‘It matters not,’ he said at last. ‘We can retreat all the way up to the summit of the citadel if we like, but eventually they will smash their way through every gate and barricade. As long as those heavy guns are out there, we can only postpone the inevitable so long.’
Four weeks of this, sitting like a rat in a trap, listening to the host baying outside, enduring the airstrikes, listening to those two damned siege guns hammering like great fists on the sides of the citadel.
Kerne looked up. Dust was trickling down from the basalt and granite of the chamber ceiling, thirty metres above, and the lights were flickering, dimming to yellow and then springing to half-brightness again.
This is not how I want to die: cornered in a cave.
Twenty-six days of this. They had beaten off raptor-landings on the very slopes of the upper citadel, had seen the governor’s palace reduced to ruin by endless bombing. The blast doors of the gun-caverns were plastered with fire every time they were opened, but they had taken a terrible toll all the same.
‘We must destroy those siege guns,’ he said aloud. ‘The enemy have not subjected us to orbital bombardment because they want the citadel intact, or as near as they can get to that. They want a way in – they don’t want to level the place. In that is our hope.’
He turned around, and looked at his brothers. Fornix, his red eye gleaming in the gloom. Malchai, pale, glabrous and severe as the skull-shaped helm he carried. Kass, his eyes dark, his face aged beyond its years by the continual psychic attacks of the last weeks.
‘We have one other asset they do not expect. The Thunderhawks are still intact, within this very fortress. We can use them to mount a sally. We will attack them from the air – they will never expect that.’
‘Their colossus guns are void-shielded,’ Malchai said, frowning. ‘Even our gunships would be unlikely to damage them, captain.’
‘I did not speak of gunship attacks, Brother Malchai. I intend to lead a team of our brethren outside in person to spike those guns.’
‘Jonah,’ Fornix said, ‘there is no way back from such a mission.’
‘I am aware of that, first sergeant.’
Fornix nodded, and smiled. ‘Very well. It will be diverting at least, after all these weeks of peace and quiet.’
‘Fornix, I will need you to stay here, to take over command of Mortai in my absence.’
Fornix scratched his head. ‘Brother, I am coming with you. You can, of course, order me to stay – but if you do, I will disobey that order.’
They looked at one another. It was not a test of wills, more a sharing of memories.
Finally, Kerne said: ‘Brother Malchai, you will command in my absence.’
The Reclusiarch bowed his head. ‘You really mean to do this thing, captain?’
‘I am set on it.’
‘Are you trying to atone for your misdeeds, Jonah – is that it?’
Kerne stared coldly at Brother Malchai. ‘You may ascribe to me whatever motive you wish, Malchai. It is a sound tactical move.’
‘Which any one of your sergeants should be able to carry out. Mortai’s commander does not have to risk himself this way.’
‘I will be needed on this mission, Jord. I know it.’
Malchai passed his gauntlet over his scalp, as though wiping it clean. He nodded. ‘Perhaps it is the best way,’ he admitted in a low voice. When he raised his eyes to meet Kerne’s there was real regret in his face.
‘I will see to it that Mortai survives,’ he said.
‘I know you will, brother.’
‘Captain.’ Elijah Kass spoke up. ‘I also will accompany you on this mission if I may. I believe that my abilities will be useful to you out there.’
Kerne considered the young Librarian. ‘The Chaos warleader, who directs all this – you can feel him, can’t you, Elijah?’
‘I think that you will need defences other than bolter and power armour to sustain you beyond the walls of this fortress, captain. That is my role, and I wish to fulfil it.’
‘All right then, Brother Kass, you and Fornix shall come with me. And Brother Heinos – we will need his expertise to sabotage the void shields and destroy the guns.’
‘Who else do you want?’ Fornix asked.
‘This will be short-range, dirty work. I want the best close-quarter fighters in the company, Fornix.’
‘Orsus then, and Finn March. How many others?’
‘How many of us are left?’ Kerne asked gently. He knew, but he wanted to hear it anyway.
‘We have thirty-two unwounded brethren remaining, Jonah. For this mission I would recommend taking out at least half of those.’
Fifteen Space Marines, give or take.
‘Three half squads then,’ Kerne said. ‘Under March, Orsus and yourself. I want them armed with chainswords and as many power weapons as we can find – flamers also.’
‘When?’ Brother Malchai asked.
Kerne paused, and listened to the unending sounds of war which rose and fell beyond the thickened sides of the fortress-mountain. ‘We will need time to prep the Hawks. I want three – one for transport, and two for ground-support. A Space Marine pilot for the transport only – we still have enough fleet pilots to man the others.’ He stopped again, turning it over in his mind.
‘The sun is going down outside, brothers. We will use the night to prepare ourselves, and attack with the dawn.’
The group of Space Marines was silent.
‘One last thing,’ Kerne said at last. ‘Have Dietrich and the eldar farseer meet with me at once. We had best keep our allies informed of our plans.’
Brother Malchai’s face twisted in disgust at the word allies, but he said nothing, and walked away.
‘I wanted to tell you both of the morning’s operation because it relates closely to both your commands,’ Kerne said to Dietrich and Te Mirah.
They stood a metre apart, the gnarled Imperial Guard General, and the tall, slender xenos. They did not look at one another, and Dietrich had one hand on the holster of his pistol.
‘If I am successful, then the enemy will have lost the most potent weapon in his armoury. The citadel will be able to withstand assault for some time to come – time which the relief forces still need to come to our aid.’
‘If your people took to the warp, they might be here already,’ Te Mirah said.
‘They would have had to gather together a fleet formidable enough to battle the one in orbit,’ Kerne told her. ‘The Dark Hunters alone do not possess that capability, but we have sworn allies in other Chapters of our Adept who do. I do not doubt that they are coming, but it would be a miracle for them to arrive so soon.’
‘Miracles happen because men make them happen,’ Dietrich said doggedly. ‘In any case, we will fight on here until the end, whatever and whenever it might be.’
Kerne set a hand on the officer’s shoulder. ‘I expected no less from you, general. Your conduct during this whole war has been of the very highest standard, and your men have added a worthy battle-honour to their colours. I know you and they will not let me down.’
Dietrich stiffened, and saluted.
‘And my people, captain?’ Te Mirah asked. ‘What do you expect of them?’
‘I am leaving a report with my Reclusiarch, for the eyes of the Chapter Master only,’ Kerne told her. ‘It details the part you played here on Ras Hanem, and the aid you gave us in the planet’s defence. I have requested that your people should be allowed to leave this system in peace, once reinforcements arrive.’
‘And will your superiors accede to your request, do you think?’
‘I do not know,’ Kerne said honestly.
Te Mirah smiled. ‘I suppose I shall have to be content with that. In any case, my warriors and I are as much prisoners here as the rest of you, and the enemy which surrounds this fortress hates my kind almost as much as it hates yours. There is nothing else for it – we will remain here and fight, until the end.’