V2 Chapter 120: Walk Into the Trap.
In the day that followed, the exercise was held at the state it had reached after the landing phase.
The 112th Combined Battle Group had completed the first phase of transport landings. Units had established temporary billets around Tanith's major settlements, and anti-aircraft positions, alert posts, communications relays, and field medicae stations had all been placed according to Duvette's instructions.
But the second phase of the exercise had not begun.
The Tanith recruits had been dispersed across several temporary camps, running basic coordination drills during the day and placed on standby through the nights. Gaunt found quickly that the waiting was harder on them than the training, because Tanith people did not respond well to being held in place without a reason they could see.
The 112th Combat Group's people had fewer complaints.
They were accustomed to following orders from all manner of Imperial command structures, and Duvette's orders had at least not sent them to die pointlessly. But the local Tanith officials and the Departmento Munitorum staff could not work out what the Major General-Commissar was still waiting for.
"Duvette. Why haven't you started the next phase of the exercise? We cannot afford to waste any more time."
Villent's projection flickered on the hololithic communicator in front of Duvette, interference running through the image at intervals. The Admiral's expression was not pleasant, and behind him the tactical lights on the Resolute's bridge pulsed continuously.
"There is no need to rush. Trust me, Villent."
Duvette was adjusting defensive positions on the data-slate in his hand while he spoke. Several anti-aircraft fire positions still needed to be moved, particularly the overlapping coverage zones around Magna's outer perimeter and near Attica's spaceport.
He passed the last set of adjustments to Chief of Staff Evan beside him. "Push those three positions another hundred and fifty metres toward the forest edge. Don't waste the value of having Tanith guides on hand."
"Understood, sir." Evan took the data-slate and turned immediately to go.
Villent's brow tightened in the hololithic image.
"What are you waiting for?"
Anyone paying attention could see by now that this Major General-Commissar was holding for something specific.
Duvette was quiet for two seconds, then gave a direct nod and acknowledged it. "I believe there is a Chaos fleet that escaped Balhaut that intends to hit this world."
Villent stared at him through the projection. "So you are sitting here under the exercise designation, waiting for it to arrive."
"Not entirely." Duvette picked up a second data-slate. "Even without an attack, the exercise can continue. The three Tanith regiments need integration time, and the 112th needs to work them in as well."
Villent exhaled.
"You are wasting everyone's time. When the Marshal finds out, even with me speaking for you, you will very likely be pulled off this line."
His voice dropped slightly. "During the transit here, the Marshal has already relieved a number of commanders who allowed opportunities to slip. The expedition's pace is accelerating, Duvette. You understand what that means."
"I do." Duvette said.
"And you are still going to wait?"
Duvette looked at the tactical display in front of him, his finger resting on several intercept positions in the outer orbital layer above Tanith.
"Three days at the outside." He gave that as his final commitment. "Three days, and if..."
Before he finished the sentence, someone on Villent's side of the projection moved quickly to the Admiral's shoulder and said something in a low voice.
The Admiral's face changed.
Duvette's hand went still as well.
Villent looked back at the projection, his voice settling into something heavier.
"Much as I dislike having to say it, you were right, Duvette."
A brief pause.
"They're here."
The Chaos fleet that came for Tanith was a medium raiding force.
It comprised a Murder-class cruiser as its flagship, four light cruisers, more than twenty escort warships, and six large armed transports. In the original sequence of events, a force of this scale was sufficient to destroy Tanith entirely and kill everyone on it.
They came out of the Warp and went immediately to combat speed.
The Chaos fleet did not spend time dressing its formation. Every vessel drove toward Tanith on the shortest available route. The Murder-class cruiser held position at the formation's centre. The light cruisers spread across the flanks. The escort warships pushed out ahead like a pack that had scented something.
They had no idea that in the shadows of the surrounding planets, an Imperial fleet had already formed its ambush.
Admiral Villent stood on the bridge of the Resolute and looked at the hololithic chart.
The suggestion Duvette had made earlier, which had seemed somewhat excessive at the time, had turned out to have value. Under the cover of a navigation exercise designation, the fleet had dispersed into the shadow areas of several outer system planets in advance, completing a silent deployment before any enemy arrived.
Several cruiser detachments were concealed behind a gas giant.
The radiation bands, magnetic interference, and thermal noise from that planet were sufficient to confuse long-range augury readings. The Imperial ships had shut down their main drives and drifted in low-power mode inside the planet's shadow, maintaining only minimum shielding, passive augury reception, and life support.
It was not comfortable.
Many areas of each ship had been running on reduced power. The naval crews had been waiting in dimmed lighting for orders. But it had given them the positioning they needed.
Villent watched the enemy fleet advance along its projected course through the hololithic chart, and a somewhat absurd thought surfaced.
Perhaps Duvette actually was the Living Saint those people kept claiming he was.
He pushed the thought away immediately.
Villent did not use divine intervention to explain tactical problems. But he also had to acknowledge that Duvette had read the enemy's direction, timing, and target with precision that defied explanation through ordinary assessment.
His aides were reporting steadily from all detachments.
Four cruisers, each with six escorts, were concealed behind the gas giant, waiting for the enemy fleet to push deeper into the system. On Tanith's near-approach corridor, only the Resolute and the Silent Verdict were maintaining a visible presence, sitting in Tanith's near orbit like two isolated defence ships with nowhere to go.
The Salamanders' strike cruiser was running on minimum power in the orbital shadow of Tanith's night side.
Its role was clear.
When the enemy's transport vessels separated and attempted to put landing forces onto the surface, the Salamanders would cut out from the night side and sever that spearhead. For this engagement, Fourth Company under Harath Shen had committed fully.
Those Chaos ships would not be expecting to find an entire fleet waiting for them around what looked like a defenceless forest world.
Villent watched the enemy's track across the hololithic chart.
The Chaos fleet was still accelerating. They clearly believed that only the Resolute and the Silent Verdict were in the orbital space above Tanith. One high-speed assault, knock both Imperial ships out of action, and then turn the clearing below into fire.
"Admiral. Enemy fleet approaching first designated engagement zone."
Villent raised his hand and tapped the command surface lightly. His gaze went cold.
"They've come far enough."
Every voice on the bridge dropped slightly.
Villent turned to his aide. "Issue combat readiness orders to all detachments. Maintain silence until the enemy flagship is fully inside the crossfire envelope."
"Yes, Admiral."
"Resolute. Void shields to combat power. Macro-cannon arrays to preheat. Lance weapons lock on the enemy flagship."
"Aye!"
"Notify the Silent Verdict. Hold position as planned and draw the enemy's fire. Tell Lord Inquisitor Heinz that I am requesting he remain on his current bearing."
The aide gave a sharp nod. "Yes, sir."
Villent looked back at the chart.
The Chaos fleet had no idea what they were sailing into.
On the display, they were still pushing toward Tanith. They believed they were about to take an unprepared recruitment world. They had not seen the darkness around them, and they had not seen the Imperial noose already beginning to close.
Villent drew a breath and let his voice fill the bridge.
"All ships. Prepare for engagement."
"Wait for my order."
"Not one enemy vessel leaves the Tanith system."