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.