In the early evening of a particularly hot summer day in the desert, a pair of Berber scouts from the Kingdom's southern border returned to their camp in a near panic. They reported that an organized force of hundreds of foreign-looking men, likely from the jungles to the south, was approaching Imazighen territory. Given Yashou's recent declaration of war against the Kingdom, its military leaders were already on edge and feared the worst. They knew the Judeans had political connections in the Niger region, and so they assumed that this force would be part of a flank attack against the Amazigh army. The camp's officers ordered their men to make all necessary preparations for combat, and a few camel cavalry rode out to meet the approaching foreigners.

Two dozen Tuareg riders rode with swords drawn to demonstrate that they would not back down against the oncoming legion. As they reached the top of the sand dune separating their parties, however, they noticed spots of blue among the force: some of the "foreigners" were wearing the tagelmusts popular among Tuaregs. The leader of this company rode to meet the cavalry, his hand raised and no weapon drawn. This man was none other than Usem Aït-Tariq, the King's second son who was largely forgotten by his people after he married into the Nigerian royal family. The Imazighen warriors' relief could be seen in their expressions, even underneath their veils, and the company led Usem to the camp to meet with their officers.

With their nearly deadly first impressions set aside, the Berber soldiers welcomed Usem into their company and he told them about his ventures in detail. After some negotiating with the Matriarch of Nigeria, Usem enlisted the aid of a force of five hundred Nigerian warriors and prepared them for their journey through the Great Desert. Usem later rode to Wa-Iharan, the Kingdom's capital, with a small company of escorts; he was cordially welcomed by his brother and father, and they agreed that the Nigerian mercenaries would be trained and equipped by the Imazighen military. Though this troupe--small by the standards of the Imazighen army--would not by itself turn the tides of the coming war, the Berber soldiers and citizens felt reassured that they had the support of at least one other African nation.