Dan brushed his silken suit down as he rolled up to the podium overlooking the gathered crowd. He swallowed nervously, trying to gather his thoughts before adjusting the mic.
"To those gathered here, we have come together, as you all know, to honor those lost in the cataclysm that brought us here. Less than a month ago, the slipspace engine of our ship, had a catastrophic failure during transit. as a result, we crash landed on an alien world, and it was only through the efforts of the native population, and the heroic actions of passenger and crew alike, that we survived. However, a majority of those onboard did not. 4,161 souls passed on in this disaster. We have all lost someone precious to us. Coworkers, Friends...family..."
Dan's throat closed up with emotion, and he coughed, trying to clear it as tears welled up in his eyes. after a moment, he continued.
"I wish I could offer words of comfort. I wish I were a man who could offer you guidance, salve your pain. I wish I could bring back all those we have lost...but I am just one mortal man. However, I ask you to join me in a tradition my family has held dear. What we call a celebration of life. Instead of mourning and weeping for the lost, we consider it just another step in a journey. We would gather the friends and family of the deceased, and host a party in their name, reminiscing about the good times, sharing stories, remembering the silly things. We would laugh and cry in equal measure as we celebrated this individual who had brought so many together. I know we will all mourn in our own way, but I hope you will join me for a bit of food, fun, and share your stories of the lost in the newly installed interactive memorial wall."
Dan sighed, gesturing to a glass structure in the newly built plaza, with pictures of the lost fading into and out of view.
"But first, we must commend our dead. They chose to go into the void, to explore further than any human ever has. They knew there was danger, but they stared it in the face, and were not found wanting."
At this point, Dan, and many others were weeping openly, and the four princesses and prince of the realm had joined him on stage, as well as the elements, as a large, tarped object was brought before the gathered crowd. It was about six foot tall. The tarp was thrown away to reveal an ornate rocket, filled with ash.
"and so, it seems fitting that we send them into the void once more, to become a guiding star in the night." Dan said, as the area around the rocket was cleared and the engine started.
"And so, without further ado, we send forth the brave dead. Knowing it is not the last time we will meet." As the rocket lifted off, the sweet sound of the song "Aloha Oe" filled the air. The security detail fired off twenty rounds, and the royal guardsponies saluted. After a few moments, the rocket was lost to normal sight, appearing as a speck of light in the distance, until Luna's horn lit up. With an explosion as bright as any light, A new star formed in the night sky, a bright, twinkling light not unlike the north star. The crowd gasped, and many began cheering.
"Let us not forget the fallen, and let us remember the friendship the ponies and others have shown to us in giving us so precious a gift. Let this star be an inspiration, and a comfort, for those who have lost so much. Now is the time to celebrate, my friends. So go, be merry, make friends, tell the stories of the lost, and ensure they are never truly forgotten. Good night, and god bless"