Ep 18. Liberty

The episode begins with a flashback to 1990 when Captain Bud Roberts (Patrick Labyorteaux) was still a young lieutenant. Roberts and his men are deployed to Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. As they pass through a burning oil field, he gets separated from his unit and gets captured by Iraqi forces. The episode then fast forwards to present-day, and Roberts is now a veteran working at JAG headquarters.

Roberts receives a call from an Iraqi woman named Leila (Shiva Rose), who claims to have information about his time as a prisoner of war. Leila has fled Iraq and immigrated to the United States, where she has been living in hiding. She wants to meet with Roberts to reveal what she knows.

Roberts is hesitant to meet with Leila, as he is afraid she may be a spy or that the information she has could compromise his security clearance. However, he eventually agrees to meet with her and hears her story. Leila reveals that she was one of the Iraqi soldiers assigned to guard Roberts during his captivity. She witnessed his resilience and courage and was moved by his bravery. As a result, she helped him escape and gave him a piece of her scarf as a symbol of their friendship.

Roberts is stunned by the revelation and grateful to Leila for saving his life. He decides to help her in return by providing her with legal assistance, as she is seeking asylum in the United States. Roberts presents her case to his colleagues, but they are skeptical of her story and question her credibility. They fear that if they help her, they may be aiding a potential terrorist or spy.

Roberts is determined to help Leila, however, and continues to work on her case. He finds a way to corroborate her story by tracking down other Iraqis who were held captive with him. They confirm that Leila was indeed a guard at the prison camp and that she helped Roberts escape. With this new evidence, Roberts is able to convince his colleagues to assist Leila and grant her asylum.

The episode ends with Roberts thanking Leila for her bravery and sacrifice. He gives her the scarf she had given him as a symbol of their friendship, and they part ways. Roberts is left with a newfound appreciation for the kindness and humanity that can be found even in the midst of war and conflict.