Reborn as a Space Mercenary: From Salaryman to Galactic Legend

The tension in Valeris was palpable, the weight of suspicion and betrayal hanging in the air like a dense fog. Ethan stood in the Guild Branch Master's office, a holographic map of Kynara's key transport routes floating before him. Guild Branch Master Darrik Voss leaned on the table, his scarred hands gripping its edges as he studied the plan Ethan had just outlined.

"This is risky," Voss muttered, his gravelly voice laced with caution. "But if we're going to draw the mole out, it might just work."

Ethan nodded. "We don't have a choice. The longer this mole operates, the more they undermine everything we're fighting for. We need to force their hand."

The plan was straightforward but dangerous. Ethan and Voss would stage a fake shipment of alloy weapons, disguised as a Syndicate convoy. Guild mercenaries would act as Syndicate operatives, transporting the cargo along a known route. The convoy's departure time and location would be deliberately leaked to Federation personnel under suspicion, banking on the mole relaying the information to the Syndicate.

Eliara Venn stood off to the side, arms crossed. "We're baiting the Syndicate with this, and they won't come lightly. We need to make sure the ambush is airtight."

"We will," Ethan assured her. He turned to Thalor Veskra, who was sharpening his plasma blades nearby. "Thalor, you and your team will cover the west ridge. If the Syndicate shows up, you'll hit them hard and fast before they can regroup."

The Velkran mercenary grunted in agreement. "They won't even see us coming."

The convoy was prepared with meticulous attention to detail. The hover trucks were painted in Syndicate colors, their storage compartments loaded with inert alloy replicas to sell the ruse. Ethan personally supervised the briefing of the guild mercenaries who would pose as Syndicate operatives, ensuring they knew how to act convincingly if observed.

As the convoy set out under the cover of dusk, Ethan and his team moved into position, using the rugged terrain to conceal themselves. The ambush site was a narrow canyon lined with jagged cliffs, offering both cover and strategic vantage points.

From his position overlooking the route, Ethan adjusted his helmet's visor, scanning for movement. "Iris, keep monitoring all frequencies. Let me know if there's any Syndicate chatter about the convoy."

"Understood," Iris replied. "All systems optimized for surveillance."

The minutes stretched into hours as the convoy rumbled along the canyon floor. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the hum of engines and the occasional crunch of gravel beneath tires. Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, each second dragging on as he waited for the Syndicate to take the bait.

When the attack finally came, it was sudden and ferocious. Syndicate hovercrafts roared into view, their mounted turrets lighting up the canyon with bursts of plasma fire. Syndicate enforcers rappelled from drop ships, their weapons trained on the convoy.

"Here we go," Ethan muttered, gripping his plasma dagger.

The convoy team played their part perfectly, diving for cover and pretending to panic as the Syndicate operatives swarmed the area. Ethan's team remained hidden, watching as the attackers moved closer to secure the "shipment."

"Wait for my signal," Ethan said over the comms, his voice steady despite the tension.

The Syndicate forces focused entirely on the hover trucks, their leader barking orders to secure the crates. They were oblivious to the guild and resistance fighters lying in wait above them.

"Now," Ethan ordered.

The canyon erupted into chaos as Ethan's team launched their counterattack. Eliara's plasma rifle cut through the Syndicate ranks with deadly precision, while Thalor leaped from his position, landing in the middle of the fray. His plasma blades hummed as they carved through Syndicate enforcers, his movements a blur of deadly efficiency.

Ethan engaged two enforcers who charged his position, deflecting their attacks with his plasma dagger before dispatching them with swift, calculated strikes. "Secure the leader!" he shouted, pointing to the Syndicate commander directing the ambush.

The battle was brutal but brief. Outnumbered and caught off guard, the Syndicate forces fell one by one. The few who tried to retreat found their paths blocked by guild snipers positioned along the ridges.

The captured Syndicate commander, a grizzled veteran with a cybernetic eye, was dragged to the center of the ambush site. Bloodied and defiant, he glared at Ethan and the others.

"You're wasting your time," he snarled. "Kill me now or you'll regret it later."

Ethan crouched in front of him, his plasma dagger glinting in the dim light. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. Either you talk, or my friend here-" he gestured to Thalor, who stood silently, his blades still glowing "gets creative."

The commander's resolve faltered under Thalor's unyielding gaze. "Fine," he spat. "But you won't like what you hear."

Over the next several minutes, the commander revealed fragments of information. The convoy's location had been provided by someone within the Federation guards stationed in Valeris. "It's one of your own," he said with a sneer. "High-ranking. They've been feeding us intel for months."

"Name," Ethan demanded, his voice cold.

The commander shook his head. "I don't know. We only get orders through encrypted channels. But they've been... efficient."

Eliara leaned closer, her expression grim. "Do you have any idea how many lives your 'efficiency' has cost?"

The commander smirked. "Enough to make you desperate."

Ethan stood, his jaw tight. The information confirmed the mole's existence but left their identity frustratingly out of reach. "Take him back to the guild," he told the others. "We'll see if he remembers more under proper interrogation."

The team moved quickly to dismantle the Syndicate's operation in the canyon. The crates of alloy weapons were destroyed, their volatile contents igniting in a series of controlled explosions that lit up the night sky.

As the team regrouped, Eliara approached Ethan. "We've got a lead, but it's not enough. This mole could be anyone in the Federation's chain of command."

Ethan nodded, his gaze fixed on the burning wreckage below. "We'll find them. One way or another."

Meanwhile in a fortified stronghold at an unknown location, Raeth was reviewing a live feed of the ambush site, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.

"They're getting closer," he murmured, turning to an unnamed Syndicate lieutenant. "Good. Let them think they're winning. It'll make their fall all the sweeter."

Raeth's confidence was unshaken, his next move already in motion.

As the team returned to Valeris, the weight of their discovery hung heavily over them. The Syndicate's reach was deeper than anyone had feared, and the hunt for the mole will continue.