Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

After the main fleet docked, the unloading began. Mournveil materials were moved into restricted storage under Neris’s and Meridian’s joint supervision, with Eirenne keeping scans on anything that looked remotely unstable.

Several crates were marked for Elowen, including the conductive fibers and energy glands Aurelian believed might be useful for ecological refit work. Others were reserved for shield testing, repair systems, and long-term research.

Neris appeared in person during the transfer, looking sleepy but satisfied as sealed containers moved through the cargo lane.

"This is a good haul."

"That sounds like high praise from you," Aurelian said.

"It is."

Meridian, standing nearby with a tablet in hand, did not look nearly as relaxed. "It would be better if half of it did not twitch."

"It stopped twitching."

"It should never have started."

"That seems unreasonable for beast parts."

Meridian looked at him. "Commander, I am an engineer. I reserve the right to hate organic materials that continue expressing opinions after death."

Aurelian had no real answer to that.

Astra looked faintly amused.

The rest period after the return was brief but necessary. Aurelian ordered the main shipgirls to rest for one full watch cycle unless emergency orders came through.

Rhoswen tried to argue that simulation training did not count as work. Astra told her it counted if she shouted at the screen, and that ended the debate more effectively than Aurelian expected.

He also slept for several hours.

Not enough, according to Elara, if she had been present.

Enough for now, according to him.

When he woke, Cassian’s summons was already waiting.

The meeting took place aboard Cassian’s Tier VII flagship, still positioned near Karven Spire’s relay perimeter.

Aurelian arrived with Astra, while Eirenne joined through secure projection. The command chamber was smaller than the grand strategic hall used during the first meetings, but more active.

Live maps covered three walls, showing Karven Spire, Nhalis, the outer chain, Varensk patrol routes, and the expected path of the inspection flotilla.

Cassian stood before the central table with several senior officers and two branch commanders.

He did not waste time.

"The inspection flotilla is moving faster than expected," he said. "They are not coming in strength. Six major warships, twelve escorts, several inspection cutters, and one command vessel. Enough to verify a relay problem, not enough to retake the chain."

Aurelian studied the projected route. "Do they suspect occupation?"

"Not yet," Eirenne said. "Their message traffic indicates irritation and suspicion, not alarm. They believe Karven Spire’s command staff may be hiding damage, incompetence, or unauthorized action."

Rhoswen would have called that rude.

Aurelian thought it was useful.

"If they arrive and see the system, the deception ends," he said.

"Yes," Cassian replied. "So they cannot arrive normally."

One branch commander leaned forward. "We intercept and destroy them?"

"That is one option," Cassian said. "But destruction raises questions when they fail to return. A better option may be capture, followed by controlled signals through their command vessel."

Aurelian understood the idea immediately. "Use them to extend the deception."

"Exactly."

Eirenne expanded the communication model. "If we capture the command vessel intact, I can use its authentication keys to send confirmation that Karven Spire suffered internal relay damage after a local security purge but remains loyal and operational. That may buy more time."

"How much?"

"Difficult to estimate. Days at minimum. Possibly two weeks if Varensk is distracted."

Cassian looked at Aurelian. "The front near Varensk is not quiet. Our scouts show they are moving forces toward their inner dispute with a rival Kharov bloc. That may be why the inspection flotilla is small."

Aurelian absorbed that carefully.

The Kharov were not one perfect machine. They had commanders, factions, rival ambitions, and strained resources like anyone else.

That had been true from the beginning, but every new report made it clearer. Varensk might be dangerous, but it could also be distracted.

That created space.

Aurelian looked at the inspection route again. "Where do we take them?"

Cassian highlighted a dim system between Karven Spire and the inspection path. "Here. Dead rocks, weak star, poor sensors. We stage a false relay maintenance zone and let them approach. Eirenne blinds their long-range transmissions. We disable the escorts first, board the command vessel, and prevent any escape."

"Risk of warning burst?"

"Moderate," Eirenne said. "Lower if the Black Crown assists with command suppression."

Astra spoke for the first time. "We can."

Cassian nodded. "I expected that."

Aurelian studied the enemy formation. Six major warships and twelve escorts would not threaten the family force if handled properly.

The danger was not battle. It was information. One warning, leaving the system too early could force Varensk to move before the March finished stabilizing the captured chain.

"Then we capture them," Aurelian said. "But we should keep the visible force limited at first. If they see the full family fleet immediately, they may panic and burn every channel they have."

Cassian’s gaze sharpened slightly with approval. "Agreed."

The plan formed quickly after that.

Aurelian would lead the visible interception group with Astra, Solenne, Lysara, and a small escort wing.

Rhoswen would remain hidden on the flank until the enemy committed. Cassian’s flagship would stay outside normal detection range, ready to intervene if the Kharov attempted something unexpected.

Eirenne would handle signal suppression, while family boarding teams prepared to seize the command vessel the moment its shields failed.

Rhoswen did not like being hidden again.

She accepted it anyway.

Progress.

The inspection flotilla arrived eighteen hours later.

Aurelian watched them appear on the edge of the dead system, their formation neat but not particularly cautious. They expected annoyance, not war. Their command vessel sent a sharp verification demand toward the false maintenance beacon Eirenne had planted.

Eirenne answered in Kharov formatting.

Aurelian did not ask how insulting the reply was.

Judging by Eirenne’s small smile, it was probably very polite and deeply irritating.

The flotilla moved closer.

Aurelian waited until every enemy ship entered the interdiction pocket.

Then Eirenne closed the net.

Their long-range communications vanished first. Not with a dramatic burst, but with quiet precision.

Their ships kept transmitting, but nothing escaped the system. Then the false beacon died, the March escort wing revealed itself, and the Black Crown’s systems pressed down on the Kharov command network like a hand closing around a throat.

The enemy reacted faster than expected.

Not well enough though.