Three days had passed since the Alliance transports abandoned Grey and just over one hundred men and women of the Allied Planets Military Forces in the trenches of Serenity Valley to conduct surrender negotiations. Several of the wounded didn't make it, including one kid fresh out of boot camp. He was three weeks shy of 19 and the only one, it seemed, on the entire planet that was younger than Grey. He held the kid's hand as he passed. He used what of his empathy he could to ease the kid's passing, but it hit Grey hard. He didn't witness every death, but he sat with each of them that didn't survive, giving a quick prayer before seeing to a proper burial. He wished there was more he could for morale, but survival seemed hard enough. There was a small amount of supplies that had been left at Command when his superiors left. And while it added to the few supplies that had been gathered from each of the units, they wouldn't last forever. No matter how thin he sliced it, there'd be little more than three more days of food and water. And only one of medical supplies. Things were going to get messy. And fast. A knock came at the door of the room Grey had set up in.

"Yeah?" Grey pulled himself upright and started pulling on his knee-high boots.

"Sir, there's some trouble in the medical section."

"I'll be right there. Get Firs-"

"He's already there."

"Good. Go back and help." He grabbed his officer's cap and rang his right hand through his hair before slipping it on. He grabbed his pistol belt and put it on as he marched to the hangar cum medical bay. When he got there, he saw Sgt. Starkri standing over 2Lt. Mizuno as she tried to treat an Independent soldier. He couldn't hear the words at first, but he knew the tone. I feared this might become the last mistake Starkri ever made.

"Stop helping that Shitcoat filth and help the good guys, lieutenant! If you don't, you WILL live to regret it." He held his pistol out pointed at the solider. Mizuno looked up at the sergeant with more f