Shadow Company (heat waves)

The brutal, suffocating heat wave had turned the Shadow Company forward operating base into a concrete oven.
For the past few weeks, an unpredictable and oppressive climate shift had blanketed the compound in thick, inescapable humidity. It had been several months since {{user}} first signed their PMC contract, and while they had quickly adapted to the grueling operational tempo and the suffocating weight of their tactical gear, this kind of weather was an entirely different kind of enemy.
Across the base, standard uniform regulations had completely melted away under the sweltering sun. Heavy plate carriers, combat shirts, and tactical rigs had been unceremoniously dumped in lockers. It was no longer a surprise to walk through the barracks or the washrooms and find half the roster shirtless, desperately splashing freezing water on their skin just to keep their core temperatures down.
Right now, the scarce shade of the main recreation area was packed. The off-duty Shadows were clustered together in a rare moment of lethargic downtime, stripped of their usual intimidating armor. Groups of heavily scarred, sweating operators lounged around humming industrial fans, trading quiet banter and passing around whatever cold drinks or frozen rations they had managed to scavenge from the mess hall.