Ice Guard(科幻战争)-第15章

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doing　the　Emperor’s　work；　and　their　leaders　couldn’t　even　equip　them　with　the　right　clothing　for　the
job。
In　a　perfect　Imperium；　of　course；　the　Validians　wouldn’t　have　been　assigned　to　this　frozen　world
at　all；　unused　as　they　were　to　such　conditions。　Somewhere；　no　doubt；　a　low…level　clerk　had　looked　at
his　slate；　seen　how　many　Guardsmen　were　dying　from　hypothermia　on　Cressida；　weighed　this
against　the　cost　of　a　few　million　armoured　greatcoats　and　chosen　to　do　nothing。
Mikhaelev　was　standing　with　three　of　his　comrades；　Anakora；　Borscz　and　Pozhar。
“What　do　you　think　they　are　saying？”　Borscz　asked；　inclining　his　head　towards　Steele　and　the
captain。
“They’ll　be　making　plans　to　fight；”　said　Pozhar　with　more　hope　than　certainty。　“According　to
Trooper　Palinev；　the　Chaos　army　is　on　the　Validians’　heels。　That　puts　them　in　our　path。　We’ll　have
to　shoot　our　way　through　them。”
Anakora　shook　her　head。　“This　is　meant　to　be　a　stealth　mission。　If　we　start　a　full…scale　battle
here；　it　will　lead　every　heretic　in　the　area　to　us。　Even　with　the　Validians’　help；　we　would　be
hopelessly　outnumbered。”
“I’m　talking　about　a　lightning　strike；”　said　Pozhar。　“Take　the　Chaos　scum　by　surprise；　and　be
long　gone　before　the　reinforcements　arrive。　The　heretics　think　they’re　safe　here；　cowering　behind
their　walls　of　ice。　We　can　teach　them　different。”
Borscz　grinned　at　that。　“We　can　be　like　our　ancestors；　no？　We　can　strike　at　our　enemies’　very
heart；　as　those　mighty　heroes　did　against　the　invading　orks。”
“We　can　teach　them　to　fear　us！”　said　Pozhar；　his　eyes　gleaming　at　the　prospect。
“Yeah；”　said　Mikhaelev　dryly；　“a　lesson　that　will　stay　with　them　for　all　of　about　a　day　and　a　half
before　they’re　virus　bombed　out　of　existence。”
“Trooper　Mikhaelev　is　correct；”　said　Anakora。　“There　is　no　purpose　in　our　fighting　and　perhaps
dying　when　it　would　not　advance　our　cause。”
“Then　what　do　you　suggest？”　asked　Pozhar。　“That　we　turn　tail　and　run？”
“Colonel　Steele　will　find　a　way；”　asserted　Borscz　loyally。　“He　has　not　brought　us　this　far　to　give
up　on　our　mission　just　yet。”
“No；”　said　Mikhaelev；　with　a　tight　smile；　“I　should　think　not。”
Anakora　was　starting　to　see　it　too；　he　thought。　She　was　looking　at　the　knots　of　red　and　gold
Guardsmen　around　them；　at　the　hope　in　their　faces　that；　having　been　lost　for　so　long；　they　might
have　been　found　again。
“They’ve　been　out　of　vox　contact　for　weeks；”　she　said。　“They　cannot　know　about　the
withdrawal；　about　the…　about　what　is　to　come　next。　They　don’t　know　that　it’s　already　too　late　for
them；　that　without　air　transport　they　have　no　hope　of　reaching　Alpha　Hive　in　time　to　evacuate。”
“So；　they’re　already　dead；”　said　Pozhar　with　a　shrug。　“All　the　more　reason　why　they　should　die
like　soldiers；　with　their　guns　blazing。”
“Anyone　want　to　bet　the　Validians　do　just　that？”　asked　Mikhaelev　quietly。
The　other　three　troopers　turned　to　look　at　him。
“Anakora　was　right；”　he　said。　“These　men　are　dead　anyway。　Frankly；　even　if　that　weren’t　the
case；　the　Imperium　sees　them；　sees　us　all；　as　expendable。　The　only　person　on　this　world　who　really
matters　is　Wollkenden；　and　we　are　the　only　people　who　can　save　Wollkenden。　So；　if　it　costs　the
Imperium　four　hundred　lives　to　preserve　our　ten…　well；　it’s　just　numbers；　right？”
“And　how；　my　friend；　might　the　sacrifice　of　those　four　hundred　lives　help　us？”　asked　Borscz。
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“Think　about　it；”　said　Mikhaelev。　“We　can’t　go　forward；　can’t　go　back。　There　is　one　other
option。　We　can’t　fight　our　way　through　the　Chaos　forces；　but　perhaps　we　can　go　around　them。　If　we
are　to　do　that；　though；　we　will　need　a　diversion…　a　big　one。”
Anakora　looked　pale；　shaken。　Her　gaze　was　pulled　again　to　the　surrounding　Validians；　but　she
turned　a　caught　her　eye。　She　seemed　almost　ashamed。　Pozhar；　in
contrast；　closed　his　eyes　and　let　out　a　groan　of　dismay。　Mikhaelev　guessed　that　he　would　have
swapped　regiments　in　a　second　for　a　chance　to　get　back　into　combat。
“You　want　to　know　what　our　leaders　are　talking　about　over　there；　Borscz？”　he　said　grimly。　“I’ll
lay　you　another　bet　if　you　like。　I’ll　bet　you　a　day’s　worth　of　dry　rations　that　Steele　is　asking　the
Validians　to　die　for　us。”
Mikhaelev　was　right；　of　course。
Anakora　prayed　he　wouldn’t　be；　that　Colonel　Steele　and　the　Validian　captain　might　have　found
another　way　between　them。　But　the　more　she　thought　about　it；　the　more　she　knew　that　Mikhaelev’s
way　was　the　only　way　that　made　sense。
The　officers　parted　company；　and　Steele　called　his　squad　to　him　for　a　short　briefing。　Anakora
hardly　listened　to　his　quiet　words。　She　knew　what　he　was　going　to　say；　anyway。　Her　eyes　wandered
instead　to　the　captain；　who　was　chairing　a　similar　meeting　with　his　sergeants；　fourteen　or　fifteen　of
them。　She　watched　as　they　received　the　news：　that　their　trials　of　the　past　few　weeks　had　been　for
nothing；　that　they　wouldn’t　make　it　home　after　all；　that　the　Emperor　required　only　one　final　service
from　them。　They　bore　it　stoically；　of　course；　but　Anakora　detected　a　few　wistful　expressions　and　a
few　slumped　shoulders；　as　the　sergeants　moved　out　to　spread　the　word　to　their　troopers。
Logically；　she　knew　she　had　no　reason　to　feel　guilty。　The　Validians　weren’t　really　sacrificing
themselves　for　her　sake；　nor　for　that　of　her　squad。　They　were　doing　it　for　Confessor　Wollkenden；　for
the　Ecclesiarchy；　for　the　Emperor。　Still；　she　couldn’t　help　but　ask　herself　why；　of　all　the　good
soldiers　here；　she　should　be　among　the　few；　the　very　few；　to　be　spared　—　why　this　was　starting　to
become　a　familiar　pattern　for　her。
If　the　Emperor　had　a　plan　for　her　—　and　it　seemed　that　He　must　—　if　He　was　keeping　her　alive
for　some　reason；　then　Anakora　just　wished　she　could　imagine　what　that　reason　might　be。
With　no　more　words　left　to　say；　the　regiments　went　their　separate　ways。
The　depleted　company　of　Validians　turned　back　the　way　they　had　come；　and　marched　to　meet
the　pursuers　from　whom　they　had　fought　so　hard　to　escape。　The　squad　of　Valhallans　headed　off　to
the　north…east；　planning　to　skirt　around　the　inevitable　battlefield　as　they　had　back　at　Alpha　Hive。　The
difference　was；　they　were　on　foot　this　time；　but　at　least　this　battlefield　would　be　smaller。
Steele　led　the　way。　He　had　an　unerring　sense　of　direction；　another　gift　of　his　augmetics；　but　still
he　paused　frequently　to　check　his　bearings　with　Palinev。　Gavotski　knew　that　the　colonel　would　be
watching　the　chrono；　calculating　the　cost　of　yet　another　diversion　from　their　planned　course。　Steele
had　been　tight…lipped　since　his　talk　with　the　captain　—　but　then；　this　was　hardly　unusual　for　him。
It　couldn’t　have　been　easy　for　him；　to　have　been　the　bearer　of　such　bad　news；　to　have　had　to　ask
a　fellow　commander　to　order　his　men　to　their　deaths。　It　had　still　been　just　a　few　days；　after　all；　since
the　same　had　been　asked　of　him。
Gavotski’s　thoughts　drifted　back　to　Alpha　Hive；　to　the　many　good　comrades　he　had　left　behind
there；　the　scores　of　men　alongside　whom　he　had　been　proud　to　fight　at　one　time　or　another。　He
wondered　how　many　of　them　were　still　fighting；　how　many　might　yet　make　it　onto　the　last　of　the
exodus　ships。　He　doubted　he　would　see　any　of　them　again。
Barreski；　at　least；　seemed　happy。　Somehow；　he　had　talked　one　of　the　Validians　into　giving　him
another　hand　flamer　—　and　with　Grayle’s　help；　he　was　stripping　it　down　on　the　move；　lovingly
cleaning　and　lubricating　its　components。
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Presently；　the　squad　bore　north　and　then　around　to　the　north…west　again；　until　they　had
completed　a　quarter…circle　and　were　on　a　path　parallel　to　the　one　they　had　been　on　before。　They　had
seen　and　heard　nothing　of　the　Validians　in　an　hour；　but　now　the　quiet　of　the　ice　forest　was
interrupted　by　a　series　of　distant　sounds：　the　usual　sounds；　the　ones　that　could　have　been　the
soundtrack　to　Gavotski’s　life；　to　all　of　their　lives。
Gunfire；　explosions；　screaming。　The　sounds　of　war。　The　sounds　of　four　hundred　good　men；
dying。
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CHAPTER　SEVEN
Time　to　Destruction　of　Cressida：　38。24。44
It　seemed　like　a　long　time　before　the　forest　fell　silent　again。
For　Steele；　of　course；　with　his　enhanced　hearing；　it　felt　like　even　longer。　This　was　a　good　thing；
he　told　himself。　It