For Scarecrow and Sandy, their wedding day was right out of a fairy tale. Rear Admiral Reynolds officiated, even though in the regular navy, it’s forbidden for US naval flag officers to perform marriages. But Reynolds held credentials as a notary public, so he was qualified. Also, in Solar Warden, since space-borne members of the Program didn’t frequent Earth, such activity was sanctioned by Command.
Everyone was in their full-dress uniforms, both Navy and Marines, except Sandy and her bridesmaids. She wore the most magnificent white wedding gown Scarecrow had ever seen, which he promptly confessed to anyone within earshot. Stacey and one of Sandy’s female Marine lieutenants entwined baby’s breath into her golden tresses, their expert hands weaving them into an elaborate series of small braids, which were configured into a Celtic knot work-like array that swept down onto the back of her neck, then split to arc up across the sides of her head and terminate at her crown, where her veil was fastened.
Indeed, Stacey, Sheena, her flight crew and several of Cooper’s female Marines all pitched in to help her prepare for her big day, so they had to request the use of the captain’s at-sea cabin since Sandy’s stateroom was too small to accommodate all of the ladies who insisted on helping out.
On this day, the blushing bride left EDF Marine Corps Major Sandy Cooper hanging in her closet with her uniforms. On her wedding day, she may have been just plain old Sandy Cooper, but she was 100 percent woman.
As Sandy stepped into the open doorway of the Nautilus chapel, Scarecrow’s breath caught in his throat. He observed her with a proud countenance as she made her slow march down the aisle, and as he beheld her in all of her radiant, magnificent beauty, he fell helplessly, hopelessly in love with her again.
When she was half-way to the altar, Sandy stopped in mid-stride. She hesitated and looked up, casting her head to one side as if listening for something. Then she looked over at the groom and smiled as she resumed her slow march towards him. Scarecrow knew what she was doing and smiled in return. It didn’t matter to him if the klaxon sounded and millions of snakehead mother ships were descending upon them at that moment.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
Hutch, Zvi, and Vince were present as Scarecrow’s groomsmen, with Hutch as best man. Stacey, Lindsay Vickers and a captain in the Avarice Marine Corps Company Sandy had served with were her bridesmaids, themselves arrayed in exquisite dresses of champagne-colored silk that complimented Sandy’s wedding gown.
Admiral Maddox and General Patrick attended, General Patrick being charged with giving away the bride, since Sandy’s father was deceased. Patrick beamed with pride at having the honor of walking his best friend’s daughter down the aisle.
The pair of flag officers shared the toast to the bride, and Maddox charged Sandy with Scarecrow’s protection, noting that as far as he was concerned, Scarecrow was the most valuable member of the Solar Warden Program–at least until someone else could come along who was capable of singlehandedly destroying four Behemoth class mother ships. They confessed that she was up to the task, having dispatched an equal number of enemy reptilians in single, hand-to-hand combat. General Patrick then added that in his mind, Sandy was his most valuable asset, especially after her actions in leading the defense of the Mars Base.
Admiral Maddox cast Scarecrow an almost imperceptible sideways glance during his toast, the meaning of which only he and the groom were privy to.
Sandy’s two brothers, the ones who were members of Solar Warden also attended, where they met Scarecrow for the first time. They commended him for his efforts against the enemy, and did their best to make him feel like a part of their family. Sandy’s first platoon formed the arch of swords, with her first sergeant as the senior usher.
When Scarecrow and Sandy exchanged their vows, the first sergeant wept with joy.
The wedding ceremony was held in Nautilus’ chapel, the wedding dinner being held in the rear admiral’s mess, with an open reception in the crewman’s lounge afterwards. All three venues were decorated by an army of female officers and enlisted crew. It wasn’t every day there was a wedding aboard Nautilus, and they went about their task with enthusiasm and brio.
All personnel were invited to the reception, and crew came and went in a steady stream.
Frank, the mess specialist from the wardroom, was in his element, fawning over the wedding party as he catered to their every need. Scarecrow offered a special toast to him, thanking him for his help during the night he proposed to Sandy, and especially for his efforts in making their wedding day such a memorable one.
Captain Carter had Nautilus parked in geosynchronous orbit over the eastern United States, so the wedding couple could behold their hometowns from the massive viewport window in the crewman’s lounge. Earth never looked more beautiful than it did that night, especially after their victory at the Mars Base, and the covert destruction of the White Whale.
As promised, Zvi made numerous toasts to future offspring, and Sandy reminded her husband in a quiet tone that they had discussed the fact they were not planning on having any children. Scarecrow assured her he would let Zvi down gently.
When it was time for Sandy to toss her bouquet, it was Sheena who caught the delicate spray of white and pink roses. The TR-3B pilot cast her eyes around the room, searching for a target for her affections.
“Wherever did you manage to find such an incredible gown, Sweeting?” Scarecrow asked in a rare, private moment. “I know you didn’t get it from the SUPPO, and we don’t exactly have a Sears and Roebuck catalogue on this Boat.”
“Lindsay got it for me.” She smiled as she offered the terse confession.
“Lindsay? Really?”
“Yup. When she saw our requests to get married back at Command, she contacted me. She asked me if there was anything she could do to help me with the wedding. I was a bit wary at first, but we ended up having a very long girl-talk, and she went dress shopping for me in Baltimore.”
“You and Lindsay. Go figure …”
“Yeah. She’s actually really nice once you get to know her.”
“And so now you’re friends?”
“Besties!” Sandy replied with an enthusiastic smile. “So have you decided where the bridal suite is going to be?” Sandy winked at him as she abruptly changed the subject. “Where are we going to spend our wedding night, Lover? Your stateroom or mine?”
“Neither.”
“Really? Has the captain agreed to let us use his in-port cabin?”
“Nope.”
Sandy’s eyes narrowed as she turned and stared at Scarecrow with a wary expression. “You’ve got a plan, haven’t you? Am I going to like it?”
“Actually, it was Frank’s idea. If you don’t like it, blame him.”
“Well I trust his judgement better than yours. Tell me.”
“Nope. I promised Frank it would be a surprise.”
Sandy turned in her seat to face her newlywed husband. “Do you want me to wrestle you to the deck, put you in a headlock, and force you to tell me?”
Scarecrow smiled at her, remaining silent.
“Don’t think I can do it?” Her eyebrows shot up as she verbalized her challenge.
“In that gown?” He thought for a moment, then reconsidered. “Let’s see … you burned down four snakeheads with nothing more than a Ka-Bar. No, Sweeting, I know you can!”
“Alright then. Out with it.”
“You would do that? In front of my friends? In front of all these people? The Admiral? General Patrick?”
“Try me.”
“Alright, but Frank’s going to be disappointed I told you.”
“Stop stalling, Out with it.”
Scarecrow sighed and turned to face her. “The astrometric bubble.”
“What?”
“Frank went to the admiral with his idea, and Jonathan agreed. He gave Frank approval to do whatever he wanted. Frank thought it would be nice for us to spend our wedding night in the same place I proposed to you. He came to me with his idea, and I agreed also. I thought you would like it, so he put together a team and they went to work. It took them three days to clear out the equipment and set everything up. I saw it this morning, and I think you’ll be impressed. It’s a genuine, bona fide wedding bower.”
Sandy sat and stared at Scarecrow. “I think I’d rather be in the captain’s in-port cabin,” she said, her voice flat.
“You’ll feel right at home then.” Scarecrow smiled. “Most of the furniture from there is in the bubble now. Although I think Frank got the bed from an old-town antique store in Boston. Pretty sure the mattress is new, though.”
“And what if tonight we’re in the throes of passion with our six’s mooning the moon, and somebody, oh, I don’t know, maybe Hutch and Zvi, decide to take a little cruise in a TR-3B, and they just happen to drift on by?”
“Funny you should mention the moon. The captain is going to have the helm steer Nautilus so we orbit the moon after we retire–”
“I’m not joking! How much privacy are we going to have inside a transparent bubble, Steve?”
“Oh, don’t worry, Sweeting. The transparent aluminum on the bubble is one-sided. You can see out, but you can’t see in.” he nodded at her smartly.
“Are you sure?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Positive. It’s especially designed that way. This is a warship, after all, and from the exterior, the bubble is dark, just like the rest of the hull. That way, it’s not an obvious target.”
He dropped his somewhat goofy act, and cast a loving smile at her.
“You have nothing to fear, my darling wife.” He smiled at the title. “I did a fly-by just to be sure. You must know by now that I would never do anything to embarrass you, especially on our wedding night. You’ve waited so long for this Sweeting, and I want it to be perfect for you.”
“Well, since you put it that way … okay. But I better love it.”
Scarecrow found Lindsay after dinner in the crewman’s lounge, laughing and chatting with Stacey by the bar. As the commander approached the pair, Stacey turned and threw her arms around him.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you, Sir!” she said as she released him.
“Thank you, Stacey. You both look stunning in your bridesmaid’s dresses. Am I correct in assuming that you provided these as well, Lindsay?”
“Yes, Sir.” The lieutenant cast a genuine smile at the groom.
“My compliments on your fashion sense. Very nicely done. I must also compliment you on Sandy’s wedding gown. It is absolutely breathtaking.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
“Stacey, will you excuse us for a moment? I’d like to have a word alone with Lindsay.”
“Certainly, Sir.” Stacey melted into the crowd as the two turned to face each other.
“I’m glad you were able to be a part of our celebration, Lindsay. I know Sandy is as well. And I appreciate your contribution.”
“I’m glad too, Sir. Very much so. Thank you for allowing me to share it with you.”
They stared at each other for a moment, then Scarecrow changed the subject.
“How are you doing, Lindsay? The last time we spoke, you weren’t very well. You were so traumatized by your experience on that mother ship you couldn’t even talk about it.”
“Oh, I’m more than alright, Sir. In fact, I couldn’t be better.” She stared into his eyes as he searched for the source of her newfound peace. Whatever it was, it was familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Then he recognized it.
“You’re different.” A slight smile broke his concerned countenance. “You’ve changed.”
“Oh, you have no idea–”
“Actually, I think I do,” he said, then apologized. “I’m sorry Lindsay, I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Please, finish what you were about to say.”
“That’s alright, Sir.” She stared off with a faraway look in her eye. “I guess you could say, I’m a new creature …” she turned back to stare into his eyes once more. “… Old things have passed away. All things have become new.”
“I know those words,” he said with an expression of delighted surprise. “Lindsay, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”
“Me too, Sir. I’ve been set free. From all of it. Perhaps someday when you’re back at Command, we could have lunch you and I, and I could share with you the journey towards my emancipation.”
“I’d like that very much. The next time I visit Command, I’ll be sure to give you a head’s up before my arrival.”
“Wonderful, Commander.”
At that moment, Sandy appeared out of the crowd and grabbed Scarecrow’s arm. “Sorry, Lindsay, I need him. You two can finish your chat later.” And with that Sandy dragged Scarecrow to disappear with her into the press. Lindsay’s countenance broke into a bright smile as she released a sigh of contentment.
In another part of the lounge, Admiral Maddox approached Rear Admiral Reynolds and General Patrick, who were deep in discussion.
“This is good, Jonathan. Very good,” Maddox said as he surveyed the room.
“I agree, Sir.”
“I’m glad I convinced you to approve the major’s request to get married, Mike. This is what we need. What everyone in the Program needs. After so much struggle, so much death and destruction. A celebration of life. It’s exactly what we all need.”
The three officers gazed around the large room at the festivities. The smiles, the laughter, the joy, the revelry. As they did, all three nodded in agreement.
“You’re absolutely right, Tom,” General Patrick replied. “We need this. We need a lot more of this.”