"Supposed to be a hell of a captain." "Yeah." "He's a golf nut." "I hear golf balls aren't the only thing he whacks with his putter." "Junior sailors." "No!" "Oh, I'm serious." "'Hammersley' piping party." "Ho!" "Piping party, up pipes." "Pipe to side." "This is Kate McGregor, XO." "Welcome aboard the 'Hammersley' sir." "It's a pleasure to serve under you." "Our navigator, Lieutenant Nikki Caetano." "Charge!" "It's a pleasure to be working with you again, sir." "Ah, no, no." "Pleasure's all mine." "Did you happen to bring your, um, golf clubs?" "Well, do I ever board without my putter?" "They're not still telling that story, are they?" "Yeah." "It is a privilege to be serving on 'Hammersley'" "Now, I know our thoughts and prayers are with Lieutenant Commander Mike Flynn, who's recuperating in hospital." "We wish him a speedy recovery." "In the meantime, I look forward to meeting each and every one of you personally at some stage later in the day." "Alright, let's sail." "'Hammersley' piping party dismissed." "Charts up to date, Nav?" "Uh, yes, sir." "X, you can take her out." "Uh, sir, won't you be driving her out?" "It's your ship." "You know her better than I ever will." "I'm only here to make sure you don't sink her." "Yes, sir." "Special sea dutymen and cable party close up." "Assume damage control state three, condition voyage." "I'm going to go and take a look around." "Sir?" "Oh, I'm sure I can leave her in your capable hands." "Mayday, mayday." "This is 'Sea Lion'," "Need urgent assistance..." "RO?" "No, we just lost it halfway through, ma'am." "Captain, sir?" "XO." "What is it, X?" "Sir, we just received a mayday call from 'Sea Lion'" "It cut out halfway through." "We are..." "Half an hour." "...half an hour steaming time from their current position." "And it looks like we're the only ones in the area, sir." "Take it." "I'll be right up." "Aye, sir." "RO, keep trying to make contact with the vessel and inform NAVCOM that we're responding to the mayday." "Yes, ma'am." "Nav, let's start heading toward that position, please." "Roger." "Port 10." "Steer 260." "Port 10." "Steer 260." "Have you got anything, RO?" "Still nothing since the first call, ma'am." "It has to be this ship." "It's the only vessel in the area." "Any sign of our CO?" "Bomber said he left the galley." "Try the loudhailer." "'Sea Lion', this is Australian warship 'Hammersley' responding to your mayday." "Over." "XO!" "She's gonna try and ram us!" "X!" "Full ahead both engines!" "Full ahead both engines." "Starboard 30!" "Starboard 30!" "Brace!" "Brace!" "Brace!" "Midship steer 270." "Midship steer 270." "What the hell's going on?" "Sir, he tried to ram us." "Leave you alone for five minutes, you nearly ram a ship!" "I was trying to avoid it, sir." "More luck than good management." "Captain has the conn." "Buffer, organise a FAIDEX party." "Aye, sir." "RO, someone is driving that ship." "Get them on the radio." "Sir." "Nav?" "Yes, sir." "Let's see if we can get around the other side of that vessel." "Yes, sir." "Clear!" "All clear, X. No-one at the helm." "Well, someone had to turn the steering." "Maybe they're injured." "You stay here." "Swain and I will go below." "Yes, ma'am." "Ma'am!" "Ma'am!" "Ma'am!" "Sir!" "Australian Navy!" "What is the nature of your emergency?" "Are you injured?" "Man, you heard the mayday?" "That's right." "I'm sorry." "We had a bit of a fire below deck." "Managed to put it out ourselves." "Didn't radio back." "OK." "Who's we?" "Danny!" "We got company!" "Yeah, come up, sir." "Listen, you clowns nearly rammed our vessel." "Ram you?" "I'm so sorry." "I didn't know there was another boat within cooee." "Pretty hard to miss, hey?" "We've had steering problems." "Been trying to fix it." "Buffer, take a look." "You, with me." "Don't you move!" "You know you're in breach of safety rules?" "You are supposed to have someone on watch at all times." "Yeah, look, I'm sorry about that, you know." "We're just trying to make a living." "Well, it doesn't matter how many fish you catch if you crash your boat and lose the lot, does it?" "Hey, Buffer?" "Yeah, seems fine now, X." "Must be some intermittent problem." "You might want to get it looked at." "Thanks, man." "Appreciate it." "Goose." "Sir?" "Sir, the, uh, steering on the trawler appears to be working." "And I gave the skipper a warning about posting a watch." "Right." "Didn't search the vessel?" "Well, no." "Buffer went below to check the steering." "So, a mayday call cut off mid-message, ship tries to ram a navy vessel and you let him off with a warning?" "Sir, they're Australian citizens on an Australian-flagged vessel." "We have no jurisdiction to search..." "We have no idea what's on board." "Could be drugs, could be ammunition, a whole menagerie of smuggled ducks quacking away below decks for all we know." "I'm sure we would've heard them, sir." "What, you think this is a joke?" "Do you, X?" "Eh?" "Now, what sort of executive officer leads a boarding party onto a suspicious vessel, fixes their steering for them and then comes back again?" "We'd be the roadside service, would we?" "They're just fisherman, sir." "Really?" "Then how come they're hightailing it away as fast as they can?" "That's a very odd way to catch fish." "My faith in you, X, was clearly misplaced." "Sir, it didn't appear they were doing..." "Nav, I want us after that vessel." "Plot a course that keeps us below the horizon." "Yes, sir." "Something going on with that trawler." "I wanna know what." "Alright, I'll be in my cabin." "Swain has the conn." "Aye, sir." "Good work, everyone." "Enter." "X." "Ah, Vignesha - in Hindi, the lord of obstacles and other minor unexpected hurdles." "They say Nelson kept one on his desk at all times for luck." "Oh." "I wasn't aware of that, sir." "Mmm." "What can I do you for?" "Sir..." "I don't believe that we had the authority to search that vessel today." "And even if we did, taking me to task like that in front of the entire crew - it undermines my authority." "Mmm." "Point taken." "However, it does cut both ways." "If you make unilateral decisions without consulting me, it undermines my authority." "Mmm?" "You could've radioed me from the trawler." "Might've been able to obtain the permission that we needed." "But you didn't give me that chance." "Sir, Lieutenant Commander Flynn has always acknowledged my discretion as head of the boarding party." "Well, Lieutenant Commander Flynn knows you." "I don't." "Crew don't know me." "They need to believe that I can fill his shoes." "You do them no favours by questioning me in front of them." "They need to have unqualified faith in the chain of command." "We owe them that." "Yes, sir." "We serve them, X. We serve them." "If you're ever gonna be a CO, well, you... you need to remember that." "Leadership's a lonely job." "It does take a certain kind of person." "Hang on." "I thought you were supposed to be in bed." "You sound like my doctors." "There's nothing wrong with me." "Mike, you just took a dose of shrapnel." "Yeah, and they've dug it all out." "I'm ready to get back on 'Hammersley'" "Did you fill in those promotion forms I gave you yet?" "Funny thing about hospitals - you can never find a pen." "There's a pen." "And I'm not certain those nurses didn't clear those papers away." "Ah." "There we go." "A stamped envelope." "Yeah, alright." "You've made your point." "Have I?" "Hey, your career, Mike." "I may have an option outside the navy." "Right." "Ray Walsman's offered me a job." "And he's got plenty of impressive vessels." "Yeah, and I bet he pays better than we do too." "Yeah, and he'll keep me at sea." "What as?" "As a glorified chauffeur?" "Mate, look, a desk job just for a while will keep you moving up the ladder." "It'll be a better command, there'll be bigger ships." "That's the bloke who stabbed your charge." "And nearly killed the X." "They know who he is?" "Not yet." "The feds are hoping to interview him if he comes out of the coma." "Don't worry about him." "It's a police matter now." "You just concentrate on your career." "Uh, ma'am." "Stay there." "Nav?" "Mmm, still tracking the trawler." "Staying right on her tail, but just out of her radar range." "Is she still moving?" "Yes, bearing 120." "Officer of the Watch, Lookout." "There's something in the water." "Green-25." "Distance near." "It's a body." "Slow ahead both engines." "Aye, ma'am." "Slow ahead both engines." "Slow ahead both engines." "Good work, Spider." "Once you're clear, go get changed." "Yes, Buff." "That's one hell of a bullet wound." "He doesn't appear to have been in the water long." "Do you think he was thrown out of that prawn trawler?" "Oh, well, unless he fell from space." "So did you see this man while you were onboard?" "No, sir." "He must have been below deck." "So, that steering failure - how's that looking now, eh?" "Maybe they were fighting in the wheelhouse." "Mmm." "Or maybe this man was trying to get our attention." "He may still have been alive while we were on board, sir." "Mmm." "Alright, we're going after that boat." "Righto, let's get these lines cleared up." "Come on through, sir." "Morning." "Morning." "Morning, all." "How are we?" "Sir." "Seaman Webb." "Sir." "Good job retrieving that body yesterday." "Very difficult job." "Thank you, sir." "Alright." "Oh!" "Bloody eggs are off." "Sir?" "Stop them." "Everyone, listen up." "Right, everyone, eggs in the bin." "All eggs in the bin." "Captain's given an order." "The eggs are fine." "Sailor, I want every egg on the ship disposed of." "Sir, these eggs were fresh from the supplier." "Able Seaman Brown." "Yes, sir." "Anyone got an egg?" "Any eggs - in the bin." "All eggs in the bin, now." "I don't wanna see one egg other than in the bin." "What do you mean, you can't find them?" "Sir, we've been steaming for two hours at full speed - we should have caught them by now." "They must have changed course when we lost them on the radar." "Alright, listen up, everyone." "You are not lone gunmen, you work as a posse." "Which means you don't huddle over your helm or your engines or your radar, keeping your thoughts to yourself." "You let others know what is about to happen." "X?" "Yes, sir." "The captain is right, we should be working as a team." "Alright, we're just wasting fuel to try and go after them now." "Nav, set a course for port." "Yes, sir." "RO, inform the federal police that we will be bringing them a body." "Yes, sir." "Anything they could tell me about his identity would help." "I wanna know what they're up to in case we run into them again." "I'll keep you informed." "Uh, excuse me, sir?" "I know the ship is on a tight turnaround but I was hoping for permission to check on Lieutenant Commander Flynn." "So you like his style a whole lot more since you met me?" "Oh, of course not, sir." "Give him my regards." "Thank you." "When do they say you can leave?" "Keen to have me back?" "Oh..." "Well, these things, they can always be a little tricky in the beginning, you know?" "That bad?" "Oh, not really." "Lieutenant Commander Freeman, he is, uh, very experienced." "To get back to your question, no-one seems able to tell me when I can go." "But I found something to keep me occupied." "That mercenary we captured, he's here." "What, in the hospital?" "He's in a coma." "They don't know if he'll ever come out of it." "There are mercenaries operating on Australian soil, organising some sort of coup on Samaru." "Can you leave it to the feds?" "This is not your personal mission." "After what they did to Charge?" "And you?" "You bet it's personal." "I wanna find out what these people are up to." "Just be careful, alright?" "You poke spiders, they bite." "No smoking, no smoking." "No use of mobile telephones throughout HMAS 'Hammersley'," "Refuel in progress." "Uh, excuse me, sir." "I know we're not supposed to leave the ship or anything." "I'm sensing a 'but'" "Sir, my baby's teething and Sally, my wife, she's at home on her own..." "Yes, well, I know what it's like having a wife and kids wanting me ashore, Swain." "I know, sir, we all have the same problems." "I understand." "Swain." "I'm not married anymore." "And I would save anyone going through that pain if I could." "Go - you've got an hour." "Yes, sir." "Thank you, sir." "I need some help in here!" "It's OK, just relax." "It's OK." "You're in a hospital." "Everything's fine." "Just relax." "Stay calm." "It's OK." "Just relax." "The guy's been formally identified as Russell Byrne." "He was the captain of the trawler." "So who are the men we spoke to?" "These guys are involved in the manufacture of amphetamines." "Oh, yeah, that's them." "But on a boat?" "Well, the feds know of a few cases of manufacturing on boats." "I thought you needed a stable environment for that." "Apparently only for the actual cook, but you're right - these chemicals are highly volatile." "These two men - the police believe it's likely they killed this character Byrne?" "We let them get away." "AFP HQ have put in a formal request to the navy to help in the searching for them." "Only too happy, sir." "Won't happen a second time." "Be careful." "I'll drive the ship out today, X." "Yes, sir." "XO, close up special sea dutymen and cable party." "Yes, sir." "Special sea dutymen and cable party, close up." "Assume damage control state three, condition voyage." "Hey, where's Swain?" "Has anyone seen the swain?" "Uh, no, ma'am." "No, ma'am." "Petty Officer Blake, bridge, at the rush." "XO, special sea dutymen and cable party closed up?" "Uh, sir, specials are closed up with the exception of the swain." "Right, so, uh, where's he?" "Um..." "I don't know, sir." "X, Swain's a ship-stopper." "You're in charge of personnel." "How can you not know where he is?" "Did anyone know Swain had left the ship?" "No, ma'am." "Now, X, do I need to remind you that knowing the whereabouts of your crew is a pretty basic part of your job?" "No, sir." "It seems, in fact, that I do." "Is that not the swain taking unauthorised leave on shore?" "Yes, it is." "I will speak with him." "That'd be good." "That'd be very good." "Oh, that was terrible." "Let me try again." "You're giving it too much hook to the left, sir." "Swain?" "What..." "Oh, ma'am, I'm so sorry I was late, I..." "Late?" "How about the fact that you left the ship without asking permission?" "I did have permission, ma'am, from Lieutenant Commander Freeman, the captain." "Yes!" "Ooh, that's better, eh?" "It's a good shot." "Excuse me, sir." "Hmm?" "The swain said that you personally gave him permission to leave the ship." "Why didn't you tell me that?" "The XO's job is to know the whereabouts of every person on the ship at all times." "So this was a test?" "That's right." "To see if there was any backup - and there wasn't." "You know, it's in your best interests to impress me." "Rumour has it that Lieutenant Commander Flynn will not be returning to 'Hammersley'" "In that case, I'm your new CO - permanently." "So did the police get anything out of that bloke across the corridor?" "They don't tell us about that stuff, I'm afraid." "How come there's no guard on him?" "He's just come out of a coma - can't go to the toilet by himself, let alone do a runner." "Need a hand?" "There you go." "Thank you." "You OK?" "In a coma, they tell me." "What happened to you?" "You rest up, eh?" "Save your strength for your visitors." "What visitors?" "Everyone has visitors, don't they?" "Sure." "Yeah." "Does your family know you're here?" "I could call someone for you, if you like." "No." "It's OK." "I'm sure they know." "Oh, Swain, while you've got all that stuff out, could I grab some painkillers, please?" "That kind of day?" "I'm sorry if I contributed to it, ma'am." "Swain, um..." "I'm sorry, I didn't even ask you what was so important you needed to take off." "Oh, it was just Sally, ma'am." "Oh." "Is she OK?" "Yeah." "Just trying to keep it that way." "Yeah." "That's weird." "The paracetamol's missing." "Well, have we run out?" "We had a whole carton when we left port." "Sir." "X. Everything up to speed?" "Yes, sir." "There is one minor thing." "Hmm?" "The paracetamol has gone missing from the supply cupboard." "Missing?" "Someone has taken it." "But the swain has made a note of it." "Charge, could I have that, please?" "Yes, ma'am." "Thank you." "Ta." "This is the captain speaking." "Now, this is directed to the person who stole the paracetamol from the supply cupboard." "You have five minutes to return this item to me, personally." "I will be expecting you on the bridge." "Excuse me, sir, it's not likely that anyone will respond to that sort of public shaming, is it?" "Right, so your crew are cowards as well as thieves, are they?" "That, sir, they are not." "Well, we shall just see, then, shan't we?" "We shall just jolly well see." "Just see for myself." "Hey, was it just a single tablet or is it the packet?" "It was a packet." "RO, is that straight?" "That's bent, isn't it?" "Yes." "Good." "I think you're right." "Good work, RO." "Tremendous, tremendous work." "Five minutes." "It appears no-one is coming forward." "It appears not, sir." "Unfortunately, no-one has returned the stolen item to the bridge." "All personnel not on watch, muster forecastle." "This is the navy." "We don't accept liars or cheats or cowards." "We expect people to stand forward." "This stops when the person who took the paracetamol steps forward." "Alright, then, senior sailors, join the juniors on the deck." "This crew is a team, down from the lowliest sailor, right through to the X." "If there is a thief on board, it reflects poorly on every single one of us." "Would there be anyone willing to step forward?" "Alright, then." "Officers." "Sir, I..." "Yes, you, X. Down on the deck." "Fish rots from the head." "Sir." "I took 'em." "I took the drugs." "Of all people." "Sorry, sir." "Why?" "I couldn't find the swain, so I just went to the storeroom and grabbed the whole box." "Then the alarm went up, and I couldn't put them back, and suddenly the whole thing was just way out of control." "Yeah, well, I'm deeply disappointed you didn't step forward earlier." "You know, people like you, Charge, you are the backbone of a ship like this." "Your experience your character." "I mean, those young men and women look up to you." "They look up to you!" "Yes, sir." "Well, I thought you were a friend." "Hey?" "Of course I'm a..." "I thought you'd be able to talk to me about anything." "Sir..." "Yep." "Well, I won't, um I won't be pressing any formal charges." "Thank you, sir." "Is everything alright?" "Yes, ma'am." "Charge, why did you take the drugs?" "I didn't." "I'm s..." "The captain can't have his X doing push-ups in front of the crew." "You did it for me?" "You know, his whole way of managing things is completely inappropriate." "Well, he had a point." "Someone on the ship is a thief." "Well, we still don't know who that person is." "Maybe not, but the captain is the ship." "You question him, you question everything." "Hey, there!" "Thought you might like a read." "May as well catch up on what you missed out on while you were out of it." "I didn't catch your name." "Sorry." "Mike." "Mike Flynn." "Nice to meet you." "Thanks." "Hey, listen." "Can I take you up on your offer?" "They haven't given me phone." "You don't have mobile, do you?" "There you go." "I'll give you some privacy." "It's just my sister." "Hey, sis, it's me." "I'm in the hospital." "In Cairns." "Yeah." "A visit would be good." "Great." "Look forward to seeing you then." "Thanks." "Thought I might get something from the canteen." "You want something?" "Oh, no, thanks." "Paging Dr Binet." "Could you please report to the nurses' station on level three." "Hello." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello." "Who is this?" "Sir, Coastwatch have spotted the drug boat." "Excellent." "Right, Nav." "Set a course for 12°." "22 south, 115 east." "Charge, how fast can we go?" "As fast as she'll let us." "Full noise - 27 knots should get us there." "Alright." "I want you to go through there." "Course 240." "Um, sir, we can't." "Those waters haven't been properly surveyed." "Yes, well, that's why we have a navigator." "If it was about steering, we would've hired a taxidriver." "I think the nav is trying to point out that steering through there could cost you more time." "Does every single order have to be spelled out?" "!" "Those men killed their skipper while you were on board." "I want them." "Go through there." "Make it happen." "Sir, I insist on recording my formal protest in the ship log." "I do too, sir." "Fine, fine." "Do it fast, and then steer the boat as I tell you." "Sir, we will follow procedure, with additional lookouts and our best man on the helm." "You can hang over the front with your head in the water, for all I care, as long as 'Hammersley' gets moving!" "Starboard 10, steer 125." "Rock straight ahead!" "Starboard 30." "Starboard 30." "No, stop." "Stop, stop, stop." "Stop the ship!" "Stop the ship!" "Stop!" "Full astern both engines." "Now, I thought I told you to steer straight ahead." "Hmm?" "There was an obstacle right in front of us, sir!" "Sir, I need to speak to you now, sir." "In private." "Leave the bridge in charge of these incompetents?" "You've got to be joking." "Now, look" " I give an order," "I want it to be followed without question." "Anyone doesn't like it they can leave right now!" "I will drive the ship myself!" "Clear?" "Good." "Alright." "Alright." "Sir, I've got a radar contact." "Ah, good, good, good." "It's on the same course as the last position we received from Coastwatch." "Do you think that's the drug boat?" "Well, it's a good chance." "It's right size, right place." "Excellent work, alright?" "Let's get after it." "Alright, look." "Let's..." "let's put the events of the day behind us." "This is your chance to prove to me exactly what you're all capable of." "Ray." "I was gonna buy flowers, but I thought this would be more appropriate." "Chateau Margaux." "Come on, Mike." "Take the job." "Work for me." "I know you'll miss the navy, but trust me - the lifestyle will more than compensate." "You'll get to sail to places you'd never dream of going with the navy." "Mediterranean, Caribbean, the Antarctic." "The Antarctic!" "Always wanted to go." "I just needed someone to give me the excuse, and that's you." "I need some help in here!" "Paging Dr Binet to room 232." "Dr Binet to room 232." "Friend of yours?" "No." "Actually, he was the guy who stole your boat." "Really?" "Clear!" "Vessel on my port bow, this is Australian warship." "Stop or heave to." "I intend to board you." "She's trying to outrun us, sir." "Nav." "Port 10, steer 030." "Port 10, steer 030." "Prepare for warning fire." "Vessel on my port side, this is Australian warship." "Stop or heave to, or we will open fire upon you." "No response on the radio." "Aimed at target." "Range 200 yards, sir." "Ready for warning fire, sir." "Buffer, engage." "Typhoon, engage." "She's completely ignoring us, sir." "Prepare for disabling fire." "You can't do that, sir." "She's clearly not going to stop." "Sir, you need ministerial approval for direct fire." "The feds have told us this boat is highly volatile." "If you fire on her, the whole boat could explode." "Their risk, not ours." "We have given all the appropriate warnings." "Webb, prepare for disabling fire." "Spider, do not touch that trigger." "I am the CO." "Webb, it is your duty to follow my orders." "Do not touch the trigger." "I am the CO!" "Spider, do not touch that trigger." "Buffer, take her from the bridge." "X..." "I can't do that, sir." "Right." "You can't do that." "Is there anyone here who can follow an order?" "Is there one of you?" "Would there be one person?" "You?" "Would it be you?" "Would it be you?" "Charge." "Aye, sir?" "You take her from the bridge." "I can't do that, sir." "Can't do that?" "Bloody well do it myself, then." "Captain, I'm relieving you of your command and I'm taking over the ship." "Is that right?" "Is that right, little missy?" "Swain, ET, remove him from the bridge." "Don't you touch me." "Remove him from the bridge." "Don't come anywhere near me!" "Don't..." "You!" "You!" "This is mutiny." "It's mutiny." "None of you will ever set foot on a naval ship again." "You, you, you, you, you, you or you!" "You'll be court-martialled!" "It's a muting... muting..." "Let's remove him from the bridge, please." "I have the ship." "XO has the ship." "Sir?" "Sir." "No, I'm fine, I'm fine." "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." "We'll be in my cabin." "XO has the has the ship." "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." "Fine, fine, fine." "Fine, fine, fine." "Prepare to board the trawler." "Hmm?" "Sir, are... are you alright?" "I..." "Um... dreadful headache." "Dreadful headache." "How, um... how long have you been having these headaches, sir?" "Oh, uh..." "Something wrong with me, isn't there?" "He asked me to give you this." "The god of obstacles." "Yeah." "And other minor, unexpected hurdles." "It's a shame." "He was a bloody great captain." "A brain tumour?" "Terrible way to end a career." "And you know what?" "Most of the time, he was right and I was wrong." "But you made the right call in the end." "Hmm." "Here, I'll take that." "Thanks." "So how did the mercenary die?" "They think he was poisoned." "I reckon that call he made was to have his people get him out." "Or maybe someone just didn't want him talking to the feds." "Straight after he made the call, someone rang back." "I don't know who - they didn't say anything." "Next thing, Ray Walsman turns up." "How did Walsman even know I was in hospital?" "Someone with a lot of money and connections are funding these mercenaries, and Walsman's been somewhere in the picture ever since we met him, and that was in the Samaru Islands." "If Walsman is behind all of this, then why would he wanna hire you?" "You'd be there, you'd know everything that was going on." "I think his intention was to get me out of the way." "After what's just happened, I can't trust him anymore." "One thing's for sure - there's no way I can take that job." "I guess I'm a navy man after all." "I said, "No, I'm the 'coxswain'"" "Hey, get back to some real work!" "Thanks, sir." "Gangway!" "Great to have you back, boss." "Good to be back, Buffer." "Good to have you back, sir." "Nav."