Orison believed it was the lawful continuation of the old recovery authority that had once controlled the region.
Maybe it wasn't the Directorate itself, but from their point of view, that didn't matter much.
Their government had inherited the repair yard, the surrounding recovery sites, and the old responsibility of managing them.
Aurelian understood how they had reached that conclusion.
He still thought their enforcement was unreasonable.
"Then we have a dispute," Aurelian said, keeping his voice calm as he looked over the recovery-zone map.
"Correct," the Orison representative answered without any hesitation.
Aurelian leaned back slightly. "Disputes do not require kidnapping civilians."
"The relocation prevented further violations," the representative replied, as if that completely explained the situation.
Across the channel, Rhoswen's expression changed immediately. She muted herself before saying whatever had come to mind.
Aurelian was grateful for that.
