"If I fall and it's all over the holo-net by tomorrow, I'll need a blaster nearby to kill myself with." Poe reasoned, pointing at his belt on a table a few feet away.

"No, you will not." The armorer chuckled, placing a pauldron on his left shoulder. It was silver like the Mand'alor's, though there was a border of black around it, just like the other pieces of Poe's armor.

It was the day of the wedding. Poe often felt the need to deflect his feelings the only way he knew how—with sarcasm.

"I thought I'd incorporate this color as well." Poe could hear the warm smile in her voice as she placed the other pauldron on his right shoulder. She backed away, leaving him to look at his reflection in the mirror. It had the mudhorn insignia just like the Mand'alor's, but the creature was a vibrant orange.

"It's... Thank you." Poe worked his jaw silently as he smiled at her.

"Of course," The armorer looked like she was beaming from underneath her armor as she clasped her hands together.

A gentle rap at the door made her drop her arms, going back to her ordinary and very intimidating stance.

"Enter!" She commanded as Poe turned to look at the door.

"Hey, just thought we'd get a look at the groom to be." Finn spoke up as he and Rey stepped in, both dressed to the nines.

Poe didn't have any energy to put into a witty comeback, settling on giving them the middle finger instead.

"How are you holding up?" Rey smiled, grabbing at Poe's hand when she and Finn had made it beside him. She was a good friend, Poe thought. Wasn't one for physical contact but understood how clingy the pilot got when stressed out.

"Alright, I guess." Poe mustered up a smile, though he was sure it resembled more of a grimace. Based on his friends' reactions, it was probably the latter.

"Remember your vows?" Finn spoke up, tilting his head from where he stood beside Rey.

"The holonet is useless for learning Mando'a but I think I'll be okay." Poe decided he might as well be honest, sighing after he spoke. He didn't expect to sign his life away and embarrass himself in front of thousands.

"You have the perfect teacher in front of you. Let's hear it." The armorer scoffed, looking through her things.

"Ni hiibir ibic gaan. Bal ti ibic gaan, Ni wed. Par an be ner oyay, par an be yours. Ibic cuyir te ara." He stumbled every couple of words, his tongue tripping over itself.

"For a dayn jag, you sound good." She mused, crossing her arms over her shoulders.

"Really?" Poe and Finn spoke at the same time, both equally as shocked as the other.

"You sound similar to Vizsla when he speaks Mando'a, who's been gone a few standard years, so I'm sure you'll be able to pick it up in no time." She added helpfully.

"Wow, I uh," Poe's eyes widened for a moment. "Didn't expect to be any good at this."

"Oh, do you know no other language but basic?" The armorer's tone was surprised.

"That and droidspeak." Poe scratched at the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed at the fact.

"Well, color me impressed, dear." She had a smile in her voice as she brushed off invisible dust from his shoulder, leaving her gloved hand there for a moment.

There was a knock at the door, to which Poe immediately stiffened. Rey gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

"Enter," The armorer spoke up, causing Finn to jolt slightly at her booming voice.

A shiver ran down his spine as the stranger made their entrance. It, of course, was none other than the Mand'alor. He was in essentially the same attire as he had worn before, though the outfit underneath his armor was considerably nicer looking.

"Are they ready for us?" The armorer looked, tilting her head in question.

The other mandalorian only nodded, not gracing them with a spoken reply.

Poe was hesitant when he took a step towards his betrothed. He looked back for a moment to see two reassuring faces behind him.
"Break a leg." Finn smiled.

The Mand'alor cleared his throat, eyeing the open doorway that led to the corridor.

Finn looked aloof, but Rey held thinly veiled annoyance at the interruption.

The pilot forced his gaze to look forward, in his lower peripheral he noticed an outstretched hand encased in leather. He took it, quickly recalling the customs of a mandalorian wedding. The Mand'alor's glove creaked quietly under the small tension of his hand. He
caught his reflection in a vase on the way. He looked fine apart from his ghostly face. Had he gotten so pale in just mere moments?

The room held only one hundred guests, all of which were politicians. Poe felt—
He felt distant.

Weddings were supposed to feel personal and warm, weren't they? Poe wouldn't know, he had never been to one. But based on this one experience, he guessed it wasn't supposed to feel like you were a thousand yards away from every other being.

The guests stayed in their seats as the Mand'alor guided them to the end of the room. The mandalorian's hand was tense, which it hadn't been before they had entered the room. Poe found that interesting, tucking away the information in the back of his mind as he turned to face his betrothed.

"We may begin." The blue armored mandalorian stood before them, who's name Poe did not know. He noticed that was a repeating factor when meeting them. Come to think of it, his future husband should have at least told him his name.

"Recite the union creed." She instructed the pilot with a quiet voice. Poe was glad he wasn't expected to raise his voice.

"Ni hiibir ibic gaan. Bal ti ibic gaan, Ni wed. Par an be ner oyay, par an be yours. Ibic cuyir te ara." Again, he stuttered over it, but it sounded more put together than it had before.

The Mand'alor leaned his head back slightly as if he was analyzing Poe, perhaps more specifically, his Mando'a. The pilot hoped that didn't mean the king hated him for butchering such a sacred language.

The leader then composed himself before reciting the same thing, keeping his visor locked on Poe.

"Ibic cuyir te ara." The female mandalorian murmered once he had finished. At that, the king let go of Poe's hand, keeping the other in his grip, before turning to completely face the other armored warrior.

She turned around, gently picking up two necklaces from a small table behind her.

He could easily spot imperfections on the beskar pendants, but Poe realized he preferred it that way. It looked rather homely, a feeling he hadn't felt since it was made known to him that he would marry someone he did not know.

She placed one pendant around the Mand'alor's neck as he bowed his head. Poe craned his neck slightly, his eyes darting over every detail of the necklace with interest. It was clearly the head of a mudhorn, the emblem for the king's clan.

It wasn't long before she moved towards Poe. The pilot watched in his peripheral as the Mand'alor turned his visor towards him. Even with the helmet's blank stare, Poe felt as if the man's eyes were scrutinizing his every move.

As the necklace neared closer to him, Poe noticed what was etched on the back of the pendant. Something in Mando'a, which lucky for him, he couldn't understand at all. The questions kept piling up in Poe's opinion, and what was even more frustrating was that he had no one to go to for answers.

He straightened his back when she stepped away, looking down at the symbol of his union to a stranger. It hadn't felt daunting anymore. It was a melancholic feeling, a simple sign of a defeated existence on an unknown planet with an unknown spouse.