I think that was less of a gap, and more just they were also told to go with us without being given more details than we were.

[ owner doubts that they would know about what's happening on every single planet in the universe ]

Aha, no. They would bring criminals every year, and watch them die to the heartseed. Pollen that came out of it would turn the criminals into trees. It was painful. But this year, the heartseed attacked everyone.