Remembered through Tears
Locations
Alzeera Resurgent
Factions
Players
Tia O'Mandalorio (Laurie)
Sabbath Rune (Jack)
Syatt Walker (Scott)
Tao (Antonio)
NPCs
Lt. Lee Meriweather
Velayna Marus
Dalvo Armesia
Cpt. Assyria Cromwell
Cdr. Caerr'Lon
Agent Lee Rambaud
Dr. Connor Mathison
Monurond Kaaley
Zur Haytte
Qen Dazega
Nurell Siss
Jayanna Korrs (JK)
Short Public Excerpt/Summary
A private memorial service is held for those lost during the battle over Endor, including Lieutenant Lee. Tia speaks in memory of her fallen friend. After the service, Tia, Sabbath, Tao, and Syatt visit the officers’ lounge. Tao and Sabbath speak with Assyria about lightsaber crystals, and Tia has a private conversation with her when the others step out of the room. Tia and Sabbath end the night by having a token drink in Lee’s honor.
When Tia arrives at the service, Sabbath is waiting for her. He nods somberly and follows quietly.
Velayna gives him a warning look and Sabbath nods.
Tao has his uniform on. Ribbons and shoes polished. He looks much neater than he did at the previous ceremony
Dalvo Armesia, the Steward of the Vanguard, opens the service:
We are the Vigil.
We stand between the candle and the darkness.
Though our names are lost to time,
We do not yield.
Though our strength fails us and we fall,
We do not surrender.
When the last of us lay down our swords,
The Lady will stand for us.
We are the Vigil. - δόξα (dóxa -or- d-Oh-Za)
Tia clasps her hands in front of her. She looks pale.
Sabbath moves his hand to comfort Tia, looks at Velayna, who slowly and minutely shakes her head. He withdraws his hand.
Tia stares ahead, unblinking through much of the service as the men, women, and droids that fell at the battle of Endor are remembered. First Assyria speaks of the fallen, then Agent Lee Rambaud says a few words about her fallen sister. Tears start to trail down Tia's face the moment her friend’s name is spoken.
Sabbath closes his eyes and lowers his head. His lips move, but no words are heard.
“.... she was the original....,” Sabbath whispers to himself.
Tao gives Sabbath a slight nod.
Finally, friends of the fallen are invited to speak. When Tia moves, Sabbath stands respectfully, then sits.
Tia slowly walks to the front of the room. She's wearing a simple black dress. A vigil pendant with a pair of dog tags and a security key attached rests on her neck. In stark contrast with the formalwear, she also wears an oversized jacket - the back reads "Apex 10 Galactic Tour '76 Stick a Point in it!" Though the combination could be jarring, she wears it with a quiet dignity that instead makes it seem merely noteworthy, rather than out of place. Standing at the podium, she looks around at everyone who has gathered. Somehow, she seems to momentarily meet the eye of each person, and all in attendance have the sense that she is talking to them one on one. Her voice is quiet, intimate, but it carries as she speaks.
"I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for Lee Meriweather. In the short time we came to know each other, I lost count of the number of times that she saved my life. Not to mention the lives of those around me. Those of you lucky enough to have known her may know that she was a Guardian." She smiles softly at Mathison, and her eyes temporarily ghost over Agent Lee's before turning to look at the crowd again. "But to just say the word - the title - doesn't do it justice. She was more than a bodyguard. More than a watcher. She didn't just do a job. She lived and breathed her duty every day of her life. Her faith and dedication to the importance of her cause - to the importance of the Vigil cause - was unshakeable. It was the foundation of everything she did and was." Tia pauses, then gives a small smile. "Even up to and including her drinking." Tia softly chuckles. "Another thing I'll miss - not everyone can keep up with me at the bar, but I could always rely on her not only to keep up, but to drink me under the table."
"She was the sister I never had, and never knew I needed. And that was only one of the many roles she played. She had a way of knowing which one a situation called for even when the people she cared about didn't recognize it, and she made it work. No matter the cost to herself." Her eyes move over Bandit and linger for a moment on Sabbath. "At times, she may have come across as the villain, but I believe her heart was always in the right place, and her humanity without question. For me, she acted as everything from a sounding board to a punching bag, an ally and friend to a verbal and physical sparring opponent and stark voice of reality." She pauses. "I'm not always easy on my friends - anyone else might have been left black and blue. But Lee took every hit I threw at her without even blinking. I wish I could say the same, but truth be told, she never asked or expected anything of me. Though I like to think I would've been able to do the same for her, had she ever needed it." Tia closes her eyes for a moment, and swallows.
"She died a hero." Tia's mouth stretches into a crooked smile. "I could just about kill her for that. Honestly, selfishly, I would rather she was still here and alive as herself than dead and gone as a hero. Life was always more interesting with her in it. The thought of carrying on with mine without her being a part of it is…" Tia's voice breaks. "At times, it is unbearable. There is an emptiness in her absence, one that I know I am not alone in feeling here." Her eyes again drift towards Doc Mathison. "But she gave her life so that I, so that we, could live. There is no doubt on that - those were quite literally some of her final words to me before she died, so I know."
"I have far too much respect for her to not honor her for her decision, no matter how personally painful it is for me. There are many people, both here among us and far off in the stars, who were kept safe by her choice, her sacrifice. I think that is a legacy that she would be proud of. She always was her own harshest critic, and she never gave herself as much credit as she deserved, as much as she had earned through her grit, and heart, and fire. I wish I'd had the chance to tell her how proud I am to have called her my friend. And how honored I am that she accepted me as hers. But thank you for giving me this chance to tell all of you." She turns to face the picture of Lee, and her hand drifts up to clasp the medallion around her neck.
"Lee… Wherever you are. If there's any way for my words to reach you, if the Force can carry them to you..." Tia swallows. "Please know that you are beloved, my sister. You will never be far from my heart. Or from my memory. You may not have been born to my family, but in every way that counts you are and always will be family to me. Those who know me know that there is no higher accolade I can give than that." Tia struggles for a moment before finally continuing. "Thank you, Lee. For allowing yourself to become family. For being a friend. Even for being a hero. For everything. If you can hear me…please know just how much I miss you. I would give almost anything to have you come back to me, if there were only any way you could." Tia stands quietly for a moment, looking at Lee's image, tears streaming down her face, before slowly turning to walk back to her seat.
As Tia speaks, Agent Lee doesn't deviate from her gaze, she does not blink. Sabbath smiles through his tears. And Doc Mathison can't seem to look up.
Caerr'Lon rises from her seat, steps to Tia and kneels in front of her. She places a gloved hand on hers and looks into her eyes. She has tears, and though she is mute, her face says a thousand things. She stands and steps back to her seat besides the captain.
Tia gives Caerr'lon a small, sad smile through her tears.
Sabbath stands until Tia sits, then sits again. He looks at Velayna, pleading. She nods. Sabbath moves his hand to touch Tia’s hand. He does not take her hand, just lets her know it’s there.
Tia glances at Sabbath and smiles faintly, moving her other hand to briefly cover his before turning her attention back to the front.
After the ceremony, the group sees the Guardian Ensigns who had worked with Lee - Monurond Kaaley, Zur Haytte, Qen Dazega, and Nurell Siss. One by one the ensigns take off their uniform jackets, and roll up their T-shirt left sleeve. Each has a fresh tattoo of a single green eye with a cocked eyebrow.
They check on Dr. Mathison, who is flanked by Agent Lee. It’s clear that the doctor is distraught. Unfortunately, the Agent does not seem especially sympathetic. After speaking with Mathison, Tia steps over to a corner for a moment to compose herself.
Sabbath looks at Tia and lowers his head and waits. It only takes a moment before Tia turns back to the group. Her expression is shuttered - outwardly, she appears calm.
Sabbath looks at Velayna unsure what to do. She nods her head toward Tia, but he looks uncertain. After a pause, Tia approaches the Steward. She requests a copy of Lee’s picture, and he agrees to send her one.
Sabbath approaches Tia hesitantly. “What did Lee drink? I’d like to have one in her memory.
Tia gives Sabbath a small smile. "The better question would be what did Lee not drink. Having a drink in her honor seems fitting. I was planning to head to where the officers were planning to meet afterwards. Hopefully they'll have drinks. You're welcome to come, if you'd like."
“I would like,” Sabbath says.
Tia nods at Sabbath and heads up.
After looking at the crystals and settling on a green one, Tao reveals that he wishes to attune to the crystal in the hopes of sharing the memory of Tia’s words with Lee through the Force. Tia's face reveals nothing as she hears this. Velayna looks at Sabbath, her eyes dotting to Tao, her expression alarmed and... curious. Sabbath slowly shakes his head in negation. Sabbath speaks with Assyria about his lightsaber crystal, and ultimately chooses a new one to replace his purple one. JK has far too much to drink, and Tao, Sabbath, and Bandit help her to her room to sleep it off. While they’re gone, Tia speaks with Assyria about her dream. Velayna is the only one of the group in the room during this conversation. After the three return, Tia and Sabbath have a drink in Lee’s honor before heading to their rooms. As they leave the Assembly Chamber, Velayna quietly exits behind them.
/*
Tia returns to her quarters to find that it has been cleaned and the linens turned down. However when she takes off the jacket, she finds a foil packet with a Vigil chaser stim. She was sure the pockets were empty when she put it on. Tia holds the foil packet in her hand for a moment, staring at it. A tear leaks from the corner of her eye, and a faint smile appears on her face.
*/
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