Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

She studied her own fleet display.

"One cruiser group, six destroyers, and a carrier support detachment. More if the Arcturus convoy temporarily reinforces the sanctuary perimeter."

Meriel raised an eyebrow.

"You are considering asking an official Alliance survey vessel to remain in a possible combat zone."

"No," Aurelian said. "I am considering asking the Arcturus convoy to cover the sanctuary while my own fleet moves."

"Good."

Rhoswen looked disappointed.

"You should have asked her ship."

Meriel gave her a flat look.

"My survey cruiser has excellent scanners and almost no useful combat armor."

"Then probably not."

Aurelian opened a secure channel to Chief Engineer Maren Dast and the convoy commander.

Neither objected to leaving the support vessels near Sanctuary Ardent for several hours, especially since Solenne would not be taking the whole fleet.

That solved the military problem.

The political problem was different.

Aurelian turned toward the civilian council.

"This is your decision too."

Mirelle Dain looked surprised.

"They are our people."

"Exactly."

She understood.

If Aurelian launched an operation without asking, he could claim it was necessary under his emergency authority.

But the council had just been formed specifically so Sanctuary Ardent’s civilians could begin making decisions again.

This was one of them.

Astercourt opened the transfer list.

"We do not know whether everyone on this list is alive."

"No," Aurelian said.

"And we do not know what condition they are in."

"No."

Vaela looked toward the station marker.

"But we know where they were taken."

Mirelle nodded slowly.

"Then there is nothing to debate."

One of the engineering representatives looked toward her.

"There is always something to debate."

"Not whether we look for them."

That ended most of the discussion.

The council voted within minutes.

Seven in favor of a recovery operation.

None against.

Aurelian sent the authorization into the sanctuary record.

Meriel watched the process without commenting until the vote was complete.

"That will matter if anyone later questions why your fleet entered Compact territory."

"It is still Compact territory," her legal officer pointed out.

Aurelian looked toward him.

"They took Human civilians from this sanctuary and transported them there against their will."

"I am not saying you lack justification. I am saying the Compact will call it an attack."

"They called occupying Sanctuary Ardent administration."

The legal officer stopped.

Meriel looked mildly amused.

"I think that point can wait."

Aurelian agreed.

He turned toward Astra.

"Prepare the Black Crown."

Astra nodded immediately.

Rhoswen’s mood improved.

"And me?"

"You’re coming."

"Finally."

"Do not make me reconsider."

"I said nothing."

"You were about to."

She smiled.

Aurelian opened another channel.

"Lysara."

Her image appeared from Helion Bastion Twelve.

"I assume this concerns Veyra Nine."

"You saw the records."

"Eirenne sent the technical section."

"Can you leave Helion for one operation?"

Lysara checked something outside the channel.

"Yes. The local defenses are stable, and the Compact scout is already secured."

"I want you with us. The station received systems taken from Sanctuary Ardent, and some of them may still use Vhaloric design."

"I will prepare immediately."

That gave Aurelian the core of the operation.

Astra for command and heavy combat.

Rhoswen for close fighting.

Lysara for old systems and technical knowledge.

Solenne would provide the strike group and remain in control of the wider fleet movement.

Neris would handle transport and medical support once the station was secure.

Vaela wanted to go.

Aurelian expected that before she even asked.

"I can help identify the prisoners," she said.

"You are not going in during the first assault."

"I didn’t say I wanted to."

"You were going to."

Vaela stared at him.

Rhoswen leaned toward Astra.

"Everyone knows him too well now."

Astra nodded.

Vaela ignored them.

"I will stay with the medical ships until the station is secure."

"That works."

"Then I am going."

"Yes."

That settled it.

The Alliance delegation had been scheduled to continue inspecting the upper archive that afternoon.

Instead, Meriel requested access to the council chambers while Aurelian prepared to leave.

"I would like to document the decision properly," she explained. "And speak to the council about the transfer records."

Astercourt looked toward Aurelian.

"Any objection?"

"No."

That was another useful change.

A few hours earlier, the council had been something created in a hurry because an Alliance claims officer was coming.

Now Alliance officials were asking the council for permission instead of treating it as something symbolic.

Aurelian had hoped that would happen.

He simply had not expected it so soon.

As preparations began, Eirenne continued opening parts of Sanctuary Ardent that had remained closed during the crisis.

Now that emergency authority, civil recognition, and the main security systems were all working together, there was no longer a reason to keep the awakened population confined to the temporary halls.

Several residential sections had passed environmental checks.

Food stations were working.

Basic transport lifts had been restored.

The council requested that the internal movement restrictions be removed from every safe civilian level.

Aurelian approved it.

The change was immediate.

Doors that had remained locked since the evacuation opened across the sanctuary.

People stepped into corridors they had not seen since before Compact rule ended. Some simply stood outside their rooms for a while, unsure what to do with the fact that nobody was telling them where they were allowed to walk.

Others began exploring almost immediately.

Children were the fastest.

Vaela had to stop three of them from following a maintenance frame into a damaged engineering passage within twenty minutes.

"Perhaps the restrictions were useful," she said afterward.

"They were not intended for children," Eirenne replied.

"Children do not care what things are intended for."

Aurelian was passing through the residential level when the first large group of survivors gathered near the central hall.

He slowed when he saw them.

There were several hundred people there already.

More continued arriving from the side passages.

At first, Aurelian thought the council had called another meeting.

Then he realized most of them were simply there because they had heard he was leaving to search for the people taken to Veyra Nine.

Nobody seemed sure who had started the gathering.