The first offer of outside assistance arrived three days after Aurelian's meeting with his commanders.
It came from the Briarwell Trade Union, a group of independent Human settlements located beyond the established recovery routes.
The union controlled several mining stations, two inhabited worlds, and a collection of industrial platforms that supplied nearby settlements with raw materials.
Aurelian had heard of Briarwell before, although Crownward had never dealt with it directly.
Its settlements were too far away to benefit from Crownward's regular patrols, and most of their trade passed through independent freight companies operating around Orison.
However, that was beginning to change.
With Dunmere restoring its navigation network, several routes between Briarwell and the recovery region could become practical again.
The union's representatives had apparently noticed the same opportunity.
