Chapter 425: Kestrel Administrator

The next morning, the people from Kestrel Mine returned.

Aurelian did not travel to Valeris Reach for the exchange. Rhoswen was already there with Crimson Bulwark, four patrol ships, and enough local support to handle the transfer without him flying across the frontier simply to watch.

Instead, he remained at Helion and followed the exchange through the command network.

Orison arrived exactly where it had agreed to meet.

Three civilian ships crossed the recovery-zone boundary under escort from four of Orison’s strange mixed-design warships.

None of the escorts powered their weapons, while Rhoswen kept Crimson Bulwark far enough away that the meeting did not look like two fleets preparing to shoot each other.

For once, everyone behaved.

Aurelian appreciated it.

The first civilian ship docked with a Valeris transport platform shortly after noon.

Eirenne confirmed the passenger records as they came through.

One thousand two hundred and seventeen people.

Everyone accounted for.

Several required medical treatment after months in confinement, but there were no signs that Orison had deliberately harmed them.

Rhoswen appeared on Aurelian’s display once the final transport cleared the exchange point.

"They’re all back."

Aurelian leaned back in his chair.

"Good."

"I still think we should have made Orison return the other ships."

"They dismantled them."

"They could build replacements."

"That comes later."

Rhoswen clearly did not like that answer, but she accepted it.

"The Kestrel administrator wants to speak with you."

"Mara Venn?"

"Yes."

"Send her through when she’s ready."

Rhoswen nodded before glancing toward something outside the channel.

"They’re moving the payment now."

The Crownward cargo ship carrying the settlement package crossed toward the Orison side.

There were no weapons aboard it.

No military systems.

Only industrial material, reactor components, replacement machinery, and the other goods already agreed upon.

Aurelian watched the exchange complete without incident.

Orison confirmed receipt.

Then its escorts turned around and left.

The seven-day ceasefire remained in force.

That was enough for now.

Rhoswen looked almost disappointed that nobody had given her a reason to fight.

Aurelian found that encouraging.

"You stay at Valeris until the boundary talks begin."

"I know."

"Do not enter Orison space."

"I know."

"Do not challenge their patrol ships."

Rhoswen stared at him.

"I know."

Aurelian nodded.

"Just checking."

"You enjoy this."

"A little."

She ended the channel.

Astra, standing beside the tactical table, looked toward him.

"That may be the first time you admitted it."

"Don’t tell her."

"I won’t."

With Kestrel handled, at least for the moment, Aurelian finally looked at the survey reports Eirenne had sent during the night.

The Larkspur patrol group had already started checking the old Vhaloric route because its normal rotation passed nearby.

They found the wreck marker.

More importantly, the wreck was not as badly damaged as the old record suggested.

Aurelian opened the images.

The ship rested on the dark side of a small airless moon, partly covered by centuries of dust.

Its hull was long and broad, much larger than a normal escort vessel.

That surprised him.

The old Vhaloric record had called it a patrol-support ship, which made Aurelian expect something close to a destroyer.

The actual vessel was nearly the size of a heavy cruiser.

Very few external weapon mounts were visible.

Most of the hull was covered by sealed launch doors, maintenance ports, and armored compartments.

Astra studied the image.

"That does not look like a patrol ship."

"It isn’t."

Eirenne appeared beside the display.

"I found a partial match in Annex Seven’s archive."

A second file opened.

The vessel belonged to a class used during long-range Directorate patrol campaigns.

Its proper classification translated poorly, but the closest modern description was mobile arsenal support cruiser.

Aurelian raised an eyebrow.

"Arsenal?"

"Missiles, drones, repair stores, replacement weapons, and battlefield resupply."

That immediately made the ship more interesting.

"Condition?"

"The patrol team cannot determine that from orbit. External hull damage appears limited."

"Any power?"

"Minimal."

"Command core?"

"Unknown."

Aurelian looked toward Astra.

She already knew what he was thinking.

"You want to go."

"It’s close."

"Everything is close when you want to inspect it."

"This one actually is."

The moon sat less than eight hours from Larkspur Haven using established Crownward routes.

Aurelian could reach it, inspect the ship, and continue to Larkspur without losing much time.

More importantly, Seraphiel was still undergoing repairs at Helion.

Vaelith would remain there for weeks.

Aurelian had no reason to spend every hour watching Meridian work.

He contacted Seris and Meren, confirmed Helion’s current situation was stable, then arranged departure aboard Black Crown.

Mirei and Katsura came with him.

Yelena stayed.

Nobody was surprised.

She and Meridian were already halfway through redesigning part of Seraphiel’s drone storage, and Aurelian suspected separating them would require physical force.

Black Crown departed Helion that afternoon.

The trip passed quietly.

Aurelian used most of it reviewing reports from Larkspur and Sanctuary Ardent.

Larkspur’s agricultural output was continuing to rise.

Sanctuary had awakened another small group without exceeding its housing limits.

Doctor Marr had approved expansion of the Ardent Medical Institute’s standard recovery program but continued blocking wider experimental Matrix use.

Aurelian considered that sensible.

By the time Black Crown reached the old patrol route, the Larkspur patrol ship that found the wreck was already waiting.

Its commander sent the coordinates.

The moon itself was unremarkable.

No atmosphere.

Low gravity.

No useful settlement value.

The wreck sat inside a broad plain surrounded by low ridges.

Aurelian moved Black Crown into orbit while Astra began scanning.

The first detailed results arrived within minutes.

"Reactor is cold," Astra said. "No active weapons, no defensive response, and no external life signs."

"Structural condition?"

"Better than it should be."

Aurelian looked at the scan.

The vessel had not crashed.

It had landed.

That explained the limited damage.

Several landing structures were still deployed beneath the hull, and the main frame remained level despite centuries of dust accumulation.

"Why leave a ship like that here?" Katsura asked from behind them.

"Could have run out of fuel," Mirei said.

"Or lost its crew."

Aurelian looked toward Astra.

"Any obvious battle damage?"

"Very little."