Seth Karlo

[Seth Karlo]

"We gather here this day."

Tears fell, unchecked, unfelt.

"To mourn the passing of a good man."

Though so many cried their unshameful tears, the silence pierced all.

"A man who helped many, strived to make the unhappy happy, a man who promised to protect those who needed protecting."

Seth swallowed deeply, his eyes wet and red. He stood alone, away from all his friends and family, alone in his grief.

"A loving father, husband and son."

Sonya stood in military dress, her hand stiff at her temple. Seth was by himself, ignoring every glance she tearfully threw his way.

"And we hope that wherever he has gone."

The coffin was beautifully decorated with flowers, elegantly carved from oak, a rare material, and inlaid with flowers of elder. An expensive coffin, paid for by the Navy. A coffin that was empty.

"We pray this day that those who killed him shall not be shown the way to the same place he has gone."

He had been gone now for 3 months, when the pictures arrived back.

"Farewell, Captain Sawyer Karlo."

Seth numbly walked forwards, desperately reaching for a silver handle. His fingers slipped... once, twice, before catching slowly. He wept as he took the strain, and numbly walked, ignoring the surprised looks of the crowd as a random officer had walked forwards, grasped the handle opposite the greaving son.

Sonya held her head high as she walked, and she cried for the father in law she never had. The silence was deafening, seeming to crush those who dared to think. Footstep after footstep made their way down the corridor of the elegant ceremonial hall, to a small grave dug at the end of a garden.

Ignoring tradition of being shot into space, Captain Saywer Karlo's coffin was placed softly into the bottom of the grave. The 6 people who had carried it wordlessly reached for the shovels that lay nearby.

Such grief... overpowering, ripping your soul in two. How could people commit such an evil act? For a long time, Seth had denied his father was gone, knowing, praying he would return, a smile on his face and his crew safe.

Then a Universal Freighter had strayed through the wrong jumphole, finding themselves near to a wreck... the wreck of the LNS Alabama. The pictures had hit Seth like a cannonball, his legs had given way, and his soul begged to end.

Then came the anger, anger at his father for leaving him alone, here. Anger at his father taking his crew through an uncharted jump hole. Fury at the Navy for allowing him to do so. Rage at the Xeno's for destroying his father.

Truly, he did not know what had happened that day, but he swore he would find out.

Then came more anger, anger and guilt at himself for being angry with his father. He had loved him, more than anything else in the world. After his mother died, he and his father had become so close... he remembered when he was accepted to the Navy, how proud Sawyer had been of his only son.

Then he grieved, and he did not stop.

He stepped back, barely seeing anymore from the liquid that filled his lashes. A small, soft hand slipped into his, and he and Sonya fell onto each other, propping the other up with their bodies, crying into each other.

The congragation stood there, the ones knowing about Seth and Sonya nodding sadly, the ignorant ones slightly confused. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and eyes lifted to the heavens as a roar ripped through the sky. The Liberty Naval Cruiser Golden Gate slowly soared overhead, a tribute to the man who had died fighting for liberty, and Liberty.

Seth saluted, along with every other military person present. Hopefully Sawyer went to a better place than this one.

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Signature by Sleipnir.