Chapter 244: Explaining The Power Structure To The Elders
Aurelian did not stand by the observation glass for too long.
There was still too much to do, and the elders had not come all this way just to look at Larkspur Haven and leave with a few polite comments.
The tour had shown them the value of the Crownward March, but value alone was not enough.
They needed to understand the region’s shape, the surrounding enemies, the available routes, and the places where the Arcturus family could safely place its first pieces.
After the last section of the production line was closed behind them, Eirenne led everyone toward the military command level of the starport.
The walk there passed through several newly reinforced corridors. Some sections still smelled faintly of fresh metal and sealant, while others had only recently been cleared of repair drones.
Larkspur Haven’s starport had grown quickly, but it still carried signs of its speed everywhere.
There were polished briefing rooms near corridors with exposed support frames, and secure command doors installed beside walls that had not yet received their final plating.
Cassian noticed all of it but did not criticize.
Aurelian knew why.
This place was not finished, but no one expected it to be, since they knew their visit had not been fully announced, and they could tell it was still expanding.
Once they reached the central military briefing chamber, Eirenne activated the room’s main projection.
A vast star map opened above the table, filling the air with pale lines, colored markers, route estimates, and system names that had once been little more than unknown lights beyond Alliance borders.
Several elders stepped closer at once.
Aurelian moved to the head of the table and looked at the map for a moment before speaking.
"This is the current known structure of the Crownward March and the surrounding frontier. The data combines our own surveys, Lysara’s records from the old Vhaloric Directorate, information recovered from Helion Bastion Twelve, captured Kharov files, and recent scouting through Mournveil."
Eirenne adjusted the projection, and Larkspur Haven brightened at the center.
"This is where we are now. Larkspur Haven is the March’s current administrative center, population center, and primary public foothold. It is not the strongest position in the region, but it is the most useful one for settlement, recruitment, and normal development."
He moved the marker toward the hidden route they had just crossed.
"Mournveil is here. It forms the main hidden route connecting this region to the safer side of Alliance space. The route is not easy to use, but that difficulty is one reason it has stayed hidden. Redglass and Glasswake sit inside the wider nebula route, along with several smaller systems that still need deeper survey work."
One of the elders, a woman from the exploration branch, studied the route carefully. "How much of Mournveil is fully mapped?"
"Not enough," Aurelian said honestly. "We have reliable paths for the routes we have used, but the wider nebula is still dangerous. Some areas have storms that can reduce sensors to almost nothing, and others show traces of space beast migration. Redglass already proved that."
Rhoswen smiled slightly at the mention of Redglass.
Cassian glanced at her. "That was the Voidshade Fenrir hunt?"
"Yes," Aurelian replied. "Around four thousand beasts destroyed, including roughly one hundred fourth-tier specimens and the alpha leading the migration. The materials from that battle were valuable, but the main lesson was that Mournveil cannot be treated as empty space."
An older military commander nodded.
Eirenne highlighted Helion Bastion Twelve, and the projection changed. The hidden Vhaloric bastion appeared as a layered fortress system, surrounded by old defense structures and sealed infrastructure.
"This is Helion Bastion Twelve. It is the strongest fixed position I currently control. The awakened machine population there is divided, but the moderate leaders, Seris and Meren, are cooperating. Caedrin’s extremist faction has been defeated, though I would not call every internal risk solved yet."
The same elder who had questioned the stargate blueprint earlier leaned forward. "And the sealed warship?"
"Still sealed below the bastion," Aurelian said. "We have not opened it because I do not want to rush something that survived this long for a reason. Meridian and Eirenne are studying the access systems, but I would rather wait until the bastion is more stable and we have better containment options."
Cassian nodded in approval. "That is the right call."
Aurelian nodded at his father’s praise, but didn’t think much about it. Instead, he continued on with his explanation.
"The bastion also contains old production capacity, archive sectors, and a stargate blueprint. None of those should be treated as ready-made miracles. They are useful, but they need specialists, materials, and time. The family’s help will matter most there."
Several elders exchanged looks, already calculating which teams would need to be sent first.
Eirenne shifted the display again, this time expanding the map beyond the immediate March. Kharov-controlled space appeared in darker red. Several systems lit up with stronger color, including the four-star cluster Aurelian had recently raided.
"These are the nearest Kharov-controlled regions that matter to us right now," Aurelian said. "Their claimed area is larger than their actual control, which is common among aggressive frontier powers. They mark many systems as theirs, but a good portion of that is political habit rather than real governance."
The military elders paid close attention now.
Aurelian marked the four-star cluster.
"This was the target of our recent deep raid. The cluster housed mining depots, military docks, research storage, and forced-labor populations. We destroyed or crippled multiple garrisons, stripped supplies, rescued several groups, and withdrew through Mournveil before they could coordinate a full response."
One of the elders frowned slightly. "How much damage did they take?"
"More than enough to pause their expansion in this direction for a while," Aurelian said. "But still not enough to break them. Their local communications were heavily disrupted, and Eirenne’s electronic warfare led them to believe the attack came from raiders or rival forces rather than from a hidden route. That confusion bought us time, but eventually someone competent will start connecting pieces."
