Elara stood at the head of the long table in the repurposed lattice core of the *Bridge of Stars*. The room had once served as a secondary resonance chamber during the early expansion.
Now stripped of ceremonial overlays, it held nothing but functional terminals, data slabs, and hard chairs. No banners, no harmonic emitters. Just the hum of active processors and the faint scent of recycled air.
The first full Drift Audit was underway. Governor Harlan sat directly across from her, his bulk filling the chair, uniform still dusted from a recent surface inspection on Halcyon Reach.
Captain Reyes leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed, her gray-veil insignia visible on her collar. Kai's projection flickered steadily beside Veyra and Lira. Aiden and Mara occupied seats at the far end, observing.
"Begin," Elara said.
