Gosei's island seemed very different with so many people on it. To the best of the Corsair Rangers' knowledge, they had been the first humans that had ever set foot on it, but today, it was pretty busy. All 119 Rangers had been invited to teleport to the island.
There hadn't been much of a discussion on the matter after Jordan's death. It just seemed right that he would be laid to rest here. He had brought about the end of the war, and had created a new Morphing Grid that would keep the Earth safe long after his sacrifice. His importance to the Ranger legacy couldn't be ignored. While there were other ideas of what to do with his remains, the last thing anyone wanted was for his resting place to become some kind of side-show attraction, or worse, that it could be exposed to any kind of backlash from people wanting to exact some kind of revenge for some perceived slight that the Rangers had visited upon them. Now that the Morphing Grid was back online, the defensive illusions were back in place, hiding the island from anyone that didn't have a morpher, and so they knew he would rest in peace.
Orion, Jake and Troy were outside, preparing the grave site. Others volunteered to help with the digging to let them rest, but they took the lead, feeling that Jordan had been their team mate, and that it was only right that they were the ones to bury him.
As they waited for the site to be prepared, Emma was sitting out on a ledge, looking out over the island. Although she loved her time as a Corsair, one of the things she had missed dreadfully was the island. Being hidden from humans, it had remained virtually unchanged since it had broken off from the mainland millions of years previously. The environment here had survived virtually untouched by anyone. It was one of the favourite places she had been in the whole world. Of all the strange and new things they had seen in her adventures, she loved the fact that there were things she could see here that just weren't around any other place in the world. She smiled as she watched the island's most unique inhabitant, the one and only sasquatch, grazing in the undergrowth. She didn't notice as Anton Mercer appeared behind her.
"If I hadn't seen it myself, I would never have believed it. You really have bigfoot?" He asked. Emma just sighed.
"You used to be a mutant dinosaur, and this is the jumping off point for your disbelief?" Emma asked him. He just let out a small laugh as he sat with her, moving a little gingerly.
"Wow, Tommy wasn't kidding when he said this Ranger stuff hurts, even with the suits." He responded as he sat next to her. "I suppose you have a point. It's just...science has always been looking for the missing evolutionary links, I'd really love to study him."
Emma just glared at him, but he held up his hands defensively.
"Hey, I didn't mean taking him anywhere or doing any kind of lab work on him. He's far too magnificent a creature to harm." He insisted. "I got into Paeleontology for a reason. I don't have to worry about harming any of the creatures I study, they've all been dead for millions of years. I was just thinking...perhaps I could take a look at him once he's lived out his days here."
"I'm about to bury one of my best friends." Emma reminded him. "Do you seriously want to talk about this now?"
"Sorry, I guess sometimes the scientist in me gets the better of me." He answered apologetically. "Your friend, I didn't really know him, but he was clearly a remarkable man."
"That's Jordan; he never did anything by halves." Emma sniffed as she wiped her nose. "He wasn't content with just being a Ranger. He had to go and martyr himself to create a new Morphing Grid."
"He gave the world a fantastic gift." He answered with a smile.
"Yeah, just like his grandfather, and his father." Emma replied. "What is it with Eltarians and their martyr complex?"
"Well, I can't speak for the Eltarians specifically, but if there's one thing I've come to believe from my years in Palaeontology, it's that every species has a purpose, has some great gift to impart on the world before the end of their days. The ability to maintain our own body temperature, the ability to make and use tools, the opposable thumb...all species have given us their gifts."
"I know, but their gifts...their gifts cost me one of my best friends. Gosei's gift cost us one of the best friends we've ever had!" Emma told him. Anton took a deep breath.
"For he so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son." He answered. Emma just furrowed her brows. "What?"
"I just...wasn't expecting someone so heavily into science to quote the bible." Emma replied.
"The two paths are not mutually exclusive." He assured her. "I took a lot of comfort in my faith following my Mesagog days. I've seen a lot of darkness in my life, and that's just what works for me. I use my faith to give me the strength to carry on, and use my gift to help the world and make amends for what I did as that monster."
"That's one way of looking at it I guess." Emma replied as she thought about it.
"I'm already eager to get back to my work. One of my excavation teams believes they've found a perfectly preserved early Homo Sapien in a glacier in Alaska." He informed her. "But I just had to pay my respects first. He's been there for about 10,000 years or so give or take, I think he can wait a bit longer."
Just then, Jason came out of the cave entrance, rousing their attention.
"It's time." He told them. Emma just nodded as she got up. Jason helped Anton, seeing he was a little stiff from the action.
"I have a feeling there's a reason they usually pick teenagers for all this." He stated.
"Believe me; I've got a few aches and pains today." Jason assured him. "This all hurts a lot more than I remember."
With that, they went back to the cave.
A little while later, the Rangers were all assembled in a clearing, a little way from the cave. They had all lined up, facing out to sea. Mack and Katie hefted a huge, black stone into place, positioning it in a small hole that had been dug to give it a foundation to keep it upright as a marker. It had an epitaph carved into it, honouring all of those that had fallen in the final battle. After securing it in place, they all stood, forming a path up the centre. The Corsair Rangers were all in the front row, together with some of their close friends. Cat held Gia's hand, offering her some support as the procession began. In honour of Jordan and his ancestors, the original six Rangers carried Jordan down the aisle on a stretcher, covered with a cloak, which Tensou had made for him. In the Eltarian custom, it had been made in his family's colours, and embroidered with the images of his accomplishments. It was his surcoat, and in his final journey, it acted as his shroud.
Troy made his way to the front as they carried him to the grave they had dug. He had faced the Rangers assembled before him, and prepared to begin.
"I've never met anyone who wanted to be a hero more than Jordan." Troy began as he faced the others, trying to find inspiration for what he wanted to say. "The first time I met him, he had only just arrived in town, and he was going around telling everyone he was the Red Ranger."
The others couldn't help smiling as they recalled that. It was a little irritating at the time, especially since Jordan pretty much made out that he did all the work to keep the city safe all by himself, not knowing that the real Rangers were in the Brainfreeze and could hear every word he was saying.
"However, unlike others that simply talk about wanting to be heroes, Jordan was willing to put himself on the line and back up his words. He tried to take on a monster without any powers...which admittedly went about as well as anyone would expect, but that didn't stop him being willing to put his money where his mouth was when the situation called for it. He even had the courage to weather the storm when he came clean about not being a Ranger."
"However, he did get his opportunity when he became the Robo Knight." Troy continued his story. "And I think we can all admit, that he had more than a few rocky moments, but he managed to come through it all, even when he found out more than a few surprising things about himself, things I'm not sure many of us would have blamed him from being freaked out by."
As Jordan was lowered into the grave, he looked to Jake and Orion, who started to fill in the grave.
"In the end, he's been one of the most courageous and greatest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." He said, looking to the grave. "He's been a Hero, a mentor, an ally, but most of all, a friend. Goodbye Jordan. May the Power protect you forever."
The rest of the Rangers all filed past the grave, heading from the site, each saying their own quick goodbye, before teleporting away.
A couple of hours later, everyone arrived back at the hotel, where Anton and Andrew Hartford had clubbed together to arrange a suitable event to give Jordan a good send-off. The staff were curious when they asked specifically that food and refreshments were prepared, and then the staff left for the night, but between them, Anton and Andrew's black credit cards were enough to convince the management that there was nothing to fear leaving them alone in the building. It was the only way they could bring the Corsair Rangers back to the hotel without revealing who everyone else was.
The atmosphere took on a surprisingly upbeat tone as the night continued. The war was over, everyone was relieved to get back to their lives...hell, to even have lives to go back TO considering how close The Armada had come to destroying everything, but it didn't really feel inappropriate. Jordan had been such a fun and upbeat kind of guy that in the end, they chose more to celebrate his life than mourn his passing.
Gia was sitting, listening to Jake relaying one of the many stories he had of their days on the soccer team together, explaining how he used to lead them more through raising their spirits and making them enjoy the game than any form of harsh drilling. Carlos and Conner, as fellow soccer players, were the most interested in it, but a huge laugh went up as Jake relayed a story of how Jordan once turned up to practice, and realised he had forgotten his shirt...so he had rectified the situation by painting his body in the team colours.
Gia couldn't help smiling, hearing this as Cat sat with her, handing her a glass of wine.
"You seem happy." Cat told her.
"I do miss him." Gia admitted. "Most of these people barely knew him. Some hadn't met him before today, but I just...I love the fact that he was so important to all of them."
"He was important to everyone." Cat told her. "I kind of feel like maybe we should do something else, you know...to honour him or something."
"I'd love to, but...I don't know what." Gia answered.
"Well, he did do all this to save Harwood right?" Troy asked. Maybe there's something we can do to help out there?"
"We still have the stuff in Blackbeard's cave." Noah reminded them. "It's not everything, but I'm sure that would go a long way to rebuilding after The Armada."
"No, it needs to be something more personal." Cat insisted. "It needs to be something that Jordan would have done, or loved seeing done."
"Well, good luck doing much of anything." Emma grumbled. "I just got off the phone to mom, the reason none of our folks are here is because they can't leave the house. The press have been camped out on our lawns all day!"
"I suppose you can't blame them." Jake muttered. "It's the first place I want to go; we're bound to end up there eventually."
"In my experience, the press is an annoyance that never really goes away." Anton added.
"Tell me about it." Zack said with a little smile. "Sometimes, the only thing you can do is bite the bullet and just get it over with."
"Believe me; it can be preferable to letting them make up the stories themselves." Kira added as she poured herself some more wine. "I used to try and not say anything to the press, but after I've been accused of everything from ripping off charities to having a love-child with half the male pop stars on the planet, I finally just started telling them the story myself."
"It's daunting I'm sure, but you are one of the only Ranger teams who are known to the public." Anton reminded them.
"Maybe there's some way we can achieve both goals." Jake suggested. "You hear about people selling their stories all the time right? Maybe we can call a press conference, but charge the media a fee..."
"...that goes to the rebuilding effort!" Emma concluded. "Jake, that's a great idea!"
"Well, we'll have to think carefully about what we want to do." Troy reminded them. "We need to make sure it's a good setting, and we have good time to prepare for it, not to mention start to get back to our lives."
"I...I think I have an idea." Noah stated as he showed them his tablet. They all looked to it, furrowing their brows.
"Noah, are you seriously suggesting...?"
"The forum boards are lit up with requests for us! They'd be insane to refuse if we agreed!" Noah told them. "Not to mention, it's something Jordan would really have gotten a kick out of!"
"But seriously..."
"Seriously, this...this gives us some time and breathing space to settle down, and figure things out before the event!" Noah told them. "Not to mention, we can put the fees for appearing to the fund as well!"
"It is something Jordan would have loved." Gia conceded. "He was a colossal nerd."
"I'm in." Jake stated. "I'd love to see what it's like on the opposite side for once."
"You know I'd be there!" Noah told them. Emma just smiled.
"Jordan would have loved it." She responded. Troy thought about it for a while, before smiling.
"Then I guess that's settled." He replied. "Noah, send an e-mail. If they'll have us, the Power Rangers are going to the Harwood ComiCon!"
In another part of the room, Orion was sitting with a drink, watching the night progress. While he knew Jordan, and it was sad that he was gone, in some ways it was as much about his fellow Andresians as it was about Jordan for him. He knew that there were still Andresians out there, that they were somewhere in the galaxy, having been sold as slaves. He looked up as Emma came over.
"Orion, you weren't there, we had a great idea about dealing with the press and..."
"Emma, I'm not staying." Orion told her. She just looked at him curiously.
"Orion, what are you...?"
"Emma, I stayed to put an end to The Armada. They're gone now." He reminded her. "But the other Andresians...they're still out there."
"Orion..."
"My ship was picked up by NASADA after I landed in France." He recalled. "I have to believe it's still there, maybe it still works."
"Orion, I...I didn't think..." Emma stammered, thinking about it. "We...we can help. We..."
"Emma, it's great of you to offer, but your war is over." He told her. "This is my war now."
"Orion, we all fought in the war. We're a team, we're family!" She insisted. "I'll go with you!"
"Emma, you all have your lives here now." He told her. "I'll find my people, and then..."
"Then what?" She asked him. He just breathed a sigh and shook his head.
"I don't know." He told her honestly. "I guess we'll just try and find somewhere to call our own."
"Well, I can't help with that, but I can help with one part." Jason told them as he arrived. He handed Orion some pictures, which he just studied uncertainly.
"What...what's this?" He asked. He paused as he noticed something. "Are these...?"
"Gosei took Jordan on a mission before...you know." He told him. "He found your people on one of Mavro's forge worlds."
"This looks like..."
"They were brought to Earth." Jason assured him. "They're in a refugee centre. They're here on Earth."
"That...that's amazing!" Orion called out! Emma leapt at him, wrapping her arms around him as she heard this.
"Orion, that's amazing!" She screamed. Orion couldn't help but agree. It seemed that Jordan and Gosei had one last present to give.
A/N: OK, twofold apology here. Firstly, I have to apologise for the delay. A sudden bereavement in the family made this chapter, for understandable reasons, the last thing I really wanted to write. The second thing is, I am aware of the timing, and I needed to get this done. I am promising that future chapters will get happier, but I just needed to get this out of the way. Thank you for your patience, and season's greetings.