Fourth Vector Ch. 45

With the conditions worsening, Jack gave orders for the entire army to hunker down until it passed. The navy was nowhere in sight. After the magnitude of the storm coming had been communicated to them from Santino's men in Apulia, Jack gave the order for the fleet to take to sea, getting out of its path. He was in constant communication with Russ, and by all accounts, the fleet was in better weather than they were in Zarah.

Frankly, the storm was just a fitting ending to a week that had been fraught with challenges. The biggest challenge was trying to integrate the Swabian troops into the existing alliance, and it was meeting with considerable tension everywhere. None of the other Allied commanders wanted any Swabian units under their command. None of the soldiers wanted to serve next to Swabian units.

It also didn't help the fact that the two groups remained separated per Aedan's orders. There was little opportunity for the two sides to mingle, and the high level of tension that was established on the first day continued throughout the week.

Jack was about to his wits' end about how to solve that problem. Aedan was at least tactical in his decision to separate the Swabians. On his side of the city, his camp just wasn't large enough to fit any more units, Swabian or otherwise. Jack was flirting with the idea of splitting up the Swabians, putting some of them in Aedan's camp and putting the overflow of Allied soldiers in the original Swabian camp, but the arrival of the storm prevented that idea from taking place.

So far, it seemed unlikely whether the two forces could operate as one army long enough to take down Bancroft. Of that, Jack had some serious doubts.

The least he could do was get them some accurate intel about what faced them in Java, and it was that task that he was going about now. While he knew many things about the structure of the Javan armed forces as well as their nominal strength, he'd also been outside that chain of command for over a year. With Bancroft's forces still active during that year, that meant that much of what he already knew was going to be outdated or flat out wrong by the time he got anywhere near Java.

He needed fresh intelligence. He needed to know just how many ships Bancroft had to work with, whether he'd commandeered any Occitanian or Ruthenian vessels, how large the army currently was and where its forces were placed, as well as a whole host of other items.

The only problem was that he was short on sources. With him being declared a traitor to Java, he would have to work outside the traditional chain of command to get his information, however, there was one source that he might be able to use to get the needed intel.

One person who was just as dissatisfied with Bancroft as Jack was--Commodore Stanhope Lucas of Quiller's Cove.

No friend of Bancroft's by any stretch of the imagination, Lucas was the critical key upon which Jack's plan depended. Not only was he the gateway to Quiller's Cove, the only land for hundreds of miles in either direction, but he would have the ability to access any information that Jack needed for the upcoming invasion.

The only question was would Lucas really be willing to take such a step? Hating an emperor is one thing but outright treason would be another. Would Lucas be willing to help Jack if it meant that he would be considered a traitor by his own countrymen?

It was the sole question on Jack's mind as he once more tried to send a message through to Quiller's Cove, using a personal comm line that was outside the military channels. This line went straight to Lucas, and it was one that Jack had received dispatches from in the past when they tried to work outside the traditional Javan structure.

It wasn't the first time that Jack had sent a message through it. In fact, it was now the third time. The first two times, Lucas either hadn't received the message or hadn't bothered with a response.

Neither situation was positive, but Jack continued to try. He'd rather have any response from Lucas about what kind of reception he'd get for his arrival at Quiller's Cove rather than to treat the entire base as hostile from the start.

Jack had just sent through his last dispatch when he was joined by a familiar face. Bill Calland emerged into the room, stopping just inside the door to drop his umbrella and shake off the excess rain that had coated his jacket.

"It's getting nastier out there," said Bill as he used a handkerchief to dry his face off. "The rain is almost coming sideways now. All the use this damned umbrella was."

"I feel bad for the men in the camps," said Jack. "Unfortunately, there's just not enough room in the city for seventy thousand men to stay dry. It's going to be a muddy pit out there tomorrow, and that's assuming the rain stops now."

"I don't miss this area of the world, Jack," said Bill as he took a seat next to him. "Galicia doesn't get storms like this. Well, maybe in the south near Farso some nasty squalls can develop, but nothing like this. You just can't avoid them."

"I'm beginning to question whether I was right in making Zarah our rendezvous point, Bill. Surely another place would have been better?"

Bill shrugged. "I don't think so, Jack. We don't like the weather because we're not used to it. But the Picards and Apulians certainly are. They deal with it every year. It's just something we have to wait out. Unfortunately for us, Picardy was the best place for us all to meet before we embark on our grand mission."

Jack nodded his head but remained quiet. Every mistake or potential misstep that confronted this force had the potential to destroy months of preparation. It wasn't even a matter of preparedness; storms that were more powerful than usual could erase all their progress. Ultimately, Jack kept all of that stress on his shoulders.

He knew he alone was responsible for the success of this mission. If they couldn't stop Bancroft now, there would be no force to stop him from taking over the entire globe.

That was why Jack felt the weight of all of it riding on his every move, and in times like these, it was hard to silence the voice in the back of his head.

"You look perplexed. You're not still thinking about the storm, are you, Jack?"

Jack let out a deep sigh. "I think about a lot of things these days, Bill. Most of them aren't good.

"The storm will pass, Jack. You know that--"

"No, I've already moved on from that," said Jack. "I'm more thinking about the dispatch I just sent over. The one that I sent to Quiller's Cove."

Bill nodded his head in familiarity, already knowing about Jack's last two dispatches to Lucas. "I take it that means you still haven't heard back from your contact over there then?"

Jack shook his head.

"Well, here's to hoping, I suppose. Do we have any alternatives?"

Jack winced. "We do, but I hate even thinking about it. I have to get that intel one way or another. Option A involves us getting it the easy way, with the cooperation of Commodore Lucas."

"Dare I ask what Option B entails?"

Jack gave him a hollow look. "Option B is the hard way. We'd have to attack Quiller's Cove, and hope that we can take the naval headquarters there before they can destroy the evidence. I'd hate to have to do that but it's the only other option available to us."

"I know you don't like the idea of attacking your own countrymen. Or at least, your adopted countrymen."

"Does anyone?" asked Jack. "Commodore Lucas is a friend. He was one of the first people I bonded with on this mission. The first time I came to this area of the world, I stopped at Quiller's Cove. He hates Bancroft nearly as much as I do, so it's not a stretch of the imagination to think that he would help me."

"But at this level, things could be different, Jack. Sure, he likes you and would want to help you, but what would that mean for him or his career? He'd be sacked and likely executed, right? How much does he want to see you succeed in the spite of himself?"

"You raise a good point but if we do succeed, and we topple Bancroft, it could change a lot of things. Lucas has a lot to gain from our success, just like we do. We'd have a chance to remake Java by giving her new leadership. We could correct a lot of wrongs."

"And if we lose?" asked Bill.

"Well, if we lose, then Lucas would have something to worry about, I suppose."

Bill nodded. "I'm sure these things are on the man's mind. They'd be on mine. How far do the bonds of loyalty go? Will he remain loyal to a hated emperor or give aid to a friendly enemy? It's an ethical and moral question that doesn't have an easy answer, Jack. Surely, he has a big decision in front of him."

"I would hope that he would know that one way or another, we're coming," said Jack. "With or without his help. He must know that Quiller's Cove is the gateway to go east just as much as it is west. One way or another, he's going to have to choose."

"And when that happens, I hope that he does what's best for him," replied Bill. "And what's best for all of us."

"We can only hope," muttered Jack.

At that moment, a particularly strong burst of lightning struck not far from their position. It illuminated the entire room for only a split second, but then the building groaned as the thunder followed the strike.

"I think we'll have a hard time sleeping through this storm tonight," said Bill. "Frankly, I'm not looking forward to going back to my own lodging a few blocks away. I feel like I've just gotten dry and I don't want to get wet again."

For some reason, Jack latched onto Bill's statement and used it as a metaphor for his own situation. He'd just gotten dry again too in a figurative sense, whereas he'd brought the Swabian war to a swift conclusion and had looked forward to peace. Now, he was being forced to get wet again in this new war with Bancroft, something that couldn't possibly happen at a worse time.

Even still, it had to be done. There was no pushing this off or delaying it for a time when he was more ready. Bancroft had to be defeated, and that meant pushing through no matter what obstacle was in front of him.

Even a terrible storm.

"Yes, you might get wet," said Jack absentmindedly before he turned to look at Bill. "But it's what needs to happen, no? Sometimes, you just have to get wet."

To his credit, Bill seemed to understand that there was more to Jack's words than just talking about the weather.

"Aye, Jack. Sometimes, we all have to get a little wet."

*****

The storm didn't get any less intense as the evening blurred into the night.

Bill left not long after, no doubt getting soaked on his run back to his quarters, and even a bit later, Jack's wives came back to their lodging completely drenched and needing to change clothes before slipping into bed.

"Thank god we sent the fleet out of Zarah before this storm rolled in," said Abigail as she nuzzled her head against Jack's right side. "I'd hate to see what the damage would be when we woke up in the morning."

"I heard from Russ just before coming to bed," said Jack. "The fleet is in a lot better shape than we are right now."

Lightning crackled in the distance, causing Kat to jump on Jack's left side.

"The winds are really picking up, Jack," said Kat in a low voice. "I really hope our soldiers are okay out there. Many of them are in nothing more than simple barracks. Some of them are in tents!"

"It's too late to do anything now," he replied. "We just have to wait out the morning. And hope the storm breaks."

No one said anything more after that, and despite all of them being tired, it took some time to fall asleep with the ruckus of the storm overhead.

The next morning, Jack awoke to the sound of nothing. He couldn't hear the rain splashing against the side of the building or the rumbling of thunder in the distance. He could even see sunlight poking through the window--a sure sign that the storm had finally passed.

Pushing out of bed while trying not to wake his wives, he approached the main window on his floor and looked out on the city of Zarah.

He was largely horrified by what he saw.

The city looked like a war zone.

Destruction was everywhere, even just in the immediate surroundings around Jack. The building in front of theirs had suffered a partial roof cave-in overnight. Trees had been uprooted, and many of them now lined the city's streets. Debris was everywhere--from papers to clothing to building materials.

Jack's heart sank as he looked out on the devastation, one that seemed more ferocious than anyone could have guessed.

The only thing that gave him hope was that Zarah's citizens were already out in the streets, trying to clean up from the ruinous night they'd all shared. On top of that, the skies had mostly turned blue again as the remnants of the storm were now on the deepest parts of the eastern horizon.

"Good god," muttered Jack as he looked out on the city. "If Zarah looks like this, what in the world does our camp look like?"

It turned out, they were in little better shape.

Jack met Aedan and Reina at the entrance to the Allied camp a short while later. Many of the soldiers had been pulled into the city to help the citizens but those that were still near the camp looked like drowned rats. It was obvious that their simple structures had done little to keep out the weather, and Jack knew that most of them had lived through a miserable night.

"First things first, what casualties do we know about?" Jack asked Aedan when he entered the camp.

"We're still getting figures but it's not as bad as it could be," said Aedan. "Most of my casualties are from the city. While the men out in the camps were certainly wet, they didn't have to suffer from their houses collapsing and trapping them inside. For that reason, they are relatively lucky."

"Well, that's a silver lining, I suppose," said Jack. "The city looks awful. I haven't seen it look this bad since the last time I was here with the occupation."

Aedan nodded. "Not to make light of this, Jack, but this kind of thing happens nearly every year. We're used to it by now and though no one likes the devastation that comes with it, it is a fact of life that we've come to accept when it comes to living in Picardy."

"We'll do what we can to help you rebuild before we leave," promised Jack. "At least while we have all this extra manpower in the city. It'll be good for the men to work in teams helping to clean up. It'll help them bond together in another fashion."

Aedan started to say something else when a noise caught their attention from a distance.

"Jack! Jack!"

All of them turned to see Dustin running at nearly full speed toward the camp. Once he noticed Jack's eyes on him, Dustin pointed to the other side of the city.

"Jack, you have to come to the airfield! Something's horribly wrong. Our hangars have collapsed!"

That got everyone moving quickly. Thankfully, the distance between the two camps was walkable, as driving through the city with so much debris around wasn't possible at the current time.

As they neared the airfield, Jack made a quick detour to find Ambros, seeing as the Swabian camp was right next to it.

"I'll catch up," promised Jack as he waved them on. "Let me find out what the scope of the Swabian damage is."

As Dustin, Aedan, and Reina hurried off, Jack stepped into the Swabian camp, heading in the direction of the old farmhouse that Ambros used as his headquarters.

He found the Swabian King standing outside as he directed a platoon of men to clear up the debris directly in front of the house.

"Ambros!" called out Jack as he neared. "How did you fare in the storm?"

Ambros stopped what he was doing to approach Jack. "It could be worse, I suppose. Not many casualties but a few of our barracks are damaged severely. The men are grumbling this morning but I'm thankful it wasn't any worse. We get storms like this back in Cormfeld quite frequently so it's not like we've never experienced one before."

"I'm glad to hear that then," said Jack. "The city is a mess but it appears the other camp is in about the same condition as yours. I'm on my way to the airfield now to see the damage."

"I'll come with you," replied Ambros. "I wouldn't mind stretching my legs a bit."

The two men moved away from the camp and approached the tiny airstrip from the south. Even from a distance, Jack could see a good amount of devastation on the strip, mostly centered around the two hangars that contained the bulk of their aircraft (at least the ones that weren't already on theCenturion).

The problem with the hangars was that neither of them were still standing.

"Shit, those hangars have been leveled," swore Jack as he broke out into a run as they neared. "There's at least sixty aircraft parked in those two buildings!"

"It's not looking good, Jack," said Ambros. "None of the aircraft could have survived a total collapse like that."

Sure enough, Ambros was right on the money. All sixty planes inside the two buildings had been completely destroyed. They weren't even salvageable. The weight of the roof coming down on all of them just obliterated what was left of their sleek, wooden frames.

In only a day, Jack had lost almost forty percent of his total available airpower.

As Jack neared Aedan and Dustin, they were trying to pull part of the roof aside to reveal the full extent of the damage, while Reina watched in a state of near disbelief. Tension was already high. Dustin looked like he'd lost his firstborn child after the loss of so many planes, and Reina looked little better, mostly because these planes were of Carinthian origin and would be hard to replace.

However, none looked to be at more of a total loss than Aedan.

"I don't get how this could have happened," said the Picard King while shaking his head. "These hangars should have withstood the storm. This shouldn't have happened!"

"So many losses in planes," said Reina while shaking her head. "This will take months to replace. My factories just can't replace sixty planes without any notice."

"At least we still have theCenturion," said Jack. "It could have been a lot worse. A good portion of our airpower is tied up with the fleet."

"True but these are the replacements for that airpower," argued Aedan. "And if we don't have replacements, we're going to be out of luck once we get across the ocean and start taking casualties. This isn't looking good, Jack. Something here doesn't smell right."

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Aedan moved closer to one of the support beams of the hangar, which of course was now lying horizontally on the ground. "This hangar shouldn't have collapsed at all. This beam is made of solid steel, as are the rest of them. How could it have blown over in a simple storm, when I have lesser structures that are still standing?"

"This kind of thing happens in Swabia too," said Ambros, speaking up for the first time. "I've seen little hovels survive storms that take away modern construction. You can't predict where the intensity of the storm falls. Sometimes it just goes back to bad luck."

"Bad luck," grumbled Aedan as he crossed his arms. "Or sabotage."

It was at this point that the whole mood changed. What had been a somber occasion up to the last statement now turned to one of distrust and tension. Jack watched as Aedan, soon joined by Reina and Dustin, seemed to cast their suspicion toward Ambros at the mere mention of sabotage being brought up.

"You're quite certain the weather couldn't have done this?" asked Reina to Aedan.

"I'd bet money on it," said Aedan with a snort. "But I do know of someone else who would have a reason to sabotage our force. A country with whom we all just fought a devastating war against!"

Aedan didn't even have to point his finger. Everyone knew just who he was talking about.