JAG (1995–2005): Season 3, Episode 20 - Imposter - full transcript
Clark Palmer, a discredited rogue agent of a rogue federal agency, captures, immobilizes, and restrains Harm on the morning of the first day of a pretrial hearing on charges against a Marine lieutenant colonel accused of violating a chemical-weapon treaty. Harm and Mac are scheduled to prosecute, and a civilian mouthpiece defends. Palmer again renders Harm unconscious inside his apartment, then makes a mold and a mask so that he can impersonate Harm. The hearing starts with Mac but without Harm. However, belatedly the imitation Harm arrives, takes over the prosecution, and soon exposes the defendant to an aerosol containing a nerve gas. Meanwhile Bud helps Harm to escape and to go to the courtroom, where Harm detains Palmer. The admiral and others take the unconscious defendant to A.J.'s office, where they and Harm render help. Bud also gives Harriet a piece of jewelry.
(thunder crashes)
BROADCASTER: All eyes
are on Washington today,
as Marine Lieutenant
Colonel Ronald Vickers
is scheduled to appear
at his court hearing.
(knock at door) Colonel Vickers
has been accused of violating
the Chemical Weapons
Treaty Just a minute.
By providing the African
country of Algeria with nerve gas
used in an attack against
a U.N. peacekeeping force
in Tunisia last October.
Four American servicemen
were among the dozens
killed in that attack.
The apparent fratricide
of those four Americans...
Yeah? Hamish Rabb, Junior?
(chuckles)
Harmon Rabb, Junior.
Harmon. Sorry.
Delivery for you.
Could you sign on
number 23, please?
Yeah.
From Washington,
this is Chuck DeCaro,
ZNN Radio, on
special assignment.
ANCHORWOMAN: Thank
you, Chuck. In other news,
the Vice President's Summit
on Global Warming is scheduled
for noon tomorrow...
(blasts) (groans)
Following in his
father's footsteps
as a naval aviator
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb, Jr.,
suffered a crash while
landing his Tomcat
on a storm-tossed
carrier at sea.
Diagnosed with night blindness,
Harm transferred to the Navy's
Judge Advocate General Corps
which investigates, defends
and prosecutes the law of the sea.
There, with fellow JAG
lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie,
he now fights in and
out of the courtroom
with the same
daring and tenacity
that made him a
top gun in the air.
(thud)
Lose something, Lieutenant?
Uh, no, sir.
I'd like to see Commander
Rabb and Major MacKenzie
in my office, ASAP.
Aye, aye, sir.
(sighs)
(phone rings)
(plastic squeaking)
(phone line ringing through)
SIMS: Victorian romance
or Spring splendor?
Hmm? What?
Bud, I've been trying to get you
to look at these wedding
invitations for two weeks now,
and if I don't order them
by tomorrow, then they're not
gonna get to the printer's
and we're not gonna have
anything to send people.
Fine. The white ones.
They're pearl!
Sorry.
It's not your fault.
It's my mother.
She's driving me nuts
with invitations and showers
and seating arrangements
and I'm going crazy!
Well, maybe we
should just elope.
That would be so romantic.
Of course, my mother
would have a heart attack.
You think so?
That's not funny, Bud.
I'm sorry.
Can I... speak with you
just for a... a moment?
Yeah.
Lieutenant!
Where are Rabb and MacKenzie?
I'm going to find them, sir.
I'll, uh... I'll be right back.
(indistinct chatter)
Oh, I like Victorian romance.
(conversation stops)
(stifled chortling)
Don't you recognize
me, Commander?
Let me give you a hint.
Special Agent Clark Palmer.
Surprise.
Did you miss me?
Oh, yeah.
Gee, you're a real
master of disguise, Palmer.
You have to be,
in my line of work.
You been bugging my place.
How long have you had
me under surveillance?
Ah... long enough.
Long enough for what?
Long enough to know
you got two overdue
library books,
some... serious issues
with your missing father,
and your love life sucks.
What do you want, Palmer?
You've got nothing
I want, Commander.
This isn't personal.
(thunder crashes)
DeCARO: Not since Iran-Contra,
has a military investigation
garnered this much media
attention. From Washington...
Where's Rabb?
He hasn't shown up yet, sir.
You know Dwight
Burgess from Justice.
What's your take on
Colonel Vickers' attorney?
Gribaldi's a good lawyer, sir.
Knows the ins and
outs of military law
as good as any JAG.
Do you have enough
evidence to go to trial?
Yes, sir, but we
still don't think
Colonel Vickers acted alone.
Someone in the
Defense Security Division
convinced him to violate the
Chemical Weapons Treaty.
Well, D.S.D. is the Justice
Department's problem.
With all due respect, Admiral,
the D.S.D. is our jurisdiction,
but this has become
everybody's problem.
MacKENZIE: Ever
since the Cold War ended
the DSD's become a refuge
for every diehard spook looking
for some good old-fashioned
cloak-and-dagger work.
Defense Security Division
does have a reputation
of protecting themselves
to the extreme.
I'm not afraid of
any of that, sir.
That's what worries me, Major.
Court-martialing
Colonel Vickers alone
won't stop the DSD, sir.
A few months ago,
they killed a Marine pilot
at Twentynine Palms, now
this? Who knows what's next?
The Department of
Justice has been looking
for a weak link in the
DSD for over a year.
Colonel Vickers
may be our only hope,
but we need JAG cooperation.
(sighs)
So, what's your plan, Major?
Until this, Colonel Vickers
had an exemplary career.
The man personifies honor,
but now he's got the blood of four
fellow Marines on his hands
and it's tearing him up inside.
I think if I offer him
transactional immunity,
and the chance
to redeem himself,
he'll cooperate, sir.
(sighs)
Do it.
Where's that big
cookie sheet of yours?
Oh, never mind, I got it.
What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?
"What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?"
"What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?"
You know, you've
got great enunciation.
It's very useful for
a lawyer, I'm sure.
Guess those high
school theater classes
weren't a waste
of time, after all.
What, are you
writing my biography?
Nope. Just getting to know
you better, Commander.
Well, now that we know all
about me, let's hear your story.
I'm not important.
Sure you are.
You're the one in power here.
What, are you getting back
at me for Twentynine Palms?
(chuckling): Oh, please.
Spare me the
psychobabble, Commander.
Unless, of course,
you want to talk about
your missing daddy.
What?
No witty retort?
Why is that?
Did I hit a nerve?
Tell me...
how goes the search
for Papa Rabb?
You know, I hear he's living
very well outside of Kiev,
or... or is it Smolensk?
Anyway...
Shame he never calls.
Go to hell.
(knocking)
Enter.
Sir, I checked
the entire building.
Commander Rabb is not here.
I've tried calling him 20 times.
He's not answering
his phone at home,
his cell phone or his pager.
I think the storm has knocked
out some of the local cell sites
in the area, and the
beltway... It's a parking lot.
Lieutenant.
Yes, sir.
Breathe, before you
pass out on my deck.
Yes, sir.
Good.
Now, have him see me
as soon as he arrives.
Aye, aye, sir.
ROBERTS: Psst.
Harriet.
I was, uh...
wondering if you
could look at something
in Commander Rabb's office.
Commander Rabb's office?
Yeah, it's a, uh...
I, uh... I want your opinion
on a question of, uh, protocol.
Okay.
Is everything okay, Bud?
You're acting a little
weirder than usual.
Uh, you'd be
acting weird, too, if...
you had this in your pocket.
Bud, I don't think this
is the time or the pla...
(thud)
(gasps)
Are you going to open it?
It's...
empty.
It's empty.
There... it's empty.
(keys jangling) Uh...
It's not the Hope
Diamond, but...
Oh, my...
(cheering and whooping)
(whistling)
MAN: All right, guys.
(indistinct voices)
Mr. Gribaldi.
We need to talk.
It's okay.
I'm listening.
Transactional immunity
if the Colonel gives me
the names of the
others responsible,
all the information
he knows about this,
and his agreement to
testify when the time comes.
His former employers
have a reputation
for tying up loose ends.
We'll get him in
witness relocation.
Oh, great.
That ought to buy
him an extra weekend.
He'll never go for it.
Ask him.
ROBERTS: Bye.
Colonel Vickers going to bite?
Gribaldi's going to ask him.
Bud, did you find
Commander Rabb?
No, ma'am.
Well, until Harm shows
up, you're co-counsel.
Wish us luck, sir.
Break somebody's legs.
All right, Bud, let's
get this over with.
(people conversing quietly)
Yeah...
BAILIFF: All rise.
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen,
in light of the reporters
outside this building
and for the sake of expediency,
I'd like to remind counsel
we're here today for an
Article 32 hearing, not a trial.
The decision whether
or not to proceed
with a court-martial
will be determined
by the evidence
presented here today.
Now, that said, Major MacKenzie,
is the government
ready to proceed?
No, sir.
The, uh, government
requests a continuance
until tomorrow morning.
On what grounds, Major?
The lead counsel,
Lieutenant Commander Rabb,
is not available, Your Honor.
GRIBALDI: Your Honor,
my client has been
put through enough
by the prosecution
without adding insult
to injury with these
endless delays.
What endless delays?
I'm asking for a
24-hour continuance.
The prosecution is stalling.
Counselors.
Major MacKenzie, as co-counsel
on this case, I'm
sure you're capable
of handling this
hearing yourself.
Yes, sir.
JUDGE: The government's motion
for continuance
is denied, Major.
Now, proceed with
your opening statement.
I don't care how you do it, Bud,
but find Harm and
get him here, ASAP.
Right, ma'am.
Keeping me here is a
waste of time, Palmer.
Major MacKenzie can
handle this case by herself.
You don't really believe that,
even though it's probably true.
Look, if I don't show
up, they're going to send
someone here looking for me.
Who said you won't show up?
You just won't be
yourself when you do.
(groans)
CARTER: It's beautiful, Harriet.
Thank you.
I'm so happy for you.
Thanks.
But we are going to miss you.
What are you talking about?
I'm not going anywhere.
When they transfer you.
Married officers can't serve
in the same chain of command.
You know that, Harriet.
PASTERNAK: I'm the
leader of a CBIRF team, Major.
Would you please tell the court
what that acronym stands for, Captain?
That's the Marine Corps'
Chemical and Biological
Incident Response Force.
We're brought in whenever there's
an incident involving chemical
and/or biological weapons.
Were you called for
the incident in Tunisia
that occurred on
October 7, 1997?
Yes, ma'am.
Please describe
what you found there.
It was pretty ugly, ma'am.
The Peacekeepers set
up an emergency post
in an abandoned aircraft hangar,
which is where this
chemical attack occurred.
It took us 18 hours
to get to the hot zone.
And by then, another 40 or
so people had been exposed,
which, in this
attack, was an agent
known as Soman nerve
gas, or G.D. for short.
And what happens
to an individual
who's exposed to
Soman nerve gas?
PASTERNAK: A small dose
causes headaches, nausea,
loss of vision
and hallucinations.
The Red Cross workers
and Tunisian soldiers
who arrived on the scene
before us had to be treated
for these sort of
symptoms, ma'am.
What about the U.S.
servicemen and refugees
who were exposed
to higher doses?
They weren't so lucky, Major.
Soman attacks the
central nervous system.
It shuts down the
respiratory function.
Those people experienced
violent cramping,
vomiting, convulsions
and ultimately, death.
In other words, a
cruel and painful death?
Yes, ma'am. Very.
(onlookers murmuring)
Objection.
This grotesque exhibition
has nothing to do with my client
or this hearing.
MacKENZIE: On the contrary,
Your Honor, this has everything
to do with this hearing.
Mr. Gribaldi would like us
to lose sight of this,
fact, but we can't
because this is what's
in store for us if we do.
PALMER: Ah...
MacKENZIE: Would
you please tell the court
how the nerve gas was
delivered to the attack site?
It was delivered in 105 shells
which had been modified
to deliver a binary
nerve gas system.
Is this the type of shell casing
we're talking about,
Captain? Yes, ma'am.
And where were these
shells manufactured?
Here, ma'am, in the USA.
(groaning)
(thunder rumbles)
How was your nap, Commander?
(grunting)
Here we go.
Who are you working
for these days, Palmer?
DSD or the CIA?
Does Clayton Webb
know about this?
Hmm. Webb?
No. Mr. Webb is very careful
not to get his hands dirty.
That's why the company
has wet boys like you, huh?
Wet boys?
You've been reading
too many spy novels.
That's what they call
assassins these days, isn't it?
It's a vulgar term coined
by some government geek
with an overactive imagination
and a love of
juvenile catchphrases.
I prefer to think of
myself as a forensic artist.
I mean, any psycho can
walk up to some poor soul,
put a gun to the
base of his skull
and blow his brains
out of his forehead.
But it takes true artistry to
have that same guy choke
on a hot dog at a baseball
game in front of 15,000 people
or suffer a stroke on the dance
floor at his daughter's wedding.
MacKENZIE: Now, you said that
these shells were modified.
Yes, ma'am.
They're hollow shells,
originally designed to be
packed with propaganda leaflets.
But these weren't used to drop
propaganda leaflets, were they?
No, ma'am.
PALMER: I don't expect you
to appreciate the kind
of work and planning
that goes into something
like this, Commander.
It's still... Murder?
Yes, Commander.
I know how you feel
about such things.
In fact, I know how you feel
about just about everything.
That's what makes
this all possible.
You're very predictable.
Dress whites and
moral conviction.
And of course we won't mention
the number of
lives you've taken.
Don't compare
yourself to me, Palmer.
I never took a life
that didn't threaten my
own or someone else's.
Do you even know how
many people you've killed?
I'm not keeping score.
18 confirmed...
that I'm aware of.
That's absurd.
Is it?
I thought you didn't keep count.
Or is it simply that
you've lost count?
You want me to
tell you about them?
(timer ticking) Help
jog your memory?
Let's see... there was
two Libyan pilots
over the Gulf of Sidra,
one Vietnamese emissary,
two Iraqi soldiers...
Don't forget to add your
name to the list, Palmer.
MacKENZIE: We
manufacture Soman nerve gas,
don't we? No,
ma'am. Not anymore.
But we did at one
time, did we not?
Yes, ma'am.
In fact, we have tons of it
stored at the Touella Army Depot
in Utah, don't we?
Objection! Irrelevant.
Sustained.
Have we not given nerve gas
to other countries like Britain?
Yes, ma'am, but for
research purposes only.
That's the official designation,
but do you know for a fact
that we have never supplied
a foreign country with
nerve gas, Captain?
No, ma'am. Thank you.
No further questions.
Captain...
could these 105
shells have been used
with conventional warheads?
Yes, sir.
The Chemical Warfare Treaty
prevents us from supplying
biochemical weapons
to any country.
Isn't that correct, Captain?
Yes, sir.
Do you have any way of knowing
where the Soman nerve gas
used in the attack originated?
No, sir.
So, then, the nerve gas
could have been stolen
from a lab in the Middle East
or purchased on the
Russian black market
for all we know, correct?
Yes, sir. Those are
both possible scenarios.
In fact, the Algerians could
have even manufactured
this nerve gas by
themselves, couldn't they?
Yes, sir.
GRIBALDI: Thank you.
No further questions.
MacKENZIE: Dr. Oh, Captain
Pasternak has just stated
that the Algerians could
manufacture their own nerve agent.
As a chemical
engineer, do you concur?
Yes. Given the proper
equipment and supplies.
MacKENZIE: What sort of
equipment are we talking about?
The same sort of
equipment one requires
in the chemical manufacturing
of insecticides and herbicides.
Bug spray and weed killer?
Yes.
Roach spray is essentially
nerve gas for insects.
If you increase
the concentration
you've got a chemical agent
that's lethal to humans.
MacKENZIE: Is this
the sort of equipment
that we're talking about?
This is exactly what
we're talking about.
The government would
like to enter into evidence
an invoice from the
Department of Agriculture
for chemical
manufacturing equipment,
which was sold to Algeria,
designated as agricultural
in nature, but, as
we just established,
has a deadly dual purpose.
Thank you, Dr. Oh.
No further questions.
Oh, Admiral, let me get
this stuff out of your way.
I'm sorry.
How are the wedding
plans coming?
In a word, horrible.
I don't think I
can pull this off.
Sure you can.
You just need to stop
thinking like a bride
and start thinking
like an ensign.
Sir?
Well, don't treat it like
some elaborate wedding.
Attack it as if it were a
precision military operation.
Look...
Seating arrangements, right?
No, battlefield plan.
Um, wedding party
table... Base of operations.
Uh, friends of
the bride... allies.
Uh, Uncle Larry and Aunt
Grace from Hoboken...
Enemies.
Very good.
(chuckles)
Thank you, sir...
Cool.
MacKENZIE: Mr. Spratt,
as Undersecretary of the
Agricultural Development Alliance
you authorized the
sale of this equipment
to Algeria. Yes, I did.
Why?
We're committed
to helping countries
like Algeria develop a
solid agricultural base.
An adequate food
supply is the first step
towards economic
and political stability.
Herbicides and pesticides
play an important
role in this process.
But are you not
aware of the potential
for misuse of such technology,
such as the development
of chemical weapons?
Of course, Major. That's
why all such transactions
must be approved by the DSD.
MacKENZIE: The
Defense Security Division?
SPRATT: Yes, ma'am.
And who specifically must
authorize the sale of this equipment?
Lieutenant Colonel Vickers.
The government would like
to introduce into evidence
a copy of a DSD approval
for the sale of this equipment,
authorized by
Lieutenant Colonel Vickers.
Thank you, Mr. Spratt.
No further questions.
Undersecretary Spratt,
have you ever met
Colonel Vickers before?
No.
Have you ever talked
to him on the phone?
No.
So, in fact...
this piece of paper is
the only correspondence
that you have ever had.
Yes.
Could it not be a phony?
Could someone not have forged
Colonel Vicker" signature?
Objection.
Overruled.
You may answer the
question, Mr. Spratt.
Well, I suppose it's possible...
Thank you very much, Mr. Spratt.
No further questions.
(timer dings)
Dinner's ready.
Aha...
Ah...
Aha.
Does the face ring
a bell, Commander?
You've been watching
too many Mission
Impossible reruns, Palmer.
I fooled you to get
in here, didn't I?
You said yourself I'm
a master of disguise.
I was being facetious.
Well, don't you feel
like an ass now?
(nasal voice): Kind
of spooky, huh?
You still don't have my voice.
Neither do you
since you came down with
that, ahem, nasty flu bug
and spent the night in...
(coughs)
emergency.
(thunder crashes)
I hear they only use psychos
for this kind of work, Palmer.
So, what kind of a man
becomes an assassin?
I don't know.
What kind of man
becomes a lawyer, Rabb?
The kind that
believes in justice.
I believe in justice.
I think we just have a
very different approach.
So, you're going to kill Colonel
Vickers to keep him quiet, huh?
You're not understanding
the intricacies of global politics.
The new world order's
exactly like a giant chess game
and sometimes you
got to sacrifice a pawn
in order to save your king.
I see the DSD has become
an organization of thugs.
But I feel sorry
for you, Palmer.
You're so far over the
edge, you don't realize it...
but Vickers isn't
the fall guy here.
You are.
Don't try to play mind
games with me, Commander.
You don't have the talent
for it.
I seem to recall
beating you in the desert
the last time we met.
You think so?
Tell me, how's the big
case against the DSD
and the Bradenhurst
Corporation coming along?
The Justice Department
will get a conviction.
Not in your lifetime.
Actually, that's only a matter
of a few hours at this point.
(knocking at door)
Enter.
(door opens)
Sir, I know you're busy...
but I was just wondering
how my wedding to
Lieutenant Roberts
is going to affect
my duty here at JAG.
Well, as you know,
it is against regs
for spouses to work within
the same chain of command,
so, you will have
to transfer back
to the
Inspector-General's Office.
Yes, sir.
However... your performance
has been outstanding.
So, even though
you'll be officially working
for the Inspector-General
I'm going to ask that you be
permanently
assigned to this office.
You can do that, sir?
Admiral's privilege.
Thank you, sir!
Thank you!
Well, consider it, um...
part of your wedding gift.
That'll be all.
You're going to poison him?
Even you must see
the irony, Commander.
You know, Colonel Vickers
is not the innocent victim
you'd like to believe.
He was hand-picked for the DSD.
So you could manipulate him,
get him to sign off
on your dirty deals.
It's a shame to
have to kill him.
Good help's hard to find.
You're not gonna release
Soman nerve gas in the courtroom.
No.
Soman, Sarin, VX-2...
Those are old school.
This is the new
kid on the block.
It's ten times more lethal,
virtually undetectable,
and best of all, no aftertaste.
You'll be exposed.
Don't worry about me, Commander.
I eat right...
and I carry protection.
MacKENZIE: Prosecution calls
Corporal Sharon Dupree.
Objection, Your Honor.
We all know what
happened in Tunisia,
and the Major has already
pointed out the effects of the attack.
I do not understand what
Corporal Dupree's testimony
could possibly add.
MacKENZIE: Corporal
Dupree is a victim of the attack
who has to deal with the
pain and suffering every day.
I think we owe her the
respect to hear her testimony.
Overruled.
Proceed, Major.
What about the other
people in the courtroom?
Hopefully, their exposure
will be kept to a minimum.
Hopefully?
I'm not a mass
murderer, Commander.
If I was, I'd simply
fire a dragon
into your JAG headquarters
and blow Vickers to hell,
along with everyone else
and chalk it up as
collateral damage.
It's not my style.
Oh, I forgot.
You're an artiste.
What happened to you, Palmer?
What could possibly
happen to a person
to cause them to lose every
shred of human compassion?
Stay in Washington
a few more years.
DUPREE: I had just
stepped into the hangar
when I heard the explosion.
I froze for a moment,
but then my Marine
training took over.
I raced out to grab these
two little refugee girls.
I didn't realize it
was a chemical attack
until I was about
halfway to them
and... my eyes started burning.
My lungs were on fire
and I could barely breathe,
but I kept going.
All I could think about
was saving those
two little girls.
But it didn't matter.
By the time I got to
them, the girls were dead.
I'm in pain every day.
My husband can't touch me.
I can't even pick up
my three-year-old son, Adam.
The gas burnt out
my tear ducts, so...
I can't even cry.
PALMER: It's been fun, Rabb,
but I got to go.
I got a case to try.
Or rather, you do.
In fact, you're going
to question Vickers so hard
the poor man will
die of a heart attack
right there in the courtroom.
Imagine the headlines:
"JAG Lawyer
Questions Man to Death."
And then you'll return home
devastated by the day's events
and, uh, die in a freak fire.
Don't you think the
coroner's going to wonder
about the restraints
on my hands and feet, Palmer?
By the time they put
this fire out, Rabb,
they'll be lucky
to find your teeth.
This charge is set to
go off in eight hours...
so, if I were you, Rabb, I'd
find peace with my maker.
And don't bother trying
to Houdini out of this
because, uh, I've got a trigger
wired to this motion sensor.
You may be wondering
"If he's going to kill me, why
doesn't he just shoot me?"
Well, quite frankly,
Rabb, that's not my style.
But don't worry.
Hell, if you're as good
as you think you are
you'll be in heaven
before you know it.
And if I'm not, I'll
save you a seat in hell.
(chuckles)
Well, that's comforting.
(beeps)
See you later, baby.
JUDGE: Does the government have
any more witnesses, Major?
Yes, sir. The government
calls Colonel Vickers
to the stand.
Your Honor, I think
counsel is confused.
She can't call the
accused to the stand.
I want to hear Colonel
Vickers tell the court
that he's not responsible
for what happened
to Corporal Dupree.
Your Honor, this is outrageous.
Major, you know Colonel
Vickers can't be forced
to testify against himself.
I'll do it, Your Honor.
(murmuring)
Sit down! I don't take
orders from civilians.
I'd like to make a
statement, Your Honor.
You don't have to, Colonel.
I understand,
Admiral, but if it pleases
the court, I'd like
to take the stand.
Your Honor, as defense counsel,
I cannot allow this to happen.
JUDGE: Colonel Vickers, if you
take the stand and make a statement
you will also be subject
to cross-examination
by the prosecution.
I understand, sir.
Take the Fifth.
You can take the Fifth.
Take it.
(rattling)
(beeping)
Commander!
It's me, Bud!
Are you in there?
(knocking)
Commander?!
(knocking) (beeping intensifies)
(knocking stops, beeping slows)
(thumping on door)
(beeping intensifies)
(thunder rumbles,
static crackles)
(steady beeping)
The United States has
become the world's protector.
We help those who
can't help themselves.
It's one of the things
that makes America great.
But unfortunately, we can't
be everywhere at all times.
So, we try to give
those countries
a means to defend themselves,
hopefully as a deterrent
to their enemies.
Now, my assignment with
the Defense Security Division
was foreign military sales.
And, yes, I approved the
delivery of some weapons
to the Algerians.
It was one of our ways
of building up
security against Libya.
But I swear...
to this court, to
Corporal Dupree
and to all the other victims,
that I would have never
ever approved the
sale of any weapons
chemical or otherwise,
if I thought for a moment
that they might be used
against any Americans.
Now, I'm sorry for
what happened.
I am.
And I wish I could
change it somehow,
but I can't.
I'm sorry.
Your witness, Major.
Would you approve
the sale of weapons
if you didn't think they'd
be used against Americans?
I just said that I
wouldn't, Major.
No, sir.
You said you would not
allow the sale of weapons
that might be used
against Americans.
What if you thought they'd
never be used against Americans?
What if someone in the
Defense Security Division said,
"Hey, it's okay. The Algerians
won't use this against us.
They're our allies"?
Would you look the other way
and approve it then?
Objection. Calls
for speculation.
Overruled.
Colonel?
(thunder rumbles)
(beeping)
(thudding footfalls)
(gutter clanging)
Whoa!
(groans)
(rapid beeping)
(rapid beeping)
Commander! Commander,
are you all right?
(muffled talking)
(thunder rumbles,
static crackles)
Sir?
Bud, there's a bomb
rigged to a motion sensor.
It's plugged into
the wall socket.
Pull it out. What?!
Behind you. Follow
the wire. Hurry!
Freeze!
(steady beeping)
Rabb, my office, now.
I'm late for court, Admiral.
I'm aware of that, Commander.
Major MacKenzie, sir...
Now, Rabb.
Colonel, you admit you approved
the sale of the 105 Howitzers
to the Algerians who
launched the attack.
I approved the sales, yes.
And you approved the sale
of several hundred
105 artillery shells
which were used to
launch the nerve gas.
Yes.
And you approved the sale
of chemical
manufacturing equipment.
No.
MacKENZIE: No?
Well, you signed the approval.
This is your
signature, isn't it?
Looks like mine.
I'll take that as a "yes," sir.
So within a period
of less than a month
you approved the sale
of everything the
Algerians needed
to make a nerve gas weapon
and launch it against
our Peacekeepers.
I told you that I
would never approve
the sale of any weapons...
If you thought they'd be
used against Americans.
I know, Colonel. But you did.
Somebody call the Bomb Squad!
Help!
Save your breath, Bud.
Nobody can hear you.
Look, we're
going to be all right
just so long as we don't move
and trip the motion sensor.
The bomb isn't set to go
off for almost eight hours.
What are we going
to do until then, sir?
We are not going to move, Bud.
Okay, sir, I'm trying.
Does anybody know you're here?
Major MacKenzie...
She sent me to find you.
Who did this, sir?
Special Agent Clark Palmer.
Man, I really hate that guy.
Me, too. Don't move
your head, Bud.
(moans)
Uh-oh.
What?
I'm getting a
charley horse, sir.
Don't you dare move,
Lieutenant... that's an order.
Aye, sir.
MacKENZIE: The only thing
that I can't figure
out is why, Colonel.
You know this area
better than anyone.
It was your duty to ensure
that something like this
wouldn't happen, so how did it?
I don't know, Major.
If you overlooked something
or mistakenly approved
something that you shouldn't have
then it's a tragic mistake
and I'm afraid you've
been negligent in your duty,
but if this wasn't
an accident...
GRIBALDI: Objection.
Is the Major going
to ask a question?
JUDGE: Sustained. Major,
do you have a question?
Yes, Your Honor.
Then please ask it.
Do you know the penalty
for assisting or inducing
in any way the acquisition
of chemical weapons?
Yes.
What is it?
Imprisonment.
Life imprisonment.
And if such action should result
in the death of another person
it's the death penalty, sir.
PALMER: Sir, I spent the night
in the emergency room.
I had an allergic reaction
to some antibiotics
I was taking.
My throat started to close
and my face swelled
up like a balloon.
(coughing)
I still don't quite have
my voice back, sir.
You going to be all right?
Yes, sir, I'm fine.
I feel better than I look.
Well, you still
should've called.
Well, sir, I would've,
but they knocked me
out with some painkillers.
I came here directly from the
hospital when they wore off.
How is the Major doing, sir?
Well, from what I understand,
she's holding her own.
I'd like to get in there and
help as soon as I can, sir.
Dismissed.
Commander...
General Trenton
called this morning, uh...
wanting to know
about the Hirsch case.
He wants to know
what our position is.
The Hirsch case, sir?
Captain Joe Hirsch...
Marine Harrier pilot.
We're charging him
with Article 111, sir.
Doesn't matter if it was
cough syrup or draft beer.
He was intoxicated
while operating an aircraft.
As you were.
Colonel, I know
what the Marine Code
of Honor means to you.
I know that you would
lay down your life
to protect the principles
by which you live
and I would like to believe
that a Marine of your character
would not knowingly
sell chemical weapons
to Algeria or anyone else.
But it happened.
You didn't want this to
happen to Corporal Dupree,
but it did.
You might have been able
to prevent it, but you didn't.
Four Marines and
37 others are dead
either because of what you did
or because of
what you didn't do.
I'm asking you as a
man, as an American,
as a Marine...
Were the Algerians allowed
to develop a chemical
weapons system
and, if so, under
whose authority?
I'm not asking for a
confession, Colonel.
I'm offering you one last
chance at redemption.
Yes.
We afforded them the
equipment they needed.
(thunderclap)
(beeping)
Move!
Got it.
All right, good, Bud...
Cut me out of here.
Hurry up.
What about the bomb?
What about it?
I'm not going to defuse it
and I'm certainly
not taking it with us.
We'll call the Bomb
Squad from the car.
Where the hell have you been?
I spent the night in
emergency, I have a strep throat.
You look terrible.
I'm fine.
I got him, Harm.
Vickers confessed to
helping the Algerians
acquire chemical weapons.
I think he's going to give
up some names in the DSD.
Well, I got here
just in time then.
JUDGE: Major, is
the government ready
to proceed?
We are, Your Honor.
What are you doing?
I have the smoking gun.
What smoking gun?
What does a Colonel
make these days?
Not enough.
Really? According
to your bank account
you have almost
$300,000, Colonel.
Yeah.
I wish.
Let me finish.
Back off, Sarah.
The government would
like to enter into evidence
the financial records of a
Cayman Island bank account
belonging to Lieutenant
Colonel Vickers.
Objection. Your
Honor, this is evidence
that has not been disclosed.
That's because it
was just uncovered
less than 20 minutes
ago, Your Honor.
Overruled. I'll allow it.
Were you selling
American-made weapons
under the table, Colonel?
VICKERS: No.
PALMER: How do you
explain this bank account then?
Uh, must be some
sort of mistake.
Really? Well, I think
the only mistake
was you thinking you
could get away with this.
Sir, this is a restricted area.
You'll have to turn around. I'm
Lieutenant Commander Rabb;
I'm supposed to
be in that courtroom.
Commander Rabb
is already in court, sir.
He's not Commander Rabb.
He's Commander Rabb.
He is in a disguise
that he made.
He drugged him and
made a mold of his face.
Bud? Let me speak to
Admiral Chegwidden.
He also is in court, sir.
Out of my way, Staff
Sergeant. That's an order.
DSD had nothing to do
with this one, did it, Colonel?
You were the lone
gunman on this job.
No, that's not true.
What the hell is Rabb doing?
You sold the Algerians
chemical weapons for cash.
Four of your fellow Marines died
for no other reason than greed.
Your greed. GRIBALDI: Objection.
Your Honor, the prosecution
is badgering the witness.
Sustained.
Sir, wait right here till I get
someone to straighten this out.
Okay.
(alarm blares)
Go! Go!
Uh, court will take
a 20-minute recess.
CHEGWIDDEN: It's gas!
Get everybody to get
the hell out of here!
(grunting and groaning)
My office!
Seal off this courtroom.
Call in the CBIRF team.
Give me the respirator gear.
Aye, sir.
(grunts)
Bag him.
Yes, sir.
One, two, three.
Somebody go after Rabb.
Commander Rabb
didn't do it, sir.
Agent Palmer disguised himself
as Harm in order to
kill Colonel Vickers.
Commander Rabb,
you all right, sir?
I'm fine, Corporal.
Detain this man.
Call the civil authorities.
Aye, aye, sir.
In here! Let's go!
Four... five...
Come on, Colonel.
One...
two...
Hold it. Hold it.
Excuse me. All right,
get him on his feet
Five...
Two... three...
four...
five...
One...
two...
(coughing)
CHEGWIDDEN: He's breathing.
What's that for?
I wanted to make
sure it was you.
One Harmon Rabb
in my life is enough.
More than enough.
Well, thank you, Admiral.
(laughs)
BROADCASTER: All eyes
are on Washington today,
as Marine Lieutenant
Colonel Ronald Vickers
is scheduled to appear
at his court hearing.
(knock at door) Colonel Vickers
has been accused of violating
the Chemical Weapons
Treaty Just a minute.
By providing the African
country of Algeria with nerve gas
used in an attack against
a U.N. peacekeeping force
in Tunisia last October.
Four American servicemen
were among the dozens
killed in that attack.
The apparent fratricide
of those four Americans...
Yeah? Hamish Rabb, Junior?
(chuckles)
Harmon Rabb, Junior.
Harmon. Sorry.
Delivery for you.
Could you sign on
number 23, please?
Yeah.
From Washington,
this is Chuck DeCaro,
ZNN Radio, on
special assignment.
ANCHORWOMAN: Thank
you, Chuck. In other news,
the Vice President's Summit
on Global Warming is scheduled
for noon tomorrow...
(blasts) (groans)
Following in his
father's footsteps
as a naval aviator
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb, Jr.,
suffered a crash while
landing his Tomcat
on a storm-tossed
carrier at sea.
Diagnosed with night blindness,
Harm transferred to the Navy's
Judge Advocate General Corps
which investigates, defends
and prosecutes the law of the sea.
There, with fellow JAG
lawyer Major Sarah MacKenzie,
he now fights in and
out of the courtroom
with the same
daring and tenacity
that made him a
top gun in the air.
(thud)
Lose something, Lieutenant?
Uh, no, sir.
I'd like to see Commander
Rabb and Major MacKenzie
in my office, ASAP.
Aye, aye, sir.
(sighs)
(phone rings)
(plastic squeaking)
(phone line ringing through)
SIMS: Victorian romance
or Spring splendor?
Hmm? What?
Bud, I've been trying to get you
to look at these wedding
invitations for two weeks now,
and if I don't order them
by tomorrow, then they're not
gonna get to the printer's
and we're not gonna have
anything to send people.
Fine. The white ones.
They're pearl!
Sorry.
It's not your fault.
It's my mother.
She's driving me nuts
with invitations and showers
and seating arrangements
and I'm going crazy!
Well, maybe we
should just elope.
That would be so romantic.
Of course, my mother
would have a heart attack.
You think so?
That's not funny, Bud.
I'm sorry.
Can I... speak with you
just for a... a moment?
Yeah.
Lieutenant!
Where are Rabb and MacKenzie?
I'm going to find them, sir.
I'll, uh... I'll be right back.
(indistinct chatter)
Oh, I like Victorian romance.
(conversation stops)
(stifled chortling)
Don't you recognize
me, Commander?
Let me give you a hint.
Special Agent Clark Palmer.
Surprise.
Did you miss me?
Oh, yeah.
Gee, you're a real
master of disguise, Palmer.
You have to be,
in my line of work.
You been bugging my place.
How long have you had
me under surveillance?
Ah... long enough.
Long enough for what?
Long enough to know
you got two overdue
library books,
some... serious issues
with your missing father,
and your love life sucks.
What do you want, Palmer?
You've got nothing
I want, Commander.
This isn't personal.
(thunder crashes)
DeCARO: Not since Iran-Contra,
has a military investigation
garnered this much media
attention. From Washington...
Where's Rabb?
He hasn't shown up yet, sir.
You know Dwight
Burgess from Justice.
What's your take on
Colonel Vickers' attorney?
Gribaldi's a good lawyer, sir.
Knows the ins and
outs of military law
as good as any JAG.
Do you have enough
evidence to go to trial?
Yes, sir, but we
still don't think
Colonel Vickers acted alone.
Someone in the
Defense Security Division
convinced him to violate the
Chemical Weapons Treaty.
Well, D.S.D. is the Justice
Department's problem.
With all due respect, Admiral,
the D.S.D. is our jurisdiction,
but this has become
everybody's problem.
MacKENZIE: Ever
since the Cold War ended
the DSD's become a refuge
for every diehard spook looking
for some good old-fashioned
cloak-and-dagger work.
Defense Security Division
does have a reputation
of protecting themselves
to the extreme.
I'm not afraid of
any of that, sir.
That's what worries me, Major.
Court-martialing
Colonel Vickers alone
won't stop the DSD, sir.
A few months ago,
they killed a Marine pilot
at Twentynine Palms, now
this? Who knows what's next?
The Department of
Justice has been looking
for a weak link in the
DSD for over a year.
Colonel Vickers
may be our only hope,
but we need JAG cooperation.
(sighs)
So, what's your plan, Major?
Until this, Colonel Vickers
had an exemplary career.
The man personifies honor,
but now he's got the blood of four
fellow Marines on his hands
and it's tearing him up inside.
I think if I offer him
transactional immunity,
and the chance
to redeem himself,
he'll cooperate, sir.
(sighs)
Do it.
Where's that big
cookie sheet of yours?
Oh, never mind, I got it.
What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?
"What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?"
"What the hell are
you doing, Palmer?"
You know, you've
got great enunciation.
It's very useful for
a lawyer, I'm sure.
Guess those high
school theater classes
weren't a waste
of time, after all.
What, are you
writing my biography?
Nope. Just getting to know
you better, Commander.
Well, now that we know all
about me, let's hear your story.
I'm not important.
Sure you are.
You're the one in power here.
What, are you getting back
at me for Twentynine Palms?
(chuckling): Oh, please.
Spare me the
psychobabble, Commander.
Unless, of course,
you want to talk about
your missing daddy.
What?
No witty retort?
Why is that?
Did I hit a nerve?
Tell me...
how goes the search
for Papa Rabb?
You know, I hear he's living
very well outside of Kiev,
or... or is it Smolensk?
Anyway...
Shame he never calls.
Go to hell.
(knocking)
Enter.
Sir, I checked
the entire building.
Commander Rabb is not here.
I've tried calling him 20 times.
He's not answering
his phone at home,
his cell phone or his pager.
I think the storm has knocked
out some of the local cell sites
in the area, and the
beltway... It's a parking lot.
Lieutenant.
Yes, sir.
Breathe, before you
pass out on my deck.
Yes, sir.
Good.
Now, have him see me
as soon as he arrives.
Aye, aye, sir.
ROBERTS: Psst.
Harriet.
I was, uh...
wondering if you
could look at something
in Commander Rabb's office.
Commander Rabb's office?
Yeah, it's a, uh...
I, uh... I want your opinion
on a question of, uh, protocol.
Okay.
Is everything okay, Bud?
You're acting a little
weirder than usual.
Uh, you'd be
acting weird, too, if...
you had this in your pocket.
Bud, I don't think this
is the time or the pla...
(thud)
(gasps)
Are you going to open it?
It's...
empty.
It's empty.
There... it's empty.
(keys jangling) Uh...
It's not the Hope
Diamond, but...
Oh, my...
(cheering and whooping)
(whistling)
MAN: All right, guys.
(indistinct voices)
Mr. Gribaldi.
We need to talk.
It's okay.
I'm listening.
Transactional immunity
if the Colonel gives me
the names of the
others responsible,
all the information
he knows about this,
and his agreement to
testify when the time comes.
His former employers
have a reputation
for tying up loose ends.
We'll get him in
witness relocation.
Oh, great.
That ought to buy
him an extra weekend.
He'll never go for it.
Ask him.
ROBERTS: Bye.
Colonel Vickers going to bite?
Gribaldi's going to ask him.
Bud, did you find
Commander Rabb?
No, ma'am.
Well, until Harm shows
up, you're co-counsel.
Wish us luck, sir.
Break somebody's legs.
All right, Bud, let's
get this over with.
(people conversing quietly)
Yeah...
BAILIFF: All rise.
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen,
in light of the reporters
outside this building
and for the sake of expediency,
I'd like to remind counsel
we're here today for an
Article 32 hearing, not a trial.
The decision whether
or not to proceed
with a court-martial
will be determined
by the evidence
presented here today.
Now, that said, Major MacKenzie,
is the government
ready to proceed?
No, sir.
The, uh, government
requests a continuance
until tomorrow morning.
On what grounds, Major?
The lead counsel,
Lieutenant Commander Rabb,
is not available, Your Honor.
GRIBALDI: Your Honor,
my client has been
put through enough
by the prosecution
without adding insult
to injury with these
endless delays.
What endless delays?
I'm asking for a
24-hour continuance.
The prosecution is stalling.
Counselors.
Major MacKenzie, as co-counsel
on this case, I'm
sure you're capable
of handling this
hearing yourself.
Yes, sir.
JUDGE: The government's motion
for continuance
is denied, Major.
Now, proceed with
your opening statement.
I don't care how you do it, Bud,
but find Harm and
get him here, ASAP.
Right, ma'am.
Keeping me here is a
waste of time, Palmer.
Major MacKenzie can
handle this case by herself.
You don't really believe that,
even though it's probably true.
Look, if I don't show
up, they're going to send
someone here looking for me.
Who said you won't show up?
You just won't be
yourself when you do.
(groans)
CARTER: It's beautiful, Harriet.
Thank you.
I'm so happy for you.
Thanks.
But we are going to miss you.
What are you talking about?
I'm not going anywhere.
When they transfer you.
Married officers can't serve
in the same chain of command.
You know that, Harriet.
PASTERNAK: I'm the
leader of a CBIRF team, Major.
Would you please tell the court
what that acronym stands for, Captain?
That's the Marine Corps'
Chemical and Biological
Incident Response Force.
We're brought in whenever there's
an incident involving chemical
and/or biological weapons.
Were you called for
the incident in Tunisia
that occurred on
October 7, 1997?
Yes, ma'am.
Please describe
what you found there.
It was pretty ugly, ma'am.
The Peacekeepers set
up an emergency post
in an abandoned aircraft hangar,
which is where this
chemical attack occurred.
It took us 18 hours
to get to the hot zone.
And by then, another 40 or
so people had been exposed,
which, in this
attack, was an agent
known as Soman nerve
gas, or G.D. for short.
And what happens
to an individual
who's exposed to
Soman nerve gas?
PASTERNAK: A small dose
causes headaches, nausea,
loss of vision
and hallucinations.
The Red Cross workers
and Tunisian soldiers
who arrived on the scene
before us had to be treated
for these sort of
symptoms, ma'am.
What about the U.S.
servicemen and refugees
who were exposed
to higher doses?
They weren't so lucky, Major.
Soman attacks the
central nervous system.
It shuts down the
respiratory function.
Those people experienced
violent cramping,
vomiting, convulsions
and ultimately, death.
In other words, a
cruel and painful death?
Yes, ma'am. Very.
(onlookers murmuring)
Objection.
This grotesque exhibition
has nothing to do with my client
or this hearing.
MacKENZIE: On the contrary,
Your Honor, this has everything
to do with this hearing.
Mr. Gribaldi would like us
to lose sight of this,
fact, but we can't
because this is what's
in store for us if we do.
PALMER: Ah...
MacKENZIE: Would
you please tell the court
how the nerve gas was
delivered to the attack site?
It was delivered in 105 shells
which had been modified
to deliver a binary
nerve gas system.
Is this the type of shell casing
we're talking about,
Captain? Yes, ma'am.
And where were these
shells manufactured?
Here, ma'am, in the USA.
(groaning)
(thunder rumbles)
How was your nap, Commander?
(grunting)
Here we go.
Who are you working
for these days, Palmer?
DSD or the CIA?
Does Clayton Webb
know about this?
Hmm. Webb?
No. Mr. Webb is very careful
not to get his hands dirty.
That's why the company
has wet boys like you, huh?
Wet boys?
You've been reading
too many spy novels.
That's what they call
assassins these days, isn't it?
It's a vulgar term coined
by some government geek
with an overactive imagination
and a love of
juvenile catchphrases.
I prefer to think of
myself as a forensic artist.
I mean, any psycho can
walk up to some poor soul,
put a gun to the
base of his skull
and blow his brains
out of his forehead.
But it takes true artistry to
have that same guy choke
on a hot dog at a baseball
game in front of 15,000 people
or suffer a stroke on the dance
floor at his daughter's wedding.
MacKENZIE: Now, you said that
these shells were modified.
Yes, ma'am.
They're hollow shells,
originally designed to be
packed with propaganda leaflets.
But these weren't used to drop
propaganda leaflets, were they?
No, ma'am.
PALMER: I don't expect you
to appreciate the kind
of work and planning
that goes into something
like this, Commander.
It's still... Murder?
Yes, Commander.
I know how you feel
about such things.
In fact, I know how you feel
about just about everything.
That's what makes
this all possible.
You're very predictable.
Dress whites and
moral conviction.
And of course we won't mention
the number of
lives you've taken.
Don't compare
yourself to me, Palmer.
I never took a life
that didn't threaten my
own or someone else's.
Do you even know how
many people you've killed?
I'm not keeping score.
18 confirmed...
that I'm aware of.
That's absurd.
Is it?
I thought you didn't keep count.
Or is it simply that
you've lost count?
You want me to
tell you about them?
(timer ticking) Help
jog your memory?
Let's see... there was
two Libyan pilots
over the Gulf of Sidra,
one Vietnamese emissary,
two Iraqi soldiers...
Don't forget to add your
name to the list, Palmer.
MacKENZIE: We
manufacture Soman nerve gas,
don't we? No,
ma'am. Not anymore.
But we did at one
time, did we not?
Yes, ma'am.
In fact, we have tons of it
stored at the Touella Army Depot
in Utah, don't we?
Objection! Irrelevant.
Sustained.
Have we not given nerve gas
to other countries like Britain?
Yes, ma'am, but for
research purposes only.
That's the official designation,
but do you know for a fact
that we have never supplied
a foreign country with
nerve gas, Captain?
No, ma'am. Thank you.
No further questions.
Captain...
could these 105
shells have been used
with conventional warheads?
Yes, sir.
The Chemical Warfare Treaty
prevents us from supplying
biochemical weapons
to any country.
Isn't that correct, Captain?
Yes, sir.
Do you have any way of knowing
where the Soman nerve gas
used in the attack originated?
No, sir.
So, then, the nerve gas
could have been stolen
from a lab in the Middle East
or purchased on the
Russian black market
for all we know, correct?
Yes, sir. Those are
both possible scenarios.
In fact, the Algerians could
have even manufactured
this nerve gas by
themselves, couldn't they?
Yes, sir.
GRIBALDI: Thank you.
No further questions.
MacKENZIE: Dr. Oh, Captain
Pasternak has just stated
that the Algerians could
manufacture their own nerve agent.
As a chemical
engineer, do you concur?
Yes. Given the proper
equipment and supplies.
MacKENZIE: What sort of
equipment are we talking about?
The same sort of
equipment one requires
in the chemical manufacturing
of insecticides and herbicides.
Bug spray and weed killer?
Yes.
Roach spray is essentially
nerve gas for insects.
If you increase
the concentration
you've got a chemical agent
that's lethal to humans.
MacKENZIE: Is this
the sort of equipment
that we're talking about?
This is exactly what
we're talking about.
The government would
like to enter into evidence
an invoice from the
Department of Agriculture
for chemical
manufacturing equipment,
which was sold to Algeria,
designated as agricultural
in nature, but, as
we just established,
has a deadly dual purpose.
Thank you, Dr. Oh.
No further questions.
Oh, Admiral, let me get
this stuff out of your way.
I'm sorry.
How are the wedding
plans coming?
In a word, horrible.
I don't think I
can pull this off.
Sure you can.
You just need to stop
thinking like a bride
and start thinking
like an ensign.
Sir?
Well, don't treat it like
some elaborate wedding.
Attack it as if it were a
precision military operation.
Look...
Seating arrangements, right?
No, battlefield plan.
Um, wedding party
table... Base of operations.
Uh, friends of
the bride... allies.
Uh, Uncle Larry and Aunt
Grace from Hoboken...
Enemies.
Very good.
(chuckles)
Thank you, sir...
Cool.
MacKENZIE: Mr. Spratt,
as Undersecretary of the
Agricultural Development Alliance
you authorized the
sale of this equipment
to Algeria. Yes, I did.
Why?
We're committed
to helping countries
like Algeria develop a
solid agricultural base.
An adequate food
supply is the first step
towards economic
and political stability.
Herbicides and pesticides
play an important
role in this process.
But are you not
aware of the potential
for misuse of such technology,
such as the development
of chemical weapons?
Of course, Major. That's
why all such transactions
must be approved by the DSD.
MacKENZIE: The
Defense Security Division?
SPRATT: Yes, ma'am.
And who specifically must
authorize the sale of this equipment?
Lieutenant Colonel Vickers.
The government would like
to introduce into evidence
a copy of a DSD approval
for the sale of this equipment,
authorized by
Lieutenant Colonel Vickers.
Thank you, Mr. Spratt.
No further questions.
Undersecretary Spratt,
have you ever met
Colonel Vickers before?
No.
Have you ever talked
to him on the phone?
No.
So, in fact...
this piece of paper is
the only correspondence
that you have ever had.
Yes.
Could it not be a phony?
Could someone not have forged
Colonel Vicker" signature?
Objection.
Overruled.
You may answer the
question, Mr. Spratt.
Well, I suppose it's possible...
Thank you very much, Mr. Spratt.
No further questions.
(timer dings)
Dinner's ready.
Aha...
Ah...
Aha.
Does the face ring
a bell, Commander?
You've been watching
too many Mission
Impossible reruns, Palmer.
I fooled you to get
in here, didn't I?
You said yourself I'm
a master of disguise.
I was being facetious.
Well, don't you feel
like an ass now?
(nasal voice): Kind
of spooky, huh?
You still don't have my voice.
Neither do you
since you came down with
that, ahem, nasty flu bug
and spent the night in...
(coughs)
emergency.
(thunder crashes)
I hear they only use psychos
for this kind of work, Palmer.
So, what kind of a man
becomes an assassin?
I don't know.
What kind of man
becomes a lawyer, Rabb?
The kind that
believes in justice.
I believe in justice.
I think we just have a
very different approach.
So, you're going to kill Colonel
Vickers to keep him quiet, huh?
You're not understanding
the intricacies of global politics.
The new world order's
exactly like a giant chess game
and sometimes you
got to sacrifice a pawn
in order to save your king.
I see the DSD has become
an organization of thugs.
But I feel sorry
for you, Palmer.
You're so far over the
edge, you don't realize it...
but Vickers isn't
the fall guy here.
You are.
Don't try to play mind
games with me, Commander.
You don't have the talent
for it.
I seem to recall
beating you in the desert
the last time we met.
You think so?
Tell me, how's the big
case against the DSD
and the Bradenhurst
Corporation coming along?
The Justice Department
will get a conviction.
Not in your lifetime.
Actually, that's only a matter
of a few hours at this point.
(knocking at door)
Enter.
(door opens)
Sir, I know you're busy...
but I was just wondering
how my wedding to
Lieutenant Roberts
is going to affect
my duty here at JAG.
Well, as you know,
it is against regs
for spouses to work within
the same chain of command,
so, you will have
to transfer back
to the
Inspector-General's Office.
Yes, sir.
However... your performance
has been outstanding.
So, even though
you'll be officially working
for the Inspector-General
I'm going to ask that you be
permanently
assigned to this office.
You can do that, sir?
Admiral's privilege.
Thank you, sir!
Thank you!
Well, consider it, um...
part of your wedding gift.
That'll be all.
You're going to poison him?
Even you must see
the irony, Commander.
You know, Colonel Vickers
is not the innocent victim
you'd like to believe.
He was hand-picked for the DSD.
So you could manipulate him,
get him to sign off
on your dirty deals.
It's a shame to
have to kill him.
Good help's hard to find.
You're not gonna release
Soman nerve gas in the courtroom.
No.
Soman, Sarin, VX-2...
Those are old school.
This is the new
kid on the block.
It's ten times more lethal,
virtually undetectable,
and best of all, no aftertaste.
You'll be exposed.
Don't worry about me, Commander.
I eat right...
and I carry protection.
MacKENZIE: Prosecution calls
Corporal Sharon Dupree.
Objection, Your Honor.
We all know what
happened in Tunisia,
and the Major has already
pointed out the effects of the attack.
I do not understand what
Corporal Dupree's testimony
could possibly add.
MacKENZIE: Corporal
Dupree is a victim of the attack
who has to deal with the
pain and suffering every day.
I think we owe her the
respect to hear her testimony.
Overruled.
Proceed, Major.
What about the other
people in the courtroom?
Hopefully, their exposure
will be kept to a minimum.
Hopefully?
I'm not a mass
murderer, Commander.
If I was, I'd simply
fire a dragon
into your JAG headquarters
and blow Vickers to hell,
along with everyone else
and chalk it up as
collateral damage.
It's not my style.
Oh, I forgot.
You're an artiste.
What happened to you, Palmer?
What could possibly
happen to a person
to cause them to lose every
shred of human compassion?
Stay in Washington
a few more years.
DUPREE: I had just
stepped into the hangar
when I heard the explosion.
I froze for a moment,
but then my Marine
training took over.
I raced out to grab these
two little refugee girls.
I didn't realize it
was a chemical attack
until I was about
halfway to them
and... my eyes started burning.
My lungs were on fire
and I could barely breathe,
but I kept going.
All I could think about
was saving those
two little girls.
But it didn't matter.
By the time I got to
them, the girls were dead.
I'm in pain every day.
My husband can't touch me.
I can't even pick up
my three-year-old son, Adam.
The gas burnt out
my tear ducts, so...
I can't even cry.
PALMER: It's been fun, Rabb,
but I got to go.
I got a case to try.
Or rather, you do.
In fact, you're going
to question Vickers so hard
the poor man will
die of a heart attack
right there in the courtroom.
Imagine the headlines:
"JAG Lawyer
Questions Man to Death."
And then you'll return home
devastated by the day's events
and, uh, die in a freak fire.
Don't you think the
coroner's going to wonder
about the restraints
on my hands and feet, Palmer?
By the time they put
this fire out, Rabb,
they'll be lucky
to find your teeth.
This charge is set to
go off in eight hours...
so, if I were you, Rabb, I'd
find peace with my maker.
And don't bother trying
to Houdini out of this
because, uh, I've got a trigger
wired to this motion sensor.
You may be wondering
"If he's going to kill me, why
doesn't he just shoot me?"
Well, quite frankly,
Rabb, that's not my style.
But don't worry.
Hell, if you're as good
as you think you are
you'll be in heaven
before you know it.
And if I'm not, I'll
save you a seat in hell.
(chuckles)
Well, that's comforting.
(beeps)
See you later, baby.
JUDGE: Does the government have
any more witnesses, Major?
Yes, sir. The government
calls Colonel Vickers
to the stand.
Your Honor, I think
counsel is confused.
She can't call the
accused to the stand.
I want to hear Colonel
Vickers tell the court
that he's not responsible
for what happened
to Corporal Dupree.
Your Honor, this is outrageous.
Major, you know Colonel
Vickers can't be forced
to testify against himself.
I'll do it, Your Honor.
(murmuring)
Sit down! I don't take
orders from civilians.
I'd like to make a
statement, Your Honor.
You don't have to, Colonel.
I understand,
Admiral, but if it pleases
the court, I'd like
to take the stand.
Your Honor, as defense counsel,
I cannot allow this to happen.
JUDGE: Colonel Vickers, if you
take the stand and make a statement
you will also be subject
to cross-examination
by the prosecution.
I understand, sir.
Take the Fifth.
You can take the Fifth.
Take it.
(rattling)
(beeping)
Commander!
It's me, Bud!
Are you in there?
(knocking)
Commander?!
(knocking) (beeping intensifies)
(knocking stops, beeping slows)
(thumping on door)
(beeping intensifies)
(thunder rumbles,
static crackles)
(steady beeping)
The United States has
become the world's protector.
We help those who
can't help themselves.
It's one of the things
that makes America great.
But unfortunately, we can't
be everywhere at all times.
So, we try to give
those countries
a means to defend themselves,
hopefully as a deterrent
to their enemies.
Now, my assignment with
the Defense Security Division
was foreign military sales.
And, yes, I approved the
delivery of some weapons
to the Algerians.
It was one of our ways
of building up
security against Libya.
But I swear...
to this court, to
Corporal Dupree
and to all the other victims,
that I would have never
ever approved the
sale of any weapons
chemical or otherwise,
if I thought for a moment
that they might be used
against any Americans.
Now, I'm sorry for
what happened.
I am.
And I wish I could
change it somehow,
but I can't.
I'm sorry.
Your witness, Major.
Would you approve
the sale of weapons
if you didn't think they'd
be used against Americans?
I just said that I
wouldn't, Major.
No, sir.
You said you would not
allow the sale of weapons
that might be used
against Americans.
What if you thought they'd
never be used against Americans?
What if someone in the
Defense Security Division said,
"Hey, it's okay. The Algerians
won't use this against us.
They're our allies"?
Would you look the other way
and approve it then?
Objection. Calls
for speculation.
Overruled.
Colonel?
(thunder rumbles)
(beeping)
(thudding footfalls)
(gutter clanging)
Whoa!
(groans)
(rapid beeping)
(rapid beeping)
Commander! Commander,
are you all right?
(muffled talking)
(thunder rumbles,
static crackles)
Sir?
Bud, there's a bomb
rigged to a motion sensor.
It's plugged into
the wall socket.
Pull it out. What?!
Behind you. Follow
the wire. Hurry!
Freeze!
(steady beeping)
Rabb, my office, now.
I'm late for court, Admiral.
I'm aware of that, Commander.
Major MacKenzie, sir...
Now, Rabb.
Colonel, you admit you approved
the sale of the 105 Howitzers
to the Algerians who
launched the attack.
I approved the sales, yes.
And you approved the sale
of several hundred
105 artillery shells
which were used to
launch the nerve gas.
Yes.
And you approved the sale
of chemical
manufacturing equipment.
No.
MacKENZIE: No?
Well, you signed the approval.
This is your
signature, isn't it?
Looks like mine.
I'll take that as a "yes," sir.
So within a period
of less than a month
you approved the sale
of everything the
Algerians needed
to make a nerve gas weapon
and launch it against
our Peacekeepers.
I told you that I
would never approve
the sale of any weapons...
If you thought they'd be
used against Americans.
I know, Colonel. But you did.
Somebody call the Bomb Squad!
Help!
Save your breath, Bud.
Nobody can hear you.
Look, we're
going to be all right
just so long as we don't move
and trip the motion sensor.
The bomb isn't set to go
off for almost eight hours.
What are we going
to do until then, sir?
We are not going to move, Bud.
Okay, sir, I'm trying.
Does anybody know you're here?
Major MacKenzie...
She sent me to find you.
Who did this, sir?
Special Agent Clark Palmer.
Man, I really hate that guy.
Me, too. Don't move
your head, Bud.
(moans)
Uh-oh.
What?
I'm getting a
charley horse, sir.
Don't you dare move,
Lieutenant... that's an order.
Aye, sir.
MacKENZIE: The only thing
that I can't figure
out is why, Colonel.
You know this area
better than anyone.
It was your duty to ensure
that something like this
wouldn't happen, so how did it?
I don't know, Major.
If you overlooked something
or mistakenly approved
something that you shouldn't have
then it's a tragic mistake
and I'm afraid you've
been negligent in your duty,
but if this wasn't
an accident...
GRIBALDI: Objection.
Is the Major going
to ask a question?
JUDGE: Sustained. Major,
do you have a question?
Yes, Your Honor.
Then please ask it.
Do you know the penalty
for assisting or inducing
in any way the acquisition
of chemical weapons?
Yes.
What is it?
Imprisonment.
Life imprisonment.
And if such action should result
in the death of another person
it's the death penalty, sir.
PALMER: Sir, I spent the night
in the emergency room.
I had an allergic reaction
to some antibiotics
I was taking.
My throat started to close
and my face swelled
up like a balloon.
(coughing)
I still don't quite have
my voice back, sir.
You going to be all right?
Yes, sir, I'm fine.
I feel better than I look.
Well, you still
should've called.
Well, sir, I would've,
but they knocked me
out with some painkillers.
I came here directly from the
hospital when they wore off.
How is the Major doing, sir?
Well, from what I understand,
she's holding her own.
I'd like to get in there and
help as soon as I can, sir.
Dismissed.
Commander...
General Trenton
called this morning, uh...
wanting to know
about the Hirsch case.
He wants to know
what our position is.
The Hirsch case, sir?
Captain Joe Hirsch...
Marine Harrier pilot.
We're charging him
with Article 111, sir.
Doesn't matter if it was
cough syrup or draft beer.
He was intoxicated
while operating an aircraft.
As you were.
Colonel, I know
what the Marine Code
of Honor means to you.
I know that you would
lay down your life
to protect the principles
by which you live
and I would like to believe
that a Marine of your character
would not knowingly
sell chemical weapons
to Algeria or anyone else.
But it happened.
You didn't want this to
happen to Corporal Dupree,
but it did.
You might have been able
to prevent it, but you didn't.
Four Marines and
37 others are dead
either because of what you did
or because of
what you didn't do.
I'm asking you as a
man, as an American,
as a Marine...
Were the Algerians allowed
to develop a chemical
weapons system
and, if so, under
whose authority?
I'm not asking for a
confession, Colonel.
I'm offering you one last
chance at redemption.
Yes.
We afforded them the
equipment they needed.
(thunderclap)
(beeping)
Move!
Got it.
All right, good, Bud...
Cut me out of here.
Hurry up.
What about the bomb?
What about it?
I'm not going to defuse it
and I'm certainly
not taking it with us.
We'll call the Bomb
Squad from the car.
Where the hell have you been?
I spent the night in
emergency, I have a strep throat.
You look terrible.
I'm fine.
I got him, Harm.
Vickers confessed to
helping the Algerians
acquire chemical weapons.
I think he's going to give
up some names in the DSD.
Well, I got here
just in time then.
JUDGE: Major, is
the government ready
to proceed?
We are, Your Honor.
What are you doing?
I have the smoking gun.
What smoking gun?
What does a Colonel
make these days?
Not enough.
Really? According
to your bank account
you have almost
$300,000, Colonel.
Yeah.
I wish.
Let me finish.
Back off, Sarah.
The government would
like to enter into evidence
the financial records of a
Cayman Island bank account
belonging to Lieutenant
Colonel Vickers.
Objection. Your
Honor, this is evidence
that has not been disclosed.
That's because it
was just uncovered
less than 20 minutes
ago, Your Honor.
Overruled. I'll allow it.
Were you selling
American-made weapons
under the table, Colonel?
VICKERS: No.
PALMER: How do you
explain this bank account then?
Uh, must be some
sort of mistake.
Really? Well, I think
the only mistake
was you thinking you
could get away with this.
Sir, this is a restricted area.
You'll have to turn around. I'm
Lieutenant Commander Rabb;
I'm supposed to
be in that courtroom.
Commander Rabb
is already in court, sir.
He's not Commander Rabb.
He's Commander Rabb.
He is in a disguise
that he made.
He drugged him and
made a mold of his face.
Bud? Let me speak to
Admiral Chegwidden.
He also is in court, sir.
Out of my way, Staff
Sergeant. That's an order.
DSD had nothing to do
with this one, did it, Colonel?
You were the lone
gunman on this job.
No, that's not true.
What the hell is Rabb doing?
You sold the Algerians
chemical weapons for cash.
Four of your fellow Marines died
for no other reason than greed.
Your greed. GRIBALDI: Objection.
Your Honor, the prosecution
is badgering the witness.
Sustained.
Sir, wait right here till I get
someone to straighten this out.
Okay.
(alarm blares)
Go! Go!
Uh, court will take
a 20-minute recess.
CHEGWIDDEN: It's gas!
Get everybody to get
the hell out of here!
(grunting and groaning)
My office!
Seal off this courtroom.
Call in the CBIRF team.
Give me the respirator gear.
Aye, sir.
(grunts)
Bag him.
Yes, sir.
One, two, three.
Somebody go after Rabb.
Commander Rabb
didn't do it, sir.
Agent Palmer disguised himself
as Harm in order to
kill Colonel Vickers.
Commander Rabb,
you all right, sir?
I'm fine, Corporal.
Detain this man.
Call the civil authorities.
Aye, aye, sir.
In here! Let's go!
Four... five...
Come on, Colonel.
One...
two...
Hold it. Hold it.
Excuse me. All right,
get him on his feet
Five...
Two... three...
four...
five...
One...
two...
(coughing)
CHEGWIDDEN: He's breathing.
What's that for?
I wanted to make
sure it was you.
One Harmon Rabb
in my life is enough.
More than enough.
Well, thank you, Admiral.
(laughs)