Not a Chain

Well not quite. This picture illustrates a sub-network that a scout may deliver. It is not naturally a partial order for there are occasions where the middle link may be traversed in either direction to build the best path from bottom to top. I am tempted to treat is as a partial order nonetheless with one of the orderings of the middle circles.

As a scout delivers these paths some one ordering will apply. That seems to be a good guess that will generally persist.