The next morning began with fewer alarms than Aurelian expected.
That alone made it feel unusual.
Sanctuary Ardent's shields were still being repaired, the western launch area remained partly closed, and hundreds of newly returned survivors were filling the medical and residential levels, but nothing had gone wrong overnight.
No Compact fleet appeared.
No scout reached the system.
No Alliance officer discovered another reason to argue about ownership.
For once, the reports waiting for Aurelian were mostly about work that had actually been completed.
He sat in the temporary command center with Astra while Eirenne brought up the overnight summary.
"The captured Compact ships reached Helion Bastion Twelve without incident," she said. "Meridian has started separating them by condition."
"How many are worth keeping?"
