Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1, стр. 32

“Have these guys, the Tasqals, ever tried to destroy the base to get refugees back before?” Keh-reh-nah continued and Ajos watched her mouth move, barely hearing what she’d said.

She had intelligent eyes, asked valid questions…from the very first moment he’d met her, she hadn’t behaved the way he’d expected her to.

She wasn’t cowering and hoping for this nightmare to end. She was already facing reality and was even active in the fight.

Unlike those cowardly Krinqrids he’d found in the supply center the other night, she was putting herself in the position to fight their common enemy—not wasting her energy planning rebellions within their ranks.

Memory of the gutless males made him even more agitated.

He should have broken their necks.

But there were laws, codes of conduct, at least, that he as a commander had to follow.

“No,” V’Alen said, pulling Ajos back to the present. “They have never outright attacked us like this. At least, we didn’t know they could…and possibly, they didn’t because they only discovered the technology to do so recently.”

Ajos glanced at his friend. “Do you really believe that?”

“No,” V’Alen admitted. “Such technology…it is not something one just happens to discover.”

“So they’ve been working on it…” Ajos murmured, “and used it because we found the stasis hold.”

Keh-reh-nah’s eyes widened a little. “You think they bombed the base because of us, humans, specifically?” Her brows furrowed a little. “Why? What do we have that they want so badly?”

That was a good question, and one none of them could answer.

Ajos’ gaze narrowed as he looked at Keh-reh-nah.

What made the humans so special that the Tasqals were so upset over losing them?

It went much further than simply losing precious cargo.

“There’s something else,” Iceon said, breaking the silence. “We hit one of their ships before it jumped. Hit it with a magnetic charge.”

Ajos eased up a little off the control panel, becoming instantly alert.

“We didn’t manage to bring down the vessel before it left, but it seems the charge did something at least.” Iceon paused.

“Go on,” Ajos urged.

“Look at this,” Iceon said before turning back to his screens and pulling up a diagram.

It was one that showed Murn GZ’s planetary system.

Iceon zoomed in on a section past the asteroid zone.

“We believe the magnetic charge disrupted the ship’s navigation. It dropped out of hyperspace just outside of the asteroid zone and it seems it crashed on Choria G622.”

“Why is this of note?” Ajos asked, leaning forward to study the diagram.

Iceon let out a breath. “Because,” he said. “It is emitting a signal.”

“Another beacon?” V’Alen stepped forward.

“No,” Iceon said, and his gaze once again fell on Keh-reh-nah as she came between him and Ajos to look at the diagram too. “It’s not a beacon, but it’s a signal nonetheless,” he said. “It’s not transmitting anything, more like…interfering. I only noticed it because it is affecting the tracker in the charge we hit the ship with.”

V’Alen leaned forward. “Let me hear it.”

As Iceon pulled up the data so they could investigate further, Ajos’ eyes moved down the female by his side.

Was she oblivious to the fact that she was affecting the technician?

The closer she leaned to study the diagram, the more Iceon’s vibrissae seemed to shiver.

Ajos held back another growl, his brow knitting into a frown.

The silence was suddenly broken with a crackle as Iceon played the signal in the room.

V’Alen stood up straight. “This is not like anything I have ever heard before.”

“Can you decode it?”

“No,” V’Alen said. “It is…ancient. I cannot determine what it is…only that it is from another time.” He looked at Iceon. “Are you sure it is coming from the ship?”

“Positive.” Iceon nodded, and his vibrissae shivered again.

Movement caught Ajos’ eye, and he noticed that Iceon’s furry tail was curling upward toward Keh-reh-nah.

He couldn’t hold back his growl this time, and everyone in the room looked at him.

“We should investigate it.” He ignored that the sound he’d just made was threatening.

Hopefully, they would think it was because he was angry about the whole bombing situation.

“Yes,” V’Alen agreed. “I will get the ship ready.”

“Oh,” Keh-reh-nah’s eyes lit up. “You’re going off-world?”

“Yes,” he answered, noting the sudden glee mixed with mild trepidation in her eyes.

“Ok. I guess since this is a military thing, I might not be cleared for that.” She glanced around the room. “I could maybe stay here and help Iceon brainstorm why the Tasqals want us humans so badly,” she offered.

Iceon’s eyes lit up and his vibrissae flexed again.

Ajos grit his teeth.

Qeffing trusting this human was. Her planet must hold little danger.

She didn’t even know Iceon.

His frown deepened. She trusted him, too.

“You are not afraid of me?” Iceon asked.

Keh-reh-nah looked at the male and smiled a little.

“I wasn’t sure at first, to be honest.” She eyed Iceon. “You look like a tiger almost, and I should be afraid, but…you can talk. It takes the fear away, a little.” She shrugged. “I guess I have a thing for cats.”

A spike of rage shot through Ajos, so much so, he could hardly see. In one movement, he moved to stand between the two, not caring that what he was doing was obvious at this point.

“No,” he said. “You are under my care. You are coming with me.”

There was a pause and Keh-reh-nah’s eyebrows lifted a little. Excitement filled those brown pools of hers even more and Ajos felt something tingle within him that dissipated the rage simmering at his core.

She’d rather come with him than stay with Iceon, even though Iceon’s appearance pleased her.

Ajos’ fists unclenched somewhat. He hadn’t expected that.

“Do you think that’s a wise idea?” V’Alen piped up. “Especially since you are going through—”

“It’s fine,” he cut his friend off before V’Alen could tell the world he was in heat.

It was fine.

He could deal with it.

He could deal with his urges.

All he had to do was keep his distance away from the female. Keh-reh-nah.

That shouldn’t be too hard.

Should it?