Chapter 379: Station Veyra Nine 2

Aurelian used the quiet to contact Cassian.

His father answered from what looked like a family command office.

"You left Sanctuary Ardent."

"Yes."

"I gathered that from the fleet report."

"We found prisoner records."

Cassian’s expression changed.

Aurelian gave him the short version.

Three hundred and twelve taken.

Forty-one confirmed dead.

Thirty-eight transferred elsewhere.

Up to two hundred and thirty-three possibly remaining.

Cassian listened without interrupting.

When Aurelian finished, he nodded.

"You made the correct choice."

"I expected you to tell me I should have waited."

"For what?"

"More ships."

"If the Compact is already evacuating the station, more ships arriving tomorrow would be useful only for searching an empty building."

That was why Aurelian had called.

Cassian understood timing.

"The Arcturus convoy can continue holding Sanctuary Ardent until you return," Cassian continued. "I’ve also ordered two more security ships toward Larkspur Haven."

"That may draw attention."

"Attention is already there."

Fair.

Cassian opened another report.

"The Veyr family has heard about Sanctuary Ardent."

Aurelian had expected that eventually.

"Through Meriel?"

"Not directly. Alliance recovery channels."

"And?"

"They are asking questions, not making claims."

That was better than some alternatives.

"Seraphine?"

"She sent you a message."

Aurelian looked toward Eirenne.

"I have it," she said.

Cassian continued.

"She also convinced one of the Alliance legal offices not to issue an emergency hold on the sanctuary while the claims review is active."

Aurelian paused.

"That would have frozen movement of recovered property."

"Including equipment from the Continuity Vault, if they discovered it."

"She knows about the vault?"

"No."

Good.

Cassian’s expression shifted slightly.

"She argued that restricting a frontier commander during an active Compact threat would endanger the rescued population."

"Useful."

"She tends to be."

Aurelian knew that already.

"I’ll answer her after Veyra Nine."

"Do that."

Cassian looked toward another display.

"One more thing. Do not turn this rescue into an occupation campaign."

"I wasn’t planning to."

"Take the prisoners. Recover anything clearly taken from Sanctuary Ardent. Destroy military resistance if necessary. Then leave unless the station population asks for something different."

Aurelian nodded.

That matched his own plan.

Veyra Nine was not his target because of territory.

The people were.

The stolen Human equipment was secondary.

Compact infrastructure could stay where it was unless destroying it became necessary.

"I understand."

Cassian ended the call after wishing him success.

Aurelian remained at the command table for a moment.

Rhoswen had been quiet during the conversation.

That alone made him suspicious.

"What?"

She looked at him.

"What?"

"You are thinking something."

"I was thinking your father sounds like you."

Astra answered before Aurelian could.

"He would say Aurelian sounds like him."

"That seems likely."

Aurelian changed the subject.

"How long until Veyra Nine?"

Eirenne brought up the route.

"One final jump. Estimated arrival in forty-three minutes."

Solenne’s communication opened a few seconds later.

Her expression was calm, but the tactical display behind her showed new information.

"We have an update from the forward drones."

Aurelian looked toward the station map.

"What changed?"

"Two of the civilian transports have left Veyra Nine."

"Direction?"

"Saevor Drann."

"Can we catch them?"

"Not without arriving early and revealing the fleet."

Aurelian thought about it.

Those transports might carry researchers.

They might carry equipment.

They might also carry prisoners.

"Any indication of passenger type?"

"One transport is transmitting civilian research credentials. The second is heavily shielded and not broadcasting a passenger manifest."

That was the problem.

Aurelian could not let an unknown transport leave if there was a real chance it carried Sanctuary prisoners.

At the same time, changing course now could warn the station.

"Send one fast destroyer after the second transport," he decided. "Stay outside sensor range until the rest of us arrive. If it changes course or prepares another jump, intercept."

Solenne nodded.

"And the first?"

"Track it."

Rhoswen looked toward him.

"You’re letting one go."

"For now."

"It could have researchers."

"It probably does."

"Research from Sanctuary Ardent."

"Which matters less than people."

Rhoswen thought for a moment.

Then nodded.

"Fair."

The final jump approached.

Aurelian stood from the command table and looked around the bridge.

The Black Crown’s systems were ready.

Astra’s Tier V refit gave them enough strength to break through Veyra Nine’s defenses quickly if necessary, but he still preferred surrender.

Every fight wasted time.

Every destroyed station section created more danger for the prisoners.

"Send the surrender conditions before we enter weapons range," Aurelian said. "Compact military personnel will be taken prisoner. Civilian researchers will be detained for screening. Anyone who destroys prisoner records, medical facilities, or Human equipment will be treated as actively hostile."

Eirenne recorded the terms.

"And the station commander?"

"Same offer."

Rhoswen looked surprised.

"After what they did there?"

"We don’t know what that commander personally did yet."

"He works for Drann."

"So did the courier crew."

Rhoswen accepted that.

Aurelian had no interest in making enemies fight to the death simply because he was angry.

Surrendering Compact personnel could be questioned later.

Dead ones could not.

The Black Crown approached the final jump point.

Astra moved into the command position beside him.

"Fleet formation confirmed."

Solenne’s cruiser group held the left side.

Rhoswen’s Crimson Bulwark moved forward into the heavy assault position.

Lysara remained close enough to the Black Crown to respond if Vhaloric systems appeared.

Neris stayed farther back with the medical transports.

Everything was ready.

Aurelian looked toward the navigation display.

Veyra Nine waited on the other side.

So did whatever remained of the three hundred and twelve people taken from Sanctuary Ardent.

"Begin the jump."

Space folded around the fleet.

When normal space returned, Veyra Nine appeared ahead of them.

The station was already moving.

Cargo ships were pulling away from its docks.

Compact warships were forming around the central platform.

And one large transport near the far side had begun powering its warp drive.

Eirenne identified it almost immediately.

"The second transport."

The same one Solenne had sent a destroyer to watch.

A warning appeared beside it.

Life signs.

Hundreds of them.

Aurelian’s expression hardened.

"How many?"

"At least one hundred and eighty."

Rhoswen was already moving the Crimson Bulwark forward.

Astra looked toward Aurelian.

"Prisoners?"

"Unknown," Eirenne replied.

Aurelian did not need certainty.

Not yet.

He only needed to stop the ship from leaving long enough to find out.

"Disable its warp drive," he ordered. "Do not destroy the transport."

The Black Crown accelerated.

Veyra Nine had been preparing to disappear.

They had arrived just in time.