Chapter 247: Three Possible Intake Structures
Aurelian left the briefing room with Astra and Rhoswen behind him, while the rest of the Arcturus family delegation continued to spread through the station in smaller groups.
The main work for the day was finished, but the discussion had not truly ended. It had only moved into quieter rooms, private channels, and secure messages traveling back toward the family’s capital.
The elders would return with Cassian to decide the exact personnel lists, the first supply batches, the claim documents for the dead systems, and which branches of the Arcturus family would be allowed to place people here first.
That last part would not be simple.
The Crownward March was no longer just Aurelian’s private frontier project in their eyes. It had become a serious path for future growth, and once a powerful family saw a future in a region, the question was not whether people would want to come.
The question was how many would be allowed, and who could be trusted not to ruin things by moving too fast.
Aurelian understood that very well, so after sending Cassian and the elders back toward their ship, he did not try to hold anyone longer.
March was not ready for a flood of family personnel. It needed careful hands first, not ambitious people looking for quick merit.
Eirenne’s projection appeared beside him as he walked toward the docking level.
"The preliminary support agreement has been copied to the private archive. Astercourt has also been informed that a controlled administrative expansion is likely."
Aurelian looked at her. "Likely?"
"I used gentle wording."
"And?"
"She replied with a fourteen-line message asking who had decided to make her life harder."
Rhoswen laughed.
Aurelian sighed, though he could not say he was surprised. "That sounds like Astercourt."
"She also requested exact numbers, arrival windows, clearance lists, housing requirements, food estimates, medical screening standards, station access rules, and whether anyone involved in this decision had ever managed a frontier intake office before."
Astra nodded faintly. "Reasonable questions."
"They are," Aurelian admitted. "Send her everything we have and tell her I’ll speak with her personally before the first teams arrive."
"Done," Eirenne said. "She has already prepared three possible intake structures."
Rhoswen stared at the projection. "She complained first and then prepared the plans?"
"Yes."
"That’s impressive."
"That’s Astercourt."
They reached the docking level not long after, where Cassian’s personal shuttle was already preparing to return to the Tier VII strategic vessel waiting above the station.
Several elders had gone ahead, but a few remained near the bay, still speaking in low voices about the map and the support plan.
From the way they looked at Aurelian now, he could tell the atmosphere had changed.
There had always been respect because he was Cassian’s son, but this was different. This was the look people gave to someone who had brought something real to the table, something large enough that even elders had to measure their words carefully.
Aurelian did not let it show too much, but he felt the difference.
Cassian stopped at the base of the boarding ramp and looked back at him.
"We will return to the capital first. You should come back with us for now. There are still people waiting there, and the full personnel list will not be decided today."
Aurelian nodded. "I planned to. The March can hold for a little longer."
Eirenne tilted her head. "I will remain here and continue preparations."
"Of course," Aurelian said. "Do not let Astercourt declare war on the paperwork."
"I will attempt diplomacy."
"That does not reassure me."
Eirenne’s expression remained perfectly calm. "It was not meant to."
Cassian watched the exchange with mild amusement, then boarded the shuttle. Aurelian followed with Astra and Rhoswen, and soon they were leaving Larkspur Haven behind again.
The return through Mournveil was quieter than the journey in. The elders had seen enough to believe, and that made them more serious than before.
Nobody treated the nebula as a curiosity now. They studied its dangers, its narrow passages, the interference layers, and the strange way its storms hid movement from long-range detection.
By the time they returned to the dead system near the entrance, several elders had already started discussing whether to station unmanned sensor buoys there under the cover of mineral survey equipment.
One wanted a small automated depot hidden inside a frozen debris cluster. Another argued that anything placed too early could draw attention if discovered.
The debate stayed polite, but Aurelian could feel the family’s machinery turning behind every word.
Once they passed back into secure Alliance-side space, Cassian’s vessel separated from the route and began the return to the family capital.
Aurelian spent most of the journey reviewing messages.
Some were from Eirenne. Some were from Astercourt, whose complaints had become more detailed.
Neris sent a short update saying local supply lines could handle the first small teams, but only if nobody became "too enthusiastic."
Elowen asked for early notice if settlement groups were involved, because Larkspur Haven’s environmental recovery needed to be protected from careless expansion.
Solenne reported that her carrier deck repairs were moving well. Lysara requested access to any Vhaloric specialists the family planned to send.
Meridian sent only a technical list, which was somehow more frightening than Astercourt’s complaints.
Then there was a message from Rhoswen, even though she was sitting only a few seats away.
It was a picture of the Tier VII warship through the shuttle window, followed by the words: We need one.
Aurelian looked up at her.
She looked innocent.
"We are not getting one," he said.
"Not today."
"Not for a very long time."
"That is still not never."
Astra, seated across from them, closed her eyes as if refusing to take part in the conversation.
Cassian, who had heard enough from the front of the cabin, said calmly, "A Tier VII vessel is not a snack to be bought because it looks impressive."
Rhoswen straightened at once. "I know, Lord Cassian."
Aurelian looked at her.
She added, "But it does look impressive."
Cassian gave the smallest smile. "That is true."
The mood relaxed after that.
When they reached the Arcturus family capital, the senior elders did not linger in the public starport.
They returned directly to the secured command wing to continue private discussions, and Aurelian expected to be dragged with them at once.
Instead, Cassian only told him to rest for the evening and be ready for more talks the next day.
That was almost more suspicious than being called immediately.
