Season X – Episode 1 “Pairing Off” By Jared Chapman Disclaimer: I do not own JAG, or any of its characters used in this story. Those of you who do…please don’t sue me. I’m just another one of the thousands of fans who love your shows and I am not profiting in any way from this story. Those of you who read this story…please do not copy or redistribute it. You could get me in trouble and that’s just not nice! However, if you wish to archive it, please send me an email and I will be happy to say ok! Rating: PG Category: Entire series will be Harm/Mac and Other Romance Spoilers: A little bit of everything to date. Summary: Episode 1 of the fictional season entitled “Season X.” When two new JAG attorneys are transferred to headquarters, the Admiral decides to renew an old tradition. In the process, some interesting partnerships are made. 0845 Local Time Monday 7/14 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia “You must be one of the new attorneys, Sir,” Gunny Galindez greeted the nervous looking young officer that he found gazing around the bullpen. The young man didn’t answer right away and the ever-watchful Gunny took the opportunity to give him the once over. Over all the new officer, who wore the bars of a Lieutenant, didn’t look much different from a dozen other junior attorneys that had come and gone since he had arrived at JAG. Then the Lieutenant turned and Gunny caught sight of the trident insignia above his medal bars and he instantly smiled. ‘An ex-SEAL’ he thought. ‘The Admiral is gonna like this kid.’ “Yes, I am,” the young man finally replied. “Lieutenant Timothy Alton. I just transferred in from Pearl Harbor.” “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant. I’m Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez. I’m in charge of keeping the office running smoothly, so if there is anything that you need, just let me know.” “Thank you, Gunnery Sergeant.” “You’re welcome, and most of the officers just call me Gunny.” “Alright, Gunny, can you show me to the conference room? I believe I am supposed to report for the staff call.” “Right this way, Sir…” the Gunny started in the direction of the conference room and the young Lieutenant was about to follow when they both heard a very pretty voice calling them from the elevator. “Wait just a moment, I need to get to the conference room also.” When Tim turned around, he caught sight of a vision dressed in Marine greens. At five foot ten inches tall, with shoulder length auburn hair and piercing green eyes, the young woman was quite stunning. Lieutenant Alton was instantly captivated by the Marine; a fact that didn’t escape the attention of the Gunny. He just rolled his eyes at the thought. ‘Here we go again.’ “Good morning, Ma’am. You must be Captain Thomas. If you will follow me this way, you and the Lieutenant here are due at staff call,” Gunny greeted the young Marine. “Thank you Gunny.” ---Cut to opening credits--- * * * * * 0852 Local Time Monday 7/14 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia It had not been a very good morning so far for one Lt. Colonel Sarah “Mac” Mackenzie. First of all, the batteries in her alarm clock had failed and she’d slept in, forcing her to miss her morning run. Then when she got to her car to head in to the office, she had found a flat right front tire. Then, to top it all off, Harm had arrived at the office just ahead of her and in the previous twenty minutes had not grown tired of teasing her about it. Now, she stood at one of the windows in the conference room, staring out on the back lawn and waiting for staff call to start. “Mac,” she heard a familiar voice from behind her. She turned to find Harm with that famous smile plastered across his face. “Enough is enough, Commander!” she said sharply. “I am well aware that you beat me to the office this morning. I do wonder how that makes any difference when you are constantly late.” She grew even more agitated with him when his smile only got bigger with her comments. “What is so funny?” “Yes, what is so funny, Commander?” Admiral Chegwidden interrupted from the doorway. Both officers whirled around and stood at attention. That’s when he saw for himself what Harm had decided was so funny. Somehow the proper Marine that he had chosen as his chief of staff had managed to replace her marine green tie with the matching red one from her dress uniform. The Admiral had to quickly stifle a grin. “As you were,” he replied before claiming his seat at the other end of the conference table. Harm and Mac quickly took seats along with Lieutenants Bud Roberts and Lauren Singer, and Commanders Sturgis Turner and Carolyn Imes. Once they were seated, the Admiral looked over at Mac again and this time he couldn’t hold it in. He erupted in a brief burst of laughter and he was soon joined in his laughter by the rest of the staff. If it had just been Harm, Mac would certainly have been furious. But, this was her CO laughing and she had to control her temper. “With all due respect, Sir,” she started carefully. “May I ask why you and all of my colleagues are laughing at me?” “Colonel…” he started to reply, but then he got a look at the expression on Harm’s face and he started laughing all over again. A few moments later, with his laughter finally in check, he was finally able to respond. “Nice tie, Colonel. I love the color,” he said as Harm and the rest of the staff tried to stifle more laughter. Mac’s face went to a bright shade of red faster than Harm could fly an F-14, which caused still another round of laughter. “Ok, people. I think the Colonel has put up with enough from all of us this morning. Let’s move on,” the Admiral finally said and everyone at the table snapped back into proper decorum. The other attorneys expected the meeting to start right then. After all, it appeared as though all of the senior staff was present and accounted for, but for some reason Admiral Chegwidden did not call the meeting to order. He simply continued reading the file in front of him and allowed his staff to wonder as to what was going on. Finally, just as Harm was about to say something, there was a swift knock at the door. “Enter,” the Admiral bellowed out. Quickly, Gunny Galindez stepped into the room. “Admiral, I have Lieutenant Alton and Captain Thomas here for staff call,” he announced before stepping back to the doorway. “Very well, thank you, Gunny. Dismissed.” “Aye, Sir.” “Captain Thomas reporting as ordered, Sir.” “Lieutenant Alton reporting as ordered, Sir,” Tim said crisply, coming to attention alongside the beautiful Marine that he’d just met. He wondered to himself if he had even caught her attention at all. Unfortunately for him, he had not escaped the attention of a certain blonde, power-hungry attorney at the other end of the table. Lieutenant Lauren Singer was getting a good look at her new competition. At an easy six foot two inches tall, he wasn’t quite as tall as Commander Rabb and certainly not as handsome. Still, he was handsome with brown hair and eyes and a thin mustache that helped to hide a somewhat baby-face. ‘This one won’t be too hard to handle,’ she thought to herself. Just then the Admiral put the two new attorneys at ease and told them to have a seat. That’s when she saw it, just as Gunny had. There on his chest was the same insignia that the Admiral himself wore. ‘Just great,’ she thought dejectedly. ‘A SEAL. He’ll be the new teacher’s pet for sure.’ Her thoughts were interrupted when the Admiral called the staff meeting to order. “Lieutenant Timothy Alton and Captain Cindy Thomas, allow me to introduce the rest of my staff. To my left is my chief of staff, Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. Next to her is Commander Harmon Rabb. To his left are, Lieutenant Bud Roberts and Commander Carolyn Imes. To my right are Commander Sturgis Turner and Lieutenant Lauren Singer.” Harm looked at his two new colleagues with a smile. ‘One Navy and one Marine,’ he thought to himself. ‘Where have I seen this before?’ After Tim and Cindy found seats at the opposite end of the table, Admiral Chegwidden continued with the staff meeting. “I have decided that, since we now have a full staff of attorneys for the first time in several years, that we will be renewing an old JAG tradition. Each of the junior attorneys will be paired with one the senior attorneys to form four litigating teams. I expect each of you junior officers to pay close attention and get the most out of this opportunity.” The Admiral paused to retrieve a file folder from his briefcase, which left an anxious Lieutenant Singer holding her breath in hopes of being teamed with one Commander Harmon Rabb. She knew that Commander Rabb couldn’t stand her, but she also knew that he generally got the best cases and being teamed with him would do wonders for her career. “Alright, here is how I want this to work,” the Admiral continued. “Lieutenant Alton, you will work with Colonel Mackenzie. Lieutenant Roberts, you will work with Commander Turner. Lieutenant Singer, you will work with Commander Imes. And, Captain Thomas, you will work with Commander Rabb.” Everyone at the conference table seemed happy with the pairings that Admiral Chegwidden had come up with. Everyone that is, except for Lieutenant Singer. “That will be all for today, people. I expect each team to combine their caseloads and help each other with the transition. Lieutenant Alton and Captain Thomas, the Colonel and the Commander both have very heavy caseloads already so I expect you to be an immediate help. That is all.” As the rest of the attorney’s filed out of the conference room and headed for their offices to begin the day, Admiral Chegwidden stopped the two new members of his staff at the door. “Lieutenant Alton, Captain Thomas,” he began. “I’d like to spend a little time with each of you today. Mainly to go over each of your service records and discover the ways that each of you can be most useful here. Lieutenant, why don’t you get a cup of coffee and then come to my office. Captain, we can visit after lunch.” “Aye-aye, Sir,” they both replied before turning and leaving the conference room ---Cut to Mac’s office - Five minutes later--- Mac let out an exasperated sigh as she set down her cup of coffee on her desk and plopped down into her chair. Very rarely did the tough Marine ever get as embarrassed as she had been in the conference room just a few minutes ago. She grasped the red tie that hung around her neck and looked down at it with a chuckle. “How in the world did I do that?” she said, not meaning to say it out loud. Then she heard a voice from the doorway. “It happens sometimes, Ma’am.” It was Captain Cindy Thomas, standing in the open doorway, holding a spare tie in Marine green. “I was about to knock.” “That’s alright, come in Captain.” “I thought you could use this,” the younger woman said handing the tie to Mac. “I have actually done that exact same thing twice with my dress tie, so I keep an extra green one in my briefcase just in case,” she said when she saw the confused look on Mac’s face. “Thank you, Captain. You have no idea how relieved I am not to have to wear this red one all day. It sure is nice to have a fellow Marine aboard.” “Thank you, Ma’am. This is the first time since I joined JAG that I have been stationed with another Marine. Sometimes it seems this job is just filled with Navy.” “Yes, it does,” Mac replied, before being interrupted by another knock on the doorframe. This time it was Harm, and she involuntarily let out a breathtaking smile upon seeing him. This didn’t escape the notice of Cindy Thomas, who decided to file away that little discovery for later. ‘Hmm,’ she thought to herself. ‘I wonder what the deal is with these two.’ “Well, I was wondering what happened to my new partner,” Harm said, bringing Cindy out of her thoughts and back to the present. Mac held up the green tie for Harm to see. “Captain Thomas was kind enough to lend me her spare tie so that I would not have to be tormented by you for the rest of the day,” Mac said with a wink in his direction. Harm turned and flashed his new partner a killer flyboy grin before he replied. “Well, it seems that you have much to learn, Captain. Lesson number one, never ruin a golden opportunity for me to tease the Colonel without mercy,” he said, his smile remaining in place to let the new officer know that he was kidding. “I’ll try to remember that, Sir,” she said, matching him smile for smile. “But, we Marines have a habit of looking out for each other.” “I’ve heard that. Well, when you are done getting settled in, come by my office and we’ll get to work on the Carter case.” “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” With that Harm paused in the doorway long enough to give Mac a smile and a wink before turning and heading for the break room. When they were alone again, Cindy turned back to Mac and the senior officer could immediately see that there was something she wanted to ask her. “Is there something on your mind, Captain?” “Well, yes Ma’am. I wanted to ask you about Commander Rabb.” “What about him?” Mac asked warily, wondering if maybe the young Marine had already figured her out. “Well, what kind of a person is he? I had a really bad experience with my last partner and I really don’t want to repeat that.” Mac smiled when she heard the question. She loved talking about Harm. “Well, Commander Rabb and I were partners for several years when I first came to JAG headquarters. I can tell you that he is stubborn and a little bit on the arrogant side, but at the same time he is honest and trustworthy and he will watch your back no matter what the cost. Honestly, there isn’t a better partner to be had anywhere in the world.” “Thank you, Colonel. That makes me feel much better. I think I will go track him down and get started.” “My door is always open, Captain. After all, we Marines have to stick together.” “Yes, Ma’am.” ---Cut to Admiral’s office – same time--- “Lieutenant,” the Admiral began in his normal, booming voice. “Come in and have a seat,” he said pointing to the chairs in front of his desk. “Thank you, Admiral,” the young man replied as he took a seat and straightened his glasses. A.J. moved back around behind his desk and opened up a file that looked to be Tim’s service record. “Well, Lieutenant, I must say that you have quite a distinguished record of service. Two purple hearts and a Navy Cross, not bad at all.” “I was just doing my job, Sir,” he replied, feeling a little bit awkward at receiving praise from a two star admiral. His reaction was exactly what the Admiral was hoping for. A real SEAL would never betray the memories of his fallen brothers by basking in praise. He smiled to himself at the confirmation. He was looking at the real deal. “I’ve read here in your service record about the accident. What made you decide that JAG was for you after leaving the SEALS?” “Well, Sir, you were actually a big part in the decision.” Now the older man was intrigued. “How so, Lieutenant?” he replied, while two different thoughts went thru his mind. ‘Is he trying to kiss up to me or did I miss something?’ “Several years ago, when I was still at the Academy, I picked up a copy of the Navy Times and the headline read ‘From SEAL to JAG.’” A.J. immediately recalled the article that had been done on him when he received his appointment. “Because I was aiming to be a SEAL, the article caught my eye and for some reason I kept the magazine. Then when I had my accident and was told I had to quit the SEALS, I ran across it again. At the time I was considering quitting the Navy. I reread the article and put in my application to the JAG program the very same day,” the young man finished. A.J. had to smile a little at the story. “Lieutenant, from your service record, it appears that you made the right choice. I spoke to your commanding officer from Pearl. She said that you were becoming a fine lawyer. I hope that you will continue that here. You couldn’t possibly hope for a finer teacher than Colonel Mackenzie.” “I’ve heard that, Sir. I am very excited to get a chance to work with the Colonel.” “Good, then I will let you get to it Lieutenant. Dismissed.” “Aye-aye, Sir,” Tim replied, then spun on his heel and headed for the door. The Admiral’s voice stopped him at the doorway. “One more thing, Lieutenant.” “Yes, Sir?” “I hope you don’t think that because we are both SEALS that you will get any special treatment from me.” “Permission to speak freely, Sir?” “Granted.” “I would be severely disappointed if I received any such special treatment from you. Just the same, SEALS have always depended upon each other in tough spots. At the end of the day, I only hope that you can have that kind of trust in me. I am very much looking forward to serving under you, Sir.” “Very well, Lieutenant. Find the Gunny and he will show you to your new office.” “Thank you, Sir,” the young man replied before stepping thru the door and closing it behind him. When he was gone, the Admiral allowed himself a big smile. “Welcome aboard, son. Hoo-rah.” ---Cut to Commercials--- * * * * * 1015 Local Time Monday 7/14 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia ---Harm’s office--- “Come in, Captain. Shut the hatch behind you.” Harm replied to the knock at his door. “I trust you are all settled in and ready to get started.” “Yes, Sir,” the young Marine replied, still standing in front of his desk. “Have a seat.” “Thank you, Sir.” “Ok, before we get started with the Carter case, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?” Harm asked, more to break the ice than anything else. Then he noted the look of confusion on her face and thought maybe he had overstepped his bounds. “That is completely optional, Captain, of course. It’s just that I have had several partners over the years, both in the air and in the courtroom, and I’ve found that it helps if you are friends,” he finished with a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, Sir. You just caught me a little off guard there,” she replied. She was really starting to like Commander Rabb. “Well, Sir. There really isn’t that much to tell. I grew up in a little town in Montana, called Missoula. My older brother joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school. He loved it from the moment he joined and he wrote to me all the time about his adventures. Eventually I went to College at the University of Montana, where I got my law degree. After that, I worked at a small law firm in Missoula for a couple of years, and I found that I had a knack for investigative work. I was happy in Missoula, but at the same time I really wanted to see the world and be involved in something really great. Then I got a letter from my brother telling me about these two JAG lawyers that came to the base to investigate a mishap. The job sounded really interesting, so I went to see a recruiter and here I am.” “Interesting,” Harm replied. “Does your brother still serve?” “Yes, he is a drill instructor at Paris Island.” “He must be very proud of you.” “Yes, he is. Except when he has to call me Ma’am,” she replied, giving them both a good laugh. “What about you, Sir? I can see from your wings that you are a pilot. How did you end up as a JAG?” “I was a Tomcat pilot when I first started in the Navy. My father was shot down in Vietnam and all I’d ever wanted was to follow in his footsteps as a fighter pilot. Then, during Desert Shield, I was forced to land at night during a storm. What I didn’t know at the time was that I suffered from an eye infection that caused me to misjudge the landing. My RIO was killed and I was taken off of flight status,” Harm paused with a faraway look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” “No, no. It’s all right, Captain. I eventually had my eyes fixed and served another deployment as a pilot, but eventually realized that JAG was my place. I really love it here,” he said, and without even thinking about it turned and looked out the window towards Mac’s office. When Cindy caught sight of where Harm was looking she nearly let out a chuckle. ‘This is going to be a very interesting place to work.’ ---Cut to Admiral’s office – Same time--- “Tiner?” “Yes, Admiral?” Petty Officer Jason Tiner replied over the intercom. The Admiral’s yeoman could tell by his boss’s voice that something was bothering him. “Get me Mackenzie, Alton, Rabb, and Thomas ASAP.” “Aye-aye, Sir.” ---Cut to Admiral’s office – ten minutes later--- “Commander Rabb and Captain Thomas reporting as ordered, Sir,” Harm said while he and Cindy came to attention in front of the Admiral’s desk. Mac and Tim were already seated and the Admiral motioned for Harm and Cindy to do the same. “As you all know, tensions between the United States and Libya have been running quite high over the last few months,” the Admiral began. Harm immediately noticed the look of tension in his mentor’s expression and he knew that this wasn’t going to be a fun assignment. “Two weeks ago, a Tomcat flying surveillance over Iraq from the USS Seahawk was downed in Libyan territory. State did manage to get both the Tomcat and the pilot back on the condition that we conduct a full investigation into the mishap. The JAG office in Naples faxed their report in this morning. According to the report, the Tomcat showed no signs of mechanical failure. The SECNAV has ordered a court martial for the pilot, Lieutenant Mike Powell, and his RIO, Lieutenant Howard Neumann, charging them with dereliction of duty and disobeying a lawful order. Colonel, you and Lieutenant Alton will prosecute. Commander, you and Captain Thomas will defend. “Admiral, will there be no Article 32 hearing?” Harm asked, already knowing the answer. He had a feeling that his young client was being railroaded, but he didn’t want to anger the Admiral by saying it in so many words. “No, Commander. The SECNAV has decided that there is enough evidence to go straight to court martial and he has taken convening authority. That will be all,” he said after handing both Harm and Mac a copy of the case file. “Aye-aye, Sir,” all four officers said in unison before filing out of the office. When Mac and Tim were out of range, Harm turned to his new partner with a grim look. “We have our work cut out for us, Captain.” ---Cut to commercials--- * * * * * 1352 Local Time Tuesday 7/15 Norfolk Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia “Commander Rabb, I hope you didn’t come all the way down here to try and steal one of my planes.” Captain Johnson greeted Harm with a smile as he and Cindy stepped onto the bridge of the Seahawk. “I see it still takes a Marine to keep you out of trouble.” “Yes, Sir,” Harm replied with a chuckle. “Sir, this Captain Cindy Thomas, my new partner.” “Welcome aboard, Captain. What brings the two of you here, Harm?” “Sir, we have been assigned to defend Lieutenant Powell and Lieutenant Neumann. Since the Seahawk was in port, we decided to sit down with them before their transport to DC.” “Very well. You can find the Lieutenants on deck two. I believe the XO has them spit-shining the heads.” “Thank you, Skipper. We’ll check back with you before we leave.” “Very well, dismissed.” ---Cut to deck two – a few minutes later--- “Are you sure that you didn’t just misread the instruments, Lieutenant?” Harm questioned as he paced behind the young RIO. Cindy sat next to the young man taking notes and listening to the way Harm dealt with their client. “I am sure, Sir. The instruments clearly indicated that we were outside of Libyan airspace. I don’t know what happened up there, but I was watching the instruments.” “Come on Lieutenant, I’ve been there before,” Harm replied, tapping the gold wings on the front of his white summer uniform. “Sometimes you can get distracted for a moment and misread the panel. Maybe something on the radio took your mind off of your job for just an instant. The prosecution is going to say that the two of you flew into Libya looking for a fight. Granted, it wouldn’t look too good if it came out that incompetence played a role here. But, at the same time, it’s not as bad as what you are being charged with.” “No way, Sir. Stinger and I were on our game that day. There had been reports of Libyan fighters in that area the day before and we were on high alert. There was no distraction,” Lieutenant Neumann replied forcefully. Harm immediately backpedaled after seeing the reaction that he was hoping for. “Look, I am the one on your side, Lieutenant. All I am saying is that if one or both of you were goofing off up there, you need to tell me about it now so that I don’t find out about it on cross-examination.” “I understand, Sir. But, it’s like I said. Everything was routine and sharp during the mission, from the catapult all the way up until the time those MIGs intercepted us. I’m still not convinced that we were even in their airspace when they intercepted us, but I can’t be sure because when we were forced to land we ended up in Libya. You do believe me, don’t you, Sir?” “I believe you, Lieutenant. Now all we have to do is find some kind of evidence to prove it,” Harm replied with a sigh and a glance over at Cindy. ‘This is going to be a tough one,’ he thought to himself. A few moments later, he dismissed Lieutenant Neumann and sent for Lieutenant Powell. While they waited, an idea flashed thru Cindy’s mind. “Sir, do we have any information on the officers that did the original JAG man investigation?” “I don’t know, Captain,” he replied as he wondered what she was getting at. “Why do you ask?” “Well, Sir, I was just noticing here that the findings came back at noon on the day after the Tomcat made it to Naples. It just seems like they didn’t take much time to look over the plane before they filed the report.” As she finished she could see that her partner was catching on to her train of thought. “So, you think maybe the investigators were being pressured to hurry and bring back a finding?” “Maybe, Sir. I think it may be worth checking out.” “I think you’re right. When we get back to DC, I’ll put in a phone call to an old friend of mine over at NAS Naples. Maybe he can give us the lowdown.” ---Cut to JAG bullpen same time--- Gunny eyed the short, blonde haired officer that had just stepped out of the elevator. The strips on his shoulder indicated that he was a Lt. Commander. Next to his stripes was the JAG insignia, but Gunny didn’t recognize him. He walked over toward the man to see if he could help him, but before he could say anything, the officer brushed right past him and knocked on Colonel Mackenzie’s door. As he knocked, the man tried to hide a wicked smile that threatened to cross his face. Gunny could tell that something wasn’t right about this man, but he couldn’t put his finger on it so he went back about his duties. A moment later, the door to Colonel Mackenzie’s office opened and the short man disappeared inside. “Come in Commander McGovern. Please have a seat,” Mac offered to the young officer that was to be their star witness. As chief investigator at the JAG office in Naples, Lt. Commander Greg McGovern had investigated a number of mishaps involving Tomcats over the years. Both Mac and Tim were hoping that his expertise would go a long way to persuade the jury. “Thank you, Colonel. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ma’am,” he said trying to put the superior officer on his side. He was playing a dangerous game and it would require him to play his part perfectly. This Marine’s reputation preceded her and it made Commander McGovern more than a little nervous. “Thank you, Commander,” Mac replied cordially. After her showing on Trial TV a few years back, the JAGs that she met from overseas generally said something similar. She had developed quite a reputation over the years and the TV exposure certainly didn’t hurt. “This is my partner, Lieutenant Tim Alton,” she said motioning to Tim who stood on the other side of the office. “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant,” the Commander replied, extending a hand which Tim met with a hearty handshake. “I take it you want to go over my testimony in the Powell and Neumann case, Colonel?” he said, turning his attention back to Mac in hopes that he could get out of here as soon as possible. “Exactly.” ---Cut to JAG bullpen – Twenty-five minutes later--- The Gunny was just stepping out the elevator from a trip to legal services on the first floor, when he nearly ran into Lt. Commander McGovern on his way out. “Excuse me, Commander,” he said trying to be polite. “Watch it, Gunnery Sergeant!” came the curt reply as the strange officer disappeared into the elevator. Something about the man still didn’t sit right with the Gunny and he was on his way to Mac’s office to ask her about him when understanding dawned on him. He had seen that man before, when he was deployed to gulf many years ago. As the memories came flooding back, he knew he had to warn someone. ---Cut to Commercials--- * * * * * 1245 Local Time Wednesday 7/16 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia “Please state your name for the record,” Tim requested as the prosecution’s first witness took the stand. “Chief Petty Officer Bryan Wilcox, Sir.” “What is it that you do, Chief?” the young Lieutenant asked as he began his questions. Slowly he stood and walked toward the Chief as he answered. “I am in charge of fighter maintenance and repair at NAS Naples, Sir.” “Chief, is it a part of your duties to evaluate aircraft for JAG investigations?” “Occasionally, Sir. I have done at least twenty such evaluations for the JAG office in Naples.” “In the course of your duties, did you have a chance to evaluate the aircraft that the two defendants flew into Libyan airspace?” “Objection, your honor,” Harm was out of his seat immediately. “The prosecution has not established that the defendants flew into Libyan airspace.” “Your honor, a copy of the JAG man investigation has been entered into evidence. The investigators concluded that the aircraft did wander into Libyan airspace,” Tim replied quickly. “Rephrase, Lieutenant,” Captain Sebring instructed from the bench. “Yes, your honor,” was his reply before turning his attention back to the witness. “Chief Wilcox, did you inspect the aircraft that Lieutenants Powell and Neumann were flying on the 2nd of July?” “Yes, Sir, I did.” “During your evaluation, did you find anything wrong with the instruments or navigational systems on the Tomcat?” “No, Sir. All on-board systems were functioning one-hundred percent.” “Thank you, Chief. No further questions.” Tim finished his examination and returned to sit next to Mac. The Marine was definitely impressed so far. Her partner had handled the questions and Harm’s objection like a seasoned trial lawyer. Mac knew that Harm had thrown in that objection just to size up their new colleague and she had to smile at how predictable he was to her. Now it was her turn, as Captain Cindy Thomas made her way toward the witness to begin her cross. Mac could already tell that she was going to like the young Marine, but at the same time she couldn’t help being a little jealous of her. After all, it would be Cindy and not Mac that would be spending the most time with Harm. ‘Oh well, at least he still has a Marine to watch his six.’ “Chief Wilcox, did you inspect the entire aircraft, or just the on-board systems?” she began in a purposefully curious tone. “Yes, Ma’am. Along with my team, I inspected every inch of that aircraft.” “Did you find anything wrong with any of the other parts of the aircraft, Chief?” “Yes, Ma’am. The starboard aileron was damaged and part of the starboard tailfin was missing.” “In your opinion, Chief, what caused this damage?” “Objection, your honor. The Chief is not an expert witness,” Mac interjected. “Your Honor, the prosecution established that the Chief has performed numerous evaluations for JAG man investigations. Surely this qualifies him to give his opinion on the damage sustained by the Tomcat,” Cindy replied without missing a beat. “He is your witness, Colonel. Objection overruled. The witness may give his opinion regarding the condition of the aircraft at the time of his evaluation.” “I believe that the damage was caused by rounds fired from a Russian made MIG fighter. The bullet holes in the aileron were consistent with the type of ammunition commonly used by the Libyan air force,” the Chief replied. “Could this damage have caused the plane to wander off course, Chief?” “Yes, Ma’am. The Tomcat would have been very hard to keep in the air with that kind of damage.” “Thank you, Chief. I have no further questions.” “The witness may step down. This court will recess until 1400,” Captain Sebring said with a bang from his gavel. As the four attorneys filed out of the courtroom, Harm caught up to Mac and tapped on her shoulder. “Can I buy you lunch, Counselor?” he asked, pulling out a brilliant flyboy grin to sell her on the idea. “Put that grin away before someone gets hurt, Commander,” she replied as a lovely smile played across her face. “Of course you can by me lunch, Squid. I’m starving.” With that the two entered the elevator, leaving Lieutenant Alton and Captain Thomas standing in the hall outside the courtroom. “You were really sharp on your cross, Captain,” Tim said trying to break the ice. The young man had every bit of the nerve that you would expect from a SEAL when faced with combat, but for some reason when it came to talking to a beautiful woman he always seemed to freeze up. For that reason, in the previous two days that they had been stationed at JAG headquarters, Tim hadn’t said more than a friendly hello to this pretty Marine that he couldn’t seem to get out of his mind. “Thank you, Lieutenant. You too.” “Thanks,” he replied with a nervous smile. He paused for a moment trying to get up his nerve before continuing. “Would you like to have lunch with me, Captain?” he finally said, letting out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. Cindy smiled to herself at his obvious nervousness. The tall, dark haired SEAL had definitely caught her eye, but she wasn’t about to give in that easily. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, I’m afraid I already have plans for lunch. Maybe some other time,” she said turning and heading toward the elevator. Tim sank just a little at getting turned down. Then he heard her call to him from just outside the elevator. “Lieutenant, call me Cindy,” she said with a smile that nearly knocked the young SEAL from his feet. “Call me Tim,” he finally replied and she smiled again before disappearing into the elevator. ---Cut to DC restaurant – Harm and Mac are eating--- “So, flyboy, why do I get the feeling that you had a reason for asking me to lunch today?” Mac asked playfully when their food finally came. “What? I need a reason to take my best friend to lunch?” Harm replied, a look of mock horror on his face. “Come on, Harm. I know you too well. You want to try and get me to plea this case, don’t you?” This surprised Harm. He had no such intention and he was just a little hurt that Mac didn’t think he would want to take her to lunch. Their friendship was going so well lately, he had just assumed that she would give him the benefit of the doubt. “Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, Colonel,” a little bit of the hurt spilling out with the words. “I have no intention of accepting a plea bargain in this case. It just so happens that I believe my clients are innocent and I intend to defend them as such.” His words surprised Mac. She had only been half serious, but she quickly realized her mistake. Harm was trying to move forward down the path to rebuilding their friendship and she had just accused him of having ulterior motives. He was about to excuse himself from the table when Mac reached across the table and took his hand in hers. “I’m sorry, Harm. I didn’t mean to challenge your motives, and I want you to know that there is no one that I would rather have lunch with than you,” she said softly with a reassuring smile. Slowly his lips, which had been in a tight line across his face, loosened and turned into that famous smile of his. He squeezed her hand just a little before the moment was broken by the approach of their waiter. After the waiter was gone, they smiled at each other and continued with conversation. The rest of the lunch was pleasant and soon it was time to return to court. ---Cut to courtroom – 1405 Local Time--- “The prosecution calls Lieutenant Commander Greg McGovern to the stand,” Mac began as the afternoon session got underway. Once the witness was seated, Mac rose and made her way across the room. “Commander, what is your job at NAS Naples?” “I am the chief aviation investigator for the JAG office.” “And part of your duties requires you to inspect all aircraft involved in any type of mishap including captured aircraft. Is that correct?” “Yes, Ma’am.” “Did you inspect the Tomcat in question in this case?” “Yes, I did.” “Explain for the members, Commander, exactly what you did in this case,” Mac said slowly before walking over to stand by the jury box. “I began with the cockpit instrumentation which provided me with a complete record of the flight from the moment that the plane left the deck of the carrier to the moment it was forced to land in Libya.” “Did you discover anything unusual in the flight data, Commander?” “Yes, Ma’am. According to information taken from instruments in both the front and rear of the cockpit, the aircraft took an abrupt deviation from the flight plan approximately halfway into the flight. The deviation took the plane directly into Libyan airspace.” “I see,” Mac replied, pretending to contemplate what the witness had just revealed. “Did you find any evidence that suggested a malfunction or some other anomaly caused this deviation?” “No, Ma’am. This was definitely a change in course by the pilot.” Mac took a moment to look over at the two accused pilots before approaching the bench. “Your Honor, at this time I would like to play a portion of the tape from the Tomcat’s voice recorder entered as prosecution exhibit F.” “Very well,” was the response from Captain Sebring. A moment later, two voices could be heard above the roar of the jet engines. Everyone in the courtroom heard the two defendants voices as they talked back and forth about ‘going hunting for Libyans.’ Harm was furious as he listened to the tape and he let his clients know it with a piercing glare. After everyone heard Lieutenant Powell announce his course correction, Mac pushed stop on the recorder. She then walked over to Lieutenant Commander McGovern for one final question. “Commander, did the defendants deliberately change course and cross into Libyan airspace in an attempt to engage Libyan aircraft?” “Objection!” Harm nearly shouted as he jumped from his seat. “Withdrawn. I have no further questions. Your witness,” Mac said with a brief look at Harm. She could see the fury in his eyes and she knew that his clients were in for a tongue-lashing. “Your Honor, the defense requests a short recess,” Harm said, coming to his feet. He needed to confer with his clients before taking on Commander McGovern. “I’ll do you one better, Commander,” Captain Sebring replied. “This court is adjourned until 0900 tomorrow,” he finished with a bang of his gavel. Harm immediately turned to face his clients. “Lieutenants, my office, now!” ---Cut to Commercials--- 0815 Local Time Thursday 7/17 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia The elevators doors open to reveal an obviously tired version of Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. The Commander walked slowly towards his office after spending the entire night trying to come up with a way to counter Commander McGovern’s testimony from the day before. So far, the veteran attorney had come up with nothing and had virtually no questions to ask in today’s cross. But, everything changed with a simple knock at his door. “Enter.” “Good morning, Sir,” he was greeted by Gunnery Sergeant Galindez. “Morning, Gunny. Come on in and have a seat. What’s on your mind?” “This is, Sir,” the Gunny replied, handing Harm a manila personnel folder. Harm opened the folder and his eyes went wide immediately. What he saw in that folder changed everything. ---Cut to courtroom – 0904 Local Time--- “Commander Rabb, you may begin your cross,” Captain Sebring instructed as the morning court session got underway. The witness was already seated and Harm was up and ready. “Thank you, Your Honor,” Harm replied quickly before turning towards Commander McGovern. “Commander, please tell us again, what is it that you do?” “I am a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. I investigate aircraft mishaps for the JAG office at NAS Naples,” the witness replied with a curious expression. “You work for the United States Navy; is that your testimony?” Now the witness was beginning to sweat a little and Harm noticed it. ‘He knows I am on to him. He’s mine.’ “Yes, Commander.” “Are you certain that your employer is the US Navy?” “Objection, your honor. Question has been asked and answered,” Mac interjected. “Sustained. Move along, Commander.” “Your Honor,” Harm began, striding towards the defense table and grabbing the manila folder that the Gunny had given him this morning. “The defense would like to enter into evidence, this personnel file which shows that this witness is not a member of the US Navy or any other branch of the US military,” he finished handing the file to Captain Sebring. “Commander McGovern, or should I say Deputy Director McGovern, I will ask you again. Who do you work for?” The witness knew that he couldn’t hide anymore and decided to relent. “I work for the State Department.” “You mean the CIA, don’t you Mr. McGovern?” “Yes, I work for the CIA.” “So you are not a JAG investigator?” “No, I am not.” “Just what were you doing investigating this mishap as a Navy officer?” “That is classified.” “Mr. McGovern, did you tamper with the voice recordings from the cockpit of the Tomcat in question in order to make the defendants appear guilty?” “That is classified.” “Did you falsify any of the data in the report that you submitted under the false pretense that you were a qualified Navy investigator?” “That is classified.” “Thank you, Mr. McGovern. I have no further questions.” ---Cut to courtroom – The next day--- “Have the members reached a verdict?” Captain Sebring asked the foreman of the jury. “We have, your honor.” “The accused will rise,” the Captain instructed, bringing Harm, Cindy and their two clients to their feet. “You may publish your findings.” “Lieutenant Mike Powell, on the charge and specification of dereliction of duty, we find you not guilty. On the charge and specification of disobeying a lawful order, we find you not guilty. Lieutenant Howard Neumann, on the charge and specification of dereliction of duty, we find you not guilty. On the charge and specification of disobeying a lawful order, we find you not guilty.” “The court thanks the members for their service. This court is adjourned,” Captain Sebring proclaimed with a bang from his gavel. The two defendants turned and shook hands with their attorneys and said their thanks. After his cross-examination of the CIA agent, Harm had gone with a short defense made up of testimony from both defendants. Along with the doubt created by the disguised CIA agent, their testimony proved to be enough to persuade the jury. As the four attorneys made their way from the courtroom, Mac decided to take the initiative and she approached Harm. “I think I owe you lunch, flyboy. What do you say? Have lunch with me?” she said with her most alluring smile. Harm felt as if his legs were melting beneath him. He wanted to tease her and play hard to get, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate. “I’d love to, Ninja Girl,” he replied, leading her from the courtroom with his hand on the small of her back. This action did not go unnoticed by their new partners who were now standing in the deserted courtroom watching Harm and Mac leave. When their partners disappeared out the door, both Tim and Cindy had the same look of confusion on their faces. They looked at each other and at the same time said: “Ninja Girl?” This caused them to burst out into laughter. A few moments later it was Tim that spoke. “Ok, I am definitely going to get that story from the Colonel this afternoon.” “Oh, I am totally going to get the Commander’s version. This is too good,” Cindy replied with another burst of giggling. Then she noticed that Tim’s expression had gone serious all of a sudden. “Cindy?” “Yes, Tim?” “Have lunch with me today?” There was a pause while Cindy thought it over. Her head was telling her to play hard to get, but her heart was telling her to take a chance. “Ok,” she finally replied with a half-smile. Tim’s smile nearly shot off the sides of his face as the two new officers walked towards the door together, both of them thinking at the same time: ‘This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.’ ---Cut to Executive Producer credit--- * * * * * End of Episode 1 Send Feedback Back to Season X