Fourth Vector Ch. 45

"This is just such a command that every man waits for his entire life," said Nick quietly. "And to see it now at my fingertips is something that I never thought I would see."

"I thought it would happen," said Bancroft with a smirk. "You've been a loyal deputy to me, Nick. Years ago, when we were nothing but naval officers, you let me guide your career where it was meant to go. Look at us now. You're the foremost admiral in all of Java."

"I still have a few that outrank me though," said Nick hesitantly. "McKenzie and Jasper Strong come to mind."

"Bah," said Bancroft, waving his hand. "They might outrank you in title but not in skill. Jasper Strong is with the small occupation fleet in Montauban and unlikely to move anytime soon. And McKenzie? Let's just say that he'll be lucky to stay off the proscription lists. He exists under house arrest only now because I still have a fond spot in my heart for a fellow admiral. That's it. He'll never command again, which means that you are the foremost admiral in all of Java."

"After you, of course, sir," said Nick. "It should be you out there leading your glorious armada. You just might go down as the greatest admiral in Javan history."

Bancroft let out a satisfied smile, thankful that Nick at least knew how to play the game. "And they'll see your picture by my side if that is the case. I couldn't have done this without an able lieutenant."

"Speaking of which," said Nick as he looked back at the door just to make sure it was closed. "Why hasn't Admiral Clark been given an opportunity to command? He's been at your side since before I was even an officer. Why doesn't he take on more of a role?"

"Clark isn't exactly commanding officer material," said Bancroft quietly. "Clark is better suited behind a desk. Not every admiral was meant to command the fleet but some have talents that are best served elsewhere."

Bancroft didn't say anything further than that, nor did he let his true thoughts entirely emerge. The fact of that matter was that Clark wasn't the kind of man who should be put in charge of anything. Clark could only be great by serving at the side of a better man, and it was that lack of killer instinct that ensured he'd never be in command of any task force in Java.

Thankfully, Nick didn't question the statement about Clark.

"I suppose that makes sense, in light of his career," said Nick.

"Don't worry at all about Clark. After all, Clark is near the end of his career," said Bancroft, leaning back in his chair. "He's been a loyal man to me for all these years but his talent and grasp of reality lately has been slipping. If you defeat Jack Easterbrook--"

"When I defeat Jack Easterbrook," corrected Nick.

Bancroft smirked. "When you defeat him, there might be more of a place for you by my side. We've talked about this before, have we not? I need a capable and loyal number two, and if that position will soon be opening up, I want a man of skill and talent to take it. I'm talking about a man like you, Nick."

"I hope to live up to the enormous amount of faith you have in me, sir. I've been waiting for this for a long time, and the future you're painting sounds like one I very much want to be a part of."

Bancroft tapped his knuckle against his desk. "Then you need to do one thing for me. You need to win. You need to destroy Easterbrook. And I'm going to give you the ultimate tool to do it."

"Sir?"

"Did you notice the hulking battlecruisers in the harbor of Belfort, Nick? The ones with the dazzling hulls camouflaged in gray and dark blue?"

Nick nodded. "Those are the latest ships of the Revenge-class battlecruiser, correct? I saw the briefing about them months ago when they were undergoing trials."

"That is correct. They are now ready to set sail. Those four ships are deadlier than anything else afloat. The first one that was made, theRevenge, would be an excellent flagship. You're still sailing about in theCharles IX battleship, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's correct," answered Nick. "TheCharles IX has been good to me."

"TheRevenge will be even better. And I think it's aptly named, don't you think? With those battlecruisers at your disposal, you'll finally have your revenge against Jack Easterbrook."

Reynolds smirked. "That idea is a satisfying one."

"I knew it would be which is why I want you to have it," said Bancroft. "You will have all the resources at your disposal. All I need you to do now is win."

"If that's the case, you couldn't have picked a better man," said Nick as he stood up from his seat. "The people of Ruthenia are still frightened by my name. I'll do the same for Easterbrook and his band of Fourthie cunts as well."

Bancroft couldn't have been more prouder in that moment of his protege. "Look at you now. A conqueror on his way to victory. You're like the son I never had, Nick. And one day soon, you'll be treated as such."

The two men clasped hands in agreement, which was the cue for Nick to take his leave. Before he left, Bancroft advised him to see Clark for the details about the Fourthie expedition. With the fleet ready to sail, the only thing it needed was its commanding officer. In all, Bancroft felt much better about putting Reynolds in charge of his fleet than he did about putting Ryan in charge of his army.

"Let's hope both are victorious," mumbled Bancroft as his door opened once more.

It was the same servant girl as before, this time carrying a pitcher of water. Bancroft took a moment to admire the view from the front before she arrived at his desk, finding it a pleasing sight (and one that stirred his loins).

It had been way too long since he'd had anything resembling sexual release. Of course, his memory of Jade would always be tainted by the fact that she didn't consider it consensual, but perhaps this new servant girl would be a more willing partner?

Bancroft made his decision as he felt blood flow into his member.

"Will you require anything further, Your Imperial Majesty?" asked the girl after she refilled his cup.

"Yes, I will," said Bancroft as he moved to stand up, his hands parting his robe. He gestured for the girl to lay across his desk, a move she completed without any complaints or tears.

There was just something extremely satisfying about thrusting into a new pussy.

*****

There was just something extremely satisfying about a new promotion.

That was the thought that was on Nick Reynolds' mind as he walked away from Admiral Clark's office, his step full of swagger. Knowing that he was now the most important naval officer in all of Java was the highlight of so many years of toil, years spent grinding to reach a level of importance.

In that time, Nick had been mistreated, passed over, and made to take the hard road at nearly every turn. However, there was now a silver lining to his career, and that was the fact that he had at his disposal the most powerful fleet in history.

It certainly made the trip back to Java worth it.

Especially considering he almost didn't want to come back at first. But now that he was home, his thoughts quickly turned toward the future, which would hold his ultimate victory against his enemy, Jack Easterbrook. Likewise, his thoughts turned away from the comfortable state of affairs in Ruthenia, as well as the lack of all those whores he'd come to truly enjoy.

The whores could stay in the past. He had a bright future in front of him.

Nick exited the palace and hailed a car to take him down to the main docks of Belfort. As he neared the docks, the hulking silhouettes of the ships in the fleet were visible from several blocks away.

One silhouette in particular now caught his eye. The mighty battlecruiser known as theRevenge was billed as being the deadliest ship afloat by Bancroft himself. According to the briefing, it could outgun just about any ship but the heaviest battleships and even outrun those same battleships before they could catch her.

She was truly the next step in naval evolution and Nick was proud to call her his flagship from that point on.

There was one thing he had to do first.

It took him nearly ten minutes to exit the car and walk the docks toward theCharles IX, where he found his deputy, Patrick, as soon as he stepped into his personal quarters.

"Patrick, I want you to transfer my flag right away," said Nick with a booming voice. "I have a new flagship now."

Patrick gave him a funny look. "What ship would that be, sir?"

Nick grinned. "TheRevenge will be mine moving forward. See to it that all my personal effects are transferred before dark. When the fleet sails across the ocean, I'll be leading the force from that ship."

For a brief moment, Patrick gawked at hearing the news. He didn't stay like that for long, starting on his orders as he went about the task of moving to theRevenge.

Like Patrick, Nick didn't stay rooted for very long either. He moved above deck, where he gave the news to the crew on the bridge about his departure. He stayed just long enough to watch as his flag was lowered from the mast of theCharles IX for the last time, only to be transferred to the battlecruiser across the harbor.

For Nick, it was an incredibly fitting moment. He now had the command that he deserved as well as a ship worthy of the title.

And somewhere out there, Jack Easterbrook was waiting for him. Nick wasn't one to sit on his heels and wait for his enemy to come to him. Instead, he would seek out Easterbrook's fleet of Fourthies and rebels and send them to the bottom of the ocean.

As soon as his officers were ready, he would depart Belfort and make his way back to the Fourth Vector once again. His plan was to set sail for Quiller's Cove until they met opposition. If no opposition was found, he would continue into the Vector following the routes that Easterbrook himself had already established.

His enemy would be unable to hide from him. Sooner or later, Easterbrook would have to come out and fight.

And in doing so, he would be utterly destroyed.

*****

"Right there, baby! Oh, right there! I'm so close! Oh, yes, oh, yes, YES! Jack, I'm cumming!"

Kat's body stiffened as an orgasm worked its way through her, starting from her loins and emanating outwards faster than the speed of light. In the process, she crushed her lips to Jack's, keeping him fully pressed against her while her legs did the same thing with his waist.

It was still early that morning, and the sun was only starting to illuminate the room, courtesy of the single window that looked out on the city of Zarah. For being so early, it was just Jack and Kat in bed still, with Abigail having departed half an hour ago to get a start on her work on theDestiny. It wasn't much longer after Abigail left that Kat started to stir, trying to get Jack's attention.

That took the form of pressing her ass against his crotch and simulating a humping motion while she also captured his hand and placed it against her breast.

It didn't take him long to get the message. Shedding their clothes, Jack rolled her over until she was on her back and quickly inserted himself into his blonde wife.

Kat's eyes popped open as a grin stretched onto her face. "Good morning, my husband."

Jack growled in response and their hips started to move together in the next moment, coming to a rapid finale some fifteen minutes later.

For Jack, these were the mornings that he enjoyed the most. Lingering in bed until they'd managed to pull an orgasm from both of them, there was no better way to start the day. It was most satisfying in a primal sense as well, knowing that his seed was deep in the womb of his wife.

Which made it so confusing as to why Kat appeared to be upset as he rolled off of her, something that he picked up instantly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her glum expression.

Kat let out a long sigh and shook her head, saying nothing. In the process, her hand drifted between her thigh, parting her lips and dipping her finger inside until the tip was covered with the remains of his silvery seed.

"Are you going to tell me or what?"

Kat made an expression and then looked at him. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I already do so what could surprise me now?"

Kat smiled and poked him in the ribs. "No, I meant seriously."

"So what's on your mind?"

"I just feel a little... guilty sometimes."

"What could you possibly feel guilty about?"

"You know... just sex."

Jack gave her a funny look. "I'm still not following you. You feel guilty about us having sex?"

"Not the act of having sex," said Kat while shaking her head. She then raised her fingers, showing the wetness of his cum. "But the fact that I have your cum inside me right now. Especially when I know someone else who is desperate to have that cum inside her for one explicit purpose."

And suddenly, Jack understood why Kat was feeling guilty.

"It makes you feel guilty in a way because every time I cum inside of you, that's one load that Abigail didn't get, pushing any pregnancy even further away?" Jack asked.

Kat nodded. "See? I told you it was crazy."

Jack settled on his back and pulled Kat closer until she was able to rest her head against his chest. The truth of the matter was that Abigail still wasn't any closer to becoming pregnant, even after trying for over eight months. It was quickly becoming the elephant in the room between the three of them, where Abigail's frustration was close to a boiling point while Jack's feelings on the matter were entirely mixed.

On one hand, there's nothing he wanted more than to see his lovely brunette wife with a swollen belly, knowing it was his child inside.

On the other, he wanted to wait until after the war with Bancroft, not wanting to have a pregnant wife in a war zone nor the possibility of his child growing up without having ever met his father.

Now the tension between Jack and Abigail had grown so much that it was spilling over to Kat, who not only had a child by Jack but now felt guilty about taking his seed when it could have been put to better use.

What a complicated situation it was becoming.

"It'll happen when it's meant to happen," said Jack finally, his voice muffled by Kat's blonde locks. "We just need to be patient."

"I think Abigail is positively done with being patient though," said Kat. "I feel for her. When we got pregnant, it was so easy. I never imagined it could be so much harder for her."

"The situation isn't that different between the two of you," said Jack. "Don't forget, we were having unprotected sex right from the beginning. It still took many months before you became pregnant."

"Still, it just feels like it happened at the right time, Jack. Or when it was supposed to happen. I know how ready Abigail is and seeing her kept on the verge of waiting is hard for me to watch. I can't imagine what thoughts are going through her head."

Jack didn't have to imagine them. He knew how distraught Abigail was about her inability to get pregnant. Not long before they'd arrived in Picardy, she broke down completely one night, sobbing great tears of sadness over the fact. Jack had comforted her the only way he knew how, and Abigail eventually fell asleep, but he never felt more confused about how to help her through it, especially considering his own mixed feelings about the subject.

"Abigail will be just fine," said Jack, glossing over the subject for the sake of putting on a brave face. "She's made of tough stuff, and I know she can handle it. It's no reason for you to feel guilty though. We're all in this together."

Kat said nothing but nodded her head against his chest. She let out a sigh a moment later and entwined her hand with his own. It didn't sound like she believed his words by her response, and that wasn't entirely surprising considering that even Jack didn't believe them.

The only thing they could do was continue on one day at a time.

Neither of them lasted in bed for much longer, soon rising to get dressed for the day. Jack put on his royal blue robes that signaled the Galician kingship while Kat did the same, choosing her usual blue dress that she was always particularly fond of. The two were just about ready to leave Jack's headquarters when a sudden noise made them both stop in their tracks.

It wasn't just any noise. Jack knew it well from all his time in Picardy.

The alarm bells were chiming in Zarah. Just like in Daban, that could only mean one thing.

"The bells," said Jack quickly. "An enemy is approaching!"

Kat's eyes went wide with fear and they soon fled downstairs and opened the door to the street. In a matter of moments, Zarah's quiet streets were filled with chaos as its citizens, recognizing the sound of the alarm, fled for cover. Most of them were keen to lock themselves in their houses but a small few fled for the city gates, no doubt remembering what happened the last time the city was under threat.

"I have to find Aedan," said Jack. "The sirens are coming from the city hall here in Zarah. He was the one making that his headquarters. If anyone knows what's going on, it's him!"

The two of them raced down the several city blocks while the rest of the citizenry of Zarah panicked at the thought of a fresh invasion. Jack couldn't help but glance at the harbor, wondering if his enemy was quickly approaching.

Was this the start of the war? Were the Javans here?

And if so, where the hell was a warning system from the rest of the fleet?

"Abigail, come in," said Jack through his radio. "Abigail, can you identify the enemy fleet out there? Is it Javan?"

While Jack waited for her response, he raced up the stairs of the city hall with Kat quickly following in his wake. It didn't take him long to locate Aedan, who at this moment was on the third floor of the building, a pair of binoculars pressed to his face as he observed the harbor.

"Goddamnit, Aedan, what the hell is going on?" asked Jack as he stopped by the side of the Picard King. "Who is out there?"

Two things happened in quick succession that only served to further enrage Jack.

The first was that Aedan pulled his binoculars away only to give him a panicked look and a single sentence in response.

"The fleet is Swabian," announced Aedan before he looked over at one of the garrison officers next to him. "Tell the naval batteries to prepare to fire."

Before Jack could utter his response, his radio buzzed with the sounds of Abigail's voice. "Jack, the Swabians are here! It's Ambros! Tell the shore batteries to hold their fire!"

Jack wanted to throttle Aedan with his bare hands. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You're not going to fire on that fleet!"

Aedan gave him a cool look. "The last time the Swabians were in Zarah, they ransacked the entire city and used it as a springboard for an invasion of the rest of Picardy! We have the right to be cautious about their approach."

"Caution is one thing. This is madness!" shouted Jack. "The Swabians are part of our alliance now. If you let one of those shore batteries open fire, you'll destroy this tentative alliance before it's even begun. We'll have no chance against the Javans and we'll all be killed! Is that the kind of future you want?"

"I want a future where my people are safe," shot Aedan. "How many of those Swabians out there were part of the original force, eh? Many of them still have Picard blood on their hands."

Before Jack could respond, Abigail buzzed in again. "Jack, the Swabians are going into battle-stations. You need to tell the shore batteries to stand down before this spirals out of control. What do you want us to do?"

"Stand down and do nothing," shouted Jack into the radio. "Get through to Ambros and tell him not to fire!"

"See?" said Aedan, pointing at Jack's radio. "They are readying their guns! It was a mistake to trust the Swabians."