Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Deck 4 Garden- Wedding Bells

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Counter-Intelligence Officer) in Deck 4 Garden- Wedding Bells

Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Deck 4 Garden- Wedding Bells
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

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All the details looked after, bouquets (handmade by the bride) delivered to the necessary people, and the final decor set on the long dining table, the reception area was set, and so too for the ceremony.

An arbour covered in flowers that looked very much like Faye had swept about the garden plucking flowers and greenery on a whim and woven it into the wooden structure, sat before the dance floor and would be removed after the ceremony. A loose aisle had been creating that veered off the garden path, It would be where Alex stood at the ‘top’ of the circle, Faye and Daggum before him, and their friends and family would close in from either side of the aisle to form a circle, surrounding them with love. Cheesy, yes, but also a tradition from Tracken that Daggum had liked.

It was late afternoon and all the wedding needed was the guests, the officiant and the couple of honour.

~Faye Calloway

Nadine made her way to the garden and smiled at the signs they had put up to point people down the right paths. Cheesy signs that said ‘Happiness this Way’ and ‘Love Gathers Here’. It was so contrary to Faye’s normal demeanour that she couldn’t help but be delighted.

In a dark purple shift dress, Nadine wandered down the paths to the wedding site and smiled as she saw Gavin, Taleel and Lahala chit chatting near the arbour. “Beautiful day for a wedding!” she called out, knowing it was entirely silly given they were in a climate controlled space on a starship.

“Indeed it is,” Gavin replied warmly to his newfound niece.

~Wedding Guests

Revna, wearing a navy blue dress Mike had gotten for her, slipped in to the garden and glanced around. It was beautiful and simple and full of meaning, just like Faye wanted. She hoped her friend was not only managing today but free from any worries. She had considered stopping by Faye’s quarters earlier but knew she had plenty of people with her today. She made her way towards the arbor where the ceremony would take place, grinning at the signs. She noted the addition of new family that Faye had told her about. Revna was glad that whatever history was there they had come. Faye and her Daggum deserved it.

A slightly British-accented voice said “And knowing the nature of the bride and groom, I doubt any being in this or any other universe can anticipate what chaos we could be in store for.” Alex was in his full dress uniform and smiling. He approached the group and said “I saw Mr. Pikelsimer coming in behind me, so I would imagine the festivities will be commencing soon.” He looked at Gavin and nodded, extending his hand. “Captain. A pleasure to have you aboard. I hope I can show off the Manhattan a bit before you go.”

Cochrane, CO

Gavin grinned. “I’d love that. It’s an impressive ship from what I’ve seen and I still am having a hard time wrapping my mind around this garden. It’s something else.”

“All credited to your niece and her leadership. This wouldn’t exist without her.” Alex said with a smile.

“It’s nice to know that there are quiet and beautiful spaces on starships,” Lahala said.

“Captain Cochrane, I’d like you to meet my wife Taleel, and my daughter Lahala.”
Taleel, beamed, her ebony eyes taking Alex in intently. “It’s an honour to be here.”

“The honor is ours. Faye is more than just a member of this crew, she is an irreplaceable part of it. To have so many of her family here from so far shows just how special she and Daggum are.”

Just outside the garden in the corridor, Shara was walking with Faye and Kiama when she saw Micah. “Do I get something special if I whistle at the good lookin’ man before me?” she said, picking up her stride, her grin wider than he might have ever seen it before.

~Faye, Shara & Co

Micah looked back at Shara and grinned and said “You get a slap on the ass if you direct that at Cochrane and not me, Wife.” He offered her his arm and looked at Faye and Kiama. “Best lookin’ weddin’ party ever.” and he leaned in and gave Faye a kiss on the cheek. “Radiant… thats what you are.” He leaned back and said “Okay, lets go and get you hitched.”

Shara just chuckled.

But Faye smiled softly, suddenly calm. “Thanks,” she said warmly to Micah, noting how all the nerves from earlier had dissipated. Maybe it had just been all the anticipation that had gotten to her, but so close to this life changing event it was just inevitable and she was truly looking forward to it. She could push the bittersweet feelings away to be dealt with later. Right now, it was about the happiness she and Daggum were claiming together, and the life they had ahead of them. “Let’s do this,” Faye said, moving through the double-doors of the garden, following those cheesy signs despite knowing the way blindfolded.

Meanwhile, Nadine explained to everyone gathered the Tracken ceremony tradition where the couple walked up to the officiant together and the guests closed in around them in a circle. As she did, Lieutenant Kahf (a self-proscribed holography aficionado) had approached Faye a couple weeks ago and offered to document the special occasion. Having few images from her life at all, Faye enthusiastically said yes.

The assembled guests and wedding party were all there… except for the groom. Cochrane looked around and said “Has anyone seen Lt. Cmdr. Hammor?” People looked around as if he might suddenly materialize when the doors were heard to swish open and a loud, deep voice said “I’m here! Sorry! Last minute issues, but its all handled.” and the massive Orion OPerations officer came into view… and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Faye.

Faye turned, a serene smile on her face as she held her bouquet of roses and wildflowers. “Hey, Starman.”

“Gods above, Faye…” was all he could get out before Micah moved over and elbowed him in the side. “Your mouth is open and your bride is waiting, goofball.” Daggum shook his head and walked to the group who was starting to form the circle.

Alex took his place at the head of the circle, and two aisles were formed for Faye on one side and Daggum on the other. Alex looked around and said “Is everyone ready?”

Cochrane

Faye nodded and looked across at Daggum feeling like this moment had been formed in the universe a long time ago and had just been waiting for all the right variable to come together.

Strains of a classical guitar began to play softly from the speakers over at the adjacent dance floor and she moved towards her soon to be husband.

Meeting him, Faye reached out a hand, her expression full of knowing.

Daggum took her hand sin his, enveloping it, and smiled. This… this was *exactly * what everything before had been about. All the fear, pain, blood, sweat… death… all of it faded into a single moment. Her hand in his.

Turning, they walked together to stand in front of Alex while everyone closed the circle and the music faded off. She handed her bouquet to Shara, who like Paul flanked Alex at the legal witnesses to the ceremony. Faye tipped her head up to gaze at Daggum and was tempted to make a cheeky quip about last chance to back out of a life in insanity. But she didn’t. They deserved this happiness. So instead she just winked and turned her attention to Alex.

~Faye Calloway, Bride

Alex looked out to the crowd and motioned them together and soon the circle was formed. Alex smiled at Faye and Daggum and said “Friends… family… honored guests and observers from across the galaxy… Welcome. We come together to day to witness the joining of two lives. Two minds. Two hearts into one. To say the road to this point here in this wonder of a garden so many miles from home was difficult would be so simplistic as to be laughable. The trials and tribulations these two have faced is a testament to their individual will and heart. And to see those wills come together as we are sop fortunate as to witness today is nothing short of miraculous. But yet… here we stand. United…” and he cast a glance at Gavin and his family and to Paul, Daggum’s best man, “… and reunited.” He paused a moment and then smiled broadly.

Faye tilted her head and winked at Paul, whom she hadn’t met yet but couldn’t wait to have a chat with.

“May everyone gathered here now serve as witness to the love and adoration shared between Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway and Lieutenant Commander Daggum Hammor. Let their love and dedication to one another show us all what is possible when we refuse to let such miniscule things as distance and time separate us from those we pledge ourselves to. And may their lives, from this moment forward, serve us all as a reminder that anything is possible. Now…” and he looked at Faye and Daggum,”… do you have the rings?”

Alex

Faye turned at the hips and held out her hand to Kiama who handed her their rings. Faye’s was the same exquisite ring he had proposed with and she wanted no other: A silvery, almost mercurial looking metal was fashioned into vines with multiple small leaves and flowers along each of the three vines that were woven and twisted around each other. In the center of each flower was a small deep red, almost black, gem. And in the center of the ring was set a bright, teal-but-with-a-deeper-blue hue gemstone cut in the rectangular fashion of emeralds from Earth. The stone almost shimmered in the light, giving it a look that made it seem like the inside was almost made of liquid.

Daggum’s ring was a very dark grey wide band made from an irridescent metal that had come from a meteorite. There was one stone in the middle that had the palest yellow colour. Something from the stars for her Starman.

Faye held his hand and handed him hers, grinning slightly, still very glad they had agreed to a short and sweet ceremony and to save all the mushy stiff for the speeches.

~Faye Calloway, Bride

After the rings had been exchanged, Alex said “With the exchange of rings symbolizing their endless love for one another, it now falls to me to ask if anyone objects to this union?” There was silence for a moment and then the sound of a phaser powering up could be heard. Micah looked around and said “There better not be.” and the crowd chuckled.

Alex smiled at the couple and said “All of us here know how much each of you mean to one another. And all of us present bear witness to your union. BUT…” and he paused dramatically, “… there are others who, by special request, have asked to participate in witnessing for both of you.” Alex nodded off to the right and suddenly a huge crowd… all holographic… surrounded their circle. The crowd was made up of individual circles surrounding a live feed of the garden and the wedding. Looking around, various parts of the Manhattan were represented. T’kish and Manx and a few of the Engineers in the warp core held hands in a circle and smiled at the holoprojector filming them while they had propped up a sign that said ‘CONGRATULATIONS!’ against the emergency controls. McTavish and Ral’s from Medical stood in a circle with some of the kids from the school who waved excitedly at the bride and groom and held up cards festooned with hearts and rings and apparently a dinosaur fighting a starfighter. There was Harris, Liza’hf, and Simmons from Science somewhere in the Biology lab. There was even a feed from the bridge… and one that appeared to be a security vid recording two of the Scientists Faye worked with in cryptography playfully trying to break into her lab, and then freezing when they realized they had been ‘caught’. It seemed as if the entire crew of the Manhattan had simply stopped to see their crewmate… their friend… take part in her life-changing moment.

Alex then said “Now… by the power vested in me as Commanding Officer of the United Federation of Planets starship USS Manhattan… I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Partners for life.” and he looked at Daggum and said “I think you know what to do here, right?”

Daggum grinned and picked Faye up off the floor and kissed her like he never had before.

Cochrane

It was simple and beautiful. Cochrane was a great at speeches, Revna would give him that. The holographic feeds were a wonderful touch, and she knew how much it would mean to Faye. She wondered who had put that all together. Applauds erupted from around the circle along with shouts and whistles, Revna’s among them as Cochrane pronounced them.

McKenzie