"You are thinking about changing your focus."
"Not changing it," Aurelian replied. "Adding something alongside it."
"Mournveil exploration?"
"Yes."
Astra, who had been standing near the command rail, turned toward him.
Aurelian brought up the nebula map. "The family wants to keep pushing toward Virell's Reach. I do too. But every Kharov system we've taken has come with problems nobody expected. We've found relics, forced-labor populations, unstable commanders, and old routes that we still don't fully understand. Karven Spire and Nhalis both need time before we launch another major offensive."
Rhoswen leaned closer to the display.
"And Mournveil has things to fight."
"It has space beasts," Aurelian said. "Storm routes that haven't been explored properly, possible resource deposits, and maybe even hidden systems. We can train our fleets, gather materials, chart new routes, and expand without immediately drawing Varensk's attention."
Rhoswen's eyes immediately lit up.
