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The sound of only the breathing of three hundred or so rukot assembled in the pitch dark room of the colony was unsettling for Leina. She wanted to say something, anything, to break this silence but Gahn, who was standing next to her had said no one was to speak during the ceremony. It didn't help that she had no real idea of what was going on, only that most of Teshar's crew was here, along with a number of Rukot, mostly white-tail deer varying in age from children to the elderly.

Under her footpaws she felt the grass that she'd seen when first entering this place with the crew. It was cast in the same darkness as they were though, when the lights were all shut off, not even the dim glow of indicators added a single photon to the space. For the minute or so she had to look around as Gahn lead her to the spot they stood at. She'd recognized most of the crew, though noticed that Marrin and Fenthik were absent. Questions poured from her until her mate silenced her as the lights went out.

When Gahn's tail brushed her leg after nearly two minutes into the dark silence she nearly jumped and cried out, but instead looked in his direction. The cat was not able to make out anything from the complete lack of light and used her own tail instead to lightly wrap around his. It seemed as though he was as unnerved as she was and the fact this silence felt unending didn't help. A thought in English flashed through her mind, "Simon and Garfunkel would love this," and she had to stifle a laugh.

The Ceremony of Mourning, as her mate had told her, was a deeply-rooted funerary rite amongst the colonies of Ument. He hadn't gone into detail though and she could only wonder about what she was going to witness. She didn't even know who had died, only that Captain Rels was somehow involved. The crew and colonists were grouped around several small metal structures set on a small hill, one of which had a duct leading to the ceiling.

A short, loud, hiss from above filled the large space, followed by a dull clunking sound. Leina turned her head to look up and watched as the ceiling slowly retracted, revealing a widening line of starlight interrupted only by the duct that remained attached to the large window beyond. Soon the form of the planet became recognizable, dominating at least half of the view. The cat could make out one of the other, uninhabited, moons passing closer to the gas giant. Her gaze turned to watch as the distant sun became unobstructed, filling the room with its light.

All around her, most of the crew did the same, though the rest of the Rukot around them did not and kept their silent attention on the eight now assembled on the platform. Five of them were deer, joined by a wolf, a bear, and an older dog.

One of the deer, the youngest-looking, stepped forward and spoke, <<We are here. Under the light of victory, standing on the plains of home.>>

It was the Captain's voice that brought her crew back to attention with the others, though most didn't repeat the phrase with them, <<We are here, Under the light of victory, standing on the plains of home.>> Leina was sure she heard several of the assembled deer say <<Rachim,>> and <<Ument,>> instead.

When she recognized most of the platform's occupants she also realized they were completely nude. Captain Rels looked as if she had been crying, though she held herself with her usual level of dignity and calm. Behind her and to the left, amongst the four other deer, all of who were older, she saw Kudri Rels and added her wonder why the Councillor was here to her exponentionally growing list of questions. At best, the serval figured the buck standing next to Kudri must be the Captain's father, but she couldn't fathom a guess as to the other two. Marrin, Fenthik, and Ginge stood to the right, standing as statues.

<<We have found our brother. He fell in battle and we have brought him home,>> came a call from several masculine voices behind the crowd.

Everyone turned to face them, and Leina was surprised to see the naked body of a deer rukot being carried by four others that indeed, looked to be brothers. She glanced back at the platform to look at the other two elder rukot, noticing that all seven shared a resemblence than likely meant family. She wasn't expecting the victorious looks on their faces, and was taken aback by the shock and anger on Heoni Rels'.

<<This is unusual,>> she heard Gahn whisper at the same time a murmur moved through the entire group.

<<What is?>> she whispered back, this whole ceremony was unusual to her.

<<The body,>> the wolf answered and returned his attention to the Captain. She followed, even more confused, but determined to find out and decided she'd interrogate him later.

On the platform they watched as Heoni Rels took several large breaths, as if regaining her composure. She faced the procession as it mounted the platform and laid the body down on a platform extending from the front of the ducted machine.

Leina could see now that the young buck had been shot at least twice by a plasma rifle, and she winced, remembering the pain from the shot that had effectively ended her life as Roger Keene.

Anger coloured the words the doe spoke next, <<Asham Harl is dead. His meat is fresh, we must ensure no man consumes it.>> Though it did not colour the gentle caress she gave the muzzle of the deceased buck, or the tears she had begun shedding again.

The serval's eyes went wide at the last of those words, and she nearly choked from the shock. All of her questions lay forgotten as one dominated her mind, <<Do humans eat Rukot?>> It repeated over and over and made her feel nauseous.

<<His closest family must give him to the fire,>> Marrin intoned loudly and took one step towards the Captain.

One by one, the others on the platform repeated the phrase and movement, followed by the majority of the crowd who did not move.

<<It is my duty, I must do so alone,>> the doe stated sadly, motioning as if to stop anyone from assisting. She walked to the machine where it met the platform Asham's body rested on and opened a hatch on it, revealing what Leina had already deduced was a furnance used in cremation. Heoni Rels leaned down over Asham's head and kissed it, mumbling a barely-audible whisper into his right ear as she resumed standing.

<<Asham Harl, my mate, is dead. I give him to the fire to protect his flesh and so that his ashes may mix with those who gave their lives to give us our home.>> Her muzzle glistened in the distant light from Rachim as she pressed a button that withdrew both the platform and the body it carried into the machine. The doe hesitated for a moment, and then closed the hatch and pressed another button. It made no sound but within seconds a particulate started to exit the top of the duct beyond the large ceiling window, gently floating away in the direction of the planet.

After a few moments a green indicator light on the front of the machine lit. With seemingly more effort than before, Heoni Rels opened the hatch again, revealing only a few scattered piles of ash where the body had once been. The platform re-extended and from somewhere she produced eight bowls and quickly scooped up most of the remaining ashes with them, setting all but the last on the platform. This one she cupped in her hands and turned to present it to the other seven rukot on the platform, who each nodded at her.

She faced the crowd once again and showed them the bowl of ashes, proclaiming, <<Asham Harl's flesh has been turned to ash.>> She took her right hand and brought it up to her mouth, licked the hooved-tip of her index finger, dipped it into the bowl, and then smeared a generous amount on her tongue before spitting it out. <<No man can consume him, you will all confirm this,>> she said solemnly.

By this point Leina wasn't quite sure where her lower jaw was, probably a few levels below them in the colony. Her right paw shot out to grasp Gahn's left one tightly and he returned the grip just as snugly. This was just about the most disturbing thing she'd ever witnessed and she hoped it would be over soon.

The other seven on the platform quickly moved to pick up a bowl and each stood before Heoni Rels, mimicking her movements, though not actually smearing ashes on their own tongues. Each stated, <<Confirmed,>> and left the platform to move amongst the crowd.

Marrin only offered Leina an appologetic look as he stood before her and waited for her to perform the same action as the others. She timidly worked her way through the motions, watching several of the others doing the same and muttered, <<Confirmed,>> as she took part in this morbid communion. At least most of her fellow crew seemed to be equally awkward and just as likely to bolt at earliest convenience.

====================================

Fermeux Hunt held up his arms, the ring and pinky fingers on both of his hands were closed while the remaining three pointed straight out. "Bonjour!" the short bald man called out in a welcoming and ethusiastic tone.

The thirty people seated in the lecture hall before him shifted nervously. Each was a new recruit, freshly conscripted into service. This was Director Hunt's latest crop of future spies. Despite the loud and friendly nature of his greeting, he quickly scanned the small crowd with his dark grey eyes, gauging their reactions. It had nothing to do with the orientation process, but he knew most of them would be caught off-guard by his theatrics.

His attention settled on one of the younger women in the crowd and she stared right back at him in attention at her seat trying to not fidget. Something in her eyes made a smile play across his lips and the woman rewarded him with a large grin, apparently happy to be here and unable to contain her excitement. "Fool," he thought to himself, but fanatics did have their uses.

Outwardly his smile disappeared, his arms came down, and his attention returned to the group in general as he addressed them, "If only you knew what awaits all of you."

"You have all be called upon to serve Emperor William's Imperial Intelligence by protecting our culture, our empire, and our people. It is a high honour for you to be here and for me to welcome you. Be proud of this moment, but do not delude yourselves. The training you will undergo, the truths you will discover, and the choices you will have to make will guide not only your careers, but your lives. Qui vivra verra!" He threw his arms out again, this time with his thumbs, index, and middle fingers tucked in with his ring and pinky fingers extended out almost impossibly straight.

Pride did indeed fill most of the faces of those before him. Though oddly, the woman who'd grinned at him instead had a look of concentration as if she were memorizing his words them with more intelligence than he'd credited her. After a moment he recognized her as the recruit who was here by the emperor's personal request. Hell, it was more than a request, the missive he'd received detailed out exactly how she was to be trained, with a focus on piloting fighters and cruiser-size ships, an unusual combination.

His eyes narrowed in his only display of the annoyance at the amount of interest their ruler had started displaying in his work. For most of the 70 years of his directorship he'd been left to his own devices and plots, but no longer it would seem. The last order had ended disasterously, to say the least. Before that, he'd been ordered to burn a world to recover a written-off spy half a century ago and then nothing.

A few of the recruits shifted uncomfortably during his long pause, but he ignored them and carried on with his thoughts.

It hardly mattered that Commander, or Captain Whats-it, had recovered materials and data. All of it was useless, the only reason a lab was on that ship was by his master's order, and none of the spies it turned out, including Frank, had ultimately proved useful. A man from Earth's past indeed! The rukot called such nonsense a sundream, and he agreed.

He barked out a laugh which served to return his audience to attention. It was far more likely that the man had been a member of the Empress Cult, probably sent specifically to destroy that invasion carrier. They were the real threat to the empire, but he was forced to leave the cultists alone.

"Here is the first truth you will learn, and perhaps the most important. It will haunt your eyes when you look in the mirror," Fermeux resumed, lowering his arms again and smiling smugly at the pun these young fools didn't understand. "Your slaves, your pets, are as intelligent and capable as you."

Several of the expressions he received varied between shock, outrage, horror, and from Emperor William's latest puppet, a disappointed sadness that she quickly replaced with the same indifference as most. None of them were foolish enough to speak up.

"They are our enemy," the man continued. "Billions of them threaten our very existence as a people and an empire." The RC barely threatened anything, the dumb animals and their ludicrious space council were utterly clueless about the true size and scope of the empire. Still, for whatever reason they'd been allowed to exist, and they were a threat, if even a minor one.

"So," he said while clapping his hands together once. "You are going to help us protect your familes, homes, and the empire. Not just with your bodies like a common soldier, but with your minds as well." Their fates were already sealed.

====================================

<<That was not right, brother,>> Fenthik stated flatly to Marrin about an hour after the ceremony had ended. Ginge had already left for the ship but the wolf and the bear remained outside a doorway, waiting for the captain to exit it. Beyond the door came the muffled sounds of an argument from inside the apartment.

Marrin nodded his agreement and said, <<The captain told me it the ceremony was supposed to have been completed except for the distribution of Asham's ashes.>>

None had been expecting the full ceremony to take place, including the confirmation required by the crowd after a cremation. Ument's traditions were strange enough, and the wolf would've been uncomfortable with just having to hold a bowl of ashes for a few minutes, let alone this.

<I don't understand why they->> he was interrupted by the sound of something hitting the wall beside the door rather solidly.

In an instant the two shot surprised looks at the doorway and without hesitating Marrin opened it and burst into the room beyond with the bear behind him. Inside, the room looked mostly in-order, with the captain's parents, Kudri Rels and Ola Maf standing calmly to one side of the room, guarded expressions on both. Beside them, though, was a different story. Pyr Harl weakly trying to pry the captain's hands from his mate, Eil Harl's neck.

The wolf made to pull the two does apart when a quick hand-motion from Kudri bade him to stay out of it.

<<FULL RITE!?>> Heoni Rels' yelled at the elderly doe she held up up off the floor against the aforementioned wall. <<You kept his body, for seventy-five years!>> She released Eil, but continued to ignore Pyr and stood over the focus of her anger.

<<You never came back,>> Eil croaked out defensively.

Heoni snorted loudly and it looked as if her rage threatened to boil over again. It coloured her response, <<You swore to me, while I was still fighting, that you had taken care of him. Last night you insisted I only had to distribute his ashes.>>

Pyr answered to this, in his soft voice, <<It had to be you, daughter. Why did you not come home?>>

<<You know the tradition,>> Eil added, <<It would defile his memory for anyone but his closest relative to perform the rite.>>

Without taking her eyes off Eil, Heoni said coldly, <<I am not your daughter and this is not my home.>> She took a long deep breath and continued, <<You speak of tradition, but it was you, Eil Harl, who defiled his memory and your traditions by keeping his meat fresh.>>

Neither of them attempted to rebutt, so as she calmed, she added somewhat venomously, <<I barely had the chance to say goodbye when he was taken from me, so I thank you for that. After what you have done though, we are not family and I will not return to Harl. Never speak to me again.>>

<<Heoni,>> her mother's voice said cautiously, as if Kudri was unsure of what to do or say.

<<No, mother,>> she said as she turned to face her parents. <<Every day I mourn for him, but no longer. They have taken that from me, and I will not forgive it.>>

Without waiting for a response, she motioned for her crewmen to follow and left the room.

====================================

Around the same time Captain Rels, Marrin, and Fenthik made their way back to the Teshar, Leina and Gahn were sitting in the cab of their truck, listening to music.

<<I thought the Captain's mate died a long time ago,>> the serval said, finally breaking their silence that had extended since the wolf's last words during the ceremony.

She passed him the joint they were sharing, and he took a longer drag than he normally would from it. In the background a man sang about the strange things he saw out his back door but the wolf wasn't paying much attention to it. They only had three left after this, she really needed to figure out which colony grew marijuana and get more.

<<Years before I was born,>> he confirmed to her while breathing out the smoke and passing the small tube back. <<It must have been hard for her to do,>> he added.

<<That was hard for me to witness,>> she replied and took and equally-long drag from the joint.

Gahn nodded and their silence resumed for awhile. Eventually a different man on the radio started singing about painting things black, and the wolf listened but found it almost as dark in tone as the colour. The day had been depressing enough as it was without this. <<Could we listen to som->> he began before Leina interrupted him.

<<Do humans eat rukot?>> she belted out in the same moment. The question had been on the tip of her tongue for awhile. It dominated most of her thoughts as she realized that the only meat rukot ate came from poultry and fish. She'd seen no other source of meat in this future.

It startled him and he asked, <<What?>> before answering, <<No. I'm pretty sure they don't anymore.>> He studied her face and saw only a confused mix of emotions whirling through her eyes.

<<Anymore?>> she chirped a little hysterically. Her stomach roiled as if ready to empty itself at a moment's notice. So they did, or had.

Her mate took the joint and put it out in the ashtray while taking a moment to clear his head. <<I think their laws forbid it now, since the uprising,>> he answered.

When she stared at him as if waiting for him to continue, he did so, <<During the early days of the empire a terraformed world became uninhabitable, this resulted in a famine that affected dozens of colonies, including the ones here. The masters ate their slaves, primarily herbivores, to survive and this lead to the first uprising.>>

Her paw came up to cover her mouth as his words sickened her further. She almost wanted to say something to stop him from going on, but couldn't find the words.

<<It was Rels, a bull who is now legend amongst us, who began the Ceremony of Mourning after the war. He declared that never again would humans be allowed to know the taste of his species and demanded his body be burned when he passed. His wishes were honoured and since then it has been a tradition here.>>

The thought of beef, and her memory of it finally broke her will and Leina threw open the door beside her, leaned to the left, and vomited onto the floor of the hanger. Great, now she'd have to add cleaning to the day's list of activities.

<<What's wrong Leina, are you okay?>> Gahn asked and placed his paw on her back as he leaned over her.

She spat the remaining foulness from her mouth, took a few breaths, and said, <<Do you know how much meat I've eaten?>> She switched to English, not finding Rukot words for some of what she said next, "Beef, pork, mutton, horse, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and... and..." She sat back up and looked at him, finishing, "venison."

<<That was different, Leina,>> he tried to assure her.

<<Was it!?>> she exclaimed. <<I've probably eaten some of Captain Rels' own ancestors. The rifle I killed them with is in the fucking armoury!>> She held her head in her paws and whispered, <<I carved them apart with knives, and ate them. Hell, I enjoyed it!>>

<<Rukot did not exist when you were Roger,>> Gahn stated, trying to calm her. <<We are born of science, and while we call them ancestor species, they are not our direct ancestors. We are not livestock or wild animals, you have not eaten anyone's family.>>

It did little to make her feel better but she closed the door again and leaned against him, saying, <<When I first got here I told her I would have no trouble shooting a deer because I'd done so many times before.>>

<<Once again, that was different,>> he responded while wrapping his arms around the cat. <<You were from a different time and place, and desperate to get home.>>

<<Yes,>> she replied, <<I was.>> This was going to take her awhile to get past.