The flash came again; the same signal crackled on the vox. They were in broadcast mode. In irritation Uleg flicked his channel to that of ground troops.

‘We’re coming in,’ he confirmed. ‘Hold tight.’

The updrafts buffeted the Valkyrie, throwing it towards the cliffs as Uleg tried to bring it down into the narrow gap. He had to throttle back to descend, but it gave him less thrust to hold them straight. It was an exhausting descent, playing the thrusters with both feet, trying to balance out nature, wind, gusts and gravity.

He did not have time to check the augur but the sudden flash of green caught his eye as the tracking arm flared with contacts.

‘We’ve got company,’ Jimal stated.

‘I’ve got it,’ Uleg said. There was a pause as the Valkyrie descended. The Vultures were already swinging away. ‘Three hostiles, nine o’clock.’ There was a pause. ‘They’re coming in fast.’

‘Lightnings!’ one of the Vulture pilots reported.

Uleg could feel his palms starting to sweat. His helmet felt hot. It was better than Thunderbolts, he thought. He had a grudging respect for Thunderbolts. They were tough as rockcrete. He made a quick calculation as he pushed the accelerator handle forward. ‘I can see them!’ he said.

He was talking about the Cadians, not the Lightnings. There was a flashlight shining constantly now, waving him in.

There was a rattle as the waist gunners stowed the heavy bolters and swung the rappelling wire out into the darkness.

‘Wires away,’ the waist gunner told him. It took all of Uleg’s skill to keep them off the rocks. He felt the weight of each Cadian being hauled up. ‘Got one,’ the waist gunner voxed.

One by one they were pulled aboard. The green blips moved nearer and nearer.

Uleg wiped the sweat from his lip.

‘All aboard,’ the report came at last.

‘Right!’ Uleg voxed. ‘Let’s get the Throne out of here.’ He backed up slowly, riding the wind.

Once he’d crested the headland, he could see the crater that was all that remained of Tor Kharybdis, and the spraying fountain of magma. He could feel the heat as well.

There was no time to enjoy the wild beauty of it all. Alarms were ringing inside the cabin. Those Lightnings were almost upon them.

He swung the Valkyrie round, dropped the nose and pushed the accelerator forward. ‘Heading for home!’ he voxed.

Uleg’s Valkyrie skimmed so low that its engines ploughed a straight white furrow through the water. He risked a glance at the augur. The enemy Lightnings were closing. His Vulture escorts had fallen in behind him in wing position.

The Lightning pilots flew over their position once, then doubled back, using that furrow as their guide. The Vultures peeled off to either side. One of the enemy circled round, while the other kept the Valkyrie within visual contact.

‘They’re starting their attack run,’ Jimal reported.