Atticus, Nasrin, Tay, and Rook perched just outside of the melee, trying to sense the patterns emerging there. They'd just spotted Moot and Ferris in the crowd with some dismay, concerned they might become enmeshed in the imminent danger encircling the scene below. Noticeably absent was Obi Wan, but the students weren't so naive as to think they'd shaken him.

"Holy...!" Atticus drew a sudden breath and passed his binoculars to Rook.

"Shit!" Rook exclaimed as he peered through the lenses. "It's Valentine. Why is Valentine here??"

Nasrin and Tay exchanged glances. As Nasrin turned her head back toward the crowded lawn, she suddenly caught a quick, metallic flash of sun on metal, coming from an adjacent wooded area. She signaled to Tay, and began silently moving toward the site of the flash, alone.

The sight of Valentine made Rook extremely uneasy. Something big was about to go down, and he wasn't in on the plan. No less than three MASK senior leaders were here, along with two mid-level admins. Christ, the only one missing was Knight! How am I supposed to bring this TIA exercise (Training In Action) home, he wondered silently?