Chapter 340: Marshal Orvek Taran
The hidden corridor remained quiet as Aurelian and Astra followed Eirenne deeper beneath Sanctuary Ardent.
The walls were smoother than the upper levels, with no signs of repair work, damage, or later construction.
Pale lights ran along the ceiling at even distances, and the air carried the clean, dry smell of an area that had remained sealed for a very long time.
Several doors lined the passage, but none opened as they passed.
Eirenne moved ahead as a small projection, checking every system that became available.
"The archive is still refusing remote access," she said. "It will respond to your presence, but it won’t allow me to enter its core network."
"That was probably intentional," Aurelian replied.
"It was. The sanctuary’s designers expected its main systems to be attacked or captured. Important command records were separated from the general network."
Astra glanced at one of the sealed doors.
"Can anything inside threaten us?"
"I haven’t detected active weapons."
"That isn’t the same as no."
"No," Eirenne admitted. "It isn’t."
They continued without slowing.
Aurelian checked the evacuation channel again. The number of awakened civilians waiting for transport had risen sharply.
Medical teams were now opening smaller preservation rooms around the main halls, and every new room added more people to the growing line.
Neris had divided the western cargo route into three lanes. One was being used for stable survivors who could walk with help, another for medical beds, and the last for supply traffic moving back toward the sanctuary.
It was working, but only barely.
"Current evacuation estimate?" Aurelian asked.
"Four hours and twelve minutes if the western route remains open," Eirenne answered. "Longer if more critical cases are discovered."
"What about Solenne?"
There was a slight pause.
"Still holding."
Aurelian didn’t like the pause.
Far above the hidden archive, Sanctuary Ardent’s orbital defenses had become the center of a much larger battle.
The Compact fleet had not entered the system as one formation.
Marshal Orvek Taran had divided his forces before arrival, sending two groups through different approach routes so they could threaten the sanctuary from both sides.
One formation had appeared beyond the outer moon while the second emerged near the remains of an abandoned fuel station.
The plan was simple enough. One force would pressure Solenne’s fleet and pull her away from the evacuation ships.
The other would move straight toward the sanctuary, destroy the transports, and restore Compact control if possible.
They had expected to find a damaged station, scattered resistance, and a few stolen ships trying to escape.
Instead, Solenne had already formed a defensive line around the evacuation corridor.
Her carrier, the Dawn Petal, remained near the center of the formation with its damaged launch sections turned away from the enemy.
Two cruiser groups held the forward line while smaller ships guarded the transport route behind them.
She didn’t have enough ships to cover every direction, so she had chosen the approach that mattered most.
Every Compact ship trying to reach Sanctuary Ardent had to cross her weapons range.
A wave of enemy fire moved across the dark space between the fleets.
Solenne watched the tactical display as dozens of red lines crossed toward her forward screen.
"Brace the left group," she ordered. "Shift reserve shields to the lead cruisers. Do not break formation."
The ships obeyed.
Compact rounds struck the defensive line seconds later. Shields flashed across the front of the formation, bright enough to turn the nearby hulls white for a moment.
One cruiser dropped out of line after its forward shield failed, but the ship behind it moved into place before the enemy could open a gap.
Solenne’s expression did not change.
"Return fire."
The Dawn Petal’s remaining strike craft moved forward with the cruiser barrage.
They did not attack the strongest enemy ships. Instead, they spread across the outer edge of the Compact formation and struck at sensor vessels, missile platforms, and escort ships trying to guide the larger fleet through the sanctuary’s debris field.
Several Compact captains reacted quickly and turned their defenses toward the incoming craft, but that was what Solenne wanted.
The pressure against her main line weakened.
"Second group, advance nine thousand kilometers," she said. "Aim for the nearest command cruiser."
Her fleet moved as one.
They had spent enough time fighting together that even damaged ships understood the rhythm of the formation.
The forward cruisers fired first, followed by destroyers hiding behind their shield cover.
Fighter squadrons then crossed through the gaps and launched missiles at the command ship’s exposed side.
The Compact cruiser survived the first volley.
It did not survive the second.
Its shields failed along the lower hull, and a heavy round entered through the damaged section before exploding inside the ship.
The enemy formation slowed as nearby vessels moved away from the expanding wreckage.
Solenne used the moment to pull her forward line back.
She had no interest in chasing them.
Her task was to protect the transports, and every minute the Compact wasted trying to force her aside gave Neris more time to move people out of the sanctuary.
A warning appeared across the tactical display.
The second Compact formation had changed direction.
Instead of moving around the edge of the system, it was cutting through the old station field.
Eirenne had warned them that the route was dangerous, but Marshal Taran’s commanders seemed willing to take the risk if it allowed them to reach Sanctuary Ardent faster.
Solenne studied the numbers.
The first formation was larger, but the second was moving more aggressively. If both fleets joined before her reinforcements arrived, the defensive line would be placed under too much pressure.
"How long until they reach transport range?" she asked.
"Thirty-one minutes," the Dawn Petal’s combat system replied.
"And the first group?"
"Twenty-four minutes if it resumes full advance."
Solenne opened a channel to Neris.
"How many transports are clear?"
Neris answered over the sound of engines and distant voices.
"Six loaded ships have left the cargo shafts. Three more are preparing to depart."
"Can you move faster?"
"Not without dropping medical checks."
Solenne looked at the enemy formations.
"Don’t."
Neris didn’t argue.
"I wasn’t going to."
The channel closed.
Solenne adjusted the display and sent new orders to the ships covering the outer transport lane.