Finally heard the Kayex/Rannick dialogue again, but didn’t record it or get a chance to transcribe it exactly. But the gist is a bit different from what I originally thought it was. What I got this time, very roughly paraphrased, was:
Kayex: Requesting more resources to smelter complex, the secret of the right of steel continues to elude.
Rannick: I rather thought it might. Very well, I’ll see what Hestia can send your way.
So, Hestia isn’t bridging the gap for the rejects, but maybe bridging the gap with rejects?
I still think Moebian Steel, the efforts around it (both by the crew in-game and by FS), and the Inquisition’s interest in it, point to it being more than just a story beat. But we’ll see!
In related news, it sure seems that Only in Death Does Duty End implies that the Mastery system is being driven, at least in-part, by Dukane, who “has assigned the finest drill sergeants of the 53rd to tutor the rejects in proper weapons drill”.