Chapter 22: Homecoming

Time seemed to have lost much of its meaning during the many weeks on the open ocean. Every time Jack looked out past the ship or through one of the many port windows, the sight never changed. The enormous and seemingly endless body of water presented the same view at the very break of day and at the onset of night, a quiet tranquility that remained changeless.

Regardless of the setting, the calendar did change. Four long weeks had passed since the Destiny and the rest of Task Force 21 set their course due east. That morning, their destination was finally in sight.

Jack had been preparing for the start of the day when the radio went off with a sighting of the Javan homeland. He immediately left his desk and peered out the window. Even though the lookout could see land, it didn’t mean he could from his vantage point. Sure enough, the only thing he saw was open ocean.

“You look a little jumpy, Commodore.”

Jack turned to face Abigail, who was also working at his desk that morning. The brunette commander usually did these days, seeing as she spent a good portion of her time in his quarters. It became only natural that she should work alongside him as well, as much as that was possible for two officers.

“I just can’t believe we’re home. I was hoping to see the mainland just to make sure I hadn’t imagined the radio call,” said Jack as he once more looked out the window.

“It has been a long four weeks,” she agreed as she hopped out of her chair and approached the window beside him. Her hand soon rested against his back, a comforting touch that made him want more. Jack turned and pulled her in front of him so she could have the better view, all the while his hands wrapped around her hips.

“It should be just over there,” he said, pointing toward the eastern horizon. “It feels like we’ve been gone too long.”

“That’s because we have,” said Abigail with a soft giggle. “It’s almost been a year, Jack.”

He placed a kiss against her neck. “Have I really known you that long?”

She laughed softly. “Best year of your life, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, about that...”

Abigail turned and poked him. “You were saying?”

He wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her in for a long kiss. “You’re damn right it was. Even with all that’s been going on.”

“You’re referring to all this king business, aren’t you?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief, knowing the low emphasis she placed on it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Jack laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Well, we’re home now. So you have to pretend to be Javan at least until we can leave.” Abigail then pointed to some of his blond hair, especially some locks that were now escaping from his cap. “And that means you need a haircut.”

Jack feigned a hurt expression. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

She patted his face consolingly. “Nothing, my love. But if you’re going to see Admiral Bancroft, you might want to make sure you look as professional as you can.”

Jack growled. “I’ve gotten used to the relaxed standards while on our mission.”

Abigail pulled her hand away from his face suddenly. “I’ve noticed. Have the barber include a fresh shave while he’s at it.”

It was for that reason that Jack opened the door to his quarters to Butch, the resident barber on the Destiny, about twenty-five minutes later. Jack was well-familiar with the man, seeing as he’d been cutting his hair since Jack had been on the ship. The name of Butch was a nickname, given because of the man’s impressive stature and very short-cropped hair.

Butch eyed his hair almost immediately and started to laugh. “Wow, Jack, how long has it been?”

Seeing as their relationship was mostly informal, Jack had no qualms about the man not using his title.

“Too long,” said Jack with a chuckle as he grabbed another lock of hair. “Plus I figured with us being this close to home, it’s about time I got it done.”

“You and all the rest of the men,” said Butch as he got out his scissors and razor. “I’ve been working nonstop the last three days as everyone gets cleaned up for their girlfriends or their families. Now that we’re almost home, everyone has to look like their woman remembered ‘em!”

Jack grinned and cast his eyes over to Abigail, who was watching them with an amused expression. “Funny you should mention that, Butch.”

Not one to be left out of the conversation, she approached them both as Jack sat down in a chair. “Butch, do you think you can clean up all this scruff back here? And give him a clean shave? I like him so much better when he’s smooth.”

Butch chuckled. “Yes, ma’am, you’ll barely recognize him when I’m done with him.”

“No need to be that drastic,” said Abigail before she cast her eyes back on Jack. “I kind of like the way he looks now.”

“Only kind of, huh?” shot back Jack.

Abigail shrugged playfully before returning to her desk.

For the next ten minutes, Jack talked on and off with Butch while he did his hair. Not surprisingly, toward the end of the cut there was a good portion of blond locks on the floor, testament to how long it had been.

“You’re the only man in the service I know with blond hair,” said Butch as he cleaned it off the floor when they were done. “And you sure do have a lot of it.”

Jack stood up and approached his mirror, taking a moment to appreciate the shortness of the hair and how smooth his face appeared. Abigail seemed to enjoy it as well, as she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him as soon as he was free.

“Much better,” she purred as her fingers traced a line along his jaw. “I just love when you’re clean-shaven.”

“You recognize me again?” he joked before placing a subtle smack against her ass. “Do I look like me?”

She nodded excitedly. “You sure do, and I can’t wait to show you how much I like it as soon as the barber leaves,” she whispered into his ear.

Needless to say, Butch didn’t last too much longer in his quarters. After making sure the man was paid, he waved as he left the door.

“Have a good time,” said Butch with a laugh as the door shut behind him. Abigail hadn’t been inconspicuous enough about her feelings regarding his cut, and she soon sprung into action.

“Finally,” growled Abigail as she pulled him to bed. “The longer you were in that chair, the wetter I became. Feel me.” She unbuttoned her trousers and grabbed his hand, sticking it between her thighs.

She wasn’t exaggerating. Abigail was so soaked that his finger nearly slipped right inside from the start.

“You like me that much, huh?” he asked while his finger pressed deeper inside her.

Her head bobbed immediately. “I sure do. I can’t help the fact that my body wants me to jump you every hour of the day.”

“Every hour of the day? Now that sounds like it might be fun,” said Jack, slipping his finger deeper inside her. Abigail gasped as the knuckle went inside. She had a moment to enjoy the treatment before her eyes flashed back to his.

“Pants off, please. I need it.”

She wasn’t the only one. Jack could feel himself hardening ever since his hand slipped between her legs. Just the thought of easing his cock into her wet hole had him pulsating with lust. It took no time at all before he was throbbing for her.

Abigail quickly kicked the rest of her trousers off and assumed the position over his bed with her perfectly-sized ass swaying in the air. She knew the effect it had on him, and she was determined to make the most of their time alone. They both knew that at any moment, a number of deputies or officers could interrupt their privacy, and as such was the case for all midday intimacy, it proceeded without much foreplay.

Jack stepped up to the edge of his bed holding his cock in one hand while he nudged the tip against Abigail’s wet opening. His eyes traveled along the intimate crevice, resting for a moment on her ass. Clearly her best feature, Abigail’s cheeks were so extraordinary that they could have been best described as sculpted. With a thick roundness and completely unmarked by blemishes, Abigail had an ass that many women could only dream of.

Even her tight rosebud drew his attention. Jack slipped his thumb into his mouth and then used it to apply gentle pressure against her rear passage.

The effect was nearly electric. Abigail let out a long, low moan of approval and thrust her butt back at him. Her head whipped around, causing her dark hair to dance across her shoulder. “And what do you think you’re doing?” she asked with a playful expression.

Jack grinned as he pushed the tip of his cock inside her. “Just teasing you.”

“Teasing my ass is what it felt like to me,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“It seems like you enjoyed it.”

She regarded him with suspicion for a moment before she turned back around and rested her head against his pillow. “Maybe I’ll let you have that hole someday. Don’t get your hopes up though. I’ve only done it once and it was a less than stellar experience.”

Jack stopped trying to stick his thumb inside her ass and went back to lightly caressing it though. She noticed it right away and looked back at him. “You can still touch it. Just don’t go inside it just yet, okay? I need to work myself up to that.”

He continued to tease around her hole while the rest of his cock slid deeper inside her. Soon, her hips were pushing back firmly against his, and the sounds of their bodies meeting echoed throughout the small room. Jack used both his hands to grab her cheeks, using the leverage to achieve deep, powerful thrusts.

At some point, Abigail’s head whipped around again, locking eyes with him as they coupled together. It took what was an already intensely hot session and turned it up a notch. The very act of watching her eyes while he took her sexy body provided to be seriously erotic, a fact that didn’t escape her notice either.

“Fuck me hard, Jack. You own me, baby. Take me and don’t ever stop,” she mewled, biting her lip as she watched him thrust into her.

She continued to dirty talk while pushing her ass back against him. Jack was giving her everything that he had, his hips a blur at their frequent pace. Her burning hot, snug pussy was driving him crazy, squeezing him with every deep thrust.

It was only a matter of time. Jack pushed in deep and unloaded, filling the brunette commander with every drop of his seed.

“Yes, fill me! Fill me, Jack!” she moaned while pushing back all the way. He could feel her milking what was left from his cock, and when he pulled away, he could already see a small sliver of cum trying to escape from her greedy hole. Abigail’s hand snaked behind her, grabbing a small portion on her finger and bringing it to her mouth. She sucked it hungrily, rolling her eyes as his essence slid down her throat.

“I love when you cum inside me,” she said finally, looking back at him with a satisfied expression.

“I almost always cum inside you,” he teased. “You don’t really want it any other way.”

“Nor will I. There’s just something so ... right about having your cum in my pussy,” she said, sitting up on their bed. “It might be the knowledge that any one of those little swimmers could make me pregnant that I like so much.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Pregnant? I thought you were still on the pills?”

“I am, but a girl can dream, can’t she?” said Abigail with a dreamy smile.

He could only laugh to himself while they finished getting dressed once again. By the time Jack looked out the port window again, he could clearly spot the landmass of Java, now dominating the eastern horizon. Not far from the coast, he could see an endless array of their native deciduous trees, the type which dominated the entire country.

Abigail went back to their desk while Jack stood by the window, and no sooner than a few minutes went by did they receive the inevitable visitor.

Fortunately for them, it was Kat. The blonde woman came into the room wearing a cheery smile and looking as gorgeous as always.

“I just heard from Cory on the bridge,” said Kat as she pointed toward the window. “He said we’ll be in Lockhaven in two hours.”

“That’s great news,” said Abigail as she looked up for her work.

“What have you two been doing?” she asked, looking around the room. It was then that Kat sniffed into the air and made a face. “What a second. Were you two just fucking?”

Abigail grinned lewdly. “Guilty as charged”

Kat stomped her foot playfully. “And you didn’t call for me?”

Abigail stood up and went to hug her friend. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. Not with how he looks right now with a fresh haircut.”

Kat’s head turned toward him and appraised his clean-cut appearance. It was then that she made a low guttural moan of approval. “I can see why. He does look really sexy right now.”

“I bet you could convince him to go for a round two,” whispered Abigail into her ear. “You might just have to be a little creative about it like I was.” Abigail then lowered her voice more, saying something in Kat’s ear that Jack couldn’t make out.

Kat’s face flashed with a cunning smile. “Oh my, that does sound wicked. I can’t believe you did that to him.”

Abigail grinned triumphantly. “A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.”

“I might have to try that trick later tonight.”

“Trust me, you two need no tricks to get me into bed,” interrupted Jack with his hands raised. “I’ll come willingly.”

“Oh, you’ll cum all right,” said Abigail with a wink. Both women laughed to themselves, and the playful banter largely continued until Jack and Abigail were back to work, while Kat occupied herself on their bed. Once they were close enough to the city though, almost all work stopped, and a good portion of the officers and crew moved above deck to watch the entrance into Lockhaven harbor.

Jack watched the sailors with a mixture of happiness and consternation. Many of them were clearly ecstatic about being home, and thoughts of seeing their families again were prominent by the expression on their faces. The consternation he had was to do to the upcoming battle. He knew that very soon, they would be asked to break the Occitanian blockade, which meant throwing every active ship the Javans could muster against nearly the entire Occie fleet. Such a grand action wasn’t liable to be without heavy casualties, and he very well could be looking at those who were living the last days of their lives.

He could only wonder how many of these men he brought home would die in another weeks’ time. Perhaps even himself?

He tried to shake the thoughts from his head as the city of Lockhaven appeared into view for the first time. For many, the city was a picturesque outpost on the sea, a secondary naval base of crucial importance for its location nearest to the Occitanian mainland. Others knew of the city from its culinary treats, boasting a wide range of incredible seafood. To a small minority, the local architecture was one to be appreciated most, with many extravagant buildings created with artistic flair.

However, for Jack it was home.

Or at least, the first home he knew about, before the other had so dramatically dropped into his life. Jack spent a good portion of his life in this city, having known all the main sights, drags, and parks from memory alone. His adoptive sister, Jocelyn, had spent almost her entire life here too, until recently when her husband took a job in Belfort, forcing the family to move.

In essence, as he looked upon the city from afar, it gave him feelings of warmth and familiarity, pushing aside the momentary thoughts of battle.

And what a city it was.

Lockhaven was one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, cities in the entire Javan Empire. The harbor dominated the entire city, a deep natural port that could contain the entire navy within its crystal-blue waters. The main portion of the city jutted out into the bay, and it was speckled with dock facilities along the entire breadth.

Jack could already see warships along the docks, many of them he hadn’t seen in years. There were some new arrivals as well, battleships that could only have been recently off the line. Aside from the warships, there was a small enclosed commercial harbor, which was full of fishing trawlers and large trading vessels.

Beyond the docks was the main drag of the city. Lockhaven stood on a flat coastal plane, an open area that had been cleared many millennia ago from the ancient forests that once met the coast. Over a hundred years ago, it was realized that the city could no longer go outwards and instead, must go upwards. For that reason, there were many high rises along the central core, buildings that had twenty to thirty stories, resplendent with a full facade of glass and the best masonry in the country.

The buildings didn’t dominate the entire city, and as the task force was guided to the docks, Jack could already see the great, large avenues that flowed throughout the city. A long time ago, those avenues used to be the main processions for the old conquering kings of Java when they unified the island into the current empire. Now they were full of merchants, commuters, entertainers, and families making their way from one end of the city to the other.

Lockhaven bristled with life as well as a deep, long history.

Part of the old core of the country, it had been included in the coastal strip where the original power of Java grew to strength. Along with the capital city of Belfort just further down the coast, the original Javans competed with the aggressive yet more primitive Tyrolean and Thessalonian countries on the southern and western coasts of the island, respectively.

Wars had been fought. More than once, Thessalonian armies stood at the gates of Lockhaven, poised to enter as conquering heroes. Several times, the force of Javan arms pushed them back into their forests and mountains, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

It took the actions of several restless kings to conquer the Thessalonian hordes and unite them with the original Javans, creating the empire in the process and elevating those kings to emperors. From there, the armies turned south, fighting several long, grinding wars with the Tyroleans until the entire island had been united under one emperor and one family—the Bainbridges.

Today, Lockhaven was more peaceful than in recent centuries, although the current preparations for war threatened to disturb that. Jack couldn’t help but think of all these warships leaving together under one command and one flag, off to liberate their brethren still stuck in Aberdeen.

And somewhere along those docks was the great Fleet Admiral Bancroft himself, anxious to see Jack after such a long time away. Jack’s first orders upon arrival was to present himself to Bancroft, a meeting that filled him with anxiety and trepidation. The situation with the viceroys still played heavily on his mind, as well as everything that had happened with Kat regarding Galicia. Would he find the admiral with willing ears and great patience as he had before? Or will the admiral have changed just like everyone else had in the last year?

It was time to find out.

Only once the Destiny was secure on the dock did Jack move to leave the ship. Before he could disembark though, he wanted to talk with his women.

“What do you want us to do in the meantime, Jack?” asked Abigail from the railing of the mighty cruiser. “Should we let the crew enjoy the town?”

Jack nodded. “We won’t be leaving for several days, so give them some passes to see their families. Who knows when we’ll be home again.” Or how many of them will survive this next battle.

“What about us?” asked Kat, her eyes still wide from her first sight of Java. “I know they asked you to bring a head of state. Should I come now?”

Jack pursed his lips as he thought for a moment but ultimately shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s see what Admiral Bancroft has in mind for that first. This initial meeting should be brief, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of him in the coming days. Let me get more information, and I’ll let you know for sure.”

Kat nodded while Abigail offered a small wave. “Good luck. We miss you already.”

Jack grinned. “Miss you both too.”

As he turned on his heel, Jack stepped foot back on the Javan mainland for the first time in a year. He’d hoped that it would have felt better than it did, but perhaps the chance to see his old friends at naval headquarters would feel better. He squared his shoulders and walked toward the imposing building, hopeful of what was to come.

The naval headquarters building was exactly as he remembered it. The structure was, like the rest of Lockhaven, more glass than anything else. It was located not far from the docks, on a short clearing alongside other naval buildings and barracks. The headquarters stood about five stories high, the largest nerve center for the navy outside of Belfort and Aberdeen.

As soon as Jack stepped inside, the place was bustling with activity. Deputies hustled about the main hallways along with their busy secretaries, leaving no portion of the building with silence. Many of them were familiar faces, mainstays from all his years in the navy. Jack greeted one too many old friends, many of those he hadn’t seen in years.

Jack was surprised to find the amount of attention he garnered from the second he stepped into the building. Not only from old friends, but from faces he didn’t recognize either, all of them staring at him like he was some kind of demigod appearing from mythology. He’d expected a certain level of amazement at being the first person back from the Fourth Vector, but this almost seemed to take it to absurd levels.

After shaking hands with numerous officers, including a few admirals, Jack was finally shown into a private room where he was alone once more but not for long. About five minutes after his arrival, another familiar face entered.

Jack had last seen Rear Admiral Jason Clark about a year and a half ago, the last time he saw Admiral Bancroft, but his wasn’t a face that he forgot easily. Clark was Bancroft’s longtime deputy, a man whose very name signaled competence and loyalty. His hair was a lot grayer than Jack remembered, but the most disturbing thing about Clark’s appearance was the look in his eyes.

It was almost like the spark of living had been entirely extinguished. Something about his face instantly filled Jack with feelings of dread, and he received the impression that not all was well in the country.

“Admiral, it’s so nice to see you again,” said Jack with a warm smile. “It’s been way too long.”

Clark offered a smile with his mouth but not with the rest of his face. “It’s good to see you too, Jack. The admiral will be here with us shortly. I’m sure he’s eager to meet with you.”

“And how is Admiral Bancroft? Is he well?”

There was a look of momentarily disgust that passed by Clark’s face. Jack only caught it for a second before it disappeared. “He is ... increasingly...”

Clark never got a chance to finish his sentence. As his mouth hung open, the door to the room suddenly opened, and no other than Fleet Admiral Percival Bancroft entered the room.

Clark’s mouth shut itself instantly, his words forever lost as Bancroft put on a warm grin and approached Jack.

“Jack, my boy, you have no idea how it warms my heart to see you again,” said Bancroft, stopping right before him.

Jack offered him a crisp salute before taking the admiral’s outstretched hand. “And you as well, Admiral. It’s good to be home.”

Jack felt the admiral’s other arm snake around his back, giving him three hearty pats before he pulled away. Like Clark, Bancroft was also older than he remembered. The creases in his face cut deeper than before, and the hair at his temple was now fully silver without any specs of black. There was something else different about the way he carried himself, something that Jack couldn’t quite figure out just yet.

“Look at you now. Commodore Easterbrook,” said Bancroft with pride as he looked over Jack’s uniform. “I remember when you were just a simple cadet back in the Academy. How many years has it been?”

“About eighteen now, sir,” said Jack with a grin. “I entered the Academy right out of high school.”

Bancroft’s mouth dropped open. “Has it really been that long, Jack? I say that more for the years since your rate of promotion was certainly speedy enough. I don’t know many thirty-six-year-old commodores.”

Jack shook his head with humility. “Luckily for me, I’ve had the benefit of a great crew and even better ships under my command. It’s made everything else easy.”

Bancroft started to laugh. “You sound like a politician, Jack, especially with an answer like that. My guess is your time in the service has marked you for a political career. Ever thought about that?”

For a split-second, Jack’s thoughts turned back to Galicia, but it wasn’t a topic he wanted to bring up just yet, not during his first meeting with the man. This meeting was more superficial than most, and he didn’t want to open that can of worms.

“I find a warship suits me just fine,” answered Jack. “I think I’d leave politics to those with the temperament.”

“Another good answer.” Bancroft shook his finger. “I knew I was right all the years ago to keep an eye on you. You’ll be filling my shoes one day.” Bancroft turned to look at Clark. “Isn’t that right, Clark?”

Surprisingly, Clark barely moved. He remained silent, only offering a perfunctory and polite smile.

Bancroft didn’t seem affected. He once more moved again to touch Jack’s back. “Come, let’s have a seat while we wait for our last guest. I want to hear all about your travels. You and your crew are the only ones to enter the Fourth Vector and live to tell about it. Tell me everything.”

Jack didn’t get a chance to ask who the new arrival might be. Soon he found himself bombarded with questions from Bancroft about his progress in the Vector. Many of them were only natural, the result of an intuitive mind. Others were more leading, making Jack wonder why he could possibly be asking such a thing.

“And these Andalucians? They are rather primitive, yes? Any warships of note? What about army size?” continued Bancroft as he seemed to add to his mental tally.

“For the most part, yes,” confirmed Jack. “They don’t have any warships of note, and most of their army has been decimated by the wars they fought against me. In any event, their primary weapon is the bow, and as you can imagine, it doesn’t go too far against rifles.”

Bancroft grinned. “Right you are, Jack. What about these Swabian characters you’ve mentioned in your reports? Are they quite the threat?”

Jack nodded. “I believe they are the primary threat throughout the West, more deadly than most.”

Bancroft blinked several times. “I’m sorry, what is the West?”

“My apologies, sir,” answered Jack. “I’ve been used to using their terminology for a while now. They refer to themselves as being part of the West, or as western countries. When I’m around them, I try not to refer to the area as the Vector.”

The admiral let out an amused smile. “Surely, we don’t want to offend the savages, I get it. I suppose they call us the East then?”

Jack nodded but his cheek flinched at the same time. “I really wouldn’t call them savages, sir. Yes, some of them are still a century behind us in terms of technology, but the others are quite advanced. One of the last places I was at, Carinthia, has even mastered flight.”

Bancroft gave him a disbelieving look. “We’ve mastered flight too, Jack. We’ve had gliders since before you were born.”

Jack shook his head. “I mean controlled flight, sir. Using an engine and wings, as well as a pilot who can dictate where they want to go.”

The admiral didn’t look convinced. “Perhaps we’ll have to spend more time on that later. I do find it hard to believe that two peoples separated by a vast ocean can be at similar points of development though.”

Jack smiled. “What I’ve found in the Vector hasn’t stopped surprising me since I first arrived. In many cases, I’d even call it life-changing.” That was certainly an understatement, and it was about all the more he was willing to offer at the moment about the nature of his discovery about Galicia.

“Well, you seem to be the best man for the job then. It’s why you must go back as soon as this business with the blockade is tidied up,” said Bancroft as he leaned back in his chair. “We may even need you to help out in some of those colonies that you’ve already been through, like Sorella.”

Jack flinched again. “About that, sir, I was hoping we might be able to talk more about it. Specifically calling them colonies. I was under the impression this mission was about forming alliances, not colonies.”

For the first time that morning, Jack caught sight of a side of Bancroft he hadn’t seen yet. A darker side that seemed to linger underneath the open pleasantness. “That’s a peculiar situation, Jack. One that goes all the way to the top. I have to admit that I was as surprised as you, but that is the course that the emperor wants to dictate on this mission.”