NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: 4. My god, is that the Destiny?
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.