A wedding held

Four days had passed, and Sola floated gently in orbit around Earth. The planet below and the massive orbitals to either side of them looked tranquil from where Dustin stood on the observation deck, nervously clasping and unclasping his hands. They’d been in Sol space for less than a month, and so much had happened. He’d gone from being engaged to Meli to this moment, with their wedding only a short time away. They’d lost crew, gained crew, and even now were preparing for the flight out to the Titan shipyards - albeit a flight where the ship would be lacking both her captain and science officer.

That had been a last minute decision - after debating what to do for a honeymoon on and off throughout their time planning the wedding, they’d finally settled on taking one of the Rabyth shuttles and heading out to the rolling welsh hills. It wasn’t technically camping; the shuttle had both cooking and sleeping facilities even before Rye had started tinkering with it on hearing their plans, but it would be private and by flying to a secluded spot should just allow them time for each other. They’d spend a few days there alone - and then fly out to Titan with an escort of the new fighters; Sammie and her pilots would hopefully have berths for their craft aboard Sola long before they all arrived, and it’d give them a formal escort back to Dustin’s ship.

The door behind him slid open as he pondered the changes that had happened in what was a seemingly short amount of time. Turning, he smiled. “Is it time already, cousin?” The older man grinned at the joke. “You know full well we had to do that to get a message past Star Command. Don’t sass me about it, Dustin. I’m honoured to be here for you on your wedding day, but I am still a major-general.” Dustin waved the comment aside, reaching out to shake the other man’s hand. “I know. And sincerely, my thanks once again - we might not be having a traditional ceremony, but even so I needed a best man.” The major-general returned the handshake, before sighing. “I still say you should have picked one of your younger friends rather than me, even though I understand why you want me there. They’d be proud of what you’ve accomplished you know, your parents. I know I’m not family really, but I’ll do the best I can to be family for you today.”

Dustin nodded. “That’s all I could ask for, and the reason I wanted you over one of my other friends. After my grandparents passed… I just want someone that properly remembers my parents to be a part of the ceremony. And I couldn’t exactly ask my tailor to do it.” George laughed at that, before jerking his thumb towards the door behind him. “We should be heading down to the garden now. You don’t want to be late to your own wedding do you?” With a shake of his head, Dustin followed the other man’s lead and made his way towards the lifts.

The garden was festooned with decorations when he entered it. Trea’k had outdone herself in making the place look special, and he walked along an avenue of flowers towards the newly constructed ceremonial arch. As he reached it, George came to a stop. “Right, I’ll see you on the other side then. Good luck.” At that, the old man stepped through the carefully carved frame to join the few other guests that had arrived already while Dustin took his appointed place to one side, the archway separating him from the crowd. Other guests arrived, each filing past - some shaking his hand, others giving him a cheery salute, but all with words of greeting and celebration. This part of the ceremony was pure Velca - the assembled friends and family moved through the arch first to show everyone moving forward with life, then after the ceremony the couple would step through together to indicate their new life living as one.

There were other bits afterward from both of their backgrounds - but they’d taken human culture as the cue for the part before they passed the arch. In place of the traditional Velca presentation of research, they were to have a more human exchanging of vows and… as if his thoughts summoned it, as the last guest took their seat a gentle piece of bridal processional music began to play. From behind one of the hedges they had planted to break up this section of the gardens Meli emerged and for Dustin it seemed like time stopped.

The Velca woman’s dress was pure white in the human style, but topped with a tunic that was more Velcan; it looked almost like something out of ancient Greece and flattered her curves immensely. Her dark hair spilled down over it, looking casually undone but on closer inspection the product of what must have been hours of careful styling. She wore no veil, another nod to her own heritage, but carried the traditional human bouquet of flowers. Behind her, Rye and Emely each held one end of the flowing fabric of her dress, ensuring it didn’t snag as she made her way steadily across to him.

As the party arrived, the two other women executed a joint curtsy to Dustin with near-military precision before stepping through the arch to take their own seats. “You look…” Dustin was lost for words; Meli smiled, her eyes sparkling and her ears gently swaying in heartfelt joy. “So do you…” she breathed, seemingly equally unable to express her feelings vocally at that precise moment. A soft voice from beside them on the far side of the arch broke the spell. “Dearly beloved. In accordance with traditions of both Velca and Earth, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Meli’a Venn and Dustin Smith. Please rise for the invitational speeches.” Liselia’s words had every guest rise, before four people stepped forward.

“My dear daughter” began one of them, before hesitating. “Meli’Venn, my child. Your father and I…” The older Velca woman paused again, before speaking louder this time as if dealing with internal emotions to complex to understand. “When you were born, it was the greatest day of my life. I always knew that one day you would find someone who would love you as much as I do. Won’t you both now join us in the future together?” Dustin bowed his head, even as George began to speak, his words in accented but clear Velcan. “Dustin, I stand in this place not to replace your parents for whom their time among us has passed, but to honour them. Your family and friends live on in the future - please join us with your bride in creating a new life together.”

Meli’s father spoke next, his English stilted and hesitant; when they’d met shortly after he’d arrived in the system he’d had to use a translator for their entire conversation - but he had clearly been studying ever since to allow for this. “Dustin’Smith. I wish to entrust to you my greatest project, the future of my research. Please step forward with Meli’Smith to show us new fields to study.” The change of Meli’s last name was a mark of respect that shocked Dustin; the impact it had on his bride was even more so. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her father, and she seemed to barely hear as Isabella scratched her head before voicing her own short request, reading the Velcan from a tablet to ensure she got it right. “Dustin, you’re like a brother to me. We might not be blood, but we’re family. Bring your love here already, we’re waiting.”

That made him smile. Traditional Velcan beckonings were supposed to be personal to the one reading them - and those four certainly qualified. Liselia’s voice resumed speaking at that point, and he turned his attention - what of it wasn’t focused on the woman in white by his side - back to the empress as she led them through far more human vows. The words seemed to tie his tongue in knots, the emotions threatened to overwhelm him as he promised her his love, shelter and warmth for the rest of their lives. Her answering gift of love, home and strength was delivered in a clear voice - but he could see by her ears that she was barely holding it together any better than he was.

With vows said, the leader of the Feliax held out her hands to them. “With your words bonded, I ask of you to exchange a kiss in the human custom and enter into the future as is traditional for the Velca. Join us.” Turning to the woman by his side, Dustin cupped Meli’s face in his hands. As he leaned in, he felt her own palms come to rest on the back of his head as they kissed. This was passion made manifest; none of the fury or probing tension of their normal kisses, none of the hunger for each other that came in moments of lust. Rather, this was each of them trying their best to pour all of their feelings for the other into one moment of surrender; offering their ability to breathe freely up on the altar of their joined love. Time slowed. Light faded. The crowd around them turned to ghosts and drifted away. In that moment, in that space there was only the other, their lips holding entropy herself at bay. And then, with an explosion of light and sound and cheers, they broke the kiss and stepped through the arch, sealing themselves to each other for the rest of their lives.