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of some mortally wounded beast； the lander finally hit the ground。
For a moment there was silence while the interior of the lander was plunged into total darkness。
Next； Larn heard the sound of coughing and quiet prayers as the men in the lander drew a collective
breath to find； despite some initial misgivings； they were very much alive。 Abruptly； darkness gave
way to dim shadowy light at the activation of the lander’s emergency illumination system。 Then； he
heard a familiar strident voice begin to bark out orders as Sergeant Ferres sought to re…establish
control of his troops。
“Fall in！” the sergeant shouted。 “Fall in and prepare to disembark。 Get off your arses； damn you；
and start acting like soldiers。 You’ve got a war to fight； you lazy bastards。”
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Releasing his seat…restraints Larn staggered unsteadily to his feet； his hands warily prodding his
body as he checked to see whether any of his bones were broken。 To his relief； it seemed he had
survived the landing little the worse for wear。 His shoulders were sore； and he had the painful
beginnings of a bruise where the clasp of one of the seat…straps had bitten into his flesh。 Other than
that； he had escaped from what had seemed like certain death remarkably unscathed。 Then； just as
he began to congratulate himself on surviving his first drop； Larn turned to retrieve his lasgun and
saw that the man sitting in the seat next to him had not been so lucky。
It was Jenks。 Head lolling sideways at a sickening angle； eyes staring blankly from a lifeless and
slack…jawed face； Jenks sat in his seat dead and unmoving。 Staring at his friend’s body in numb
disbelief； Larn noticed a thin stream of blood trickling from Jenks’ mouth to stain his chin。 Then；
spotting a small bloody…ended piece of pink flesh lying on the floor of the lander beside his feet；
Larn realised that with the force of the landing Jenks must have inadvertently bitten off the end of
his tongue。 As horrified as he was by that discovery； Larn could not at first understand how Jenks
had died。 Until； looking once more at arrangement of seat…restraints around his friend’s body and the
way his head lolled sideways like a broken puppet； Larn realised the restraints had been improperly
fastened； causing Jenks’ neck to snap at the moment of their landing。 The realisation brought him no
comfort。 Jenks was dead。 Understanding how his friend had died did nothing to lessen Larn’s grief。
“Fall in；” the sergeant shouted again。 “Fall in and get ready to move out。”
Still numb with shock； Larn grabbed his lasgun and stumbled past Jenks’ body to join the rest of
the company as they lined up in one of the aisles between the upper deck’s endless rows of seating。
As he did； he became aware for the first time of the sound of distant ricochets clanging off the
exterior of the hull。 We are being fired at； he thought dully； his mind still reeling at the sight of
Jenks’ corpse。 Until； noticing an almost palpable sense of unrest among the other Guardsmen as he
took his place in the line and waited for the order to move out； Larn realised he could smell smoke
and with it； there came an unwelcome realisation that cut through the fog of his grief and seemed to
grip at his heart with clutching icy fingers。
The lander was on fire。
Spurred on by horror at the prospect of being trapped in a burning lander； the Guardsmen began
to hurry for the stairwell while behind them Sergeant Ferres shouted profanities in the vain hope of
maintaining some form of order。 No one was listening。 Frenzied； they rushed down the stairs
towards the lower deck； treading on the corpses of those already killed in the landing。
Running with the others； Larn caught a brief glimpse of their company commander； Lieutenant
Vinters； sitting dead in his seat with his neck broken just like Jenks。 He had no time to dwell on the
lieutenant’s death： caught in the crush of fleeing Guardsmen he could only run with the crowd as
they made for the lower deck； to the assault ramp and freedom。 As they came within sight of it they
found that the assault ramp was still sealed shut； while from all around them the smell of smoke
grew ever stronger。
“Open that ramp！” screamed Sergeant Ferres； pushing his way through the crowd of milling
Guardsmen to where a small group stood studying the control panel governing the ramp’s
mechanism。 Seeing the group raise their eyes to look at him in confusion； he pushed them aside and
stretched out a hand towards a metal lever set in a recess by the edge of the ramp。 “Useless
bastards！” he spat in contempt； his hand closing around the lever。 “The master control panel must
have been damaged in the landing。 You need to pull the emergency release lever — like this。”
Pulling the lever； Sergeant Ferres shrieked in sudden agony as one of the ramp’s explosive
release bolts misfired； a bright tongue of yellow fire bursting from the side of ramp to engulf his
face。 Screaming； a halo of flame dancing around his head； he stumbled blindly against the assault
ramp as the other bolts fired and the ramp fell open behind him。 Falling into the suddenly vacated
space； his body rolled down the ramp and came to a stop partway down it as one of his legs caught
on a protrusion at its side。 For a moment； seeing the strugglings of their sergeant’s body grow still as
29
the life left him； his troops stood gazing at him in shocked silence； hypnotised by the brutal calamity
of their leader’s death。
“We have to move；” Larn heard someone say behind him as he realised how warm it had grown
in the lander。 “The smoke is getting closer。 If we don’t get out of here now we’ll either burn to death
or choke。”
As one； the Guardsmen burst forward to rush down the ramp。 The light outside seemed blinding
in its intensity after the shadowed dimness of the interior of the lander。 Barely able to keep his feet
as the men behind him pushed to get out； Larn stumbled down the ramp with the rest； his first
experiences of the new world before him registering as a disconnected jumble of sights and
sensations。 He caught snatches of an empty landscape through the press of bodies around him； saw a
grey and brooding sky above them； felt a savage chill that bit gnawingly into his flesh。 Worst of all
was the sight of Sergeant Ferres’ burnt and disfigured face。 The fire…blackened sockets that had once
held his eyes glimpsed briefly at the edge of Larn’s vision as he followed the others down the ramp。
Then； as the first ranks of Guardsmen reached the foot of the ramp and apparent safety； the frenzied
herd instinct of a few moments before abruptly abated。
Released from the crushing pressure of the crowd as the Guardsmen in front moved to take
advantage of the open space before them； Larn was relieved to find himself able to breathe properly
once more。 Then； standing uncertainly with the others as they milled leaderless in the shadow of the
lander； he turned to take his first clear view of the planet around him。
This is it； he thought； his breath turning to white vapour in the cold。 This is Seltura VII It doesn’t
look much like how they described it in the briefing。
Around him； as endless as the wheat fields of his homeworld； was a bleak and barren landscape
— a flat treeless vista of frozen grey…black mud； punctuated here and there by shell craters and the
rusting silhouettes of burned…out vehicles。 To the east of him； he saw a distant cityscape of rained
buildings； as grey； foreboding and abandoned as every other aspect of the landscape around it。 It
looks like a ghost town； he thought with a shiver。 A ghost town； hungry for more ghosts。
“I don’t understand it；” he heard a questioning voice say as he realised Leden； Hallan and
Vorrans had come to stand beside him。 “Where are the trees？” Leden asked。 “They said Seltura…VII
was covered in forests。 And it’s cold。 They said it would be summer。”
“Never mind that；” said Hallan； terse at his side。 “We need into get to cover。 I heard shots hitting
the hull when we landed。 There must be hostiles around here some — ” He paused； stopping to look
up with anxious eyes at the sky as； overhead； they heard the whistle of a shell coming closer。
“Incoming！” someone screamed as the entire company raced frantically to seek shelter at the
side of the lander。 Seconds later； an explosion lifted up dancing clods of frozen mud thirty metres
away from where they were standing。
“I think it was a mortar；” Vorrans said； an edge of panic to his voice as he huddled with the
others beside the lander。 “It sounded like a mortar；” he said； jabbering uncontrollably in a breathless
rush of fear。 “A mortar； don’t you think？ A mortar。 I think it was a mortar。 A mortar…”
“I wish to the Emperor that was all it was；” Hallan said。 Around them； more shots and
explosions rang out。 A fusillade that seemed to ominously increase in volume with every instant； as
the noise of bullets and shells striking the hull on the other side of the lander grew so loud they had
to shout to be heard over the roar。 “Lucky for us whoever’s shooting is on the other side of this
lander but we can’t stay here forever。 We need to find better cover； or it’s only a matter of time
before t