Star Ship Girl Era: My Shipgirls Are Too Overpowered-Chapter 85: Wraith wind-class Supply Ship: Neris

That would not be surprising. Even good ships did not always awaken. Historical hulls had better chances than normal ones, but "better" did not mean certain, and support ships were usually even harder to bring out as shipgirls than frontline combat vessels, their nature making them less responsive to the kind of conditions that usually triggered an awakening.

Five minutes passed.

Then several more.

Aurelian let out a slow breath through his nose, as he already knew what the outcome was, and this sigh was the slight regret of not awakening another ship girl.

Without the Destiny System pointing directly at a target, normal awakenings really were this unreliable; the difference between guided and unguided results became clear in moments like this.

Just as he was starting to think it had failed, the captain’s cabin door slid open.

A girl with soft blue hair stumbled out, yawning like she had been dragged out of the deepest sleep of her life, her steps unsteady in a way that had nothing to do with damage.

Her posture looked so loose that for a second, Aurelian thought she might fall over before she even finished speaking, her balance not quite catching up with her awareness.

"Sorry," she mumbled, half blinking at him. "I was sleeping really well. I almost didn’t wake up."

Aurelian moved quickly and caught her by the arm before she actually tipped sideways, steadying her without making it look like a big deal.

She looked at him with sleepy but clear eyes and then, after a visible effort, straightened herself enough to give a proper report, forcing herself into something closer to formality.

"Wraithwind-class deep-space supply ship, Neris, reporting for duty," she said, though the end of the sentence nearly dissolved into another yawn. "I didn’t think a ship like mine would be awakened again."

Aurelian guided her over to a nearby chair before answering, letting her sit before she lost the fight against gravity.

"A fleet needs more than warships," he said. "Welcome."

Neris gave a small nod, then looked like she might fall asleep sitting upright, her head dipping slightly before she pulled it back up again.

While she fought that battle, Aurelian pulled up her data through his commander network, letting the interface settle into place.

[Warship Name: Neris]

[Warship Status: Shield 100%, Armor 100%, No Structural or Core Damage]

[Warship Prototype: T3 Wraithwind-class Deep Space Supply Ship]

[Warship Length: 2040 meters]

[Warship Rank: Tier III Destroyer (Level Cap: Lv60)]

[Level: Lv36]

[Ship Components: Wraithwind Hull (Blue) Lv36, Wraithwind Armor (Blue) Lv36, Wraithwind Engine (Blue) Lv36, Wraithwind Shield (Blue) Lv36, Wraithwind Radar (Blue) Lv36]

[Ship Armament: Fifty 120mm close-in defense guns]

[Ship-Exclusive Attachment: Ammunition Conversion Array (Blue) Lv36]

[Ship Accessories: Fleet Supply Companion System (Blue) Lv36, Wraithwind Stealth Screen (Blue) Lv36]

[Weapon Slots Remaining: 3]

[Accessory Slots Remaining: 60]

[Ship Girl: Neris]

[Negative Status: Extreme Drowsiness (will resolve naturally after three days)]

[Talent: Rapid Resupply (Blue High-Tier)]

It was a simple sheet compared to Astra or even Rhoswen, but Aurelian was satisfied with it almost immediately, the value clear without needing deeper analysis.

A historical supply ship at level thirty-six was already useful, far more than a freshly awakened low-level hull.

More than useful, really.

With a proper stock of source fragments on hand, Neris could convert them into ammunition and support materials directly for the fleet, reducing strain in ways that were hard to replace otherwise.

That meant stronger endurance, better battlefield staying power, and less dependence on fixed supply lines in a drawn-out fight where retreat was not always an option.

At his current stage, that kind of support mattered a lot, more than raw firepower in certain situations.

He looked up from the network and found Neris still struggling to keep her eyes open, her effort clearly fading.

"You should rest," he said.

Neris nodded immediately, then yawned again, her agreement coming without resistance.

"Yes, Commander. I just need to sleep for a while."

That was putting it mildly.

She started drifting sideways again, her body already giving in.

Aurelian caught her once more and sighed quietly, like a parent who feels bad to see kids looking tired, but here it looked more like a husband who was sad for his wife, even though this was their first-ever meeting.

"Not here."

He got her moving and walked her back toward the captain’s quarters himself, because in her current state, he honestly was not sure she would make it there alone without curling up in a corridor somewhere and falling asleep where she stood.

Once he was sure she had actually reached a bed and settled, he finally left the ship, closing the distance back into open dock space.

Outside, he paused and looked toward the larger repair docks where the carrier was still undergoing restoration, its scale making everything around it look smaller.

That was the last major piece for this phase.

Once the carrier came online, the fleet would finally have the long-range strike arm he wanted, something that could change how he approached engagements entirely.

After that, he still had several things to do before any future move toward Larkspur Haven could even be considered properly, steps that could not be skipped.

He needed to personally verify the Pale Wound Corridor entry route rather than rely on old coordinates alone, because outdated data was often worse than no data at all.

He needed more supplies, not just for immediate use but for sustained operations.

And more than that, he needed one more type of shipgirl that was quickly becoming harder to ignore.

An engineering ship.

Because if he really did plan to build a foothold far from the Alliance’s comfortable reach, then simply arriving would not be enough.

He would need someone who could help build infrastructure, starport facilities, and all the things a real base needed, things that did not appear on their own.

Larkspur Haven’s local level would not be enough on its own, not without outside support.

If he wanted a world to become something real, he would have to bring that ability with him rather than rely on what was already there.

Aurelian stood there for a few more seconds, watching the repair lights move over the carrier’s hull, steady and precise.

The ecological ship was secured.

The supply ship had awakened.

The purple source material was still incubating.

The carrier was on the way.

And beyond all of that, the bigger plans were still waiting, not urgent yet, but not distant either.

He let out one quiet breath and turned back toward the dock corridors, his thoughts already shifting forward.

There was still time before the next real move.