Moment of No Names

The Moment of No Names, translated as Zej istrejn zevkam in Morish and Raugna Voraljt in Alamin is a memorial occasion that occurs every three years under the Common Galactic Calendar, the number three representing the number of Galactic Wars fought between the Alamo Empire and the Veriol Alliance. For three hours, those offering remembrance in honor of the holiday are to avoid using ranks, titles, or even personal names, so as to remember fallen soldiers that never returned home and whose very identities were lost, either literally or figuratively, to the horrors of war. These three hours most often coincide with sunrise or sunset depending on local adjustments to the holiday, but some military-dense locations deliberately place their "honored hours" within the middle of the day to draw attention to it.
Though the holiday was clearly formed with the galactic wars in mind, there tends to be little distinction, particularly on local levels, between those who fought and died in the galactic wars and those who died more recently in combat of any kind. Within the military, all rank insignias are to be removed during the three hour period, and servicemen are typically stationed at local graveyards or other tombs where soldiers are buried.
The peaceful nature of the Moment of No Names is such that it is traditional for a representative of the Alamo Empire and the Veriol Alliance to stand together in silence for the full three hours; the silence is begun with each of them symbolically removing any signs of rank, title, or affiliation, at which point they stand side-by-side in a location with tangible war history, such as a city once destroyed by war or a location where treaties were signed. The meeting place must be agreed upon by both sides, and a faction's absence at the Moment of No Names is synonymous with a declaration of war, as it indicates that the moment of remembrance has passed and that a new galactic war is nigh. Although it is required for these representatives to stand alone, the perimeter of the area they occupy is closed off and guarded by soldiers of either faction.
In the year 4336, Hretlakk Flametail, then only recently named regent, surprised the Empire and Veriol dignitaries alike when she insisted on being the nameless soldier representing the Alamo Empire and even refused any subsequent titles, including that of Imperial Regent, beyond her original military rank until she completed this duty. In honor of her dedication, Sun Lao-Ji, the most senior member of the Veriol Council, proposed that the meeting place for the Moment of No Names would be Maurth, a moon of Raljikka that once held many imperial bases that were abandoned by the defeated Alamo Empire of old. There, the new regent of the Alamo Empire and the most venerable Veriol Alliance minister stood for the full three hours, waiting for the sun to rise over the horizon of the desolate moon.
Category:Ealdremen Calendar