Ajax: Relinquished

by Gavin Magson

  “We had best get you back then.” Ajax said, his voice flat, devoid of all emotion.

  The Haven had all but filled to capacity during their time away, he could only see two vacant tables in the large dining area. When Ajax stepped through the taverns door he spotted the remaining crew drinking around a table yet again. Ajax thought that he would have to ask where they were getting the money to pay for all this; it seemed to him that a never ending supply of good alcohol and fine food passed their lips whilst he risked life and limb in the desert.

  Ilya had rung her driver from outside the Haven, she explained to Ajax that she had already seen the three men inside and would only have to leave shortly anyway. She promised to send a message to Ajax as soon as a date for her union had been set, along with instructions on his attire. They embraced and before he knew it she was gone, inside a sleek black hover disappearing from the square. He did not bother thinking on her remark on his attire, he knew that his wardrobe would not cater for anything more highbrow than a wet t-shirt competition.

  When he sat down at the table the trio opposite instantly fell silent at the sight of Ajax's forlorn expression. Maria appeared and more drinks were ordered, and not until Ajax was on his second did someone gather the courage to speak.

  “How was your day out with Ilya?” asked Duke.

  “It was good, I suppose. Ilya dragged me out for food and clothes shopping.” he indicated towards the new jacket he wore and the bag at his feet. “I was glad to see her, it had been too long.” Ajax paused with his mouth open, half a word cut off as he struggled to articulate the conflicting feelings inside his mind. “When you saw her earlier did any of you think that she had changed a lot, or was than my imagination running wild because of how long I’ve been away?”

  Greg and Lev exchanged a brief look before Greg spoke. “It's not just you. Ilya seems a lot more restrained since she started dating Henry. At least she has put on some weight, I don't feel afraid of breaking her when we hug. It's not good to see her spirit so muted. She always had such a strong spirit, but I fear that is long gone now.”

  Ajax carried on drinking from his tankard, occasionally he would look up into the faces of the three men in front of him, hoping to hear some uplifting words. His face hardened as he remembered the promise, it tore him apart knowing that today might have been his last time with Ilya on their own.

  “There are some things I haven't told any of you yet, it wasn't on purpose my holding them back. The guy never said to keep it a secret from you three, so I don’t see why I should sit on it. When Henry Steel offered me a full pardon there were two conditions; that I won a fight to the death against Joel and a horde of prisoners, and that after their union I never see Ilya again.”

  His words stilled the men into silence, each of their faces showed their feelings about Henry's terms. In the background the busy tavern carried on, oblivious to the heavy words Ajax spoke. Duke was the first to break the silence stretching over them.

  “I'm going to assume that you accepted his conditions, since you are here today. Have you talked to Ilya about it?” he asked.

  “I couldn't think of a way to bring it up when I was with her, I didn't know how she would react and did not want to risk upsetting her. If Ilya loves this man then what would she think if I told her that her fiancé does not want me around in her life? Have any of you met this man yet?”

  “None of us have, the closest we've come are descriptions and a picture from Ilya. She seems really happy with him, can’t say I have ever seen her act like this before. Perhaps you are doing the right thing by not interfering. Henry is a powerful man, not one to make an enemy of lightly.” said Lev.

  “The wretch makes my skin crawl. He is one of those people you instantly desire to punch as soon as they open their mouths. I am more than surprised he did not betray me with the offer of freedom; I had expected something to come of it. Not knowing Henry Steel is no loss to any of you. He would be a fool to try and make an enemy of me.”

  None of the group met his eyes as Ajax finished speaking. They all thought of what it would mean to have Ajax Frost as an enemy. Here was a man who could be thrown into the harshest prison on the planet and come out alive, relatively unscathed, and still seemingly sane. None had yet gone up against him with the intent of murder and survived.

  Reflecting back Ajax realised that he had been so stupid. He had wasted any opportunity to be a bigger part of Ilya's life, he should have thought about his feelings far earlier instead of bedding down with the first woman who showed an interest in him. If he had said something to her before the crew left the planet maybe things could have turned out different.

  Perhaps Lev was right after all. Ilya's happiness meant a lot to him, to ruin it would sabotage any chance he had of winning her affection in the future, not to mention the friendship they have. Ajax cursed himself for being such a blind fool, for not seizing or creating a chance of happiness with her.

  “It pains me to say it but you are probably right. I don't want to come between them, it would probably mean I would lose her forever.” said Ajax, his eyes fixated on his rapidly disappearing drink. A wave of his hand called Maria over, who knew his needs instantly. “There was something else I wanted to discuss with you, Duke. I went to see Rine today and he paid my wage in full.” Duke's eyes lit up at the mention of Ajax's money, his attempt to hide his emotions from Ajax were laughable. “I wanted to know how much the fuel and repairs would cost? The sooner you get the money the sooner you can start.”

  “Could I talk to you about that in private please, Ajax?” asked the captain.

  Ajax nodded and he followed Duke's lead. They left the table, much to the protestation of Greg, and walked through to the second room, finally stopping to stand next to Sal's vacant desk.

  “Ajax, I want to be honest with you. I don't know why you still think that you owe me some kind of debt that has to be repaid, so far you have done more than enough for me. I never asked for all of this, that money is yours and I think you should spend it how you see fit. I can make do, something will come along. I am more than my company and my ship.” said Duke.

  Ajax looked down at the captain with glossy eyes as the alcohol started to make itself known. He had expected something like this from Duke, it seemed to Ajax that it was in the man’s very nature to reject a handout. His anger at himself, at Henry Steel, at the hand this new life had dealt him, was bubbling below the surface and he was not about to let Duke’s protestations stop him helping the man.

  “We have already had this conversation, Duke. I wanted to do this in order to help out your business and that is the only reason I took the job. I spent months inside Justice One. I saw things, did things, things that will never stop haunting me. But it was not out of a need to show my gratitude for you saving my life, it was never about that. If it makes you feel any better then this can be the last time I help, but I want you to take this money and use it to get your ship back up and running. Come on, let’s go back to the table and start figuring out how much it is going to take. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  For a moment he thought that Duke would be stubborn enough to refuse his offer, the steely expression on his face gave nothing away of the captain’s thoughts. Finally the man's shoulders sagged in defeat and Ajax could unclench his whitened knuckles. He turned back to the dining room and headed for their table.

  Once they sat down the captain started counting on his hands, one finger tapping at the opposite hands sausage thick digit's as Duke moved his lips. Ajax could not help but let out a sudden laugh, the sight in front of him instantly dispelled his foul mood. Duke cursed at him but carried on, until he thought he had an answer.

  “I've tried to work out the numbers, if I am right it should cost six hundred thousand, no more than seven, to do everything my ship needs. You could get your own business running with the remainder.” said the captain, smiling at the thought of Ajax running any kind of legitimate enterprise.

  “Tha
t wasn't quite what I had in mind for my share,” said Ajax, clutching his next drink. “Do you remember those upgrades you kept on wishing for? I can remember you drunkenly talking about how much you dreamed of being able to afford them. Could you afford some, or even all of them, if you had nine hundred and fifty thousand credits?” asked Ajax.

  Three jaws dropped in front of him as the crew members processed what he had asked. Ajax was not just offering to get the business back up and running, he wanted the captain to have nearly everything he had made.

  “I can't accept that, Ajax, it's more than enough that you have offered up the money to get my mining tug going again. I can't take it all, you need to enjoy those credits too.” said a stunned Duke.

  “You aren't taking it all, I'm keeping a little back for myself; more than enough to survive, and enjoy a few beers. The rest is going to be invested in an enterprise, as you put it, which will earn me a respectable wage that I could comfortably live off of. This isn't a negotiation - that is how much money I am giving you. Now, do you think that could get you the upgrades you wanted?”

  The captain stared Ajax firmly in the eye, his grizzled jaw set at the stubbornness of the young man. Upon seeing the honesty within the man’s face Duke finally relented, a small smile stretched across his face as he relaxed. “It will be more than enough to buy upgrades as well, Ajax. I don't know if I could ever thank you enough for this. Just promise me you meant it when you said this is the last time.”

  “I don't lie to friends, Duke. I was telling the truth when I said this was the last time I will donate credits; I hope you use the money wisely. There was one last thing I needed to talk to you about,” he hesitated as Duke's smile faded. “Rine offered me a job whilst we met. I did not tell you exactly why he wanted those two men killed in the first place, I thought it best not to get you too involved. It is because they were powerful figures in drug production and Rine's biggest rivals, and it turns out his last great opposition in the sector.

  “Now that I removed his competition Rine has moved into supplying not only this sector, but Five and Six; except his expansion is meeting resistance in the slums. He wants me to join the other men he has hired to dispose of the resident drug dealers. I was planning on using the remaining money to gear up so that I can accept the job.”

  “Are you sure that this is what you want to do? Not everyone makes it out of the slums alive, and I've heard what is going on there; it's a fucking war zone right now.” said Greg. Lev nodded his agreement next to his partner.

  “There might be a lot of risk involved but killing is what I am good at, plus the pay is decent. I don't truly know what I did in my life before you found me, but this is what I enjoy doing now. Perhaps after this job I might find something that is less hazardous to my health, you never know.” Ajax knew now was not the time to discuss the memory Joel had unlocked. He was loath to share that until a time when he knew more about his past. “You still have that tablet, so should you need to contact me I am only a message or call away.”

  “You are obviously set on this decision, Ajax, no matter how idiotic it is to go risking your life for no reason other than money. I am not going to waste my breath trying to change your mind; we have all made that mistake before. Just be careful out there, as Greg said it is a war zone in the slums right now, which is saying something considering the normal state of them. Let’s just drink tonight, while we are still together, and I will try and understand your love of violence.” said Duke, hoisting his tankard in the air.

  The four metal containers clinked together and the men got down to some serious drinking. The morning’s hangovers were soon forgotten as Duke, Greg and Lev reminisced about past events, leaving Ajax almost crying from laughter before the next round. He had not heard the majority of the stories, most focused on bar room fights in every sector they had lived in, even on planets he had never heard the names of and all starting from honest misunderstandings.

  By the time their evening was winding down Greg was asleep in his chair, snoring heavily and covered in the shells of some nuts the men had been eating earlier. Lev had to carry him in his arms like a small child up to their room, which only caused the others to chuckle. Duke and Ajax stayed behind for one last drink and an honest talk.

  “There's something I have been meaning to ask you for a while, Ajax,” said Duke, trying to focus on the drink inches from his face and failing miserably. “I would understand if you did not wish to answer me, but I can't ignore the burning question any longer. What kind of feelings do you have for Ilya? I've seen the glances you two shoot each other when you don't think others are looking, and, judging from her current relationship, I am pretty sure you never mentioned them to Ilya.”

  Ajax was able to pick up his drink on the second attempt by sheer fluke, only spilling a little in the process. “I'm impressed it took you this long to ask me. To be honest I don't truly know, I haven't had the chance to explore them, if you understand me. I really care for her, I want Ilya to be happy and, unfortunately, it's not me making her happy right now. Maybe I should have said something earlier, I don't know if that would have changed anything. Whether I made the right decisions to not mention anything is up for debate. I certainly don't know if the feelings are mutual.”

  “So why didn't you do something about it? I'm sure she felt the same way, even if she did not mention anything to you. You must have had an opportunity to bring it up at some stage.”

  “It just didn't happen, if there was a chance then it passed me by unnoticed. I am going to have to accept the fact that she has someone in her life to take care of and love her, so that is the final chapter in our story. What more can I do than stay out of their lives and let Ilya enjoy hers?”

  Ajax could not hear what the captain muttered under his breath. “You could fight for the one you love.”

  They finished the paltry remainder of their drinks as Sal disposed of the last revellers, then he ushered them both upstairs whilst taking their empty tankards away. The men stumbled up the stairs slowly, eventually bidding each other a slurred good night.

  Ajax was vaguely aware that he was in his room, which began to spin the moment he stepped through the door. He managed to make his way to the bed without falling, despite stumbling on several trip hazards whilst navigating the room. He sat down heavily to steady himself and remove his clothing, which he threw unceremoniously at the chair across from his bed. He let out a quiet cheer when one item managed to land across the back of the chair. His tablet had fallen out of his jacket onto the floor during his undressing and was hiding under the bed. It took him a couple of attempts to locate but finally he had it resting atop his bedside drawers.

  Ajax, successfully naked, laid down on his bed and grabbed the tablet. He quickly tapped out a message to Aiko, Count me in - A, before falling into a drunken sleep.

  Chapter 4

  Ajax awoke to a mild morning, the previous days dark clouds had drifted out of view and exposed a pale sun that filtered some light into the city. His head felt a lot better compared with yesterday morning, no thumping at his temples greeted him. Apart from a dry mouth he was feeling ready to tackle the day ahead without complaint.

  He lay on the firm mattress staring up at the clouds visible through the rooms skylight, enjoying the tranquillity until a vibration under his back had him scrambling around to find the offending tablet. By the feel of things Ajax had slept on it all night, as he moved the small of his back ached from where the tablet had pressed into him. He was thankful when he managed to locate it that the thing wasn't damaged.

  Rine says that this is great news. You need to see Beryl about any weapons you'll need out there. What you buy will be shipped to Six ahead of you. If there is anything else you want shipped take it with you to see her. We will talk later – Aiko

  So things are progressing this fast already, he thought. Ajax clambered out of bed and rounded up some fresher clothes before heading for a quick shower ahead of his day. He always looked forw
ard to seeing Beryl, she was full of interesting stories and even more intriguing weapons.

  His shower barely had time to heat up before he was out again, drying furiously and piling into his clothes. His damp skin stuck to the fabric and slowed down progress, which only made Ajax curse his haste. In a handful of minutes he had rounded up all his favourite weapons, their paltry remainder of ammunition, and all respective sheaths, and was out of the tavern.

  The morning air was refreshing on his skin, cool in the shade and mild under the pale sunlight. His new jacket soon heated him up until the wind was no longer noticeable. He headed for Beryl's weapon shop, the directions now long since ingrained into his subconscious, yet he walked an alternate route to pass food vendors on the way. The hot pie he bought was succulent and had a mostly identifiable meat content, which hit a famished spot.

  A few streets later and Ajax was finally outside Beryl's shop, brushing crumbs off his jacket and straightening his clothes using the shop windows reflection. Satisfied that he was presentable Ajax opened the door gently so as to not send the bell above berserk. He made sure no one else was browsing her contents before turning the sign over and slotting the deadbolt home. Beryl liked to give him her undivided and uninterrupted attention, no doubt because she knew a goldmine when it walked through her door.

  The chimes of the small bell were still sounding as Beryl appeared, watching him as he finished securing the front door. She started smiling the second he turned around and began striding towards her counter, as if seeing an old friend for the first time in years, or seeing more credits coming her way.

  “I was beginning to get worried about you, Mr Frost. You were my best customer, I was close to giving you a stake of my business you were shelling out so much in here and all of a sudden you were gone. Where have you been? I hope that you haven't changed your supplier. If so I shall have to put them out of business permanently.”