Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1 Read online

  Ajos

  A Sci-fi Alien Rebel Romance

  A.G. Wilde

  Ajos

  Ajos © A. G. Wilde 2021

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, businesses, or locales is coincidental and is not intended by the author.

  Contents

  Disclaimer

  Ajos

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  A note from A.G

  What’s next?

  Other books by A.G.

  Acknowledgments

  Keep In Touch

  If you enjoyed this book…

  About the Author

  This book is dedicated to my mother. You taught me how to fight and never give up. You’ve always been fighting…and you still are.

  You have one last battle. I know you will win.

  Disclaimer

  This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only.

  All sexually active characters portrayed in this book are eighteen years of age or older.

  Ajos

  Penance.

  It is the only thing on his mind.

  He merely exists as a tool, a weapon for the Restitution till the gods are satisfied he has suffered enough.

  He has no dreams for a different future, until...

  ...a human, one he rescues, falls into his arms.

  For the first time in a long while, something stirs within Ajos. But this unknown feeling is not the only thing that stirs.

  Maybe taking the human on a secluded planet had not been the best idea...

  Now, instead of fighting the enemies that plague them, the person he has to fight the most...is himself.

  1

  The dark spirits of Tonvuhiri were working hard this day.

  Ajos stretched, cracking the bones in his neck as he gripped his spear in one hand.

  He could feel the unease—as if it was floating through the air itself.

  Cocking his head, he glanced at the skies, his gaze searching the nothingness above. In the distance, only the sky tower marred the otherwise cloudless expanse.

  Nothing was out of the ordinary.

  Nothing except the huge metallic structure that stood in front of him.

  A stasis hold.

  The brown dirt and dust that settled over everything hardly stuck to the surface of the huge structure, causing it to almost glisten in the star's light.

  It was…expansive…otherworldly…from a different time, even though…that was far from the truth.

  “How many do you think are inside?” he asked.

  “Well over two stleks of humans are within,” V’Alen answered.

  Ajos’ gaze narrowed slightly.

  More than twenty-four…

  That was a lot. More than he had expected.

  “All female.” It wasn’t a question, for he knew the answer even before his comrade replied.

  “Affirmative.”

  A breath left his lips as Ajos scanned the structure.

  This was one of the largest rescue missions any team in the Restitution had ever pulled off.

  The structure in front of him was carved from one of the rarest metals. Built to withstand the harshest impacts. Engineered to carry out a singular purpose.

  He’d never seen anything like it before.

  Only one set of beings on this side of the universe could afford to construct such a thing.

  “Ajos.” A voice caught his attention and Ajos turned to see the commander who’d retrieved the stasis hold approaching.

  “Xul,” he greeted the male.

  “I appreciate your assistance today, brother, and V’Alen’s as well.”

  Ajos jerked his head in acceptance.

  Commander to commander, he knew Xul was a fighter who cared about the Restitution probably as much as he did.

  “I’ve only given a few rebels clearance to assist in opening the stasis hold with us,” Xul continued.

  Ajos jerked his head once more, his gaze moving back to the large, dark structure. “I consider myself honored to be one of them,” he said.

  Even with extra minds on the task, though, their machines had no impact on opening the structure. It had forced them to brainstorm different ways to get inside.

  Today was their thirteenth attempt.

  The commander ran a hand through his long filaments to scratch the base of one of his horns.

  Only three members of his team were within the secured area today, an Arois named Yce and two others.

  The Arois was surrounded by four human females—four that were rescued long before Xul and his team found the stasis hold.

  They fussed over him, for the Arois was the only link between the beings within the stasis hold and those outside its walls. He had mind-melded with the trapped ones—so much so it activated the neurons all across his body.

  Ajos eyed the females with a sideways glance.

  He’d heard stories of how they’d fought alongside his brothers to reach safety.

  He wondered whether his brothers had stretched the truth.

  Small beings the humans were, even smaller than he’d expected them to be.

  Not one cleared the height of his shoulders.

  “They worry,” Xul said, noticing Ajos’ gaze.

  “So they do,” he replied, flicking his gaze back to the structure before them. “They want their people out.”

  And he knew exactly how they felt.

  Ajos’ nefre stiffened, unease making his pulse beat through the delicate dorsal fin that ran down his neck to disappear into his spine.

  He knew exactly how the humans felt—because he’d lived through something like this before.

  The new machines he and V’Alen had engineered rolled toward the stasis hold, breaking the pull of his memories. Their wheels crunched the soft gravel, crushing it to dust as they moved to the side of the huge structure.

  They’d tipped the rotary saws with talix metal—the same metal that the High Tasqals had used to engineer the entirety of the hold.

  If this didn’t work…if they didn’t break through the metal structure on this instance…he didn’t know what would.

  “Just where did you procure talix metal?” Xul’s gaze settled on V’Alen.

  Ajos kept his eyes on the stasis hold as the machines began to cut, their saws whirring in the stillness of the space.

  He’d wondered the same.

  The only beings that had access to talix metal were the Tasqals themselves. Yet, V’Alen had been able to get some.

  “I have a friend,” was all V’Alen said.

 
; Xul grunted, his eyes narrowing a bit.

  It was a conversation for another time.

  In silence, they watched the machines work and when he looked over at the human females, it seemed as if they were all holding their collective breaths.

  The machines whirred for ages before the undeniable sound of a saw breaking through resistance and meeting air filled the area.

  For one moment, it was as if they all held their breaths.

  Relief shot through him, though he did not show it.

  One of the humans jumped in excitement, her joy barely contained, while the other three gripped each other in elation.

  The commander’s shoulders lost some tension as he released a breath.

  They’d done it. On the thirteenth try, they’d done it.

  Yet, within himself, Ajos’ unease grew.

  Rolling his shoulders, he frowned.

  This was not like that time—that time that threatened to invade his consciousness with memories of old.

  This was different. Nothing was going to hap—

  V’Alen stepped forward suddenly, his eyes flashing. His cybernetic limbs glistened in the light.

  “Wait,” he said, and his voice caused the humans to hush. “Something is wrong.”

  Without realizing it, Ajos’ hand stiffened on his spear.

  He could feel his life organ speed up…feel the memories returning, the doom surrounding him.

  He uttered a silent prayer underneath his breath.

  May the gods of Tonvuhiri prove him wrong.

  “What do you mean?” one of the humans asked.

  V’Alen raised his hand, his head tilting slightly. “There is a signal.”

  “A what?” another human asked.

  V’Alen paused, his head slowly tilting as he looked up into the sky.

  “A signal,” he repeated. “One that began broadcasting as the hold was breached.”

  Ajos followed his friend’s gaze, his eyes searching the nothingness once more.

  “The signal grows stronger,” V’Alen muttered.

  “What signal? Speak, brother,” Xul pressed. The sudden tension in his voice was clear.

  V’Alen hesitated and Ajos knew he was scanning. “A signal.” He paused again, reading the information they could not see. “One whose origin is from within the stasis hold itself. Its destination…”

  It went unsaid.

  They all knew who the signal was for.

  It was heading straight to the High Tasqals—the same terrible race that had enslaved so many beings for so long and the same race they’d defied to retrieve the stasis hold.

  “We have to get inside, get the women out, and kill that signal. Now!” One of the humans, one with long, pale filaments, touched Xul on the arm, insistence in her eyes.

  Xul grunted. “Athena is right. If they find us—”

  Ajos growled softly.

  The humans might not know it, but all the brothers did.

  It was too late for that.

  The signal was already out there.

  The strange feeling growing in the pit of his stomach…this was what it meant…

  “Qrak,” someone cursed.

  As the machines continued whirring again, Ajos made up his mind.

  “We cannot wait.” He was moving before he even finished speaking.

  The commander met his gaze and jerked his head in agreement.

  Nothing was said, but they both knew what needed to be done.

  If they didn’t kill that signal, whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good for any one of them.

  “Xul.” The Arois’ eyes glowed. He was deep in the mind-meld, so much so that his voice didn’t come from his lips. It sounded otherworldly, as if it echoed in the open space. “The humans…” the Arois said, “they’re all waking…”

  Ajos froze.

  No.

  “What do you mean they are all waking?” Xul turned to the Arois.

  The Arois staggered somewhat and the humans by his side grabbed on to him to steady him.

  “All awake. So many minds.” The Arois grimaced. “Terrified. Panicked.”

  No.

  Not again.

  Ajos could hardly breathe.

  The gods could not be so cruel to make him relive the one thing that had torn him apart from the inside out.

  He knew how this ended.

  The roar that cut through the space sounded like it came from his body but Ajos didn’t think about it as he charged against the metal hole the machines had already outlined.

  He lodged his spear into the outline, but there was hardly any give. As he moved back to slam his shoulder against the outline in the metal once more, he hardly heard the concerned cries of the humans behind him.

  His mind was on one thing, the females within the hold. The same ones waking up from cryo-sleep only to find themselves trapped with no way out.

  He didn’t want to hear their cries…he didn’t want to hear their screams.

  If he had to relive this again, he wasn’t sure he would survive this time.

  “Status!” he shouted over his shoulder as he took another few steps backward to charge at the hold once more.

  “The pods…” the Arois spoke and his voice halted. He sounded strained, and when Ajos turned to look back at the male he saw why.

  Yce was overloading his neurons. So much so that his blue skin was like a shining white beacon. He was sure the male couldn’t keep it up for much longer.

  “The pods are failing…” Yce spoke and the world disappeared from around Ajos.

  Suddenly, he was back on that ship, back in that time, the same words ringing in his ears.

  “The pods are failing!”

  Screams for mercy filled the ship’s hold.

  “Save me, Ajos. Please!”

  “What do you mean the pods are failing?!” one of the four humans shouted and the fear in her voice snapped Ajos back to reality.

  “The pods are shutting down,” the Arois repeated. “The humans are all awake.”

  “But that’s okay, right?” asked another one of the humans. “It’s okay if they wake up, right? Right?!”

  “No…” Ajos stepped back, staring at the structure.

  The dark gray of the huge metal box hardly had a dent in it from his efforts.

  “They will not be okay.” He swallowed hard as he backed away even farther to charge forward again. “This is the work of the High Tasqals.”

  “Breaching the hold’s integrity has created a sort of self-destruct. And that signal was the first trigger.” V’Alen delivered the news.

  The sharp gasp of one of the humans caught Ajos’ ear but he didn’t need to turn to see the distress on her face.

  This had to be a curse, for he couldn’t believe it was happening again.

  Pledging his life to the Restitution was no penance for his failure. The gods had no mercy on him…and he deserved their punishment.

  “Stop the robots! Stop drilling the hole!” One of the humans rushed forward, her eyes haunted.

  She was only pulled back by one of the commander’s team members, who caught her by the waist and held her tight as her body shook with emotion.

  “That won’t stop it,” Ajos heard himself say and the human turned her haunted eyes on him. “It’s already been triggered. They will wake and slowly…” He trailed off.

  Slowly, the ones inside would suffocate—the stasis pods, the things that kept them alive through the journey from their planet, would be the thing to kill them.

  He couldn’t say it out loud.

  If what his brothers said was true, these females had already seen too many horrors in their lifetime. He wouldn't add to their nightmares.

  And the females trapped inside the stasis hold…

  His life organ wrung with the pain of old—of seeing this happen before.

  For a moment, he stood frozen, unable to move. It felt as if he'd been sent back to a time when he'd been helpless…

  Ajos' muscles ten
sed.

  But that was then…

  He'd been young…inexperienced…untrained…

  This time was different, and he refused to see the same thing happen again.

  "They’re dying,” the Arois spoke, his voice still thick with that ethereal feel. “Losing oxygen.”

  Cracking the bones in his neck, Ajos charged forward once more, slamming his entire body into the large outline the machines had made.

  As his body collided with the metal, he was sure he heard a creak.

  There was hope yet.

  Between his efforts and that of the machines, maybe, just maybe he could save the females this time.

  Maybe, just maybe, he’d be successful this time.

  As Ajos backtracked a few steps, the huge commander took his position and charged forward to hit the same spot.

  There was another creak.

  As Xul backtracked, one of his team members crouched and sprung forward and against the structure, hitting the same spot.

  A look passed between them and there was agreement.

  To his right, Ajos heard a hum, and he looked to see V’Alen charging his systems.

  “Follow Ajos. We’ll force it open,” Xul said. “Whatever it takes, get the females out. They are the priority. We’ll deal with that signal later.”

  V’Alen shot forward, his cybernetic limbs carrying him quickly as he slammed his body into the hold.

  There was another creak.

  They could do this.

  “Crank the robots up to full power. Overload their systems!” Ajos shouted before charging forward again.