Chapter 422: Seraphiel And Vaelith 2

Aurelian paused.

"You already did?"

"She sent it."

Of course she had.

Seraphiel continued.

"Her processing ability exceeds mine by a wide margin."

"That isn’t why."

"Then why?"

"Because you don’t need to replace her. You need to work with her."

Seraphiel considered that.

"Separate mobile coordination node."

"Exactly."

If Eirenne could send processed information through Seraphiel during battle, the fleet would gain something close to a second command layer without forcing every decision through Aurelian personally.

That would become even more useful when Annex Seven’s long-range relay was fully restored.

Meridian finished adding the changes.

"Seraphiel can begin limited field testing in three days."

"Not four?"

"I moved one team from the carrier inspection."

Aurelian looked at her.

"The carrier we already decided not to restore?"

"Yes."

"Why were they inspecting it?"

Meridian stared at him.

"Because you asked me to inspect the remaining sealed military hulls."

He had.

Aurelian decided not to argue.

"What did you find?"

That was when Meridian’s expression changed.

She brought up a new list.

The Destiny System had shown Aurelian four high-compatibility recoverable cores and nine probable ones.

He had not told Meridian that.

He had only asked for an inspection.

Now the ordinary engineering report had reached its own conclusions.

"We found twelve dormant command structures worth further examination."

Aurelian kept his face neutral.

"How many are likely recoverable?"

"Four are in very good condition."

That matched the System exactly.

"Another six might be recoverable with extensive work. Two are too uncertain to classify."

Aurelian nodded.

"What ships?"

Meridian expanded the first four.

One was attached to a light carrier.

One belonged to an armored logistics cruiser.

The third was a long-range reconnaissance destroyer.

The fourth was unusual.

It was not inside a completed ship.

Aurelian looked at the record.

"Prototype command core?"

"Yes."

Yelena leaned forward.

"We found it in a sealed research vault beneath the old ship construction level."

Aurelian looked toward Meridian.

"You opened another sealed vault."

"You asked for an inspection."

"That phrase is becoming dangerous."

Yelena smiled.

The prototype core had been intended for a new class of escort vessel that Helion never finished.

There was no complete hull.

Only a command core, partial engineering plans, and several prototype components.

Aurelian looked through the specifications.

The ship had been designed as a fleet-support escort.

Heavy shields.

Repair capability.

Drone control.

Limited weapons.

Several systems looked surprisingly similar to Seraphiel’s role, but the prototype placed more emphasis on physical protection and battlefield repair.

Seraphiel moved closer to the display.

"This design came after my class."

"You recognize it?" Aurelian asked.

"Parts of it."

She enlarged one section.

"The shield-transfer system is based on later work derived from my coordination architecture."

Meridian nodded.

"That was my conclusion too."

Aurelian looked at the incomplete plans.

"Can Helion build it?"

Meridian did not answer immediately.

That usually meant the answer would be expensive.

"Eventually."

"That bad?"

"The hull requires several components Helion cannot currently produce at the original specification."

"Can we substitute?"

"Yes, but performance will change."

Aurelian expected that.

He was not trying to recreate the Vhaloric Directorate exactly.

Crownward had different technology, different resources, and different needs.

"If the command core is healthy, could we build a modern version around it?"

Meridian thought about that.

Yelena answered first.

"Probably."

Meridian looked at her.

"With design changes."

"Obviously."

"It would not be the same ship."

Yelena shrugged.

"It doesn’t need to be."

Seraphiel looked toward Aurelian.

"I agree."

That surprised him slightly.

She had awakened less than a day ago into a fleet that barely resembled her old one, yet she already seemed comfortable with the idea that old designs did not need to remain untouched.

Vaelith was less convinced.

"If the original ship was strong, changing it creates new problems."

Yelena looked at her.

"If the original ship cannot be built, not changing it creates a bigger problem."

Vaelith considered that.

"Fair."

Aurelian looked at Meridian.

"Inspect the core properly. No awakening until you are sure the personality structure is stable."

"Agreed."

"What about the other three?"

"The reconnaissance destroyer can probably be restored quickly. The logistics cruiser will take longer because its cargo transfer sections are damaged. The carrier is structurally sound but lacks most of its strike craft."

Aurelian looked at the logistics cruiser first.

Neris immediately came to mind.

Not because he intended to replace her.

Quite the opposite.

Her new logistics group was still being assembled, and a specialized armored supply cruiser could eventually strengthen it.

But there was no need to rush.

"Prioritize the reconnaissance destroyer after Seraphiel."

Meridian nodded.

"The carrier?"

"Leave it."

"And the logistics cruiser?"

"Inspect the core and hull, but don’t begin major repairs yet."

"That saves resources."

"Exactly."

Helion had enough work already.

Annex Seven still needed engineering teams.

Neris’s refit was not complete.

Vaelith needed significant repairs.

Seraphiel needed drones and relay work.

Restoring every old ship at once would only slow all of them down.

Aurelian preferred one useful ship finished properly over five ships sitting half repaired.

After the meeting, he returned to Black Crown with Astra.

The Orison exchange was scheduled for the following day, so he had no intention of leaving Helion yet.

Rhoswen would handle the transfer itself, but Aurelian wanted to remain close to the communication network in case something went wrong.

Once he was alone in his quarters, he opened the Destiny System.

He did not ask about Helion this time.

The ordinary inspection was already doing its job.

Instead, he brought up the wider Crownward region.

The March had changed quickly over the last several weeks.

Sanctuary Ardent had become a medical and historical center.

Helion was turning into a serious industrial base.

Larkspur was recovering.

Annex Seven was becoming a strategic coordination site.

M-17 offered a future settlement world.

Now Orison and Valeris were creating another problem just beyond the border.

If Crownward continued growing like this, fleet strength could become the limit on everything else.

Aurelian asked the System a broader question.