Fourth Vector Ch. 43

"Bainbridge. Michael Bainbridge. As in Charles Bainbridge?" asked Victor.

Michael nodded. "He was my great uncle."

Victor's mouth dropped open. "Well, color me shocked. You would be more important than me. I'm surprised Bancroft left you alive when he deposed your great uncle."

"Something he regrets by now, no doubt," added Michael. "Or he soon will, I can assure you."

"So you must be burning pretty hot with vengeance because of the death of your great uncle," assumed Victor.

Michael shook his head fiercely. "I could give two shits about his death. My great uncle treated me little better than Bancroft did. My problem with Bancroft is that he raped and then killed the only woman I've ever loved."

It took another ten minutes for Michael to tell him the full story but by the time he was done, Victor could only nod his head in approval.

"I can see now why you were drowning in alcohol," replied Victor. "I did much the same after my sister died. She was younger than me by four years. I was supposed to be her protector. I failed in that measure."

"Failure is a good word for how I feel these days," agreed Michael. "I feel like I don't have any reason to exist beyond making sure that Bancroft gets the punishment that he's owed."

Victor gave him a look that was equal parts shrewd and curious. "How would you feel if I introduced you to some people that could make that happen?"

Now it was Michael's curiosity that was piqued. "How would you do that?"

Victor's answer shocked him.

*****

Nick Reynolds was very much enjoying his time as the Viceroy of Ruthenia.

It was hard not to enjoy the moments spent with near total power over all Ruthenians. Ever since the surrender of the country months ago, Javan forces had taken over complete control of all major cities and ports.

There was no such thing as a Ruthenian Army any more. It had been disbanded.

There was no such thing as a Ruthenian congress anymore (what they called theVort). It had been disbanded and most of its leaders had been arrested and executed for being the architects of the war against Java.

Even the former emperor was nothing more than a docile, housebroken puppy that Nick paraded around when he wanted an air of legitimacy to his acts.

No one was fooled by the display. Even the children on the streets knew who was really in power. And it certainly wasn't the young fool wearing the crown jewels.

No, life in Ruthenia had settled into a near comfortable malaise that Nick found hard to leave. He knew that it was likely he'd have to return to Java someday, although he hated the thought. For one, that would mean an end to the steady stream of Ruthenian whores that he'd become accustomed to, and Nick was in no hurry to get back into the bed of his wife.

He was also not in a hurry to go back to Java, where he wouldn't have anywhere near the levels of power that he wielded in Ruthenia. The moment he stepped onto Javan soil, he would have to be a loyal subject of the Emperor once more, a thought he didn't relish.

Even still, not everything was roses with his rule over Ruthenia. In fact, the situation seemed to be growing more unstable by the day, despite his total power over the country. At first, Nick had seen random acts of violence in the aftermath of the signing of the treaty. Those acts had included petty vandalism and senseless killings of Javan soldiers.

After a couple weeks of this, there were reports of ambushes of larger groups of Javan soldiers as they moved about the interior. Curiously enough, those ambushes never occurred in larger towns or cities, but always when the Javans were moving throughout the countryside or through small villages.

Next came the bombs. Several went off at major sites in the city of Merv. Two of them exploded at the imperial palace, while others went off at theVort as well as the post office. Those responsible for the carnage proclaimed themselves members of the Ruthenian resistance movement, brought together by the need to take back their country from their Javan foes.

Nick laughed at such a goal. His power over the country was absolute. While these attacks might be nothing more than minor annoyances, these members of the Ruthenian resistance were no closer to overthrowing Javan power than a bumblebee was in taking down a rhino.

It still made for interesting reports though. Not a day went by that some unit wasn't attacked. There was a steady flow of deceased Javan service members being shipped back home, and it was now at its highest levels since the actual fighting.

With the situation growing unstable, Bancroft had ordered that Nick do everything in his power to bring these bandits to justice.

That was what he was just doing now. Nick had left a meeting with the senior leadership of the Merv garrison as they looked for ways to strike back against the rebels. It was agreed that no quarter would be shown to any hostile Ruthenian citizens as a means of combating those with ill intent toward the Javans. It was also agreed that any patrols into the countryside would be doubled to give them strength in numbers.

For now, Nick hoped that this would be enough to start punching back against the rebels.

How very wrong he was about to be.

As Nick reentered the imperial palace that evening, he made a beeline for his living quarters, which were off a quiet wing of the palace, far from where the previous bomb strikes had taken place. Nick had been cautioned about staying in the palace but he simply doubled his guard as a means for protection and decided to stay, thinking it was all that was needed for his safety.

He arrived at his personal quarters and shut the door, but not before tipping his head to the Javan soldiers that stood outside the room. Once he was inside, Nick shrugged off the robes of the viceroy and moved closer to his bed.

It was already occupied but that was nothing new. Arina was already sleeping, and the sheet that covered her was only draped over half her body. Her breasts were completely within sight, capped by the most lovely light brown nipples.

If there was any whore in Ruthenia that could be said to be his favorite, it was Arina. She wasn't the common type that could be found on any darkened street corner. Instead, Arina was a high society type of girl, the type that was often seen in the company of important men. As she told it, she'd entertained several members of the RuthenianVort before the war, and she had a reputation as a sexual fiend of the highest order.

It wasn't unlike Arina to fuck him with an intensity unmatched by just about any other woman that Nick had ever been with. Just when he thought it couldn't get any better, Arina would swiftly yank him out of her pussy and reinsert him into her ass, letting him shoot his load in her bowels.

In terms of whores, Arina was extremely talented, and he ensured that she never left his personal quarters much these days.

Even though she was already sleeping, Nick thought to awake her with the sudden protrusion of his cock against her backdoor. That would certainly awaken the wildcat within and set the tone for the evening. He'd just slipped into bed and turned off the light when his world exploded into chaos.

The sound of the explosion was deafening. The stillness of the night ended abruptly as a flash of light and two great booms destroyed what was left of Nick's quarters. His ears rung with a steady beat of high frequency tuning, the result of the damage done by the closeness of the explosion.

Nick could only blink as he attempted to take stock of what had happened. In the next moment, his soldiers were swarming into his room. Several others were already dead, as evidenced by their bloodstained cheeks as they laid prone on the floor.

"What . . . what happened?" murmured Nick as he tried to clear his foggy mind.

"A bomb, sir!" said one of the soldiers, his voice sounding incredibly distorted due to the damage of Nick's ears. "Are you hurt?"

It was an excellent question. Nick didn'tfeel hurt.

But why was he covered in blood?

He soon figured out why. A casual glance to his left revealed that part of the ceiling had collapsed in the explosion. Nick looked up to see the night stars over Merv and nothing else to block them. That part of the ceiling had landed squarely on Arina, crushing her body. Nick had found the source of the blood. Judging by the look on her face, Arina had died instantly.

"Come on, sir, we have to get you out of here!" yelled the soldier as he started to yank on Nick's arm.

Nick let himself be dragged from the room but he couldn't help but hazard a glance when he reached the door. The room was totally destroyed. That it had once been a bedroom was completely irreverent now.

It was now nothing more than shattered wood and dust.

Nick was moved out of the palace under heavy guard. Despite the late hours, a full regiment was assigned to protect him, making sure that no one else could get anywhere close to him. That regiment escorted him back to Javan military headquarters on the outskirts of Belfort where he was greeted by General Cole Ortman, nominally in command of Merv and the surrounding countryside.

"Sir, we're going to get you into secure quarters immediately," informed Cole, already having been briefed on the episode.

That was all well and good for Nick but his head was still spinning from the explosion. "What happened out there? My quarters are gone."

"A bomb, sir," replied Cole. "Actually, two bombs. My men are searching the palace grounds now but so far, we've only found the remains of two. Someone wanted to take you out and they damn near succeeded."

"Arina," muttered Nick. "They got Arina, not me."

The name meant nothing to Cole. "You'll be fine now, sir. I have my men preparing a living space for you right now. You'll be safe for the rest of the night."

"Who did this?" asked Nick.

Unfortunately, he already knew the answer.

"No doubt it was the rebel groups," replied Cole. "They're getting braver. Trying to kill the Viceroy of Ruthenia? We haven't seen the end of this rebellion."

Nick clenched his hand into a fist. "I will kill them all. There is no way I'll let this slight go unanswered."

*****

"Gaius! Welcome to Kalmar!"

It was already the next day, and the next batch of arrivals had arrived at the Galician capital city. Today, Jack, Kat, Abigail, and John were amongst the group that awaited the next head of state to arrive, which happened to be the King of Naxos.

Gaius arrived on a Sorellan trading ship, one of the largest non-military vessels in the entire West. Jack was reminded of his time on such a vessel, or rather when he'd been trying to search for Kat and Vera before they were captured and taken to Andalucia. That particular vessel had been sinking, and Jack was very glad to see this one was not.

The Nax King descended from the ship with little difficulty but that wasn't to say that all was right with the man. He still assumed that same shell-shocked expression on his face that he'd worn when Jack last left Naxos. Gaius' imprisonment had left a brutal mark on the man's psyche, and it was obvious to Jack that it would last him for the rest of his life.

"It is good to see you, Jack," said Gaius as they shook hands. "And your queens are just as lovely as the last time I saw them, if not lovelier."

"I knew I liked Gaius the best," said Abigail with a grin. The two women greeted the king before he focused his eyes on Jack.

"No offense, Jack, but I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon. I was pleased to hear about the surrender of Dagobern but my curiosity is going wild trying to figure out why I'm here. Your message didn't give me much to go on."

Jack shook his head. "No, it didn't, and that was by design. More will be revealed tomorrow when we kick off the council. This matter is of utmost importance, which is why I asked everyone to be here but rest assured, you will learn more tomorrow."

Gaius could only shrug, and after some tepid small talk, he departed in his own car to make for the Castle, which was great timing because the next group of arrivals soon descended down the gangplank.

Of course, it was only right that the Sorellan royal couple caught a ride on their trading vessel, and Nikias and Elektra were the next to greet Jack and his family. This greeting was warmer than the one that was exchanged with Gaius, and Jack found himself happy to see his old friends once more.

Notably, there was a small difference that was instantly noticeable.

"You're pregnant," blurted out Abigail as she appraised the bump in Elektra's stomach.

"Abigail," hissed Kat. "You're not supposed to ask that before they're ready to tell you!"

Abigail waved her hand. "That rule is only for men, and I know a pregnancy bump when I see one." She turned her head to look at Elektra. "How far along are you?"

Elektra beamed with a radiant smile. "About five months, give or take. We only found out shortly after you left Sorella this last time."

"A hearty congratulations are in order then," exclaimed Jack as he shook Nikias' hand fiercely. "Welcome to fatherhood, Nikias."

Nikias looked slightly apprehensive about the thought of becoming a father. "You'll have to give me all the tips you've learned with your child. I don't feel well-suited to becoming a father."

"You'll be just fine," promised Jack. "And trust me, it's a learning experience. You'll feel intense frustration while raising the child but also a love that you can't explain with words. Most days, you'll feel both emotions within minutes of each other. But if you truly want to get a jump on it, I can tell you all about what it's like. And I can introduce you to someone who can give you the same perspective," said Jack, making a mental note to introduce Nikias to Bill, who helped Jack so much during his early days of fatherhood.

Jack accompanied them back to the palace, which was now beginning to look like a large family reunion with all the heads of state mostly present. It was slightly after noon when he was informed of the next arrival, and this time, it was just him that was present in the harbor when an Andalucian slaving trawler made its way to the docks.

Rather, it was aformer slaving trawler. Ever since Jack banned the unsavory practice in Andalucia after taking over the kingship, most of the trawlers had been converted to commercial fishing uses.

From the trawler stepped the current Andalucian Regent, Masud, formerly of theBurlada clan. Masud's beard was no grayer than the last time Jack saw him, but he looked somehow more energized, as if there was a spark inside him that had been awakened.

"My King, it's a pleasure to see you again," said Masud with a heavy bow in front of Jack. "It's been too long."

"Look at you, Masud, you look like a man twenty years younger," marveled Jack as he embraced the other man. "What's your secret? Have you found some kind of elixir of life?"

Masud tilted his head back and forth before letting out a toothy grin. "It might be a new woman, Sire. In fact, it definitely is."

Jack was relieved to hear that. Masud's wife had passed away in the past year after a long illness. He knew that it affected Masud more than he would let on (and that was just judging by his dispatches), but seeing that the man had a new flame already returned that spark to his eyes.

"That's wonderful, Masud. What's her name?"

"Yadira, Sire," he replied. "She's fifteen years younger than me and she has the energy to boot. I'm afraid it's all I can do to keep up with her sometimes."

Jack chuckled. "Well, if you are late to the council meeting in the morning, I suppose we will know why."

Masud shook his head. "No, unfortunately, I left her back in Andalucia. This trip was needed. I needed the days of rest before she killed me."

Jack listened to one raunchy tale before he could redirect Masud back to the palace. He was glad to see that the man had feminine companionship again, even if it sounded like the girl was more than he could handle.

The last arrival for that day didn't come until close to nightfall. It was a Carinthian cruiser that brought over the reigning queen, Reina, and she disembarked from the ship with all the aplomb that could be managed for a woman of her station.

"Jack, my dear, it's lovely to see you again," gushed Reina as she squeezed him tightly. "I trust you've been well? You look like you're a little thin."

Jack smiled. "As well as can be, Reina. How are you? How are things in Carinthia?"

Reina made a distressed face. "As good as can be but they're not perfect. Of course, I'm on the lookout for a new husband already." She placed her hand on Jack's arm. "Know anyone who might be interested?"

Jack politely pulled his arm away. "I think my two wives have it covered pretty well unfortunately. But don't think that I didn't give it serious thought!"

Reina purred with happiness and her cheeks even turned a shade of red. It was a total lie of course but a degree of flattery was needed with the Carinthian Queen to get anywhere.

"Well, keep an eye open for any eligible bachelors, will you please?" she asked. "I don't care where they're from as long as they're young, virile, and have a penchant for giving pleasure."

Jack tried to keep a straight face. "I'll keep my eyes open."

"So is everyone here then I take it?" she asked as she looked around the harbor. "I see an Apulian cruiser, a Sorellan trading ship, and even an Andalucian trawler. Have we all arrived?"

"For the most part," answered Jack. "But there's one more coming tomorrow morning. I figured I'd kick off the council in the afternoon."

Reina gave him a confused look. "One more coming? Just who might that be? I know Hendrick and Aedan came with Santino so that doesn't leave anyone else out. Who else did you get to come? Are the Kishians coming?"

"More will be revealed in the morning," answered Jack, already tired of giving the same non-answers. "We all have a lot to discuss. There's a few things on the agenda tomorrow that might be shocking for all involved but it's only with good reason that I bring everyone together."

Reina shrugged and made for the waiting car. "I guess it can't be too bad. It's not like the Swabians are coming or anything, right?" She didn't wait for his answer as she already started to laugh. Reina was still laughing as she got into the car and closed the door.

She didn't look back at Jack's face and that was probably a good thing since he was already cringing.

*****

"Ambros Ferberg, welcome to Kalmar."

The last visitor to Jack's capital city was perhaps the most unlikely. Of course, there had been nothing out of sorts when the Galician destroyer arrived in the city that following morning. The official purpose had been to bring back General Greg Vaughn from Swabia to attend the war council but it was at Jack's request that a second person was brought along as well.

Ambros Ferberg looked uneasy as he stepped foot on Galicia soil. He tentatively approached Jack and offered his hand. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Your Majesty?"

"Ambros, the war is over now. Call me Jack, will you? We agreed that I could call you by your first name so why not extend me the same courtesy?"

"Even still," said Ambros as he looked around the harbor. "It makes me uneasy to be here. No offense, of course. It's just that I'm assuming I'm the first Swabian on Galician soil in a long time."

"No doubt, but you're here on my invitation," said Jack. "And everyone else will respect my intent if nothing else."

That answer didn't seem to totally appease Ambros but his eyes settled in on the person at Jack's side next. "Excuse my rudeness, I'm General Ambros Ferberg of Swabia."