Star Trek: Eleventh Fleet

Ep4: Chapter 6: A New Beginning

The streets of Tarven Four echoed with laughter as children ran around playing while the adults finished putting up the final touches. People hung bows and wreaths of white roses everywhere, with silk ribbons dangling in the breezes. Pearly white tablecloths billowed in the breezes from the tables around the outdoor restaurants. All the civilians and officers walking around dressed in their finest, ready for the nuptials.

Dr. Leah Fox walked with the rest of the attending guests outside of town toward a cliff that overlooked the ocean. An arch made up of white roses and blue lilies stood on the edge of the cliff and was the focal point of all the seats arranged near it. The wedding planners had rolled out a long red carpet in the middle of the aisle leading to the officiant. Captain Picard waited under the arch in his best dress uniform. The President of the Federation had offered to officiate, but Picard was a long-time family friend of Bonita and her father. Walking around the seats, Dr. Fox presented a white iris which was taken and placed in one of two vases near the arch. Rogerah accepted the flower, the youngest Hakashan present.

"What's with the flowers?" She whispered to him.

He said, "It is an old custom for Hakashan weddings. All present bring a flower from where they come from. On our world, it would be different cities or countries, but here we have people from all over the galaxy bringing representative flowers."

"Such a sweet tradition. I like it." She left the young man to his duty and followed directions to be seated with Captain Henderson's family and friends.

One side of the aisle had Federation officers and civilians from the station, and a few guests from other parts of the Federation. The other side of the aisle had the Hakashan crew, the DMZ refugees and a few people from the station who had become close to the Hakashans during this time. Near the seats, an orchestra readied their instruments for the procession..

Kal joined Picard under the arch and waited. The orchestra lifted their instruments and began the first chords of Cannon in D. The bridesmaids and groomsmen marched down the aisle. Ashi escorted Makbar down the aisle as the best man and maid of honor. Behind them came Christopher Henderson and Sherri Nurnberg. The last two to come were Boemuth and Snow. Finally, Tojann escorted Sakura down the aisle. Since her father was a long way away, she picked the man who has been her mentor for three years now to give her away. She wore no wedding dress, but she had a crown of white roses on her head matching the white rose bouquet in her hands.

Once together before Captain Picard, the ceremony began. The Captain stood before them and expressed, "I am honored to be asked to be here for this ceremony. Admiral Henderson has been an old friend of mine, and I had the privilege of holding young Kal when he was just a few days old. Even then, I knew he would do great things. As for the girl which turned his head and completed his heart, I have known her only for a short time but have come to respect her mind and her passion. She expresses her love in her work and her joy. Together, Kal and Sakura will complement each other and fulfill two halves of a whole. They have prepared vows."

"Once, I was lost on a world I didn't know with a people who scared me a little," Kal said as he gulped and then looked up at Sakura, gazing into her eyes. "They took me in and gave me a new view on life. There, I met a girl who surprised me with her unrelenting joy and fierce devotion. She sought me out first and spent too long trying to get me to understand that I needed just such a woman in my life. I learned not only how much I could love her, but just how much I could love. When I thought I had lost you, I felt shattered and couldn't function. I lost focus. I couldn't even understand why until I knew I was missing half of my soul. When I found you again, I knew I could never let you go. This I vow, I will love you, I will honor you, and I will obey as a dutiful husband. I will seek to bring as much joy to your life as you bring to mine. To you, this I vow."