Kelvin stood at the edge of a jungle that looked like someone had forgotten to tell the vegetation about moderation. Trees rose easily sixty feet, their trunks thick enough that three people linking hands couldn't encircle them. Vines hung in curtains dense enough to block sightlines. The canopy overhead filtered sunlight into green-tinted illumination that made everything feel underwater.
Behind him, five Eclipse recruits were doing final equipment checks before they headed in. Kelvin recognized most of them from training sessions—Marcus, whose chi control had improved significantly in recent weeks. Reyna, who'd shown natural talent with projectile weapons. Three others whose names Kelvin knew but couldn't quite remember in the moment. All of them looked nervous, which was reasonable given what they were about to do.
"Alright," Kelvin said, turning to face them. "Final briefing before we head in. Who can tell me what our primary objective is?"
