A Very Alien Christmas

by Skye MacKinnon

  When I looked out the windows, the Earth was a barely visible blue speck. We were closer to Mars right now, a place that the humans had not yet been able to secure for themselves.

  I turned away from the porthole and continued my rounds. I made a point to never sit in my office longer than necessary. I wanted my men to see that I was out and doing the work, just like all of them. Sure, the high-definition security cameras and thermal-imaging technology were great, but I couldn't waste away in a chair like other officers did. If anything, I had another reason to keep my fitness up now - making love with my mate.

  I hadn't wanted a mate but she'd changed me in countless ways. Rianne had given me happiness that I never could have dreamed of. I always wondered how I could repay her for the joy she brought into my life. Now, this Christmas thing might be the first step.

  I wandered into the shipping area and inspected all of the locks, before moving on to the hangar. The mothership's hanger could easily house several starfighters of various sizes, as well as personal shuttles and supply drones. It was always a flurry of activity, with starfighters coming in and out after patrols. The mechanics and engineers moved around in units, checking the vehicles for damage and upgrading their software. It was my favorite place in the mothership.

  The General was pacing around the viewing deck, watching a fleet of starfighters take off for their daily patrol. He was an older Zexian with a wrinkled face and shrunken physique. Despite his short stature, he ran the ship like a tyrant and everyone respected him.

  "Sir," I said as I approached. The General and his men turned at the sound of my voice.

  "Captain Xavir," The General said. "What is the matter?"

  Everyone always assumed there was trouble when the Captain of the security team showed up. I was used to it.

  "Nothing, sir," I said. "Everything is running smoothly and there are no incidents to report."

  The General gave me a look that said "then why are you talking to me?"

  "I actually came to ask a favor," I added.

  The General eyed me up and down before waving his men away so we could talk in private.

  "I thought you'd used up a lifetime's worth of favors after that stunt you pulled with the human girl," He said once we were alone.

  So he hadn't forgiven me. Well, at least I knew where I stood now.

  "Well, sir," I said, not letting my nervousness show. "There was a small request that was made by my mate. She and the other Tributes were talking about Christmas."

  The General scowled. "Christmas? Xmas! That silly holiday. What of it?"

  "She mentioned that many of the Earthlings would like to observe the holiday. It is a custom that brings them much happiness."

  "Oh really? Xmas is just a gift-giving holiday. Nothing more," He said with a dismissive shake of his head. "We don't have time for holidays on this ship. It would be nothing but a distraction, and we can't afford to be distracted so far from our base. You never know what threats are creeping on this side of Mars."

  I knew that was what he was going to say. We were far from Earth, far from our supply chain, with nothing but long days of darkness ahead of us, even while travelling at lightspeed.

  "I see."

  "Sorry to disappoint," he added. "But, we don't have time for such human nonsense. The Tribute Brides know why they are here."

  I stifled a grimace, my jaw pumping at the thought of Rianne being thrown away as nothing but a broodmare. Our mates were so much more to us than that, even if the older generations thought otherwise.

  I clicked my heels together and nodded.

  "Very well, sir," I said. "Sorry for the interruption."

  The General waved me away.

  I turned on my boot heel and left the hangar.

  I returned to my living quarters as soon as my shift was done. The sliding door hissed, and I stepped inside, thankful to be free of responsibility for another evening. Rianne's eyes lit up whenever she saw me. The excitement hadn't dimmed a fraction since the day we fell in love.

  "Xavir," She said.

  Her curves were draped in light red layers of Zexian garb, enhancing her natural beauty.

  I hungered for her. I wanted to grab her soft hips, carry her to bed, and claim her.

  "Did you talk to the General?" She asked.

  My mate's words snapped me out of my lust.

  "Ah, yes," I said.

  "What did he say?" She asked, still smiling.

  She leaned forward in her chair and rose to meet me.

  I kissed Rianne, savoring the taste of her lips.

  "He didn't seem into the idea," I said.

  There was no point in being indirect.

  "He said that the warriors didn't have time for Earthling holidays."

  Rianne's smile faded. "I wasn't asking for the warriors. I was asking for us. The Tributes. Earthlings."

  The disappointment in her voice made me flinch. "I know. I'm sorry. Maybe we're just not ready for sharing holidays yet."

  Rianne was quiet for a moment before forcing a smile.

  "Ok," She said. "At least you tried."

  "Are you ok?" I asked.

  "No," She sighed. "But I'll have to find a way to be, won't I? Christmas always comes, whether the Grinch wants it to or not."

  Rianne

  I knew that I shouldn't have bothered pushing the Christmas agenda, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to do something nice for the Tributes. I wanted to do something that reminded us of home and would give us something familiar in this cold mothership made of plastic and chrome. Wasn't that what the holidays were about, anyway?

  During Xavir's next shift, I went out looking for Marie and the other Tribute Brides that I knew.

  I found Marie on the viewing deck, a large room with windows and screens on three sides for us to view outside as the ship moved through space. Most of the time, it was just dark with the stars twinkling in the distance. The view was simply beautiful.

  Marie was sitting on a couch, dressed in a sweater and leggings. She hadn't been captivated by traditional Zexian clothing like I had. I also hadn't come here with any baggage either, while she had moved with pretty much anything she could have wanted. I had to take what I could get.

  “Rianne!” Marie exclaimed when she saw me. “Seeing you again so soon? What’s up?” She kissed both of my cheeks.

  I sat down beside her.

  “I wanted to talk about Christmas,” I said.

  “Ah, yes,” Marie said, suddenly deflated. “I mentioned it to my mate. He said something about Xmas and how aliens have never celebrated their Bride’s holidays before.”

  “Did he seem willing to try it out?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Marie said. “My mate is such a sweetheart but it’s been twenty years, and no one has ever done it before.”

  That settled it. If anything hardened my resolve, it was kicking out old-fashioned customs and bringing in new traditions to mix with the old. Just because no one had celebrated Christmas on the mothership before didn’t mean it couldn’t be done.

  “I think we should do it,” I said.

  Marie’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  She looked around, her chestnut hair bouncing as she craned her neck to see if anyone was listening to us.

  “Why not?” I said. “I think it's about time that we shake things up a bit.”

  It took surprisingly little time to round up everything we needed to decorate the Great Hall. We found stacks of white and silver paper, discarded metal trimming, red and green cellophane bags that the kitchen used to separate the garbage, and more.

  Marie found some of her friends, Antonia (Miss Mexico) and Irma (Miss Germany), to help find supplies.

  I snuck into the Great Hall, which was empty. We were nearing the end of the first work shift, so in about an hour, the dining area would be full of Zexian warriors and their mates. The kitchen staff had already put out tonight’s buffet.

  It was eerily quiet; I had never seen such a
large room empty like this before.

  “We clear?” Marie asked, poking her head in.

  “Yeah,” I said with a nod. “But I don’t know for how long.”

  Irma began cutting snowflakes out of the silver paper. I worked with Antonia to make chains of garland with shreds of red and green garbage bags. We worked quickly, summoning all the crafting energy we had to make this work.

  “I feel like Martha Stewart in space,” Marie said while she made white paper snowflakes.

  We hung the handmade decorations along the ends of the tables and around the door. If I was honest, it looked like a grade-school project but it made me smile, anyway.

  “It’s not bad,” Irma said.

  “It’s still missing something, though,” Marie said, tapping her chin.

  “Well, we’d better figure it out soon; the staff shift is going to change any minute.”

  “I know!” I exclaimed, making everyone else jump. “We need music. Christmas music.”

  Antonia’s eyes lit up.

  “Yes!” She squealed. “I’ll be right back.”

  She spun around and ran out of the Great Hall.

  “Where is she going?” I asked.

  “She plays violin,” Marie said. “It’s so lovely to have some Earthling music.”

  “Wow,” I said.

  Marie nudged me softly.

  “You really should hang out with us more.”

  “I see that now,” I said with a laugh. “Nothing like Christmas to bring people together and make new friends.”

  Irma smiled at me. She didn’t speak much, shy about her English skills, but I knew she felt the same way.

  Marie peeked out the door.

  “I hear people. The shift is done.”

  My heart started hammering in my chest. What if this was a mistake? What if no one appreciated the decorations that we’d worked so hard to make? What if they laughed at us?

  I glanced at Marie nervously.

  “It’s ok,” She said with one of her brilliant smiles.

  A moment later, the first Zexians came into the Great Hall. Warriors came in small groups, some with their mates. Many of the warriors on board were still bachelors. They came together, laughing and chatting in their own Zexian language.

  I recognized a few of the Tribute brides from the ceremony. They looked so happy with their mates. Some of them were pregnant by now and would likely be going back to the Zexian home planet to give birth.

  I didn’t know much about what would happen after that. Xavir and I both decided to hold off on mating for offspring until I was used to living in space. I couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from him once I was ready to deliver his child. We’d have plenty of time for that later.

  As warriors and their mates began filing in there was a rise of exciting murmur. I noticed the humans’ eyes light up when they saw our handmade decorations. It awakened a sparkle within them; they were stunned to see Christmas decorations, garland, and wreaths.

  I glanced at Marie and she gave me a reassuring nod. This was going to be fine. Who could get into trouble for trying to spread a little joy?

  The chatter increased, I could hear Tributes from different countries talking about Christmas and how they celebrated. Their mates seemed interested in hearing all about it.

  The mood turned up a notch when Antonia returned with her violin and began playing Jingle Bells. The room started to buzz. People laughed and chatted, came together over food and memories of life on Earth, life before they were Tributes.

  It warmed my heart. I stood near the door watching it all unfold. It was better than I could have imagined.

  Marie’ mate found us. He was tall and well-built, with short hair and a serious expression. At first, I wondered if he was going to scold us but he smiled when Marie told him about our plan.

  “Come eat with us,” Marie said to me.

  I wanted to wait for Xavir, but I was starving, too. I looked down the hall once more and when I didn’t see him, I joined Marie’s table.

  The sound of Antonia’s violin filled the room. She was moving around and dancing with her mate, who was playing an instrument of Zexian origin. It was the bass to her treble and they moved and played in perfect harmony.

  Seeing them together made my heart ache for my own mate. I glanced at the door over and over, waiting to see him.

  “Are you ok?” Marie asked.

  I nodded.

  “Just waiting for Xavir,” I said.

  “Maybe he went back to his room?” Marie asked.

  I held my breath as the door opened and Xavir came into view. He stood in the door frame with shock, his golden eyes wide as he took in what was going on.

  I stood up, rushing through the aisles of tables and chairs to meet him.

  “Xavir!” I cried.

  “What’s going on?” He asked.

  “Christmas,” I said. “Or Xmas, as you guys seem to say.”

  A smile slowly spread across my mate’s face.

  “You did all this?” He asked.

  “I had some help,” I admitted. “We worked so hard to make the dining hall look like an Earth Christmas party. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” Xavir said and kissed me. “Just like I love you.”

  I took Xavir's hand and brought him to the table to make introductions.

  The room became louder and louder as more Tributes and warriors began to pound out a beat on the table, and carols were taught. I had never heard such a rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as I did that night.

  “This is fantastic,” Marie said. “Better than any party I ever attended on Earth.”

  “I’m just glad that everyone else seems to like it, too,” I said.

  Xavir fidgeted in his seat.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Just thinking about what the General said. He won’t be happy if he finds out about this. He didn’t want his warriors to be distracted.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with letting loose,” Marie’s mate said.

  The main doors slid open again. A group of security warriors was there, flanking either side of the General.

  The room went dead silent. It felt like we were in an airlock that had sucked out every last molecule of oxygen.

  Antonia stood in the middle of the room, her violin hanging limp at her side.

  Xavir bolted to his feet.

  My entire body went cold and my stomach dropped to the floor. Based on the look on the General’s face, there was definitely something wrong with just letting loose and celebrating Christmas.

  Xavir

  The General was beyond furious. I watched helplessly as he ordered my mate to be sent to the security office. It took every fiber of my strength to not throw myself at the security team who took her away. That wouldn’t help anything. This was not a problem brute force could solve.

  The dining hall was silent. The warriors and their mates slowly returned to their seats, pretending to pick at their food and ignoring the joy that was fading fast.

  The General, his wrinkled face going dark with the blood that surged to the surface, stomped over to me.

  “Capain Xavir,” He hissed.

  I knew what was coming. I stood at attention, waiting for the shouting to start. I’d have to let him get it out of his system before I even tried to reason with the old warrior.

  “Yes, sir?” I asked.

  “What is this nonsense? I told you that Xmas had no place amongst our warriors. They’re distracted, acting like children.”

  A wave of discomfort rippled through everyone who was within earshot.

  “Someone, clean up all of this garbage,” The General snarled.

  He tore down a silver snowflake as he spoke, crumpling it up in his fist.

  The sound of the paper tearing made my blood boil.

  “Sir, is this really necessary?” I asked.

  My anger surged forward, threatening to take over my calm, well-trained demeanor.r />
  “They were just trying to spread some joy.”

  My mate’s friends, Marie and Antonia, looked away. They were terrified of the General. No one should be punished for trying to celebrate something.

  “They’re all lucky I didn’t have them taken away like your mate! She disobeyed direct orders,” The General growled. “She thinks she can walk all over our rules just because you’re her mate? It’s time to show her that she’s sadly mistaken.”

  My jaw pumped as I bit back a snarling retort. I needed to stay calm to reason with him.

  “Why is this rule in place, sir?” I asked. “The Tribute Brides are brought here to be treated as queens and yet, we can’t allow them simple joys like music and decorations? They deserve better than that.”

  The General’s eyes widened.

  I didn’t stop.

  “And why are we warriors not allowed to have some fun now and then?” I added. “You know as well as we do that our jobs are grueling. Living on the mothership away from most of our families for years at a time. Everyone needs an escape. So, what harm will some paper snowflakes and Xmas songs do?”

  The General stammered, as a murmur rose up around him.

  Zexian warriors were nodding and whispering to each other. They wanted an escape from stress just as badly as anyone else. We were flesh and blood, not robots that would follow every command without question.

  The General, his face hot and dark, looked around at the crowd in the dining hall. “Is this what you want?” He asked.

  The Zexians and humans nodded. A chorus of “yes!” and “let them celebrate” and “we need to have fun, too” all rang out and overlapped each other until the words were barely understandable through the clamor.

  The General shot me a look. He ran this ship like a machine but even he wasn’t unbreakable.

  “Captain, I hope you realize what a position you’ve put me in. It’s the second time you’ve challenged me since meeting your mate.”

  “I know, sir,” I said, bracing myself. Was he going to fire me? Banish me?

  The old Zexian shook his head.

  “Please don’t punish him,” Marie said.

  Her mate gasped and put a hand on her shoulder but she stood defiant.