Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

"Allow it," Aurelian said. "But under supervision."

"Vaela requested to attend."

"She can."

Rhoswen looked toward the prisoner wing.

"Can I attend?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I want them to answer questions."

"I can ask questions."

"I know."

"That sounded insulting."

"It was practical."

Rhoswen sighed.

Aurelian returned to the Compact records.

One detail bothered him.

The courier had not been alone when it entered the region.

Its navigation log showed a short-range communication handshake with another vessel two jumps before reaching Sanctuary Ardent. That ship had not appeared on the sanctuary sensors.

"Eirenne, what was this?"

"I am still checking."

"Another scout?"

"Possibly."

Aurelian enlarged the record.

The second ship used a merchant identification signal, but its transmission encryption matched Compact naval equipment.

It had separated from the courier at a system called Greywake Passage, a quiet route beyond the Compact frontier.

One ship came to Sanctuary Ardent.

The other went somewhere else.

"Direction?"

Eirenne traced the old jump.

The result appeared across the map.

The second ship had moved toward the broader region surrounding the Crownward March.

Astra’s expression changed slightly.

"They split the search."

"Yes."

Rhoswen stopped joking.

"Can Solenne catch it?"

"Not if we do not know where it is."

Aurelian studied the possible routes.

There were too many.

Some led toward Mournveil.

Others approached the outer trade paths near Larkspur Haven.

One curved toward old abandoned systems that might offer a hidden route into Crownward territory.

Aurelian opened a channel to Solenne.

She appeared from the Dawn Petal’s bridge.

"We found evidence of another Compact scout."

"Where?"

"Unknown. It separated from the captured courier before Sanctuary Ardent and moved toward Crownward space."

Solenne immediately opened her own tactical map.

"How long ago?"

"Roughly fourteen hours."

"That is too much time."

"I know."

"If it kept moving, it could already be near one of the outer routes."

Aurelian looked toward Astra.

"We need to warn Larkspur and Helion."

Eirenne had already begun sending encrypted messages.

Solenne studied the likely approach paths.

"I can send scouts, but I will not strip the sanctuary screen."

"Agreed."

"Then I can cover three routes properly."

"There are at least six."

"Yes."

Aurelian thought for several seconds.

This was exactly the kind of problem the Crownward March would face more often now.

He had more territory than before.

More people.

More valuable locations.

More routes that needed watching.

But his fleet had not multiplied just because his responsibilities had.

Quality remained his priority.

That also meant he could not scatter powerful shipgirls across every empty system simply because an enemy scout might appear.

"Use patrol craft and drones on the outer routes," he decided. "Keep your shipgirls concentrated around places that matter."

Solenne nodded.

"Larkspur, Helion, and Sanctuary Ardent."

"Yes."

"What about the Mournveil approaches?"

"Lysara knows them better than anyone. I’ll contact her."

The channel closed.

Eirenne opened another secure connection.

Lysara answered from Helion Bastion Twelve.

Behind her, part of the bastion’s old command level was visible, along with several engineers working near a wall display.

Aurelian explained the missing scout.

Lysara listened carefully.

"If the vessel entered Mournveil without proper route information, there are only two paths it would likely survive."

"Can you watch both?"

"Yes, but I recommend something else."

A map appeared.

One of the likely paths passed through a narrow region of dust and magnetic interference before opening toward a quiet system outside Helion’s normal patrol area.

"If I place passive sensors here," Lysara continued, "we can detect a ship leaving the route without revealing that we are watching it."

"How soon?"

"Three hours."

"Do it."

"I will."

She looked toward him.

"The Compact is becoming interested in your roads."

"Our roads are becoming harder to hide."

"That was always going to happen."

Aurelian knew.

He had used secrecy as an advantage for as long as possible.

Now the Crownward March needed something stronger than secrecy.

It needed control.

Reliable patrols.

Known routes.

Hidden routes that stayed hidden.

Settlements capable of defending themselves long enough for help to arrive.

Helion Bastion Twelve had the beginnings of that.

Larkspur Haven did not.

"Prepare two additional patrol groups around Helion," Aurelian said. "Not for the scout. For whatever comes after it."

Lysara nodded once.

"Understood."

The channel ended.

Several hours passed without another emergency.

That alone felt unusual.

Elya Sorn remained stable after treatment.

Doctor Marr approved two more low-risk patients for the matrix, though Aurelian insisted they wait until the first twenty-four-hour observation period was complete.

The civilian council finalized its first official statement.

Sanctuary Ardent would accept Alliance inspection of visible historical and occupation records, but private medical systems, population records, and restricted defense infrastructure would remain closed unless the council approved access.

The wording was firm without being hostile.

Cassian’s legal office made only minor changes.

By the time the statement was ready, the Alliance survey vessel was less than fourteen hours away.

Aurelian was reading the final version when Eirenne received another report.

This one came from the captured courier interrogation.

Vaela had spoken with the crew alongside two members of the civilian council.

The courier captain had answered more questions than expected.

Not because he suddenly supported Aurelian.

Because he was afraid of going back.

"Why?" Aurelian asked.

Eirenne displayed the interrogation summary.

The captain believed Saevor Drann had already begun arresting officers connected to the loss of Sanctuary Ardent.

Several researchers who had worked there were missing.

Two logistics officials had been detained for failing to secure the denial charges.

A communications officer had apparently disappeared after admitting that the Compact never understood the old Human command network.

Rhoswen read the report.

"So they are cleaning up their own people."

"Yes," Aurelian said.

The courier captain expected the same treatment if he returned after failing his mission.

That was why he had surrendered quickly once Solenne trapped him.

He feared the Compact more than Human imprisonment.

Aurelian disliked that kind of enemy structure.

Fear could keep people obedient for a long time.

Then, when it stopped working, everything could break at once.