Lament for Pvt. Jenkins

Posted on Fri Mar 6th, 2020 @ 4:12pm by Captain Daniel "Karass" McKnight & Commander Patricia Kingston & Lieutenant Commander Tanya Stevenson & Major Sir Bruce "Scorch" Fraser, 15th Baron Fraser of North Cape & Lieutenant T'Lee Duval & Division Admiral Celeste Yamaguchi-Hobbs & Master Sergeant Kaya Akauki

Mission: Mission 64: Mortal's Chiefest Enemy
Location: Deep Space
Timeline: 0900Hrs - February 17th, 2392

Commander Daniel McKnight sighed softly, he wore his dress uniform and he hated this part of any starship command, burying his dead and he never enjoyed this, what was worse was that these people had died at the hands of a former ally and as far as McKnight was concerned, the Klingons had a new enemy to face in battle.

Commander Celeste Yamaguchi entered the large chapel space that had been converted for the somber service that was about to take place, the door opened and in walked Master Sergeant Kaya Akauki who looked downright odd with her looks, she was multicolored and had various skin tones across her body but that was because she was a genetically engineered lifeform, her service record has her species listed as GELF.

She went over to the podium and she waited for the last of the people to filter in, many were marines and some were still wounded from the recent firefights over Dylan's world.

Major Bruce Fraser who was the fifteenth son of his line and was more commonly known as 'Scorch' stood before the sixteen caskets, most of them were closed due to wounds sustained before dying.

At the appointed time the last of the attendees were hustled inside and the doors were closed. Kaya Akauki waited another few moments for everyone present to take a seat and get comfortable before she started speaking.

"Today we are gathered here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. They gave their lives in the defense of those who could not defend themselves and in defiance of tyranny." as she regarded the sixteen caskets before her. "These were fine young man and women who I have the privilege of knowing and in many cases training with their various tasks and jobs they held in Dreamcrushers marine company."

Scorch stood quietly as the master sergeant gave her speech and in truth he liked it, it was simple and said everything that needed to be said, while not detracting from the emotional aspect of it or the human side of things either.

When she was finished, the master sergeant stepped down and then McKnight went up, saying more of the same things a skipper could be expected to say, things like they were good soldiers who never once shirked their duty and gave their last full measure of devotion in the service of others and freedom.

A short time later the service came to its climax as the sixteen caskets were beamed out into space before the sublight drives mounted to them fired, propelling them into the nearby star, the sixteen heading on one last convoy together, a cluster of shooting stars that were heading home on their own journey.

"Honor detail. form up!" Scorch intoned softly.

The seven Marines who had drawn this assignment stood at attention before they lifted their rifles, they fired off six salvoes each into the ceiling, the rounds were blanks and did no damage as they were just harmless light.

Scorch came over to where the small memorial for Dreamcrushers fallen was located. "Were it so easy."

Celeste Yamaguchi regarded Bruce Fraser with a gentle expression on her face, as she gently stopped to stand next to him. "Indeed... Were it so easy.." she turned her head to regard him. "Don't worry about contacting their next of kin... I'm going to take care of that over the next couple of days before we reach the fleet... Your guys are heros.."

"I wish it didn't cost so much," Fraser responded, much sadness in his tone. "I have always hated memorial services.."

"Aye," Yamaguchi responded quietly. It wasn't hard for her to see why McKnight hated them, much the same as Celeste herself did. "So do I.."