This time she did not chase them. She held position, fired at close range, and used her reinforced hull to deny them the path forward while the rest of the fleet burned them down.
The beasts reacted with anger rather than strategy.
That was their weakness.
The smaller ones surged toward whatever had hurt them most recently. The adults tried to grab ships with their tendrils.
The large leaders pushed through their own swarm, attempting to reach Lysara, perhaps recognizing her as the creature that had wounded them first.
Aurelian adjusted the formation calmly.
"Left escorts, widen. Solenne, cut the smaller ones away from the leaders. Rhoswen, hold your line. Astra, second leader, mark seven."
"Understood," Astra said.
The second leader died under Black Crown’s focused fire, its body splitting apart in a cloud of dark fluid and crystal shards.
The first survived longer, wrapping three tendrils around one of Solenne’s heavier drones before Rhoswen tore through the tendril cluster and freed it.
"Drone rescued," Rhoswen reported.
Solenne sounded amused. "How thoughtful."
"It was in my way."
"Of course."
The battle was more dangerous than the shell-backed hunt, but it stayed under control. The beasts were strong in close combat, yet the fleet never allowed them to turn the engagement into a brawl.
Every time they tried to rush one side, Aurelian shifted the drone screens. Every time a leader pushed forward, Astra or Lysara marked it for concentrated fire.
Every time the smaller beasts scattered, the escorts drove them back toward the center.
Rhoswen performed better than before.
Not perfectly.
At one point, she pushed three hundred kilometers past her assigned line while breaking a leader’s charge, but she corrected herself before Aurelian needed to speak.
That mattered as a commander could not always stop someone in time. The shipgirl had to learn where the limit was and return on her own.
The last large beast tried to flee after the others died.
Rhoswen’s engines flared.
Aurelian watched.
She slowed before crossing the marker and fired instead of chasing.
The beast vanished into the dust, badly wounded but alive.
Rhoswen growled over the channel. "I hate smart decisions."
Astra replied, "You are making more of them."
"That is the problem."
Aurelian allowed himself a quiet laugh. "Good work."
The hunt ended with no shipgirl losses and only minor damage to two escorts. The material yield was far better than the previous hunt.
The larger beasts carried dense source fragments near their inner cores, and their crystal growths held energy-channeling properties that Meridian immediately wanted for shield testing.
Neris approved the storage plan with surprising speed, which meant the materials were valuable enough to overcome her usual desire to nap through meetings.
More importantly, the combat data was excellent.
Eirenne began sorting it almost immediately. "This engagement will improve the Mournveil simulation model significantly. The swarm behavior, tendril engagement range, pursuit response, and leader aggression patterns are all useful."
Rhoswen sounded suspicious. "Does that mean Astra’s simulation will beat me faster?"
"Yes," Eirenne said.
"That was too honest."
"You asked."
Aurelian looked over the results and felt satisfied in a way that had nothing to do with territory.
This was the kind of growth the fleet needed. Controlled risk. Real danger. Useful rewards. No political fallout.
No civilian population is waiting to be governed afterward. No abyssal relic hidden under a starport.
Just a fight, a lesson, and materials that could strengthen the March.
The fleet returned to Glasswake after the recovery drones finished their work.
By then, the outpost had gained another module. Meridian had expanded the repair cradle into a partial docking spine, and the survey relay was now strong enough to maintain stable contact with the nearest route marker. It still had no formal name, but people were already calling it Glasswake Watch in casual channels.
Aurelian heard the name twice before asking Eirenne who started it.
She looked at him innocently.
"That means you," he said.
"It is more elegant than Forward Site One."
"Rhoswen will be pleased."
"She already is."
Aurelian shook his head, but he did not object. Glasswake Watch was a better name, and if the outpost survived long enough to deserve it, he would make it official.
Later that evening, he sent Cassian a report. It included the Auric Maw probe data, the successful controlled hunt, the outpost’s progress, and his recommendation to keep the operation limited for now. He expected a short reply.
Instead, Cassian called.
His father appeared on the command display, standing somewhere aboard his flagship with the dim glow of Karven Spire’s orbit behind him.
"I reviewed your report."
"And?"
"You were right to avoid entering Auric Maw."
"I thought you would say that."
Cassian’s expression remained calm. "The system may be extremely valuable, but if the beast density is as high as your probe suggests, it may also contain something stronger than your current fleet can provoke."
"I agree."
"Continue mapping. Continue training. Do not let curiosity become pressure."
"I won’t."
Cassian looked at him for a moment longer. "The situation in the outer chain remains stable. Varensk has requested a direct relay verification from Karven Spire, but Eirenne’s false procedure delayed them by claiming calibration damage after the battle."
Aurelian glanced toward Eirenne.
She smiled mildly.
Cassian continued, "That will not hold forever."
"How long?"
"Several days. Perhaps a little more if they are distracted. Not weeks."
"Then we finish the first Glasswake phase and prepare to return."
"Good. When you return, we will discuss Virell’s Reach again."
The channel closed.
Aurelian stood quietly for a moment after that.
Astra approached from the side. "You expected the window to shrink."
"I did."
"But hearing it is different."
"Yes."
Rhoswen joined from her channel. "So we hunt for a few more days, then go back to fight Kharov again?"
"Possibly."
"That sounds busy."
"It is."
"Good."
Astra looked at her.
Rhoswen sighed. "Good, assuming proper preparation, clear objectives, and no reckless pursuit."
Aurelian smiled. "Now you are just showing off."
"I deserve praise."
"You did well today."
That seemed to satisfy her more than a joke would have.
Outside the Black Crown, Glasswake Watch glowed softly in the shadow of the crystal belt, still small but no longer fragile. Beyond it, the Ashring Drift turned slowly in the dark, hiding Auric Maw behind storm and dust.
Aurelian looked toward the unfinished map.
They would not enter that place yet.
But one day, they would.
And when they did, he wanted the March to be ready.