becomes untenable。 Then； once we’re at the dugout emplacements we will make a stand。 That’s as
far as we go。 After that； it’s hold the line or die。
“Are there any questions？”
No one spoke。 Silently； the Guardsmen stood gazing back at their sergeant with resolve and
determination etched into every line of their faces。 For better or worse； they were ready。
“All right； then；” said Chelkar。 “We have been in this situation often enough before to make
saying anything else irrelevant。 You all know what is ahead of us。 I will say only this。 Good luck to
every one of you。 And； fates willing； let us all see each other again when the battle is over。”
“Maybe it is The Big Push；” Larn heard one of the Vardans say as he hung the extra grenades
Vladek had given him on his belt and went over to join the other members of Fireteam Three。
“Emperor knows； it was bound to happen sometime。”
“It can’t be；” said another man nearby。 “General Headquarters would have told us。”
“Phah。 You are fooling yourself；” a third man said。 The damn generals refuse to even admit The
Big Push exists。
“When it finally does come they’ll be caught as much by surprise as the rest of us。”
The Big Push。 By then Larn had heard the phrase used several times already； whispered amongst
themselves by grim…faced Guardsmen as they stood in the dugout making final adjustments to their
bardment continued above them。 Each time he heard it； Larn
found something in the tone of the way they said the phrase that made him uneasy。 It was a tone； he
realised； of nervousness and quiet anxiety。 The tone of fear； he thought with a sudden shudder。
“Bulaven？” he asked the big man beside him。 “What is The Big Push？”
For a moment the Vardan was silent； his usually affable manner replaced by the bleak and
brooding expression of a parent who realises he can no longer protect his child from the dark
realities of the world。
“It is a bad thing； new fish；” Bulaven said。 “A story you could call it； I suppose。 Or a myth。 You
know when the preachers talk in church of the Last Judgement when the Emperor will finally step
forward from His throne once more and judge humanity for its sins？ The Big Push is like that。”
94
“It is something in the manner of a folktale；” Scholar said； standing next to him。 “The Big Push
is the mythic apocalypse that every Guardsman in this city dreads。 A Day of Judgement； as Bulaven
puts it； when the orks will at last mount their long…expected final assault and the city of Broucheroc
will fall。 It is a nightmare； new fish。 The one thing that the defenders of this city fear more than
anything else。 And； as such； I am not surprised you heard it mentioned。 For the orks to launch so
many assaults across different sectors at once and coordinate them with artillery bombardment is
highly unusual。 So unusual in fact that it is easy to see in it the portent of something larger。”
“The Big Push is bullshit； new fish；” Davir said。 “A story that the mothers of this city scare their
children to sleep with； nothing more。 Put it from your mind。”
At that； they became silent and； looking at the faces of his companions； Larn saw the same thing
there as had been hidden in the whispers of the men he had heard discussing The Big Push to begin
with。
He saw fear。
And he was not reassured。
95
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
21：15 hours Central Broucheroc Time
Bookkeeping and the Tragedy of War — Matters of Tactics while Waiting for an Eternity to Pass —
Preparations and Preludes in the Trenches — Holding the Line — Shot in the Head and Saved by
Davir — Last Stand by the Dugouts — The Sound of Salvation
For Captain Arnol Yaab it had been a long and tiring day。 A day spent like every other day of the
last ten years in a cramped windowless office in the lower levels of the General Headquarters
building in the centre of Broucheroc； ceaselessly compiling the twice…daily Imperial Guard casualty
statistics from the reports and logs of the various Sectors Command throughout the city。
Sector 1…11； he wrote in a neat and ordered hand in the pages of the ledger before him。 12th
Coloradin Rifle Corps。 Commanding Officer： Colonel Wyland Alman。 Previous Strength： 638 men。
Total Casualties in Last Twelve Hour Period： 35 men。 Current Adjusted Strength： 603 men。
Percentage Loss： 5。49％。
Sector 1…12； he continued； carefully allowing the ink time to dry so as not to risk smudging the
previous entry。 35th Zuvenian Light Foot。 Commanding Officer： Captain Yiroslan Dacimol
（Deceased）。 Previous Strength： 499 men。 Total Casualties in Last Twelve Hour Period： 43 men。
Adjusted Strength： 456 men。 Percentage Loss： 8。62％。
Sector 1…13。 902nd Vardan Rifles。 Commanding Officer： Sergeant Eugin Chelkar （Temporary
Appointment）。 Previous Strength： 244 men。 Total Casualties in Last Twelve Hour Period： 247 men。
Current Adjusted Strength： …3。 Percentage Loss： 101。23％。
Abruptly； gazing down at the entry he had just written； Yaab became aware that there seemed to
be some problem with his figures。 101。23％？ That cannot be right； he thought。 How can a unit have
lost more than one hundred per cent of its original strength and be reduced to a current adjusted
strength of minus three？ It is an impossibility。 How can you have minus three men？
Pursing his lips in annoyance； Captain Yaab re…checked the figures in the Sector Command Beta
casualty log。 There； in black and white； the same statistic was confirmed。 Out of a total strength of
244 men； the 902nd Vardan had somehow conspired to lose no less than 247 of their number in the
last twelve hours。 Then； just as deep in his pen…pusher’s soul he began to fear he had made an error
that would see him reprimanded — or worse — posted to the frontlines； Yaab noticed a sheet of
paper clipped to the back of the log and realised he had perhaps found the source of the mistake。
It was a supplementary report； recording that a lander had crash…landed in Sector 1…13 at around
midday and deposited an additional 235 Guardsmen into the sector。 Ah； now that would account for
the discrepancy； Yaab thought； making a quick series of mental calculations。 An extra 235 men
would put the total strength of the sector at 479。 Then； the loss of 247 men would leave us with a
current adjusted strength of 232； constituting a percentage loss of 51。57％。 All in all； a much more
acceptable figure。
Happy again； Captain Yaab adjusted his ledger in line with the new calculations only to find
himself aggravated once more as he noticed the unsightly mess the alterations had made to the
clean； well…ordered columns of his figures。 Sighing as he returned to compiling his statistics； Yaab
tried to take comfort from the thought that it could not be helped。 It was the tragedy of his life that
certain amount of unsightliness was to be expected。
War； after all； could be a messy business。
96
“Switch your comm…bead to our command net on frequency five；” Bulaven told Larn through the
roar of shellfire shaking the ground above them。 “You will know we are about to go when the
shelling stops。 Then； when we get the order； we run back to our firing trench。 No crouching or trying
to stay in cover this time； new fish。 You just sprint there as fast as you can。 We have to be back in
the trench and ready to shoot before the orks reach the kill zone at the three hundred metre mark。”
They were standing with the rest of the Vardans next to the steps leading from the dugout up to
the surface。 As his fingers fiddled to change the frequency of the comm…bead in his ear； Larn’s mind
turned to a lesson he had learned in his last battle。 This is the worst time； he thought。 While you are
waiting for the attack to start； before the battle even begins。 Once the fighting is underway you are
still afraid。 But it is having time to think about what is coming that makes the fear worse。 And the
orks would seem to know it。 They are giving us plenty of time to dwell on our fears。 Right now； it
feels like waiting for an eternity to pass。
“All right； new fish；” Bulaven said。 “Now； I have told you everything you need to know about
what we are going to do after that。 I want you to tell it back to me now so I can be sure you have
understood it。”
Can he see that I am afraid； Larn thought。 Is that it？ Is he trying to keep me busy and take my
mind off the fact we could all he dead in a matter of minutes？ And if Bulaven can see it what about
the rest of them？ Are they all standing here watching me wondering if I am going to turn and run？
Do they think I am a coward？
“Our tactics； new fish？” Bulaven prodded。 “What are they？”
“Once we reach the firing trench we will hold it as long as we can；” Larn said； silently praying
to the Emperor his voice did not sound as frightened and nervous as he suspected。 “Then； if it looks
like we are going to be overrun； Scholar will set the demolition charge to buy us enough time to fall
back。 You will be carrying the flamer； I will be carrying a spare fuel canister for you； Davir and
Zeebers will give us covering fire with their lasguns。”
“And if any of us are dead by then？” Bulaven asked。 “Or too badly wounded to move on their
own？ What then； new fish？”
“Then the three most important things are the demolition