Chapter Four: AWOL

"So, Commander, what happened here?"

"Sir, I was on day-leave out of the area when the missile attack came in. I received one message from high-command in the interim. And that was over an year ago. I kept eyes and ears in on the area, tried to assist survivors when necessary and kept in touch with high command who had said that they would be sending people out. But since the initial contact they haven't responded to any of my messages, sir." The frustration in Kennedy's voice was very clear to Tosh who nodded. The lieutenant commander had done what she needed to do. Her CO on the other hand...

"Who was your immediate supervisor?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Jack Bunch, sir. Our US Marine Corps liaison with the Army. He was our senior ranking commanding officer who was in charge of the Navy/Marine Corps liaison with the Army base high command. That high command was wiped out completely in the attack." LCDR Kennedy replied. "When I contacted him, he didn't want to be bothered; he was, in his words, protecting his family. He didn't want to be a soldier any more...so he said, that his family was his primary focus from now on.

Tosh raised his eyebrows, "That may be admirable to a civilian point of view. but he swore an oath to the United States Armed Services."

"That's what I tried to tell him, sir, but he just wouldn't listen. He said he didn't care about the Corps or the Navy any longer; that his primary objective was to ensure his family's survival.

"I'm glad you told me that, Lieutenant Commander. If I find him his options are going to be reduced to two rather unpalatable choices." the vice-admiral's look was grim. "Commander, you're going to be my eyes and ears within the community, if there is anything going on that I need to be kept informed about, I want you to let me know about it."

"Aye aye, sir." LCDR Kennedy responded, "Am I to assume that the Colonel is going to be up on charges."

"Dereliction of Duty and Desertion (in a time of war) for starters. I'm sure the JAGs within my command will come up with other charges." the admiral looked sour, "It's not going to go well with him if he doesn't come clean about his intentions. As it stands from what little I've heard, Lieutennat Commander, I'm tempted to throw the entire UCMJ at him, read him his charges, give him a fair trial and round up enough candidates for a firing squad."

"That's what I figured, sir."

"You did your duty, LIeutenant Commander, he failed to do so. And he has to pay the consequences of the decisions he made."

LCDR Kennedy was pensive. "I understand, sir. He has two sons and two daughters..."

"I'm not prone to being affected by the circumstances, Commander, but I'll take that argument for mitigation into mind when meting out the sentence." the vice-admiral said. "I commend you for coming to his defense in that however, he is an officer in the United States Marine Corps, he should have known the potential should he disobey the tenets of the Uniform Code of Military Justice." The rest of the conversation was the particulars. Lieutenant Commander Kennedy would remain ensconced within the community and communicating with the vice-admiral on matters that needed dealing with and Lieutenant Commander Kennedy had someone to back her up when she tried to solve problems within the community.

It was a rather relieved Meg Austin-Nakamura who greeted her husband at the gate.

"You made it back...safely..." she breathed a sigh of relief as she fell into his arms and embraced him tightly, her lips on his.

"Of course, I would, sweetheart." Tosh gave her a crooked grin, "Nothing will stop me from getting back to you..." Meg knew in her heart that Tosh would go through hell to get back to her if it meant seeing her again and that meant the world to her.

In another section of the compound, Mac was trying to console a heartbroken River.

"I miss my mom..." Mac's heart jumped at those words. So many nights after her mother left her abusive relationship, Mac had thought those same things. Why had she been abandoned? But in this case, there was no way for Fiona to return even if she'd wanted to.

Mac could only do what she could to console River's heartbreak and hope that her promise that she would alway do what she could to protect River was enough.