Corr sighed as the bodies of the PDF were arrayed on their bedrolls as casually as possible. Most of them were kids. Freshly drafted to defend their cesspool of a home from whatever the galaxy deigned to throw their way. They were woefully unprepared. And now they were statistics. Stakely, Briggs and Callahan rifled through the pockets of each body in turn, pocketing anything they wanted or felt they could trade aboard the Fortune. Mason knelt by each one in turn, and carefully whispered a prayer for the Emperor to guide them. Corr, was busy fussing at the pilfered PDF uniform he wore. It was still crisp, almost like it had never been worn. New gear was almost non-existent in the Chem-Dogs, everything was salvaged, stolen or just not wanted anywhere else, including the soldiers. The fact that the uniforms would help them blend in among the others was merely a bonus.

"Ooh, nice knife. Hope ya don't mind if I take it." Stakely whispered to one of bodies, patting it on the chest as he fastened the knife to his belt. Meanwhile, Callahan had found himself a new pair of boots in his size and promptly replaced his old pair.

"I never had a pair of boots this nice." he said as he pulled the laces tight.

"Make yourselves comfy. We got five hours until daylight, which means we need to be ghosts in four." Corr said once the looting had died down. He took a seat next to the hab tent's airlock and sighed.

"You got first watch, Sarge?" Mason asked as he stood from the final body, making the sign of the Aquila across his chest as he finished his prayer.

"Yeah." he said. "I'll wake you in two hours, Mason. Then I'll get some sleep." Mason nodded groggily and sprawled on the floor between the cots. Corr looked around and saw the others all bedding down amongst the dead. Corr watched them for several long minutes before his eyes drifted shut and sleep took hold of him as well.

The sound of heavy boots echoed down the corridor.

It was happening again.

He knew what was coming, but there was nothing he could do.

Something heavy crashed against the door shaking the entire frame.

Again, and again.

Harder, and harder.

Until, with a final boom, the door fell inward and a cadre of instructors pushed into the room.

"Trooper Corr! What've you done?!"

Corr looked up from the body he clutched in his hands at the Progenia instructors that surrounded him.

He hadn't slept.

How could he after what he'd done.

He slowly looked back down at the young woman in his arms.

She'd been a comrade… a lover… and now?

"I did what had to be done, sir." He said.

His eyes began stinging as tears worked their way free.

He lightly caressed her cheek.

Suddenly her eyes shot open.

"Why Seravin? Why did you let me die?" she rasped.

Corr opened his mouth to speak, but the shrill blaring of a horn drowned out all but her accusing eyes and the blood trailing from her cut throat.

Corr's eyes shot open at the sound of a horn blowing. It was a shrill sound and his hands quickly covered his ears. Callahan and Briggs were instantly awake as well, covering their own ears and looking to Corr.

"What the hell is that?!" Stakely shouted.

"It's our wakeup call! Get up! Get up now!" Corr said as he scrambled to his feet. He stopped and looked over to Mason who was still fast asleep. He pointed to Briggs and then to Mason. "Wake him!" he said as he stepped into the airlock. He pulled the door shut and replaced his mask while it cycled. The door chimed, and before Corr could reach for the handle it opened and a figure in a PDF officer's uniform stopped just shy of barreling into him.

"Wha-" he managed to croak before Corr grabbed him by the throat. His thumb and fingers dug firmly into the soft flesh and he pulled the man into the airlock and shut the door with his free hand. He didn't wait for the airlock to fully cycle this time, he threw open the inner door and dropped the man on the floor.

"We've got a problem." He said, shutting the door behind him. The officer coughed and started to push himself to his feet but Stakely was on him at a moment's notice. He pressed his knee into the man's back, forcing him back to the floor.

"Hullo there." He said, as he pulled his new knife from the sheath on his belt. "You picked the wrong tent, pal. This one's full up." He grabbed the man by his hair and pulled his head back hard and pressed the blade against the man's exposed throat. The man squealed as the blade nicked his throat, a bead of blood dribbling down into his uniform.

"What's happening? Who are you people?" he asked, panic evident in his voice.

"We're nobody." Briggs said, staring down at the man.

"Who are you?" Mason asked with a yawn.

"S…Sergeant Emil Nelis… Strontius PDF. Who a-"

"What's your unit doing out in the swamp?" Corr asked. His eyes were wide with panic and darted between the people he didn't know, before they fell upon the dead in their bunks.

"Oh… Oh God-Emperor…" he cried, peeling his eyes away from the dead. "Y-you killed them…"

"Focus pal, or we kill you slower." Stakely said, pressing the knife against his throat just a little harder.

"W-we were deployed by the Governor. Told a large pirate band had landed at the far end of the continent. Most of the PDF is d-deployed to stop them. Small garrisons were set up around the palace to protect the governor." Briggs sighed, disgusted without how easily this man had spilled their orders.

"What? Pirates? That's insulting!" Cally said with a smirk as he looked fondly at his new boots. Corr glared and Cally, who shrugged back at him.

"Shut up." Corr said, before returning his attention to their captive. "What's the contingent at the Governor's mansion? How many men? What kind of materiel?"

"I… I can't… I can't betray my p-people and my Emperor." He sputtered. Stakely nicked him again with the knife, drawing another rivulet of blood and a whimper of pain and fear.

"Oh you can, and you will!" Stakely hissed in his ear.

Suddenly there was a banging at the airlock.

"Sergeant Nelis, sir? The senior officers are gathered for this morning's briefing." A voice called through the intercom. Stakely's hand clamped down over the man's mouth and everybody tensed.

"We haven't the time for this. Take his vox, his weapons, and tie his hands. We found ourselves a guide." Corr whispered.

"We should slot him now, Corr. He'll give us away." Stakely hissed.

"Orders?" Mason asked, hefting his flamer. Corr pulled Nelis's vox bead from his ear and crushed it under foot as Stakely grudgingly tied his arms behind his back and took his laspistol, tucking it into his belt.

"We need an exit." Corr said.

"On it." Callahan said. He hopped over a cot and drew his knife in one smooth motion. "Masks on kids." He said as he lifted his own over his mouth and nose. Without waiting, he stabbed into the skin of the tent and pushed down, opening the back of the tent to the harsh atmosphere. He pulled open the flap just enough to peer around. A muddy, empty street met his gaze. The buildings across the street were old, decrepit and, despite the sudden garrison of PDF, still clearly abandoned. At least if the broken out glass windows were any sort of clue. Nestled between them was an alley that now appeared to be the garrison's garbage dump. Cally pulled open the tent and pointed.

"There's our exit."

"Gee dad, it's such a nice day. Let's go play outside." Mason said as he ducked through the hole.

"Mason… I swear..." Briggs hissed as she followed. Stakely quickly shoved their captive outside, laughing as he lost his balance and landed face first in the muck and grime.

"Maybe having him along won't be all bad." He said, stopping to admire his handiwork. Cally rolled his eyes and gave him a shove through the opening.

"Move it!" he hissed. Corr lingered a moment longer. He moved to the intercom and pressed the response button.

"Hang on hang on, I just gotta- GRENADE! GRENADE!" he shouted as he pulled a grenade from his belt. He took off at a run for the opening and pulled the pin, dropping the grenade in the middle of the tent as he passed by. It was a standard frag on a five second timer.

One one-thousand.

Two one-thousand.

Thr-

The grenade exploded early, and a pressure wave hit Corr just as he made his dive for the makeshift exit. The tent shredded and caught fire as Corr landed hard in the mud a full six feet further than intended. His ears were ringing and his calf burned. Over the din he could make out a klaxon blaring and panicked shouts. He pushed himself up to his feet, wincing as pain shot up his right leg. He hobbled the last few feet into the alley and disappeared amongst the warrens of detritus.