Watching people is an occupation I will never tire of.\u00a0 People surprise me you see.\u00a0 There are days when they do things I would never have expected of them.\u00a0 Sometimes they are good.\u00a0 Sometimes they are bad.\u00a0 Sometimes they are amazing.\u00a0 Sometimes they are terrifying.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen it all in my life.\u00a0 Some people fall, and some people ascend to heights I would never have imagined of them.\u00a0 I just love watching that happen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ascendant<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The hatch opened into the hangar bay and Jack stepped out with a smile into the football field-sized compartment.\u00a0 Natalie followed and their eyes swept from one side of the bay to the other.\u00a0 Through the left bay door Serenity floated in space, a beautiful blue-green pearl in the darkness.\u00a0 Stars shown through the other large door, sprinkling space with their pinpricks of light.\u00a0 The sounds of repair work echoed off the bulkheads and the damaged remnants of war machines filled the space.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, hell,\u201d a voice he knew well said.<\/p>\n Jack turned to see Charles leaning against a bulkhead and scanning the bay.\u00a0 He followed Charles\u2019 eyes to a mountain of a man he didn\u2019t recognize.\u00a0 A new shuttle with a stylized H on its flank he knew far better sat next to the energy curtain that held the atmosphere in.\u00a0 This was going to be an exciting day.\u00a0 \u201cI gather you know him?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles frowned like he\u2019d just eaten something that tasted terrible.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo who is he?\u201d Jack asked in a tone pitched only for Charles to hear.\u00a0 Then he turned his gaze back to the mountain as the man walked through the hanger bay like he owned it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat<\/em> is my Dear Cousin Lenny,\u201d Charles whispered for Jack\u2019s ears only.<\/p>\n Jack looked back to Charles in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cReal<\/em> cousin?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMy family ties are complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bet.\u201d\u00a0 Jack echoed Charles\u2019 action and looked to Lenny again.\u00a0 \u201cSo what\u2019s he up to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing good,\u201d Charles growled as Wyatt stepped in front of the man.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think we need to help her?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Charles pursed his lips rather than moving.\u00a0 \u201cBut first I want to see how she reacts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet off my ship,\u201d Wyatt ordered.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like a good start to me,\u201d Jack said with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly,\u201d Charles returned but continued to study the standoff.<\/p>\n \u201cNow there is no need to be rude,\u201d Lenny said with a patronizing smile that Jack instantly hated.\u00a0 \u201cI am just following orders.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cYour orders.\u00a0 Not mine.\u00a0 Now get off my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack raised an eyebrow at Charles.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think Lenny realizes how dangerous she is.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s<\/em> the one that needs help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly,\u201d Charles said with a slow nod.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have been ordered to surrender this ship,\u201d Lenny began to growl like an avalanche finally on the roll again.\u00a0 The rumbled started somewhere south of the deck, rolled up through his legs, and Jack recognized the sound of an angry mountain about to explode.\u00a0 He pulled an official looking paper out of his suit coat, unfolded it, and shook it out.\u00a0 A holo projection of the signatures of the Joint Chiefs hovered in the air for all to see and Jack realized just how serious this was.\u00a0 \u201cMy authority has been authorized at the highest levels,\u201d Lenny finished with a victorious smile.<\/p>\n Charles stepped away from the wall and approached the two.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d he asked with a boom in his voice to get their attention.<\/p>\n Lenny turned towards him and his eyebrows rose in surprise.\u00a0 \u201cAh.\u00a0 Hello, Charles.\u00a0 I did not realize you were here.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles smiled and Jack could see the looseness in his limbs.\u00a0 Charles was ready for whatever came next.\u00a0 \u201cYou know me.\u00a0 I never announce myself until I am ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny nodded in agreement.\u00a0 \u201cVery true.\u00a0 What is your business here?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cMy business is my own and not the family\u2019s.\u00a0 Now what is going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s smile drove Jack away from the edge of the hangar and towards the confrontation.\u00a0 It was not a friendly smile.\u00a0 \u201cThis is<\/em> family business,\u201d Lenny said as if that was all he needed to say.\u00a0 But when Charles didn\u2019t step away, the larger man frowned.\u00a0 Charles just stared at him and the mountain shifted from foot to foot.\u00a0 Finally the man cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a routine reassignment of naval assets to more reliable commanders.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles\u2019s face broke into a smile at that and Jack recognized the signs of his commanding officer playing just a little bit slow.\u00a0 \u201cAh.\u00a0 Then what are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n The mountain\u2019s cheek twitched like he\u2019s just been slapped.\u00a0 \u201cCaptain Wyatt is not reliable,\u201d the man rumbled back with a tone filled with anger.<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting.\u201d\u00a0 Charles rubbed his jaw as if he didn\u2019t have a care in the world.\u00a0 Especially not an angry man well over two meters two and built like a house.\u00a0 \u201cMight you tell me how not?\u201d\u00a0 His voice was polite and soft, and Jack almost shivered.\u00a0 Most people were most dangerous when they were loud and angry.\u00a0 Charles was not most people.<\/p>\n Lenny crossed his arms and looked down at the other man for several seconds before explaining.\u00a0 \u201cShe exhibited supreme cowardice in the face of the enemy, resulting in the loss of nearly every ship under her command.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s jaw fell open and he couldn\u2019t help himself from blurting out, \u201cShe saved an entire star<\/em> system!\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny frowned at him for a moment and then turned away as if dismissing the rabble.\u00a0 And in that moment Jack regretted every time he\u2019d thought of Charles a rat bastard.\u00a0 Dear Cousin Lenny was an entirely different class of rat bastard.\u00a0 \u201cAdmiral Bainsworth\u2019s report is clear,\u201d Lenny said to Captain Wyatt.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you have been given your orders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ve given you mine,\u201d she growled back.\u00a0 \u201cGet off<\/em> my ship<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny let out a long, rumbling breath.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not your ship anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis ship is property of the Republic of Texas,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou have no authority here.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny blinked.\u00a0 So did Jack for that matter.\u00a0 That didn\u2019t make any sense.\u00a0 He turned to Wyatt in surprise but she had no time to return his look.<\/p>\n \u201cOne second please,\u201d Charles interjected before anyone else could say anything.\u00a0 \u201cThis ship flies the American flag, not the flag of Texas.\u201d\u00a0 He waved a hand at the American flag on one bulkhead as if in proof of his statement.<\/p>\n Wyatt smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThe United States Navy leased her,\u201d Wyatt explained.\u00a0 \u201cBut Texas can recall her without notice if they feel her best interests are not being taken into account.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the method of this recall?\u201d Charles asked in his best reasonable tone.\u00a0 Charles could do a very good reasonable tone.<\/p>\n Gabrielle flickered into being, twiddling her fingers and smiling like the cat that had just gotten the canary.\u00a0 \u201cHi.\u00a0 Name\u2019s Gabrielle,\u201d she introduced herself.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m<\/em>, authorized by the Republic of Texas to assure that their interests are taken into account.\u201d\u00a0 The seal of Texas flickered into view before her, significantly larger than the seal of the Joint Chiefs in front of Lenny.\u00a0 Jack smiled.\u00a0 Texas always did have to do things bigger than everyone else.<\/p>\n Charles took in a long breath as he considered the competing claims of authority.\u00a0 \u201cDo you question his authority under the Joint Chiefs?\u201d he finally asked with a furrowed brow.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Gabrielle answered for Wyatt.\u00a0 \u201cBut per \u2018USS Austin<\/em> vs. the United States\u2019 a starship can act as an official representative of the owner of record.\u00a0 And per the eighty-first \u2018Republic of Texas vs. the United States\u2019 a starship\u2019s owners have final say on the captain and crew of their ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting.\u201d\u00a0 Charles frowned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBut those were peace time lawsuits.\u00a0 We are at war now.\u00a0 Surely that changes matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Gabrielle smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt might.\u00a0 We would be happy to take it to the nearest military court to adjudicate the matter.\u00a0 I believe it would be located on…Serenity?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack laughed.\u00a0 Not one person on Serenity would rule against Los Angeles<\/em> today.<\/p>\n Charles chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt does take a certain mental\u2026flexibility to pursue this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFlexibility is what they\u2019re known for,\u201d Jack quipped.\u00a0 Then he felt Wyatt\u2019s gaze on him and turned to see her narrowed eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you will never know how right you are,\u201d she said with a touch of levity.<\/p>\n Jack chuckled and turned to Charles.\u00a0 \u201cI told you she was good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Charles answered.<\/p>\n Lenny simply gave her a thin smile.\u00a0 \u201cI had hoped that you would follow the lawful orders of your superiors faithfully,\u201d the man said in a voice that categorically disagreed with the words he was saying.\u00a0 \u201cBut I see you have no intention of doing so.\u00a0 On the off chance of such a reaction, your superiors assigned over three dozen warships of the Pennsylvania Star Fleet to my command to\u2026clear up any misunderstandings.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 So did Jack\u2019s for that matter.\u00a0 And even Charles turned a disbelieving look towards Dear Cousin Lenny.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you threatening me?\u201d Wyatt asked in a dangerous tone.<\/p>\n \u201cI am merely informing you of the balance of\u2026authority,\u201d Lenny returned with a smile.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s contacts showed a rundown of the fleet on the edge of his vision and he swallowed.\u00a0 This man flew with a fleet of Pennsylvania starships.\u00a0 They<\/em> weren\u2019t going to tell a member of his<\/em> family to frak off.\u00a0 Most of the commanders had probably been approved by his family after all.\u00a0 Los Angeles<\/em> was a good ship, but she couldn\u2019t hold out against five squadrons of warships before<\/em> Epsilon Reticuli and Serenity shot her all up.<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d\u00a0 Wyatt nodded very slowly.\u00a0 \u201cIs that your\u2026final offer?\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s eyes narrowed at her tone of voice and Jack had to admit she had a spine of iron.\u00a0 \u201cThese are your orders,\u201d the mountain said in a tone that demanded acceptance.<\/p>\n Captain Wyatt nodded once and turned away from the man.\u00a0 She said a single word.\u00a0 \u201cGabbi?\u201d<\/p>\n The ship\u2019s holoform smiled back and Jack had a feeling that they\u2019d rehearsed this.\u00a0 Wyatt had something up her sleeves.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt nodded again as if in thought.\u00a0 But Jack knew her far better now than he had two weeks ago.\u00a0 She\u2019d already decided her actions.\u00a0 Now she was just playing to the audience.\u00a0 Jack looked over at Charles to see if the other man saw it too.\u00a0 Jack blinked as the man\u2019s stance registered.\u00a0 He was ready too.\u00a0 He knew what was going to happen.\u00a0 Dear Cousin Lenny was well and truly fraked.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you make the call, please?\u201d Wyatt said in a tone far more conversational than the situation should call for.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Captain,\u201d Gabrielle answered and closed her eyes.\u00a0 She opened them a second later.\u00a0 \u201cThe call has been made.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Gabbi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy pleasure, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s eyes had narrowed to slits during the performance and now a low rumble that reminded Jack of a volcano about to explode rolled out of his body.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d the man asked in a tone that showed he had no more patience for her.<\/p>\n Wyatt just smiled and raised one hand to forestall any further words.\u00a0 \u201cYou might want to wait a moment.\u201d\u00a0 Then she winked.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re still on the line.\u00a0 Busy day today.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s nostrils flared and Jack could have sworn he looked like an angry bull about to charge.\u00a0 \u201cNow just you wait-\u201d\u00a0 He cut out as the communicator in his ear began to buzz angrily.<\/p>\n Jack raised one eyebrow in Charles\u2019 direction.\u00a0 The man held a studious expression in place that should have told Jack nothing.\u00a0 But he knew the man too well for that.\u00a0 The man was ready to pounce.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s contacts flashed and a view of Serenity filled them.\u00a0 Dozens of starfighters rose from the planet on plums of flame and Jack smiled.\u00a0 Reinforcements were coming.\u00a0 And now might be time for a few more.<\/p>\n \u201cGirls?\u201d Jack said and looked questioningly at the cybers standing around him.\u00a0 They returned his look with studious gazes and he smiled. \u201cWarm us up.\u00a0 Get ready to launch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary, Jack,\u201d Captain Wyatt called out.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all one, big, happy family, aren\u2019t we?\u201d she added with her eyes on Lenny.<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak.<\/p>\n She interrupted him with another hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou might want to wait a few more seconds to answer that,\u201d she said with a Cheshire smile.<\/p>\n Then space outside the hangar bay exploded in rainbow light and Jack turned to see what was going on.\u00a0 A dozen eruptions of light spilled into normalspace and a warship rose out of each one.\u00a0 His contacts filled with information and his jaw dropped.\u00a0 The eight frigates, three destroyers, and one single heavy cruiser proudly displayed the symbol of the rising sun on their glowing prows.\u00a0 Names scrolled down his contacts but he already knew every single one of them.\u00a0 The tears in hyperspace sealed, space became an infinite blackness again, spreading out to the stars, and Jack realized that Aneerin had been in on it all along.<\/p>\n He\u2019d said that Hollywood would remember him well.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant the city.\u00a0 The Los Angeles<\/em>-class heavy cruiser Hollywood<\/em>, flagship of the Free Japanese squadron that sailed with Aneerin\u2019s fleet, came about in a graceful arc to stop near her sister ship.\u00a0 A moment later a holoform flickered into existence near Captain Wyatt.\u00a0 She was the very image of a stereotypical Japanese schoolgirl crossed with a California surfer girl.\u00a0 Which was to say that she was the perfect stereotypical Free Japanese, and once again Jack wondered how in all the worlds she could pull off that look while in a perfectly tailored military uniform.<\/p>\n \u201cHolly,\u201d he mouthed and the new holoform winked in his direction before turning back to Lenny.\u00a0 A flicker to the side caught his attention and Jack turned in time to see a copy of her holoform bounce into view with arms outstretched.<\/p>\n \u201cJack!\u201d she exclaimed, her holoform buzzed as it went to full power, and she wrapped her arms around him in a very big and very solid hug.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve missed you!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack answered her with a laugh and a hug.\u00a0 \u201cSo you<\/em> were Aneerin\u2019s little ace in the hole this time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTotally,\u201d she answered in a singsong tone, disentangled herself from him, and nodded towards where Captain Wyatt and Dear Cousin Lenny stared each other down.\u00a0 \u201cNow<\/em> we get to watch the fun<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny opened his mouth to say something but Wyatt cut him off.<\/p>\n \u201cI will not surrender my ship.\u00a0 And if you push this to a fight your casualties will be catastrophic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd yours will be total,\u201d Lenny spat out.<\/p>\n Wyatt smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThe Chinese thought the same thing when we arrived.\u00a0 Now they are all dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Lenny\u2019s nostrils flared and he opened his mouth to respond but someone else spoke first.<\/p>\n \u201cYou might want to stop right now,\u201d Charles said in a deceptively soft tone and everybody froze.\u00a0 Even Jack, because this was not the Charles he knew.\u00a0 Charles Edward Hurst stood in the hangar bay, taller and more commanding without saying another word than Jack had ever seen.\u00a0 The heritage of one of the Great Families of Earth radiated from every pour of his being and even the mountain stopped at the sight.\u00a0 Charles\u2019 head snapped up to look Dear Cousin Lenny in the eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou have been outmaneuvered.\u00a0 You should leave before you do something you will regret.\u201d<\/p>\n The mountain blinked, and Jack saw the man back down.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Mister Hurst,\u201d the man said and turned away.<\/p>\n Charles Edward Hurst let out a long breath as Dear Cousin Lenny walked away.\u00a0 He let out another breath, and the scion of a great family faded away.\u00a0 He turned back to them and just Charles looked at them.\u00a0 For the first time Jack truly understood the difference between the man Charles had been trained to be and the man he had become.\u00a0 He thanked God in that moment that he\u2019d never crossed the first man.<\/p>\n \u201cYou command him?\u201d Wyatt asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Charles answered Wyatt\u2019s question with a shake of his head.\u00a0 She gave him a disbelieving look.\u00a0 \u201cVery rarely,\u201d Charles temporized.\u00a0 Then he shrugged and passed a hand over his face.\u00a0 \u201cI know what he regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Wyatt whispered.\u00a0 \u201cSo you know him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is my cousin.\u201d\u00a0 Charles shrugged again.\u00a0 \u201cFor flexible definitions of the term.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo.\u00a0 You really are<\/em> one of them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou doubted me?\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt sighed and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I hoped you were delusional.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles rocked his head to the side in a silent question.<\/p>\n \u201cThink about it.\u00a0 Someone walks out of no where, saying he is from one of the richest families on Earth, and he just so happens to have a grand plan and has picked me and only me to invest his riches in?\u201d\u00a0 Wyatt snorted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve seen those scams before.\u00a0 Would you believe it in your position?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack had to admit she had a point.\u00a0 He\u2019d gotten those mails too.\u00a0 Though they were usually bankers from Occupied Japan with promises of richest if he let them use his accounts to smuggle their money out.\u00a0 They always seemed to snag someone without the common sense to realize they were going to have their accounts emptied and then be stuck with all the overdraft fees.<\/p>\n Charles glanced at Jack and they exchanged an impressed smile.\u00a0 She surely was a smart cookie.\u00a0 \u201cI would certainly doubt my words in your position,\u201d Charles said.\u00a0 \u201cDo you trust me know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s either trust you or believe this is all an elaborate ruse to fool me.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd how do I convince you that I am trustworthy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour family does not serve in the military,\u201d Wyatt said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey do not.\u201d\u00a0 Charles gave her a thin smile.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles breathed in and breathed out very slowly as he considered his response.\u00a0 \u201cThe universe changed when the Peloran made Contact.\u00a0 It changed again when the Shang attacked us.\u00a0 My family has not yet acclimated to the new universe.\u00a0 They follow the rules of the old one, and I cannot abide that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d she whispered, eyes straying to Lenny\u2019s back.\u00a0 \u201cWhich rules do they follow that you don\u2019t agree with?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMany,\u201d Charles answered with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cEnough that I volunteered to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd once again we are at the why.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles examined her for several seconds before answering.\u00a0 \u201cBecause Admiral Aneerin did not trust my family and would not speak with anyone from my family and I needed to speak with him<\/em> to acquire resources I needed to complete my project.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt nodded and considered his frank answer.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re wading in dangerous waters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrust me,\u201d Charles said with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cI know well the waters I wade in.\u00a0 This is a temporary win you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t let them have my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you will do everything in your power,\u201d Charles said and nodded towards Holly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Aneerin aided you today.\u00a0 But he has few ships to spare on errands like this.\u00a0 And I know the power my family will bring to bear on you.\u00a0 You have made an enemy today and he will never sleep until he breaks you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019ll make him die of sleep deprivation.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI like the way you think.\u201d\u00a0 Then he sobered.\u00a0 \u201cBut my father will bring allies.\u00a0 My entire family will side with him.\u00a0 And everyone who owes them will follow.\u00a0 You cannot win.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t give up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey will destroy you.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt\u2019s eyes challenged his.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t give up my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack raised a hand to stop Charles.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me, Ma\u2019am.\u00a0 But if the Hurst family decides they want this ship, I\u2019m not sure even the Republic of Texas will stand in their way.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged and nodded towards Holly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she\u2019s only here because Aneerin asked her to be.\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n Holly nodded with a wince.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t like this any better than any of the ships, but she knew the politicians might not support them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m betting in the end someone in Austin will get a bribe and they\u2019ll give the ship to the Pennsylvania Star Fleet.\u00a0 And just like that, the \u2018owner of record\u2019 will remove you as captain.\u00a0 Will you continue to fight this then<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt looked towards Gabrielle and the cyber nodded.\u00a0 Wyatt let out her breath and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cBut why<\/em> would they want this ship that badly?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded towards Charles.\u00a0 \u201cHis father was instrumental in ramming through the political force to give you the resources to build this ship,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps he feels like he\u2026owns<\/em> her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s wrong,\u201d Wyatt growled.<\/p>\n \u201cI never said he was right,\u201d Jack said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cBut Aneerin\u2019s right.\u00a0 And so is Charles.\u00a0 You\u2019re good.\u201d\u00a0 He looked back and forth between Wyatt and Gabrielle.\u00a0 \u201cBoth of you are.\u00a0 But if the United States Navy and even Texas decides you aren\u2019t worth fighting for\u2026well\u2026I\u2019d rather you be doing something worth your skills than languishing away at home wondering what happened.\u201d\u00a0 Jack pulled out the small pin Aneerin had given him and showed it to Wyatt.\u00a0 \u201cHe trusts you.\u00a0 I trust you.\u00a0 And I will gladly take advantage of their stupidity and give you a goal worthy of your skills.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.\u00a0 \u201cNow you\u2019re just buttering me up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOlivia.\u201d\u00a0 Jack smiled and shook his head.\u00a0 It was time for another approach.\u00a0 One he\u2019d never used with her.\u00a0 It was time to get serious for once.\u00a0 \u201cCan I call you Olivia?\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt frowned at him.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Jack said with a warm smile and stepped closer to her.\u00a0 \u201cOlivia.\u00a0 I love my country.\u201d\u00a0 He met her gaze with a sincere look.\u00a0 \u201cBut sometimes I really hate our government.\u00a0 I don\u2019t trust it.\u00a0 And I don\u2019t think the president can clean it up no matter how hard she tries.\u00a0 Sometimes I wonder what I\u2019m fighting for.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyatt smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGirls and parties, of course,\u201d she said and aimed a cocked eyebrow at him.<\/p>\n Jack laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOlivia.\u00a0 That is a very useful fiction,\u201d he said with complete honesty.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it is best if most people believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOK, OK.\u00a0 So I do<\/em> love girls and parties, but\u2026not exclusively\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone would accuse you of exclusivity,\u201d Olivia said in a wry tone.<\/p>\n Jack rubbed his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going to make this easy for me, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there any reason to?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose not.\u00a0 Look.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t volunteer for the right reasons.\u00a0 They were pretty bad in fact.\u00a0 And I\u2019m still trying to figure out the right<\/em> reasons for all this.\u00a0 But I think Charles is a lot closer than me.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia folded her arms and gave him the floor to continue.<\/p>\n Jack looked at Natalie and she smiled at him.\u00a0 And that gave Jack the right words.\u00a0 \u201cHe wants to build something new.\u00a0 Something better.\u00a0 Something we can all be proud of.\u00a0 Six hundred years ago we crossed a cranky ocean in rickety wooden ships to do that.\u201d\u00a0 Jack looked around the hangar bay with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe built some amazing things since then.\u00a0 But would be proud of our nation if John Hancock\u2026George Washington\u2026or Thomas Jefferson could see us now?\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia looked around the hangar bay and chewed her lip, but she didn\u2019t answer his question.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want me to throw in John Adams and Benjamin Franklin?\u00a0 Maybe quote some Federalist Papers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOlivia.\u00a0 I assure you that I have read far more than I would ever admit to in public.\u00a0 Enough that I recognize the rot at the heart of government.\u00a0 Enough to know that even this<\/em> President can\u2019t clean it up.\u00a0 The Hurst family will beat you if you stay.\u00a0 But if you go to this new world, you can help build something better.\u00a0 Something as far removed from Earth as America was from Europe when our ancestors came.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou make it sound like an amazing opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the chance of a lifetime,\u201d Jack said with a wink.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about you?\u201d Olivia asked, concern written on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d\u00a0 Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 The project relies on not being found, and I\u2019m far too public a person to be involved in it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a job to do.\u00a0 Blowing stuff up.\u201d\u00a0 Then he glanced back and forth between Olivia, Natalie, and Charles.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe when I\u2019m done with all that I can see what you\u2019ve built.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie smiled at him.\u00a0 Charles nodded a promise that he would be welcome.\u00a0 Olivia just sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do know how to push my buttons,\u201d she finally whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s me,\u201d Jack said with outstretched arms.\u00a0 \u201cAlways happy to push your buttons.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cAnd there you go again.\u00a0 Just when I thought you could be serious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I say?\u00a0 I take my insincerity seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do know you\u2019re the only person I know who could say that with a straight face?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a unique human being,\u201d Jack said with one of his best smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God,\u201d Olivia whispered under her breath.\u00a0 The words were soft enough that he could pretend he didn\u2019t hear while being loud enough to ensure he did.\u00a0 She was getting good at this.\u00a0 She turned to Charles and shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not giving up,\u201d she said with a wave around the hangar bay.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ll talk about your project.\u00a0 I\u2019ll even make plans should you all be right.\u00a0 But you<\/em> have to be completely honest with me,\u201d she said and aimed her finger at him like a weapon.\u00a0 \u201cYou hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLoud and clear,\u201d Charles answered.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd with that magic word, I\u2019m afraid I really must go,\u201d Jack said with a bow.<\/p>\n \u201cMagic word?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n \u201cPlans,\u201d Jack said with a theatrical shudder.\u00a0 \u201cI really can\u2019t let anyone think I partake in such\u2026forethought<\/em> and such.\u00a0 It would absolutely ruin<\/em> my reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia laughed out loud at his words.\u00a0 His first thought was that she had a nice laugh.\u00a0 His second was that he hadn\u2019t heard it nearly enough.<\/p>\n \u201cBesides,\u201d he continued and turned to see Natalie, Betty, and Jasmine standing against the bulkhead in their dress whites.\u00a0 \u201cI have something I need to do planetside.\u201d\u00a0 Which reminded him.\u00a0 He had something to do up here as well.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n Jack smiled and lashed out at Charles with a single punch.\u00a0 It impacted directly on his bicep and the man recoiled in a mix of shock and pain.<\/p>\n \u201cOw!\u201d Charles exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was that for?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cNatalie.\u201d<\/p>\n The indignation on Charles\u2019 face fell away.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 He cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 Touch\u00e9,\u201d he finished with a sheepish look.<\/p>\n Olivia looked back and forth between the two of them.\u00a0 \u201cDo I have to separate you two?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope,\u201d Jack said with a smile that professed total and complete innocence.\u00a0 \u201cI think we understand each other completely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Charles added and rubbed his bicep with a wince.<\/p>\n \u201cBoys,\u201d she whispered under her breath and rolled her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cFine then.\u00a0 Go,\u201d she ordered with another laugh.\u00a0 \u201cGet out of here before you ruin my<\/em> reputation as a hard-as-nails captain.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack aimed one of his best smiles at her.\u00a0 She\u2019d done well today.\u00a0 She had since Epsilon Reticuli actually.\u00a0 He\u2019d thought her just another cruiser captain back then.\u00a0 Not that there was anything wrong with that, but he\u2019d seen a lot of starships in the last two years.\u00a0 But Aneerin was right.\u00a0 She was better than most.\u00a0 And if she could avoid eating a bullet she might just prove herself better than that.\u00a0 She just needed some friends to keep her from eating that bullet.\u00a0 Not that she needed protection.\u00a0 He\u2019d never suggest that, even in the privacy of his own mind.\u00a0 But maybe he could be a friend.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say that though.\u00a0 He just said, \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d and turned away.<\/p>\n He really did have a very important date down planetside.\u00a0 And he did not intend to be late for it.\u00a0 Natalie, Betty, and Jasmine smiled as he approached them.\u00a0 \u201cM\u2019ladies?\u201d<\/p>\n The cybers glanced at each other and turned towards his Avenger.\u00a0 He followed in their wake and sighed.\u00a0 Today was going to be a seriously long day.\u00a0 He looked forward to every minute of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Watching people is an occupation I will never tire of.\u00a0 People surprise me you see.\u00a0 There are days when they do things I would never have expected of them.\u00a0 Sometimes they are good.\u00a0 Sometimes they are bad.\u00a0 Sometimes they are[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2307-angel-strike-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-medron-pryde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3793"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3802,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3793\/revisions\/3802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}