"I think I'm a Good influence. And you're the one who followed me home."

"I suppose I did. Well, help me get this armor off."

They do, after all, have to eat, before she goes back out. Does she need help? Absolutely not. Is she asking for it for practical reasons? Absolutely not. Will she admit this to herself? Absolutely not... yet.

It's good to take off the figurative mask for a bit, not just the literal one. But she does need to get back out there. So after lunch, she armors up, doesn't kiss her girlfriend/commanding officer, and goes back to the drilling field.

They're grouped in various clumps, not all the same ones they were in when she left. Particularly, three are sitting some distance away from the rest, with Corl resting fairly near the midpoint from them to the nearest other cluster.

"Now that you've all had time to think, are you ready to take direction?"

"Most of them are. These three, however, don't believe you. They think they can defend Kellis in traditional style."

"Well, then we will let you try. A small wave of dretches, probably. With the barrier weakening them, I'm sure any of you could beat three or four in succession. So we'll see how you three fare against a dozen or more arriving together."

"But since we can't call one up on demand, we can't do that now. So you three idiots can go - whatever. You're dead men. I'd rather you watch us train, but you're not going to achieve anything more except to be an example to the others, so it's not my business."

"The rest of you, though - listen up! I'm not going to repeat this. Our goal here is for you to move as one. React as one. Fight, not just with your own instincts, but with those of your entire squad. When someone calls for shields up, your shields will go up and you will not have to think about that, because thinking is too slow. War is more things happening faster than you've ever seen in a raid. Half the time, half of you will be berserk. If it takes thought to react right, you will not."

"Which is why we are going to drill. And drill. And drill. We will keep doing it, until you respond half-asleep, completely blind, your ears ringing from a lightning bolt, and you still respond like we drilled."

"And then, only then, will you be supporting your squad well enough that I send you to the line and trust you to face demons."