The wind bit at Ethan's face as he stepped out of the Guild Hall into the dusty streets of Valeris City. A month had passed since he signed up as a merary with the guild, and though he had pleted several F-rank missions, they'd all been mundane. Supply runs tefall Outpost, simple patrols within Valeris City, none of it had been particurly dangerous or exg. But that was about to ge.

  Earlier that day, a message had e through on his information tablet from Kael, the guild's ever-effit secretary. There was a mission oable, ohat would test him. It involved traveling further out, beyond the retively safe bounds efall, where bandits had begun to harass settlements. The guild saw it as an opportunity for him to rise in rank, and if he succeeded, he'd be oep closer to leaving the F-rank behind and moving up to E-rank.

  Ethan had been quick to accept. The credits would help, though they still wouldn't be enough to cover the full repairs his ship desperately needed. His goal felt distant, but this mission was a step in the right dire. It would also be his first true test as a merary.

  He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets as he wahe streets, lost in thought. The edges of the city had a rough, almost feral feel to them. Valeris City was one of the few pces on Kynara where civilization thrived, but even here, the veneer of order was thin.

  Over the past few weeks, he had started to notice signs of something darker lurkih the surface. Graffiti in the shape of a bck sun. an unmistakable mark, had begun appearing more frequently iain districts. It was the calling card of the Bck Sun Syndicate, the most powerful crime anization iy. Though he hadn't crossed paths with them yet, he'd seen the shadows they cast over the streets. The Bck Sun trolled a vast swath of Valeris City's underworld, and everyone seemed to know it.

  The presence of the syndicate reminded him once more of the anized crime rings ba Earth like the Mafia, the Yakuza, the cartels. Ruthless, methodical, and embedded into the very fabric of society. He couldn't help but feel a nagging suspi that sooner or ter, his path would collide with theirs. But for now, his focus remained on the bandits at the outskirts.

  After a long day of preparatiohan found himself standing in front of a familiar establishment, Nara's . This was the tina where he'd started to form a e with the fiery old woman who owhe para was something of a local legend in Ridgefall Outpost, a ho ran the tina with both grit and warmth, earning respect from everyone who walked through her door.

  Pushing open the door, Ethan was greeted by the familiar hum of quiet versations and the st of cheap ale. He approached the bar, where Nara stood, wiping a gss with a rag that had seeer days.

  "Look who's back," she said, her sharp eyes nding on him. "What'll it be today? Pnning to blow all your credits here, are you?"

  Ethan smirked. "Just a cheap drink. Got a big mission tomorrow, so I'm celebrating early."

  Nara chuckled, p him a gss of something that smelled faintly of berries. "Big mission, huh? Heading out past Ridgefall, I hear."

  Word traveled fast around here. He nodded. "Yeah. Bandit trouble. Could be my shot at moving up in rank."

  She set the gss in front of him and leaned on the bar. "Those bandits aren't your only problem. You've seen the marks, haven't you? The Bck Sun's been sniffing around the outskirts more and more. They've got their fingers ihing, and that includes the bandit groups. If you're not careful, you might end up dealing with more than you bargained for."

  Ethan sipped his drink, the bitter taste a wele distra. "I've seen the marks. I'm keeping a, but for now, they haven't y way."

  "Yet," Nara corrected, her tone grim. "Trust me, kid. The Bck Su like anyone messing with their operations, even out iicks. Just… watch your back."

  He nodded, appreciating her . Over the past month, he'd grown to respeara. She had an undeniable strength, both physical aional, that ahe roefall wouldn't have survived as long as it had without her, ahan sensed she could be a valuable ally if things iy ever went sideways.

  As he finished his drink, another news broadcast flickered to life on the holos in the er of the tihan g it idly, only half-listening, but certain phrases caught his ear. Something about territorial disputes within the Orion Federatioeensioween rival fas, and talk of political u oer ps.

  The Federation's reach was vast, and its power undeniable, but it seemed even the mighty were not immuo internal strife. Kynara might have felt isoted from these gactic-scale issues, but Ethan knew better. Ripples in the gaxy had a way of reag even the most remote ers.

  Nara followed his gaze, scoffing. "Politics. All that talk and not an ounce of it matters out here. The Federation's got their hands full with their own problems. Meanwhile, we're stuck dealing with bandits and syndicates."

  "Still," Ethan said thoughtfully, "doesn't hurt to know what's going on. The more chaos out there, the more ces for people like us to make a living."

  Nara snorted. "That's one way to look at it."

  With a small smile, Ethan rose from his seat. "Thanks for the drink, Nara. I'll see you when I get back."

  "You better," she said, firming the credits transfer from his tablet into hers. "And don't go getting yourself killed, kid. I'd hate to lose a regur."

  Ethan nodded and turo leave, his thoughts drifting back to the mission ahead. The Bck Sun's presence weighed on him, as did Nara's warning, but he pushed those s aside for now. He had a job to do, ohat could finally push him up to the level.

  As he stepped out into the night, the looming challenge felt real. His journey as a merary was only just beginning, and the bandits would be his first real trial. Whatever y beyefall, Ethan was ready to face it head-on