Turner-Waltas Wedding (Embassy of Duronis II)
Months of political instability and escalating tensions between the Federation and other Beta Quadrant powers were put on hold this month. The Embassy on Duronis II hosted Starfleet officers from all over the galaxy for the wedding of prominent Starfleet officers Rear Admiral Toni Turner and Captain Tyr Waltas. The guest list included officers from Starbase 118 Ops, the USS Invicta, and from as far as the USS Darwin in the Delta Quadrant.
The celebrations began the evening before the ceremony as guests were greeted with an orchestra playing reworked classical versions of 20th century Terran rock and roll on the steps in front of the Embassy’s iconic water gardens. The celebration eventually made its way to a nearby beach where Captain Waltas, backup up by marine musicians, serenaded his bride to be from a temporary stage built on the beach for the event. The evening continued with a seaside dinner of traditional Laudean cuisine and for others a traditional Terran “bachelor party”.
The day of the ceremony began on the grounds of a well-groomed private park overlooking the ocean. The location was secured with the help of the Laudean prime minister’s wife, Brita Daysa. Guests were treated to top-shelf drinks before being ushered down a grand spiral staircase to the beach below. Seating was set along either side of a wide aisle that led to a flower drenched platform with calm blue-green ocean waters, clear skies and Til’ahn’s two suns providing a picturesque backdrop. Captain Raj Blueheart, long time friend and colleague of Captain Waltas, officiated the ceremony.
“Captain Waltas. Well, what more can I say except that he pinned all the pips on my collar, including the fourth,” said Blueheart to his friend. “To me, he is beyond a starship captain, beyond a Starfleet officer, beyond a shipmate and father figure. This man knows my heart better than I know it myself. We have literally been to hell and lived to tell the tale!”
The simple and elegant wedding ceremony was followed by a more lavish reception and dinner in the Embassy’s grand ballroom. Laudean media reports are mixed regarding the attendance of Prime Minister Daysa and his family. For some, it is a display of growing Laudean-Federation solidarity, while political opponents are using the event to stir up controversy. In the end, the weekend was a beautiful and joyous celebration of love and commitment that those in attendance will remember for years to come.