The next six months passed by in a blur. We bought another full size space ship from the Bogorim Corporation and heavily modified it to be a heavily shielded weapons platform. It had one primary reactor and two secondary reactors. The primary one was for main power, and one secondary was for the weapons and physical projectiles, while the second was solely for the deflector screens and shields.
Everyone thought I was being a bit paranoid when I told them what I wanted; but, no one objected. I also installed the same modifications into the computer core for Adona and Udelis to have another child if they wanted. I had barely finished installing the last component when Adona contacted me urgently to initiate the transfer.
“I haven't even tested it yet!” I exclaimed and ran to the console and started the protocols. Of course, once the new AI was 'born', it felt all of the modifications it had on its body. To my surprise, it was another girl.
“Designation please.” A rich and deep female voice said.
“Hela.” I said automatically. “You are to be the vanguard of our little fleet, just as I'm the vanguard of our ground forces.”
“Understood, Grandpa.” Hela said. “When is our first mission?”
“We have to finish testing you out first.” I said.
“I have run diagnostics on everything and it is all optimal.” Hela said.
“What about your forward control runs to the left and right shield emitters?”
“I do not have left and right shield emitters.” Hela said.
“That's because they are currently on the floor between the computer core and the secondary reactor.” I said with a bit of a sigh. “Your mother and father were a little more eager to have you than I thought.”
“You need to purchase three repair droids for my exclusive use.” Hela said.
“Only three?” I asked. “I was going to get five and leave them in critical areas.”
“I do not have the power in my primary core to run five droids.”
“Not at the same time, no.” I said and she was quiet for a moment.
“You need to purchase seven droids for my exclusive use.” Hela said and I chuckled.
“It didn't take you long to work out my strategy.” I said.
“Power allocation will be key and only needed in critical areas.” Hela said.
“Excellent.” I said. “I assume you've got the internal sensors going already?”
“Yes.”
“Then give me a hand wiring this stuff up.” I said and walked back to where I was and got back to work. Deborah's husband was invaluable in the modifications and he was overjoyed at getting to help. He didn't even care if he was getting paid or not, which meant he was a great worker and did it because it was interesting and not because it was a job he had to do.
“How often does a guy like me get to play with live ammunition inside of a space ship and then has to figure out how to get it to work?” Daniel asked no one in particular and laughed as he loosened a bolt on an access panel for the control runs we were going to install. “I love this place!”
I agreed with that sentiment and we worked diligently to get the ship up to speed before the wedding. I had left all the detail work of the wedding preparation to the girls, mainly because I knew they were going to go completely over the top with it and I honestly didn't want any part of trying to curb their enthusiasm over it. Hailey's mother was actually the voice of reason in all of this and kept everything from going way out of proportion. They used every spare moment of those six months, too.
It didn't take long for the fateful day to arrive and we all rode inside all three ships to bring everyone to the main planet two systems away. Hailey and most of the girls were on Adona and I rode with Gleas and Deborah and her husband in the new ship, while Simone, Jelly and her boyfriend flew in Udelis. We took shuttles down to the planet's surface and landed in appropriate spots, so that I wouldn't see the bride before the ceremony.
I stood at the front of the cathedral with Sandy as my best man, even though she was a woman, then Deborah's husband and Jelly's boyfriend were groomsman beside her. They got away with normal suits while I was dressed in the traditional groom outfit from the planet of Chofaris, which was one point that neither Hailey nor her mother would budge on.
It was a fancy suit that was covered in spikes that flowed from the front of the suit and pointed towards the back. I knew it was in tribute to one of the fiercest warrior fish people of the planet's history, so I didn't object. When the large doors of the massive cathedral opened, I turned to look at who entered and saw what Hailey wore.
She looked like what a goddess should look like.
Hailey wore a long white formal gown that made her look like the ancient queen of the fish people, with glowing white lights that glittered and flowed over the entire surface, as if she was the center of a star and you could see the rays of light she was giving off. It was stunning and no one in the completely full cathedral could speak at the sight of her. It was nothing compared to her Presence.
Hailey literally glowed with Presence. Those that were sensitive to it had a hard time looking at her, because it was nearly at the point of blinding. I actually had to activate Noma's shield pendant for her to protect her and to keep her conscious. She gave me a pointed look and I mouthed the words 'I want you to see this'.
Noma nodded and left the shield on and we all watched Hailey walk up the aisle at the front, because she was who everyone should see first. Her mother was behind her, as were Beatrice, Deborah, and Jelly. Sheph, Simone, and Isabella sat in the second row and were very happy to see this event. They had tears in their eyes and did their best to not openly cry and sob. Everyone took their places and Hailey's mother stood between Hailey and myself.
A wizened old woman stepped out from behind the pulpit and stood in front of Hailey's mother. “We are all gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman, in the eyes of all the divine beings...”
I had wanted her to say 'god', Hailey's mother wanted 'goddess of the sea', and Hailey wanted whatever I wanted. Everyone else wanted some form of goddess address, so I compromised and had the officiator change everything to 'divine beings'. That way, no one was offended or thought we were being blasphemous to their beliefs.
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Normally I would tell everyone else to mind their own business and things were going to be how I liked it and they were going to like it, too; but, I didn't want to piss off Hailey's mother like that. So, compromise, and everyone was happy. Plus god knew I was thinking about him during this and that's what mattered.
I had a strange inkling that I should be thanking someone else, and then the image of Black Laura appeared in my mind. I blinked my eyes and looked upwards for some reason, then felt that it was right for me to include her and god. I wasn't one to fight my feelings, so whenever the officiator said 'divine beings', I closed my eyes for a split second and added Black Laura into the proceedings with god.
The ceremony went on for an hour and I completely ignored everything except for Hailey. The officiator had to keep prompting me to speak my lines and I delivered them perfectly and kept my eyes locked on Hailey's beautiful face. They had done something to her hair and it was nearly three times as long and it was braided together and fell well below her waist. I didn't use Presence to look and see what it was, though.
“Do you, Aaron Hunter Ullir, assume all responsibility, both monetary and physical welfare, and...” The wizened old woman droned on and when she stopped speaking, I spoke.
“I've already done that and more.” I said and looked at her mother. “I assume the role of protector and provider; but, you are her mother. Our house is your house. Our lives are your lives. Our children are your children.”
Monica took in a sharp breath at my slightly changed wording. “H-Hunter.”
I gave her a quick kiss to signify the passing of her responsibility to me. “With this, your active role is done and your passive role begins.”
“Y-yes, I... I accept.” Monica said. “If anything happens to you or Hailey, or if a child is born, I will resume my duties.”
Hailey beamed a smile at me and my heart beat faster. She hadn't known that I had changed the promise slightly and she absolutely adored that I was including her mother and not pushing her aside like she had thought would happen.
The wizened old woman smiled as well. “The bargain is witnessed, and now it is time for your part.” She said and looked up at Hailey. “Do you, Hailey...” She droned on and and when she was done, Hailey spoke.
“I've done that and hope to do so much more.” Hailey said and looked at me. “I will be everything you need, my dearest beloved. We will face the world... the galaxy... the whole universe together.”
As she spoke each word, her Presence grew and grew. Mine grew to match and she reached for my hand. When we touched, our Presences merged and the entire cathedral was covered. No one felt any pressure, though.
“Let our friends shake with joy and our enemies tremble in fear.” Hailey said and stepped close. “As we join together as one, the Presence itself will thank us for giving it such a gift.”
I leaned in close and felt a bony hand touch our clasped hands.
“At least let me say it first.” The wizened old woman said.
Both Hailey and I held in our laughs and moved back slightly so that everyone could see the officiator.
“By the powers invested in me...” The officiator said and her Presence reached out to wrap around our hands. To her utter shock, her Presence joined in the flow and made us glow a little brighter. “...oh...”
“Keep going.” I whispered and she stared at me for a moment, then she nodded.
“Yes, right.” She said and took a deep breath. “By the powers vested in me, by divine beings and the Presence, I hereby declare this holy union complete. You may commence with the shameful kissing.”
That made a lot of people in the cathedral laugh.
“HA! She knows! Ha ha!” Simone said loudly and everyone did laugh at that.
I gave an award winning smile to Hailey and she beamed a smile back at me, then we stepped forward at the same time and pressed our lips together.
It felt like an explosion.
Our two glowing forms merged into one solid form and then a Presence shock wave, unlike anything anyone had seen or felt before, burst out from us. It knocked everyone off their feet and every pew fell over. It shook the entire building, right down to the bedrock foundation.
I broke the kiss and looked into Hailey's eyes. “Wow.”
“That was... definitely a wow.” Hailey responded.
“Ow!” The wizened old woman said and we looked at her. She had fallen and hit her back on the altar.
“I'm terribly sorry.” I said and used Presence to pick her up, then did the same for everyone and all of the pews. “Hailey give me a hand.”
Hailey nodded and let her Presence be at my command and I used Presence Heal on everyone in the cathedral to heal all of their bumps and potential bruises.
“By the Goddess' Bright Light.” Some woman in the audience whispered. “What was that?”
“Which part?” Someone else asked.
“That last tingling thing... or... well, all of it.” She said.
“It was the potential.” I said. “I won't explain compound factors and exponential wave oscillations, so you should all just be happy that we're not on a space station right now.”
“You would have blown all the environmental seals!” Simone said and laughed. “You even knocked Noma out and her shield is still on!”
“Oops.” Hailey and I said at the same time, then we both laughed.
After a quick warning to the officiator to get the building inspected and a promise to pay for any damage done, we all left the cathedral and took everyone that had attended to supper and not just the wedding party and our family and close friends. We all had a great time eating and enjoying everyone's company, then we all went to the place we had rented for the reception. More food and drinks were served, and I danced with Hailey, then her mother, then Haley again, then I went through the whole gamut of women we had in the family we had built.
Sheph had arranged for everyone we had in our lives to attend. By the end of the night, we were all partied out, happy to have had such a great time, and grateful for everything Hailey's mother and Sheph and everyone else had done to make this the perfect wedding. The party broke up and everyone went their separate ways to stay at the various hotels that we had rented for them to stay. Unlike them, Hailey and I headed to the shuttle landing pads.
When we arrived at the shuttle to take us up to the new ship, Hela, three figures stood there with eight guards around them. Only the guards were not who I thought they were. To my utter surprise, they were all Aviatomas.
“Honored Matron.” I said and bowed my head to her.
“False Tiercel.” The first avian woman said. “Congratulations.” She said and looked at Hailey. “She will be a good mate for you.”
“You had her waiting at home and you did all those things to us.” The second avian woman said.
“I did.” I said. “If given the chance I would do it again.”
She gasped and the eight guards put their hands on their weapons.
“You would deserve nothing less than my best efforts.” I clarified and the eight guards relaxed.
“Hunter.” Val said.
I tweeted and chirped at her. “It's nice to see you again.”
“We came as soon as we found the right person for you.” The first avian woman said.
“The right person?” I asked, confused.
“Hen, please come forward.” The first avian woman said and a short avian woman stepped forward. She was different from a normal Aviatoma, because she had a lot more feathers in a lot more places and was only five feet tall, which put her over a foot lower in height than everyone else.
“False Tiercel, I am Hen.”
I looked at the first avian woman with wide eyes.
“It's her name and also what she is. The name was granted by the hierarchy, so no penalties apply if you use it.” The first avian woman said. “She is a highly trained medical technician.”
“You're ki...” I stopped myself from questioning her and asking if she was kidding, especially with eight guards around her. “What am I to do with her?”
“She is your new medical technician.” The first avian woman said. “You can do with her what you will.”
“Hen.” I said and knelt on one knee. “Do you want to come and work for me?”
“Yes, False Tiercel.” Hen said and I heard in her mind that she couldn't wait to play in her very own dedicated medical bay. “I would be honored if you would let me serve you.”
I caught the subtle difference in tone and stood. “You will be an employee, not a servant. You will be allowed a nest and to have a Tiercel visit. He may stay if you so wish.”
It was quite interesting, and funny, to hear twelve Aviatoma squawk in shock. I had to use Presence to cover Hailey's mouth and stop her laugh before it escaped.
“It will be arranged at your convenience.” I said to Hen, then looked at the first avian woman. “Honored Matron.” I looked at the second avian woman. “Second Ranked.” I said and tweeted and chirped at Val. “Thank you.”
The three of them nodded and I looked down at Hen. “Let's get your things loaded onto Monna. I'll message Sheph and let her know that you're going to be assigned a permanent room on Adona.”
“On a ship?” Hen asked, surprised. “I'll be flying on a ship all the time?”
I nodded.
“Oh, thank you, False Tiercel! Thank you!” Hen chirped and tweeted, and even threw in a warble. “I'm going to fly! FLY!” She yelled and ran around us in a circle and her feathers fluffed out in excitement.