the point ramming up its nostril, lacerating its face and plunging into the brain. The ork twitches spasmodically as it crumples to the ground, but neither of us spares it a second glance as we check on how the fight is going. Most of die orks are falling back towards the other trench, taken off guard by the counter-attack. The few that fight on are hopelessly outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed. Hundreds of greenskin corpses, and more humans, lie twisted and ragged, the snow churned up and red with blood. Severed limbs and decapitated bodies are piled waist high in places where the fighting was most fierce.
'Caught out by a pretty simple trick/ Poal says as I describe the fight with the first ork, the two of us collapsed in the trench with the others. 'I thought the orks were smarter than to be caught out with a straightforward feint/
'Oldest trick in the bloody book/ chips in Poliwicz, cleaning his bayonet in die snow.
'Yeah, the simplest of tricks...' I murmur to myself, an unsettling thought beginning to form in my mind. I look around for the Colonel and see him not much further along the trench, talking to Greaves and Ekul. I push my way through the tired guardsmen, turning a deaf ear to the groans and moans of the wounded as I barge them aside.
'Sir!' I call to the Colonel as he's about to walk away.
Yes, Kage?' he asks sharply, turning on his heel.
'I think we've been tricked, sir/ I tell him quickly, glancing back over my shoulder to see what die orks are doing.
Tricked?' Greaves says from behind die Colonel, disbelief written all over his face. 'What do you mean?'
This attack is a feint, a diversion/ I explain hurriedly, waving my hands around trying to convey the sudden sense of urgency that fills me. 'It makes sense, now I mink about it. They crossed die plains with die support of the main army and then split off/
What nonsense is this?' Greaves demands. 'Get back to your place/
'Wait a moment, colonel/ Ekul says, stepping up beside the Colonel, looking intendy at me. 'A diversion for what, Kage?'
This isn't the main ork army, it's a diversionary attack sent to fool us and keep us occupied while die main force goes around
us/ the words spill out quickly, my mind racing with the implications of the situation.
'You could be right/ the Colonel says with a nod. This army bears little resemblance to the one in the reports. I thought it might just be a vanguard/
'Where else can they go?' asks Greaves disdainfully. 'Ekul says no man's ever survived die other passes in diis region/
'No man, sir/ Ekul agrees, 'but the lieutenant may have a point. We are not fighting men. It is possible the orks could forge another route towards Epsilon Station, circumnavigating this valley altogedier/
4Vhat can we do about it? Our orders are to hold diis pass/ Greaves says s-tubbornly. 'And Kage is probably wrong/
'It is still a distinct possibility/ die Colonel replies, eyes narrowed as he tiiinks. You and your regiment will continue to hold diis pass. The loss of my force does not greatly affect that. We must get to Epsilon Station and warn them/
My hopes rise at the tiiought of going back to Epsilon. Much easier to survive a siege than an open battle. And we'll be inside, out of this forsaken cold and snow.
'My few mounted men can travel much quicker/ Ekul points out, dashing my hopes to die ground. And we know the terrain better/
'Wouldn't it be better if you and your scouts went looking for the main force?' I suggest, thinking quickly, trying to keep the desperation from my voice.
They're coming again!' a warden shouts from back down the line.
^We go now!' die Colonel says emphatically. 'Pack what provisions you can, Kage, and muster the men here/
Five minutes later and the surviving Last Chancers are gathered with me, stowing what we can onto a couple of the ploughfoot sleds. The wind's picked up again, tossing the snow around us, and over its keening can be heard the rattle of autocannons and snap of lasguns as Greaves's soldiers try to hold off the orks as tiiey pour from the forward trench. The Colonel appears through the snow.
Are you ready?' he asks, glancing back over his shoulder towards the trenches a few dozen metres away. The odd stray ork shot zips past, but not that close. Greaves soon appears too,
stamping through the snow to stand in front of the Colonel with his hands on hips.
'You're disobeying orders, Schaeffer/ Greaves says hotly, jabbing at the Colonel with an accusing finger. 'You're abandoning your position/
'If you get the opportunity, follow us/ the Colonel replies calmly, ignoring the accusation.
You're a coward, Schaeffer/ die bulky man counters, prodding a finger into the Colonel's chest. 'You're no better dian these scum we have to lead.'
'Goodbye, Colonel Greaves/ the Colonel says shortly, and I can tell he's holding his temper in check. 'We probably will not meet again/
Greaves continues cursing us as we trudge off through the snow, Franx and Loron leading the ploughfoots at the front, the Colonel at the rear.
As we near the top of the ridge again die wind starts to really bite, managing to push its way onto my face despite the thick fur lining of my coat's hood. Already my legs are beginning to feel tired, after just a couple of kilometres. The Colonel pushes us hard, not saying a word, just giving us a scathing look when one of us falters or
