack has agreed to look for a political settlement for us before the end, all designed to reunite families and get us Javans repatriated should we choose not to stay in Galicia. You know that as well as I do."

Cash snorted again. "So he says. But he might not really have control over such matters. Or he could be using it to keep us quiet and continue to do our jobs."

Thomas' mouth fell open. "Do you really believe that of Jack? He's been remarkably fair with us over the years. He's a damned fine leader."

Cash threw his hand in the air. "I don't know, Thomas. But he's a king now. He's no longer just a Javan officer. You know how the ruling emperors have been in Java. I wouldn't put it past him to say one thing and do the other. It seems to be the nature of power anyway."

Thomas shook his head. "Well, I'm choosing to put my faith in him. I'm going to hold him to his word, no doubt, but I'm going to trust that he'll come through with his promise."

"No surprises there," grumbled Cash. "Spoken like the eternal optimist that you are."

"And no surprises on your sudden pessimism," added Thomas.

"It's just what you get with me. You know that by now."

"All too well, brother. All too well."

"Come on, it can't be that bad," said Cash as he playfully punched his brother's shoulder. "Besides, you can't deny that you'd rather have me as one of your officers than some green hatter right out of the Academy."

Thomas started to chuckle with his brother. Indeed, that was a fair point. Most of the young officers right out of the Academy were appropriately called hatters by the veteran officers of the navy, mostly because of the naval caps they wore there (which were different from the standard naval cap of the officers). It was typical of hatters to be stiff, unimaginative, and very by the book in their outlook.

"I don't know," shot back Thomas. "If you keep making my life hell, I might just exchange you for a new hatter fresh off the graduation line."

Cash grabbed his chest and grinned. "You wound me, Thomas. You know, you think you know your brother of all people and then he goes and says something like that."

"I tell you what, you stop with all your derisive comments in meetings and I'll keep you under my watchful eye on theStingray," said Thomas. "Deal?"