Chapter 24

　　Through the transport window, Kal could see a bright blue orb hanging silently in the blackness of space. As his ship orbited the planet, gradually slowing down to enter its atmosphere, the surface transitioned from day to night.

　　The dark side of his new destination was black, broken by smatterings of light so vivid that he could easily spot them from space. Cities dotted the ocean landscape, and as he descended and his shuttle moved into the daylight again, he could make them out.

　　Gigantic floating cities had been built on the water`s surface, like concrete and steel islands, rising above the depths of the ocean planet. Unlike the desolation of New Haven, this world was thriving, its cities filled with buildings that reached the sky. Hovercars and other transports spoke of a bustling metropolis.

　　"Arriving at System SC - 6353` Planet designation Triton.`" A woman`s voice spoke to Kal from the empty transport. Mechanical and emotionless, it lacked the qualities of a human tone.

　　Kal knew nothing about the world spread out below him. It wasn`t surprising. The Empire had nearly one hundred thousand colonized planets stretching over the galaxy`s breadth. Comprising trillions of people, a relatively sparsely populated water planet like this wouldn`t stick out amongst the others.

　　The transport landed on a platform above a complex. Kal`s compass already showed symbols of the various shops and one that he had come to connect with Quest` offerings. Disembarking, he walked down a flight of concrete steps to be greeted by a wide plaza.

　　He could spot dozens of players, their names barely visible above their heads unless he concentrated, highlighting them to his eyes. They gathered around stalls where NPCs sold items. Everything displayed was available for players to purchase. To the left, an enormous warehouse-like structure dominated the space, offering Mechs and transport ships capable of leaving orbit.

　　To his right, a prominent notice board with quests floated in the air. Most of the players assembled there, perusing the available missions.

　　Walking down the stairs, Kal breathed in the humid air. It smelled of the sea, and overhead, birds and flying creatures he had never encountered before wheeled and turned in the sky. The sun shone brightly, and the wind was calm, peaceful and warm.

　　The structure`s walls were covered in banners for the local clan, Raven`s Riders.` Their symbol was a purple raven, and the square was enveloped by their symbol and clan colours.

　　Talha explained that planets could be controlled in two different ways. The first was through war and conquest. A clan could invade a territory and take it from another.

　　The second was through influence.` By completing quests and missions for the Clan, its influence over a planet would rise until they became the de facto rulers. Conversely, doing a task against them would cause their influence to fall, allowing another group to supplant them.

　　Planets gave clans virtual revenue, which could be used as mission rewards to Freelance players like Kal. The system would generate random quests, with the prizes calculated by the clan in charge or its competitors.

　　The intricacies didn`t matter to Kal. All he cared about was the rewards the missions were giving out. He needed the funds to purchase better equipment. Walking down the steps from the landing platform, he entered the main square.

　　Blending in with the crowd of players was simple. His worn armour and basic Laspistol were similar to what everyone else was wearing. Triton was likely a stopping point for most newcomers to the game in this region of space, the perfect place for him to gain credits and experience combat.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

　　Coming to the large quest board, Kal held a hand over a small terminal giving him a projection of available quests. There were dozens, but most required Mechs or equipment that he didn`t possess, but there was an option to filter them out.

　　Kal could choose from four of the available dozens at his current loadout and experience. Flipping through them quickly, he selected the mission with the best rewards.

　　Mission: Raven`s Riders requests assistance for guard duty.

　　Location: Atland City.

　　Rewards: 200 credits/600 on Victory.

　　Death Penalty: N/A

　　Description: Raven`s Riders are preparing a transport of supplies destined for off-planet trade. They are requesting Freelancers to assist with protecting the crates from thieves.

　　Required: A minimum of four players.

　　It had a higher base pay than the corresponding mission, Steal from Raven`s Riders, ` which only offered a much larger reward if they successfully seized the crates. Kal wasn`t sure of his skills, preferring a guaranteed payout, even if he lost, over a gamble.

　　After pressing the Accept` button on the mission screen, Kal`s compass immediately showed him a new marker. Following it out of the Market Square, he travelled through the streets of Atland City, occasionally running into another player travelling in a different direction.

　　After a few minutes, he arrived at a large warehouse. Stacks of crates had been gathered in the center of the expansive space. Kal could see that several other players had already gathered, their equipment and weapons similar to his own.

　　The symbol for the mission hung above the supplies, and when he entered came close, words appeared in his vision.

　　3/4 players gathered.`

　　While Kal waited, he assessed the building. There was the entrance he had come through and another on the far end of the building. Other crates and boxes were scattered throughout the warehouse, and he spotted several good areas to hunker down, with good sightlines on both entrances.

　　When the last player sauntered into the warehouse, a voice spoke out.

　　"Team Deathmatch!" It roared.

　　Kal and his new allies were unexpectedly draped in the colours of Raven`s Riders, purple vestments with the raven symbol prominent on the chest to identify their temporary allegiance. Running his hand through the garments, he felt they were illusionary, not affecting his movements or granting additional protection.

　　"Split up." One of his allies ordered, punctuating his command by sprinting to one of the stacks of crates to their right. Drawing his Laspistol, Kal chose his own defensible area with good sightlines to both entrances and enough cover to hide behind.

　　Gripping his gun with both hands, he tried to calm his mind, the emotions of his first combat encounter rampaging within him. Although it was only Virtual, it felt accurate enough to send adrenaline coursing through his veins.

　　Kal didn`t know what to expect from this encounter. How would his skills measure up to others of his experience? They were all new players with similar training in the tutorial. He doubted even the short exercise in combat Tamara and Talha gave him over the past week would give him that much of an edge.

　　He needn`t have worried.

　　A squad of six similarly dressed players, wearing battered and old equipment, charged into the warehouse. Clumped together, they didn`t separate for better mobility and not to draw fire, nor did they find cover or scout the area first.

　　Kal was shocked. He didn`t think they would be this inexperienced. Behind him, his allies opened fire, their aim terrible, most of their laser fire and bullets not even coming close to hitting their targets. The only one who showed competence with his weapon was the person who ordered them to scatter at the start.

　　Aiming carefully and controlling his breathing, Kal fired. His new Laspistol sent out a bluish-white streak of energy, accompanied by a sharp crack.` It struck one of the other players in the chest. He was satisfied to see the surprised look on his opponent`s face before he disappeared in motes of light.

　　Again and again, he fired, his aim getting better as he grew accustomed to the weapon in his hands and the movements of the opposing force.

　　They were learning as well, diving for cover and returning fire. Most of their shots missed, although Kal saw two of his allies fall before finally hitting the last opponent, ending the match.

　　Breathing heavily, as if he had run a marathon, Kal saw a notification on his HUD.

　　Mission Accomplished.`

　　With that announcement and the fading excitement from him, Kal was hooked.