Chapter 24: One Heart, One Soul

Gardner sat back in his chair looking quite pleased with himself. While he didn't understand, why Lorian's presence was so important, it was another job well done. Diverting the Endurance had been a logistical nightmare, one that included a cargo transfer bang smack in the middle of empty space, but – baring any technical mishaps - Captain Lorian would make it just in time to be present at the wedding. If Lorian's crew performance reviews, particularly those of his chief engineer Kov were anything to go by, mechanical mishaps were very unlikely though.

His glance fell on his new dress uniform. How the quartermaster had managed to procure one of the right size in such a short time remained a mystery, but equally mysterious was the fact how the crew of Enterprise, in collaboration with the Vulcans, had managed to turn a dilapidated space station into a small city in space in just a few weeks.

Leave it to this lot to work the miracles, he thought and couldn't contain a smile. After Maxwell's death, which had left him with some monumentally big boots to fill, he soon had understood just why Max had been so enamored with this ship and its crew.

Being the crew of the first deep space exploration vessel – and therefore humanity's first impression for a lot of races - was a monumental enough task to get right, but on top of that they had fought a bloody war against the Xindi, had brought on peace between Tellarites, Andorians and Vulcans, had brought reformation to Earth's long-standing Vulcan allies and generally were always right there when a miracle was needed.

No wonder they get away with just about everything, Gardner mused and snorted with amusement.

There was no other ship in the fleet, where dating and quite a few other, more substantial relationship activities, were the norm rather than the exception. The captain and the chief engineer were married, although in some convoluted Vulcan traditional way, the tactical and communications officers were getting married soon and by performing both the ceremonies for these two officers as well as the wedding of Commodore Archer and Captain Hernandez, Enterprise's Vulcan captain was soon to be the one with Starfleet's record of most performed deep space marriage ceremonies. Who would have thought that five years ago.

And now he was about to separate them. Up to now the transfer of Malcolm Reed and Hoshi Sato to Buran had been a mere Starfleet formality to him, not counting the little detail that both would break the records for achieving their new ranks in the shortest period of time. Having been invited to dine in the Tuckers' quarter last night had changed all that quite thoroughly. Seeing the four officers, which Shran had recently described as 'closer than an Andorian quad', made him realize just how close Enterprise's officers and the veteran crew were. 'Extended family' summed it up quite nicely.

Am I not breaking up the very soul of the ship? Wouldn't I destroy the very reason for their success? Gardner sighed over his conflicting thoughts.

But what could he do? There was nobody else even remotely as experienced as Malcolm Reed, needed even more so now that Buran would become the first Starfleet vessel with a substantial part of the crew being non-humans. And even if there were other candidates, the bean-counters at BuPers would never let him get away with keeping so much experience concentrated on one ship when it was desperately needed elsewhere. Well at least they were about to be assigned to the same fleet, so their ships would rarely be far from each other.

His thoughts were interrupted, when the door chime announced a visitor.

"Come."

The door opened and revealed Lt. Hoshi Sato. She was carrying several PADDs.

"The upgrades to communications are completed, you have now full access to all Starfleet communication channels," she said and Gardner took the PADDs with a smile.

"That was quick, Lieutenant, but then – why should I be surprised."

"Having the chief engineer do the more complex calibrations himself helps speeding up the process," she said.

"Sure does," he agreed and indicated that she should sit. "I have a question to ask, Lieutenant and I want you to know that you can speak freely."

"Yes, sir," she answered and by the way she dragged it out slightly, he knew that she wasn't sure about what was coming.

"Until yesterday the transfer of you and Commander Reed was a mere formality, but I admit after experiencing first-hand, how closely knit the crew of Enterprise is, especially the two of you, Captain T'Pol and Commander Tucker..."

"You're not sure whether it is a good idea to separate us," she finished the sentence for him.

"The Vulcans didn't exaggerate when they said you must have some latent telepathic abilities," Gardner said with a smile.

"No they didn't," Hoshi agreed. "But I didn't need telepathic abilities for that. We've known that Malcolm was to take over the Buran since Captain Archer left the ship and more than once we asked ourselves if our departure wouldn't destroy what makes this crew so successful."

Gardner nodded knowingly and waited for further explanation.

"We are realistic enough to know that we're needed elsewhere. I've trained all my subordinates to the best of my abilities and Malcolm's second Lt. Taylor can – I quote – 'put a round in a flea's ass at two hundred meters', so there's no reason for us to hog those positions any longer, when a second ship can benefit from our experience."

Gardner laughed. He would recognize that quote any time.

"I should have known that you lot had seen that movie."

"I had my first date with Malcolm that day," she said.

That's a blissfully happy grin if I ever saw one, Gardner thought about the young woman's smile. God help you keeping that through the war.

"So you think the crew will still perform as exemplary?" Gardner asked.

"No doubt," Hoshi insisted. "The reason why this crew is so good is neither Malcolm nor me. It's the spirit of Commodore Archers years as Captain and don't underestimated the inspirational power of Trip and T'Pol. Now if Starfleet were to separate these two..."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant," Gardner quickly interrupted. "The Vulcans never tire of letting us know that this is not an option. And don't worry, you'll still be able to see your friends. Buran will serve in the same fleet, so it will rarely be far from Enterprise."

"I like the sound of that, Admiral."

"Thought so," Gardner said. "Dismissed, Lieutenant. I'm sure you still have enough preparations to do for the big day. And thank you for your candid answers. It makes this a lot easier for me."

Terval checked his robes to make sure they were not disheveled in any way. Even though he was still unsure about his inclusion in the human ritual, Amanda had done her best to give him all pertinent information.

Apparently he was appointed to a four man detail consisting of Commander Tucker as the 'best man', while Lt. Taylor, Lorian and himself would serve as 'Ushers'. While those roles were largely of a ceremonial nature, his own inclusion in the ritual had caused some confusion for him, considering that he had no personal connection of any kind to Commander Malcolm Reed, but obviously his membership by association in krei Charles and T'Pol's clan was enough to elevate him to a sufficiently trustworthy status that warranted his inclusion in the ceremony. Once again he was reminded that his quest to understand humans was only just beginning.

To the best of his knowledge, the wedding ceremony for Commander Reed and Lieutenant Sato was about to last almost three days. Owing to the diverse nature of Enterprise's crew the elaborate festivities were to be a mixture of several regional traditions from different parts of Earth. Not all of them were really understandable, much less logical. Commander Tuckers department had spent days to replicate porcelain and created plates, cups and other dishes from it, only for a sizable portion of it being meant to be destroyed today, on the evening before the ceremony.

One of the cargo ships had brought a massive wooden log, which according to the human database was meant to be cut in half by the newly-weds with a primitive muscle operated device in a bid to determine, who would be 'wearing the pants' in the household. He found that truly confusing since both Commander Reed and Lieutenant Sato wore such a garment most of the time. Although his keen hearing had involuntarily overheard several conversations in the mess hall that Lieutenant Sato was believed to wear no clothing at all in her and Commander Reed's quarters.

Amanda's arrival cut his mental ruminations short. Obviously the time for the ritual destruction of the tableware had come.

"Who came up with that idea?" Jon asked laughingly and grabbed a plate from the stack. After being lobbed into the air it came crashing down on the floor, where it joined a growing pile of shattered dishes.

"Who do you think?" Hoshi said with a smile. "Trip and Malcolm's beer suppliers – the Germans. It is meant to scare evil spirits away, and bring luck to the marriage."

"Too bad we don't have any kids on the ship. They would have a field day," Erika added and chucked a cup into the air.

"Hey, don't need no kids to have fun," Trip said and threw a plate over his shoulder. With a loud noise it disintegrated on the wall.

"I don't envy whoever has to clean that up," Jon snickered.

"That'll be us," Malcolm said.

"You – as in you and Hoshi?" Jon asked.

"Yes," Malcolm said. "All part of the ritual. After scaring the spirits away we have to prove that we can work together."

"Sounds fun," Erika said with a smile and walked off arm-in-arm with Jon to mingle with the crowd.

"While not as destructive as the demolition of tableware, this ritual seems equally confusing," Terval said while helping Lorian to place the heavy wooden log into a sawing horse. "Is it also meant to scare away mythical spirits?"

"No," Lorian answered. "Both traditions originate from a region called Germany, a region with an abundance of quaint traditions. They often have symbolic value. The cleaning up of the broken dishes was the symbolic 'first mess' to cope with together, while the sawing of the log will be the first taxing task they have to complete after being officially wed. After the task has been completed, the crowd will judge the amount of sawdust having fallen on each side. The greater amount is meant to show which spouse will be the dominant in the marriage."

"So one could say that these symbolic situation make sure that the 'first mess' they encounter and the first taxing task are not a real crisis?"

"I think so," Lorian said, while placing the big two-man hacksaw against the log. "In a way it even makes sense, although other rituals have less symbolic importance."

"There are more?"

"Yes, there will be a sake ceremony at the reception to honor Lieutenant Sato's culture and Commander Reed will have to free his bride after a ritual abduction."

Terval looked at Lorian in disbelief. "A ritual abduction?"

"A tradition understood to come from a region called Russia. Between the main ceremony and the reception, the bride is 'abducted' by friends or family and the groom has to drink an alcoholic beverage from one of her shoes."

"That is unsanitary," Terval noted.

"True," Lorian agreed. "Which is why not an actual shoe is used, but a boot-shaped glass which presents its own challenge.

"A challenge?"

"The glass will be filled with beer and the toe of the boot will have to be positioned in a certain manner or the groom will shower himself with the beverage. Of course this fact is not made known to him beforehand."

"It appears to me that some of these rituals are designed for the amusement of the audience. Most guests appeared quite entertained by the destruction of the dishes yesterday."

"Amusement is a vital part of human marriage and they go to great lengths to elicit as many positive emotions as possible. Positive emotions are retained in human memory much longer than negative ones."

"Fascinating."

The large conference hall of Salem One was packed. The three Ushers had made sure that seating arrangements had been organized in an orderly manner. The attending Vulcans – mostly those who would go on to serve aboard Buran were seated on the right side of the aisle, while the humans, wearing dress uniform, took up the left space and what was unoccupied on the Vulcan side.

T'Pol re-read the text again that was displayed on her PADD, making sure it was free of any religious references. With Malcolm being atheist and Hoshi of Shinto faith, any of the traditional Christian references would not be appropriate.

With a final glance she checked the audience. All were seated and ready to greet bride and groom. The groom – visibly nervous – stood before her, waiting for the bride to be given away. Since the father of Hoshi was in Japan, this task had fallen to Commodore Archer.

With a nod to Lieutenant Mayweather, T'Pol asked him to start the music and soon Felix Mendelsohn Bartholdy's "Wedding March" filled the room.

As the door opened a collective gasp could be heard, when Hoshi was led in by her former Captain. Wearing a traditional ornamental Kimono and head gear the petite officer looked spectacular, a fact that wasn't lost on her husband-to-be.

With an amused mental nudge through the bond T'Pol asked Trip to remind Malcolm of the importance of breathing.

Both Commodore Archer and Hoshi wore grins that could challenge Phlox when they slowly walked down the aisle.

"Delivery for you, Commander," Archer said with amusement as he put Hoshi's hand into the one of Malcolm, who was still too stunned to find any words.

Both bride and groom took a few moments to lovingly glance into each others eyes before they turned to look at T'Pol, who started her carefully rehearsed speech.

"On This Day, the fourth day of March in the year 2156, we are here to witness and to celebrate the marriage of Commander Malcolm Stuart Reed and Lieutenant Hoshi Sato. More than just a ceremony, this is the most significant moment of human celebration and personal commitment. Let us join in their understanding that at this moment we hold in our hands the past and the future of man, the loveliness and responsibility of the human person.

"Marriage is not entered into lightly. We are concerned with more than just romance. It is something quite different from temporary relationships, which reach a peak quickly, then just as quickly subside. Marriage should be entered into reverently, or it is no marriage at all.

"Each marriage is unique and the relationships of the partners differ according to individual needs. But in any marriage, each of the individuals should find new strengths and capacities. Hoshi and Malcolm have resolved that they will come closer to the fulfillment of their goals by a marriage to each other."

Terval watched the proceedings from a place at the back of the audience. This had allowed him to take a seat next to Amanda without scandalizing any of the other Vulcans in attendance by the fact that Amanda's hand rested in his. So far krei T'Pol's speech had revolved around abstract concepts, but to his astonishment he realized that some of the sentences could just as well be spoken at a Vulcan wedding.

"Marriage presents a possibility not only for gratification, but also for enrichment. Marriage should be a means for the development of those personal social values that we prize so highly: integrity, cooperation, self-respect and human dignity.

"This ceremony will not unite you in marriage; only the two of you can do that. If the relationship between two people, which is symbolized in our culture by the state of marriage, does not already exist between you, this ceremony will not create that relationship. The bond uniting you is the entire meaning. This ceremony is simply the public announcement of the existence of that bond.

"A good marriage is very many things; a good marriage is also a relationship of love. Essentially, to be in love means to have a deep sense of identification with another person. It is to live in the life of that person, feeling his or her joys and sorrows as if they were your own. And, when two people are truly in love, each is concerned with helping the other become what he or she ought to be. The husband wants to nourish the best qualities in his wife, and the wife wants to develop what is good in her husband."