Hellsreach - Aaron Dembski-Bowden [38]
‘I know.’
‘There’s nothing in the Dead Lands. Not a thing.’
‘I know, major.’
‘So do we have any idea why they landed a force there that looks large enough to take a city?’
‘Tacticians suggest the enemy is establishing a spaceport there. Or a colony.’
Ryken snorted, letting the picts drop back onto her desk.
‘The tacticians are drunk,’ he said. ‘Every man, woman and child knows why the xenos come here: to fight. To fight until either they’re all dead, or we are. They don’t raise the greatest armada in history just to pitch tents at the south pole and raise ugly alien babies.’
‘The fact remains,’ Tyro gestured to the prints, ‘that the enemy is there. Their distance across the ocean puts them out of reach for air strikes. No flyers would reach us without needing to refuel several times. They could just as easily set up airstrips in the wastelands much nearer the hive cities. In fact, we can already see they’re doing just that.’
‘What about the oil platforms?’ he asked.
‘The platforms?’ she shook her head, not sure where he was leading with this.
‘You’re kidding me,’ Ryken said. ‘The Valdez oil platforms. Didn’t you study Helsreach before you were posted here? Where do you think half of the hive cities in Armageddon Secundus get their fuel from? They take it in here from the offshore platforms and cook it into promethium for the rest of the continent.’
Tyro already knew this. She let him have his moment of feigned indignity.
‘I paid attention,’ she smiled, ‘in basic economics. The platforms are protected from these southernmost raiders by the same virtue we are. It’s just too far to strike at them.’
‘Then with all due respect, ma’am, why did you pull me off the wall? I have duties to perform.’
And here it was. She had to deal with this matter delicately.
‘I… would appreciate your assistance. First, I must disseminate this information among the other officers.’
‘You don’t need my help for that. You need access to a vox-caster, and you’re sitting in a building full of them. Why should they care, anyway? What does a potential colony of the enemy on the polar cap have to do with the defence of the hive?’
‘High Command has informed me that the matter is to be considered Helsreach’s problem. We are – relatively speaking – the closest city.’
Ryken laughed. ‘Would they like us to invade? I’ll get the men ready and tell them to wrap up warm and lay siege to the south pole. I hope the orks outside the city respect the fact we’ll be absent for the rest of the siege. They look like sporting gentlemen. I’m sure they’ll wait for us to return to the hive before attacking again.’
‘Major.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘High Command has informed me to spread the information and let all officers be aware of the concern. That is all. No invasions. And it is not what I require your aid with.’
‘Then what is it?’
‘Grimaldus,’ she said.
‘Is that a fact? Problems with the Emperor’s finest?’
‘This is a serious matter,’ Tyro frowned.
‘Fair enough. But talk from the Vultures said that he was finally getting involved. They apparently got one hell of a speech.’
‘He performed his duties on the wall with great skill and devotion.’ She still wasn’t smiling. ‘That is not the problem at hand.’
Ryken let his raised eyebrow do the talking.
Tyro sighed. ‘The problem is one of contact and mediation. He refuses to talk to me.’ She paused, as if considering something for the first time. ‘Perhaps because I’m female.’
‘You’re serious,’ Ryken said. ‘You truly believe that.’
‘Well… He has bonded with the male officers, hasn’t he?’
Ryken thought that was debatable. He’d heard that the only commander in the city Grimaldus had treated with anything more than disdainful impatience was the ancient woman that led the Legio Invigilata. And even that was just rumour.
‘It’s not because you’re female,’ the major said. ‘It’s because you’re useless.’
The pause lasted several seconds, during which