Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

Ellion opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh light of the Hecron medical room. His head pounded with a dull ache, and his body felt heavy and sluggish. He sat up, feeling as if he’d been run over by a herd of wild paraks . A figure leaned over him—a female Hecron with sharp, intelligent eyes.

“How do you feel?” the Hecron doctor asked. Her voice was steady and calm.

Ellion rubbed a hand over his face, trying to clear the fog from his mind. “Dizzy,” he replied, his voice raspy. “Nauseous.” He reached up to touch the spot behind his ear where the implant had been, but his fingers met fine stitches and bare skin.

“The surgery was a success,” announced a different voice in the room. It was Yuric, sitting casually in a seat against the wall. “Virani was able to remove the Axis’ implant. We’re keeping it though. Some of my researchers want to study it.” He waved a hand as if this part didn’t interest him. “It’s probably in little pieces by now.”

Ellion didn’t care what happened to the implant as long as it was out of his head. His heart raced as he digested the masar’s words. The implant was gone. The tool the Axis used to erase his memories was no longer part of him. “Thank you,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude.

“It’s a sophisticated device, capable of manipulating your memories and transmitting limited information to the Axis,” the doctor said, her gaze fixed on Ellion. “We’re glad it’s no longer functional, but it’s likely the Axis are aware that it’s been deactivated.”

Ellion nodded. “They already knew I wasn’t playing along. I am in your debt.”

The masar’s smile widened, his gaze softening slightly. “We are glad to help, Overseer. The Hecrons have long sought freedom from the Axis’ control. Your…change of heart has given us hope that change is possible.”

“Less of a change of heart.” Ellion’s chest ached with a mix of gratitude and determination. He knew that the fight against the Axis was far from over, but he also knew that with the Hecrons by his side, they stood a chance of breaking free from their oppression. “More like waking up from a bad dream.”

Yuric’s gaze fixed on Ellion. “Long overdue, Overseer,” he said, his voice firm. “The Axis have controlled you and your memories for centuries, I’m told. My ancestors faced you in battle. You’ve left marks on all my forebears.” He crossed his arms. “What can you tell us about the fortress?”

Ellion considered this, his mind pieced together the fragments of his memories. “I believe the fortress is capable of interstellar travel, but it has been dormant for so long its systems are likely degraded. With repairs and the right crew, however, it could be a powerful weapon against the Axis.”

Yuric’s eyes narrowed. “And the Terians? They will not fight with us. If anything, they will fight against us, even though they are not warriors and they have no weapons.”

Ellion nodded, understanding the Hecron’s concern. “The Terians have been indoctrinated to believe that the Axis is divine, that they are our saviors. We will need to show them the truth—that the Axis are a conglomerate that profit from imprisoning entire species, including the Terians.”

Yuric’s gaze darkened, his expression turning serious. “If we destroy the communications array, the Axis will respond with force. They will not take kindly to the destruction of their property.”

Ellion’s jaw tightened. He’d considered this many times. “The Axis have countless penal colonies. This one is dwindling, no longer profitable for them. They may not bother with an all-out war. They might send a squadron, but we can handle that.”

“And if we are faced with war?”

Ellion met his gaze. “Then we fight it.”

Yuric chuckled. “It would be enjoyable to fight with the dragon for once, instead of against it. And your memories?” he asked. “Do they return?”

Ellion grimaced. “In fragments,” he admitted. “It is confusing, out of order. But they are returning. I remember my brothers—five of them, scattered throughout the galaxy. And I remember the fortress—how to operate its command center.”

Yuric’s eyes shone with a fierce determination. “If you can operate the fortress’s command center, and if we can convince the Terians to join us, we stand a chance if the Axis send more than a squadron.” He rubbed his chin. “I will say that my people have longed to travel beyond this solar system, but there is such fear of the Axis that no transports will carry us when they know where we’re from. But if that fortress is a ship…”

Ellion could see where Yuric was going with this. He also knew that the Hecron masar would be hunting every advantage for his people. Any good leader would do the same. “We need to break the Axis’ control over the planet, then we can arrange for more travel off world for your people,” he said. “But first, we need to destroy the communications array. Without it, the Axis can’t send orders or enforce their will.”

As the Hecron medical team cleared the room, Yuric and Ellion began to discuss their plan in greater detail. The Zaruxian and the Hecron masar discussed the layout of the Axis’ communications array, the strengths and weaknesses of its defenses, and the locations of key control nodes that needed to be taken out. Ellion, drawing on his slowly returning memories, offered insights into the array’s structure and potential vulnerabilities. Even as he spoke, he knew the ships were on the way. The Axis coming to take from him the only thing that mattered—Turi.