Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered

Chapter 288: Serrow Belt Operation

Eirenne answered, "Possibly ambition. Possibly fear. Possibly both. The records imply that Rell had been preparing to expand once Varensk became distracted by the war deeper along the Kharov border. He appears to have avoided sending his full strength to assist Karven Spire or the outer chain."

"So he held back."

"Yes."

"That may make him cautious."

"Or selfish," Astra said.

"Both can be true."

The two mining systems were easy targets. Each had only a small defense group and several Kharov overseer stations controlling forced labor extraction.

The real test would be Nhalis. It had the main starport, the hidden fleet, and the habitable planet.

It was also close enough to Virell’s Reach that a warning from Nhalis could complicate the next major operation if handled poorly.

Cassian assigned the Serrow Belt operation to Aurelian’s command, with support from Orvain’s branch and a limited family reserve.

That decision surprised a few people, but not Aurelian. His father was giving him space to command, while keeping enough strength nearby to prevent a disaster.

It was training, but not a game.

Orvain’s branch took the assignment seriously. Several of its commanders joined Aurelian’s operational channel, along with a group of younger Tier II commanders who had been brought to the March to gain real experience.

Some were technically older than Aurelian by years, or even decades, but in terms of command, they were junior to him now.

That made things strange.

Aurelian stood before the operation map and looked at the gathered faces across the displays.

Darian was present, along with two other Tier III commanders from Orvain’s branch. Behind them were younger commanders, their shipgirls, and escort captains waiting for orders.

"This operation is not a chance to chase glory," Aurelian said. "The mining systems will be taken by small detachments. The main fleet will strike Nhalis. Our goal is to cut communications first, prevent escapes second, and preserve the planet and starport third."

A young commander with a sharp face asked, "Will the Tier II units be assigned to the main battle?"

"Not the opening clash," Aurelian said. "You will join the blockade group under Darian’s supervision. Your task is to seal the starport exits after the first wave disrupts the enemy fleet. If you move too early, you may be caught between ships leaving port and ships retreating from orbit."

The young commander looked slightly disappointed.

Aurelian continued, "That is why you are being assigned there. It is important, but it requires discipline more than firepower."

Darian nodded approvingly. "You heard him. No one moves until the signal."

Rhoswen opened her mouth.

Astra looked at her.

Rhoswen closed it again.

Aurelian saw it and almost smiled, but kept going.

"Eirenne will lead electronic suppression. Solenne will provide drone and fighter cover if her repaired groups pass final checks. Astra and the Black Crown will stay with the main fleet. Rhoswen will be a close assault reserve."

Rhoswen raised one hand. "I am becoming very familiar with that phrase."

"That is because it works."

"It does," she admitted, though not happily.

The plan was simple because simple plans were easier to repair when reality tried to ruin them.

Eirenne would disrupt the Serrow Belt communications at the same time the mining system detachments struck their overseer stations.

The main fleet would enter Nhalis under concealment, disable outer patrols, and force Targan Rell’s hidden fleet to choose between staying trapped in the starport or launching into a controlled battlefield.

Aurelian did not want to destroy the starport.

He wanted the fleet outside it.

That required giving the enemy room to make the wrong decision.

It was similar to Karven Spire, but on a smaller scale.

The fleet departed twelve hours later.

Aurelian’s main force gathered outside the outer gravity limit of the Nhalis system, hidden behind Eirenne’s signal masking and the family’s stealth support.

The mining detachments had already moved to their positions. Darian’s blockade group held back with the younger commanders, ready to move once the first stage began.

The Black Crown’s command deck was quiet.

Not empty, not tense, just focused.

Astra reviewed firing lanes. Eirenne checked the system net. Rhoswen waited aboard the Crimson Bulwark and tried very hard not to sound too excited.

Solenne’s drone groups sat ready in their launch pattern, not at full strength yet, but enough for this operation.

Aurelian looked at the system display.

Nhalis circled a pale blue star, its main habitable planet marked in green and white. Around it sat a starport, several defense platforms, shipyards, and the hidden fleet Eirenne had uncovered through traffic irregularities and old maintenance ledgers.

"Any change?" he asked.

Eirenne answered, "No major change. Targan Rell’s fleet remains docked. Patrols are light. They appear unaware of Karven Spire’s true status."

"Good."

Cassian’s voice came over a private channel. He was not part of the main attack, but his strategic reserve remained within range of response.

"You have command."

"I understand."

"If the situation changes beyond expectation, call for support. Do not let pride make decisions."

Aurelian gave a faint smile. "You say that as if I enjoy making my life harder."

"You are young. It is sometimes difficult to tell."

The channel closed before Aurelian could answer.

Rhoswen’s voice immediately entered. "Your father is funny."

"He is terrifying."

"Both."

Astra looked toward the map. "Operation window opens in two minutes."

Aurelian straightened.

The fleet waited in silence.

Then Eirenne spoke.

"Electronic suppression ready."

Aurelian looked at the blue star, the planet, the starport, and the enemy fleet still resting in its docks, unaware that the storm was already above it.

"Begin."

The first thing Nhalis lost was certainty.

Communication paths across the system twisted into static, false-status loops and routing errors.

Mining stations went blind. Patrol groups lost starport connection. The hidden Kharov fleet inside the dock suddenly found its command net filled with old maintenance orders, contradictory defense alerts, and false reports from Karven Spire claiming routine signal instability.

Then the mining detachments struck.

Two overseer stations went silent almost at once. A third tried to send a distress signal, only for Eirenne to catch it, copy it, and turn it into a harmless loop that never left the system.

Within five minutes, both mining systems were effectively cut off.

At Nhalis, the outer patrols noticed something was wrong too late.

The Black Crown and the March main force dropped concealment at the edge of long-range fire.