The underground bunker in Valeris was dimly lit, the cold, metallic walls humming faintly with the energy of holographic projectors dispying maps, tactical overys, and encrypted files. The room was a hive end determination as leaders from the coalition. Meraries, resistance fighters, and Federation guards gathered to decipher the informatiohan and his teammates had risked their lives to retrieve from the abandoned Federation b.

  The tension in the air alpable. Each fa had its priorities, but now they all had to align or Kynara and the Asheor would fall into chaos under Drakor Krenna's reign.

  Ethan stood at the ter of the room, his face illuminated by the faint blue glow of the holograms. Iris, his ever-reliable AI, projected encrypted files onto the tral dispy, her calm voice providing analysis.

  "These files detail the operations of the Syndicate's northern stronghold," Iris expined, highlighting a heavily fortified yon plex on the map. "This is Drakor Krenna's primary base of operations."

  The leaders leaned forward, their gazes fixed oa.

  "The northern stronghold," Ethan began, "isn't just a headquarters. It's a produ hub for alloy-enhanced ons and mind-trol devices. Drakor's researchers are dangerously close to perfeg the alloy for mass deployment."

  The room went silent as the weight of the revetion sank in. Iris tinued, her voice steady but grave.

  "The intel also reveals Drakor's rger visioabilizing the Asheor entirely. His pn hinges on Kynara's psychic ore. By advang alloy-enhaeology, he aims to create a force capable of rivaling the Orion Federation's presen this sector."

  Ethahe weight of the room shift. Even the most hardened meraries aance fighters appeared unnerved by the scale of Drakor's ambition. The hologram zoomed in oronghold, revealing yers of defenses: automated turrets, bat drones, alloy mines, and aework of tunnels.

  "If we don't ralize this," Ethan said, his voice firm, "the Syndicate won't just dominate Kynara. They'll destabilize the entire sector."

  The coalition leaders were seated around a circur table.

  Darrik Voss, the guild's branch master, appeared calm but focused, his scarred hands resting oable as he studied the maps. Jorahe fiery resistance leader, resent via secure hologram. His strong jaierg eyes veyed his unwaveriermination. Meanwhile Captain Alrik Thorne, leader of the Federation guards in Valeris, sat rigidly, his uniform spotless but his expressioraying frustration.

  Ethan stood nearby, his arms crossed, the room as tensions brewed.

  Joran Kren wasted no time. His voice crackled through the hologram, filled with urgency.

  "We ot afford deys," he insisted. "We take the fight to Drakor now, before he finishes his preparations. A direct assault on the northern stronghold is the only way to stop him."

  Some resistance members in the room nodded in agreement, their resolve matg Joran's passion.

  Voss raised a hand, his tone measured. "And walk straight into his defenses? Drakor has turhat yon into an imperable fortress. A frontal assault would cost us everything."

  "Then what do you propose, Voss?" Joran shot back. "Sit here and wait for Drakor to deploy his mind-trol devices? By then, it'll be too te."

  Thorerjected, his voice sharp. "Enough! The Federation has already lost men and resources stabilizing Valeris. We need a calcuted approaot a reckless charge."

  Joran's holographi leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous. "The Federation's deliberate negligend corruption allowed the Syndicate to rise. Now you want us to up your mess cautiously? Typical."

  Ethan sehe room spiraling into chaos. He stepped forward, his tone firm but calm. "Stop. All of you. This infighting is exactly what Drakor wants."

  The room quieted, all eyes on him.

  "We have the intel," Ethan tinued. "We know his allies, Kaelus Ryn and Rath Zorrek, are still providing critical support. If we successfully dismaheir strongholds this time, we weaken Drakor's position massively. He'll lose resources, reinforts, and time."

  Voss nodded in agreement. "Surgical strikes. Target the bandit warlords and ander Kharis before we move oronghold."

  Thorne, visibly relieved, added, "We support with drones and intel, but Federation forces must remain focused on defending major settlements."

  Joraantly relented. "Fine. But this better not be another Federation stall tactic."

  The hologram shifted, dispying maps of Kaelus Ryn's and Rath Zorrek's territories.

  Kaelus Ryn's stronghold was a treaaze of interected yons in the southers, desigo fuse and trap intruders with its byrinthihways. The natural terrain was fortified with experimental Syndicate teology, including hidden traps, automated turrets, and disorienting alloy-based defenses, making it nearly imperable without precise pnning.

  In trast, Rath Zorrek's mining operation was buried deep within the northern mountain ranges, a heavily guarded fortress supplying the Syndicate with the raw materials critical for alloy produ. The mines were surrounded by rugged cliffs, fortified checkpoints, and a work of patrols, ensuring no approach went unnoticed. Both strongholds represehe bae of the Syndicate's operations, vital to their war effort and equally dangerous to attack.

  "We'll unch simultaneous strikes," Voss expined. "Ethan will lead the assault on Kaelus Ryn's base. Joran's resistance fighters will coordih our teams for the atta Rath Zorrek. ander Kharis's position remains fluid, but we suspect he'll be reinf one of these warlords."

  Ethan studied the maps, itting the details to memory. "Kaelus's base is a death trap. We'll ealth, precision, and a lot of luck."

  Voss smirked faintly. "Good thing you're leading, then."

  The meeting adjourned, but Ethan remained in the bunker, p over the maps and tactical pns. Iris dispyed risk assessments and potential strategies on a smaller holographic projector.

  "Focus on the oints," Ethan muttered, more to himself than to Iris. "Every fortress has one."

  Iris chimed in, her voice calm. "You've faced worse odds, Ethan. The key is coordination."

  A kno the door interrupted his thoughts. Eliara entered, her sharp gaze softening slightly when she saw him.

  "Late night, huh?" she said, leaning against the doorframe.

  Ethan gave a faint smile. "Just preparing for tomorrow."

  Eliara crossed her arms. "Don't fet, you're not doing this alone. We've got your back."

  Ethan nodded, feeling a small spark of reassurahanks, Eliara. Let's make sure we all e back from this."

  Ethan stood at the edge of the bunker, gazing at the stars. The weight of the coalition's hopes rested on their shoulders, but he felt a quiet resolve.

  In the distahe faint hum of Valeris's defenses echoed, a reminder of what they were fighting to protect. He gripped his psma dagger tightly, vowing to see the mission through and finally get revenge for Dax and Leena.

  The fight against the Bck Sun Syndicate was entering it's final stretch. It was time to step up and put everything on the lio end this threat ond for all.