round 2 Lt. Alleran Tan - Requiem for Commander Barnes

[Hugh Barnes]

(( Graveyard near the USS Avandar ))

:: It was dusk now, the twilight spilling over the graveyard and bathing it in the sun's last vestigial yellow rays. The jungle warmth washed over the gathered crowd, which to Tan's mind was a good omen. On Byroni, where he was born, they say that to bury the dead during the cold would send them to the Trill equivalent of Hell. Instead, the honoured dead were to be buried during the heat of the day so that their bodies would be warm at night and they would find comfort and solace in the Earth's loving grip. ::

Tan: We are gathered here today to pay tribute to one of our own, Commander Hugh Barnes.

:: Alleran stood at the front of the gathering, one of their last PADDs clasped in both his hands. He articulated himself carefully, speaking slowly and with careful, practiced precision.::

Tan: Commander Barnes was born on Qo'n'os, homeworld of the Klingons... as were other offices present here today. So when I say that Barnes was born on a planet of warriors, full of courage and valour, I want you all to understand that I believe in my bones that Commander Barnes inherited from his homeworld more than a birth certificate which certainly caused all manner of confusion for Federation Immigration. He inherited a soul that had fire, passion, dedication, honour, and a deep, intrinsic feel for right and wrong that he had with him as long as I had known him, brief though it was.

:: He pressed a button on the PADD, moving to the next set of notes. He wasn't reading verbatim, but instead he was speaking from a set of notes. It was more authentic this way. ::

Tan: A Trill symbiont can live for thousands of years, and so when I say that I never got to know Commander Barnes as well as I should have, and this regret will be with me as long as I live, I want the true meaning of what I say to be clear. Although Hugh is no longer with us, his memory lives on... in all of us here. In the shared, collective memory that we all share. This memory is a long one.

:: The Trill flicked to the next page. ::

Tan: A ship is like a home, and a crew like a family who live in it. Each of us have a role to play in Starfleet, and as our Chief of Security, Commander Barnes worked tirelessly to keep the crew safe from those who would trespass into our home to do us harm. Such was his dedication to his duty, that this task continued unabated even as our home, shattered and broken, was splayed out on this planet.

:: Another page. ::

Tan: ... anyone can live in a house, but a home is different. A house has walls, a ceiling... ::he nodded towards Audie:: ... a cute dog. Ahome... that is to say, the shared love and joy, the shared grief and loss, that bond that ties us all together... has no walls or boundaries. When the Avandar broke her back on this planet, Eden, forcing us to live on its surface... the house was gone, yes, but the home within merely moved to the camp not far from here.

:: He paused again, moving to the next page of notes. ::

Tan: Commander Barnes was a member of that home... that family... and I am, as all of you are, saddened and aggrived by his loss. I know that he cared for us... all of us. His love was strong enough for him to lay down his life so we could live. All we can do to thank him, now, is honour that sacrifice in everything we do, for every day we live.

:: Alleran gently reached out, touching the wood of his coffin, looking at the closed casket. ::

Tan: I'm sorry we couldn't save you, Barnes... but your efforts gave us all a second chance. Klingon legends say that they slew their gods for being more trouble than they were worth... but I know it was because they were making more room in the heavens for you, sir.

:: Withdrawing his hand, Tan moved to stand with the others. ::

(( OOC: Anyone else? ))

:: Speeches were made and Tan listened respectfully, diligently, and then the time came. The coffin was lowered into the ground as Taps, that old solemn tune, was played. ::

(( OOC:

))

:: Alleran came to attention, drawing his hand up in a crisp salute. Quietly, he muttered to himself, confident the music would hide the tremor in his voice. ::

Tan: Goodbye, Commander Barnes. Somehow, we'll find the strength to carry on without you.

:: The Marines presented arms, then twenty-one phaser shots flew into the atmosphere of Eden, flying off into space. The weapons were lowered, then fired again... then again. ::

:: Barnes's body was lowered into his grave and the detail Tan had assigned began their grim work. Soon, the monument to Commander Barnes's sacrifice was a large headstone carved from local granite, along with a mountain of freshly turned earth. ::

:: Switching off the PADD to conserve the power, Tan nodded to the others in attendance who were near him. ::

Tan: I'm sorry to rush everyone, but...

:: There was a true sadness in his voice as he glanced out at the nearby row of coffins, all cut from local timber and draped in Federation Flags. ::

Tan: ... we have a lot of these to do today. Let's get moving.

End.

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Lt. Alleran Tan

Operations

USS Avandar

Edited March 11, 2012 by FltAdml. Wolf
Adding Round 2 prefix.