Jack was born in space--the medical bay of Starbase 211, between Betazed and Cardassian territory--but only lived in space for a year and four months. Shortly after his father and older sister died in a Cardassian attack, he, his eldest brother, and his mother left the Starbase to live on Earth. They were taken in by his uncle on his father's side, who lived in Seattle, WA. From that time on, his brother Jarod refused to ever travel anywhere again, despising all technology and Starfleet especially for "killing" their father. Jack, however, dreamed of the stars from very early on, and loved traveling all over Earth. They had an uncle, Ted, on their mother's side, who lived and taught in Oxford whom Jack would visit nearly every summer from about the age of three on until graduating from Starfleet Academy. Uncle Ted pulled some strings to get Elisabeth a teaching position at Oxford University, but she declined the opportunity because of Jarod's absolute refusal to travel. Instead, she began teaching at a local high school and eventually became the principal of the school. Jarod tought mathematics there until Elisabeth's death, tending to avoid applying his skill in mathematics to anything warp-related, although he did teach basic warp-field mathematics because the school board requires him to. The brothers hardly spoke to each other at all, though their mother always tried to encourage each of them to "reach out" to the other. Jack was always a bit closer to both of his uncles than to his mother, though he tried to send her regular updates on his life while at the Academy. When their mother died, however, Jarod finally honored her wishes for them to become closer by moving to Deep Space 17 so that he and Jack could see each other whenever the Ronin comes to port. He now teaches in the station's small but growing elementary school.
Jack's first experience with "romance" was at age 8. While visiting his uncle Ted alone during summer break, an older girl (9-years) named Sandra McKenna decided it would be exciting to kiss a non-Earth-born Human and so set her sights on young Jack. He evaded her for many weeks, but 3 days before he scheduled return to Seattle, she cornered him in a secluded section of the historical University of Oxford Botanical Gardens and laid a wet one on him. After she let him up, he wiped off his wet lips and ran off crying.
While Jack was in the Academy, he dated several female students, but none seriously. Upon graduation and assignment to the Ronin he swiftly found himself in a romance with one of the ship's best Medical Officers, Dr. Addison Parker, but the relationship became tenuous when his mother died and he withdrew from her. He was willing to try and patch things up, but she was unexpectedly transferred to another starship at the height of their disassociation.
Shortly thereafter, an Ensign in Engineering, Sarah Reed, began playing pranks on him, leading to a short prank war between them that culminated in him waking up to the image of a Borg Cube looming out his bedroom window and him running to Engineering shirtless and in pajama pants. He confronted her the next day at a party aboard the USS Ursa Major. They danced angrily, forged a rough truce, and then she nearly kissed him... Thrown completely off guard, he spent the next few months figuring out what he felt while slowly transferring from Engineering to Flight Operations. When the tranfer was complete and the ship was stopped off at Earth for shoreleave, he and the Ensign spent a good deal of time together and eventually became a couple. They last saw each other on Deep Space 17 before she shipped off to the USS Independence-A along with LtCmdr. Ethan Brice, Captain Mar, and half the Ronin's command staff.
Timeline
- Stardate 236106.30: Born, Starbase 211
- Stardate 236210.24: Cardassian renegades attack Starbase 211, killing Robert and Samantha Kolk.
- Stardate 236211.01: Elisabeth, Jarod, and Jackford move to Earth to live with Robert's brother, Frank, in Seattle.
- Stardate 237909.01: Entered Starfleet Academy.
- Stardate 238402.08: Graduated from Starfleet Academy.
- Stardate 238402.09: Assigned as Engineering Officer to USS Ronin.
- Stardate 238405.11: Assigned as Assistant Chief Engineer.
- Stardate 238405.12: Promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade.
- Stardate 238408.14: Mother Elisabeth dies of natural causes; Jack rushes home, but is a day late.
- Stardate 238410.01: First entrusted with the Conn by Commander Mar.
- Stardate 238411.25: Promoted to full Lieutenant.
- Stardate 238501.17: Presented with the Neelix Award for exemplary off-duty contributions to the ship and crew.
- Stardate 238502.02: Began working two shifts per week in Flight Ops under Lt. Commander Wayfel.
- Stardate 238402.12: Temporarily assigned as Deck Officer while the Ronin was lost somewhere on the Galactic Barrier along with the USS Independence-A and USS Ursa Major.
- Stardate 238507.29: Assigned as Chief of Flight Operations.
- Stardate 238509.19: Temporarily assigned as Assistant Chief Engineer additionally.
- Stardate 238510.24: Assigned as Chief Tactical Officer.
- Stardate 238601.21: Promoted to Lieutenant Commander & Awarded the B-Plot Award, the Nebula Bar, & the Scotty Cross
- Stardate 238602.13: Assigned as Second Officer additionally.
- Stardate 238607.07: Assigned as Security Chief additionally.
- Stardate 238607.28: Combines Security and Tactical departments under the heading "Strategic Operations".
- Stardate 238608.17: Assigned as First Officer.
- Stardate 238706.27: Abduction by the Vaadwaur during the investigation of a deserted Invernian colony on Draconis Gamma VII.
- Stardate 238707.28: Promoted to Full Commander in abscentia.
- Stardate 238710.13: Rescued and admitted to phsychological treatment aboard Deep Space 17.
- Stardate 238805.20: Returned to duty as First Officer aboard USS Endeavour-A.
