No one moved. The entire assembly sat there thinking about what they had just heard and knew that there was real danger in this mission. After fifteen minutes, Wes stood and said, “You highness, we’re wasting fifteen minutes of precious time when we could be learning how to kick the groad out of those captors.” Wes turned around and faced the assembly and said, “Anyone else feel like me?”
The entire room stood and cheered. They turned to their fellow crewmates and began shaking their hands. The crew shared a vision. Tommy stood from his chair and said, “Just one more thing.” The crowd remained standing and grew very quiet, “Why don’t you say hello, Atlas?”
From the intercom a voice said, “I am moved in a way that I can never express to you. Regardless of the outcome of our adventure, I know that I have a family here that means as much to me as my captured brothers. Thank you, thank you for sharing my journey.”
The assembly broke into cheers again and continued for twenty minutes. Tommy stood again and said, “Well, we lost the fifteen minutes; report to you assigned class rooms and let’s get to work.” The room emptied in less than five minutes.
Tommy watched Wes and Linda Kay approach Captain Dodd when the meeting ended. He walked off the stage to welcome Linda Kay and heard Wes say to Captain Dodd, “Captain, we would like to request that you marry us at your earliest possible convenience.”
Captain Dodd looked at the two of them and said, “Wes, your family will insist on a wedding at Castle Gardner. I don’t know that I have the authority to do what you’re asking.”
Tommy looked at Wes and Linda Kay and could feel what they were experiencing. He was almost overwhelmed by what he sensed in them. He looked at his best friend and said, “Who is going to be your best man?”
Wes looked at Tommy and said. “I thought you were psychic.”
Captain Dodd was worried about the situation but when she heard Wes’ comment to Tommy she burst out laughing. It struck her funny and she couldn’t restrain herself. She doubled over and finally caught her breath and said, “I’ll marry you. I can look at you and see that not to do that is a greater wrong than worrying about politics. Who will be the maid of honor?”
While Captain Dodd was talking with the happy couple, Tommy thought, “Rose.”
“Yes, Tommy.”
“Wes and Linda Kay have just asked Captain Dodd to marry them.”
“Oh Crap,” Rose thought. “Leila, come in here right now”
Tommy closed his eyes and watched as Leila entered the room. “Leila, Wes has just asked Captain Dodd to marry him and Linda Kay. She has agreed to do so.”
Leila said, “Now without Eric and me, she won’t.”
“Tommy, you’ve got to stop them.”
“I can’t, I’m the best man.”
“Then I’ll stop them,” Rose said.
“Bunny, there has never been a time I’ve said no to you but this time I will not allow you to intervene. Before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life, I want you to look at their thoughts and share them with Leila.”
“Tommy, that’s not ethical.”
“I think it is. Please do as I’ve asked,”
Rose was silent for a minute and then Tommy heard Leila say, “Oh, crap. They had better be married before they leave the room. Tommy, we’ll be there in the morning. Can you hold them off that long?”
Tommy leaned over and tapped Captain Dodd on the hand to get her attention and both Tommy and Captain Dodd jerked at the shock that hit them. Captain Dodd was stunned and Tommy was knocked to the floor. Wes ran to Tommy and helped him up while Linda Kay helped prevent an obviously disoriented Captain Dodd from falling. Tommy said, “I was trying to tell Captain Dodd that we will hold the ceremony in the morning at nine hundred hours before the assembled crew.”
“What happened,” Wes asked?
Tommy looked at his best friend and said, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Cassandra Dodd stood there disoriented and dazed but discovered two things simultaneously; she could now feel every inch of the Alexander Kosiev and knew that she could control the ship just by thinking about it; It felt like the ship’s computer and her mind were identical. She also discovered that when Tommy Gardner touched her she felt him and saw him for who he was and she knew that he was more than she ever imagined. Cassandra said, “We’ll do it in the morning like Duke Gardner has requested. Now, the two of you cannot see each other before then. Remember, you don’t want bad luck.”
Tommy’s brow was furrowed, that was exactly what he was going to suggest to the two love birds. Tommy said, “I agree completely.” He wobbled to his feet and took Wes by the arm and led him out of the room while Captain Dodd took Linda Kay the other way out. Both Captain Dodd and Tommy noticed that even while they were being led out of the room, Wes and Linda Kay could not take their eyes off each other.
Later that evening Cassandra was in her quarters trying to recover from the shock she had received from Tommy touching her hand. Her com buzzed and she was surprised to see Rose Gardner on her screen. “Good evening, Captain Dodd. I’m sorry for disturbing you so late but I need to discuss tomorrow’s proceedings with you.”
Cassandra stuttered, “It’s my pleasure to be at your service, Your Majesty.”
“You will not be conducting the ceremony tomorrow, Captain,” Rose said. “I will be arriving with the Royal Family, Wes’ and Linda Kay’s parents, and Tgon-Gee who will be performing the ceremony.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, you’re not getting off that easy, Captain,” Rose said with a twinkle in her eye. “We are limited in the required people to fill positions. You will be the maid of honor.”
Cassandra panicked and said, “I’m sorry but I do not have anything appropriate to wear for such a ceremony.”
“We have taken that into consideration, Captain. I will transfer you to Leila after our conversation and you will give her your exact measurements and we will bring your apparel. I expect you to participate with a smile.”
Cassandra tried to remember the last time she had dressed up for anything and drew a blank. “Yes, you highness, I am thankful for the opportunity.”
Rose looked hard at Cassandra for a moment and then Leila McAnn was on the screen. “Hello, Captain Dodd. I need some information that should take less than an hour to provide. If you do not have a tape measure you might want to go get one. My first question is, how long is your hair when not in that tight bun?”