This takes place at the start of Season 8, 24 "A Tangled Webb" and launches into a slight AU. Harm receives word that Mac is captured. But the Admiral also has another assignment for him, forcing Harm to choose between Mac and an old partner.

You can gather that I don't really like the character Mac.

Edited April 2015 to match actual script.

JAG Headquarters

1324 Zulu

"Send me TADY to Paraguay Sir!" Harm said, his tone rising with extreme anxiety.

"You're needed here," Chegwidden began. Not this again, Rabb.

"That's unacceptable, sir," Harm replied, trying hard to remain calm and continuing military protocol.

"Excuse me?" The Admiral countered, moving to stare directly at his often rash senior lawyer. No, not this bloody act again.

"We're talking about Mac, Admiral," Harm said, his feelings for his long term partner were finally exposed to the two-star, and they were definitely indicating more than that of a working relationship.

"Alright, make your case." I know I'm not going to like this, Chegwidden thought.

"I can do JAG business in Paraguay, Admiral."

"Such as?"

"International military training like I did in Russia..."

"And look how well that turned out..." You found your half brother and nearly got killed do so.

"I can find her sir..."

"How?!"

"I'll find I'll find a way..."

"Commander, you are not, not, going to head to Paraguay, or Latin American, or anywhere south of DC, DO I make myself CLEAR?"

"Sir..."

"Commander, Harm, the reason I called you here was not just because of Colonel Mackenzie's status. It's because of a far more serious incident which I want..."

"Give it to another member of staff, sir. Like Sturgis or even..."

"Commander..."

"Sir, I rather now request for emergency leave..." Harm's voice was rising so much that you probably could hear it across the whole JAG building, and possibly Falls Church.

"Commander Rabb..."

"Sir, I'm going to submit my paperwork within the next hour..."

"Harmon Rabb, are you listening..."

"Respectfully sir, either you let me take the leave or I'm going to resign my comm..."

"Commander RABB, are you listening to me or do I have to plug earphones into your bloody ears! An F/A-18E was just shot down over Afghanistan and the mission wasn't even on the Navy or ISAF/NATO tasking order. I just got the info through indirect channels and SECNAV is flagging this as a top priority mission. Now, I want..."

Harm turned about without even coming to attention and head for the door. Anyone can handle that case. For Mac, I'm going after her...

"Harm, the pilot shot down was your former RIO. Lieutenant, now Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawkes."

"WHAT?!" Harm turned around, just inches from the Admiral's door.

"Sir, if this is a way to lie to me and stop me from going after Ma..."

"Harm, it's all over here. SECNAV needs my best JAG on the case. And I figured out because it's Hawkes, you should take it." Opening the TOP SECRET/NORFORN(*) document he glanced at the report, and indeed it was Elizabeth Catherine Hawkes, former NFO now turned Naval Aviator, who flew a covert mission.

"Sir..." Harm began, trying to think of a response. Skates, damnit, Skates, his best RIO, promoted to Lieutenant Commander?! And flying a F/A-18?! A "Sir...I..."

"Harm, are you going to take this case? It closed door, off the press and JAG does it, NCIS will be scrambling all over it. Now what's it going to be? Going after Mac or your old RIO?"

To be Continued.

* NOFORN means No Foreign Nationals, a US Security Clearance.