14
"What do you mean, blown off course? It's not like you are on a sail boat on the fucking lake!" Rhys spluttered as he held a small child in his arms, vigorously rubbing her clean as she had thrown up on herself with fear during the extraction process. Several of those in the vessel had not liked the jostling. Poor little mite.
"I mean… we were heading for the far Northern Sector but there was a meteor shower so we tried to hedge around it, the larger vessel full of the Toffs fucked off because they were too mean to give up the extra fuel for us to go around, thinking they could power on through like they were ice-cubes… more like ice bergs." The senior officer explained as he took the child from Rhys with a look of gratitude "Then, when we found ourselves limping near a planet that had some Shadow Proclamation Warning beacons we knew there was someone down here that could help us. We are almost out of fuel, food and there is a sickness in the other vessel that chose to keep going. This vessel in orbit, is the last of us. I am sure of it. Of course, I was not the captain so I sort of… took the planet to planet vessel with a couple of puddle jumpers in the hopes that you would receive us. I didn't expect…."
"Huckleberry" John finished for him "He's Huckleberry Worm."
"So, this main mother ship just… left you?" Ianto was amazed at what he was hearing as he watched Rhino listening from behind the man, and then he asked in Judoon "Rhino? Thoughts?"
The man swung to stare with horror as the Judoon spoke for the first time in his response with those words that sound likes a series of weird grunts "I believe they already know and I have relayed the relevant information. Ships are three day away at least, the only ones in this sector are on vital business and cannot be pulled away."
"And I say again… we have our own fleet" John shook his head with wonder "They deserve an arse whooping."
"I agree with my skinny friend." Rhino reverted to Galactic Standard.
"See?"
Ianto glanced at Jack who was pretending to consider, like he had not already decided as well then shrugged "well… I do have captains just standing here I guess."
Jack clapped his hands together as John and Rhino openly argued about which vessel they wanted to command, Jack not caring as no one would touch the black beast he had called Beauty. Amilie watched proceedings and then asked "What about me?"
"You…" Ianto said with new horror at the thought of her up in or of those vessels "… you are gong to be in charge of these new people. I need them fed, watered and billeted. Maybe one of the new barracks could fit them all until debriefs and private berths? They have not yet asked for a home here."
"We want a home here. Shelter please?" the man blurted "I am Horatio."
Ianto closed his mouth to stare at him for a beat or two, then said "come again?"
"Horatio."
"Horatio" Jack said with glee "I've never met one of those before. Cool. I like it. Horatio. How do you spell it? Sounds like a fighter's name. right? I like it."
Ianto watched everyone fall into their assigned tasks and wondered how much Jack liked it. He did NOT want that for the name of their next child, if there was ever to be one. It seemed like he had enough as of late… more than enough.
.
.
The Toff Ship was quite far ahead, apparently they had put the hammer down to create as much space between them and the dying vessel as possible. For some reason Jack found this so unacceptable that he did not wait to ask for a consensus vote, simply firing on the vessel until it was incapacitated and slapping a beacon on the side of it for the Shadow Proclamation to follow.
Jack felt no shame in this act, knowing that potentially this vessel as full of murderers. They had left another crippled vessel to die, left families… children… to perish in the black and even increased speed away from the mayday pings that were clearly heard once out of Atmo.
Even a pirate like him knew that you NEVER sail away from a plea for help, the nautical rules applied for centuries, long before stars were chased. A mayday is to be responded to.
He hopes they throw the book at them.
His new thoughts were to these new families, the changes needed to fit them in and the fact that Ianto had deferred to him as the Captain of the fleet. Felt nice to be in charge for a change but at the same time, he liked Ianto calling the shots. That was a surprise to finally recognize that Ianto was his superior as well. And he liked it.
Jack was never a leader, despite being a Captain. No, he heated all the weight of that.
He truly had found the right man for the job.
And he was so proud to be his.