Minka found the sally port and threw the door-bolts back. The door was heavy. She put her shoulder to it and shoved. The Cadians rushed through.

It was an hour after midnight, and the Cadians were inside the Lone Redoubt.

Eleven

ELEVEN

Commissar Cadet Salice had to record all the details in the regimental log. He worked slowly, but neither Belus nor Dreno seemed in a hurry. Salice took down their statements, then demanded, ‘Can you fight?’

‘If I had a hand, then yes. But as it is…’ Dreno held his hand up. ‘No.’

Salice turned to Belus. ‘You are fit?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And you are here…’

‘Because I was a witness to Trooper Dreno’s being shot in the hand.’

Salice knew all that. ‘You have given your statement. Now, you need to re-join your unit.’

Belus grabbed his lasrifle, checked it and put the strap over his shoulder. ‘Any idea where it is, sir?’

Salice felt he was being taken for a ride. His cheeks coloured. ‘Follow them up the beach,’ he said.

Belus saluted.

As the two men walked away, Dreno said, ‘Did you do that on purpose?’

‘What?’

‘You know. Get yourself pulled in to get away from the front line?’

Belus was furious. ‘Are you mad? Who the Throne would want to get pulled in by the Commissariat?’

Dreno’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’d be careful if I were you.’

‘It’s you in trouble with the Commissariat,’ Belus snapped. ‘Not me!’

Minka led her troop into the deserted corridors of the bastion. Two troopers from Barnabas’ unit, Ilina and Petrov, were at her shoulder. Between them they manned a heavy flamer unit. Ilina went first, Petrov behind, carrying the heavy promethium tanks on his back.

‘Where the hell are the traitors?’ Minka demanded.

There was no sign of them.

Each room or intersection they came to was deserted. Here and there the lumens had been knocked out. In the sporadic lighting they could see places where sections of roofing had fallen in. The rockcrete walkways were littered with rubble, the stink of ozone hanging in the air.

‘Think the Navy knows we’re in here?’ Baine whispered.

Minka cursed. She should have reported their presence. There was nothing for it now. They kept moving forward.

At the top of a stairwell they heard the rumble of many voices coming from below. Minka signalled to her troop to stay hidden. They backed out of the flickering light of the stair lumens as a platoon of Jackals came tramping up the stairs.

They had the air of troopers who had been sheltering from the bombardment in the basements and were only now returning to their posts. Their lack of discipline was disgusting to the Cadians. The Jackals went against all that the Cadians stood for. Not only were they traitors, but they were also a rabble. Not even fit to wear uniforms.

Silently the Cadians steeled themselves. This treacherous scum had to die.