- Defer LOAD_GAME dispatch until SimBridge reaches CONNECTED (critical) - Guard _build_saves_list() against queue_free() race on rapid reopen - Disable save entries with empty newest_save, guard in _on_save_selected - Send before show_loading on F6 quickload, skip overlay on send failure - Clear pending_load_path in _on_new_game()/_on_continue() (stale path) - Add hide_loading(success: bool) API for future failure-state UI - Add test_save_load_flow_sprint21.gd covering LoadingScreen + GameState Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>