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Angondra Holiday
A Sci-Fi Holiday Alien Romance
Ruth Anne Scott
Contents
Angondra Holiday
*This 30,000 word novella is NOT intended as a stand-alone. This is the latest Angondra book. Start with Tales from Angondra Box Set. Since this is the season for giving, I have you covered with cool bonuses ;)
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Angondra Holiday
Chapter 1
“No Christmas presents!” Aria popped her head up over her kitchen counter. She set a stack of blankets from the store chamber on the counter.
Carmen turned around on the long seat across the room in Aria’s apartment in Harbeiz. “What do you mean? How can we have Christmas without presents?”
Anna leaned back against the cushions in an armchair nearby. “This is Angondra. We don’t have December or any way to keep track of the days, so we won’t have Christmas. We’ll just have a seasonal holiday to honor our Earth traditions. If we don’t want to give presents, we don’t have to.”
“Maybe some of us want to give gifts,” Carmen replied.
Aria chopped the air with her hand. “No presents! That’s my final word.”
“But why?” Carmen asked.
Anna waved her hand to catch Carmen’s attention and shook her head to end the conversation. “Never mind that. When are the Lycaon supposed to arrive?”
“Later today.” Aria picked up blankets. “I better get their rooms finished.”
“You don’t need all those blankets for two rooms,” Anna pointed out.
“We need more than two rooms,” Aria replied. “I invited Aimee and Penelope Ann, too.”
Anna and Carmen exchanged glances. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Aria asked. “They’re both human. Aimee’s your cousin, and Penelope Ann is one of our oldest friends. They’ll want to celebrate the holiday as much as anybody.”
Anna shrugged. “Yeah, but....”
Aria looked up. “But what?”
Anna squirmed in her seat. She shrugged, but didn’t answer.
Carmen answered for her. “They’re Avitras.”
“So what?” Aria asked.
“So,” Carmen went on, “they’ll bring their mates. That could cause problems.”
“How could it cause problems?” Aria asked.
Anna smacked her lips. “Come on, Aria. You know the Avitras and the Ursidreans have been enemies for generations. No one hates the Ursidreans more than Aquilla, and having him and Piwaka in the same room could be.....well, uncomfortable would be an understatement.”
Aria frowned. “What do you mean?”
Anna turned the rest of the way around to face her. “You know as well as we do Aquilla’s son Roshin is taking over as Alpha of the Avitras faction. Piwaka won’t be pleased to have that fact shoved in his face.”
“You have to admit, Aria,” Carmen chimed in, “inviting them here might not have been the most diplomatic move.”
“Are you telling me I shouldn’t have invited Aimee or Penelope Ann?” Aria asked. “That would have been much worse from a diplomatic perspective. No one has worked more closely with Donen than Piwaka to secure peace between our factions.”
“He’s never visited an Ursidrean city, though, has he?” Anna pointed out. “Negotiating on the border is one thing. Going straight into the heart of enemy territory and going into their underground city is another thing altogether.”
“The Felsite have been enemies with the Ursidreans for generations, too, and you’re here,” Aria pointed out. “Donen fought two wars against the Felsite in the years since we landed here. We’ve put our differences aside, and so will the Avitras.”
“I wish I could be as optimistic as you,” Anna replied.
“I can’t believe Piwaka would cause any problems,” Aria went on. “Donen says he’s the most level-headed man he’s ever met.”
“And what about Aquilla?” Carmen asked. “He hates the Ursidreans with a passion, and he’s done everything in his power to make sure Roshin restarts hostilities between us when he takes power.”
Aria tossed her head. “Maybe Penelope Ann will come alone.”
“That’s hoping for a lot,” Carmen pointed out. “What if she doesn’t?”
“You should have thought of that beforehand,” Anna told her.
Aria picked up the blankets again. “Even if I had, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I still would have invited them. It would have been wrong not to. If Aquilla hates the Ursidreans that much, he won’t come. I only hope Penelope Ann comes.”
“I hope for all our sakes Aquilla doesn’t come,” Anna replied. “I don’t want to be in the same room with him and Piwaka.”
Aria set her hand on her hip. “Admit it, Anna. You don’t want to be in the same room with Aquilla after the way you rescued Menlo from him. That’s the real reason you hope he doesn’t come.”
Anna launched herself off the seat. “Can you blame me? Aquilla’s a loose cannon, and that’s the nicest thing I can say about him. Inviting him here could spark another war. Is that what you want?”
Before anyone could answer, the door opened and Emily came in carrying a bowl of fruit. “What’s going on?”
Anna threw herself back down on the seat and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Aria invited Aimee and Penelope Ann to this little gathering of ours,” Carmen told her.
“What’s wrong with that?” Emily asked.
Carmen sighed. “Piwaka and Aquilla have never traveled to an Ursidrean city before. Anna’s worried old hostilities between the Avitras and the Ursidreans will flare up again.”
Emily blinked. “I didn’t think of that, but if either of them feels that strongly about the Ursidreans, they wouldn’t bother to come. That only makes sense.”
“There’s also the chance resentments could arise between the two of them,” Carmen replied. “We don’t know how Piwaka reacted to Roshin’s planned to take over as Alpha.”
Emily nodded. “That’s true, too, but that’s no reason not to invite Aimee and Penelope Ann. We couldn’t exactly have a Christmas celebration without inviting them.”
Aria slapped her hand on the counter. “Exactly!”
Anna jerked her head around. “So what do you suggest we do to stop these men from falling at each other’s throats?”
“We’ll just have to avoid talking about politics,” Emily suggested.
Anna snorted. “How are we supposed to avoid talking about politics? If we didn’t talk about politics, we wouldn’t be able to talk about our families.”
Carmen laughed. “She’s right. All our kids are mixed up in politics all over the planet. We wouldn’t have anything to talk about at all if we didn’t talk politics.” She glanced at Emily. “By the way, how is Aeifa settling in since she and
Taman got back?”
“She’s settling in just fine,” Emily replied. “They took quarters near the Medical Center while Taman does his training, and she’s busy making it comfortable. This is the first time she’s lived anywhere outside her village for any length of time, and with Taman away at work all day, she has a lot of time on her hands. I think she might take a while before she reports to the Labor Pool for work.”
“What about you, Emily?” Anna asked. “What’s it like, with Faruk gone all day at the Medical Center?”
Emily gave her a wistful smile. “It’s wonderful to see them together. Faruk is a new man ever since he made the decision to re-enter the Medical Center to get his full doctor training, and he and Taman never stop talking about it all day long. They share more now than they ever did before. Faruk is like a young man again.”
Carmen nodded. “There’s been a lot of moving around lately. I’m glad Ari won’t have any trouble settling into Melnili, now that he and Reina have come home.”
“How is Ari?” Anna asked. “Has he recovered from his trip to the Aqinas world?”
“I didn’t know him before,” Carmen replied, “but Reina says he’s fully recovered. She says he’s not as obnoxious as he was before he disappeared, but when he talks about his life in the village, you would never know he’d ever been through that traumatic experience. Reina says he could have taken over as Alpha if Taig hadn’t already done it.”
Anna cocked her head. “Maybe he should be Alpha, then. He is Caleb’s son. He would have been Alpha if he hadn’t gone to the Aqinas world. By rights, Taig should be his secondary.”
Carmen shook his head. “He doesn’t want to be Alpha. He’s happy in Melnili with Reina.”
“It’s no wonder he recovered the way he did,” Emily remarked. “His parents and everyone else in the village shared his experience.”
“Now that he’s gone, though,” Aria pointed out, “Taig has no secondary to help him.”
“He has got a secondary,” Carmen told her.
“Who?” Aria asked.
“Tara,” Carmen replied.
Aria gasped. “Really?”
Carmen nodded. “They’re twins, and they’ve been inseparable all their lives. It only makes sense they would work together to lead their people.”
Anna waved her hand. “You see? We can’t stop talking about politics. How are we going to avoid it when the Avitras get here?”
“We still don’t know for certain they’ll come,” Emily pointed out.
“Maybe we just won’t talk about Roshin,” Carmen suggested.
“That would be rude to Penelope Ann,” Aria replied. “We couldn’t talk about our children without asking after hers.”
“We haven’t talked about your children, Aria,” Carmen returned. “How is Mirin doing in the Army?”
Aria shook her head. “He’s not in the Army anymore. He’s working with Donen one-on-one leading up to the official hand-over of power. The Supreme Council will inaugurate him at the end of the month, so there’s a lot of work to do.”
Carmen nodded. “I never thought I’d live to see the day these old Alphas would hand over power to the next generation.” She sniffed. “It really makes you feel old.”
Emily sat down next to her and laid her hand on Carmen’s. “We aren’t old, and these Alphas couldn’t ask for a better bunch of young people to hand over power to if they searched to the ends of the Earth. We’re all very lucky they proved so strong and capable. We’re in the best hands with them.”
Carmen nodded down at her lap. “I know.”
The door opened again, and Donen entered the room. He collapsed into a chair next to Carmen and his head hung down between his shoulders. “Is anything wrong, darling?” Aria asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing is wrong. I just had to stop for a rest.”
“Where’s Mirin?” she asked.
He waved his hand toward the door before letting it fall over his leg again. “He’s still down there at the Council chamber. He’s been down there since the power came on this morning, and he’s down there now. He’s been negotiating with the Council non-stop in all that time, and he’s been doing it for days without a break. I’ve never seen anything like it. I never saw a man more fired by passion and goodwill.”
Aria beamed at him. “You’ve done good work getting him ready to take over.”
“I haven’t done anything,” Donen shot back. “I’ve been standing there at the foot of the stage while he addresses committee after committee. I haven’t helped him at all. He’s done it all himself.” He leaned back and rested his head on the back of the chair. “I don’t think I’ll go back down there. He doesn’t need me.”
A bell chimed in a corner of the apartment, and Donen sat bolt upright in his chair. “So soon?”
Anna jumped up and clapped her hands. “Yay! I didn’t think they would get here so soon.”
“What is it?” Carmen asked.
Aria set her blankets on the counter for the last time and turned her back on them. “It’s the diplomatic bell. It means the sentries spotted the Lycaon. They’re here!”
The group crowded through the door and left the apartment deserted.
Chapter 2
Aria leaned over the observation deck railing and waved her arm in wild swoops from side to side. “Up here!”
Donen chuckled under his breath. “Don’t fall off.”
Far down the mountainside, Chris and Marissa peered up into the blazing sunshine. Turk and Caleb walked behind them up the steep slope. Marissa shielded her eyes against the sun, and when she spotted her friends on the platform, she waved back.
Donen touched Aria’s elbow. “Don’t make them hike all the way up here. Go meet them at the Lower Freight Dock.”
She turned bright red. “These are heads of state. We can’t bring them into the city through a freight entrance.”
“Then at least go out to meet them,” Donen replied. “Don’t stand up here waiting for them to struggle up the mountainside.”
“Struggle?” Emily laughed. “They ran all the way here. A few more meters won’t faze them.”
Aria brushed past them. “Donen’s right. Come on. Meeting them halfway will spare us waiting for them.”
In half a minute, she charged back inside, and the others joined her riding the power lift through Harbeiz’s many levels to the forgotten depths of the lowest basement. Emily shivered when the lift doors opened and they exited on the Freight Dock. Only a few light tubes brightened the stone cavern, and the city wasted no power heating those levels almost no one bothered to visit.
Aria led the way down the corridors to a vast cavern lined with dozens of silent battle machines, each bearing the insignia of the Ursidrean army. Donen waved to the guards on duty, and they let the party pass. On the far side, one wall stood open to the crisp mountain air, and sunshine blazed through the opening to warm the stone floor and walls.
The women walked faster to meet the wide open space outside the city. They turned their faces up into the sun and breathed the free air, but they rubbed their arms with their hands as soon as they got outside. A blast of icy wind cut through their clothes and thrashed through the treetops down the mountainside.
Aria glanced around. “Where are they?”
Anna pointed. “There. Here they come.”
Chris and Marissa emerged from the trees, followed by Turk and Caleb. Chris and Marissa ran to their friends, and everyone embraced and laughed. “Merry Christmas!” Chris called.
Aria clasped her around the neck. “It’s not Christmas, remember?”
“It might as well be, with that wind blowing.” Chris shuddered. “Let’s get inside before we freeze.”
Donen clapped Turk and Caleb on the back. Then they embraced each other, too. “Did you bring the snow with you?”
Turk laughed. “It’s not far behind us. Our village will be snowed under when we get back home.”
“How is the village?” Carmen asked. “How’s Taig managing everything?”
Turk waved his hand over his shoulder. “He’s just fine. He doesn’t need our help anymore.”
The women led the way back inside. “We’re hearing the same thing from all the factions. The new generation is taking over.”
Anna cringed. “Didn’t we decide we weren’t going to talk about that?”
Chris frowned. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t we talk about it?”
Carmen and Aria exchanged glances. “The Avitras are coming.”
Chris and Marissa stopped in their tracks. “What do you mean, the Avitras?”
Carmen shifted from one foot to the other. “Aria invited Aimee and Penelope Ann.”
“So what if I did?” Aria asked. “You didn’t think I wouldn’t invite them, do you?”
“No one’s saying that,” Emily told her.
“We just don’t know how Piwaka and Aquilla will handle their first visit to Ursidrean territory,” Carmen replied.
“We don’t even know if they’ll come,” Emily added.
“It’s Aquilla we’re worried about,” Anna told them. “He hates the Ursidreans more than anything.”
“It’s Aquilla you’re worried about, you mean,” Aria shot back. “You hate Aquilla more than he hates the Ursidreans.”
“I’m not the one who started several wars between our factions,” Anna snapped. “And I’m not the one who kidnapped an innocent man off the border to try to start another one.”
Donen held up both hands. “Aquilla did not start several wars. The wars between our factions started long before he came of age.”
Turk stepped forward. “Aquilla has done more than any of us could hope to help the peace agreement, including abdicating his position as Alpha so Piwaka could complete the negotiations. If you can’t put aside your hostility to him, maybe you shouldn’t join this gathering.”
Anna rounded on him. “This gathering is for us. Christmas is an Earth tradition, and we’re here to celebrate a holiday that means a lot to us. I have as much right to be here as anyone.”
Angondra Holiday Special Page 1