Chapter 436: Technical Administrator Sera Dorn

Aurelian contacted the Valeris council.

"Keep the transport in the inspection zone. The delegates can transfer aboard your shuttle if you’re still willing to receive them."

The council chair looked worried.

"You think someone placed that device aboard their ship?"

"We don’t know yet. But the case wasn’t on their cargo list, and the beacon gives us a reason to take the warning seriously."

"What if the delegates knew about it?"

"Then separating them from the transport makes it harder for them to use it."

The council agreed.

Orison’s representatives also agreed.

That surprised Rhoswen.

"They’re either innocent or very confident."

"Both are possible."

The delegates left their transport with only the items Valeris’s security had inspected.

Their ship remained outside the conference station’s security area.

Aurelian watched the transfer carefully.

No one resisted.

No one tried to return for the unidentified case.

The three official representatives eventually entered the conference station under Valeris escort.

The first was the legal officer, a thin older man named Oren Vale.

The second was technical administrator Sera Dorn.

The third was the civilian representative, Halden Marrick, who looked far less comfortable around armed security officers than the other two.

Rhoswen met them inside the main arrival room.

Aurelian joined through the station’s secure display.

Oren looked at him almost immediately.

"Commander Arcturus, I assume the meeting has not been canceled."

"Not yet."

"Good."

Rhoswen folded her arms. "You don’t seem concerned that someone put an undeclared beacon on your ship."

Oren looked toward her.

"I am extremely concerned."

"You hide it well."

"I have spent thirty-two years arguing about salvage regulations."

Rhoswen stared at him.

Oren continued, "I learned patience."

Aurelian almost smiled.

Maybe Rhoswen had finally met someone who could survive a conversation with her.

Sera Dorn was less interested in humor.

"Has the device transmitted?"

Eirenne answered through the display.

"No. It was removed before activation."

"Then whoever placed it may not know it was discovered."

That was an important point.

Aurelian looked at Eirenne.

"Can we tell what signal activates it?"

"We’re working on that now."

Sera nodded. "If possible, don’t destroy the device."

Rhoswen raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because if someone tries to activate it, you may learn something."

Aurelian agreed.

They moved the beacon into a shielded examination compartment aboard the Valeris security platform.

Eirenne and the local technicians began studying it while the conference continued under the revised security plan.

The first part of the meeting was more awkward than hostile.

Valeris wanted an explanation for Kestrel.

Orison wanted recognition that some of its recovery claims were lawful.

The cooperative wanted independent access to shipping routes and disputed salvage zones.

Nobody agreed on everything.

That was expected.

What surprised Aurelian was Orison’s position on the old amendment.

Oren Vale did not claim that it gave Orison control over the entire region.

"The original map presented to Valeris was based on our modern administrative boundary," he explained.

"The historical recovery corridors are one part of that claim, not the whole of it."

Dalia Renn immediately responded.

"Then what is the rest based on?"

"Later agreements with independent recovery crews."

"Which agreements?"

"That is part of what we’re here to establish."

Aurelian listened carefully.

This was different from the anonymous Orison representative he had first dealt with.

Oren was still defending Orison’s claims, but he was willing to separate the historical records from later customs.

That gave them room to work.

They spent the next two hours comparing maps.

Three wreck fields were easy.

Orison had strong records for them, and neither Valeris nor the cooperative had a serious competing claim.

Two more were disputed.

The remaining outer sites had much weaker documentation.

Aurelian suggested setting those aside for independent review rather than letting the entire agreement fail over them.

Nobody objected.

Kestrel was harder.

Mara Venn joined remotely and demanded compensation for the four civilian ships Orison had dismantled.

Oren did not deny what had happened.

"The vessels were processed under our recovery-debt rules."

Mara’s expression hardened. "They were civilian ships."

"I know."

"You took them after seizing my people."

"I know that as well."

The room became quiet.

Oren looked uncomfortable for the first time.

"Our delegation has authority to negotiate compensation. I am not asking you to accept the seizure as lawful."

That changed the discussion.

Mara still looked angry, but she stayed.

Aurelian considered that progress.

Then Eirenne contacted him privately through his command display.

The beacon had received an activation signal.

Aurelian’s attention immediately shifted.

"Source?"

"We don’t have an exact position yet. The signal came from outside the conference station’s local zone."

"Did the beacon respond?"

"No. We kept its transmitter isolated."

"Can whoever sent the signal tell?"

"Probably not immediately."

Aurelian looked toward Rhoswen.

She noticed his expression.

"What happened?"

"The beacon was just triggered."

Rhoswen’s entire posture changed.

"Where from?"

"Eirenne is tracing it."

Aurelian opened the tactical map.

The conference station remained quiet.

The Orison transport was still waiting in the inspection zone.

The cooperative ship had not moved.

Civilian traffic continued along the approved route.

Then one of the outer scouts reported a contact.

Three ships had appeared near the mining debris field.

They were not the same vessel that had delivered the warning.

These ships were larger.

Their identification signals were inactive.

Rhoswen looked at the tactical display.

"Now can I move closer?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Finally."

"Don’t enjoy this."

"No promises."

Crimson Bulwark began moving toward the conference station while the Valeris patrol vessels took defensive positions around the civilian approaches.

Aurelian ordered the station to suspend incoming traffic.

No evacuation yet.

No weapons fire.

They still did not know what the unidentified ships intended.

Eirenne examined the contacts.

"Mixed hull designs. Human structural frames with Vhaloric weapon components."

"Orison?"

Oren Vale had heard the report.

He stood from the conference table.

"Not ours."

Rhoswen looked at him through the display.

"You expect us to accept that?"

"No. I expect you to verify it."

That was a surprisingly good answer.

Aurelian contacted the approaching vessels.

"This is Crownward regional command. You are approaching a civilian conference under Valeris authority. Identify yourselves and hold position."

No response came.

The three ships continued forward.

Rhoswen’s scouts moved to intercept.

Aurelian watched their speed.

"They’re not heading for the station."

Eirenne adjusted the projection.

He was right.

Their course would take them past the station.

Toward the Orison transport.

Sera Dorn stood quickly.

"They’re after our ship."

"Maybe," Aurelian said.

The Orison transport began moving without permission.

Rhoswen immediately contacted it.

"Orison transport, hold your position."

The pilot answered almost at once.

"We’re unarmed."

"Then holding position is the safest thing you can do."

The transport stopped.

The unidentified ships increased speed.

Aurelian had enough information now.

"Rhoswen, place yourself between them and the transport. Do not fire unless they continue after a final warning."

"Understood."

Crimson Bulwark accelerated.

The three attackers were smaller, but they did not turn away.

Instead, their weapon systems began powering up.

Rhoswen saw it at the same time.

"Commander."

"I see it."

Aurelian gave them one final chance.

"Unknown vessels, power down your weapons and withdraw. If you continue your approach, you will be treated as hostile."

For several seconds, nothing changed.

Then the lead ship fired.

The shot targeted the Orison transport.

Crimson Bulwark’s shields caught it.

Rhoswen did not wait for another order.

Her forward batteries answered.

The first attacker lost its shields almost immediately.

The other two broke formation and tried to move around Crimson Bulwark from opposite sides.

Valeris patrol ships moved in.

Aurelian kept his eyes on the civilian traffic routes.

"Keep them away from the station. No pursuit toward the inhabited habitats."

Rhoswen’s voice remained calm.

"Understood."

The fight ended quickly.

The attackers had expected an unprotected civilian transport.

They had not expected Crimson Bulwark.

The first ship lost propulsion after Rhoswen destroyed its engine section.

The second surrendered when two Valeris patrol ships trapped it against the debris field.

The third tried to escape.

Rhoswen disabled its main drive before it reached the outer route.

Less than ten minutes after the first shot, all three vessels were under control.

Aurelian looked around the conference room through the remote display.

Nobody was talking.

Finally, Oren Vale sat back down.

"I believe we have another subject for today’s meeting."

Rhoswen appeared on a second display.

"Commander, boarding teams are preparing to inspect the disabled ships."

"Valeris teams first. This is their space."

"Understood."

"And take prisoners if they surrender."

Rhoswen gave him a look.

"I know."

"I was reminding everyone."

"Of course."

Aurelian looked at the captured ships again.

The conference had been meant to settle a dispute between Orison and Valeris.

Instead, someone had tried to use it to attack Orison’s delegation and make sure everyone knew where the transport was.

That raised a much larger question.

Who benefited from stopping the negotiations?

Aurelian had no answer yet.

But now they had three captured ships, surviving crews, and an intact beacon.

Whoever had planned the attack had made one mistake.

They had expected the conference to make Orison vulnerable.

Instead, they had delivered evidence directly into Valeris’s hands.