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

The journey back to the Ares fleet passed in relative silence, everyone processing what they'd witnessed. The mass suicide had been unlike anything in their experience, demonstrating a level of fanatical loyalty that made conventional military opposition seem almost quaint by comparison.

The fleet's war room felt smaller somehow when they gathered to discuss their next moves. The holographic displays showed tactical analyses of the failed assault, casualty reports from both sides, and intelligence assessments that raised more questions than they answered.

"So," Kelvin said, breaking the silence that had dominated their return journey. "We've got one surviving elite, approximately three thousand dead fanatics, and basically no actionable intelligence. How exactly do we call this a victory?"

"We proved they can be killed," Lucas pointed out. "That's something."

"Great. We can kill people who are actively trying to commit suicide. That's going to be super useful against an enemy who's been playing this game for centuries," Kelvin said sarcastically.

"We also proved they're vulnerable to coordinated assault," Diana added. "Their shadow abilities are formidable, but they're not invincible."

"Assuming we can find them to assault," Sophie said. "The mass suicide means we've lost any chance of tracking them back to their base of operations."

Theron had been reviewing the tactical data with growing frustration. "Our sensors detected energy signatures that suggest portal technology far beyond anything we've encountered before. They could have additional forces positioned anywhere in the galaxy."

"What about the survivor?" Lyra asked. "The one elite still in Noah's domain?"

"Useless," Noah replied flatly. "He'd rather die than give us information, and he just proved he's willing to kill anyone who might be weaker than him. Interrogating him would be like trying to squeeze water from a stone."

"Could we use enhanced interrogation techniques?" one of the Ares officers suggested. "Pain compliance, sensory deprivation, psychological pressure?"

"You heard what he said about martyrdom," Lucy replied. "Someone that committed to his cause isn't going to break under conventional torture."

Kelvin's mind was working through possibilities, his expression cycling between excitement and frustration as he considered and discarded potential approaches. "What about technological solutions? Neural interface, direct memory access, some kind of brain scanning equipment?"

"Two problems with that," Noah said. "First, he could have some kind of psychological include protection against technological intrusion. Second, we don't have access to equipment sophisticated enough to bypass those protections."

"Memory extraction through other means?" Diana suggested. "Chemical interrogation, hypnotic suggestion, something that works around their psychological conditioning?"

"The Eighth has been operating for centuries," Aurelius pointed out. "Any interrogation technique we can think of, he's probably already prepared countermeasures for."

The discussion continued for another hour, with various team members proposing increasingly elaborate schemes for extracting information from their prisoner. Each suggestion was met with practical objections or technical limitations that made implementation unlikely.

Finally, Noah leaned back in his chair, his expression showing the kind of careful consideration that suggested he'd been thinking about this problem longer than anyone else.

"There is one option we haven't discussed," he said slowly. "Someone with abilities that might bypass conventional defenses."

"Telepathy," Lucas said immediately. "You're talking about telepathic interrogation."

"Exactly. Find someone with powerful enough psychic abilities to extract memories directly, regardless of conditioning or mental barriers."

Kelvin's face lit up with sudden understanding. "Bruce Hilton! The SS-ranked telepath from Sirius Prime! He could crack that elite's mind like an egg!"

"Who's Bruce Hilton?" Theron asked, clearly unfamiliar with the reference.

"Telepathic soldier who was being used by the Harbingers during a mission we were on'" Noah explained. "SS-ranked abilities, specializes in memory extraction and mental manipulation. We rescued him from Harbinger control a month or so."

"And he'd be willing to help us?" Lucy asked.

"After what the Harbingers put him through, he's not exactly fond of people who abuse telepathic abilities for conquest," Noah replied. "Plus, he's retired now. Living quietly on Earth, probably bored out of his mind."

Sophie was nodding as she processed the implications. "That could work. Telepathic extraction would bypass physical conditioning and psychological barriers."

"It would also be completely undetectable," Diana added. "The elite wouldn't even know his memories were being accessed until it was too late."

"There's just one problem," Kelvin said, his enthusiasm dimming slightly. "Getting him here. Earth is weeks away by conventional travel, and we don't know how long our prisoner will remain stable."

"Not an issue," Noah said simply. "I can portal directly to his location and bring him back within seconds."

The room fell silent as everyone processed this solution. After hours of frustrated discussion about impossible interrogation techniques, they'd found an approach that was both practical and likely to succeed.

"That's actually brilliant," Theron said finally. "Telepathic extraction from an SS-ranked specialist. The elite wouldn't be able to resist that level of mental intrusion."

"How quickly could you arrange this?" Aurelius asked. "I'd prefer to extract our intelligence before the Eighth realizes what's happened here."

"Tomorrow morning," Noah replied. "I'll need time to locate Bruce and explain the situation. Bringing him here against his will would be counterproductive."

"Agreed," Lucy said. "This gives us time to prepare the interrogation properly and review what we learned from today's engagement."

As the meeting began to wind down, team members started discussing logistics and preparation for the next day's operation. The mood had shifted from frustration to anticipation as they finally had a concrete plan for moving forward.

"Alright, everyone get some rest," Noah said, standing from his chair. "Tomorrow we get answers. Tonight, we recover from this mess."

The team began to disperse, moving through the fleet's corridors toward their assigned quarters. The day had been exhausting—physically from the combat, mentally from the revelations about the scale of the Eighth's organization.

Noah was the last to leave the war room, taking a moment to review the tactical displays one final time. The casualty reports were staggering—over three thousand enemy dead, with zero prisoners except for their single surviving elite. It was the kind of complete victory that should have felt satisfying, but something about the mass suicide bothered him.

People didn't just choose death that readily unless they had something more important to protect than their own lives.

As he finally headed toward his quarters, Noah passed Lyra in one of the corridor junctions. She was walking slowly, her head down, clearly lost in thought about the day's events.

"Hell of a day," he said, pausing beside her.

"Yeah," she replied, not looking up. "Hell of a day."

There was something in her tone that made him study her more carefully, but she was already continuing down the corridor toward her quarters. Probably just exhausted like everyone else.

Noah completed his journey to his own room, his mind already working through the details of tomorrow's mission to Earth. Finding Bruce Hilton shouldn't be difficult—the man lived openly for one and secondly, he had a link with Bruce. Convincing him to help might take some negotiation, but the situation was compelling enough that Noah expected cooperation.

As he settled into bed, Noah felt something approaching satisfaction for the first time since this crisis had begun. They finally had a concrete plan for extracting actionable intelligence, and more importantly, they'd proven that the Eighth's forces could be defeated through coordinated assault.

Tomorrow, they'd start getting answers.

---

Three corridors away, Lyra closed her quarters' door and activated the privacy screens that would prevent electronic surveillance. She pulled out a communication device that looked like a standard tablet but bore subtle modifications that suggested more sophisticated capabilities.

Her fingers moved across the interface with speed, composing a message that would reach its destination through channels no one could monitor.

*They captured one man alive. Planning telepathic extraction tomorrow using a man named Bruce Hilton. SS-ranked telepath from Earth. Operation compromised. Recommend immediate extraction or elimination of asset before interrogation begins.*

She transmitted the message, then deleted all traces of its existence from the device's memory. The communication would reach its destination within hours, traveling through networks that predated the seven families' current intelligence systems.

___

The morning air aboard the Ares fleet carried the scent of recycled atmosphere mixed with the faint metallic tang of thermal energy systems running at full capacity. Noah stood in the main corridor outside his quarters, stretching muscles that had spent too much time in cramped spaces and not enough time in actual combat.

The team had gathered without being summoned, that peculiar military instinct that made people appear when something important was about to happen. Lucas and Lucy flanked the corridor's main junction, their conversation low but animated. Kelvin was examining one of his mechanical arms with the focused attention of someone who had nothing better to do but was trying to look busy. Diana and Sophie stood near the viewport, watching the distant stars through reinforced glass.

"You sure you want to go alone?" Lucas asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

Noah adjusted the hook of his belt as he turned to answer Lucas, "It's just a pickup mission. I can appear right beside Bruce thanks to the domain link, explain the situation, and be back within minutes depending on how he takes it."

"Could be a trap," Diana pointed out, her mind working through scenarios.

"On Earth? Doubtful. Bruce retired after Sirius Prime specifically to get away from this kind of conflict." Noah's voice carried the confidence of someone who'd thought this through. "Besides, if there is trouble, I can extract both of us faster than any conventional threat can respond."

Sophie stepped away from the viewport, moving close enough to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Be careful anyway."

"Always am," Noah replied with a slight smile.

Kelvin looked up from his mechanical diagnostics. "Bring him back in one piece, yeah? We need his brain intact for the mind-reading thing to work properly."

"I'll try not to let him get shot," Noah said dryly.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the domain link that connected him to every person he'd transported.

"Domain Link: Bruce Hilton," he said clearly.

[Domain link activated]

[Match : Bruce Hilton]

Purple void energy erupted around Noah's form, wrapping him in luminescent static that made the air itself seem to vibrate. The energy intensified until his entire body was consumed by purple light, then collapsed inward like a reversed explosion.

Where Noah had been standing, only empty corridor remained.

The team stared at the spot for several seconds, that peculiar human habit of looking at places where people used to be.

"Still impressive every time," Lucy said finally, breaking the spell.

Lucas nodded as they began walking toward the command section. "His abilities aren't just combat advantages. The tactical flexibility alone changes how we can operate."

"Yeah," Kelvin agreed, falling into step beside them. "Our boy Noah's the real MVP of this whole operation. Without his void powers, we'd still be chasing shadows across half the galaxy."

As they reached the corridor junction, Kelvin suddenly brightened with the expression of someone who'd just remembered something important. "Speaking of which, I should probably go check on my matrimonial empire while we're waiting. Seventy-three fiancées don't manage themselves, you know."

Sophie and Diana exchanged glances. "Your what now?" Diana asked.

"My fiancées! From the party! Surely you remember the extensive marriage proposals I distributed throughout the celebration?" Kelvin's grin was absolutely radiant. "I need to coordinate wedding plans, discuss dowry arrangements, figure out the logistics of multiple simultaneous ceremonies..."

He began skipping down the corridor with the cheerful energy of someone embarking on a delightful side quest.

"He's going to get himself in so much trouble," Sophie said, watching him disappear around the corner.

"Want to spar while we wait?" Diana asked. "The training deck should be empty this time of day."

"Sure. Lyra, you want to join us?"

Lyra looked up from where she'd been standing quietly near the wall, her attention clearly elsewhere. "Oh, thanks, but I promised Queen Sera I'd help her with some supply coordination. Administrative stuff."

She hurried away before anyone could respond, leaving Sophie and Diana alone in the corridor.

"Just us then," Diana said with a shrug.

---