Troja Major

Chapter 12 - A Burial

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The day was a wet one—a day of cloudy skies and intermittent rain that followed a night of fire-hail. Through much of the morning, Bryad Din and Nautica had led the gardeners through the Open Portal, seeking out any smoldering fires that might have started in the undergrowth.

But now they stood beneath the tent erected upon the ceremonial platform, Skids' corpse laid out upon it, his faded frame visible to all. Waxy white flowers were piled up all around him, and a single blue flower, evocative of one of Censere's sparkflowers, had been placed into his folded hands.

Nautica had contacted everyone that had been there on the Necroworld at the time of his death, and those that she knew had called him a friend. Those who'd been able to had come.

She looked about at the faces, fond memories welling to the surface. They'd all become so close on that journey, but since the conclusion of it, she'd seen little if anything of any of them. Ideally, her amicas would have been there to send off one of their number, but Velocity and Brainstorm were the only survivors. Nightbeat had 'ascended' on Mederi. And Rung... Well technically Rung was there, a tiny bit of metallic ash hanging around Vision's neck.

Nautica felt Bryad Din's hand tighten on her arm. She'd insisted that he be present as well, even though it was 'robot business'. After all, he'd become a part of this, besides having been her friend almost since her arrival on Troja Major. On her opposite side stood Velocity, holding her closely as well.

Vision came forward wearing his new helm with a dark grey cape slung from his shoulders. He took his place at Skids' head, inhaled deeply, and began to speak.

"It is with sadness that I come before you now, to begin the Act of Transition, the last rites said over a mech before he is commended to the Allspark. I am honored to have this moment to send off someone so genuinely loved and appreciated by all present. I myself never knew the deceased except as a corpse and a memory. Nautica, my mentor and friend, who has been teaching me to live, also taught me to love him through her stories and memories. In my short life, he's been much of the focus of my work. In many ways, Skids of Nova Cronum has shaped what I have become."

He placed his hands upon the pallet Skids lay upon, shuttered his optics, and began a long prayer in Old Cybertronian. Some of the gathered whispered along. Cyclonus sang. And when the prayers were complete, Vision stepped away. "Those who wish to speak of the deceased may now do so."

Nautica of course was the first to come forward. She put her hand on Skids' chest and fought back the tears enough to speak.

"You all know that Skids of Nova Cronum was my amica, one of five I opened my spark to in the hours preceding the battle on the Necroworld. He and I had become friends long before that, having endured many troubles together after I joined the crew of the Lost Light. Had he survived the events of the Necroworld, I suspect that he and I would have become conjunxed shortly thereafter."

She looked at Velocity, who gave her an encouraging nod to continue.