The Fall of Keltrayu/Epilogue

They won the battle. They won the war. Only one thing remained. The room was perfectly circular, dimly lit by artfully concealed glowpanels. The mosaics on all sides showed Keltrayu in life. Tariun thought he saw a rancor in one of them, but his eyes kept returning to the mosaic opposite the entrance—his friend, his brother, suspended in midair, blade poised to impale a glowing shock tank.

Conscious of the eyes on him—diplomats and dignitaries, royals and Consuls, soldiers and Novices and the lone living Centurion—Tariun stepped forward. Dressed head to toe in mourning gray but for the lightsabers on his belt, he cast a glance back where Rin stood in the midst of the Novices. She wore all gray too, even the veil hanging from her golden circlet. Her face was carefully composed, and her mind calm and unreadable, but Tariun knew a year hadn't softened the loss. He thought he could wait the rest of his life for something to do that, and he would die waiting. Clearing his throat, he said, "Keltrayu was a hero. You don't need to me to tell you that, but it needs to be said regardless.  Many of you fought beside him." The Sith Lord's emerald eyes found a few Iscali representatives from Tershin; one of them looked like he was barely keeping it together, and Tariun suspected he had fought the losing defense there. "His courage was limitless; there was no threat too dangerous or obstacle too overwhelming for him to confront to defend the Empire and its people." And its Queen, he added to himself. "As a commander, Keltrayu was unsurpassed. He cared for his men, and they for him." Tariun glanced at the officers of the 11th Massassi Cohort—the "Wrath of Rin", as they had become known. Their grave and solemn heads bowed at the words. The soldiers of other species on either side lowered their faces too. Kesanion, Sorvae, Maathkes, Frud, Zogryth, and the other senior commanders stood together, united in grief. "He never spent a life he didn't have to, and he took the risks he asked of his men."

"Those of you who trained with him know he was a teacher as well as a warrior," Tariun went on, glancing at the huddle of Novices. Melnanooin and Vessyk, the two Iscali, were holding hands for mutual support. Te`net Organi looked as if someone had turned off the stars, and the young Bothan, Tarzg, looked like he had been stabbed. At the head of the group, Aquila Corcer had enough composure not to wallow in grief openly, but the weight on his shoulders as the only remaining Centurion was heavy on his heart. "Every one of you he taught is better for having known him. Every being here is enriched because he lived." Turning back to his audience, Tariun stepped slowly onto the raised dais at the heart of the tomb. There had been no body to bury, and so only a small altar sat in the center of the circle. "Keltrayu believed in the ideals of the Golden Empire. He believed in the dream of a galaxy united and at peace enough to lay down his life so that dream could live on.  His sacrifice purchased the freedom of worlds and the lives of his soldiers, his friends, and his Queen." Tariun resisted the temptation to glance at Rin; he wasn't at all sure either of their composures could stand it. "Keltrayu was my friend, but much more than that. He was born a slave and died a hero.  Raised as nothing, he made himself the ideal to which we should all aspire.  He was the model of what any being could be with commitment and dedication." Raising a hand, Tariun levitated a nearby torch to his grip from the pedestal where it had been waiting. Holding it over the central altar, he said, "Keltrayu was a light for the Order, the Armada, and the Empire. May he remain one forever." Lowering the torch, the Sith Lord fired the eternal flame on the altar. It caught at once, blazing brightly in the center of the room, throwing shadows behind the onlookers. Stepping down from the dais, Tariun replaced the torch and stepped back to stand between Corcer and Kesanion. For a long moment no one spoke, and then Rin stepped forward. The silence in the tomb was palpable, only the crackle of the eternal flame accompanying her quiet footsteps. She advanced up the dais and laid a single hand on the altar for a long moment, then raised her head. "We foresee generations of heroes who will follow the example of this great man, in whom the Empire will be justly proud," she said softly. In the silence, her voice carried to every nook and cranny. "But there will never be another Keltrayu." Her voice caught just slightly on his name. "And so, to honor our apprentice's courage, his devotion to duty, and his embodiment of the virtues that have guided the Order of the Golden Empire, we give the Order his name." Her veiled face turned to the Novices; with the firelight behind her, Tariun couldn't see the tears in her eyes, but he could feel them there. "As you devote your lives to the service of the Empire, feel both honor and humility that you are part of the Order of Keltrayu." The Novices, Corcer, and Tariun all bowed their heads. A few people around the room clapped, but the solemn silence prevailed and their applause died away. Rin started toward the edge of the dais, then stopped, touched the altar again, and said something in quiet, halting Qua. Tariun had no idea what it meant, but behind him, Te`net Organi choked. The Sith glanced back and found the young Qua leaning against Melnanooin's shoulder, sobbing. "Rest well, my dear friend," Rin added in Basic, and then she stepped down and started toward the exit. Her Massassi guards fell in step around her, and the procession began. The Order followed just on its heels, but Tariun stepped back past Corcer to Te`net's side. "What did—" he started. Te`net looked up, his lightning-colored eyes watery, and the expression on his face silenced the rest of Tariun's words. "Please don't ask me," he begged. "I can't bear to tell you." The heartache in the Force was so profound that Tariun only nodded before stepping ahead to Rin's side. She stood at the entrance of the tomb, looking out over the blue grass plains of Keliso, her veil fluttering just slightly in the wind as a gentle rain shower washed over them. The Massassi hovered protectively, but Rin simply gazed out over the fields surrounding the tomb. Tariun paused beside her, then reached out to take her hand at the same time she grasped his. "He loved it here," she remarked in Huttese, her voice steady and calm. "He did," Tariun agreed, feeling the gentle patter of raindrops on his face. "He'd be happy to rest here." Rin squeezed his hand, then let it go. "Keltrayu has earned his rest," she said, "but we still have work to do."