Guard fic 3.2
Unsurprisingly, he survives. :-)
Minutes past, each one an eternity. Commander King counted silently in his head, trying to drown out the sounds around him as the ice settled and the crashes and screaming slowly died down. He was alive, that was the main thing. He was uncomfortable, cold and compressed amongst the rubble of broken ice, but he wasn’t in the kind of agonising pain he would expect from major injuries. That was another big plus. The air in his lungs was starting to turn foul and he didn’t know how much more was getting through the ice around him. That led to another thought, that the ice would be refreezing where it had landed, closing up around him and entombing them all where they lay. He tried to straighten up, feeling the pressure of the ice above him. He tried again, more forcefully, straining every muscle as he used his back as a lever to push his way upwards. At last he felt something give above him and he emerged triumphant in a shower of tiny icy crystals.
What he saw around him was disheartening, to say the least. The chimera was completely buried, though hopefully still intact, but around it there were bright red smears of blood on the ice, the marks of the unlucky. He could see some movement - the slope of the tunnel had worked in their favour, to some degree, in that those who had made it up to higher ground had been largely protected and he could see those soldiers who had got that far starting to stir and assess the situation in the same way he was. Behind him he could mainly see snow, but the occasional outlying limb or stain of blood bore testimony to the soldiers who hadn’t made it.
“Everyone up.” He said, then repeated himself a bit louder. He didn’t want to shout too much, from what he knew that wasn’t a good idea around landslides so the same rules probably applied here, but he did have to make sure he was heard. Slowly, groaning in many cases, people started to push themselves free of the rubble and get to their feet. A wealth of small cuts and bruises covered everyone, and belatedly checking his own arms King could see the same kind of marks, and a dull ache in his neck that suggested a bruise of some kind there too. The cold and the adrenalin was keeping the pain at bay for now, so that was a matter for later. He spotted Gorman slightly further down the slope from him, sitting in a manner that suggested her legs were currently not an option.
“Gorman, get a sound off going! I want to know who we’ve got and who we haven’t.” That should keep her mind off it, too. He looked to his own squad, couldn’t see any of them. No wait, that was Hart emerging from his alcove, that’s one. He started checking his own squad as Gorman checked hers.
“Rhys?”
“Sir!” While he couldn’t see where she was amongst the ice the reply came in a perfunctory tone and from that he didn’t really need the clarification Jaks threw in, his voice terse with obvious pain.
“She’s working, Sir. My helmet…got a bit bashed.”
“Well if you’d hold still!”
“Emperor’s balls you two, if you could stop bickering for one moment! Rhys, hurry up on him, there’s other patients around. Jaks, bloody hold still when you’re told to.” He was aware he was being more casual with them than he usually was around other troopers, but keeping things normal helped in a casualty scene. “Kail?”
“Sir?”
“Get us through to Captain Trevanus, let him know what happened, we’re going to need some evac. Gorman?”
“Sir! Sixteen alive including ourselves, six confirmed dead, four missing, most of the rest wounded but seemingly stable. I’m also assuming the chimera crew are alright, can’t reach them just now.”
“They’re probably doing better than the rest of us.” King replied with a wry smile. All in all they seem to have got off pretty lightly, and it was a blessing that they had a medic with them at the time. It was quite a rare skill in the Guard but he’d come to rely on Rhys’ talents quite a lot by now. She was certainly earning her pay today. King fidgeted with his comm bead, trying to twist the frequency to one that might each the chimera, but he was drawing a blank.
“Ok, listen up everyone.” Everyone - except probably Rhys, but that was what he wanted - stopped what they were doing and all eyes turned to him. “Assistance will be on its way as soon as possible, in the meantime we don’t want to be waiting around once it arrives so I want everyone able bodied to be excavating the rubble. There are four people missing under that ice and a chimera full of our comrades that need dug out. Entrenching tools only, go carefully but quickly. Rhys, keep working round but be ready to drop everything for the next patient. Kail, get me an update.”
He was pleased to see activity begin around him, meant that not too many people were incapable of moving. Rhys moved on to helping Sergeant Gorman, while one of Gorman’s squad worked to dig her out of the ice. Jaks tried to help but one look at the large blood-stained bandage covering the side of his head and the paleness of what skin was visible had King shouting at him to stop moving before Rhys even had to.
“Sir, we, uh, we have a problem.” Kail was clearly not designed to be the bearer of bad news, since apparently the best way he could think to break it was to shout it across a casualty zone. King rushed over to him as quickly as the slippery ice would allow.
"Emperor's teeth you idiot, could you announce that any louder?"
Kail looked mortified, enough that he forgot he had vital information to impart.
"Well?" King prompted impatiently. Kail mentally shook himself and got his mind back on the job.
"Sorry Sir, it's the enemy. The Tau." He clarified, in case there was any confusion over who they'd been fighting for the last several months.
"They're incoming sir, aiming right here."
Frakk.
"They must have heard the cave in and come to investigate. We cannot let them find out about the tunnels!” He raised his voice, ensuring he had everyone’s attention. “Change of plan, listen up! The Tau are incoming, so the rescue will have to wait. At all costs, they cannot find these tunnels. Kail, get back up, I want every man they can spare - no frakk that, I want every man right now! We’ll head them off when they get too close here, get Trevanus to come in on the flank and let’s see how many of the bastards we can take down while we’re at it.
“Concentrate on getting the chimera out, we’re going to need that. If we have to we’ll leave it but I’m sure we’d all rather have some fire power at our back! Three minutes, go!”
Like the well-oiled machine that the Astra Militarum could be everyone moved smoothly into action, moving automatically into the role they fitted best. Jaks, the walking wounded, rounded up others needing medical attention and got them out the way. The wounded triaged themselves, organising a rough order of importance for Rhys to deal with as many as she could by the time limit. Rhys herself stepped the pace up, substituting tourniquets and adrenalin shots for deeper care, making sure she kept as many alive as possible. Sergeant Gorman, from her position still semi-trapped in the ice, coordinated the digging while chipping herself out of her own icy prison. Commander King surprised no one by joining in the work amongst the other soldiers, his power sword slicing off chunks of ice more easily than any entrenching tool. It was a useful action but also a calculated one - by using the intrinsic force of the power weapon he didn’t have to demonstrate the lack of strength that still lay in his damaged arm when it came to applying force himself. Showing willing without showing weakness, that was what his own Commander had taught him so many years ago.
In the course of their digging they located two of the missing troopers, neither of whom had survived the cave in. That was a mercy in many ways however, as the chimera was gently revving against the ice and as soon as the pressure had eased sufficiently the engine roared into life, giving just enough warning for the living guardsmen to move aside before rumbling backwards and free of the debris. There was a ragged cheer from the men, turning to silence as the ice settled back into the space the vehicle had vacated. Breath was held as a dozen tiny ice falls broke out, but the structure held and no further collapse seemed imminent. So far.
“All right! Well done everyone.” King called, his voice quickly dropping back to business as soon as it was ascertained that the occupants of the chimera were alive and had actually fared better than most people, seeming only mildly shaken by the experience. The vehicle itself was dented and the top hatch was clearly not opening any time soon, but nothing that stopped it working and that was all King cared about at this point.
The chimera was at bare minimum crew since all they had needed was to get the tunnelling weapons firing, but since this was a show of force he wasn’t taking a single man off the ground to reinforce them.
“Gorman, can you walk?”
“Sir, no sir.” She fired back smartly, clearly in pain despite guardsman Rhys’ ministrations.
“You’re coordinating the wounded then. Everyone else, topside on me now. NOW!”
It made his heart swell to see how many men and women were marching up in ordered lines despite limps, blood or bandages. Anyone physically capable of standing was joining the defence without waiting to be specifically ordered and not all men would do that, particularly given this was one of the few occasions when there was no danger of a Commissar being within earshot.
He had - a quick count, including himself - eighteen. Of whom about half were not on full fitness. He divided them up into his squad plus three units and gave orders that today we were hiding badly: whatever numbers the Xenos could see, they would assume there was a full squad attached in hiding. An old trick, but perhaps one that would see them through again today. He could do with some good luck eventually.
Scanning the horizon with his magnoculars, the position was not a good one. The Tau had sent considerably more than just a scout force, and given how far the tunnel had already reached it would be some time before the relief force reached him from the base. The Valkerie of course he could rely on pretty soon, but the rest of the force would take far too long. Particularly given that in order to hide the tunnel, they couldn’t be fighting anywhere near it. He gave the order to advance and with a pounding of boots and a rumbling of tread, the tiny force advanced to bring the fight to the Tau.
Minutes past, each one an eternity. Commander King counted silently in his head, trying to drown out the sounds around him as the ice settled and the crashes and screaming slowly died down. He was alive, that was the main thing. He was uncomfortable, cold and compressed amongst the rubble of broken ice, but he wasn’t in the kind of agonising pain he would expect from major injuries. That was another big plus. The air in his lungs was starting to turn foul and he didn’t know how much more was getting through the ice around him. That led to another thought, that the ice would be refreezing where it had landed, closing up around him and entombing them all where they lay. He tried to straighten up, feeling the pressure of the ice above him. He tried again, more forcefully, straining every muscle as he used his back as a lever to push his way upwards. At last he felt something give above him and he emerged triumphant in a shower of tiny icy crystals.
What he saw around him was disheartening, to say the least. The chimera was completely buried, though hopefully still intact, but around it there were bright red smears of blood on the ice, the marks of the unlucky. He could see some movement - the slope of the tunnel had worked in their favour, to some degree, in that those who had made it up to higher ground had been largely protected and he could see those soldiers who had got that far starting to stir and assess the situation in the same way he was. Behind him he could mainly see snow, but the occasional outlying limb or stain of blood bore testimony to the soldiers who hadn’t made it.
“Everyone up.” He said, then repeated himself a bit louder. He didn’t want to shout too much, from what he knew that wasn’t a good idea around landslides so the same rules probably applied here, but he did have to make sure he was heard. Slowly, groaning in many cases, people started to push themselves free of the rubble and get to their feet. A wealth of small cuts and bruises covered everyone, and belatedly checking his own arms King could see the same kind of marks, and a dull ache in his neck that suggested a bruise of some kind there too. The cold and the adrenalin was keeping the pain at bay for now, so that was a matter for later. He spotted Gorman slightly further down the slope from him, sitting in a manner that suggested her legs were currently not an option.
“Gorman, get a sound off going! I want to know who we’ve got and who we haven’t.” That should keep her mind off it, too. He looked to his own squad, couldn’t see any of them. No wait, that was Hart emerging from his alcove, that’s one. He started checking his own squad as Gorman checked hers.
“Rhys?”
“Sir!” While he couldn’t see where she was amongst the ice the reply came in a perfunctory tone and from that he didn’t really need the clarification Jaks threw in, his voice terse with obvious pain.
“She’s working, Sir. My helmet…got a bit bashed.”
“Well if you’d hold still!”
“Emperor’s balls you two, if you could stop bickering for one moment! Rhys, hurry up on him, there’s other patients around. Jaks, bloody hold still when you’re told to.” He was aware he was being more casual with them than he usually was around other troopers, but keeping things normal helped in a casualty scene. “Kail?”
“Sir?”
“Get us through to Captain Trevanus, let him know what happened, we’re going to need some evac. Gorman?”
“Sir! Sixteen alive including ourselves, six confirmed dead, four missing, most of the rest wounded but seemingly stable. I’m also assuming the chimera crew are alright, can’t reach them just now.”
“They’re probably doing better than the rest of us.” King replied with a wry smile. All in all they seem to have got off pretty lightly, and it was a blessing that they had a medic with them at the time. It was quite a rare skill in the Guard but he’d come to rely on Rhys’ talents quite a lot by now. She was certainly earning her pay today. King fidgeted with his comm bead, trying to twist the frequency to one that might each the chimera, but he was drawing a blank.
“Ok, listen up everyone.” Everyone - except probably Rhys, but that was what he wanted - stopped what they were doing and all eyes turned to him. “Assistance will be on its way as soon as possible, in the meantime we don’t want to be waiting around once it arrives so I want everyone able bodied to be excavating the rubble. There are four people missing under that ice and a chimera full of our comrades that need dug out. Entrenching tools only, go carefully but quickly. Rhys, keep working round but be ready to drop everything for the next patient. Kail, get me an update.”
He was pleased to see activity begin around him, meant that not too many people were incapable of moving. Rhys moved on to helping Sergeant Gorman, while one of Gorman’s squad worked to dig her out of the ice. Jaks tried to help but one look at the large blood-stained bandage covering the side of his head and the paleness of what skin was visible had King shouting at him to stop moving before Rhys even had to.
“Sir, we, uh, we have a problem.” Kail was clearly not designed to be the bearer of bad news, since apparently the best way he could think to break it was to shout it across a casualty zone. King rushed over to him as quickly as the slippery ice would allow.
"Emperor's teeth you idiot, could you announce that any louder?"
Kail looked mortified, enough that he forgot he had vital information to impart.
"Well?" King prompted impatiently. Kail mentally shook himself and got his mind back on the job.
"Sorry Sir, it's the enemy. The Tau." He clarified, in case there was any confusion over who they'd been fighting for the last several months.
"They're incoming sir, aiming right here."
Frakk.
"They must have heard the cave in and come to investigate. We cannot let them find out about the tunnels!” He raised his voice, ensuring he had everyone’s attention. “Change of plan, listen up! The Tau are incoming, so the rescue will have to wait. At all costs, they cannot find these tunnels. Kail, get back up, I want every man they can spare - no frakk that, I want every man right now! We’ll head them off when they get too close here, get Trevanus to come in on the flank and let’s see how many of the bastards we can take down while we’re at it.
“Concentrate on getting the chimera out, we’re going to need that. If we have to we’ll leave it but I’m sure we’d all rather have some fire power at our back! Three minutes, go!”
Like the well-oiled machine that the Astra Militarum could be everyone moved smoothly into action, moving automatically into the role they fitted best. Jaks, the walking wounded, rounded up others needing medical attention and got them out the way. The wounded triaged themselves, organising a rough order of importance for Rhys to deal with as many as she could by the time limit. Rhys herself stepped the pace up, substituting tourniquets and adrenalin shots for deeper care, making sure she kept as many alive as possible. Sergeant Gorman, from her position still semi-trapped in the ice, coordinated the digging while chipping herself out of her own icy prison. Commander King surprised no one by joining in the work amongst the other soldiers, his power sword slicing off chunks of ice more easily than any entrenching tool. It was a useful action but also a calculated one - by using the intrinsic force of the power weapon he didn’t have to demonstrate the lack of strength that still lay in his damaged arm when it came to applying force himself. Showing willing without showing weakness, that was what his own Commander had taught him so many years ago.
In the course of their digging they located two of the missing troopers, neither of whom had survived the cave in. That was a mercy in many ways however, as the chimera was gently revving against the ice and as soon as the pressure had eased sufficiently the engine roared into life, giving just enough warning for the living guardsmen to move aside before rumbling backwards and free of the debris. There was a ragged cheer from the men, turning to silence as the ice settled back into the space the vehicle had vacated. Breath was held as a dozen tiny ice falls broke out, but the structure held and no further collapse seemed imminent. So far.
“All right! Well done everyone.” King called, his voice quickly dropping back to business as soon as it was ascertained that the occupants of the chimera were alive and had actually fared better than most people, seeming only mildly shaken by the experience. The vehicle itself was dented and the top hatch was clearly not opening any time soon, but nothing that stopped it working and that was all King cared about at this point.
The chimera was at bare minimum crew since all they had needed was to get the tunnelling weapons firing, but since this was a show of force he wasn’t taking a single man off the ground to reinforce them.
“Gorman, can you walk?”
“Sir, no sir.” She fired back smartly, clearly in pain despite guardsman Rhys’ ministrations.
“You’re coordinating the wounded then. Everyone else, topside on me now. NOW!”
It made his heart swell to see how many men and women were marching up in ordered lines despite limps, blood or bandages. Anyone physically capable of standing was joining the defence without waiting to be specifically ordered and not all men would do that, particularly given this was one of the few occasions when there was no danger of a Commissar being within earshot.
He had - a quick count, including himself - eighteen. Of whom about half were not on full fitness. He divided them up into his squad plus three units and gave orders that today we were hiding badly: whatever numbers the Xenos could see, they would assume there was a full squad attached in hiding. An old trick, but perhaps one that would see them through again today. He could do with some good luck eventually.
Scanning the horizon with his magnoculars, the position was not a good one. The Tau had sent considerably more than just a scout force, and given how far the tunnel had already reached it would be some time before the relief force reached him from the base. The Valkerie of course he could rely on pretty soon, but the rest of the force would take far too long. Particularly given that in order to hide the tunnel, they couldn’t be fighting anywhere near it. He gave the order to advance and with a pounding of boots and a rumbling of tread, the tiny force advanced to bring the fight to the Tau.