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often forget the realities of frontline life in the Guard。 We are soldiers； you and I。 We don’t do what
we do for honours and medals。 We do it selflessly in the name of duty and for the greater glory of
the Imperium。”
I don’t know what is more sickening； Chelkar thought bleakly。 The fact that someone has
obviously told him an officer should try to strike up a rapport with the lower ranks； or the fact that
he is so inept and insincere in trying to do it。 Why is it whenever you hear one of these rear echelon
heroes talk about selflessness you always know they are desperate to win a medal？ This one’s a
glory hound； all right； you can see it in his eyes。 He probably heard about some suicide mission at
GHQ and volunteered right away。
“Yes； lieutenant；” Chelkar said； hoping that at last the pipsqueak pedant before him might get to
the point。 “And； talking of duty； I am assuming there is some matter with which you need my
company’s assistance？”
“Not the whole company； sergeant；” the lieutenant replied blithely。 “I just need some men to
accompany me into no…man’s land on a mission towards the ork lines。 A five…man fireteam to be
precise。 Of course； I leave it entirely up to you which fireteam to pick。 Though I have always
considered three to be a lucky number。”
105
“We will be going into no…man’s land tonight；” the lieutenant said； while Larn heard a sharp intake
of breath from the other members of the fireteam beside him。 “General Headquarters wishes to
know whether the orks’ hold on their territory has been at all weakened by their recent losses。
Accordingly； we are ordered to advance by stealth to within sight of their lines and scout out their
defences and dispositions under cover of darkness。 Then； we will return to our own lines before the
orks are any the wiser。 A simple and straightforward enough mission； I am sure you will all agree。”
Going about their duties as the clean…up proceeded outside； Larn and the others had been
summoned to the command dugout to hear a briefing from a stiff…necked young lieutenant called
Karis。 Now； standing before the sector map pinned to the wall behind him； the lieutenant pointed at
something on the map with his swagger stick as the briefing continued。
“Let me make it clear this is strictly a reconnaissance mission；” he said。 “And； as such； it relies
entirely on stealth。 We are not to engage the enemy unless forced to do it by the direst circumstance。
With that in mind we will maintain total light and noise discipline at all times and follow a route
through no…man’s land designed to aid us in our attempts to stay unseen。 If we are spotted by scouts
or lookouts； we will attempt to dispose of them in as quick and quiet a manner as possible — only
withdrawing from no…man’s land if it is clear our mission has become untenable。 Now； I think that
about covers everything。 Are there any questions？”
No one answered and looking at the faces of the men about him — Davir； Bulaven； Scholar；
Zeebers — Larn sa。 As though they were every bit as uneasy at the
prospect of a mission into no…man’s land as they had been earlier when it seemed The Big Push
might be upon them。 Watching them； Larn was gripped by a sudden revelation that he realised
onplace to the others。 In Broucheroc the danger never ended： there
were always new battles to fight。 New ways for a man to get himself killed。
“Good；” Lieutenant Karis said when it became clear there were to be no questions。 “You now
have twenty minutes to check your equipment and make your preparations。 Zero hour is at 00。00
hours。 We go into no…man’s land at midnight。”
“A simple matter； he says；” Davir grumbled afterwards。 “I tell you； someone should take that stupid
bastard’s swagger stick and shove it right up his arse。”
They were in the barracks dugout。 In the wake of the briefing with the lieutenant； they had
returned there to be issued with black dubbing and lasgun lubricant by Vladek。 Now； their faces and
all their equipment painted black； their knives and pistols oiled to glide silently from their sheaths；
they made their final preparations while time counted down to midnight。 As they did； Larn was
suddenly struck by the thought he had been in Broucheroc almost exactly twelve hours。 Another
three hours to go； he thought； and I will have made my fifteen。
“You ask me； it is the new fish’s fault；” Zeebers spat with sudden venom。 “He is unlucky。 A
jinx。”
“Shut up； Zeebers；” Davir spat back。 “Bad enough I have to go stumbling around no…man’s land
in the dead of night； without having to hear you mewl and puke about luck and numbers like some
halfwit gambler on a losing streak。 Shut up； or after I’m finished shoving the swagger stick up the
lieutenant’s arse I’ll stick my lasgun up yours。”
“How do you explain it then？” Zeebers said； defiant。 “We’ve had nothing but a bad day ever
since the new fish got here。 He’s a jinx。 You saw what happened to the men he came here with in
the lander。”
“Shut up； Zeebers；” Bulaven rumbled。 Then； while Zeebers fell silent and scowled at him； he
turned to Larn。 “Don’t worry about what Zeebers said； new fish。 You’re not a jinx。 I only wish today
had been a bad day。 Fact is； every day in Broucheroc is pretty much as bad as this； one way or
another。 After a while you just get used to it。”
“But going out into no…man’s land at night is bad？” Larn asked； hoping the big Vardan could not
hear the nervousness in his voice。 “Worse than usual； I mean？”
106
“Yes； new fish； it is worse；” Bulaven said。 “Especially after a battle。 You remember I told you
how sometimes a wounded ork will seem dead； only to get up and start walking about a few hours
later？ Well； right now； no…man’s land is full of the bodies of orks we shot during the battle。 By now
some of them could be healed already； just about ready to wake up and start killing again while
we’ll be right in the middle of them。 Then； to make matters worse； we’ve got to worry about running
into gangs of gretchin looking for spare parts as well。”
“Spare parts？”
“Orks are remarkably tough creatures； new fish；” Scholar said by the side of him。 “If one of
them loses an arm or leg their surgeons will just staple the limb from another dead ork to them to
take its place。 After a battle such surgeries are in great demand — so they tend to send gangs of
gretchin out into no…man’s land to cut undamaged limbs from the corpses。 Of course； the real threat
lies not so much in the gretch themselves； but in the danger of getting into a firefight in the middle
of no…man’s land while the entire ork army is on top of us。”
“The short version； new fish； is that this whole damned business has the makings of a first class
snafu from start to finish；” Davir said。 “So； this is what I say we do。 We will follow Lieutenant
Arsehole’s orders so long as there’s no shooting。 But the moment the shit starts to fly we get each
other out of no…man’s land as fast as we can and to hell with his orders。 Now enough talking and
let’s get outside。 We need to spend at least ten minutes in the dark to get our night vision working。
Considering what’s ahead of us； I’d say we’re probably going to need every advantage we can get。”
“Remember the signal； new fish；” Bulaven whispered quietly as they crouched in the darkness of
one of the forward firing trenches with the lieutenant and the others waiting for the order for the
mission to begin。 “We keep to comms silence。 But if you make contact with the greenskins you
squeeze the comm stud at your collar to create a squelch over the comm…link。 You squeeze it three
times。 Three squelches。 You understand？ That way we’ll know it’s you。 Now； tell me it again so I’ll
know you’ve got it。”
“We go quiet；” Larn whispered back； reciting the things Bulaven had already told him twice。
“Staying low and keeping together until we get halfway into no…man’s land。 Then； while Davir and
the lieutenant go forward to scout out the ork lines； the rest of us spread out into a wide diamond
formation with you at the base； Zeebers on the left flank； me on the right； and Scholar on point。 If
any of us see or hear orks …line： one squelch for you； two for Zeebers； three
for me； and four for Scholar — so that way the others will know where the orks are。”
“Noise discipline； troopers；” Lieutenant Karis whispered testily。 Then； cupping his hand over the
chronometer on his wrist as he pressed an illumination stud to briefly light its face； he gave the
order。 “Zero hour。 Time to move out。”
With Davir in the lead； they climbed over the lip of the trench and crawled out into no…man’s
land。 Then； at a hand signal from Davir showing the way before them was clear； they stood into a
half…crouch and began to move slowly and quietly forward。 Ahead； the night seemed impossibly
dark； the stars dim and distant。 Seeing no sign of a moon in the sky to guide them； Larn found
himself wondering if the planet even had a moon or whether it was just hidden from his view。
Whatever the case； keeping close to the others he followed them further and further into the
forbidding wasteland between the human and ork lines。 His every step wary； his senses sharp； h