Fourth Vector Ch. 49

On the other hand, he was a traitor to Java and all that it stood for. A man that had forgotten everything about his upbringing in order to throw his lot in with an uncivilized group of people on the other side of the ocean.

Both reactions were present as the people of Lockhaven looked at Jack. Most of them looked at him with a degree of curiosity, no doubt wondering what his next move would be or where he would go. A paltry few still looked on him with proud eyes, no doubt thinking he was there to finally liberate them from Bancroft and resume his rightful place as the city's best hero.

Alas, the vast majority regarded him with disdainful suspicion. Like he was someone who'd lost his way and must now pay the ultimate price.

Jack truly wondered which of them would be right in the end. If the nightmares were any indication, perhaps the majority would get their wish after all.

Shaking the thought from his head, Jack made his way to the three-story hotel that housed Walt McKenzie. It was a considerable improvement on his previous housing, but Jack had insisted that Walt take better accommodations, especially now that they were working so closely together.

The truth was that it wasn't an entirely altruistic request on Jack's part. This hotel was very near a camp of his most loyal soldiers, and the entrance was manned at all times of day. Should anyone get word of what Walt was doing for Jack, his life might be in jeopardy. The hotel accommodations were meant to keep him alive as much as it was to keep him comfortable.

With his security force flanked behind, Jack found the right room and gave three firm knocks to the door. He heard movement inside before the door swung open, and he found himself looking into the warm brown eyes of an old friend.

"I was wondering what time you might stop by," said Walt, shaking Jack's hand heartily. It was a decidedly muted greeting, especially compared with the bear hug that Walt gave him the first time they linked up two days ago.

"I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," said Jack, mostly because his gaze had swept into the room and found another occupant alongside Walt. This man had rustic features and dress, and Jack suspected right from the start that he was Tyrolean.

"Nonsense, this is the best time," said the older admiral as he beckoned Jack inside. "Besides, your arrival is fortuitous. I have someone here I'd like you to meet."

At those words, the Tyrolean sprung forward to give Jack a crisp handshake.

"I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jack Kincardine. I've heard quite a lot about you."

"I wish I could extend you the same courtesy, my friend," replied Jack. "But I'm afraid I don't even know your name."

"Jack, this is Evan with the Tyrolean Army," said Walt. "He's been my main liaison with the forces of Trevor Downing to the south. It was Evan here who first visited me in my home when I was still under house arrest, and it was his suggestion that I establish a communication channel to you through Commodore Lucas."

"Well in that case, it is a pleasure to meet you too, Evan," said Jack. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for your initial reconnaissance about the situation here in Java."

Evan grinned, a lippy smile that took over the entire lower half of his face. "We've been waiting for this day for a long time. Ever since Bancroft declared war on you, General Downing has been wanting to ally with your forces. We were hoping to find someone as committed to the destruction of the Emperor as we are."

"Destruction of the Emperor, yes, well put," said Jack. "I don't see this as a war against Java per se. To me and my forces, Bancroft and his men are the ones that need to go. Otherwise, for men like us, it would be tantamount to asking a good portion of our armies to fight their own."

Evan nodded to that statement but did not respond directly. Jack knew the reason why. Though they shared the Javan continent and shared leadership for many hundreds of years, most Tyroleans didn't think of themselves as Javan. Their loyalty to Tyrol came first, even when they were fighting in Javan units.

To them, they looked upon Java as a Picard would look upon a Swabian--a cautious neighbor to be watched from afar, never quite worthy of total trust.

"I'm glad you two were finally able to meet," said Walt, patting each man's back like the true diplomat he was. "Have a seat, we have much to talk about."

Walt's hotel room was at least furnished enough to include a small kitchen dinette that could be used as a makeshift conference table. Due to the circumstances, Jack took one end while Evan took the other, with Walt occupying the middle seat between them as per his role.

Evan was the first to start speaking once they were down, starting off on a lighter subject.

"I'm told there are many Tyroleans still fighting with your force, Jack. Many even from before the rebellion kicked off in earnest."

Jack nodded. "Some of my best fighters are Tyrolean. At one time, I had several regiments of Javan marines but you can imagine that attrition and time has whittled that down to one at present time. About forty percent of that regiment is Tyrolean, but that's not exactly surprising to me. Tyroleans have always been overrepresented in the Javan armed forces up until the rebellion due to their impressive marital spirit."

Evan let out an oversized grin. "Not much has changed in that regard except all my fighters now fill the ranks of the Tyrolean Army instead of the Javan. It's one facet we've come to rely on these days. Bancroft has to resort to conscripting gray-haired cripples but there's a steady stream of young men hitting their eighteenth birthday on one day and joining the Tyrolean Army the next. It has helped to sustain us in this war."

"I have heard though that Tyrol was running short on manpower overall," said Jack, his eyes narrowing in the process. "You're still making good on your losses though?"

Evan's head tilted from side to side. "Listen, Jack, the official answer is that the well of Tyrolean blood will never run dry. As long as one able-bodied person in Tyrol remains ready to fight, we'll fight against the Javans. However, I have no wish to start off being dishonest with you, especially if we have the same goal. The truth is that we are reliant on the young reaching manhood in order to join our ranks. The war has been devastating on us as well, and the sooner we bring this to an end, the better for everyone. I just happen to believe that Bancroft is in worse shape than we are but that doesn't mean that we're not one battle away from sharing the same fate. Make sense?"

"Perfectly," answered Jack. "It makes sense and I share the same belief that this war will be best ended as quickly as possible. So let's talk for a moment about Trevor Downing."

Evan blinked. "What about him?"

"What kind of man is he?" asked Jack.

Evan's eyes bounced from side to side as he tried to digest the question. Finally, he admitted defeat. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Can you elaborate?"

"I don't have the luxury of knowing him," explained Jack. "All I've heard about him is what I've learned from second-hand Javan reports as well as what I can get out of my air general, who just so happens to be Trevor's cousin. He's told me a bit about his life from before the war but here's what I'm most interested in, Evan--what kind of man is he? Is he the type that desires a fair peace for Tyrol so that he can return to his country when this is all over? Or is he seeking to attain power in the same mold as Bancroft? I'm trying to figure out if I'll be allying with another tyrant in the making."

Recognition sparked on Evan's face. "That's a fair question. I've known Trevor for almost two years now, from back when the war was nothing more than a peasant insurgency. Back in those days, we were happy if we were able to ambush a Javan fireteam after dark, let alone defeat armies. I joined Trevor's group after my village negotiated the first alliance with him, the first true unification of the rural Tyrolean villages into a single purpose. Back then, we had three leaders--those that spoke up for each village in turn. I was loyal to my leader and my village before ever transferring any loyalty to Trevor."

"So what changed for you?" asked Jack.

Evan smiled. "Trevor proved himself worthy of commanding our entire force. He planned our attacks, he concentrated our movements, and he was the one with the most previous combat experience. Not only that, he shared the fate of his men. He ate with them, drank with them, and shared the same accommodations. That man was born to be a leader and after enough time, recognition of his sole leadership was nearly universal."

"It's lucky then that you have a man like Trevor Downing this time around," said Jack.

"If we can, I'd rather not rely on luck," said Evan. "We've been fortunate to find ourselves in the position of strength that we are now but luck doesn't hold forever. We need resolution more than anything else."

"Something that we can agree on," said Jack. "How can I help that? What kind of ally are you looking for, Evan?"

"For one, we need someone to keep Bancroft fixed here in the north," explained the Tyrolean. "In the south, we slightly outnumber the Javan force in front of us but if Bancroft was able to unite both of his armies, our army would be substantially outnumbered. At that point, we couldn't help but be pushed back to Tyrol. We need your army to keep him occupied in the meantime."

"That's hardly much of a question to ask as that was our plan anyway," said Jack. "Not only to keep him occupied but to destroy him. Even if we cannot defeat him outright, at least begin to push him back toward Belfort. At that point, our combined forces could besiege him in the capital until he's forced to surrender."

Evan gave him a thoughtful look. "That's something that we would consider a best-case scenario. We don't have the capability to take Belfort ourselves. We would need your assistance if it came to that."

"The way that I see it, our success depends on each other," said Jack. "As we would have the same problem if both Javan armies united against my army. We have to keep Bancroft's attention split between the two of us. It's the only way."

Evan shot a glance over at Walt. "You were entirely right about him. He's a very pragmatic sort of guy."

Walt started to chuckle. "The best thing that could have happened for everyone was to have Jack's army land on the continent. The noose has been set. Now it's just a matter of pulling it tight."

"I will ask one more question though before we seal this meeting," added Evan, looking back at Jack. "You asked about General Downing's intentions regarding the Javan surrender but you didn't tell us yours. Are you looking to make yourself the next Javan emperor upon our victory?"

Jack started to shake his head right away. "I have no desire to be emperor of anything, let alone Java. I have a kingdom already as well as a home. I want nothing more than to return to my capital city and live in peace. I've had enough of war in the last three years. However, I would like stability here in Java before I go. What that looks like, I haven't decided yet but I won't go until I'm certain that there's a capable hand on the throne but it won't be my hand."

Evan thought about the answer for a moment before nodding. "It seems that we understand each other. On behalf of Trevor Downing and the nation of Tyrol, I humbly offer you our partnership in alliance against the Javan emperor. Your enemies will be my enemies and my friends will be your friends until the time that our war goals have been properly met. Do you accept our alliance?"

Jack reached his hand across the table. "I do. On behalf of the Kingdom of Galicia and as the Overlord of the Western Alliance, we accept the partnership of Tyrol and look forward to the day that we can bring down Percival Bancroft."

Evan reached across and took his hand, grasping it firmly. From the middle, Walt added his hands to the top.

"I think we've just witnessed something significant," said Walt with a twinkle in his eyes. "You would think I'd be more ambivalent about seeing the start of an alliance against my own country but I find myself strangely upbeat. Like a weight has lifted off my shoulders."

"With any luck, a weight will lift off of all the shoulders of the Javan people soon," said Jack. "Once we remove Bancroft, they can resume their lives as they once knew it."

"And my people can attain a freedom that they've been dreaming about for the past several centuries," added Evan. "I feel now that we are closer to that dream than ever before."

Evan stayed to make polite conversation for another ten minutes before he excused himself, citing a need to get word back to Trevor Downing about the official approval of the alliance. His leaving left Jack and Walt to themselves, giving them another chance to catch up.

"Funny sort of man that one," said Jack once Evan was gone. "He seems like the type to move mountains to get what he wants."

Walt blew air through his cheeks. "Imagine the way I felt when he barged into my house during the night hours. At first, I thought he was one of Bancroft's assassins and my time was finally up."

Jack started to chuckle. "Speaking of which, I'm glad to see you're here in one piece. One of my fears during the ocean crossing was that Bancroft would do something rash with you. I'm glad that's not the case."

"I'm sure the idea occurred to him, especially after my refusal to be his viceroy," said Walt. "But I think the old man has some kind of affinity for naval officers. Of all the men proscribed since this started, the navy has gotten off relatively easy. There's still something soft within him yet for his old profession."

Jack grunted. "It's hard to believe that we're having that conversation at all. I remember him when he still had a shred of humanity left. When he taught at the Academy, he was regarded as the brilliant innovator that he really was. How has he fallen this hard?"

"Such is the fate of all that lust for power like he does," said Walt. "Even within our own circles, we knew it. Long before he was even head of the navy, some of us older officers knew where he was going. In the beginning, we had a grudging respect for his abilities but as time went on, his talents were subsumed by his desire to control. I don't know how much of the old Bancroft is left in him. Maybe nothing?"

"In a way, that makes what we have to do a little easier," said Jack. "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be on a mission to kill a former mentor, but here we are. It won't be easy regardless but it becomes a little easier when I know that nothing is left of that old, kind teacher."

Walt stepped up for a moment to pour himself a glass of water. He grabbed two containers and set one down in front of Jack. "Ever wish we could go back to those days when we were celebrated as the victors of a great battle? I still have fond memories of that parade back in Belfort."

Jack nodded before parching his thirst. "As do I. Those were the days, weren't they? Back when we only had one enemy and the whole world wasn't at war with each other."

"Yes, I quite hoped that I would see out the last of my days in peace. That's become increasingly distant the further that I fall away from Bancroft. Maybe with your arrival, Jack, we can get to that place again."

"Here's to hoping," said Jack, raising his glass of water.

The two men continued to talk for some time until Ben came away from the door, his eyes set on Jack.

"Jack, Bill Calland is here to see you."

"Send him in, Ben," replied Jack before turning to look at Walt. "I have someone I'd like you to meet. Someone that I think you'll like."

Bill Calland entered the room like someone who was profoundly aware of the fact that he was late. It was the same look that was on his face as the one that Lindy wore more than an hour earlier.

"Where's the Tyrolean delegation?" asked Bill, looking around.

Jack chuckled to himself. "Already gone, Bill. I've agreed to the terms of an alliance though. The people of Tyrol are fighting alongside us."

Bill looked distinctly embarrassed. "I apologize for being late, Jack. I had the hardest time finding this hotel. It makes me wonder how your people have achieved any bit of greatness when they can't even plan their cities on simple grids."

"You're right, Jack," said Walt as he started to laugh. "I do like him already."

"Bill Calland, I'd like you to meet Admiral Walt McKenzie," introduced Jack. "Bill is my right-hand man back at home. There's not a lot that I do without him, apart from signing new alliances."

Bill turned red. "Really, I'm sorry about that one, Jack."

"I'm just teasing you, my old friend," said Jack, putting his hands up. "I should've given you better instructions and for that I apologize. You're right, finding where to go in Lockhaven can be quite difficult if you don't know the street layout. Sometimes, I take the layout for granted since I grew up here."

"In any event, you didn't miss much, Bill," added Walt. "I'd say they both got what they wanted by making the negotiations short and sweet. I'm just glad that I didn't blink during the course of it or I might have missed it."

Jack actually managed to look wounded. "They weren'tthat short."

Walt slapped his hand against his knee. "Now who's the teasing one, Jack?"

"I think we're going to get along just fine, Walt," said Bill, finally managing a laugh on his own.

Once the laughter had died down, Jack turned to look at Bill. "Any word yet from Dustin and his flyers? Have we located Bancroft's army yet?"

Bill shook his head. "To my knowledge, they aren't back yet. Although they should be due at any moment. The last I heard was that these flyers took off from the makeshift airstrip outside of town. Dustin had two squadrons of planes transferred to land operations from theCenturion. This was just in case the army and the fleet would need to separate, both could count on air coverage."

"I'll need to remind myself to thank him for that when I see him next," said Jack. "That's a wise idea. Okay, keep me posted. I want to know the second we've located Bancroft."

"I have a runner that will come find me," said Bill. "Although I hope he has better luck than I do at finding me in this hotel."

"By the way, Jack, I've been meaning to ask you about your airpower," said Walt, changing the subject temporarily. "I've heard through the rumor mill that Bancroft has planes of his own. Designs that have been molded to both land and sea configuration. Have you run into them yet?"

Jack started to nod. "On the sea, we have. The fleet under Reynolds had put in their first seaplanes and we had to deal with them on the passage over. For the most part, they weren't any match for our men and we downed the majority that we encountered. I haven't seen evidence of Bancroft's land-based power yet."

"I'm sure if he thought to put them on water, he'll have thought to put them on land as well," noted Walt. "Even for an old sea dog like Bancroft. However, I'm sure he won't be able to put as many planes in the sky as what I've seen from your forces."

"True but there's a caveat there," said Jack. "While we have better planes and better flyers, our supply line is noticeably longer and more strained with us being here. Our losses will be harder to replace. As long as Bancroft is in control here on the continent, he can throw wave after wave of plane at us. We'll shoot down most of his but inevitably, he'll get some of ours. It's this kind of attrition that worries me the most. It's another reason why we need to strike hard against him and wrap this war up as quickly as possible. A drawn-out conflict is the kind of thing that would choke our supply lines."