20. Varak
The collar pinches my scales. These human formal garments rival Vakutan battle armor for sheer discomfort. At least armor serves a purpose. This contraption just makes me look pretty.
"Sir, your heart rate indicates elevated stress levels." Teletran's voice chirps in my ear piece.
"Shut up."
"Fascinating. The mighty Varak, hero of the Battle of Horus IV, trembling at the thought of a simple Earth ceremony."
I yank at the bow tie. "The Grolgath were straightforward. You shoot them, they die. This..."
"You could always run."
"Not helping."
Sam pokes his head into the room. "Five minutes, Charles. You ready?"
My image inducer hums against my chest, projecting my human disguise. I nod.
"Good. Because if you hurt my little girl, they'll never find your body." Sam winks and closes the door.
"I believe that was meant as humor," Teletran says. "Though with humans, one can never be certain."
I smooth down the front of my tuxedo. The fabric catches on my scales underneath.
"Sir, perhaps focus on the positive. In mere minutes, you'll be legally bound to the female who captured your heart. The one who accepted you, scales and all."
My chest tightens at the thought of Aileen. Of our child growing inside her.
"Though I still question the logic of mating outside your species-"
"Teletran."
"Yes sir?"
"Mute yourself."
The door opens again. It's time.
The church doors open and I step into a sea of faces. On my right, dozens of Aileen's relatives pack the pews - aunts, uncles, cousins spilling out into the aisles. Their excited whispers echo off the vaulted ceiling.
On my left, my own people sit ramrod straight in their holographic disguises. Captain Pyke nods at me, his human form betrayed only by that militant posture. Even in wedding attire, they look ready for battle.
The image inducer burns against my chest as I walk forward. Its power cells strain to maintain my human appearance. One flicker, one glimpse of red scales, and this carefully maintained fiction shatters.
"Sir, inducer at eighty percent," Teletran whispers in my ear. "Recommend limiting exposure time."
I ignore him and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The aisle stretches endless before me.
Selene dabs at her eyes with a tissue. Sam gives me a proud father's smile, though his hand still hovers near where I suspect he's hidden a weapon. Smart man.
My warriors watch with barely concealed confusion. Marriage ceremonies aren't part of Vakutan culture. We choose mates through ritual combat. This peaceful joining of families is foreign to them.
But it matters to Aileen. And so I endure the scratchy tuxedo, the endless human customs, the strain of maintaining this facade. For her, I'd endure far worse.
The organ music swells. My heart is going like a racehorse. Any moment now, those doors will open again.
The music changes. My heart skips. The massive wooden doors swing wide and-
Sweet Ataxia.
"Sir, your vitals indicate-"
I rip the earpiece out. Nothing matters except this moment, this vision.
Aileen floats down the aisle on her father's arm, wrapped in white silk and lace. The dress hugs her curves before flowing out like ocean foam around her feet. A constellation of tiny crystals sparkles in her dark hair.
My image inducer flickers. I force myself to breathe. To focus. But how can I when she steals the air from my lungs?
Sam beams with pride as he guides her forward. Aileen's eyes find mine and her smile outshines every star I've seen in my travels across the galaxy.
Each step brings her closer. Each second stretches eternal. I memorize every detail - the way her dress catches the light, how her cheeks flush pink with joy, the happy tears glittering in her eyes.
I came to this backward little planet by accident. Crashed here through a temporal anomaly while chasing Grolgath raiders. But now I understand. The universe itself conspired to bring me to her.
She reaches the altar. Sam places her hand in mine. Through the holographic projection, I feel the warmth of her skin against my scales.
"Hi," she whispers.
"Hi yourself, little delicacy."
The priest drones on about love and commitment. My translator struggles with the archaic English, but Aileen's hand in mine anchors me to this moment.
Her thumb traces circles against my palm. Even through the hologram, her touch sets my scales tingling.
"The rings?" The priest looks expectantly at us.
Sam's nephew toddles forward with a velvet cushion. Two golden bands gleam against the fabric. Simple circles of metal - nothing like the ceremonial battle tokens Vakutans exchange. But these mean everything.
I take the smaller ring. Aileen's hand trembles as I slide it onto her finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed."
The metal catches the light as she places the second ring on my holographic hand. The band phases through my scales, settling against flesh made solid by technology.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
I cup Aileen's face in my hands. Her eyes sparkle with mischief.
"Your inducer's flickering," she whispers against my lips.
"Worth it."
I kiss her as the church erupts in cheers. Someone wolf-whistles - probably Sam. Aileen's arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer.
The image inducer sputters and dies. For a split second, red scales flash beneath my human disguise. But Aileen just kisses me harder, hiding the glitch from view.
When we break apart, the inducer stabilizes. Aileen grins up at me.
"Ready to face our future, Mr. Varakian?"
"Lead the way, Mrs. Varakian."
A shower of tiny seeds pelts my head as we dash toward the waiting limo. The humans cheer and throw more of the stuff. My translator picks up shouts of "Congratulations!" and "Best wishes!"
"I don't understand this ritual." I brush seeds from my shoulders. "Why pelt the newly bonded pair with plant embryos?"
Aileen's laughter rings like music. "It's birdseed. We used to throw rice, but that can make birds sick if they eat it."
"That explains nothing. Why throw any form of grain?"
"For fertility and prosperity." She grins up at me, radiant in her white dress. "Though I guess we've got the fertility part covered already."
My hand finds the slight curve of her stomach, hidden beneath layers of silk. Our child grows there, impossibly perfect.
"I still don't understand the rice thing either!"
"Oh Charles." She uses my human name for the crowd's benefit. "I hope you never change."
The limo door opens. I help Aileen inside, careful of her dress. The moment the door closes, I capture her lips with mine. My wife. My mate. The mother of my child.
The image inducer flickers again but I don't care. Let it fail. Let the whole world see what I am. Nothing matters except Aileen in my arms, her fingers tangling in my hair as she kisses me back with equal passion.
I run my palm over Aileen's belly, marveling at the life growing within. Our child - a new Vakutan, a bridge between our worlds.
"Korgin the Skull Basher," I say, testing the name on my tongue. It has a strong, powerful ring to it. Worthy of a future warrior.
Aileen furrows her brow. "Korgin the Skull Basher? That's... quite a mouthful."
"It was my grandmother's name," I explain. "On Vakuta, we honor our ancestors by passing down their names to the next generation."
"I see." Aileen places her hand over mine, her fingers tracing the holographic contours of my disguise. "Well, we don't have quite the same warrior tradition in my family. How about Benito instead? That was my grandfather's name."
I consider this. Benito. A strong, noble name with deep roots in Aileen's heritage. Not as fierce as Korgin, perhaps, but no less meaningful.
"Benito," I murmur, rolling the syllables off my tongue. "I like it."
Aileen's face lights up with a smile. "Really?"
"Of course." I pull her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. "If it's important to you, then it's important to me."
"We don't have a lot of great warriors in my family tree," she admits with a self-deprecating chuckle. "But I'm sure our little Benito will make up for it."
I grin, picturing our child - part Vakutan, part human - growing up to become a mighty warrior, a defender of both our worlds. "I have no doubt."
Aileen leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay with an Earth name. I know how proud you Vakutans are of your heritage."
"This child is a blend of both our peoples." I smooth a hand over her belly, marveling at the life growing within. "Benito will carry the legacies of both our families."
"Benito Varakian." Aileen tests the name, her smile widening. "I like the sound of that."
I press a kiss to the crown of her head, my heart swelling with joy. A son. A legacy. A new chapter in my life that I never could have imagined.
The limo pulls to a stop, and I reluctantly release Aileen. "Time to face the masses."
She grins up at me, eyes shining with mischief. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
With a chuckle, I offer her my arm. "Lead the way, Mrs. Varakian."
The reception hall thrums with music and chatter. Aileen's hand is warm in mine as I lead her onto the dance floor. She moves with effortless grace, her white dress swirling around her ankles.
I pull her close, her body fitting perfectly against mine despite our physical differences. For this fleeting moment, I allow myself to forget the disguise, the secrecy, the war with the Grolgath simmering under the surface. There is only my mate, my wife, my Aileen.
"You look radiant," I murmur against the softness of her hair. She smells of jasmine and citrus, an intoxicating blend.
Aileen laughs, the sound bubbling up like a spring. "And you look terribly handsome yourself, Mr. Varakian."
We sway together as the music swells. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Pyke watching me, his human face unreadable. The rest of my warriors cluster nearby, their movements stiff and uncomfortable in their formal attire. More than one glass has already been dropped and quickly refilled.
A grey-haired human aunt waddles over, arms open wide. "There's my gorgeous niece! Give us a kiss, darling."
Aileen obliges with a warm embrace. The woman turns her sights on me, patting my cheek with a papery hand.
"And you must be the lucky man who stole her heart! Charles, isn't it?"
"Indeed," I reply, forcing a smile. "A pleasure to meet you...?"
"Aunt Gina! Can you believe little Aileen is married?" She cackles, grabbing my face and planting an overly moist kiss on my cheek. "Don't you break her heart now, you hear?"
"I would never dream of it," I assure her, though the thought of betraying my mate fills me with revulsion.
Aunt Gina wanders off, replaced by a steady stream of well-wishers - cousins, friends, coworkers from the pizza place. I nod and smile and thank them for their kind words, though their names and faces blur together into a meaningless parade.
Through it all, Aileen remains at my side, squeezing my hand and laughing at their jokes and stories. She handles the onslaught with remarkable poise. If the constant interruptions bother her, she gives no indication.
At one point, Pyke comes over to offer his congratulations. He clasps my arm in the traditional Vakutan warrior's handshake, his grip just a hair too tight to be friendly.
"A joyous celebration," he says, his tone neutral. "Though I must admit, I do not fully understand the human rituals."
"Nor I," I admit with a wry grin. "But it pleases my mate, and so I endure."
Pyke's gaze drifts to where the other Vakutans are getting increasingly rowdy, downing glasses of champagne and bellowing raucous drinking songs. A young recruit has already passed out under the dessert table.
"Endurance is a Vakutan virtue," Pyke says dryly. "Though some of our brothers seem to be struggling more than others."
I throw back my head and laugh. Let the louts have their fun - this is a night for revelry, after all. "They'll learn."
At last, the night winds down. Aileen's relatives depart one by one, leaving us in blessed quiet. I pull her close, breathing in the scent of her hair.
"At last," I murmur, "the honeymoon."