The caravan progressed at a steady pace. It faced little opposition or cause for delays when traversing through the Maika Duchy, which was expected. Being one of the more commercially bounteous territories of the Solar Empire meant that they had to maintain a level of safety and security within their region so that money could 'flow' unhindered. To that end, the stringency with which the retainers of the Maika Duchy upheld their patrols and responsibilities was unparalleled. To top it off, the punishments and fines for illegal activities were many times more severe.
It was when the convoy crossed the Duchy's border and entered the Rasmus March that things started to get sketchier. In fact, Guy observed this in the demeanour of the members of the convoy first. Their neutral stance became more vigilant. Even the escorting group, who had been working with Dune Caravan Management regularly, had entered an alert posture.
