recess of the weapon holder set at the front of his seat and clipped the barrel lock closed to hold the
gun in place。 Then； looking about him at the other Guardsmen as they did likewise； Larn found
himself briefly confused as he realised just how few men there were inside the lander。 Despite the
fact that the lander was built to house a minimum of two thousand men； there was at most a single
company of men inside it。 It looks like they are only dropping my company； he thought。 6th
Company。 But that would make no sense。 Why would they only put only two hundred men on board；
when this lander can hold ten times that？ No。 They must be going to load more men on board。 No
doubt we are just the first aboard and rest of the regiment will be following us soon enough。
“Ready for launch in ‘T’ minus two point zero zero minutes；” a harsh metallic voice announced
over a hidden vox…caster speaker as； in the distance； Larn heard the slow grinding of the lander’s
assault ramp closing。
“Sounds like we got into our seats just in time； Larnie；” Jenks said； as Larn realised he had taken
the seat next to him。 “Good thing； too。 Never mind old Ferres and his threats； I wouldn’t want to be
wandering around out of my seat when this monster finally gets going。”
With that Jenks turned away to fasten his own seat…restraints。 For a moment； still confused； Larn
found himself fighting the urge to ask Jenks where he thought the rest of the regiment was。 Then；
abruptly； he realised it made no difference。 It was too late to turn back now。 Like it or not； it looked
like 6th Company would be making their first planetary drop on their own。
“Ready for launch in ‘T’ minus one point zero zero minutes；” the voice said again； as Larn felt
the vibrations of the lander’s engines grow stronger。
“Don’t worry； Larnie；” said Jenks by his side as； trying as much to allay his own anxieties as
comfort a friend； he turned to give Larn a kindly smile。 “They say it’s not the fall you need to worry
about。 It’s hitting the ground that kills you。”
“Ready for launch in ‘T’ minus zero point three zero minutes；” the metallic voice continued its
countdown as Larn realised； too late； he had forgotten to pray to the Emperor for a safe descent。
“Ready for launch in ‘T’ minus zero；” the voice said as the lander’s engines fired and Larn
found himself feeling suddenly weightless。 “All systems ready。 Launch！”
And then； quicker than Larn would have thought possible； they were falling。
26
CHAPTER FIVE
23：12 hours Imperial Standard Time
（Revised Real…Space Close Planetary Approximation）
Evasive Manoeuvres — Falling and the Taste of Vomit — Landfall； Death and Grim Realisation —
The Calamity of Sergeant Ferres — No…man’s land and the Eagle in the Distance — Welcome to
Broucheroc
“Bearing one eight degrees one five minutes；” the navigation servitor’s voice croaked； the
parchment…thin tones of its voice barely audible in the lander’s crew compartment over the roar of
engines。 “Recommend course correction of minus zero three degrees zero eight minutes for optimal
atmospheric entry。 All other systems reading normal。”
“Check；” said the pilot； automatically pushing his control stick forward to make the adjustment。
“New bearing： one five degrees zero seven minutes。 Confirm course correction。”
“Course correction confirmed；” the servitor said； its yellowing sightless eyes rolling back in
their sockets as it rechecked its calculations。 “Atmospheric entry in T minus five seconds。 Two。
One。 Atmospheric entry achieved。 All systems reading normal。”
“Look at that glow； Dren；” Zil the co…pilot said； his eyes lifting from his instruments for a
fraction of a second to look out the view…portal at the nose of the lander as it was surrounded by a
nimbus of bright red fire。 “No matter how many planetary drops we do； I never get used to it。 It’s
like riding in a ball of flame。 It makes you thank the Emperor for whoever first made heat shields。”
“Heat shields reading normal；” said the servitor； gears whirring inside it as it mistook the
comment for a question。 “Exterior temperature within permitted operational thresholds。 All systems
reading normal。”
“That’s because you’ve only got a dozen drops behind you；” the pilot said。 “Trust me； by the
time you’ve done another dozen you won’t even notice it。 How’s the signal from the landing
beacon？ I don’t want to miss the drop point。”
“Beacon signal reading strong and clear；” Zil replied。 “No air traffic； friendly or hostile。 Looks
like we’ve got the sky to ourselves。 Wait！ Auspex is reading some—”
“Warning！ Warning！” the servitor interrupted； the whirring of its mechanisms reaching an abrupt
crescendo as it burst into life。 “Registering hostile missile launch from ground…based battery。
Recommend evasive manoeuvres。 Missile trajectory eight seven degrees zero three minutes；
airspeed six hundred knots。 Warning！ Registering second missile launch。 Missile trajectory—”
“Evasive manoeuvres confirmed！” the pilot said； pressing his control stick forward as he pushed
the lander into a dive。 “Servitor： belay hostile trajectories and airspeeds until further orders。 Zil；
deploy chaff！”
“Chaff activated。 Instruments reading chaff successfully deployed；” Zil said； his voice growing
suddenly hoarse as he looked at one of the screens before him。
“Wait。 The chaff； it’s not done any good。 It’s as though… Holy Emperor！ None of the hostile
missiles have guidance systems！”
“What do you mean？” the pilot asked as he saw Zil’s face go pale。 “If that’s the case we have
nothing to worry about。 If they’re firing blind there’s not one chance in a thousand of them being
able to hit us。”
27
“But that’s exactly it；” said Zil； his voice frantic。 “I’m reading a thousand hostile missiles as
airborne already。 And hundreds more are being launched every second。 Holy Throne！ We’re flying
into the biggest shitstorm I’ve ever seen！”
“Emergency evasion procedures！” the pilot said； barking out orders as he pushed the lander
forward into an even steeper dive while from outside they could hear the first of the missiles
exploding。 “Servitor： override standard flaps and navigation safety protocols — I want full control！
Make sure your strapped in tight； Zil — we’re going to have to go in hard and heavy！ Looks like
this is going to be a close one…”
Falling。
They were falling。
With nothing to slow or stop them。
Like a comet。
Falling headlong from the stars。
In the lander’s troop compartment； slammed back in his seat by the force of acceleration； it felt
to Larn as though his stomach was trying to push its way up from his throat。 Around him he could
hear men screaming； the sound all but drowned out by the dull thud of explosions from outside the
lander。 He heard cries for pity and muttered oaths； all the while the skin being pulled so tight across
his face he was sure it was about to rip free from his bones。 Then； sounding much louder than any
noise he had ever known before； there came the boom of another explosion and with it the gutwrenching
sound of tearing metal。 With those sounds he found himself forced back against his seat
with even greater force as the fall began in earnest。
We’ve been hit； he thought； overcome with sudden panic while the world began to spin crazily
around him as the lander turned over and over on its axis out of control。 We’ve been hit； the thought
crowded his mind and held him at its mercy。 We’ve been hit！ Holy Emperor； we’re in freefall！
He felt himself struck in the face by a ell and the taste of
the droplets dribbling past his lips telling him it was vomit。 Half mad with desperation； he found
himself wondering incongruously whether it was from his own stomach or someone else’s。 Then
another thought forced its way fearfully into his mind and he no longer cared who the vomit
belonged to。 A thought more terrible than any he had ever considered in his seventeen years of life
to date。
We are falling from the sky； he thought。 We are falling from the sky and we’re going to die！
He felt his gorge rise in a tide of sickly acids； the half…digested remnants of his last meal
spewing uncontrollably from his mouth to soak some other unfortunate elsewhere in the lander。
Certain he was on the brink of oblivion he tried to replay the events of his life in his mind。 He tried
to remember his family； the farm； his homeworld。 He tried to think of fields of flowing wheat；
magnificent sunsets； the sound of his father’s voice。 Anything to blot out the terrifying reality
around him。 It was hopeless though and he realised the last moments of his life would be spent with
the following sensations： the taste of vomit； the sound of men going screaming to their deaths； the
feeling of his own heart beating wildly in his chest。 These were the things he would take with him to
death： the last sensations he would ever know。 Just as he began to wonder at the unfairness of it all
the world stopped spinning as； with a bone…jarring impact and a terrible screech like the death…knell
of some mortally wounded beast； the lander finally hit the ground。
For a moment there was silence while the interior of the lander was