The hum of the hover truck vibrated through Ethan's hands as it glided over Kynara's rugged ndscape. He g the sole dispy in front of him, rows of numbers and blinking lights that monitored everything from the truck's eemperature to the distao his destination. It wasn't the sleek, high-speed experience of piloting a starship, but until his own ship was fully repaired, this was his best option for running supply missions. Renting vehicles from the merary guild wasn't cheap, but it kept him in business. The steady stream of credits kept his life moving forward, even if the progress felt slow.

  Ethan shifted in the driver's seat and looked at the cargo hold status on the s. Crates of medical supplies and energy cells, critical for the outpost he was headed toward, were securely fastened in the back. It wasn't the most gmorous job, but it paid well enough to fund his growing arsenal of equipment and save up for the mueeded repairs on his ship.

  "Iris, give me a sitrep," Ethan muttered, his eyes fixed oerrain that rolled by outside the window. Jagged rocks and dunes blurred into a sea of dust and stone.

  Iris's voice came through the truck's speakers, cold and meical. "We are on course. Estimated time to destination: seven hours, thirty-eight minutes. Primary hazards include terrain instability and potential weather anomalies. No current threats detected."

  Ethan nodded. He could trust Iris's analysis, though her emotionless delivery always left him feeling uled. He wasn't sure if he liked or hated how indifferent she sounded about everything, from deadly threats to mundane updates. Still, she had eered him wrong.

  His mind drifted to the list of repairs he o make on his ship. Every time he took a mission like this, he felt the weight of his busted starship looming over him. The sooner he got it ba w order, the better. He'd grown tired of depending oed vehicles and jobs limited to the surface. The skies were where he belonged.

  "How much longer until we hit the mountain pass?" Ethan asked.

  "Four hours," Iris replied without a hint of iion. "There is a 42.3% ce of entering i weather along the route. Additionally, there has bee bandit activity reported within the region."

  Ethan narrowed his eyes at the mention of bandits. Kynara's wless wilderness was crawling with meraries, thieves, and raiders. These simple supply missions were sometimes the perfect bait for an ambush. He had already tangled with low-life raiders a few times since arriving on Kynara, and the st thing he needed was another run-in with a group of them when he was carrying valuable cargo.

  "Iris, what's the likelihood of a bandit attack today?" he asked, leaning forward to study the terrain map on the sole.

  "There is a 27.6% ce of hostile forces intercepting us, given the reports from the guild and regional surveilnce," Iris responded coldly.

  "Alright," Ethan muttered. He wasn't about to take any ces. "Keep sing for ambush points a signatures. I want to be alerted the moment something seems off."

  "Affirmative," Iris replied.

  Ethaled into his seat, letting his mind wander while keeping one eye oerrain outside. As the ndscape became more jagged and rocky, the air grew denser with dust. The mountains that loomed in the distance were treacherous enough on their own, but add a few bandits to the mix, and this mission could quickly go sideways.

  He mentally checked his new gear. His dual ser pistols rested in holsters at his sides, and the psma dagger was hidden securely under his jacket. The new equipment gave him a sense of fidence, but he wasn't foolish enough to think it made him invincible. Every tool he had, from the ons to his armor's upgraded HUD system, was a step toward keeping him alive.

  Hours passed, and the dull rumble of the hover truck was the only sound, aside from the occasional chirp from the sole as Iris updated him on minor terrain shifts or weather patterns. It was monotonous, but that was a good thing. So far, no bandits.

  His hands tightened on the wheel as the jagged mountains came into view, their craggy peaks shrouded in dust. The road ahead would take him through the narrow mountain pass, a well-known route for travelers moviweelements. It was also a perfect spot for an ambush.

  "Iris, any signs of movement?" Ethan asked, his voice tense.

  "Sing," Iris responded. A few moments passed before she replied again. "No immediate threats detected within a three-kilometer radius. tinuing monit."

  Ethahed a small sigh of relief. Even though everything was calm for the moment, he knew better than to let his guard down. The narrow passes ahead were notoriously tricky to navigate, with sudden drop-offs and sharp turns that made maneuvering rge vehicles difficult. If bandits were going to strike, they'd do it in those tight spaces, where their smaller, faster bikes would have the advantage.

  As the truck climbed higher into the mountains, the wind picked up, howling through the narrow valleys and throwing gusts of dust across the road. Ethan squihrough the visor of his helmet, the HUD providing a clear view of the path ahead despite the swirling sand.

  "Storm is f to the north," Iris stated. "Probability of entering a sandstorm has increased to 61.4%."

  "Great," Ethan muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "And bandits?"

  "Heat signatures detected 4.2 kilometers ahead. Mobile units, likely bandits on hoverbikes."

  Ethan's heart rate spiked. "How many?"

  "Four vehicles. They are approag at high speed. Likelihood of e: 89.3%."

  Ethan swore under his breath and pressed a button on the sole to ehe truck's energy shields. The reinforced vehicle could take a beating, but he wasn't about to let it go unprotected.

  "Alright, let's make this quick," he said, his voice grim. "Engage defense systems and prepare for evasive maneuvers."

  "Defensive measures online," Iris firmed.

  Ethan could feel the hum of the shields activating as he pushed the truck forward. The heat signatures of the bandits appeared on his HUD, closing in fast. His analytical mind raced through possible strategies. He had the firepower to fight back, but in this terrain, the bandits would have the advantage in speed and maneuverability. He o out think them.

  "They're ing in fast from both sides," Ethan noted, watg the red blips on his HUD. "We're going to have to shake them before they get too close."

  "Engaging termeasures," Iris said coldly.

  The truck's fre system deployed, shooting out bursts of light a into the air. The bandits, likely using low-tech targeting systems, would be bliemporarily. Ethan took the opportunity to accelerate, veering sharply to the right to avoid a volley of ser fire that shot past the truck.

  One of the bandits sped up, ing alongside the truck. Ethan gritted his teeth, pulling out his ser pistol and firing through the window. The shots ected with the bike, sending the rider spiraling into the rocks.

  "Three remaining," Iris said.

  Ethan swerved again, narrowly dodging atack as the bandits regrouped. His fingers itched for his psma dagger, but he k wasn't time to get up close just yet. The rocky path was narrowing, and the storm was making visibility worse by the sed. He o get through this quickly or risk being overrun.