Re-Awakened: I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner

The emergency klaxons cut through the ship like audio knives, their piercing wail dragging everyone from sleep into immediate alertness. Noah's eyes snapped open, his body rolling off the guest bed before his mind fully processed what was happening. Years of military training had taught him to respond to alarm patterns, and this one screamed danger.

"What the hell?" Sophie's voice carried from the adjoining chamber, followed by the sound of her stumbling around in the dark as emergency lighting bathed everything in harsh red shadows.

Noah grabbed the first clothes he could find, his hands moving automatically to weapon positions that were empty. The Beast Gear suits were in the armory, and their personal equipment was secured in the ship's storage. Whatever was happening, they were facing it in sleeping clothes and bare feet.

The corridor outside buzzed with controlled chaos. Ares guards moved with military precision despite the obvious urgency, their usual ceremonial appearances replaced by functional combat gear. Noah caught glimpses of officers barking orders into communication devices while technicians ran diagnostic scans on systems that were flashing warning lights.

"Noah!" Kelvin's voice echoed from down the hall, followed by the sound of his cybernetic arms whirring as they recalibrated to emergency protocols. "Please tell me this is just a drill!"

"Not a drill," came Lieutenant Commander Theron's voice as he rounded the corner, his face showing the kind of stress that aged people in real-time. His uniform was hastily assembled, his hair disheveled, and his eyes carried the hollow look of someone delivering news they wished they didn't have to share.

Lucas appeared from his quarters, already dressed and moving with command authority. "Lieutenant, report. What's the nature of the emergency?"

Theron gathered himself, standing straighter despite the obvious exhaustion and stress. "The king has been taken."

The words hit the assembled team like physical blows. Diana, who had just emerged from her room, went completely still. Uncle Dom's usual cheerful demeanor vanished entirely. Lyra's mind went into overdrive, already questioning what she jus heard.

But it was Kelvin who voiced what everyone was thinking.

"How?" His cybernetic arms twitched with agitation as he processed the impossible logistics. "How does someone kidnap a king from the middle of a fleet formation? The security protocols alone should make it impossible!"

Theron ran a hand through his disheveled hair, clearly struggling with details that didn't make sense even to him. "The attack was coordinated. Simultaneous strikes from inside and outside the formation."

"Inside and outside?" Sophie's voice carried the sharp edge of professional suspicion. "Explain that."

"External ships appeared without warning—stealth technology we've never encountered before. They bypassed our perimeter sensors, our early warning systems, everything. But at the same time, we had internal security breaches. Systems went down, blast doors opened without authorization, guard rotations were disrupted."

Lucas stepped closer, his mind working through the implications. "You're describing a coordinated assault that required inside knowledge of your defensive protocols."

"That's impossible," Theron said, but his voice lacked conviction. "Our security clearances are limited to senior officers and royal family members. There's no way—"

"No way unless someone with that clearance was compromised," Diana interrupted. "Or unless someone fed them intelligence from the outside."

Kelvin's eyes were already taking on that green tint that indicated his technopathic abilities were active. "Lieutenant, I need access to your security logs. System records, communication intercepts, anything that might show how they coordinated the attack."

"Of course, but I should warn you—most of our surveillance systems were disabled during the assault. We have fragments, but nothing comprehensive."

"Fragments are better than nothing," Kelvin replied, his mechanical arms already extending fiber-optic connections. "Sometimes the pieces they leave behind tell you more about their capabilities than complete records would."

Lucy had been quiet during the initial briefing, but now she stepped forward with the authority of someone accustomed to crisis management. "We need to address the immediate concerns first. How many casualties? What's the current security status of the fleet?"

"No casualties," Theron replied, and Noah caught the note of confusion in his voice. "That's... actually one of the strangest aspects of the attack. They had opportunities to kill guards, disable ships, cause significant damage. Instead, they were surgical. Precise. They took only what they came for."

"Just like on Raiju Prime," Lucas said grimly. "The beast horde was a distraction while a smaller team conducted the actual extraction."

"But can we pursue them?" Sophie asked. "If the attack just happened, they can't have gotten far."

Theron shook his head. "That's the problem. Our immediate response teams couldn't track them because of the stealth technology they used. By the time we could organize pursuit craft, they had vanished completely."

Kelvin looked up from his interface with the ship's systems, his expression showing both frustration and grudging respect. "Whoever did this knew our capabilities intimately. The timing, the systems they targeted, the routes they used—it's like they had blueprints of our entire defensive infrastructure."

"However," Theron continued, his voice brightening slightly, "one of our patrol captains managed to tag one of their ships with a tracking device before it entered hyperspace. The signal is still active."

"Where are they headed?" Noah asked, though he suspected the answer would be somewhere they'd never heard of.

"A planet called Oregun," Theron replied. "Remote system, barely explored. But the tracking signal is definitely moving toward that location. If we close the distance well enough, we can find the king with an infused tracker he asked to be placed on him"

Lucy stepped forward, her royal bearing taking over as she addressed the situation with calm authority. "I need to speak to your people. The attack is public so it makes no sense trying to cover up the incident. If King Aurelius has been kidnapped, they need to hear from leadership that the situation is being handled."

"Your Highness, you don't have authority over—"

"I have authority as visiting royalty responding to a crisis that affects interplanetary stability," Lucy interrupted firmly. "Your people need to know that this attack will not go unanswered."

Theron hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with allowing a foreign royal to address Ares citizens. But the desperation in his eyes won out over protocol concerns. "The main communication chamber is this way."

They made their way through corridors that still hummed with emergency activity, past damage control teams and security squads organizing defensive positions. The communication chamber was a sophisticated setup that could broadcast to every ship in the formation simultaneously.

Lucy stood before the main transmission array, her posture radiating confidence despite the crisis surrounding them. When she spoke, her voice carried the kind of natural authority that made people want to believe her.

"People of the Ares fleet," she began, her words transmitted across hundreds of ships. "I am Princess Lucy Grey of Raiju Prime, and I stand before you as both ally and friend to your stolen king."

Her voice grew stronger as she continued. "King Aurelius has been taken by the same enemies who have plagued our families for generations. But this time, they have made a crucial mistake. This time, we were ready. This time, we will hunt them down."

"We have confirmed intelligence placing your king on the planet Oregun. Combined forces from both Ares and Raiju will retrieve him and bring him home safely. The perpetrators of this attack will face justice for their crimes."

The broadcast ended, but the impact was immediate. Through the ship's communication systems, they could hear cheers and expressions of support from across the fleet. Lucy had given them something they desperately needed—hope and leadership in the face of an unprecedented crisis.

"Well done," Theron said with obvious relief. "They needed to hear that."

"Now," Lucy continued, turning back to the team, "we need to plan our approach. If we're going to hit Oregun, we need to do it fast and we need to do it right."

___

Some minutes later, everyone was gathered in a room with tables, chairs and holographic displays.

The war room they gathered in was smaller than the grand chambers they'd seen. Holographic displays showed star charts, fleet positions, and what little intelligence they had about their destination. Theron had been joined by several other senior officers, their faces showing the same mixture of determination and uncertainty.

"Oregun system analysis," one of the officers reported, activating a three-dimensional model of their target. "Single inhabited planet, ocean world with no significant landmasses. Atmospheric composition is breathable for humans, gravity is point-nine standard."

"Ocean world means underwater facilities," Diana observed, studying the planetary data. "Limited approach vectors, natural barriers to conventional assault."

Lucas leaned over the tactical display. "We use the same tactics they used against us. Multiple approach vectors, diversionary assault while a smaller team conducts the extraction."

"Agreed," Theron said. "Three assault groups hit different sections of whatever facility they've established. Draw their attention, force them to divide their defensive response. Meanwhile, a stealth team infiltrates and locates the king."

"I volunteer for extraction," Noah said immediately. "My void abilities work well in confined spaces, and I can get a small team in and out faster than conventional methods."

"I'm with Noah," Kelvin announced. "My technopathic abilities could be useful for bypassing their security systems."

"And I'll provide analytical support," Lyra added. "Pattern recognition, tactical assessment, whatever's needed."

The planning session continued for another hour as they refined approach vectors, communication protocols, and extraction procedures. The fleet's military officers proved to be competent professionals despite their unconventional lifestyle, and Noah found himself impressed by their tactical knowledge.

Finally, as they prepared to gear up for the mission, the war room's doors opened to admit fourteen figures that made everyone pause in surprise.

Queen Lyanna led the group, but she wasn't wearing the elegant gown from the previous evening. Instead, she was dressed in Beast Gear armor that had been customized with Ares modifications—thermal regulation systems, enhanced strength amplification, and weapons integration that made her look like a walking fortress.

Behind her, the other thirteen queens were similarly equipped, their armor bearing the distinctive red and gold coloring of Ares military forces. Each carried weapons that seemed designed for their individual combat specialties—energy rifles, thermal hammers, plasma blades that glowed with contained fire.

"Your Majesties," Theron stammered, clearly not having expected this development. "You can't seriously be considering—"

"Lieutenant," Queen Sera said coldly, her voice carrying authority that made him step backward involuntarily. "My husband has been taken by enemies of our house. If you think we're going to sit in our chambers while others fight to bring him home, you're badly mistaken."

Queen Thessa stepped forward, her hand resting on a weapon that looked like a hammer crossed with a thermal lance. "You seem to have a differing opinion, Theron,"

"The king would have our heads if we let you participate." Theron said, his head slightly bowed.

"And we'll have yours if you try to stop us," Queen Marina added with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Theron looked around desperately for support, but the other officers were carefully avoiding eye contact. Clearly, nobody wanted to be the one to argue with fourteen angry queens wearing military-grade armor.

"Very well," he said finally. "But if anything happens to any of you, the king will blame me personally."

"Nothing will happen to us," Queen Lyanna said with quiet confidence. "We've been training for situations like this our entire lives."