Battlefield Dreams: A moment on Argon Forge
12 Oct 2024Brotherblaze
Battlefield Dreams: A Moment on Argon Forge
The cold metal bench beneath me in Bulgarin Depot didn’t do much to ease my restless mind. Outside, the hum of activity—mechanics tuning ships, commanders shouting orders, mercenaries like us loading up gear—buzzed through the air. But my thoughts were elsewhere, drifting beyond the dust and heat of the battlefield that awaited us on Argon Forge (Mebech C 1). Beyond the dropship that would soon take us into the storm. I was thinking about something more distant, something bigger: the future.
We had fought in countless battles, carved out a name for ourselves in the void, and built Shadow Heaven from nothing more than our wits, skill, and will to survive. But what was next? Mining, maybe? Expanding the squadron into more lucrative business ventures—trading, refining, maybe even logistics contracts. Anything to pull us out of the constant grind of mercenary work, the endless battles that paid well but always left you wondering if the next one would be your last.
Mosessith was sitting beside me, cleaning his rifle with the same methodical precision he’d used in every mission. He caught me staring off into space and smirked, nudging me with his elbow.
"What's got you dreaming this time, Brother?" he teased, his voice playful but with that familiar edge. "Thinking about those asteroid fields again? Or how you’re gonna make us rich with some mining company?"
I snapped back to reality and grinned, shaking my head. "You joke, but those asteroid fields could set us up for life, you know. I’ve been running the numbers, and I’m telling you—if we get the right permits, the right equipment, we could make billions, not just credits, billions."
Mosessith chuckled, slapping his gun back together like it was second nature. "We belong here, on the battlefield," he said, gesturing to the chaos around us, then pointing toward the horizon where the war was already raging. "Not floating in some damn asteroid belt digging up rocks. This, right here, is where we’re alive."
I met his gaze and shrugged. He wasn’t wrong. There was nothing quite like the feeling of a gun in your hands and the chaos of battle in your blood. But there was also something to be said about financial independence, about not having to take contracts that would put our lives on the line just to keep the squadron going.
"Look," I countered, "the battlefield is where we sharpen our skills, sure. But we can’t fight forever. We need something sustainable. We build out our operations, get some solid mining contracts, maybe expand into trade. That’s real wealth, real security. You want a carrier? We’re not going to get there with grunt work. That’s what’ll bring in the billions and give us control over our own future."
Mosessith paused, his smile fading into something more thoughtful as he loaded his sidearm, eyes focused on the task but mind clearly on something else. "A carrier, huh?" he mused, locking the magazine into place with a click. "That’s the dream, isn’t it? I want to see Shadow Heaven leading our own fleet, not just running around on some patron’s payroll."
The rumble of engines cut through our conversation, and the dropship arrived, its rear ramp lowering with a hiss. We stood up, slinging our weapons across our backs. The time for talking was over. It was time to move. Time to fight.
As we boarded the ship, the familiar scent of metal and fuel filled the air. We took our seats, strapping ourselves in, checking our loadouts—assault rifles, grenades, shields. The usual. I could see the gears still turning in Mosessith’s head as he stared down at his gun.
"You think we’ll really make those billions?" he asked, not looking at me but at his weapon, like he was contemplating whether it was worth all the risk.
"Not with this kind of work," I replied, gesturing to the gun in his hands. "But with the right moves, the right contracts… yeah. We’ll get there."
He nodded, a small, determined smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he finished securing his rifle. The dropship's engines roared to life, the ramp lifted, and within seconds, we were in the air, hurtling toward Desai’s Prospect on Argon Forge.
The descent was rough, the ship rattling as we broke through the planet's atmosphere. Reports were coming in that the battle was already high intensity, the Monarchy of Volantis had dug in deep, and Ice Storm Squadron was struggling to maintain a foothold. Desai’s Prospect was a warzone, and we were being dropped right into the thick of it.
When the ramp opened, the first thing that hit me was the freezing cold. Then the sound. Gunfire, explosions, the screams of men fighting and dying. It was chaos. We hit the ground running, my brother and I side by side, like we always were.
The Imperial forces had the advantage at first. They had us pushed back, surrounded, and for a moment, I thought this might be it. Bodies were dropping around us, and every time I peeked out of cover, it seemed like another of our squadmates was gone. But Shadow Heaven doesn’t break under pressure. We rallied the remaining soldiers, holding key positions in the settlement, taking cover where we could, and making sure every shot counted. We fought until there was nothing left in our mags but dust.
And then, slowly, the tide began to turn. We held the line, pushed them back inch by inch, and when it was over, Desai’s Prospect was ours. The Imperials had been beaten back, and their banners torn down. Victory was ours, though it came at a cost.
Mosessith and I looked at each other, exhausted but alive, and let out a triumphant yell, firing our guns into the air in celebration. We had survived another battle, added another victory to Shadow Heaven's legacy.
Back on the dropship, heading home to Bulgarin Depot, Mosessith looked over at me with a grin, his face smeared with dirt and sweat but his eyes alive with that familiar fire.
"Maybe," he said, smirking, "when we get a proper trade hub for our corporate patrons, we’ll start seeing those credits roll in. Because, Brother, I want that carrier."
I laughed, shaking my head. "You and me both, brother. You and me both."
The stars were out there, waiting. But for now, we belonged right here, in the heat of battle. Someday, though—someday soon—we’d have it all.
