Handover

[Charles Ryder]

Leo's Blues and Rock Club --

Charles walked into the bar and looked around, he had been given a message from Nick's AI to come to the bar. He wasn't sure what it was about, but he had a feeling the repair drones that were finishing work on the building, had something to do with it. He pulled off his leather jacket and sat down.

"Hey Chuckie..." Kirby said with a grin. "Been a while."

"That is has Kirby... congrats by the way, did you get the wedding present?" Charles inquired as he pulled off his motorcycle gloves.

"I did, thank you. So Nicole'll be up in a bit." Kirby said as she poured him his favorite beer. "I guess you should know, Nick and Alice and Gale are... well they're gone. They left you and Tess the bar, figured that since it's got Leo's name on it, it should stay in the family. The living quarters are available if you want them, although Director Decker has been considering moving in herself."

"I hope they're okay... Nick and his family." Charles said as he took a sip of the beer. "Nothing too serious?"

"Shuttle suicide crashed into their living room. That's pretty bloody serious... wanker that did it died in the crash, but Alice and Nick got very shook up by it and... they're gone. We have no idea where they really are, just that their safe and they're together. Alpha Section is going to be folded into SHIELD a bit, so the spooks that live downstairs will remain, it'll be an other field office."

"Well, I always did want to run another bar, Leo and I always talked about it... so you come with the place?" Charles chuckled

"I do actually, I'll be working with the 'spooks' downstairs here and there, although my wife is retired, but Intel has been my life longer than it hasn't." Kirby replied. "And you need a good barmaid."

"Mister Ryder!" Nicole said as she walked out of the back room and approached Charles. "So good that you could come here on such short notice. I'm not sure how much Kirby told you, but... Nicholas wanted you to assume the controlling partnership in this bar. Although I have decided that I'm going to take the living quarters... unless you really wanted them?"

"It's alright, I got a nice place." Charles said and shook her hand. "No idea where Nick and Alice went?"

"Nope... just that their safe." Nicole replied.

[Rebecca Talon]

"Charles," Rebecca greeted and extended a hand. "It's been a while." She was wearing civilian clothes, and pair of boot cut jeans over a pair of mud splattered cowboy boots, western shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair was pulled back into a simple pony tail worn under a grey felt cowboy hat.

[Charles Ryder]

"Becca Sandoval... you seem to get prettier as the years roll on." Charles said with a smile. "I have to admit, Capitol City has some of the most downright beautiful women in the Quadrant. Three of them are in this bar right now."

"Flatterer... you can tell where the Ryder charms came from, Leo was always a silver tongued devil." Kirby said with a sigh and poured a shot and raised it. "To Leo..."

[Nicole Decker]

"To Leo." Nicole said as she poured a shot for herself and one for Becca. "I promise my agency will treat this place right." she raised her glass and sighed. "And to the Ryders... may they actually find some peace."

[Rebecca Talon]

"To Leo." Rebecca said. "If it weren't for him we wouldn't be here."

[Charles Ryder]

"To Leo... best little brother a guy could ever have." Charles said and raised his glass and took a swig. "So Rebecca... what brings you here? Or is it the same cryptic-ish message that got me part ownership of a downtown Capitol City bar?"

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca smirked, "Something told me that I needed to be here."

[Charles Ryder]

"Seemed like whoever sent it, wanted the circle small." Charles said as he took another sip of beer. "Still, you've always been a pleasant sight. Nick always considered you his best friend."

"God, it's like a wake or something." Nick's hologram said as he materialized. "Hey everyone... so, apparently my fleshbag original programmed in something into a probe to transmit ohhh around a few hours ago, that's why you were called." he gestured with his hand. "May as well let you hear the whole thing."

"Nick and his long term plans..." Charles muttered.

"Hey, he gave up a lot." Holo-Nick replied. "So... here's the message."

"Hi everyone... Uncle Charles. Director Decker. Kirby. Becca. Yes I knew you'd be here... amazing what meditating will do." Nick's message said with a smile and clapped his hands. "So, as you probably know from the note, I wanted to at least tell you in person. Uncle Charles, you and mom own the bar, just hey... don't do too many changes to it, I spent a lot of money getting it set up and some of the best bar and restaurant developers to get it profitable. It should keep you so comfortable financially, even through a crisis, that you won't need to work and you can continue to follow the dreams you've put on hold so long. Kirby, while mom and Uncle Chuck own the place, you're manager and you're also liaison to Alpha Section and whatever Clint, Malcolm and Decker decide to do with the agency, I would suggest folding it into SHIELD since they do need a base in the City and Naval Intel already has a bar." he chuckled and glanced at Decker. "Decker, I know you are a good person and you're probably the most honest spymaster I've worked with. So I'm granting you access to my database of Intel data that I've accumulated over the course of my long career. But its for your own eyes only. And Rebecca... go to my closet, there's a few things that might help you that I've left. I'm also funding your new Jase'dasis settlement, what I left should help you build and someday, when things aren't crazy, I'll be back and we'll have a bottle of whiskey together."

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca signed, "I hope so." She finished her drink and set the empty glass down on the counter with a soft clunk.

[Nicole Decker]

"So any idea where they are?" Nicole inquired.

"Nope. And I'm kind of forbidden from speculating." AI Nick said with a shrug of his shoulders. "There IS more... " he gestured and another video played of Nick sitting down this time.

"Becca... Nicole... there's a couple more things I forgot to mention in my previous message. One, in terms of the technology that Alice and I have developed and is sitting in our lab, the Version 2.0 of the AliceCore and some improvements to Phase Cloak and anti-kilden tech, use it as you see fit, but do not let it get out. If you feel it's safer that the research and prototypes are destroyed, that is your choice. Any proceeds from the sales of our tech, should go into the Huntington Trust, just in case we return after a while we'll be able to rebuild our lives and if we don't, if the kids need it, they have it to draw from. I'm also releasing the Legacy Trust to you Becca. It's enough to make sure your son, Ethan, and your daughter Kim have what they need to go to school or build their own future. Same with Trinity and Ethan's children. I have this sense that there are twins coming, even if Trinity is playing completely coy about the whole thing. I know this sounds like a last will but I couldn't just leave things unresolved and those I care about not taken care of." Nick's hologram said and turned to Decker. "And Decker, when it comes to Dominus and his ilk, resist the urge to capture, it needs to be final otherwise, they'll kill far more. They want to be captured, I've had dreams about that. I know you don't believe in the Iljuna like Becca and I do, but it's a powerful ally. Trust her, trust the Jase'dasis. Even if the future is always cloudy, especially where the Ajem are concerned, trust their feelings. And trust your own. You are one of the most capable spymasters I've ever worked with. And your assistance in our exit, did not go unnoticed. My AI doppleganger is at your disposal, he was originally my back up in case I was killed, but he's been online long enough since my last disappearance that he's developed his own sentience in essence, so... he'll be a fine resource for you, now that Bella doesn't really need him. But he can be shared. Know that I'm always with you in some way for counsel. Even the real me is well... nowhere near any of you." he stood up and saluted those gathered. "Thank you all for everything you've ever done for me and my family and I wish you all the best. Truly. We'll all meet again. Someday. And if not..." he raised a holographic glass. "Have a drink on an old engineer turned Commander, turned politician."

Nicole took another swig of her drink and chuckled. "The man never quite knows how to be brief does he?"

"Nope. That's his mom's side." Charles chuckled and nodded his head. "Y'know I'm not sure if I want that apartment upstairs, I'm single and that's a huge place."

"I call dibs." Nicole raised her hand. "I hate my current apartment. And I need to be closer to the Capitol anyway... seems all the action happens here. And I do spend far too many Saturdays here anyway as it is. Olivia and Aimee got me hooked on the live music here. I do hope since they're taking over Galaxy Freight that they'll still perform every so often."