Nineteen
If I had any hope of quietly slipping back into the field camp unnoticed, they were dashed when Watz called ahead on the vox for a medic to meet us at the aid station. While I insisted that a medic was unnecessary (not to mention I felt my injuries were low priority compared to the scores of wounded troopers), Watz was insistent that I get cleaned up before reporting in to Kasteen. A commissar's efficiency depended heavily on their appearance, more specifically on how intimidating they looked. Most veteran commissars, with their numerous facial scars and biotic implants, could do that while dressed in pink lace. I, on the other hand, lacked the intimidation factor and Watz thought it would be damaging for the troops to see me in my current, bloodied state. I didn't realize how bad I was until he handed me a mirror.
Cain summed it up best when he said, "You look like somebody who just went three rounds of bare-knuckle with an ogryn." Those were his first words when stepped into the aid station several minutes after my arrival. Somebody must have sent word to him, as he didn't appear the least bit surprised at my bloodied state. Despite the crowded conditions of the tent and the dozens of medics, field surgeons, and orderlies zipping about, Cain and I managed to have our conversation with little intrusion save for the medic tending to my injuries. "There's still a spot of bootprint on your forehead," he added.
I managed a brief smirk before the anti-septic the medic was applying made me wince sharply. He was cleaning a gash on my forehead left by Corial's size eleven wafflestompers (the waffle in this instance being my face), which I hadn't noticed until Watz remarked that I was bleeding on the seats. "Trust me, I feel better than I look," I insisted. "What are you doing back already? Did you sort the Adumbrians out already?"
"It wasn't nearly as bad as their vox operator made it seem," Cain said dismissively. "The Orks were attacking in force but the Adumbrians just needed to be reminded to hold fast and keep firing. Things improved greatly once Garrick jumped headlong into the Ork mob." The steep incline of the ridgeline the Adumbrians were defending kept the Orks at a distance and made them easy targets for our troopers. Why the Orks thought an attack at that point would work any better was a complete mystery but it wasn't as if Orks thought things through before committing. Cain, as is his nature, refrained from talking of his own exploits during the battle and it wasn't until some time later that I heard about how he single-handed charged down the ridge to attack a cluster of Orks in order to save a stranded squad. Heilmit, who was at the battle, said it looked more like a 'slip and fall' than a 'single-handed charge' but I doubt Cain could have ever been that clumsy. "Now, Colonel Kasteen tells me that you concocted an elaborate scheme to oust your shooter. Should I list the number of reasons why that was completely insane?"
"With all due respect, half the plans you undertake are completely insane."
"And I assure you that they are done out of duty and necessity, not because I enjoy the frequent waltzes with death. What you did was for little more than your personal vendetta."
"Cain, have you ever had your own people shoot you in the back?" I snapped in a far more defensive tone than I would normally considering taking with him.
"No, but not for a lack of trying," he replied.
"I could barely sleep afterwards…" I admitted reluctantly, "not with the knowledge that they were still out there. What sleep I did manage to get was only when I had a laspistol firmly in hand. This wasn't just a personal vendetta, sir…this was to save me from myself." One night I even had to drink myself to sleep but my pride kept me from admitting that I had that much difficulty. Truth be told, sleeping didn't get much easier even after I had confronted my attackers but considering the many other highlights of my career, I'm surprised I can still sleep at all.
A sympathetic look fell upon Cain and he nodded slowly – he understood what I had gone through better than I had hoped. "Are these insane plans going to be a regular occurrence for you?" he asked sarcastically. "If they are, I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you."
I laughed and said, "I'll try to dial down the insanity but I can't guarantee there won't be the occasional excursion into the absurd. You know how we Kriegans can be, once we set our minds on getting something done, we don't care what it takes to finish." While it's undeniably true that 'crazy plans' became a mainstay of my military career, in my defense they were often very successful and most of the time I got out of them unharmed. And it wasn't as though Cain didn't have insane plans either; his were merely improvised insanity as opposed to my planned-out insanity. However, insanity whether planned or spontaneous is still insanity cause when you walk up to a horde of Chaos daemons wearing nothing but a two-piece, pink bodyglove, armed with a bouquet of flowers and a single frag grenade; you're better off having things planned out in advance because you're not going have time to think clearly once the the music begins. "Since chastising me could easily have waited until after I got cleaned up, I take it there's something more important to tell me."
"I see the head blows didn't impair your deductive skills," Cain replied as he nodded. "Get yourself sorted here quickly and then meet me and Kasteen in the command tent in ten minutes."
While I would have preferred to find someplace quiet to take a nap for a while, I settled with Watz scrounging up some recaf while the medic finished cleaning up my face. He managed to find me a half-full mug of luke-warm recaf by the time I reached the command tent. It tasted like crap but it was better than nothing and it gave me something to preoccupy myself with while I listened to Kasteen and the others talk. For the second time that day I found myself standing around the large wooden table beneath the dripping tarp with unfurled maps stretched from end to end. Commissar Cain and Garrick were present as well as an unfamiliar face that I learned later belonged to a Catachan scout. Given the scout's size and the amount of green camo paint on him I probably would've mistaken him for an Ork had it not been for the lack of cussing and indiscriminate mayhem.
"So what's got everybody so excited?" I asked as I approached the table.
"It appears that Commissar Cain's instincts have proven to be accurate," Garrick explained, though it didn't help me in the least understand why the obvious excitement.
"Aye and if we don't hurry quickly, the Orks are gonna have us all by the daddybags," the scout added.
"Okay, new girl is still confused," I piped up.
"Cain suspected that the Ork attack may have been more than just another poorly planned assault," Kasteen said as somebody finally took the time to explain things in more detail to me. "He suggested we send scouts out to see if we can find any sign of greater Ork activity."
"I figured if Kael has been playing both the Tau and us since the beginning, there's a good chance he's been doing the same with the Orks," Cain then added. "Being fairly dim and superstitious, it wouldn't be difficult for Kael to plant suggestions into the minds of the Ork leaders, prompting them to attack at the time he needs us preoccupied. A concentrated attack on our weakest point would distract us without having to commit a lot of forces. Unfortunately, what our scouts have found is far more troubling than I had imagined."
Cain gave the floor to the scout, who directed my attention back to the map. "Remember the river that the Lord-General figured we could use to get the drop on the capital? Well, turns out the Orks are hodge-podging a bunch of barges so they can head upriver. We're talking a rapid mobilization of around ten to fifteen thousand greenskins. If they disembark here, roughly four clicks north of the Tau line, there's a good chance they'll take the bluies completely by surprise. Alternatively, the Orks could ignore the Tau altogether and simply attack the capital city itself, which is defended by only a few companies of Tau soldiers, the governor's personal guard, and the traitor PDF regiments."
"So what do we do? Warn the Tau and make an aggressive push to break through the weaken Ork lines? If we catch the Orks in the river it'll be a shooting gallery," I postulated. Cain, however, shook his head immediately.
"I'm thinking we might be able to turn this situation to our advantage and win this war quickly," Cain said with a smirk. "There are three possibilities with the Orks – they attack the Tau, they attack the capital city, or they split and attack both. Whichever is the case, right now we have an ideal opportunity to confront the Governor about what his Tau friends have been up to."
"If he finds out the Tau had been playing him all along then he might just turn on the Tau," I said as I played through Cain's logic and the likely outcomes. "Who are almost entirely outside the city walls right now…" I had difficulty suppressing the sinister grin that rose up.
"If the Orks attack the Tau, our forces can move in and attack both at once," Garrick added with the degree of zeal one would expect from an Astartes. Despite the Black Watch's emphasis on the success of the mission, I imagined he still did not enjoy having to work alongside xenos and relished the opportunity to fulfill all his wishes at once. "However, if the Ork attack the city in force, the Tau will definitely move to assist. The Orks will definitely turn to attack the Tau and once again we'll have them pinned between our lines." Whichever route the Orks took, we'd have the greenskins assaulting the Tau lines in close-quarters. With the bulk of the Kroot forces located to the south of the Tau line, there was a good chance the Tau soldiers would be overwhelmed before the Kroot could respond. I doubt we would get so lucky but even if the Tau did mount a vigorous defense against the Orks, it would leave their backside exposed to us. The scout summed up the situation with an overly enthusiastic "One way or another, the Tau are going to take it up the rear". The stares from Kasteen and myself bore through the scout like lasabolt fire. He immediately responded with a meek, eyes down, schola-boy "Ahhh sorry ma'am".
The opportunity to strike all our enemies down at once and reclaim the capital city seemed too perfect. This moment could very well have been what Kael had been pulling us all towards with his subtle manipulations. The possibility of such made us all slightly wary of following through with the plan since it seemed unlikely that Kael had been doing all his spying just to benefit us but when dealing with Eldar one could not second-guess themselves on the notion of what may or may not have been anticipated. One can never know what the Eldar might have taken into account…all one can do is continue fighting as normal and pray that the Emperor delivers victory. "The Lord-General has already approved of the plan and he's ordered our armoured regiment and the Kastaforians to advance along the highway to engage the Tau and Orks when the time comes. The Catachan scouts are going to continue monitoring the Ork progress and will set up explosives along the river to slow them down."
"With that said, I need to get back to me boys and get the preparations under way," the scout replied. "Emperor be with you lot and I hope to see you on the other side." The scout was dismissed and that would be the last any of us would ever see of him. Though the scouts were successful in slowing the Ork advance and even managed to sink a few barges, when they attempted to pull back they got caught between the Orks and the Tau. Surrounded on all sides by xenos, they fought to the last man.
"And what about actually convincing the Governor to turn on the Tau?" I asked expecting Cain had already planned something out. "I doubt he'd believe us if we just voxed him up and asked him really nicely."
"I will have to go and speak with the Governor in person. I'd hate to leave the frontline but it might be our only chance," Cain said with slight reluctance. "It's a long-shot but hopefully my reputation will be enough to get an audience. Once he hears the vox recording it should be enough. Plus, if the Tau have only been using him to garner support then it's likely they'll get rid of him the moment our presence is gone and the Tau have complete control over the planet. I somehow doubt the Governor wants to hand the reins over to them."
Of course, I asked about the possibility of the possibility that the evidence doesn't convince the Governor to help us out. Garrick had an answer for that question. "The Governor foolishly believes that the Imperium had turned its back on him. In his mind, he believes that he is still faithful to the Emperor. Once he is given reason and opportunity, he will return to fight on the side of the righteous."
"I'm surprised you seem so calm about that," I remarked when I noted Garrick's level tone. Most, if not all, marines had a passionate hatred for all things traitorous. The fact that he never reconsidered storming the palace on his own showed a remarkable level of restraint on his part, at least for a space marine.
"The man is still responsible for the death of my squad and has the blood of a space marine on his hands," Garrick was quick to respond. "Make no mistake, when the time comes he will receive punishment at my hands. However, if him living for a few extra days can be used to serve the Imperium, then retribution can wait."
"So…uh, where exactly am I going to be in all of this?" I asked curiously. There had been no specific mention of me thus far and I knew there had to be a reason I was allowed to sit in on the briefing. Cain wouldn't have dragged me here if he didn't have something in store for me.
"Well you're going to…uh…" Kasteen began but floundered shortly after. She seemed at a bit of a loss for words and looked to Cain for guidance. "I hadn't actually considered anything for her. I'm assuming you had something in mind Cain?"
Cain nodded knowingly and replied, "Commissar Abel will be accompanying me." I doubt he was surprised when I immediately asked why he insisted on my presence. Two commissars were hardly needed for such a mission and if the battlefield was about to be blown wide open the regiment needed at least one commissar on hand (though with the 597th that was hardly the case). "As you've said, Kael has had numerous opportunities to kill you and chose to avoid doing so. For whatever reason, you have his favour. We may need that advantage if things start to go sideways."
"You're hoping I'll lure him out?"
Cain shook his head immediately. "No, that probably won't work with him. This xeno has likely been stalking and hunting for millennia – an attempt to lure him out would be as clear as day to him. Besides, given what little we know of him, he could be halfway out of the sector by now or already waiting for us in the capital city. Both extremes are plausible. No, if we do encounter him, your presence may be enough to put him off guard. Or as I said if things go sideways and you're involved he might just might step in to tip things in your favour." I didn't share in Cain's confidence but then again, he wouldn't have to bear the immediate and rather final consequences if his assumptions were wrong. His whole line of reasoning assumed Kael would still be operating on his inexplicable 'no killing Abel' policy. Regardless of the faulty logic underlying the plan, the objective of the plan warranted the risk. And I had convinced myself that the mission presented an opportunity for me to see Cain put his highly touted diplomatic skills into practice. An opportunity I could hopefully learn from. It was too bad that very little of Cain's brilliant scheme went as planned. But what schemes do?
As time was of the essence and the bulk of the regiment would be needed to press against the Orks and Tau when the plan unfolded, Cain and I could only muster our aides to accompany us – Watz, Heilmit, and Jurgen. Surprisingly, when we loaded onto the salamander scout, we were joined by Garrick. He insisted (not that we had any real say in the matter) on being a part of the mission in case things went wrong. Personally I thought an accompanying Astartes would make the Governor far less receptive. But aside from saying 'pretty please' we really had no way to stop Garrick from doing whatever he wanted.
No options for refusal meant that our party had swollen to six. We were riding on a vehicle that was ideally meant for four and one of us was large enough to count as two organized ourselves so that Garrick rode hanging onto the back of the vehicle while Heilmit sat on the front end next to the barrel of the autocannon; the rest of us rode in the main compartment while Jurgen drove. Given Jurgen's propensity for driving as though dodging artillery fire, the only reason somebody wasn't thrown from the vehicle was because we were packed in too tightly for it to be physically possible. Garrick could probably cling to the underbelly of a Thunderhawk as it made re-entry, so he wasn't in any jeopardy of a sudden departure and Heilmit had a gun barrel to hold on to. I figured I would find his fingerprints etched into the barrel when the trip ended. I managed to get a few new bruises despite my best efforts and would've had more were I not still wearing my carapace vest.
While the high road would have provided the most direct route, being seen by the Tau may have raised suspicions so Jurgen kept the side roads that cut through the jungle. Unfortunately, the poor state of upkeep made Jurgen usual driving seem like a leisurely ride through the park. What paved sections remained had been split and fissured by bulging roots and the unpaved sections had long ago been overtaken completely by the jungle. Before the highway, these side roads could have fit two chimeras side-to-side but the encroaching trees made it a tight squeeze for the salamander. However, while most drivers would do their best to avoid obstacles, Jurgen gave them about as much afterthought as he did to personal hygiene. When I wasn't bouncing around the cabin, I kept an ear out for useful information on the vox network. There would be an occasional report from the Catachan scouts but they kept them brief and infrequent; their latest report had them detonating charges in the river and harassing the orks with sniper fire. Back at camp, Broklaw was giving one of our chimera driver's an earful for getting the APC stuck between two trees. It was always fun listening to him yell at people.
"So let me get this straight, if Kael left this for us to find then it seems pretty obvious that he wants us to be fighting each other," Heilmit remarked after having spent the past several minutes listening to the vox recording. Being the least-informed (aside from Jurgen, who didn't seem to care), I figured he had a right to know why we were marching into the capital city seemingly away from the main battle. "Why exactly are we doing exactly what he wants us to do?"
"Because it is a common Eldar ploy," Garrick answered. "By aligning what he needs to what we desire, we are left with little alternative but to play along lest we sabotage our own efforts. If we do not end this campaign quickly, the Tau will be able to ship in reinforcements before we can; we will lose control of this planet and likely the sub-sector soon afterwards. If we cannot obtain a decisive victory, the Tau will continue pushing forward."
"In other words, we have to kick the bluies' out and hope that whatever the Eldar gets from this doesn't come and bite us in the arse later," I added.
"I still don't get what he could be getting from this."
That, of course, was the question that had been rattling around my mind since we found out about the Eldar. So if Kael got away before I could get an answer from him, I would likely go insane trying to figure it out on my own. "We can ask him when we catch him, Heilmit."
Several minutes later, we caught a major break. Broklaw raised us on the vox caster to let us know that the Orks had begun attacking the Tau's flank. The Tau, of course, were requesting immediate support from the Valhallans. "Colonel Kasteen had to explain to the Tau commander that our lines were currently being assaulted by Ork forces and we would be unable to lend assistance without endangering our defensive line. Apparently one of our scout teams 'accidentally' led an Ork raiding party back to sector Q-12."
"That was a bit sloppy, don't you think Major?" Cain quipped in response.
"I'd say more bad luck than anything," Broklaw said with a barely contained chuckle. "We'll have our hands full for a little while but I suggest you hurry up. The Tau won't be happy when they realize we're dragging our feet."
"We're about thirty minutes out from the Governor's Palace."
"Then you probably won't like the bad news," the Major said grimly. "The Ork forces split into two and the larger of them is heading towards the city. They'll make contact within the hour."
"Oh good," Watz piped up when he overheard the last part, his voice soaked with sarcasm. "Here I was thinking that this mission would be devoid of looming threats of imminent, brutal death. At least we know it won't be boring." Watz's lack of enthusiasm summed up the general mood in the salamander, save for Garrick who probably relished the opportunity. Cain, however, urged Jurgen to drive even faster, something I had not thought possible given how fast we were already going. The sudden boost of speed caught me off guard, flooring me and prompting an exclamation of unlady-like profanity. As we drew closer to the capital city, the road began to even out once more. Like Vertens, Aedans was surrounded by massive walls lined with watch towers and gun emplacements. It was hard to imagine an otherwise peaceful and tranquil paradise world such as this would need such heavy defenses but considering the wealth and high-profile nature of many of the planet's seasonal occupants, I imagined they had an influence in the decision-making process.
"Okay Jurgen, ease up and take her in nice and slow," Cain advised, not wanting to risk startling the city's defenders. Our driver complied, slowing the salamander down to a leisurely pace as we made our final approach. Though Cain kept his hands off the heavy bolter's handle, I knew he had his hand close and watching the walls carefully. Likewise I constantly scanned the walls for signs of activity, watching as the occasional autocannon and lascannon traced our movement as we drew closer.
The towering city gates were, of course, closed and there was nobody outside to greet us, which left us with the slight problem of getting somebody to open up. Cain had hoped that our mere presence would garner enough attention but that did not seem to be the case as we waited for several minutes with sign of life from the other side. "The bastards are completely snubbing us!" Heilmit exclaimed impatiently. His enthusiasm was appreciated, though standing on the hull of the salamander, jumping and waving his arms was doing little to get anyone's attention. "Hey! Have you guys heard the good news lately?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"It's a twenty-foot high wall Spike, they can't hear you," Watz said as he motioned for his colleague to settle down.
"Heilmit, move," I instructed as I prepped the vehicle's main cannon. "This should get their attention," I said before firing a single round into the main gates. The shell impacted with a lack-lustre 'bam' that did little more than slightly blacken a foot of the giant aquila etched into the metalwork. It also prompted every heavy bolter emplacement in range to focus on us. They didn't fire, however, likely because they knew we might as well be hurling harsh language for all the damage we could do.
Thankfully, it had the desired effect as a person's head poked out from an overhanging bunker. "What the frak are you doing?" he shouted over a wide-frequency vox channel.
"Your door buzzer was broken so we had to improvise," Cain replied, remaining calm and polite despite the possibility of deathly precipitation. "I am Commissar Ciaphas Cain from the Valhallan 597th on a mission of the utmost importance. We request entry and an immediate audience with Governor-Militant Gavilant."
"Is that so?" the soldier replied but sounded skeptical of our intentions. "You really think we'll just let you drive in with that Astartes goon? Tell me what business you have with the Governor and I'll see if he wants to speak with you."
"Business with security clearance far higher than you're privy to but suffice to say it's a matter of honour." The guard disappeared into his bunker, leaving us waiting in silence as the troopers likely debated the issue with their superiors. Eventually, they decided that a half-dozen armed individuals would pose little threat to a city protected by hundreds of Cadian and PDF troopers. The gates whined and groaned as they began to part, revealing a large courtyard defended by a wide arc of emplaced guns and tanks. My heart rate climbed as Jurgen slowly drove us in, making the prospect of an instantaneous and explosive death appearing more and more imminent. When the gates closed behind us, we were now completely at their mercy and I prayed to the Emperor that we weren't blundering into a trap.
A lone stormtrooper bearing a non-com's markings approached the salamander and motioned for us to stop. "You will step out of the vehicle, surrender your weapons, and accompany me to the Governor's residence," the stormtrooper instructed. Cain was the first to step out of the salamander, followed shortly by the rest of us save for Jurgen who seemed quite reluctant to surrender the vehicle. As I expected, none of us made the slightest indication of relinquishing our weapons. None of us were dumb enough to hand over our weapons when that deep in enemy territory. And Garrick for certain would never relinquish his bolter to anyone unless it was one shot at a time. "Now remove your weapons and leave them on the salamander," the stormtrooper ordered.
Cain, unflinching, simply folded his arms across his chest and replied, "Our weapons stay where they are."
"I've got about a hundred guns here that disagree with you Commissar," the stormtrooper said, boastfully motioning to the line of guns and tanks behind him. He was clearly enjoying his opportunity to boss around a commissar.
Cain glanced past the stormtrooper at the enemy line and feigned an unimpressed expression as he shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "You might have more guns right now but in a few minutes they will be far too busy to be backing up your idle threats."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Right now, sergeant, as we speak a force of almost ten thousand Orks have used the low-lying river to bypass the Tau lines and are currently on their way to Aedans. A force of that size is likely being led by the warboss himself, which means there will be no retreating or falling back for them. When that happens, I have no desire being stuck in a middle of a war zone without a weapon. Now we can either stand here and argue until the Orks kick down the door or we can speak to the Governor and possibly save this city."
"Bullshit," the stormtrooper immediately replied, clearly not believing a word Cain had said. That skepticism, however, disappeared the moment the city-wide sirens began to wail. It appeared that we had slightly less time than we had hoped – the Orks were already here. Soldiers began tearing down their equipment and loading into nearby chimeras while the tanks roared to life and began filing down the street. The Orks would likely avoid attempting to breach the gate simply because it would be faster (and closer) to simply find a weak point in the wall and punch through there. "Okay Mr. Hero, we'll do it your way," the stormtrooper acquiesced and motioned for us all to get back into the salamander. "It'll be faster if we use your transport, now let's move it!"
Several thousand Orks provided enough motivation to hurry things along and in less than a minute we were racing down the city streets, getting tossed around the cabin as Jurgen took the corners at full speed. It wasn't long until the sound of gunfire and explosions began to ring in the distance, along with the heart-stopping roar as ten thousand Orks shouted 'waagh' in unison. It was one of the most terrifying sounds I had ever heard in my career, though with some xenos the utter silence could be just as terrifying.
The Governor's palace lacked the overly extravagant appearance that was commonplace for the high-end nobility of planetary governor's. Granted, the current governor was of a military background so it was understandable that he refrained from extravagance. The palace consisted of four separate buildings in a box-like arrangement, surrounded by a large, ornate fence, and several acres of meticulously well-kept gardens. The building at the forefront bore the closest resemblance to a typical governor's home, greeting our arrival with tall, ornately-carved columns flanking massive wood and brass doors; statues of the Emperor and Imperial saints were carved from the columns; and in the center of the courtyard leading up to the building was a large stone fountain, the centerpiece of which was a beautifully carved woman. It took me a few moments of gazing at the figure before I realized the craftsmanship was identical to Kael's. The other buildings had similar designs but felt far more muted as well as more recently built as they made more use of standard rockrete and steel as opposed to the locally-supplied look of the main building. Just like with the outer walls, there were numerous gun emplacements protecting the governor's palace, as well as four Hydra batteries air-defense.
The guards at the front gate were quick to wave us through but rather than proceeding inside we were greeted at the front steps by the governor himself. He was a fair bit taller than the hololithes made him out and he was clothed in his military attires rather than the hoity garbs normally worn by governors. Gavilant was clearly not taking any risks with us as he wore a heavy carapace vest and had his power gloves on along with a full escort of Cadian stormtroopers. Understandably, the guards were more wary of Garrick than the rest of us, most of them keeping their weapons trained on the space marine even though he kept his distance. What concerned me, however, was that a significant number of Tau soldiers were also part of the palace's defense team, several of whom were standing close by.
"So I finally get to meet the great Hero of the Imperium, Ciaphas Cain," the governor said as he approached Cain, an audible clicking noise accompanying his words due to the augmetic half of his jaw. He stopped just short of being within swinging distance just in case if Cain tried to draw his sword. "I would have preferred it to have been under better circumstances but people keep telling me you're here on some sort of urgent business."
Cain had noticed the nearby Tau soldiers as well as I noticed him casting the occasional glance to them as he spoke with the governor. "Urgent enough to force me away from the front lines I'm afraid," Cain said. "I'm sure you are already aware of the impending Ork assault and that the Tau will be unable to send reinforcements due to a similar problem on their lines."
"Indeed I have been informed," Gavilant said as he eyed Cain suspiciously. The Governor-Militant was not the self-centered, short-sighted variety of planetary leader that I found were commonplace. He was not just any general either, he was a Cadian general, which meant he had been practicing the art of war longer than Cain and I combined. He was smart, cautious, and understandably suspicious of us. "However, I doubt you came all this way just to tell me something I already knew and could've been told over a vox caster…which begs the question why nobody did and why you of all people."
This was the moment where Cain's reputation came into play. Were it any other person, Gavilant would likely have dismissed him without a second thought. A reputation could sometimes be a more potent weapon than any gun or sword and it could defeat an enemy before the battle even began. "Because there are things far more troubling to this situation than a horde of Orks trying to kick down you're front door. What I need to discuss with you is just as pressing and if I had sent a runner or told you over the vox caster you probably would believe we were trying to deceive you. As such, I have come here so that I can stand behind my words and assure you that they are true."
"And those words are?" Gavilant still looked skeptical but was starting to change his mind.
"Well..." Cain paused, casting a glance to the scores of guards around us, "this information is the sort that should be discussed away from the troopers. Could we relocate to someplace more private for a few minutes?"
Gavilant took a few moments to analyze Cain, scrutinizing every inch of his posture and expression. The Governor-Militant had likely dealt with scores of liars and cheats so it took every ounce of Cain's charisma to convince the man. "Very well…but your retinue stays out here," he instructed. It was a perfectly reasonable compromise so Cain accepted with the addendum that I be present for the conversation as well. Gavilant took a moment to assess my potential risk and was quick to agree (a bit too quick if you ask me). Garrick and the others stayed with the salamander while Cain and I followed Gavilant and a personal guard back into the palace. Given the wartime situation, most of the interior of the palace had been re-organized to create a more defensive stronghold – windows were reinforced with sandbags and gun emplacements; loose and valuable artifacts and décor had been stowed away; servitor skulls made regular sweeps through the halls ahead of foot patrols; and a heavy bolter guarded the top of the main stairwell that overlooked the atrium. Most governors would scoff at the idea of their palace being at risk and refuse any sort of fortification that would tarnish its lavish appearance. Gavilant was not only prepared to turn his home into an impromptu fortress but I wouldn't have been surprised if he had a scorched earth plan prepared as well. After ascending the stairs, Gavilant led us through another pair of massive wooden doors into what appeared to be his main office. I had lived in quarters smaller than his office, which had walls lined with dark-stained wood paneling and a fine, red carpet that made me feel somewhat guilty for trampling my soiled boots all over it. A large painting depicting the Emperor during the Great Crusade hung over the desk – a refreshing change of pace from the usual self-portrait most Governors had.
He dismissed the handful of guards that were already in the room, save for the single personal guard that had been accompanying him. "Is this private enough for you Commissar Cain?" Gavilant asked once the last guard left and shut the doors behind him.
"Quite," Cain said with a nod, "though to be honest I merely wanted you away from the Tau. You have the unwavering loyalty of your troops so I was not concerned about their possible reaction to what I have to say."
"That's enough with the posturing. Could you please get to the point?" Clearly Gavilant's interest was piqued if he was becoming so impatient.
"As you wish," Cain agreed. "I've come to inform you that you're Tau allies have not been entirely honest with you and are not all that they appear to be."
"Oh for the Emperor's sake," the governor sighed. "Listen, I've been over this enough times with my men…I didn't ally with the Tau because I like them or even because I wanted to. They're damn xenos, of course they're not entirely honest with me and of course they're not all they appear to be. But what choice did I have? You people stopped sending our supply shipments, ignored all my calls for assistance, and left this planet isolated and ripe for them to invade. I had a choice between letting this world get razed, my people starving, or allying with the Tau. I swore an oath in the Emperor's name to serve and protect these citizens and I wasn't about to let those damned bureaucratic chowderheads at the Administratum and Segmentum Command decide this planet wasn't worth keeping!"
"We understand that Governor and we recognize the impossibly difficult situation that you had been put into. Few of us blame you for that decision and even admire your selfless dedication to the citizens of this planet…but the situation you found yourself in wasn't one created by indifferent bureaucrats – your supply shipments were being targeted and destroyed by Tau forces. They knew about the Astartes strike force in advance and were fully prepared to let them kill you until they were convinced otherwise. The truth is Governor, is that this war has been propagated and directed by the meticulous and deceptive planning of an Eldar sleeper agent. Using his warpcraft, he has been feeding the Tau information about you, this planet, and our forces; been sabotaging our efforts; and has been provoking the Orks into battle. Everything that has been happening here has been under his manipulation, driving us all to this one point where all three armies are swallowed up by a giant war that will likely leave this planet defenseless for when the rest of the Eldar arrive…" Cain motioned for the vox recorder I had been carrying with me, which took me a few moments to find between all the other loose items I had stowed away in my coat, including that krak grenade I still had never bothered to discard. I finally found the device and handed it over to Cain. "I wouldn't expect you to simply take my word as is, so I suggest you have a listen to this. We thought our saboteur problems were linked to people loyal to you but the evidence we recovered is far more troubling."
I would not have expected anybody to believe what Cain had said but as Gavilant listened to the vox recording, listened to Kael give explicit details on what supply vessels to target, when to strike, how to win the Governor's trust, and how to eventually get rid of him, his visage went from quiet suspicion to boiling rage. That rage lasted only a moment, however, subdued quickly by a steely demeanour that came from decades of battlefield experience. Then, for some strange reason the Governor smirked, shaking his head slowly as he leaned against his desk. "Why am I not surprised it's him," he muttered.
"I beg your pardon?" Cain asked as we were both puzzled by the remark.
"The other voice…the Eldar," Gavilant explained. "I'll never forget that voice. He was the last Eldar I saw after we had driven them off this world. He came to me in the middle of the night, told me that they would return one day and take it back. Bastard even said he would kill me himself."
What Gavilant said left me feeling on edge. Kael had a long memory and he wasn't the type to let things go. I had a gut feeling that Kael would not have forgotten such a vow. But it wasn't just about fulfilling a simple vow as Kael was a skilled enough sniper to have accomplished that task ages ago had he desired the Governor's death. If I were Kael, I would choose a moment where the Governor's death would have the most impact and likely inconvenience us the most. I wish I had known just how right I was with that assessment. While I stood pondering over Kael's next move, Cain continued talking with Gavilant, trying to convince him that he could earn some measure of the Emperor's forgiveness if he assisted us against the Tau and returned the planet to the Imperium. Gavilant was an experienced military leader: decisive, bold, never rash or impulsive. He was playing all the past events over in his head, probably trying to figure out what he had missed, how he had not seen the deceit and the subtle manipulation of the Eldar and the Tau. He was deep in analysis and thought. He might not have been fully convinced we weren't the ones doing the manipulating. sThe sound of gunfire had been steadily increasing in the background and neither Cain nor I enjoyed how long Gavilant was taking. All along the city walls the Ork mobs were crashing against the fortifications like a green tidal wave. It was only a matter of time before the defenses were breached when suddenly an ear-splitting explosion rang out, shaking the very planet itself; we knew that the Orks had broken through.
The Governor, now more concerned with his city being overrun than supposed Eldar spies, hurried over to the office's vox caster. He probably wanted a status report if there was still anybody alive at the walls to give it. In the meantime Cain and I regrouped to strategize. "This isn't working, we're running out of time," I whispered.
"If we can't convince him to help us, we'll just have to tell the armoured column to begin attacking the Orks. Saving his arse might change his mind," Cain replied. I nodded as I cast a sideways glance back to the Governor – he seemed to be having some trouble with the vox caster. At first I thought he had simply relied on a vox operator for too long and forgot how to work it himself but after a second, longer look I noticed that he was making all the right motions but the machine didn't appear to be working.
"I swear if Caydan took the cells out to run his portable holovid again…" Gavilant muttered bitterly.
However, a more troubling thought must have passed through both Cain and I as we immediately went to our comm-beads. "I'm not getting a signal," I replied. Cain reported the same problem and unsettling realization dawned upon us, prompting both of us to draw our weapons. "He's here."
"And the girl finally clues in," Kael's unmistakable voice rang out. The Governor's chair suddenly turned about, revealing the Eldar miscreant sitting comfortably upon it with a frustratingly cheerful smirk plastered across his face. Gavilant's personal guard was quick to level his lasgun at the intruder but Kael was quicker in throwing a knife right into the guard's throat. Watching the guard choke to death on his own blood made me reluctant to try and attempt the same maneuver so my weapon stayed at my side for the time being. "I see the years have not been very pleasant to you General Gavilant. Are you surprised to see me? You shouldn't be. The good commissars here did tell you about me after all and they did show you my wonderful recording."
"I figured you would have been smart enough to stay away after how badly I beat you xenos the last time," Gavilant sneered in response.
"Technically speaking, Governor, I never actually left. Originally I was merely going to wait until time took care of you and capitalize on the ensuing power struggle but the encroaching Tau have forced me to take action. I must applaud you all for playing your parts so very well for me and now Governor if you would just do me the further kindness of dying…." Kael rose from his seat, drawing his own blade from the depths of his cloak. The long, leaf-shaped blade shimmered with Eldritch energy, humming faintly as he twirled the blade several times in preparation. The Governor immediately shouted for the guards who should be just outside the door but when the only response was indecipherable shouting and heavy pounding on the door, we realized that Kael had already sealed the doors. There was no alternative but to fight now.
"Abel, get the doors!" Cain shouted as he sprang into action. He fired several shots but did little more than ruin the wallpaper as Kael slipped past the barrage while closing in on Cain. Chainsword and witchblade clashed in vibrant shower of sparks accompanied by the screech of metal on metal that made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I did as Cain instructed and raced for the door but just as I was within arm's reach of it, it felt as though a giant, invisible hand suddenly grabbed hold of me and flung me from my goal. Even in the middle of fighting Cain, Kael was able to wield his psychic might effortlessly. Stubbornly, I tried for the door again only to be met with similar results; the only difference was that I was flung into a bookcase the second time, likely to deter me from making a third attempt. There was little I could do other than watch as Cain and Kael clashed blades. A battle that could very well decide the fate of the planet was being waged ten feet from me and there wasn't a thing I could do to help. Suffice to say, I hated being stuck as a spectator.
Cain was arguably the best swordsmen in the entire sector and, outside of the Adeptus Astartes, one of the best in the entire segmentum as well. But Kael handled his blade with the expert precision that came from countless years of experience, likely more than the lifetimes of every other person in the building combined. Cain had physical strength on his side but compared to an Eldar his movements seemed sluggish and Kael twisted and bent around his attacks effortlessly. Still, Cain's own instinct and experience were evident as he anticipated attack after attack, parrying and block the Eldar's strikes. Neither side was gaining ground on the other nor if one held an advantage did it last for very long. When Cain was to knock the Eldar's blade aside to force a hole in his defense, Kael retaliated by sending Cain staggering back with a blast of psychic force. In turn, when Kael slipped past Cain's attacks and attempted to step inside his reach, Cain simply used his physical stature and body-checked the Eldar back a few feet. What worried me, however, was that Kael seemed to be holding back on using his psychic powers. I did not know if he was merely keeping them in reserve or had something more in mind but the possibilities left me feeling anxious.
Unfortunately, while I lamented having to take a step back, I also knew that getting involved would only worsen the situation and I would only get in Cain's way. Despite my feelings, I knew that standing back was for the best. Gavilant, on the other hand, was a general who led from the front and he had no interest in letting another man fighting his battles for him. On any other day I would applaud such willingness but in this situation he was only going to make things more difficult. He may have bested one of the Emperor's finest but he had the element of surprise and a significantly larger and slower target compared to Kael. Power fists were a great weapon if you wanted to make sure your target was dead after the first hit regardless of how well-armoured he was but even master-crafted power fists were slow, cumbersome, and lacked range. I had no doubt that Gavilant was an expert combatant but Kael didn't even seem strained to dodge the oncoming blows from the Governor, even occasionally parrying Cain's strikes towards Gavilant to keep both attackers off-balance. Two-on-one fights were usually one-sided but Kael continually moved to keep Cain and Gavilant in front, or worse, in each other's way.
"Time has slowed you down Governor," Kael said as he parried Cain's strike and shifted left to keep Gavilant on the other side of the commissar. He shoved Cain towards the Gavilant, keeping both at bay but prompting the Governor to push past Cain and rush for an attack. "I should have killed you decades ago," he continued, knocking back repeated attacks from the Governor before knocking him back with a psychic blow. On the bright side, this gave Cain an opportunity to attack without interference and he pressed hard with a series of alternating high and low strikes. "You have been living on borrowed time Governor and it is time to collect!" Kael had been passive in defending against Cain's latest assault but then suddenly burst into a counter-attack, striking high and forcing Cain's sword down and to the side. Kael executed another psychic pull but this time grabbing the Governor and hurtling the man right for Cain's chainsword.
For Cain and me, it was like watching a train crash in slow motion.
There was a blood-choked, agonizing cry as the chainsword chewed through armour and flesh with ease, pulping innards, and spraying blood across the floor. Cain thumbed the chainsword off but it was already too late for the Governor, his face frozen in pain and speckled with his own ground flesh.
At that moment, and far too timely for it to have been a coincidence, the chamber doors finally gave way and several guards raced into the room. By that time, Kael had already pulled his vanishing act so all the soldiers saw was Cain standing there with the Governor impaled on his chainsword.