JAG Case File #114

Title: JAG Case File #114

Author: Rising Sun

FF Updates: jagrslc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

FF URL: http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc

Rated: PG

Classification: JAG Story/Adventure

Summary: Who would believe it ... Two Navy Commanders fighting over a Marine Colonel?

Spoiler: Boomerang 1, JAG TV, We the people, Life or Death, Mr. Rabb goes to Washington, Adversaries, Front And Center, 
Legacy 2, People v Gunny, Mutiny, The Adversaries, New Gun in Town, Lifeline, Adrift 2, People vs. Mac, Redemption 
(Maybe I should have just said JAG seasons 2 – 7!)

Disclaimer: JAG characters portrayed belong to JAG, CBS and Paramount Television. No copyright infringement intended. All other characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people are purely coincidental.

Feedback: Would be nice.

Story Written November 24, 2001

1407 LOCAL

OFFICE OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL

Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and her partner Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. sat and waited for Admiral AJ Chedwiggen to brief 
them on their latest case.

The Admiral was fidgety. Not a trait associated with the exSEAL.  Finally he spoke. “The Phillips case has taken a twist.  
The Royal Australian Navy has decided that an observer is needed.”

Intuitively Mac’s heart began to race.

“As Commander Brumby…”

“No!” Harm said loudly. One does not shout at one’s CO.

“Commander?”

“Sorry sir.”

“The Commander shall be assigned to JAG for the duration of the case. Mac.”

“Yes sir.” She was in dread of her orders.”

“The Captain of the USS Guadalcanal has requested a JAGman. His present officer has had to leave due to a death in the family.  

Be ready to fly out from Andrews at 0700 tomorrow.”

”Aye sir!” She beamed. She could help it.  The Admiral may act like an old crustacean but he was a softie at heart.
 “Thank you sir!”

“Please! Don’t thank me. Commander as the lead prosecutor on the case your encounters with Brumby should be
 limited.  Be courteous the man is the representative of a an allied nation.”

“Of course sir.”

“Dismissed.”

“Aye sir!” They snapped to and left.

That had been three months ago.

Then the summons had come from SECNAV not the Admiral. Drop everything and return to JAG HQ ASAP.

It would be good to get back she had missed Harm and they’re banter but not enough to stay and face Mic and the 
curious spectators.

Maybe she should have stayed for now here she was on the verge of watching the People v Rabb and Brumby 
for dueling.  How two Commanders had gone from prosecuting a case to being prosecuted for dueling she could only
 speculate on. What were they Navy midshipmen!

She only hoped the reason was not the same as the last time. Bud had nailed it in Australia when he said 
“It's actually your fault ma'am, they were fighting over you.”  She suspected that she was the cause this time too 
even if she was not there for upon her return the Admiral would not let her investigate the case.

[FLASHBACK]

“Sir?” she questioned the order she had to.

“You hard of hearing Colonel? Matoni and Imes will investigate.”

“Sir! With all due respect, Harm is my partner.  And no offence to Alan or Carolyn I am the best here and Harm deserves 
the best.”

AJ signed. “Harm is your partner and Mic is your ex fiancée if the press get a hold of this love triangle there will be hell to pay.”

“Sir.”

“No! Mac!  It is time for hard cold facts. It was this combination that got Bud’s jaw broken in Australia and we are 
probably looking at the same combination here. I don’t want you any where near this case! You hear me!”

“Aye sir!  Sir why the recall?”

“Despite the attempts to keep you out of this you need to be interviewed.  You better do some soul searching and get your 
emotions regarding those two in check this is going to be a bumpy ride.”

[END OF FLASHBACK]

They were one week into the investigation and the pattern emerged. Despite the valiant attempts by Alan and Carolyn 
the testimony took on a distinct slant.  Two Navy Commanders were fighting over a Marine Colonel.  It had happened before 
and it had happened again.   The interviews were being held behind closed doors but that didn’t stop the scuttlebutt and Mac 
wanted the earth to swallow her.  This had to be worse than when she faced Ressler on Trial TV.
  As the days progressed the long line of witnesses testified to the relationship between the three:

1 - Admiral AJ Chedwiggen:

AJ to Harm and Mac: Don't get too familiar.  You've got to work together.

AJ:   God, I'd like to be in Australia to watch this one unfolds.

Gunny: Sounds like a slam-dunk conviction to me sir.

AJ:   Oh, hell, I'm not talking about the trial.

AJ:    Let me ask you something, Mic. What bothers you more - that she's missing or that he might be missing with her?

Mic:  You afraid of me being alone down here with Mac, Harm?

Harm: You know Brumby, one of these days we're gonna strip blouses.

Mic:  Always assumed we would Mate. The question's only been when.

+             +               +

2 – Mrs. Annie Pendry

Annie: "I always thought that you and Mac ... maybe?"

Harm: "Mac has a boyfriend."

Annie: "Oh, so you're secretly in love with her?"

+             +               +

3 – Ms Bobbie Lathum

Bobbie: “I never understood why you never got together.”

Bobbie: Mac likes you

Harm: She’d like to break my neck.

+             +               +

4 - Lt Bud Roberts:

Bud:  Boy, you must really hate him sir.

Harm: I don't hate him. He just bugs me, he always has. I don't know if it's that smug grin or that Crocodile Dundee accent 
or the way he....

Bud:  Chases after Colonel Mackenzie, sir?

Bud to Mac: “It's actually your fault ma'am, they were fighting over you.”

Harm: Look, Mac has either been a partner or adversary for the past four years. I just don't want her to make another bad 
choice with a man, you know?

Bud:  You think Commander Brumby is a bad choice Sir?

Harm: Don't you think so?

+             +               +

5 - Lt Harriett Roberts:

Harm: Harriet! She's not really considering marrying Brumby is she?

Harriet: I'm not sure sir.

+             +               +

6 – Mr. Clayton Webb

Sokol: I think she persuaded him (Alexi) to go after Rabb in Chechnya.

Webb:  In a taxi?

Sokol: The last time she was here she followed Rabb to Siberia in a gypsy wagon.

7 – PO Tiner

Harm: "Mac, the guy just tried to pin a murder on you.  You're going to have dinner with him?"

Mac:  "Yeah.  To give him a chance to apologize."

Harm: "The men you pick."

Harm to Mac:  If you need me there to make it work, maybe you should reconsider who you're marrying.

Harm: Well, Brumby certainly dances to your beat!

Mac:  By that you mean????

Harm: He's still on your scent!

Mac:  We're just friends.

Harm: No man is interested in being friends with a woman who looks like you!

+             +               +

8 – Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie

Harm: Thanks Mac, you're a good friend.

Mac: Yeah, that's me--the girl next door.

Harm: Can we talk?

Mac: Why not.

Harm: Mac, I value you as a friend...or...whatever.

Mac: I know.

Harm: But most of all I respect you, and you’ve made a choice to get married and (stuttering)...respect that...

Mac (referring to Mic): He missed the seafaring life.

AJ: No, what he missed out on was you and that makes him a damn fool.

===============================

WEEK TWO OF INVESTIGATION

0700 LOCAL

JAG HQ

Tiner did not have time to buzz him through. When the SECNAV was on the warpath there usually was not enough time to warn 
the Admiral. SECNAV breezed past Tiner and entered AJ’s office unannounced.  “Admiral… how long is this fast going to take.”

“If you are referring to the investigation of Commanders Rabb and Brumby…”

“I am and you know it.  What was your solution in Australia?”

“Non judicial punishment.” AJ replied.

“Is that what it’s called.” SECNAV replied.  “So why the long drawn out investigation here!”

“Here the fight was more pointed if you excuse the pun.  In Australia it passed as an accident with Lt. Roberts in the crossfire.
 Here there is no such doubt.”

“Mmmm deal with it AJ this is dragging too much and it is not good for the Navy not to mention US/Australian relations.  Close 
this thing and let’s deal with the real problems in the world.”

“Yes Mr. Secretary.”

 ===============================

0830 LOCAL

JAG HQ

The last two witnesses were to be interviewed and as with all the others it was done behind closed doors.

Commander Michael Brumby

“I was in an accident.”

+             +               +

Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.

“I was in the same accident.”

==============================

WEEK THREE OF INVESTIGATION

1030 LOCAL

JAG HQ

The preliminary report was in and AJ did not like what he read.  It all seemed to read like a bad soap opera.  If a loophole was 
not found and soon there was going to be a Court Martial and the little indiscretion that the SECNAV wanted handled 
would become an item on the next Presidential Campaign trail.

He rubbed his baldhead.  If he had had hair it would have gone white and dropped off by now and he would be bald anyway.
  Rabb and his antics were going to give him an ulcer.

All they had so far was the word of a drunk confirming that there had been a fight and the two main protagonists were not 
speaking.  Of those who were talking and that included himself it was a load of they say they say.

He pressed his buzzer. “Yes sir.” Tiner responded.

“Get me Rabb. I don’t care where he is find him.”

“Aye sir.”

==============================

1245 LOCAL

JAG HQ

“Commander Rabb reporting as ordered Sir!” Harm stood ramrod in AJ’s office.

“At ease Commander. Have a seat.”

“Thank you sir.’

“Son. You have pulled some stunts in your time but this one.” AJ shook his head.

Harm was scared “Sir am I to be booted out of the Navy?”

“No… from what I have seen here no.  But the Article 32 will decide. If the Article 32, however finds there is not enough 
evidence you will still have me to deal with.  Do we understand each other mister!”

“Clearly sir!”

“Harm off the record what the hell happened that night?” AJ demanded.

“I was at Mc Murphy’s when the Commander began making remarks unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman. The comments 
were about a fellow officer … the Colonel.  I took objection and asked him to stop.  Truth be told, sir I still don’t know how we 
ended up where we did. But we did and here we are.”

“This is not in the report.” AJ said

“Probably folks are too drunk to remember.” Harm offered an explanation.

“You remember.”

“As does Brumby. He offered Mac a formal apology.” Harm revealed.

“Normally I try to stay out of my people’s private life but this is beginning to spill over into JAG business. If you have feelings 
for the woman…”

“Sir!  We work together.”

AJ interrupted “You were worried about your professional relationship?” He continued, “Let me inform you Commander 
personal issues were already affecting our work.”

“…that would be considered fraternization!”

AJ was getting irritable "Commander, do you have to argue with me even when I am defending you?"

“Er no Sir.”

“As I was saying … if you have feeling for the woman, deal with them face them resolve them.”

“Aye sir.”

“Dismissed.”

THE END

USMJ Article 114. DUELING

Any person subject to this chapter who fights or promotes, or is concerned in or connives at fighting a duel, or who, having knowledge of a challenge sent or about to be sent, fails to report the fact promptly to the proper authority, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.