Secrets and Sacrifices

Author:  kstorm

Disclaimer:  I don't own JAG or any of these characters; I'm just playing with them.

Author's Notes:  This is my second JAG fic, but the first one that I'm going to post (they're both WIP but this one is taking over my thoughts, lol)

                          I don't have a beta reader at this point in time so any and all mistakes are mine.

Part 1

It's been three years since Paraguay.  Three years since Harmon Rabb decided to leave everything behind and go after Mac and Webb.  More importantly, it's been three years since he disappeared from their lives.  Now he's about to reappear.

            Lieutenant Colonel Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie, Commander Sturgis Turner and Lieutenant (jg) Jason Tiner are quietly discussing a case in the corner of the packed room when Admiral AJ Chegwidden asks for quiet.  In an instant you could hear a pin drop—were it not for the noise of the carrier around them—as the men and women gathered stop speaking midsentence. 

            Mac can see the lines of tension around AJ's eyes as he looks out among the crowd, lines of tension that weren't present when they arrived on board an hour ago.  "Most of you don't know why you were all called to be here today," AJ begins the speech prepared for him by Lieutenant Bud Roberts.  "Even my staff and I have been kept in the dark as to the purpose of this meeting—except the need for our presence.  I have to admit, this is the last thing I was expecting…"

AJ's eyes wander to his staff in the pause he takes to gather his thoughts.  This is going to be more difficult than he realized when he first opened the folder handed to him by the skipper on his arrival.  Mac, Sturgis and Tiner had already gone straight to the room where the briefing was to take place; AJ'd had orders to see the captain upon arrival.  He brings his thoughts back to the present; the short pause has started to drag on and those gathered are getting restless.  Glancing again at his people, AJ sees the confusion on Tiner's face—he'd helped Bud with the speech and can't figure out why it's not going farther, the concern from Sturgis and the thoughtful concentration from Mac—she must have noticed the tension, AJ muses. 

"What we've come here for today is something I have waited for several years to see implemented," AJ completely disregards the outline provided to him by Bud and Tiner.  "After a particularly busy month at JAG Headquarters where one of my attorneys spent the majority of the month traveling from one carrier group to another to answer questions and conclude investigations, I made a suggestion for a new position—that of a fleet JAG.  The fleet JAG would have the immediate oversight of all JAGs deployed.  He or she would be a sort of buffer between you, the JAGs on ships, and my staff and I at JAG Headquarters.   This position would help with the lag time between reports and assignments.  I am pleased to announce to you that the position of Fleet JAG has been approved.  I'm sure you will have many questions, but I ask you to reserve them for your individual meetings later.  For now, please welcome the first Fleet JAG, Captain Harmon Rabb Jr."