Burden of Proof

Chapter Thirteen

"The court-martial will come to order." Judge Halstead looked toward the defense table. "Lieutenant Silver still desires to make a statement prior to the final arguments?"

Commander Jones stood. "He does, Your Honor."

"Very well. Lieutenant Silver, you have the right to make a statement. Included in your right to present evidence are the rights you have to testify under oath, to make an unsworn statement, or to remain silent. If you testify, you may be cross-examined by the trial counsel or questioned by me and the members. If you decide to make an unsworn statement you may not be cross-examined by trial counsel or questioned by me or the members. You may make an unsworn statement orally or in writing, personally, or through your counsel, or you may use a combination of these ways. If you decide to exercise your right to remain silent, that cannot be held against you in any way. Do you understand your rights?"

Lieutenant Silver stood as well, his movements crisp and professional, his face as determined as that of a model from a recruiting-poster. "Yes, I understand, Your Honor."

"Which of these rights do you want to exercise?"

"To make an unsworn statement, orally, and in person, Your Honor."

"Then, Lieutenant Silver, take the witness stand and proceed."

Lieutenant Silver walked steadily to the witness stand. Before sitting down, he looked from the defense table, to the trial counsel table, to the members' table, his gaze clear and confident. He sat, appeared to gather his thoughts, then began speaking. "Members of the court, Your Honor, I wish to offer a firm denial to every charge made against me."

Silver's jaw jutted slightly as he raised it a bit, his pose now almost heroic. "I admit to some errors in judgment. I was new to my job, new to my ship, in the same sort of situation I know you've found yourselves in many times. I chose to concentrate on learning that ship, learning my professional duties aboard her, before concentrating on my duties as main propulsion assistant. In retrospect, this was a mistake, as it created the false impression that I didn't take my primary duty seriously."

Paul barely avoided showing his reaction to Silver's words. That incredible slimeball. He wasn't concentrating on any duties, as I knew all too well from having to stand watch with the worthless no-load. But boy does he sound sincere. Paul looked toward the members' table. None of them were showing any reaction to Lieutenant Silver's speech. Don't fall for it. Please don't fall for it.

"Yes, I fell behind in one area of my work as main propulsion assistant. One area! With so much else to learn, I put off handling official correspondence for a while. I regret that. But that is not a crime, or else every officer who ever fell behind a little in one aspect of their work is also guilty of such an offense."

"I never heard of the problem with the power transit junction until informed the unit had failed on Friday, 18 September."

Paul took a quick look toward the members again. Did they notice Silver got the name of the equipment wrong? That's a small but telling error.

"I was startled and upset. Who wouldn't be? I'd been let down by my leading chief petty officer. It happens sometimes. I knew that. But I hadn't expected it because Chief Asher appeared to be a capable sailor."

Oh, man, it's a good thing Sheriff Sharpe isn't listening to this. Or any chief from the Michaelson. They'd probably jump the gate and break Silver's jaw.

"What did I do? I endeavored to solve the problem as quickly as possible. If I'd had to involve my department head and my commanding officer, I would certainly have done so. But by using initiative and acting calmly, I was able to acquire the needed spare in the nick of time." Lieutenant Silver paused, nodding toward everyone in the courtroom. "That's what a good officer is supposed to do. I didn't and don't ask for praise for doing that. I didn't even tell anyone because whoever got credit for fixing that equipment wasn't important. Getting it fixed was what counted. Then I made another mistake."

Silver drew in a deep breath, his expression now bearing a shade of sorrow. "I entrusted the spare to Chief Asher on Saturday morning. How was I to know he'd try to install it single-handedly? I can understand why the chief didn't want his own lapse to be widely know, but I never guessed he'd take that kind of risk."

Paul noticed Commander Carr's hands. They were gripping a light metal rod so tightly the fingers were white, and the rod was slowly bending under the pressure. You and me both, Commander Carr. Right now I'm wishing the stuff Silver's accused of carried the death penalty.

Lieutenant Silver shook his head. "Apparently, Chief Asher chose to do so. Don't ask me how he got multiple authorization codes. I'm certain he didn't have mine. If only the engineering logs hadn't been damaged, they'd prove this."

"I agree as well that I should have been more forthcoming with Captain Hayes, but the night of 19 September I had no idea of what Chief Asher had attempted. It never occurred to me to link the problem with the power transformer to the explosion and subsequent fire. Once I began to realize what might have happened, it rattled me. I admit that. My concern for Chief Asher caused me to provide an inadequate report to my commanding officer that night. Not deliberately, but out of distress engendered by concern for my personnel."

"As to the other charges, I took care of my equipment. The equipment losses in Forward Engineering are tragic, but nowhere near as tragic as the loss of Chief Asher. I don't know what drove him to his actions, but I do regret them. To fault me for those actions and their consequences is not only unfair, but would set a dangerous precedent for every other officer whose equipment was damaged or lost due to unforeseen events."

"I did not damage the information in the ship's engineering logs! I don't even possess the necessary software to do that. Did those who searched my stateroom find such software? No. Do they have any evidence I was the one responsible for the damage to those logs? No. Ask them. They know what I say is true."

"Manslaughter? My God. Is every officer who loses a sailor under tragic circumstances to be charged with causing that death? I did not order Chief Asher to repair that piece of equipment contrary to safety regulations. Ask them about that. Do they have any evidence I did so? Could they produce anyone who heard such an order? No, they could not, because it did not happen."

"I admit I committed some errors of omission in my statement to Captain Shen's investigation, but this was an error of the heart. I honestly believed any misconduct on Chief Asher's part would cause the Navy to deny his family the benefits they deserved, as well as besmirching the reputation of a man who could no longer defend himself."

Paul noticed a sharp pain, and looked down to see his hands clenched so tight the nails were digging into his palms.

Lieutenant Silver looked around the courtroom again, his expression confident once more. "Of course I mentioned this concern to my division. Of course I did. I deeply regret that they so misinterpreted my remarks. But none of them, not one, claims that I ordered them to lie. Because I had nothing to ask them to lie about."

"I ask that you acquit me of all of these unfair charges. In the name of justice. In the name of honor. In the name of refusing to scapegoat an officer for an accident he could not prevent, and a death which will always shadow his own life. Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to defend myself. Thank you for judging me as you would wish to be judged in my place."

Lieutenant Silver stood and began walking back toward the defense table. Paul heard a small sound and leaned closer to Commander Carr. He could barely make out the words she was muttering under her breath. "Five minutes. Give me five minutes to cross-examine that contemptible weasel. Just five minutes."

Paul leaned back again, trying to suppress his own anger. But Commander Carr won't get five minutes. Or one minute. Because Silver's unsworn statement can't be subjected to cross-examination, or questioning by the members. No gets to pick apart his self-serving lies and throw them back at him. And the worst part is that everything Silver said sounded so reasonable. Invert the truth, the truth as I believe the evidence proves it, and it sounds perfectly reasonable. It's all Chief Asher's fault. The fault of a man who can no longer defend himself. Chief Asher, I swear, if Lieutenant Silver somehow beats these charges, I'm keep after him until I find charges that will stick. I owe that to you. Silver's not going to walk away from this, no matter how good an actor he is.

Judge Halstead had also kept his reaction to Lieutenant Silver's statement to himself. Now he looked at Commander Carr. "Is trial counsel prepared for closing argument?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Commander Carr's voice was as smooth and confident as Lieutenant Silver's had been. She strode to the center of the court, facing the members. "Captain Mashiko, members of the court, you've all heard the evidence. There's no need for me to restate everything. No need to go back over Lieutenant Silver's knowingly false statements to his commanding officer. No need to recite the many errors he deliberately made in his sworn statement to Captain Shen. No need to point out Lieutenant Silver's inexplicable disappearance from his duties as command duty officer during exactly the time period when the engineering logs of the USS Michaelson were damaged. No need to review the quality of Chief Asher's service, which had never been questioned prior to this. Not even any need to point out that in his statement Lieutenant Silver repeatedly failed to correctly name the equipment which needed repair in Forward Engineering. Equipment which was his responsibility as main propulsion assistant, yet he is so unfamiliar with it even now that he cannot identify it properly.

"No, I want you to consider three facts. The first is that Lieutenant Scott Silver's commanding officer, Captain Hayes, no longer has any confidence in Lieutenant Silver. What does it take to convince a commanding officer that one of his officers is untrustworthy? Such a determination, as you all know, is not made at the drop of a hat.

"Secondly, Captain Shen, the officer whose investigative report initially cleared Lieutenant Silver of fault, no longer believes his conclusions were correct. He, too, expressed a lack of confidence in Lieutenant Silver. What does it take to independently convince two commanding officers than another officer is untrustworthy? Two officers entrusted with command of warships of the United States Navy, two officers with extensive experience and great responsibilities, and neither of them believes Lieutenant Silver."

"Thirdly…" Commander Carr spun around suddenly, her arm raised and finger pointed at Lieutenant Silver. "When cornered, what did Lieutenant Silver do? Who did he blame for everything that went wrong? A dead man." A ragged edge of fury crept into Commander Carr's voice. "A dead chief petty officer. A professional who had demonstrated years of selfless service to his comrades, to his superiors, to the Navy and to his country. That's who Lieutenant Silver blames. Someone unable to defend himself. Someone no longer able to counter Lieutenant Silver's self-serving and totally false statements. Someone who gave his life in the service of his country. Lieutenant Silver claims he doesn't care who gets the credit, but he doesn't hesitate to attach blame to the dead! And worst of all, Lieutenant Silver didn't even care how his actions and orders endangered Chief Asher, does not even now accept responsibility for his culpable and criminally careless behavior which forced Chief Asher into a the situation which caused his death."

Commander Carr's voice grew calmer again as she turned her back on Silver and faced the members once more. "I am asking you to find Lieutenant Scott Silver guilty as to all charges and specifications. When someone dons the uniform of an officer of the United States Navy and takes the oath of loyalty to the Constitution, they assume great responsibilities even as they are entrusted with great power over their fellows. Lieutenant Silver manifestly failed in his responsibilities. His commanding officer does not doubt that. The evidence all points in Lieutenant Silver's direction. There is no doubt he lied both to his commanding officer and to Captain Shen. A sailor is dead. A sailor whose life was entrusted to Lieutenant Silver. A warship suffered extensive damage, damage in a compartment full of equipment entrusted to Lieutenant Silver. Is there any reason to believe Lieutenant Silver's accusations against Chief Asher? Is there any reason to doubt the assessment of Lieutenant Silver's commanding officer?

"Members of the court, I ask you to ensure Lieutenant Silver is never again given the opportunity to bring about the death of a sailor, never again given authority over any other member of the service, never again entrusted with any equipment or ship belonging to the United States Navy. I ask you to find him guilty as to all charges and specifications. Not in the name of revenge, not in the name of vengeance, but in the name of justice. Lieutenant Silver has repeatedly betrayed the trust placed in him by the United States. I ask you not to give him a chance to do so again. Thank you."

Commander Carr walked deliberately back to her table, while Paul watched her with wide eyes. If that performance doesn't convict Silver, I don't know what will. He looked toward Lieutenant Silver, whose expression seemed less calmly confident now. Sweat, you bastard. You've run into someone who can spin words just as well as you can, and she wants your hide.

Judge Halstead, still apparently unaffected by the emotions swirling through the courtroom, looked toward the defense table. "Is counsel for the defense prepared to present closing argument?"

"Yes, your Honor." Commander Jones walked to the same position Commander Carr had taken to address the members of the court. "Lieutenant Silver has already clearly stated the grounds for acquitting him of all charges. Bluntly, there is no evidence directly linking him to most of the offenses with which he is charged. It is a case built entirely on circumstantial evidence, a house of cards resting on a foundation of speculation and innuendo. How can an officer be charged with giving an order which no one can testify they heard him give? How can an officer be charged with negligence because one of his sailors, acting alone, overrode safety interlocks and attempted a hazardous repair task single-handedly? How can an officer be charged with destroying data in his ship's engineering logs when the only evidence supporting that charge is that Lieutenant Silver was aboard the ship when the destruction allegedly happened? He was aboard the ship on his duty day! This is evidence of wrongdoing?

"Certainly, Lieutenant Silver was not seen by others for a brief period during the evening of 19 September. As his own department head testified, seeking out a small moment for private grief over the death of one of his sailors is not only understandable, but also appropriate."

"Yes, Lieutenant Silver admits to having provided incomplete information to his commanding officer on one occasion. Not out of intent to deceive, but out of shock and horror at what had happened. Yes, he tried to protect Chief Asher's reputation and service benefits during the formal investigation. This was perhaps misguided, but it was an error of the heart.

"Dereliction of duty? Because he failed to open some mail? If Lieutenant Silver's performance was so derelict, why was he not relieved of duty earlier? If Lieutenant Silver couldn't be trusted to carry out his responsibilities, why did he continue to serve in such vitally important positions as officer of the deck underway and command duty officer in port? What commanding officer would risk his or her ship in the hands of an officer they truly did not trust? If they did so, wouldn't they themselves be guilty of dereliction of duty?

"There was a tragedy on the USS Michaelson. No one denies that. I ask you not to compound that tragedy by convicting an innocent man, a dedicated and caring officer, because a scapegoat is being sought. A conviction on any charge requires proof that Lieutenant Silver did commit such an act, not just an unsupported assertion that he could have done something improper. Such proof was not presented during the course of this trial, because such proof does not exist."

"I ask you to acquit Lieutenant Silver of all charges. He has done his duty in trying circumstances. He does not deserve to be the victim of a process aimed at finding a warm body to blame for a tragedy. No officer deserves that. Thank you."

Commander Jones returned to his seat as the courtroom stayed silent. Paul looked toward the members of the court. That's it. All the evidence has been presented, all the arguments made. Now it's up to those officers to decide Silver's fate.

Judge Halstead gazed around the courtroom. "Captain Mashiko, the members may begin their deliberations. The court-martial is closed, and will reconvene tomorrow morning at 1000 in this courtroom."

Paul stood in the wardroom of the Michaelson, hastily gulping down some bitter coffee. Commander Sykes nodded to Paul from his customary seat. "Good luck, Mr. Sinclair."

"Thank you, sir."

"You seem a bit uneasy."

"The coffee sucks, Suppo."

Sykes grinned. "I'm wounded. You're really worried about the verdict, aren't you?"

Kris Denaldo, entering the wardroom at that moment, nodded as well. "That's it, right, Paul?"

"Yeah, that's right. No matter how strongly I believe in Silver's guilt, the evidence is overwhelmingly circumstantial. If we'd had Chief Asher to testify, there wouldn't be any problem. But since Asher's dead, Silver's able to avoid that."

Kris shuddered as she tasted some coffee. "Suppo, this stuff really reeks. That's ironic, isn't it, Paul? If Silver did cause Asher's death, then Asher's death helps protect Silver."

"Ironic isn't the word I'd use."

"Have you heard about the snipes? They say Chief Asher's been playing games with them in Forward Engineering."

Paul felt a sudden chill. "Playing games?"

"Yeah. The snipes claim he's still supervising them."

"I guess Davidas' ghost has some company now." Paul sighed and disposed of his empty coffee container. "Have you seen Gabriel? I've got duty today, but she's standing it for me until I can get back to the ship."

"Oh, yeah. She had a departmental meeting, but she asked me to tell you not to worry. As long as you're back before the end of the day it's no problem. If you're going to be delayed past that, Gabriel wants you to give her a call."

"No problem. Thank her for me." Paul sketched a salute toward Commander Sykes. "By your leave, sir."

Sykes hoisted his own coffee in reply. "I'm certain you will perform ably, Mr. Sinclair."

"It's out of my hands, Suppo. See ya, Kris."

Paul stepped out onto the quarterdeck, adjusting his uniform to ensure he looked his best. Lieutenant Sindh came by and inclined her head gravely. "May justice be done this day."

"So I hope." There's one of my greatest fears resolved. No one's treating me like an outcast because I helped bring Silver to a court-martial. Well, Smiling Sam Yarrow's been avoiding me like the plague, but that's not exactly a bad thing from my perspective. No matter what the members of the court decide, the good officers of the Merry Mike think I was right to do what I did. Even Commander Garcia, something I never expected. Paul saluted Chief Imari, the officer of the deck. "Ensign Gabriel's filling in for me in the duty section until I get back. Let me know if anything — " Paul bit his tongue. He'd been about to say "blows up," using the standard slang for a sudden emergency. In this context, with Chief Imari who'd been on the quarterdeck when something did blow up, it wouldn't sound right at all. "If any emergencies arise. Request permission to go ashore."

"Yes, sir." Chief Imari returned his salute. "Permission granted."

Paul strode across the brow, pausing to turn and salute the national flag aft, then headed for the courtroom.

Commander Carr raised one hand in brief greeting, then focused back on the front of the courtroom, her tension revealed only by one thumb tapping quickly against her index finger. Lieutenant Commander Jones sat with Lieutenant Silver at the defense table, neither one speaking as Jones read something on his data pad and Silver looked straight ahead.

"All rise." A shuffle of feet as everyone came to attention. Judge Halstead looked around, then seated himself. "Bailiff, please ask the members of the court-martial to enter."

The members entered the courtroom, their faces revealing nothing.

"Captain Mashiko, have the members reached findings?"

Mashiko nodded. "They have."

"Are the findings on Appellate Exhibit Six?"

"Yes."

"Would the trial counsel, without examining it, please bring me Appellate Exhibit Six?" A long minute passed while Judge Halstead studied the exhibit dispassionately. "I have examined Appellate Exhibit Six. It appears to be in proper form. Please return it to the president. Lieutenant Silver, would you and your counsel stand up, please. Captain Mashiko, announce the findings, please."

Captain Mashiko cleared his throat. "Lieutenant Scott Silver, this court-martial finds you guilty of violating Article 92, Dereliction in the Performance of Duties, Article 107, False Official Statements, and Article 131, Perjury. This court-martial finds you not guilty of all other charges and specifications."

Paul bit his lip, looking downward, not wishing to see Lieutenant Silver's expression at the moment. Triumphant? Stunned? It doesn't matter. Dammit. We nailed him with some heavy offenses, but Silver's getting off on everything directly related to Chief Asher's death. Damn.

"Does defense counsel wish to present any matters in extenuation or mitigation?"

Lieutenant Commander Jones, his face betraying no emotion, shook his head. "No, Your Honor."

Paul finally looked at Silver, whose face seemed locked into rigidity. But his eyes betrayed confusion. You finally got caught, didn't you? And you can't figure out why the games didn't work this time.

"Captain Mashiko, have the members reached a sentence, or do you require further time for deliberations?"

"The members have reached a sentence."

"Captain Mashiko, would you announce the sentence please."

"Lieutenant Silver, this court-martial sentences you to one year in confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and dismissal from the United States Naval Service."

A hissing sound in the courtroom marked sudden indrawn breaths. Paul's stomach knotted. Okay. They got him. Maybe it was a trade-off. Agree to convict on enough charges to get Silver out of the Navy. I don't care. He's toast. He'll never kill another sailor.

Judge Halstead began speaking again, telling Lieutenant Silver of his rights to appeal. The statement droned on, long and exactly as laid out in the Manual for Courts-Martial. Paul looked back to see if any other members of the Michaelson 's wardroom had shown up, and was surprised to see Jen sitting in the courtroom. She flicked a smile his way, then her face returned to professional detachment as Judge Halstead finished his statement and gazed around the courtroom one final time.

"The court-martial is adjourned."

Paul rubbed his face, feeling tension finally begin to ebb from his body. Not perfect. No. But we got him for you, Chief Asher. Rest in peace. If you can. He watched Lieutenant Silver being escorted from the courtroom, Lieutenant Commander Jones at his side, Silver's face now reflecting incomprehension at his fate. And as for you, Silver, I hope your sleep is haunted every night by what you caused.

Commander Carr turned to face him just as Jen came to his side. "A partial victory, but we got what we wanted, Mr. Sinclair."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. You did a great job."

"I've done better. Thanks for the support from your end." Carr focused on Jen. Paul watched the two women sizing each other up, then Commander Carr smiled at Jen. "Does this gentleman belong to you, Lieutenant…?"

"Shen. Yes, ma'am, he does."

"The famous Lieutenant Shen! Thank goodness that issue didn't come up during the trial. And aren't you the lucky one. But I've a feeling Paul's going to be keeping you busy." Carr extended her hand to Paul. "Good luck. Nice working with you, Lieutenant Sinclair. Maybe we can do it again some time."

Paul shook her offered hand. "With all due respect, ma'am, I'm hoping to avoid courtrooms for a while."

She laughed. "That's often out of our hands. Look me up if you need advice." With a small wave of farewell, Commander Carr headed out of the courtroom.

Jen gave Paul a hard look. "'Look me up if you need advice,'" she mimicked.

"Jen."

"Maybe I'll just come along when you do that."

"Jen, she's married, she's a commander and she's never acted in any way that implies any personal interest in me! Couldn't you at least get jealous of someone I could reasonably get involved with?"

"Like who?"

"Like — " Paul's words froze in his throat. Am I totally insane? How can I possibly provide any names in answer to that question without digging myself a hole so deep I'll never climb out? "Like no one."

"You hesitated."

"I just had to run through everyone I'd ever known or met and realize none of them could ever fall into that category. Except you."

"Very smooth."

They walked out of the courtroom. "Are you actually serious about this or are you just yanking my chain?" Paul demanded. Jen started to reply, then halted. Paul followed her gaze. "Commander Herdez. Good morning, ma'am."

Herdez nodded in greeting. "Lieutenant Sinclair. Lieutenant Shen. Do you have time to accompany me for a drink, Mr. Sinclair? Ms. Shen is of course invited as well."

Paul looked over at Jen, who was watching Commander Herdez as if she were a cobra who'd just reared up in their path. "Certainly, ma'am. Right, Jen?"

Jen exchanged glances with Paul. "Uh, yes. Yes, ma'am."

Commander Herdez started walking toward the officers' club while Paul and Jen followed a half-step behind. Jen looked over at Paul and insistently gestured a question. Paul shook his head and made his own gesture to display a lack of knowledge.

At this early hour, the officer's club had few patrons. The simulated wood paneling and lowered lighting gave the bar an unreal quality, as if it were reached by walking through some sort of portal into an old bar back on Earth. That had been the intent when the bar was designed, of course, but Paul could never decide if the environment there reassured or disturbed him.

Commander Herdez took a seat near the end of the bar, gesturing Jen to the seat on her left side, then Paul to the seat on her right. Jen managed another questioning glare at Paul behind Herdez' back. Paul answered with another expression of ignorance.

"What will you two be drinking?" Herdez asked.

Paul waved vaguely toward the Michaelson 's berth. "I need to go on duty once I get back to the ship, so I'd better stick to straight Coke, ma'am."

Jen nodded. "Me, too."

Herdez beckoned to the bartender, another luxury intended to invoke Earth-bound bars. "Three Cokes." She waited silently until the drinks came. "Mr. Sinclair. Ms. Shen. To a job well-finished." They all drank to the toast, then Herdez turned to face Paul. "Do you remember our last conversation here?"

"Yes, ma'am. Every word."

"You've a better memory than I, then." Commander Herdez looked intently toward the back of the bar, as if memorizing the labels displayed there. "How do you feel you did, Mr. Sinclair?"

"I wish I'd been able to get him on all charges, ma'am."

"No doubt. I do, as well. But there was sufficient doubt concerning some of charges. Or insufficient proof, if you prefer."

Paul remembered something Commander Carr had said. "We had to work with what we had."

"That's always true, Mr. Sinclair, regardless of our line of work. The only variation is how much we have. Sometimes, though all too few of them, we have all we want and need. Usually, there is less to work with."

"Yes, ma'am." There was another pause, as Commander Herdez sipped her drink. "Ma'am? You told me something once. You said it was easy to work well for good officers, and hard to work well for bad ones. That was the challenge, you said, to work well despite having a superior who wasn't very good. But that also applies even if you're not actually working for them, doesn't it? Any bad officer makes it hard for everyone his or her actions impact."

Herdez looked at Paul again. "Very good, Mr. Sinclair. You're correct. Bad officers require us to make hard decisions."

"There's always the easy decisions," Jen blurted out.

Commander Herdez turned to look at Jen. "There's always the option of doing nothing, yes, even though that risks more and more damage to the Navy and its personnel. I give both you and Mr. Sinclair the credit of assuming you would not shirk your duties in that manner."

Jen met Herdez' eyes. "You know I wouldn't, ma'am."

"Yes. I do. You're a fine officer."

Herdez turned back toward Paul, missing the sight of Jen's jaw dropping. "I imagine you nonetheless felt some qualms about bringing about the court-martial of a fellow junior officer."

"Yes, ma'am, I did."

"But you overcame them."

"Yes, ma'am. Partly because I remembered something else you told me once, about honoring the sacrifices of those who die."

Herdez seemed amused. "I rarely hear myself quoted back to me so often in one conversation. Life is full of advice and experiences, Mr. Sinclair. Some good, some bad. That advice and experience doesn't directly shape us. It's the lessons we draw from them that do that. And then our own examples help shape others. This was Lieutenant Silver's greatest failing, that he did not realize his responsibility to others."

Paul snorted a brief laugh. "You don't have to tell me that, ma'am."

"Indeed. You handled yourself well." Commander Herdez consulted her watch. "I see time is passing. I'm sure you need to return to your ship soon."

"Yes, ma'am."

Paul and Jen stood as Commander Herdez watched. "You make a good couple."

Jen stared back, rattled again. "Ma'am?"

"Oh, you heard me, Lieutenant Junior Grade Shen. There's nothing wrong with your ears or your mind. As for you, Mr. Sinclair, I'm still keeping an eye on you. I'll be going to another ship when I leave the staff. Your presence onboard that vessel would be welcome."

It was Paul's turn to be thrown off balance. "Ma'am?"

"If circumstances permit, Mr. Sinclair, I'd like you as a subordinate again. Was it clear that time?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Working for Herdez again? Oh, that's going to be painful. But how could I turn down her offer?

"That is all." Commander Herdez checked her watch again. "And I must return to work as well. Until next time, Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Shen." She walked briskly out of the bar, half of her drink still untouched.

Jen watched her go. "Did you hear what she said?"

"You mean about us being a good couple?"

"Oh, please. Since when does Commander Herdez care about the personal lives of her juniors?"

"Jen, she does."

"That woman has had her bitch-switch stuck on battle-override since the day she was born, and she never cared for me. 'Watch that attitude of yours, Ms. Shen.' 'Are you certain, Ms. Shen?' 'Is there a problem, Ms. Shen?'"

"But she said she thinks you're a fine officer."

"Yes. Exactly. What do you suppose she meant by that?"

"That… she thinks you're a fine officer?"

"Herdez? Ha!"

"What do you think she meant?"

"I don't know, but I'll find out. Right now, you and I have another call to make."

"Where?"

Jen mustered an artificially bright smile. "USS Mahan."

"Jen!"

"I mean it, Paul. There's unfinished business. Trust me on this. You've got to beard the, um, lion in his den."

"I didn't know lions had beards."

"Whatever! Let's go."

"Just what am I supposed to say to a captain who thinks I'm pond scum?"

"Just wait." Jen met Paul's stubborn gaze. "Trust me, Paul Sinclair!"

Paul let his gaze drop and shook his head. "Okay. You're the expert on your father, and I'm sure as hell not going to hide from him for the rest of whatever career I have in the Navy."

"Damn straight."

The lieutenant junior grade standing officer of the deck on the Mahan reacted to Jen's presence with a barely concealed sense of panic. When he saw Paul, the panic rose by an order of magnitude. Clearly fearing the worst, the Mahan 's officer of the deck called the captain, listened to the reply, then ordered the petty officer of the watch to escort Paul and Jen to the wardroom.

Captain Shen sat there at a table which mirrored that on the Michaelson except for a different random pattern of nicks and scratches. Two other officers occupied the wardroom, but after one steely glance from their captain they hastily exited. Captain Shen, as erect as if he were sitting at attention, turned to face Jen. "I gather you're not here to give me an apology."

"I only apologize when I'm wrong. I learned that from a certain senior naval officer."

"That you did." Captain Shen stood, then pivoted to look at Paul, his eyes seeming to bore straight into Paul's brain. "It seems you were declared right by the court-martial, Mr. Sinclair. And I was declared wrong."

"Sir, we both did our duty."

"Don't condescend to me, young man. I screwed up. I failed to accurately determine the causes of that accident on the Michaelson. I hope you're not expecting me to thank you for bringing that to public notice."

Paul shook his head. "No, sir."

Captain Shen's glower didn't diminish, but he slowly extended one hand. "But I do thank you for what you did for the Navy. You did a good job, mister."

Paul stared at the hand uncomprehendingly for a moment, then reached out to shake Captain Shen's hand. "Thank you, sir." Shen's grip was so tight Paul almost flinched, but instead he returned the pressure.

Captain Shen's eyes locked on Jen. "My daughter is not a fool."

"No, sir."

"There's a difference between courage and foolhardiness. Do you know that difference?"

"Yes, sir."

"That'd better be correct. I will be keeping an eye on you, Mr. Sinclair. God help you if you harm my daughter or her career."

"I will never do that, sir."

"I'll be watching. Dismissed."

Paul saluted, but Jen suddenly lunged forward and hugged her father. "Thank you, dad. Sorry we fought."

Captain Shen's face actually revealed a brief, gentle smile. "Me, too."

Jen stepped back, saluted, then followed Paul out the hatch. The messenger escorted them back to the quarterdeck, and they left the USS Mahan behind.

Paul strode along, his thoughts focusing on Captain Shen's last words to him. Great. Commander Herdez is watching supportively from afar to see if I measure up to her impossible standards, and now Captain Shen will be watching antagonistically from afar to see if I measure up to his impossible standards. Maybe I should just dive out an airlock in my gym shorts. That way I'd only be subjected to impossible pressure for a few seconds.

"A buck for your thoughts," Jen stated with a smile.

"You don't want to know."

"I can imagine. My father isn't going to forgive and forget anytime soon that you made him look real bad."

"Pardon me all to hell. How can such an intelligent man fail to see I was trying to do right by Chief Asher and prevent anyone else suffering because of an officer who failed in his duties?"

"He knows that, Paul. He respects what you did. That's why he shook your hand. He just doesn't like it."

"Is this supposed to be helping me understand?"

"Paul Sinclair, I've spent my entire life trying to understand my father and I'm a long ways from achieving that goal. He's proud and he's smart, too proud and too smart sometimes to realize he can be wrong." Jen sighed. "This all complicates things. I wanted to be able to tell you my answer to your proposal by now."

"Proposal? What proposal?"

"Your marriage proposal. Did you forget about it already?"

"Oh." Paul felt his face warming. "I'm sorry, it's just so much has been going on and I'm still pretty distracted and — "

"Uh-huh. Probably thinking about that sweet little lawyer commander of yours."

"Jen, I swear — "

Jen started laughing. "Anyway, with my father still on the warpath I don't want him thinking I'm marrying you just to spite him. Believe it or not, I'm hoping to fully mend this rift someday."

"I believe you're hoping, yeah."

"Can you wait a while longer for an answer, Paul?"

He smiled and held her close, unworried about observers for a moment. "Jen, I can wait. No problem."

Her voice was slightly muffled against his shoulder. "What happened to the fear of losing me?"

"I'm not afraid anymore, Jen. You stuck with me through this, and like you said you came back."

"Oh, great." Jen pulled back a bit and glared up at him. "So now you're complacent and confident."

"That's not how I meant it."

"Let's see. You've alienated my father, and now you've told me you feel secure in taking me for granted. What's next? Are you going to go for three and ask me if I've gained weight recently?"

"No! I meant — "

"It's not like I've been all that wonderful to begin with."

"Jen, that's not true. You've been fine."

" Fine? I've been fine?"

"No! That's not what I meant to say. You've been great. Wonderful. The greatest, most wonderful — "

"Too late. That's strike three. If this was a baseball game you'd be out."

"It's not a baseball game. It's real life. No, it's not real life. It's the Navy. Different rules."

Jen grinned. "Very different rules. When you make admiral, I'm going to take credit."

"I'll never make admiral at the rate I'm going. I'm beginning to wonder about making full lieutenant."

"You'll make it. Just try to stay away from courts-martial from now on." The quarterdeck of the USS Michaelson loomed ahead. "I know you need to get back aboard."

"Yeah. Duty calls."

"Does it ever stop calling?" She leaned closer and smiled. "I can't kiss you with the quarterdeck of your ship watching us, but I can tell you I'm proud of you. Like dad said, you did a good job."

"Thanks, Jen. See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it. And stay out of courts-martial!"

She waved and walked rapidly toward where the USS Maury was docked. Paul watched for a moment, then walked toward the quarterdeck of the Michaelson. Stay out of courts-martial? It's not like I've ever sought them out. He saluted the national flag, saluted the officer of the deck, and requested permission to come aboard.

Kris Denaldo returned the salute. "I'm glad you're back. Ensign Gabriel wants to hand over the duty to you, you've got a message to see the captain as soon as possible, Lieutenant Kilgary says you've got the 0400 quarterdeck watch, and Commander Garcia, Lieutenant Bristol, Chief Imari and Petty Officer Sharpe are all looking for you."

Paul found himself laughing. Life in the Space Navy's back to normal. I wonder how long that'll last this time?