'Captain, that wasn't my fault. Ghi dropped her end of the stretcher a few times-'
'Okay. I understand. To summarize, then, you all got drunk, Johnson passed out and you broke into a first aid locker to steal a stretcher.' Hayes looked around the compartment again. 'Why wasn't he charged with theft?'
Paul took a moment to realize that after all the Captain's Masts at which he stood by just in case he was needed, he'd finally actually been asked a question during Captain's Mast. 'Sir, we couldn't charge Timbale or Ghi with theft because they didn't plan on keeping the stretcher. They were going to take it back.'
'It's only theft if they plan on keeping it?'
'Yes, sir. Legally, sir.'
'The Uniform Code of Military Justice says that?'
'Yes, sir. It's that way in civil law, too.'
Hayes shook his head, then looked at Timbale again. 'But you're charged with damaging property, so I assume the stretcher was damaged?'
Timbale nodded, his nervousness showing again. 'Yes, sir. When it got dropped and when we were getting it out of the locker. And I guess some folks were upset that we popped the locker seal, and they said that was damage, too.'
Hayes looked at Paul again. 'What order or regulation was violated?'
Paul nodded toward Timbale. 'The first aid lockers are only supposed to be opened to provide emergency medical assistance. That's by order of the station commander. The order is posted on the lockers.'
'But, Captain,' Timbale protested, 'it was an emergency. We couldn't leave Johnson just lying there.'
'Why didn't you simply call for assistance?' Hayes demanded.
Timbale hesitated. 'Uh, Captain, we didn't want anyone to get in trouble.'
Hayes shook his head again, looking down at his data pad for a moment, then gazed over at Ensign Abacha. 'What kind of sailor is Petty Officer Timbale?'
Abacha looked almost as nervous as Timbale but spoke in a firm voice. 'He's a good performer, Captain. He rarely gives us any trouble. Just an occasional incident on liberty. There's never any problems on the job. He's a good petty officer when he's on the ship.' Timbale's chief nodded in agreement.
Captain Hayes gave Timbale a searching look. 'Petty Officer Timbale, do you think you handled that situation properly?'
'Captain?'
'Do you think you did the right thing or do you think you screwed up?'
Timbale nodded heavily. 'I screwed up, sir. We shouldn't have taken that stretcher.'
'Or gotten so drunk you got thrown out of a bar and Johnson passed out?'
'No, sir. Not that, either. But, Captain, honest, we didn't think we were violating any order. It said open that locker in an emergency and it sure seemed like an emergency to us.'
'All right.' Hayes glanced at Ensign Abacha again. 'Your division officer and your chief stood up for you here. But they also said you get in trouble on liberty sometimes. You're a member of the United States Navy twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Petty Officer Timbale. That means your job doesn't end when you walk off of this ship. You still need to think about what you're doing and make sure you don't get so drunk that damaging government property sounds like a good idea. Do you understand?'
'Yes, sir, I do.'
'I could really hammer you, Petty Officer Timbale. Instead, I'll go pretty light because your chief and division officer say you're a good performer and you've got a clean record. But not so light that you won't remember this next time you have to think about what to do on liberty. I'm fining you one-half month's pay for one month and giving you a reduction in rate to seaman, suspended for six months. Keep yourself out of trouble and you won't have to worry about being busted to seaman. Understand?'
'Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!'
'Dismissed.'
Timbale pivoted on one heel and marched out of the compartment, followed by Ensign Abacha and his chief. Master Chief Maines shook her head and muttered something under her breath. Hayes gave her a wry look. 'What was that, Master Chief?'
'I was just commenting to myself on the eternal nature of sailors, Captain. If they ever design a machine that can replace them, it'll probably go out and get drunk and do something stupid.'
Hayes grinned. 'No doubt. Next case, Sheriff.'
Petty Officer Chi came next, getting the same treatment as Timbale had. Then a still slight battered looking Petty Officer Johnson, then more sailors, each with some variation on drunk and disorderly, provoking speeches and gestures, insubordination, and the occasional assault charge from a bar brawl. The captain varied his punishments depending on their individual records and the severity of the offenses. Hayes was shaking his head by the time the last case came up. 'At least we didn't have a riot,' the captain remarked. 'What's this last one?'
'It's a bad one, Captain,' Sharpe warned before leaning into the passageway. 'Petty Officer Vox.'
Vox entered, his uniform neat but his face still bearing a black eye and a visible series of healing but deep scratches on one cheek. Hayes frowned, then checked his data pad as Lieutenant Isakov entered and took up position along with a female sailor who avoided looking at Vox. The captain's face visibly hardened as he read. 'Petty Officer Vox. I see you're charged with Violating Article 112a, wrongful use of controlled substances, Article 134, assault with intent to commit rape, and Article 134, drunk and disorderly. What do you have to say?'
Vox's eyes flicked from side to side before he spoke, then looked straight ahead to avoid meeting the captain's eyes. 'I don't remember doing any of that, Captain.'
'That's all? You just claim you don't remember committing these offenses?'
'Yes, sir.'
' Did you commit them?'
'I… I don't remember, sir.'
Hayes glared at the sailor, then over at Isakov. 'Lieutenant Isakov, what's the story?'
Isakov kept her face expressionless as she spoke. 'As command duty officer on the night in question, I was notified by the shore patrol that Petty Officer Vox had been placed under arrest. I arranged for his release into the custody of Chief Sharpe the next morning. As Vox's division officer, I investigated the report the shore patrol provided. The report states that Petty Officer Vox became belligerent while on liberty and was asked to leave a bar where he and a number of other sailors from the Michaelson were drinking. About one hour later, as Seaman Kanto was returning to the ship alone, she was assaulted by Petty Officer Vox, who attempted to rape her. Seaman Kanto fought off her assailant and called the shore patrol, who took Petty Officer Vox into custody a short time later not far from the scene of the attack. While Petty Officer Vox's injuries were being treated at the brig, blood tests revealed he had ingested an illegal synthetic substance known as Joy Juice earlier that evening.'
Hayes gave Vox another hard stare, then looked over at the sailor next to Isakov. 'Seaman Kanto, is that an accurate account of events as you know them?'
Kanto nodded, studiously avoiding looking toward Vox. 'Yes, sir.'
'How certain are you that Petty Officer Vox is the individual who attacked you?'
Kanto gave a brief, nervous smile. 'I marked the son of a bi- Excuse me, sir. That's him.'
Isakov spoke again. 'The shore patrol investigation matched the blood under some of Seaman Kanto's fingernails to Petty Officer Vox, Captain. One hundred percent certain match.'
Hayes stared silently at Vox for several seconds. Vox quivered once but said nothing. Finally, Hayes shook his head with slow finality. 'And you don't remember trying to rape a shipmate, Petty Officer Vox?'
'No, sir.'
'Do you remember taking Joy Juice?'
'No, sir.'
'Lieutenant Isakov,' Hayes asked, keeping his eyes fixed on Vox, 'what kind of sailor is Petty Officer Vox?'
Isakov's voice stayed cool and controlled. 'Middling at best, sir. He does what's required and nothing more.'
'Does he have a history of trouble?'
Isakov nodded. 'Petty Officer Vox has had frequent minor disciplinary problems. He just came off a
