Dark Apostle by Anthony Reynolds

Author:Anthony Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2011-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

‘We have identified the location from which the enemy has chosen to face us, brigadier-general,’ said Colonel Laron.

‘Show me,’ said Havorn. The large table between the pair lit up at Havorn’s word, thousands of twisting green lines of light springing up to show a detailed schematic map of the surrounding area. At Havorn’s instruction, the crouching servitor built into the table’s base manipulated the rendered image, scrolling it across the surface of the table and zooming in on valleys and ravines. At another word, the densely packed lines began to rise above the table, giving a three dimensional view of the mountains.

Taking a moment to study the detailed map, Laron pointed.

‘We advance along this main valley bed here. Our scouts move along the ravines here, here and here,’ he said, indicating two thin valleys a few kilometres away from where the main force advanced. ‘And our drop-troopers have landed at these points,’ he said, picking out a dozen key, strategic high points.

‘As you have read in my reports, our attacks to take the high lands up to here,’ he said, indicating, ‘have been fierce, but a success.’

‘The enemy has defended them half-heartedly,’ said Havorn. ‘Your men took them too easily, and I mean no slur upon them. When they choose their place to stand and fight, then they will face far stiffer competition.’

‘My sentiment exactly, brigadier-general, and I believe we have found that place. Early forays to take these points here,’ he said, indicating the ridges some ten kilometres into a particularly thin stretch of the valley, ‘show high concentrations of the enemy. Our attacks have been rebuffed.’

‘And with high casualties, I see,’ growled Havorn.

‘Indeed, the enemy will not budge. That is where they will make their stand.’

‘It is a good place for it. The twisting valley is at its narrowest there. There is not a straight line of fire longer than a kilometre, rendering our ordnance of limited use, but their warriors will excel. It means that the Exemplis will have to get close to them to engage, rather than blasting them from five clicks out. It is a cunning place to make their stand. But it could be a ruse. Have you scouted for ambush points ahead of this position?’

‘I have, brigadier-general. The valley thins some ten kilometres further up, here. It shrinks to a width of less than a hundred metres at several points; that’s a tight fit for the Imperator. That would be the place to launch an ambush, but there are more than forty places where the valley contracts in such a way.’

The brigadier-general grunted.

‘Any sign of enemy movement? If we walked into that valley and the enemy had control of those ridges, we would suffer heavy casualties.’

‘None, sir. I have sentinels scouring the region, but they have engaged nothing more than cultist outrider vermin that were skulking parallel to the valley. They were all slain.’

‘The enemy commander is no fool. If I were him, I would plan something here,’ said Havorn, pointing towards one of the narrower areas of the valley.

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