Ethan stood at the front desk of the Merary Guild, a bustling hub where ambition mingled with the st of polished metal and the hum of hushed versations. Kael, the guild's secretary, mahe steady stream of ts and meraries with practiced ease. Ethan waited, heart rag, ready for his first mission.

  "!" Kael called, his voice slig through the chatter. Ethan stepped forward, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.

  "I'm here to rent equipment for my mission," he stated, trying to sound fident.

  Kael looked up, a knowing smile pying at the ers of his mouth. "Ah, the rookie. Ready to dive into the deep end? Head to the armory; they'll sort you out. Just let them know I sent you."

  "Thanks," Ethan replied, a mix of excitement and trepidation surging through him.

  Navigating the corridors of the guild, Ethan finally arrived at the armory, a room brimming with ons of all shapes and sizes. The walls gleamed under harsh lights, each piece meticulously dispyed. Behind the ter, a clerk with a no-nonsense demeanor awaited him, arms crossed.

  "What I do for you?" the clerk asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

  "I'd like to rent a ser pistol and a psma knife," Ethan replied, his voice steady.

  The clerk raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on his face. "Do you have your merary status tablet? I o verify your rank."

  Etharieved his information tablet, handing it over. The clerk sed it, fiappily on the s. "You're a rookie. That's fine. We have a basic ser pistol avaible, and I offer you a psma knife as well."

  "Great," Ethan said, a thrill c through him. The psma knife rized possession, known for its precision ahality.

  The clerk finalized the rental transa, inputtihan's details into the system. "Just remember, it's your responsibility to return them in one piece. Got it?"

  "Uood," Ethan said, nodding vigorously. He accepted the ons feeling the reassuri of the pistol in its holster and the knife in its sheath and stepped back, ready for the mission ahead.

  The drive across Kynara's barren ndscape was long and lonely. Ethan sat in the cockpit of a rented hover truck, the cargo hold filled with supplies fefall Outpost. The settlement was small and isoted, relying on deliveries for survival. Water purifiers, med kits, nutrient capsules. Eeach item was essential for life in the desotion.

  As Ethan approached, a thick haze of dust whipped around him. Ridgefall Outpost emerged from the horizon, a ragtag colle of weather-beaten buildings, their metal walls pockmarked by time. The settlement g to the base of a cliff, appearing fragile against the harsh enviro.

  The gates opened, and two armed guards waved him ihan parked the trud climbed out, stretg his legs. A man, the leader of the settlement, approached with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

  "You're the guild's runner?" the man asked, his voianding.

  "That's me," Ethan replied, gesturing to the cargo hold. "Everything you requested is here."

  The leader motioned for his workers to begin unloading. "Follow me. We'll discuss payment inside."

  Ethan followed the leader through the narrow, dusty streets efall Outpost. Tension filled the air, a palpable reminder of the stant threats that loomed over the settlement. The people efall moved with purpose, each face marked by the struggles of life on Kynara.

  The leader's office was in the tral building, slightly better maintaihan the rest. Ihe space arse but funal, with a rge metal desk at its ter and a small dispy case mounted on the wall. Ethan's gaze was immediately drawn to the case, where a small, battered knife y on a velvet cushion, its bde dulled and worn.

  "That's seeer days," Ethan remarked, stepping closer.

  The leader chuckled grimly. "You could say that. It's been with me a long time. Rare to find something like it nowadays."

  Intrigued, Ethan studied the ks metal glimmering faintly, hinting at a history long fotten. He felt a e to it, though he couldn't expin why. For now, though, his focus was elsewhere.

  The leader moved behind his desk, tapping keys on his terminal. "Your payment has been transferred. Should be enough to keep you going for a bit."

  Ethan checked his tablet. The transfer had gohrough, several thousand credits, enough to cover a few expenses but nowhere near enough to initiate repairs on his ship. It was a start, but the road ahead remained long.

  "Thanks," Ethan said, pocketing the information tablet. "I appreciate it."

  "You did good work," the leader replied. "If you're back this way, we could use someone reliable like you."

  Ethan nodded, shaking the leader's hand before stepping bato the sunlight. The job was done, but the journey was far from over.

  The drive back to Valeris City felt more purposeful. The credits sat fortably in his at, a reminder of the progress he had made, yet he k wouldn't be enough for serious repairs.

  Once back at the city, Ethan headed to the guild to officially close out the mission. Kael awaited him, a glimmer of pride in his eyes.

  "First job done, huh?" Kael asked, leaning casually against the desk.

  "Yeah," Ethan replied, a grin spreading across his face. "It weer than I expected."

  Kael processed the pletion through Ethan's information tablet. "You're on your way now. Just remember, it's all about experience."

  "Thanks for the support," Ethan said, feeling the weight of the steps ahead of him.

  As he approached the spaceport, Etha a renewed sense of determination. The ship awaited him, still in need of repairs, but now he had the means to start amassing credits for the full repairs he needed.

  In the cockpit, he settled into the pilot's seat. "How are the diagnostics looking?" he asked, gng at the ss.

  Iris, his AI panion, responded effitly. "Several subsystems remain offline. We will need additional credits to address critical pos. The credits you earned will allow us to begin amassing enough for full repairs, but further missions will be necessary."

  "Got it," Ethan said, his mind rag with possibilities. "Let's make a list of what we need for the job."

  With each passing momeha mrounded in his new reality. The mission had awakened something within him, a desire to push forward and thrive in this unfiving world.

  Tomorrow would bring more training, more lessons in firearms and bat. He uood now that he couldn't rely on luck alone. He had to be prepared for whatever y ahead.