CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
COLONIAL EMBASSY – PLANET LONDINIUM – WHITE SUN SYSTEM – THREE WEEKS LATER
"In the name of all that you hold holy, do you Garris Cain, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the officiating priest formally asked.
Cain, resplendent in his dress uniform, replied, "I do".
In the name of all that you hold holy, do you Sophia Howell, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the officiating priest asked next.
Sophia – looking incredibly beautiful in her white wedding dress – replied, "I do".
At the response of a gesture from the priest, Geoff Tolen gave Cain the ring. Cain placed the ring on Sophia's left ring finger. Sophia did likewise to Garris.
"Under the authority invested in me by the Laws of the Union of Allied Planets, and with the guidance and benevolence of all that you hold holy, I pronounce you Husband and Wife. Admiral Cain, you may kiss your bride", the priest concluded.
Cain lifted the veil from Sophia's face and kissed his wife. The priest, Tolen, and the assembled witnesses applauded.
Beside them, Gene Syke and his new wife Tricia Cain Syke applauded. Their vows of wedlock had been done a few minutes earlier.
"The ceremony is now completed", the priest intoned, "Let us all honor and congratulate our married couples.
The guests stood and went up to congratulate the two couples. Glen and Tom Sanders were the first to congratulate Gene while Ginnie Annan and Grant Wise did likewise to Tricia. Admiral Hendrix congratulated both Cain and Sophia.
"So where do you two plan to spend your honeymoon?" Hendrix asked.
"At my wife's suggestion, it's Bellerophon", Cain replied.
Standing back – but still within earshot – Mal Reynolds and the other members of SERENITY's crew smiled wryly at the choice of honeymoon. It wasn't all that long ago that they were involved in heisting a rare collectable from an Alliance war criminal living there named Durran Haymer. Needless to say, they weren't going back there anytime soon.
"So Gene", Glen said, "Where do you intend to take your wife?"
"We were both invited to go to Bellerophon with my father-in-law", Gene said, which made Tricia smile, "but Admiral Hendrix put his vacation house on Ariel at our disposal, and being military types, we know not to say 'no' to the brass".
Glen chuckled at that comment. Actually, when Admiral Hendrix made the suggestion, he had shown them a picture of the estate: a large, well-appointed house by a pristine beach, and isolated. Tolen had put at their disposal a raptor so that they could quickly return to Miranda once their honeymoon vacation was completed.
Just then, Vansen entered the room used for the wedding service and said, "The reception area is ready".
As the wedded couples and the guests went in, the priest chatted with the colonial chaplain.
"That was quite an ingenious compromise, using 'all that is Holy'", the chaplain said.
"Given our different beliefs system, I had to come up with something that would satisfy both parties", the priest replied, "and since this was a low-key ceremony, I knew that there would not be any fallout over it".
WEDDING RECEPTION – ONE HOUR LATER
After the coffee and pastry were served – the last course in the wedding dinner – Tolen tapped his glass with his spoon, and then stood up.
"I wish to propose a toast", Tolen said, "To both couples. May their lives be forever blessed".
"Hear-Hear", the other guests replied.
After drinking to their health, Cain stood and said, "I want to thank you all for being here on this most happy day for myself and my daughter. I've gained not only a beautiful wife, but a wonderful Son-in-law as well. So much has happened to lead us to this day, and I just want us to share of moment's silence for those who did not make it this far, and to our absent friends".
The diners fell silent. Cain thought about Bill Adama, and how it was his descendants that he was now living with. Tricia and Gene thought about the pilots from Silver Spar who had died since the exodus from the Colonies. Tolen thought about the departed from the PEGASUS. It was a reminder of the supreme sacrifice others had made so that they could be here at their new home.
"Thank you", Cain said, "After this, we will start to go our separate ways. I just want to let you all know that you here will always be my friends and colleagues. You will always be welcome".
"Before we shoo them away, my Husband", Sophia said, "We still have to cut the cake and give our guests their ceremonial piece".
"Good point, my Wife", Cain replied, "Jet, can we bring the cake in, please?"
Vansen gestured to one of the caterers who brought in a large cake that bore at the top, figures of two married couples, and a depiction of a winged horse that represented the PEGASUS. Cain reached down, and picked up his ceremonial saber – the same saber that was given to him years ago when he graduated from the Colonial Military Academy. Cain and Sophia stood. With both of them holding the sword, they made a cut into the cake. Cain then handed the sword to Gene. Gene and Tricia repeated the ceremonial cut. The guests applauded.
After Cain and Gene fed their wives a small piece of cake, and the wives did likewise to their husbands, Sophia spoke again.
"Don't forget", Sophia said, "Each one take a piece as you leave in addition to the piece you eat here. It's good luck".
As the guests took their plates and headed to the cake, Cain pulled Tolen aside.
"So you'll be heading back to the PEGASUS now, Geoff?" Cain asked. Tolen nodded.
"Like you when you were commanding her, I can't stand being away from the old girl for too long", Tolen replied.
"How's the training cruise coming?" Cain asked, "are the trainees doing well?".
"Very well", Tolen replied, "when the new battlestars come into the Navy, they'll be ready to crew them. I take it that you and your wife will be heading out on your honeymoon now?"
"Yeah", Cain replied, "One week with Sophia on Bellerophon, then she has to go back to the next Parliamentary session while I go back to the Admiralty".
"Pity you'll be sitting at a desk for a while", Tolen commented.
"Unavoidable as I have to get up to speed on Alliance military matters", Cain replied, "But the AMERICA will be the first new battlestar competed and commissioned – on time – and right after the commissioning, I'm transferring my flag to it as the commander of the Home Fleet".
"It'll be great to have you back on a battlestar again, Admiral", Tolen said, "and we did take receipt of the new batch of Viper 2's from Blue Sun. Hunter's initial evaluation was correct about them. Now that they have turned out to be excellent copies, I wanted to get your okay to get them contracted to start building the Mark 7's".
"Well, you have the proxy to sign the contract, so go right ahead, Geoff", Cain confirmed, "but keep the Admiralty informed; after all, they're footing the bill".
Just then, Sophia walked up with a mock-disapproving look on her face.
"Are you and Geoff talking business, my Husband?" Sophia chided, "We are supposed to be only thinking about our honeymoon. At least your new son-in-law and daughter are keeping things in perspective".
Cain looked over at the couple. They were each eating another slice of cake and chatting quietly to each other. Cain looked back at Sophia.
"Sorry, my Wife", Cain said contritely, "With Geoff heading back to the PEGASUS, this would be the last time that I'll be seeing him for a while, so I wanted to say my farewells".
"You're a good friend, Commandant Tolen", Sophia said to him, "I want to wish you all the success in your command".
"Thank you, Mrs. Cain", Tolen replied formally. Sophia smiled at the term.
"We have to keep that secret until after the honeymoon", Sophia reminded him, "That way, we won't get pestered by the news media. Speaking of which, how I'm going to break the news of my marriage to the President is something I still haven't figured out yet".
"You'll have a week on Bellerophon to come up with an answer, my Wife", Cain reminded her, "so I think that we'd better think about heading out".
Sophia nodded. As both headed to the door, Gene and Tricia did likewise. Both couples ran the gauntlet of a rice shower from the guests as they headed up to the borrowed raptor on the rooftop landing pad.
Cain smiled when he saw the sign 'JUST MARRIED' attached to the raptor's hatch.
Turning back to Glen, Cain shook his hand and said, "The wedding and ceremony were great. Low-key but still dignified. Thanks".
"I'd like to echo that as well", Gene added. He shook Glen's hand.
"I don't want to appear rude", Gene said to the guests, "but I've got to power up this ship and get Mr. and Mrs. Cain to Bellerophon, then get my wife and I to Admiral Hendrix' guest house on Ariel, so on behalf of my wife, and my parents-in-law, Thank you one and all for being here today".
FREIGHTER SERENITY – BRITANNIA SPACEPORT – PLANET LONDINIUM
"How long before they find those bottles of French champagne we hid in the raptor, Sir?" Zoe asked.
"Not long", Mal replied, "but by the time that they do, we'll be on our way to grab some more".
"It's a good thing that we can", Jayne commented, "Those six bottles are worth a cool hundred thousand – that's one hell of a wedding present!
"I would have thought that your hundred grand cut from the auction would allow you to be generous once in a while", Mal replied.
"Yeah, I guess", Jayne replied, "but after this next run to Earth, I want to take some vacation time and enjoy spending some of it".
"Can't argue with that", Mal said, "After what we all had to get through to finally get real money, I'm looking forward to some down-time as well".
"And the best part is that with the special transponder codes identifying us as 'Official Alliance Military Service Employees' that Admiral Cain gave us", Simon Tam said, "there won't be any nosy Alliance folk giving us a hard time during our down-time. I still don't trust them not to somehow grab River".
"Cain said that if anything like that was tried, to let him know", Mal replied, "With his position in the Navy, plus his wife being the Speaker of Parliament, we have good friends in high places".
BELLEROPHON ESTATES - PLANET BELLEROPHON – WHITE STAR SYSTEM
As Syke's raptor lifted off the private spaceport, Cain turned to his wife.
"Talk about high-class!" Cain exclaimed, "Nothing in the Colonies compared with this!"
"One of the perks of being Speaker is that this particular estate is at my – and certain other members of Parliament's – disposal, Garris", Sophia replied, "We have a week before we have to go back to work, so the longer we spend it in comfort, the better!"
"Can't argue with that", Cain replied as he picked up their satchels.
Entering the complex, Cain followed Sophia as escorts offered to take their baggage. Cain politely refused their offer as his bag was carrying three of the six bottles of champagne that Mal Reynolds had stashed on board the raptor with the note 'TO CELEBRATE YOUR DAY OF MATRIMONY'.
As they walked into their suite, Cain made sure that the escorts had left. He put down the bags, locked the door, and then quickly picked Sophia up in his arms. Sophia squealed in delight.
"I have to carry you over the threshold, my wife", Cain said as he carried Sophia into the bedroom, "it's tradition after all…"
SYKE'S RAPTOR – DEPARTING BELLEROPHON
"Those anti-gravity estates are amazing on the outside", Tricia said, "When we return to pick them up, we'll have to ask if we can look inside first".
"I actually heard from Mal Reynolds that one of those estates is being lived in by a war criminal who used bio-weapons to kill off town populations, then snuck in to plunder artifacts and loot for his collection", Syke replied.
"And he's still free?" Tricia asked. Syke nodded.
"That person was too-well connected to be prosecuted, and it was during the war, so he claimed that the places he attacked were 'enemy-occupied'", Syke replied in disgust, "but Mal and his crew robbed him of one of his prize collection pieces a year ago. A small amount of payback, so to speak".
"Not nearly enough if he killed folk under cover of war just to enrich himself", Tricia spat out, "I wonder if my Mother-in-Law had any contact with him?"
"According to Admiral Hendrix, no", Syke replied, "She is actually trying to clean up the crooked politics of parliament, and she has met with some success. Mal Reynolds doesn't hate her, so that tells you something right there".
"I wonder if the Colonial Government ever would condone such a thing, Gene", Tricia wondered.
"Probably, Tricia", Syke answered, "Politics is politics and it's who you know that matters".
"Well, at least we're on our way to our own honeymoon now", Tricia replied, "So we can put such things out of our mind for the time being and concentrate on us, and planning our future".
"Like how many children we're going to have?" Syke asked with a sly smile.
"Depends on what you have to contribute, Gene", Tricia replied in kind…
BATTLESTAR PEGASUS – EN ROUTE TO SALISBURY
"Has the Viper Mark 7 we've earmarked for delivery to Blue Sun been prepared, XO?" Tolen asked.
"Yes, Commandant", Brinkman replied, "Lieutenant Truly checked it out thoroughly, and says that it's one of the best. Blue Sun won't have any problems engineering their own versions from it, judging from the Mark 2's we got from them".
"You know, X.O.", Tolen said, "When I had your job, Admiral Cain wouldn't let me fly a viper on the grounds of indispensability to the PEGASUS. Now that I'm the Old Man, I think that I'll take a joy-ride in one of those Mark 2's sometime".
"Surely as Commanding Officer, you're even more indispensible?" Brinkman asked.
"I personally believe that no one is indispensible", Tolen replied, "which means that even you may have to fly one if the situation calls for it".
"Are you rescinding the 'no fly' order in my case, Commandant?" Brinkman asked hopefully.
"Yes, I think I will", Tolen replied, "but if you ever try and talk me out of flying, your permission will be rescinded. Okay?"
"Understood", Brinkman replied. He was starting to like Commandant Tolen a lot. He still had to be tough and mean to the other crewmen though. The never-ending grind of the life of an Executive Officer…