“Commander Reed,” I said. “If you mention my sister or my family in this room again, I will have you removed and placed in immediate custody for attempting to influence a flag officer.”

The JAG officer, Harris, leaned forward.

“Commander, you are under oath,” Harris said. “Everything said in this room is being recorded. I suggest you answer the Admiral’s questions directly.”

Nathan’s chest rose and fell rapidly.

He looked at the microphone sitting in the center of the table.

“I… I made some errors in judgment regarding the logbook entries,” Nathan said. “The pressure to meet readiness quotas was immense.”

“Did you or did you not sign off on the maintenance reports knowing they were falsified?” I asked.

Nathan stared at me.

I could see the realization washing over him.

He realized that the woman he had patronized at dinner, the woman his fiancée had called a “glorified secretary,” held his entire life in her hands.

“I signed them,” he said quietly.

“Speak up, Commander,” Captain Vance said.

“I signed them, Admiral,” Nathan said, louder this time.