Chapter 187: Preparing A Plan Based On The Collected Data 2

Seris, speaking through a projection from the bastion, gave a small nod when the transport plan came up. "The awakened crews can handle that," she said, her tone steady as always.

Meren followed right after, but she added a warning instead of a simple agreement. "They can," she said, "but they will need clear limits. They are not meant to chase targets or start making decisions on their own."

"They won’t," Aurelian said. "Eirenne will handle coordination through her sub-core, and Astercourt will define exactly what they’re allowed to do before we leave."

Astercourt gave a short nod, already thinking ahead. "I’ll make the plunder list simple enough that no one can misunderstand it."

Rhoswen tilted her head as most of the conversation, other than the ones they got to fight, went over her head.

The meeting didn’t stop there. It kept going, moving from the bigger plan down to the smaller details that would actually decide whether things worked.

Routes were checked again, timing adjusted, and roles made clear so no one had to guess later.

The Thornwake cruisers came up once during all of this, but not for long. They had finished their first round of repairs, and Eirenne had already made changes to their armor layout that fixed some of their biggest weaknesses. Even so, Aurelian didn’t include them in the operation.

They weren’t ready.

Veylora accepted the decision without any pushback. Selvarin did the same, though it was clear she didn’t like being left out so soon after waking.

Liora, on the other hand, looked relieved to have more time. Maelis didn’t pretend she was ready at all.

"You stay with the bastion defense line," Aurelian said to them. "Recover, train, and help Eirenne test the rear system. There will be other fights."

Veylora gave a clean salute. "Understood."

Selvarin’s answer came a bit quieter. "We’ll be ready next time."

"That’s what I want."

That part of the discussion ended there.

The next issue was who would stay behind.

Before, this would have been harder. Every time Aurelian moved, he had to shift strength elsewhere, which always created a gap.

You couldn’t be everywhere at once, and every absence came with a cost.

This time, things were different.

Eirenne changed that.

The rear no longer depended on just Astra.

Astra would still remain at Haven. That hadn’t changed. She would hold the center, protect the core of the March, and keep everything steady if something unexpected happened.

But she wouldn’t be alone.

Eirenne would control the automated fleet structure from the bastion. The Thornwake sisters would stay behind, continue their recovery, and support the fixed defenses.

Seris and Meren would handle the awakened crews. Caelan would keep the human side of Haven moving.

Astercourt would remain as well, because taking her on a raid would be a mistake no matter how useful she was.

That changed everything.

It meant the main force could leave without weakening the rear.

Rhoswen realized that quickly.

"So no one important has to sit out just for defense?" she asked.

Astra looked at her.

"I am staying."

Rhoswen paused, then corrected herself. "I meant no one who hates staying."

Astra didn’t react the way most people would have. If anything, she seemed slightly amused.

"I do not mind being useful," she said.

Rhoswen muttered, "That sounds exactly like something you would say."

Aurelian didn’t let that turn into anything longer.

He moved the meeting forward.

The expedition force was set clearly after that. Rhoswen, Lysara, Solenne, and Neris would go.

The necessary support units would go with them. Elowen would stay at Haven, because her work there couldn’t be stopped right now.

Astra would hold the rear. The sealed Tier V warship would remain untouched. The Thornwake line would continue its overhaul.

Eirenne’s sub-core would travel with the expedition, most likely attached to Neris or one of the command support ships, while her main system stayed anchored in the bastion.

The heavy transports were assigned as well. They would carry the disguised Kharov merchant ship, along with supplies, cargo space for whatever they took, and the first wave of automated support craft.

By the time everything was laid out properly, everyone felt excited over what was to come and what would happen in the battle, but they knew that they would win.

Up until now, the Crownward March had been reacting to what was happening around it. Taking what it could. Holding what it gained. Fixing problems as they came.

Now it was about to do something different.

It was going to choose a target.

And hit it first.

When Aurelian finished explaining the electronic warfare part of the plan, the room didn’t stay quiet as they started talking about other events.

After a few hours, everyone had exhausted themselves.

Solenne, who only spoke when she needed to, wore a satisfied smile, confident in the mission.

Rhoswen also looked happy as she really liked the idea of sending a fake merchant ship straight into a Kharov-controlled port and then tearing their systems apart from the inside. Even Neris, who usually kept her reactions small, seemed faintly amused.

Then someone suggested something that should have just passed by.

If they were going to confuse the Kharov, why not make it look like a pirate attack?

That should have been the end of it.

It wasn’t.

Rhoswen liked the idea immediately.

Solenne said it could work if handled properly.

Lysara, who would try to keep things as safe as possible, didn’t do so this time; instead, she pointed out that the Kharov had already dealt with raiders and unrest in the outer regions, so blaming an attack on pirates wouldn’t be hard if they changed the markings enough.

Neris added quietly that mixed-looking ships would make the transport group less suspicious.

Astercourt looked at all of them as if they had completely lost focus.

Eirenne didn’t shut it down either.

Instead, she brought up three possible paint schemes.

Aurelian looked at her as she explained it in great detail, as if this were the plan, which hinged on it, since Aurelian was not opposed to the idea, as it could also help them cover what they would do.