"Then I'll speak plainly too. I'm not from this region. I came here through a long-range route from a Human Alliance territory. At the moment, I've taken control of Larkspur Haven, which was the closest planet to the route, and I'm in the middle of turning it into a viable base of operations while fighting off the Kharov's local pressure."
Seris and Meren exchanged a quick glance at that.
They had known some of it already, but hearing it from his mouth confirmed their guesses.
Aurelian continued.
"In simpler terms, I am building something out here, and that means I need systems, people, ships, infrastructure, and places that can help me with that. This bastion is now part of that. So are the awakened population inside it, provided you're willing to work under the structure I'm building instead of trying to tear holes in it every few months."
The corner of Seris's mouth moved slightly at that, not quite a smile.
"We will make sure that nothing of that sort happens."
