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Un’hee has always known that Chiss live longer than Humans. But that fact seems colder, now, as they stand around the grave of her Da. Some will say that he did not die a warrior’s death, everyone who knew the situation knows the truth. He fought for his life until the very end, as the sickness ate away at his body, as he withered away day after day with no medical treatment available to him.
Because he was Human.
And Humans don’t live as long as Chiss.
To her left Zivahn hiccups into Ezra’s chest and he holds her closer.
It is a Lysatran custom to be buried wrapped in cloth with a fistful of seeds and a golden coin. They have done all of this—but Thrawn had also insisted on the Rentor custom of being buried with a fish hook and line and well.
It’s really the only thing he has spoken since.
To her left, Thrawn stands stoically—a man made of stone as he watches his partner be slowly lowered into the ground.
“Does the family wish to say any final words?” Ar’alani asks. Though her voice is tight and husky, her face remains neutrally impassive, just like the other EDF members here.
Mak’ro stands steadfast for Thalias to lean on. She holds his arm in her own, face turned away from Da’s corpse. Che’ri looks Death straight on, her arms tucked neatly behind her. A warrior’s parade rest, same as Thrawn.
And Borika.
And Ii’ndaro.
And Uu’trowmis.
And every other EDF member who requested time to be here today. There are so many more than Thunhe had ever expected. There is an entire flight of navigators here today, all of them crying, but none of them daring to look away from the wrapped form. Eli’s body is probably the least scary death they will ever see, Thunhe knows it. Knows she has seen worse atrocities than this simple last honor, but even she can’t bring her gaze up to the form.
She looks at her dad instead. “Do you want to say anything?”
Without removing his gaze from Eli, he shakes his head.
“Commodore?” Ar’alani prompts, eyes turned towards her—one last call to honor the greatest warrior the Ascendancy has ever seen.
Un’hee steps forward. “Yeah, I—um.” She takes up the space to Ar’alani’s left, the furthest from her Da.
The wrapped form lays motionless. She turns fully towards the crowd that has gathered. Some of them are crying, all of them are ready to hear her final bid of warrior’s fortune.
“First, I’d like to thank everyone for coming here today,” she begins, resisting the urge to wring her hands and instead forcing herself into parade rest. “It’s only a testament to how many lives my father has touched, and how many of you will be heavy with this loss.”
Borika gives a small, firm nod and Thalias heaves a thick breath.
“Eli was a good man, a great warrior,” her throat constricts. “But he was a great dad. Every day he taught me and so many others, that we can overcome the most difficult of obstacles. From people unwilling to serve him in the mess, to reclaiming worlds that were taken from us by the Grysks. When my Da saw a problem, he fixed it, no matter what.”
The entire crowd nods alone with her statement.
Tears well in her eyes and she fights to blink them away. “And he loved, wholly. I think we, as Chiss, forget our compassion and he reminded us of that always. That at the end of the day, we are allowed to feel and cry and mourn.”
Mak’ro looks down at his feet and Thalias buries her face in his chest.
“My Da has lived a long life, one most warriors aren’t fortunate enough to see. But warrior’s fortune has always favored him and will continue to do so as he is laid to his final rest.”
As she returns to her place beside Thrawn, grief is palpable in the air. Zivahn still cries softly beside her and her dad—he is as stoic as ever.
Ar’alani, seemingly having nothing else to say nods to the undertaker and her Da’s body is lowered into the ground.
The tears that she has so valiantly fought, break free and flood, hot and thick down her cheeks. Her breath stutters in her chest, a sob caught only before its birth and Thrawn reaches out to take her hand.
She clings to it, like her blanket when waking from a nightmare, like he’s the only thing capable of keeping her from drifting into the aether. It’s only after a beat that she realizes he is holding on just as tightly—like his soul is threatening to be set adrift at the thought of spending the rest of his years without his partner.
She squeezes his hand tighter and they watch together, as Eli disappears from view.