Rapid Fire Challenge: Confidence - June 2019

[Race Bannon]

 

Prompt: Confidence

 

Maximum length: 500 words

 

Deadline: 30 June 2019

 

Where to post submissions: In this thread

 

Note - please make sure all submissions adhere to the forum rules. Any entry that breaks one or more rules shall be removed.

[Tarvek Val]

                                                                                            War by Night

      Once, the hidden valleys and high-reaching mountain pathways had been touched by nothing more than the occasional breath of wind, or the footsteps of a lone herdsman. Now, the mountains echo to the endless clamor of artillery fire - shells and missiles arc into the valleys to violently explode, flares of brilliance blossoming against the sheer darkness of night before vanishing sullenly until the next strike.

      From miles away, Colonel Shaffer watches the bombardment from the relative safety of his command bunker. A lit lho-stick illuminates his face, creeping over old scars and narrow lips, cold blue eyes and the fur cap of a Festreyan officer. A grimace spreads across his lips as he sees the distant sparks light up the mountains. To those who know the colonel well, this can be interpreted as a smile of delight. Turning at the sound of footsteps, the colonel observes one of his adjutants enter the bunker, glancing uneasily at the raised lasguns of the colonel’s command squad.

      ‘Guns down,’ Shaffer says softly, and his troops obey.

      The messenger steps forward and offers a quick salute to the colonel before handing over a scroll, hastily rolled and sealed with a bit of tattered twine.

      ‘From Captain Vollustan of the Festreyan 43rd, sir.’

      As if to underscore the messenger’s statement, one of the Earthshakers entrenched near the command bunker fired, the deafening thoom! drowning out the man’s words. Seconds later, a dozen other artillery pieces added their voices to the barrage - Colossus and Bombard siege tanks lobbed great shells, Basilisks and Earthshakers roared their anger, and Manticores flung flights of missiles at their far-off targets. Shaffer raises a hand, forestalling any further words from the adjutant as he watches the guns at work. Once more, the night is torn apart by flashes and synthetic thunder, and the mountains loom into view in the distance.

      With great reluctance, Shaffer tears his eyes away from the spectacle and tears upon the scroll. After giving the written message the hastiest of glances, he hands the paper back to the adjutant.

      ‘Tell the captain that we attack at dawn. Cavalry regiments to the fore, with infantry and mechanized units advancing behind in support.’

      The adjutant can barely hide his shock.

      ‘Sir, as I believe Captain Vollustan stated in his message, we are unsure of how many casualties we have inflicted via bombardment -’

      The man stops, acutely aware of the half-dozen lasguns now aimed at his torso.

      'We have bombarded the mountains without pause for weeks,’ Shaffer remarks calmly, ‘I want the head of that Chaos raider… what’s his name again?’

      The adjutant gulps, then whispers, ‘Maldrax, sir.’

      ‘That’s right,’ the colonel smiles, ‘we will have Maldrax’s head on a spike by midday tomorrow.’

      ‘If I may ask, sir, how many units will we advance?’

      Shaffer's smile widens, somehow becoming more predatory, yet mirth utterly fails to reach his eyes.

      ‘All of them.’

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job, Tarvek Val.

[Mazer Rackham]

"So when do we move?" The Major regarded the map and the icons poised across it, gripping his chin with an idle hand.  His peaked cap was on the table and his brows were furrowed, deep with thought even as he spoke.  The others in the tent had not noticed Galvin, an invisible serf to the Lord Commander.

 

"Soon.  We'll wait until the Wanderer comes back into the fold."  A Lieutenant supplied, sandy hair slick with nervous sweat.

 

"Will that be enough of a distraction?" A deep voice came from someone Galvin couldn't see, being concealed at the back of the briefing bunker, hidden by crates of fortified wine.  His throat burned to crack them open and slake his panic, drown it with honeyed liquor.

 

"I would say so.  Hargreaves loves that beauty.  Once they are safely in the nest, Tarkov will give the signal."

Galvin sat aghast at the sedition he had just witnessed.  Some of the officers of his Regiment were conspiring against the Commander and it seemed that other Regiments were lending their aid.  He recognised the uniforms of the 139^th Fedorovan Huscarls, Colonel Dieter's 95^th 'Ironhides' Tank formation - even a pilot from the 59^th 'Jousting  Spears' Air Wing Detatchment!

 

"Dieter has to go as well, to fully exploit the situation." The deep voice demanded, insistent.

 

"It will drop the whole front.  They deserve it, what do we owe these weak fools anyway?  Nothing can stop us now."  Dark laughter followed and many of the assembled officers shared manic glances.  Galvin steeled himself and bit the meat of his hand to keep his nerve and silence. When they had left and sworn upon an icon that hurt his eyes, he tore from the bunker, heading for the command tent, where Lord Hargeaves sat smoking his usual pipe, unworried.

 

"My Lord!"  Galvin didn't even stop to consider, he began to spill everything he had witnessed.

 

"Well done, lad."  The Commander stood up, tapped out his pipe and led Galvin to a quiet part of the tent.  "I'll deal with it when the time is right, you were right to warn me."  He gruffed in the way he always did when maters were in hand.

 

"And what of Lady Isabella of the Ordo?  Should we warn her?"  Galvin watched Hargreaves' face fall and a new voice chilled his bones to ice.

 

"You had your chance to put him off, Rhodus,"  The deep voice from the bunker explained, stepping from the shadows, a great hulking mass of gene-forged muscle, "but we do it my way now."  The Space Marine drew his combat knife and advanced on Galvin, menacing.

 

"You won't get away with this - the Emperor sees all!"  Galvin protested, shrinking back.

 

"I don't think so.  When Wanderer returns, the Hydra will have his due.  Now you know it all, I'm afraid the only way to keep our confidence is quite final."  The Marine smiled, light gleaming from the edge of the knife.

 

"For the Emperor." Garvin said.

 

MR.

[Race Bannon]

Korvydae placed the pict-slate onto the table and looked to the Brother Sergeant standing at attention.  “Very good numbers, I believe.  Yet, Initiate Haqe does not show promise for promotion, would you agree?”

 

Burar had worked hard with the latest round of initiates and his current squad was showing excellent results compared to previous cohorts.  “I do not, Captain.”

 

“Did you hesitate, Brother?”

 

“I did.”  Knowing the Shadow Captain was not going to prompt further, Burar continued, “Brother Haqe’s abilities are excellent by the numbers.

 

“Ah, there’s the truth of the matter.  As I know him, the initiate openly displays alternative opinions to established procedures and plans.”

 

Burar was quick to retort, “this is a strength in our ranks, is it not?”  Burar relaxed, comfortable that the Shadow Captain was keen to learn before making any judgments.  Korvydae laced armored fingers together as a sign to hear more from the Sergeant.  It was Haqe who suggested changing the flight path of Umbra Squadron on Crusis II.  Although that delayed their arrival to battle as planned, their eventual contribution is what tipped the scales in our favor.  Were it not for Haqe’s persistence, I am sure the battle would have been lost that day.”

 

Nodding with appreciation, Korvydae replied, “that is a good sample, Brother Sergeant.  No doubt you could share more.”

 

Burar knew that was not a request.  “As needed, my Captain.”

 

Waving away the suggestion, Korvydae stood.  “Has Haqe any corvia,” he asked solemnly.

 

“He currently carries the honor of Brother Initiates Thros and Estair.  Both fell at the mining collective on Saint Ives.”  Burar recalled how Haqe seemed to shadow-step through a storm of Aeldari shuriken to retrieve the small talismans.

 

Korvydae looked at the Burar for several seconds.  “Do you believe Haqe is ready for the first Trial then?”

 

Burar stood a little straighter.  “Absolutely, Brother Captain.”