"Truth, Justice And The American Way: Part One- Seeking Truth""
Disclaimer: While this disclaimer will be about as useful to me as a hardback copy of Michael Moore's "Dude Where's My Country" in a court of law, I feel obliged to provide a spiel about how I don't own the characters, surprisingly enough. If you feel like suing me, go ahead- have no money. Feel like prosecuting me for violation of international copyright laws? Oh please do, I'm on holidays now and I'm kinda bored, so a stint in the brig'd be cool. *coughs* And I"ve always wanted to be arrested-
Police officer (ie. pig): 'do you understand these rights as I've just read them to you?'
Me: No, I think you'd better repeat them.
Pig: *repeats lil speech*
Me: No, I think you'd better repeat them--- he he *sniggers*
Time frame: Meh, before end of Season 8/ beginning of Season 9Genre: Action/Adventure/Mystery
Rating: PG-13 due to themes and violence (YAY! *cheers* action!)
Spoilers: None.
Summary: When Captain Seraphine McGrath, a legal officer based in the local area accuses an NCO of spreading rumours about her and her alleged relationship with her CO, Mac is asked to intervene. Meanwhile, several NCO's from a Navy institution come forward with allegations against their CO regarding harassment. When Mac finds two of the women dead, she resolves to uncover the truth but when the other three women withdraw their charges and she is ordered to drop the investigation, she is forced to turn her attentions back to her previous case. Further investigation into the rumours spread about McGrath leads her to a continued series of near-identical killings and no apparent answers to the cryptic clues the murderer gives her.
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"Cold, Rainy Monday Mornings"Ordinarily, Mac wasn't a huge aficionada of Monday mornings. And cold Monday mornings… well those she disliked. Cold, rainy Monday mornings… she hated them. Grudgingly admitting to herself that her abhorrence to cold, rainy Monday mornings was the lack of romantic relations in her life, thereby bringing to light the gapping black hole that was her love life and the other nasty statistical fact that as far as romance was concerned, any upturn in her amorous pursuits was about as likely as her waking up on a cold, rainy Monday morning next to her gorgeous best friend.
In shorter terms, cold, rainy, Monday mornings were the epitome of all she hated about being single.
So with the day not looking inviting and the uncanny feeling that in a few hours she'd regret the decision to get out of bed that morning, she pulled the covers to her chin and lay in bed. Sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes.
'Harm' was her first thought.
Cursing quietly, she pondered the strange tendency of her thoughts to gravitate around Harm. Sighing again, she allowed herself to slip into a reverie.
Suddenly it occurred to her that it was seven o'clock. Groaning, she realised she was going to be late if she didn't get herself into the shower within the ensuing seconds, she somehow (or rather, for some reason) managed to extract herself from the warm, comforting covers, and endure the cold, rainy Monday morning, complete with wet hair, no breakfast and slow traffic which demonstrated the devastating effects of automatic cars driven by manual minds.
"Colonel Mackenzie?" Bud called to her as she entered the office, several minutes late.
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"The Admiral would like to see you in his office. Commander Turner and Commander Rabb are already in there Ma'am."
"Thanks Bud," she replied, inwardly kicking and screaming in protest. A pow-wow with the Admiral and the other senior staff members that she was late for did not make a brilliant start to a Monday morning. Not only did it almost certainly mean a full weeks worth of work from before sunrise to after sunset, it also entailed getting her ass kicked before the first cup of coffee. She sighed, only barely lifting her feet out of a trudge as she approached Tiner.
"Ma'am," he announced, standing at attention.
"Thankyou Tiner," she responded dejectedly, feeling ten times tireder now then before she had seen Bud.
"He's waiting for you Ma'am."
"I was afraid of that."
She paused at the door, her hand on the handle, knocking apprehensively and staring with dread.
"Enter," the Admiral hollered through the wood.
Though she was expecting his reply, she jumped a little and turned the handle, trying to accomplish the impossible task of making it into a chair without being placed under thorough scrutiny.
"I know you don't have a good excuse for being late Colonel, so I won't force you to come up with a bad one," the CO informed her dryly, sounding less than amused, "But don't let it happen again in this lifetime, or you may find the said lifetime comes to a very sudden end. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Sir," she answered confidently, while internally cowering from the Admiral's glare.
"Take a seat," he requested.
She complied, glancing at Harm and Sturgis. Turner nodded in acknowledgement of her presence. Harm went one better and smirked in greeting. She met his eye with a glare that would've wiped the smile off anyone else's face. He grinned back at her then turned his attention back to the Admiral, who appeared to be enjoying the Monday as much as she was.
"As I have told the Commanders, there are a number of high-profile cases making their way onto my desk, and only three of you. In accordance with this, I've assigned each case a junior officer as well, to act as assistant counsel. Help them out, and I'd like an assessment of each of their performances. Some of them may have to handle cases akin to these as individuals unless something happens about the staff shortages around here."
Chegwidden paused before continuing, "As you all know, and as I've just briefed the Commanders, in a recent training exercise, one of our F-14 fleet acquired the status of permanently grounded. As a result of this, both crewmembers are dead. The problem arose when the Article 32 report claimed that it was due to negligence that the accident occurred and that the Tomcat was unfit to fly that day. The OIC of the maintenance crew is being charged with negligent homicide, among other things. Commander Turner, you'll prosecute with Commander Mannetti assisting you, Commander Rabb, you'll defend along with Lieutenant Roberts. I trust you can brief your co-counsels?"
"Yes Sir," they replied respectively.
"You two can be dismissed, Colonel Mackenzie I'd like you to remain behind."
Sturgis and Harm stood, came to attention (A/N: The Navy slide *shudders*) and before leaving the office responded with, "Aye aye Sir." (A/N: Why the Navy can't speak English, I do not know…)
"Sir?" Mac prompted, curious as to why she had no work to do.
"Colonel, I want to keep one of you three relatively free in case something comes up. The way this morning is going, you'll be double-booked all week by lunchtime. I do have something for you though," he pushed a manila folder across the desk, "At a Marine training facility in the district, the JAG has reported a junior officer serving as an instructor is spreading rumours about her and making improper suggestions in a manner which includes using provoking speech. It would be relatively simple if the alleged rumour spreading wasn't solely regarding the JAG's relationship with her Commanding Officer and the fact that there is reason to believe these claims may actually be true."
Mac stared at the file in her hands, "The NCO accused of spreading the rumours is a man then Sir?" she commented sarcastically.
"No, actually Colonel, it's a woman. One Sergeant Purdy as a matter of fact."
Mac continued to read.
"Apparently things are getting very catty down there Colonel, and I wanted to make sure I sent someone who would approach the investigation with… some sought of understanding of the female psyche."
Mac smiled, "Something men have yet to perfect Sir?"
"You could put it that way."
"It all sounds reasonably trivial Sir. I mean, it's been said that if you put two or more female Marines in a confined space they'll either kill each other or everyone around them, but this…" she paused, "This is a dispute between colleagues that got out of hand."
"Prejudging Colonel?"
"Maybe a little Sir."
"Approach it with an open mind. There's no frat charges yet, but if you could find out for sure," he paused, "It would be another positive outcome of you investigation."
"Yes Sir."
"That'll be all, dismissed."
"Aye aye Sir," she replied, exiting with the manila folder under one arm.
When she reached her office, she found Harm waiting for her in her chair with an amused look on his face.
"Oh come on, I was five minutes late, it wasn't that funny," she retorted, tossing the manila file in front of him and glaring.
"Yeah well, for once it wasn't me. So what happened after we left?"
"Not much. I got another boring investigation into the latest catfight down at Quantico."
"They hold regular catfights there?"
"No, but its all pretty stupid. Some Sergeant's spreading rumours that the JAG's sleeping with her CO," Mac shrugged, "Happens everywhere. I don't know why these two have got so serious."
"Serious in that you're conducting the Article 32?"
"Yeah."
"Oh well, I get my day in court, and you get to play referee," he grinned, "Sounds a fair punishment for being late on a Monday morning."
"It was cold and rainy," she answered in her defence.
"Yes, and I endured the harshness of the weather to see you Colonel, and you disappointed me," he informed her, getting up and meeting her at the door.
"How so Commander?"
"I had to wait a whole two minutes before you arrived," he answered, exiting looking very pleased with himself.
Mac watched him leave, doing the math, "You were late too damnit," she laughed quietly before sitting at her desk and typing a one-word e-mail.
It read: hypocrite.
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