It was two days later when Jack got an interruption from Twitch that someone was there to see him out on the main docks. He was doing reports when Twitch knocked at his door excitedly, and then came in once beckoned.

"Someone is requesting you outside, Jack. Looks to be Picard navy if I had to guess by his uniform."

Jack nearly bolted upright. Remembering his deal with Commander Booth from a couple days prior, he wondered if his plan had borne fruit. He'd been nervous when Booth didn't get back to him after the first day, with no word getting through to the Destiny if he was able to arrange passage to the palace.

For that reason, Jack went back to the port office yesterday morning in an attempt to figure out what Booth was able to accomplish. Worryingly enough, Booth was absent from the office.

"Do you know when he'll be back? It's important that I see him," said Jack to the port official, the same man that was there when he made the original deal with Booth.

The official shrugged. "I'm not sure, sir. He was supposed to be in today, so I'm not sure why he's not here."

"Will you let him know to stop by my ship as soon as he gets in?"

The official nodded. "Certainly, sir."

Jack never heard back from Booth, and he started to worry. Perhaps something had happened to him? Perhaps he'd been caught and wasn't able to deliver his message? Or maybe he just played Jack like a fool, taking the gold with no intent to help.

Jack stewed over it for most of yesterday and this morning, that is, until he received the message from Twitch.

"Let's see what Booth has discovered," said Jack as he put his naval cap on. "He's just a little delayed, but better late than never."

The two men quickly made their way above deck and moved to the nearest gangplank. Jack looked over the side of the ship, expecting to see Booth on the dock waiting for him. His brow crinkled in confusion as he saw another officer who wasn't Booth, surrounded by two members of the naval infantry.

Shit.

The officer that awaited him was much older than Booth, with almost completely gray hair and a worn, weathered face. He watched Jack without any expression on his face, completely blank to what was about to transpire.

"Commodore Jack Easterbrook of the Javan Empire?" he asked, as soon as Jack was on the dock.

"That's me. What is this about?" asked Jack. "Did we get our permit?"

"I'm Rear Admiral McNally of the Picard Navy," said the officer, as he rummaged for something in his breast pocket. "And I believe this belongs to you."

He held out the bag of gold that Jack had deposited with Booth two days prior. The color started to drain from Jack's face. He was at a loss for words, unsure what to say about being caught trying to bribe Booth. Unfortunately, McNally was willing to continue the conversation.

"Your bribe to the former commander of this port has been discovered," continued McNally. "Your co-conspirator in this act has been removed from the Picard Navy for his actions, and you have been placed on the blacklist. Your vessels are no longer welcome in Picardy for your own actions, and you have twenty-four hours to leave this country or else you will find yourself at war with all of Picardy."

"We didn't come here to start a war or to be hostile," said Jack while shaking his head. "The purpose of this mission was to find an alliance."

"And yet now you are on the cusp of war. How quickly fortunes change, hmm?"

"Did this come from the king? Does Aedan know about this?" asked Jack.

"This comes from the navy, bound in oath to keep this country safe from all threats," said McNally in a haughty tone.

Jack could at least keep a sense of hope at that admission. He hoped that Aedan wouldn't have turned against him before he even had the chance to meet him. It still didn't help his current predicament though.

He still had to try one more time.

"I'm sure this can all go away if you just let me speak with the king," insisted Jack. "There must be some way I can speak with him."

"You will do nothing of the sort," said McNally with a firm head shake. "As I stated already, you have twenty-four hours to leave the country or you will be fired upon." The admiral then pointed to one of the nearest shore batteries, not far from their current spot. The modernness of their technology ensured they might be able to sink several of his ships before he was even able to respond.

McNally didn't wait for his response, and soon turned about to walk back to the port office while the marines behind him marched in sync.

"What do we do now, Jack?" asked Twitch from his side.

"I'm not sure, Twitch. I'm really not sure."

Jack reboarded the Destiny and decided to make for Abigail's chambers immediately. Luckily for him, he found Kat in the room as well. Kat sat in one of the spare chairs going over what looked like a news bulletin while Abigail wrote out an order.

"Change of plans," said Jack as he dropped the bag of gold on Abigail's desk. "We have to leave."

He spent the next few minutes getting both women up to speed on his conversation with McNally before asking for their feedback.

"This isn't good, Jack. Picardy is one of the cornerstones of the anti-Swabian alliance," said Kat. "Without their help, we would seriously struggle in case they get more aggressive."

"Not to mention, where would we go next? Carinthia?" asked Abigail.

"I don't know," he said with a shake of his head. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have tried to pay off that officer."

Abigail stood up and pressed in against his side. "What else could you have done? You saw a chance and you took it. We weren't getting in anyway, so I don't blame you."

"But I fear I may have taken our position another step back," he said.

"We could always try the land route," said Abigail. "Try another city and take the road into Daban. It might be longer, but it's worth trying."

Kat started to shake her head. "I don't know if that option would still be open to us. Look at this. I picked it up from outside the port office. It's a news bulletin."

She handed the paper over to Jack, and he quickly inspected it. He was lucky that it was written in the common tongue, and he could follow along with the language easier than he expected. The paper largely confirmed his fears.

"So the plague is spreading. It's hitting all the major cities now."

Kat nodded. "Zarah on the coast and even the smaller city of Burwick in the interior. Whatever started here in Daban is spreading, and it's shutting down more towns."

"So we have no hope of even going to Zarah either," said Jack in a defeated tone.

"Maybe we should just move on then, Jack? Try another country. This plague is going to run its course if we like or not, and we can't afford to stay here and wait for it to burn out," said Abigail.

"We should put it out to all the officers," said Jack firmly. "All the commanders. Let's have a war council and talk this one through."

"I can get word out to all of them," added Abigail. "When do you want to have it?"

"As soon as possible. Let's aim for this afternoon at four o'clock. Have them all meet here on the Destiny. If we decide to leave, we can get underway right after so that we're out well in advance of this twenty-four hour deadline."

Abigail smiled and nodded. "I'll send over the messages now. Let me get moving." She quickly slipped out of the chambers, leaving Jack and Kat alone.

Jack reluctantly handed the news bulletin back to her. "I had hoped for much better news on this. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you found it, but it seems like it removed the last option we had."

"There is something curious about this newspaper though, Jack," said Kat as she flipped back to the last page. "Like just about every paper I've seen, there's a section for a political comic. Take a look at this." She handed it back to Jack, and he looked at the spot she'd pointed to.

The cartoon was very basic and in black and white like the rest of the paper. It showed too men embracing as brothers. The first man had a younger expression on his face and what clearly looked like a crown on his head, while the other was clothed in a long, robe, similar in style to the Swabian robes that he'd seen before. While the look on the Swabian's face was one of friendship, behind the king's back, he held a knife ready to plunge into his back.

"If this is what I think it is, something like this would never fly in Java," said Jack. "I take it this is meant to represent Aedan?"

Kat nodded. "And their critique of his newfound friendship with the Swabians. It seems the common people are just as surprised as we are at the king's change of heart."

"It's just a cartoon though, Kat. What could it mean for us?"

"I think it's telling, Jack. Like you said before, how the people view their sovereign will tell you a lot about what's going on in a country. Aedan is an inexperienced king, and by the looks of this comic, his people aren't trusting his moves with the Swabians. This could still be good news for us about how the general populace feels."

"Perhaps his position isn't as secure as he would like," added Jack.

"Or perhaps the people only feel emboldened to do this type of cartoon with the negative effects of the plague. Maybe this is the only way they can express their unhappiness right now?"

Jack took another look at the cartoon. In that moment, he felt for Aedan and his own troubles. It couldn't be easy being a new king and having to deal with such troubles so early on in his reign. It reminded him of his own struggles and about how he was supposed to be king as well. Would the day ever come when Galicia ran this type of publication about him?

More importantly, would he ever live to see the day that Galicia acknowledged him as king?

How about the day when he finally accepted it?

*****

"What other options do we have then?" asked Commander Pete Dawson of the Horton. "Where can we go next?"

It was after four o'clock, and all the ship commanders had gotten together for Jack's war council. Not only did he have Pete from the Horton, Mike from the Stardust, and Luke from Valiant with him, but he also had the commanders from the three destroyers as well. Lt. Commander Vicky Carter from the Tiger was seated directly across from him, as well as two other new faces. In charge of the destroyer Maddox was Lt. Commander Laura Pollard and heading the other destroyer Wickes was Lt. Commander Alex McGrath.

While those two were still some of the newer members of the task force, Jack knew of both of their names before they'd arrived. Laura had been in his class at the Academy, while he had crossed paths with Alex a time or two back in Java.

When coupled with Abigail, Greg and Dustin from the marines, and Kat to represent Galicia, Jack had the full leadership of his force in one room.

At Pete's last question, all attention turned toward the map of the Fourth Vector that Jack had pinned to the wall behind him. It was a reproduction of a smaller one that Kat had given him months ago, one that would be large enough to use for a council such as this one.

"The way I see it," started Greg as he gestured to the map. "We can either go east to Carinthia from here, or strike due north to Kish. They are the next closest countries."

"Or we could go west to the Samaran Confederacy," said Abigail. "It's about the same distance to the west."

Jack looked over at Kat. "There's really only one person here who has the in-depth knowledge of the countries here and that's Kat. If we leave Picardy, and that's a big if, where would we get the best reception?"

Kat stood up and looked at the map. "The Samarans are out. They are mostly traders by nature, not fighters. Their standing army isn't that large, and they would never stand up to Swabia. Their only saving grace is that Apulia separates them from the Swabians. Not to mention, their politics are extremely volatile. They are a republic, and led by three men at any one time, elected annually. You can be friends with them one year and their worst enemies the next depending on who is elected. It's not a great strategic option."

"What about Carinthia or Kish?" asked Abigail.

Kat's hand moved to Kish. "The Kishians just got out of a war with Angarsk. A short war but a nasty one. I highly doubt they'd be likely to go to war again so quickly. Aside from their immediate neighbors, they usually aren't one to mind affairs outside their island."

"So that leaves Carinthia," added Jack.

Kat nodded. "Carinthia would be our best option. They've been in the anti-Swabian alliance before, and some of the brightest people I've ever met have been Carinthian. My only fears with them are their own escalating tensions with the Picards."

"Could anything come of that?" asked Jack.

Kat shrugged. "I do not know. It's rare though that a Carinthian warship is threatened in Daban harbor though. Those two have been allies for so long that it's a hard scenario to imagine. I'd worry about getting the Carinthians without the Picards. My fear would be they'd be less likely to accept our alliance just by themselves, even in spite of all the present tension that's between the two countries."

"So it's the Picards and the Carinthians or nobody at all?" asked Jack solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Jack," said Kat with a helpless look. "That's just the way things have historically been here. It wouldn't be right to tell you otherwise and get your hopes up."

"Why do we need either of them?" asked Dustin while throwing his hand up. "We have enough firepower at our disposal that we can handle anything the Swabians throw at us. Look at what we did to their last regiment! Not a man left alive to even speak about it. Why do we need the Picards?"

"What you fought was such a small measure of their total army strength that it doesn't even bear mentioning," said Kat quietly. "You fought one regiment. They have over a thousand. What are you to do when they throw all of them at you?"

"Kill them all," answered Dustin with a sly grin and heavy bravado.

It earned a slight chuckle throughout the room, but when the quiet returned, Jack opened up next. "Dustin, if we don't have Picardy, we don't have Carinthia. Our hopes of getting the Galicians are pretty slim too, and with it goes our chances of allying with the strongest and largest countries in the Vector. Never mind our hopes of surviving an attack by the Swabians."

Vicky Carter was the next one to speak up. "Jack, I'm confused. I thought we were here to get allies to help our war against the Occitanians. But we're talking more about the Swabians than anyone else."

It was a logical question that he couldn't doubt her for. Jack shared a knowing look with Kat and Greg, before turning his attention back to Vicky. Only a few of them knew about his real background, and the conversation had quickly turned to the fault line of the entire mission—the two halves of his identity. Was he here as a Javan naval officer to secure allies to fight the Occitanians or was he the long-forgotten King of Galicia here to secure the threat of the Swabians and bring back balance to the world?

Up until now, he'd be content to play at both roles, thinking they would lead to similar outcomes. But Vicky's word proved prophetic in more ways than one. Someday, he would have to make a choice about who he really was and who he really owed his allegiance to. No one would let him be both Javan and Galician forever.

It also made him wonder if there would come a time when he would have to go off on his own without his Javan allies and ships behind him. Even if he ultimately picked Galicia, they were unlikely to betray their homes and families to come with him.

One day, he would have to force that choice upon them as well.

And pray they didn't kill him for it.

"The Swabians have shown aggressive action against our existing allies in Sorella and Andalucia thus far," said Jack, launching into the official explanation. "While we will fight the Occitanians wherever they appear in the Vector, we also need to guard against those looking to encroach on our new allies. For that reason, we need to keep our sights on the Swabians just as much as the Occies."

Vicky nodded easily, accepting the answer for what it was. Jack had to wipe the sweat from his brow. Her question had revealed a very real impending consequence of his true identity.

"And if we stay here?" asked Laura to the rest of the group. "What then?"

"Then when our twenty-four hours are up, we'll find we've turned our prospective allies into enemies," said Jack quietly. "Not exactly what we came here for."

"Do you think they'd open fire on us?" asked Luke. "Those batteries on the shore look deadly."

Kat nodded. "I think they would. The Picards can be quick-tempered and prone to rash decisions. If you give them the chance, I think they just might take it."

There was quiet in the rest of the room as they all digested this news. Notably, it was Vicky who was the first one to speak up next. "I guess our decision is made for us then. We should try for Carinthia next. It's our best option. Even if we have a hard time talking them into an alliance, it would be better than making another enemy here."

"I'd have to agree with Vicky," said Luke. "No sense in going to war if we don't have to. Especially against a powerful, and more modern, enemy."

"Are we all in agreement then?" asked Jack. "Try our luck in Carinthia even though we know the odds are against us without the Picards?"

There were plenty of silent nods. Jack looked over to Kat, who remained expressionless during the entire exchange. It wasn't hard to see something was on her mind, but it wasn't anything that she'd come out with publicly.

"We might as well," said Abigail finally. "Perhaps our luck will change there?"

"All right, let's prepare to get underway. I want the task force ready to sail in a few hours. I don't want to be near Daban by nightfall. Good?"

The rest of them nodded and the council soon ended. Jack bid his goodbyes to all the officers as they left one by one until it was only him and Kat left in the room. The look of heaviness was still on her face, and he could tell she was still deep in thought.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, taking her in his arms. "You look like you have the whole world on your shoulders."

She met his eyes and smiled softly. "Sometimes, it's felt like that."

"It's okay," he whispered before kissing her. "We'll try our luck in Carinthia."

She finally locked her gaze on his. "Jack, what if we have another option?"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

She slipped out of his arms and then crossed hers in front of her chest. "Jack, I just know an alliance with Carinthia won't work without Picardy. I can feel it, and I know it will happen before we even leave. I just don't see it."

"Perhaps it will now, especially if there's tension between the two," he said. "Especially if they were willing to come to blows in the harbor the other day."

"That was just the common people though, Jack. The ties of their royal houses are much greater than that. I don't see the two countries going to war, much less even not being in the same alliance together."

"Okay, then what are you suggesting?"

She turned to face him. "I'm going to sneak into the country on my own. I know where the palace is. I can get to Aedan and arrange your meeting."

Jack's mouth dropped open. "Kat, are you crazy? I can't let you do that! I don't even know where to begin with that request. It's wrong for me to even consider on so many levels."

Kat took a deep breath and walked back to him. "I know Aedan, Jack. I'm betting he will remember me. If he sees me, he'll do what I ask of him."

"How do you know that?"

She avoided his eyes. "I just do, Jack. It's hard for me to explain right now."

He forced her to look at him. "I thought we said no more secrets between us? Back at the house when we were in bed? Why do I get the impression that you're holding something from me right now?"

Her eyes started to fill with tears. "Because I am. There's one more thing. Something I haven't told you just yet."

Jack felt like he'd just received a blow to the stomach. "Does it have to do with this Aedan? Some type of relationship?"

She shook her head fiercely. "Not in the slightest. But my knowing him can secure this meeting for us and make sure we don't have to leave. Let me do this, Jack."

"How? How would you do it, Kat? There's no getting past the port office anyway, and you'd stick out like a sore thumb." He grabbed a lock of her hair for emphasis.

"I'm more than capable of disguising myself, Jack," she said with a firm look. "I can move without attracting attention."

"What if you get caught, Kat? I just fought a war to rescue you. I really don't want to do it again."

"I won't get caught. I promise you, Jack. This may be our only chance of getting the Picards into our alliance. If we leave, we may never get the opportunity again. I have to do this."

Jack shook his head softly. "I don't want to lose you."

She gripped his hands tightly. "You could never lose me, Jack. I love you with all of me. I'm yours for as long as you'll have me. I know what I have to do and what needs to be done. I need to do this."

"And if I tell you no? Would you listen to me?"

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "I don't think you would. You know what's at stake just as much as I do."

She was right but he didn't want to admit it. They needed the Picards, but Jack just wished there was another way to do it without risking her. The look on her face told him she was determined to do this no matter what.

Could he let her?

"I don't want you do to anything stupid," he warned, wondering how silly it all sounded. "I have no idea why I'm letting you do this."

She leaned in and kissed him deeply. "Because you trust me?"

"I do trust you, but when you get back, you need to tell me this thing you're keeping from me."

She nodded solemnly. "I promise."

"Is it more prophecy?"

Kat shook her head. "No, I wouldn't do that to you. This is . . . much more personal."

"All the more reason for you to hurry so we can have that talk."

"I promise you I will work quickly, my love," she said.

"What about the task force? I told them we'd leave tonight."

"Just give me a few hours? If I can get this done right now, perhaps we won't need to leave at all."

"And if you get caught? Then what?"

Kat smiled. "Then leave me behind and keep going with your mission."

"But, Kat—"

"No, buts," she said with a firm shake of the head. "I need to know you'll continue on without me in case anything happens. Your life is much more important than mine."

"Even when your life is of the utmost importance to me?" he whispered.

Kat kissed him. "Even still." She grabbed a cloak from her bag and threw it over her shoulders. "I'll be right back. I promise."

Jack had barely mumbled his acknowledgment when she was out the door. He turned to look out at the city behind him. Evening was descending now, and soon it would be hard to see. At least she had that working in her favor. But what would he do if anything else happened to her? The last thing he wanted was to fight another war like Andalucia.

What would happen if Kat failed?

*****

Not long after the war council came to an end, Greg made his way back to his quarters on the Destiny. As he passed by the usual scenes of rowdy marines, he couldn't help but smile. Once again, it seemed like the ship was full of life. There had been too many times in Andalucia when he found himself thinking dark thoughts, wondering if any of them would live to see an end to that war.

They'd certainly taken enough casualties and lost a good portion of their friends and brothers-in-arms during the time spent in the desert country. Yet with the influx of new blood and their new camaraderie with his veterans, it was beginning to feel like old times again.

It was one thing that certainly put his mind at ease. At a time like this, he didn't want to find himself without thoughts to occupy him since his brain usually went back to someone else. In the deepest recesses of his mind, he still couldn't quite dislodge Brittany from the prominent space she once occupied. Even though it had been over a week since their relationship ended, it still weighed on him.

Although to be honest, it wasn't much of a relationship. It was mostly just sex.

He had to keep reminding himself of that fact. It wasn't meant to downgrade what they had together, but it was also an acknowledgment of the heavy physical nature of their encounters. Sure, he'd let it cloud his judgment, and he couldn't help the feelings that developed, but somewhere along that line, he made that choice.

Apparently, she didn't.

Shaking it out of his head, he entered his office and shut the door behind him. It would do him no good to dwell on it, and he wanted to bury himself in work to take his mind to another place. It worked for largely the next half hour until he heard a soft knocking at his door.

"Come on in," he muttered, hardly looking up.

"Oh, hey, Greg," said the surprising voice of Vera as she stepped into his quarters. "I thought Jack might be down here with you, but I guess he's not."

Greg looked up and smiled. "Nope, just me down here. You might try either Kat or Abigail's quarters though."

Vera nodded. "Tried those first, no luck."

"Do you want me to radio for him? I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

Vera bit her lip. "That's all right. I suppose it wasn't too important."

He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Important enough to come all the way down here though looking for him, right?"

Surprisingly, Vera giggled. "I guess I just felt like talking to him. With all that's going on, we haven't had much time to just sit down and talk since we left Kat's house."

"Oh, right. With your family connection now," said Greg. It was hard for him to imagine still that Jack and Vera were supposedly related, let alone brother and sister. He couldn't even fathom how they felt about the subject.

"Yeah," said Vera with a subtle nod. "It's just a little weird for me still. Not that I think it's a bad thing, it just takes some getting used to."

"I can understand that. I'd be a little freaked out too if I found out I had a sibling I knew nothing about."

Vera started to laugh. "Exactly!" She then looked down at the report he was in the middle of. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bug you if you're busy."

"No, it's fine," he said, pushing the report to the side. "Just paperwork. That's the one thing about it—it never ends, so what's the sense in trying to catch up?"

"That's a funny way to look at it," she said, taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

"Just something I've picked up after all these years in command," he said softly.

Vera rewarded him with another smile but said nothing else. He took the moment to study her features like he'd never had before. Even though he now thought of her as Jack's sister, she really was a beautiful girl. With her long, blonde hair and womanly curves, Vera was a sight that would make any man happy. His face started to redden as he remembered the image of her half-naked body back in Sorella when she was rescued from the harem. Vera certainly had nothing to worry about when it came to the physical.

It made it all the more troublesome when he actually got to know her and figured out that not only was she beautiful but sweet and thoughtful as well. For someone without military or political training, he could see why Jack kept her close, even before he found out about their familial connection. In a way, she was like his moral compass, always pointing him toward the right path, and it wasn't hard to see why Vera was so treasured by him.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," said Vera finally, snapping him back to the present.

"Sorry," he said with an awkward cough. "Just thinking about some things in the past."

"Care to share with me? I'm guessing by the way you were just looking at me, it involved me in some way?"

Vera had caught him fair and square, and he tried hard to take the image of her exposed breasts out of his head from back in Sorella. "I was just thinking about how far we've come in this journey. Especially since we first met you in Sorella."

She nodded solemnly. "I hate to even think about my time in Sorella. At least before you and Jack showed up. Afterward, it hasn't been that bad, but I think you can understand why I try to block that out of my mind."

"I understand completely," he said before changing the subject. "I know Jack is struggling with all that was revealed back at Kat's house, but you're in the same boat as he is. How do you feel about it?"

"You mean about being some kind of lost Galician princess?" she asked with a giggle in her throat.

"Precisely, that," he answered with a chuckle.

Vera took a heavy sigh. "I don't know what to make of it still. I still have trouble sleeping at night because I just can't get my brain to turn off thinking about it. I'm grateful for Jack, and I fear for him with what he needs to do, but I also worry about how it will change my life. What it might mean for me to be tied to him for the rest of our lives, you know?"

"I'm afraid I don't," said Greg with another laugh. "If I get sick of him, I could just request a reassignment, but I don't think you can do that."

"You wouldn't do that," teased Vera. "You're in too deep with us already. Besides, I know you, and you wouldn't abandon Jack for anything."

He smiled. "You're probably right."

"Oh, I definitely am. I got the measure of you pretty quickly, Greg Vaughn," said Vera, teasing him more.

"Oh, yeah? And what's my measure?"

"That you're a good man and a loyal friend," she answered quietly. Even though she said it with such certainty, it still didn't help the fact that she turned slightly red afterward.

Truthfully, he thought it was adorable. Rarely had he seen this side of Vera, and never directed toward him. He had to wonder if there was something behind it. There was a look in Vera's eyes that he wasn't familiar with. He had to question whether there was something deeper in her words.

"Well, at least someone likes me," he said finally, before looking down.

Vera's gaze softened and the smile left her face. "I didn't mean to make you feel down. I heard about what happened between you and Abigail's deputy."

"Even you heard about it? From who?"

"I overheard Abigail telling Kat about it," she said simply. "Either way, I'm sorry to hear about it. I hope you're doing all right."

"I'm doing okay," he said, chancing a look up at her. "It gets a little better every day."

Vera smiled again. "Well, I hope you know that I think she's nuts for what she did. I don't think she knew what she had."

Greg locked eyes with her without responding at first. Is she flirting with me or just being nice?

"I think I just made it out to be more than it actually was," he said quietly. "I don't think she saw it as that serious."

Vera shrugged. "So what? That doesn't mean you don't have feelings about her. You're human too, Greg. You can allow yourself to be hurt over it. I just think in the long run, she's going to be the one hurting at realizing what she lost."

She reached out to touch his arm softly. At that moment, Greg understood that look in her eyes. She was definitely flirting with him. And the craziest thing about it was that all he wanted to do was flirt back.

He reached his hand over and patted the top of hers. "I really appreciate that, Vera."

"Of course," she answered softly.

For the next half hour, she stayed and talked with him about a variety of subjects, none of them consequential. It was talking just for the sake of talking, but it was like therapy for his soul. Even though he knew Vera to be sweet and thoughtful before, the more time he spent with her, the better he understood her full personality. Yes, she was easy to talk to, but she also had a great sense of humor, and she was observant about things going on around her in a way that never ceased to amaze him. Greg found himself not wanting her to leave even as their conversations drifted to the retelling of old stories and memories.

"So that's when the spice merchant finally figured out what happened, and he chased me and my sister with a broom all the way back to my father's boat," said Vera with tears streaming out of her eyes in laughter. "I'd never seen my father so pissed before."

Greg laughed along heartily at the story. "Oh, I bet you heard about that one later."

Vera nodded quickly. "He was so mad at us, we never went back to Porto after that. Tainted forever, just because of us!"

"I can't say I'd blame him!"

They both laughed along for a few more seconds until Vera looked at the time. "Wow, it's getting late. I didn't realize that much time had passed."

Greg looked over as well, irritated at the time for going so quickly in Vera's company. "I imagine we'll be leaving soon. I know Jack wanted to leave tonight before the deadline."

"Yeah, guess so," said Vera reluctantly. "Thank you for letting me come down here and talk with you. That was really fun."

Greg smiled. "I'm really glad you stopped down here tonight, even if you were just looking for Jack."

Vera grinned. "Me too. Maybe if you don't mind, I might do it again another night? As long as you're not too busy?"

He shook his head quickly. "I'd never be too busy for this."

She smiled and made a motion to stand up. "Maybe I should let you get back to work?"

"If you must, if you must," he said with a chuckle.

Vera giggled and headed for the door. She turned to look back at him, locking eyes with his and giving him that look again. "Bye, Greg."

"Bye, Vera," he replied, watching her eyes. She lingered on him for a moment too long before she slipped past the doorframe. Just like that, she was gone.

Greg relaxed back into his chair, the grin on his face never leaving even after she did. For the first time in nearly a week, he didn't have another woman on his mind.

For the first time in a week, he let himself feel hope once again.

*****

Over a thousand miles away, the Regent of Galicia sat at his dining table eating his dinner. Eric Rosdahl took another bite of the chewy chicken dish in front of him, wondering just how the cooks could have managed to ruin chicken of all things. It was far too rubbery for his tastes, and after several bites, he tossed his fork back down on the plate with a scowl.

"Blasted fools," he muttered under his breath. "I'd give my entire country for a decent cook."

Finished with his plate, he pushed it away and let one of the palace servants take it away. "Fire the man that cooked that," said Eric before the man walked away. "Find me another cook who can't fuck up something easy like chicken."

"Yes, Your Highness," said the servant, quickly scampering back to the kitchens.

Eric barely had a moment to himself when another one of the servants showed up outside the door. "Your Highness, I have Lord William Calland here to see you."

Eric rolled his eyes and groaned. "What does he want?" he spat.

The servant gulped. "He wishes to discuss the Swabians with you."

The Swabians. Always the blasted Swabians, thought Eric. Calland was one of the worst fools of the nobility, always on his own personal crusade against anything or anyone Swabian. Before the man had even entered the room, Eric already knew what it was about.

"Send him in," snapped Eric.

Calland entered a moment later, marching with purpose to Eric's table. The old man always seemed to have a scowl on his face anymore, and Eric enjoyed nothing more than to find ways to keep it there.

"Your Highness," said Calland with a deep bow.

"I hope this is good, Calland," said Eric, already looking at him with suspicious eyes. "If this is about the Swabians again, it's already not off to a good start."

Calland pursed his lips. "Your Highness, I've heard reports of a Swabian ship docked in Kalmar harbor. I had to go see it for myself to confirm the authenticity of it. The very thing I didn't want to see is actually there."

"What's your point? Our harbor is free for anyone who wants to dock here," said Eric.

"Never the Swabians though. They've been prohibited from our country for over two thousand years," argued Calland.

"Times change, Calland. I have a very useful arrangement with them that requires their presence here. That's why that warship is here."

Calland sighed deeply as the scowl on his face worsened. Inwardly, Eric smiled. "Your Highness, you know the Swabians can't be trusted."

"Do I know that? They've done nothing duplicitous during my reign here."

"Yet," added Calland. "Our history books are full of their deceit, lies, and betrayals. You of all people should know that."

"Of all people? What do you mean by that, Calland?" asked the regent with a raised eyebrow. If the man was going to start getting personal, this meeting would be over more quickly than he imagined.

"You are the Galician Regent," said Calland. "You of all people should know of the struggles between our two peoples. They may come to you as friends as they always do, but in the last moment, they will strike you in the back, like they always do!"

"They will do no such thing. I have control of them," argued Eric with a dismissive wave. "I pay them handily for the service they provide me."

"Payment means nothing to them," shot back Calland. "The only thing that does is the expansion of their empire, and certainly not the concerns of their historic enemy."

"Perhaps it's time a new leaf was turned over then? Perhaps it was time that Galicia and Swabia put aside their enmity and unite for better purposes?"

Calland gasped. "How can you even say that with what they've done to us? The Galician kings would never have permitted such a—"

"THERE ARE NO MORE GALICIAN KINGS!" roared Eric, coming to his feet in a flash. "You would be wise to remember that, my lord!"

Calland pulled away from him suddenly, not offering a rebuttal. He was wiser than that. Their conversations always had the same result. Calland would push until Eric finally responded and then he'd retreat. However, this was a new low for the man, invoking the name of the kings. The kings were long since dead.

Eric ruled in Galicia now.

"I will hear no more of this foolishness," said Eric more calmly, once he'd regained his temper. "What I do is for the good of Galicia, and I won't have it questioned by anyone."

Calland raised a doubtful eyebrow at that sentence. It was clear that his definition of good was very different than Eric's, even if the regent considered the other opinion to be based around antiquated notions of historical enemies. There was no reason he couldn't have his own accommodations with the Swabians. It was only wise to keep the growing power of the Swabian Empire on his good side. No one would care for a war to break out with such powerful people.

Everything he did was to keep the peace. One day, his subjects would remember him as Eric the Peacemaker for his efforts.

"Now, do you have anything else to report or did you just come here to badger me about the Swabians?" asked Eric, taking his seat once more.

"I came here to be a good man and warn my leader about a threat that he doesn't see," said Calland with a stiff upper lip. "Since I've already done that, I'll take my leave."

"Excellent," said Eric sourly. "Have a lovely evening."

Calland stared daggers at him before leaving, his footsteps heavy against the tile beneath his feet. The lord slammed the door on the way out, causing several of the items in the room to shake.

I'll have his head someday, I promise you that, thought Calland. Upstart, rebellious little shit.

Unfortunately, that list would have to be fairly long indeed. There were too many of the nobility that questioned his actions still, a thought that rankled him to no end. Calland wasn't the first man to invoke the name of the kings, but he would soon be the last. Eric wanted no more mention of the Galician kings when he was around. The line was dead.

Or at least, it soon would be.

For he and he alone knew that somewhere out there, the heir to the throne breathed. His uncle had known and had spent the better part of his reign trying to eradicate them. At one point, he even met with a degree of success, killing the previous heir and his son, even if the grandson had escaped. It was no matter as Eric would track him down soon enough and remove his head from the rest of his body.

He would allow no more competitors to his rule. As long as this heir was alive, he was a threat to his position. His cousin hadn't understood that, and she was deposed for good reason. He was more realistic about their threat, and it was the reason why he spent considerable resources hunting down not only the heir but his foolish cousin as well.

One of those resources happened to be his friend in Swabia. Eric took out the object of Calland's distaste, a letter given to him by the Swabian messenger aboard their warship. The seal on the envelope bore the personal emblem of Lord Regaulfus Avila, and Eric opened it again to reread the original message.

According to the letter, there was trouble brewing on the other side of Swabia. A foreigner from the eastern part of the world was meddling in Avila's interests in some of the smaller countries, and he wanted some aid with taking the man down.

Eric was on the fence about how to respond to the message. For one, he doubted that Avila lacked the resource to deal with such a pest on his own, but he also knew that Avila's money lined his own pockets, proving to be a steady and generous ally. Eric wondered just how much "aid" would be required of him by the Swabian lord, something that was uneasy to contemplate. He pocketed the letter, determined to think more on it before giving his answer back to Avila.

"Your Highness, your minister Olaf is here to see you," said one of the servants, interrupting his daydream. Olaf was the head of the regent's spy network in Galicia, and the very man whom he tasked with the most important missions he had running at any one time. Any time that Olaf had a report to give in person, it was bound to contain something worthwhile.

"Show him in," said Eric.

Not a moment later, the burly, blond minister made his way inside the chambers and bowed to Eric. "Your Highness, it's good to see you."

"And you as well, Olaf, assuming that you have good news for me."

"I do, Your Highness. It concerns your cousin. We've found her."

Eric turned to face him. "For certain you've found her? You're sure this time?"

"As sure as we can. She was spotted by one of our men. Someone posted in Daban in Picardy."

"I knew she'd show up. I had my own guesses that Picardy might just be the place. How were they sure it was her?"

"It matched the pictures we have of her. It wasn't hard to escape notice with that hair of hers, but it's definitely her."

"Good, I'm glad to have found her. Ever since we lost track of her back in Apulia over six months ago, I've been waiting for her to make a wrong move."

"There's more to it, Your Highness. She's onboard a naval vessel. It's not a typical western vessel either. This one looks eastern to our eyes. My contact in Swabia referenced their own missing naval ship from a few months prior, lost in action to some foreigners from the east. We believe it may be the same force."

Eric turned to look at Olaf. I wonder, he thought to himself. Is this the same foreigner that Avila is chasing?

"Do we have a name? Identity? Anything on the warship or who commands it?"

Olaf shook his head. "Not yet, but we are working to figure it out."

"Why would my cousin be with this foreigner is the bigger question," muttered Eric under his breath. What could she possibly gain by attaching herself to this person? Unless . . .

"I want the identity of this foreigner immediately. I want it to be top priority. I need to know his name, and most importantly, I need to know what he looks like."

"Looks like?" asked Olaf, giving him a strange look.

"Yes, hair color, eye color, height, weight, all of it. Don't ask questions, just get it done."

"What about your cousin? What should we do with her?"

Eric looked at him and grinned. "I think it's about time we had another assassin pay her a visit, don't you think?"

"I can have that arranged," said Olaf with an expressionless face.

"Pick a better man this time. I don't want her getting away again," said Eric. "Send the best you have access to. No wait, send two men."

"Two of them?"

"Yes, two. Just in case we need to deal with this foreigner as well."

Olaf gave him a confused look. "Any particular reason you're so interested in this foreigner?"

Many, none of which you shall hear, thought Eric.

Eric turned away from the man. "Just get it done."

"Yes, Your Highness." Olaf bowed and quickly left the room, leaving Eric alone once more.

This might be his way of taking care of two birds with one stone. To finally get his cousin out of the way, as well as earning a personal favor from Avila for the foreigner as well. That was only if this foreigner was who he thought he was. And if that was the case, it might even be three birds.

Eric walked over to his own personal desk and took out some blank stationary. He began to write quickly.

ATTN: LORD REGAULFUS AVILA

I'd be delighted to help you take care of this foreign meddler.

*****

After his war council was over, Jack stewed in his own quarters while he waited for news. Kat had left right away once he gave his reluctant acknowledgment, disappearing into the evening and out of sight. He had no idea how a woman like her could possibly escape notice, but as the time went on, she still hadn't come back.

Part of him wondered if they would bring her back in a similar fashion to how they brought back the gold from the earlier attempt. Another part wondered whether they would bring her back at all, imprisoning her or worse if she was caught.

If they do catch her, I wonder if they'll even give me any warning? Or just start firing on my ships right away?

Jack looked out the port window toward the shore batteries, seeing them still inactive and appearing to be quiet. He had a lookout watching them full time, just in case they decided to train their sights on his ships, but so far, there'd been no movement.

Most importantly he thought about what he would do if he found himself in another war for Kat. Part of him questioned whether or not it would be wise to just reveal his identity, possibly forcing Aedan to put aside any hostilities. Would the king come to him if he learned he was about to go to war with the heir to the Galician throne? He had the proof in the form of the sword, so it wouldn't be a hard stretch, even if it would require him to announce himself far earlier than he intended.

Jack couldn't decide what made the most sense to do, and for that reason, he largely paced around his quarters waiting to hear back from Kat. After a certain while, it became too much for him to be alone with his thoughts, and he left his personal quarters and made his way to the bridge.

The only officer there currently was Cory Renner, who just happened to be looking out over the harbor when Jack arrived.

"Evening, Jack," greeted Cory before gesturing out to the city. "I was just enjoying the view."

He had a point to that one. The city did look great in the early evening hours from the lights and the way the moon cast its light down on it. It was just too bad they had to leave far too soon.

"It's a nice view, I'll give you that. How's everything up here? Quiet?"

"As quiet as can be. Just waiting on you to tell us when we should leave, although it seems quite late for that now, Jack. Did you still want to chance this with such little light?"

Of course, Cory didn't know about Kat sneaking off the ship, preventing their departure. As far as the rest of them knew, they were just waiting on Jack's word.

"Not yet, Cory. We may delay until morning," said Jack cryptically, not offering much more of an excuse.

Cory gave him a confused look before he ultimately shrugged. He then looked back out to the city. "Kind of reminds you of home, doesn't it?"

Jack looked over at him. "Java?"

"Yeah, it kind of reminds me of Lockhaven. Beautiful city by the sea, the lights, the noises. It's the first city we've really seen that resembles anything of our own. It just reminds me of being back at home."

Jack nodded and looked back out to the city. He could see how Cory made the comparison to his own home city. In a way, it did look similar. Perhaps that was one reason why he didn't really want to leave so soon, at least subconsciously. After nearly half a year of being away, it reminded him of being back in his country.

"I miss it at times. Being home," continued Cory. "Not that I don't enjoy this mission," he added quickly. "But I miss my family. Miss my girl back home."

"We've been on this mission for over six months now," said Jack. "How long has it been since you were in Java? At least before you transferred over from the Valiant?"

"Almost nine months now," he replied. "On my last assignment, we went nearly three days without seeing Java, and now this one is already at nine months. I have to question when we'd go home again soon anyway."

Jack shrugged. "I'm not sure I can give you that answer, even though I want to. I half wondered if they would make us go back to relieve the blockade of Aberdeen, but the order has never come."

Cory nodded. "I thought about that too. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Jack. I enjoy my job, and I think this mission will stay with me for the rest of my life. But I do miss home."

Jack put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I do too. I hope we can go back soon enough. They can't keep us out here forever."

Cory let out a small smile before turning his attention back to the city. He brought up a good point. This was now one of the longest running missions most of them had ever been on. Apart from the marine replacements, all of them had been part of this task force for half a year. A good portion of them were homesick. To a degree, Jack was too.

He missed the sights of Java—the rolling hills and the lakes. He missed Jocelyn and her family, although he still hadn't come to terms with the fact that she wasn't his real sister. More importantly, he missed the somewhat carefree life before this mission. Before he found out things about his identity that were hard to reconcile. Sure, he may have been born a Galician, but he was raised a Javan. Would Java always be his home?

Could Galicia ever take its place?

It was a hard question to answer for a place he'd never been to but he stewed about it quietly as Cory got back to work. A short while later, Abigail called out to him through the command radio. Jack grabbed it excitedly, thinking there was a chance Kat could have come back.

"Can you come down to my quarters when you get a second?" asked Abigail.

"Duty calls," said Jack with a small smirk to Cory. "Let me know if you need me."

"I got it covered. See you soon, Jack!"

He crossed the rest of the ship to get to Abigail's quarters, entering it swiftly and seeing her on the other side. She had the radio pressed up to her lips, and he could tell she was getting a message from one of the engine rooms. Jack was content to wait until the message was over, and finally she set down the radio and looked at him.

"Are we still leaving tonight? It's almost pitch black outside, Jack," she said while crossing her arms.

He shook his head. "Not yet, at least. We're still waiting."

She frowned. "Waiting on what?"

"On Kat," he admitted. "I let her go off the ship in one last attempt to get to the king."

Abigail's eyes went wide. "Really, Jack? With all that's going on, you let her do that?"

"I know it's crazy," he whispered quietly. "But she had this look in her eyes that she could get this done. I don't know what it was, but I just had a feeling she could do it."

"I sure hope for all of our sakes that she's right. I really don't want to get involved in yet another war here."

Jack shook his head. "I don't either. I'm putting a heavy amount of trust in her to get this right. I just need to see what happens."

Abigail nodded. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to doubt you. She really hasn't done anything to us to make us question her judgment, right?"

"I questioned it when she first brought up the idea," admitted Jack with a chuckle. "But she's been right so far. I figured it was worth the risk."

Abigail got up from her desk and walked toward him, encircling her arms around his waist. "How are you doing? You were out of bed so fast this morning that I feel like I've barely seen you today."

"I'm all right, I suppose. I was just on the bridge talking with Cory and he kept talking about going home again. Back to Java. We've been away for over six months and that's not even counting Quiller's Cove."

She rested her head against his chest. "I do miss my mom and dad. My brothers too." She pulled back to look at him. "But this mission is important. He knows that, right?"

"He definitely does, but I think it's okay to be a little homesick at times."

"Are you? Homesick, that is?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I don't know anymore. Yes, I wouldn't mind seeing my sister, but I have to wonder if Java is still my home."

She gave him a confused look. "How can you ask that? You grew up there, Jack. We all did. How can it not be home for you?"

"My home is on this side of the world," he said softly. "I'm not really Javan."

She forced him to look at her. "You are, Jack. Just because you have some Galician blood in you doesn't mean you have to erase everything about your childhood. The people that raised you are Javan. Your friends back home are Javan. This mission, all the members of our task force, all Javan. Even one of your women is Java." She placed his hand against her heart.

"I've just been so conflicted lately," he admitted. "You don't understand what this revelation has done to me. I feel like my soul has been torn in two. One part pulls from the east. The other from the west. Eventually, I'm just going to get ripped up in the middle."

There was concern in her eyes. "You can still be both, you know?"

"What if I can't though? A day is going to come when I'm forced to choose. Choose Java or Galicia. It may not be today or tomorrow or even next week, but it will come, Abigail. What if I'm not ready for it? What if I make the wrong decision?"

"I've always put my trust in you making the right decision," she said while reaching up to caress his cheek. "I won't stop trusting you now."

He didn't respond. Every fiber in his body wanted to ask her what she considered the right decision to be but he already knew what her answer would be. He felt profoundly stuck.

"I know this isn't something that you asked for," said Abigail finally. "I know this was just dropped on you out of the blue, but if it had to happen to anyone, I'm glad it was you."

He smirked at her. "Glad it was me that was being tortured like this?"

Abigail giggled. "No! But I'm glad that it's in your hands more than anything else. I trust you, Jack. I know you'll do the right thing in the end."

He swallowed heavily as she placed her head back against his chest. He just hoped his version of the right thing matched hers.

"Your heart is beating so quickly right now," she said while turning to look at him.

"Just nerves about all of this. And I'm hoping we hear from Kat soon."

"I'm sure we will," she said with confidence.

Her command radio went off in the next minute, and they were right back to their normal roles. An officer was trying to write up another officer under their command, always a tricky subject, and Abigail had to turn her attention back to deal with it. It was good timing, as there was soon a persistent knock on her door.

It was Twitch.

"Jack, I need you right now," said the man, his eyes wide with excitement.

"What is it, Twitch?"

The deputy then said the magic words he'd been waiting on. "Kat is back. She has someone with her."

Jack was nearly sprinting in the next heartbeat. He waved back to Abigail before he crossed the threshold, but he soon took off in a near run. The only thing on his mind was who was the visitor?

"Did you see who she was with? Who is it?"

Twitch shook his head. "I'm not sure. He was covered up pretty well. I didn't get a chance to see him."

"But it was a him though? A man was with her?"

Twitch nodded.

Jack wondered if it was some kind of palace guard or minister that she'd gotten to. Perhaps even a family member of the king if he was lucky. He also considered the thought it was another officer, this one letting them know their countries were now at war.

He shuddered at that particular thought and tried to hope for the best.

As soon as they'd made it to his quarters, Jack took a deep breath and opened the door.

The first thing he saw was Kat's face. It brightened as soon as she saw him, a small smile filling her lips as she made her way to embrace him.

"Jack!"

He took her into his arms and squeezed her tight. "Are you okay?"

"Good as can be," she said with a small, worried smile. He couldn't quite figure out why she looked worried to him, but something wasn't quite right. It was a familiar look for her face.

He'd last seen it the night she told him about his identity.

Jack tried to put those thoughts out of his head as he turned to look at their guest. Their identity was still shrouded by their coat, and their face was completely concealed. Jack glanced back at Kat. "Who is this? Did you get my message through?"

Kat nodded. "I did. Jack, may I present King Aedan of Picardy?"

At that moment, the man lowered his hood. The first thing that Jack saw was the mane of red hair. Not only was it heavy on the top of his head but also in his beard as well. The word bushy sprung immediately to mind, and the man's piercing green eyes locked on him. He was tall, nearly as tall as Jack, and if he had to guess, Jack estimated the man wasn't too much older than himself.

"You must be the man we've been hearing about. Jack Easterbrook, I take it?" asked Aedan, offering a hand in greeting.

Jack took it as he shot a sly smile over to Kat. "You really did it," he said to her in a whisper.

Kat grinned. "I told you I could."

"It's good to meet you, Your Majesty," said Jack, shaking Aedan's hand heartily. "I have to say it was my intent to meet you, but I would've gone to your palace. I didn't expect you to come like this just to my ship!"

Aedan grinned and shook his head. "It's no matter whatsoever. And please, let's dispense with this 'Your Majesty' deal, all right? I could say the same thing to you!" He then pointed to Kat. "Especially with what Katherine has told me tonight. Her and I go way back, and it's been way too long since I last saw her. With everything she's been through, this was a favor I could easily repay back."

Jack looked back over to Kat. "Katherine, then? I guess I never put it together that Kat was short for something else."

Kat managed to look both embarrassed and worried at the same time. "Jack, there's something I should tell you," she said in a low tone.

Aedan's brow crinkled in confusion. "Tell him? Does he not know?"

Jack looked back and forth at both of them. "Tell me what? What don't I know?"

Kat turned to look away. "He doesn't know yet."

Aedan then turned to him for the answer, his face bewildered. "Jack, your companion for the last several months has been Katherine Rosdahl, the deposed Regent of Galicia."