JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
"Nice to see you again…" RADM AJ Chegwidden looked over at the blonde female captain. "I trust that you had a good flight back from the UK?"
The voice, from years of cigarette smoking, sounded rather huskily scratchy. "Well, I'm pleased to be back, Admiral…" She smiled and extended her hand which AJ took. "Well…it has been a long time. Is Lieutenant Commander Rabb still around?"
"Actually, Commander Rabb is now Captain Rabb and he works out of NAS Pax River. His fiancée works here actually after transferring back from Naval Intelligence." AJ gazed at the one-time precipitator of the one-sided attentions on his prized attorney with a calculated look. Let's see how she took that bit of news. He didn't believe that the former Commander now Captain had the astuteness to realize just who the 'fiancée' was.
"Well, that's an amazing bit of news…" Captain Allison Krennick replied raising her eyebrows showing a pretty fair poker face at the fact that the prized Captain Rabb was off the suitor's market. "So, when did that happen?"
"Fairly recently as a matter of fact." AJ replied, a mischievously smug look on his face, as he glanced out of the corner of his eyes at Captain Krennick. "I need you to head down to NAS Pax River as a favor and relieve the prosecuting attorney, she has a wedding to attend and I'd like for her to be able to be free to make her wedding plans as quickly as possible. The case involves a crashed F/A-18 Hornet. However you will finish the investigation, make your findings and sit second chair to the commander who is currently investigating this case which will be prosecuted after the commander comes back from her honeymoon." He knew Allison was bristling inside at the fact that she, of senior rank, had to sit second chair to a mere commander. And he knew that she'd be going ballistic inside when she found out exactly who that commander was. Did he really give a shit what she thought of the situation – a piece of ice had a better chance in hell of gaining sympathy. In essence, this was Allison's last chance. If she ~f~d this one up badly, she'd be retired with her full twenty in and a pension. This was also a stumbling block for her too; if she indulged her propensity for 'thinking outside her box' she'd get hit with a charge of conduct unbecoming and lose every single bit of what she worked for these twenty years. It was a choice between a rock and a hard place. AJ really didn't care if she exceeded her expectations or failed miserably – either way was fine; she'd prove her worth or get fired out the escape trunk – didn't bother him one bit.
"I can be on my way within the hour." Captain Krennick replied, eager to please; appearing to the admiral, all too much like a puppy dog.
AJ turned around to face her full on. "That will be fine, dismissed."
"Aye-aye, sir."
NAS Pax River
Parking Lot A
Captain Harmon Rabb Jr. thought he saw an apparition when he saw a familiar blonde-headed naval officer step out of the navy blue USN marked Suburban. Not only that, but Commander Meg Austin looked visibly shaken as their former nemesis from 7 years ago stepped in front of them. "Captain Rabb, how nice to see you. I just returned from UK Fleet JAG in London and was returned to the Judge Advocate General HQ. Fancy meeting you here at Pax River." Allison said in honeyed sweet tones – at least as honeyed as a few decades of smoking would allow her to do. "I was told to meet a commander – she's prosecuting the case. Rear Admiral Albert Jethro Chegwidden has asked me to take over the case of a crashed F/A-18 Hornet for her in order to proceed with her wedding plans. Would you happen to know where that commander is?"
Harm and Meg looked at each other. "Captain." Meg stated firmly. "I believe we need to discuss things in a private conference room. Please follow me."
A bewildered Allison Krennick followed Harm and Meg through the hallways to a small conference room where she was ushered in and the door shut behind her. Gesturing to a small circular table roughly two thirds of the way over, she was asked to sit down while Harm and Meg sat down in front of her. "You wished to speak to the prosecuting attorney with regards to take over the case?"
"Yes. Commander." Allison was starting to get an inkling of who that commander might be, when Meg dropped the bomb. Resting both hands on the table, the rock on her fourth finger left hand blatantly visible – Meg thanked her lucky stars that Harm had the foresight of getting her an engagement ring, it proved her point.
"Captain Krennick." Meg said carefully enunciating her words. "You are speaking to the prosecuting attorney for this case."
Harm, seeing who he called The Dragon Lady, Allison's eyes going from ring to Meg's face back to ring again, had a tough time keeping in his amusement – he tried to keep a firm serious look on his face but the merriment threatened to break through. But Meg was all business as she briefed Captain Krennick on the particulars of the case and what they had so far; she also mentioned the names of the defense attorneys on the case, the simple fact that Lieutenant Tong was not to be considered a suspect any longer as there was absolutely no evidence.
"Commander Austin…" Captain Krennick stated formally repressing any hint of distaste at the situation. "Admiral Chegwidden also asked me to sit second chair to you at the prosecution of whoever was responsible for the accident." She had to sit second chair to the former Lieutenant JG Meg Austin – now Commander Austin? How the world had changed.
"…Very well, Ma'am." With a long pause Commander Meg Austin was markedly calculated in the length of time that it took to reply to Captain Krennick's revelation. "I will be in contact with you after my honeymoon so that we can proceed with the prosecution. I doubt it will take very long for the trial once the investigation is complete."
"No doubt, Commander." Allison replied shortly. Captain Krennick was still stupefied over the ring on Commander Meg Austin's ring finger. She turned to Harm and asked. "…and your connection to this case." Meg's eyes followed Allison's questioning look. "Captain Rabb?"
"Well, since we…" Harm said, getting to his feet, gently helping Meg up to her feet from her seated position on the chair, while gesturing to encompass both Meg and himself, "received the information that you were added to the case and would be temporarily taking over the investigation, both Commander Austin and I were having a discussion outside regarding the viability of this case, but since you are now temporarily in command of the investigation…" at this Harm let loose a gigantic grin. "we're heading to the VOQ to check out."
"Well, Captain Rabb, that's a pity." Allison tried to put a tone in her voice that she thought was sultry. "I was so hoping that we could go have a drink at the O'Club and talk over old times."
"Unfortunately, there is a matter with my charge – a minor that Meg and I have to rectify, so unfortunately we have to get going. After all…" Harm grinned. "A teenager who is hungry isn't an absolute joy to be around."
By this time, poor Allison was getting so confused that she blurted out. "What do you mean, your charge?"
"I'm adopting a minor." Harm tried to suppress a grin as he looked casually measuring the reaction in Captain Krennick. Meg in this case let the temporary lapse slip. She didn't want Allison to know yet that she had lost the minor skirmishes that they had had over 7 years ago. "She was found abandoned at an airfield and she was someone I worked for while I was temporarily out of the Navy." Harm replied relishing the fact that Meg was planning on dropping a gigantic bomb on Allison's hopes of ever hooking up with Harm.
Meg by this time, mentioned quietly to Harm, but just loud enough so Captain Krennick could overhear, "Captain Rabb?" she said sweetly. "I think Mattie needs some food, we'd better go since Captain Krennick relieved me of duties for this case for the next few weeks."
"That we should, Commander Austin." Harm's expression remained unchanged but his voice held a note of smugness.
"Thank you, Captain Krennick." Meg finally turned to smile at her.
"And where will I get a hold of you should I need to contact you during your honeymoon, let's say perhaps an emergency?" Allison ventured to ask looking at both Meg and Harm standing close together.
"We're not too sure yet, but we'll endeavour to leave a number that we can be reached at…" Meg said sweetly to Allison. "Of course the destination hasn't been decided yet."
"I'll be sure to get you the details of where we can be reached once the location has been decided." Harm couldn't resist a grin. "But only in case of emergency, Captain Krennick."
"How…where…what?!" the stammered reply of a non-plussed female navy captain just about nearly had Meg in stitches. Allison was looking at Harm, then at Meg and back with such a confused expression that it was comedic.
"Thanks for relieving me of the case for the next few weeks, Captain Krennick." Meg said. "I really appreciate that."
"You…you…two…" Allison finally digested the information and it wasn't palatable to her. "…are getting married…?"
"Yes, Captain." Harm was the one who decided to reply since he was of equal rank with Allison. "She is my fiancée. I met her while I was not in the Navy and RADM Nakamura facilitated my re-entry as COMNAVAIRFOR JAG into the Navy as an O-6 and Commander Austin took my spot at JAG. So taking advantage of the fact that we are not in the same chain of command, Commander Austin and I decided to get married of which we are making plans to do so in the following week." Allison Krennick recalled the erstwhile Lieutenant Commander (battlefield promoted to Commander) from the MOH investigation – how he had risen the ranks.
And it finally sank into her head that Harm was well and truly off the market. She had definitely been slow to put two and two together. RADM Chegwidden had told her that Harm's fiancée worked at JAG and that Commander Austin mentioned that she was engaged. God, she had to be much better on the ball if she wasn't going to get herself out-maneuvered by other lawyers. So much for one Captain Harmon Rabb – unfortunately she was not ever going to be able to land him so she had better start looking for someone else. Allison sighed softly and extended her hand to her former rival in Harm's affections "Commander Austin, Captain Rabb. My congratulations to you both."
"Thank you, Captain Krennick." Meg said. "And truly, Mattie is hungry so we really do have to get going."
"By all means, Commander. All the best to you." Allison couldn't honestly say that she was happy, but she was damned if she was going to put a sour face on this.
Later
In Harm's Lexus Mom-mobile
"I think Captain Krennick took that well, didn't she?" Meg said leaning over to give Harm a kiss on the lips.
"Mmm, I'm sure she did." Harm managed to say once he divested himself of her lips on his. "Considering that she wanted to take me to the O'Club and then probably some indeterminate location afterwards."
"That woman never changes…" Meg said. "Let's go pick Mattie up at the BOQ and go get something to eat."
Conference Room A
NAS Patuxent River
Patuxent River, MD.
"Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie, Lieutenant Vukovic, I'm Captain Allison Krennick. I'm taking over for Commander Meg Austin during her leave for her wedding and honeymoon." Allison Krennick leaned over the conference table to shake Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie's hand. "So what do you have for me?"
"Aircraft Maintenance Technician 2nd class Juan Ruiz, Aircraft Maintenance Technician 2nd class David Berg, Aircraft Maintenance Technician 3rd class Mike Sanchez have been interviewed, each have admitted to being in a hurry to get out of the hangar and may have skipped a few steps after checking the hydraulic lines. Now we need to refer to a AMCS's recommendation to determine just exactly how much their skipping steps contributed to the hydraulic failure that caused the crash." Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie replied.
"Fine. As prosecuting attorney, I am recommending charges of negligent homicide under Article 134 subsection 4." Allison stated, reading the look on LCOL Mackenzie's face. Reading what was there; Allison knew that Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie wouldn't budge one inch…and neither would she - birds of a feather. "Do we have all that we need to go to trial?"
"I'm waiting on the Senior Chief Aircraft Maintenance Technician's recommendations in written format. Ma'am." Mac said.
"Very well. How soon do you think that will take?"
"Not more than a day. Ma'am."
"Well, then, I will return to JAG HQ and commence filing the case so that we can get this underway when Commander Austin returns from her honeymoon." Captain Krennick disliked seeing herself in the mirror and looking at Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie realized that the Marine Lieutenant Colonel in both demeanor and wanton-ness was more than a match for the Navy Captain.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the lieutenant colonel deferred to Allison's superior rank.
Lansing Correctional Facility
Leavenworth, Kansas
"Prisoner Roll Call!" the prion guard called out.
"Prisoner # 14358 missing!" one of the other guards called out amid the catcalls, hoots and hollers of the inmates.
"Cross-reference the prison rolls, who is that prisoner?" the prison guard bellowed, "I want to know who it is." He knew that heads were going to roll on this one. Looking down at the rolls, when the other guards managed to cross-reference the name, he knew that this prisoner had a lot of enemies on the outside. The chances of returning this escaped prisoner to the prison intact would go down considerably. More likely than not, he would end up in a body bag; but considering how slippery this perp was, he would end up leaving a bloody trail.
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