Pike leaned forward in his chair "I realise that Starfleet, myself included, have done you a grave disservice regarding your pregnancy. But please, Jane, do not cut off your nose to spite your face."
"Exactly how am I doing that?" Jane asked coolly.
"I once said you deserved more than an ordinary life, you are not suited to be a civilian. Do not throw your career away over this." Pike looked at her intently. "Starfleet has authorised me to offer you an opportunity most Captains would sell their soul for. I guess you could call it our apology."
"What could Starfleet possibly offer me?" Jane asked "They have already given him" she pointed towards Spock "My ship. The flagship. Why would I want to settle for anything... less?"
"How about the new flagship?" Pike asked her.
"What!" Jane eyes jerked towards him in shock. From the corners of her eye she could also see Spock stiffen, obviously he had not known about this."
"The new flag ship." Pike repeated softly, reaching out to switch a flip and a holo of a ship flickered to life, and as it rotated in front of her she noted the ship was significantly bigger than the Enterprise and as she scanned it she noticed it looked more impressive. The whole ship in general looked much more impressive, loath as she was to admit it.
"Check out its specs" Pike encouraged her, handing her a data padd "It has the capacity to hold a crew of over 800 compared to the Enterprise's 457. It also has new weaponry; weaponry we have been working on since Nero's visit. Its science labs are doubled in size and will have the most technologically advanced equipment available to any ship in the fleet.. "
"And" Pike broke off, fixing his gaze on Jane seriously ""it has a separate battle bridge allowing the saucer section holding all the nonessential personnel a chance to escape, while the weapon and warp drive sections hold off the enemy. It'll assist in preventing another Kelvin incident and it means that the families and" he broke off to stare at her mean fully "Family members like your daughter would be safe. It allows us the chance to allow married crew members to bring their families along for long missions; we will offer teachers and educational facilities for children – offering them the finest educational possible. We expect this to double our recruitment numbers."
Jane bit her lip, entranced by the ship floating in front of her before snapping her eyes back to Pike "I would get to choose my crew?" she demanded more than asked.
Pike frowned "We would of course make sure, as it always has, that the flagship crew is the best of the best in their departments."
"No" Jane shook her head. "I would want final decision in all of my crew, the best of the best includes many of the Enterprise crew and I WON'T work with them again." (
"Jane" Pike began.
"No" Jane interrupted him forcefully "You have to understand where I am coming from." She drummed her fingers against the chair arm nervously as she searched for the words she needed.
"Nobody believed me" she said finally her voice soft and laced with past hurt "Not one member of my whole crew of 456 thought for even a second 'Hey my captain is not capable of the heinous crime we are accusing her of' " Her eyes flickered towards her still, statue like husband who radiated guilt "Not even the ones I should have been able to count on. They all found me guilty and condemned me without a trial."
Jane's eyes closed and she grimaced as she felt the pain of their betrayal and rejection anew "They all immediately and as one labelled me as a cheating, adulterous slut. They all took poor, cheated on Spock's side. They all voted to have me evicted and exiled from my own SHIP." Jane's eyes opened and she implored Pike "So you tell me how I am meant to ever trust THEM again. How am I meant to expect them, the crew who so quickly found me guilty, to follow my orders, to guard my back?"
Jane shook her head sadly.
"I can't" she told him simply "And if a Captain cannot trust her crew it means the mission will fail and fail miserably."
Pike looked at Jane his face serious "I can see your point Jane" he conceded "But I will have to run it by admiralty. You have to realise a lot of the senior staff on the Enterprise are the most qualified and competent officers in their positions in the fleet. To reassign them and to send them to smaller, less important ships may mean the new flagship is not suitably crewed with the most appropriate staff. That too could be dangerous."
Jane inclined her head at him "I understand "she told him "But I need a crew I can trust. That I can rely on and unfortunately that will never be my old crew." Her eyes met Spock's pained ones "Including my former First Officer."
"Jane" Spock began his voice hoarser than she had ever heard it.
Jane cut him off with a shake of her head "I meant it when I said I did not love you anymore" she lied through her teeth "I also don't trust you as far as I could throw your Vulcan body. I don't need a First Officer I can't trust."
Spock mouth closed his eyes sad and haunted as he just looked at her.
Pike, obviously trying to break the tension in the room, began to speak again "It does not matter anyway, the Enterprise will be refitted as a science research ship and you" he told Spock "Will be her Captain."
"Under Federation law" Spock told Pike stiffly "You cannot separate Vulcan bondmates. I would respectfully decline and resign my position if necessary"
"I am sure the Federation will make an exception this time" Jane told him sweetly "Due to the fact that this Vulcan's bondmate would be happy to be separated from him."
"So you will condemn me to death then." Spock asked her softly, his face resigned.
Jane flinched then sighed, she had forgotten about Pon Farr which was probably the reason why the Vulcan's had put that provision into the Federation law and Starfleet regulations to begin with. She supposed that if they were at the opposite ends of the universe when he went into Pon Farr he would die in flames before he got to her.
"What are you talking about?" Pike asked a confused frown on his face.
"It is a private matter between myself and my bondmate" Spock told him stiffly.
Looking between a stiff Spock and a silent Jane, Pike sighed "I will take your concerns to the admiralty he told her. "I should have an answer for you by the end of the week. If they agree to your conditions are you willing to take the command" he asked her.
Jane looked at the beautiful ship still floating in front of her in all its silvery glory. Could she really turn this down? Turn down that beautiful ship, a ship where she could raise her child?
"Yes" she told him almost involuntary her gaze still on the ship in front of her.
Pike smiled, he was sure he had worn the same enraptured expression when he had first seen the specs for the Enterprise.
"What is her name" Jane directed her stare back at Pike.
"The Endeavour" He told her smiling.
