“-Ashley,” the Captain filled in.
“Right, Ashley. Maybe she could benefit from speech therapy.”
Captain Valance leaned against the bulkhead and thought for a minute. “Have them elect a civilian leader. You're in charge until then, but don't let it interfere with your duties.”
Liam grinned and nodded. “I knew I'd like you. They've already elected Mischa.”
“Well then, time for me to make it official,” Captain Valance said as he strode back to the observation lounge. “You might just get that haircut after all,” he mentioned to the guards at the door as he strode by.
Silence settled over the observation lounge as all eyes were drawn to Captain Valance. Liam took a seat at one of the front tables.
“I'm willing to allow you to remain aboard on a trial basis,” several of the civilians began to applaud, they were overjoyed. “On a trial basis!” Captain Valance shouted over the building din. The crowd came back under control within seconds. “You'll be responsible for cleaning up the quarters surrounding the botanical gallery and the garden itself. Triton's security force will provide support by way of law enforcement and you'll receive two squads to check quarters before you begin working. Other than that you'll be self governed and each be assigned a living space. Until we get communications policies and security measures in place, there will be no communications with the outside. I expect we'll have that set up sometime this week, then you'll be allowed to send messages to family. If you want to invite someone to live here with you it'll have to clear with ship intelligence, which could take weeks. We'll also go communications silent often, so don't expect to have much contact with the outside universe. I'm sure there will be other restrictions put in place while some will be lifted entirely. Be ready to adjust to changes.
Until everything is settled, I expect everyone to take a basic communicator unit and make themselves a vacsuit. You can wear it under your clothing if you like but I need each and every one of you ready for emergencies. Until further notice you won't be permitted on the command deck without an escort, that includes the officer's lounge. You're also not to access any weaponized or secure section of the ship like the gunnery deck or torpedo rooms. If you're unsure of whether you are allowed to be somewhere, find an officer or a soldier. If you're going to stay on my ship and make a life here, I want you to be as safe and secure as possible. This is a warship and I hope none of you come to harm. I'll do everything I can to prevent it but there's always a chance someone will be injured or killed,” Captain Valance scanned the crowd. Even after his warning and the conditions he had put down most of them were smiling, eager. He relaxed a little and smiled back. “Welcome to the Triton, ” He finished before turning and leaving the room. Staffing a bridge with people who have a hundred hours of learning ahead of them, exploring a ship that's been neglected for forty years, choosing Chiefs of staff and finding out I'm the duplicate of someone eight sectors away I can handle. This city ship business is getting complicated. He thought to himself as the room behind him became filled with the sounds of excited chatter.
“I have Defence Minister Timmer on the comm for you sir,” Cynthia broke in on Jake's subdermal communicator.
“Looks like everyone thinks I'm important today,” he replied as he waited for the bridge doors to part enough for him to walk inside. “Put her up on the main holodisplay on my signal,” he ordered aloud so Cynthia could hear her from the communications station.
She nodded, her and the pair she had recruited from the list of applicants were busy at work. They were only representative of the dozen people she had him approve for communications, the rest were in the intelligence compartment located just down the main hall. Cynthia was growing into her duties quickly despite how she struggled with them.
“Helm, report,” Jake requested.
“We're linked into Navnet and are in port approved station keeping with the planet.”
“Flight deck.”
Paula looked up at him from flight deck control below the main bridge. He could see her at the main semicircular control station just in front of the Captain's chair. “Managed. The Clever Dream just departed. We're using three boarding shuttles left behind by our Aucharian friends to move refugees to orbital station nine. The ships with our new crew members are docking in turn and dropping off the new recruits. It's all ballet so far but one screw up could turn it into a slam dance.”
“Do we have anyone at a gunnery post?”
“We have the bay guns and a tractor station manned. The Deck Chief couldn't spare anyone else.”
“Thank you Assistant Chief Paula.”
She nodded and turned back to her station, monitoring the activities of hangar two, readiness of ships as well as incoming and outgoing traffic. She had a team of eight with her who were from Deck Chief Angelo's crew.
“Anything else to report?” Captain Valance asked the bridge staff.
“Intelligence has gathered data from wireless noise that thousands of Aucharian citizens are fleeing this system. They're afraid Regent Galactic are about to make one big push now that their home system has fallen under their control,” Cynthia reported. “We're getting a lot of applicants from the planet, I'm replying with a standard message detailing our application procedures.”
“I'm wondering, what application procedures?”
“The ones my team put together based on the crew requests from the Chiefs. Frost requested gunners, Stephanie followed suit and requested trained military for a number of posts, then Chief Grady got in on it. Even Angelo, I mean, Chief Vercelli, put a list together. My team put a job posting together along with a clip of your speech to the crew about no one really getting paid but having a place and a purpose and we're sending it out to applicants. Intelligence is screening people using the citizen database and access codes from the Samson. We should be able to go through sixty applicants an hour.”
Jake looked at her, surprised. “Thank you Cynthia. Your team is doing some good work, I'm impressed.”
Cynthia smiled at him wearily, she looked near exhausted, but very pleased with herself. “Would you like me to put the Minister on?”
“Aye,” he replied, straightening his long coat. Sitting in that large Captain's chair, he looked every bit the Master of his ship.
“Captain Valance. Thank you for delivering our refugees,” Minister Timmer said with a smile and a cool tone.
“I have something else that belongs to you. Minister Lorne. He seemed to be under the impression that he had some kind of rights to the Triton.”
“Oh? I was under the impression you took him captive and encouraged his men to join your crew.”
“We're both right. He shot me, killed a number of my people, nearly killed my Security Chief and started a boarding action that resulted in more deaths. All this while demanding I transfer command of the Triton to him. So I had him legitimize my ownership of the Triton and tossed him in the brig. Then I offered his men a place on my ship. The butcher's bill is on his head, and you're damn lucky I don't collect.”
“I see.”
“You look surprised.”
“I'm sorry, I thought you were privateering from the Samson. How you could capture a ship like the Triton is beyond me. The idea of you crewing and managing such a vessel like that is unfathomable. He was acting in everyone's best interest, I'm sure.”
“His decision will cost him. How much is wholly up to you.”
“Are you holding him hostage?”
“No, I'm just undecided on exactly how he'll be leaving my ship. I could send him on a shuttle with the refugees or toss him out an airlock in a plastic bag.”
“What do you want Jacob?” Minister Timmer asked, certain his threats weren't idle.
Jake leaned forward, his long coat made a creaking sound as it ground against the material of the chair. “I want to know why Eden Fleet vessels are disabling or destroying everything in your space. They've never come out this far and normally they kill a lot more people. They skipped over at least a dozen resource rich systems and hit Enreega directly. I'd also like to know why Regent Galactic was just a few hours behind. I need to know everything you do.”