The Error

A Trial by Fire exercise goes horribly wrong for the young Team Xiphos.

"We've got to press on squad," Andrew said as he crouched behind a log overlooking an opening in the foliage.

"I'm, not so sure, And- sir," Colin replied, his knee twitching slightly as he scanned the area.

"It's a perfect spot for an ambush," Amy chimed in. She stretched her hand over Colin as she moved beside Andrew. "Look," she pointed to two positions facing each other. "If we go out there, that's overlapping fields of fire." Amy retreated from Andrew's side. "It's too risky."

Maria and Josh nodded in agreement

"It's the only way through to the objective," Andrew said.

Amy raised her hands to the heavens. "It's just not!"

"What do you want me to say, Amy, huh?" He snarled back. "If we sit here or we try and find another way around, we'll lose!"

"We've got to be sma-!"

"Will you two keep it down!" Maria interjected.

Andrew's fist tightened until his knuckles were white. "We're moving," he said. His jaw was taut and Josh could see a vein pulsating across his forehead.

Amy began to speak, but Josh placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She sighed and nodded at Andrew.

"Okay, so here's the plan," Andrew began. His eyes darted to his team as he explained, "Josh, Maria, you're our best shots so I want you behind me, I'm the centre. Call it as you see it, got it?"

"Yessir," they replied in unison.

"Now, Colin, Amy," he let the last name linger for a moment. "You two have the heaviest weapons. So when Josh or Maria see someone, you just, y'know you just hit them with everything."

"What formation do you want us in, sir?" Colin asked.

"Well... I'm not sure of the name of it, but sorta like a five on a domino." He held two fingers out, then one, and then two again. They nodded and quietly moved into formation.

Andrew made a forward cutting motion with his hand and Xiphos began its march. Their weapons moving frantically as they scanned the shrubbery for any signs of the other teams. Each step was slow and painfully methodical.

"Steady," Andrew whispered to his team. "We're halfway there."

A shot rang out from their left and struck Colin in the leg. The tactical training round reacted with the microfibres in his suit and seized his leg up. He yelped as he fell forward onto his face.

"Someone grab him! Fall back!" Andrew barked as he returned fire.

Amy ran over to Colin, and bent down in an attempt to roll him over. A second Spartan team, this time on the right flank, began firing. A stray round hit Amy directly on the temple and knocked her out cold. Andrew swung his rifle round to the new attackers, but only witnessed Maria fall under a hail of fire before he took three in the chest.

As Andrew lay there, immobilised, with his eyes plastered to the sky, he silently cursed his stubbornness.