astion soon。 He
knew the images he was seeing on the remote pict…viewers did not capture the horror and carnage taking place outside。 Thousands
of men were streaming over the walls and it would only be a matter of time until the Mars and Dragon bastions came under attack
from their vulnerable rears。 If he let them； the men there would fight bravely； but they would die； and Tedeski would have no
more deaths on his conscience。
'Poulsen！' sighed Tedeski； wiping dust and sweat from his brow。
'Sir？'
'Send the 〃Heaven's Fall〃 signal to all company commanders and Castellan Vauban。'
'〃Heaven's Fall〃； sir？' queried Poulsen。
'Yes； damn you！' snapped Tedeski。 'Quickly； man！'
'Y…yes； sir；' nodded Poulsen hurriedly and ran off to pass the evacuation code to the vox operators。
Tedeski turned from his aide…de…camp and straightened his duty uniform jacket before addressing the remaining men and officers
standing with him in the Christo's command centre。
'Gentlemen； it is time you left this place。 It grieves me to say that Tor Christo is about to fall。 As the commanding officer； I am
ordering you to lead as many men as you can into the tunnels and make your way to the citadel。 Castellan Vauban will need every
man on the walls in the coming days and I will not deny him those men by sacrificing them needlessly here。'
Silence greeted his words until a junior officer asked； 'Will you not accompany us； sir？'
'No。 I will stay to overload the reactor and deny our foes this fortress。'
Tedeski raised his arm as objections were shouted。 'I have made up my mind and will not be argued with。 Now go！ Time is of the
essence！'
'THE HEAVEN'S FALL signal has been sent from Tor Christo； arch magos；' reported Magos Naicin； staring at the encrypted voxthief
before him。
'So soon？' hissed Amaethon； and though his flesh had lost any true emotive qualities； Naicin saw a passable approximation of
genuine alarm cross the face of the arch magos。
'It appears that the men of the Guard are weaker than even I feared；' said Naicin sadly。
'We must protect ourselves！ The citadel must not fall！'
'It must not；' agreed Naicin。 'What would you have me do； arch magos？'
'Blow the tunnel； Naicin！ Do it now！'
CAPTAIN POULSEN HURRIED down the carved steps； clutching bundles of paper folders and an armful of data…slates。 The fear was
unlike anything he had felt before。 He'd never been on the front line before； his talents in organisation and logistics making him
much more valuable to the command echelons behind the line。
But standing on the walls of the Kane bastion with shells exploding all around him； he'd felt the bowel…loosening terror of an
artillery bombardment and was desperately grateful he had been spared the horror of combat。 Hundreds of men thronged the
tunnels beneath the keep； descending into the depths of the promontory and heading for the wide cavern…tunnel that led back to the
citadel。 Similar underground passageways allowed the men from the flanking bastions to escape； though it was too late for the
men in Kane bastion。
It was inevitable that some men would have to die so that the others might live。
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
Weak illumination from the glow…globes strung from the ceiling cast a fitful light over the soldiers around him。 Fearful and guilty
expressions were writ large across his fellow officers' faces。 Dust drifted from the ceiling and sputtering recyc…units struggled to
keep the air moving in the hot； stagnant underground。
Eventually； the steps ended and the tunnel widened into a large； roughly circular cavern with passages leading off into the rock
beneath Tor Christo。 Men from the Dragon and Mars bastions were already streaming from these tunnels； yellow…coated provosts
attempting to impose a semblance of order of the retreat with limited success。 Major Tedeski's order to withdraw was being
obeyed with speed。 Four giant； blast…shielded elevator doors studded one wall and； ahead； the cavern narrowed to a well…lit
underground highway； nearly twelve metres wide and seven high。
Normally this level of the fort was used to move artillery and ordnance between Tor Christo and the citadel； but it was equally
well…suited for large scale movements of troops。 Poulsen jostled alongside sweating troopers； the shouts of fiie provosts and
soldiers almost deafening。 The heaving mass of men moved towards the main tunnel and Poulsen felt himself being carried along
with it。 An elbow dug painfully into his side and he yelped； dropping the armful of data…slates to the painted floor。
The bureaucrat in him took over and he fell to his knees to gather up the fallen slates； cursing under his breath as a booted foot
crunched the nearest one to splinters。 A hand grabbed him and hauled him roughly upright。
'Leave them！' snarled a grim…faced provost。 'Keep moving。'
Poulsen was about to protest at this rough treatment； when the ground shook and cries of alarm echoed around the cavern。 A rain
of dust dropped from the roof and an eerie quiet descended upon the chamber。
'What was that？' breathed Poulsen。 'Artillery？'
'No；' hissed the provost。 'We wouldn't hear artillery down here。 That was something else。'
'Then what？'
'I don't know； but I don't like the sound of it。'
Another louder vibration shook the cavern； then another。 Shouts of alarm turned to cries of terror as Poulsen saw a hellish orange
glow race towards them down the main tunnel； followed by a furious whooshing roar。 Poulsen watched the approaching glow with
incomprehension。 What was happening？
His unasked question was suddenly answered as someone shouted； 'Emperor's Blood； they're blowing the tunnel！'
Blowing the tunnel？ That was inconceivable！ While there were men still here？ Castellan Vauban would never give such an order。
This couldn't be happening。 Hundreds of soldiers turned in panic and attempted to race back into the tunnels they had recently
fled； pushing their comrades aside in terror。 Men fell and were trampled underfoot as the terrified men of the Jourans stampeded
back from the collapsing tunnel。
Poulsen stumbled backwards； dropping the slates he had collected from the floor； all thoughts of their worth forgotten。 Explosions
of demolition charges marched their way along the tunnel； bringing down thousands of tonnes of rock upon the trapped men of the
Guard within it。
He staggered back towards the clogged tunnel he had just come from； clawing at the men in front of him； desperate to escape。
The main tunnel suddenly exploded in fire and noise； rubble blasting from its mouth； crashing and burning hundreds of men in an
instant。 Poulsen wrenched a man from in front of him； and pushed his way forwards as he heard an ominous crack from the ceiling
above him。 A demolition charge set in the centre of the cavern's roof exploded； showering the soldiers below in chunks of rock
and collapsing the entire cavern roof。
Poulsen screamed as falling rocks pummelled him to the ground； smashing his skull and crashing his body to a jellied pulp。
Nearly three thousand men joined him in death as the tunnel between the citadel and Tor Christo was sealed。
MAJOR TEDESKI SWIGGED from a bottle of amasec as he stared at the pict…viewer displaying the exterior of the keep； watching
thousands of soldiers in red swamp the walls of his fortress。 Mars and Dragon bastions were thronged with enemy soldiers； firing
their weapons into the air and cheering at their victory。 He'd watched in fury as his captured soldiers were lined up and shot
against the bastion walls or herded into the trenches and set alight with flamers。 Tedeski had never felt such a strong hatred before。
A grim smile touched his lips as he pictured sending these bastards to hell。
He took another drink from the bottle and nodded slowly。 The command centre was empty except for himself and Magos Yelede；
who sat dejectedly in the corner。 The machine priest had protested at being ordered to stay behind； but Tedeski had told him that
he would either stay willingly or he would be shot。
Tedeski drained the last of the bottle and turned away from the sickening atrocities being committed within his walls。 He gripped
Magos Yelede's robes； hauling him to his feet。
'Come on； Yelede。 Time to earn your keep。'
Tedeski dragged the reluctant magos from the control centre； through a maze of corridors and security sealed barriers before
descending in a key…controlled elevator to the power chamber far below the keep。 As the elevator rumbled downwards； a
pounding vibration shook the elevator car； the lights flickering and metal squealing as it ground against the walls of the shaft。
'What the hell？' began Tedeski as the elevator began its downward journey again。
No sooner had the elevator doors opened than Tedeski pushed Magos Yelede out into the featureless grey corridor that led
towards the reactor chamber。 He tried to raise Captain Poulsen and the rest of his company commanders on the vox； but met with
no success and his worry grew with each step。
The powerful shockwave had felt like some vast； underground detonation and as far as he knew there was only one way such a
detonation could have occurred。 But surely Castellan Vauban would never have allowed the Adeptus Mechanicus to destroy the
tunnel and cut off thousands of men from their retreat？ A terrible sinking feeling settled in his gut and he fervently hoped his
suspicions were unfounded。
At last they arrived at the main doors to the reactor chamber and Tedeski stood aside to allow the machine priest to access the
entry controls。
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
'Open the damn door！' snapped Tedeski when Yelede failed to move。
'I cannot； Major Tedeski。'
'What？ Why the hell not？'
'I have been given instructions not to allow this facility to be destroyed。'
Tedeski slammed Yelede against the wall and drew his bolt pistol； shouting； 'If you don't open that door； I will shoot you in the
head！'
'Anything you can threaten me with is irrelevant； major；' protested Yelede。 'I have been given a sacred order by my superiors and I
cannot disobey it。 Our word is iron。'
'And my bolt is 0。75 calibre； diamantine tipped with a depleted uranium core and if you don't open this bloody door right now； I
will fire it through your poor excuse for a brain。 Now open the damn doo