"All over Europe, really," Erik says. "And all different places. Urban combat's my specialty, but the better you are as a mech pilot, the more they shuffle you around, trying to get the most use of you without burning you out."

He smiles. "I will say that the Fireants are the most fun to fight in a Gladius though. Suckers think those gimmicky little fog generators will protect them, get you all scared, but thermal scanners see right through it. You can plug them with a plasma rifle before they even think you can see them, or run in and carve them up swords-vs.-mandibles."

"Always too many of them, though. You just have to take down as many as you can, and hope everyone else can handle the leftovers."