Chapter 17: Pestilence

*****

"You've got to be shitting me. No way in hell."

Jack held back a laugh as he stared into Greg's disbelieving face. It had already been several hours since they'd returned to the Destiny from Kat's island home, and Jack had already shared his version of the events twice. It didn't stop Greg from being any more accepting of the story, a fact that Jack couldn't fault him for.

He wasn't even sure if he really believed all that happened. It still felt like the previous couple days had been spent in a dream, and that any moment, he would wake up cradling Kat and Abigail just to find it was all a conjuring of his wildest imagination.

Try as he might, he never quite woke up.

"I know it's hard to believe," said Jack as he tapped his fingers against his own desk. "But here we are."

"I mean, it finally gives us a real explanation for that blond head of yours," said Greg with a laugh. "But the rest of it just seems too fantastical. Prophecies, dead kings, a magical sword—it's a bit much for me, Jack."

"And how do you think I'm feeling about all of it?" asked Jack with a chuckle. "I didn't know any of this until Kat sat me down a few nights ago. Then of all people, I get to meet my own grandmother the next day. And find out that Vera is my long lost sister? Believe me, if anyone's head is still spinning, it's mine."

Greg threw up his hands. "Even Vera! What are the odds that some girl we rescued back in Sorella is your sister?"

"Kat seems to think the fates guided us to each other. A meeting that was supposed to happen," said Jack with a shrug. "Just as it was foretold that I would free the slaves back in Andalucia."

Greg gave him a confused look. "I thought you hated everything to do with prophecy, Jack? But now you seem so accepting of it? Why is that?"

Jack had to think about that one long before he answered. Greg had a point. The whole thing still made his skin crawl. It wasn't that he'd decided to accept everything that the prophecy had written about him, because to do so would mean that he gave up his free will—something that he could never do.

However, he couldn't deny the existence of all of these "coincidences" that had the bad habit of proving the lines of prophecy true. Even though parts of him thought the written lines were so vague that they could be applied to just about any event and still loosely fit.

It was a gray area for him and one where he couldn't decide if he believed it or not. At this point, he was just along for the ride until something else happened.

Jack finally shrugged. "I'm not sure if I can explain where my head is at right now. Part of me wants to just go back to where I was last week, just a regular Javan naval officer on a mission. The other part of me feels some sort of belonging or purpose to what's been revealed. It's an innate curiosity that keeps burning inside, and it makes me want to continue down this hole until I find the bottom of it. I don't know what to believe, Greg. But so far, the evidence of this has been a little overwhelming."

Greg pursed his lips. "Well, since you mentioned it, I'm dying to see this sword in action."

Jack chuckled. "It's right over there." Not far from his desk laid the rectangular box that contained the sword of the Galician king. Jack hadn't removed it since they left the house, feeling content just to keep it locked away. Putting it on would be tantamount to accepting all the prophecy meant.

He just wasn't ready to do that quite yet.

Greg walked over to the box and opened the lid gently. As soon as he looked at the sword, he let out a low whistle. "It's a beauty, all right. It's been well-taken care of throughout the years. It still has that new shine to it."

"Speaking of shine, watch this," said Jack as he got up from his chair. He approached the box and picked up the scabbard with the sword still inside. The weight of it was considerable at first, but once Jack's hand wrapped around the grip, he pulled it free in a quick motion, swishing it through the air.

Greg took a step back. "Whoa, easy with that thing. It certainly looks heavy though."

Jack nodded. "It looks heavy once you see it, but once you pull out the sword, it almost feels weightless. I can't exactly explain it but it feels so light in my own hands. Not to mention this right here." Jack pointed to the pommel, which had begun to glow with the same blue light he'd seen back at the house. The explosion of light was near instantaneous as soon as his hand touched the grip, and the light flickered brighter the longer he touched it.

"Would you look at that?" whispered Greg as he leaned in closer to the sword. "How is that possible?"

Jack shrugged. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's flickering, Jack. It's like the sword is . . . happy."

"Do swords get happy?"

Greg laughed. "It looks like yours does!"

Jack looked at the light again. Every time his eyes locked on it, it seemed to pulse with greater hue than before. It was like the sword knew when it had his attention and was pleased to receive it.

"Does that happen when anyone touches it?" asked Greg.

"I have no idea. No one else touched it besides me," said Jack, as he offered it over to Greg. "Go on, see what happens."

Jack had no sooner handed off the sword to Greg when something remarkable happened. The expression on Greg's face changed from curiosity to extreme exertion as his fingers wrapped around the grip. Jack had to jump back quickly as the sword slipped out of Greg's hands, crashing against the floor with a loud racket.

Greg's mouth fell open as he looked to Jack and then back at the sword. "How much does that damn thing weigh, Jack?"

Jack gave him a confused look. "It's not that much! Why'd you drop it?"

Greg leaned over to try and pick it up. "Because the bloody thing weighs a ton." He wrapped his hand around the grip and pulled. Nothing happened, and the sword remained stationary on the floor. He used both hands, pressing up with his knees and still the sword didn't budge. Notable as well was that the blue light from the pommel had ceased as soon as Jack let go of the sword. It remained lifeless even now as Greg tried to pry it from the ground.

Jack started to shake his head, wondering if Greg was pulling a joke. "Let me do it," he said while he bent to pick up the sword. The blue light returned instantly as soon as his hand was around the grip, and he pulled it up as if it were no heavier than a feather.

The color drained from Greg's face. "How did you do that?"

Jack shrugged. "I just picked it up."

Greg started to look around and then pointed to Jack's desk. "Put it down on the desk. I want to try that again."

Jack placed the sword across the desk as the blue light vanished once more. Greg tried with all his might to pick the sword up, however it was only when he put his feet into the movement that Jack saw the sword budge a tiny bit. And by a tiny bit, it was less than an inch.

Finally, Greg gave up, wiping away some sweat that appeared on his forehead. "Jack, that's something else. I can't even get the thing to move let alone pick it up."

Jack picked it up effortlessly again, watching the flickering blue light on the pommel. "That doesn't seem right. Kat was able to hold it when it was brought to me. But then again, she just had it in the box. She didn't actually touch the sword."

Greg snapped his fingers. "Maybe that's the secret? Maybe it will only let you touch it? To anyone else, it might just be dead weight." Greg touched the grip again, watching as the blue light dimmed severely before going out completely. "The light only responds to you. Even with my hand on it, look at the reaction."

Jack looked at the sword with marvel in his eyes. "It's almost like the thing is alive. Greg. I've never seen anything like it."

Greg started to nod. "That's something else, Jack. I don't have an explanation for how that works, but it certainly gives a little weight to the story. Even as hard as it is for me to accept it."

"See why my head has been spinning for the last few days?" asked Jack with a smirk. "I just don't know what to make of all this."

"It does bring up a good question, though, Jack," said Greg after he turned his attention away from the sword. "What the hell are you going to tell them back home? Bancroft and the rest of the Admiralty? Hell, what about the emperor?"

Jack gulped. "That thought had occurred to me. The short answer is I don't know."

"You don't know what you'll say or if you'll say anything?"

"Both," Jack admitted.

"I don't think you can keep something like this under the rug, Jack. If everything here is true, you're now the legitimate king of a foreign country. Not to say that you aren't with Andalucia, but I think the situation there is different. You only found yourself king there by accident."

Jack chuckled. "And I didn't with Galicia too?"

"True, but we fought a war with Andalucia," said Greg before thinking the idea over some more. "I mean, let's just say both of those might be problematic for you."

"Why does it have to be though, Greg? If this is all true, it doesn't mean I've stopped being Javan. I've spent all my life in Java, grew up there, was trained there, everything. Does it really mean I can't be Javan anymore?"

"I happen to agree with you, Jack. I'm just saying that Bancroft or the emperor may not see it the same way. They might think you're compromised now."

Jack took a deep breath. "I didn't choose this path."

"I understand that," said Greg. "Even if it chose you, it might put a target on your back. They may not like having one of their officers owing allegiance to another country."

Jack looked at his friend. "Do you think I'm compromised?"

Greg gave him an inquisitive look. "No, but then again, I know you, Jack. I know you'd put your life on the line for any member of this task force. You've done so already. You've led us in battle after battle, country through country, and you haven't given in. My question is does Bancroft know that? Does the emperor?"

Jack pondered that question over for several moments before replying. Greg's logic was solid, and truthfully, it had been a point of question ever since he took over the throne of Andalucia. At what point was he to consider himself more Javan than Galician, or Andalucian for that matter? His men would always be Javan, no matter how much blood they shed to free Andalucia. Yet Jack would always have that grain of doubt.

The doubt that questioned his real identity. Was he Javan or Galician?

"I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to get so heavy on you just now," said Greg after a few moments. "I know this can't be an easy time, so just ignore all my pessimism, okay?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't think it's pessimistic though, Greg. I think you bring up some good points. I think we should be careful with this information for right now, especially around the crew. I don't intend on letting the word about Galicia get out to them right now. They already know about Andalucia and that could be damning enough for me. I think we should just keep this news between us."

"Does anyone else know besides me, you, Kat, Abigail, and Vera?" he asked.

"That's all of it. Just the five of us," said Jack.

Greg nodded. "It shouldn't be too hard to keep under wraps then. You know I won't say anything to anyone. You know that kind of thing spreads like fire with pillow talk. And I don't think you'd have to worry about anything between Kat and Abigail, and I don't even have my pillow talk buddy anymore to worry about either."

Jack frowned. "How are you holding up? Doing any better?"

Greg pursed his lips. "I'm all right. Still stings a little."

"It'll get better with time."

"At least I don't have to see her often," said Greg. "I can keep myself quarantined down in the barracks and stay far away from Brittany."

Jack chuckled. "Some fresh air will do you good every once in a while though. Besides, we are getting pretty close to the capital of Picardy. I heard we should reach the city, Daban, tomorrow."

Greg smirked. "Want to take bets if anyone wants to shoot at us in this new country?"

Jack laughed. "That hasn't been a good bet to take with our luck."

"True," said Greg with a nod. "Speaking of shooting, you want to get some practice in? I've got some more down time."

Jack looked at his watch. He didn't have to be anywhere for another hour, and he wouldn't mind the time spent sharpening his shooting skills. "Yeah, let's do it," he said finally.

About twenty minutes later, both men found themselves prone on the deck of the Destiny as they fired at the target that bobbed in the water behind the ship. Today, the Destiny was bringing up the rear of the squadron while the Valiant took the lead in front, and the Horton and Stardust came directly behind it. The Destiny was just behind the other two cruisers, while their escort of destroyers flanked them to their port side and to their front. All the way to their starboard side was Picardy, it's dark green shoreline vaguely visible from this range.

They'd been following it since they left Kat's house, moving up the coast until it opened into a large bay that contained the capital of Daban. It was the first time they were sailing to a specific city with an actual map, and Jack relished the opportunity it afforded him. They'd seen enough of the Vector with their own eyes, and now that they had a map, he didn't want to sail anywhere blind again.

It was only after they were done shooting that they saw the first foreign ship, what looked to be a large shipping vessel similar in appearance to the old Swordfish. It passed by in the distance off to their port side, but it was far from the last.

Instead, it was almost like a parade of ships had started as the task force slipped by. All of them of different varieties, like great big wooden trading ships even to some small metal ones. Jack even saw what looked like a warship, albeit a small one, passing by as well. From this distance, he could only use his binoculars to check it out, but the increase in traffic was very noticeable.

"We must be getting closer," said Jack. "Daban must be nearby with this much traffic coming out."

"It's heavy traffic too, Jack," said Greg. "I didn't expect there to be so many ships."

"It must be a good-sized city for this many ships. It's almost like they just don't end."

Greg squinted off toward the nearest ship and then back to Jack. "Is it just me, or does it look like many of them aren't moving?"

Jack pursed his lips and then looked back through his binoculars to the closest ship. He looked directly behind it, trying to find the wake of the vessel to get some indication of its current speed. Oddly enough, he didn't see much of a wake.

"That's strange. That one is definitely not moving. Or at least, not moving with much speed," he said out loud, before moving to the next ship. The next one didn't appear to be moving either. Neither were the other three they saw.

"Why the hell would all of them be out here without a course?" asked Greg with a confused expression.

"Especially this close to Daban," added Jack. "That's a little troubling. Why wouldn't they go into port?"

"Unless there was some reason they were staying away from it," said Greg ominously. "What if they are staying away on purpose?"

Jack turned to look at Greg. "Evelyn did say she thought something was going on in Picardy. Maybe she was right."

"Here we go again," muttered Greg. "Back into action."

It wasn't quite as bad as Greg made it out to sound, but as they neared the capital city, they came upon more and more ships anchored in the waters outside. It became especially apparent once they entered the narrow bay that marked the course to the city. Everywhere Jack looked, he could see ships at anchor, none of them looking like they knew where to go or what to do. It was more troubling as they got closer, and Jack couldn't help the bad feeling it gave him at arriving in the country.

As they entered the narrow bay, Jack could get a view of the surrounding countryside on both sides. Since the bay was only about ten miles wide even at its narrowest, Jack could get his first close up glimpses of land. Needless to say, the ships weren't the only things that gave off a bad feeling about Picardy.

There was an overwhelming lack of people, and it wasn't just because they were far enough out that they couldn't see them. Even the communities that looked to be close to the water were nothing more than huddled buildings, seemingly abandoned of any humanity to inhabit them. There were no children playing near the water nor any workers going about their daily jobs.

It was almost like all the people in Picardy had just disappeared, something that gave Jack an unsettling feeling the further they got into the bay.

"I hope Heron was right about us coming here next," said Greg quietly from his side.

Jack nodded silently. What kind of country did we just arrive in?

*****

It was only the following day when Jack noticed that the signs of civilization were getting more frequent as they approached the Picard city. He could see more dwellings and buildings lining the shores, and even small docks jutting into the water. Still, similar to yesterday, there were hardly any people, although Jack could see some of them going about their day. The closer they got to it, the more it seemed like most of the population had simply vanished.

One thing that Jack found the most inspiring was the state of the architecture. His previous stops in Andalucia and Sorella in particular had shown him a level of technological advancement that was severely lacking when compared to Java. However, the Swabians had shown they were not far behind, and it seemed the Picards were on a similar level. Most of the buildings he saw were made of bricks, and large rowed brick houses made up several streets by the shores of the city. The roads seemed to have been done in mixes of pavement and cement as well, and when Kat pointed out a Picard warship, Jack was surprised by how modern it looked compared to others he'd seen since arriving in the Vector.

"You'll find most of the leading nations of the Vector have the same level of technology," said Kat as they watched the warship. "Galicia, Swabia, Picardy, Carinthia, Apulia, and Samara are all about on the same level. There's some minor differences between them but the part of the world we were just in was much more primitive."

"I don't know whether to be happy about that or not," said Jack. "Happy to find more advanced peoples, but I surely hope they don't look at us as potential enemies. It was a lot easier to fight arrows and wooden ships."

Kat smiled. "We'll just have to keep them all on our side then."

Jack chuckled at her words, even if he still felt an ominous feeling about the country around him. Even the skies above didn't want to cooperate, a dark, gloomy overcast surrounding the city despite the fact that it was midmorning. When it combined with all the other factors, Jack had to wonder what kind of reception they might get here.

In addition, the factor with the shipping going into the city didn't seem any different from yesterday. Very few vessels could be seen coming from the city's harbor, a deep natural port that was surrounded on just about every side but one by land. A long jetty signaled the entrance to the harbor, and that's when Jack noticed something curious about it.

"Is the harbor blocked off?" he asked quietly, as he looked over in his binoculars. Sure enough, there was a large chain pulled across the only entrance, preventing any access to or from the port.

"Why would they want their main harbor blocked off?" asked Abigail, sitting next to him at the command station.

"I've never heard of the Picards doing this before," added Kat. "This doesn't look like a good sign."

"See that ship there?" asked Jack, pointing to another near the mouth. "It looks to be guarding the entrance. Although, I don't know what there is to guard. No one is stupid enough to try to force their way past those chains."

"Maybe they might be able to give us more information," said Kat. "At least let us know what's going."

"If so, then I have a lot of questions for them. If the harbor is blocked off, it would explain all the stranded shipping here. If they can't get in to refuel or sell their wares, they might not have any other options."

"I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this though, Jack," said Kat.

Jack stood up and made for the exit of the bridge. "Come on, let's get in a launch boat and see what we can find out."

A short time later, Jack, Kat, Greg, and a small fireteam of marines got into one of the Destiny's launch boats and started their course toward the entrance to the harbor. It didn't look like they were the only ones inquiring about the blocked-off port, and Jack watched as the main patrolling ship stopped to direct other small ships who were also inquiring about the harbor. Jack didn't think it was a good sign that no one was getting past the entrance, not even those that were flying the Picard flag.

Almost as soon as the launch boat was close enough, they were flagged down by a Picard official standing near the stern. It was little more than a patrol boat, and Jack could see one basic machine gun near the aft of the ship, but that was it. Besides the official, there looked to be only one other Picard steering the boat.

"Hold there please," said the Picard man with a raised hand. "What's your business in Daban?"

Jack carefully appraised the man before responding. He had very light features, almost pale skin that was heavily-dotted with freckles across the face. His hair was auburn in color, and the uniform he wore was dark blue from neck to boot. He was built up across the chest and arms, only tapering down to a more narrow waist and legs. Most curious about him was the covering on his face. He had a piece of cloth covering his mouth and nose, almost similar to those worn by doctors back in Java. Jack could only wonder what that might be about. The look on the rest of his face was one of someone not to be crossed, and Jack got a feeling for the severity of the situation just from his initial tone.

"We're here to see the king," said Jack calmly. "King Aedan. We've traveled from Sorella on our way to see him."

"And yet, you don't look like you're Sorellan," said the official. "None of you do. It rather looks like a handful of Galicians and you," he said pointing to Greg, "you almost look Carinthian. Those especially don't look like Sorellan ships." The official pointed out to the task force further out in the bay.

"He's Javan," said Jack. "As am I. We're friends of Heron of Sorella, and we're here to seek Aedan's aid."

The official scoffed. "No one is getting in to see the king right now. Or the city for that matter. You can try again in seven days time, but no sooner."

Jack shared a look at Kat. "That would explain the ships stranded outside in the bay," he muttered quietly for only her ears. Kat only nodded before turning her attention back to the official.

"May we ask, why is the harbor closed off? Is Picardy at war?"

The official shook his head. "No war, at least not yet. There's been an outbreak of plague though. We've closed the city for everyone's safety. We've asked all people in Picardy to remain indoors as a way of preventing the spread of the plague."

Jack gave him an alarmed look. That certainly explained the mask around his face. "How long has the plague been active here?"

The official locked eyes with him. "Long enough. Enough to take a good percentage of the city with it so far. The last thing we want is for it to spread, so for that reason, Daban is inaccessible by road or by sea. For your safety," he emphasized at the end.

"I can assure you that my people and I don't have the plague," said Jack. "But it is critical that we speak with your king as soon as possible. I can't delay this another week."

The official scoffed again. "I highly doubt he has any business with a Jaban or whatever the hell you are."

Kat pulled Jack closer and whispered into his ear. "Perhaps you might gain more respect from this man with your official title."

Jack pursed his lips, thinking the request over. He then turned back to the Picard. "This may seem hard to believe, but I'm the King of Andalucia. As another king, it's important that I discuss affairs of state with Aedan."

Jack knew how badly that sounded coming out of his mouth. It sounded better in his head, but one look at Kat and he noticed how she wanted him to use his other title. Yet, he didn't want to drop the Galician title just yet, remembering his earlier conversation with Greg.

Unfortunately, the Picard started to laugh. "Next you'll tell me you're the Galician king reborn, won't you?"

"Funny you say that," said Jack under his breath.

"It's no matter. No one gets in the city or out. Not even kings," added the official. "You can try again in seven days. If you need to dock your ships, you can use those wharves over there." The official pointed to what looked like a smaller set of commercial docks just on the other side of the enclosed harbor.

Jack found himself getting angry. Not just at the official, but at the situation in general. It had taken them this long to get to Picardy and now they were being denied entrance? He could understand the outbreak of plague and their wanting to be careful but it just seemed like bad timing, not helped by the haughty attitude of the official.

Part of him wondered if they waited too long to get here. The other part questioned what might happen if they didn't get in at all?

"You have no idea how important it is that I see him," said Jack through clenched teeth. "This delay is going to put lives in danger."

The official placed his hand on his hip, where a holstered pistol lay attached. The message was clear. "I said move along," said the Picard.

Jack opened his mouth to continue fighting, but Kat placed her hand on his arm. "It's fine," she whispered quietly. "He's clearly under orders not to allow anyone in, so there's no sense in picking a fight just now."

Jack met her eyes and nodded, albeit reluctantly. It was clear this was one battle they wouldn't win, especially not without starting a war with a people they hoped to ally with. Jack turned his attention back to the wharves that the official had just pointed out.

"Fine, I'll take my flagship to dock over there," he said, pointing back to the Destiny. "The rest of my task force will stay in the bay for now."

The official collected some more details from him before the boat soon pushed away to attend to someone else. As soon as he left, Jack took in the multiple chains that blocked off the entrance to the harbor from all ships. It was now clear he'd have to find another way into the city.

Perhaps even by subterfuge.

As the launch boat started on the return trip back to the Destiny, Jack found himself looking back out at the now forbidden city. An outbreak of plague made sense. It explained why he could barely see any people on the journey toward the city and why all those ships seemed to be stranded on the approach to the bay.

It also didn't make things any easier. Time was of the essence for him now. He had the feeling the Swabians wouldn't sit back and permit one of their regiments being destroyed and another country being ripped from their grasp. All too soon, they would look to retaliate, and make him suffer for all that he'd done to them. That's why it was all the more important that he kept creating alliances in the Vector. The more people that could stand up to the Swabians, the better.

But how was he supposed to do that when one of their most populous potential allies was completely stricken by the plague?

It was the sole question on his mind as they got back to the Destiny. Once they were back, Jack left the rest of the task force out in the bay while the Destiny was guided into a spot at the nearby wharves that was pointed out to them by the Picard official. This set of wharves had all the trappings of an old commercial sector of the city, and judging by their age, Jack suspected it was one of the main docks before the grand harbor was constructed to take over the job.

It also seemed to have a variety of foreign ships to look at as well. Jack took careful note of it from the bridge of the Destiny, alongside Abigail and Kat. They were only recognized as foreign by the aid of Kat, who helped to point out their flags.

"That one belongs to the Samaran Confederacy," she said, pointing out one with blue and orange stripes. "That little fishing boat belongs to Cervanos," she said, gesturing to a smaller trawler. "Which is odd, because they normally don't get too far out."

"Any Galician ships here?" asked Jack. "I figured I'd ask because I have no idea what their flags look like."

Kat scanned the rest of the docks and then shook her head. "Nothing, but that's not altogether surprising anymore. Galician ships don't travel as much as they used to."

Jack took careful note of that as he looked around at the rest of the ships. Most of the ships there were trading vessels of some type. However, one particular ship caught his eye more so than the other ones, and it was largely due to its size.

The ship was impressively large, even larger than the traditional Sorellan trading ships. It was also made of metal, unlike the Sorellan counterparts, and Jack could see that it was carrying a wide variety of goods just from the number of containers on its deck. What those goods were, he couldn't tell, but the ship was loaded down with merchandise and in the middle of being offloaded.

The most curious thing about it was that it was actually allowed to go off the docks and into the city.

"Kat, look at that one," said Jack, pointing out the mysterious trade ship. "How the hell are those guys able to unload but we aren't?"

Abigail looked at it as well, squinting at the ship. "Do they have some kind of special permit to unload or something?"

Kat looked at the ship, and all too soon, her breath caught in her throat. "Jack! That's a Swabian vessel!"

"What?" Jack looked more closely at it. He could see no signs of anything that might have triggered Swabian in his mind until he was able to see the flag that flew off their stern. The gray eagle on a black field flapped steadily in the breeze.

"That's the Swabian flag," said Kat with a disbelieving tone. "How in the world could they possibly be here?"

Jack squinted at the flag again. "It doesn't look like the same one we saw back in Andalucia at the Battle of the Dunes. That one is definitely different."

"That's because this one is the official flag of Swabia," said Kat. "What we saw back in Andalucia was Lord Avila's personal standard. The flags are similar in that they are both gray and black, but that right there is the official flag, Jack."

Jack nodded and watched as a crew of men lowered another container down to the docks. "It does look like a trade ship after all. Perhaps it's not something nefarious like we might have expected."

Kat shook her head firmly. "When it's the Swabians, it's always something suspicious. They don't make good traders, Jack. Too hotheaded and prone to aggression. They don't make good farmers either for that matter. No, Swabians are soldiers for the most part. This is highly unusual."

Kat followed the line of sight of the container all the way back to the small port office. Her breath caught in her throat again. "Look right there, Jack. Swabian soldiers."

Jack followed her pointing to see the same gray-robed soldiers he'd defeated back in Andalucia. It was only a small detachment of men, not more than a squad, but Jack couldn't help the feeling of deja vu.

"Is it common for them to send soldiers on their trading ships?" he asked.

"It's more common for their traders to be soldiers," answered Kat. "Just because those guys are unloading the ship doesn't mean their uniforms and rifles aren't stacked somewhere inside. This isn't a good sign, Jack."

"Why would they have soldiers in Picardy of all places? I thought Picardy usually stood against the Swabians?"

Kat nodded. "They usually do. Or at least, they have in the past. In the four great wars fought between Swabia and Galicia, they've been on the Galician side for all of them. This makes no sense. Picards hate Swabians just as much as Galicians do. Even though they aren't in the official city harbor, just the fact that they are the only ones allowed to unload is very suspicious, Jack. It makes me uneasy."

"We should keep an eye on them," said Abigail. "That way if they get up to something, we'll be in a better spot to intercept them."

Kat nodded. "I agree but we need to be careful here. We can't exactly start a war in another country's capital city. If anything, I thought the Picards would be the most sympathetic to our plight, but with this development and the plague, we should assume nothing right now until we get more of a feel for the situation."

"That sounds like a good plan," said Jack. "Let's keep a watch on those Swabian ships. Abigail, can you set a few sailors on them round the clock? Make sure they let us know what they're doing at all times?"

Abigail smirked. "Consider it done."

"Good. That will let us focus on getting in front of King Aedan," said Jack before turning to Kat. "Do you know anything about the man? Is there anything that we can use to better aid our attempt of reaching him?"

Kat pursed her lips as she thought about the question. She looked like she wasn't sure exactly what to say. "I do know him. He's a younger man, probably not much older than you, Jack. He hasn't been on the throne long. His father passed away about four years ago, and his rule was long, over forty years. Aedan's older sister, Niamh, was the wife of Heron."

Jack nodded. "I remember Heron mentioning that. Do you know if he has any weaknesses? Something that we could use as bait to get into the palace?"

Kat only thought about it for a few moments before giving him a defeated look. "I'm sorry, Jack. Let me think on it."

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't be. We'll just need to figure this out one way or another. I have to get in front of that man."

*****

The next day, Jack was no further along in solving his problem of entering Picardy. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get off the wharf where the Destiny was currently berthed. Last evening, he'd even tried to leave the ship, going to the end of the docks where the small, commercial office was situated, but he found himself barred off by members of the Picard navy.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you may enter no further," said the masked sailor. "It's for your own safety."

"What about them?" asked Jack angrily, pointing to the Swabians moving another container from a nearby dock into the city. "What gives them the right to do so when I can't?"

The sailor looked over at the Swabians and shrugged. "They have the right permits."

"And how do I get one of these permits?" he inquired.

"They can only be given by the palace right now, due to the pestilence."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Can you not see the irony in that statement, sailor? How am I to get a permit without getting into the city?"

The sailor seemed to have lost his patience with Jack. He folded his arms in front of his torso. "Please return to your ship."

By the next morning, it had become clear to Jack that there would be no official way of gaining entry into Daban. He wondered if he might have better luck sailing around to another Picard city and taking the land route into the city, however Kat quickly shot that idea down.

"The closest city with a port big enough for us to land is Zarah on the southern coast," she said, pointing it out on his map. "We'd lose a lot of time just to retrace our steps, and then we'd have to cross the entire country just to get back to Daban. Not to mention, the city gates are probably closed as well, so how would we get in?"

"What if we don't do that but instead we just sail some distance away from the city and take the launch boats in?" he asked. "That way, we don't have to retrace our steps or waste any further time."

Kat shrugged. "That still doesn't solve our question of how to get into the city, Jack. There's three main gates, but I'd be willing to bet if the main harbor is blocked off, the gates will be as well."

Jack had left that meeting feeling more frustrated than before. He was thankful for Kat's knowledge of the country, but so far they'd discerned no way to get in front of the king. He had thoughts about writing a letter just for Aedan but then the question occurred to him of who would carry it? How would they get past the docks?

In all, it just led to endless rounds of frustration.

It was for that reason that he found himself in Abigail's quarters that morning, silently stirring about his predicament. He was laying in her bed while she worked quietly at her desk. It had been like that for the last twenty minutes, mostly as Jack pondered the situation. However, Abigail soon put her pen down and moved to join him on the bed.

"You've been so quiet that I almost forgot you were here," she said softly, worming her way into his arms.

Jack let out a low sigh. "Just thinking is all. I was hoping that some time to think would help me figure this out."

"Did it?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing yet. I have no idea how to get past these defenses to see King Aedan."

Abigail smirked and teased his sides. "You kings can be so hard to work with."

He raised an eyebrow when he looked at her. "Don't you start that now."

She giggled, giving him an innocent expression. "It's true, you know. It must be something about getting a crown. Makes you all so self-important."

"So you think I'm all self-important now?" Jack laughed and turned his body, trapping her against him. The air was turning playful between them, and he realized she was just trying to help take away some of the stress.

Abigail stuck her tongue out at him and nodded.

"Careful, or I'll find a good use for that tongue," he warned.

She let out a low moan. "Oh, you promise?"

He chuckled and kissed her. She melted against him, only fixing her gaze on him once the kiss was over.

"There you kings go again, taking what you want."

"I think you might like it if I took you right now."

Abigail purred. "I just might. I sure do enjoy being the king's woman." She was really getting off on this, especially with the number of times she kept referring to him as the king.

She pressed in to kiss him again, this one more sweeter and less urgent than the first. "I still can't believe who you are," she said finally, once the kiss ended.

"It doesn't change me," he whispered. "I'm still the same person."

Abigail shook her head slightly. "No, you're not. This is different. You'll never just be Commodore Jack Easterbrook again to me. You're the Galician king, Jack."

"You almost make it sound like a bad thing."

She shook her head again. "It's not." She traced her finger along his jawline. "But I always had a suspicion about you. That something was different, something that wasn't quite right. Not in a bad sense, but that you were someone important. I felt it the first night we met."

"You never told me then," he said.

"Nor would I have," she said with a soft giggle. "You would've thought I was crazy."

"I still do," he said, earning a swat from her.

"I just had a feeling you were more than what you let on, Jack. Our trip to the island only confirmed that."

"It doesn't scare you away, does it? It doesn't want to make you run from me?"

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. "If anything, it makes me want you more. Not in a superficial way, if that's what you're thinking. I couldn't care less if you were a king or a servant. It just means that my initial feelings about who you are in here makes me more enamored with you." Abigail touched his chest right above his heart.

"Enamored? So you still love me?"

She nodded quickly. "I love you more than you know, Jack."

He smiled and then kissed her tenderly. "And I love you too, Abigail."

She closed her eyes and smiled contently, resting her head against his chest. Jack could only hold her close to him, thankful that even whenever all else seemed to be going off course, at least he could count on Abigail, and Kat for that matter. The two women were a shelter for him when things spiraled out of control, and for that he was truly grateful.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that in bed, but all too soon, Abigail had to get back to work. She'd slipped out of bed with one last kiss, resuming her spot at her desk. Jack stayed in bed for a few minutes longer, soon realizing that if she had work to do, he probably had his fair share as well. Just as he'd put his cap back on in order to leave, there was a small knock at the door, and Abigail beckoned in the new arrival.

It was her deputy, Brittany. The lieutenant stepped into her quarters and soon closed the door. "Abigail, you have a visitor."

"Who is it?"

Brittany gulped heavily. "It's your sister, Anna."

Abigail and Jack shared a look with each other. This was most unexpected. The last time Jack had seen Anna was when she was transferred over to Luke's command on the Valiant. And that had followed a short episode when she'd forced him to choose between herself and her sister.

It wasn't that there was bad blood between them. It was just that the situation had become awkward, and Jack wasn't sure if he should slip outside the quarters and let the two women visit in private or stay in his spot. At the time, Anna had thought that he would end up with Abigail, even though their feelings for each other at that point hadn't developed as fully as they were now. Jack had to wonder what the younger woman would feel about her premonition coming true.

Abigail looked at him with panic. "Should I let her in?" she asked with uncertainty.

Jack nodded after a moment. "No reason not to. We might as well. It's not like this could've been hidden forever, right?"

Abigail nodded silently. With a heavy breath, she looked back at her deputy. "Send her in please, Brittany."

Brittany did as she was told, slipping back outside the door. It opened a short while later, and Jack gazed into the pale-faced, dark-eyed complexion that he hadn't seen in months. Anna Wainwright still looked as lovely as ever, with her shimmering dark hair and innocent smile. That smile was what got men into trouble with her, and for a brief moment, Jack remembered all the times she'd snuck into his bed and the wild nights that followed.

He was uncertain if she would have any malice toward him. Although they'd left on good terms back in Sorella, part of him wondered if time had hardened her heart. Would she resent him for picking her sister over herself? What about Abigail? Would it deeper an existing rift between the sisters?

If Anna was upset or angry with him, she didn't show it. Instead, he received the opposite reception that he was expecting. Anna lit up with a beautiful and genuine smile upon seeing his face.

"Jack! It's so good to see you," she gushed, before pressing in for a long hug. "What a surprise, I didn't expect to see you here."

He wrapped his arms around her even as he shared a surprised look with Abigail. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "It's so good to see you too, Anna. How have you been? Has Luke been treating you well on the Valiant?"

Anna beamed. "I have no complaints! It's a great ship too, although not as good as the Destiny. Although it still didn't prevent us from licking those Occies though."

Jack grinned. "Yeah, you sure did. Twice for that matter."

"What can I say? We're the best," she said without the slightest hint of modesty. It wasn't until Jack didn't respond right away that Anna looked over to see her sister.

"Abby!" she squealed, rushing over to the other woman. Abigail rushed over just as quickly, no doubt relieved that her sister was in good spirits.

"Anna-bear, I've missed you," said the older sister, scooping up Anna in a big hug.

"I missed you too. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you," said Anna, only after they'd separated. Anna looked to Jack and then back to her sister. "I'm not interrupting anything here, am I?"

Both Jack and Abigail shook their heads simultaneously, a near perfect indication of the state of semi-guilt they felt. "Not at all," said Jack before pointing to the door. "I should leave you two some time to visit and get back to my own quarters."

Anna waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, Jack, you don't have to go just on my account. Even though I did just come over to see Abby, it's absolutely wonderful to see you too. I just had to see my sister though after so many long months apart."

Jack smiled politely, not knowing what to say. He stayed quiet for a few moments while the two sisters talked between themselves, going over the last few months of events before dipping into personal subjects in a way that only sisters could. Jack felt more like a third wheel the longer he stayed, and the situation wasn't helped at all when Anna asked the fateful question.

"So, tell me about you two," she said with a sly smile. "Are you both still . . . you know?" Her insinuation was clear.

Abigail turned red in the face, her answer already evident. "We are."

Anna grinned and then turned to Jack. "Really, Jack?"

He cleared his throat and then nodded. "Yes, that's right. We're still together."

To his surprise, Anna shared a genuine look of happiness. "I'm so thrilled for both of you. I was hoping I might hear that."

Abigail gave her an incredulous look. "Really, Anna? I didn't really expect that answer from you."

Anna puffed her cheeks. "Heavens no, do you still think I care about . . . ? No, Abigail, that's in the past. I had a feeling what would happen once I left. And I'm just glad to see it's still happening. You two are good for each other, and I can't deny that."

Abigail looked relieved. So relieved that she walked over to Jack and slipped her hand in his. "Truthfully, it's been wonderful," she said, while looking up at Jack. "It's not been without its share of surprises, but I'm really happy. We're really happy, right, Jack?"

Jack nodded eagerly. "We are. I swear, we're not trying to rub it in or anything Anna, but this just fits. She just fits in with me."

If there was any jealousy left in Anna over how the situation had turned out, she didn't show it at all. She beamed with happiness as she reached over to hug the both of them at once. "I really am happy for you both. Truly. I have to admit, it was tough to get over it at first, but I can honestly say that I'm over it."

"What made the difference?" asked Abigail.

It was Anna's turn to blush. "I met someone. On the Valiant. Another officer, but someone who makes me happy."

Abigail beamed with a smile. "I'm so happy for you, Anna-bear. You'll have to tell me all about him. I want to hear all of it. Don't spare any details!"

Both sisters soon went over to Abigail's bed, gushing together like two girls who'd just entered the Academy. Jack had to bite back a chuckle at their behavior. In the space of a few minutes, two fully grown officers were now gossiping together like teenagers. No matter how much that it amused him, he was thankful for this time they had with each other. He didn't want to get between them in the first place, regretting the conflict that existed because of their relationship. Now that Anna had moved on, it seemed the sisters were ready to resume their relationship.

And for that, he couldn't have been happier. Especially as Anna described her new paramour, and as he fought the tiniest feelings of jealousy as she described the man.

There was another knock at the door a few minutes later, and Brittany stuck her head in again. This time, Kat was directly behind her.

Kat gave a curious look at Abigail and Anna before looking back to Jack. "There you are. I wondered where you'd gone off to."

"Just in here with Abigail and her sister," said Jack, pointing to the two gossiping women. "I could use an escape right now though."

Kat looked over at Anna and then back to him. She gave him a coy smile. "Come on, let's go to your quarters."

Jack gave a fond farewell to Anna and a quick wave to Abigail as he left the two of them to catch up further. As he walked along the passageway with Kat, her hand crept into his.

"I didn't realize that Abigail had a sister in the task force," she said as they walked.

Jack nodded. "She's an officer too. She even used to be on the Destiny before she transferred over to the Valiant right around the time we left Sorella."

Kat looked at him with a confused expression. "Why did she transfer?"

Jack held back an embarrassed look. "That's quite the long story, actually."

"Do you have anything better to do?" Kat crossed her arms under her breasts, raising an eyebrow in a move that he found incredibly sexy.

Jack took a deep breath. "There was a conflict of interest between the two sisters."

Kat started to giggle. "Conflict of interest, you say? You don't mean . . . ?"

Jack chuckled as they reached his quarters. He quickly opened the door and shut it behind the two of them. "Yeah, I do. The conflict was me."

Kat made an excited noise and covered her mouth. "You were sleeping with both of them, weren't you?"

"In my defense, Anna jumped me after she found out about me and Abigail," he added with his hands raised in front of his torso.

"Sisters, huh? That's quite impressive," said Kat with a laugh as she pressed her body up against his.

"It wasn't all that it's cranked up to be," he added sourly. "Especially when I was caught between them. Anna wanted me to pick between her and Abigail."

"And obviously you picked Abigail?"

"At the time, I didn't pick either of them. Abigail and I weren't really together, and at that point, we'd only slept together once. I had more of a relationship with Anna, but something that I realized wasn't exactly long-term."

"Interesting," said Kat. "So her sister transfers off the ship, and then I'm guessing that's when you two started getting more serious?"

"Not right after, but more so once we got to Andalucia."

Kat gave him a funny look. "You're something else, Jack," she said with another giggle.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She poked his chest playfully. "I mean that this isn't the first time you've been toying with the affections of two women."

"In my defense, I'm not toying with you or Abigail—"

Kat started to laugh again. "I'm just teasing you, silly. I just wanted to see what you'd say."

Jack tilted his head when he looked at her. "You're evil."

She made a pouting face. "That's not what you said the last time you were inside me."

"Hmm, and what did I say back then?"

She pressed her body against his tightly, only leaning in to whisper into his ear. "I do believe you told me how much you enjoyed being inside me and how much you loved me. I remember those vividly."

Jack let out a low groan at feeling her body against his. In that moment, his mind went back to that day—the feeling of her body underneath his, the way their hips moved in unison, and even the way she kissed. Kat helped the memory by attacking his lips with passion as her arms slipped over his shoulders.

"I didn't expect a kiss like that," he whispered against her lips only after she'd pulled away. "What did I do to earn that?"

Kat shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. I just wanted to see you to give you that. I missed you, and I wanted a kiss."

"Feel free to collect on kisses like that more often."

She grinned. "Oh, I intend to."

They kissed for several more minutes before their embrace ended. Even though her presence was relaxing and extremely comforting to him, he couldn't help but ponder their current situation in the quiet moments afforded to them by privacy.

"What's wrong, Jack? I can tell something is on your mind," she asked, only after he sat down at his desk.

"I'm just not sure what to do here," he admitted. "I can't figure out how to get in front of King Aedan without causing some kind of international incident. I hate that every moment we spend here without a meeting is one more that we spend while our enemies strengthen."

Kat nodded and slipped in front of his desk. She sat down on the chair in front of it, her wheels clearly turning inside her mind. "I've been giving this some thought. What if we tried something different?"

Jack leaned back and looked at her. "I'm all ears. I'm open to just about any suggestion at this point."

Kat took a deep breath. "What if I slipped into the city by stealth and made my way to the palace? How do you feel about that?"

"You, Kat? Why you?"

She shrugged. "I know Picardy the best. I just so happen to know Aedan as well. He would recognize me and be sure to at least listen to what I had to say. I just know that if I was able to get in front of him, we could buy you that meeting for sure."

Jack gave her a confused look. "How exactly does he know you? Don't take this the wrong way, but he's royalty. I didn't know you were on good terms with the various kings of the Vector."

Kat blinked a few times before responding. "I know him from my travels. Trust me when I say he would recognize me."

"Kat, you're doing it again," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Doing what?"

"Being cryptic," he said with a small smile. "I thought we agreed this was over with back at your house?"

Kat let out a relieved smile. "Sorry, I'm just trying to help the situation, that's all."

"You almost made it sound like he would recognize you because he used to date you."

Kat laughed. "No, that's not what I meant. But I do think he would listen to what I had to say. Besides, it's better than anything else we have now. How long are we going to stay at this dock while this plague rages inside the city? Probably too long, and it's just going to give the Swabians more time to build their forces against it."

Jack thought about the idea long and hard before he responded. In his mind, he could see Kat slipping into the city at dusk, somehow managing to get past the port officials and into the city, using the shadows to make her way to the palace. However, he could also see her running into victims of the plague, finding their stricken bodies laying where they fell. He also saw her getting caught and imprisoned, causing a situation not unlike what they had in Andalucia. What if he had to rescue her a second time? What if he ended up causing a war with the very people he came to ally with?

In the end, it wasn't something he was willing to chance.

"No, Kat," he said firmly, shaking his head. "I think we should find another option than that. It's not that I doubt you or think that you can't do it. I just think there are a few factors working against us."

"Like what, Jack?"

"The plague for one," he said, sticking up one finger. "The last thing I'd want is to see anything happen to you or having you catch it. Secondly, by sneaking into the city, you could very well forfeit your life if you get caught."

"If I get caught," she stressed.

"Still. We don't want to cause a row here if we can help it. I'm not willing to do that, Kat."

She looked like she wanted to argue. She even opened her mouth to continue fighting, but something made her close it without another word. Surprisingly, she nodded her acceptance.

"Really? That easily?" Jack asked, incredulous at her quick agreement.

Kat shrugged. "I can't very well disobey my king, now can I?"

He sat up from his chair and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms. "I just don't want to risk you again. I had to fight a war to get you back the first time. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but I don't want to get to that point where I could lose you again."

She shook her head fiercely. "You could never lose me."

"I don't intend to try," he added. "We're not out of options just yet."

"I hope you're right," she whispered against his chest.

Jack hoped he was right too.