Chase has been running training sessions not-quite-but-almost-daily for weeks now, putting people through their paces. So far, its been mostly conditioning work to get people into shape to handle the rigors of the next bits, and to get people used to training things into reflex. Now the tactics get to start to come in.

As soon as people have done their warm-ups, mostly consisting of crunches, kip-ups and muay-thai push ups, plus a mile run, he has people gather.

"Alright, all of you have stuck out the grunt-work, so now we get to some of the fun stuff. Additionally, anyone who wants to begin martial arts training, come see me outside of class. I'm going to start working on individual styles, rather than trying to teach the whole class one thing. I'll eventually be putting some moves and techniques that can apply across the board into these classes, and I will be making sure everyone gains at least basic firearms competency... but for now, for starting to build your own fighting styles, or build on what you know... send me a message or meet me in here during my own practice and workout times.

Today, as a class, we are going to begin working on the most essential aspects of small-unit tactics. Lots of people know how to fight - and we'll build on that. Today's class, and lessons for a while are going to be how to fight /together/.

In the Jack Dawson school of small unit and guerilla tactics - the one I learned, there are seven possible roles, five of them essential to any successful guerilla-infiltration-extraction-escort-commando work. These are Point, Anchor, Scrub, Sniper, Spotter, Cutter and Squishies. We are going to focus on two of these today - and I've invited some primary non-combatants to come volunteer to play squishy for us if they want when we get to that point. For those who want to know about the other roles, ask me anytime, and we can talk.

First, though, we're going to work on Point and Anchor. Your Pointman is your group leader - they set the agenda, figure out when a mission has gone FUBAR, set the pace, give orders, and reassess when the mission needs changing - and it will. The Point also sets your Clock. A lot of what we're going to be doing centers around your clock... which you will get to know as well as you've gotten to know crunches.

Most of you know how a clock works, 12 numbers, arranged in a circle. You can think about a tactical situation the same way. Whichever way your team's Point is facing, dead-ahead of them is 12. Right up their ass is 6. Directly right is 3, directly left is 9. You will all get used to orienting on a clock. When talking to any member of this class, I never, ever want to hear someone shout 'Look behind you!' - not precise, not tactically useful. Where behind? Their 6? Their 5? Their 7? Get to know your clock... and more importantly, get to know your Point's clock when working as a team. The team's '12', '6', etc. are always going to be the Point's - so someone giving unit instructions, like your sniper, always has a consistent reference point.

In a situation where you're surrounded, your Anchor always has the Point's 6. In classical back-to-back fighting, a Point and an Anchor fight with the Point responsible for anyone coming from 10, 11, 12, 1, 2 and 3, while the Anchor covers 4 through 9. The Anchor of a unit is also often the first in - because they can usually soak up a hit or two, use big weapons that carry extra punch, and often have area-effect weapons that can clear space. More importantly, the squad Anchor is last one out. I do not ever want to hear 'I'm not leaving til you do' bullshit. I have seen three people die unnecessarily because of that martyr crap. Do not do it. Your Anchor, if standing, will always cover the retreat, and get out when everyone else is out. They will hold the door... or whatever is needed, so there is never any question about who covers who. The Anchor also gets very used to the backwards clock - many enemies are 'Ambush Predators' - if you show your back, they will hit it. So the Anchor has to get used to covering that up for a squad once everyone is inserted, and keep track of where the Point is, and where they're facing, without looking at them.

We're about to do an exercise, and I'll be giving you guys some games to help practice. Meanwhile, pair up and choose in each pair who is Point, and who is Anchor. And while you're finding dance partners, any questions?"

The Tower of High Sorcery didn't look much different these days from a distance, but up close the wizard's efforts showed.

The gates stood permanently open, now, but an obvious sign cautioned all visitors not to enter the cordoned-off areas. A magic mouth repeated those instructions, firmly but politely, to those who might not bother with reading in their haste to explore. Inside, Aibghalien had carefully cordoned every door, archway, or passage where spells would act against nonmagical sorts in any way. Still, that left a large area in the courtyard, the inner halls, and a large audience chamber where people could safely travel.

It was in the latter chamber that the wizard stood, pondering a lunar calendar that depicted the motions of three moons across the sky and their phases in exquisite detail.

Really he isn't. It's not like he was necessarily avoiding places like the Media Library or the Winchester House. Just crazy people who are clearly following him way too closely would suggest such an idea.

So Sam knows, and well while it wasn't an out and out no.... It wasn't a yes either. Just a maybe. Maybe was still iffy, he'd been in the maybe category before. For a long time, he wanted to think Buffy considered him a maybe until Cordelia came along and for a while that didn't matter. Though even Anya thought he still kept an old flame for the Slayer.

Man, what would she say now? Would she think Willow corrupted him with her gayness, or figure it was probably always a possibility. (And not like Will really 'gayed' him up like he asked her too? Then again maybe he should have guessed something with how Larry spoke with him, and how he never could really correct the poor guy. Even Andrew made a few comments here and there how he probably batted for both teams.) Great, he's yammering in his head. Again. He should go for a walk. In the City.

Or maybe he'll stay in his shop. Just a little longer.

Sandy liked it in the city.

With everything so closed and cramped in the halls and the different areas of the ship nothing felt quite as open and free to her as running through the city.

It seemed to go on forever, and if she wasn't careful she'd find herself lost for who knows how long.

She had figured out a way past that though, between chalk and paint she had picked up on the last planet she was sure she could leave markers in places that would help her find her way back.

And so she traveled, running and jumping, up stairs and jumping from roof to roof or back down through the streets and buildings.

If Eva has a personal raincloud, she's convinced it's storming today.

She sits on her feet in the garden, wrenching plants from the earth, not caring about the hard dirt digging angry separations between her fingernails and her flesh. What she'd really like to do is throw all the silverware and dishes in the house onto the yard, but she can't justify that luxury on Stacy. So instead she digs aimless holes and uproots weeds and flowers alike, up to her arms in earth, face smeared with dust.

She's keeping herself in the mechanical headspace where the only thing she can focus on is the movement of her arms, the way her shoulder's old wounds ache, the unbidden clench in her jaw. If she thinks about anything less physical, she'll think about Marco, scared and maybe sick in the Med Bay. She'll think about that violation on the Quarter from the psychic wave. She'll think about how much she could use Peter to lean on right now. She'll think about the possibility that they won't find a cure for Marco and that his last memory of her will be her betraying his physical safety to Kang.

So she doesn't think. She digs, she pulls, and she waits for Rory.

[trigger warning]