Iron Meridian
The Raft Sector is a graveyard of ambition, where asteroids tumble like broken teeth and the remnants of humanity cling to survival. Elara Voss, disgraced and stripped of command, watches from the shadows as the colony transport Solace-7 drifts into danger, its cargo of four thousand sleeping civilians a prize for pirates, mercenaries, and warlords. When a distress signal from her former crew pulls her back into the fray, Elara must confront the choices that led to her downfall, and the factions who will kill to control the sector’s last hope. But the Raft doesn’t forgive. With the Solace-7’s power failing and enemies closing in, Elara’s every move risks igniting a conflict that could shatter the fragile peace. Worse, the secrets hidden in the transport’s cargo pods may be worth more than lives, and the highest bidder isn’t playing by the rules. To save the colony, Elara must decide: betray the people who trusted her, or watch them die in the cold embrace of the void. In a system where mercy is a weakness, survival demands a price. And the bill is coming due.