1. I am slightly changing up the dynamic for the battles, making them entirely avoidable wasn't working.
2. I do agree that I should probably get away from using this being a part 1 as an excuse to not explain everything. I'm not sure just how to give them complete introductions without seeming shoehorned in, but I definitely have work to do to figure it out.
3. It's good that you should find what the Captain did detestable. One of the wider themes I'm trying to deal with is that of overbearing authority figures. Though if more people feel the same as you, maybe I should workshop that approach a bit, too.