I slowly felt myself wake. My eyelids felt heavy as my body slowly returned to consciousness. My muscles ached from the previous day, the poorly explained Nexus integration, the fever, and Sera’s gentle hands cradling my head. The pounding in my head had dulled a little, something I was grateful for; it was now a manageable throb. Still, The aches in my limbs constantly reminded me how much my body had been put through.

Blinking, I tried focusing on the faint light filtering through the top of the bed cover. I moved slightly, noticing the bed felt emptier than I remembered. Looking around, I noticed that Sera was gone.

Jax sat slumped in a chair by the bed. His familiar presence was oddly comforting. He looked up as he heard me stir, his brow furrowing slightly in concern before relaxing as he saw my eyes open.

“Good Morning, Alex,” Jax said in his usual gruff tone, though his voice had an undercurrent of relief. “Feeling better?”

“Better,” I replied, my voice was still hoarse, though the burning in my throat had subsided. “Where’s Sera?”

Jax shifted in his seat, his expression briefly unreadable. “She left earlier. She said to tell you she had to return to her family’s home planet. Urgent business, apparently.”

I felt my heart sink at that, though I wasn’t surprised. Her absence left a hollow ache in my chest. I’d known she had other obligations, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her sudden departure, but I pushed the feeling aside. I knew I would see her again soon.

"She said she’ll see you on Drakara," Jax added, standing and reaching into his coat pocket. “Here.” He tossed a small silver case onto the bed beside me. “Suppression blockers. Take the two now, and they’ll help with the Nexus integration. It won’t solve the whole problem, but they’ll keep the changes at bay until you're fully adjusted. I had the doctor arrange them for you.”

I looked at the case before I picked it up, Lifting the lid to reveal two blue tablets inside. I sighed and popped the tablets into my mouth, swallowing them dry. The bitter aftertaste made me wince as a tingling sensation spread across my tongue. “How long until…?”

“Your father’s waiting to meet with you,” Jax interrupted his voice firm but not unkind. “Figured you’d want to get cleaned up before facing him again.”

I nodded, ignoring my protesting muscles, as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, only to end up facing the wrong way. With a quiet curse, I steadied myself and stood, my legs shaky but stronger than the day before. I smiled. My limbs still protested but held steady as I forced them into motion. It was an improvement, a small one, but an improvement nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself as the feeling of responsibility pressed back onto my shoulders.

“I’ll be ready soon,” I muttered, glancing toward the adjoining room where the shower waited.

Jax gave a short nod. “I’ll be outside.”

I watched as Jax left before I made my way to the oversized bathroom. I think I complained about the absurdity of the bathroom size every time I had to use it. Turning on the shower, I slowly peel off the rumpled clothes I had slept in. I groaned as the hot water washed over me, soothing the sore muscles and clearing the remaining fog from my mind.

As the steam filled the room, I gave myself a moment of calm clarity. My thoughts drifted to Sera, to how she cared for me without hesitation. Something had shifted between us, and I felt it deep down, though I couldn’t quite grasp what had changed.

But sadly, there wasn’t time to dwell on that now. Not with my adoptive father waiting for me.

After dressing in fresh clothes, I wore dark military-style pants and a simple shirt that fit snugly against my frame. I stepped out of my room, nodding to JAx as he fell in behind me again.

I needed to find out what my mother had said to him. His new behaviour was frustrating. It was like he was afraid to talk to me like we used to. I shook my head. I’d file it away for the future if I ever had the time to revisit it.

I headed straight for my dammed father’s office. The grand corridors of the estate echoed with each step, the weight of the situation looming over me like a shadow. Every time, I had been summoned to his office. It was never good news. Always something or another that I had done wrong or needed to see. It never changed.

I arrived at the door to my adoptive father, Duke Marcus Draven’s office, pausing briefly to straighten my shirt before entering. The room was as imposing as ever; my father stood by the large window overlooking the estate’s sprawling gardens. His back was to me. I noticed his hands were clasped behind him as he gazed at me.

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“Father,” I greeted him, Trying to keep my voice steady as I closed the door behind me.

Duke Draven turned slowly, his sharp eyes scanning over my form with a mixture of appraisal and something unreadable. “Alex. You look... well, considering.”

“I’m fine,” I replied, though both knew it wasn’t entirely true. I was anything but fine.

The Duke gestured for me to sit, his expression softening momentarily before the look of disappointment I knew so well came back. “There are matters we need to discuss. Drakara’s situation has grown… complicated.”

I tensed. I already knew where this conversation was headed. And I wouldn’t say I liked it one bit. Jax had told me on the walk that Drakara’s population were starting to attack each other.

“There have been civil unrests,” the Duke continued, calm but carrying an undeniable weight. “Fights breaking out between the cities. Some factions are dissatisfied with the transition of power, questioning your right to lead.” His eyes locked with mine. “It’s not unexpected. You have not been to the planet yet. We need to correct this.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” I muttered, frustration bubbling up. “Why not just send the military to control the population if it’s that serious?”

The Duke’s expression hardened. “You don’t have a choice. Drakara is your responsibility now, whether you like the idea or not. It’s time you took control. The people need to see you as their leader.”

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing as I tried to find a way out. I had known this was coming, but its weight still felt overwhelming. My father’s words echoed in his head. Drakara is your responsibility now.

“You’ll be leaving within the hour,” the Duke continued, walking back to his desk and picking up a data pad. “The Vanguard, your new ship, is waiting for you in the hangar. You’ll depart immediately for Drakara.”

“The Vanguard?” I said as I raised an eyebrow. “That’s… not the ship I was expecting.” Something about this new ship felt off. It wasn’t just a gift; it was bait. A lure toward something I wasn’t ready to face.

“Consider it an upgrade,” the Duke said dryly, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I expect you’ll use it wisely.”

I wanted to argue, to protest that I wasn’t ready to take on such a monumental task, but the look in my father’s eyes silenced my protests. There was no room to argue. No room for hesitation, no room for doubt. My adoptive father had laid out where he stood, and I knew better than to try to change his mind now.

“Fine,” I muttered As I pushed up from the chair. “I’ll leave within the hour.” I turned to leave, but the Duke’s voice stopped me. “Alex.”

I paused, glancing back over my shoulder. My father's face was hard as he nodded. “You were raised for this. Don’t let me down.”

I felt my anger rise as I struggled to contain it. Raised for this? He always said that my future had been decided before I knew who I was. With simple nod, I left his office, my mind was spinning as I tried to process the weight of my father’s expectations. I knew I had been kidding myself that I could somehow get out of this. I had gotten a nexus designed with the hope that I still could. I found Jax waiting for me just outside the door as I closed it behind me.

“Check if Zara’s ship, the Razorwing, is ready,” I said as I walked away from the door.

Jax nodded. “It will be. Everything’s set.”

I let out a long breath, preparing myself for the road ahead. Drakara was waiting, and with it, the unknown challenges that would test me as both a leader and a man.

Jax cleared his throat, his sharp eyes scanning Alex’s face as he fell into step beside him. “I don’t know if your father mentioned it, but the Vanguard is waiting for you. But it isn't planet side. It is docked in orbit, on the station.”

A groan escaped me as my expression tightened. “Of course it is,” I muttered under my breath. My dammed father never did things the simple way. “I’m not taking it.”

Jax gave him a sideways glance. “What do you mean? It’s a new frigate. State-of-the-art, from what I’ve heard.”

“I don’t care,” I snapped as we made our way down the corridor. “I want to take Zara’s ship. Can you find out if it’ll be ready to leave within the hour?”

Jax raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “Alright,” he said, pulling out his comm and tapping in the frequency for the landing pad crew. He took a few steps away from me, speaking into the comm as he waited for a response.

As Jax spoke into the device, I caught the faint sound of raised voices on the other end. It didn’t take long before Zara’s distinct tone cut through the static. I couldn’t make out the exact words, but Zara’s sharp tone hinted at something else, a frustration that felt like it ran deeper than the usual rush-job chaos.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Jax grumbled into the comm, clearly trying to calm whatever chaos Zara was in the midst of. He glanced at me and gave me a half-hearted shrug as if to say, This is just Zara being Zara.

We hadn’t known Zara long, but I knew one thing for sure. It was that she knew her ship, and she knew how it ran.

After a few more terse exchanges, Jax finally disconnected the call, tucking the comm back into his jacket pocket. “Well, that was... lively,” he said with a smirk. “Zara’s not thrilled about the rush job, but the ship will be ready. She’ll meet us in the hangar.”

“Good,” I smiled as I replied. I glanced out the large windows lining the corridor, my eyes drifting up toward the sky, imagining the space station and the Vanguard floating in orbit. Something about the new ship and my father’s insistence on it didn’t sit right with me.

“We’ll send the Vanguard ahead,” I said, taking Jax by surprise. “Let them scout the path to Drakara. We’ll follow behind in the Razorwing.”

Jax folded his arms, giving me a knowing look. “You don’t trust him, do you?”

I shook my head. “Trust him? I don’t trust anything about this. The ship, timing, and plan are all too convenient. No. I’m not walking into whatever trap he’s setting.”

Jax let out a low hum of agreement. “Can’t blame you. The Vanguard might be top of the line, but the Razorwing... that’s Zara’s ship. It’ll get you where you need to go, no questions asked.”

I nodded. “Exactly.”

Jax clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll let the crew know to prep the Vanguard for the jump to Drakara, then. We’ll follow once they’re clear.”

“Good,” I replied. My mind was already racing ahead, and I was planning the next steps. Whatever was waiting for me on Drakara. Civil unrest, rebellion, or something far worse, I wouldn’t trust my father’s ship or his father’s plan. Not now or ever. I would do this my way.