Everyone already knew about the so-called Alps. It was a Precursor-class mobile shipyard the Commonwealth had acquired from the Alliance, and the entire expeditionary fleet had brought only three. Two were at the Ring of Miracles, and the last was here. These were large specialized vessels, comparable in size to capital ships. Their interiors could accommodate three or five light cruisers for delicate, surgical-level work, and they could also make emergency repairs to all types of capital ships, including dreadnoughts.
As for the Tianshan, it was one of the four nanotech repair ships the Iron Army Compact had provided to the Commonwealth. Compared with traditional repair methods, a work system centered on small automatons was more specialized and thorough when handling fine details.
All in all, with these two ships working together, the Blue Star Commonwealth had essentially established a mobile ship-maintenance base in this star system, one that could be moved at any time.
Of course, the DL33 system lay at an important junction along a major route inside the Dawn Star Domain. It was perfectly reasonable to do a little repair work here and provide passing cargo ships and cruise liners with some attentive routine services, wasn't it?
The Empire couldn't very well complain. They had even finished building a space station large enough to dock cruisers. With a few heavy guns added, it could serve as a fortress.
And there was more. The DL33 system had once seen a decisive fleet battle. Her Highness Brunhild, the "Light of the Heavens," and Commander Yu Lian, the "Dragon of Dawn," among others, had shattered the Marauders' main fleet here. The enemy ships that had been sunk were still drifting through the vast heavens. They would probably remain there for tens of thousands of years before cosmic radiation finally broke