Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

Chapter 280: The Governor’s Struggle 3

After the vault inspection, they visited one of the recovered prisoner halls.

The people inside were still wary. Some lowered their eyes when Aurelian entered, while others watched Astra with open fear.

They did not know exactly who she was or what she had done, but they could sense that she was dangerous. Even without understanding the details, that much was obvious.

Aurelian did not try to force anyone to feel comfortable.

Instead, he spent most of his time speaking with the medical teams, checking food supplies, and making sure nobody was being classified as enemy personnel simply because old Kharov records had listed them as property.

The records were extensive, and if nobody paid attention, it would have been easy for mistakes to happen.

That mattered to him.

It also seemed to matter to the people watching.

Many of them listened quietly as officials spoke with March personnel, and more than a few looked surprised when they realized the records were being questioned rather than accepted without review.

As Aurelian prepared to leave, an older worker finally stepped forward.

His clothes were clean now, and he looked healthier than he probably had in years, but old scars and dark marks around his wrists showed where restraints had been used far too often.

"You are not Kharov," the man said.

Aurelian turned toward him.

"No."

The worker studied him carefully before asking another question.

"Are you Alliance?"

"Human Alliance, yes," Aurelian replied. "But this region will be administered by the Crownward March under Arcturus family protection."

The man seemed to understand only part of that answer, but he understood enough.

His eyes shifted briefly around the hall before returning to Aurelian.

"Will the camps close?"

"Yes."

The worker stared at him for several seconds, clearly trying to decide whether to believe him. After living under the Kharov for so long, promises probably sounded cheap.

Aurelian did not add explanations or make grand speeches. He simply met the man’s gaze and allowed the answer to stand on its own.

Eventually, the worker gave a single nod.

It was not trust.

Not yet.

But it was enough.

Without another word, he stepped back into the crowd.

When they left the hall, Rhoswen was unusually quiet.

Aurelian glanced at her.

"What is it?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

Astra immediately looked at her.

"That is not true."

Rhoswen frowned for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"I just keep thinking that if we had been slower, Daskor would have killed them."

"Yes," Aurelian said.

It was not a comforting answer, but it was the truth.

Rhoswen looked back toward the hall behind them.

"I’m glad we weren’t slower."

"So am I."

The final meeting of the day took place inside the captured governor’s command hall. Before anyone from the March arrived, Cassian had ordered Daskor’s banners and symbols removed.

The hall still felt cold and severe, but with the old insignias gone, it no longer looked like the center of a tyrant’s rule. Instead, it felt like a room waiting for a different purpose.

Cassian stood beside the central table with several ground commanders and occupation officers gathered around him.

As Aurelian entered, Cassian gestured toward the display.

"Planetary resistance is fragmenting. Kareth Hollow is secured; the capital is stable; four regional garrisons have surrendered; two remain hostile. One has gone silent. We will deal with them in order."

"And Daskor?" Aurelian asked.

"In custody. He refuses to discuss anything except his demand to be recognized as the lawful ruler."

Rhoswen snorted.

Cassian ignored her.

"His trial will wait until we gather enough evidence from the camps, vaults, and administrative archives. A public trial without records becomes revenge. A public trial with records becomes the foundation."

Aurelian understood immediately.

The people of Karven Spire needed to know exactly what had happened. They needed to see what had been done both in their name and to them.

Just as importantly, they needed to see that the new authority would not simply drag defeated enemies into a room and make them disappear.

Law mattered.

Especially after years of fear.

A military elder joined the meeting through a projection.

"The next question is troop allocation. Karven Spire cannot be stripped of forces if we intend to hold it."

Cassian studied the map.

"A temporary occupation command will remain in place. March officers will participate, but they will not yet carry the entire burden. The relay is too important."

Aurelian nodded.

"I agree. The March needs experience, but if we rush the transition, we’ll create more problems than we solve."

"Good," Cassian said. "Then Karven Spire remains under joint occupation for now. March involvement will increase gradually as local systems stabilize."

At the edge of the table, Eirenne’s projection appeared.

"I recommend establishing a civil screening bureau immediately. Kharov’s administrative records are unreliable. Some people listed as loyal officials are likely opportunists, while some listed as criminals appear to be labor organizers, local dissidents, or citizens who hid supplies from tax collectors."

A new voice entered the channel.

Astercourt.

"I’ll send a team. Nobody touches those records without supervision."

Aurelian almost smiled.

"You sound eager."

"I sound busy."

"That too."

The meeting continued well into the evening.

Food distribution plans were reviewed. Prison camp closures were discussed. Local policing, industrial recovery, environmental hazards, infrastructure damage, and information control all required attention.

There were no easy solutions.

Cassian’s approach remained steady throughout every discussion. Truth would be used whenever it helped.

Sensitive information would be withheld when releasing it served no purpose beyond causing panic.

War criminals would face consequences, but ordinary citizens would not be punished simply for having survived under Kharov’s rule.

It was practical.

More importantly, it was sustainable.

By the time Aurelian finally left the command hall, the capital’s night lights were glowing beneath a blanket of cold haze.

Rhoswen walked beside him while Astra followed on his other side.

After several minutes of silence, Rhoswen spoke.

"Commander."

"Yes?"

"Occupational work is more annoying than fighting."

"It is."

She made a face.

"And more important?"

"Often."

Rhoswen thought about that for a few moments before reluctantly nodding.

"I hate that this makes sense."

Astra glanced at her.

"That means you are learning."

Rhoswen gave her a suspicious look.

"You sound pleased."

"I am."

That earned a small smile despite Rhoswen’s efforts to remain annoyed.

When they reached the shuttle, Aurelian stopped and looked back at the city.

Karven Spire was not safe yet.

It was not loyal.

It was not even fully under control.

There were still hostile forces beyond the capital. There were still records to examine, systems to rebuild, and people who had not yet decided whether the Crownward March was truly different from the rulers who came before.

But the city had survived its first day after its own ruler tried to poison it.

That mattered.

Above the clouds, the relay was theirs.

Beyond the system, the outer chain remained quiet.

Farther still, Virell’s Reach waited.

Aurelian stepped into the shuttle with Astra and Rhoswen following behind him.

The road ahead was still dangerous.

But now, at least, it had begun to look like a road.