Ashes in the mud

Hope

The dawn was a pale line on the horizon, barely enough to see by, but it was there. The night had been long, longer than any night Elara could remember. The sky was still heavy with smoke, the ground littered with the bodies of men and metal. The fortress walls were cracked and scarred, the stone splintered from the impact of the Necron advance. But they were still standing. That was all that mattered.

Elara leaned against the wall, her breath coming in short gasps. The air was cold, biting at her skin. Her laspistol was nearly spent, the barrel scorched, her arm aching from holding it up so long. Around her, the men moved slowly, picking their way through the rubble, checking the wounded. She could hear the cries of the injured, the soft words of those trying to comfort them.

She turned her head, saw Harlok sitting against a broken piece of wall. His face was pale, smeared with grime and blood, but he smiled when he saw her. He raised a hand in a weak salute. "We're still here, Cadet," he said, his voice barely more than a rasp.

Elara nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. They were still here. That was enough.

Vorell approached, his auspex in hand, his face as tired as the rest of them. He looked at Elara, his eyes meeting hers. "Reinforcements," he said, and there was a hint of hope in his voice. "They're coming."

She nodded, her heart lifting at the words. Reinforcements. It was almost hard to believe. She turned to the horizon, her eyes scanning the haze. She could see the shapes, moving slowly, growing larger. They were coming.

The sound reached her first, the low rumble of engines. Not Valkyries, not the sleek transports of the Space Marines, but the heavy, lumbering shapes of Chimera transports, their tracks grinding over the uneven ground, their guns already aimed at the distant Necron forms.

The Chimeras moved in, the doors opening, men spilling out. The soldiers wore the colors of the Cadian regiments, their faces set, their weapons ready. They moved with purpose, taking up positions along the walls, their voices calling out orders.

Elara felt a weight lift from her shoulders. They weren't alone anymore. The line had held, and now there was more than just hope. There was strength.

Hedek approached, his uniform stained, his eyes as sharp as ever. He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "You disobeyed my orders, Cadet," he said, his voice flat. "You put everything at risk."

Elara met his gaze, her back straightening. "I made the decisions I had to make," she said. Her voice was calm, steady. "We're still standing."

Hedek watched her for a long moment, then nodded once. "We are," he said. "But don't think this makes you a hero." He paused, then added, almost quietly, "You did well."

Elara felt a warmth in her chest at his words. It wasn't praise, not really, but it was something. She looked away, her eyes on the horizon, the smoke slowly starting to clear.

The Chimeras pushed forward, their guns firing, the Necron forces pulling back. The light of dawn was growing stronger now, the sky turning from black to gray. She could see the shapes of the Necrons fading into the mist, their forms retreating, the fight slowly dying down.

Harlok struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on his sword. He moved beside her, his eyes on the retreating enemy. "Guess they had enough," he said, his grin weak. "Or maybe we're just that good."

Elara shook her head, but she smiled. "We held," she said. "That's all that mattered."

Vorell came up beside them, his face lined with exhaustion. "We'll need to regroup," he said. "There are still wounded."

Elara nodded. There was always more to do. Always another fight waiting, another battle to prepare for. But for now, they had won. The line had held, the fortress still stood, and the dawn was coming.

She looked back at Hedek, saw him watching her, a small nod of approval in his eyes. She nodded back, her heart steady now. She had done her part. They all had.

The men moved, slowly beginning to rebuild, to tend to the wounded, to count the cost of what they had survived. The sun was rising, the light cutting through the fog, pushing back the shadows.

And for the first time in a long while, Elara felt something she had almost forgotten.

She felt hope.