nobody's going to do that because nothing serious happened, it wasn't that big an error, and Randy's not a habitual screw up. Randy got chewed out for making the captain unhappy, and that'll be all there is to it."
"I get it. No real punishment, then."
"What are they going to do to him? Cut his hair short and make him stand watches in the middle of the night?"
Bristol smiled wider, recognizing the irony of equating normal Navy requirements with punishment. "Or maybe assign him to a warship and send him out for a long patrol?"
"And then send his girlfriend out on another patrol as soon as he gets back."
"You're kidding. Jen's ship is taking off right after we return to Franklin?"
"Yeah. We've got about a week together, then the Maury 's heading off on a mission. I don't know how long, but it'll be a few months, at least."
"It sounds like a conspiracy," Bristol joked.
"I'd believe that, too, if I thought the Navy could manage a conspiracy like that without creating a book-length operations order that everybody and their brother would know about." The ensign locker's communicator buzzed rapidly in the tone pattern which meant the XO was calling. Paul made an "uh-oh" face to Mike as he answered. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinclair, sir."
"Paul, get up to the captain's cabin. She wants you to brief Captain Hayes on ongoing ship legal matters."
"Aye, aye, sir. I'm on my way." Paul unstrapped and swung out of his chair. "Sorry, Mike. Gotta go. Duty calls."
"Better you than me."
Chapter Three
Halfway to Captain Gonzalez's cabin, Paul got another call from the XO diverting him to the wardroom. When he poked his head in, he saw Captain Hayes and Commander Sykes conversing casually. "Captain Hayes, sir? I'm supposed to brief you on ship's legal matters."
Hayes nodded, then smiled at Sykes. "It's good seeing you again, Steve. Let's talk again tonight."
"Certainly, sir."
"Gwen Herdez sends her respects. Apparently the Supply officers she's dealing with ashore aren't nearly so, uh, creative as you are."
Paul felt uncomfortable hearing senior officers bantering together on a first name basis. He could never think of the ship's old XO as "Gwen." She'd always be Herdez to him.
Sykes feigned regret. "Alas, my talents are somewhat unique." He waved toward Paul. "Have you met Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinclair, sir?"
Hayes smiled politely at Paul. "Not one-on-one, though I could have sworn he was Ensign Sinclair this morning."
"He was indeed, sir. I credit my own example with his meteoric rise in rank."
Hayes laughed. "I'm sure. See you around." As Sykes exited, Hayes gestured Paul to another seat. "Quite a bit of action on the bridge today, wasn't there?"
Paul made a small smile. He knew so little about Hayes so far. I need to be very careful how I talk to him. Not too casual, but not too stiff. I wish I was sure how to do that. The last thing I want is to poison his opinion of me the first week he's onboard. This is the guy who's literally going to be controlling my life for the next couple of years . "Yes, sir."
"You seemed to handle things okay."
"Thank you, sir. Carl Meadows and I are a good team."
Hayes nodded again. "It sure looks like it. Too bad Lieutenant Meadows is leaving us. Who'll be your underway Officer of the Deck after that?"
"I don't know, sir."
"How close are you to qualifying to stand watch as OOD yourself?" asked Hayes, using the Navy's abbreviation for officer of the deck.
Paul took a brief moment to form his reply as he ran down a mental list of what needed to be done. "I almost have that section of my Open Space Warfare Officer qualifications completed, sir."
"You've been onboard a year?"
"About fifteen months, sir."
"Hmmm." It was hard to tell what Hayes thought about that. "Okay. Tell me about the legal stuff. Your chief master-at-arms is Petty Officer Sharpe?"
"Yes, sir."
"What do you think of him?"
"He's an excellent master-at-arms and petty officer, sir. I can always depend upon his
"I get it. No real punishment, then."
"What are they going to do to him? Cut his hair short and make him stand watches in the middle of the night?"
Bristol smiled wider, recognizing the irony of equating normal Navy requirements with punishment. "Or maybe assign him to a warship and send him out for a long patrol?"
"And then send his girlfriend out on another patrol as soon as he gets back."
"You're kidding. Jen's ship is taking off right after we return to Franklin?"
"Yeah. We've got about a week together, then the Maury 's heading off on a mission. I don't know how long, but it'll be a few months, at least."
"It sounds like a conspiracy," Bristol joked.
"I'd believe that, too, if I thought the Navy could manage a conspiracy like that without creating a book-length operations order that everybody and their brother would know about." The ensign locker's communicator buzzed rapidly in the tone pattern which meant the XO was calling. Paul made an "uh-oh" face to Mike as he answered. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinclair, sir."
"Paul, get up to the captain's cabin. She wants you to brief Captain Hayes on ongoing ship legal matters."
"Aye, aye, sir. I'm on my way." Paul unstrapped and swung out of his chair. "Sorry, Mike. Gotta go. Duty calls."
"Better you than me."
Chapter Three
Halfway to Captain Gonzalez's cabin, Paul got another call from the XO diverting him to the wardroom. When he poked his head in, he saw Captain Hayes and Commander Sykes conversing casually. "Captain Hayes, sir? I'm supposed to brief you on ship's legal matters."
Hayes nodded, then smiled at Sykes. "It's good seeing you again, Steve. Let's talk again tonight."
"Certainly, sir."
"Gwen Herdez sends her respects. Apparently the Supply officers she's dealing with ashore aren't nearly so, uh, creative as you are."
Paul felt uncomfortable hearing senior officers bantering together on a first name basis. He could never think of the ship's old XO as "Gwen." She'd always be Herdez to him.
Sykes feigned regret. "Alas, my talents are somewhat unique." He waved toward Paul. "Have you met Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinclair, sir?"
Hayes smiled politely at Paul. "Not one-on-one, though I could have sworn he was Ensign Sinclair this morning."
"He was indeed, sir. I credit my own example with his meteoric rise in rank."
Hayes laughed. "I'm sure. See you around." As Sykes exited, Hayes gestured Paul to another seat. "Quite a bit of action on the bridge today, wasn't there?"
Paul made a small smile. He knew so little about Hayes so far. I need to be very careful how I talk to him. Not too casual, but not too stiff. I wish I was sure how to do that. The last thing I want is to poison his opinion of me the first week he's onboard. This is the guy who's literally going to be controlling my life for the next couple of years . "Yes, sir."
"You seemed to handle things okay."
"Thank you, sir. Carl Meadows and I are a good team."
Hayes nodded again. "It sure looks like it. Too bad Lieutenant Meadows is leaving us. Who'll be your underway Officer of the Deck after that?"
"I don't know, sir."
"How close are you to qualifying to stand watch as OOD yourself?" asked Hayes, using the Navy's abbreviation for officer of the deck.
Paul took a brief moment to form his reply as he ran down a mental list of what needed to be done. "I almost have that section of my Open Space Warfare Officer qualifications completed, sir."
"You've been onboard a year?"
"About fifteen months, sir."
"Hmmm." It was hard to tell what Hayes thought about that. "Okay. Tell me about the legal stuff. Your chief master-at-arms is Petty Officer Sharpe?"
"Yes, sir."
"What do you think of him?"
"He's an excellent master-at-arms and petty officer, sir. I can always depend upon his
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