Adrian’s whole body tensed as the order came in and his team lead took the first shot. Alerting the whole opposing group threw a bit of a spanner in the works, but it wasn’t anything to cry about. If anything, it was his own fault for not communicating his plan to begin with. “I forgot we barely knew each other,” Adrian said to himself as his GEAR opened fire.

	The target, still motoring along on its tracks, shook and spun to face the L-68 without compensating and flung itself to the ground. A fresh round cycled into Adrian’s rifle and he planted the second shot directly into what he assumed to be the other GEAR’s cockpit. The signature of the opposing GEAR vanished as it assumed a noncombatant stance and Adrian turned his attention to the actions of his other team members. They had managed to bring one of the targets down and chased another into cover. The fight had begun to kick up some dust, but he could pick out one of the other downed GEARs feebly attempting to aim at the group from its position on the ground. He took aim to finish it off and managed to put it out of its misery before the simulated artillery forced him into a temporary retreat.

	Adrian spoke into his radio link with the recon team. “Can any of you get eyes on that GEAR without crossing the bridge?”