"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Mark Mims frowned at the question. "It's a little late to be asking that now." He was wearing a copy of a Peacekeeper suit. The button up shirt was so white it practically glowed. The pants, jacket, and tie were a dark black. His shoes were black as well, and polished to a mirror sheen. He examined his tie in the mirror, then undid the knot and started over. "Aren't you acting as Lissa's guardian for this wedding? I thought it was your job to make sure I don't stand her up at the altar."

"It's my job as Captain to make sure you're alright," said Yvian. "If someone suggested you get married two years ago you would have shot them."

"True," Mims admitted. He finished tying his tie. He eyed it critically. It looked perfect. The human grimaced and started over. "I'm not gonna say I don't have doubts."

"Is that ok?" Yvian asked. At his look she raised her hands. "Don't get me wrong. I want you and Lissa to get married. I just don't want either of you to regret it."

The human nodded. "Doubts are normal. Humans have an expression for it. We call it getting cold feet."

"Are your feet cold?"

"Not in the way you think." Mims tied his tie for the fifth time. "I don't deserve her, Yvian."

"Don't deserve?" Yvian blinked.

"I don't deserve to be in love again," the human explained. "I don't deserve to be happy. I don't even deserve to be alive."

"Mims..." Yvian reached out to him. He brushed her off.

"I killed my family." The human's voice was soft. His face was very still. "It doesn't matter that it was an accident. I killed everyone I ever loved. My Callie. My boys. My parents and my friends. Everyone."

Yvian swallowed and nodded. She'd seen his soul. A jagged storm of pain and self directed rage. Mims hadn't meant to destroy his homeworld. He'd crashed an asteroid into a Klaath Queenship trying to save it. He'd killed the Queen and saved the sector, but chunks of the asteroid had slammed into Aldara and sterilized most of the planet. "I kind of hoped you were starting to heal."

"Yes and no." Mims minutely adjusted his dress shirt. Then his tie. "I'm... learning... to live again. I'm even happy sometimes. It's more than I thought possible. But the guilt? The loss?" He shook his head. "It's there to stay. I can't forget what happened any more than you can forget what your parents did to you."

"Oh." Yvian had worked hard to be the person she wanted to be. Very hard. She was proud of herself. That didn't mean she didn't have nightmares. She still woke up whimpering. Not often. But it happened. She'd done everything she could to process or bury what had been done to her, but it would never leave completely. "If you're not ready..."

"I am," the human assured her. "I said I don't deserve any of this and that's true." He donned his fedora. "The thing is, what you deserve doesn't matter. What you deserve and what you can get have nothing to do with each other. I've got a chance to be a alive again, Yvian. To be happy. Turning it down would be stupid, and it would make Lissa cry."

"That sounded almost hopeful," said Yvian. She smiled. "Who are you and what have you done with Mims?"

The human snorted. Mims adjusted his fedora, then took it off. He put it back on again. "My biggest worry is I won't be good enough. Lissa latched on to me because I was the first one to treat her good. Not because I'm anything special romantically." He frowned. "I know she always wanted children."

"You can adopt," Yvian pointed out.

"Maybe." Mims put down the hat and started combing his hair again. "I guess I just feel like she should be with somebody better. She deserves more."

Yvian shrugged. "Probably."

Mims gave her a look. Yvian smirked. "What? You want me to lie?" She crossed her arms. "You've got more issues than Spacedock Weekly, and you're a killer for hire. You're the kind of boy I'd warn my daughters about." Mims glowered harder. Yvian laughed. "I love you, but you know its true."

"You're not helping," the human chided.

"Deserves doesn't matter, Mims," Yvian reminded him. "Lissa chose you. Now she has to live with that choice." She patted him on the shoulder. "She really does want you, you know. Getting married is her dream."

Mims nodded. "I'm aware." He checked his hair, then put his hat back on.

"Do you have a dream, Mims?" Yvian wondered.

"A dream?" The human cocked his head.

"Yeah, a dream." Yvian reached up and adjusted his fedora. "Lissa dreams of getting married. Scarrend dreams of making the Vrrl the best predators ever. My dream was New Pixa, and Kilroy..." Yvian frowned. Maybe she shouldn't share Kilroy's dream.

"This unit's fondest wish," Kilroy said over the comms, "is to kill every human that is not Big Daddy Mims."

"Figures," muttered the human.

"This unit's time will come," the Peacekeeper assured him.

"Good luck with that," Yvian said dubiously.

"We've all got something we want," Yvian continued. "So how about you? What's your dream?"

"I don't have one." The human adjusted the cuffs of his suit.

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"Really?" Yvian pressed. "There's nothing you want?"

"I didn't say that," said the human. "I've already got what I want." He met her eyes. "This ship. This crew. You're everything to me. Lissa's my favorite for obvious reasons, but all of you are precious. I didn't need a dream, Yvian. I needed connection." He frowned. "And a mission, I guess."

"So your dream is us?" Yvian flushed. She never expected Mims to give her the warm fuzzies. "That's..." She tried not to laugh, but a chuckle escaped. "That's kind of adorable."

"Shut up." The human smiled. "Scathach was right. You girls are making me soft." The smile faded. "You don't know what it was like before. I spent thirty years completely alone. Humans are social animals, Yvian. Isolation is a form of torture. It was all I could do not to eat my own gun."

"Why didn't you?" Yvian immediately regretted asking. This was not the conversation they should having before a wedding.

"Suicide only works if you don't believe in the soul." Mims told her. "Killing myself would have left me just as miserable somewhere else."

"You might have been able to see your family again," Yvian pointed out.

"No." Mims shook his head. "I can't go where they ended up. I'm heading in a different direction." He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. "Come on. It's almost time."

"Affirmative," Kilroy commed in. "Assuming Captain Mother Yvian is done bringing down the mood."

"Sorry," said Yvian. As the two of them left Mims' quarters, she spoke again. "I'm proud of you, you know."

Mims gave a questioning grunt.

"You were pretty broken when we met." Yvian clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You've come a long way. I think you'll make Lissa very happy."

The Dream of the Lady had a lot of space, but nearly all of it was crammed full of food, engine parts, and spare guns. The only open spaces available were the dojo rooms and the dining hall. The dining hall was large, filled with tables and chairs made of crystal. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable, but the crew rarely used them. The kitchen was cozier. Yvian and the crew had decorated the dining hall as best they could with banners of blue and gold.

A metal Circle of Binding had been laid down on the floor in the front of the room. Scarrend had cannibalized wiring and power couplings, forging the ring out of copper and gold. The two metals wrapped around each other in intricate patterns. Silver and gold would have been more traditional, but there wasn't much silver on the Dream. Still, it was pretty, and Yvian was impressed the Vrrl had managed to make it in under three days.

Kilroy stood in the center of the Binding Circle. The Peacekeeper unit was dressed in his usual attire. A sharp suit and fedora. The unit's eyes were glowing a steady pink. Scarrend stood outside of the circle, all four hands clasped behind his back. The Vrrl Starfang Empire did not have formal attire as such, but he had exchanged his armor for a leather skirt and vest, along with a cape made of the scalps of previous prey. At Kilroy's insistence, he was also wearing a bow tie.

Exodus the Genocide stood halfway around the Circle from Scarrend. Yvian had been surprised the former Xill had insisted on attending. The Genocide's tuxedo was the same as always, but he'd attached a rose to his lapel. It was holographic just like the rest of him, but it was a nice touch. Exodus was faintly smiling, and the blackness of his eyes was surprisingly warm.

Mims, Yvian, and Lissa entered the room together. Music played. Mims moved to stand outside the Circle next to Scarrend. Yvian and Lissa took their places on the other side. Yvian's sister and the human smiled at each other as the Song of Binding ran its course. Mims was in his Peacekeeper suit. Lissa wore her Homestar Dress. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing Yvian had ever seen. A holographic image of New Pixa's Homestar shone from the fabric, as seen from space. Lissa's hair had been done up in elaborate curls, and she and Kilroy had spent nearly two hours on her makeup.

Yvian was wearing her own Homestar Dress. Hers carried the image of the Homestar shining over a crystal city. Her hair was too short to do anything fancy with, but she'd worn makeup as well.

"Greetings, meatbags," Kilroy intoned. "We are gathered here today to witness the Binding of two souls. A coming together for now and for all time. Mother Lissa Kiver and Big Daddy Mims have come to claim each other, to swear themselves to a belonging. If there is any meatbag who would speak against their vow, let them speak now." His eyes flashed red. "This unit will destroy them."

There was a moment of silence. The Peacekeeper unit's eyes went back to pink. "Mother Lissa Kiver, Big Daddy Mims, step into the Binding Circle."

Mims and Lissa did as instructed. Lissa smiled at Mims. Mims grinned back. It wasn't an expression Yvian had seen on him much. It barely looked like Mims at all. Kilroy reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. It looked like silver, and it was. It was also an advanced piece of nanotechnology. Apparently Mims had had it made before they'd embarked on the mission. The bracelet was slender, three bands of metal woven into each other. Small silver charms were attached to the bands. The sign of the Homestar. A sculpture of the Random Encounter, the ship where Lissa had met the human. A pair of hearts touching each other. Kilroy handed it to Mims.

Kilroy pulled out a second bracelet. This one was silver, but with steel woven through it. A lock of Lissa's hair was woven through it as well. It had three charms attached. A cake. A beer bottle. A gun.

Kilroy handed the bracelet to Lissa. He addressed her. "Mother Lissa Kiver, will you swear to bind yourself to Big Daddy Mark Mims? Will you love him, keep him, and support him come what may? Will you join your soul with his, swearing to be one half of a greater whole? Will you swear to be his in life, in death, and beyond?"

"I will," Lissa swore. She was still grinning, but tears slid down her cheeks. "I so swear."

Kilroy turned to the human. "Big Daddy Mims, do you swear to bind yourself to Mother Lissa Kiver? Will you lover, keep her, and support her come what may? Will you join your soul with hers, swearing to be one half of a greater whole? Will you swear to be hers in life, in death, and beyond?"

"I will." Mims didn't cry, but his voice was thick. "I so swear."

"Place the Bracelets of Binding on each other's wrists," commanded the Peacekeeper.

Mims slid the nanotech bracelet onto Lissa. Lissa opened the clasp on the steel bracelet, then clasped it shut on the human. Kilroy reached out, placing one hand on each bracelet. "By the power invested in this unit by the Pixen Technocracy, and by the grace of the Bright Lady, this unit declares you husband and wife." Kilroy withdrew his hands. "You may now kiss the meatbag."

Mims and Lissa wrapped themselves around each other. The kiss was enthusiastic, and took a long time. When they finally parted, Yvian let out a cheer and started clapping. She might have been crying a little. Exodus clapped his hands, voicing approval as well. After a moment of confusion, Scarrend clapped with all four hands and let out a roar.

Mims, Lissa, and Kilroy stepped out of the Circle of Binding. Yvian ran up to Lissa and lifted her off the ground with a big hug. She saw Scarrend pounding the human on the back as he offered congratulations. Lissa hugged the Vrrl next, while Yvian squeezed Mims.

Exodus spoke. "Congratulations to the both of you. I'd like to say I knew this would happen, but the truth is you continue to surprise me."

"We're glad you came, Exodus." Lissa gave him a smile.

"I'm pleased you invited me." The Genocide smiled back. "You may be meatbags, but I'm rather fond of you people. You may be the closest thing I have to friends."

"You sticking around for the feast?" Yvian asked. "I know you don't eat, but..." She shrugged. "It'd be nice to have you."

"I think I will," said the Genocide. His smile disappeared. He gave Yvian a stern look. "I do expect all of you to get back to work tomorrow. The Gate Forge isn't going to find itself."

"I know." Yvian spared a glance at Mims and Lissa. They had their arms around each other again. "But tonight is for Mims and Lissa."

"So it is," the Genocide agreed. "Life is fleeting. Yours might be more so. You should make the most of it while you can."