| abstract
| - A very lavish and large room with two key purposes. The primary purpose is that of meeting and hatching out of new plots and schemes affecting the galaxy. The other is that the room serves as a dark ritual room, dedicated to the Caspian God of Shadows, Olum. The wall to wall carpetting is a black, heavy knap with an silver embroidered symbol of three concentric circles joined together in the center and overlapping. The walls are covered in a very ornate and dark hardwood only found in the deep forest of Mergansar. Every three meters along the wall, half-way up the 5 meter high ceiling, are black iron brackets that lean electric torches out at a fourty-five degree angle. While the torches do not have actual flames, they do appear to be very realistic when lit due to hologram technology. When used as for rituals, the room is dimly lit by only the torch-light and shadows are cast everywhere. In the far end of the room is a black stone altar, three meters long and 1.2 meters high. The stone itself looks to be obsyddian and was brought from the planet Trettinar in the Caspian system. Along the starboard wall is a sliding panel, that at the push of a button, will move to the side and a large conference table, made of the same dark wood as the wall panels, will slide out. A similar sliding door, also concealed in the hardwood on the Port side of the room slides open to reveal storage space for elaborate chairs made of the dark wood. A holoterm unit is also concealed when not in use. Participants: Axel(#9768PUACF) Axel stands just under two meters in height (Roughly six feet tall). He is an overall odd looking humanoid. His facial features are what is the most discerning about him. His ears are pointed and he has a sharp pointed nose, though not unnatractive. Almost all the features of his face are angular in some way or other, but seem very symetrical to an extent. His burning blue eyes stand out harshly against his pale white skin as they seem to have a slight glow to them. In a dark room, they even put off a slight aura around the man's face. His hair has been dyed to a raven black sheen and is cut to shoulder length. His thin mustache and goatee are kept neatly trimmed and are also dyed black along with his eyebrows. Axel is currently dressed in the high priest robes of the cult of Olum. Heavy black robes, made from the dense wool of some unknown animal cover him from head to toe. In the middle of the chest is an ornately embroidered silver pattern consisting of three concentric circles lapping in the middle. His head is covered in an oversized hood, casting a dark shadow across his face. The only thing visible under the hood without close inspection is the eerily glowing blue eyes of his odd racial lineage. To further conceal in the shadow, he has covered his face with dark makeup. Around his waist is a silver cord, looped around twice and tied in the front. An ornate silver scabbard hangs to his side and holds a very ornate and very old obsidian dagger with a silver hilt with inlaid onyx depicting a moon covered almost entirely in shadow. Dareus A simple, well featured and respectful appearing face is a somewhat prominent feature. His well trimmed black ha ir is lightly styled,angling back just the slightest bit. The face is gently clean shaven, aside from a small goatee which seems to be slowly grown, almost as if this man is indecisive if he should actually keep it or not. Deep piercing eyes of an ocean blue stand out easily to recognize, and seem to be aware of everything in the surroundings. The body seems quite fit; even for a man who looks to be entering middle age; almost looking designed for military purpose. A dark black tuxedo is the basic design of this dress uniform. Above his left breast, are the rank insignia for Captain, below the rank rest his medals of honor, and on the opposite breast, all of his service ribbons from his years in the Navy. The jacket is perfectly trimmed and fitted, the cuffs of the sleeve, with one silver cuff, and a gold one above it; each side of his lapel, has a gold pin with an unknown looking symbol upon it. A blue sash is worn around the belt, standing out slightly with a regal color, concealing the clasp where his dress sword hangs on his left hip. Circling his right shoulder, are 3 knotted cords, that are gold in color with tassels; classically accentuating the Naval Dress Uniform; topped off finally with shoulder plates on each side, with 3 silver stripes along the outermost edge, and a rather unrecognized symbol where a normal Imperial insignia would be. Serenella She's ready for her big day. The girl is wearing a white bridal gown consisting of a tight corsage studded with tiny sparkling rhinestones, low-cut but on the decent side for once, and a wide flowing skirt that falls to the ground, almost hiding the high-heeled white sandals underneath. Her arms are covered with white silk gloves that go up over the elbows and she wears an expensive diamond-studded bracelet on her right wrist. She is wearing a matching diamond necklace and long cascading earrings. Her blonde hair has been swept up into a bun on top of her head, held in place by a diamond tiara. Two rows of tiny diamond butterflies line the sides of her hairdo. A thin semi-transparent veil covers the back of her head and falls halfway down her back. Her make-up, too, is elegant and decent for once, using only a modicum of silver-blueish eyeshadow, black eyeliner and pink lipgloss. She's carrying a small bunch of pink and white flowers. Inanna This woman is above average height, about 1.78m, and of average build. She has straight, dark brown hair that falls to the middle of her back and is currently tied in a simple pony tail. Steel gray eyes look out from below thick eyebrows that threaten to join together into one. She wears a series of small silver earrings around her right ear, two identical rings at the lobe and one at the top of her left ear, and a stud with a small blue gem in the left side of her nose. She wears a clean, new white blouse with a sharp, plunging neckline, a pair of tight-fitting, dark blue slacks that disappear into matching dark blue, velvet boots that have three inch spike heels and come up to her knees. She also wears a variety of rings and bracelets, and a simple silver necklace. Lila is also here: She is a small wisp of a woman, standing only about 1.52m, with a small frame and features to match. The only thing that's big about her is her hair... a thick mane of fiery red that tumbles around her in curls, reaching past her waist. She has bright blue eyes and a pale complexion, red sar spots standing out like artwork as they begin above her temples and run down the sides of her face and neck. Her demeanor is quiet and withdrawn, but she also has that mystical allure that Sarian women are sometimes known to have. Her dress is finely made but not fancy, cut in a simple style from light blue linen. Around her waist she wears a braided rope of darker blue, with white beads tied into it at intervals. She wears several bracelets, anklets, necklaces, clip-on earrings and ear cuffs. Scene: The room was relatively dark, the only light coming from the 'torches' lining the walls. Shadows were cast throughout the room, giving it quite the dark medievil flair. An dark stone altar was prepared ahead of schedule by the assistants to the high priest who would be performing the handfasting ritual to wed Antoine and Serenella. Upon the altar were several unlit candles surrounding a long slender lit candle in the center. To one side of the altar was a coil of silver cord and a bottle of dark wine. On the other side of the altar laid a small silver bell and a very ornate obsydian dagger with a silver hilt. There were five men roaming the shadows, all dressed in very plain black robes with the hood drawn over their head. Behind the alter was Axel, serving as the high priest for the ceremony. He was currently wearring a more elaborate robe with silver embroidery upon it's chest. Quietly he was chanting over the altar, saying a few dark prayers in the Sarian language, multiple times speaking of Olumekar and Olum. Inanna appears through another of the doorways, glancing around the darkened room at all the men in uniforms and robes... even if it's on a small scale, it gives one reason to pause. She slips up front, waiting to catch Dareus' attention and that of whoever else might have a say in how things run here. Like that guy behind the altar. "Hey," she greets softly, "Sel's ready outside. Should I bring her in yet?" Serenella has been between blubbering tearfully, panicking and over-the-top happiness all morning, but now it's all hidden under a perfect layer of make-up. Not too much for once, just perfectly right. She follows Inanna into the room, but hovers in the door uncertainly, a bit surprised at so much darkness. Is this a wedding or a funeral? And Sel is followed by another woman... a small eirisarian, who stays at the human's side for now. It's been some time, but Dareus recognizes his future sister in law and smiles at her, "Inanna...I'm glad you made it here." He quietly wondered if the system was now secure, but he can trust those on the bridge to do their jobs, looking over at Axel, and shrugging slightly; since Dareus wasn't the one really in charge of the organization. If he's nervous, he doesn't really show it, aside from a little bit of fidgeting with his uniform to make it perfect; but just in case, he steps off to the side a bit, and moves up to where he should be placed, a few offers patting him on the back while they move off to their places and additional 'Congratulations Captain' comments before his men go silent. Axel gives a nod to Inanna, giving her permission to escort the bride to be inside without saying a word. He still had some minor preparations to make before getting started, and needed to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. Turning around, he walks over to the wall and depresses a hidden switch. A small door opens up revealing several items, one of which is an extremely ornate silver chalice, which the man pulls out before closing the panel. He then turns and sets it on the altar. There were few inhabitants to the room. Mainly the higher ranking officers from the Predator and the robed men assisting in the ritual. Axel gives a motion to one of the robed men, who walks over and places a large black book in Axel's hands. "Shall we begin?" Axel asks as he turns to the bride and groom. Inanna gives Dareus a nod and a smile, saying "I wouldn't want to miss this." At the nod from the priest, she moves quickly back to the doorway to join her sister and the other woman. With the two attendants giving encouragement to the bride, they bring her forward into the room, all the way up to where Dareus stands. Here the pair steps back from Sel, looking around with slight confusion for a moment, but then picking a spot where they can stand a few steps away, ready to help if called on but mostly here to observe as the wedding gets under way. Once Serenella spots Dareus in his dashing dress uniform she has little eyes for anything else. In fact she is close to blubbering again, but she keeps herself in check, no use ruining her eye make up now. She gives him a wobbly smile and takes his hand, holding on to it tight as she turns to Axel with a nod, unable to speak right now. Many of the Predators' officers, hadn't seen him so nervous, and it was almost amusing to them; especially since they'd never expected to see him get married- ever; nonetheless, they all stand rather proudly behind him. Dareus is still looking forward towards the altar for a few minutes, his hands switching from being at his sides, to clasped in front of his belt, to resting on the hilt of his officers' sabre from time to time. Turning back while her sister runs to get Serenella, he half smiles, and half drops his jaw at the sigh of her coming down, holding her hand softly while she arrives, obviously staring at how beautiful she looks before he turns his attention back to what's at hand, and nodding to Axel, "I couldn't be more ready Captain." He gives her hand a gentle squeeze while his nervousness fades, and he just stands proudly beside her. Axel was, for the most part, ignoring the presence of everyone else. The bride's dress could have been more fitting for the ceremony, he thought, but given the fact that neither bride nor groom knew what to expect he was willing to overlook the bright clothing. Axel sets the book down on the altar, and picks up the small bell. Circling around the couple, he stops at key points and gives it a single ring. "Hail Olum, be welcome and come to our gathering so that this couple shall be bound for eternity under your blessing." After making a full circle around the couple, he sets the bell down and grabs the dagger and cord. "Turn to face each other," Axel says to the couple. He waits a moment for them to comply. "Please extend your right hands, palms facing each other but not touching." Once again, he awaits their response. As the two comply he gently slides the ornate dagger between their palms. "Clasp the blade gently, between your hands," His voice is soft and calm, yet there is an odd dark sense about the man. As the hands clasp around the blade he begins wrapping the cord around, loop after loop the silver cord is placed, securing the hands from moving apart. Once the hands are 'tied' Axel turns to face the alter, using the long slender candle to light the others surrounding it. "The ritual has begun." He then moves around, once more to take his position behind the altar and picks up the book, opening it to a previously marked page. Inanna and her sarian companion look on in silence. The former keeps her focus mostly on the bride and groom, and the things that they are doing. The latter seems to observe the priest, and the rituals themselves. Both wear smiles for now, though they also have differing levels of caution and curious interest in their expressions. Serenella complies with everything Axel tells her to do, it's not a ceremony she's familiar with from the sappy movies she's watched, but she trusts her husband-to-be to know what Axel is doing and why he chose this location and this priest. Her hand trembles slightly when she lifts it up, but once the cord is wrapped around their hands, she looks up at Dareus with a happy smile. The Captain has his larger hand pressed against Serenella's and the blade, while he looks at her veiled face, as his eyes stare into hers, a smile moves across Dareus' lips easily, some of the officers from his ship, clasping their hands behind their backs while they watch quietly. He almost says something to her, but actually stops himself, to not interrupt it. His left hand falls back to the hilt of his sabre, resting on it gently while he seems lost in his future wife's eyes. "Greetings Olum," Axel says as he looks up from the book. "Thank you for coming. I light this candle in your honor, that you may shed your light of understanding and compassion upon all of us, and in particular, our wedding couple, Antoine Dareus and Serenella Jordain. Let their days together be fruitful and filled with joy. Hail Olum!" Axel then looks back down to the book for a moment before closing it and picking up the bottle of wine, pouring a bit into the silver chalice. After he does that, he moves to another candle, previously lit, cupping his hands to the side of it. "Hail Olum, I light this candle in your honor, that you may grant strength and steadfastness to this couple, Antoine and Serenella, and bestow stability and a strong foundation that will uphold them for all of their days together." Lila continues to observe, perhaps seeming a bit tense as things continue, but she doesn't to let that get in the way of things. Inanna glances over and seems to pick up on this, because she slides closer, taking her hand. This does seem to calm the sarian a bit. All of this is done in small, gentle motions that might even go unnoticed by others in the room. All eyes are supposed to be on the bride, right? Inanna looks back over toward her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. Serenella keeps looking into her almost-husband's eyes while she listens to Axel, her eyes soon swimming in tears again despite herself and she bites her lip. No she's so not going to cry now, right?! Dareus just keeps looking at Serenella for a moment, glancing every so often towards Axel while he speaks before he gives her a reassuring smile before she can cry; although it's not like those are tears of sadness. He takes a deep breath for a moment, thinking about what he hears from Axel; giving a quick glance to Inanna and the Sarian before his eyes fall back on the woman who'll soon be his wife. Cupping his hands around another candle, Axel continues. "Hail Olum, I light this candle in your honor, that you may awaken conjugal desire in this couple, Antoine and Serenella, and grant them lust for one another, forsaking all others as per their will." "Hail Olum, I light this candle in your honor, that you may grant sweet dreams to this couple, and bestow a passion for fulfillment upon them for all of their days together." Axel says after cupping his hands around the last candle. He then puts the book aside and grabs the chalice, walking around to the front of the alter with it in hand. "If you have prepared vows, now would be the time to speak them to each other." Inanna and Lila continue to stand, holding hands and silently watching. They turn their focus to Serenella as she's invited to give her vows. Conjugal desire huh? Now that's one thing he needn't tell Serenella twice and she chuckles softly. "I would like to sing a song instead of speaking my vows.", she says softly, "I will do that when the ceremony is over. He knows anyway that I am his for life..." And so she sings a song instead of speaking wedding vows: The road now leads onward As far as can be Winding lanes And hedgerows in threes By purple mountains And round every bend All roads lead to you There is no journey's end. Deep in the winter Amidst falling snow High in the air Where the bells they all toll And now all around me I feel you still here Such is the journey No mystery to fear. The road now leads onward And I know not where I feel in my heart That you will be there Whenever a storm comes Whatever our fears The journey goes on As your love ever nears Here is my heart and I give it to you Take me with you across this land These are my dreams, so simple and few Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands It's not often a combat hardened Naval Officer, among other occupations, comes close to having any tears in his eyes, but her song comes close. Once she's finished, Dareus smiles, speaking somewhat softly, but it still echoes in the stillness of the room, "I've always been a man who believed that everyone makes their own way. No fate, no luck and no random chances; I've barely come away from many things with my life; but was always somehow empty inside. Then I met you on Caspar, and fell in love with you from that moment. From the moment I first held your hand in mine, I'd never wanted to look at anyone else...they didn't compare to you. I'll spend the rest of my life loving you, and dreaming of you when I'm in my sleep. I can't promise anything about what the future will bring; except for that I will always be by your side, from this breath until my last." As the two finish their 'vows' to each other, Axel steps forward and reaches out as if to start unwrapping the cord with his free hand while the other is holding the chalice. As his hand goes to the bottom of the couple's, he however grabs the hilt of the dagger, pulling it rapidly from it's fleshy sheath. It's sharp blade cuts both palms as the man gives it a slight twist. As deftly as he pulls the dagger free, the chalice goes into position to catch a few drops of blood, no more. As if on cue, the cord, now cut in several places, falls to the side. "Bound by blood for all eternity under the eyes of Olum." Axel then turns to face the altar, using the long tapered candle in the center to ignite the contents of the chalice. A bright fire flares up from the special wine used in the ceremony. "Fire shall seal your souls together. For now and Forever." He then turns, leaving the chalice on the altar, still flaming, and faces the bride and groom. He pulls back his hood to reveal his blackened face. "And, by the galactic authority granted me as captain of a warship, I pronounce you husband and wife." He smiles broadly, now that the ceremony is complete. "Now, kiss her, you fool." Lila tenses instinctively as the dark priest pulls the dagger out from between the couple's hands. She tightens her own grip on Inanna's hand. Inanna takes the action with less shock - surprised as much by the sudden squeeze from her companion. She even smiles as the ceremony draws to a close. Serenella couldn't help herself, of course she started blubbering when he said his voices and it took all her willpower to stand still and not pounce on him to hug him tight and kiss him. But when Axel pulls the dagger free, she didn't see that coming and squeaks when the blade cuts her palm. She takes half a step backwards, then understands what's happening and returns to her former position. She turns her hand around to look at the cut on her palm, her blood smushed with his and smiles. "I love you, you fool.", she whispers and wraps her arms around Tony's neck, pulling him close to kiss him. Although Serenella's surprised and probably a bit stung by the dagger, Dareus doesn't flinch in the least, for many reasons; but he keeps those his own. A quick smirk to Axel he nod, "Yes sir." It's a half mocking tone, considering their equal rank; but that's an order he seems to happily accept, wrapping his arms around her waist after lifting the veil, but keeping the bloodied palm away from the dress to avoid any stains on it's beauty; while he kisses his new wife softly. His own well dressed men go between partially nodding and small quiet claps among themselves. After, actually a few minutes, he pulls back slightly, smiling at her, "I've dreamt about today so many times, I'm glad it came true." Axel ushers for the other robed men, all lower ranking priests of the order, to begin cleansing the room as Axel ushers everyone out. "I believe you have a party awaiting you," Ax says to the bride and groom. "Go, have fun and enjoy your new life together. I will be along shortly." Axel wasn't pushing everyone out, but he was making it obvious that he had a few things to take care of, and with the ceremony done the room needed to be vacated of those not 'of the cloth'. Besides, he needed to change his wardrobe and wash the dark makeup off of his face before going to any party. Inanna and Lila separate a bit now, their hands releasing. Inanna continues to smile broadly, and a softer smile is on the Sarian's features as well. Inanna says "See, Sel? You did it. Congratulations." And then she and Lila start moving with the others to vacate the room. Serenella nods when she hears her sister's words and almost reluctantly lets go of her brand-new husband to give her sister and Lila hugs before they all leave the room together to find the party.
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