Tales of the Amber Viper Chapter 15

Mud, wet sodden mud stretching as far as the eyes could see. It was everywhere, clinging to boots and smearing proud colours a dirty brown. The cause of this was a persistent drizzle, one that had been falling for hours and seemed would never stop. It drenched the ground, turning once rich cropland into a sodden quagmire. The mountains were now little more than vague shapes in the dim grey sky, mere outlines with no detail to be discerned. Only the great dam stood out, the white froth of water thundering out of its base testifying as to the weight of water held back by its majestic form.

Any sane man would have been somewhere warm on such a day, but this was not a time for rationality. Around the suburbs of the capital city thousands of Guardsmen laboured, shovelling mud to create a network of trenches. They were caked head to toe in filth but they pressed on, the men of the Imperial Guard were no strangers to misery. Everyone knew the rebel army was closing, that they would be here in mere days and these defences were the only chance of stopping the Heretics. So they laboured to create a perimeter around the city, even as the rain sent wet mud spilling back into their freshly dug pits.

Chapter Master Coluber watched the Guardsmen working, even as the rain ran over his plate and pooled around his feet. His vibrant amber colours were smeared with filthy mud, his greaves caked in the filth but he ignored it. War took priority over all else. Coluber's eyes surveyed the lines snaking around the city and he snarled, "This is going too slowly."

Besides him a mortal voice demurred, "They're going as fast as they can. This damn rain is slowing everything down."

Coluber turned to look at the man, seeing a lean gentleman in the gold braiding of an Imperial Guard General. This mortal was standing beside the Chapter master, watching the army at work but could not have been more different. His face was haggard and tired, with bags under his eyes and his once-clean shaven face had several days worth of stubble. Such a sight was disturbing, Coluber understood the need for commanders to appear tireless and unflappable, the morale of the men demanded it, but this man looked beyond caring anymore. His name was Tiberius Soza, commander of the Imperium's reprisal army and the one who had led it to its defeat.

Coluber turned away from the man and saw his attendants and aides standing nearby but none of them dared to catch the eye of the Amber Viper. Instead he surveyed the lines saying, "These trenches are too straight, any enfilading fire will walk up them with ease. You must incorporate more turns and dug-outs to prevent flanking actions."

"That will add time, something we don't have," Soza retorted, "The rebels are coming and we don't have enough time to prepare."

Coluber snorted at the man's defeatist attitude and proclaimed, "My Chapter is fighting to slow the enemy advance, they won't be here for days."

"Days, weeks, months, it won't matter," Soza stated, "Nothing we can do will stop the rebels now."

Now Coluber's anger waxed strong and he placed one hand on the hilt of Venom as he growled, "Your lack of spirit is troubling, to admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor. Perhaps I should make an example of you."

Surprisingly Soza didn't look concerned, he merely shrugged and uttered, "Go ahead, it will save the Commissariat a bullet. I'm a dead man walking either way."

Coluber was surprised by the casual remark and he realised this man had already accepted his own death, he wore defeat like an old coat. Both of them knew the Imperium had no use for failures and after a defeat of this scale Soza's days were numbered, if the Commissariat didn't execute him the Inquisition certainly would. Coluber knew he could try to find another officer but none of the junior officers were capable of organising the defences; all the competent ones had died in battle. Like it or not they were stuck with Soza. Coluber decided to change tack and more consolingly ventured, "You don't know that, we may yet turn this about."

Soza shook his head saying, "I came to this world with one hundred thousand men, not to mention tanks, planes and artillery. We were crushing the Heretics left, right and centre, victory was within our grasp. Then the rebels turned to the damned aliens for help. Railguns blew our tanks to pieces, missiles tore our planes from the skies and those drone things stalked men through the ruins of cities we had conquered mere weeks earlier. Snipers took out all our Commissars for some reason, they really went out of their way to do that. I have no intention of running, I will fight to the end but you and I both know this will only delay the rebels, they will blow through these trenches and then it will be street fighting until the bitter end. Unless the Navy can bring us some reinforcements soon Maraha will fall."

Coluber knew every word was true but still he declared, "You still have a third of your army left to hold the Capital and we are organising a militia to bolster your numbers."

"Militia," Soza spat with a career soldier's contempt for civilian fighters, "They won't do anything, the rebels outnumber us fifty to one and they have those wretched alien guns."

"The militia will draw the enemy's attention," Coluber stated, "While you take half your real army and position them in the foothills of the mountains."

"Wait, what?" Soza spluttered in surprise, "You want half our fighting men held in reserve?"

Coluber pointed to the indistinct mountains that held the city in their embrace saying, "Position your best forces along the ridgelines, where they can't be seen."

Soza shook his head, flying rainwater everywhere as he said, "The old fix 'em and flank 'em routine. It won't work; our boys will be too high up and the range is too great."

Coluber disagreed, "Trust me."

Soza rubbed his chin and said, "Well… maybe if I position earthshakers upon the dam itself."

"No," Coluber uttered sternly, "I need them here in the city, the rebels will be suspicious if they don't see them."

"But…" Soza protested.

"Do not compound your errors by defying me," Coluber growled, "Obey my orders and trust that I know what I am doing."

Soza lowered his eyes and sighed, "As you will."

"Good," Coluber uttered, "My Primus Cohort is engaging in hit and run attacks to slow the rebel advance and my Secundus Cohort …"

He paused as he realised that Soza wasn't looking at him anymore, but past him. Coluber turned and was surprised to see the ungainly sight of Governor Nugga waddling towards them. The man had left a luxurious ground-cab someway behind and was picking his way over the muddy fields towards them, while a pair of retainers tried to keep a parasol over his head to hold off the rain. It was a ridiculous sight, the indolent fool wore his richest robes and they were already stained with mud. The quagmire sucked at all their feet, making them waddle along and any attempt to keep the rain off was doomed to fail. Still Nugga came on, seemingly determined to reach the officers despite the insult to his dignity, such as it was.

Soza sneered at the sight and muttered under his breath, "Inbred idiot, I should have shot him the second I arrived. Probably would have ended this war in a day."

"Silence," Coluber hissed then raised his voice to say, "Nugga, why do you disturb me?"

The Governor was red-faced from the effort of dragging his fat body through the mud but finally he stood before them and exclaimed, "I bring news, your supplies are moving once more."

Coluber nodded, making a trickle of rain runoff his chin as he said, "That is fortunate, for you that is."

Surprisingly Nugga didn't look intimidated as he remarked, "The defences look sound."

Coluber suppressed the urge to grimace; this moron wouldn't be able to tell the strategic difference between a muddy trench and a Hive City Wall. Coluber noncommittally said, "The construction of the defences proceeds as planned."

Nugga nodded repeatedly saying, "Good, good, but there is a complication."

Coluber had been half-expecting this; the Governor wouldn't come all this way unless he had an ulterior motive. The Chapter Master arched an eyebrow and growled, "Explain quickly."

Nugga rubbed his hands together and said, "I have uncovered a spy in our midst! One of my own court plots against us, he feeds information to the rebels."

Contemptuously Soza hissed, "A Traitor! Who is it?!"

Nugga exclaimed, "Magnate Kardas, he has betrayed us!"

Soza cursed, "Worthless cur, who knows what secrets he's told them, I should have known not to trust any of your hangers-on."

Coluber however was silent, eyeing the Governor. The man's face was flushed and his pulse thready, he was nervous and agitated. Astartes oft had trouble reading mortal expressions, their life experiences were so detached from mortal affairs, but Coluber had spent years watching Governor's weasel and twist their way around deals and he recognised duplicity when he saw it. Coluber leaned in, making the moral quail as he snarled angrily, "You're lying!"

"What?" Nugga spluttered, "I… I… don't know what you mean…"

Coluber hissed accusingly, "Do not think you can deceive me, Space Marines can smell a lie as soon as it is uttered."

That was a gross exaggeration but it had the intended effect, Nugga collapsed inwards sobbing, "I'm sorry, I needed your help and I wasn't sure you would act."

Coluber stare was flinty but he stated, "You want Kardas dead."

Nugga looked forlorn as he explained, "I didn't lie, well I did, but only about the rebels. Kardas is plotting against me, personally, he seeks to supplant me as Governor. He has gathered my political rivals and intends to force a Vote of No Confidence. He has their hearts, soon I will be cast out and he will seize the mantle of Governor."

"Won't do him much good," Soza scoffed, "The rebels will overrun us before he can do anything with it."

Coluber ignored that and articulated, "This Kardas, he is a threat to your rule?"

"Yes," Nugga sighed.

"You want him assassinated?" Coluber asked.

Nugga looked up and then hesitantly answered, "Yes…"

"Then consider him dead," Coluber stated flatly.

"What… I… why… what?" Nugga spluttered in shock.

Coluber looked down at the man and explained, "I told you we had a pact. I swore to guarantee your reign over this world and I shall make certain it is so. Tell me where this Kardas hides and he shall die."

"Really?" Nugga exclaimed, "That easily?"

Coluber allowed a rare grin to creep onto his lips then stated, "Battle-Captain Ferrac will wail in my ear about honour and dignity but I am not so hidebound. A threat to our accord has arisen and shall be dealt with."

Nugga looked up with a cunning glint in his eye and said. "Kardas is relocating to his family estates down the river, well away from the capital. If you move fast you can catch his convoy before he gets there."

"One squad should suffice," Coluber announced, "Send me the coordinates and I will divert forces to intercept. Go see to it."

Nugga retreated with a sly grin, leaving the pair of officers standing in the damp mud. Soza shook his head and said, "You would be well advised to let Kardas win, he could hardly be any worse than Nugga."

"I care nothing for local politics," Coluber stated, "Nugga, Kardas, they are just as bad as each other."

Now Soza frowned and said, "Then why promise the Governor your help?"

Coluber deigned to explain, "I need surety in my dealings and certitude that our agreements will be fulfilled. Nugga is a known quantity, this Kardas may have ideas of his own that are counter-productive."

Soza let out a morbid laugh and said, "You mean Kardas has a spine and Nugga does not, he's too afraid of you to back out of your deal."

"That too," Coluber confessed, "I've only just got Nugga trained to obey; I don't have the time to be breaking in a new Governor."

Soza snorted, "Never thought I'd meet a Space Marine in person, but you are certainly not what I expected."

"Good, I hate being predictable," Coluber replied, "Now see to the defences, I have an assassination to plan."