Post Mortem

[Nick Ryder]

Capitol City Memorial Rotunda -

Following the destruction of the old Capitol Building, the old footprint was kept a rotunda as a memorial to those that lost their lives or so they thought to Jackson - although not everyone returned but it was rechristened to be a place of remembrance for everyone who lost their lives in the Imperium War and ever since the foundation of the Alliance. Torpedo cases containing the bodies of fallen Fleet and Marine officers and enlisted were arranged around the dias as well as caskets for those civilians and those who were going to be buried on Terra Alpha, the Naval and Marine officers who requested a space burial would have their torpedo tubes beamed to the TAS Kitea and the TAS Erebus for launch after the services.

One casket was different from the others, it was draped in the old Federation Flag, with an Imperium flag crossed over it. It was the first and only time since the foundation of Terra Alpha that the Imperium flag had flown on the planet, but it was in honor of it's fallen Empress, who's actions since her exile helped to repair her tarnished reputation.

President Emeritus Nick Ryder walked past the casket containing his father and put his hand on the top.

"Well dad... I wish you could see this, but you'd hate the lack of security." Nick whispered and sighed. "Gonna miss you."

"I never really met your father, but he seemed like a good man." Emperor Kaikoa Lei said as he approached Nick and put his hand on his shoulder. "Even mother did not hate him that much."

"Oh she and Leo got along pretty well, even after the divorce." Nick said with a half smile and looked at her casket. "Can't believe she's actually gone."

"Same here... I knew it would happen sooner than later, but I didn't quite expect it so... well... from someone else." Kai said and glanced at his wife Lucy who was talking with Nick's mother Tess and her alternate Teri. "So what's the story with the younger version of your mother?"

"Still figuring that out." Nick replied as he crossed his arms. "I'm trying to keep her close, after everything she's been through, kid's kinda trying hard to hold it together. Past alternate version... it's just... confusing for her. And us. Trying to not push her into anything let her take her own course."

"It is best not, after all... there may be a reason for it." Rumiko said as she approached Nick and Kai. "I'm sorry if I sound like a fortune cookie, but... I've been having the wildest visions of late."

"That's kinda new." Nick said as he gave her a hug. "Where's Dom?"

"No idea... which doesn't trouble me, he did think I was dead but... I do wish he were around, I think he thinks I'm betraying him by being part of Kaikoa's inner circle. Someone has to be a good influence on my nephew." Ru said with a slight smirk. "I honestly cannot say I am shocked by this development."

"I'm kind of waiting for her to walk through the door in a new body." Kai muttered. "Would not be the first time, although I do not think she possess the technology to save herself and transfer her consciousness into a clone body any longer." he winced. "I believe she came here to die, but to die with a sword in her hand."

"She wanted me to kill her or Emperor Magus Stormtalon. Thought we both were so wronged by her that it was our right to end her, but we chose mercy instead." Nick said and looked at the rows of caskets and torpedo casings. "A part of me wonders if that would have saved lives today or if this would have happened anyway but with someone else as the excuse?"

"The future is always clouded, especially these days with so many realities and timelines cutting in, but there are dark days ahead of us Nicholas. But like they say, it is always darkest before the dawn. You have to endure the dark to appreciate the light... but the night is not over yet and there are yet demons to face." Rumiko said cryptically. "Worlds will still fall and hope will be shaken but if we are smart... more will be saved than cannot."

"You were never that cryptic before Ru..." Nick said with a raised eyebrow.

"Never had visions and dreams that intense before." Rumiko replied and sighed heavily. "Dominus and his forces are not like the others, we are facing a multiverse of threats and he has done this to other realities, we're simply the next conquest."

"We'll face it as we've always had... " Nick said as he glanced over and saw Jon and Isabella Price arrive in hover chairs. "If you'll excuse me..."

Nick walked over to the First Couple and smiled as he looked at them. "Thought you two wouldn't make it?"

"Our doctors said as long as we don't try to stand and stay in the chairs, we could leave the hospital." Jon replied and winced slightly. "We're looking at probably a good month in these things, reconstructive muscle surgery takes a while to regain the strength we had, of course I don't doubt my wife will try to get that down to a couple of weeks... "

"How... are you Bella?" Nick asked as he approached her chair. "We've got a lot to catch up on."

[Rebecca Talon]

"Indeed we do," Rebecca added as she walked up from behind. Her arm was a in sling, but all things considered she was doing well enough. She wrapped her good arm Nick's shoulder. She didn't have to give him her condolences for his father. They knew each too well for empty pleasantries, but she would be there for him no questions asked, and without fail.

[Jonathan Price]

Jon gave Becca a look, "Should have let Sasyaki kill him when she had the chance. First thing I did once I could actually sit up and not want to howl in pain, was sign an executive order, same that we had for the late Empress Lei. Sanction on sight. You get the shot, you have an upper hand for a moment and you have an opening, take it. Everyone in those caskets... and my wife and I... are on his head. He's proven that he's too dangerous to take into custody. Nearly blew you up too Admiral." he sighed. "I and the rest of this planet and the Alliance need a win. At least Director Cross isn't as well known as Jack was, so I will not be removing him but given that both our homes were destroyed, I don't want people to think he failed in his job at keeping us safe from our threats and his own home and his daughter and son in law were nearly killed in our own."

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca frowned, "It does us no favors to become them. If you start down that road it can become very difficult to turn around. Is this a society that you want? Where if someone does you wrong you kill them? No trial? No due process? Guilty until proven innocent? Is that what you want? Fear, and anger are the ways of rhe Ajem. Be careful when dipping into it, or you become it yourself."

[Jonathan Price]

"To what end? Sit in a cell we provide for the rest of his miserable life? I'd send him back to his fucking reality if I had that power, but I don't. And I wouldn't force him on anyone else. I can be forgiving, I can be just... I didn't order Julie Lei even imprisoned when she more than deserved it, and look at her." Jon gestured to her coffin. "She's being buried without her bloody head Rebecca. And not long ago an Ajem put you in the ground too. Or got very close to that. And for the record, he WAS imprisoned, we did do the 'good guy thing' and look where it got us? More dead. That's an enemy combatant and that's clear and present danger. I got out of Starfleet because I was ordered to 'kill the fuckers if they try to kill us', I know keenly what I am talking about." he looked at his clenched hand. "I lost my unborn child to him. I lost my house, even my mobility, there is a very real chance I may never get out of this chair, I'm not an Augment, I don't heal fast. Malcolm very nearly became President. And you're telling me I need to worry about due process with that son of a bitch?"

[Rebecca Talon]

"Then I cannot be a part of this," Rebecca said with resignation. "Due process and separation of powers is the basis of our government. If that is the course you choose you do so without myself and the Jase'dasis."

[Jonathan Price]

"No different than what was ordered on other past state criminals. This entire memorial is because of him." Jon replied and shook his head. "Then I will amend the order... if he can be brought in... safely and with no loss of of life, he will get a trial. But if he kills, then it is on whoever's inaction and they'll be right there with Bartyn in the trial. Because I am trying to end this. Otherwise, we will continue to look weak and ineffective, this isn't a man that's innocent until proven guilty. And the centuries old rules of enemy combatants still apply, or did you take everyone you ever killed via photon torpedo in? Don't get high and mighty. You and Nicholas have been involved in hundreds of combat operations, this is no different. It's this or I sic my mother in law on him and I need not remind any of you what happened the last time she went after someone that hurt her and her family."

"She turned him into a pretzel." Clint replied. "We aren't dealing with a normal criminal, due process, all well and good, but there is no doubt of his action. There isn't a scenario where he simply rots in a cell. There isn't any reason why we should have stopped Anjali from shooting him, we had a clean shot there."

[Nick Ryder]

"And how would that look?" Nick replied.

"Like a mother avenging her daughter? Maybe saving some lives?" Clint said and sighed. "Look, I get it. We all get it.. but I'm surrounded by bodies here that were committed by a guy wearing my face."

"Join the club." Nick said and cocked his head. "How do we know that the Bartyn we kill on sight is THE Bartyn?"

"Would it matter?" Clint said as he gestured to the caskets. "If a guy that looks like me does this... ice him."

"As I recall you did kill my son." Nick crossed his arms.

"After he opened fire in his armor on your grand daughter." Clint countered.

"Exactly. Both of you were mind controlled... by a K'n'zy no less." Nick said and rubbed the bridge of his nose after removing his glasses. "Look, let's just be sure the motherfucker we actually put in a pine box is actually the right one... don't want it to be you. For all we know someone else is pulling his strings and he's just as innocent as you were. Idle talk of killing the guy that hurt us all... that's fine, but let's not let him kill what makes us different."

"Then let's really hope he doesn't kill someone close to you again. Oh wait..." he pointed to Leo's casket.

"Clint... it's taking a lot of calm and cool to not knock you on your ass right now and the fact that your daughter would fly out of that chair and beat me senseless." Nick said.

[Isabella price]

“I would.” Bella agreed sounding a little out of it. They nurses pumped her full of sedatives to keep her in her chair. She wasn’t their ideal patient. “Amend the shoot on sight order I don’t need them shooting Dad and pissing off Mom. I still can’t believe you let Solara and Jonas go. Lei is on her head to. No matter how innocent she pretended to be she still had a part in his escape.”

[Nicole Decker]

"I have an agent watching her and Jonas." Nicole said as she approached. "More an observe and report, but if we need to bring them in, we can." she put her hand on Bella's shoulder. "And I already have a deep dark hole I can throw Bartyn in when we get him. Same one we had planned for Lei, but she redeemed herself, I do not see that happening with Bartyn. In any case, I'm also not losing any more agents to him, if someone get's a lucky shot off, I'm not going to weep too much. Unless it's Clint. I quite like him. He amuses me when he drinks coffee directly from the pot when he can't find a mug."

"He just does that even when there are mugs." Jon teased. "Oh and Nicole, you're officially Director. No acting. If my predecessor can have family working for him, so can I."