Jack

We are introduced to Jack in Chapter 2 when Karissa is "captured".   (Jack is my middle son's favorite guy that I have written.)  Writing Jack was easy and fun.  He is one of those guys that isn't hard to become attached to.  He grew up reading comic books (which ironically gives him a comparison to how he relates to his life among the stars) and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. (I mention these things because its important for you to understand that he has always aspired to be the best he can be.)  He's an elite soldier with a moral compass.  Which I guess explains his seriousness, but that trait does not undermine his sense of humor.   And even with these characteristics, it is his compassion and protective nature, along with his will to survive, that allows this story to evolve.  

Don't get me wrong.  Even with his amazing personality, he and Karissa don't become fast friends.  Even after the chain is put on them Jack tries to kill her.  It isn't until Chapter 7 that reality sets in for him:

     “If I was going to kill you, I’d have already done it,” he reasoned. “Which I almost did, but then I realized if you didn’t die from your wounds, I was probably going to need your help to survive this planet.”
    Ha! I was not going to help him… Although, I suppose, if he thought I was helping him and we were able to get off of this planet, I would still have a gift for Omatha.
    I watched him as he slowly sat down in front of me. As he looked me in the eye, I glanced away. My eyes followed the cord that we had been pulling on.  He wasn’t useless.  He was able to take a broken ship and make it into a safe place.
    “Look, it’s obvious that you don’t like me,” he stated, breaking me away from my thoughts, and I absently returned my attention to him.  “And trust me, when I say that I want to kill you. But right now, I’m putting that aside so that we can survive this planet.”
     At least he was honest. I knew he wanted my death – not that I blamed him. I slowly relaxed and nodded...

Excerpt From:  “Solace: Uncharted Territory.” iBooks. 

It goes with out saying that Jack is intelligent, strong, and determined.  Which he would need to be if he was going to survive not only a future in the universe, but also Karissa.  

I want to write so much more about Jack, but I think the best way to learn about Jack is to read "Solace".  Who Jack is, is so much of the story that to dive deeper into him is me retelling the story.