Star Trek: Odyssey: Held in the Hands of Forever
Hundreds of majestic conifers towered in the crisp cool air, which still sprinkled with the fresh scent of the morning dew. Thin, wispy cirrus clouds danced high in the azure skies, casting faint shadows on the grassy, flower filled plain below.
Surrounded by his family and friends, Dustin Zofchak, wearing his Starfleet dress uniform, slowly treaded the grassy terrain, gradually making his way toward the beaming Captain Allensworth standing at the front of the crowd. Weddings were not uncommon in Starfleet, but in this age of chaos with the Terran Empire, they seemed too few and far between for anyone's liking. Thus, today was an incredibly happy occasion.
Still, as he treaded that grassy aisle, Dustin Zofchak couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous. He didn't know why, exactly. He had been living with Hoshi for some time now. It was not like there were going to be any major changes in his life. Perhaps, it was just the sheer thought of marriage itself that intimidated him. Whatever the case, his fears were somewhat subdued when his walk down the aisle was completed, and he took his place at Captain Allensworth's side.
He looked around the crowd, seeing family members, multiple crewmembers of the Alexandria not to mention Captain Picard and Commander La Forge from the Enterprise, Captain Riker and Counselor Troi or Counselor Riker, whichever you prefer, from the Titan and T'Pol from the NX-01 Enterprise.
Commander Merriell and Counselor Nycz walked down the aisle when they reached Dustin and the captain, they separated and took their respected positions. Commander Sparhawk and Doctor Plumley were the next to come down the aisle and just like the previous pair; they took their positions after separating. All four of them wore their Starfleet dress uniforms.
Dustin smiled at his comrades as they took their places, then his smiled widened considerably in the moment that followed, for that was the moment Hoshi Sato appeared at the end of the aisle. It was easily the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
She wore an elegant, pure white kimono that shimmered in the morning sunlight. Her silky black hair was carefully pulled into the traditional Japanese style bunkintakashimada with two gold combs and kanzashis. She also adorned the tsuno kakushi on her head. Her obsidian eyes beamed like two dark stars in the midnight sky. As far as Dustin was concerned, he stood before perfection.
Hoshi was in no hurry to walk down the aisle. She very much wanted to bask in every moment of this glorious day, and if that meant taking an hour to walk a couple of meters, then so be it.
Walking just as slowly at Hoshi's side was Phlox, the NX-01 doctor and long time friend of Hoshi's. He was clearly enjoying each moment as much as Hoshi. When they finally reached the end of their long road, Phlox turned to Hoshi and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek. Finally, she stood before her husband to be.
Captain Allensworth began the ceremony. "Since the days of the first wooden sailing ships, all captains have enjoyed the happy privilege of joining together two people in the bonds of matrimony. And so it is my honor to unite, you, Hoshi Sato and you, Dustin Ryan Zofchak together in matrimony." He turned to the bridge. "Hoshi, do you accept this man as your husband, to love and cherish above all others, until death separates you?"
Hoshi looked at Dustin with her warmest, most endearing gaze, with her hands in his, she said. "I do."
"Dustin," Jermaine said slightly turning to the groom. "Do you accept this woman as your wife, to love and cherish above all others, until death separates you?"
"I do." He said smiling.
At that moment, Alex stepped forward and presented the two rings. Jermaine nodded his thanks to the second officer and carefully handed them to the bridge and groom. "These rings are a symbol of your love for each other and a promise to abide by the vows you have made today."
Hoshi took the sleek golden ring, as well as Dustin's hand. "With this ring," she said as she slid it over Dustin's finger. "I thee wed."
It being his turn, Dustin took the ring sporting a diamond that sparkled wildly in the sunlight. Dustin carefully placed the ring upon Hoshi's finger and said. "With this ring, I thee wed."
Suddenly, Lieutenant Commander Dustin Zofchak was the happiest man in the universe. All of his fears were torn asunder, from the moment that ring reached Hoshi's finger, he stood beside his wife, and together, there was nothing they could not achieve.
"By the power vested in me by the United Federation of Planets, I pronounce you husband and wife." Allensworth said proudly. "You may now kiss the bride."
The two leaned in at the same time and allowed their lips to meet. At that, the crowd stood, clapped and cheered.
The reception was on the holodeck of the Alexandria-A, more specifically they were using the Vic Fontaine program as the place for the reception. The bridal party was sitting at the head table and the guests were all at their tables talking away waiting for the reception to officially begin.
At that moment, Vic Fontaine walked over to Alex Merriell and handed him a microphone. The second officer stood up. "Ladies and Gentlemen, when Dustin asked me to be his best man I hesitated only for a moment, but during that moment, Hoshi pulled a phaser on me, making sure I said yes. I met Dustin when I rescued him from certain peril on Veridian Three. He was a humble Lieutenant serving on the Enterprise and now look at him, chief engineer of the Alexandria. When Hoshi came into the picture, the guy wouldn't stop talking about her. Especially after she confessed her feelings to him when they were stranded on a planet together, every word out of his mouth was about Hoshi. Then there's Hoshi. Hoshi, are you attracted to younger men? I understand that you came through a time distortion but if we use your current birthdate that would mean you're over two hundred years old but you don't look a day over twenty-seven." Alex then grabbed his wine glass and held it towards the bridge and groom. "Dustin Zofchak, you've been a great friend to not just to me, but to everyone you've met. You can make friends with anyone and everyone. You value life above all else and don't ever fall away from that. Hoshi Sato, you have stuck by Dustin's side ever since you met him. You are loyal and compassionate. You both are my family. I wish you both clear skies and let your love endure beyond the final sunset." He then held his glass up high as did the guests. "To the bride and groom."
"To the bride and groom." The guests said in unison. Everyone took a drink from their glasses while Dustin and Hoshi leaned in for a kiss.
