Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

Chapter 276: The Escaping Governor 2

"Find them."

"I am working on it."

Cassian opened a fleet-wide command channel soon after. His expression remained calm, but Aurelian could hear the steel beneath it.

"Karven Spire orbital control remains the priority. Planetary operations will begin after full station security is confirmed. No uncontrolled descent. No atmospheric strikes without approval. We preserve the planet."

Several commanders acknowledged.

Maeron, unsurprisingly, sounded disappointed but obedient.

Aurelian understood Cassian’s caution. They had won space, but a hasty ground descent could create confusion, friendly fire, or civilian casualties.

Worse, if Daskor wanted them to rush, he might have traps prepared.

So they waited while the family finished its preparations and made sure the governor didn’t disappear.

Within the next two hours, the Arcturus family secured the starport ring, the orbital dockyard, and most of the relay fortress.

Eirenne gained access to the relay core and began feeding controlled false signals into the local Kharov network.

To anyone farther away, Karven Spire would appear damaged by internal sabotage and pirate activity, still struggling with power failures, but not fully lost; it was not a perfect lie.

But no one expected it to be, as they were doing this only to buy time.

Meanwhile, March officers and Arcturus intelligence teams questioned captured station personnel.

They learned that Daskor Vey had several emergency protocols tied to the planetary capital. One involved rallying loyalist ground forces.

One involved destroying administrative archives. One involved executing high-risk prisoners and forced labor leaders before they could be freed.

The last one made Aurelian’s expression go cold.

"Where are they held?"

Eirenne answered before the intelligence officer could. "Three major sites. One beneath the governor’s fortress, one industrial detention zone near the southern refinery belt, and one sealed labor transit camp west of the capital."

Astra looked toward him.

Rhoswen’s channel was silent now, but Aurelian could feel her waiting.

Cassian listened to the report without visible reaction. "Can Daskor reach all three?"

"Not personally," Eirenne said. "But the execution order can be sent through groundline channels if they remain intact."

"Cut them," Aurelian said.

"I am attempting to infiltrate. Local systems are crude compared to the station, but many are physically isolated."

Cassian looked toward the planetary display. "Then the ground operation begins earlier than planned, but is limited. We secure detention sites first, then the command fortress. Aurelian, your March personnel will participate in observation and support, not lead the assault."

Aurelian wanted to argue for half a second.

Then he decided not to.

Cassian was right. The March required experience, but this was still a high-risk hostage-and-infrastructure operation. The family’s ground forces were better prepared.

"Understood."

Rhoswen finally spoke. "Commander."

"No orbital duels."

"I was going to ask for ground support deployment."

Aurelian paused.

That was actually more reasonable than expected.

Astra looked faintly surprised as well.

Rhoswen continued, a little quieter. "If they’re going after prisoners, I can help break through hardened positions without flattening everything."

Aurelian considered it. Her ship’s body was in orbit, but shipgirls could project combat forms with appropriate equipment, and Rhoswen was built for close assault. Used carefully, she could be valuable.

Cassian answered before Aurelian did.

"She may join the second assault wave under direct command restrictions. No independent charges."

Rhoswen straightened. "Understood."

Aurelian looked at her through the display. "You heard him."

"I did."

"And you understand what this is?"

Her expression changed.

The excitement faded, replaced by something more serious.

"Yes. This isn’t about glory."

"Good."

The first drop craft launched thirty minutes later.

They did not fall like invaders trying to terrify a planet. They descended in disciplined waves under the cover of stealth and jamming, heading toward the detention sites, relay bunkers, and key transit points.

Mech infantry made up the first wave, followed by special security teams, medical extraction units, and March observers attached in small numbers.

Aurelian remained in orbit on the Black Crown, though every part of him wanted to be closer.

Astra stood beside him.

"You dislike waiting."

"No, it’s just that the wait is not something that I like in these kinds of situations."

The southern refinery detention site fell first. Its guards tried to execute prisoners once the external cameras went dark, but family assault teams breached the command room before the order could be completed.

Two hundred forced laborers were recovered alive, along with several local technicians who immediately offered information about other hidden sites in exchange for protection.

The western labor transit camp was worse.

The Kharov guards there had already begun moving prisoners when the assault team arrived. A brief fight broke out across the loading yard, and several transport vehicles tried to flee into the dust flats. Rhoswen deployed with the second wave there.

Aurelian watched her feed from orbit.

She did not charge wildly.

She moved like a hammer with eyes.

Her armored combat frame dropped into the path of the lead transport, smashed its engine block with one strike, then turned and disabled the next vehicle before it could run over the prisoners being forced aboard.

When Kharov soldiers opened fire from the guard towers, she used a fallen transport as cover long enough for the assault teams to breach the gate.

Then she went through the wall.

Aurelian closed his eyes briefly.

Astra said, "It was tactically acceptable."

"I know."

"It was also restrained by her standards."

"I know that too."

Rhoswen’s voice came in through the ground channel. "Prisoners secured. Also, the wall was weak."

Aurelian sighed. "Good work."

"Thank you."

By the time the western camp was secured, Daskor had lost two of his three immediate leverage points.

That left the fortress.

Governor-Marshal Daskor Vey knew it too.

Inside the capital fortress, he stood in the old command hall while his officers argued around him. Some wanted to flee into underground tunnels.

Others wanted to surrender. A few loyal hardliners demanded that they arm the city militias and turn the capital into a killing ground.

Daskor listened to all of them and answered none at first.

Then a signal officer turned from a dead console. "My lord, southern detention is gone. The Western camp is gone. We have lost groundline connection to the lower archive bunker."