As night fell, Tyson came with news to say that the Rakallions were being pulled back to the beaches. That night the Cadians could hear the tramp of feet as the Rakallions moved along the trenches.

Asko and Orugi stood to watch them go. Asko was sucking on the half-burnt end of a lho-stick. The Rakallions had the look of condemned men given a reprieve. They were laughing as they marched back to the beaches.

‘That’s the fastest they’ve moved since they got onto the island,’ Orugi said.

‘Bastards,’ Asko said.

The Rakallions grinned. They shouted and waved. ‘Good luck, Cadians!’

Minka sent Elhrot with Baine to coordinate with the Drookians. ‘It’s Midha,’ Baine said.

‘You’re sure?’

He nodded. ‘Sure. He mentioned you a few times.’

Minka rolled her eyes. This was all she needed.

Tyson came round with the news that the whole Imperial force on Tor Kharybdis was being evacuated.

In answer to her questions, he said, ‘Bendikt doesn’t believe we’re capable of holding the place in the face of sustained opposition.’

‘Bendikt? After what we did on Potence? Nonsense,’ she told him.

He wasn’t here to argue. ‘Orders are orders. Of course, we can’t let the enemy know. It’s got to be done in complete secrecy.’

She understood.

‘We’re going out platoon by platoon. You’re the last, with your friend, Captain Midha.’ He gave her the time. ‘You pull back then, no earlier. Understood?’

She repeated the time. He nodded. ‘Fine,’ she said.

The Cadians hastily packed whatever they were taking with them. Sentinel guns were brought up and Baine and Orugi worked hard to set up the heavy bolter in automated firing mode so it would appear that their lines were still held.

The front-line troops began to thin out along Minka’s section of the trench. They sat waiting for the order, listening to the other troops depart. Sporadic firing sounded all along the front.

‘Sentry guns,’ Orugi said. But it wasn’t. It appeared that the enemy were mounting night raids.

Minka’s platoon were spread as thinly as they dared. They scanned the darkness for any sign of the enemy, las-bolts pumping out into the darkness.

Minka kept moving along the lines. Belus was re-strapping his finger. ‘Shouldn’t we be pulling back?’ he said.

‘Not for another half an hour,’ Minka told him. ‘The Drookians and us are to withdraw together.’

At that moment, a day-flare was fired up into the air. It cast an eerie phosphorous white light over the battlefield. Minka could see dark lines of Elnaur Chasseurs marching towards them. The light glinted off their armour and guns. There were thousands of them moving together as one.

Her troops started shooting, but there was nothing coming from the Drookian trenches.

‘Blanchez,’ she called out. ‘Get back and find Midha, see what is happening over there. We need to fall back at the same time.’