Every workplace has its idiots. The Navy just put them all on one ship with one mission — to circumnavigate Australia. HMAS Mulga is not a fighting vessel. It is a floating management problem.
Captain Malcolm Doherty: Captain Doherty has one mission and it has nothing to do with the Navy’s. Ambitious, politically connected, and catastrophically self-regarding, he already has a new peak cap embroidered with admiral’s gold oak leaves. He is simply waiting for that moment. The crew are an inconvenience. The ship is a vehicle. The Queen’s visit to Sydney Harbour will be his moment.
Chief Coxswain “Piggy” Pigget: Strict, vindictive, and becoming rapidly unhinged, Pigget runs discipline on Mulga with the zeal of a man who has confused authority with respect. He is currently conducting two witch-hunts simultaneously — one for the thief of the Captain’s crab sandwiches, and one for the person trying to murder him. The second witch-hunt is complicated by the fact that he fell off the ship himself.
Mario Naldani: Captain’s Steward. Kind, resilient, and entirely unaware of the forces arranging themselves around him, Mario is the most decent person on the ship. He is also the son of a crime syndicate boss. Everyone is unaware of his connections – except for the body guard his father arranged to enlist the navy and to serve on the same ship.
Petty Officer “Slug”: Abrasive, unpopular, and losing the battle for authority one shift at a time, Slug is a man who demands respect he has not earned from people who have no intention of giving it. His best friend is the Chief Coxswain.
Chef “Dinger” Bell: Exceptionally good with a knife — in the kitchen and elsewhere. Dinger is the best cook on the ship and the most quietly dangerous man aboard. He is also on the payroll of a crime family, placed on Mulga to watch over their son. He takes both jobs seriously.
Navigating Officer – Will Paing: Competent, level-headed, and quietly exhausted, Will Paing does his job with precision while everything around him deteriorates. He navigates the ship. No one else navigates anything.
Training Officer – Lieutenant “Schools”: Fresh from a civilian school and operating under the impression that this qualifies him as a seasoned seafarer, Schools follows Captain Doherty’s instructions without question. He should not be given a pistol.
Lennie Butterfield: Second Officer, Lawyer WRANS Reservist: Smart, principled, and arriving by helicopter with more firepower than the ship. She also shocks them with integrity. She creates a storm for Captain Doherty and the Fleet Commander.
Able Seaman Two-pack: Chief’s Messman: Mischievous, irreverent, and consistently underestimated, Two-Pack finds genuine satisfaction in two things — the company of his crewmates, and the precise moment when someone arrogant realises they have miscalculated.
