Chapter 181: Awakening The Thornwake Cruisers 2

This one was easier to finish after Selvarin, and that was obvious as soon as they stepped inside.

The layout hadn’t changed much, and the corridors were still narrow like Meridian had warned, but they no longer felt like they were falling apart.

Most of the lights worked. The command lines stayed steady instead of flickering. The old damage hadn’t been fully erased, but it had been cleaned up enough that the ship felt worn instead of dying.

Meridian led the way without slowing down, bringing them straight toward the command center as she had already walked this path a hundred times in her head.

"This is the lead vessel of the class," she said as they moved. "Best condition out of the three remaining."

Selvarin walked a step behind them, quiet the whole time. Her eyes moved across the walls, the floor, the exposed lines that had been repaired, taking everything in without missing anything.

There was something different in the way she looked at it, like she wasn’t just checking a structure, but recognizing something familiar from the inside. It didn’t show much on her face, but it was there.

Aurelian didn’t interrupt that.

When they reached the command center, he stepped forward, set the source fragments in place, and started the awakening.

The response came quickly.

A figure formed in front of them, steady and clear. A woman in a dark military uniform stood where the light faded, her posture straight, her expression calm.

Her uniform matched Selvarin’s in structure, but it looked cleaner, less worn. Her long black hair was tied back neatly, and while there was a faint tired look in her face, it wasn’t weakness. It looked more like someone waking up and forcing themselves into order out of habit.

She opened her eyes, saw Aurelian, and saluted without hesitation.

"Thornwake lead prototype, Veylora," she said. "Commander, thank you for the recovery."

Her voice was formal, but it didn’t feel cold.

Aurelian gave a small nod. "Welcome to the Crownward March."

Veylora’s gaze shifted past him, landing on Selvarin.

For a moment, the formality dropped.

"Sister."

Selvarin stepped forward and placed a hand against her arm, not tightly, just enough to make contact real.

"You’re awake."

Veylora closed her eyes for a brief second, then steadied herself again. "How many?"

"All four," Selvarin said. "You, me, and the other two after this."

Hearing this made Veylora’s mood improve, as she had expected only the two of them to still be alive.

The second cruiser took more time.

It wasn’t falling apart, but Meridian hadn’t been exaggerating about the final power-cycle correction.

It needed proper handling, and rushing it would only create problems later. They ended up waiting nearly half a day while Meridian and Neris worked through it together, checking, adjusting, testing, and then checking again.

Eirenne stayed in the background, watching the data as it came in and occasionally pointing out something small that made Meridian stop, look again, and then adjust without arguing.

Rhoswen lasted about an hour before getting restless.

Then she left.

She went outside and began running combat drills with the patrol drones, claiming it improved security. No one bothered arguing. It helped her stay focused, and that was enough.

By the time the second cruiser was ready, Aurelian had already gone through multiple report chains from Haven.

He approved a few changes, adjusted part of the Mournveil support setup, and kept everything moving while waiting for the signal.

When Meridian finally called him back, he didn’t waste time.

The second ship felt different as soon as he stepped inside.

Not in structure.

In feeling.

The layout was the same, but there was something under it, something not quite settled. It wasn’t unstable in a dangerous way, but it wasn’t as clean as the first one. It felt like the ship was ready, but not fully comfortable yet.

Still, it was enough.

They moved to the command center, and Aurelian started the awakening.

It worked.

The figure that appeared this time was different.

Younger.

Her dark hair fell loosely over one shoulder, and her outfit looked more like a shipboard jacket than a strict uniform.

When she appeared, she blinked once, then again, clearly adjusting. Her eyes moved to Aurelian, then to Veylora and Selvarin, and for a second, she looked unsure of herself.

Then she straightened, just a little.

"Liora," she said, her voice softer. "Fourth Thornwake prototype. Reporting... I think."

Rhoswen, who had come back just in time, was confused. "You think?"

Liora froze for a moment, clearly embarrassed.

Veylora shot Rhoswen a helpless look.

Selvarin let out a quiet breath, something between a sigh and acceptance.

Aurelian didn’t step in to correct anyone. He let it pass and said what mattered.

"You’re awake. That’s enough."

Liora nodded quickly, then moved closer to the other two, standing near them instead of apart, like she didn’t want to be alone yet.

That left one more.

The last cruiser.

The one with the worst condition.

Meridian didn’t try to make it sound better than it was.

"She can awaken," she said. "But she won’t be fully stable until we take her to a proper yard. I’ve restored the core, patched the main damage, and stabilized enough of the system to make this work. That’s all I can say honestly."

Aurelian looked at the hull before they entered.

It wasn’t like Selvarin’s.

It hadn’t been split cleanly.

It had been torn apart.

Hit from too many angles.

Damaged everywhere at once.

Some sections had been patched with temporary plates. Others had been filled just enough to hold things together. It wasn’t pretty work, but that wasn’t Meridian’s fault. The damage itself had been ugly.

She had done what she could.

And more than enough.

They stepped inside.

The difference was clear right away.

The interior was darker. Some sections were still sealed off, and the path forward wasn’t open in the same way as the others. It was there, but only just. Systems were running, but not smoothly.

No one spoke.

Not even Rhoswen.

They moved forward together, following the narrow path toward the command center, the weight of the last ship settling in around them as they went.