Wilkes seemed ready to continue to his argument, but Judge Holmes forestalled him with one hand held up in a stop gesture. "It's decided, Commander Wilkes. The members make a persuasive case. Neither supplemental statement will be entered into the court record. Please continue with your questioning of Ensign Sinclair."
"Yes, Your Honor. Ensign Sinclair, when Captain Wakeman prepared to fire a warning shot at the SASAL ship, did he ask you for advice on his authority to do so?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what did you tell him regarding his use of force at that point?"
"I told him that my interpretation of our orders was that they authorized him to fire the warning shot."
"You told the captain he could fire on the SASAL ship?"
" No. Sir. I told the captain our orders said he had discretion to act as he deemed necessary and appropriate. That was about firing a warning shot across the bow. The issue of actually firing on the ship was never addressed to me."
"Didn't Commander Herdez, the ship's executive officer, question the captain openly about the wisdom of firing that warning shot?"
"Yes, sir, she did. That's why the captain asked for my opinion on whether our orders authorized him to do it."
"So, in the face of obvious concern by the ship's executive officer, you told Captain Wakeman that he pretty much had a free ticket to do whatever he wanted?"
Paul took a moment to answer, trying to ensure his voice remained steady. Experience in reporting to, and being chewed out by, seniors like Garcia and Wakeman gave him the confidence to do so. "No, sir. The Captain asked me about whether our orders authorized him to fire a warning shot. I told him I thought they could be interpreted to do so."
"Didn't that warning shot cause the SASAL ship to change course and precipitate the events which led to Captain Wakeman destroying that ship?"
"Objection. We cannot determine the cause of the SASAL ship's actions."
"I'll rephrase the question. Didn't the SASAL ship immediately change course after the Michaelson fired that warning shot, a course change which led to Captain Wakeman's decision to fire on the ship?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then you bear some of the responsibility for this tragedy as well, don't you?"
"Objection. The preliminary investigation of these events did not implicate Ensign Sinclair as being in any way responsible."
Wilkes shook his head. "Perhaps that conclusion should be revisited. If Ensign Sinclair's advice led Captain Wakeman to take a decisive action, his role in this should be closely examined."
Garrity faced the judge even though she addressed her question to Wilkes. "Are you claiming Ensign Sinclair's advice was inaccurate or incorrect to the best of his knowledge at the time?"
"I don't have to claim that. If he told his captain something that helped precipitate the chain of events which led to the destruction of another ship, then that taints his testimony."
"Wait a minute," Admiral Fowler interrupted the lawyers' verbal sparring. "Captain Holmes, may I?"
"Certainly, Admiral."
"Commander Wilkes, you seem to be asking Ensign Sinclair why he answered to the best of his ability a question put to him by his commanding officer. Captain Wakeman asked Sinclair what their orders said regarding his discretion to act. In response, Sinclair provided the information his commanding officer asked for. As my mother always says, 'what're you gonna do?'"
"That's right," Captain Feres agreed. "What was Ensign Sinclair's alternative? Are you suggesting Sinclair should have refused to answer, or provided information he believed to be incorrect?"
Commander Wilkes smiled briefly. "No, sir. Of course not. But if Ensign Sinclair's advice contributed to the course of action followed by Captain Wakeman, then that would motivate Ensign Sinclair to attempt to exonerate Captain Wakeman and, by extension, himself."
Fowler frowned, looking at his fellow officers to either side. "That seems like a real Catch-22 to me, Commander. If he gave his captain bad advice, then he's indeed guilty of contributing to these unfortunate events. But you're saying if he gave his captain good advice, or simply advice which to the best of his knowledge accurately reflected a portion of the orders under which they were operating, then he's still guilty because he'd be motivated by a desire to exonerate himself. Your line of questioning doesn't seem to leave Ensign Sinclair any proper course of action to follow. I repeat, what're you gonna do?"
Lieutenant Commander Garrity turned to face the judge. "If it please the court, I'd like to stipulate that during the verbal exchange in question Ensign Sinclair gave Captain Wakeman a response which to the best of his knowledge accurately reflected the information in the relevant portion of their operating instructions."
Commander Wilkes shook his head. "I would object to such a stipulation, sir."
Holmes twisted one corner of her mouth, looking towards the members to gauge their feelings. "I'm not willing to declare that Ensign Sinclair's advice was necessarily correct, but there's a presumption it reflected a reasonable interpretation of the Michaelson 's orders unless the trial counsel is willing to provide evidence to the contrary. Do you intend to present such evidence, Commander Wilkes?"
"No, your honor. I am not prepared to do that."
"Very well. Objection sustained. Commander Garrity's objection, that is. You may continue your questioning, Commander Wilkes."
Wilkes eyed Paul for a moment, his face hardening. "Ensign Sinclair. You've indicated you have little legal training and little fleet experience. You earlier stated you dislike your captain personally and professionally. Your department head expressed dissatisfaction with your performance as one of his subordinates. Are you prepared to state why you believe your testimony has any value compared to the other witnesses who have appeared before this court?"
"Objection. Trial counsel is harassing the witness."
The judge looked to the members once more. "Do the members of the court-martial believe the witness should be compelled to answer this question?"
Admiral Fowler nodded. "I'd certainly like to hear Ensign Sinclair's reply."
"Overruled. The witness is directed to answer the question."
Paul hesitated. And it's a real good question, isn't it? Why should anyone care what I have to say? Not enough experience and a lot of screw-ups in the little experience I have had. He still didn't look around, still afraid of what he might see on the faces of the others in the courtroom. Jen believes in me. I hope. Does anyone else. Do I? Ever since I reported to the Michaelson I've been wondering whether I can handle this. Whether I'm good enough. Whether in a couple of more years I'll be another Jan Tweed, hiding from my bosses and from myself.
Reporting to the Michaelson. Worried. All too aware of his inexperience. The first member of the crew he'd encountered, the man who'd brought him across the gangplank to the quarterdeck for the first time. Senior Chief Kowalski. "You're doin' okay, sir. I think you're a good officer. " Even as he recalled that brief bit of praise, Paul knew it held the answer he wanted. Paul looked straight at Commander Wilkes. "I believe my testimony has value because I am an officer in the United States Navy, sir."
Wilkes stared back for a long moment, then turned away. "No further questions."
Judge Holmes looked to Lieutenant Commander Garrity. "Do you wish to redirect?"
"No, your honor. No further questions."
"Do the members of the court-martial wish to question Ensign Sinclair?"
"I do." Admiral Fowler regarded Paul for a moment, while Paul tried to fight down dizziness born of mixed tension and relief that the bout with the lawyers was over. "Ensign Sinclair, what was your major at the Academy?"
"International Relations, sir."
"A bull major, huh?" Non-technical majors at the Academy were always labeled bull majors on the assumption that unlike hard science they primarily involved something similar to the end product of a bull's digestive process. "I guess you did a lot of reading."