Post by goufcustom on Jan 7, 2010 23:36:22 GMT -5
The deck of the Lleu Llaw Gyffes was busy. Pilots, crew, and other miscellaneous personnel were milling about, making their way to the gathering. It had been chosen to have a memorial on the LLG, since many of the deceased had served in the 87th before. Bodies could have be recovered from so deep within North America, and so instead there was a row of pictures, each presenting a portrait of the deceased, flowers adorning the stands.
Jack Verse. Jane Sheppard. Arden Massenfer. Ensign Ricky. Others included as well, though White Base's own casualties were left out of this ceremony. People came up to pay their respects to each, some crossing themselves, some offering up small prayers, some remembering interactions long past. Over time, they made their way to the chairs assembled, and sat looking at the podium before them. Looking up at Jarvis. He didn't look well, to put it gently. He was grumpy, bitter, and unhappy by nature, but he seemed... weighed down now. He cleared his throat at the mic before speaking.
"We gather here today to honor our dead. We lost good people protecting White Base for General Revil. You probably look up at me and expect a great speech about how wonderful their sacrifice was, or we won because of what they did."
Jarvis sighed, and glanced for a moment over the waters of the Hudson Bay. It's nice that the weather had cleared up enough to allow for this... the act was unpleasant enough without a foot of snow.
"Well, sorry, but you're not getting one. We didn't win in Seattle. We lost, as far as I'm concerned. But I will say this. We were outnumbered, and we were outgunned. That we lost is no surprise. But White Base... that ship, it's crew. As sure as I'm standing here, they couldn't have defended themselves. They were young. Inexperienced. Untrained. And without the aid of those of us who lived, and those of us who died, then all of them would have fallen into that second category. And the best way for those of us that are left to honor their memory is to stop failing."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the assemblage. No one expected a funeral service like this. Jarvis cleared his throat again, if he registered how uncomfortable things were, he didnt' acknowledge it.
"That is all."
He strode away from the podium and into the command tower on the carrier. Once he was inside, he leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, and released a long, deep sigh.
Jack Verse. Jane Sheppard. Arden Massenfer. Ensign Ricky. Others included as well, though White Base's own casualties were left out of this ceremony. People came up to pay their respects to each, some crossing themselves, some offering up small prayers, some remembering interactions long past. Over time, they made their way to the chairs assembled, and sat looking at the podium before them. Looking up at Jarvis. He didn't look well, to put it gently. He was grumpy, bitter, and unhappy by nature, but he seemed... weighed down now. He cleared his throat at the mic before speaking.
"We gather here today to honor our dead. We lost good people protecting White Base for General Revil. You probably look up at me and expect a great speech about how wonderful their sacrifice was, or we won because of what they did."
Jarvis sighed, and glanced for a moment over the waters of the Hudson Bay. It's nice that the weather had cleared up enough to allow for this... the act was unpleasant enough without a foot of snow.
"Well, sorry, but you're not getting one. We didn't win in Seattle. We lost, as far as I'm concerned. But I will say this. We were outnumbered, and we were outgunned. That we lost is no surprise. But White Base... that ship, it's crew. As sure as I'm standing here, they couldn't have defended themselves. They were young. Inexperienced. Untrained. And without the aid of those of us who lived, and those of us who died, then all of them would have fallen into that second category. And the best way for those of us that are left to honor their memory is to stop failing."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the assemblage. No one expected a funeral service like this. Jarvis cleared his throat again, if he registered how uncomfortable things were, he didnt' acknowledge it.
"That is all."
He strode away from the podium and into the command tower on the carrier. Once he was inside, he leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, and released a long, deep sigh.
