We Need a Deathworlder!

“Dad?” Simone asks as she looks back from the paused movie.

Robert looks up from the simmering pot of cheesy-creamy pasta with added chopped up sausage and mushrooms. The color was slightly off from the infusion with various seasonings that the man has on hand.

A few of the seasoning choices are a bit questionable, but the young girl was very used to her father’s method of cooking. Fast, loose, and often experimental. In fact he stopped calling whatever he made ‘strogonoff’ a good long while ago with how much it has mutated over the years.

“It’ll be done in five or so minutes kiddo.” he updates in a tired sigh.

“Cool, but that’s not what I wanted to ask…” Simone replies as she turns around getting up on her knees so that she can rest her arms and hand on the back of the couch, “You okay?” she adds, which isn’t the question she initially wants to ask, but seeing her dad’s tired expression causes a bit of concern.

“Yeah, kiddo. I’m okay.” he chuckles softly as he itches a hand an eye, “I’ve just been helping out in the mines after the usual gym work is all.”

“Why?” the girl asks.

“More credits, kiddo.” the large man laughs, “It ain’t cheap being a single parent.” he teases with a wink.

Instinctually smirking from her father’s teasing, Simone quickly furrows her brow.

“Are we doing… okay? With money and stuff?” she questions.

“Well… I can’t afford a bigger housing unit yet, but yeah we’re doing just fine.” Robert assures, “But more credits in my savings means more security for the future. Heck, we might even take a vacation one of these days. Wouldn't that be pretty cool?”

Simone nods.

“Yeah. Where would we go though?” she inquires.

Robert huffs another laugh as he shrugs.

“Donno. Maybe we’d go to York and tour some museums? Or… try our hand at camping? That sounds like something a father-daughter trip should be.” he proposes.

“Camping? Like… being out in a forest and stuff in tents?” the girl asks as she sketches up on her hands with great interest.

“Yeah! We can roast our food over a fire and go fishing if that’s possible.” Robert says before grabbing a ‘testing’ fork.

“Awesome! Have you been camping before?”

“Nah… not really. Well… kinda… Not out in the woods at least. I drifted around for quite a while without a room of my own so I suppose that counts.” Robert says before taking a big testing bite from the pot and nodding approvingly, “Hmmhm! We’re eat’n good kiddo.” he chuckles as he chews and vents air out of his mouth.

Simone smiles as she sets her head down on her crossing arms. As she watches her father finish dinner, her mind wanders as a kid’s does.

“Hey dad…?”

“Yeah?”

“Where does our family come from? Like, do we have distant relatives and stuff?” Simone questions.

Robert pauses for a moment as he wonders how to answer that.

“Uhhhm… well kiddo, I don’t think so. Or at least, I can’t know for certain. I grew up with no folks and family. Did a DNA test and it seems anyone close enough to be considered ‘blood family’ has already passed on. Maybe I have some third or fourth cousin out there somewhere, but there’s more to family than who you’re related to. I’m happy with the friends and family I made here.” he explains, seemingly deep in his own thoughts.

“...Even mom?” Simone says, seeming to catch her father by surprise as she had previously been adamant with not bringing her mother up in conversation.

Clearing his throat, Robert opens the oven and pulls out foil wrapped premade garlic bread.

“You’re mom… oh man… Let me put it to you this way; sometimes people come into your life pretending to be one thing, when they are really something else. They will get as close as they need to be in order to get what they really want from you. Then leave when they got it. She was one of those people.” he gently explains.

“But…” his daughter argues as she looks around, “What did she take? She just left everything, right?”

The man sighs and moves over to the fridge where he reaches one of his massive hands into to grab something.

“That’s the funny thing kiddo. I don’t rightly know what she took, but you're gonna have to trust me when I say that she left with something from me.” he admits in an alarmingly somber tone, but before his kid can address it he playfully underhand tosses a can of soda her way to which she catches without issue, “But I don’t regret meeting her one bit, because I got you from it.” he says in a much more uplifted tone before messing his massive paw of a hand on her mess of wild head fur, “Cuz you’re the best thing to have ever happened to me, kiddo. And I only get prouder the older you get.”

He then clasped his hand over the top of her head and playfully shook her while making his ‘brain leeching sucking sounds’..

“Daaaad!” Simone laugh-shouts in amused embarrassment as she tries in vain to pull the hand off her.

The hand continues for a few seconds before it ‘gags’ freezes, then drops to the side in convulsing twitches.

“Huh, guess it starved…” Robert comments before breaking out into a snicker.

“Daaaad!” Simone repeats trying to act mad, but can’t fully hold back her own laughter.

Robert smirks before patting the side of his daughter’s shoulder.

“Food’s done. Dish up so we can finally watch the movie.” he directs, “Careful with your soda, you just shook it up real good.”

“That’s your fault.” Simone counters with a stinking out of her tongue, before getting up from the couch and walking over to the kitchen sink to open the carbonated bomb over it.

As she turns her head away from the mini foam geyser, her eyes land on her own reflection on a side wall mirror. From this angle she catches her dad leaning on the couch in a slouching stance. She’s unsure if he is just that tired, or if the conversation was especially emotionally taxing for him.

Either way, she resolves then and there to not bring up her so-called mother ever again if she can help it. Her father is the only parent and family she’ll ever need and bringing her mom up only seems to drag his mood down.

Her eyes land back onto her own face, fully appreciating that her appearance heavily resembles her father. True, she isn’t the subjectively ‘prettiest’ girl in school because of that fact, but she genuinely finds pride in her appearance.

-

Now looking at the mirror of her completed look for the wedding, Simone takes a deep breath to prevent herself from crying again.

Even under all the makeup and feminine garb, she still sees Robert in her face. In fact more now than ever.

He wouldn’t be able to traditionally walk with her in the ceremony, but he’ll be there through her. She now carries him not only today, but everywhere she goes. Both his memory, and his genes. Though technically the bloodline will end with her, everything he was and everything he taught her will be something her own children will have. She’ll make damn sure of it.

“Hey pretty lady, it’s time.” Donna says with a wide grin as she peeks in, “You ready?”

“Did you get it?” Simone questions as she turns around.

“You bet I did. Retrieved and handed over by Dr. Vin himself.” Donna assures with a thumbs up.

“Perfect.” Simone sighs with a nod, “Then I’m so fucking ready.”

-

The guests come filing into the sectioned off space for the main ceremony. At first it appears fairly similar to the traditional local wedding setups with an arranged array of seats with a middle lane separating them. This gathering is on average smaller than the space is used to, but that works out perfectly for fitting in the non-traditional elements.

In the center front where the couples tend to meet for the proceedings, stands an elevated pool of water filled with floating red and green flowers. All of them originate from the Cali homeworld, attained via third party vendors.

The decorations themselves are a very plain yet boldly white drapery that not only covers above and drapes around the space, but also across the entire floor. Although eveytone is wearing their best, there’s immediate concern that the floor will be marked ans scuffed by people’s footwear. Yet after Donna’s assurances there seems to be nothing else to do but to carefully make their way to their designated seats.

On one side sits Meekie, Nodrin, Troy, Brandy, Thorn, Devin, Vin, Seven, Essjay, Jamie, Weala, Queall. On the other side is Donna, Jackie, Katie, Jeanne, Ted Jet, Eliie, Bree, Avery, Duke, Jen, Sonla and her approved plus-one Zecrozz.

Zecrozz is the biggest outlier, knowing no one here but technically the Terran named Brandy and his recent… well he’s not quite sure what he and Sonla are at the moment. They had just met, but shared quite the time together even before being invited to her private quarters. His sister has practically abandoned him here, but he fully understands it’s a favor to him.

Granted, he’s at a stranger’s wedding with the weirdest cluster of people including a freaky winged child that for some reason scares him more than it should… but there can be worse places to be.

At the very least there will be good food and a party. Also, there’s a chance he might be able to find his pack with this Vorook woman named Sonla. Honestly he was terrified of killing the enthusiastic lady and didn’t even know if their species were even compatible. But that wild night happened… and she’s still as alive and enthusiastic as ever.

Obviously they can’t reproduce offspring to increase the pack’s size and future legacy, but after he only alluded to that fact did Sonla go on a long ramble of understanding Z’ah’tuck culture and being more than open to finding other Z’ah’tuck individuals to kion the pack if he and her worked out together.

Zecrozz doesn’t know if Vorooks are just fast pace in their relationships, or if Sonla is a special case… but even in the midst of this current whiplash of ‘how did I get here?’ he finds himself not hating it. In fact, he thinks he likes it. All of his life due to his ‘major’ status his people have always expected him to take charge and forge his pack by his own prowess. Yet… his almost severe introversion has prevented that from ever manifesting into reality.

Despite their mutual physical statures, he can’t help but feel that Sonla has the spirit of the pack leaders of legend. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration from reality, but he’s perfectly happy to follow her lead and see where things go. Currently, they frankly can't be much better!

Suddenly, the murmurings of everyone in attendance dies down along with the dimming of the lights. Slowly but surely complete darkness sets in.

Just as folks not in the know start to internally question why this is occurring, suddenly a massive projected hologram appears above them.

Casting its soft light downwards is a replication of the Cali’s mother moon. A beautiful almost pure white orb riddled with micro craters.

In return, the white drapery not only bounces the light back up akin to a clear snow blanketed night, but previously hidden glowing paintings of intricate Cali patterns weaved all around everything, causing the space to feel as though it exists in some magical if not spiritual plane of existence.

The pool ahead adds to that feeling tenfold when the red and green flowers all begin to glow as brightly as the most excited Cali eyes. The intentionally disturbed surface of the water reflects its pattern upwards, causing the area to truly feel enchanted.

In awe, the guests are granted only a few moments to absorb it all in before the gradually rising music begins.

A professionally commissioned recorded soft angelic voice then begins to sing:

You caught my eye, from across the room

And I knew right then, you were my muse

Your eyes lit up, the darkest of nights

And I knew right then, you were worth the fight

I'm falling, with every beat of my heart

I'll follow you anywhere, never dream of being apart

You're the missing piece, I've been searching for

Together we'll make magic, forevermore-

The singer continues on with the song, but at the end of that verse do the guests finally see the brides appear.

Both walk slowly from either side by the guests, rather than the center lane.

Chak is adorned in a velvety dress that is so fine that the fabric trailing her dances in the air like a ghost. It’s pure white, but reflects the moon’s light in a spectacular fashion. Glimmering and ethereal, she in her entirety almost resembles the reflected water pattern above them.The Cali’s garb also proudly exposes her deep dyed chitin for all in attendance to view. Around her head is a silver circlet with glittering chains that rise up attached and around her horns before traveling back down the sides of her long ears to make connected loops that hang from several new spiked earrings.

Her long head fur is now dyed pitch black, but tapers into downward forked stripes that merge with her untouched white shoulders and back fur. In addition, there’s a single spiky red stripe along the top of her head that slightly expands to encompass her bangs.

At her side holding her arm in his is Chucknuq, dressed in his finest Captain’s uniform. He gently pats her hand as she turns her head to meet Simone’s amazed crying face as they pass by their guests on opposite sides of the room.

Simone is wearing a new black dress, but this one is held to her body's shape with red lace from the waist up. Almost showing more skin, muscles and scars than actual fabric. At her waist the fabric dances much like Chak’s dress but with much more loose mass and drapery. As the moon’s light hit it, an infinitely deep sparkling of stars reveal themselves in flowing waves as the Terran strides. Somehow she doesn’t trip as her legs and feet are completely hidden by this dazzling void.

In her lowered hands, snugly pressed against her gut is a framed picture of Robert Thatch and his beloved daughter.

When the two turn towards one another to move towards the pool between them, their gazes don’t break from one another. Yet they both notice that they are each wearing the stone necklaces Chak purchased for them on their very first outing together.

It takes all of SImone’s willpower to not blunder into a storm of waterworks then and there. She doesn't want to fall apart before they even make contact. Though she takes amused solace from Chak’s brilliantly glowing red eyes flickering in gray. The Princess was barely holding it together as well, struggling to maintain her pace and not run to her Terran.

Yet the two lovebirds manage to stride up to the pool ramps and stop to wait for what’s to come next.

Chucknuq releases Chak, and gives her a tight hug.

Everyone can clearly see he silently whispers something to her, causing her to shake from having the urge to cry.

The princess hugs him tighter and for a moment longer than intended, but she does release him so that he can worm his way around the pool to approach Simone.

He shares an embrace with her as well before she freely gives him the picture of her father.

He takes it with the utmost care and respect before moving behind the pool and ascends a third ramp that faces the audience. He then waits for the music’s singer to complete and return to an instrumental before speaking himself.

“On behalf of the brides, thank you all for coming and sharing this most wonderful of occasions. A unique ceremony adapted between two cultures, but not the least bit unofficial.” he says in an attentive, yet cheery tone, “Today you are to bear witness to the binding union of two miraculous people. A strange union to some, but one that cannot be more gloriously beautiful. Later we all look forward to the words you all wish to share in their honor, but let’s not waste time in the here and now.” he looks back and forth between the two awaiting women, “May the brides meet within the blessed waters of the mother moon, bathe together in the warmth of her protective sight.” he gently instructs.

Chak and Simone waste no time to ascend the ramps and step back down into the cozy warmth of the water. They sink into it until the waterline reaches just at Simone’s hips and Chak’s upper gut.

The floating flowers gently part around them as they navigate to the center. Reaching their hands out they take hold of each other and given the chance to fully appreciate how the other looks in this moment.

“Taking ‘punk-princess’ to another level, are we?” Simone whispers in light tease.

“Well… the opportunity came and the occasion fits.” Chak softly giggles back.

“You look gorgeous.” Simone then says as yet another makeup streaked tear rolls down her face.

Reaching up with a lower limb, Chak carefully wipes the tear away.

“And you look so beautiful.” she responds before waiting for Chucknuq to resume.

“Now would be the time that I’d ask for the mother moon’s devine approval, or if she would hide behind the clouds… but…” Chucknuq says before comically glancing up at the hologram, causing many to chuckle, “So we’ll assume that the fact that these two being together is a miracle within itself that any observing deity approves of this day. Hehehheh! With the blessings attained, I will now ask each bride to share a vow to their union and lives moving forward. Simone, would you please?”

Simone nods before taking a deep breath, hoping that her voice holds out for what she wants to say.

“Chak… I hate to admit it, but if it was just up to me… this probably wouldn't have happened. You have quickly won me over as a person, but when you started showing signs of deeper affection I didn’t just try to ignore them, but I wanted to reject them because of how scared I was. I’ve hurt a lot of people in my life, and the thought of accidentally hurting you was too much to bear at first because you made me feel like I found a home. I was in the process of putting myself together after being broken so fuck’n bad that I didn’t want to risk falling into that dark place again. But by the fucking stars you showed me that I don’t have to repair myself alone and that I’m allowed to be happy with someone. Deathworlder or not.” Looking down for a moment to fight her clenching throat, she gazes back up to Chak with rolling tears and an earnest loving smile, “Chak, I quit. You initially hired me to be your contracted security and I’ve still held that title on an official level up to this point. Sorry for not giving you a notice, but I’m resigning effective immediately. However, that’s not going to stop me from continuing to keep you safe, to keep our kids safe and to keep our family safe. I promise to spend the rest of my days with you, raising our family and living out our best lives together. Never in a million years did I expect to find myself in this position, but just like the first time we were in a warm tub together, I’ve been convinced that nothing would make me happier than being with you. You’ve been cradling my patched-up heart, and I trust you with it without a doubt in my mind.”

Chak’s eyes gray, but the brilliantly bordering glow contends with it strongly in her powerful emotions swirling together.

Chucknuq grants her a few moments to collect herself before speaking.

“And your vow, Chakalata’motaas?” he prompts.

Chak slowly stamps her hooves under the water before bouncing in place, wanting nothing more than to embrace her Terran.

“Simone, I accept your resignation. Please don’t contact employee resources about all this…” she laughs, causing an uproar of laughter among the guests, “Stepping into that bar was one of the most foolish things I’ve ever done, and I would've paid the price if you weren’t there to step in and save me for the first time. You didn't know me or my business being there, but you stepped in regardless. And ever since I’ve been witness to how truly deep your compassion and kindness runs. You help others whenever you can, even after everything you’ve been through. I would have expected so many others to grow so bitter and resentful of people… but not you. No, you exhibited a strength that is indomitable. Certainly one that matches your… lovely abs…” another chorus of chuckles ring out with the flushing of Simone’s face, “I will be forever grateful that you trusted me enough to let me in. To trust me with giving us a chance. The life we have now, despite all the terrible and dreadful things that have happened and have yet to happen… I find myself so very happy and cherish what we have more than anything. We both have a family again, and you have my promise that we will be okay. We will find a way to endure and thrive into many tomorrows ahead. I also promise to give all I have to ensure that happens. I may not be what the stars deem as a Deathworlder, but I’ll move the stars themselves if I have to. Although we are quite the odd pair with even odder lives I don’t care what others think of us. I fuck’n love you, Simone Thatch, and I've looked forward to this moment ever since I said yes to your marriage proposal.”

After allowing that to sit for another short span of time, the Captain proceeds.

“Then by my authority I inquire final binding questions to both of you. Simone Thatch, do you accept Chakalata’motaas as your legal wife under Central law and freely offer your name for her to claim as her own as well?” Chucknuq asks.

“I do.” Simone replies without a moment’s hesitation, causing Chak to bounce in anticipation.

“Chak, do you accept Simone Thatch as your legal wife under Central law and willingly take her name as your own?” Chucknuq asks.

“Happily, I do.” the Princess cries.

“Then, legally binding under Central law, I decree this union official from this day onward! You may now embrace as Simone and Chakalata’Thatch! Bwhahaha!”

Reaching all of her limbs up, Chak bounds up and into Simone. Immediately the redhead catches the Cali and twirls the both of them in the pool as they share a deep passionate kiss that nearly surpasses a PG rating in intensity.

Neither one of them initially hears the people in attendance clapping and celebrating as they drown into one another. For that incredibly special moment, there’s nothing else in the universe but them. The bliss feels like it lasts for an eternity, but still somehow cruelly short.

Pulling away to then plant her forehead against Simone’s Chak’s face quivers in happy tearless sobs.

“I’m ready to face everything and anything with you…” she whispers in staggering breaths.

“Let’s fuck shit up.” Simone replies, her makeup all but ruined now, “Starting with getting our rings and then the that fuck’n dance floor.”