Voyages of the Solar Wind 1: A Fire in Heaven

by Michael Erickston

  "Touch her again and I will kill you." I kept my voice even as Ri recoiled from his touch. She growled at him.

  Praelor looked at me and snarled as the barrel of my 5mm pressed against his forehead.

  "You aren't that fast, kid." I snarled my own warning at him. "Leave now, and then make yourself scarce. If I see you again, I aim and shoot without warning. Clearcut?"

  He raised his hands and backed up towards the door. "Fine, but this is not over. Rilar is MY sek'natha!" He turned and left out the front door.

  "Sonuvabitch." Keldor said after the offending idiot had left.

  I reholstered my sidearm. "Yeah, what the fuck is wrong with that boy?"

  "He THINKS I'm his sek'natha!" Rilar exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "I made it VERY CLEARCUT to him the last time I saw him that I was NOT INTERESTED!"

  "When did that happen, sweetheart?" I asked her, hugging her to me. Her arms went around my waist as I had mine around her shoulders protectively.

  "Before Flight training, baby." She replied. "He was a sort-of boyfriend in High School, but he was not who I wanted as my sek'natha." She seemed calmer now with me holding her.

  "They dated for about a year, mostly because Ri wanted to spare his feelings. She knew that he wasn't the one for her, but he saw, and still sees it differently." Keldor said with his arms crossed over his chest.

  "Is that common?" I asked. "For some Gurinkans to latch onto someone who isn't compatible? Sorry, I'm just wondering out loud."

  "Not really, Dex. It can happen, but not often. Praelor is the most persistent, though." Rilar said into my shoulder. "He creeps me out, baby."

  "Don't worry, sweetheart. If he shows up again, he's not leaving alive." I told her. I wasn't kidding. If dipshit showed up again, I'd blaze him on sight and wake up with a smile about it in the morning.

  "That might be a bit extreme, sek'natha." Rilar chuckled, then turned serious. "He was a sweet boy growing up, but I just didn't feel for him what he wanted me to feel."

  "Kinda like me and Jen." I said. "Difference was that I had to learn my lesson the hard way about what she was really like."

  "Ugh, I know, right?" She said, rolling her eyes.

  Yeah, Rilar wasn't going to let me live that one down anytime soon. I really saw the wisdom in how the Gurinkans handled romance and sex. That still didn't explain Shilar, though. She hadn't come out and said it, but I could still feel her eyes boring into me whenever she thought I wasn't looking. Then I would catch her eyeing me, and she would quickly look away.

  "Son, I agree with Ri on this. That would be a bit extreme to kill the poor lovesick boy." Keldor said. "It isn't common, but it isn't that rare, either. Sometimes a Gurinkan's instincts go haywire when it comes to love."

  "I see your points." I said, indicating both of them. "By the way, our wedding is set for 1145 hrs tomorrow morning. We hope you'll be able to make it." I grinned.

  "Oh, the Confederate ceremony! Of course we'll make it, dear!" Bidar said, then came forward and hugged us both. "Welcome to the family officially, Dex." She smiled warmly. Bidar was so young looking, she could have been Rilar's older sister.

  "Thanks, mom." I said and hugged her back.

  "Mom, dad. Dex and I are going to the beach for a bit." Rilar said. "We're going for a walk."

  "Ok, sweety. Have fun you two." Keldor said as we walked towards the back door.

  "We will, dad!" Ri said as we left the house and walked with our arms around each other down the beach. The sun was setting to the west, and we found a good dune to sit on and watch the sunset together.

  "I forgot how beautiful the sunsets are here, Ri. We might have to take an extended vacation." I said as I held her close, with her snuggling up against my chest.

  "I missed them, Dex, and I'm really glad we're watching it together." She purred, and I kissed her as I turned her face up to mine.

  "I love you, Rilar." I said softly.

  "I love you too, Dex." She replied in a whisper.

  The sun sank into the ocean and I stood up slowly, pulling her with me. The night was clear, and both moons were full as they crossed the sky in opposite directions. We walked slowly along the beach, just enjoying the beautiful weather and each other's company.

  By the time we got back to the house, We were both sleepy, so we decided to go straight to bed. It felt good to fall asleep planetside for a change. Before this weekend, Rilar and I had been almost constantly in space, sleeping whenever we were in slipstream on a long haul. In the two years we'd been active as free traders, I couldn't remember the last time we'd fallen asleep planetside since our launch from Helliot II.

  We drifted off in each other's naked arms, cuddling together again.

  When we woke up in the morning, I was nervous as hell. I mean, it was going to be a casual ceremony, and I was sure of what Rilar and I wanted. We wanted to be legally husband and wife. I was just nervous about how we were getting married.

  Confederate Law prohibits firearms of any kind in a courthouse, and the Pax Justicar would be marrying us there. That was another thing we'd gotten used to. ALWAYS going armed when not onboard Solar Wind, except for our abbreviated honeymoon about a week back. But that had just been a few hours of playing around on the beach.

  We unzipped our travel bags and dressed in our old Dress Whites for the ceremony, and Rilar still looked amazingly gorgeous in hers.

  The male Dress Whites really haven't changed much in the last 700 years since the United States Navy on Earth. It was the uniform adopted by the Confederacy for its Star Navy. Now, the female Dress Whites had changed quite a bit from the conservative style of the past. The new Dress Whites for females were basically an evening gown with medals and ribbons on the upper left breast area. We pinned our medals onto each other just as in the old days. Except for my time spent as Jen's 'boyfriend', I took Rilar with me to every ceremony we went to, dining functions, etc.

  Rilar finally had enough hair on her head, so she chopped off her long ponytail and styled her new short 'do in a way that made her look even sexier than usual.

  I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, making sure that no hairs escaped the hair tie I used. I wanted my uniform and appearance completely squared away. Just because I wasn't active duty anymore was no excuse for looking bad on our wedding day.

  Our Lieutenant bars were in place on our epaulettes, and we walked out to where General Keldor was dressed already in his old Dress Blues. His four golden stars shone brightly on his epaulettes, and we both snapped to Attention as we saw his chest full of ribbons going all the way up to his shoulder.

  He still looked every inch the General who had liberated Helliot II, Harad's Reach, Alpha Centauri IV, and countless other Confederate planets that had fallen under Hegemony rule during the war. We had vented the same atmosphere in the same sectors as him back in the day. Our strafing runs during the liberation of Harad's Reach had paved the way for his Corps' advance on the Capital and the liberation of that world.

  Gurinkans didn't have weddings as we knew them. However, being a General and Ambassador, as Keldor and Bidar were, they were familiar with Confederate wedding traditions. Bidar was stunning in her gown, and Shilar was even wearing one.

  My comm beeped, and I answered it. "Dex here."

  "Dex! We're here, brother. On our way to the Courthouse now." Rick said over the comm.

  "Good copy, Rick. We'll be there shortly. You DID get dressed up, right?" I chuckled.

  "Yeah, me and Jeka broke out our old Dress Whites for this one." He laughed.

  "Lieutenant West, you had better have that uniform squared away, son!" Keldor said with a fanged grin.

  "Yes, sir, General Keldor, SIR!" Rick came back, and I could hear the position of Attention in his voice. Keldor scared Rick even more than he scared me.

  "Roger that, Rick." Keldor said into my comm.

  We could hear Jeka giggling in the background. "I made sure he was, sir." She said with a giggle. She wasn't scared of him for some reason. Probabl
y because he thought of her as a third daughter.

  "Hey, Rick. Wanna be my Best Man?" I asked.

  "Sure thing, brother." He replied.

  "Good. Can Jeka be Maid of Honor?" He asked, and we heard Jeka gasp in the background.

  "Yes!" Rilar shouted. "Please, Jeka!"

  "Of course, Ri! Hell, I might as well, but I am NOT drinking Dex's blood." We all laughed at that with the strange Selarian wedding traditions involving the wedding party all drinking each other's blood. It was a bit... unsettling to me. Oh fuck it. Who am I kidding? It scared the living bejeebus out of me!

  "Umm, yeah, Jeka. No. None of that. You've been to enough Confederate weddings to know better!" I told her, just so we were clear.

  "Good. Ok, we're on our way now. Jeka and Rick, out." She cut the comm.

  "Come on, kids." General Keldor said as we went outside and got into the hovercar that the General drove.

  Once we were at the courthouse, we went inside and found Jeka and Rick standing there looking completely squared away. Mom showed up a minute later as we were all talking and waiting to be called in by the Pax Justicar. She greeted Keldor and Bidar, then Jeka and Rick, all with handshakes. She greeted us with hugs and a proud Mom smile.

  "You look radiant, Rilar!" Mom exclaimed, complimenting my blushing bride.

  "I agree with mom on that, Ri." I added with a grin. Rilar always looked good in Dress Whites. She's the kind of girl that everything... and nothing looks good on, if you know what I mean.

  "You better, Dex!" Rilar winked at me and gave me a sexy smile.

  "I have no choice, Ri. I love you." I said with a smile of my own.

  "Awww, isn't that sweet." Jeka said with her fangy smirk. "Now, let's go get you two lovebirds hitched."

  "Sounds good to me." Rick said. "And while we're here..." He trailed off as he looked into his girlfriend's blood red eyes.

  "You know what, a Selarian ceremony just isn't that important all of a sudden. I think I could go for that, baby." She kissed Rick. "Howsabout we get married here, then we can go to the beach so I can work on my tan?" She winked. "I packed my bikini, you know."

  "I didn't realize you were taking vacation time for this, Jeka!" Rilar said with a gasp.

  "We both did, Ri." Rick said with a smile. "We haven't had a vacation in a while now."

  "Sounds good to me." I said with a shrug. "You guys have been together for what? A couple years now?"

  "Umm..." Rick said and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down.

  "What?" I asked.

  "We've been together for quite a bit longer than that, off and on." Jeka volunteered, also now kinda sorta blushing as much as a Selarian can.

  "Ok, you two. Spill. How long?" Rilar asked. I looked back to see the amused expressions on my in-laws' faces.

  "Since flight training." Rick muttered.

  "Captain Dex Relway and Rilar." The bailiff announced us, and I gave Rick a 'saved by the bailiff' look that told him this wasn't over.

  Rick just grinned and walked into the courtroom by our sides. He was next to me when the metal detector went off, and he sighed as the bailiff stopped him. He knocked on his leg with a metallic clank. "Cyberlegs, buddy." He said and smiled.

  "He lost them in an act of piracy if that means anything to ya." Rilar grinned, enjoying Rick's discomfort. While he wasn't officially Wanted, it was fun to watch him squirm. Even mom was enjoying it, and he knew that she had been a half-step away from hunting him down once. I'd talked her down, but it was still funny.

  "Ha ha. I've been cleared of all charges due to lack of evidence." Rick nodded sagely.

  We all laughed, and even the bailiff chuckled. He let Rick in and we proceeded forward to see the Pax Justicar.

  Pax Justicar Chrys Ryvars was the epitome of Judge Magister. He was a big man going bald up top, and had a prodigious beer gut. I handed him the credit chit with the fee on it, and he stamped our Confederate Marriage Certificate before starting the ceremony.

  Once we were all in position, he began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the name of Love and the Lords of Haven to join Dex Relway of Helliot II and Rilar of Gurhin in the bonds of Holy Wedlock. If anyone here can show just cause as to why these two should not be joined and sealed in Union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

  "I would speak!" The now familiar voice of Praelor le dipmerde came from the back of the courtroom along with the klaxon of the metal detector going off. The bailiff turned and raised his hands, knowing he was already outmatched. We all turned to look, and sure enough he was holding a Viper 5mm from NanoMark. He now had the weapon trained on me, and I raised my hands.

  "Dammit, Praelor! What is it going to take for you to GET OVER ME! I do NOT love you, nor will I EVER love you!" Rilar shouted at him as her claws snapped out of her fingertips and her eyes dilated with her fangs bared. General Keldor and even Ambasssador Bidar did the same, and he turned his weapon in their direction.

  Rick, being Rick, just sighed, flexed his forearm, and shot the holdout PuNCH pistol from the hip, melting the barrel on the Viper with one shot. The Pax Justicar had already hit the panic button with the silent alarm, and a squad of bailiffs converged on the offending dickwipe known as Praelor. Rick had already retracted his arm holder with the holdout in it, and was standing there looking as innocent as new-fallen snow.

  Praelor just stood there looking at the melted barrel dumbly, then at the face of Rick, who was smiling angelically. Jeka was snickering none too subtly, and was giving Rick the 'fuck me eyes' as she saw her lover and former gunner make a nearly impossible shot.

  Rick West is NEVER unarmed. He just doesn't use the weapon unless absolutely necessary. In this case, it had been absolutely necessary, since Praelor hadn't been in neck-breaking range.

  Once the bailiffs had led Praelor away in cuffs, we turned back to the Pax Justicar. "Please continue, sir." I said.

  The Justicar, Lords bless him, took it all in stride but gave Rick a meaningful look that promised hell later, then got back to the ceremony.

  "Well, if there are no further delays, and no more objections, then do you, Rilar, take Dex to be your wedded husband under Confederate Law? To have and to hold? To Love, Honor, and Cherish? In sickness and in health? In good times and bad? Forsaking all others? For as long as you both shall live?"

  "I do with all that I am, Your Honor." Rilar bowed.

  Justicar Ryvars nodded once and smiled, then turned to me. "Dex Relway, do you take Rilar to be your wedded wife under Confederate Law? To have and to hold? To LOve, Honor, and Cherish? In sickness and in health? In good times and bad? Forsaking all others? For as long as you both shall live?"

  "I do with all that I am, Your Honor." I bowed in response and because I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with Rilar.

  "Dex, place the ring upon her finger." He instructed, and I retrieved the ring from my pocket and placed it on her left ring finger. Rilar was smiling broadly with pure love in her eyes for me.

  "Rilar, place the ring upon his finger." The Justicar instructed. She retrieved her ring for me and placed it on my left ring finger. My expression mirrored hers as I realized that my life would never be complete without her in it.

  "Then by the power vested in me by the United Star Confederacy, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Captain Relway." Justicar Ryvars was smiling and I thought I saw a tear form in his eye.

  I turned to Rilar, who looked beautiful as always, and even more beautiful at that moment. Her now short hair was styled in a way that showed off her sexy sleek long neck. Her eyes had light makeup over them, which brought out the blue of her now thin irises around her dilated pupils. I could smell her cherry scent of arousal as I stepped towards her and placed the ring on her finger. She placed the ring on mine as well, and we kissed each other as if for the first time.

  It was tentative at first, just our lips, but soon our tongues found each other and caressed each and entwined together.
My arms wrapped around her waist as hers went around my neck, and we lost ourselves for a moment in each other's touch. Finally breaking the kiss, we turned back to the Justicar.

  He smiled widely. "Now, go have a honeymoon already!"

  With that, we walked out of the courtroom, and were congratulated all around. A bailiff came up to Rick and led him back into the courtroom, where once again the metal detector klaxon went off, and the bailiff removed his arm spring holder and holdout weapon. We went back in with him.

  Justicar Ryvars sighed as he looked at all of us. Mom and Ri's family were here to see what would happen. Ri, Jeka, and me were here to defend our buddy if he needed it.

  "Before you say anything, Your Honor, I would like to make a statement." Rick said.

  Justicar Ryvars sighed. "Very well. Go ahead."

  "Your Honor, I am indeed a former pirate, and I have reformed. Before that though, I was a gunner aboard the CSS Zhao Yun during the war. I have had a holdout PuNCH pistol in a spring loaded arm holster ever since the war, and I honestly forgot I had it on. I wish to apologize to the Court, and to you personally, and ask for leniency." Rick was laying it on thick. He didn't forget he had it on, but none of us were going to tell the Justicar that!

  The Justicar considered what he said for a moment. "Mr. West, you possibly saved a lot of lives here today, and for that reason alone I am going to have your weapon returned and ask that the next time you enter my Court, if there is a next time, that you leave ALL weapons outside."

  "Yes, Your Honor. I will do so if I have to come back.... but before that happens, I would also like to have a ceremony with my fiancee Jeka here." Rick grinned. "I have the fee already just in case you could work us in."

  The Justicar laughed. "Mr. West, you have some nerve, but it's not every day that I get to perform two weddings. Hand me your chit, and I'll perform it at once."

  And so it went with Rick and Jeka tying the knot. It was a nice ceremony, with me and Ri standing in as Best Man and Maid of Honor for them in a reversal from the previous wedding.

  Rick and Jeka rented a bungalow down the beach from my in-laws and spent their Honeymoon there. Rilar and I went back to Solar Wind for our wedding night, and I carried her up the ramp into the ship and down to our quarters.