"Sir, I reckon that's an iceboat." "Nav." "Thank you." "Yep." "It's an iceboat." "This is gonna be a big catch." "What's an iceboat?" "Bomb." "What?" "I'm from majors." "All we did was racetrack and drill." "It's the mother ship for an illegal fishing fleet." "Normally, they just sit in international waters where we can't touch them." "Shark fin's like gold, Bomber." "Makes them take risks." "Captain, X. I count four crew on the deck." "Plus the skipper." "Over." "Alright, Nav, give them another warning." "Vessel on my port bow, this is Australian warship." "You should stop or heave to or I will open fire on you." "You and me on first, Spider." "Buddy up." "Watch my back, I'll watch yours." "Yes, Buff." "Sir, put down the machete!" "Sir, drop the machete now!" "Porcupines!" "They've put down their defences, sir." "Pull the poles back in!" "Put it down!" "Pull the poles in now!" "Put it down!" "Tell them to maintain a safe distance." "X- ray 82, this is Papa 82." "Maintain a safe distance." "Over." "One of those things in the RHIB would go right through you." "Yeah - shish kebab." "Get your crew to pull those poles in!" "Make sure we get plenty of evidence, Swain." "Aye, sir." "One precise round could take out her steering." "That'd make them have a rethink pretty fast." "Why stop at their steering?" "If there's crew below, there could be casualties." "Sir, flares!" "Drop the flare!" "Put it down, sir!" "Drop the flare in the water!" "Incoming!" "It's burning my leg!" "Sir, we're coming up on the line." "What?" "He crosses international waters, he gets away?" "No, that's why we've got evidence of him committing an offence in our territory." "Sir, they've got porcupine out there, got machetes and flares." "Tell X to abandon the boarding." "Today's not our day." "X- ray 82, this is Papa 82." "Abort, abort, abort." "This is X-ray 82." "Roger that." "Out." "Let's go!" "He who can modify his tactics and succeed may be called a heaven-born captain." "Sorry, sir?" "Old Chinese saying." "I just reckon he's one lucky son of a gun." "Maybe." "At least for now." "'Bye, boss!" "See ya, boss!" "Booked a cab?" "Yeah, booked a cab." "You?" "Yeah." "I thought I..." "Excuse me." "Going anywhere interesting?" "Just... dinner." "Me too." "I thought I might catch a movie..." "Oh, this must be your cab." "You look nice." "Thank you." "You too." "McGregor?" "Booking's for McGregor." "Oh." "Jim?" "Kate?" "Pleased to meet you." "I'm sorry I'm late." "You're not." "You look lovely." "Please." "Thank you." "Cheers." "I hope you don't mind, but I've taken the liberty in ordering some bubbles." "Oh, that's great." "I wasn't sure you'd come." "Well, you didn't sound like an axe murderer on the phone." "They teach you that in human resources, do they?" "That's why they call it 'resources'" "It's funny." "What?" "You just don't strike me as the type." "Well, you don't strike me as a chartered accountant." "But looks can be deceptive." "In a good way." "Yeah." "You looking at me?" "Yeah, everything De Niro does..." "He's a genius." "Yeah." "Except..." "'Rocky and Bullwinkle'" ""Fearless leaders are always hard to pull off. "" "And what's that?" "It's a line from the film." "I didn't quite make it through to the end." "Oh..." "Mmm." "It's beautiful." "Mmm, it's good, isn't it?" "Mmm." "It's good." "I'm sorry." "I have to take this." "Jim Roth." "Sorry about that." "I'm sorry." "Jim Roth." "Mike Flynn." "Yeah." "No, Commander, not interrupting anything." "I see." "Understand." "Sure." "Alright." "Unavoidable?" "Yes, sir." "Send that through." "Sorry." "Half an hour." "Work." "Work?" "You're an accountant." "Yeah." "Look, I'm gonna have to go." "Excuse me?" "I have to go." "You make me wait for half an hour and you have to go?" "Look, I've had a great night." "Oh, good on you!" "I hope we can do it again sometime." "Yeah, right." "Thanks for dinner." "Kate McGregor." "Yeah, Kate, it's Mike." "Bad news, I'm afraid." "Good morning." "Morning." "So, the 'Wollongong' has done a turbo and we drew the short straw?" "Yeah." "Something like that." "Cancelled leave's always hard on the crew." "Harder on some than others." "How was dinner?" "It was... very pleasant." "Thank you." "Good." "And your movie?" "Didn't make it." "Oh." "Got caught up in a good book." "Oh." "So, where's this SAS training team we're supposed to be transporting?" "Some of them are here." "The rest shouldn't be far behind." "They don't look that tough." "Mate, they're SAS." "They could kill you with a pencil." "Really?" "Yeah." "Cool." "Once we've done the intros, Buffer, give them a quick tour." "You know the drill." "Aye, sir." "This way, fellas." "Welcome to 'Hammersley' gentlemen." "Delighted to be here, Commander." "This is my executive officer, Kate McGregor." "Kate." "Hi." "It's a real pleasure." "Hey!" "Yeah!" "Yes!" "You know, ET reckons those SAS dudes can kill you with a pencil." "They use it to write down their innermost thoughts, then make you read it." "No, I'm only joking." "They're good operators." "More importantly, mate," "I've spoken to the XO about your promotion." "Yeah?" "And?" "She's taking it to the boss for consideration." "OK." "What does that mean?" "Considering your performance of late," "I'd say you're a shoo-in for able seaman." "Yeah, yeah!" "Thanks, Buff." "Yeah, alright." "Don't thank me." "Just keep up the good work." "Uh-huh." "Hey, boss." "Sir." "What's this?" "LCD TV." "I can see that." "Where did it come from?" "It came on board with all the SAS gear." "And why would the SAS need a large-screen TV?" "Training courses." "Well, I thought it might've said 'LCD' on the box, sir, but really been some, like, high-tech classified electronic gear or something." "Obviously not." "Yeah, that, um..." "That came with it." "It's a letter from Ray Walsman." "From who?" "Ray Walsman, sir." "A thankyou, sir, for helping out his daughter." "How good is this, boss?" "Nice try, guys." "It's going back." "Boss?" "Boss?" "Who'll know?" "Do I need to send you to a defence ethics refresher course?" "We do not accept gifts." "And have it stored some place." "It's taking up half the mess." "Yes, boss." "Lower." "Raise." "Lower." "Hold." "Lower." "Raise." "It's like my sister's hens' night, but better." "Could you all be a little less obvious?" "Oh, X!" "Come on!" "Lower." "Hold." "Captain." "Lieutenant." "Uh, I was hoping we could grab a coffee, when you have a moment, to run through a few things." "Now is clearly a bad time." "There's never a bad time for you, Kate." "Thorne?" "Take over." "Lower." "Raise." "Lower." "Raise." "Hold." "So, human resources?" "Very convincing, by the way." "As a matter of fact, my job has a lot to do with human resources." "So are we gonna have that coffee?" "No." "So that was another lie." "Don't push your luck." "My luck changed when I saw you on this ship." "Now you mention it, you didn't look surprised at all." "Excuse me." "Jim, we should have you in Samaru on schedule." "That's good." "Thank you, sir." "Latest intel suggests that the situation on the ground there is more stable." "Oh, that's in the capital." "Insurgents are regrouping in the hills." "We're there at the request of the government to train their local forces." "Of course." "The last thing we or the French wanna appear is colonialists." "French?" "Well, the French are sending a peacekeeping force to protect their economic interests." "You have been briefed on this?" "We were crash-sailed." "Right." "Well, I'm sure you'll bump into each other." "No doubt." "In the meantime, you've got everything you need?" "Absolutely, sir." "Very good." "Matter of fact, Kate was just about to shout me a coffee." "You know, maybe some other time." "You two know each other?" "No." "Although, you do remind me of a girl I once met in HR." "Uncanny." "Funny - you don't remind me of anyone." "Excuse me, boss." "Nav's got a suspected FFV on her scope." "She said to tell you that it's a big one." "Cheeky bloke's back again." "Make yourself at home." "Ta." "What have we got, Buffer?" "Right, boss - see all these markings down aft?" "Well, they're the brackets for the porcupine spikes." "Is that him?" "Ooh, yeah, that's him." "Anything from radar, Nav?" "No, sir." "He'd have no idea we're here." "Good." "Let's keep it that way." "Come to slow ahead." "Slow ahead both engines." "Slow ahead both engines." "What are you planning?" "Both engines slow, ma'am." "The minute he sees us, he'll run out those defences again and then we won't be able to touch him." "But if we hang back until dark..." "Nav, what's the moon state tonight?" "Uh, new moon, sir." "New moon?" "Gotta get lucky sometimes." "So we wait until dark, approach without lights." "By the time he knows we're there, we'll be on top of him and he'll be ours." "What about the SAS, sir?" "What about them?" "Well, they're expecting to arrive in Samaru on schedule, sir." "I'm sure a slight delay in the interest of border security won't be a problem." "Besides, they're guests on my ship." "Um, sir, if you have a moment, there is something else that I'd like to discuss with you." "Go ahead." "I have met Captain Roth before." "He was my date last night." "It was an Internet thing." "Um..." "And get this - he lied on his profile and he said that he was an accountant." "And you said you were in human resources?" "Well, yeah." "Why are you telling me this, X?" "Because the night ended rather badly and there is some residual tension there, and I thought that you should know about it." "Well, by 'badly' what do you mean?" "Oh, no, nothing like that." "It's just that he kept getting phone calls." "Of course, I realise why now, but I didn't then." "And... so I did my block at him." "But it was a one-off thing." "And I've..." "I've... already moved on." "Right." "Well, we shouldn't have a problem, then." "No." "Excuse me, Lieutenant Commander." "We seem to have slowed down." "Yeah, we have." "Is there a problem, sir?" "No." "Actually, we've had a stroke of good fortune." "Sir?" "An iceboat - you can see it on the EOD." "So we're?" "Waiting for dark." "We need the element of surprise." "I'm sorry, sir, but, no, we're not." "I beg your pardon?" "My men and I need to be in Samaru ASAP." "Captain, taking out this iceboat will cause real pain to the illegal fishing industry." "I'm afraid I don't care, sir." "Well, I do." "They're fish." "You've been tasked to deliver us to Samaru." "Which will happen in good time." "No, sir." "With respect, sir, it will happen ASAP." "Well, your position has been noted." "Thank you." "Now please leave my bridge." "Excuse me, sir?" "'Hammersley' Lieutenant McGregor speaking." "Buffer, would you mind escorting Captain Roth from the bridge, please?" "Aye, sir." "Yes, sir." "They are both here." "Buffer?" "Sir, it's Commander Marshall on the phone for you." "Mike Flynn." "Well, sir, an opportunity to capture an iceboat presented itself..." "No, sir." "No problem interpreting your order whatsoever." "Yes, sir." "Make full speed to Samaru Island." "Boss..." "One surgical shot." "That's all it'd take." "Forget it, Buffer." "Yes, sir." "So, have we made up for lost time?" "Almost, mm." "Good." "So we're back on track, then." "Thank you, sir, for the lift." "Captain." "And better luck next time with that iceboat." "Lieutenant Commander Flynn." "I am Capitaine de Fregate Josephine Durand." "Welcome to the Samaru Islands." "Thank you, ma'am." "Please call me Josephine." "And may I call you Mike?" "Yes, of course." "Do you have everything you require?" "Yes, yes, we do." "Thank you." "Bon." "So this is your Armidale-class patrol boat?" "Yes, it is." "Hmm, impressive." "Well, if you'd like the guided tour..." "Unfortunately, my time is not my own, but you and your crew will be at the reception tonight at the consulate, oui?" "Oui, yes." "Thank you." "I will look forward to spending more time with you." "Insurgents." "Or really bad drivers." "Lieutenant Commander Flynn, this is the Interior Minister, Mr Lawrence Siapu." "Welcome back to Samaru, Lieutenant Commander." "You have a beautiful country." "It's a pleasure to visit." "Excuse me." "Of course." "There have been reports of a firefight in the hills." "How accurate, we do not know." "Today?" "Oui." "Tell me, Mike, are you a family man?" "I beg your pardon?" "Do you have a wife, children?" "No." "Ah." "Then you are married to the navy, like me." "Well, I wouldn't go that far." "But it can be a lonely life, though, at times." "At times." "Salut." "Cheers." "G'day, mate." "Just one light beer, please." "Bière légère." "Je comprends pas." "Beer?" "Light?" "Légère." "Légère." "S'il vous plaît, please." "Hey!" "They don't speak English." "You reckon?" "Now, get the man a beer and one for me aussi." "Oui, madame." "You speak French?" "Just high school, but enough to know what he was saying." "Which was?" "Voilà." "Don't worry about it." "Merci." "No, what was he saying?" "Just rubbish." "Full of himself." "What?" "Like, how Frogs are better than Aussies?" "Yeah, sort of." "Someone needs to teach that guy some manners." "Oh, yeah, and you'd be just the man to do that." "Mm." "Mmm." "Don't get any dumb ideas." "Go, go, go, go, go." "See you, mate." "What?" "Where are you going?" "Shh!" "No, no." "Here we go." "Other side." "I thought the boss said this was going back." "Um, he did, but he also said to get it out of the way, and the most efficient use of space was to bung it up on the bulkhead." "As long as you're happy to put it all back when the time comes." "Yes, ma'am." "What about the cocktail party?" "That was a fizzer." "A fizzer?" "Yeah." "Fizzer." "The only one who looked like getting lucky was the boss." "Oh, yeah." "So how did you escape from her?" "I palmed her off onto Buffer." "Lieutenant Commander." "Captain." "Kate." "What a lovely surprise." "And perfect timing." "May I have the pleasure?" "Sure." "Excuse us." "Mike, I'd be delighted." "You have some dried blood on your neck." "Oh, it's OK." "It's not mine." "I cut myself shaving." "Sorry." "Do I scare you, Mike?" "No, of course not." "I have seen enough of life to know that we must make each moment count." "Absolutely." "The time we waste, we never get back." "Seize the day." "Oui." "I wouldn't have thought dancing would be your style." "Well, you gotta mix it up a bit, read the lie of the land." "When I was a young woman, I had a..." "How would you say?" "A 'maladie du c"