Chapter 207: Plans To Involve His Family Into This New Space

She paused for a moment, then finally answered.

"I am recovering," she said.

"I know."

"It is slower than I would like."

"That is usually how recovery works."

That got the smallest shift out of her expression, not really a smile, but close enough that he noticed it anyway.

Selvarin stood nearby with his arms folded, still looking like the kind of soldier who should have died already but kept going out of stubbornness alone.

"She’s been trying to review old combat records while still under repair," he said.

Maelis looked slightly away after hearing that. "It is not strenuous."

Meridian, working at a nearby console without even turning around, answered before Aurelian could.

"It is annoying."

Rhoswen would have laughed at that.

Aurelian simply looked at Maelis for a moment.

"You’ll have time to fight later," he said. "Recover first."

"Yes, Commander."

That was enough.

He left them there and moved on because there wasn’t really anything else to say. They all understood the situation already.

Pushing too hard too early after damage only created more problems later, and nobody here could afford unnecessary setbacks right now.

Later that same day, Eirenne delivered the first serious report from the captured Kharov data.

Most of it was ordinary military information.

Supply routes.

Cargo transfers.

Fleet movement logs.

Personnel records.

Patrol schedules.

Resource tracking.

Arguments over funding.

There was also a surprising amount of proof that the Kharov had been stealing from their own military budgets for years.

Aurelian wasn’t surprised by that at all.

Cruel systems were usually corrupt systems too.

Fear could force obedience, but it didn’t make people loyal or honest.

Eirenne separated the useful parts quickly.

Locations of smaller depots.

Names of officers worth watching.

Records tied to oppressed populations.

Signs of growing tension between different Kharov groups.

And most important of all, evidence that the Kharov still had not connected the raid to Larkspur Haven.

That alone mattered enormously.

Some Kharov commanders believed outside raiders were responsible.

Others suspected betrayal from inside their own structure.

A few blamed neighboring enemies.

There were even reports claiming the mixed demi-human confederation had secretly returned to the region.

The confusion was spreading exactly the way Aurelian wanted.

"Keep feeding that where possible," he said.

Eirenne nodded. "Already in progress."

"Don’t overdo it."

"I know," she replied calmly. "A lie that becomes too convenient turns suspicious."

"Good."

Not long after that, Astercourt entered carrying intake reports from the newly arrived workers and prisoners.

The rescued laborers were exhausted but manageable. The humans were easiest to place because Haven already had systems ready for them.

Most could be folded into existing housing and work structures without much trouble.

The demi-human groups were harder than he had expected, but it was still manageable.

Vaeren had already begun helping with translation, sorting, and trust-building between groups. That helped more than anyone admitted out loud.

The technical personnel were another matter entirely.

Some cooperated immediately because they wanted protection.

Some were terrified.

Some were obviously hiding things.

And the Kharov researchers were the worst to deal with, not because they lacked value, but because none of them could be trusted near anything important yet.

Aurelian gave the order simply.

"Separate skill from loyalty. Put them where they can’t damage anything. If they prove stable later, we adjust."

Astercourt nodded once. "That was my recommendation, too."

"Then proceed."

The meeting moved on after that, but by the end of the day the shape of the next month had become obvious.

Repairs.

Fleet restructuring.

Upgrade planning.

Production expansion.

Intake management.

Kharov’s intelligence analysis.

Bastion growth.

Haven stabilization.

Everything was growing at once now.

And somewhere inside all of it, Aurelian also needed to decide when he would properly contact his family again.

That part stayed in the back of his mind longer than he expected.

He finally returned to his quarters late that night. Tired, but not exhausted.

That difference mattered.

Before reaching Tier III, a day like this after a major raid would have worn him down far more deeply.

Now he still felt pressure and fatigue, but it didn’t settle into his body the same way anymore. His recovery was faster. His thoughts stayed clearer.

Useful.

Very useful.

He sat near the small window overlooking part of the inner structure of Helion Bastion Twelve and looked out across the distant yard lanes.

Ships moved steadily through the docking routes.

Cargo drones crossed between platforms.

Repair lights flickered across Solenne’s support bays.

The transports from the raid were still being unloaded under heavy supervision.

Everywhere he looked, something was moving.

The whole place felt alive now.

And more importantly, it belonged to him.

The Crownward March was no longer just a name stretched across a few ships and holdings. It had started behaving like an actual regional power. Small compared to the forces around it, yes, but still real.

It has a fleet, territory, production, workers, supply chains, intelligence systems, and defense lines.

And now it had victories too.

Not enough victories yet.

But enough to matter.

Aurelian opened a private document and began outlining the first message he would eventually send back home.

Mainly, how he secured Frontier Holdings.

The hostile regional power weakened.

Ancient bastion inherited.

Stargate blueprint recovered.

Hidden routes identified.

Expansion opportunities available.

Tier III reached.

He stopped there for a few seconds, looking at the list.

Then he added one more line.

Further cooperation is recommended.

He said that because the situation had changed.

When he first arrived out here, he had almost nothing. Now, March had enough weight behind it to open proper cooperation with his family and not have to worry about his parents.

Still, he didn’t send the message yet.

AS he wanted the fleet repaired first.

He wanted the new upgrade paths organized.

He wanted proof that the raid’s gains could be absorbed without too many problems and would be a worthwhile investment.

Then he would send it.

Outside the window, the bastion kept working through the night without slowing down.

Ships moved.

Drones crossed the yard lanes.

Repair lights flashed steadily against metal hulls.

Further out, Haven’s growing traffic patterns continued to feed into the larger structure that March was slowly building around itself.

Aurelian watched all of it quietly as he couldn’t wait for the next major choice he would make.