The desert winds of Kynara carried a chill that cut through the night, whispering across the barren expanse surrounding Ve Drasik's auxiliary base. Ethan crouched behind a roation, his upgraded vishlighting the perimeter of the pound in faint blue outlines. Syndicate guards patrolled the area in tight, disciplined patterns, their ser rifles glinting in the moonlight.

  Beside him, Thalor Veskra stood silently. The t Velkarn merary was a stoic figure, his scaled body blending into the shadows. Despite his imposing size, Thalor moved with the precision of a seasoned predator. He didn't speak unless necessary, letting his as do the talking. A few meters above them on a ridge, Zyrix Korran y proh his psma sniper rifle, its scope sing the pound for vulnerabilities.

  "All clear on the west fnk," Zyrix's calm voice crackled ihan's s. "Two guards he loading dock, and orolling close to the rear gate. Routine, but tight."

  Ethan studied the guards' movements through his visor, formuting their steps. "We'll move when the rear guard turns the er. Thalor, you take point and disable the gate. Zyrix, cover us."

  Thalave a silent nod, his golden eyes refleg the faint moonlight.

  The team moved uhe cover of darkness, their cloaking devices rendering them almost invisible. Ethahem along a narrow path, using the terrain for cealment. The muted hum of the cloaking devices was barely audible against the desert winds.

  Thalor reached the rear gate first, croug low as he examihe log meism. Without a word, he uhed his Velkarn bde, a on fed from his home sector's rare minerals. The bde shimmered faintly as he slid it into the meism, severing key pos with precision. Within moments, the gate slid open with a soft hiss.

  "One obstacle down," Thalor said, his deep voice breaking the silence for the first time.

  "Good work," Ethan replied, signaling for the team to advance.

  From his vantage point, Zyrix whispered into the s, "Rear guard is cirg back. Ten seds to clear the gate."

  Thalor ahan ducked behind a stack of crates he entrance as the guard approached. A faint whistle cut through the air, Zyrix's shot. The guard dropped without a sound.

  "ralized," Zyrix firmed.

  The interior of the base was dimly lit, the metallic walls reverberating with the hum of maery. Ethaured for the team to split up, each taking their assigned roles. Zyrix remained perched on the ridge, providing overwatch through the skylights, while Ethan and Thalor moved deeper into the pound.

  Thalor paused near a ser tripwire, raising a scaled hand to stop Ethan. "Trap," he muttered.

  Ethan crouched and activated his hag device. The faint hum of the tool filled the air as he interfaced with the system, bypassing the tripwire with careful precision. "Clear," he said, motioning for Thalor to proceed.

  The Velkarn merary moved like a shadow, his massive frame betraying none of the sound one might expect. He dispatched a nearby guard with a single blow, his bde cutting through armor effortlessly.

  They reached the tral loading area, where rows of crates were stacked high. Ethan's vishlighted Syndicate insignias and faint energy signatures emanating from within the tainers.

  "Experimental materials," Ethan murmured, sing the area.

  Thalan pnting explosives on key maery without a word, his movements effit and deliberate. Suddenly, a meical whir filled the air. Ethan's HUD fshed a warning as automated turrets desded from the ceiling.

  "Turrets," Ethan hissed, diving behind a crate as ser fire erupted.

  Thalor remained calm, his thick hide abs a gng shot as he approached one of the turrets. He smmed an EMP devito its base, disabling it in a burst of sparks. The sed turret swiveled toward Ethan, pinning him behind cover.

  A sharp crack echoed from above as Zyrix fired. The sed turret's power core exploded, sileng it instantly.

  "Turrets ralized," Zyrix reported.

  Ethan exhaled, nodding toward Thalor. "Let's keep moving. They'll know something's wrong."

  The team pressed deeper into the base, entering heavier resistance. Syndicate guards began patrolling the corridors in pairs, their movements coordinated and effit. Ethan relied on Zyrix's sniper cover to thin their ranks, while Thalor handled close bat with brutal efficy.

  In the trol room, Ethan ied a data spike into one of the terminals, downloading critical information. His visor dispyed files detailing the Syndicate's pns for sg alloy produ.

  "This is worse than I thought," Ethan muttered. "They're not just experimenting, they're preparing fe-scale deployment."

  Thalor, standing guard he dnced back. "Then we destroy it."

  As they moved toward their final target, a high-pitched whine echoed through the corridors. Ethan's HUD lit up with multiple red markers closing in fast.

  "Drones," Iris warned.

  Three sleek, spider-like bat drones emerged, their energy ons glowing blue. Ethan's psma pistol discharged immediately, hitting one of the drones, but its advanced armor absorbed the shot.

  Thalor lunged forward, his bde slig through a drone's legs. Sparks erupted as the mae colpsed, but the remaining two adjusted, targeting him with coorditacks.

  Zyrix's voice came through the s. "Hold position. I'll take the high ground."

  A psma shot from Zyrix's sniper rifle pierced one drone's processor, sending it into a tailspihan capitalized on the distra, using his psma dagger to slito the final drone's core. It sputtered and fell, its lights dimming.

  The team regrouped, breathing heavily. "Final explosives are ihalor said, his voice steady despite the tension.

  Ethan's HUD fshed another warning, more reinforts approag. He ched his jaw. "This isn't over yet."

  As Syndicate reinforts poured into the base, the team braced for the phase of the mission, their exit uain.