"Ceres? Good Lord, who'd he piss off?" Nguyen caught herself, looking around the room, embarrassed by her outburst. "I'd like my last statement stricken from the record, if that's alright, Your Honor."
Judge Holmes nodded obligingly. "Since I tend to agree with the sentiments expressed, I so order the statement stricken. Where is Chief Mangala at this moment?"
Sykes smiled again. "Chief Mangala is on the Ceres resupply mission which departed two days ago."
"Then I assume he's not going to be available for a few years, unless we set up virtual testimony by using communication relays. Do you want the court to pursue that, Captain Nguyen?"
Nguyen pursed her mouth, then shook her head. "No. This a minor issue. I don't want to devote too much time or resources to obtaining Chief Mangala's testimony. Thank you, Captain Holmes."
"Of course. You may continue, Commander Wilkes."
"Thank you, your honor." Wilkes turned back to Commander Sykes. "What is your personal assessment of Captain Wakeman's reliability and judgment?"
"Excuse me?"
"As one of his department heads, did you trust Captain Wakeman to make correct decisions?"
Sykes shrugged. "To be perfectly honest, Captain Wakeman rarely intervened in supply issues. As far as issues regarding the operations of the ship, I don't feel myself qualified to judge."
"You worked with Captain Wakeman every day. You are a commissioned naval officer."
"I am a limited duty officer, Commander Wilkes. I do not have the experience to judge the actions of line officers."
"You're avoiding the question, Commander Sykes."
"No, I'm telling you it's a question I'm not qualified to answer."
"I ask the court to direct the witness to answer the question put to him."
Judge Holmes looked toward the members of the court-martial. "This matter appears to deal with line officer perceptions. I'd be interested in knowing the opinion of the line officer members."
Feres curled up one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "Commander Sykes is answering the question. At least he is in my opinion."
Admiral Fowler nodded. "And mine. I think it is both proper and accurate for Commander Sykes not to express opinions on operational matters, just as it would improper for me to pretend to be an expert on supply issues."
"Exactly so," Captain Nguyen agreed.
"Then the court rules that Commander Sykes has answered the question put to him. You may move on, Commander Wilkes."
"Thank you." Wilkes stared at Sykes for a moment, who met his look with a perfect display of nonchalance. "I have no further questions of this witness."
"Commander Garrity, you may cross-examine."
Lieutenant Commander Garrity eyed Sykes thoughtfully. "Commander Sykes, in your experience with Captain Wakeman, how often did he violate orders and instructions pertaining to supply issues?"
"Pertaining to supply issues? He didn't."
"Then you would say that in your experience Captain Wakeman took care to ensure you conformed to such orders and instructions?"
"That's correct. Captain Wakeman informed me that he had no wish to be embarrassed by any failures on my part to do my job properly."
"Thank you, Commander Sykes. No further questions."
Holmes looked to Wilkes. "Redirect?"
"Yes." Wilkes came close to Sykes again. "Commander Sykes, are you saying that you never failed to conform to all standing supply orders and instructions while serving on the USS Michaelson?"
"No. I didn't say that."
"If Captain Wakeman didn't direct you to, why did you deviate from those standing and instructions?"
"To get the job done, Commander Wilkes." Sykes smiled apologetically again. "I believe I'm what line officers refer to as a 'good' supply officer."
"What's that supposed to mean, Commander Sykes?"
Admiral Fowler interrupted whatever Sykes had been planning to say. "It means he bends the rules if he has to in order to get the supplies his ship needs. Right, Commander Sykes?"
"I prefer to describe it as being mission-oriented, Admiral."
A low chuckle ran through the court room, drawing a warning look from the judge. Wilkes curled up both corners of his mouth in a pro forma smile. "No further questions."
After Sykes received the same temporary excusal as Garcia had, Judge Holmes looked around the court room. "Admiral Fowler informed me earlier today that he has an urgent personal matter to attend to later. Therefore we will only take one more witnesses' testimony today before closing. Call your next witness, Commander Wilkes."
"The United States calls Lieutenant Sindh."
A few minutes later, the swearing in and identification completed, Wilkes stood before Lieutenant Sindh, eyeing her intently. "Lieutenant, you were officer of the deck during the encounter with the SASAL ship. During that incident, was Captain Wakeman in control of himself and the situation?"
"Objection. The question calls for the witness to state an opinion."
"I'll rephrase the question. Lieutenant Sindh, did the actions of Captain Wakeman during the incident inspire confidence in you?"
"No, sir."
"Did you have the sense that Captain Wakeman was in control, or did you believe he was reacting to events?"
"At first he was in control of things, sir. Then it seemed to shift and nobody knew how to react."
"Nobody? Or just Captain Wakeman?"
"Objection. Opinion."
"I'll rephrase. During the period preceding firing upon the SASAL ship, that is during the last few hours prior to that, did Captain Wakeman express any misgivings or concerns that you are aware of?"
"Just about the SASAL ship maybe getting away, sir."
"Did he express any concern on the bridge about the SASAL ship being a potential threat to the Michaelson?"
"No, sir, not until after the ship changed course toward us."
"Lieutenant Sindh, as the officer of the deck during a general quarters situation, you are briefed on any plans to deal with enemy action or respond to any crisis. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"We're you briefed on any plans to react to movements of the SASAL ship?"
"No, sir."
"To the best of your knowledge, were there any plans for dealing with the SASAL ship if it did not cooperate with Captain Wakeman's instructions?"
"I wasn't told of any such plans, no, sir."
"Then, again to the best of your knowledge, would it be fair to say that Captain Wakeman had brought his ship into a confrontation with another vessel without any plans for handling that confrontation?"
"Yes, sir, I'd have to say that matches with what I know."
"And once that confrontation began proceeding in a manner Captain Wakeman did not anticipate, did he display any sign of having a plan of action prepared, of having thought through what might happen and how he would respond to it?"
"No, sir. My impression was that we were reacting to the actions of the SASAL ship."
"You were reacting to the actions of the other ship without any plan for dealing with those actions. Would you say then that Captain was in control of the situation, or not?"
"He wasn't in control of the situation, sir. We were reacting. Since the SASAL ship wouldn't-"
"Did you receive any orders from Captain Wakeman to maneuver the USS Michaelson during the incident?"
"No, sir."
Did you hear Commander Garcia recommending such maneuvers?"
"Yes, sir."
"In your experience, what is the proper course of action to take if another ship is on a course which threatens a collision with your own?"
Lieutenant Sindh took a moment to reply, apparently organizing her thoughts. "Well, the first thing you do is try to talk to the other ship."
"Why, Lieutenant?"
"To make sure that any actions you take, any maneuvers, are coordinated. Otherwise you might both turn away onto the same vector and end up still colliding."