Funeral of Eskol Kaartinen

The funeral of Eskol Kaartinen in 157 ABY was the first in the history of the Golden Empire. It was held to honor the life of Eskol Kaartinen, a fallen Centurion who had previously served as Consul of Ekshi, Prefect of the Order of Keltrayu, and a member of the Sovereign's Council.

Death
Kaartinen was killed by Te`net Organi in a duel aboard the Unseen Queen. Kaartinen had become a, the  of the Imperium, and planned to unleash his Killik Nest of Nests against the known galaxy in service to his Killik-muddled impression of the Golden Empire. To prevent the Empire from being fatally exposed to the, Organi killed Kaartinen, maimed and captured Chindal, and sabotaged the Killik fleet in the Massacre at Murgo. He delivered Chindal and Kaartinen's body to the Sith Star, but was so distraught at having killed his brother and instigated a bloodbath that he resigned his own Centurion's commission.

Prefect Aria Nikina personally contacted Kaartinen's parents on Yin to inform them of their son's death, then informed the various Centurins of the Order. After she had done so, Queen Rin Sakaros issued a statement to the Procurators, Advocates, Consuls, and Tribunes throughout the Empire, followed by a general notice to the public on behalf of the Royal government.

Private mourning
After Kaartinen's body was returned in a, Aria ordered that he would lie in honor in the Citadel until funeral arrangements were confirmed. Centurions from throughout the Empire returned to the Sith Star to honor their fallen leader, and many Centurions stood the traditional Centurion's vigil, along with a handful of the oldest Novices. Among those standing vigil were Aria, Arcantha Syr, Breek Zagrev, Tillandra Moraes, Rayne Turgachia, and Seeg-Til. Kaartinen's body lay in honor for four days until funeral arrangements were confirmed.

Lying in repose
Many worlds argued vehemently for the honor of having Kaartinen's body lie in repose, but Rin Sakaros finally decided to give the honor to Yin, Kaartinen's homeworld. On the morning of the fifth day, his body was taken to Yin by the Prime Fleet and escorted to the surface by a full wing of starfighters led by Redblade Squadron. Kaartinen's casket, draped in the flag of the Empire, rested in the Pentuyi Memorial Gardens in Besraael, Yin's capital.

Kaartinen's body was under day-and-night guard by Centurions, and the Memorial Gardens' security was overseen by Massassi soldiers. The first hour of the lying in repose was a closed ceremony, attended only by Kaartinen's immediate family and the four Centurions standing vigil. Over the following three days, dignitaries and common citizens from throughout the Empire passed through the gardens to pay their respects. At their request, members of Ekshi's Consular Protective Service were allowed to stand vigil along with a Centurion for a few hours on the second day.

Funeral service
"I had never before known a man so just, so humbly devoted to the people who needed him, and so loyal to his principles without any thought of personal gain. And I doubt I will ever know such a man again."

- from Niximot Grundo's eulogy for Eskol Kaartinen

After three days of lying in repose—during which official estimates recorded nearly a million beings passed through the memorial gardens—a funeral ceremony was held in a more private section of the gardens. The ceremony was closed to the public, but broadcast by Royal HoloNet. Nearly every living Consul, Tribune, Procurator, and Advocate attended, as did several former holders of those offices, along with many military leaders and current and former members of the Grand Council of the Golden Empire. Millions of beings surrounded the memorial gardens for blocks. Yin's Consul was permitted to call in Royal Gendarmes from throughout the Romasi sector to handle security for so many high-ranking officials in one place.

The ceremony was officiated by Consul Bourtoum of Yin. The casket was escorted in by six pallbearers—Aria Nikina, Rajj-Yo, Tariun Sakaros, Kieran Sapphire, Sorrik, and Niximot Grundo. Many attendees at the funeral, particularly those who were unaware of Te`net Organi's role in Kaartinen's death, expected the Qua to deliver Kaartinen's eulogy. Organi did not attend the ceremony, and so eulogies were delivered instead by Wyaan Kaartinen, Eskol's father; Sorrik; and Grundo. Representatives of each of the then-twenty Massassi Cohorts performed the iyrshrk sglodott Massassi war dance of mourning. The Capital Philharmonic Orchestra and Performance Choir provided the music for the service, including the Royal anthem "Flame Eternal".

After a concluding reflection, Kaartinen's body was borne from the Gardens by his pallbearers. Every Centurion present (except those serving as pallbearers and Rin's Royal Guards) and several senior Novices formed a kilometer-long lightsaber arch in pairs, from the funeral site to the shuttle. As the procession passed, each pair extinguished their lightsabers, bowed their heads in mourning, and joined the procession at the end.

Interment
Following the funeral service, Kaartinen's body was flown to Keliso for interment in Keltrayu's Tomb. Many thousands of Sev'layas were on hand behind a security cordon to mourn Kaartinen. Tarzg Sav'lir took Niximot Grundo's place as Kaartinen's sixth pallbearer. Though most Centurion interments were entirely closed to the public, a small handful of guests were allowed in. These included Kaartinen's family (flown to and from Keliso at Royal expense), Vice Admiral Sir Tarse Medrego, Viscountess Salome Hrek, Niximot Grundo, Jinyx Windrunner, Nagarian Sakaros, and a small handful of beings who were the family (and emotional support) of other Centurions—Wyro Zaffrod, Elith Curazo, Nizenya Sapphire, Princess Jasmine Auroras, and Sorrik's wives.

At the Tomb, a few Centurions and others delivered their private eulogies for Kaartinen, including Tarzg and Tariun Sakaros; Rajj-Yo attempted to give a eulogy, but became too distraught and gave up halfway through. Every Novice and nearly every Centurion in the Empire was present for the ceremony, which concluded with the entire group singing "The Centurion Song".

Kaartinen's body was laid to rest in a special, newly constructed part of the Centurion catacombs, reserved for Prefects.

Tributes
The news of Kaartinen's death had hardly broken to the public before beings began making public tributes to the late Centurion. By Royal command, the government entered a period of formal mourning until Kaartinen was interred, and Royal flags at installations which had flags lowered them to half-staff. Several governments sent memorial wreaths, plaques, and other cultural devices to be displayed at the memorial gardens; those from Yin, Ekshi, and Haerch were chosen to lie beside Kaartinen's casket.

When Tarzg Sav'lir delivered Kaartinen's eulogy and served as his pallbearer, Centurions later remarked it was the only time in living memory he had ever voluntarily stood down from his primary duty of being Rin Sakaros's bodyguard for any reason. Rin herself wore all gray as a sign of deepest mourning.

The Sith Star carried out a salute, firing half its hundreds of turbolaser emplacements when Kaartinen's body was taken past the ship for conveyance to Keliso.

During the private memorial at Keltrayu's Tomb, Jira Zaffrod led the singing of "The Centurion Song", and concluded with a special version of the final verse:


 * We will always be your family,
 * Brothers, sisters, friends to you,
 * And we know our lives were blessed
 * Because you were our brother too.

On Ekshi, by joint edict of the Consul and Tribune, the Government Administration Center (which had been built and first used by Kaartinen and Niximot Grundo after the Cleansing of Ekshi) was renamed the Eskol Kaartinen Government Administrative Center.