Since they were camping in another waypoint there was no change to the routine of the night before other than each squad spending time learning to switch their weapon to blade and shield rather than spend time with Slim. All five squads had advanced past the fifty metre mark on target practice by the end of the evening sessions. They were aware that being further from civilisation increased the chance of Swarm attacking the camp but knowing this and experiencing it were two different things.

The first attack came in the evening just before they were due to finish target practice. The use of energy weapons and replacing batteries must have attracted the Swarm as they attacked from the direction of the targets. Five Swarm scouts swerved between the short towers of Crust they had been using as targets. There was a mixed response from the recruits with some automatically aiming at the new target and others freezing at the alien appearance of the approaching Swarm. Rather than conservative shots to stop the enemy Elias had to forceably stop some of the recruits firing on the dead Swarm with the command override. Worse than the response from the recruits practising at the range was that of the squad on patrol. They had assumed there was no need to protect or monitor that direction due to the numbers facing out.

Elias almost felt bad for shouting at squad four due to their failure to monitor the entire camp. A part of him recognised it was sensible to focus their attention elsewhere. In the end he reasoned with himself that the only squad on patrol was responsible and he was right to shout. In reprimanding the one squad he could see all the other recruits acknowledge and absorb the fact that it was their sole responsibility to watch over the whole camp. He also drilled into them the chain of command and what to do if they saw a threat. Perhaps that was what led to a better approach when the next attack occurred.

"Captain, four grubs and at least two Swarm approaching from the South." The message repeated before Elias was able to wake and digest the information.

"Fifty metres and closing." It was the second member of squad three. Elias scolded himself for failing to learn any names and just thinking of the recruits as numbers still. Another item for his list of things to do tomorrow.

"Three-two. Engage. Three-one; three-three, move to support." Elias watched on his command overview which automatically mapped the threat and his troops on the display. "Three-four, you have north-east corner, one-eighty overview. Three-five, you have north-west corner, one-eighty overview."

He watched on his map as the three squad members moved south to address the threat while the remaining two members took their positions. The display showed complete cover of the camp in all directions. He waited awake until the three squad members were able to successfully eliminate the Swarm.

"Good work squad three. Return to patrol positions." He said, ready to try and get back to sleep.

"Uh, Sir. New contact north-west." Said Three-five.

Elias watched as first one, three and then multiple additional Swarm markers showed on his overview. He jumped out of bed and rushed in the direction of the enemy while sending two general commands via his comms.

"Squad three group in north-west. Squad four, wake and occupy patrol positions." He noted the second message would repeat until the squad-members acknowledged the command. He reached Three-five first and was impressed that the recruit held her ground as ten Swarm approached towards her. He could see two of the creatures twitching in the direction they were approaching, taken down by her rifle fire. The command overview told him she was out of charge as he approached.

"Three-five you have a spare battery on your bandolier; remove your empty and replace it." Elias calmly said as he moved up next to her. He noticed the shake in her hands as she fumbled and tried to follow his command. In front the lights threw giant shadows behind the approaching Swarm, their mandibles and front limbs highlighted by the directional beams hitting them. They evoked a primal response even in Elias who had seen much worse charging towards him in the past.

He pulled his energy weapon grips from the holsters and seeing the Swarm within ten metres, left them in pistol mode. The charge for his pistol was twenty per hand and he kept a note of the charge as he cracked shots off at the three Swarm coming close. Eight shots later they were down and he brought his grips in line to switch to rifle mode. There were another seven Swarm approaching, the closest at thirty metres. His first shot hit it in the thorax and was joined by a second in the head shortly after. Elias took a knee to improve his aim knocking down another Swarm as the rest of squad three ran to join him in a line. Three-five was the first to combine with his fire and soon the group of six cut down the rest of the approaching Swarm.

By the time they had checked all the Swarm were eliminated squad four had assumed patrol. The inanimate carcasses of the Swarm still visible under the lights in the south and northwest. Elias relieved squad three and made his way back to his own tent wondering whether that would be all the excitement for the night.