Sabrina stepped off the shuttle onto R-17's main docking arm, the recycled air thick with the familiar tang of metal and overworked filters. Mara walked beside her, rifle slung across her back, while Sira and Lira followed with data pads in hand.
The station hummed around them, its corridors busier than their last visit. Supplies had already started flowing in from the core, but the real work was just beginning.
Governor Harlan waited in the central hub, flanked by two aides. He looked older than Sabrina remembered, lines etched deeper around his eyes. "Councilor Sabrina. You've brought more than promises this time, I hope."
"We have," Sabrina said. She handed him a sealed drive. "Expanded family support grants start immediately. Housing credits, medical priority for children under twelve, and priority shipping slots for essential goods.
The first convoy arrives in six hours. Customized mentorship rotations begin next cycle—ten slots for rim youth with core specialists."
