Fourth Vector Ch. 40

And it had been given a bloody nose in the process.

"What other options do we have?" asked Jack to Art. "The tanks are decimated. Almost all of our force is engaged save for the strategic reserve, but I'd be hesitant to throw those men into the fight in case we need them later. How do we still pull this out?"

Art started to shake his head. "I don't think we do, Jack. They've concentrated so much force in such a short amount of time. And they have more men coming. Perhaps we need to break off the fight for now? We need to pull back while we still have some semblance of organization and await our reinforcements. Then we can have an opportunity to tip the scales."

Jack didn't answer him. He stared at the map in front of him as if he looked long enough, a victory would make itself available.

Unfortunately, there would be no such answer today. They were out of answers.

"I'd hate to pull the army back now," said Jack softly. "They've fought hard all day long. They deserve victory just as much as anyone. Why else would all those men die? How can I tell them it's been for nothing?"

Art put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "They fought to preserve this army. As long as we're still an organized fighting force, we have a chance but we'll sacrifice that if we don't act now. We must pull back before the Swabians grind up more of our men. It's the only hope we have, Jack."

Jack knew that Art was right. It pained him still to have to give the order. Ultimately though, the army was more important.

Keeping it intact was the only way they could turn this tactical defeat into a strategic victory.

Otherwise, it would have all been for naught.

"All right, Art," said Jack finally. "Give the order. We'll move back down south over the ground we just came from. But tell the men we're going to retreat from Sepolz. We've lost this one."

*****

On the day of their arrival into Belfort, the crew of theStingray executed their carefully-designed plan of false surrender. Before the coast even came into sight, a white flag was tied to not only the main mast but also the stern of the ship, now flying just above the old Javan dragon flag.

From there, a casual course was set to navigate them into Belfort harbor. Right on schedule, they released several sailors to be the ones to locate Jack's family, and they promptly dove off the ship and made their way to shore to commence their own personal missions.

Not surprisingly though, theStingray was intercepted by forces guarding the harbor, including an older cruiser that Thomas was familiar with.

"Foreign vessel, identify yourself," came the command over the ship's radio, which had been tuned into the Javan naval frequency.

"Lt. Commander Thomas Wentz of the destroyerStingray reporting," replied Thomas.

A brief lull in the radio chatter ensued before a response was given.

"I'm told theStingray was to be considered under mutiny, Lt. Commander."

"That's correct, sir, but we've managed to escape the traitor Jack Easterbrook and return to our home country. We are flying a white flag and desire no hostilities. My crew escaped from his clutches under the threat of great harm, and we would like nothing more than to fight for our home country once again."

There was about two minutes of silence after that statement. Thomas looked around at the rest of the bridge, wondering what the response to that would be. It was an unorthodox message but these were unorthodox times. Thomas just hoped they would allow theStingray to dock rather than blowing them out of the water.

Finally, the voice on the radio came back.

"DestroyerStingray, you will be escorted into Belfort harbor under guard. You are to show no threatening moves nor will you fire any of your guns. You will follow every order that is given to you in a timely manner. Failure to comply with any order will result in theStingray being declared a hostile vessel and we will destroy you. Do you comply?"

"I comply completely," replied Thomas. "I await any order given. We are glad to be home."

That seemed to be the end of radio communication for that point in time. Thomas looked around the bridge, seeing a mix of relief and anxiety on the faces of his officers.

"That seemed a little too easy," said Lizzy with a deep exhale.

"Just wait until Javan naval forces rendezvous with us," said Cash. "Then we'll find out if we're fucked or not."

At that moment, Thomas didn't shoot his brother a glare. Truthfully, they were all probably thinking the same thing.

As it turned out, linking up with the Javan forces guarding the harbor was relatively uneventful. They were given coordinates of where to dock in Belfort, all the while the main cruiser kept its guns locked on theStingray.

"To think that anyone over there could give the order and blow us sky high," muttered Van from next to Thomas. "It gives me a very uneasy feeling."

Thomas thought about the statement but ultimately shook his head. "Let's look on the bright side. If they were so sure we were rebels, they would have fired on us already. They wouldn't be escorting us into the harbor. We still have a lot of reasons to believe this is going to work."

"That is unless they arrest us as soon as we dock in Belfort," added Van. "Which is just as likely."

Thomas patted the other man's back. "Have some faith, Van. I think the most harrowing part is over. We just need to make the Emperor believe."

The Javan task force led them all the way to Belfort harbor, where theStingray was given space at the naval wharves to dock. From there, they were met with harbor security, as well as the senior commander of the entire naval garrison, a certain Rear Admiral Melvin.

The crew of the destroyer was led off the ship and separated almost at once. All the senior officers were pulled to one side and kept under a moderate guard. The rest of the crew wasn't treated as kindly. They were put under strict guard and led into a secure building for the time being.

"Will my crew be fine?" asked Thomas to the rear admiral. "We aren't here looking for trouble, I promise you that."

Rear Admiral Melvin was a stern-looking man. He had a hawk's nose and a sharp jawline which made him look all the more menacing.

"They will be fine as long as they cooperate," said Melvin nonchalantly. "Much of what happens to them depends on how you and your officers behave."

"What is to happen to us?" asked Thomas. "Where are we to go?"

"You will be taken to naval headquarters so we can talk with you," replied Melvin. "And then we'll be able to determine what to do with you."

That all seemed straightforward enough but Thomas couldn't help but feel the anxiety as they were marched to headquarters. He'd never been in this building before, a relatively new construction that was only created after the Occitanians destroyed the old one. The top floor of this office used to belong to Bancroft back before he became emperor, and that knowledge alone seemed to weigh heavily on Thomas as they were marched inside.

Once inside the building, Melvin wasted no time in separating all of them. Official interrogators grabbed Van, Cash, and Lizzy separately while Melvin took Thomas into a separate room. The move made sense to Thomas--no doubt they wanted to question each separately while looking for holes in their stories. This was where he hoped all of their practice had paid off. He hoped the backstory would hold under pressure.

Unfortunately for Thomas, Melvin left the room shortly after he was seated and didn't return for nearly two hours, leaving him in solitude. Thomas knew better than to ask where the admiral had gone. No doubt this was part of his tactics as well, wanting Thomas to feel isolated and thrown off about his fortunes.

Instead, Thomas waited with patience for the admiral to return, which he did finally, only this time, he carried with him a slim file and set it down on the table in front of him.

"Lt. Commander Thomas Wentz of theStingray," started Melvin as he leaned back in his chair and put his appraising eyes on him.

Thomas tried not to let his anxiety show. Finally knowing that this was the moment when his story had to hold, it was crucial that he kept his composure.

"You'll have to excuse my lack of words for you right now, Lt. Commander," said Melvin as he continued to stare. "It's not every day that I lay eyes on a traitor."

Thomas' gut reaction was to vehemently deny that kind of accusation but he knew that Melvin was going to try to test him. He wanted to break Thomas and make him lash out.

Thomas wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I can assure you that I'm no traitor," replied Thomas calmly. "I fight for Java."

"And yet you were cavorting around with a man who's been declared an outlaw of the Javan Empire," said Melvin with a simple shrug. "Sounds like a traitor to me."

"Jack Easterbrook was led astray by his own delusions of grandeur," said Thomas, making a disgusted expression in the process. "He believes he's some long lost king and for that reason, he was willing to betray his own country."

"And you with him, by the looks of it."

Thomas shook his head. "All of us had no choice in the matter. When Easterbrook mutinied, he did so with a gun to our heads. We all knew the consequence if we didn't choose to maintain the facade that we were still going to fight with him."

"And yet, that event was nearly six months ago," said Melvin as he touched his fingers together. "Why is it that you've only now decided to escape?"

"It took time for us to escape," argued Thomas. "Naturally Easterbrook regarded us with suspicion and he had command of an entire Fourthie fleet. We would have been blasted out of the water had we tried something. We had to wait until he thought we were fighting with him because wewanted to. Once we finally had his trust, it became time to make our move."

"How did you get away, Lt. Commander? What was the event that allowed you to make a move behind the traitor's back?"

Thomas took a deep breath. "There's a war going on between the Fourthies. Similar to our war against the Occitanians and the Ruthenians. Easterbrook is totally consumed with the war and was planning an invasion of his main enemy. It was only once his attention was taken off of us that we were able to steal away from the rest of the fleet and make for home."

Melvin let out a sigh. "How convenient for you then. You earned the man's trust only to desert the man when he least expects it. I have to say, Lt. Commander, that it doesn't exactly inspire me to put my faith in you."

"We left his command at our first opportunity," replied Thomas. "None of us wanted to fight against our own homeland. And we knew that would happen someday because of how reckless the traitor is. There's no way I could have asked my crew to fight against our brothers and sisters in Javan uniform. We wouldn't have done it. That's why we risked our lives to escape and rejoin you here. Our purpose is to be with our people!"

Thomas thought the words would have tasted fouler coming out of his mouth than they actually did. It was a stunning lie that he'd given to Melvin, an emotional protest about coming home and not fighting against his people. He meant that part of the protest--Thomas had no desire to fight other Javans.

But he left out a good portion of what he really thought. He certainly didn't mention that he thought Jack was in the right and that Javan leadership was capable of despicable actions.

Even still, he had exactly what he wanted--Melvin seemed to take his impassioned plea for what it was.

"There are some of us that say we can't be too careful," said Melvin as he relaxed his glare. "Many of those in the higher commands believe that the units that once sailed with Jack Easterbrook are as tainted as he is. That they shouldn't be accepted back into the fold should they want to join us again."

"I can say that couldn't be further from the reality," said Thomas calmly. "The truth of the matter is that there are many that would get away if they had the opportunity to do so. Outside of Easterbrook's inner circle, many of the Javans just want to come home once more. No doubt they will do so when they see their opportunity, just like we did."

"No doubt," replied Melvin as he nodded his head. "It is fortuitous then that you escaped when you did. And that you did so with your ship intact. You are intact, aren't you? We witnessed no major damage to your vessel in the harbor."

"We slipped out in the dead of night," boasted Thomas. "When the rest of them were sleeping. It wasn't an easy decision but it enabled us to put distance between them and us."

For the first time, Melvin did a double take. "The dead of the night? I thought you escaped on a cloudy evening near dusk? At least, that's what your officer, Lizzy Mueller, said in her briefing."

There it was. The momentary screwup between the stories that could and would bury all of them in shallow graves. Thomas reminded himself to talk to Lizzy later about getting their stories straight but he focused for now on replying back to the admiral.

"Lizzy wasn't on duty that night, so she must not have remembered," said Thomas nonchalantly. "We had another mission not long before we left where we had to move out at dusk. Perhaps she's confusing the two?"

Thomas felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead at the obvious lie. At first, he thought there was no way that Melvin would believe him. He thought this would be the whole point that gave them away.

Indeed, Melvin seemed to study him for a moment too long. Thankfully though, he broke out of that examination a moment later.

"I understand that happens sometimes," said Melvin thoughtlessly. "I can't remember what I had to eat two nights ago, let alone something that might have happened two months ago."

Thomas fought the urge to exhale. He smiled briefly and nodded his head, hoping the relief didn't show on his face.

After a few more questions, Melvin closed the file in front of him. "I think we have enough information for now. I'm going to report this up to high command and let them decide what they want to do with you. For now, you'll remain in this room under guard. We'll come get you when we're ready for you."

That seemed good enough for now, and Thomas gave an appreciative nod. He hoped by the admiral's words that all was fine and that the other officers had stuck to the story (save for Lizzy's discretion). Thomas had to admit of all people to be tripped up, he half-expected his brother, Cash, to be the one to do it. Perhaps he ought to give his brother more credit after all.

Once again, Thomas was made to wait for hours. This time, nearly three hours passed while he waited in the dusty and crowded room. At one point, Thomas even put his head down on the table, wanting to find rest in an effort to pass the time.

It was late by the time that Melvin returned. Thankfully for Thomas, he returned without a guard and he seemed not as strict as he was before.

"Lt. Commander Thomas Wentz, you are free to go," said Melvin as he held open the door. "Your crew will not be detained for the time being. We found your story credible enough that we've deemed that you're no threat to Java. Indeed, it seems your men just want to get back to the right side."

Thomas nodded eagerly. "That is entirely the case, Admiral."

"In any event, while you are free to go back to theStingray, I'm asking that you don't leave Belfort for the time being," added Melvin. "Ordinarily, we'd put you into a task force for immediate action but with the war now over, there are not too many assignments in place right now. For this moment, you'll be placed with the harbor garrison and you will stay inside the port. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," replied Thomas with an easy salute. "It feels good to be home, Admiral. It's only too bad we couldn't make it back before the war was entirely over."

Melvin smirked at him. "I wouldn't worry about that. By the sounds of what I'm hearing out of headquarters, we might soon be at war again. And it might be your former commander that we're at war against."

That wasn't a pleasant thought and Thomas tried not to dwell on it. Instead, he smiled gratefully and went to remove himself from the room. Out in the hall stood his other division officers, all waiting for his presence.

They were escorted back to theStingray together, at which point their guard went back to their other duties. Thomas craned his eyes around the harbor. While they were still being watched to some degree, it truly seemed like the city had accepted them as loyal sons once more.

Thomas could only imagine the look on Admiral Melvin's face when they stole away in the night with Jack's family. With this deception now working just like planned, they were one step closer to their goal.

For now though, they would wait. Already the members of Thomas' crew were searching for Jack's family. While the ship and the majority of the crew waited in Belfort harbor, the main mission was fully underway.

Thomas could only hope that they were found sooner rather than later.

He found his brother outside his personal quarters. Cash was sitting at his desk, a pensive look on his face.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" said Thomas, sitting across from his brother. "It could have been a lot worse."

Cash grunted but didn't say anything. He still seemed to be staring off without a hint of consciousness.

"Do you need a minute, Cash? Want me to leave you alone?"

Finally, Cash's eyes found his brother's. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Thomas blinked. "Does what bother me?"

"All this lying? To our own country?" asked Cash. "Doesn't it hurt you like it hurts me?"

It was a loaded question, one that Thomas had expected from his brother. Out of his entire crew, Cash seemed to be one of the few that fought more reluctantly for their new allegiance. Thomas thought it had the most to do with his innate pessimism rather than any real loyalty to Java.

If the shoe was on the other foot, they might be having the very same conversation about whether or not to betray Galicia.

"I'm fine with my choices," said Thomas finally after a degree of introspection. "Are you?"

Cash pursed his lips. "I can't give you a real answer to that question."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not convinced that this is going to work just yet, Thomas. I'm not convinced we're not going to be awakened in the middle of the night and marched off to hang as the traitors we are."

"You can't seriously believe we're traitors, do you?"

Cash gave him a long glare. "What else would you call us? Does opportunist sound better to you?"

"Cash!"

"Whatever, Thomas," said his brother, crossing his arms. "You can say whatever you want. Call me the pessimist like you always do. I still don't like living on the edge for this mission. I don't like lying to our own people."

"We're doing what's necessary for our side," argued Thomas. "A side that's been more just to us than our supposed homeland. Like I've told you before, when all this is over, we can return to Java. Just not like this. Not under the likes of Bancroft."

"You make it sound so easy," grumbled Cash.

"It just might be. Keep the faith, brother. After all, we're still alive, aren't we? We could be hanging from the gallows right now but we're not. We're alive, brother!"

Thomas playfully jabbed his brother in the chest, a move that was soon returned by Cash.

"Don't get so excited just yet! Like I said, we could still get a visitor tonight," muttered Cash.

"No, I don't think so. I think if anything, we might get a new assignment from the Javans," said Thomas. "We might just pull this out. Wouldn't that be nice?"