UGT: 22th Aether 280 a.G.A. / 11:11 a.m.

  Location: FSF Honour, inside the Woch-Hor'Nubis system (black hole, 49x the Sol star mass), Inner-Noran sector, Ruidan Raider Association, Milky Way

  The aftermath of battle weighed heavily on Commander Ashcroft. The bridge of his flagship was dimly lit, the displays still running tactical readouts of a battle that was already over. The Ruidan fleet had surrendered. Their Freighters had been reduced to glowing debris, even if they did that to themselves to avoid capture. And soon, the SHF would control of the antimatter production station, completely intact. It was a victory. But it didn’t sit right. Once more, the Commander had to depend on the FSF Aurora and its questionable Captain to achieve vicotry. But he knew, that was the reason the Admiral had sent her with them and not kept her close.

  May Lunaris. If that was even her real name. He was more than willing to admit he didn't like her one bit. She was an anomaly, one that had to be tolerated out of necessity. A ship like the FSF Aurora under FSF influence was an advantage too great to ignore. Even if the price was having to deal with that infuriating Caotain. But the more Commander Ashcroft actually saw, the more question and suspicions formed in his mind. He wasn’t blind. It was obvious, she was hunting for something. When she’d ordered the boarding of those freighters, there had been, for the first time since he got to know her, urgency in her voice. An fear as well. And the moment the Freighters self-destructed, he could feel her frustration even over the comms.

  She’d clearly found something she'd been looking for. And then, just as quickly, it had slipped away. The Commander did feel a little bit smug about that, to be honest. But still: Commander Ashcroft had seen her fight, seen the cold precision in how she commanded. But when, for the first time since he knew her, she failed in one of her goals? That was not the reaction of someone merely inconvenienced. That was someone blindsided. Someone who had just realized how little control they actually had over a situation. Which meant the Commander finally had something he could potentially hold over her.

  Commander Ashcroft exhaled slowly. There was no point in confronting Captain Lunaris now. Not yet. If he pushed too soon, she’d shut him out completely, blocking out the best path forward to truly gain control over the FSF Aurora. For now, the Commander would wait and watch. "Commander, our ground troops have secured primary and secondary control centers on the station. No resistance has been encountered. They're awaiting further orders," his temporary CO suddenly interrupeted his thoughts.

  So, no resistance. Again. "Lock down the command core. No one touches the main systems until engineering has gone through everything. I want full diagnostics first. If the Ruidans left us surprises, I want them found before they detonate in our faces. Same goes for the fuel reserves. I don’t trust a single reactor onboard that station until it’s been cleared twice over," he ordered.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Understood, Sir," the CO replied, before leaving to get the orders transmitted, leaving the Commander once more to his thoughts. Because that was a problem as well. The garrison. The fleet wouldn't be staying in this system forever. Only a few days. Once they moved on, someone would need to hold this station. The FSF wasn’t a monolithic force, per se. All the different factions of the Federation, all with different backgrounds and goals, would want control over this new antimater resouce. Not just during, but also after the war. Commander Ashcroft already knew the arguments that would start the moment the system was fully brought under control.

  Some would argue for direct FSF command. Keep it under military occupation, rotate crews in and out, ensure its resources were used efficiently. Others, the more politically-minded factions, would push for a civilian overseer. Some would want someone from the central SHF space and direct Terran control, others would want to create a new republic, again others would try to add this system to the space of the Republic of Nox. The Commander didn't give a damn about all that. He cared about security. And he wasn’t about to let some bureaucrat, fresh from a cozy office lightyears away, take control of the most valuable antimatter supply in this sector. In the end, luckily, the Admiral had the last word on the matter, not the Commander. It would make sure the political ramifications wouldn't become a problem for him. But for now, the military would keep control over the station for the forseeable future. That, at least, Commander Ashcroft would make sure off.

  Which led to the next issue: the Ruidan prisoners. Most of their fleet had been obliterated, but oviously there were survivors. Crews from crippled ships. Officers that had surrendered. Hundreds of them, now held in SHF custody. And the FSF was divided on what to do with them. "Execute them all," some of the officers had argued. "No risks, no future threats. This mission is to important for unaccounted problems." Others saw the opportunity. "They know this system, its logistics, its hidden caches. Some of them could be turned."

  A soft chime signaled an incoming report. Commander Ashcroft pulled up the data. A full list of captives, their ranks, their roles in the Ruidan fleet. And among them actually were some high-value officers. Potential and valuable assets. And based on that, the Commander made his decision. "Segregate the prisoners. Standard crew to long-term detainment. Any officers with logistical access are to be held separately. I want full psychological evaluations. If they’re willing to talk, we listen," he ordered. After all, information was always was valuable.

  With this, the most pressing issues were taken care off. And with that, Commander Ashcroft pulled up the information on the FSF Aurora and Captain Lunaris once more. Because there was one last detail, he was still unsure about. The sudden blackout of the entire FSF Aurora, The sensors had only picked up the barest flicker, but that was still more than enough. With that, the Commander recalled how Captain Lunaris had once talked with Admiral Thorrison about the chance of there being a rebellion on the FSF Aurora. Could that have been something like that? he simly had no way to know. And because of that, he would keep quiet about having noticed that for now as well. The next few days would show him how Captain Lunaris would act after what she most likely saw as a defeat. The information would be highly valuable for him indeed.