Fourth Vector Ch. 46

At this point, the Galician lieutenant spoke up. "Sire, I have to say that their story makes sense. Over the last few days, I've seen these two become rather close friends. If these Carinthians started trouble, it makes sense that Pvt. Mikkelson would step up to defend his friend, Cpl. Perera."

Jack nodded and looked at the Carinthian soldiers. "If you two know what's best for you, you'll tell me the truth right now. Did you start trouble with the Swabian? Be honest."

One of the Carinthians looked at his feet but he eventually nodded a moment later. The other was actually vocal about it. "Yes, but in our defense, he's Swabian."

Jack looked at the officer who had detained them. "Go over there and find their superior officer and let them know what happened. Let them know that this was escalated to my attention, and that I'm asking that a suitable punishment be meted out to these men."

With those words, the two Carinthians were led away and both looked entirely unhappy about the change in events.

That left Jack with the Galician known as Brian and his friend, the Swabian known as Arnold.

"It's an admirable thing that you did, standing up for your friend," said Jack to Brian. He then turned to look at Arnold. "And for you as well. Not every man would take a punch for someone they didn't know a week ago."

Arnold actually grinned. "I'm just repaying him back. He sacrificed himself so that I could capture the flag yesterday. I guess you could say we're even now."

Jack's eyes narrowed as he looked behind him to Greg and Ambros. "Is this the pair that you were telling me about?"

Greg started to nod. "That's them all right. Pvt. Brian Mikkelson of the 16th Regiment and Cpl. Arnold Perera of the 3rd Swabian Regiment."

Jack actually grinned as he looked back at the two soldiers. "I tell you what, why doesn't Arnold visit a medic and get his face looked at? Once that's done, I'd appreciate it if you two would accompany me for a meeting tonight."

Brian actually paled. "Are we in trouble, Your Majesty?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing like that but I'd like for you to meet the King of Picardy and the Queen of Carinthia. Think you can handle that?"

Both Arnold and Brian shared an apprehensive look with each other.

"As long as we're not in trouble," said Arnold cautiously, causing Jack to chuckle.

"Trust me," said Jack. "Not with what I have in mind. Why don't you both meet me at this address in another hour? I'll explain more then."

*****

"Ah, Michael, there you are. Do you have a minute?"

Michael looked up from the dim light of his room to see that H was at the door. The older man's appearance had come out of nowhere, and Michael was quite shocked to see him that night.

"I didn't think you were here," said Michael. "There just hasn't been much noise tonight."

H nodded and moved closer, taking a seat near Michael. "I wasn't going to come at first. I figured it would be quiet as well, but then when I started to think about it, I knew you'd be here." H started to grin. "Looks like I was right."

Michael turned his attention to the crude journal in front of him. He'd stopped writing as soon as the H entered, and now he shut the cover completely.

"Did you want to talk about anything in particular? Or did you just want to talk in general?"

H nodded his head. "Something that's on my mind that I wanted to discuss with you if that's all right? Something that I think you could benefit from hearing."

Michael's full attention settled on the older leader. H leaned back against the wall, and he took a moment to collect his thoughts before he began speaking.

"Did you know that I have a daughter?" he asked, starting innocuously enough.

Michael shook his head.

H let out a long sigh. "Well, perhapshad a daughter is more appropriate."

"Did she die?" asked Michael.

"No, she didn't die. She's still alive, living out in some coastal village on the northern coast of Java. She has a husband and two boys that last time I heard but I haven't received much news from them at all."

"So that makes you a grandfather," said Michael. "I never would have thought of you in that light."

"Nor would anyone else here," admitted H. "I don't exactly go about flaunting my other roles. To everyone here, I've always been the leader of this movement, well, until you came along. But I had a life of my own at one time too. I used to work on a fishing boat, one that would sail the channel between Java and Occitania and bring in our quarry. My brother wasn't the only one who was meant to live on the sea."

Michael gave him a serious look. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

H reached up to stroke the underside of his chin. "When my brother died, I felt like my world collapsed. He was always my older brother, and I never knew life without him. He was my protector when we were younger, and when I got older, he was like my best friend. When he was set up as the scapegoat for Bancroft, I knew nothing but rage, nothing but anger."

"My whole life fell apart," continued H. "I lost my job on my fishing boat because I wouldn't show up to go out with them. I was too busy drowning my sorrows in alcohol. I lost all my money because as you well know, booze isn't cheap. And then I lost the most precious thing I had."

"Your daughter?" asked Michael.

H nodded. "My Eliza. A man couldn't ask for a better daughter. Smart, curious, loving, and beautiful, my Eliza has it all. And she was on the cusp of starting her family when I lost my brother. And I let the rage take over."

H let out a deep breath. "Eliza tried to pull me back from the edge many times. She was the one that rescued me from the bars when I was too drunk to push myself up. She was the one that let me sleep in her house when I got kicked out of my home. She was the one that listened to me rant and rave about everyone I wanted to kill because of their betrayal of my brother."

"It sounds like she understood where you were coming from."

"A little," admitted H. "But only to a certain extent. Eliza let me grieve but what she really needed was her father. She didn't need another child, not when she had one on the way herself. In that aspect, I totally failed, Michael. I let my rage blind me to everything else in my life, even my deteriorating relationship with my daughter. Because believe me, it started to deteriorate."

"In the end, I don't blame her for what she did," he continued. "She finally gave me an ultimatum. To stop drinking myself into a drunken stupor day after day and to be a father again. In my rage, I yelled at her. I told her she didn't understand and that she should be more upset about the death of her uncle. Well, that was the last time we talked. I left her house that very evening, making my way to Belfort with nothing holding me back from seeking the vengeance I knew I would have. But in the process, I sacrificed my soul. I gave up my family in order to get this revenge that I'm still seeking. Do you want to know something, Michael?"

"What's that, H?"

H closed his good eye and shook his head. "It hasn't been worth it. If I could quit this venture and go back to my daughter, I would in a heartbeat. I'd take up my old job on the boat, and I'd do it just to see her face and be able to play with my grandsons. But I let hatred turn it against me. I let that blind rage destroy everything and everyone that I cared about."

It was at this moment that H cut to the heart of the matter. "That's why I'm worried about you, Michael. There's too much of me in you. There's too much of that rage that I'm worried about you shutting off everyone around you. I'm worried about you isolating yourself from others. I'm worried about you losing what makes you who you are."

Michael raised his chin in a false sense of pride. "I'm not going to lose myself, H."

The older leader gave him a knowing look. "Those words sound familiar. I believe I've uttered the very same words to my daughter a few hundred times. Look where it got me."

Michael turned away from H at that moment, staring at the wall rather than confront the truth. He knew there was honesty in H's words but it was an honesty that was raw and difficult to hear.

Instead of accepting it, Michael chose to bargain his anger.

"I'm not shutting myself off from anyone," said Michael. "I get along with everyone here. You said so yourself that people look up to me as a leader. They wouldn't do that if I weren't available, if I weren't present."

"There's a big difference between being present and being engaged," replied H. "You're here but you're not here at the same time. Your mind is a thousand miles away. The longer you stay down here, the more hollow you're becoming. I know the real reason why that is, Michael. Your loss drives you to become the man that you are now but it's a road that you can't fully go down. It will destroy you if you allow yourself to commit fully to it. You have to pull back and realize that there is more to life than just vengeance."

Michael felt a lump in his throat begin to grow. "How do you stop yourself? How do you pull back before it's too late?"

H actually put a hand on his shoulder. "I wish I could tell you that answer. From my own experience, I missed the warning signs completely. I bungled my chance, and I paid the ultimate price for it. Don't become me, Michael. You have a life in front of you. You have your youth and your intelligence. You don't need to become a broken, old man with no one that cares about you."

"Sometimes I already feel that way," Michael admitted. "Sometimes I already feel broken."

"You're not there yet, Michael. You're close, but you haven't completely gone over the edge. You're hanging by your fingers and there's still hope you can pull yourself up but only if you don't shut yourself off to the people around you. I'm talking about me. I'm talking about Victor. I'm talking about those that you lead on your raids. And I'm even talking about Sarah."

Michael gulped heavily at the last name. "What does Sarah have to do with this?"

"She has more to do with this than you know. She wants to get to know you, Michael. She wants you to let her in."

"I can't let another woman in like that right now," said Michael. "Not after what happened."

"I'm not asking you to marry the girl," said H with a soft chuckle. "All I'm asking you to do is talk to her. Express what's on your mind. Laugh with her or cry with her, but do what you must. Don't continue to bottle it inside until you're like me and you have no one to talk to."

"You don't have no one," said Michael. "I'd talk with you, H."

H actually smiled. "I appreciate that, Michael. But more than anything else, I want to talk to my daughter. I want to tell her that she was right and that I should've listened. I think I owe her that much."

"Maybe there's still a chance you could turn things around with her?" suggested Michael. "Maybe it's not too late for you to go back."

H shook his head gently. "My time is over now, Michael. All I can do is watch over you as part of the younger generation. And pray that you don't make my mistakes. Don't lock yourself away from everyone, Michael. You're not made of stone, and you don't have to act like you are either. Let yourself be vulnerable with someone else before it's too late."

With those words, H briefly tapped Michael on the shoulder and made to exit the room. Before he could go, Michael called out to him.

"H, thank you," said Michael, meaning every word. "Maybe there's hope for me yet."

H gave him a kindly grin. "There was always hope for you, Michael. You're a better listener than I ever was which is why you'll be a better leader than I could ever be. Goodnight, Michael."

With those words, the older man was gone. Michael turned his attention to the front of his journal as he reflected on H's words. He now understood that he couldn't close himself off to the rest of the world but how could he try to open himself once more?

How could he attempt to be vulnerable with someone else again?

And how could he do it without getting hurt?

*****

Not long after breaking up the fight inside the camp, Jack and Ambros made their entrance into the residence of King Aedan in Zarah. It was already past dark, and while most of the city was preparing to wind down for the evening, Jack's biggest fight lay just ahead.

"You feel good about this?" asked Ambros right before they stepped into the room.

"As good as I can feel," replied Jack. "It's really our only shot. How do you think our boys are doing back there?"

Ambros smirked. "I'm not worried about them. I don't think we could have picked any better representatives of our cause."

"Me too. Okay, let's get this over with."

With those final words, Jack and Ambros entered a formal dining room that was being used already by King Aedan and Queen Reina. The two of them had been voted as the speakers for the rest of the Allies in regards to the Swabian opposition, which was hardly surprising. Reina had been the most inconvenienced by the charges against the Swabians because of the destruction of her airplanes, and Aedan was always the most vocal, which was a natural position for him to find himself in.

And now it was Jack's job to convince them that the Swabians could be full partners in their alliance.

"Good evening to you, Jack," said Aedan with an undertone of warmth to his words. His eyes traveled to Ambros, whom he was much more stiff in greeting. "Evening, Your Majesty."

"Aedan, Reina," replied Jack, nodding at both of them. "Thank you for meeting with me. I know there's still much to do and not much time to do it so let's get right into business."

"A wonderful idea," said Reina. "But before you speak, Jack, I thought you might want to know some news. I've just got word from my regent in Carinthia that twenty additional planes have been loaded onto a transport ship to rendezvous with our forces. These twenty planes were the latest output from my factories and since we're so lacking in planes now, it's something that we can use to augment our forces."

Jack's eyes widened. "That's incredible news, Reina. When will they be here in Zarah?"

"No more than three or four days. Since we're due to leave on the third day, They've been given orders to catch up to the rest of the fleet should they miss us. In any event, now we're only down forty planes instead of sixty."

"We shall take any help that we can get," replied Jack. "That's some of the best news I've received."

Reina and Aedan shared a humble look together before Aedan spoke up next.

"I have to say something," said Aedan as he turned his attention to Ambros. "I've been hard on the Swabians in the previous weeks for reasons that are well-known by now. However, in the interest of fairness, I have to extend a thank-you to King Ambros here. I know your men were equally involved in the clean-up of Zarah after the storm. I know the men of your army did their part, and though I didn't expect to see it, I'm still grateful for what you've done. So thank you for that."

Ambros bowed his head gently. "There's no reason why we can't be allies, King Aedan. Much about our world has changed. The traditional balance of power has been destroyed with this new threat. It's only natural that a new one emerges, one where I'd like for my forces to stand alongside the rest of the West."

It was at this point that Aedan's congeniality melted. "Well, that is still a very tall task if you ask me. Though I'm grateful for your help, I'm still not convinced that our peoples will fight together as one army. And until I see proof of that, I'm going to request that you honor our wishes to force the Swabians to leave the alliance."

Just like that, the tension in the room reappeared. It was at this moment that Jack knew his gamble had to bear fruit. Even though Aedan's stand had softened toward Ambros, he was sticking to his guns with his main argument, and only visual evidence could sway him in the other direction.

It was now or never.

"I know what your main concern is, Aedan," began Jack. "You feel that Swabians cannot fight alongside the rest of the Allies. That there will always be an undercurrent of doubt that will poison the well between them. You believe this doubt will ensure the men can't trust each other on the battlefield, and ultimately, that our forces will crumble upon meeting our enemy. But what if I told you that I have definitive proof that Galicians and Swabians, by all accounts the peoples that hated each other the most, could work together? That they could be comrades and even friends?"

Aedan gave him a skeptical look. "I'd have to see it to believe it, Jack."

"Say no more then," replied Jack as he turned to Ambros. "Will you bring in Pvt. Mikkelson and Cpl. Perera now please?"

Ambros walked out only to return with the lanky Galician and the large Swabian following directly behind him. Jack watched as both Aedan and Reina took in the newcomers' appearance. While the Galician didn't inspire much in the way of notice, both of their gazes looked over the intimidating-looking Swabian.

"King Aedan and Queen Reina, I'd like you to meet Pvt. Brian Mikkelson of the 16th Galician Regiment and Cpl. Arnold Perera of the 3rd Swabian Regiment," said Jack. "For the last week, they, along with the rest of their regiment, have been paired together for every drill, every meal, and just about every minute of spare time they have."

Aedan's eyes narrowed as he looked back and forth between the two soldiers. "Paired together? For what reason, Jack?"

"They've been paired together so they could learn to trust each other," replied Ambros. "We thought that if we could take the two peoples that distrusted each other the most and make friends of them, we could extend it to the rest of the army. We can show that it can be done."

"And how did that work out for you?" asked Reina as she eyed Arnold in particular. "Because I notice this Swabian has stitches on the side of his face. I'm guessing a fight broke out at some point?"

"Very coincidental that you ask that question, Reina," replied Jack. "Because the gash you see on the side of Arnold's face here was a result of your men."

Reina's mouth dropped. "My men?"

"Indeed," said Jack. "I think you'll receive a report of it at some point tonight from General Barca but I caught two of your men hazing these two for their friendship. That's where the story gets very interesting. You see, their hazing was centered on Arnold here but it was only Brian's intervention that caused the fight to become physical." Jack turned to look at Brian. "Why did you intervene, Brian?"

Brian cleared his throat awkwardly. "Because Arnold is my friend, Your Majesty. More than that, he's my comrade. And I wasn't going to let someone haze him just because of a misplaced preconception."

Jack couldn't contain his grin. "Misplaced is right. Would you say that you suffered from the same preconception in the beginning as well? Would you say that you didn't trust the Swabians one bit?"

Brian nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And would you say that this issue has been completely put to bed? Do you trust Cpl. Perera?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

"With your life?"

Jack felt like he was holding his breath after asking the question. Indeed, everyone in the room seemed to be waiting eagerly for Brian's response, even Arnold, who was now looking at his friend with much curiosity.

"With my life, Your Majesty," confirmed Brian as he shot a sideways grin at Arnold.

Jack could hear Aedan suck in air between his teeth. With a small smirk, Jack turned to face Arnold.

"What about you Cpl. Perera? Do you trust Pvt. Mikkelson with your life?"

Arnold cleared his throat. "I do, Your Majesty. Any man that will sacrifice himself for me like he did the other day has earned my undying trust."