I'm glad to hear that you like it! This is strongly inspired by Star Wars, so I'm glad it's got good vibes and not ripoff vibes lol.

You do a lot to lay out social conventions and economic realities, maybe a bit too detailed and getting sidetracked with it sometimes, but it's a hard line to toe and you do a good job.

Yeah, honestly this is after a bunch of editing too. I'm glad to hear that I did a good job though. I was trying to do a lot of world building because I was thinking of making it a starfinder campaign before I settled on a novel. I have a "supplemental materials" story on wattpad that's unpublished with all the details I've taken out lol.

I like Cat but I wonder why she has internalized this belief system so thoroughly in just a few years, and wonder at the people who volunteer to help her, and think she might be being taken for a ride. I don't know how illegal the stuff her smuggler friend wants her to move is, but the thing is, neither does Cat.

So I feel there's mystery here and Cat's naivete being purposeful and showing room to grow. I feel like diving into her new religion is her way of coping with the nightmare she found herself thrust into, far away from everyone and knowing nothing about anything, then awakening to a kind community who heard her say "I need to find my way in the universe (literally)" and they were like "it's funny you should say that." Pretty big coincidence.

no spoilers, but your head is in the right place

Thank you again for your feedback