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“Yes； I realise that； captain；” Grishen said。 “And you are right： the Guardsman’s first duty is
obedience。 But； even granting that you have your orders and it is your duty to obey them； if those
orders are mistaken…”
A pause。
“No； of course； you are right； sir。 The divinely ordained command structure of the Imperial
Guard precludes any possibility of your orders being mistaken。 If I may rephrase myself； however？
What I really meant to say； of course； was that perhaps the problem here lies not in the orders
themselves； but in the practical aspects of their execution…”
Another pause。
“Oh no； sir。 I petence…”
And another。
“Yes； sir； as you say： your battery runs like a well…oiled machine。 But you must concede that；
seeing as bardment； a mistake must have occurred somewhere…”
Another pause。
“Yes； of course； sir。 You concede nothing。 Yes； I understand。 No； sir； you are correct。 General
Headquarters is not known for promoting fools to the rank of captain…”
And so it went on； while from above Larn heard the distant roar of explosions as the
bombardment continued。 Until； at last； he heard a door open behind him and turned to see Sergeant
Chelkar step grim…faced into the dugout。 Then； as the group of assembled Vardans huddled in the
dugout silently parted to give way before their sergeant； Larn saw Chelkar stride purposefully over
to Grishen at the comms system。
“Yes； sir。” Corporal Grishen said； raising his eyes as he saw Chelkar approach him。 “Naturally；
you are right。 If there is any mistake here it was ours in being present in a sector scheduled for
bombardment。 But； if you will excuse me for a moment； my company commander has just entered
the room。 Perhaps it would be better if you and he discussed this matter directly。”
“What is going on； Grishen？” Chelkar said； laying the shotgun he had been carrying down
across the table before him。 “Why in hell are those idiots still shelling us？”
“I am on the line to the captain commanding the battery in question now； sergeant；” Grishen
said； diplomatically releasing the “send” button on the vox…corn so his listener at the other end could
no longer hear them。 “I have tried to explain things to him； but he refuses to accept anything I say。
He claims that according to his situation map this entire sector fell to the orks three days ago —
meaning he would be quite within his rights to bombard it even if he didn’t already have signed
orders from Battery Command telling him to do so。 And as for ending the bombardment？ He says in
keeping with his orders the shelling will cease in precisely one hour and twenty…seven minutes’
69
time。 Not a moment sooner。 He is most definite on that point； sergeant。 Frankly； some might even
say a little intransigent。”
“I see；” said Chelkar。 “Hand me the vox…com； Grishen。 I want to talk to this son of a bitch
myself。”
“This is Sergeant Eugin Chelkar；” he said； taking the headphones and pressing the button to
activate the vox…com。 “Acting regimental commander of the 902nd Vardan Rifles。 Who am I
speaking to？”
For a moment； like Grishen before him； Chelkar went quiet as he listened to the voice on the
other end of the line through his headphones。 Then； his tone becoming grave and forceful； he spoke
once more。
“Captain Meran； the 16th Landran Artillery？” Chelkar said。 “I see。 Well； I have a message for
you； captain。 No； I am well aware you outrank me； but you will listen to what I have to say all the
same。 I am giving you two minutes； captain。 Two minutes。 And； if this bombardment hasn’t ended
by then； I am going to come over to whatever hole you are hiding in and kick you up the arse so
hard that you will taste leather every time you swallow。 Not that you will have to worry about that
for long； you understand。 The arse kicking will only be for my own amusement。 After that； I fully
intend to put a shotgun blast through your skull。 Have I made myself clear？”
Again； there was another pause while Chelkar listened to the captain’s reply on his headphones。
“No； it is you who does not understand the situation； captain；” Chelkar said after a moment。 “I
don’t give a damn about your rank or your orders。 Nor do I care if you report me to the
Commissariat。 In fact； please feel free to do so： if nothing else； they can serve as pallbearers at your
funeral。 What you fail to understand is that； even if you have me arrested； there is an entire regiment
of men standing around me ake good on my threat。 And； if you think the
Commissariat will be willing to arrest an entire frontline combat unit to save you； I think you
overestimate your own value to the war effort of this city。 Oh； and by the way； captain； the
chronometer is counting down。 You now have only one minute and twenty seconds to make a
decision。 Chelkar out。”
Giving the vox…com and headphones back to Grishen； Chelkar stood waiting beside the table。
Listening intently； like every other man in the dugout to the sound of shelling going on above their
heads。
“I don’t understand；” Larn whispered。 “Surely the sergeant has just written his own death
warrant by talking to an officer that way？”
“Maybe；” Bulaven whispered back。 “You don’t know Chelkar though； new fish。 In seventeen
years I have never seen him be afraid of anything。 If there is something that needs to be done； he is
the man to do it。 Whatever the cost。 All the same； I wonder if even he has gone too far this time。 If
the captain should vox a complaint to the Commissariat…”
“Ach； you are both like children frightened of your own shadows；” Davir muttered beside them。
“You especially should know better； Bulaven。 When has Chelkar ever failed us？ The sergeant
knows what he is doing。 These artillery monkeys always think frontline troops are crazy to begin
with。 This arsehole captain won’t dare call the Commissariat。 Trust me； he is probably already
soiling himself in fear and is giving the order to cease fire even as we speak。”
Above； as though in confirmation of Davir’s opinions； the guns abruptly fell silent。 At first no
one spoke； all of them listening to hear whether the shelling would begin again。 Until； as the seconds
passed into a full minute with no further sound of explosions； it became clear the bombardment was
ended。
“There； you see； Grishen？” Chelkar half…smiled。 “It is simply a matter of knowing how best to
talk to these people to get your point across。” Then； taking up his shotgun once more and turning
away from the corporal； Chelkar noticed every man in the dugout was looking at him with faces
caught in expressions of awe and gratitude。
70
“It was nothing so much；” Chelkar said to them。 “Still； it was probably better that I let our friend
the captain think he was going to have an entire regiment after his blood if he didn’t stop the
shelling。 If he’d known the 902nd Vardan was only made up of a single company perhaps he would
have felt man enough to take us all on。 It is not unusual for these rear echelon heroes to have a
bloated sense of their own abilities。”
At that the men smiled； some even laughed in nervous relief。 Seeing the mood of reverence had
been successfully dispelled； the sergeant’s manner became more business…like。
“All right；” he said。 “Now； enough of this hiding underground。 Back to your posts。 We don’t
want to leave the firing trenches undefended and make the orks think it is a worthwhile time
launching another attack。 Go on。 Get moving； all of you。”
As the men in the dugout began to hurry out towards their trenches again； Larn’s last sight of
Chelkar came as he saw the sergeant turn to towards Corporal Grishen once more with further
instructions。
“Grishen； I want you to contact General Headquarters；” he heard the sergeant say。 “Inform them
Sector 1…13 is most certainly not in ork hands and make it clear we would consider it a great
personal favour if they would adjust their situation maps accordingly。 Oh； and you had better try
voxing Battery Command as well to ask them if in future they could please refrain from ordering
people to shoot at us。 It probably won’t work； of course。 But I suppose we should at least pretend we
believe the men in charge of this war have some idea of what it is they are doing。”
71
INTERLUDE
As Above； So Below
or
Grand Marshal Kerchan and the Genius of Command
By any standard of measurement； the war was going badly。
Brooding as he sat through yet another interminable briefing His Excellency Grand Marshal
Tirnas Kerchan； Hero of the Varentis Campaign and Supreme Commander （All Forces） of the Most
Glorious Armies of the Emperor in Broucheroc； considered the facts he had learned so far that day
and found there was nothing there to please him。 For the best part of two hours now； from his place
at the head of the long table inside General HQ’s Central Briefing Room One； he had listened as a
succession of his commanders read aloud their latest situation reports to the assembled General
Staff。 Through it all； through all their pasty…faced dissemblings and pathetically transparent attempts
to lay the blame for their failures on others； the message at the heart of each man’s report was
exactly the same。
They were losing the war。
“