"That was my hope."
Elowen looked at him quietly for a few moments before speaking.
"You’ve been thinking about my refit path."
Aurelian did not try to hide it.
"Yes."
For just a moment, her expression softened in a way he rarely saw.
"You already have a great many things to think about."
"You are one of them."
She lowered her eyes back to the files in front of her, pretending to study the pages again, but Aurelian could tell his words had reached her.
"I’ll study these carefully," she said after a moment. "I’m not making any promises yet."
"I’m not asking for promises."
She looked up.
"I’m only asking you to be careful."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"That, I can do."
When Aurelian left her office, he felt lighter than he had when he walked in. Nothing had been solved yet, and there was still a long road ahead, but another possible path had opened. That alone made the conversation worthwhile.
The March needed stronger warships if it wanted to survive what was coming.
It also needed healthy worlds worth protecting.
Without both, neither would matter for very long.
Later that evening, after the first maintenance reports arrived and the endless mountain of paperwork had finally been beaten into something resembling order, Aurelian opened another secure channel with Cassian.
His father appeared from orbit above Karven Spire.
"The wider Kharov front is becoming more interesting," Cassian said without wasting time.
Aurelian leaned back slightly.
"Varensk?"
"Partly."
Cassian brought up several new intelligence reports.
"The rival bloc has started moving hidden forces into position. Our scouts believe a major engagement could happen within the next week."
"That would keep Varensk occupied."
"Yes, but it could also make them more dangerous elsewhere. Commanders under pressure often look for quick victories to regain the initiative."
Aurelian already knew where the conversation was heading.
"Virell’s Reach."
"Possibly."
The map changed again, highlighting several routes leading toward the outer chain.
"If Varensk believes Karven Spire is experiencing problems but hasn’t been lost, they’ll probably send another inspection force once the current repair period ends. If we intercept that fleet as well, suspicion becomes certainty. If we allow it through, our deception ends."
"So our choices are simple," Aurelian said. "Strike before that happens, or give them another reason not to send the inspection."
"Correct."
Aurelian studied the map in silence for several seconds before another thought came to him.
"Could we make it look like their rival bloc is responsible? Something believable enough that they redirect the next inspection fleet somewhere else?"
Before Cassian answered, Eirenne spoke from nearby.
"It’s possible, but it carries risks. We’d need convincing evidence that the rival bloc is trying to interfere with Karven Spire’s relay network. If Varensk believes it, they’ll likely blame the wrong enemy."
Cassian turned toward her.
"Prepare several options."
"I will."
Aurelian immediately understood the opportunity.
If Varensk believed its rivals were interfering with the outer chain instead of the March, it could keep its own existence hidden for a while longer.
Even better, Varensk might spend valuable ships, time, and resources attacking the wrong target.
It was a useful plan.
It was also one that had to be handled carefully.
Deception was powerful.
Right up until the moment it stopped working.
Once the meeting ended, the planning room became quiet again.
Aurelian remained standing in front of the large star map, studying everything they had accomplished over the past weeks.
The March had expanded so quickly that it was easy to forget how fragile their position still was.
Larkspur Haven continued growing, but much of it was still under construction.
Karven Spire had been captured, yet true control would take months.
Nhalis showed enormous promise, but its recovery had barely begun.
Glasswake Watch had been established inside Mournveil, though it remained little more than a forward base.
Auric Maw still waited somewhere beyond their reach.
Virell’s Reach remained the next major objective.
Varensk was slowly beginning to notice that something was wrong.
Looking at the map, Aurelian realized that more ships alone would never be enough.
He needed experienced commanders he could trust to lead on their own.
He needed administrators capable of rebuilding planets instead of simply occupying them.
He needed ecological support to restore damaged worlds, better simulation training to prepare his shipgirls, smarter refit paths, stronger logistics, tighter secrecy, and above all, more time.
It always came back to time.
The materials gathered from Mournveil would help.
The captured Kharov ships would help.
Support from the Arcturus family would help.
Orvain’s branch would become a valuable asset if it were managed properly.
Eirenne’s simulations might prove even more valuable than anyone currently realizes.
Even with all of that, Aurelian knew the greatest improvement still had to come from himself.
He had grown stronger as a fleet commander, but that alone would not be enough forever.
He also needed to keep improving physically, mentally, and as a leader. Tier IV was still some distance away, but it no longer felt impossible. It had become a real destination instead of a distant dream.
The closer he moved toward it, the more he understood something important.
Raw talent mattered less with every step upward.
A stronger foundation mattered more.
If his body, his mind, or even his command core failed to keep pace with everything else, then no amount of victories would be enough to carry him forward.
He quietly opened his notes and added a reminder.
Begin a stricter personal training schedule.
A few seconds later, he added another one.
Remember to include proper recovery periods before Astercourt sees this.
A notification immediately appeared on the screen.
Add rest periods.
Aurelian stared at the message.
Then he slowly turned toward Eirenne.
She smiled innocently.
"I didn’t tell her."
He narrowed his eyes.
"That is exactly what someone would say after telling her."
"I only maintain the system she uses."
He sighed.
"Somehow that’s even worse."
The door opened a moment later as Astra walked into the room. She noticed his expression almost immediately, read the message still displayed on the screen, and looked back at him.
"Good advice."
Aurelian let out another sigh.
"I am surrounded."
"Yes," Astra answered without hesitation. "That is one of the reasons you survive."
He thought about arguing.
Then decided he couldn’t.
Outside the Black Crown, the space around Larkspur Haven was alive with activity. Repair lights flashed across docking arms while transports moved steadily between berths and newly arrived civilians entered processing centers.
Somewhere below, Elowen was studying the strange Mournveil samples that might one day help restore dying worlds.
Further away, Cassian was preparing new deceptions to convince Varensk to focus on the wrong enemy for just a little longer.
And beyond all of that, Virell’s Reach continued waiting.
Aurelian looked at the star map one final time before shutting the display down.
They had bought themselves more time.
Now they had to make sure every hour of it counted.