Jack was about to start his Captain's Log when a ping alerted him to an incoming vid-com. He touched the screen and looked at the Commander with surprise, "Brig. What a surprise."
"Javic. I understand you and your Coms Officer have decided not to allow adopted family members on board" the man said calmly, "Under the Gerlot Convention this is a breach of the accord with those who accepted hatchlings into their families."
"Shit, I hadn't thought of that" Jack sighed, "We can't be seen to be excluding them, not with the treaty being so tenuous."
"Exactly, so I suggest you rethink the policy on who is or isn't classed a family. Those adopted will be checked you do not need to make a public outcry of this" the man smiled softly, "Javic, you are so close. Don't fuck this up now and remember that you are being watched so closely right now."
Jack smiled and finished the call then rose, calling for Mister Jones to come to his quarters. As he waited he seethed at the thought the man he was to rely on had ratted him out so quickly. When he entered Jack pointed silently to the chair on the other side of his desk and he watched those long limbs fold into the chair with that grace he admired. Normally.
"I have just had a call from the Brig. Apparently someone squealed to him that I was being mean and alienating certain fractions" Jack said and he watched the man's face change to one of confusion before smoothing over again.
Not him?
"Mister Jones, did you tell of our conversation?" Jack asked.
"No, who would I tell?"
Jack knew his Number One was not lying, he couldn't be. Jack had read his file, saw that he was Gorganian and Gorgans cannot lie. It's some sort of religious thing. If he said no, then he meant it.
"Very well Mister Jones, I suggest you do the final checks and measures as we are going to take this big beauty around the planet for a little show and tell before the lottery." Jack finally said and he saw a grimace before the man rose and bowed politely.
"Yes Captain, anything else?"
Jack swung in his chair, "Yes, I was wondering if you could check the rosters one more time. I think there is some dissent in the engine room with some of the crew."
"Sir there is always dissent in the engine room with the workers" Mister Jones answered, "They are all idiot savants. Wonderful at Warp Drive Engineering but naff at personal communication."
Jack had never heard a Gorgan use slang before and for some reason it tickled him making him smile. The brief smile in return was also unexpected from a usually dower race and Jack blinked as the man exited with that stealth thing.
Wow.
Jack rose and searched his quarters one more time as he wanted his family here before the lottery draw as there might be some weird happenings and the rumblings of possible kidnap attempts and such had started circulating. Tomorrow all crew were to being their families that had been cleared for boarding up where it was safe.
Jack looked at his little home with satisfaction as he knew the Captain's Quarters were the most opulent of the lot, one if his stipulations for this bloody quest was that his family not have to suffer any more than necessary and he sighed softly as he knew there was nothing more to do, nothing more to fix.
Gods, he hoped they liked it up here and forgave him for having to leave their mother behind where she lay in the cemetery. The begging to dig her up had been horrid, both children old enough to know they could not possibly have such a request accepted, not when they had been the ones to beg for the burial of their mother in the first place. One of the last plots in the family cemetery. Such a hallowed place and family had been so angry as burial plats were outlawed but he had worked on the Brig to help get a dispensation. Had he been allowed to cremate her as is the custom she might have been in a small box and allowed to come.
Damn it.
The expense would be horrendous.
Jack found himself standing before the portrait of his family staring into Lucinda's eyes as he silently berated her for making this all such a fucking hard slice of shit pie to swallow. Little Alice and Stephen smiled up at the camera as their mother clutched them like a mother hen, his own arms around hers in the ultimate display of ownership.
She had died less than a month later.
Jack looked around the room with sorrow, his promise to her that he would do all he could to protect their children came back to haunt him now as he prepared to undertake a mission that would last for years, these children being adult crew by the time they reached their destination and he hoped they understood.
Way too expensive for her to come too. Right?
This was their only chance at survival.
All they were leaving behind would be ashes.