The doors opened into the secured command wing, and Aurelian stepped inside with Astra beside him.
The meeting was not as long as he expected, mostly because the Arcturus family had already finished arguing through the hardest parts before he arrived.
Cassian did not waste time making him repeat every report from the beginning. Instead, he asked the questions that mattered most, confirmed the route through Mournveil, checked how much support Crownward March could absorb without losing control, and then told him plainly that the first inspection group would leave the next morning.
Aurelian was not surprised by the decision, but he was a little surprised by the speed.
The Arcturus family did not move carelessly, yet once they decided a thing was worth doing, they began with frightening efficiency.
