Title: Back at the Beginning – Part 5
Author: Nan
Rating: R
Classification: vignette, Harm/Mac, AJ
Spoilers: All episodes up to but not including Fortunate Son from Season 8
Summary: AJ and Mac worry about Harm and his latest TAD
Admiral AJ Chegwidden had his glasses on and was studying the file on his desk. He was having trouble concentrating on the inoffensive document. Instead, his mind was wandering to the news ticker that scrawled across his office monitor over 67 minutes ago.
The high drama of the Iraqi offensive was over but the story of the events unfolding in the Arab country still dominated the news services. Most of the office, engrossed with the additional work from the recent war, gave little thought to the JAG officer serving in Far Eastern Theatre. This was not true in AJ's case. Harm's TAD duty as a naval aviator about the Carl Vinson was something he thought about often. Maybe it was because of his experience as a SEAL in Vietnam. He understood better than many the precarious politics of the region. He read the activity reports from the Pacific as a part of his daily routine.
When Tiner had interrupted him earlier without his usual trepidation, AJ had a premonition that something had gone wrong. Tiner switched the monitor to the news feed of ZNN, which was reporting a downed F-14 fighter with two dead after a dogfight with the North Korean MIGs. ZNN apologized for the lack of details. The story was just starting to unfold.
AJ barely had time to turn around before Mac, Sturgis, Bud and Harriet appeared in the open doorway.
"I just heard, people. Don't jump to any conclusions. There are other F-14 pilots aboard the carrier besides Harm." AJ finally met the eyes of the four officers. "I will make some calls."
"Trouble has a way finding the commander, sir, " said Mac grimly.
"Not every time. I'll let you know as soon as I hear," said AJ. With that he dismissed them and was left to his own thoughts.
He had left a message with Captain Brooks aboard the carrier. That was over an hour ago. Why hadn't the damn man called him back? His irritation with the CAG on Carl Vinson was growing. It was compounded by the thought that he had to leave for a meeting at the Pentagon with the SecNav in five minutes. Hell, he thought, I can find out what happened at the Pentagon. He stood up and reached for his cover and walked out.
"Tiner, let the Colonel, the Commander and everyone else that I still have not heard from the carrier. I'm on my way to the Pentagon," AJ said as he walked past the yeoman's desk.
"Yes, sir. Good luck, sir," Tiner was subdued. AJ could feel the apprehension in the office.
#
Mac had heard the admiral's words as she was walking towards her office. Fighting a rising sense of dread, she tried to keep her thoughts in order. Now sitting at her desk, she thought about the last time she had heard from Harm. She opened her email and looked under the file with Harm's name. She had a surprising number of messages from Harm this TAD. Not usually in his character but she sensed he was attempting to make some sort of effort. But his last email was sent over six days ago. Never mind. She could think about that later. She opened up a new message and typed in his email address.
Harm,
We just heard that a Tomcat was shot down on the coast of North Korea. Email me and let me know that you are in one piece.
Are you okay?
Mac.
She pressed the send button and watched as her computer cleared the window from her screen. She reluctantly turned her attention to a case file, knowing it would be while until she got a reply.
#
Admiral Chegwidden was sitting in one of the leather chairs in front of the large desk of the Secretary of the Navy. Despite the obsequious personality of Sheffield, AJ was learning that, he was a master politician and a relentless taskmaster. AJ was starting to prefer the outright confrontational manner of the former SecNav. You always knew where you stood with Nelson. Not so with Sheffield.
In true Sheffield style, the SecNav was letting his aide do much of the unpleasant work. A young Navy Captain from the Secretary's staff was outlining the items inside AJ's budget that needed to be 'addressed.' So he needed to readjust a few expenditures for next quarter, thought AJ. Just get to the point.
But that wasn't important right now. A few minutes earlier, an aide had interrupted their meeting and set the file on the SecNav's desk. It was the preliminary after-action report from the incident in North Korea. AJ knew the names of the dead aviator and his RIO were inside that report. He waited for a break in relentless monologue of the Captain. As the captain stopped to find a number inside the 100-page budget, AJ saw his chance.
"Excuse me, Mr. Secretary, but may I change the subject for a minute?" he said.
"Yes, AJ?" Sheffield liked to address him informally. It implied an intimacy that the admiral found hard to warm up to.
"I notice that you have the after-action report on the recent North Korean incident. I have a TAD officer flying with the Air Wing on the Carl Vinson. I haven't been able to confirm if he was involved."
"Of course, AJ. Commander Rabb, am I right? From all reports, he is doing a fine job. Command finds his contribution exceptional." The SecNav reached for the file.
"Yes, sir. So I hear," said AJ watching as Sheffield read the file.
"It appears from this report that he was flying one of the Tomcats involved with the incident. But he was not the one shot down. He and his wingman arrived after our fighters had already engaged. It says here, Rabb fired the shot that brought down the MIG," Sheffield continued to read the file without further comment.
AJ suppressed a wave of relief. Mac was right; trouble did seem to follow the commander. But this time, he was okay.
Sheffield said, "I can't say much more than that, AJ. As you are aware, next of kin need to be notified."
AJ felt mild exasperation at that statement. He was a two-star admiral; he was privy to more confidential information than the names of a deceased pilot and his RIO. But he got what he wanted. Rabb was okay. He chose to ignore the rest.
"Yes, sir. Thank you. That is all I needed to know. The rest will come out soon," he said.
"North Korea is a nasty affair. We need to focus more attention on this unstable part of the world. But for now, lets finish here." With that, the secretary motioned to the Captain to continue his report.
#
AJ was crossing the massive parking lot of the Pentagon towards his Navy issue vehicle, when he heard a shout. He turned and saw Commander Theodore Lindsey walking towards him. He sighed, knowing that a conversation with the commander was unavoidable.
"Admiral Chegwidden, it is good to see you, sir," began Lindsey.
"Commander." AJ knew his answer was curt but he found it hard to feel much warmth towards this officer. He waited for Lindsey to get to the point.
"Must be busy days at JAG, sir," said the commander.
"We are keeping up. It is busy everywhere, commander." Where was this going?
"Yes, but JAG losing a senior officer like Commander Rabb. Must leave a hole. Have you given any consideration to his replacement?" said Lindsey.
"Commander Rabb?" AJ narrowed his eyes. Was he talking about the incident in North Korea?
"Well, I knew when the request came to the CNO's office about Rabb's designator, it was a done deal, sir. I did think it was a bit odd that command on the Carl Vinson wanted Rabb to fly again. I guess they feel his legal experience aids the air wing. I personally think it is a bit overdone. I mean if we now have to train every pilot as a lawyer…. But I knew that Rabb would jump at the opportunity. JAG was never his first choice."
Commander Lindsey continued to talk unaware of the bombshell he dropped. AJ felt like the carpet had been pulled out from under him. Rabb was leaving JAG? He turned his attention back to the commander.
"Is there anything else, Commander Lindsey? I have to get back to Falls Church," said AJ, controlling the rush of emotions that threatened to overtake him.
Lindsey looked startled. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
"Good-bye Commander." AJ started to climb inside his vehicle.
#
AJ had a full head of steam threatening to overflow by the time he reached JAG. He absently nodded to the guard as he pulled into a parking space. He walked quickly into the building and jabbed at the elevator button. As he walked through the glass doors into the bullpen, an anxious staff greeted him.
Bud broke the silence. "Have you heard any news about the commander, sir?" He was puzzled by the angry mood of his superior.
I sure as hell have, thought AJ. Before he could speak he realized that Bud was talking about the downed pilot.
"Ah, yes," He started to stumble over his words but quickly collected himself. He looked to the awaiting staff members. He could see Mac and Sturgis at the back of the group. "The commander is okay. According to an after action report at the SecNav's office, he was involved with the action but not in the Tomcat that was shot down. He is credited for taking out the downed MIG. That's all I know, folks."
He was vaguely aware of Sturgis putting a hand on Mac's arm to steady her. Then the rest was lost as the bullpen erupted into a loud buzz of conversation and staff members pressed forward and demanded his attention. He was quickly immersed into the minutiae that made up the daily work routine at the office.
It was 1745 local time when Tiner knocked on the door and informed him that Colonel Mackenzie was looking to speak with him. Did he have a minute?
"Send her in, Tiner," he said, not looking up from the DOD report.
"Admiral?" said Mac, sitting down in the brown leather chair directly in front of his desk. "I wanted to review the new redistribution of the office case load with you. I think I have got it finally figured out. Commander Rabb returns on Wednesday. He can pick up any slack at that time."
No response. Mac looked at his bowed head as he continued to read the report on his desk. "Admiral?"
Finally, he took off his reading glasses, leaned back in his chair and looked at her. She wondered what was wrong. Since returning from the SecNav's office, the whole office knew that the admiral was in a bad mood.
"Is everything okay, sir?"
He looked at her with a grim resigned look and said a single laconic word, "No."
"Sir?" She hoped that he would continue.
"If you call being bypassed by CNO's office okay, then everything is okay. If you call being side stepped by the SecNav okay, then everything is okay. If you call being railroaded by a mere captain on a carrier okay, then everything is okay. If you call being stabbed in the back by an officer under your command okay, then everything is okay!" AJ was almost shouting as he came to the end of his invective.
Mac was alarmed at the intensity of his words. "Whom are we talking about, sir?"
"Rabb! I learned through Commander Lindsey, no less, that he has decided to switch his designator again. Active status as a pilot on the carrier Carl Vinson! Brooks has gone over me to the CNO's office without even a courtesy conversation to me! I have his boot prints all over my head. As much as that is insulting, I can almost understand it. But Rabb hasn't even bothered to pick up the phone. He didn't even give me the civility of a conversation about the issue!"
"That doesn't sound like Harm, sir. I don't believe he would leave again without…," Mac's words trailed off. Maybe he would go without saying goodbye. It would be a hard conversation to tell the admiral he was leaving JAG again. She knew that Harm knew it. He knew when he left the first time that both she and the admiral took it hard. The second time would almost be unforgivable.
She thought about the discussion she had with him over the Pacific two months ago. He had asked her a simple question. Did she and admiral want him to give up his flight status? Although she had declined to respond, she knew that Harm already had the answer to that one. Or at least he thought he did. She felt a sudden chill. If the offer was right, she knew he would join an air wing. And Captain Brooks was willing to bend the rules to get him to stay.
When she looked up, she found the admiral watching her. He had already gone through this identical thought process. They shared a look.
"Let's go through your ideas on the office case load. I think we need to look to the regional JAG offices and consider transferring a senior officer to this location," said AJ.
"Sir, have you tried to contact Harm? Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt," she said.
"Yes, I have left a message for him on the Carl Vinson earlier this afternoon. So far, I have heard nothing. Tiner has sent him an email. Nothing. That is all I can do, Colonel. I'm not going to beg. If he calls, well, I'll talk with him."
"Yes, sir," said Mac. It had been a roller coaster for her emotions today. Earlier, she had feared for Harm's life. Now, she was feeling a different kind of loss.
