Seaman Alvarez should also be charged under Article 91 with disobeying an order from a petty officer. Is that correct?"
Chief Thomas chewed her lip for a moment before answering. "Seaman Alvarez did get up and proceed with her duties after I, uh, motivated her, ma'am."
"Hmmm." Herdez shifted her gaze back to Alvarez. "Seaman Alvarez, what do you have to say?"
Alvarez displayed an apparently insincere mix of regret and earnestness as she spoke. "I was sick, ma'am. Real sick. I could hardly move at all. I tried to tell Chief Thomas, but she wouldn't listen. So I got up anyway, but it was real hard. But it wasn't my fault, ma'am."
"Real sick?" Herdez looked back at Chief Thomas. "Did you send Seaman Alvarez to sick bay?"
"I did, ma'am. The doc reported Alvarez had a bad hangover, that was all."
"A hangover."
Alvarez spoke again, licking her lips nervously. "I didn't drink that much the night before, ma'am. Just a little. It was some bad booze. Real bad. Or somebody slipped me a Mickey. You know, to rob me or somethin', but I got back to the ship anyway. The doc wouldn't listen, though."
Herdez shook her head slowly, her eyes fixed on Alvarez. "Neither will I, because your story is not very believable. Sick bay would have spotted any traces of drugs in your system from a Mickey, but you refused such a test. Why?"
"I, uh, they coulda taken my word—"
"They also could have detected other drugs, perhaps. But I can't charge you with offenses I only believe you committed." Herdez looked toward Sheriff Sharpe. "This case is referred to Captain's mast. Dismissed."
Alvarez, her head down so no one could read her expression, followed Chief Thomas out. Commander Herdez nodded to Sharpe. "Next."
Sharpe leaned out the hatch. "Seaman Franco."
Franco entered with his chief, then stood at rigid attention, almost quivering with nervousness. Herdez favored him with a stern look, then checked her reader. "Seaman Franco, you are charged with violating Article 86, failure to go to an appointed place of duty. Chief Blucher?"
Chief Blucher tilted his head toward Franco. "Seaman Franco, he didn't show up for morning muster yesterday. He got back to the ship maybe a half hour late, after liberty had expired."
"What do have to say, Seaman Franco?"
Franco twitched, his face rigid. "Ma'am, I . . . uh . . . didn't . . . realize the time."
"What were you doing that made you so unaware of your duties on the ship, Seaman Franco?"
"I . . . uh . . . ma'am . . . um . . . a friend . . ."
The corner of Herdez' mouth twitched. "Chief Blucher, can you shed any light on this?"
"Yes, ma'am. I believe Seaman Franco has a new girlfriend ashore."
"Ah. Your first girlfriend, Seaman Franco?"
Franco nodded once, his face rigid, worried eyes fixed on the far bulkhead. "Yes, ma'am. Uh, I mean, first real girlfriend."
"I see. And you were engaged in some activities with this girlfriend which caused you to be late returning to the ship?"
"I . . . I'm sorry, ma'am. I really didn't realize . . ."
Herdez turned to Chief Blucher again. "What sort of sailor is Seaman Franco?"
"He's a good sailor, ma'am. Hard worker."
"Has he been in trouble before?"
"No, ma'am."
"Very well." Herdez fixed a stern gaze in Franco. "Then I believe this can be handled without referring the case to the Captain. Chief Blucher, ensure Seaman Franco understands the consequences of failing to attend to his duties because of . . . social activities. As for you, Seaman Franco, it's not hard to balance your social life with your professional responsibilities as long as you think with the upper part of your spine instead of the lower part of it. I don't want to see you here again. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am. Th-thank you, ma'am."
"Dismissed."
Franco and Blucher trooped out, while Senior Chief Kowalski rubbed his face to conceal a smile. "Thanks, Commander."
Commander Herdez kept her own face solemn. "No thanks needed, Senior Chief. Franco is a
Chief Thomas chewed her lip for a moment before answering. "Seaman Alvarez did get up and proceed with her duties after I, uh, motivated her, ma'am."
"Hmmm." Herdez shifted her gaze back to Alvarez. "Seaman Alvarez, what do you have to say?"
Alvarez displayed an apparently insincere mix of regret and earnestness as she spoke. "I was sick, ma'am. Real sick. I could hardly move at all. I tried to tell Chief Thomas, but she wouldn't listen. So I got up anyway, but it was real hard. But it wasn't my fault, ma'am."
"Real sick?" Herdez looked back at Chief Thomas. "Did you send Seaman Alvarez to sick bay?"
"I did, ma'am. The doc reported Alvarez had a bad hangover, that was all."
"A hangover."
Alvarez spoke again, licking her lips nervously. "I didn't drink that much the night before, ma'am. Just a little. It was some bad booze. Real bad. Or somebody slipped me a Mickey. You know, to rob me or somethin', but I got back to the ship anyway. The doc wouldn't listen, though."
Herdez shook her head slowly, her eyes fixed on Alvarez. "Neither will I, because your story is not very believable. Sick bay would have spotted any traces of drugs in your system from a Mickey, but you refused such a test. Why?"
"I, uh, they coulda taken my word—"
"They also could have detected other drugs, perhaps. But I can't charge you with offenses I only believe you committed." Herdez looked toward Sheriff Sharpe. "This case is referred to Captain's mast. Dismissed."
Alvarez, her head down so no one could read her expression, followed Chief Thomas out. Commander Herdez nodded to Sharpe. "Next."
Sharpe leaned out the hatch. "Seaman Franco."
Franco entered with his chief, then stood at rigid attention, almost quivering with nervousness. Herdez favored him with a stern look, then checked her reader. "Seaman Franco, you are charged with violating Article 86, failure to go to an appointed place of duty. Chief Blucher?"
Chief Blucher tilted his head toward Franco. "Seaman Franco, he didn't show up for morning muster yesterday. He got back to the ship maybe a half hour late, after liberty had expired."
"What do have to say, Seaman Franco?"
Franco twitched, his face rigid. "Ma'am, I . . . uh . . . didn't . . . realize the time."
"What were you doing that made you so unaware of your duties on the ship, Seaman Franco?"
"I . . . uh . . . ma'am . . . um . . . a friend . . ."
The corner of Herdez' mouth twitched. "Chief Blucher, can you shed any light on this?"
"Yes, ma'am. I believe Seaman Franco has a new girlfriend ashore."
"Ah. Your first girlfriend, Seaman Franco?"
Franco nodded once, his face rigid, worried eyes fixed on the far bulkhead. "Yes, ma'am. Uh, I mean, first real girlfriend."
"I see. And you were engaged in some activities with this girlfriend which caused you to be late returning to the ship?"
"I . . . I'm sorry, ma'am. I really didn't realize . . ."
Herdez turned to Chief Blucher again. "What sort of sailor is Seaman Franco?"
"He's a good sailor, ma'am. Hard worker."
"Has he been in trouble before?"
"No, ma'am."
"Very well." Herdez fixed a stern gaze in Franco. "Then I believe this can be handled without referring the case to the Captain. Chief Blucher, ensure Seaman Franco understands the consequences of failing to attend to his duties because of . . . social activities. As for you, Seaman Franco, it's not hard to balance your social life with your professional responsibilities as long as you think with the upper part of your spine instead of the lower part of it. I don't want to see you here again. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am. Th-thank you, ma'am."
"Dismissed."
Franco and Blucher trooped out, while Senior Chief Kowalski rubbed his face to conceal a smile. "Thanks, Commander."
Commander Herdez kept her own face solemn. "No thanks needed, Senior Chief. Franco is a
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