For Those Who Have Fallen [GR]

[Commander Lusk]

Sleek metallic boxes measuring about six and a half feet each lay one after another in organized rows that stretched for what seemed like hundreds of meters, each box laid suspended on straps and beneath them was the cold ground in which they would be placed in. Where the Clones who had fallen on Chazwa had earned their final resting place, where they would carry on into the next life to find glory there as well.

not much was known what would happen to the clone army after the power move Genevieve had made was over, with Genevieve out of the picture they no longer had to blindly follow her and could now help make choices for themselves. There was confusion mostly, but what burned deeper than that in the heart of every clone was one thing that solidified their stance with the Republic. Revenge.

The One Sith and the Techno Union had helped put so many of their brothers and sisters in the ground this day, and the would never bend to them, never consider peace from them, and would rather die than be converted to join those who had killed their brothers and sisters. Because it wasn't Republic military personnel who had defended Chazwa, it was the clones. The clones had died by the score to ensure the planet stayed safe and while many of them had died the living would carry on their memories and use that hatred to fuel them the next time they saw a Sith.

Lusk understood that, he felt it more than any other clone here. Not only because he had lost his younger brothers, but commandos he had grown up with in the alpha wave program. The dark clouds overhead cast a shadow over the funeral and soon Lusk and the other clones in attendance were nearly set to bury their dead after a few words. Dressed in Republic dress uniform the clone commander stepped up to a small stage that was set and looked out to a sea of identical faces all of which he could see the pain on. So clearing his throat he spoke calmly trying

"We lost more than just soldiers here on Chazwa, we lost brothers and sisters." Lusk said with a pause before continuing.

"We lost men and women that we've ate with, that we've slept next to, that we've cried and fought with by their side. Men and women who were more than just expendable soldiers in a war that we've just entered. Some people think of us as just another clone that is programmed to serve and die if need be, and while there is truth in that, it is only a fraction of it."

"each of us may be identical in our skins, but beneath that we have a soul, each of which is different, unique, and beautiful. And the men and women we are about to give to the earth were that as well, they were unique, they were more than just clones. They were our friends, and they were our family. I know many of you are confused as to what comes next for us, what do we do now that mother is gone and the minister is no longer in power. What purpose do we serve." A single tear slid down the man's face as his eyes began to redden and throat tensed.

"Our purpose is not to die on a battlefield anymore, our purpose is to live for our fallen. Our purpose is to carry on the fight in their names, and to find the karkers who did this and put them in the ground! With or without the aide of the Republic, whether they decide to keep us or not, we are to fight and ensure that our brothers and sisters are avenged! That they did not die for nothing! So before we put our brothers and sisters to rest, I have this to say to the One Sith and Techno Union, to all those on Chazwa who killed my brothers and sisters! Who killed my family!" The man's face shifted from that of sadness into deep emotional rage that was near equal to his father and template of [member="Preliat Mantis"]

"We have seen what you are capable of, we have seen the destruction and lengths you are willing to go to for victory. But we will die to the last man to defend this republic, to defend our family. So we will find you, and we will kill you." Lusk said to any tv or news cameras there filming the mass funeral.

"Ibic cuyir akaan!!" He shouted out with one fist in the air.

"KYR'AMUR KYR'AMUR KYR'AMUR ETID AN!!!" The crowd of thousands of clones responded back in unison as they too raised their fists in anger and loss.

Each clone remained facing up with their fist in the air as the rifle squad of clone honor guards stood vigilant and their commander started the volley to lay the clones to rest.

"READY"
The Isard Clone guard captain yelled outward to their team.
"AIM"
"FIRE"

The blanks from their pulse rifles shot out and the clones remained still with their rifles pointed upwards.

"READY"
"AIM"
"FIRE"

Another volley sounded and the clones with their fists still remaining up high bowed their heads in complete silence.

"READY"
"AIM"
"FIRE"

The last volley sounded and as clones mourned and bodies were beginning to be placed in the ground and the ceremony was concluding.

[media] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_iz8z2AGw [/media]

"PRESENT ARMS"
"ORDER ARMS"
"PORT ARMS"
"RIGHT FACE"
"FORWARD MARCH"
The clones swiftly moved as one following the orders of their commander and soon were off.​

Once the funeral began to clear Lusk had stayed for a bit, and had sat down to a headstone with the name "Dash" carved into it with a birth date and death date carved bellow. This was no longer just a war for Lusk, it was beyond personal.

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Mantic Dorn"] [member="Keira Ticon"] @Vauden Miir

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay wasn't watching from her desk. No, this time she was there. She might not have been at the battle, but that didn't mean that she didn't care. She kept her head bowed low as she listened to [member="Commander Lusk"] speak, both out of shame for helping vote in Gen's emergency powers, but also out of respect for the lives lost.

Kay knew that the trust that others had in here were gone. How long would she be allowed to stay? Would her head still be on the chopping block? Would she still be arrested for possible treason? All of that depended on who took up the reigns to lead the Republic.

But at least the remaining cloned soldiers were still on the right side of things. They will protect the Republic and will remain loyal to it's people. No one could have asked for anything better than that.

 

[James Justice]

James stood by amid the civilians who watched. The spacer had acquired a nack amid his galactic ramblings to blend in. With the tattered clothing and the disheveled hair and dirty face he looked like another passing vagrant. Another poor soul. Few would even believe he was the billionaire who had before promised to assist in building a monument out of their bodies. Or the man who had used their blood to sprawl "Freedom" across the bulkhead of ships he liberated from the enemies of freedom.

He hadn't been at this battle, as it raged he was several systems over administering relief to those the seizure of assets had impoverished. Yes he had made a dark jaunt. And he realized now how wrong he had been. He wished he could tell them how sorry he was. How he would take it back if he could. The truth was sometimes good men found themselves on the wrong sides of things. Fighting. Not because they were bad but only because they didn't understand. Or couldn't. As the clones disbursed the man limped to the speaker. This was no fake, his hip had been damaged during one of the battles during the conflict. This time he hadn't fought clones but kidnappers.

Behind the clone who had spoke, James found himself without words. There was so much to say. So much he couldn't. So much he was unable to. Words did not express or could not express his feelings. But he had to try.

"Worst thing in this galaxy," James said quietly, "is when the giants be clashing. It always leads to common folk being crushed in the middle."

He didn't know if the clone would know James. Or if he would care. It didn't matter. The spacer had to say what was on his mind and--he owed something to them, as well as this man too. He supposed he owed it to a lot of people now. "I'm sorry, mate."

[member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Keira had been there. She had fought and bled right alongside her men in order to push back the threat that was the Sith and the Techno Union, and had taken every loss just as personally as they had. Every single one of them were family, and she still found herself honored and taken aback to have been welcome into that fold. It meant she sat with them, lived with them, trained with them and inevitably mourned with them. Through these past few days she had learned more about the camaraderie and sheer driving force behind each individual man and woman than she had in the weeks and months leading up to it. And their resilience even in the face of death was truly a beautiful thing to behold.

But even the strongest had their weak moments, and she knew that had come on the day of this funeral. The mood in the barracks early in the morning had been somber, empty of the typical lightheartedness and sheer optimism in the face of overwhelming odds that was usually always present. She knew better than to question any of it, raising no protest regardless of what attitude faced her, treating them all with just as much respect and genuine caring as she would any other day. Though perhaps she had lent a bit more, given what they were currently dealing with. Death to the average galactic citizen was one thing. But to men and women that had been raised together since birth and had only known their brothers-in-arms as family, it was devastation.

Throughout the majority of the ceremony she had remained respectfully silent, clad in her military dress, right arm in its splint at her side, an obvious mark of the battle they had all faced. When they lifted their fists to the sky she did the same, raising her voice along with theirs as they shouted as one being, echoing out a grim message for any that opposed the Republic. Even when the majority of those that had come to pay their respects cleared out she stayed behind, knowing a fair number of the men would be long in leaving. And she didn't blame them. It was hard to leave family behind, let alone permanently. Without a word and nothing more than a common solidarity she sat down next to Lusk, "Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la." She had him to thank for picking up the Mando'a. They would get through this together, all of them.

[member="Commander Lusk"], [member="James Justice"], [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Nick Sept]

A different clone, from a different planet, watched the proceedings. He felt bad for Lusk. While Cartao ended with little fanfare or violence, Chazwa had become a killing field. He adjsuted his coat. His current attire was an odd mix of trooper military dress and Cartao Academy insignias, worn on his old leatheris jacket. He wasn't a clone form the same stock as the many dead, or Lusk, but he'd seen many of them, trained many of them. He was a little too old and uncouth for true command. But, he'd been given the field on Cartao, and did his best.


After many had departed, he walked over to the grieving ones. He had no salute. No kindness. No soft words. He let the others speak before him, trying to offer Lusk some kind of comfort. He sighed, desperately wishing it wasn't bad form to light up a cigar right here. "Y'know, the one thing they never teach in military training," he said dryly, almost bitter in his tone, "is how to survive past dead comrades. Your brothers--they died honorably, despite the way we were all played for fools. Never let that be forgotten," he said softly. "Blame who you want for this mess, but let it be remembered that the men and women who stood on Chazwa did what they believed in. As for the lies leading up to and around the mess," he grunted, "That's somethign that needs to be addressed. Still, it was a good speech," he said flatly. "As for the Tech Union and the Sith, they've got their own bed to lie in, but I won't pretend the Republic didn't have some culpability in this," he shrugged and coughed hoarsely for a good minute. He doubted that his words would be well-received, but then again, nobody ever liked a blunt man on a funeral.






[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="James Justice"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was quite surprised to see [member="James Justice"] here. They keep bumping into eachother a lot lately, but then that was normal for her. Such things always came in cycles. Now apparently it was James' turn. She wondered why it was that it kept happening. It wasn't safe for anyone to get close to her due to her missions and the trouble they cause. And it was indirectly due to those missions that helped to bring about this whole mess with the Republic. Although she wasn't entirely to blame, as a Senator, she did hold some responsibility.

She looked to [member="Nick Sept"] and heard what he had to say. All of it was true. "You're right, sir. What led us to this moment will be addressed. The past has a nasty way of repeating itself but hopefully...lessons are learned. In hindsight I would have made better choices, I would have seen with clearer eyes as to what was really going on. But there were many of us that were duped and I am sorry for my part in it. I am just thankful that the Republic is full of good people that remain true to it's people and safeguard us."

[member="Commander Lusk"] [member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Commander Lusk]

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="James Justice"] [member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Nick Sept"]

And there they were, the stampede of I'm sorries, the it's going to be ok, every little cliche line of comfort a person gives you when you lost someone you loved. But they never really helped, the words were just words, and they weren't going to bring anyone back. But what cut the most was that Lusk didn't think any of these people knew exactly what it felt like.

From day one Lusk had these men and women by his side, from the single moment in which they started existing these people were there for him, they were his family. He'd known them all his life and not only that he was responsible for them, he was their commander. He was the person they all looked up to and was supposed to get them home safe, but he couldn't. He had failed in that, the thousands of corpses the living now stood atop was a monument to Lusk's failures.

He'd buried brothers and sisters before, from Contruum, Balmorra, where clones had fallen he had attended services for their deaths. But never like this, never this many, and none of which were so close to the clone. With his eyes red and tears of anger and sorrow falling from them he placed his hand a top Dash's grave and palmed it softly as he knelt there. She was gone, he was with her when it happened, he held her in his arms while she died, and Lusk would never forget what it felt like feeling her pass.

"Thank you for your support, but I need to be alone right now. I need to be with my sister." He said to those around him.

Plopping down next to the small headstone the man sat there just wanting to be near her for the last time, chances were after this service was done he'd be sent off some assignment to keep the other clones in line after their chips were shut off. He'd need to keep them from going off and trying to kill Sith on their own, they would indeed want revenge after what had transpired. After burying thousands upon thousands of names and faces.

"I'll be ok." He said rather coldly.

 

[Weiss]

They had fought for the usurper. Yet he as a soldier knew that in times of doubt one had to rely on the chain of command. Otherwise one was not much of a soldier to begin with.

The clones on both Cartao and Chazwa had followed orders. There were even rumors about some pre-brain washing program that had forced their hand against the Republic.

Weiss could not tell what was facts and what was'nt. Troopers were loayal without such cruel procedures. And he respected these clone soldiers for being just that - Soldiers doing their duty.

And so, as the salutes were fired Weiss fell in and gave a salute to honor the fallen soldiers on both sides.

[member="James Justice"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Nick Sept"] [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Dish]

They hadn't been his brothers, his sisters, but it hurt all the same. He'd fought alongside the men and women of the Galactic Republic's third clone army and watched far too many fall as they fought courageously to save the homeworld of the Republic. He could only wonder if this would all have happened if the coup had never occurred, surely things would've been different, but the question was if it would be a good thing. After all their numbers had been immensly bolstered by his new comrades. All in all, the Jorin clone didn't regret a damn thing about who he'd sided with, awful as some the things done had been.

Both [member="Commander Lusk"] and [member="Keira Ticon"] were near each other and were the only faces the clone recognized, but with the commander taking a moment to remain pay his respect to one clone in particular and Ticon simply being at a distance, but Dish remained at a distance after his salute.

Buzz, Ash, Sid, Fi their names were etched into his memory, he'd known them for but a few days and yet their death stung as harshly as when Kaller had died beside him on the operating table, or when any of the other's from the Jorin's fell. For once, he let his face show, out of the armor he looked far less imposing, and the fact that his expression reflected the sorrow he felt only reinforced that.

He wondered, aside from the higher ranking military officials present if anyone actually knew what he was, where he'd come from. That was the tragic thing about the Jorin-clones, when the Republic brought the Sith Empire to its knees it'd been them making the push, dying in the trenches, and not a damn soul remembered. Maybe they should've backed a coup, maybe then they'd have been remembered. The instant that thought crossed his mind however, he regretted it, those dead now were just as human as his brothers had been, as he was. Still, it stung.

Remaining grim and silent Dish said nothing, no mando'a, no rally cry, nothing. He let the hate build, the rage burn, he let it all amass in silence. The Sith would bleed for their transgressions, they would suffer for every trooper, Isard, Mantis, Jorin, or natural born they'd ever killed. He'd die to ensure that.

[member="Weiss"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Nick Sept"] [member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

And just like that, it was like it had never happened.

James turned and disappeared into the crowd, just another homeless man roaming the streets. He could see [member="Lady Kay"] as he made his exit and gave her a quiet nod. Did she know what he had done? It was best she didn't. She would hear the rumors if nothing else: his promise to build a monument from the clone bodies, his scrawling messages of "FREEDOM" in clone blood on liberated frigates, and his butchery he committed on their bodies.

He had a lot to live down, a lot to atone for. He wished he could undo those rumors--mainly because they were all true. He hadn't fought in this battle, instead he had cut their bodies down across several space lanes and smaller ports. He had done what he felt was right, and was so devastatingly wrong. The spacer's heart crushed in his chest, burdened so deeply with sorrow.

Then, like a vapor, he was gone, gone to be one with his humiliation.

[member="Dish"]
[member="Weiss"]
[member="Commander Lusk"]
[member="Nick Sept"]
[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Despite the callous words spoken by [member="Commander Lusk"] Keira remained exactly where she was sitting on the ground next to him, offering her support in nothing more than her simple presence alone. There was nothing she nor any of them could say that would right all of this and bring everyone back to how they were before, and she knew that. The clones might have been all but children in their six years of age, but they were painfully grown up in ways most couldn't even begin to wrap their heads around. And she saw it clearer than anyone, from the subtle nuances in each of their distinctly unique presences in the Force to all that was transpiring in this moment.

No cliched words of comfort were offered on her part, and she only touched gently on his aura within the ethereal to perhaps help soothe him and simply remind him that she was here for him, as were the rest of his brothers and sisters, regardless of whether they still walked the earth. He would never be alone, no matter how isolated he felt, and there would always be a shoulder to lean on among the family he was born into and had formed. Looking over her shoulder as she detected a familiar void in the Force courtesy of [member="Dish"], and she motioned for him to join them if he so wished. The trio had fought against overwhelming odds together, and it only seemed right that they were joined again afterwards.

"You don't need to be alone, Lusk." Even as she spoke the words she knew how pitiful they really sounded, but she would offer her own sort of assistance all the same. "You don't need to go through this by yourself, and you don't need to cut yourself off from everyone. I don't know if you blame yourself for any of it, but you shouldn't, because it's not any one person's fault. Not mine or yours, or anyone else's." Survivor's guilt was a very real consequence, however, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be opening up quite so easily. But she had to try, at least, otherwise this all meant nothing. "We're family. We're in this together." And she refused to let any of them suffer this alone.