Chapter 9: Crossroads

*****

"So do you think there's any chance Heron might let us keep a portion of the gold?" asked Greg with a sideways glance. "You know, as a finder's reward for the recovery of it?"

Jack rolled his eyes as he began to chuckle at his old friend. "Fat chance of that. Besides, are you forgetting we have our own treasury aboard the Destiny?"

Greg scoffed. "That's more or less for our mission though. I meant more like a personal reward. As a way to say thank you for our efforts?"

"I don't think so," said Jack. "I think there's people that need it far more than we do."

Jack chuckled again when his friend didn't respond and assumed a sour look. They were a full day on the western side of Mount Tarpeious, following the route that led down the side of the mountain to the great coastal road. Each of them held the reins of a horse behind them, carefully guiding the worn-out creatures down the path while their precious cargo remained hitched to the wagons behind.

The ascent up the mountain had practically devastated the horses, who were exhausted from hauling the heavy treasury up the steep, narrow paths. Of course, their former owners paid no effort to resting the beasts, preferring to spur them onward in the hope of ultimate reward. For that reason, the horses were in poor shape to continue the descent, so Heron made the decision to walk them for as long as they could. They also rotated the team that were hitched to the wagons in order to keep them fresh, splitting the treasury between them to lighten the load as much as possible.

For that reason, the seven of them cut a more leisurely pace coming down the mountain than they had going up. In the front, like usual, were the three Sorellans—Heron, Nikias, and Elektra. The two younger Sorellans led the way while the king stayed a few feet behind. No one else knew the terrain as well as they, and they were able to pick the best tracks and paths on the way back to Heron's capital.

Just behind the Sorellans were the two Galician women, currently laughing together while in conversation. The noise seemed to carry a full distance back, earning Jack's attention as he focused on the right, the beautiful and mysterious Kat. As if sensing his eyes on her, she half-turned to look back at him, and she gave him a coy smile as soon as their eyes locked. A smile that didn't escape notice from the companion at his side.

"Kat seems to be adjusting to the group nicely," noted Greg while wearing a smirk.

Jack took his eyes off of her and cast them back on the road in front of them. "I rather like her. She's a good addition."

"And it seems she rather likes you." Greg elbowed him in the side. "Well, now she does!"

Jack cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I know you've seen it just as I have," said Greg with a laugh. "She won't stop looking back here. I see the look on her face. She looks like a teenager with a crush."

Jack turned red. "I can't figure her out. Our conversations seem to run both hot and cold. Especially when it turns back to her past."

"She's useful to have around though," said Greg. "We'd never have known about the Swabian intentions had she not been with us."

"True," agreed Jack. "She has been extremely useful. I'm more worried about what she'll do when we get back to the capital."

"Why? What do you think she'll do?"

Jack shrugged. "I initially only promised to take her that far. Although we have talked about going to Picardy next, nothing has been finalized. I'm curious to see if she'll stick with us or if she goes on her own way once we're back."

"You act like that's a bad thing," said Greg. "There are many people we might never see again. Why is that such a bad thing if it's Kat?"

Jack locked eyes with Kat again. It's almost as if she knew they were discussing her even if she was out of hearing range. She smiled once again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before turning her attention back to Vera.

"I'm not sure if I can explain it. She's got so much knowledge of the Vector that having her around as our guide could be extremely useful. Plus, the more we learn about these Galicians, the more I want to have one around. They seem like fascinating people."

Greg elbowed his side again. "Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?"

"Huh?"

"Come on, Jack. She's gorgeous too! I can see why you'd want to keep someone that beautiful around, especially considering she has eyes for you."

Jack coughed awkwardly. "She is beautiful. But there's more to her than that. I just have to figure it out."

"By the way she keeps looking at you, I think she'd let you unravel herself. Maybe even her clothes if you're lucky," said Greg.

Jack didn't say anything to that. His mind was too conflicted. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to talk with Kat about deeper matters. It's just that every time he tried, she shut down, preferring to retreat behind her walls of safety rather than expose the bad memories of her life. Sure, it could just take more time, but there was more to Kat beyond just a pretty face. But how long would it take before she let him in?

*****

The most serious discussion of the entire return trip started the day before they reached the coast. It had been nearly five days since they'd come down from the rocky path near the crest, and the track had long since turned back into a proper road as it widened and the grade stabilized. It was on the morning of the fifth day that Jack could finally see the coast once more, just being able to make out the waves in the distance as they crashed ashore.

It was comforting to him to be back in sight of water. Growing up on the coast, as well as being in the navy, meant there hadn't been many days in his life where he wasn't on the water or near it. The past two weeks spent in the Sorellan interior had been a shock to his system, and he was glad for the return to normality. However, being close to the coast meant a new question had arisen in the group. The question of whether to take the southern path back to the capital or to chase the Swabians on the northern path.

"All I'm saying is that we should try," said Elektra while her father listened on closely. "We know Barak was being paid by the Swabians, and we also know they were going to pick him up on the coast. Now that we're almost there, we should try to intercept them."

On the opposing side, her father began by shaking his head. "The coast is too broad, Elektra. There are hundreds of bays and inlets and just as many villages jotting the coast all the way to the other side of the island. Who knows where Barak intended to meet them?"

"Well, it's obvious he's not going to meet them back on the eastern side of the island," she said while crossing her arms in front of her body. "The easiest path for him would have to be near our current location. They wouldn't have wanted to go far and they had to know we'd be hot on their tail by now."

"Suppose we were able to find them?" asked Heron. "What then? What do we do when a Swabian warship comes looming up the coast only to see that we're the ones standing there and not Barak. What then?"

Elektra blinked. "We could fire off a few warning shots if they tried to land. Otherwise, we could let them know we discovered their plot. They may think twice about any future plans if they know we're aware of their intentions."

Heron shook his head. "I don't think firing off warning shots at the Swabians would do us any good right now. They are more than likely to fire back and then what? We barely have any ships to repel any attacks. We haven't even recovered from our last war!"

"We can't let them plot to steal all of our gold either, Papa," said Elektra fiercely. "We should make an example out of them."

Heron took a deep breath and brought his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them in frustration. Jack listened silently. Both of their points had merit, but he agreed more with the king. Sorella was in no position to get herself into another war so soon after the last one. He thought it wise to show restraint right now unless the Swabians showed even more aggression.

As if sensing his thoughts, Heron turned to look at Jack. "What say you, Jack? Should we go chasing after the Swabians?"

Both father and daughter looked at him expectantly. It was clear both of them expected Jack to take their side in the discussion. And while he liked Elektra's aggressive and assertive stance, he needed Sorella to recover her strength.

"This is one of the few times I have to disagree with Elektra," said Jack quietly, watching as the young woman's face fell to the ground. "If these Swabians are as deadly as we heard, we're in no position to face them just yet."

"They are extremely deadly," interrupted Kat from just behind him. "Their empire has been expanding for the last hundred years. They are the largest power in the Vector. Sorella wouldn't stand a chance against a determined attack."

"We already did once," said Elektra. "We turned away their attack with our ultimate weapon—Sorellan fire."

Kat shrugged. "Then it wasn't a determined one. Swabia is over a hundred times larger than Sorella, and their people number in the millions. They would overrun you if they chose to."

"So that means we should just let them walk all over us?" asked Elektra with an angry stare. "Not even fight back or offer any resistance?"

Jack held up his hands. "Peace, Elektra. That's not what I'm saying. I think what I have in mind, and what your father has in mind, is that we should choose our battles wisely. If we can recover some of our strength, they'll find a more determined enemy."

Heron began to nod. "Exactly, my dear." He put both his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "No one here doubts your martial prowess. You will be an excellent queen someday. I hope that day is a long way off but excellent you will be, regardless. Let us try to rebuild our homeland before we go looking for any more trouble. All right?"

Elektra pursed his lips before nodding reluctantly. Before her father could say anything further, she shrugged herself out of his grasp and walked away from the group. Once she was out of sight, Heron let out a sigh.

"I don't think I'll be winning father-of-the-year anytime soon," he said quietly to Jack.

"She'll be all right," said Jack. "I think she understood what we meant. She's a fierce one though. I can't blame her for wanting to fight."

"Neither can I," agreed Heron. "And if I thought we were in any place to offer resistance, it would be a different conversation."

"You did the right thing," said Jack. "Just give her some time."

"Perhaps once we're back home, it will help the matter," said the king. "We're so close to the city, I feel like I can hear it already."

"It will be nice to sleep in a warm bed again," said Jack. "All this time spent on the ground hasn't done my back any favors."

Heron laughed. "Imagine how you'll feel in another fifteen years. That's me right now." When both men chuckled along together, Heron opened up again. "We'll have to start some preparations. If the Swabians do try anything hostile, we'll want to be prepared."

"I agree," said Jack. "It can't hurt to start the preparations."

Heron sighed. "And here I hoped that we could settle down in a long era of peace. All the longer that idea lasted! With war once again on the horizon, will we be prepared to outlast another conflict?"

"That's the question I ask myself every night before going to bed," said Jack honestly.

Heron nodded. "We only do what we can. No more and no less."

"And prepare," added Jack. "Prepare for what is to come."

*****

When the time came to choose the route, there was little fanfare over the decision. The group came to a stop as the western mountain road met the north to south coastal road. Just a bit further out from the junction stood the great ocean, its waves lapping generously at the coast. Jack watched as the king led the group to the southern path, and all of them followed him silently on the road back to the capital.

It was the right decision to make for the time, and even Elektra seemed to realize it was a better course, offering no such argument once the decision was made. From this point, they'd be in the city by the next evening, and Jack was looking forward to seeing his crew once again. Despite Abigail keeping him informed of their progress through his radio, they hadn't been able to have a proper conversation with how weak the signal had been. He was anxious to gaze at his ships once more and see the men and women that had sailed halfway across the world with him.

That night, most of the group went to bed early, eager to wake and complete the journey. Despite the danger from Barak being gone, and not running into any further bands of ex-soldiers or thieves, they still set a watch while most of them slept—for the gold if not for anything else. That night it was Kat's turn to start the first part of the watch. Jack looked on as every other member of the group made their way to their sleeping bags, finally leaving the two of them alone next to the fire.

"You're not tired yet?" asked Kat while nudging him gently. They were sitting on the same log and it only took a slight extension of her arm to be able to reach him. Kat had been holding some kind of book in her lap, and she was writing something inside.

"Not yet," said Jack. "I figured I'd stay up a little. Keep you company. Is that okay?"

Kat smiled. "It's more than okay. That would be great."

"What are you writing about?" he asked while gesturing to the book.

Kat shrugged and looked back down at the book. She finished whatever she was writing and then closed it. "It's about my journey so far. I keep it updated with what happens and where I go. Especially now with Jacob gone, I think it's important to keep it updated."

"Is there anything else in there? Anything regarding this prophecy you told me about?"

Kat smiled coyly. "Maybe. There may even be something about you in there."

"Oh, really?" Jack made a playful grab of the book before Kat pulled it out of his reach, giggling at his attempt.

"Jack, no!" she said with a laugh as he settled down. "You're not ready for this yet."

"Or you just don't want me to see your innermost thoughts," he countered. "Is that more accurate?"

She studied him for a moment, her gaze looking all over his face. There was something deeper to the look, something that he couldn't quite read.

"These are my innermost thoughts, yes," she said finally. "And yes, there's a lot in here but nothing that concerns you at the moment." She ended with a tone of finality, something that made Jack give up on the request, if temporarily.

"We should be back in the capital tomorrow," said Jack after a few moments, changing the subject. "No more roughing it, at least for a while."

"I'm looking forward to going there," said Kat. "I hear it's a beautiful city."

"You've never been there?"

Kat shook her head and her blonde hair danced across her shoulders. "Not in the city, no. I've only seen it from afar."

"Why not in the city?" asked Jack.

"There wasn't enough time," said Kat ominously.

Jack chuckled. "I take it you're not going to tell me that full story?"

Kat looked at him and smiled. "Not yet, at least."

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to be more open with me," said Jack. "Especially if I let you be my guide to Picardy."

Kat's eyes fell to the fire. "I'm sorry, Jack. There are some things that are just too much or too hard to understand right now. I promise I'll be more open in time."

He gulped and then turned away. Twice now in the space of minutes they had come to a fault line of their relationship. Twice she had spurned him away, and he hated to keep having his hand burned. Perhaps he was just asking the wrong questions? Perhaps she had no intention of letting him past her walls as well? Either way, it didn't help the situation.

Jack leaned back and put his hands on his knees. "I guess I'll get some sleep then. Sleep well, Kat."

Before he could even walk away, she raised her hand. "Jack, wait."

He turned to face her, and she gestured for him to sit back down. He resumed his seat slowly, and Kat placed her hand against his wrist. Her touch was warm and soft, and truthfully, he hoped it would stay there as long as she needed.

"I know it's not fair that I don't have a lot of answers for you," she said slowly. "Especially when you've let me into your group and you've saved my life."

Jack nodded slowly, remaining silent.

Kat took a deep breath. "It's just the task that I have in front of me is so serious that I've dedicated my life to doing it. I feel that I'm close, so very close, to having a breakthrough that I don't want to chance anything. And if I'm right, it will change the course of the entire world. I know that probably sounds cryptic, and possibly very weird in all honesty, but that's the situation. Just please don't be frustrated with me? That's all I ask."

Jack nodded. "I understand what you're going through. To feel like you have so much riding on your shoulders that one tiny thing can upset the entire situation. Believe me, I get that."

Kat locked eyes with him and nodded.

"But we're in the position to help each other," he added. "And I can't help you if I know nothing about you or the kind of task you're on."

She took a deep breath. "That's a fair point."

"Can you at least tell me who this person is you're looking for? What are they supposed to be doing?"

Kat opened her mouth to speak but shut it. Instead of answering right away, she began to rummage through her pack to pull her journal back out again.

"Would it help if I showed you a few lines of the prophecy? It could help to give you an idea of who I'm looking for," she said.

Jack shrugged and smiled. "Sure, why not? Although it may sound a bit like gibberish to me. That kind of stuff always does."

Kat smiled and began to flip the pages until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a passage and let him read it directly.

Born during the day turned night,

The king without a crown shall be.

The tamer of the littles,

Sisters will reunite at his joining.

He will occupy that which has been empty,

and rekindle that which has perished.

Empires beware, his hands will destroy,

Unite they will to cause his destruction.

He will unite both dark and fair,

Giving both seeds as heirs.

Plagues and pestilence will banish,

The skies will soon be conquered.

Balance to the world will be restored,

Bring forth freedom to those oppressed.

The freer of slaves will bring light,

And cast away evil forever.

Jack reread the passage twice before finally looking back to Kat. "Yep, this looks like it says everything and nothing at the same time."

Kat pulled the journal away from him indignantly. "It says many things, Jack! Most of them profound!"

"Pestilence will banish? The skies will soon be conquered?" repeated Jack. "What does that even mean? How do you conquer the sky?"

Kat growled at him. "There's a reason prophecy is written like this. To keep away those who can't look beyond the words to the deeper meaning. There are many things that could be meant by that verse."

"And that's why I never cared for it growing up," said Jack. "When any answer could be the right one, the passage can be twisted to mean anything."

"It will make sense in time," said Kat. "It has to. I deeply believe in it. The prophecy isn't wrong."

Jack watched her while she stared into the fire. For several brief moments, she poked at a log with a smaller stick, offering no other words yet still wearing a sour look on her face.

"Kat, I'm sorry," said Jack. It was his turn to reach out and touch her, and he rested his hand gently on her forearm. She felt soft and inviting, yet he tried to focus once again on her words. "I know it's important to you. I just don't understand it well and that largely stems from my upbringing. Javans look at prophecy like it's a bunch of nonsense."

"Some of us do hold it in high esteem though," she said softly.

"I understand," he answered. "Maybe one day you can show me what this all means to you. I'm not saying I'll fully comprehend it, but I'll at least give it a shot."

Kat turned her head quickly back to look at him. Their eyes locked, with only the dancing flames reflecting in each other's gaze. "You're a very rare person, Jack," she whispered softly.

"So does that mean you'll stick with me for a while? While we explore the Vector?" he asked.

Kat nodded her head eagerly. "Of course. As long as you'll have me?"

Jack's eyes flickered to her lips. The way she emphasized her last words was suggestive enough to add a thick layer of tension to that which was already present in most of their interactions. The warmth from the fire and the soft feeling of each other's touch fueled the moment, and Jack found himself leaning forward, beckoned in by the sweet siren song of her lips. Kat seemed to feel it too, and she started to lean in as well, her eyes closing slowly.

"Jack, what are you doing up? Can't sleep?" came a voice from several feet away.

Both Jack and Kat jumped apart quickly at hearing the new voice, a rapid reaction that was just as guilty as it appeared. In the next moment, Heron came to stand by the fire, still wiping sleep out of his eyes. Luckily, he seemed to be too groggy to be fully aware of what had almost happened.

"Yeah," said Jack quickly. "Just couldn't go to sleep. I figured I'd keep Kat company for a moment."

Heron started to laugh. "A moment? Look at the moon, son. It's past midnight. It's time for my watch."

Jack blinked. Have we really been sitting there that long? He assumed an embarrassed look, only diminished by the fact that Kat's face held much the same quality.

"Well then, I guess we'll have to be getting to sleep. Can't be too tired for the march into your city tomorrow, right?" said Jack, recovering the situation.

Heron nodded and assumed a comfortable spot on a nearby log. "Not for tomorrow, that's for sure!"

"I suppose Jack and I should get to our sleeping bags," said Kat quietly while standing up to stretch. Jack nodded and followed her on the way out as Heron bid them goodnight.

Jack never got a chance to find out where that conversation could've gone. Kat gave him one last coy smile before she slipped into her bag and turned her back away from him. Jack watched her for a brief moment before turning on his back and looking at the stars. Mysterious woman, indeed.

*****

The final stretch of road leading back to the capital was more of a blur than anything. For Jack, it meant finally seeing signs of the city long before they reached it. More people started to appear on the roads and the traffic situation increased. Numerous houses and small villages began to cluster closer together, especially as the road turned inland in the last half day before reaching the city.

At one point, Heron even pointed out a separate road that branched off from the main one. "That road leads to my naval base. Let's get everyone back to the palace, and then we'll go see what our engineers have been up to with your ships!"

It was just about midafternoon when the party emerged around a small hill and once again took sight of Heron's capital, partly shrouded by the great defensive wall that had been the sight of their victory against Daimanos. The defensive wall was still in poor shape, with numerous craters and blasts scarring the intricate stonework. However, with the war ending, there hadn't been any rush to fix it. Now, with this new business with the Swabians, there was a new need.

"We'll need to get our men working on getting our wall back to form," said Nikias to the king. "In its current condition, it wouldn't be very helpful."

"You're right as usual, Nikias," said Heron. "See to it that it takes some precedence immediately. We can never be too careful."

"It looks like we're finally back to your home, Heron," said Jack. "Good to be back?"

Heron grinned. "Ecstatic. It will be good to see my people again. Come! Let's see if we can slip through without making too big of an entrance."

If that was his intention, it largely failed. The sight of the king's party at the entrance to the main gate caused a fanfare of its own. Their victorious king, not seen since the last victory over Daimanos at the city walls, was celebrated by the common masses. All around them, whoops and hollers by the Sorellan citizens filled the air, thankful that their sovereign was finally home.

At one point, Greg slipped right next to Jack as they led the horses pulling the wagon. "What do you think they'd do if they knew what was really in this wagon right now?" Greg muttered quietly.

Jack looked back at the wagon. All of the gold underneath was heavily concealed by several layers of tarp. It was just about impossible for anyone on the street to figure out that an entire fortune passed by right under their noses. "Who knows? It's probably a better thing they don't though!"

The euphoria in the capital was a far different experience from the war-torn city Jack had remembered previously. For one, masses of citizens filled the streets, and there was a significant vibrancy about the city that he was just seeing for the first time. Much of the damage from the last battle had been cleaned up as well. Although there was still the occasional building that was in a state of decay, the Sorellan people had done a remarkable job of cleaning up in the past few weeks. Many of the faces of the citizens showed hope, a renewed belief that the worst was now over and that a long peace could return. Jack just hoped that it wouldn't be in vain, and that they could enjoy the blessings of peace for as long as they could. If anyone had earned that peace, it was the Sorellan people.

The entire procession made their way right to the small royal palace near the center of the city. Once on the grounds, Heron gave orders for his servants to escort the wagon inside for unloading into his treasury while he waved off the crowd that had been following them from the city gate. Almost immediately, they began to disperse, but not before offering final cheers for their sovereign.

"Well, now we can get back to some normality," said Heron once the bulk of the crowd had left. Most of his servants had gathered out in the central veranda to await the arrival of the king, many of them excited to see the faces of the Sorellans gathered once more. One face in particular was happiest to see Vera's though.

"Melora!" cried out the young Galician woman as she caught sight of her friend from afar. In the next instant, Vera bounded across the floor and hugged her former friend.

"So good to see you," said Melora as she wrapped her own arms around Vera. "We've all missed you terribly!"

"How long have you been here?"

"Not quite two weeks. We only left Daimanos' palace right after you," said Melora. "Come, all the girls are in the main wing. You should see our quarters!"

Vera looked back to Jack and Heron for the silent permission. The king began to laugh once he figured out what she was seeking.

"Go on, Vera!" implored the king with a fatherly smile. "I'm sure it'll be good to see your friends after all this time."

Vera grinned while nodding her head to the king. Before she left, she grabbed Kat by the arm and pulled her along too. "You have to meet my friend, Kat, as well," said Vera as their voices started to echo down the hall. "She's from my country too. Kat, these were the women I was telling you about." Kat's eyes searched for Jack one last time, giving a helpless smile as she was practically dragged along the hall. Their voices slowly started to peter out the further away from the veranda they walked.

Jack started to chuckle. "I think Vera had the best homecoming yet," he said to Heron, earning a hearty laugh from the king.

"Well, at least it sounds like those girls are in good spirits. While my palace is nothing like that of Daimanos, it seems that Melora is at least happy. I so hoped that this arrangement would work out for them."

"Now that we're back, I'd say there's probably a mountain of paperwork I'll need to catch up on," said Nikias next. "I really should start attending to that."

Before Heron could respond, Elektra started to nod her head as well. "Same with me. There's no telling what's slipped in while we've been gone."

"Not a problem, unless you're sure you don't want to accompany myself, Jack, and Greg up to the naval base?" asked Heron.

Nikias shook his head. "That's okay. I'd like to start getting caught up in the meantime."

Elektra was in full agreement as well and without waiting for a further response, the two disappeared deeper into the palace.

"Well, that was a bit curious," said Greg as soon as they were gone.

"I had no idea they were that eager to get back to work," said Heron with an incredulous smile.

"Or perhaps two weeks of our company was just about enough for them," said Jack with a laugh. The three men chuckled amongst themselves for a moment until Heron had an idea.

"No matter," said Heron with a wave. "Let me get my carriage ready to go, and we'll ride up the coastal road to the naval base. It'll be better than horses and a much-needed comfort after all this time on our feet."

Just about forty-five minutes later, they left the palace once again in the king's gray-colored carriage on their way to the Sorellan naval base. For Jack, leaving so soon after arrival felt a bit odd but even though it happened quickly, he was eager to go to the base. For one, he missed his comrades with the task force dearly and for two, he really wanted to check out their progress on the repairs while he was away.

It didn't take very long for them to arrive, retracing their steps back up the coastal road and then taking the short path that Heron had identified earlier in the day. It was near dinner time when they finally arrived at the entrance of the great base, and Jack nearly gawked at seeing it up close.

He never would have guessed that Heron's facilities were this impressive. Multiple buildings with their own different roles surrounded the bay that made up the base, and once he was able to get a full view, he could see clearly all the ships he was looking for. The Tiger was the first in sight even though she was the furthest one away and berthed against the main quay. Jack was pleased to see her nose had been repaired, and a recent paint job left the ship with a full shine against the backdrop of the setting sun.

As his eyes swept over to the dry docks, he found the other two ships of his task force still being worked on. The sound of that work carried over to his side of the base as multitudes of men worked to get the vessels fully repaired. He was pleased to see that the Destiny appeared to be in good shape, but just as dismayed to see the Valiant still had the damage to her deck.

On the other side of the harbor, he noticed his supply ships, recognizing the class from the last time he had seen one back at Quiller's Cove. The sight of so many Javan ships filled him with happiness, and he was anxious to see the crew once more.

Heron must have noticed his change in behavior because he laughed heartily as he clapped Jack on the back. "Come. Let's go find your crew!"

The three men slipped past the front guard who, seeing that he had the king of Sorella himself approaching as a visitor, quickly informed his superior to get word to the chief of the base. Heron bid them all to meet in the common room of the local barracks, and they soon made their way there.

Along the way, Jack began to see familiar faces. Sailors and marines who had cruised with him for months could be found all around the base, most of them recognizing him or Greg as they walked by. A good portion of them greeted their arrival with great enthusiasm, and Jack found himself just as happy to see their faces too.

They entered into the main barracks building and quickly turned down the central hallway to a room just off to the left. As soon as they were inside the room, Jack found himself grinning ear to ear at seeing some old, familiar faces.

"Oh, no, he's back," said Luke with exaggerated reluctance. "Party's over!"

He was quickly swatted at by Kim as the sudden mass of Javan officers swarmed the two of them. Jack looked on as just about every face he remembered—Luke, Kim, Vicky, Kyle, Stephanie, Bill, and Cory—greeted him with a great number of hugs and handshakes. Even Anna was right there too, a beaming smile worn prominently on her face as she crushed him with the biggest hug yet. For him, it brought back the question of their status and the ultimatum she'd given him before he left.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're back," gushed Anna as she pulled back from their hug. Her eyes sparkled with their usual amount of mischief as his nose buried within her dark locks.

"It's really good to be back," said Jack before looking back at all the officers. "I missed all of you."

"It just wasn't the same without you, Jack," said Stephanie with a wide-set grin.

"I really need to get back on a ship," said Jack with a laugh. "All that dry land has me missing the open waves."

"You'll be delighted to know about our progress then," said Vicky. "I'm sure Abigail will want to be here when we brief you but things have been going well."

"That's great to hear," said a relieved Jack before he looked around the room. "Speaking of, where is Abigail? Is she around?"

"She's right here," said a voice from behind him. Jack spun around to see the gorgeous face of Abigail Wainwright right behind him. She didn't wait very long for his reaction before she bounded into his arms and hugged him fiercely.

"You're back," she whispered.

"I'm back," said Jack with a laugh. "You missed me?"

She nodded. "A great deal." Her eyes then caught something just behind his shoulder before flickering back to his. In the next instant, she pulled back from him and settled her gaze on the floor. When Jack turned to look at what caught her attention, he found Anna watching them with a less than pleased expression. Soon it would be time to confront that situation for good.

Before he had a moment to think about it anymore, Abigail grabbed his arm and began to point at another man whom she had walked in with. "Jack, let me introduce you to Andros. He's the head engineer at the base, and he's been an incredible help to us."

Jack nodded at the Sorellan and offered his hand. "I've heard much about you, Andros. We're very pleased to have had your help."

Andros smiled. "The pleasure was all mine. Getting a chance to see your ships was worth all the time we spent on them." He then turned to look at Heron and performed a deep bow. "Your Majesty, it's great to see you again."

"And you, Andros, and you," said a grinning Heron.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring us back any of the gold," said Luke with his hands on his hips. The rest of the group started to laugh.

Jack waved the man off dismissively. "Gold for you? You get paid too much already."

Luke started to laugh. Abigail opened up next. "Everything go okay though? Did you bring the gold here?"

"No, we stopped at the palace first," said Heron. "The gold is once again safe in our treasury, thanks to our great allies!"

"Well, that's a relief," said Abigail with a smile. "I guess our work here is just about done. Sorella can rebuild in peace."

Jack cast his gaze toward Heron, whose face was filled with a worried expression. "Not exactly. There's much that's changed since we recovered the gold. There's a new situation with another local country that we feel could be extremely dangerous to all of us. We should discuss it while all of us are here."

The entire crew gave murmurings of approval. Heron and Andros were able to direct them to a small meeting room and all the officers were able to take their seats while Heron was able to produce his map of the local area around Sorella.

For the next half hour, Jack and the king filled them in on everything that had happened with the Swabians. From the encounters with Melitos and finding out about Barak's more nefarious intentions to touching on the letter from the Swabian Lord Avila and the history behind their first attempt to conquer Sorella before, the two men informed the entire crew about the situation now surrounding them.

"So that's where we find ourselves now," said Jack as he finished. "The Swabians seem to have set their sights on trying to attack the island once again. And if they attacked now, we'd be unable to stop them."

"Especially not with our current army or navy," added Heron. "We've taken much too many casualties in men and equipment over our civil war."

"And although our ships are powerful, there's only three of them," said Jack grimly. "From the sounds of it, these Swabians have a lot of resources at their disposal."

"So we have the Swabians to our west and the Occitanians to our east then?" asked Abigail. "Not exactly great odds."

"Well, we know for sure that the Occitanians are hostile," said Jack. "Until the Swabians make a move, their actions are shaded with a tone of gray."

Abigail turned to look at Heron. "You mentioned that the Swabians had attacked Sorella before and you turned them back, right?"

Heron nodded. "Yes, with the help of Sorellan fire. Other than that, I'm afraid we would have been conquered."

"What are their warships like?" asked Abigail. "Are they steel like ours or wooden like yours?"

"The Swabians have long been an advanced society," said Heron. "One of the most advanced in the entire Vector. Their ships look closer to yours than they do ours. The last time I saw a Swabian warship up close, it was a curious mixture of wood and steel, but that was nearly forty years ago."

"Can we assume they've only grown more advanced in that forty years?" asked Luke.

Jack nodded. "We have to. We may be dealing with an enemy that is every bit as advanced in technology as we are. If that's the case, we may be in a real pickle with this."

"We don't have to fight the Swabians though," said Vicky. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we came to the Vector to seek allies, not to find new enemies. Why would we have to fight?"

Heron remained quiet and turned to Jack. The commander took a deep breath before responding. "I think the situation in the Vector is a lot more complicated than initially imagined when we received our first orders. I'm not sure how many of you remember, but the very first map we received back in Quiller's Cove was nothing but blank space. I doubt the Admiralty or Bancroft or the emperor know how many peoples and different countries are in this space. Perhaps if it was just one, it could have been easier to secure their alliance against the Occitanians. Especially if this portion of the world was divided up into a few empires like our portion."

"But that's not the case," continued Jack. "There's a lot more nations here in the Vector than anyone really knew. For that reason, we need to navigate the channels of diplomacy as best we can. We came here to find alliances. We wouldn't be a very good ally if we didn't support them in times of war. If we have to ask the Sorellans to contribute to our war against the Occitanians, then we can't leave them fighting the Swabians on their own."

"So what do you want to do then, Jack?" asked Abigail.

Jack took another deep breath. "We are too weak at the moment. Our best ships are bottled up back in Java by the Occitanian navy. On this side, the Swabian threat looms. We need more allies."

"You said you've seen a map of the entire Vector," said Luke. "So where should we go from here? Who can we try our luck with for another alliance?"

Jack looked at Heron, who then managed to step forward. "Jack and I have already been in discussion about this. Just north of Sorella is another island. A much larger island country named Picardy. I know their king and the Picards are good people. Plus, with them being so close to the Swabians, they've always provided a check against further expansion. If you're looking for a strong people to find an alliance, the Picards would be the next best place to start."

"What can we expect when we arrive in Picardy?" asked Vicky. "Would they be willing to help foreigners that they don't know? Could we expect a warm reception or will it be hard to gain their trust?"

"Not if you tell them you're allies with me," said Heron. "The current king of Picardy is a good friend of mine. Our houses have been entwined for many, many years. There's been a lot of intermarriage as well. My wife was a Picard. If you haven't noticed, Elektra doesn't display many typical Sorellan features."

"Is that where the red hair comes from?" asked Jack. Heron nodded with a chuckle.

"Precisely, Jack. They are a fair people, the Picards. My alliance with their King Aedan is firmly established. With their strength, we have a real hope to take on the Swabians should war come again," said Heron.

"How long will it take us to get there? How far north is their island?"

"It's about fifteen days sailing in one of our ships," said Heron. "I imagine you could make it in a little more than half the time with one of yours."

"Is there anything we would need to watch out for?" asked Abigail. "With that much sailing time, there has to be something in between?"

Heron started to nod. "I won't lie to you. The path between our two countries can be dangerous. Not only do you have the Swabians on the western side, but you also have Andalucian trawlers on the east. And the slavers don't really care who falls into their hands. As long as they're still breathing, they'll end up in the slave pens."

"It almost sounds like we don't have much of a choice in this," said Luke. "Is there any way to go around the Swabians?"

Heron pursed his lips. "Not really. The only course is to sail all the way around Swabia, a giant island chain to potentially reach Galicia, and not to mention, it would add a long time to your voyage. That particular route is not very safe, and for that reason, it's not well-traveled. The Swabians are not very hospitable to foreigners in their ports, so most of the routes go north of Swabia. The same goes for sailing out east and then striking north. Both routes would lose you valuable time."

"Is this what you would do if you were us, Heron?" asked Jack. "Would you try your luck in Picardy?"

Heron nodded. "I do believe it to be the best course. I know it may not sound like the best option, but the Picards are strong. With our alliance already set, you'll find willing ears and eager swords in Picardy."

"I think I'm about set then," said Jack. "It's the best course in front of us and we'll find another strong alliance. I'm in if the rest of you are."

"Consider me in, Jack." said Vicky with an affirmative nod.

"Me too, Jack," added Luke. "You know I'll sail wherever you ask."

"I'm in as well," said Abigail. "It sounds like the best plan. And I trust Heron's guidance on this matter. He's never steered us wrong."

Heron rewarded the younger woman with a fatherly smile but otherwise remained silent.

"So that settles it then," said Luke. "When should we get going on this? I imagine we'll want to get moving quickly to offset anything that might be going on with the Swabians?"

Jack nodded. "I'll want to move as soon as the ships are ready. First, I want to see them all and the repairs you were able to do. Then we'll pick up our guide and get moving."

"Guide?" asked Abigail. "What guide?"

Jack smiled. "I've already arranged the perfect guide to get us to Picardy."