GRACE AVIATION
BLACKSBURG, VA
1845 HRS
'Unlike a certain RADM with a budweiser.' Harm thought. 'Animal never hung his men out to dry.' He thought as he quietly worked on the piston cleaning it and making sure that it was in working condition as he told Mattie why he knew Animal and why he would work for Animal if he had a chance to. "Animal, otherwise known as Rear Admiral Toshio Nakamura, as you saw there, was a commander when two of his crew went down over North Korea. He did not stop trying to get his men out. After haranguing the CAG (Commander of Air Group) about getting a group of SEALS in to get them out. When he went in with them, the SEALs got ambushed by a regiment of North Korean Republican Guards. Commander Nakamura gave covering fire with his M-16 while the SEALs went in and secured the aircrew. He inflicted heavy casualties on their forces, while risking his life. His actions directly impacted the success of the mission, making absolutely certain that his men came back from their mission, as well as preserving the lives of the SEALs. He earned the Medal of Honor for this. Mattie, that's why I believe in him and I'd be happy to serve under his command, but I need to sort this out." Harm said as he finished working on the piston.
"How do you know all about this?" Mattie asked Harm.
"I was the officer assigned to his Medal of Honor recipient qualification investigation which made sure that he received the Medal of Honor." Harm replied shortly. Mattie took a long moment to think about that.
"Well, are you going to be here tomorrow? I need you to cover three fields tomorrow with DEF." Mattie said, her eyes looking as if she was going to be betrayed again. Mattie; betrayed by her father, didn't trust many people, one of the few being Harm, and it looked like he was leaving her too. Just like everyone else, Harm had one step out the door.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
THURSDAY, 0830 HRS
Jen Coates could feel the chill in the air whenever Commander Meg Austin and Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie were in the same room. Evidently Meg and Mac didn't like each other at all, especially after Meg had made it official with both Mac and Harriet that she was going after Harm and that she wasn't going to cave to their efforts to make life unpleasant for her.
Mac looked frostily over at Meg who was smiling pleasantly at Bud during the course of the Monday morning meeting. The simple fact that Meg was smiling irritated Mac a lot. That meant that Meg's relationship with Harm was going well and that Mac's chances were slowly dwindling to nil.
Meg, on the other hand, had thoughts that were racing through her mind. That Wednesday evening, Harm had told Meg of Animal's offer and the fact that to him it seemed like blackmail; the tantalizing offer of an O-6 position and rank as well as the fact that Animal had said that he was going to take either Meg or Harm for the position. Meg even mentioned that she had so little time in rank at O-5 that it would make more sense for Harm to take the position and that she would stay at JAG while he went to NAS Patuxent River. Meg knew that Mac was extremely rank-conscious and would take every single opportunity to gain eagles. And the simple fact that Meg wouldn't take an opportunity that didn't fit her qualifications. Harm on the other hand had aviation experience as a naval aviator and it wouldn't be just for the O-6 rank. It would mean his being able to be around aircraft. Not that it didn't worry Meg; but she knew that flying was Harm's life. To take away Harm's ability to fly would be taking away an integral part of what made Harm…Harm.
Those thoughts were interrupted by Admiral Chegwidden snapping out. "OK…that's all." The case loads had been gone through and everything disseminated.
Just as the officers headed back to the bullpen. Admiral Chegwidden looked up to see Animal again in the office. "How nice to see you. Admiral." Instead of the one broad stripe of a RDML (lower half - one star), Animal was wearing an equivalent 1 broad stripe and 1 standard stripe of a RADM(upper half – two star).
"Morning, AJ. Just thought that I'd drop by and talk to you."
"Come on in my office, Admiral." AJ said as he ushered Animal through the open door, walked in and shut the door. "So what can I do for you, Admiral?"
"I just had a talk with Commander Rabb." Animal said.
"Oh. God, has he now gone up the ranks?" AJ snarled disgustedly.
"Hell, no, AJ…He's dusting crops for a living, some firm called Grace Aviation up in Blacksburg. So I offered him a job." Animal said. "He wanted to talk to you first prior to accepting the job offer and reinstatement of his commission."
"And I fired his ass out the door. Admiral." AJ said irritatedly, "So how…forget it…I know how. You had a talk with SECNAV, didn't you?" his tone was bitter.
"You know me too well, but actually, SECNAV called me in, gave me the Deputy NAVAIRSYSCOM position which gave me my two stars. AJ." AJ looked at the rear admiral upper half with an 'are you out of your goddamned mind' expression. And that damned aviator admiral looked about as smug as a pig in shit. "And I need a lawyer with an aviation background. But I'll be fair, AJ, I'm giving you a chance to get him back before he jumps all over my offer. I'd suggest you go and talk to him, either today or tomorrow. Because Monday…he's mine." Animal said firmly. Medal of Honor versus Budweiser (Navy SEAL insignia). Budweiser loses. AJ looked through Animal's rack with a cursory gaze. Naval Aviator wings, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross. 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medal (25 combat actions), yep, his Budweiser lost and lost badly.
"Well, thanks…I think…" AJ muttered as he gathered up his folders.
"Since that's all I came here to say, I'm gonna usher myself out. Have yourself a nice day, AJ." Animal replied as he got up and headed out the door.
"Shit…" AJ said quietly. The stakes were being raised to damned near impossible. He would certainly have to think about this. Damn Animal and SECNAV. And his command wondered at his lack of hair. "I bloody well had hair before I came to this command!" he grumbled to himself.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
0330 HRS
Seeing Harmon Rabb Jr. in the hallway raising his hand to the Admiral, the admiral snorted and turned away only to be confronted by his Yeoman.
"Admiral, talk to him…" Coates pleaded.
"Petty Officer, you're not going to make me sorry I made you my yeoman, are you?" He strode over two her, two short steps.
"I can't promise you that, sir." Jen said knowing that she was on very thin ice.
AJ's eyebrows raised at that answer. "Petty Officer, you are flirting with…"
"Insubordination, sir." Coates finished.
AJ raised his voice incredulously at her gall "Do you think I'm incapable of finishing a…"
"sentence," Coates said as AJ turned away in frustration. "Sorry, sir. I apologize."
"I do not want to hear what you…" AJ paused to see if Coates would try again, or dig her hole deeper. Coates kept nodding her head like a bobble-head opting for silence. "…have to say…"
"Yes, sir."
"Not one word…"
"No, sir."
"I am not interested in you taking the Commander's side, or if you think I should take him back." Turning away from Coates, he gesticulated with his right hand sharply "I am not interested if... if you think I'm being unreasonable, or... " AJ crossed his arms as he moved over to the door of his office. "…or pig-headed, or... or unfair!"
"No, sir." Coates said quietly "There's no need for that. Because you already know it." And then hastily said "Sorry, sir!" as AJ turned towards her with a stony look then turned away from Coates to reach in for his cover and his overcoat.
"You know, Petty Officer, people don't like to be *handled*." He leaned in, a threatening look on his countenance.
"Yes, sir." Coates gulped thinking that her career was going to go down the toilet.
"So if you do it, you damned sure better be right." AJ growled… then under his breath he muttered. "As you were this time." He whirled around and headed out of the office. Coates let out a breath that she didn't remember holding, a small smile on her face as she turned back towards the desk.
AJ grumbled to himself on the way to the his black Cadillac Escalade. "Damn Rabb, Damn Nakamura, Damn SECNAV Sheffield." He muttered as he tossed his briefcase into the back of his vehicle and got in the front.
GRACE AVIATION
BLACKSBURG, VA
A Black Cadillac Escalade stopped at the open hangar doors of Grace Aviation. AJ turned the ignition off and stepped out. Closing the door he walked in just as the young girl was finishing up a story with… "They opened the doors at both ends of the hangar and Uncle Zeke flew right through."
"Upside down?" Harm stated with some amusement nodding his head.
"Damn straight" the young girl replied.
"Well, your uncle's a pretty crazy guy." Harm laughed, shaking his head.
AJ chose that moment to interject. "Hell, you oughta know." He walked over slowly "How are you, Commander?" he said doing a slow once over look of the inside of the hangar at the planes in various stages of maintenance.
"Well, AJ…" Harm replied. "I'm fine…and it isn't Commander any more, is it?" he said, getting that shot in while he could.
"Force of habit." AJ said brusquely as he looked up at the prop and engine cowling of a blue Piper Cub sitting in the hangar. Turning around 180 degrees to face away from Harm, he said over his shoulder. "How about a drink?"
"You buyin'?" Harm asked as he put down his cardboard cup.
AJ half-turned in response. "Dutch treat." He said briefly.
Harm paused to contemplate this for a long moment, looking into Mattie's eyes as she stared worriedly at him. Lord knew what thoughts were going through her head, probably thinking that her best pilot was going to walk out on her and go back to the Navy. But AJ's offer, in light of the offer that Animal had placed in front of him didn't seem so inviting anymore. Maybe it was AJ's way of mending fences to go talk to him, offer him a drink or something, but Harm was past that now. "OK…" He said as he stood up and faced the admiral for the first time face to face in over six months."
"So what exactly is it you do here?" AJ looked dismissively at the whole hangar.
"Crop-dusting."
"Do you enjoy it?" The admiral gave him an incredulous look as if he didn't believe it.
"Pays three hundred a day." She leaned over the table as if to challenge AJ.
"Hmph." AJ snorted dismissively as he turned away to look at the tools on the far wall. "You know, ah…don't you think this is a waste of your talents?" He started walking towards the hangar doors as Harm matched him in pace, Mattie following two steps behind.
Harm looked at him. "No…put in my hours, don't have to wear a suit and tie and I like my boss."
"Harm…" Mattie interrupted glaring daggers at AJ saying contemptuously "Is this bald guy the jerk who fired you?" At that the admiral paused a moment before turning around.
"Well…I uh… didn't really fire him, I just, uh…didn't ask him back."
"Well, around here, that's called firing." Mattie smirked at him.
AJ wasn't too sure if he liked the smug-looking little girl that was upbraiding him. "And you are?" he asked dismissively.
"Mattie Grace, his new boss." Mattie replied extending her hand out to shake the admiral's outstretched hand. The admiral couldn't believe it.
He looked at Harm with a disbelieving raise of his eyebrows. "She's kidding right?" his tone was decidedly incredulous.
"Mattie runs the day to day operations of Grace Aviation." Harm confirmed Mattie's status in the company.
AJ was trying to wrap his mind around this bit of information as he nodded. "So, now you're working for a little girl. Hm." He snorted a bit more derisively and headed towards his vehicle.
Harm rolled his eyes at Mattie who was looking worried, yet disgusted at the pedantic nature of the admiral. Then Harm made his way over to follow the admiral.
"See you tomorrow?" Mattie asked worriedly.
"Bright and early." Was Harm's response as he kept walking as Mattie rested her hands on a Yellow Ag-Cat's wing.
"You've got the Earl farm. It's got a nasty crosswind so watch out for the high tension wires on the west end.
Harm nodded and said. "See you, boss."
Mattie watched them long after they were dots in the distance, her worried countenance betraying the fears that she had ever since Admiral Nakamura had made his appearance there on Wednesday afternoon.
AT A BAR IN BLACKSBURG
"Thought it was time we had a talk." AJ ventured as he brought the two beers over from the bar while Harm was pitching two darts at a dartboard.
"Thought we were done talking." Harm replied.
"So did I, turns out there was more to say." AJ stated.
"I can't imagine what that would be." Harm muttered sarcastically as he went to pick the two darts from the dartboard.
"Boy, you're damned annoying." AJ said with an annoyed look on his face.
"Is that what you drove a hundred miles to tell me?" Harm asked, sarcasm written all over his face.
"Part of it." AJ replied, nursing his beer, and looking up out of the corner of his eye at Harm.
"Well, I'm also…and here I'm paraphrasing…" Harm said as he turned back to the dartboard, dart in hand. "not a team player…" punctuating his point with a dart throw, "and controlled by my emotions."
AJ nodded his head affirmatively. "All that's true."
"Look, why are you here?" Harm turned from throwing darts at the dartboard with a hint of annoyance, looking square at AJ who was sitting down nursing his beer. "…admiral…what…you come looking for absolution or…" He paused sarcastically waving a hand palm up in the air. "did you come to gloat…or…" he said quietly with a great deal of venom, "did you just wanna ride in an airplane…"
"You're bordering on insubordination…Rabb" AJ started to snap, but Harm cut him off.
"I'm a civilian now, A.J. I'm not in your Navy." Harm retorted with a hint of anger in his tone.
AJ slammed his beer down and stood up…he hated having to admit that he needed Rabb to come back. Stating the fact that Imes debacle had him having to review cases that Harm was involved in, he knew he sounded like he was pleading with that 'stubborn' lawyer to don the uniform again. And Harm knew it. That damned flyboy had a deadpan expression on his face but AJ knew better, that Harm was smirking inside and AJ just wanted to smash that internal smirk into tiny pieces. But he knew that wasn't the way to go, so he took the best shot that he could…verbally. Sitting back down he stated to Harm who looked at him. "Harm, It's time to stop being Peter Pan, a little boy who likes to fly and never grow up. You're not going to have the life you want until you learn to take responsibility for your actions, not with work, not with women, in any facet of your life." Getting up to leave, as he turned to go, he took his final shot. "Let me know what you decide."
AJ hadn't taken two steps when Harm tossed back to AJ's retreating back; dripping with gloating and satisfaction in his tone. "You're here, admiral, because you *need* me. I'm an excellent lawyer. Plus, the officer you chose to replace me is looking at seven years of hard labor." He paused for a moment. "And Admiral Nakamura has a pretty sweet pot with the O-6 offer as COMNAVAIRSYS JAG." He tossed out. "It's gonna take me a while to see which one I choose. Admiral Nakamura wants me to make my mind up by Monday."
Resisting the urge to get angry, AJ just said with as much finality as he could as he turned around for a second. "All of that is true. If you come back to JAG on Monday, we'll start fresh, your commission reinstated – I can't give you the O-6 commission, the billet won't allow it, but... Let me know what you decide." After he said it, he turned around and walked out of the bar.
Harm sat there for a long moment weighing his choices, his own beer in his hand. If he chose Animal's billet, he'd be an O-6 and he was coming up on the rank anyways in an year or two, but this way, he'd be deep-selected for Captain and he'd be around airplanes. As much as he loved JAG, he couldn't see himself coming back to work there with the toxic atmosphere. He couldn't trust the commanding officer any more and who he'd be teamed with for JAGMAN investigations would be intolerable. So as he emptied his beer, he came to a decision. He'd have to talk it over with Meg over the weekend.
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