Pre-Wedding Jitters Nostalgia Trip

[Kimiko Taiyou]

Ki paced in the entryway of the palace shrine. The sun was shining and the city was buzzing with excitement. Though, most were not physically going to be in attendance, it did not stop her people from celebrating around the city. For today their Empress was to be married, and it was a day to celebrate indeed. But it seemed the bride-to-be could not calm her own nerves as servants hurried to and fro, setting up the venue for the small amount of invitees, Ki paced nervously.

All morning, their guests were arriving and being set up in their rooms across the palace. The chefs had been busy since the day before ensuring only the best meals had been prepared. Priests and priestesses were about making sure the traditional needs were met. And Ki...Ki was a wreck of nerves and a fluttery stomach. She had nothing to fear though, her dress was pristine, Dax's attire was ready, and all preparations were as complete as they could be. She had been through battles worse than this, but it did not matter...

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Well, if you had told Dax a decade ago that he was destined to be lauded as a God-King and married to an Empress, he would've laughed in your face before saying, 'go home, you're drunk'. But the joke was on him, because here he walking up the steps of a grand palace, called a God-King by a people he ruled, and about to take an Empress' hand in marriage. But more importantly, the Empress was his best friend. A woman who'd seen him at both his worst and his best, and had stood by him through all of it, even if she couldn't physically be there. He considered himself a lucky man.

The woman in question paced back and forth before the shrine's entrance, clearly nervous about the impending events. As Dax approached, he gave the little snowy woman a comforting smile. "Worried?" he asked, before nearly tripping over the unusual garments he'd donned for the occasion.

[member="Kimiko Taiyō"]

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

The approaching footsteps shook the woman from her daze and halted her steps. Her immediate view was pleasing, Dax was wearing a traditional Akaran wedding kimono, black and silver silk. He was handsome and she approved of the look...and then he tripped and she let a delighted giggle slip. The pair had come a long way, and this was to only be a beginning of sorts for the next step in their journey, together.

His musing question caused her to break a smile,"Insanely so. There is so much happening and so much that can go wrong. I just want to ensure this day is perfect. It's stressing me out to a degree, I don't know if I can handle it."

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

The Rogue recovered from his near 'fatal' fall, and straightened out his wedding garb as he closed the remaining distance between himself and his wife-to-be. He took the woman's hands in his and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead, "Honey, look, we've fought in wars, against Sith, Darksiders, and people just flat out looking to put our heads on spikes. You found your planet, beat your sister and took back your throne. You brought peace back to your people! If you survived all that, I'm sure you'll survive your own wedding. Remember your coronation? You pulled that off charmingly!"

[member="Kimiko Taiyō"]

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

The kiss relieved some of her pent up stress, the words bringing back some of her more savory memories. He was right though, not that she'd admit it out loud, but it was true.

From her earliest times in the Coalition, she was fighting, against tyranny in all forms. But she had also been looking to make a name for herself in Galaxy. Others could only dream of accomplishing half of what she had been able to. The culmination being her own coronation.

She remembered how crazy the lead up to that had been. All the knowledge she was given on a ceremony that hadn't been properly held in centuries, the history of her own people. It was a whirlwind of emotions and yet, it was a success.

"I...guess you have a point. But, all of that was for others. The peace and stability brought upon the people because of it. This is for us..."

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

"Yeah. For us," Dax agreed, "So let others worry about doing something for us for once, okay?" The corner of Dax's lip tugged upward in a bit of a small, lopsided smile, "We've fought, bled, and sacrificed so much for them. I think they can pull this off for us. Besides, everything with the coronation was great, your people really know how to throw parties, I'm sure it'll go fine."

[member="Kimiko Taiyō"]

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

She nodded, mind drifting back to the day she was granted the crown...

~Flashback waviness~

The traditional tea set had been placed before the altar and the servants bowed and backed away. Kimiko looked over the scene, reciting the required lines in her head, over and over again. Nothing could go wrong today.

She had studied for the better part of a month everything she needed to know. Secret rehearsals were conducted within the palace walls and away from the public eye. Even after all that, the empress-to-be was still nervous as all heck. She worried her normally clumsy self would show its ugly face, and the entire proceeding would be ruined.

And today was game day...

She kneeled before the altar, and recited an ancient prayer to the Golden Fox Goddess for a long and prosperous rule. It would the last one of many she had recited today to the 'gods' of the planet to watch over her as she led her people.

Standing, she turned and exited the small shrine complex. The attendants for the ceremony immediately took her side and provided escort to the grand staircase, where the masses were gathered to watch this historic event.

Her eyes widened as she looked over the gathered masses...

[member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

Some time in the past

If there was one problem with the Judges (okay, there were a lot of problems with the Judges, but this was the 'Rim and you got about what you expected) was that they had no formal uniform. No insignia, no battle uniforms, no formal uniforms, nothing to distinguish them from the common folk they defended. Dax liked it that way. Made the job a little bit easier if you didn't stick out in a crowd. An added bonus was that he knew whoever took the job wasn't out for the praise of the people, per say. Hard to get people to notice you when you look like a scruffy nerf-herder. However, right now, that posed a bit of a problem for Dax. He hadn't had anything proper to wear for the ceremony. The man knew full well his men had uniforms, the Imperial Army had uniforms. And all the attendants and priestesses had uniforms. What did he have? A scary mask and a few lightsabers. Yeah, that wasn't the best choice for a coronation. Luckily, Dax had rushed out and found a shop on the planet that sold halfway decent formal wear, in the traditional style of course. The outfit was not too dis-similar from what was worn by the Imperial officers, but in different colors. A navy blue with orange accents adorned the kimono and hakama, and were it not for the lack of ears and a tail, Dax would've fit right in with Akarans.

To his left, Dax could hear Halzyn snicker. "Got something you'd like to share captain?" the Rogue asked flatly, already know what the older man was going to say, "No, nothing at all, sir. Just glad to see you're embracing the culture."

"I will have Athena bite you in the balls, just so you know. Besides, this isn't that different from what I wore when I was a Jedi. Different colors and material, but style is almost the same."

"Whatever you say, Marshal."

Suddenly, a beautiful woman with a head of snow stepped out. A smile curled Dax's lips as he watched her walk. It had been a long, long journey for her to get to where she was today. And Dax swore, he'd always be by her side. The Rogue's gaze followed his lover as she continued on her path, eventually making eye contact with her, where he gently nodded as he sent a small telepathic message. Although it lacked any words, as was always the case with telepathy, it's meaning was clear. 'You look wonderful.'

[member="Kimiko Taiyo"]