Cartier's Fate

[Achkaerin]

The diplomatic ramping up around Colonel Cartier had been expected but perhaps not at this speed, the myriad of legal issues was more than enough to bury most lawyers and the amount of pre-trial procedural motions that had been submitted by Cartier's legal team were quite significant not to mention complex and it was these motions combined with intelligence and political concerns along with the growing attention of the international community that was creating a perfect storm around the Colonel. In the Marble Palace it was decision time, Emperor Peter had gathered his advisors and they were in the midst of a deep conversation on the issue. Peter put the phone down after a rather bittersweet call with the Duchess of Aquitaine.

"She doesn't like it but she'll do it." Peter said looking around the room "Is everyone happy with handing him to Marseilles if they meet our conditions? Rion?"
"He's the most valuable intelligence source I've got on the Sorority, but I do have Alys now." Rion said
"Better Marseilles than Nya Aland." Kumiko Arkwright Peter's chief of staff said "We're legally within our rights to try him, but we don't need Brook 2.0."
"Marseilles where the crimes occurred better there than sending a message we don't want to send." Rion said
"All right summon the Marseilles let's get the assurances, if they agree we extradite to Marseilles, if not we reconsider." Peter said

An official summons was promptly dispatched to the Marseilles embassy.

[DaveIronside]

Thibault Bonfils had been watching the press meetings over the course of the day and had half expected such a phone call. He was therefore ready for when it finally arrived. He had his car waiting and quickly made his way to the Palace producing his credentials as he arrived. He introduced himself. "Good-day. I am Thibault Bonfils, Ambassador from Marseille. I am here on the request of the Emperor." He hoped this meeting would be quick as he had a dinner arranged with some business investors he was hoping to interest in some propositions for back home but naturally this was a cause close to his heart with his brother having been killed fighting for Real Marseille.

[Achkaerin]

To say Peter was conflicted about this was an understatement, he knew it needed to be done, he knew it was right but at the same time he could still see the then Captain Cartier who handed Daniele over to Achkaerin in 1998, saving the future duchess's life, it wasn't easy for the Emperor having been involved in that operation to effectively wash his hands of one of the bravest men he'd known but good men could go bad and Sebastian Cartier was a criminal and had to face justice.

"Mr Ambassador." Peter said when Thibault was shown into his study "Thank you for coming promptly. I'm sure this comes as no surprise but this concerns Colonel Cartier. I'm equally sure it comes as no surprise to you that this concerns his extradition, Achkaerin has no extradition agreements with Marseilles however the Colonel must face justice so I'm prepared to extradite him on the following conditions:

Firstly that the trial is conducted in accordance with the relevant articles of the MCUR, I have no reason to believe that this will not be the case but I hope you understand that I need the affirmation on the record. Secondly the death penalty must be taken off the table, Achkaerin does not extradite to the death penalty and I would be unable to satisfy the demand if it were on the table. Thirdly the trial must include charges in respect all the people whose deaths, abuse and so on that he is responsible for whether they be CTOMM, Marseilles or Nya Aland, fourth there must be no further extradition of the Colonel this is where it ends the crimes were committed in Marseilles. Finally he has proven to be a valuable intelligence source in respect of the Sorority of Materna, it may become necessary for him to be asked further questions if so we will inform you. If the terms are agreeable he can be on a plane in the morning."

[DaveIronside]

Thibault was slightly annoyed, the Emperors people had kept Cartier for a good five years, to suggest that they hadn't handed him over because he was an intelligent asset was frankly beyond an insult, but that could be dealt with once Cartier was in their custody.

"The Colonel should have faced justice long before now. You see we also have no intelligence sharing arrangement and as the Sorority made its home in our nation they are as much, if not more, a concern of ours than yours. So I will be expecting any intelligence gathered in the five years you have had him hidden away to also be handed over in due course." The boss back home may not have asked for that but then again it was now clear to them that Achkaerin had been in a sense pumping Cartier for years.

"As to the conditions you will no that all our trials take place in a manner you'd expect. We have trial by jury, an independent judiciary and all that. As the crimes were committed while he was a commissioned officer in the nations military that will mean should he not appoint a lawyer himself then a member of our military police force will be free to be appointed to council him. We as of yet haven't had a chance to formally question him so concerns over torture would only be an issue if you've had your thumbscrews out."

"As for the death penalty it is not used in our nation. As such it is an easy to satisfy condition. However I do find it strange that you would prevent a trial where after due process the death penalty was used yet recently one of your own judges passed a sentence of death rather than recluse themselves from a case under Uppsala. Presumably Nekhtou's execution will go against your nations own laws yet it was awarded by your citizen and you will pack him off to his death. Notably in a much swifter time than Cartier. You must therefore see why nations around the world will view these demands as slightly strange. However as I have pointed out we do not use the death penalty despite I believe Cartier deserving such a sentence if just half the crimes he's accused of are true."

"Your demand for including all deaths that took place in Marseille then of course we shall include everyone that we can. The footage from Alander aircraft and testimony from their troops, deserters and Real Marseille will be I believe more than enough to convict him and ensure he dies in a prison cell so regardless of the numbers that is assured. As for your final demand then of course on the matter of these deaths then he will not be extradited, a man can not stand trial for a crime he has already been convicted of in a different land, that would not be correct. This matter should have been handled as quickly as the Clysperis one and is perhaps the most clear cut of cases Uppsala is likely to ever see. The fact that the very fabric of the Uppsala Convention was pushed this far to ensure our laws were seen as sovereign is in my view unacceptable. You will naturally be permitted to send representatives to witness the trial and I suspect in due course members of your military are likely to be called as witnesses. Thank you for your time."

[Achkaerin]

Peter was frankly unamused with the ambassadors tone, it was expected that emotions would run high, Peter had to remind himself that there were parts of this he knew that the ambassador didn't. Still at least the concerns were satisfied

"I agree the Colonel should have faced justice long before now and undoubtedly would have had one of his own actions not shall we say muddied the waters." Peter said "His declaration of Aquitaine, created a few problems of a legal nature that were seized on by his representatives and your military's finding of him being awol inadvertently compounded this. More often than not the grounds are clutching at straws but as I said Cartier muddied the waters. I would also politely remind you that for all of the years we've had him in custody, both for investigation and then pre-trial detention not once has your government in either the current or previous administration requested his extradition for the crimes he committed in the Marseilles crisis, had that request come we would have had this conversation long before now. His lawyer is Elecktra Hope according to the documents I've seen, she works for shield law. Cartier will be transferred to Marseilles in the next twenty four hours."