Chapter 1: Quiller's Cove

Author’s Note: This is my first try at writing a grand epic fantasy. When the idea for this hit me, it came on fast and furious, and I found myself rushing to write down all the notes for it. At the moment this series doesn’t have a full, written ending, and I intend for it to be an ongoing work for quite a while. I have a lot of ideas for where I can take this, and I have sketched out a grand plan to bring this to a satisfying conclusion. Please note that while I do try to be somewhat accurate in my naval terminology and roles, I did take some liberties to make for a better story. The short answer is don’t expect complete accuracy and remember that this is a work of fiction.

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PROLOGUE

PRESENT DAY

“Commander Easterbrook, we need you on the bridge at once, sir.”

Jack Easterbrook’s eyes popped open. After a quick look at his surroundings, he turned his head to face his subordinate, Lieutenant Mark “Twitch” Buckner.

“Give me a minute, Twitch.”

Twitch nodded and closed the door gently. One thing that Jack liked about the man was that he took direction remarkably well. Some of his past deputies would take the opportunity to yammer on about some problem or perhaps even attempt to chastise him for catching a nap, but Twitch never did. It was the reason why Jack kept him around.

Jack swung his legs over the bed and planted them firmly on the ground beneath him. His quarters were quite spartan with only the bed, a desk and chair, and a cabinet for his belongings occupying the tiny space. It wasn’t much for the quarters of the commanding officer but the Valiant wasn’t meant to be flagship anyway.

Jack grabbed his service cap and took a brief moment to glance in the mirror at his reflection. As he ran his hands through his short, blond hair, he noticed his deep-blue eyes still held tinges of exhaustion. The rest of his face was no better as he had two days’ worth of stubble in his beard. Thankfully, there was no one onboard who would dare criticize him for his appearance, but he also knew he’d have to look impeccable when they came into port in a couple days.

After he put his cap on his head, Jack crossed the floor and left his quarters. He’d been stationed in the stern of the ship just above the propellers. That meant it took him a few minutes to cross to the middle of the vessel where the bridge was located. Along the way he passed numerous sailors going about their daily tasks. At this time of morning the machinists could be found hard at work on the lower decks, while the higher he got the more maintenance work could be seen. He passed one sailor applying a touch-up to some damage in a portside railing and another cook scurrying about as he was late for the start of breakfast.

“Good morning, Sir!”

“Commander Easterbrook.”

“Morning, Commander.”

Jack nodded to all of them as the sailors ran about doing their tasks. It pained him to know that he didn’t know most of the names of the men on the Valiant. He’d only been put in charge of this two ship squadron three weeks prior when they left their home port of Aberdeen. He just hadn’t had the time to learn all their names so he mostly greeted them by their rank.

“Good morning, Petty Officer.”

“Great work, Seaman.”

Jack arrived at the bridge a short while later and he grabbed the railing to climb into the command center. A gust of smoke erupted from the smokestack above him and quickly dissipated into the calm air.

Twitch was waiting for him at the top of the railing. “Sir, they’re ready for you.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Lieutenant.” Even though Jack was comfortable enough with the man to call him by his nickname, he tried not to do it around the other commanding officers of the Valiant. A good deputy like Twitch deserved the extra respect.

Jack entered the bridge and felt the immediate attention of several pairs of eyes landing on him. All activity ceased at once as each person turned to await the words of their leader.

“At ease,” Jack said as his eyes took in each person in turn. First up was the head of weapons division, Lt. Bill Norman. Norman was middle-aged, and judging from the fit of his uniform, he was a few pounds overweight. The man still had a relentless and piercing stare—the look of a true sailor. To his right was Lt. Kimberly Cross, head of operations division. Cross was one of the younger officers and still in her twenties. She had auburn-red hair and was extremely capable.

Next to Cross was Lt. Victor Star who was the head of engineering division and in charge of keeping the ship running. Despite being the same age as Jack, Star was already graying around the temples. He was a quiet and reserved man but also very competent.

The last man to come into view was Lt. Commander Luke Ravencross, the commander of the Valiant. Luke was a man that Jack knew well, being only two years ahead of him in the naval academy. His reputation was well-known too as Luke was one of the most aggressive commanders in the entire Javan navy. A boisterous fighter, Luke was always in the thick of the action.

“Commander Easterbrook,” said Luke while nodding to his superior officer.

“What’s going on? Why did you have me summoned from my quarters?” Jack asked, looking into each face in turn.

Lt. Cross was the first to step forward and Jack noticed she held a pair of binoculars in her hand. “We thought you’d want to see this, sir.” She handed over the pair and walked to the corner of the bridge that faced the starboard side. “Look out over that way past the lifeboats. Toward the horizon.”

Jack pressed the tool to his eyes and scanned the open seas. That far out, it was difficult to distinguish where the sea ended and the sky began. Soon enough his gaze fixed on something that wasn’t part of the ocean. His heart rate spiked.

“What are they?”

Lt. Commander Ravencross stepped forward. “It’s hard for us to tell at this distance but they appear to be Occitanian.”

“Why would the Occitanians be this far west? They have no bases out here, and we are over three weeks out from the mainland,” said Jack.

Luke stepped closer and whispered, “I think they’re looking for a fight, Jack.”

Jack pursed his lips and turned his attention back to the horizon. Occitanian warships in the vicinity would be enough to make any commander jumpy. The best thing about the Occitanian Confederacy was their formidable navy. An island empire, they had the best warships in the world.

“How long have they been there?”

“The lookouts spotted them about forty minutes ago. By the time that word got back to the bridge, we spotted Occitanian markings on the hull. It’s a stretch at this distance but we’re positive it’s them,” said Lt. Cross.

“Do we know what type of ship it is? Any chance it’s something small like a squadron of destroyers or something?”

Luke shook his head. “They look like cruisers sir. Heavies.”

Jack paled quickly. An Occitanian heavy cruiser would be able to make short work of the Valiant, a much lighter cruiser. Even the second ship in their squadron, the destroyer Tiger, was much smaller than the Valiant and wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Have we established their course and speed?” Jack asked.

It was Lt. Star’s turn to speak up. “Negative on the speed sir. Their course seems to be west northwest though.”

Just like ours, thought Jack. If they were truly following him, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for them to open fire. With the state of the current tensions between the Occitanians and his home country of the Javan Empire, war was certainly on the horizon. Any spark, like a skirmish on the high seas, could start a war in earnest.

“Why don’t we fire a few warning salvos, sir? Show them that we aren’t to be trifled with.” Luke took his hand and smacked into the other one.

Jack quickly shook his head. “No. If they truly are heavy cruisers, we wouldn’t stand a chance. Plus, we don’t have much in the way of ammunition for the main guns. How many rounds do we have for each gun currently, Lt. Norman?”

Norman answered quickly. “Only about five rounds per gun currently, sir.”

Jack continued. “If this turned hot, we’d only have enough rounds to get their location pegged, and then we’d be out. We’d be sitting ducks at that point. If my memory serves, their heavy cruisers have a gun size of eight inches. Our six inch guns would be quickly overwhelmed.”

“I think their range is greater than ours as well, sir. They’d blow us out of the water before we even got close,” said Norman.

“Let’s keep our distance then. Can we outrun them?” Jack asked.

“We can fire up the extra boilers and make a few more knots but if they want to catch us they can,” answered Lt. Star.

“Fire the boilers. By my mark, we’re only two days out from our naval base at Quiller’s Cove. The Occitanians wouldn’t dare follow us into our own base. I want you to radio word over to the Tiger as well to increase speed. Tell them to increase the distance between the ships. If they do fire on us, I don’t want them getting any lucky shots that hit both ships. We just need to make it into the harbor at Quiller’s Cove.”

“I’d like to see them try to enter the harbor just to get blown to shit by land artillery,” said Luke with a smirk.

Jack let out a small chuckle. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that as well. As long as it’s not us getting blown to shit.”

Jack turned back to the horizon. They’d only have the two days to keep the distance between them. Could they outrun their predators for that long? Would the Occitanians try anything if they closed the distance?

“In the meantime, keep a lookout on the horizon,” said Jack. “I want hourly notifications of their position and speed once it’s known.”

“Absolutely, sir,” answered Luke. In the next moment, he issued several more commands to his division heads and shortly after the three lieutenants went scurrying back to their original positions, leaving the two men alone on the bridge.

“I don’t like this one bit, Jack,” said Luke, disposing of their formality. Jack didn’t mind as long as it wasn’t done in front of the crew. They went too far back to be using their formal ranks in private.

“I know, Luke. What are the chances they find us in all of this open ocean? Three weeks from home at a fast, westerly course and they stumble upon us? It’s too coincidental.”

“What if it’s not a coincidence? What if they’re looking for trouble?”

“It’s definitely a possibility. Admiral Bancroft thinks war is coming. And if the chief of the whole damn Javan navy thinks war is coming, I’m not one to doubt him,” said Jack.

“Of course you won’t,” said Luke with a chuckle. “You’re his shining star pupil. He’s been watching you since the day you entered the academy. It must be real nice to have the head of the navy guiding your career.”

“It’s been a good thing for me,” said Jack. “It’s an old family connection to Bancroft that caused me to show up on his radar. He’s been a great mentor for me. Besides, how many thirty-five-year-old commanders do you know?”

Luke held up his hands. “I didn’t say it was bad. I graduated before you and here you are the commander of the squadron while I just have this old ship. I was just saying the truth. You can’t deny that Bancroft favors you.”

Jack nodded. “Say what you want, but Bancroft is the chief for a reason. His gut instinct is usually right. Don’t forget, he has the ear of the emperor as well. Being on Bancroft’s good side is the only place to be.”

“Jack, there’s something about this mission that still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. What the hell are we to do when we reach Quiller’s Cove anyway? It’s the most remote naval base in the entire world and practically right next door to the bloody Fourth Vector. What the hell could possibly be our mission all the way out here? Surely if war was about to break out, shouldn’t we be at home ready to defend the coasts against those Occitanian bastards?”

Jack looked back out to sea, watching the bow of the Valiant slice through another wave. Luke asked a good question and it was one that he’d often found himself pondering at night before bed. Jack patted the pocket of his uniform absentmindedly—the resting place of his written orders from Admiral Bancroft the day he left port. His instructions were completely brief and very vague.

Rendezvous at Quiller’s Cove with Commodore Stanhope Lucas. More instructions will await your squadron there. Your mission is considered top secret.

-Admiral P. Bancroft

“I wish I knew but I know just about as much as you,” said Jack. “We’ll find out more once we talk with Commodore Lucas.”

“Jack, do you think there’s any chance they’ll send us into the Fourth Vector?” For once Luke lost his quiet confidence and visibly paled at the very mention of the dreaded Fourth Vector.

It was easy to understand why. The Fourth Vector was unknown territory. Even its name itself carried a trepidation that was held in common by all the eastern nations. Stories of monsters and demon men from the vector were used to frighten young children. Even grown men shied away from missions that came too close.

The truth was that no one from home knew what was truly out there. The lands that made up the Fourth Vector were truly unexplored and filled with savage people. Furthermore, anyone who had tried to explore it never returned to tell the tale. What could possibly be gained from contact with such a land?

Jack swallowed and turned to face his friend, having to face the facts. “Why else would they send us all the way out here? I doubt they need our forces just to garrison Quiller’s Cove.”

Luke shuddered visibly. “I heard there’s a race of savages on one of the islands. If they catch any humans, they’ll skewer us with big, metal pipes and wait until the surface pierces the other sides of our bodies. Once we’re properly speared, they prepare a big bonfire and roast us until we’re tender enough to eat.”

“Hell of a way to go—barbecued like a chicken at some savage’s backyard party,” muttered Jack.

“That’s one of the better tales I’ve heard,” said Luke.

“Don’t you think it might be just that—a tale?”

“Who knows? Do you even want to find out? I don’t.”

Jack chuckled. “No. And I pray every day I’ll never have to.”

The subject made Luke uncomfortable enough to switch to another topic. “There’s a lot going on right now, Jack. How did the world get so complicated?”

“That’s been on my mind lately as well. Between the Occitanian threats and the raids by the Ruthenians, it’s only a matter of time until war breaks out.”

“Do you think we can win?”

Jack shrugged. “We’ll do all that we can. Luckily, the Ruthenians and the Occitanians aren’t working together so we have that in our favor. They hate each other just as much as they hate us.”

“I don’t know what kind of war we’re going to have. I’ve seen the new recruits. Most of them have never spent a day at sea in their life. And not to mention, they’re as fat as heifers and lazy to boot. God help us when we do go to war. We’re going to need all the help we can get,” said Luke.

“We just need to trust in the emperor. He’ll guide us through this,” said Jack, regretting the words almost as soon as he said them. It was a gut reaction—a learned trait of every Javan to never question their emperor and always follow their orders blindly. Yet the current occupant of the throne inspired very little faith.

“Bullshit,” swore Luke. “You and I both know that Emperor Charles is a bloodthirsty tyrant. That man would sell off his own children if he thought it would gain him extra power or help him keep his throne.”

Jack gripped his subordinate’s arm. “Talk like that any louder and you’ll find out how bloodthirsty he can be. Even naval officers aren’t immune to the emperor’s brand of justice if anyone on this ship turns into a snitch.”

“Relax, alright?” said Luke in a quieter tone. “I’m not dumb enough to mouth off in front of the crew. But you can’t deny what I said about the man.”

All Jack could do was nod. “I know you’re right. But this is our country. Java is a home. Our loved ones and everyone we know is Javan. We can only do the best we can to protect our home.”

Jack could tell that his friend was thinking over his words as he fell silent for several moments. Before he turned away, Luke spoke out once more. “Have you ever met him? The emperor that is?”

“Just once. A dinner function in the capitol. Bancroft invited me as his guest and I met Charles for a grand total of five minutes.”

Luke fixed him with his stare. “What was he like?”

Remembering the chilling words from his encounter with the supreme ruler of the Javan Empire, Jack stuck his hands in his overcoat. “Let’s just say the rumors about him are true.”

With that, Jack calmly exited the bridge and prepared to return to his quarters. Spotting the faint dot on the horizon that marked the Occitanian cruisers, he said a silent prayer to let the ships make good time into Quiller’s Cove.

The next two days passed by uneventfully, much to the relief of the crew. At one point a full day outside of Quiller’s Cove, the Occitanian cruisers slipped out of sight. Jack liked to think it was due to the presence of the nearby base but it could also have been just because they slipped into a heavy fog bank once they got closer to land.

Nevertheless, Jack stood on the bridge of Valiant as they awaited sighting of the remote naval base. Binoculars in hand, his eyes scanned the coast of the small island and found nothing to look at besides rocks and surf. The island boasted nothing beyond the small Javan base, a convenient port of supply on the edge of the world.

Jack walked toward the other side of the bridge and looked off to the west. Across the miles of open waves stood the dreaded Fourth Vector, the land of legends. In that moment, Luke’s premonition about whether their mission lay inside the vector stuck out in his mind. It made Jack clutch at his jacket tighter. What other reason could be given for sending them to the opposite side of the world?

“Land ho! Thirty degrees to starboard!”

Jack’s head craned up to the lookout calling from the ship’s mast. As he put the binoculars up to his eyes, Jack could see the lights of Quiller’s Cove come into view just beyond the mist. In that moment, Luke crossed over to Jack’s side of the bridge and gripped the railing.

“Looks like we made it. I’ve never been so happy to see land,” said Luke.

“You’re happy to see land? Here I thought you were an old sea dog,” said Jack with a chuckle.

“Oh, I don’t mind a good old-fashioned brawl on the high seas, but I rather not end up as shark bait in the middle of the open ocean.”

“We can agree on that. Although I can’t shake this feeling that we’re sailing into an uncertain future. I have a feeling that we have some turmoil on the horizon.”

Luke laughed and then pursed his lips. “Don’t you know already, Jack? Whether it’s going into the bloody vector or turning around to fight the Occitanians, we are definitely headed for trouble.”

Jack shot a sideways glance at his friend before turning to watch the port come into view. The first thing he could identify beyond the lights was the massive jetty that enclosed a good portion of the harbor. Made of massive stones carefully placed together, it broke the ocean waves and provided a calm port for the Javan ships inside. The entrance into the harbor was found in a small break in the jetty and the Valiant lined up and slipped past the outcropping of rocks.

Inside the harbor, a flurry of activity could be seen before they even approached the dock. Jack’s eyes danced around as he took in the small fleet of ships tied up in their berths. Most of them were smaller—either supply ships or tiny frigates of the garrison. All of them had flags flying high as if on review, and their hulls were done with a fresh coating of paint. It was a spectacular sight to see the assembled ships of the Javan navy, especially the one ship that caught everyone’s attention.

“My god, is that the Destiny?” Luke asked as his mouth stood agape. He pointed to the large capital ship tied up at the main dock.

“What would she be doing all the way out here? She was just commissioned two months ago,” said Jack.

The newest and one of the most powerful ships in the Javan navy stood proudly at the dock as her gray-painted hull sparkled in the day’s light. A number of white-uniformed sailors could be seen on her deck while her flags flapped proudly in the breeze. The gun barrels in each of the three turrets pointed up towards the sky, a powerful reminder of her impressive armament.

“Is it true that she packs twelve inch guns?” Luke asked.

“It’s true alright. She’s the most powerful cruiser in the entire navy. It was built exactly to Bancroft’s specifications. She can outrun anything that can sink her and she can outgun anything that is quick enough to catch her. She’s an incredible specimen.”

“What I wouldn’t give to steer her into battle. To feel the ship recoil with just one launch of those powerful guns. I’m getting hard just thinking about it!”

Jack chuckled. “Simmer down. I doubt we’d get anywhere near her anytime soon.”

“You think this is our mission, Jack? Maybe we get to take over the Destiny?” Luke never looked more hopeful.

“I doubt that,” said Jack.

“Do we know who’s in command? I’d like to buy the guy a drink and see if he’d take me out on patrol one day. Do you think it’s Commodore Lucas?”

“No, Lucas is in command of the naval base. I’ve never met the commander of the ship but I do know his name. Lt. Commander Wainwright,” answered Jack.

“Sounds like a crusty, armchair commander,” said Luke with a sigh. “I’ll never get to pilot her.”

“Cheer up, Luke. Maybe if you’re lucky, you can take a picture next to her hull,” Jack joked.

“I better end up with more than just a bloody picture,” muttered Luke.

Jack gave a simple smirk and remained silent. He watched as the bow of the Valiant cut across alongside the Destiny and pulled into the dock beside it. When they were close enough, two tugs pushed the ship in against the dock and several sailors jumped out to tie down the ship. Behind them, the small destroyer Tiger filed into an empty spot at a nearby dock.

“Great to be back in port again. Wonder where the bar is in this town?” asked Luke as the boilers came to a stop.

“Come on, knucklehead, let’s see what’s going on. Perhaps we can meet the Commodore and find out what the rest of this mission entails.”

The two men gathered the rest of the divisional commanders of the ship and prepared to exit down the plank toward the dock. As Jack approached the railing, his eyes caught sight of another officer already on the dock and appearing to be waiting for their arrival.

“Commander Easterbrook?” the man asked more out of formality than question. Jack looked down at the man’s shoulder lapel and noted that he was a lieutenant. His name tag indicated that his name was Settler.

“Aye, you’ve found him, Lt. Settler,” answered Jack as he saluted the officer.

“I have a message directly from Commodore Lucas. He wishes to meet with you at ten o’clock tomorrow morning to discuss your mission.”

Jack frowned as he hoped to have that meeting today. “Any idea what that mission will be now that we’re all the way out here, Lieutenant?”

Settler blinked several times in a most annoying fashion. “Negative, sir. I’m sure the Commodore will enlighten you at your meeting.”

Jack pursed his lips, not quite liking the tone of the deputy. He decided that if Lucas didn’t want to see him until tomorrow then he would at least find a way to enjoy the night before the mission truly began in the morning.

“Very well, Lieutenant. You can give the Commodore my regards and let him know I’ll see him in the morning.”

“Certainly, sir. I am also to inform you that the dock crews are to begin a resupply of your ships at this moment. The crews will be working through the night to prepare the ships for their mission.”

“You’re starting the resupply now? Just where in the hell are we going, Lieutenant?”

Settler’s ears reddened at being addressed in such a manner but the man kept his cool. “You’ll find out in the morning, sir.”

Jack let out a heavy sigh and saluted the deputy to let him get back to his chief. Taking this much time to supply the big ship pointed toward an extended mission. But where?

“Man, I’d love to slap the service cap off of that mouth,” muttered Luke as soon as Settler walked away.

“The man seems to know how to get under your skin, doesn’t he?”

The two officers watched him walk away as the sailors began to descend down the plank. Having been so long at sea, the majority of them were now in search of the nearest watering hole, not unlike their commanding officer.

“I’m going to go look after the men. Someone needs to make sure they don’t get in trouble with all of that alcohol after all,” said Luke while already taking steps away from the ship and into the little town.

“And who’s going to look after you?” Jack called out. He watched as a grin appeared on Luke’s face as he disappeared into the crowd.

“Oh, I’m sure a man like that won’t get in too much trouble,” came a voice from behind him.

Jack spun around until he was greeted by the piercing-blue eyes of Lt. Commander Victoria Carter, the commanding officer of the Tiger.

“Ah, Vicky, you got off that ship in a hurry,” said Jack, offering a kind smile.

“It’s been three weeks since we saw land, Jack. Besides, you can’t tell me it doesn’t feel great not to be in your cramped quarters right now.”

“You’re right, Vicky. I’d much rather break up drunken fights between my men at midnight instead of being cramped,” gibed Jack, launching into a chuckle.

Vicky swatted his stomach in response.

“Careful now. Don’t you know the penalty for hitting a superior officer?”

“Does it involve a spanking? If it does, sign me up.” Vicky’s eyes danced with mischief. Jack was half-tempted to take her up on that offer.

“Behave for now, Vicky. This isn’t the academy anymore,” he said with a wink.

She winked back and started to walk toward town. “Poor me. Looks like I’ll have to find another sailor to keep my bed warm tonight.” She pursed her lips and practiced batting her eyelashes.

“With that look, I’m sure you’ll have no problem, my dear,” answered Jack.

She laughed and then headed into town. Jack watched her go before turning his attention back to his small squadron. Most of the sailors that wanted to be off the ships were already gone. His eyes drifted from the narrow silhouette of the Valiant to the much larger figure of the Destiny. Taking a step toward the mighty cruiser, Jack scanned the entire ship to take her in. The Destiny looked impressive even from far away, but this close she looked positively majestic. He ran his hands along her hull and pictured her slicing through the waves as her turrets fixed on an enemy ship, only to pound her out of the water with those massive twelve inch guns.

“Getting a good look, Commander?”

Jack turned to face the voice and found himself looking into the eyes of another sailor. She stood tall—almost as tall as he was—with dark hair and eyes. Jack found himself immediately attracted to way her wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. After he took his attention off of her features, he looked for a name tag but found nothing. No other markings on her jacket indicated her rank either.

“You could say that. It’s a lovely ship,” answered Jack.

“That she is!” The woman grinned and sauntered next to him. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure yet.”