Ethan stepped off the transport, the neon glow of Valeris City shimmering against the metal-pted skylihe hum of the city, with its endless stream of air traffid bustling streets, was a far cry from the isoted tension of the outpost. He took a deep breath, feeling both relief and a lingeri in his chest. The mission was over, but the echoes of battle, of lives lost and deade, still g to his thoughts.

  His teammates walked beside him, their silence a shared aowledgment of what they had just been through. Even though the streets of Valeris buzzed with life, the gravity of their experience remained, a quiet burden that each of them carried differently.

  As they approached the Merary Guild, Rourke stepped ahead, his shoulders squared. As the highest-ranking member of their temporary squad, it was his responsibility to report the details of the missiohan was grateful for that, it gave him a moment to process everything without the pressure of immediate debriefing.

  Ihe guild, Kael, the guild secretary, was already waiting, his eyes bright with curiosity and .

  "Ba one piece," Kael remarked, sing the group. "Good to see you made it."

  "We did, but it wasn't without plications," Rourke replied, his voice firm but trolled. "The Bck Sun Syndicate was behind the attack. We mao take down their leader and drive the rest away."

  Kael's face hardened, his fingers quickly tapping against his information tablet, pulling up the data Rourke had uploaded. Holographic dispys flickered to life, showing the patterns of the raid, details on the bandit forces, and the specifics of the bandit leader.

  "Well, you did more than just protect that outpost," Kael muttered, his tone grim. "This firms what we feared."

  Rourke raised an eyebrow. "Feared? What do you mean?"

  Before Kael could expin further, the doors to the guild's main office slid open, revealing the imposing figure of the branch master. A retired k merary, his presence demanded immediate respect. His eyes, though aged, still held the sharpness of a man who had seen his fair share of war.

  "e with me," the branch master said without preamble, motioning for the team to follow. The weight of his voice left little room for question.

  The team ehe branch master's office, where relics of past missions decorated the walls. Ohey were all seated, the branch master spoke. "You entered the Bck Sun Syndicate, yes. But what you don't know is that the attack you stopped wasn't isoted."

  R his team, then back at the branch master. "What are you saying?"

  "There were coorditaultiple outposts st night," the branch master expined, his gaze unwavering. "The Bck Sun is making moves, and it's clear they're being bolder. Your outpost wasn't the only target."

  Etha a chill run down his spihe battle they'd fought had been intense enough. Knowing it art of a rger, orchestrated strike across the region made the scale of the threat hit home even harder.

  "The data you gathered firms what we've suspected for weeks," Kael added, his fingers still moving over his tablet, dispying various maps as. "This isn't just random banditry anymore. The Bck Sun is anizing, expanding their influence."

  The room was silent for a moment as the full weight of the situatioled over them.

  "You all did exceptionally well," the branch master tinued, breaking the tension. "Fag an anized syndicate like the Bck Sun and ing out on top is no small feat."

  "We're just gd we made it back," Rourke said. His voice, though steady, carried the aowledgment of how close they had e to losing some of their own.

  "You've earned your promotions," the branch master said, his tone lightening slightly. "Effective immediately, all of you are upgraded to Rank E."

  There ple of satisfaong the group. For Ethan, it was a strange mix of relief and aplishment. He wasn't the same man who had arrived in this universe a month ago. The struggles and battles had forced him to grow, to bee something strohan the saryman he once was.

  "There's also the matter of your reward," the branch master added. "Taking down that bandit leader was no small task. Kavik Rath was a wanted criminal by Federation authorities, and the bounty on him will signifitly increase your overall payout."

  Kael nodded. "You'll be pensated not only for the mission but for the bounty as well. Your payment will be transferred to your ats within the hour."

  Ethan exged gnces with Kara, Dax, Leena and Rourke. The reward would help them prepare for future missions. Better gear, better prote. But there was also a sense of shared uanding among them. This mission had fed something deeper than just camaraderie; they had bee a true team in the heat of battle.

  But the branch master's words shifted the mood once again.

  "However," he said, his gaze resting on each of them in turn, "the team you formed was a temporary arra for this mission. Now that the mission is over, your team will officially be disbanded."

  Etha a pang of disappoi, though he uood the reasoning. The mission that had brought them together had ended, but that didn't mean the bond they'd formed would disappear.

  Rourke, ever the posed leader, gave a small nod. "Uood, sir. But just because the team's disbanded doesn't mean we 't work together again."

  Kara grinned. "Exactly. We've been through too much to just walk away now. If any of us need backup, we'll know who to call."

  Leena chimed in, her eyes sparkling with determination. "A's not fet the bond we've built. It's not just about the missions; we're a team now, and that means something."

  Dax gave a light chuckle. "We survived otle. Who says we won't take on another?"

  Ethan smiled, feeling a sense of fort in their words. The mission may have ended, but they weren't truly parting ways. The future held tless possibilities, and he had no doubt that their paths would cross again.

  As they exited the guild and stepped bato the neon-lit streets of Valeris, Etha a strange sense of crity. The weight of survival still lingered, but it no longer felt like a burden. He had faced danger, fought for his life, and survived. And now, with his newfound strength and the friends he'd made along the way, he felt ready for whatever challenges y ahead.

  Rourke turo the group as they neared a busy interse. "Drinks oonight," he said with a grin. "We've ear."

  Ethan chuckled, feeling lighter than he had in days. The battle was over, but their journey was far from finished.