The organ mountings of dedicated rocket ships opened up in rippling salvos as Seventh Company roared towards Tyrok Beach. The chain of projectiles blasted towards the enemy and lit the mainland with yellow flames.

Minka and her squad were like ducks in water, paddling slowly to shore.

‘Two hundred yards!’ she called down as the landing craft to their left took a direct hit amidships. The impact broke its spine and it split in half, gouting thick, roiling flames. One half capsized, the other veered sideways and then, as the armoured tanks within slid down into the water, it righted itself for a moment before taking on so much water that it sank.

Minka watched appalled as three Leman Russes went down like stones.

A shell landed just at their bow and a column of water leapt up before slamming down on the decks.

‘Mines!’ someone shouted. Minka had a brief image of a round black shape just breaking the surface.

The landing ship to the other side flew fifty feet into the air as the water beneath it erupted. The explosion of surf blocked Minka’s sight, but when it cleared there was no trace of the boat left, only floating wreckage.

‘Steady,’ Minka shouted as she flipped her multi-laser on and pumped out a salvo of red bolts to where the enemy fire was coming from.

There was still a hundred yards to go. The weight of tracer fire increased, bending towards them. She fired back once more.

The engines of the landing ship roared as the pilot accelerated for shore. Explosions bracketed them, the third one hitting the port side. The whole craft shook. Minka was thrown violently against the hatch rim. There was blood in her mouth.

A crewman was running along the line, gesticulating with both arms. ‘Off! Off!’ he shouted.

‘It’s too deep!’ someone answered, but there was nothing to be done.

‘Go!’ she shouted to Breve.

The Saint lurched forward. They splashed into the sea and spray bucketed over them all. Minka was soaked.

The swell was too strong for them. The Chimera’s engine screamed as it strained through the water.

‘I’m trying!’ Breve shouted.

Minka clung on as they edged towards the shore, then she felt the sudden grate of land beneath the tracks. The next wave lifted them up and threw them further up the beach. The tank slammed into the sand.

Breve gunned the engines.

Dido’s Chimera hit the beach first.

It led the charge up through the gap and behind it came the other tanks of her platoon. They had gone nearly twenty yards before Barnabas’ Chimera hit a mine and shed its tracks, slewing sideways and coming to an abrupt halt. The troops were out within a moment, piling out of the rear ramp and charging forward.

Seconds later a shell hit the tank and it erupted in flame. Minka saw the turret spinning up into the air.