Arkinslize
So we got some recruits, while large numbers look appealing and cool they are quite problematic. 1) they are weaklings so 10000 or 10 doesn't change much in terms of strength. 2), high numbers means stronger eather signatures so more appealing to the digestors. 3) you move slower than you would normally and they are harder to protect.
What a group of geniuses the second wave of people to leave are, the ones not under slave contracts. Joining the bigger group of weaklings here just means you have a higher meatshield to actual player ratio. A smaller group means Jake and his faction can more effectively cover their refugees. Plus compared to the literal slave owners they are more likely to actually care about the people under their protection, even if it isn't a huge amount.