Honoring the Fallen
Posted on Wed May 16th, 2018 @ 9:15am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 10:05pm
1,948 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - Weary Travellers
Location: Deck 10; Shuttle Bay
Timeline: MD001 0800 hrs
Tags: SD 71395.0800
Steam filled the fresher compartment, a novelty to Cornelius as he wiped away the gathered fog on the mirror and picked up the shaving cup from the vanity. The worn and chipped mug was something of a family heirloom, used by his great grand father and grand father before him, both career Marines. The mug had an Orion female entertainer depicted on it and almost snickered at the story Grandpa Cornelius had told about great Grandpa Tobias receiving it as a wedding gift from great Grandma Constance.
Snickering while shaving was a good way to lose a nose, however and he turned back to business. Applying shaving foam with the horsehair brush was archaic as well, but he found the memories of learning to shave and the process comforting.
He stared at his reflection for a long moment before picking up the wicked sharp straight razor he’d spent five minutes stropping and began peeling his face.
Shaving with a straight razor was something you needed to commit to. Going at it half arsed was a good way to cut your own throat. Over the years he’d come to appreciate grandpa Cornelius’s take on the process, but it rang true more than ever now as Cornelius finished removing the stubble from his face and wiped it down with a clean towel.
Drying and cleaning the shaving gear, he packed it away and turned to the dress uniform he’d went over the night before. He’d spent several hours setting up the honor guard and setting schedules.
Cornelius dressed carefully in the black full dress uniform he’d worn so seldom. He strapped on the archaic Sam Brown belt, then sheathed and frogged his saber. Lastly he fixed the crimson banded white cover on his head. A type 1 phaser was tucked into the base of his spine, under the crimson sash, just in case.
He’d affixed the mourning band to the tunic’s left bicep last night and straightened it now. Lastly he slid on white dress gloves, checked his image in the locker mirror, then turned on his heel and strode with purpose for the door.
Ten minutes later he met Kunadt and Teal. Saluting wordlessly, they marched solemnly into the shuttle bay where the Pioneer’s dead had been laid out. Several of the Pioneer’s crew were present, paying their respects. Torpedo sleeves were lined up near the forcefield, draped in Federation flags.
It was the one duty that every Starfleet CO dreaded, Honor Guard for a funeral. Tyler affixed the final pip to his dress uniform. Those who died under his command deserved nothing less. He had made the calls to the families of the dead and offered his condolences. Tyler being the man he was took it a step further and contacted SFMC Headquarters he had these people promoted and given medals in their death. They die heroes and not many will know. he thought.
A few moments later he found himself in the Shuttle Bay standing at the draped torpedoes with his head bowed. When He looked up he saw Sergeant Tremble in full dress with his Marine saber. Knowing that it was not proper protocol, but feeling the situation merited it. Tyler saluted rigidly and held it until Tremble released it. Tyler wanted these Marines to know that he felt their pain, their loss, and that at this moment in this room they were all equals.
Darf watched as Tyler and the Marines had their exchange of greetings. He walked up next to the commander. "These are hard but needed for closure."
"Quite so Darf, it doesn't make it any less difficult for a CO. These are the faces that stick with you. Many people come and go during your career in Starfleet. But the only faces you remember are the dead ones." Tyler spoke as he stared at the coffins laid out before them.
"I guess being as old as I am and seeing my people war with the Klingons for so long I have turned numb to death. I can only imagine the pain you and these marines feel." Darf said as the ceremony was starting.
A pair of marines in dress black were standing at parade rest, allowing the ships crew access to the various sleeves. At the changing of the guard, the crew moved back slightly as the two posted marines came to attention and began marching easy, making two passes as Tremble, Kunadt and Teal paced inwards and came to a halt. Once the guards came together, at the center of the line of caskets, they turned and saluted the trio, then slid into parade rest. Tremble turned to face the colors mounted on the bulkhead and saluted precisely, then pivoted to face Kunadt and Teal.
“Forward, March,” he ordered and the two immediately passed him to either side and he pivoted 180 degrees, halting them as they came even with Flash and Thoran. A low command brought them about face and he placed them at rest with the guards. After five beats, he ordered them all to attention and about face, facing the flag draped sleeves. Pacing slowly, he moved to the right and took up a post, drawing his saber.
“Marines, present arms!”
Tremble brought his saber up in salute, hilt held before his face vertically with the blade facing the line of marines. At his command, they recovered to Attention while he brought his saber down with a flourish and re-sheathed it. Stepping forward, he commanded in a low voice, “Flash, Thoran; you stand relieved. Forward march.” The pair marched to the hatch where he halted them, then he moved to face Kunadt and Teal, commanding “Post.”
The two saluted, then turned and marched slowly to either end of the line of sleeves and stopped, coming to parade rest while there were personnel present who were paying their respects.
Pivoting, Tremble saluted the colors mounted to the bulkhead, before pivoting back and marched forward to join Flash and Thoran, marching them from the bay. Outside, they pivoted and he dismissed them, before turning and assuming a post across from the hatch leading to the shuttle bay, sliding into parade rest.
The crew would gathered later that day as the Pioneer entered the Bajoran system and the funeral ceremony held as they orbited the sun and interred their dead to the deep.
Tyler decided that these men and woman deserved nothing less than their CO watching over them. He marched to the center of the line of sleeves. Came to attention and saluted, he held the salute for a good two minutes. Then he made and about face and marched to a post opposite Tremble. Tyler came to parade rest as he looked forward jaw clenched.
Darf followed his CO's lead. As Tyler came to parade rest he made his way to the center of the sleeves. He went down to a bended knee as was a tradition in his people. With his right knee on the ground he placed his left hand palm down on the ground.
Being silicon based life forms they revered the earth and dirt so this was a ritual to welcome the fallen back into the Life circle. As he said a silent blessing of the 'earth' below them he rose back up and gave a bow before he made his way to the Captain's side.
* * *
Later, all of the Marines had assembled in full Dress as well as a fair number of the Pioneer's crew. The Pioneer had swept into the Bajor system and maneuvered until the sun was within 1500 kilometers and paused. Lieutenant Cunningham appeared, issuing crisp orders to the detachment who moved to retrieve and carefully folding the flags before closing and sealing the torpedo housings.
Then the detachment moved to honor guard posts and taps played over the PA system. A hush fell over the assembly then and at the roll of the muffled drum, the marines all fell into parade rest.
Tyler marched slowly, deliberately until he was in front of the assembled tubes. He knew that as the CO he should say something. He had not prepared a speech, as he felt words coming from the heart would be better.
"Are they the lucky ones? That's what you're thinking, isn't it? We're a long way from home. Guests in someone else's territory, they died for another government. We have limited supplies, as we are far from the central point of the fleet. Our only allies are ourselves and the Cardassians, former enemies. However they died for these former enemies. They paid the ultimate price, would the Cardassians do the same? I say yes, I stake my life on yes. Maybe it would have been better for us to have tuned down the assignment to the Badlands, to have returned to Federation space and let someone else handle it. What shall we do? How do we proceed? We continue doing what we do best, seeking out new lives and new civilizations and boldly going. Life began out there. Those are the first words my biology professor spoke at the Academy. All life began out there, Human, Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian all of it began somewhere else countless centuries ago." Tyler paused in his speaking as he laid Starfleet's Medal of Honor on each of the coffins. Then he turned to face the assembled again. "I know that these men and women would not want us standing around moping, they would want us telling stories about the good times. This request we shall honor in due time. I am also sure that they would want us to honor what they died for, cherish it always remember that life comes with Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. SO SAY WE ALL!" Tyler repeated the last four words until everyone repeated them with him. He did know why, other than it was unifying. He noticed that some present began to smile as they said it. Those smiles told him that he had the desired effect. Tyler performed a military style about face saluted the dead and marched back to the post he had given himself next to his first officer.
Once the Captain had finished and resumed his chosen post, Cunningham reviewed the line pacing solemnly until he reached the base of the sleeves and turned to face the line, saluting. “Marines, present arms!”, Cunningham ordered.
On cue, the marines snapped to attention, saluting. Muffled drums and bag pipes came up as the sleeves retracted downward into the torpedo housing, then slid forward on rails, through the forcefield and into the open bay beyond. In unison, the drives for the torpedoes kicked in and slowly hovered up and out of the open bay.
As they cleared the Pioneer’s deflector perimeter, their internal drives blossomed, arcing toward the sun. The music died, leaving the bay quiet as Tremble vocalized. “Marines, order arms.”
The Marines dropped their salute as he marched slowly from his position, past the honor guard who all fell into line as he passed. Crisply, they fell into a two abreast column and marched from the bay, leaving the ship’s compliment with the bay to themselves.
The bay doors closed and the lights came up as the service ended.
A Joint Post By
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Darf Krakden
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Gunnery Sergeant Cornelius Tremble
First Sergeant, USS Pioneer
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