Squad Tactics-- Brock -- “This is Modukai Sergeant Onaem,” a voice seems to reverberate from the ceiling far above us, “if you can hear me, then now is the time to inspect your gear. We’re only going to give you this tutorial once. First, take out the black robe in your duffel bag; I’ll give you exactly a minute to find it.” Rather than any normal-sized hallway, we’ve crossed to the other side to find a sprawling expanse of white tiles and odd-looking formations jutting out of them in some spots like mountains of marble. There’s more than enough space for the fifteen of us to lay out our equipment, and getting this damn bag off my shoulders for once feels like I’m dropping a boulder that I’ve been carrying all this way. Ein and Horokaida stay close by as they unzip their duffel bags.

