Ruptura

This Spanish-language science fiction serial, "Ruptura" by Clark Carrados, begins with spaceman Myrin Kopper, sole survivor of the merchant vessel Massilia, pinned down under fire from Extharían forces on planet Exthar V. After an overwhelming assault kills his entire crew, Kopper is captured and loses consciousness. He awakens in a cave to discover his injuries mysteriously healed and his appearance surgically altered—hair now black, facial features reconstructed, eye color changed. The Extharían leader Sbinia, a woman of supreme authority, reveals the truth: Kopper's ship was engaged in piracy, not legitimate commerce. She has transformed him into an assassin renamed Alvan Bett and demands he commit a murder off-world to serve Exthar V's political survival, threatening death if he refuses. Kopper learns thirty-nine days have passed during his captivity and extensive surgery.