Reborn as a Space Mercenary: From Salaryman to Galactic Legend

The desert stretched endlessly beneath the pale light of Kynara's twin moons, its shifting dunes casting eerie shadows in the faint glow. Ethan's rented hover truck hummed quietly as it crested a dune, its sensors locked on a convoy moving several clicks ahead. The Syndicate's convoy was a vital lead, a chance to uncover the mole's role in the distribution of mind-control alloy weapons.

Ethan's grip tightened on the controls as Iris's voice broke the silence. "Convoy detected. Three armored vehicles with heavy escort. Minimal heat signatures suggest alloy containment in reinforced cargo."

"Perfect," Ethan muttered. His commlink buzzed to life as Eliara and Thalor checked in from their own hover vehicles trailing behind.

"We've got visual," Eliara confirmed, her tone sharp. "They've got drones circling for overwatch. This won't be easy."

Thalor's deep voice came next. "Simple. Disable the drones, breach the vehicles, eliminate resistance. I'll handle the messy part."

Ethan smirked at the Velkran's bluntness. "Let's not get overconfident. This convoy might be a decoy. Stay sharp."

The pursuit began in earnest as the Syndicate convoy sped up, their drivers likely alerted by the faint pings of reconnaissance drones. The Syndicate's vehicles, low and rugged, carved paths through the dunes with practiced ease, their turrets scanning for attackers.

Ethan adjusted the hover truck's trajectory, staying out of their direct line of sight. "Iris, scramble their communications."

"Comm disruption initiated," Iris replied, her tone calm as always.

The convoy responded quickly. Syndicate drones darted into the air, releasing flashes of tracer rounds toward Ethan's hover truck. He swerved sharply, avoiding the barrage, while Eliara's truck surged ahead, her plasma rifle mounted and ready.

"Taking the lead," Eliara called out. Her plasma rifle discharged, a sharp beam of energy slicing through one of the circling drones.

Thalor's hover truck roared past Ethan's, the Velkran standing atop the vehicle's roof, steady despite the uneven terrain. "I'll clear the way," he said, leaping from his truck onto the rear vehicle of the convoy with an effortless grace.

Thalor's plasma blades ignited with a hiss as he carved through the vehicle's turret, disarming it before tearing open its reinforced doors. Syndicate soldiers inside scrambled to respond, but Thalor's brute strength and precision left them no chance.

The convoy's front vehicles broke formation, accelerating toward a nearby canyon. "They're trying to lose us in the maze," Ethan said, steering toward them.

The convoy disappeared into the narrow walls of a canyon carved by centuries of desert winds. The air grew dense with dust and heat, and the hum of Syndicate engines echoed off the jagged rocks.

Ethan followed close behind, his truck's sensors scanning for hidden threats. "Iris, any signs of traps?"

"Detecting anomalies in the canyon walls. Likely explosives rigged to collapse the passage," Iris warned.

"Eliara, take the left flank," Ethan ordered. "Thalor, you're with me. We'll force them to split."

The team executed the maneuver, boxing the convoy in as Syndicate soldiers unleashed a barrage of fire from their vehicles. Plasma bolts ricocheted off Ethan's truck as he swerved to avoid a direct hit.

Thalor leaped from his position, landing on the lead vehicle with a deafening clang. His plasma blades cut through the driver's cabin, causing the vehicle to careen into the canyon wall and explode in a burst of alloy-infused flames.

Ethan used the chaos to close in on the second vehicle, disabling its engines with a well-placed shot from his plasma pistol. The truck ground to a halt, and Syndicate enforcers poured out, weapons blazing.

Ethan and Eliara engaged the soldiers in a brutal firefight, using the rocky terrain for cover. "Thalor, clear out the remaining guards!" Ethan shouted.

The Velkran tore through the Syndicate enforcers with brutal efficiency, his dual plasma blades leaving a trail of scorched armor and severed weapons. "This is too easy," Thalor grunted, scanning the battlefield for more targets.

Ethan's focus shifted to the last vehicle, which had stopped deeper in the canyon. He approached cautiously, his pistol drawn. The door burst open, and a lone Syndicate operative stumbled out, clutching a datapad.

"Don't move!" Ethan barked. The operative hesitated, his face pale and eyes darting toward the canyon walls.

Eliara emerged behind Ethan, her plasma rifle trained on the man. "We need him alive," she said.

Ethan nodded and holstered his pistol, grabbing the operative by his collar. "You're going to tell me everything you know," he said coldly.

Back at their temporary outpost, the Syndicate operative was bound to a chair, his datapad confiscated. Eliara leaned against the wall, her rifle slung over her shoulder, while Thalor stood nearby, his imposing presence keeping the prisoner on edge.

"Start talking," Ethan demanded, his voice low but firm. "Who's been helping you move alloy weapons through Valeris?"

The operative's lips quivered, but he stayed silent. Eliara stepped forward, her tone icy. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Trust me, you don't want the hard way."

The operative finally broke under the pressure, spilling fragmented details about the Syndicate's operations. "There's... there's someone in Valeris. High up. They make sure the shipments get through. I don't know their name, but they're Federation. They oversee the routes personally."

Ethan's jaw tightened. The confirmation of a mole within the Federation guards sent a wave of anger through him. "What else?"

"They... they're planning something big. A weapon, I think. That's all I know, I swear!"

Ethan exchanged a glance with Eliara, who nodded. "We'll verify it," she said, securing the datapad for analysis.

Before leaving the canyon, Ethan's team discovered the hidden distribution hub where the convoy had been heading. The facility was filled with alloy weapons and mind-control devices ready for transport.

"We can't let this place stand," Ethan said, planting charges on key structural points.

As the charges detonated, the facility collapsed in on itself, sending a plume of dust and fire into the night sky. The Syndicate's operation in the area was crippled, but the fight was far from over.

As the team returned to Valeris, Ethan's thoughts lingered on the mole within the Federation. The implications were staggering, but he pushed his doubts aside, focusing on the next step.

"We've hit them where it hurts," Eliara said, her voice cutting through the silence. "But this is just the beginning."

Ethan nodded, his resolve firm. "Then we'll just keep pushing and searching until we find what we are looking for. We will drag out this rat and end this, one way or another."