The streets of Valeris were unnervingly quiet after the Syndicate's assault. The ohriving city, with its bustling markets and lively tinas, now y scarred and subdued. Buildings stood battered, their facades charred from fires. Broken gss and debris littered the streets, and the air was thick with the acrid st of destru. Emergency crews and Federation guards worked tirelessly, clearing rubble and aiding the injured, but the weight of the attack hung heavily over the city.

  Ethan arrived at the guild hall, now verted into a temporary aer. Ihe meeting room, a grim assembly awaited. The Federation guard leader, Captain Alrik Thorood in his dark green uniform, his sharp features betraying his frustration. Guild Branch Master Darrik Voss, his face as weathered as ever, leaned over a holotable dispying a map of Valeris and the surrounding regions. Resistance leader Joran Kren appeared as a flickering hologram, his expression unreadable but tense.

  "Let's begin," Voss said, his voice cutting through the somber silence.

  Alrik started, his tone clipped but professional. "The Federation has stabilized Valeris and other major cities. We've secured key districts, re-established unications, aralized lingering Syndicate elements. However," he paused, gng at the map, "our forces are stretched thiending our reach to settlements like Arak's Hollow or the smaller outposts is not feasible without promising urban security."

  Joran's hologram flickered as he spoke. "So, you're leaving the settlements to fend for themselves?" There was a sharp edge to his voice.

  Alrik stiffened but responded calmly. "The Syndicate is leveraging their knowledge of these regions and their terror tactics. We o ehat our cities don't fall pletely into chaos. The settlements, while important, ot take priority over Valeris and the Federation's rger infrastructure."

  Voss intervened before the versation could escate. "The guild aance will hahe settlements. We've been doing it before, and we'll tio do so. But Captain Thorne, your presence here tells me the Federatihe Syndicate is more than just a local threat. This terror campaign is coordinated, and they're using resources we've barely scratched the surface of."

  Alrik sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. "You're n. These attacks weren't random, they were orchestrated, with precision and ruthlessness. We believe their logistietwork has a oint, but we don't yet know where to strike."

  Joran's hologram leaned forward. "That's where we e in. The resistance has been trag movement patterns near Syndicate-trolled territories. If we bihat intel with the guild's resources, we might be able to locate and exploit their supply lines."

  Voss nodded and turo Ethan. "Walker, you've dealt with the Syndicate's operations firsthand. I'm assigning you to lead this iigation. I trust your instincts on this."

  Ethan straightened. "Uood. I'll find their oint."

  After the meeting adjourned, Ethan stepped outside to clear his head. The city's battered skyliretched before him, a stark reminder of the Syndicate's reach. He watched as a young Federation guard helped an elderly woman carry supplies to a makeshift shelter. Ses like this pyed out across Valeris, moments of humanity amidst the devastation.

  Returning to the guild hall, Ethan found a quiet er and activated his personal tablet. A photograph of himself with Dax, Leena, Rourke, and Kara fshed on the s, a snapshot of simpler times at Nara's after a successful mission. Their smiles seemed distant now, ghosts of a past that felt irretrievably lost.

  "Dax and Leena would've hated this," Ethan muttered, his voice barely audible. The weight of their absence pressed on him, but he forced himself to push it aside. "I'll make sure it wasn't for nothing."

  Ethan made his way to Nara's , the tina that had bee a sed home for many meraries. The sight that greeted him was heart-wreng. The front wall had been bsted open, tables and chairs were overturned and charred, and the warm, inviting glow of the pce had been repced by the cold light of emergenterns.

  Inside, Nara herself was direg a small team of volunteers, her usually cheerful face lined with worry. When she saw Ethan, her expression softened slightly. "Ethan," she said, her voice tired but steady. "Gd to see you're in one piece."

  Ethan nodded. "How bad is it?"

  "Could be worse," she replied, gesturing to the damage. "The building's still standing, and most of the staff made it out in time. But…we lost surs. Good people." Her voice faltered for a moment before she regained her posure.

  Ethao work without another word, helping to clear rubble and move salvageable supplies. As they worked, Nara spoke quietly. "This pce has seen its share of fights, but nothing like this. They came in like they wao destroy more than just buildings, they wao destroy what little hope we had left."

  "They won't succeed," Ethan said firmly. "We'll rebuild. We'll fight back."

  Nara looked at him, her tired eyes refleg a spark of gratitude. "You sound like Dax. Always ready to charge headfirst into the fire."

  Ethan smiled faintly. "Dax wouldn't have it any other way."

  As the day wore ohauro his ship docked in Valeris's main hangar. Sitting at his workstatioivated his personal interface, the faint hum of his AI panion, Iris, filling the quiet .

  "Iris," he began, his tone calm but firm, "start digging into the Syndicate's logistietwork. Focus on their supply s, movement patterns, and any unusual activity we've logged. Cross-refereh the intel we gathered from the resistand the Federation. If there's a oint, I want to know about it."

  "Uood," Iris replied, her syic voice carrying a measured precision. "Beginning analysis now. This may take some time, as Syndicate operations rely on yered works and eransmissions."

  "Time is ohing we don't have in abundance," Ethan murmured, leaning ba his chair. "Focus on anything tied to their ret terror campaigns. Shipment routes, resource stockpiles, anything that stands out."

  "I'll prioritize those parameters," Iris assured. "Expect preliminary results within the several hours. I will notify you as soon as I uncnifit data."

  Ethan nodded silently, his eyes sing the glowing interface. The fight against the Syndicate wasn't just otlefield; it was in the shadows, in the cracks of their operations.

  As the AI worked, Ethan leaned ba his chair, his gaze drifting to the molecur dagger resting on the workbench. Its faintly glowing carvings seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.