“I can’t establish internal communications at all, not even the auxiliary systems are working,” Vendar continued.  “I think I’ve got the auxiliary external array working, though.  In fact, DS9’s hailing us.”

K’Taul stood up and pulled at his uniform.  “All right, on screen.”

Kira’s face appeared, but it was mired by static.  “Captain, it looks like your ship has been severely damaged.  Do you require assistance?”

He showed his teeth with a smile.  “Oh, just about all we can get.”

First Officer’s Log, Stardate 55284.3

            Our little gamble worked.  DS9’s sensor records show that our impact caused a massive structural failure of some fairly heavy-duty power conduits on the advanced Warbird.  All ships had ceased fire, but the overload caused several other subsidiary overloads, eventually working its way all the way back to the power core.  The singularity lost cohesion and caused every single conduit and relay on the ship to detonate simultaneously.

The Dragon almost faired just as badly.  Our warp core is still floating out in space and it’ll be at least a few days before we can reinstall it.  We’re going to repair what ever we need to in order to set course for the closest Starbase.  Looks like that’ll take about a week, probably more.  The trip should take us a couple of weeks, and then, depending on what repairs we can make while en route, we may spend up to a month in Spacedock, possibly more…

Chris held the data chip in the palm of his hand as he stared down at it.  He’d just spent the last ten hours working on repairs and he should be getting sleep now…but there was something else he had to do.

It had taken him about fifteen minutes to finally track them down, but now he was standing in front of their door.

Finally, he used his free hand to press the chime.  One long and tense minute of silence ensued, but finally, the doors parted.

Standing there was exactly who he had expected.  He nodded his head.  “Hello, Nick.”

Nick Caft simply stood there for a moment and stared at him.  A moment later, Cynthia Caft emerged from another room and moved towards the door.

“You’ll have to forgive his silence,” she said, not surprised at all.  “Neither of us are exactly happy to see you…but we knew we would eventually find you.”  She stopped beside Nick and partially leaned against him.  “Although it is painful to see you again…we wanted to tell you, in person, that we don’t blame you at all for Sarah’s death.”

Chris let a small smile form on his face, making sure to keep what tears he had left from streaming down.  “Thank you…”

Nick stared at him a moment longer, then motioned to Chris’s hand.  “What’s that?”

Chris looked down to see that his hand was still open, the chip still on the palm of his hand.  He stared at it a moment longer, then looked up at the Cafts.  “It…it’s the only surviving record from the last Dragon’s library.”  He looked down for a moment, then back up.  “It’s a holographic recording of mine and Sarah’s wedding.  I, uh, thought you two would like to see it.”

For a moment, they stared at him blankly.  Then, simultaneously, they smiled.  “That would be nice,” Cynthia said.

The doors to the holosuite parted, showing the three exactly what Chris had remembered.

The three moved to the bottom of the steps that led up to the elevated area with the Hintaru ‘priest,’ purple-skin and all.  Every single seat was taken up, mostly by Starfleet officers along with a couple of Hintaru officials.

All turned around when they heard the sound of a door opening quickly, and out of a small room came Chris in his white dress uniform with bow tie, Kara and Tom hot on his heels.

The holographic Chris took the five steps up in two strides, then took a position, along side Tom, while nervously toying with the hem of his uniform.

Finally, the traditional music began, filling the large hall, reverberating enough to give it a huge feel to it.  The large doors at the end of the aisle slowly swung open.  There, with only a maid of honor along side her, was Sarah.  Her beautiful, simple white dress not touching the floor as with classical wedding gowns, but rather hovering just above it.  A large smile overcame her face…as it did Chris’s.

Memories started to flood his mind as he remembered every single day they had spent together in their lives.  Their questionable first day meeting, the day they finally talked things through, the endless days they spent studying at the academy, their time aboard the Enterprise where he had first, and finally proclaimed his love to her.  Their vacation to Karandis Seven, the first journey of the Dragon…  All of it came flooding through his mind as she made the long journey across the aisle and up the steps.

Chris wanted to reach out and touch her…but at the same time, he didn’t want to spoil his memory of this event.  It had been the happiest day of his life, his happiest memory.  Their first ceremony had been interrupted by the Vorkalai, but even then, the ceremony had started out almost the same exact way it had before.

Finally, the music ceased, and the Hintaru began.  “Do you,” he began in his deep voice, “Christopher Harriman, take this woman to be your wife?”  He seemed to have trouble remembering the human vows they had asked him to recite.  “To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

For as long as you both shall live.  Even after death…I still love her…and miss her…

“I do.”

Tom handed the holographic Chris the ring, which he slowly slid onto her left ring finger.  They stared into each others eyes as he did so, smiling the brightest smiles possible.

“And do you, Sarah Anne Caft, take this man as your husband?  To love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

For the first time since the recording began, she spoke, her voice creating a well in his chest.  “I do.”  He remembered that voice…

“Then I now pronounce you man and wife!”

They stood there for a moment and stared into each others eyes…and then finally, a moment later, they leaned towards each other and let their lips connect in probably the most memorable kiss of their lives…