the cutest couple on Onderon are getting married!

It was cramped in the little two seater cloud hopper with her brother but Sanjay didn't complain. He didn't seem particularly thrilled with the idea of flying with his sister. Still, it was preferable to the other option she gave him. That was riding in on the back of a dalgos with Shara. Melaana knew her brother loved the girl but he wasn't about to give in to beast riding himself because of it.

Anyway he was here for Melaana today. Today was her wedding day and he was the designated Rash family representative. She still wished that the whole family would be as supportive but she did have her father's blessing and mother would come around eventually, she hoped.

She set down in the clearing where she usually met Bremon but her husband-to-be was no where in sight. Instead Edda and Shara were waiting for her with the wagon and fambass that had taken them to the Fete. Baby Steela was nestled in a cozy bed of blankets in the wagon, sleeping peacefully.

Melaana introduced her brother to the Gerrera ladies, mother and infant, but he seemed to cheer considerably when he saw his girl.

Shara ran to him, "Finally got you out here in the jungle."

"Yes, well," He smiled. "Anything for this sister of mine."

Edda had a surprise for Melaana. "It was my wedding dress and my mother's. May not be as fine as some of the things your seamstresses in town could whip up for you but it's a tradition to wear something passed down rather than something new. I just hope it fits."

"It's beautiful!" Melaana gushed.

"Now if we can get Shara to keep your brother busy for a bit..."

But that was already taken care of. The fruit merchant's daughter had led Sanjay away for a little privacy.

Edda helped Melaana to dress and while she did she fell into a song as she often did. Bremon had done Melaana's hair the day before and though a few strands had come loose, they now curled prettily around her face. The dress was a forgiving style that draped loosely so fit wasn't really a problem, but it still showed off her figure nicely without the need of an uncomfortable corset sucking the life out of her.

"There you go." Edda gave her another look over. "I can't wait to see Brem's face when he sees you."

Melaana grinned. "I can't wait to see him either."

"Come on then, you into the wagon. Be careful not to catch your skirt and you can look out for Steela for me." Once the bride was settled Edda turned, cupped her hands around her mouth and gave a call as she would to gather a heard of dalgos. Shara came instead, dragging Sanjay along behind her by the hand. The grin on his face made him look like he would follow her anywhere.

Meanwhile a couple of klicks to the west Bremon was pacing before the stone edifice that marked the entrance to his uncle's subterranean domain. Frayl gave a reassuring bleat and nudged him. "Yeah I know she's on her way, boy. Why don't you fly up and watch for her, eh?"

The ruping wasted no time springing from the ground and taking flight to circle the area. Saw was distracted from his drawing in the dirt with a stick to look up and smile at the beast. Geb Gerrera however maintained his stance, arms crossed over his chest, keeping a stern watch over the proceedings.

Naidon Kira relaxed visibly now that the reptavian was no longer staring him down. "When the women arrive we will descend into the chamber for the..."

"No, Uncle Nadd." Bremon outright refused. "We can have the ceremony right here. I'm not marrying her down in that tunnel. She likes the open air better and so do I."

The old man grumbled but then regained his composure. He closed his eyes with his hand outstretched as if he was trying to feel some sort of vibrations in the air. "Well it's not ideal. It would be much more appropriate for you to exchange your vows closer to..."

"Leave the boy alone, Kira." Geb rumbled softly but with an underlying power.

Nadd's eyes shot open and he gave the big dark-skinned man a careful glance before he turned back to his nephew. "But of course you will take her to Dxun for your..."

"If she wants to go to the moon for our wedding night that will be her choice. I'm not going to force her to fulfill one of your mad schemes." Bremon renewed his pacing. He just wanted to marry the girl he loved. Right now he almost envied her not getting her family involved. Her brother would be here though. They had never met but Shara spoke highly of him and Melaana was assured of his loyalty.

Just then Frayl trumpeted and they heard Edda's answering call from the ground. They may still be a ways off but they were getting nearer. Geb gave the groom a reassuring smile and Bremon nodded nervously in return.

Ten standard minutes later it was Saw who jumped up from the ground and pointed down the pathway to where dust was rising from the footsteps of a large beast. "They're coming!"

Uncle Nadd clapped his hands together, then took his nephew by the shoulders, and led him to where he was to stand on the steps before the stone archway. Bremon couldn't help but peer in the direction of the path waiting for a glimpse of his bride.

Edda brought the wagon to a stop and stepped down from the seat. She went around, picked up Steela from the back and went to stand next to her husband and son.

Sanjay reached up to give his sister a hand as she climbed out of the wagon as well. Shara fussed about her dress once Melaana had both feet on the ground, then kissed her friend's cheek, and ran over to stand beside the Gerreras.

"Are you ready for this?" Sanjay asked his sister in a whisper as he took her hand over his arm to escort her.

"I've never been more ready for anything." She grinned. They turned to face the others and she saw Bremon waiting for her.

Nothing else mattered after that. She wouldn't remember the words she repeated or how the guests smiled and cheered. Bremon was her whole world and he loved her!

She was finally alone with him in the cockpit of the Ruping Queen. He had stayed in the co-pilot's seat staring at her until they lifted off and made orbit. Now he was standing behind her seat bent over and kissing her neck.

Her voice was breathless. "Please, you need to let me concentrate on flying, My Love." She used the Onderonian words for My Love which had a much more physical connotation than the Basic translation. She had heard Edda speak the term to Geb when they thought no one was listening but she had also heard it used to refer to the mating pairs of creatures that Bremon looked after, especially when the female was in heat. Her husband practically purred in her ear when Melaana said the word to him. It didn't make him stop kissing her. "Why don't you go and take a look at our ship?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He chuckled.

"Only for a little while so I can get us safely landed. You make me nervous looking over my shoulder."

He gave a disappointed sigh. "Alright. But as soon as we've landed..." He left the sentence hanging as he left the cockpit.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for just a moment. Then she got back down to business. She didn't doubt her skills as a pilot but flying this ship without her instructor and with her husband distracting her was a different story. Her husband! She grinned as she checked the coordinates that Uncle Nadd had given them for the landing site on Dxun.

Bremon had not seemed thrilled at all when his uncle suggested that the spend their wedding night on the demon moon but Melaana had tactfully given in. She explained to her husband that she had never been to the moon before even though she had flown around it. And, she hoped, that if they gave in to Naidon Kira this once, that he would lay off them for a while.

"Hey," Bremon poked his head back in to the cockpit and broke her train of thought. "You do realize there's a bed in the cabin?" He caught her gaze in the reflection of the view screen and waggled his eyebrows at her.

"I know. I've never slept in it." She answered with a smile.

He grinned. "I wasn't exactly thinking of sleeping quite yet."

She blushed. "Come and strap yourself in I'm about to land."

Bremon obeyed. "Aye Captain."

Melaana giggled and set the path of their descent. She could feel it as soon as they entered the moon's atmosphere, the cold and air of menace he'd described to her from his previous visit. She glanced over but he seemed this time only to have eyes for her. She was glad. She didn't want the start of their marriage to be uncomfortable for him. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until the touched down and she let it out.

"A beautiful landing." Bremon said softly as he unfastened his restraint and rose from his seat, moving toward her.

Now that the moment had come her heart was hammering. "Thank you." She looked down trying to focus on removing her own belts, but her trembling hands made the job difficult.

Her husband's hands covered hers and then he had pulled her up to stand and he was kissing her and then clothes were being shed as they made their way down the length of the corridor to the cabin and he lay her down on the bed. "I love you, Melaana, and I always will."

"And I love you, Brem, forever and ever, no mater what."

It made no difference where they were. They were together and as long as they were together, there could be nothing wrong in the entire galaxy.