[h1]Tar 'Mdalak[/h1]
[h3]Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre[/h3]
Tar groped desperately around with her right hand for her Mauler, but it had skittered away into the gloom. So instead, Tar pulled her energy sword from his mount on her left thigh, activated it and thrust it into the Stalker’s abdomen.

He let out a furious roar and tried to dismount her. Tar wrapped her right arm around the Brute’s neck and stabbed him four more times in the stomach with her left. The force of her last blow pushed his now limp body off to the side, where he lay still.

Tar quickly rose to her feet and holstered her sword. The recruits had entered the room and were staring at her. Tar spotted her Mauler lying under a desk and picked it up.

Satisfied all her gear was together, she quickly strode to where Ryssa stood and shoved him against a wall.

“One of your teammates just died. When I show you tactics I expect you to use them. We always check corners and clear rooms. Fail me again and you’ll do this simulation alone, Is that clear?”

“Yes, Commander!” Ryssa replied, almost on reflex, though he still frantically looked around with some confusion after taking a more literal interpretation of her reprimand. He had seen the tail end of the short fight, but from what he could see, everyone around him was still alive.

“Good.” Tar grabbed the recruit and shoved him towards the doorway. “Take point.” The Major, stood slightly outside the doorway, snarled and turned away.

Ryssa followed his orders to the letter and took point, this time making sure to clear the rooms they passed on the way forward. It seemed, at the very least, that Tar’s harsh reminder was enough to get him to pay more attention to what he was doing and follow his training. 

Not only did he continue checking his corners, but he did not need to be told where to go once they reached the junction in the hallway. Data centers, or the commanders themselves, were the most likely target of an attack like this, both of which took them down the left hallway.

As the team headed up the stairs to the next floor, there was a spike of activity on their sensors. All at once, each of their motion trackers started showing multiple red dots, on their level as well as above and below, moving frantically all around them. 

Jurna immediately raised his carbine and pointed it ahead at the top of the stairs above, though quickly turned around to point it back the way they came. “They’re surrounding us!” He shouted, unsure of where he should be focusing his attention.