Well-Traveled Rhodes (Kinsella Universe Book 6)

by Gina Marie Wylie

  “I just wanted a clear shot, Zodiac! I should just do her here and now and save the bosses the hassle!”

  Zodiac cleared his throat, “This is Two Squadron's new ops officer, Ensign Rhodes.”

  The corporal glanced at Cindy for a second, and then screwed the pistol tighter against the lieutenant’s skin.

  More feet thundered down the corridor, this time a lot of feet. Marines from two sides, weapons ready. A Marine sergeant with a lot of hash marks, a Marine captain, a Fleet lieutenant, wearing a white shipsuit.

  The Marine officer nodded to the corporal. “Report, Corporal Yancey.”

  “I was dispatched to this location by the Sergeant of the Guard, report of a threat against an officer. When I arrived, Lieutenant Zodiac was restraining the subject officer. Lieutenant Zodiac reported to me that the subject officer had made a disparaging remark about the operations officer of the Second Fighter Squadron. When I made to restrain the subject officer she made further disparaging remarks about the operations officer of the Second Squadron, identified to me as Ensign Rhodes.”

  The Marine turned to Lieutenant Zodiac. “Your story?”

  “I was talking to the ensign, sir. We’d been to a squadron party, she was thinking about volunteering for fighter transition. I was counseling her otherwise. This officer,” he waved at the woman, still restrained, “was rude. She was personally insulting to Ensign Rhodes. She was personally insulting to me. I asked her for her name, and was insulted again. She doesn’t think a young woman can be a squadron operations officer.”

  Cindy saw Zodiac smile slightly. “She did tell me, however, that she has a flight certificate. Now she is mine!”

  The “subject” lieutenant started to say something. Instead, the Fleet lieutenant spoke, cutting her off before she could say more than part of a word. “Lieutenant, it is my duty to inform you that you are subject to a Captain’s Mast. You should not talk further, until such a time as a suitable representative has been appointed to protect your interests and you and said officer have conferred. Utterances henceforth, heard by the assembled officers and non-commissioned officers of the Fleet, can and will be heard in any legal action taken against you.”

  “This is insane!”

  The watch lieutenant was patient.

  “Lieutenant, I need your name and that of your supervisor. Again, sir, I caution you to be aware that outbursts may be used in evidence against you.”

  “I am Lieutenant, senior grade, Yolanda Servien; my superior is Captain Esteven LaFarge, Bureau of Ships. I am the captain’s administrative assistant.”

  The Fleet lieutenant nodded to the Marine officer. “Captain Hollings, you may secure the prisoner.”

  The Marine captain gestured at the Marine with the sergeant stripes.

  “Lieutenant,” the sergeant told Lieutenant Servien, “you will please turn and face the wall. If you are familiar with the standard frisk position, please assume it. Otherwise, I will instruct you.”

  “I’m not the person who needs to be frisked!” Lieutenant Servien said loudly, waving at Zodiac. “That man is mad! Crazy!”

  The sergeant looked at his captain who didn’t move or show any expression.

  The sergeant turned back to the prisoner. “Sir, with all due respect, if Lieutenant Zodiac ordered me to shoot you, I would put a round in your head. Sir, if you fail to comply with the request to assume the position to be searched, I will assume you are non-cooperative. The resultant search would be just as thorough, but would include some physical discomfort. Sir, assume the position requested or face the consequences.”

  He started searching the lieutenant, now facing the wall. The Marine captain and the watch lieutenant had pulled away and were both talking into phones.

  “She’s clean,” the sergeant announced. “Lieutenant, please turn around and assume the position of attention.”

  The lieutenant turned around, glaring at the sergeant. “I don’t have to come to attention for a sergeant!”

  The watch lieutenant’s face turned black with anger. “Lieutenant Servien, I shall warn you one last time about the fact that you do not want to speak unless absolutely necessary. You should have paid attention the ship’s law lecture you attended.

  “Marines are the ship’s provosts. They act under the direct authority of Captain Sanchez. Any order from a ship’s provost is to be considered an order from the captain. I realize that insubordination to the captain’s standing orders is the least problem you face right now, but I would remind you, sir, that captains are touchy indeed about their authority. Other sentences might be minimums; captains rarely give minimums to people who are directly insubordinate.”

  The BuShips lieutenant subsided.

  The watch lieutenant turned to Zodiac and Cindy. “Lieutenant Zodiac, Ensign Rhodes; the Command Officer of the Watch has requested your presence on the bridge in five minutes. She has called both Captain Sanchez and Admiral Kinney.”

  Zodiac shrugged. “I just wanted to slide her in under the radar, like. I never wanted this.”

  The watch lieutenant ignored Zodiac. “Lieutenant, you have five minutes. I suggest you and the ensign spruce up a bit. It wouldn’t hurt.”

  “What?” Zodiac said laughing, “And ruin my image?”

  The big group left, Lieutenant Servien in tow. “Sorry about this, Ensign,” Zodiac told her.

  “I liked it better when I was missy ops officer.”

  He laughed, “So did I! This isn’t going to be good. Your berth isn’t far. Go run a brush through your hair, brush your teeth. I’ll defer the next time until I see you nekkid. Commander Shapiro is going to kill me!”

  Cindy did as bid. Ensign Moon woke up and saw her.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, looking at his watch. “It’s late.”

  Cindy winced. “Another party. Trust me; you don’t want to go to this one! Wish me luck.”

  The ensign nodded and Cindy went out into the corridor where Zodiac was waiting.

  Zodiac had zipped up his shipsuit, and had run fingers through his hair. “What’s going to happen?” Cindy asked.

  “Well, they said they woke up the captain and the admiral. At a guess, a very late night Captain’s Mast. Unless Servien pooches something again. Gawd! That woman just runs off at the mouth!”

  He patted her arm. “Not to worry, just listen to me. Don’t say anything except to answer a direct question. Keep your answers short and to the point and it will be smooth sailing!” He paused and grinned again, “Oh yeah! Whatever you do, tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!”

  They reached the bridge and another Marine directed them down a corridor and into what looked like a conference room. The Marine corporal was there, standing at attention, as were the senior sergeant, the Marine captain and the lieutenant from the watch.

  The watch lieutenant nodded to Zodiac. “Captain Sanchez and Admiral Kinney are expected within five minutes; your boss is running a little late, but call it seven minutes for her. Servien’s boss is already on the bridge, trying to figure out what to do. Servien is with a Fleet JAG captain.”

  Zodiac grinned. “I hope you mentioned what I wanted to all of the relevant parties?”

  The line officer grimaced. “Yes, the poor woman.” He bowed towards Cindy. “Like you, Ensign, she gets a choice. Shot or enlisted as a fighter pilot.”

  “Not Ensign Rhodes, sir. She’s non-flight. She’s going to stay that way, too!”

  Commander Shapiro came in, her shipsuit open nearly to her waist. “Zodiac, I admire your zeal to find new officers. I represent being hauled out of bed at this time of the night! Oh, and Nguyen had finally succeeded in storming the bastions! I wasn’t alone!”

  “Sorry, Commander,” Zodiac said. “Trust me, it wasn’t my idea. Her mouth, Commander -- she just doesn’t stop flapping it.”

  “I heard she insulted Hannah as well as Ensign Rhodes.”

  Zodiac shook his head. “Commander, she doesn’t even know who Hannah was
. Not a clue. She said a teenage woman had no business being an ops officer in front of everyone.”

  Cindy was surprised when Commander Shapiro’s face turned white. “You will, as soon as feasible, remedy that error in her education.”

  “Aye, aye, Commander, count on it!”

  Cindy spoke up. “Shoot me then, too.”

  Commander Shapiro turned to her. “What do you mean, Ensign?”

  “I haven’t a clue why this is important. Okay, I understand about your friend. I understand she died. I understand she’s important to you. But not this.”

  Commander Shapiro grinned. “You’ve been aboard for what? Twelve hours?”

  “Less, Commander. You should know; I was the trash you hauled here.”

  “Well, once upon a time, until she died, Hannah Sawyer was Second Squadron’s ops officer. Sure, once the fighting started Donna was bumped up to command the wing, and even before that Second Squadron’s exec was dead -- all three of them. They never officially made Hannah the squadron commander. It would have paralyzed her. Instead, she stayed as ops. Mind you, she led the squadron and when that last time came, she led what was left of the wing. We all pretended that she was still Second Squadron’s ops officer. Hannah was like that. She was three months from her nineteenth birthday when she was killed. At that point she’d been in the Fleet less than a year.”

  There were tears in her eyes and Cindy saw tears in Zodiac’s eyes as well. What had he said? He’d gone down the rail and had broken both arms? He’d been close to the ship so he had been rescued. He was one of those Commander Shapiro had talked about, who survived when their fighters hadn’t. Cindy didn’t think it would be good to be taken out of a battle like that, for a simple malf.

  People filed in. A pudgy older woman, gray-haired, looking like a kindly grandmother -- so long as you didn't look at her eyes. A man not much older than Commander Shapiro, although he had crow’s feet around his eyes. The line officer of the watch, then Lieutenant Servien followed by an older woman, a Fleet captain, wearing a Judge Advocate's shoulder epaulette. Another captain, corpulent and severe of face at the same time, wearing a Port off-white shipsuit and a patch with a stylized ship on it.

  Everyone arranged themselves, with Rome’s Captain Sanchez -- who’d arrived with the grandmotherly Admiral Roberta Kinney -- sitting at one long side of a simple table, facing the rest of them, all on the other long side.

  “I am Captain Ernesto Sanchez, commanding Rome. Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I was Hannah Sawyer’s wingman in fighter transition, and then I was promoted exec to the Wing Commander for First Rome. Everyone tells me how lucky I am, to have been wounded twice in the present conflict, instead of killed.” He lifted his right arm, and thumped it on the table in front of him. It wasn’t the sound of flesh hitting wood; it was the sound of plastic hitting wood.

  “I take strong exception to that.” He glanced at Lieutenant Servien. “I understand you’ve had a few words to say about one or more of my squadron officers, Lieutenant.”

  “Captain, I wish to apologize,” Servien said, obviously sweating profusely.

  “Who do you wish to apologize to?” Admiral Kinney asked. Cindy was aware that when the admiral spoke, everyone in the room looked at her. Obviously, what she had to say surprised them.

  “Admiral?” The JAG captain spoke up, “Isn’t this supposed to be a Captain’s Mast?”

  “And wasn’t I a captain? Captain Sanchez and I are kindred spirits. We figured out a set of schoolyard signals, to tell each other how we want to vote. If we disagree, Captain Kinney decides. If we agree, Captain Sanchez decides on the punishment. I would not have you saying afterwards, that there was a directed verdict. Oh, just in case anyone doesn’t understand: I thought of Hannah Sawyer as my daughter. Disparage her in my hearing at your mortal peril.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” the JAG captain said and subsided back into her chair.

  Captain Sanchez waved at Zodiac. “Lieutenant Zodiac, your recitation of events.”

  At first, Cindy was embarrassed; he reported everything exactly, even to his comments about her breasts.

  Captain Sanchez turned to Lieutenant Servien. “Do you understand the difference between a Captain’s Mast, Lieutenant, and a formal court-martial?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you wish to challenge Lieutenant Zodiac’s assertions?” Captain Sanchez asked.

  Lieutenant Servien started to speak, but Admiral Kinney interrupted.

  “Captain Sanchez, at the last refit, wasn’t Rome wired?”

  “Yes, Admiral. I have people working to pull the data. I thought that since these are all officers, we could rely on their word and save a lot of enlisted people’s time.”

  Admiral Kinney turned to Lieutenant Servien. “You were about to say, Lieutenant?”

  “I stipulate the facts as stated, Captain,” the lieutenant parroted.

  “I request permission to examine taped evidence, before we proceed further, Admiral,” the defense representative interjected.

  “No,” replied the admiral. “Lieutenant Servien stipulated the contents already.”

  Captain Sanchez turned to Captain Lafarge. “Captain, this individual reports to you. Please give us the benefit of your thinking.”

  “Captain, Lieutenant Servien is my administrative assistant. I am the individual responsible for overseeing all of the yard-ordered or Rome-requested engineering changes. Lieutenant Servien has done her duty exceptionally well. I have kept her busy, not only duty time, but extra duty time as well.

  “I believe, Captain, that Lieutenant Servien was fatigued and spoke without due regard to the offense she might cause. I personally regret that and I’m sure Lieutenant Servien would apologize to the officers involved.”

  Zodiac laughed. “She insulted Hannah Sawyer. How’s she going to apologize for that?”

  The BuShips captain looked at Zodiac coldly, and then returned his gaze to Captain Sanchez. “I would sorely miss Lieutenant Servien.”

  Captain Sanchez nodded. “Would you say the lieutenant is uniquely qualified for her duties? Or has she simply done them excellently?”

  Captain LaFarge visibly swallowed. “The lieutenant has performed in an outstanding manner.”

  The captain of the Rome sniffed. “That was a waffle, Captain Lafarge. Have you had other administrative assistants who have performed as well?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Lieutenant Servien, if you would. Do you have anything to add to the proceedings?” Captain Sanchez asked.

  “Captain, I saw two officers consorting in a lewd fashion in the ship’s corridor. I tried to admonish them about their conduct. Lieutenant Zodiac kept changing the subject.”

  “Captain,” Commander Shapiro interjected, “this is my area of discipline. Lieutenant Zodiac, were you behaving in a lewd fashion?”

  “No, Commander.”

  “Ensign Rhodes, were you behaving in a lewd manner?”

  “Commander, Lieutenant Zodiac saw a member of the crew who wouldn’t give way. He said something about seeing me undressed. ‘Nekkid’ in his words. He was, Commander, in my opinion, jerking the other officer’s chain.”

  “Has Lieutenant Zodiac seen you undressed?” Captain Sanchez asked Cindy.

  “Captain, I was getting ready to sleep when Lieutenant Zodiac came to fetch me for a party. I dressed in my quarters; I didn’t ask him to leave. It is my understanding, sir, that it isn’t done.”

  Captain Sanchez turned to Lieutenant Servien. “Sir, would you describe the lewd conduct you observed?”

  “They were talking dirty,” the lieutenant replied.

  “Captain Sanchez,” Captain Lafarge spoke up hastily, “I know you have the authority to do whatever you please in this matter. Lieutenant Servien is Port, not Fleet. I would really like to retain her. She’s a fine officer and competent in her duties.”

  Captain Sanchez turned to Lieutenant Servien. “We have special classes for Porties, who’ve co
me to work in Fleet Aloft. Have you attended them?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Tell me, Lieutenant,” Admiral Kinney interrupted. “Have you ever dressed in a compartment with another officer present?”

  “Of course, Admiral.”

  “Were you lewd? Was the other officer?”

  Lieutenant Servien looked confused, “No, Admiral. You just change your clothes.”

  “Any male roommates?”

  “No, Admiral.”

  Admiral Kinney turned to Captain Sanchez. “If there are any more dirty-feet like this, fix that! It's time the dirty-feet learn what lewd isn’t!”

  Captain Sanchez was gazing at Lieutenant Servien. Cindy was pretty sure that it had been easier facing Admiral Nagoya. “Lieutenant, stand at attention.”

  The lieutenant stood up.

  “Lieutenant Servien, in a Captain’s Mast I have only limited powers. I can sentence you to a variety of administrative punishments or refer you to other levels of military courts. It is my opinion that any of those would interfere with your duty. You are, Lieutenant, transferred to Second Squadron, Commander Shapiro, for fighter transition duty. As we are in process of deployment, you will have to train aboard.

  “Lieutenant, I will request and require a report from Commander Shapiro every seven days as to your progress. Should I receive an unsatisfactory report, I will hold another Captain’s Mast. Like as not, you’ll lose a pip. If it happens twice, I will seriously consider calling a Special Board and having you shot.”

  The captain stood, followed by everyone else. “I’m going back to bed,” he said, before he turned and left, followed by the admiral.

  Commander Shapiro moved to stand in front of Lieutenant Servien. “Lieutenant, it is already Tuesday. You will, sir, report to me at 0700 Wednesday for training duty. Between now and then, sir, you will familiarize yourself with the history of this ship and her squadrons, including that of Second Squadron. As of 0700 Wednesday, if you miss a history question from one of your squadron mates, you will get that unsat and be referred to Captain Sanchez, right then. They each may ask you one question, Lieutenant. You are dismissed, Lieutenant.”