Cassian’s eyes rested on him for a moment. "Good."
That one word carried more weight than a long compliment.
The meeting ended with several decisions.
The captured inspection flotilla would remain hidden in the dead system until Eirenne finished stripping its useful systems.
The surviving Kharov officers would be interrogated carefully, especially the communication staff and route officers.
Karven Spire and Nhalis would continue to stabilize under joint supervision by March and Arcturus.
Virell’s Reach planning would accelerate, but the attack itself would wait until Varensk’s wider movements became clearer.
Aurelian’s fleet would return to Larkspur Haven for refit, rest, and preparation.
That last order sounded simple.
It was not.
The fleet had been moving almost constantly. First, the family expedition, then the captured chain, then Glasswake, then the inspection ambush.
Even shipgirls needed time to recover. Their bodies did not tire in exactly the same way humans did, but their minds still carried strain.
Their ships also needed maintenance, ammunition replacement, drone rebuilding, shield tuning, and system cleaning after Mournveil’s dust had found creative ways to settle where it was not welcome.
When Aurelian returned to the Black Crown, he called the fleet together on a secure channel.
"We return to Larkspur Haven. Full maintenance cycle. Rest rotations begin after docking. No one starts a private training binge without approval."
Rhoswen was silent for two full seconds.
That was suspicious.
Aurelian looked at her display. "Rhoswen."
"I was not going to ask."
"You were thinking about it."
"That is different."
Astra spoke calmly. "Not different enough."
Rhoswen sighed. "Fine. I will rest responsibly."
Solenne smiled. "That phrase sounds unnatural coming from you."
"It feels unnatural."
The fleet returned to Haven at a controlled speed. By the time they arrived, the starport had already prepared repair berths and supply lanes.
Neris had arranged the incoming material shipments with almost frightening accuracy, and Astercourt had blocked off three sections of the station from anyone without proper clearance after discovering that two family engineers had tried to enter a March-only storage area "just to look around."
They were reassigned to inventory verification.
Nobody envied them.
Aurelian approved the punishment.
The moment the Black Crown docked, repair crews moved in. Astra’s ship had not suffered serious damage, but Tier V systems were complex and not something anyone wanted to leave unchecked.
The Crimson Bulwark needed more work after repeated strain from the shield and close combat.
Solenne’s carrier wing entered rapid drone replacement. Lysara’s laser arrays required recalibration after extended use inside Glasswake’s reflective dust.
Meridian’s teams immediately began complaining about the amount of crystal residue inside everyone’s external systems.
Complaining, in Meridian’s case, meant progress.
Aurelian spent the first hours after docking moving from report to report rather than from meeting to meeting, which felt like an improvement until Astercourt appeared and handed him a summary of every issue awaiting approval.
He stared at it.
"This is not a summary."
"It is."
"This is a small book."
"It used to be larger."
Aurelian slowly looked at her.
Astercourt’s expression did not move. "You were gone for several days."
"I noticed."
"So did the work."
Eirenne’s projection appeared beside them with a gentle smile. "I reduced the urgent list by thirty-one percent before you arrived."
Aurelian looked at her. "Thank you."
Astercourt added, "And I reduced it by making people stop pretending their preferences were emergencies."
"Also, thank you."
For the next several hours, he worked through approvals. Construction priority at Larkspur Haven. Civil bureau authority on Nhalis. Quarantine funding for Vortan.
Expansion of secured storage for Mournveil materials. Assignment of Orvain’s first group of young commanders to controlled patrol routes under Darian’s supervision.
Initial testing of Eirenne’s fleet simulation as an official training platform for selected officers.
That last item made him pause.
"Simulation testing is ready already?"
Eirenne nodded. "The Glasswake data helped. I recommend starting with small groups. Shipgirls first, then commanders and officers. The system should not be treated as entertainment during official cycles."
Rhoswen, who was not supposed to be in this channel, spoke immediately. "That sounds targeted."
"It is," Astra said.
Aurelian rubbed his forehead. "How did she get into this channel?"
Eirenne looked entirely innocent. "She may have been listening for training-related announcements."
"That is not an answer."
"It is a likely explanation."
Astercourt looked at Aurelian. "Do you want me to add unauthorized channel access to the disciplinary queue?"
Rhoswen vanished from the channel.
Aurelian sighed. "No."
The simulation platform was approved for controlled testing.
It was too useful to ignore. Mournveil had already proved that real combat data could improve the fleet faster than standard drills, but real combat always came at a cost.
A simulation based on actual battle conditions, one that allowed shipgirls to fight freely and lose without dying, might become one of March’s most valuable training tools.
Aurelian made sure Eirenne included consent rules for shipgirl control data.
She had already done so.
That pleased him.
Later, he finally went to see Elowen.
She was working in one of Larkspur Haven’s ecological coordination halls, surrounded by planet maps, weather models, soil recovery charts, and water treatment flows.
The world had changed since the plague and invasion, but not enough. Some regions were growing well. Others were still fragile.
Karven Spire’s hazard records had been added to her list, and Nhalis would soon follow once full surveys were complete.
Elowen looked up when he entered.
"You brought samples."
"I did."
"That means trouble or opportunity."
"Both."
She smiled faintly. "That sounds like you."
Aurelian placed the secured sample file on her table. "Mournveil beast materials. Organic conductive fibers, energy glands, and some mineral-biological structures from the larger specimens. Meridian thinks they may help shield systems. I think they may have ecological applications too."
Elowen’s expression changed as she opened the first file. Her tiredness did not vanish, but interest sharpened it.
"These structures carried energy through living tissue?"
"Yes."
"And survived nebula radiation exposure?"
"Apparently."
She scrolled through the scan. "This could be useful. Not immediately, but if we can understand how the tissue stores and releases energy without poisoning the surrounding environment, it might help with controlled atmospheric dispersal systems or treatment arrays."