The day of the memorial, the Hippocrates heads to the capital starport in Riden. The various ships in the shuttle bay are all flown out and landed on the pad nearby. A large wood table is winched into the shuttle bay from above, and various other supplies arrive as well. Hippocrates shoos most people away from the shuttle bay. Soon after the supplies arrive, while Ciernan is outside checking out the landing pad security, the sky over the capital turns to a gray overcast, and a light mist settles over the area. Meteorologists are baffled.
At the scheduled beginning of the memorial, the port-call bell is sounded, and the turbolift doors to the shuttle bay are unlocked. The table has been set up for a dinner (though there is no food yet), and around the shuttle bay, the various viewscreens all show depictions of Eva. At the head of the table is an extra-fancy chair. Next to the chair is a sturdy easel holding a bronze plaque, with the name "Eva Thorssen", some dates, and various images: one portrait-style image of Eva, the swirly-symbol, various rose motifs, and subtle background of Eva in profile, standing on the bridge. Some stands with flowers and hors d'oeuvres are scattered throughout the bay. The first guests to arrive find the Tinoori tending various food items, and also note Ruthie off to one side, chowing down on a plate of jumbo shrimp. Sook, Wilson, and Nero arrive as well.
Soon after the port-call bell, Hippocrates and Ciernan (both wearing dress ship's uniforms) arrive with Shaddam Marchant. Hippocrates points out that some of the viewscreens have "play" icons on them. When people touch them, the scenes (all either recorded by ship's sensors or by the bot) play out. The playable scenes are all of the weightier variety: Eva explaining to Hippocrates that he's been buried for 300 years, Eva calling down fire on the Deciders at Sparta, etc. There are some others that seem to still be locked.
Once everyone is there, the Tinoori encourage people to the table. Hippocrates remains standing at his chosen seat, and says his piece:
"Eva Thorssen did not trust in sacred books. She had no use for ritual. She believed only in the power of individuals to band together in moments of crisis to do what needs to be done. She chose long ago to live in secrecy and die in silence. So I have organized no reading of a religious text today, and there will be no reference to the Skyguard regulations governing memorials for the dead. I will only say what I need to say.Eva prepared for her final battle by practicing a degree of self-reliance which none of us found easy to bear. In the final instance, beyond the reach of our loyalty and our assistance, she was vindicated. Most of us, in her place, would have delivered the Linked Worlds to destruction in spite of ourselves. Instead she blunted the enemy's most fearsome weapons. She salvaged hope from catastrophe.
Her final wish, plainly stated to me, is that her secrets should be kept, and that her given name should remain forever dissociated with the name of Eva Thorssen. I expect the crew to honor this wish. For my own part, I do not think it will ever again be proper for me to speak this name, after today.
Shoshana Alexandra von Torsten was born on Highguard on 2759.028 A. S. She was elected Captain of this ship on 2778.203, and she was commissioned by Hegemon Vissarion Gabriel Nomarche to defend the Linked Worlds from all harm. She swore to hold the line against the Flames at any cost. She fought the Deciders at Sparta, at Bastion, and in the Deep Dust. She was killed in action by Terran agents on Riden on 2781.147. She was the last Skyguard Captain."
Kith stands and says:
"Our Captain was brave, cautious, clever, conscientious, and protective of those in her charge, with an air of command and a fierce determination to do what is right. She will be missed."
Mirris stands, bringing out two red roses that she's been holding (fidgeting with?) in her lap.
"No matter how difficult it was, Captain Thorssen was always true in what she did. True to her ship and crew; true to the causes we share. True to the honor of her name, and true to herself. And so she was ready, always, to do what needed to be done, no matter how dear the cost...one final truth for those who remember her. Her friends, her brothers, her...her sisters. Eva, we will always stand up for you."
Then she walks to the empty chair at the head of table, and places the roses in the crook of the armrest near the easel.
As Mirris walks back to her seat, Shaddam stands, and says,
"She did me the honor of telling me the truth, rather than what I wished to hear.
Because the truth was more important to her than anything else."
After Shaddam, Katya stands up, holding a bunch of roses in her two hands. She thought-projects to the audience (sans mechanicals):
A scene from Katya's POV: the first Winterfair dinner that Eva gave for the crew; different people's faces as they open their gifts. This scene runs a few moments, then becomes a still image. Overlaying it, one at a time, are other images of Eva interacting with various crew members, talking to NPCs, in combat... As each of these images gives way to the next, it leaves something behind in the Winterfair image: the Hippocrates-bot, Akito, Ciernan, Twig, Ruthie, Linnet, Xanthippe and Padira remain after images of scenes containing them, and floating around the edges of the dinner-scene are ghostly faces of various NPC friends. The final image is of all those who were crew or permanant residents on Hippocrates while Eva was here, gathered around the dinner table, with faint images of NPCs looking on from above, as Eva smiles and raises her glass.
Katya tosses the roses into the air. They hang there for a moment, then they separate from each other and begin to swoop and float, weaving in graceful patterns almost as though the flowers are dancing with each other. Then the roses coalesce again into a bunch, which rises into the air over the heads of the assembled crew and explodes, sending a shower of petals drifting down over the crew. A single rose is left, which floats slowly down to Katya's hand. She kisses the rose and lays it gently on the floor in front of the easel. Face streaked with tears, she returns silently to her place at the table.