This story takes place in the 1st Season, and is a scene and motivation filler for the episode Mutiny.
Response and Responsibility
by Lynn
Admiral Jiggs Stark moved into the waiting jeep at Pearl Harbor and headed to his office. This last week had been full of highs and lows leaving him tired and weary. Tired, but not enough to hold back on giving Bill a call. He was looking forward to giving him a piece of his mind after this last cruise aboard the SSRN Seaview. The Privately Owned/ US Navy Reserve submarine was the brain child of his good friend Harriman Nelson. The two had been roommates at the Academy, and after the last two “Conflicts” there were only two of the four of them left. He thought he had lost Harriman too when they lost contact with the Neptune, a new Navy prototype sub on her shakedown cruise.
He had been in the Navy way more years than his non-navy days and was no stranger to death. He lost more buddies and comrades than a man should in two lifetimes, but to almost lose Harriman...well that thought had nearly sent him over the edge. He was an edgy guy, he knew that, but it kept the men under him in tip top fighting condition. If he had to be a hard-nose from time to time, so be it if it meant less mothers crying for their boys at night. But this last cruise had been an eye opener for him.
He had activated Seaview to look for the Neptune, now considered lost at sea presumably taking all hands with her. Harriman's young captain had showed up in his office pacing a cut in the rug and even then he had sized him up all wrong. Of course, he had some help with that assessment.
Jiggs was only six months into his new post as the Commander of ComSubPac. He had been briefed by the last occupant of the post, Admiral William Milton. Bill was headed to Washington for his next post and Jiggs respected the man and his long career with the Navy. Seaview's Reserve status placed her under ComSubPac from time to time and he had been fully briefed on the wonder sub. Of course, Jiggs was already familiar with the sub's idea and concept as Harriman had shared his dream with him on several occasions. What he was surprised to hear about was the young Commander who had recently taken the post of Seaview's Captain.
“You'll need to keep sharp tabs on the boy, Jiggs,” Bill
warned as he briefed ComSubPac's newest commanding officer. “He's young...too young for the grade of
Commander, much less to be Captain of the most powerful sub on earth.”
“I heard he was the best,” Jiggs asked with a look of
confusion on his face.
“Well, he got someone's attention in Washington after he
handled that fiasco of an operation in the Bering Straits, and he's done
alright aboard the Baton Rouge, but the boy's arrogant and there's nothing that
can substitute for good old experience.
You know that,” Bill replied matter of factly.
“You're right about that,” Jiggs agreed. These young pups were getting younger every
year coming out of Annapolis...or was he just getting older? No matter, he always had to whip a little
good old fashion discipline into the Academy Grads. It always seemed that going from Midshipman
to Ensign added just a mite too much arrogance to the young officers.
* * * * *
Admiral Bill Milton sat back in his chair, satisfied that
Jiggs understood his assessment. Of
course that assessment had lacked a great deal of background, and more truth
than he would like to admit. Lee Crane
was a fine officer, and his handling of the Bering Sea Incident hadn't just
caught “someone's” attention, it had caught everyone's attention who had the security clearance to see the file. No one handles a boat like he did on plain
luck. He was good. Too good to be floating
around Nelson's Folly taking underwater samples of sea plankton. He was a US Naval Officer and a darn good one
too. As far as Bill was concerned, Lee
Crane was being derelict of his duties to defend the United States by taking
Nelson's offer to captain his boat.
“Fine,” thought Milton, but that meteorological
advancement in the ranks was going to stop.
He may be good, but he was obviously too arrogant to know what was
best. Crane had received both his
promotion to Commander and command of his own boat less than a year ago, and
Milton had already been making plans for Crane's future until Nelson went over
his head to the President. With his
help, Crane was on track to be the youngest Admiral in Naval history, “But not
now,” he thought sourly; so let him wear those Commander's bars for the next
four years.
Of course, once Crane got tired of the boring trips laying
seismic sensors and counting seals he would return to active duty,
that he was sure of. And Milton
had every intention of promoting him up then, but until then, Crane could just
grow up a little. It never crossed the
Admiral's mind that his actions were vindictive, though he knew it...somewhere
deep inside.
* * * * *
Jiggs shook himself from his self-contemplation as he reached his office. He sat down and took a deep breath thinking back over the cruise. It hadn't sat well with him to see Harriman “buddy” up with the junior officer. Those kinds of friendships usually always got in the way of the chain-of-command, he wasn't sure why Harriman had allowed it. He had to admit, Crane's concern for Harriman had been admirable, but barely within Naval Decorum. Well, his idea of Navy Decorum...Old Navy...the kind of Navy that won the battles at Midway and Guadalcanal and had picked this country up from the devastation of Pearl Harbor.
But what had really set Jiggs off, was the comradeship that Harriman and Crane seemed to have. Looking back, he knew it was plain selfish and unprofessional of him. But he had viewed their close relationship as a substitute for the friendship that he and Harriman had shared for years. Even so, he would have never allowed his personal feelings to ride Crane so hard if Milton hadn't given him the crock of bull he had six months ago.
Arrogant and insolent, he remembered Bill saying at some point. That “arrogant and insolent” kid took control of the situation risking a general court martial and his career to do what he knew had to be done; to the point of pulling a gun on his own crew and two Admirals.
“Now this boat is my responsibility,” Crane yelled with passion as he issued orders to dive after having been relieved of his command.
“Mutiny is a hanging offense, Captain,” Jiggs warned.
“Before you can hang me, I'm going to get this sub home!”
He could still hear the steel determined voice of the young commander as he ordered the sub to dive within fifty feet of her crush depth to gain maneuvering speed. Then he held the entire control room at gun point until they felt a jolt and the boat found her ability to perform. Everyone sighed in relief as they felt the boat begin to rise. There was no way that Crane ran a loose boat, because his crew obeyed his order knowing how deep they were going. Jiggs knew that was the Navy thing to do. A jumpy crew would have overpowered him, he was only one man with one gun. Jiggs recognized that right away as Crane placed the gun down on the chart table and left to obey the earlier orders stripping him of his command.
He would never forget the look in Crane's eyes when he turned upon hearing Harriman's shaky and uncharacteristically emotional voice calling to the young commander.
“I...treated you like a brother!”..... “Get out of here,
get out of my sight!”
Jiggs watched as Crane turned and left, shattered by Harriman's response. Something was wrong with Harriman, it bothered him that Crane had seen it and he hadn't. Now here Harriman was demanding a Court Martial for the Captain of his boat who had risked his career to save them all, and save them he did. Then to watch his rock-solid friend of many years have an emotional break-down right in front of him was almost too much. He didn't have too much time to think about it however, as everything went south real fast.
Harriman sat lost in some agonizing world on the periscope island as that monster of a coelenterate decided to come up for lunch. Suddenly, it was dejavu of the Neptune all over again. Morton was handling things, but as soon as he heard Crane's voice bucking his orders and demanding to know what was going on, he knew where the Captain belonged.
“Crane, get up here on the double!”
Jiggs Stark may be a Spit, Polish, and the Brig officer, but he wasn't stupid or unreasonable. No one knew this boat like Crane, Harriman had told him that a time of two before. Jiggs watched as Captain Crane made his way back into the Control Room, first dealing with Harriman and then sizing up the situation and issuing orders taking control of the emergency.
His crew was nervous having watched their Captain commit mutiny after being relieved of his duty, but they were almost frozen in their places as they watched Harriman's melt-down. Crane surveyed the Control Room and in one sentence whipped his crew into shape.
“Alright, pull yourselves together.”
They had responded, not only to his order, but to his presence back at the helm. He didn't fault Morton one bit, it was the command structure in action. Morton had taken command and relinquished it without a hitch giving his Captain the support he needed. Another one of his misinterpretations of the events. He had earlier accused Crane of running a loose ship as he called his Exec by his first name.
Then that “arrogant and insolent” captain had come up with a solution that even the seasoned and extremely experienced captain of the Neptune had been unable to do. He rigged a nuclear charge through the hull and then proceeded to maneuver his sub right into the belly of the coelenterate for the best chance of destroying the massive sea creature. His crew followed without a question, without a word of trepidation. They did their jobs as ordered...just like the Navy men they were.
Throughout it all, Crane was the ultra-professional. Never allowing Jiggs' previous treatment of the junior officer to change the proper respect that was afforded his rank. He was darn right impressive, moving from the intense emotions of the events that had lost him his command and then to be thrust back into command in the middle of an emergency.
Crane and Morton worked together like a well-oiled machine and the crew he had previously deemed sloppy and not ready for combat had provided all the tools their captain needed to fire the charge through the hull and destroy the sea beast for good.
When the creature was destroyed, Seaview continued her ascent to the top for repairs.
* * * * *
“Down periscope,” Lee said taking a deep breath and looking over the stations of the Control Room.
“Mr. Morton, get me a Damage Control Report, and I want a duty status report on all stations.”
“Aye Sir,” Chip's efficient response was quickly rendered as he left to see to his orders.
Lee took in another breath and caught sight of Admiral Stark watching him. Lee ignored that fact, he was an Admiral, they were allowed to stare. He still wasn't sure that he was out of the hot water he had found himself in, and there was still the important question of the Admiral's mental condition. Harry's mental condition. He knew something had been wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and then there was the blow-up and his mutiny... Just then Chip returned with his station reports. Lee got the run down on the stations and the repairs. At least the compressors were now working as Lee gave the orders to surface.
“Thanks Chip,” Lee said in a low tone and with a smile. He didn't care if Admiral Stark heard him call his XO by his first name in the Control Room. This might be his last cruise aboard this great boat, and he would leave the way he wanted to; remembering the great respect he had for his crew and counting himself fortunate for his friends, Chip and Harry. On his last thought he picked up the mic and clicked.
“Sickbay, this is Crane.” There was a pause and then Dr. William Jamieson answered.
“Sickbay, Aye.”
“Do you have a report on your patient, Doc?”
“Aye, Sir. I'm ready to brief you.”
“We'll be right there.” Lee shipped the mic and then turned to Stark.
“Admiral, would you care to join me?”
“Yes, Captain,” the Admiral replied completely within the polite Naval Decorum that was afforded the master and commander of the boat, regardless of his rank.
As they turned to walk to sickbay, Lee realized that perhaps his career wasn't over. Captain. The Admiral had even addressed him by his title as Seaview's commanding officer. His relief over that thought was pushed from his mind however, as he moved closer to sickbay. Jamie had said that the stings from the creature had enough radiation to kill brain cells and Harry had exhibited every one of the symptoms. Irreversible. That's what Jamie had said. Lee was confident on the outside but on the inside he was as nervous as a cat under a rocking chair as he reached for the door knob to enter Sickbay.
His concern was evident as he inquired on the Admiral's condition.
“Throw these away and he'll be as good as new,” Jamie said.
An allergic reaction! The lump in Lee's throat lessened and he swallowed it back as he let a small smile escape. Harry was going to be alright. He was still cognizant of the man beside him, the Admiral who had known Harry far more years than himself. Buddies through combat, and fellow flag-ranking officers with more stories to tell than Lee and most of the crew combined. Together they walked to the bunk where Harry lay resting.
“He's Navy alright. Old or new, it doesn't matter,” Jiggs offered with a smile, “Oh, and so are you Captain.”
Lee nodded, it was closer than he ever heard an Admiral come to an apology before, and really an apology wasn't what he was after. What he got was far more valuable. Respect.
“He should be proud,” he heard Stark add. Lee barely had time to react to the Admiral's comment when he heard Harry rustle and then speak.
“He is...mighty proud.”
Harry turned over and looked both of his friends in the eyes and then closed his eyes once again in weariness as Doc Jamieson asked the officers to step away for his exam.
Lee and Admiral Stark walked back to the Control Room as Admiral Stark walked alongside of him feeling much better and feeling as if all was right in the world again.
“Captain, about that slow torpedo drill, I have some ideas as to how to get your crew back into spit and polish condition...”
Yep, Lee thought, all is right in the world again.
* * * * *
Jiggs noted with satisfaction as he watched the shoulders of Captain Crane square again as he rattled off his ideas to bring his crew up to what he considered “fighting” standards. They had a few days to travel as they returned to Pearl and Jiggs was going to have a little fun. After all, if the young Captain could handle the heat, there wasn't any reason not to apply the pressure. He couldn't after all, let his reputation of eating junior officers for breakfast be tarnished. Still, Jiggs knew that he would apply the heat from a totally different point of view this time. Crane was good, his crew was good, and now he knew that he could count on the Seaview and her officers whenever he needed their special talents. And even though he couldn't “scare the pants off Crane” he knew that he was Navy through and through.
Jiggs reached for the telephone and gruffly spoke into it, “Get me Admiral Milton at the Pentagon.”
An efficient “Aye Sir,” was heard as Jiggs let loose a small tight smile. Gotta keep those young pups on their toes, he thought but schooled his smile back as the line connected to Admiral Milton. Time to practice a little New Navy arrogance and insolence, Jiggs thought as he let Bill have it with both barrels.
Jiggs' four stars were still rattling from the tension as he hung up the phone.
Old Fool, he thought.
Bill held fast to his claim that Crane's fast advancement had produced an arrogant officer, but Jiggs saw right through it. He was sure that what Bill wanted was Crane back full time, and thanks to ONI already having first dibs on the young commander, Bill didn't even get him for regular Navy Reserve fulfillment. Tough luck, Jiggs thought. As far as he was concerned, as long as Captain Crane was available when ComSubPac needed him or Seaview, then it didn't matter whether Crane was mapping the ocean floor or playing hide-and-go-seek with the enemy in Fast Attack Subs.
Jiggs sat back in his chair and eyed the phone once again, picking it up and dialing the base hospital.
“Harriman, you old seadog! When are they springing you...” Jiggs rattled off taking pleasure at Harry's back in control and normal voice. There weren't too many men that he could stop and let his gruff demeanor down with, and it felt good to visit with his old friend.
* * * * *
Mutiny. Crane had mutinied aboard the Seaview. Of course, Admiral Nelson had gone bonkers due to an allergic reaction and Crane had saved the boat and all hands, but still...mutiny. Admiral William Milton rubbed his chin as he pondered the young commander.
Crane now had Stark in his corner, and he already had Johnson from ONI singing his praises. Okay, so he couldn't play his hand that Crane was too arrogant to do his job. Crane knew what needed to be done and did it to the point of great personal sacrifice, and with one sub already lost to the creature no one would fault him his decision. Still, if Crane wanted the next grade at Below Zone, he'd have to come back to full-time Active Duty status. Milton tapped the tip of his sharp pencil against the top of his green felt desk blotter as he thought. The tapping got more insistent and finally the lead point broke as Milton pulled his thoughts together.
He perceived Crane as an “over-achiever” driven by high personal standards and the reward of promotion. Sooner or later, Crane was going to want a full set of bars on his shoulders, and he was willing to wait. Vindictive? Not in Milton's eyes. He self-sanctimoniously thought of himself as a patriot wooing his best sub commander back to duty where he belonged.
Milton nodded to himself on that thought, and put the matter out of his mind as he worked through the folders of the Below Zone* promotion requests in front of him.
* * * * *
Harry's eyes fluttered open as he stared at the peach ceiling of the hospital room. Now what bright ergonomic engineer decided that peach was soothing? He thought sourly. His eyes wandered to the side of him and he allowed his mood to soften as he caught the concerned but relieved face of Lee Crane beside his bed.
“How are you feeling, Sir?”
“I'm feeling fine, Lee. I'd like to ask the same question of you?”
Lee looked at him with a question in his eyes, “Sir?” He hadn't been injured on the mission, so he was perplexed at Harry's question.
“I put you in quite a predicament, Lee. I'm sorry,” Harry offered sincerely. Now that he had his full senses back he was quite embarrassed at his behavior and his lack of ability to control himself. He was just so relieved that Lee had the gumption to do what he did and save the boat. His response to the crisis was to mutiny, and his mutiny was wrought out of responsibility. In the end, it wasn't just the right thing to do, it was the only thing he could have done.
“It wasn't your fault, Sir,” Lee replied with conviction, referring to Harry's previous statement.
“I meant what I said earlier, Lad,” Harry continued, “What you did...I'm mighty proud to have you as Seaview's Captain.”
Lee was slightly taken back. He and Harry didn't have conversations like this often, and because of that he knew that Harry was sincere.
“Thank you, Sir. That means a lot to me.”
There was a short silence and then Harry took control of the mood again.
“How does the boat look?” Harry asked, bringing them both back to familiar and comfortable grounds. Lee cracked a smile, and began delivering a very thorough and complete status report of Seaview and her Crew.
As they talked through both the mission and Seaview's condition Lee couldn't help but feel a complete sense of satisfaction. He was well aware that Admiral Milton had felt personally slighted at Lee's desire to leave active duty and take command of Seaview. He had intimated once that Lee could make the grade of Captain at an equally astronomically fast pace, but that didn't matter. He was exactly where he wanted to be, and he knew that as many times as Seaview had been called to defend his country's interests that he was serving as important a job here as in the Navy, maybe even more so.
Rank was never his ultimate ambition. It was both the reward and responsibility of his duty but he could wait a couple of years for it. Seaview was worth it, and right now Lee knew with all certainty, that his time working with Harry was definitely worth it.
They continued to talk comfortably within the relaxed command structure that had worked so well for them, both enjoying their friendship as they plotted out Seaview's next voyage to the bottom of the sea.
The End
Response and Responsibility
*Below Zone – Part of the
promotion system where an officer may be promoted one year before the normal
Time in Grade/Time in Service warrants.
An officer passed over during this time still gets two more looks before
promote or retire and is meant to promote bright young officers early, if their
service warrants. (Disclaimer: My paraphrase, and as best as I can figure
out.)
Credits
The original episode Mutiny was written by William Read Woodfield and directed by Sobey Martin, originally aired January 11, 1965
Note: For readers who have followed my pre-voyage story-line you'll notice that I have moved Lee's original promotion from two years before his appointment to Seaview to six months. It's a continuity problem that I've chosen to correct now to solve the fact that his four years as Commander generates Promote or Retirement issues and cannot be drawn out to six years. I still stand behind my backstory regarding the “The Bering Sea Incident” where Lee earned his very early advancement to Commander and received his own command. The event is mentioned in three previous stories; Deadly Envy, Marathon, and When Danger Calls and I've corrected only the amount of years Lee served before signing on with Seaview. I'm still holding on to Lee's young years of being only 31 at the time he joins Seaview and hope my readers will allow me this small indulgence. : )
Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and her main characters belong to Irwin Allen