Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

Chapter 278: The Governor’s Struggle

Aurelian had not known how close Karven Spire had come to becoming another tragedy until the reports began arriving in full.

From orbit, the planet looked calm. Cold clouds moved over the industrial belts, city lights spread across the dark side in hard lines, and the governor’s fortress was only one marked point among many on the tactical map.

It was easy to forget, from that height, that one order from a defeated man could have poisoned whole districts and left the Arcturus family inheriting a world full of fear, sickness, and resentment.

That was why he did not allow himself to look away from the details.

The space battle had ended. The station had been captured. The relay had been preserved. But the planet itself was still a problem, and unlike a ship, a planet did not surrender simply because its weapons were gone.

Cassian knew that better than anyone.

The first planetary command meeting took place aboard his flagship while the occupation teams continued securing the capital fortress below.

Aurelian attended through the Black Crown’s command link, with Astra beside him and Eirenne’s projection standing near the main display.

Rhoswen remained on the surface with the second assault wave, still near the fortress, where medical teams and hazard specialists were working through the lower vaults.

The planet was now officially listed as contained, not pacified.

That distinction mattered.

"The governor is in custody," one of the Arcturus family ground commanders reported. "The capital fortress is secured. The southern detention site and western transit camp are under control. We have confirmed limited hazard leakage in the lower vault, but Elowen’s team says the spread was stopped before entering the city water system."

Elowen’s voice came through from Larkspur Haven, tired but steady. "The samples are ugly, but contained. If the vault seal holds and the contaminated drainage tunnel remains isolated, we can clean the affected section without evacuating the lower districts."

Aurelian let out a quiet breath.

That was one good thing.

Cassian looked toward the planet map. "What is the situation outside the capital?"

The answer was less comforting.

Several regional garrisons had gone silent after receiving incomplete orders from Daskor. Some had begun moving troops toward the capital before communications collapsed.

Others were waiting. A few industrial zones had locked their gates and refused contact with both the old Kharov administration and the new occupation forces.

The population was another problem.

Karven Spire’s planet held more than eight hundred million people, far more than Aurelian had hoped and fewer than the worst estimates.

Most were Kharov military families, dock labor populations, industrial workers, technical clans, and people brought here from other regions to serve the outer chain.

There were forced laborers too, but they were scattered across mines, refineries, and sealed camps rather than gathered neatly in one place.

There was no simple local resistance movement waiting to greet them as liberators.

Some people hated the Kharov authorities.

Some feared them.

Some had benefited from them.

And most simply wanted to survive the change without being crushed between old power and new power.

An elder from the family’s occupation command spoke plainly. "This planet will not fall cleanly just because the governor was captured. The orbital side is ours, but the surface has organized forces, local command posts, fortified cities, and enough loyalists to create problems if we move carelessly."

Cassian nodded. "Population?"

"Large enough that direct pressure alone would be costly. The capital can be held, but the wider planet will require staged control."

Aurelian studied the map. Several cities glowed in yellow, meaning uncertain status. Red marked active hostile garrisons. Blue-marked secured zones. There was far too much yellow.

Rhoswen’s ground feed opened on one side of the display. Her combat frame had been powered down to standby, and she looked more serious than usual. "Commander, the people here are scared."

Aurelian turned slightly toward the feed. "Of us?"

"Of everyone," she said. "Some of the prisoners thought we were here to take them somewhere worse. One of the medics had to spend ten minutes convincing them we weren’t going to punish them for being listed as labor property."

The command room went quiet for a moment.

Aurelian looked at the planet again.

"That is why we need control before conquest," he said.

Cassian’s gaze shifted toward him, waiting.

Aurelian continued, "If we rush every city with mechs and assault teams, we might win faster, but we will look like another Kharov force with better ships. We need to split the planet. Separate hard loyalists from ordinary workers and local officers who just want to live. Offer terms where possible. Hit only the places that refuse or try to harm civilians."

A military elder nodded slowly. "That will take longer."

"Yes," Aurelian said. "But we want the planet after this."

Cassian’s expression showed faint approval. "Agreed."

The family could have crushed Karven Spire’s surface with overwhelming force if it wanted to.

Hundreds of millions of drones and mechs could be dropped if the order was given. Orbital weapons could disable power grids, smash military bases, and force cities into darkness.

But that would damage the world, harden the population, and create the kind of hatred that would take generations to burn away.

The Arcturus family had not come here only to win a battle.

It had come to build.

So Cassian ordered a staged planetary operation.

First, all major orbital and atmospheric exits would be locked down. No ship, shuttle, or courier drone could leave the planet without approval.

Second, Eirenne would use the captured relay and local networks to broadcast a controlled message.

Daskor Vey had been captured alive. His attempt to release hazardous reserves inside the capital would be revealed with evidence.

Local military commanders would be told to stand down, preserve civilian order, and await inspection.

Those who surrendered their command posts would retain protection for their families and lawful personnel until review.

Those who destroyed infrastructure, harmed civilians, or attempted to continue Daskor’s final order would be treated as active criminals, not soldiers.

It was not gentle.

But it was fair enough.

Eirenne prepared the broadcast within minutes.