12 days ago, under the wan light of the EVE gate, a couple were bound by the strongest and most permanent force known to mankind: love. Quirc and Layrah, members of EVE Defense Force and Ascendant Frontier alliance, were bonded in wedlock by Rash'kyu Wha, a master of ceremonies from Polaris. Solemnly intoning his benediction and blessing under the stars, Rash’kyu formally pronounced Quirc and Layrah husband and wife.
The following is a partial transcript of the ceremony.
Rash'kyu Wha > Ladies and Gentlemen, please be at rest. We gather here today to celebrate the union of Layrah and Quirc, two people who have reached between the stars to find each other amid the blackness of space. Although the empires rest uneasy,
Rash'kyu Wha > and war stretches throughout the fringes of space, Layrah and Quirc managed to find each other amid the chaos.
Rash'kyu Wha > Layrah, descended from the Brutors, has known her share of pain and suffering. Many of her people still lie under the yoke of slavery.
Rash'kyu Wha > Yet, despite this heritage, she has reached out and touched Quirc, a Civire, who has transcended petty profits to find a commodity that, truly, has no price.
Rash'kyu Wha > It was a little over a year ago that these two found each other, drifting in the void. Layrah came from an athletic family, focusing her mind and body, while Quirc honed his skills in electronics and computers.
Rash'kyu Wha > On their separate home worlds, both looked into the sky with wonder, wishing to ply the space lanes with the elite pod pilots.
Rash'kyu Wha > Soon enough, both got their wish, and were immersed in the nutrient fluid and synaptic connections that distinguish pod pilots from the rest of humanity.
Rash'kyu Wha > Gradually, they overcame their differences and fell in love.
Rash'kyu Wha > Today we honor that love beneath the shattered remnants of the EVE gate, our shared tragedy.
Rash'kyu Wha > It is fitting to have the ceremony here, because it is only here that all races and people of EVE have a common tie.
Rash'kyu Wha > Where we were bound in this sector of space, so shall we bind these two in wedlock.
Rash'kyu Wha > May your days be fruitful, and your life long. May you prosper well and be fortunate in every venture. May you help others and help each other, even unto death.
Rash'kyu Wha > Help, hold, and comfort each other in the blackness between stars.
Rash'kyu Wha > Then by the rights and privileges of all humanity, whether be thy lost or found, planet-born or space-worn, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
The wedding was attended by close friends and an honor guard of ASCN pilots, who cheered enthusiastically at the end of the ceremony. Quirc and Layrah flew off to spend some time together and are said to be happy and enjoying their time together. A spokesman from Polaris had this to say about the incident:
"Regardless of your past, present, or future, regardless of your views on life and liberty, and regardless of your occupation or chosen path, Polaris honors the bond between two people that is built from love and mutual respect. We wish the two pilots the best and hope they live long and fruitful lives."