Eirenne didn’t overdo the act.

That would have made it suspicious and made it harder than it needed to be.

Instead, she sent damaged status packets, broken acknowledgments, partial crew reports, and repeated requests for emergency docking priority.

The signals looked messy, as if just another fleet of ships that had barely escaped a disaster and were here because they were the closest and safest option.

And Eirenne made sure that nothing she said was too over the top, as that would lead to more questions, as that is not something that a battle-worn crew would have time or energy to do.

But still, the first garrison didn’t trust it immediately.

That, honestly, worked in their favor.

Their commander reacted carefully instead of panicking. The active fleet started forming a defensive line while more ships launched from the starport.

Weapon locks began appearing across the captured Kharov systems as the distance between the two sides continued to shrink.

"He’s cautious," Lysara said quietly.

"Good," Rhoswen replied. "At least they are not making it too easy."

Aurelian kept watching the range markers close.

"Eirenne?"

"I’m waiting for the next handshake request."

It came a moment later.

The garrison flagship opened a higher-level verification channel and demanded direct confirmation from the damaged ships approaching the station.

Eirenne accepted it instantly.

Then she hit them.

This intrusion wasn’t as complete as the earlier ones. The first garrison had already sealed off parts of its network after hearing scattered reports from the other attacks.

That stopped her from tearing through their systems the same way she had before.

But she didn’t need full control.

She only needed the first few seconds.

That was enough.

Several captured Kharov ships suddenly opened fire at close range.

At the same time, Eirenne fed false target information into the outer defense systems, just enough to slow the first reaction.

That small hesitation cost them badly.

The opening volley tore through the garrison line before shields fully stabilized. Dozens of ships died almost immediately. Others were crippled before they could even turn properly.

The captured ships paid for it at once.

Kharov’s return fire slammed into them from every direction, but that had always been the point.

They were disposable. Tools to create space and confusion for the real fleet behind them.

Aurelian gave the next order calmly.

"Main force, engage."

This battle was different from the earlier strikes.

There were no docked fleets waiting helplessly.

No easy bombing runs against unprepared ships.

No confused commanders frozen in place.

This was an actual fleet battle.

And the first garrison fought better than the others had.

Even with Eirenne disrupting parts of their communication, their captains reacted properly.

Ships raised shields without waiting for permission. Smaller formations maneuvered independently rather than depending entirely on central command.

Defensive fire stayed disciplined. Heavier ships began turning toward the true attackers while lighter groups tried holding the captured vessels in place.

That competence made the fight more dangerous.

But it also made destroying them more important.

Solenne didn’t throw her full carrier force into the battle right away. Aurelian kept part of her strength back in reserve in case the enemy broke through the captured line and rushed toward the main fleet.

Instead, Lysara and Rhoswen moved first.

Lysara stayed farther back, targeting command ships, relay vessels, and anything helping the garrison rebuild coordination.

Her attacks stayed clean and accurate, but the enemy ships were tougher this time. Their shields were stronger, and their captains reacted faster.

Not every shot became a kill.

Some ships survived damage.

Others angled their armor toward her fire, forcing her to adjust.

Rhoswen handled the opposite side of the battle.

She drove directly into the edge of the enemy formation and made herself impossible to ignore.

Heavy destroyers and cruisers immediately turned toward her, trying to trap her between overlapping firing arcs, but her upgraded engines let her move before the trap fully closed.

She took hits.

Returned the worst ones.

And kept the enemy focused exactly where Aurelian wanted.

Meanwhile, Neris held the support network together behind them.

The captured Kharov ships were dying quickly.

Too quickly.

Eirenne’s sub-core could guide them, but it couldn’t magically make them stronger. They were still damaged ships with exhausted crews and unstable systems.

They existed to absorb pressure for a short time, nothing more, and one after another, they burned under concentrated counterfire.

But while they died, they created room for the real fleet.

"Captured screen down to sixty-two percent," Eirenne reported.

"Acceptable," Aurelian said. "Don’t waste the main force trying to preserve them."

"Understood."

The first garrison commander adapted faster than the others had.

A group of Kharov ships suddenly broke away from the main formation and pushed around the side, trying to bypass the dying captured ships and locate the true center of the attack.

The movement was good as it could threaten Solenne’s career position or force Neris to retreat.

Aurelian had expected that.

"Solenne."

"Launching reserve wing."

This time her aircraft moved together in a tight strike group instead of spreading across the battlefield.

They curved around the side and slammed directly into the advancing Kharov force from an angle the enemy formation hadn’t covered properly.

Missiles hammered exposed shield gaps.

Torpedoes forced the lead cruisers into sudden evasive turns.

Drones marked damaged engines and fed targeting data back to Lysara.

The Kharov push slowed immediately.

Then Rhoswen hit them head-on.

That finished it.

The advancing group broke apart under the combined pressure, some ships turning away while others lost formation completely.

For a moment, the first garrison still tried to recover control.

Its commander began pulling rear ships forward, probably planning to force pressure through the center while Solenne’s aircraft were busy elsewhere.

Honestly, it wasn’t a bad decision.

But it came too late.

Eirenne found another opening before the movement stabilized.

"Their shuttle command relays are still carrying manual orders," she said. "I can interfere with the routing between the flagship and the rear line."

"Do it."

A few seconds later, the rear Kharov formation lost timing.