Mike rested his arms on the rail and stared across the water to the rapidly vanishing Port of Brisbane as the 'Kokoda' steamed out into the shipping channel preparatory to undertaking its first patrol. He should have been on the bridge. That was where he belonged and he knew it was where the crew expected him to be. But the captain had excused him from duty until their departure was complete, advising him she wanted him fresh for the next watch, suggesting he observe their departure from the upper deck and be ready to meet with her in the ship's office at 1400 to discuss current duty rosters and general ship's business. The vessel carried a crew complement in excess of 500, supporting an entire squadron of the latest upgraded jump jets under the immediate command of a deceptively affable RAAF Wing Commander, Steve Merrimen who was already known as Robin Hood. Four new Sea Fury class helicopters completed the Kokoda's aviation specifications along with the necessary pilots and ground crew required to keep these aircraft flying.
He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Over the past five days Kate had never once faltered in her demeanor towards him. She had been correctly polite when they had been obliged to conduct meetings on a one to one basis, and totally professional at all other staff meetings. For his part, Mike had immersed himself in organising the running of the ship and meeting the officers, senior sailors and as many of the crew as possible. He knew only too well the importance of a competent and focused executive officer to the effectiveness and well-being of a ship, having himself suffered, on more than one occasion, the consequences of an incompetent XO. Captains relied upon their 2ICs and, no matter his own issues, Mike was not about to be branded incompetent.
As the ship passed the islands of Moreton Bay and headed north east away from the beaches of Caloundra, Mike's thoughts returned to the last time he had sailed as captain of the Hammersley with Kate as his XO. Their challenge then had been to maintain their professional facade before Mike took up his shore posting and they could finally announce their engagement. How happy they had been, yet how correct whilst still on board. To Mike it seemed like a distant dream, a promise that had been briefly fulfilled before being snatched away from them. A long-awaited future destroyed in bitter recriminations - and Mike knew his choices had been the catalyst for all that happened.
The demand for his presence being announced over the speaker broke his reverie and he headed inside. Kate was waiting as he entered the ship's office, her face every bit as closed and unreadable as it had been during their five very full days of preparation for sea duty.
"Close the door and take a seat please, XO," she requested. Mike did so whereupon an uncomfortable few seconds of silence ensued while Mike scanned her face and then looked away. Finally Kate drew a breath.
"As you know, you were not my choice as Executive Officer, but Marshall over-ruled me," she began and paused, staring unblinkingly at him. "We seem to find ourselves in a role reversal of our positions ten years ago when I believe we agreed that two professionals could put their personal issues behind them and work together as just that – professional naval officers. Apparently the Commodore expects us to forge some sort of command relationship." Kate looked down at her hands resting on the desk. "Can we do this, Commander?"
"Apparently we have no choice," Mike returned bleakly. He, too, drew a deep breath. "Permission to speak freely…Ma'am?"
Kate's eyes narrowed slightly as he stumbled yet again over acknowledging her superior rank.
"Granted," she replied tightly.
"Given our inability to agree on anything over the past three years, I am struggling to see how we are going to be able to agree on the running of this ship. We can't even agree on issues relating to our son!"
"This conversation is not about Jamie, Commander Flynn. It is about whether we can establish a viable working relationship." Her voice was icy and clipped. "Let me ask again. Are you going to be able to work as my XO, or will I have to inform Commodore Marshall that our irreconcilable differences have rendered it impossible for you to carry out your duties to my satisfaction?"
And there she had him. Mike was under no illusions. His success with the Bass may have restored him to favour with Canberra, but his future was dependent upon the outcome of this particular tour of duty. If he failed as Kate's XO, then he could forget about promotion and command of the next Flinders' Class vessel. In fact, he could probably forget about sea duty altogether. He would be relegated to a desk somewhere insignificant. And overriding his personal dilemma was his country's current vulnerability. Good grief, he thought wearily, it's like a Marsden novel come to life. He returned her gaze.
"I apologise again. Ma'am." Damn, he thought bitterly, I'm really going to have to work on this, or she'll be lecturing me about my syntax. "We haven't exactly started on the best foot. Obviously I need to try harder." Try as he might, Mike could not keep the slight bitterness from creeping in and he clamped his mouth shut.
"I won't disagree with that observation, Commander," his captain's voice was dry. She was silent for some time as she sat observing him. "If it's any consolation, while I totally disagree with your actions, I understand why you took the Hammersley three years ago." She held her hand up as he started to speak. "But such cowboy actions could not be condoned. You never did learn that lesson, did you?"
"If you understand, I fail to see why you have condemned my actions so strongly."
"Because you took over my ship, and my crew and didn't even have the guts to tell me what you were doing!" Kate's voice and bearing showed that she had not even begun to forgive him.
"I did what I believed had to be done! I couldn't contact you and there was no time…" Mike's voice faltered and stopped. He had been down this path far too many times. His actions had been outrageous as far as Kate had been concerned. Their all-too-brief marriage had not survived the fall-out. And not just his relationship with Kate. Even Marshall couldn't save him from the resultant fall-out within the Navy.
"Couldn't contact me? Somehow I doubt that you tried very hard and I'm wondering if you've learnt anything over these past few years about making the right choices?" Kate continued to stare him down.
Now is not the time to be dwelling on the past, Flynn. He had broken too many rules that night, far too many for the Navy to be able to overlook and he had paid the penalty. His marriage wrecked, court-martialled, he had clung defiantly to the knowledge that despite the personal consequences, his actions had seen an escaping traitor caught and returned. Ultimately, that was all that had saved him. Mike struggled to keep his all too expressive face impassive as he closed the door on the memories. Time enough to dwell on past choices and actions when he wasn't on duty.
"You've never signed the divorce papers." Bloody hell, Flynn, where did that one come from? You've got to do better than this!
Kate seemed momentarily taken aback as she stared at him.
"No, and that's not a subject for discussion at this time, either," she retorted icily. "We both have a job to do. The question that concerns me now is, can you do your job?"
Mike exercised every ounce of control and sat up straighter in his chair.
"I believe I can. My question is whether or not you will let me do it."
They stared across the desk at one another. A slight smile hovered across Kate's lips.
"Oh, rest assured Commander Flynn, if you stay I have every intention of ensuring that you do your job – and my standards are every bit as demanding as those you yourself taught me to expect," she stated sardonically. "I didn't call you here to go over the past. We have to establish a working relationship right now – one where our personal issues are not allowed to intrude. We are professional naval officers and need to carry out our duty to our country as our first priority. Can you do this?"
Mike flushed angrily and glared before sinking back into his chair.
"Yes," he replied, meeting her gaze levelly. "You are quite correct, Ma'am. Of course our duty comes first. But even you will have to admit there are going to be occasions when our 'personal issues' are going to intrude." He drew a deep breath. "We have to discuss Jamie as Jamie's parents, not as Captain and XO. And we need to do it sooner rather than later – before the demands of duty take over completely."
"And you are quite correct, too, XO," Kate finally acknowledged. She looked down at her hands and looked up quizzically. "You said before that we couldn't agree on issues relating to Jamie. What are your concerns? You know I'm more than happy for your parents to look after him when we're both at sea. That's never been an issue."
No, thought Mike. That's not an issue. Mum and Dad are working hard at remaining neutral in this. "And I appreciate that. He needs the stability of a regular family when neither of us is around."
"So…?" Kate probed cautiously. "What are the issues we're not agreeing on?"
"Discipline, for one thing. We need to agree on the same standards and stick to them – regardless of whether he's with you or with me."
Kate's eyes narrowed. "Agreed," she said slowly. "So, are we about to engage in World War Three over whose standards we're going to adopt? Yours or mine? Because now is definitely not the time for that, and you know it as well as I do. Jamie is only three years old. I hope you have something more concrete than that to raise."
Why was he pursuing this? Mike realised he couldn't have given a definitive answer to save his life at that point. He stared back at her and sighed.
"You're right. Let's drop it. You have my assurance that I will do my level best to work with you…Ma'am." As he observed Kate's eyes narrow yet again, he added hastily, "And I'll work on my syntax."
….
Some days later, Mike sat in the Officer's Mess of the Kokoda discussing tactical strategies over the lunch table with Steve 'Robin Hood' Merrimen, two of his pilots and the ship's warfare officer, Lt Krista Peel.
"Come on, Rob," argued Mike. "You have to agree that you've got a lot more manoeuverability out here than if you were land-based."
"I'm not denying that, Mike. You're missing my point."
"Which is….?" Mike raised an inquisitor's eyebrow.
But Merrimen's answer was not forthcoming for at that moment the speakers burst into life.
"Action stations! D'you hear there? All duty crew to action stations!"
