Ethan squihrough the windshield as the faint silhouette of the outpost emerged from the swirling sandstorm. Its thick, reinforced walls stood like weathered sentinels, holding their ground against the elements. The storm had been raging for hours, cutting visibility to almost nothing, but finally, he had made it. The outpost loomed rger as he approached, the gate slowly sliding open as the guards inside reized his Guild insignia.

  The hum of the hover truck's engine was the only sound ihe , a wele trast to the howl of the storm outside. In the back, the two children g to their mother, eyes wide with exhaustion and fear. They had been through hell, survivors of a brutal bandit attack, one of the many outposts devastated in the coordinated raids orchestrated by the Bck Sun Syndicate and their warlord allies. Ethan had found them in a tunnel, stranded and terrified.

  As the truck rolled to a stop ihe outpost, the gates ged shut behind them, sealing them off from the fury of the storm. Ethan powered down the engine and stepped out into the retive calm, taking a moment to stretch his tired limbs. The air was thick with dust, and the sky was an angry swirl of reds and browns, but at least here, withipost's walls, it felt safe.

  The outpost leader, a broad-shouldered man with a hard, lined face, approached from the main building. His expression was grim, but his eyes lit up slightly when he saw Ethan. "Didn't think you'd make it through this storm, but here yood to see you."

  "Good to be here," Ethan replied, his voice steady but weary. "I brought the supplies you requested, and a few extra."

  The leader g the back of the truck where the family was still huddled, reizing immediately what Etha. "Survivors?"

  Ethan nodded, his jaw tightening. "Outpost about fifty cliorth of here, hit by the Syndicate and their bandit allies. The pce was a wreck by the time I found them. Most didn't make it."

  The leader's face darkened, his eyes sing the family for a moment before turning back to Ethan. "We've been hearing the same story from all over. Syndicate's not just raiding for supplies anymore, they're wiping out etlements, leaving nothing behind."

  "That's what I've gathered." Ethan motioo the family. "The mother and her kids were lucky to survive. They're in bad shape, though."

  The leader nodded grimly. "We'll take care of them. Get them inside aled. I'll send for a medic."

  Ethan moved to the back of the truck, opening the door and helping the family out. The mother clutched her children tightly as they stepped onto solid ground, eyes still wide with lingering fear. She gave Ethan a shaky nod of thanks, her voice too weak to speak.

  One of the guards approached, leading the family toward the main building where they would be given food, shelter, and medical attentiohan watched them go for a moment, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. He had done what he could, but it still felt like a drop in an o of chaos.

  The outpost leader cpped him on the shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. "We'll get them ba their feet. You did going them here."

  Ethan gave a small nod, but his mind was already rag ahead. There was more. "There's something else. On the way here, I found two more survivors further out, in a tunnel system about thirty minutes from here. I couldn't bring them all irip, but they're in bad shape. They'll need help."

  The leader's face tightened, and he cursed under his breath. "Damn it… Alright. Give me the coordinates."

  Ethan quickly reyed the location, watg as the leader jotted it down. "We'll send a team as soon as the storm lets up," the leader promised. "'t leave anyone behind out there."

  Etha a slight wave of relief knowing that the others wouldn't be fotten. He had done what he could, and the outpost team would hahe rest.

  "Anything else I should know?" the leader asked, his tone now more business-like.

  Ethan leaned back against the truck, crossing his arms. "It's the Syndicate," he said, cutting straight to the point. "They're not just hitting random outposts anymore. This was coordinated, ahey're targeting pces with weak defenses, far from any Federation presence. You're sitting in their crosshairs."

  The leader nodded, his expression darkening. "We've noticed. Been hit twice already i month. Mao hold them off, but barely. We're not getting mu the way of reinforts, either."

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. "No word from the Federation?"

  "Nothing useful," the leader spat. "We've sent out messages, but they're spread thin dealing with their own problems elsewhere. Not to mention, the Syndicate knows how to stay uhe radar. They hit hard and fast, then vanish before anyone respond."

  Ethan frowhis was worse than he had thought. "They're cutting off supply routes, to to isote outposts like this."

  The leader sighed. "Yeah, we've been seeing that. Most of the outer settlements are either gone or on the brink of colpse. It's only a matter of time before the Syndicate solidates power in this region."

  "And if that happens, they'll have trol over most of the p," Ethan said grimly. "You o prepare for a bigger fight."

  "We're doing what we ," the leader replied, his voice heavy. "But it's hard when we're low ohing, food, ammo, mahese supplies yht will help, but it's just a stopgap."

  Ethan nodded, gng around the outpost. The walls looked sturdy, but he khat wouldn't matter if the Syndicate came in force. "I'll keep my ears open," he said. "If I hear anything useful about their movements, I'll let you know. But I 't make any promises."

  The leader cpped him on the back again, his expression tired but grateful. "Appreciate it, Ethan. Every bit helps right now."

  As the leader walked off tahe supply distributiohan lingered for a moment, looking out toward the storm. The Syndicate was growing bolder, and Kynara's es were falling uheir trol, opost at a time. The Federation wasn't going to save them. Not in time, at least. It to people like him and the few who still had the will to fight back.

  With a final g the horizohan turned and headed back toward the truck. There was always more work to do.