The Engineering Systems lab occupied three full levels near Primori's outer ring, where the station's rotation provided enough gravity to work with tools and materials without everything floating away. The cadets called it "the Foundry," though nothing was actually forged there—it was where first-years learned that brilliant tactical theory meant nothing if your ship's systems failed mid-battle.
Isabella arrived early, as she always did, and found the workspace already half-full. The lab was organized into team stations, each equipped with fabrication tools, diagnostic equipment, and enough spare components to build a small shuttle from scratch. The air smelled like machine oil and ozone.
Captain Jian Zhao stood at the front of the room, lean and unhurried, watching the cadets file in wi
