Chapter 9. A new commander
It was the last day of the three weeks shore leave for the HMAS Darwin crew. The next day the frigate would sail again.
Kate was wandering in her small navy flat, gathering and packing the things she needed for the next voyage. She made neat piles and then she checked her mental note to see if she hasn't forgotten anything. She nodded satisfied and started to put the piles in her suitcase. Next she turned to the large mirror on the wardrobe door and looked at her image. She was wearing a simple blouse and a three quarters pants. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders. She slipped into a pair of heeled sandals and looked again at her image.
Kate, this is the first step of your new start. Show them that you're human as well. They know their job, thus trust them. Allow a banter at the bridge, that'll keep the stress away. Speak to your people as colleagues. And don't nit-pick! Remember how Mike has managed it!
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes mum… Oh my god what did I say?! That bitch!"
"Right! Let's go!", she said and grabbed her handbag, briefcase and suitcase.
"Pfft, I'm just a mule!", she muttered.
The sun stood already low above the horizon and the crew was returning alone or in groups.
Lieutenant-Commander Mark Thompson, the XO of the Darwin, stood at the gangway by the group of the officer of the day with a few NCO's and sailors. They were discussing the results of their favourite rugby team and they barely looked at the ones who boarded again.
All of a sudden one of the petty officers noticed a tiny blond woman a few meters from the gangway and he poked in panic the officer of the day. "Sir, the captain!"
"Damn! In position, quick!", he exclaimed.
The XO did a few passes backwards and made a face.
Shiiiiiit! Too late! She will certainly make a scene of it. We were chatting like we were in the pub. Strange, it's the first time she's in civvies when she boards otherwise we could have seen her from far.
"Take over her suitcase!", the XO snapped and one of the NCO's poked a sailor who hurried down the gangway to take her luggage.
Her heels clicked already on the gangway before the men could take position. They looked suspicious at her, knowing what was to come.
"Gentlemen!", she greeted them with a smile. "Carry on."
While she passed the XO, she said : "X, can you come to my cabin in a few minutes for a short message?"
"Yes ma'am."
She walked through and all of them looked to each other and breathed out.
"That was close!", a leading seaman mumbled.
"She, … she didn't say anything about the fact we weren't ready!", the officer of the day stammered confused.
"The captain said even 'carry on'", one of the petty officers said baffled, "Just like she didn't care what we were doing."
"She boarded in civvies?", another one said. "Never seen that before."
Mark shrugged. "I don't know, but I have to go to her cabin within a minute. Probably I'm getting the full load."
"Good luck!", the lieutenant who was the officer of the day said to him.
Mark threw him a I-shall-need-it glance.
A couple of minutes later he knocked unsure the door of her cabin.
"Come in!", he heard from inside.
He entered and looked around curiously with a barely imperceptible look. The suitcase stood next to her locker, both closed. The briefcase stood open and her laptop stood open on her desk. He noticed also that she stood on her bare feet.
"Ma'am, you wanted to see me?", he asked prudently.
"Yes, X, we sail at 14.00 tomorrow, direction Coral Sea, Arafuga Sea and Timor Sea. Details will follow tomorrow morning. And I wanted to tell you that you will sail with Commander McGregor from tomorrow on. So you sail with a new captain. That's all X."
"Oh, I see", he replied dryly.
What a hell am I supposed to say to this? It was a pleasure? No way! I'll remain neutral.
"When will the new commander arrive?", he asked her.
"Oh, the commander will be here tomorrow. Don't worry", she said with a smile. "Carry on."
Bitch! She doesn't give anything away.
"Ok, ma'am. Do you come to the longroom for dinner?"
"No thanks X, I've already eaten something."
"Ok ma'am, see you tomorrow", he said while turning to the door.
"Yeah, ok."
After he closed the door, he grumbled. "Goddamn, what is she up to? That smile, that twinkle in her eyes. It doesn't look good. For sure it has to do with the mess of the guard."
Was she going to pack? I couldn't determine. Her suitcase was still closed. But… that sailor was carrying her suitcase like it was full! Maybe that she goes away? Because she didn't elaborate on the details of the voyage either, that means that she isn't really interested. Damn, what a fucking, crazy game is going on here?
Automatically he walked to the longroom without realising that he was going there. He bumped into their navigator, Lieutenant John Blackwood.
"Hey Mark, you're looking gloomy. Have you gotten up again the rough side of the captain's tongue?"
"No John, she came on board in civvies and we didn't see her. Thus no guard, no salute. Shit man, we stood there chatting, just like in a pub and all of a sudden she stood on the gangway", Mark said.
"Ouch, you were toasted", the other deadpanned.
"No and that's just the weirdest. She didn't give me a remark, none of us! She was extremely kind. And that's something that I don't trust. But the good news is that she will be replaced by another commander tomorrow."
"Hmm, that's good news. That cannot be worse! Anyway, you walked through the eye of the needle man!" , the navigator said rubbing his chin.
"Yeah definitely. I need a drink, to celebrate this!", Mark said convinced.
"Exactly, I'll drink one with you on that", John replied and they walked to the bar to order their drinks.
The next morning, Mark had arranged a full guard on the gangway to welcome the new captain. He was nervously pacing around looking at his watch.
Damnit! Where is he… or she? I don't have time for the entire morning!
Kate approached from the other side. She wore her DPNU and she looked amused at the funny scene on the gangway.
Mark noticed her and was surprised to see her in camo.
"'morning ma'am, but I haven't seen the new captain yet", he said ill-at-ease.
If she tells me that I missed out on him, then I'm not sure to be able to control myself. I've been walking a hole in the floor for one and a half hour already!
"She's already on board. You can dismiss them", she answered with a slight smile.
Oooh, SHIT!
"But ma'am?", he asked completely baffled.
What? The invisible man? No, she said 'she'. Thus, it's a woman. Then she must have boarded before dawn? And the guard hasn't seen her? Goddamn, he was asleep for sure. I'll kill that man.
"Don't worry Mark. I'm Commander McGregor", Kate deadpanned.
"Uh?"
He was confused and startled. It was the first time she called him by his first name. He arranged a special guard that was not necessary and now she said that she's the new commander. Then he noticed the difference in name on her name tag.
Kate noticed his glance at her name tag.
"I thought that you knew what my maiden name was. I'm getting a divorce and I took back my original name, you see. Commander Roth is gone. This one will be better", she said with a smug smile.
"Ah, I see. Ok, ma'am."
No wonder that she's getting a divorce. Who on earth will marry that bitch?
The rumour spread through the ship as a running fire and everyone was curious to know how the same person could be better, just by changing of name.
At the bridge they looked suspicious at her, but at the end of the day they realised that the snapping was gone. Minor situations were corrected by asking and innocent things like small chats were ignored. The officers noticed also that they were more called by their first name instead of their rank or function.
When they were a couple of weeks further the crew realised that their boss accepted jokes and banter and they discovered that she had a feeling for dry humour as well.
One evening Mark stood at the quarterdeck together with his friend, the navigator.
"John, I don't know what happened with her. She's so different since the previous voyages. It's even she's a different person and not even her name", Mark said as he leaned with his arms on the railing next to the navigator.
"Correct. Hardly to believe. Now she discusses everything what is not exactly what she had in mind. In the past she would have snapped at you like a cadet."
"Yeah, sailing is now a pleasure and we discovered that she has a sense of very dry humour. And I think she will join us when we have shore leave in a foreign port."
"Yeah, I have that feeling too. I'm just wondering who had the magic to change her behaviour." John wondered.
"Hmm, don't know, although, when I'll see Nikki again. She's the commander of the patrol boat with they guy who broke his leg. I'll ask her. She says she's her friend and she was going to speak to her. Maybe she knows more."
"Wow, there was someone who could talk to that woman? Almost unbelievable! I want to meet that famous Nikki. She must be Wonder Woman", Johan said stretching his back.
A couple of weeks ago in Cairns
Nikki and Dylan came back from Sydney and Nikki started a new patrol. That one ended also and she had shore leave in Cairns. Dylan was wandering in their garden to check the flowers.
"Nik, did you hear anything from Kate yet?", he asked her returning from the garden to the house.
Nikki padded from the living room to the garden, "A few emails. The divorce proceedings were initiated and she has got a small flat from the Navy. She seemed to be in a good mood. The last one was from the ship. She told that she handles the things differently and the relation with the crew has improved as well. She added also literally between brackets that she had to bite on her teeth not to explode by some situations on board."
He laughed, "I can imagine it! I see already her face in front of me. Yeah, the chat of that evening was really a turning point for her", he said.
"Yeah indeed. We were just in time", she replied as she looked to the blue sky and sensed the air.
"Do you think she will still focus on Mike?", he said as he bent to pluck some weeds.
"Sure, did you notice how red she became when you mentioned Mike last time?"
"Yes, I did."
"That's an obvious proof. The only problem is to bring these two stubborn people together", Nikki replied leaning to the door frame.
"Did you already speak to Mike?"
"No, otherwise I would have told you. First, I wanted to see what happens with Kate. There's no need to give people a false hope."
"Hmm, when are you going to do that? Or shall I? I'm at Navcom all days."
"I think I would have had more chance. I was his navigator and Kate's closest friend. If you would meet him in a pub, then ok. That's another environment, you see. But, when I'll leave for another patrol, I'll see Mike and I can gauge his feelings."
To be continued.
