Above
and Beyond
By Chris B.
“Oh god, please tell me this is some sort of cruel
practical joke,” Lee Crane, captain of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research
submarine SSRN Seaview exclaimed as he paced furiously across the floor of his boss’
office. “I’ve been good lately, really! I’ve kept out Jamie’s domain for nearly a
year, I’ve not been on an ONI mission in over six months and I’ve even attended
three congressional budget hearings in your place. What have I done so wrong that warrants this
type of punishment?”
Harriman Nelson, retired admiral, founder of NIMR and
creative genius behind his giant research submarine Seaview, watched in barely
concealed amusement as his captain, friend and adopted son reacted to the news
that Admiral Jiggs Starke, Commander Submarine Force U.S Pacific Fleet would be
accompanying them on their next cruise.
What amused him most was the fact that Lee Crane, when in command of his
vessel or engaged in activities for ONI was the epitome of a self-assured and
confident officer capable of meeting any challenge and prevailing regardless of
how the cards may be stacked against him, but throw Nelson’s longtime friend
and current COMSUBPAC into the fray and that control came perilously close to
being lost.
“Come on now Lee, it won’t be that bad. There’s a new requirement that the Navy must
observe and evaluate reserve vessel operations on an annual basis to ensure
readiness and Jiggs has just decided to conduct the evaluation himself this
year. He won’t be interfering with your
command and I’ll be there as well to back him off when he strays outside the
bounds of his survey.” Nelson replied trying hard to keep from laughing at the
agitated condition of his friend.
Lee stopped his pacing and just glared at the man
seated behind the desk. “You’re
enjoying this aren’t you? You know he
has limited use for me as it is and with this evaluation hanging over my head
he’ll be insufferable. Best as I can
tell I can’t even tie my shoes right in his opinion.”
Harri finally lost it and just broke out laughing at
his captain’s harried state. “You’re
exaggerating Lee. Jiggs has quite a bit
of use for you and it’s in command of one of his subs not our lovely lady
Seaview. He’s fully aware of your
command abilities and respects them and you very much. You just confound the dickens out of him as
you never seem to squirm like the other officers under his command; though if
he saw you now…”
If looks could kill there would have been a chalk
outline around Nelson at the answering glare Lee shot his way, only making
Harri laugh harder. He rose from his
seat, walked around his desk and placed a hand on his captain’s shoulder to try
and calm the man down before he exploded.
“It’s just for a few days, Lee. I
think you and the crew can handle that.”
“You know, I do have a considerable amount of leave
that Jamie has been hounding me to use, I can’t think of a better time to use
it. Admiral Starke doesn’t seem to have
a problem with Chip so everything would no doubt be fine with him as acting
captain on this cruise.” Lee offered hopefully.
“Not on your life, lad, and I’m going to tell Chip
you said that.” Harri retorted with another chuckle.
Lee finally sighed in abject resignation. “No way out, I take it.”
“Nope, nein, nada, nicht, nyet, nil, none. You’re Seaview’s captain and that’s why you
make the big bucks. Who knows you may
even enjoy the cruise.” Harri responded, which drew yet another scathing glare
from his friend. “Come on son, I’ll take
you out to lunch and lay out the plans for our next cruise.”
SVSVSV
After an extended lunch at Lee’s favorite
restaurant, he and the admiral returned to NIMR to start preparations for the
next mission. Lee had wound down
considerably having come to terms with the inevitable and was already mentally
plotting out the next cruise and what needed to be accomplished before they
left port. Dumping his hat and coat off
in his office he sauntered down the hall to make Chip’s day.
“You’ve got to be kidding! Is this some sort of sick joke?” Chip said loudly
in response to Lee’s announcement.
“Geez you sound like me. Nope, the admiral dropped that little gem of
news to me before lunch; apparently it’s some new Navy requirement for reserve
vessels. If we hadn’t needed to come back
I’d be well into a bottle of tequila by now,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Lovely, we can take care of that after we knock off
for the day. So what’s the plan?” Chip queried.
“The next mission takes us to the east coast so we
can head up towards the Grand Banks to research the impacts of weather change
on ocean conditions and sea life there.
According to the admiral we will pick Starke up in Pensacola then drop
him off in DC before heading north.
Starke will conduct a number of readiness drills and combat response
scenarios to verify our ability to carry out Navy mission requirements when
under their charter.” Lee answered. “I
don’t see us having any problems with the evaluation; it’s just putting up with
Captain Bligh for those few days. When
we get near Norfolk, the admiral will take FS-1 to pick up Dr. Marcus the
primary research scientist for this trip so we can just keep heading north once
we dump Starke. The good thing is the admiral will be with us and hopefully can
temper Starke’s personality.”
“Yeah, right, like that’s gonna
happen,” Chip answered. Both men laughed at that, then got down to business
planning out what needed to happen to keep Starke happy and at bay during his
time aboard.
SVSVSV
Once news of Starke’s impending inspection visit was
released preparations for the next mission went into high gear. Seaview was scrubbed from stem to stern
eliminating the slightest hint of any dirt on board, if it moved it was greased
and tuned to perfection if not already there and if it didn’t it was either
polished or painted. The crew had taken this
on as a personal challenge to eliminate any potential complaint Starke could
come up with during his trip. By the
time they were ready to leave port Lee could have sworn Seaview had that new
sub smell; she practically glistened inside and out.
The trip from Santa Barbara to Pensacola passed
without incident. Lee had Chip and
Sharkey conducting readiness drills to cut down response times and demonstrate to
Starke that Seaview’s crew was the equal of if not better than any crew in the
regular Navy. Lee wandered from
department to department ensuring everything was in the prime condition to put
Seaview and her crew in the best possible light for the overly picky Starke. No one bitched or complained about the extra
work and almost seemed excited about what was to come. Lee couldn’t have been any prouder of his
crew or vessel if he tried.
All the while Nelson sat back and observed with
quiet amusement. ‘Lee is going to kill me
when he finds out what this is all about,’ Harri thought to himself. Lee seemed to be everywhere at once making
sure all was in readiness and that his crew knew how much he appreciated their
hard work and dedication. His captain
was definitely going to need that leave he talked about earlier by the time
Starke departed the boat.
SVSVSV
SSRN Seaview arrived exactly as scheduled at NAS
Pensacola and was quickly secured to the dock.
Already staged for their arrival was a load of supplies and additional
goods for the galley. The crew
immediately jumped into action and had everything off the dock and stowed in
record time. All they needed now was one
persnickety admiral and they could be on their way.
Admiral Starke finally appeared over two hours late
and was piped aboard. “Welcome aboard
Jiggs,” Nelson said as he shook his old friend’s hand. “It’s about time you decided to join us. You know the old saying ‘Time and tide wait for no man’.”
Starke glared at his friend and then relented giving
him a quick smile. “Just had a few last
minute details to take care of before I left; don’t want anything slipping
through the cracks on this one Harri,” he replied. The smile quickly evaporated from his face as
he stepped over to Lee.
“Welcome aboard sir,” Lee said. “We’re ready to sail whenever you are.”
“Thank you Captain.
As Harri here has so subtly reminded me, time is of the essence, shove
off immediately and prepare for the evaluations.” Starke replied brusquely
glaring at Lee.
“Aye sir.”
Lee replied, trying hard not to roll his eyes.
As Starke passed by him, he shot Harri an exasperated glance thanking him for setting Starke off even
before they left port.
Harri gave Lee a broad smile and a nod in
acknowledgement. “Come on Jiggs,” Harri said
clapping his friend on the back, “I’ll show you to your cabin and we can let
the captain here get us underway.”
“Lead the way Harriman.” Starke replied.
As Nelson and Starke disappeared into the sail, Lee
released the breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding. Chip smiled ruefully, shook his head and
rolled his eyes. “Riley, get the
admiral’s bags down to Guest Cabin A,” he ordered. “Chief, get the deck detail down below and
prepare to shove off.”
“Aye sir.”
Sharkey answered quickly.
“Oh come on Lee, it’s not going to be that bad. Seaview’s never looked better and the crew is
as sharp as they’ve ever been; there’s nothing Starke can throw at us that we
can’t handle.” Chip said as the last of the crew entered the sub.
“I know that Chip, it’s just that Starke always
manages to rattle my cage. It didn’t
help with Admiral Nelson’s little dig at his tardiness; if he wasn’t in a sour
mood already he’s sure to be in one now,” Lee replied with a deep sigh letting
his shoulders droop.
Chip laughed quietly and clapped his skipper on the
back. “Hey this could be fun, ya never know.”
Lee shot him a doubtful glance and returned his
smile. He quickly resumed his ramrod
straight posture and assumed his air of complete confidence in himself, his
vessel and his crew and headed for the sail.
“Alright Mr. Morton let’s sail.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” Chip replied and followed his
friend and captain into the sub.
SVSVSV
Once Seaview was submerged and underway Lee quickly
reviewed the list of supplies brought aboard in Pensacola as a way to kill time
until Admiral Starke showed up and began his trials. Everything looked in order until he got to
the stores brought aboard for the galley.
In addition to the normal fresh produce there were several cases of very
expensive champagne, filet mignon, lobster and crab, a wide array of gourmet artisan
cheeses and other savory tidbits.
“Chip, did you take a look
at this manifest before we loaded it?
Who authorized all of this?” Lee inquired.
“It happens to be mine Captain,” Starke replied as
he walked up behind Crane followed closely by Nelson. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No sir. My
only concern is that because Seaview is presently under a Navy charter for your
evaluation, alcohol is technically not allowed on board. As you are aware of its presence then it
shouldn’t be an issue for your inspection,” Crane replied.
“That is correct Captain. Well are you ready to begin?” Starke
inquired.
“We are at your disposal sir,” Lee answered.
“Very well, let’s begin with a complete inspection
of your boat, Captain.”
Lee and Starke spent the remainder of the day going
from compartment to compartment examining every aspect of Seaview. Starke would occasionally note something on
his clipboard and mutter some disparaging remark then indicate Crane should
lead on to the next section. By the time
they were finished Lee couldn’t remember ever feeling so tired and spent after
having the dubious honor of escorting Starke throughout his boat. When he finally slogged into his cabin he was
muttering, “Just two more days, just two more days.”
SVSVSV
Around 1900 Chip made his way to Lee’s cabin and
knocked lightly on his door. A tired and
pitiful “Come” beckoned him into the room.
As he walked in he fought hard to bite back the smile on his face as he
took in his deflated friend slumped in the chair behind the desk. “Rough day, dear?”
“Give me an ONI mission gone wrong over this any day
Chip. Please just shoot me now and get
it over with,” Lee replied with an exhausted sigh.
“Not on your life,” Chip replied. “That would make me captain and I would never
inflict such a wound on myself.”
“Some friend you are,” Lee bantered back shooting
his friend and XO and weary smile. “You
would have thought we had just pulled the boat out of mothballs the way he went
on.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Apparently you and Sharkey did not do a very good
job preparing this boat to sail, Mister Morton.
I will of course have to mete out some fitting punishment for that bit
of dereliction of duty,” Lee replied sternly.
Chip looked totally affronted by the remark and
huffed in mock indignation. “I would be
more than happy to help him inspect the inside of the torpedo tubes,
Captain.” They both broke out laughing.
“So are you here for a purpose or are you just
killing time?” Lee asked.
“Admiral Nelson sent me to collect you for dinner
since you hadn’t shown up of your own accord.”
“I would have thought he’d be holed up with Starke
in the nose listening to him rant and rave about the sorry state of affairs on
this vessel,” Lee replied.
“No they’re eating with the common clave in the
wardroom and would greatly appreciate your attendance,” Chip responded with a
laugh.
“I’m not hungry plus I was hoping to get a little
work done before it all resumes tomorrow.”
“No such luck pal.
Come on go wash your face, freshen your makeup and we’ll head down for
the festivities,” Chip answered giving Lee a consoling pat on the shoulder.
Lee and Chip wandered into the Wardroom a few
minutes later and took their seats with the admirals. Cookie had gone all out and made his famous
baked halibut and all the trimmings which Chip dove into with relish. Lee had taken a little bit of everything and
was finding himself hard pressed to eat any of it.
Nelson and Starke were exchanging sea stories and
recounting their days at the academy much to the amusement of most of those
assembled. Lee would react at the
appropriate times but really just wanted to get out, walk through his boat and
touch base with his men. As he listened to
their tales he chased the little bit of food he had taken around his plate.
“Something wrong with your meal,
Captain?” Starke queried.
“No sir, I’m just not that hungry, I had a large
breakfast.” Lee lied. He had skated out
of the wardroom with just a slice of toast and a cup of coffee, much to the
chagrin of Cookie who had fixed the skipper’s favorite pancakes in hopes of
enticing him to eat and blown off lunch entirely.
“Well Jiggs, what have you found so far in your
inspection, or can you share that with us?” Nelson asked in hopes of drawing
his friend’s attention away from his captain.
“You’ve got a tidy boat Harriman, thus far all
appears to be in order,” Starke said.
“Good to hear, Jiggs,” Harri replied shooting his
captain a wry smile and a wink. “So
what’s on the schedule for tomorrow, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“We’ll be going through some battle simulations and
emergency response drills,” Jiggs offered.
“Hopefully nothing your captain and crew here can’t handle.”
Lee felt like sighing in complete resignation and
rolling his eyes but knew Starke would be on him in a minute. He willed himself not to react to the implied
slight to his command abilities and met the admiral’s gaze with the best bland
expression he could muster. Chip was
actually pretty impressed with his response and Harri fought hard to stifle the
grin threatening to break free, he could hear Starke grinding his teeth at
Lee’s refusal to take the bait.
“Well sirs, since it looks like tomorrow is going to
be a busy day, I’d best be on my way. I
have a number of things I need to accomplish before the next day’s events.” Lee
said after a few moments. He rose from
his place and departed the wardroom.
Harri felt like reaching over and slapping his old friend on the back of
the head for driving Lee off but he had to maintain some military decorum.
Lee immediately started his walk-a-boat and made a
point of getting with every section to let them know how proud he was with how
squared away everything was for the admiral’s inspection. It was nearly 0100 by the time he’d made it back
to his cabin after making his way around the boat and chatting with the
crew. As he entered his cabin he was
startled to see Harri sitting behind his desk, sipping on a glass of scotch awaiting
his return.
“Don’t you ever sleep? I’d have thought given the day you had you
would have been passed out in your rack hours ago.” Harri said as Lee entered
and shut the door. He uncorked the
bottle on the edge of the desk poured Lee a small shot and pushed the glass
towards him.
Lee just smiled shook his head picked up the glass
and dropped into the chair next to his desk.
“I could ask the same thing of you, sir. I’ll sleep when Admiral Starke is safely
deposited in DC.” Raising his glass in
thanks to Harri he threw back the contents.
“You know this violates Navy regulations, you aren’t by any chance
trying to set me up?” he added with a wink.
“Don’t let him get to you Lee. He really was quite impressed with everything
he saw today; vessel and crew. I’ve
asked him to tone it down and focus on what he’s here to do.”
“Thanks sir but I can handle him; it just gets a
little wearing at times always having to be on the defensive even on your home
turf.” Lee replied with a chuckle and a tired smile.
Harri polished off his glass and corked the
bottle. “My recommendation to you is to
get some sleep son. You and the crew
know your stuff and there’s nothing he can throw at you that you can’t handle.”
“I’ll give it a shot sir. Good night.” Lee answered.
“Night Lee. See you at breakfast,” Nelson replied and
added the last to ensure his captain showed up and actually ate since he hadn’t
had a full meal since dinner the evening before. He walked down the passageway to his cabin
and entered. He was mildly startled to
see Jiggs sitting behind his desk waiting for his return.
“Out for an evening stroll?” Jiggs asked, amusedly.
“Something like that. Just trying to ensure my captain doesn’t
implode before this is over. Do me a
favor Jiggs, back off a bit we don’t need him looking like he’s just come off
an ONI mission.” Harri replied. He
walked over to his desk pulled open the bottom drawer grabbed a clean glass and
poured Jiggs a shot.
Jiggs laughed aloud.
“I have to give him credit; I never would have guessed he was stressed
if you hadn’t told me. He’s as cool as
ice when it comes to our interactions.
In all honesty Harri, I’m impressed at the degree of loyalty and regard
his crew affords him. The more I’m
around him the more I see why you fought so hard to keep him.”
Harri raised his glass in toast to Jiggs’
acknowledgment of Lee’s abilities. “It’s
mutual Jiggs. There’s nothing he
wouldn’t do for them and vice versa. Lee
is without doubt the best submariner I’ve ever met and mission and men always come
first before himself.”
Harri took a swig of his drink and sat quietly for a
moment. “So is everything still a go?”
“Last I’ve heard all systems are go. Tomorrow I’ll run your captain and crew
through a few drills and then the day after you can slink off to pick up the
cargo and bring it back.” Jiggs answered after swallowing his drink.
“Good. I
can’t wait until this done with; poor Lee is paying the price for this little
charade.” Harri said with a small smile.
SVSVSV
Lee was up even earlier than normal finding it
nearly impossible to get any restful sleep.
He quickly showered and dressed for the day then was out his cabin door
to get in another quick tour of his boat before meeting Harri and Starke for
breakfast. As he passed Chip’s door Chip
cracked the door and squinted at his skipper.
“Geez did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not much. I
wasn’t going to get any just lying there staring at the ceiling so I figured
I’d take a quick walk before breakfast. Sorry
I woke you Chip, head on back to bed and grab a couple more hours of sleep. ”
Lee replied.
Chip rolled his eyes. “Now that I’m up that’s not going to
happen. Why don’t you hit the wardroom
for a cup of coffee and I’ll join you in 20 minutes and we can go through the
boat together.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll be waiting for you.” Lee replied with a
bit of an embarrassed grin. Chip shut
the door to his cabin and Lee continued down the corridor to the wardroom. As he entered he grabbed a cup filled it with
coffee and sat wearily down at one of the tables to wait for Chip. Cookie walked in shortly thereafter ready to
start work on breakfast and was very surprised to see the skipper sitting there
staring blankly into his cup of coffee.
“Morning Skipper, you’re up awful early sir. Want me to whip you up something to eat real quick?” Cookie asked.
“Morning Cookie,” Lee said with a smile. “No thanks, not right now. I’ll be back later to eat with the admiral.”
“Not even a muffin or something? You didn’t eat much last night so you gotta
be a little hungry. It’s no hassle,
sir.” Cookie offered.
“No I’m good for now, go ahead with your prep and
don’t worry about me.”
Cookie shrugged and moved back into the kitchen to
join his assistants in preparing the morning meal. Ten minutes later Chip sauntered in and
quickly grabbed a cup of coffee and one of the chocolate chip muffins that had
suddenly appeared. He plopped down next
to Lee and took a deep draught of his coffee followed by a large bite of his
muffin. Lee just shook his head and
smiled at his best friend.
Once Chip had scarfed down his muffin and coffee
they left the wardroom to walk the boat and ensure everyone was ready for round
two of Starke’s inspection. Two hours
later they wandered back into the wardroom to find both admirals already tucked
into their bacon and eggs.
“Good morning, sirs” Lee said as he moved to the
food line. He took a small spoonful of
scrambled eggs, a slice of bacon and a piece of toast and moved over to their
table to join them.
Harri glared at Lee’s plate. “I thought you were going to join us for
breakfast.”
Lee groaned mentally, turned around went back to the
line and added another scoop of eggs and a spoon of hash browns. Not giving Harri another chance to critique
his meal he sat down quickly and grabbed his fork. Chip followed with his normal healthy portion
of food and sat down next to Lee.
“Running a bit late today Lee?” Harri asked.
“Not really sir, I’ve…we’ve been up since 0430.” Lee
replied.
“And the reason for that?”
Harri inquired.
“I just couldn’t sleep and unfortunately I woke Chip
and he couldn’t get back to sleep so he decided to join me on a walk. It gave us a chance to take care of some work
before we get into the thick of things today.” Lee answered then focused
quickly on chasing his eggs around the plate.
Chip looked up surreptitiously from his breakfast at Nelson, rolled his
eyes and yawned.
“That’s good then you can knock off once the last of
the drills are done for the day,” Nelson answered. “So Jiggs what’s on tap for today?”
“Oh I’ve got a full suite of little tests for your
boys Harri. We’ll see if they can stand
up to their ‘best of the best’
reputation you’ve been promoting.” Starke responded giving Harri a quick wink.
“There’s no doubt in my mind sir, the men of Seaview
will fully
demonstrate they’ve earned the reputation they have.” Lee stated.
Starke smiled almost a predatory smile. “We shall see Captain, we shall see.”
“Jiggs remember what we discussed last night,” Harri
warned returning Starke’s smile.
“Don’t worry sir, I have every confidence in our
crew,” Lee answered as well flashing one of his own dangerous and unsettling grins. The gauntlet thrown down, there was no way
Lee would ever let Starke get the best of his crew or his sub. Chip rarely saw that look and shuddered
knowing Lee’s competitive nature had just been kicked into overdrive.
Recognizing the look as well and needing to keep the
lid on things Harri quickly jumped in.
“I’m sure of that Lee. We’re here
to demonstrate our proficiency not wreck the boat, okay. Once we’ve all finished breakfast we can get
started.” The last thing they needed was
this to become a full blown war between Jiggs and Lee and for no reason.
The rest of the meal passed quickly and quietly as
everyone concentrated on his food. Chip
and Lee excused themselves first and made their way to the control room to
await the start of the games. Harri and
Jiggs sat there another few minutes finishing their coffee waiting for the room
to clear.
“Dammit Jiggs, I asked you to back off,” Harri said
when the last man left. “I don’t need
him any more keyed up than he already is.”
“Okay, okay I’ll ease up. You shouldn’t have told me I’d rattled his
cage that much.” Jiggs replied with a chuckle.
“I’ll play nice, I promise.”
“This whole idea was just dumb,” Harri answered.
“It was the only way we could get Seaview cleared
without raising more questions than we wanted to answer, plus I could verify
the security and condition of Seaview to the satisfaction of our SS friends.”
Jiggs added.
“Yes, I suppose so but it still seems a bit
extreme. They should have just done this
in DC instead of making us all jump through these hoops.”
“It’s the only way we can be certain nothing leaks
out Harri, you know that. You know
what’s at risk if it does. Although, you
probably would welcome that if it made him less useful in certain circles.”
Jiggs responded with a chuckle reacting to Harri’s scowl.
SVSVSV
“Okay Lee, down boy,” Chip said as they walked to
the control room. “Don’t let your desire
to force feed Starke some crow get out of control. Our guys will demonstrate just how good they
are without you getting in there and messing with Starke.”
Lee stopped and just stared at Chip for a moment and
then started laughing. “I’m just playing
with him Chip along with the admiral.
They’ve been pushing my buttons enough lately so I decided to get a few
of theirs. I know our men are the best
and the only way to prove that is to let them strut
their stuff.”
“Good, so long as you don’t antagonize Starke any
more than you already have,” Chip replied.
Putting on his most innocent expression Lee looked
at his XO. “Moi,
antagonize Starke? Perish the thought.” He slapped Chip on the back and chuckled as
he resumed walking down the passageway.
Chip rolled his eyes then looked heavenward praying for divine
intervention to get them all through the next two days intact.
As they entered the control room, they both were rapidly
acknowledged by Lt. O’Brien and provided a brief on the current status of the
boat. “Excellent,” responded Lee. “Well gentlemen are you ready to show Admiral
Starke you deserve the reputation of best crew in or out of the Navy?”
Broad smiles spread across the faces of every man in
the room followed by an “Aye sir,” in unison from all present.
“Great,” replied Lee, returning their smiles with
one of his own. “Today it will be
primarily proficiency tests and perhaps a battle scenario or two. Let’s do this like we mean it.” Lee did a quick tour of the control room and
chatted briefly with each man before moving to the chart table to talk with
Chip.
“All departments indicate they are ready, Skipper,”
Chip stated as Lee approached.
“Excellent, thank you Chip,” Lee replied with a
smile. “Now all we need is our task
master and we can get on with this.”
As if answering a hail, Admirals Nelson and Starke
descended the spiral staircase and entered the control room. Lee gave Nelson a quick nod indicating
everything was shipshape and all were ready to proceed.
“Well Captain, are you and your crew ready to
begin?” Starke inquired.
“Yes sir. We
are at your disposal and prepared to proceed on your order sir.” Lee replied.
“Very well,” Starke replied and with that provided
Crane with the first test to complete. Lee
quickly read the scenario and began issuing orders at which point the crew
jumped into action moving like a well-oiled machine. The order to prepare and load torpedoes for
firing was completed in record time.
Starke’s only response was an almost disappointed sounding “Harrumph”
much to Lee’s total satisfaction and delight.
Eight hours and six tests later Starke had yet to
find fault with the way any of the challenges had been completed and found himself actually impressed with the captain and crew of
Seaview despite his best efforts. They
had completed each task as fast as or faster than the current best times posted
for the Navy with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. Captain and crew had taken all the starch out
of his sails leaving him with nothing about which to complain.
Nelson fought hard to contain his satisfied smile at
the crew and vessel’s performance and was almost beaming like a proud father at
his captain’s mastery of his boat.
Catching Lee’s eye he gave him a nod and a casual salute conveying his
very sincere Bravo Zulu for his and the crew’s performance throughout the day.
“That concludes our activities for today, Captain,”
Starke said after the last test. “I’ll
tally up the results and provide Admiral Nelson and yourself the results
tomorrow.”
“Aye sir. Mr. Morton, inform the crew to stand down,”
Lee ordered.
“Aye, aye sir,” Chip replied with a smile and issued
the notification that ‘scheduled’ tests had been completed. There was nothing stopping Starke from an
unannounced test but given their performance he would be hard pressed to
justify the additional drill.
As Starke exited up the staircase Harri moved
quickly over to Lee, his hand extended.
“Well done Captain! Well done to
you all,” he said loud enough for the crew to hear.
“Thank you sir,” Lee replied taking the admiral’s
hand and shaking it. “I couldn’t agree
with you more they all did a fantastic job.
Now all we need is the official evaluation and we can wrap this up and
put on the bow.”
“I’ll ask Jiggs to hold off on the formal debrief
until I return from my jaunt to Norfolk tomorrow to pick up Dr. Marcus. For now Captain, I’m ordering you to stand
down and relax for a bit. Come to my
cabin once you’ve freshened up.” Nelson said with a smile.
“Aye sir,” Lee replied. “Chip, you have the conn.”
“Aye Skipper, I have the conn.” Chip replied with a
smile.
“Chip once you’ve turned the conn over to O’Brien
when he comes on duty, why don’t you join us in my cabin, too.” Nelson said.
“Yes, sir, I’d like that.” Chip answered. With that Harri and Lee turned and exited the
control room via the staircase up to officer’s country.
SVSVSV
The following morning Lee met the admiral in the
nose prior to his departure to Norfolk to collect the last member of the
research staff for the trip to the Grand Banks.
“I should be back by 1400, Lee,” Nelson said as he stood at the top of
the entry hatch. “Jiggs has agreed to
hold off on the debrief until I’m back and he’s
promised no surprise tests.”
Lee laughed.
“That’s good to hear sir, but we’ll still be on high alert until you
deposit him in DC.”
“Probably a wise precaution,” Harri replied with a
chuckle. “Well I best get moving if I
want to be there on time. Take it easy
today, okay?”
“Will do sir,” Lee replied. “Have a safe flight sir.”
Harri quickly descended into FS-1 and Lee secured
the hatch. Within 15 minutes he watched
the little yellow sub pull away from Seaview and then move rapidly out of view
as Nelson made for the surface. Lee was
pulled from his reverie at the sound of someone coming down the stairs behind
him.
“Did I miss him?” Starke asked as he moved up next to
Lee.
“Good morning, sir.
Yes he just left; said he would return by 1400,” Lee answered.
“Well I guess what I needed to talk with him about,
can wait until then. Captain we will
have the official debrief on your performance immediately upon Harriman’s return. Required attire for you and your command crew
is full Class A uniforms.” Starke replied.
Lee stared at him for a moment caught off guard by
that order. “Aye sir.” That was an odd requirement for a debrief, especially for one held on the boat.
“You have a problem with that order, Captain,”
Starke fired back.
“No sir,” Lee responded quickly.
“Good. Alert
me at once when Harriman returns.” Starke said as he turned and headed for the
stairs.
“Aye, sir,” Lee answered. Once Starke was out of view he rolled his
eyes and shook his head.
“What’s up?” asked Chip as he worked his way over to
Lee.
“Apparently we are to be attired in our Class As to
receive the debrief on our exercise performance,” Lee
answered. “Starke wants the whole
command crew that way.”
Chip furrowed his brow and stared at Lee for a
moment. “Did he say why?”
“No and I really wasn’t going to ask given he
promised the admiral he was going to play nice while he was gone. Pass that on to everyone, okay Chip.”
“Sure thing Lee, I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m going to head on up to my cabin and dive in to
all that paperwork that’s been reproducing in my in-box while we’ve been
focused on these drills. If you need me,
that’s where I’ll be.” Lee replied and headed up the stairs.
“Will do Skipper; have fun.” Chip answered.
SVSVSV
At 1330 Admiral Nelson radioed Seaview alerting them
that he would be docking at 1400 and to have all preparations in place. As soon as the message was received Sparks
notified Chip and Chip contacted Lee.
Lee exited his cabin dressed in his Class A whites with all authorized
pins and rows of ribbons festooning his broad chest looking very much the Navy
recruitment poster boy. He moved quickly
to the control room to await the admiral’s return. Coming down the stairs he spotted Chip and
the rest of the command staff dressed similarly.
“Have you notified Admiral Starke yet?” Lee inquired
of Chip.
“Looking good Lee,” Chip stated as he spotted his
CO. “No sir, I thought I’d leave that
honor up to you.”
“Thanks Chip, always looking out for me,” Lee
replied sarcastically. Lee moved to the chart table and picked up the mic. “Admiral Starke this is Crane.”
“Starke here, what is it Captain?” Starke replied.
“Sir, Admiral Nelson has been in contact and
informed us that he will be docking at 1400.”
“Thank you Captain, I’ll be there shortly. Starke out.” Five
minutes later Starke descended the staircase into the nose, he too wearing his
full dress uniform.
‘Curiouser and curiouser,’ Lee thought to himself as he saw how Starke
was dressed. There was something going
on and he was totally in the dark about it.
As he looked at Chip something in his expression told him that his XO
and best friend knew exactly what was going on too. Just as he was about to question Chip, Sparks
called out. “Sir, Admiral Nelson is
ready to begin docking FS-1.”
“Very well, begin docking procedures.” Lee answered
in response to the notification. Chip
picked up the mic and began giving orders for the
docking crew to report to their stations.
As Lee watched the boson’s mate arrived in Class A attire with his pipe
and took his position to pipe the embarking passengers aboard.
As the final clamp of the docking cradle snapped
closed, a crewman hurried forward to undog the hatch
on FS-1 and open it. The first one out
was Admiral Nelson and much to Lee’s surprise he was not piped aboard. The next man to follow him out was Admiral
Hardy, head of ONI, then Admiral Anderson, Chief of Naval Operations, then
Michael Phillips, Secretary of the Navy; all entered without fanfare.
Lee stared in confused amazement at the individuals
that came aboard as all the naval officers were decked out in their dress
uniforms. If he was astounded by the
first men out the last one to climb the ladder and enter Seaview totally amazed
him. As he became visible the boson
piped aboard Aaron Hamilton, President of the United States at which point
everyone snapped to attention and saluted the Commander in Chief. Once firmly aboard he returned the salute.
As he stepped forward Admiral Nelson welcomed
him. “Welcome aboard Seaview Mr.
President,” Nelson said as the President looked around the control room and
nose in awe.
“Thank you Admiral Nelson, it’s good to be
aboard. I have heard so much about your boat;
it’s a pleasure to finally be able to see it firsthand. Good go see you again Jiggs.” The President
said.
“A pleasure to see you too Mr. President,” Starke
replied.
“Mr. President, may I introduce Commander Lee Crane,
captain of the Seaview.” Nelson said as he waived Lee forward.
“Welcome aboard Mr. President, we are honored by
your presence,” Lee replied as he shook the President’s outstretched hand.
“Thank you Captain Crane. As I said it’s great to be here,” he answered
with a smile. “And a definite pleasure
to finally be able to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you and you are of
course the reason we are all here today.”
Lee looked absolutely baffled. “You’re here because of me, sir?”
“I’m impressed Harri, Jiggs, it looks like you
really did successfully keep this from getting out,” the President
laughed. “Yes Captain, we are all here
today to present you with a token of your country’s deepest and most sincere appreciation
for your dedication, bravery and service to our fine nation.”
“Sir? I don’t understand why would you come all the
way out here to do that?” Lee inquired.
The President smiled and turned to Nelson, “Well
Harri, shall we get this underway?”
Harri returned his smile. “Yes Mr. President. Commander Morton, bottom the boat, then
assemble the crew in the missile room.”
“Aye, sir,” Chip replied returning the Admiral’s
smile then issued the commands to carry out his orders.
Lee stood there still baffled and amazed at the assembly
of dignitaries here to present him with what he assumed was a commendation and
medal. He ran through his mind what he
might have done to warrant such an honor but was coming up blank.
“Shall we adjourn to the missile room gentlemen,”
Nelson said. “I would have truly loved
to do this in the nose but I want as many of the crew as possible to
participate in this moment. Lee would
you lead the way?”
“Aye sir.”
Lee replied and headed out the aft control room hatch down to the missile
room. As they entered, the majority of
the crew was already assembled and standing in ranks. There was a podium and microphone set up near
the diving bell cable spool and a number of chairs set out for the
dignitaries. Chief Sharkey immediately
called all hands to attention as the entourage filed into the room and ordered
a salute. The President quickly returned
the salute and the crew was placed at parade rest.
Once everyone had taken their seats the President
moved up to the podium. “Commander
Crane, we are here today to bestow upon you the highest honor the United States
can give to one of its military heroes.
In all my years in the military and as President, I have never seen a
recommendation for this award supported by so many stars from the multiple
branches of the Navy and other federal agencies and moved so quickly through
channels for approval. That alone tells
me how highly regarded you are by your superior officers and how truly
deserving you are of the Medal of Honor.”
Lee was truly shocked by the announcement, still not
having come up with a mission or instance that deserved this level of
acknowledgement. The look of genuine
surprise and embarrassment on his face caused everyone to smile; it was so rare
to catch him flat footed.
“Commander because of the nature of the mission you
were on and your continued affiliation with ONI, it made it necessary to keep
the specifics of this award secret so as not to potentially expose other undercover
operatives still in the field or put you at additional risk. Yet the degree of service you performed for
our country, in fact the world, demands that you be honored and that that honor
be shared with others who recognize your sacrifice and dedication to duty and
to those you command. It is for that
reason Admirals Nelson and Starke arranged for a private ceremony here on your
vessel. This is the very least a grateful nation can do for all you have given
and endured in her service.”
“You are authorized to wear this decoration and
receive all the honors and benefits associated with it but all records
detailing the events garnering this award will be sealed until deemed no longer
critical to national security,” the President explained and smiled. “I can tell by your face that you apparently
have yet to identify why you have been singled out for this recognition which
again is testimony as to why you are most deserving of this award. Commander, if you would please come forward.”
Lee rose from his chair walked over to the President
and came to attention. The rest of those
assembled then stood and were called to attention for the presentation. The President was handed a folio by Admiral
Nelson, which he opened and began to read aloud.
“For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond
the call of duty; Commander Lee Benjamin Crane distinguished himself by acts of
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty while serving as a covert operative for the Office of Naval Intelligence
in the border region of Pakistan and Iran during operations against armed Red
Jihad enemy fighters on January 12, 2012.
On that evening Commander Crane had called for extraction from the area
following the successful completion of his assigned mission to obtain weapons
materials from the terrorist group. As
he waited for his retrieval team he spied heavily armed Red Jihad fighters
descending the hillside towards his pickup area. At the same time he saw members of the
retrieval team entering the area unaware of the enemy fighters or the fact that
they had been spotted and were about to come under fire. Lacking any weapon to use against the enemy fighters
and with complete disregard for his own safety, Commander Crane drew the
attention and the fire of those enemy fighters to protect the lives of two of
his crewmembers allowing them to locate and neutralize the threat and to ensure
that the materials he had retrieved could be safely recovered and secured. Commander Crane suffered life threatening
injuries in performance of his duty but his only concern was for the safety of
his men and the successful completion of his mission which eliminated a mortal
threat to millions of people worldwide. Command
Lee Benjamin Crane’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond
the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Office of Naval Intelligence,
the Submarine Command Pacific, and the United States Navy. Commander Crane it is my distinct honor
to present to you on behalf of the Congress of the United States the Medal of
Honor.”
Following the reading of the citation the President
picked up the Navy Medal of Honor from the box held by Admiral Nelson and
placed it around Lee’s neck. Next all
assembled saluted Lee as was befitting a recipient of the MOH. Lee crisply returned their salute.
When all the formalities were over and everyone
placed at ease, Lee was the recipient of numerous handshakes and words of
appreciation and congratulations from the assembled dignitaries and his
officers and men. The President was
genuinely impressed at how highly the men of Seaview regarded their commanding
officer and based on the information in the MOH packet and the captain’s
response to them, that regard was mutual. It was no wonder they were considered
by some to be the best crew in or out of the Navy.
Before everyone started filtering out of the missile
room, Admiral Nelson announced that a special dinner would be held to celebrate
Captain Crane’s award and that everyone would be allowed one glass of champagne
as a special treat. The special cargo
brought aboard with Admiral Starke was going to be a fantastic feast for all.
SVSVSV
As the men returned to their stations, Harri and Lee
took the President, SECNAV and CNO on a tour of Seaview. As they worked their way through the boat it
was revealed to Lee that everyone on board but him was aware of the impending ceremony
and Starke’s visit was just a cover to complete preparations for the official
visit. The inspections Admiral Starke
conducted were to meet Secret Service requirements that any venue the President
visits is safe and in the case of vessels, operating in top condition.
When they all returned to the control room, the
admiral’s porch had been transformed into an elegant dining area with linen
tablecloths, crystal, fine china and sterling silverware. The sideboard had been filled with incredible
appetizers created by Cookie and his staff along with a choice of beverages; a
similar feast was awaiting the crew in the wardroom and galley. Lee worked his way through the crowd
accepting their congratulations as he extended his sincere thanks for all they
had done.
Once they had had their fill of the starters, Cookie
appeared with the main course and everyone quickly settled into their places at
the table. As a sumptuous meal of
Chateaux Briand and lobster tail was set before them and once the wine glasses
were filled, Admiral Nelson rose to address those assembled.
“Gentlemen before we become too befuddled by the
excellent meal set before us I would like to take this opportunity to propose a
toast to the man of the hour Commander Lee Benjamin Crane. Commander Crane, Lee, it has been my
privilege and great honor to have been witness to your amazing career starting with
your days at the Naval Academy. You have
at all times set and maintained the highest standard of integrity, honor,
self-sacrifice and dedication to duty, a standard to which we can all aspire to
attain. Your thoughts and concerns are
always only for the needs of our great nation and the men and vessels you
command and you have consistently gone to extreme lengths to ensure the safety
and security of all. In my humble
opinion, I feel you personify all that the Medal of Honor signifies and
represents and find myself extremely honored and proud to be able to call you
my captain, my shipmate and my friend.
May you wear this great honor for many years to come; to Captain Crane.” With that he
raised his glass and all assembled followed with a “Captain Crane.”
Lee gratefully acknowledged the sincere words of his
friend and adopted father and the chorus of agreement from those seated around
the table. Not particularly comfortable
with any praise, he hoped to hell he wasn’t blushing as badly as he felt he
was. He rose from his seat to respond
briefly to the accolades that had been heaped upon him.
“Admiral Nelson, Mr. President, distinguished
guests, men of Seaview, to say that all of this caught me off guard would be a
gross understatement; I was truly surprised and astounded by the events of the
day. I am exceedingly honored by all
you have done to present me the Medal of Honor and amazed that everyone managed
to keep this secret, especially on the boat,” Lee said with a chuckle.
“I find it difficult to find the words to express how
blessed I feel at having been given the opportunity to serve my country and to
command such a fine vessel and the best crew in or out of the Navy; today was
just icing on the cake. In all honesty I
truly don’t feel that I warrant such a great honor but accept it gladly none
the less. I was just doing the job I was
hired to do, that of protecting our nation and the men under my command, and that
is the only honor I need. Please accept
my sincere thanks for your presence here today and this exceptional award; I
sincerely hope that I prove worthy,” he finished raising his glass in
recognition of those in the room then took a sip which was followed by the
rest. “Now what say we dig into this
great looking meal before it gets cold?”
SVSVSV
After the dishes had been cleared away and those
assembled in the nose were sipping on a post dinner brandy, Sparks approached
the captain. “Sir, the President’s
transportation has arrived and is requesting permission to dock.”
“Thank you Sparks, permission granted,” Lee replied
then walked over to the President. “Uh
Mr. President your transportation has apparently arrived and is in the process
of docking.”
“Ah yes, the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel. One side benefit of presenting you with the
medal today Captain is that I get to ride on all of the Navy’s special
toys. The DSRV will transport us up to
the USS Harry Truman where we will catch a helicopter back to shore. Please let them know we’ll be ready to leave
in 30 minutes.”
“Yes sir, Mr. President.” Lee replied. “Chip, please pass on the message and have
crew standing by to make the transfer.”
“Aye, Captain,” Chip answered and moved off to take
care of the arrangements.
“Well gentlemen our ride has arrived,” the President
announced. “Let’s get ready to depart.”
Those who had arrived on FS-1 moved to collect the
items they had brought aboard and to get ready to leave at the President’s
order. Admiral Starke disappeared up the
spiral staircase and reappeared shortly prepared to leave as well.
“Harri, it’s been a great pleasure being aboard
Seaview. I’ve truly enjoyed my time here and meeting Commander Crane and his
exceptional crew. Please extend my
sincere appreciation to your crew for the warm welcome and for their
outstanding service to the nation,” the President said.
“Gladly sir. I can’t begin to tell you how much we all
appreciate you taking the time to come out here and present Commander Crane
with the MOH.” Nelson replied.
“Nonsense Harri, it’s the least any of us could do
given the service and sacrifice the Commander has made for our country. I’m just sorry we were unable to do this in
front of the entire nation so they too would realize what an exceptional man
and Navy officer he is.”
“Thank you none the less sir,” Harri replied.
“Commander Crane, Lee,” the President said extending
his hand, “it has been a tremendous personal honor to finally meet you and to
be able to award you with the MOH, an honor you have earned many times over
based on all I’ve heard and read. Thank
you for all you did liberating the plutonium from the RJ and eliminating their
bomb and cache of explosives, I can only guess at the millions of lives you
saved. I’m truly sorry that you had to
endure so much pain and suffering in carrying out that mission, but rest
assured it is appreciated. I think I
speak for everyone when I say we all sleep a lot sounder at night knowing
you’re standing guard ensuring the safety of this nation and the world.”
Lee knew for sure he was blushing at the President’s
kind words as he felt the heat creep up his face. “Thank you Mr. President. You credit me with too much; I consider it a
distinct privilege to have the opportunity to serve. Also thank you for taking so much time out of
your busy schedule to come aboard and present me the MOH, this has been a
highlight of my career second only to being given command of Seaview.”
The President laughed and clapped Lee on the
shoulder. “Think nothing of it Captain,
it’s the least we all could do. Now I
believe it’s time we get out of your hair and let things get back to
normal. Thank you for your hospitality
and congratulations again.”
“Aye sir,” Lee replied and motioned to Chip for the
detail to begin collecting their visitor’s baggage and passing it up to the
DSRV.
Starke moved over to Lee. “Captain Crane it has been a distinct
pleasure and honor to be aboard. I am
more than impressed with your boat and especially your crew. Please pass on my personal BZ, they are fully
deserving of their reputation as one of the best crews in the Navy. Congratulations again on your award, you are
fully deserving of it as well.”
“Thank you sir and thank you for all you’ve done to
make today happen. We welcome you aboard
Seaview any time.” Lee replied as he shook the admiral’s hand.
“All right Jiggs, they’re just waiting for you,”
Harri interjected. “Thanks for
everything my old friend, you have no idea how much I appreciate all you have
done.”
“After being aboard the last few days Harriman I
think I do. You’re welcome and I’ll see
you when you get back from the Grand Banks.
Safe journey my friend,” Starke replied.
Once the hatch was shut and the DSRV was away a
great sigh of relief spread throughout Seaview.
Everyone aboard was thrilled to finally have a chance to relax no longer
having to keep things secret and be ready to react to one of Strake’s drills. Lee set off on a walk-a-boat moving through
the boat thanking everyone for all they had done to make the events of the day
possible and to pass on all the kind words garnered from their visitors.
SVSVSV
Returning wearily back to the nose, Lee plopped
rather unceremoniously into a chair next to Harri and unbuttoned his
collar. Harri poured a generous glass of
brandy and passed it to his captain.
“Some day huh Lee?” he
said with a broad smile.
Lee accepted the glass and sighed heavily nodding
his head in agreement. “Some day, sir. I can’t believe what you all went through to
pull this off. I’ve got to be the
luckiest man in the world. Thanks for
everything sir. I’m sure you were the
driving force behind pushing this all through.”
“As the President said this was sponsored and herded
through channels by a large number flag officers, the
primary champions in DC being Tom and Jiggs, with strong support from the CNO
and letters of support from NSA and CIA. You earned it son and it was the very
least that we could do to recognize all you went through to complete your
mission. I am sorry that you couldn’t receive your medal in front of the nation
but this was the best we could do. I
can’t tell you how proud and lucky I am to have you as my captain, my friend,
and my son.”
Shooting a quick look behind him making sure the
crash doors were shut, Lee replied.
“Thanks Dad, I feel the same way.
I’m happy with the way things played out, I don’t need all the pomp and
circumstance; you know that. --- So what’s the plan now since I apparently
haven’t been clued in on everything?” he said with a chuckle.
“We’ll stay down here overnight to give everyone a
chance to relax and unwind then come 0800 tomorrow we’ll be on our way north to
get on with our mission. I don’t want to see you anywhere near the conn until
then,” Harri replied with a wink.
“That works for me sir,” Lee replied and then yawned.
They sat there quietly for a few minutes enjoying
each other’s company and feeling the stress and tension of the last few days
melt away. Chip strolled casually down
the staircase into the nose and plopped down as tiredly as Lee had. He let loose a relieved sigh and accepted the
glass of brandy the admiral had filled and pushed his way. He took a large sip and felt the amber liquid
melt away the knots in his neck and back as it worked its way down his throat
and through his body.
He smiled warmly at his captain and brother and
raised his glass in salute.
“Congratulations again Lee, you truly deserve it. Now don’t you EVER go above and beyond like
that again, got it!
Lee and Harri laughed out loud. “Yeah Chip I’ve got it and I’ll try and
remember that the next time someone has the drop on you.” Chip just scowled at his brother then finally
smiled. They all laughed again and
clinked glasses toasting the bonds of friendship and family they shared.
After a few moments of comfortable silence and more
than a few yawns, Harri pushed to his feet and clapped his boys on their
shoulders. “I believe it’s time we all
move above and beyond. Come on lads, time to call it a night.” Lee and Chip
nodded in agreement and likewise pushed to their feet following Harri up the
staircase for a well-deserved rest.
The End.