It was a sunny day at the New Arlington Cemetery on Planet Manhattan, fitting for the kind of person Captain Sarah Evans was.
As the crowd gathered for the funeral, Grey came to the front to say a few words in honor of his good friend.
"We are gathered here today to mourn one of the finest pilots the Fifth Fleet, and the Liberty Navy as a whole has ever seen. Captain Evans was not only this, but she was a wonderful friend to us all. She sacrificed herself during the bombardment of Planet New London to stop the Gallic Royalists destroying the homeworld of one of our greatest allies, and for that, we owe her our thanks." Grey's eyes start to tear up. "Goodbye, old friend, you will be missed. Ladies and gentlemen, following the Admiralty of the Fifth Fleet, you are welcome to come forth and say a few words in honor of Captain Evans." As he stepped down to return to his seat, Grey stopped by the closed casket, and whispered a few more words: "We did it, Sarah. We beat them. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. Godspeed, my friend."
Being back at Arlington was a bit disconcerting for Allen, who had taken the trip here for over a dozen other fellow comrades in arms that he'd lost over his years of service. Rheinland, Rogues, Royalists. Each were the cause of plenty of graves here. As Grey spoke his words, he looked off towards the sourthernmost sector of the cemetery, where he was most familiar with.
Inside, he couldn't tell if that was a bad thing or not.
As Grey took his place back in the seats, Allen stood up, walking forward. Knowing the place well, it was nearly routine for him to be the first to speak after close friends. As he made it up, he looked over at the casket, the picture of Sarah in her dress blues on the easel, and the wreath on top of it.
"Another soul to put to ease in these hallowed grounds," he thought.
"Usually for me, these things are of great personal meaning to me.. and while Captain Evans was certainly worthy of the recognition she received both during and after her service, I'm ashamed to say that I don't actually have much history with her.."
As much as he tried to suppress it, the evident seemed to be upsetting his usually rigid tone.
"She served with a boatload more distinction than most did in the fleet. While I know a fair amount of us were off saving the sector, myself and all others got to watch from a distance as the brave charged to defend innocent civilians from facing the horrors of war. The day was won, but at a harsh cost.. Evans included. No member of any command staff can be ready to face the news that one of your people died in the fight.. and no soldier can ever be prepared to pay the ultimate price."
Allen gave the casket another look, placing his fist over his chest.
"Evans will be missed greatly. It's tragic that she gave her life, but in the end we need to remember that through that exchange millions of people, including our own, didn't have to face the same fate. A true hero.."
Allen fought the urge to shed a tear, stepping back down and over to his seat.