The days following the first successful trade deal with Lira's outpost were marked by relentless activity in the scrapyard. Word of the energy cores spread faster than Ethan had anticipated, and within forty-eight hours, Shade received inquiries from two more outposts on the fringes of Neo Arcadia-2. These weren't formal alliances, but they were a start—small ripples that Ethan intended to turn into waves.
The scrapyard itself was changing. What had once been a patchwork of salvaged equipment and improvised defenses was beginning to take on the shape of a true stronghold. The plasma turrets stood at key points along the perimeter, their hum a constant reminder of the team's hard-won progress. The reinforced barricades gleamed faintly in the sunlight, a testament to the alloy plates salvaged from the Syndicate drones.
Inside the workshop, the air was thick with the scent of soldered circuits and oil as Rhea and Garret worked side by side. Rhea was integrating a modular system into the turrets, allowing them to swap between offensive and defensive modes depending on the threat. Garret, meanwhile, was constructing handheld plasma grenades—an idea he'd pitched after the convoy raid that Ethan reluctantly approved.
Ethan leaned over a console, monitoring the scrapyard's newly installed internal network. It wasn't just for defense; it was for coordination. Each turret, barrier, and critical system was now connected to a central hub that Ethan controlled. If the Syndicate came, they wouldn't just face a fortified base—they'd face a coordinated response.
Shade appeared silently behind him, his presence so quiet that Ethan only noticed him when he spoke. "We've got a problem."
Ethan turned, his focus sharpening. "What kind of problem?"
"Lira's outpost," Shade said. "Syndicate scouts passed through this morning. They didn't engage, but they're watching."
Ethan's jaw tightened. He'd expected the Syndicate to probe eventually, but not this quickly. "Any word from Lira?"
"She sent a message," Shade replied, holding up his comm device. "She's holding for now, but she's worried. If the Syndicate decides to escalate, she doesn't have the firepower to hold them off."
Ethan glanced at the map on his console, where Lira's outpost was marked with a glowing green dot. It was close enough to the Syndicate's territory that it could easily become a target, but far enough from the scrapyard to make direct intervention risky.
"We can't let them hit her," Ethan said. "If they crush her outpost, the others won't trust us."
Shade's expression didn't change, but his tone grew colder. "If we intervene, we're exposing ourselves."
"We already exposed ourselves," Ethan replied. "The moment we started this trade network, we became a threat."
Preparation for Defense
Ethan called a team meeting in the central workshop. The group gathered around the holographic map, their faces lit by its faint blue glow. Briggs crossed his arms, his rifle resting against the table. Rhea leaned against a nearby console, her grease-stained hands clutching a cup of coffee. Garret lounged in a chair, his plasma cannon balanced on his lap. Shade stood at the edge of the group, his presence calm but intense.
"Lira's outpost is being watched," Ethan began. "If the Syndicate decides to move on her, she won't hold."
"We can't babysit every outpost we partner with," Briggs said. "We don't have the manpower."
"We don't need manpower," Ethan said. "We need strategy."
Rhea tilted her head. "You're thinking remote defenses?"
"Exactly," Ethan said, highlighting Lira's outpost on the map. "We deliver a package—modular turrets, energy cores, and a short-range jammer. It won't stop a full assault, but it'll give her enough time to hold until we can respond."
Garret grinned. "Sounds fun. You want me to drop it off?"
"No," Ethan said. "Shade will deliver it. You'll stay here and oversee the defenses. If the Syndicate retaliates, we can't leave the scrapyard vulnerable."
Garret rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Shade gave a curt nod. "When do I leave?"
"Tonight," Ethan said. "The Syndicate's more active during the day. You'll have a better chance of slipping through their patrols after dark."
Shade's Delivery
That night, the scrapyard was cloaked in shadows as Shade prepared for the mission. The transport vehicle was loaded with two modular turrets, a crate of plasma cores, and the jammer. Rhea handed him a small tablet, her expression serious.
"Everything's preprogrammed," she said. "Once you set up the turrets, they'll sync with the jammer automatically. Just make sure you place them evenly around the perimeter."
Shade nodded, slipping the tablet into his pack. "I'll be back before dawn."
Ethan stood by the vehicle, his arms crossed. "If anything feels off, pull out. We can't afford to lose you."
Shade smirked faintly. "I don't plan on being lost."
With that, he climbed into the transport and drove off, the vehicle's lights fading into the night.
The Syndicate's Presence
Meanwhile, Ethan and the others worked to reinforce the scrapyard's defenses. The Syndicate's silence weighed heavily on them. The drones hadn't returned, but Ethan knew better than to assume they'd given up. Every moment they worked was a gamble, a race to prepare before the inevitable storm.
"Any sign of movement?" Ethan asked Garret, who was monitoring the perimeter from the watchtower.
"Nothing yet," Garret replied. "But I've got a bad feeling. Like they're waiting for something."
"They are," Ethan said quietly. "They're waiting for us to make a mistake."
Shade's Return
Hours later, the faint sound of the transport's engine broke the silence of the scrapyard. Shade emerged from the vehicle, his expression as calm as ever.
"Delivery's complete," he said. "The turrets are operational, and Lira's perimeter is covered. She was… skeptical, but she'll hold."
Ethan nodded, relief washing over him. "Good. Did you see any Syndicate movement?"
"Not directly," Shade said. "But they're close. I intercepted comms on the way back—fragmented chatter about a target in the outlands. They're planning something."
Rhea frowned. "Do we know if it's Lira?"
"Not yet," Shade said. "But if they're talking about the outlands, it's either her or us."
Ethan stared at the map, his mind racing. The Syndicate's next move was coming, and it would define everything—whether their growing network would survive or crumble under the weight of the Syndicate's power.
A Growing Network
The next morning, Shade delivered another update. Two more outposts had reached out, interested in the energy cores and modular defenses. The team was hesitant, but Ethan saw the opportunity. Every outpost they secured was another thread in the web they were weaving—a web that could eventually strangle the Syndicate's grip on Neo Arcadia-2.
"We can't slow down," Ethan said as he addressed the team. "The more outposts we bring into the network, the harder it becomes for the Syndicate to isolate us. But we have to be smart. We can't stretch ourselves too thin."
Briggs nodded. "So we prioritize the ones that give us the biggest return—credits, intel, manpower."
"Exactly," Ethan said. "And we stay one step ahead of the Syndicate."
Rhea leaned forward, her tone cautious. "And if we can't? If they hit us before we're ready?"
Ethan met her gaze, his expression unyielding. "Then we hit them back harder."
The scrapyard was no longer just a refuge. It was the heart of something bigger—something stronger. Ethan didn't know how long they could keep this momentum, but he was determined to push forward.
The Syndicate controlled Neo Arcadia-2, but they didn't control him.
Not yet.