Ciaphas Cain: Choose Your Enemies

There now follows one of the lacunae in Cain’s narrative which typically occur whenever he feels nothing of interest has happened to him personally in the intervening period. A great deal happened in the month he so cavalierly glosses over, however, so – as is my habit under these circumstances – I’ve attempted to fill the gap with some supplementary material.

Unfortunately, as so often the case where his period of service with the 597th is concerned, the most accessible and reliable account is that of Jenit Sulla, whose undeniable strategic and tactical expertise never extended to the selection of an appropriate adjective; or, indeed, a mere one when a handful would do. Those readers whose literary sensibilities are too tender to withstand one of her attempts to beat the Gothic language into submission will find Cain mentions enough in passing to infer much of what follows when he picks up his own narrative, and can therefore skip ahead without too much loss of clarity, but those robust enough to grit their teeth and plough on regardless will be rewarded for their persistence with a more rounded view.

The choice is yours: I know which I would make.

From Like a Phoenix on the Wing: the Early Campaigns and Glorious ­Victories of the Valhallan 597th by General Jenit Sulla (retired), 101 M42

The baptism of fire which we received on disembarkation was, as we’d been forewarned, an early harbinger of the conflict to come, though by the grace of the Emperor, and the inspirational leadership of Commissar Cain, the perfidious eldar got an early taste of the defeat which became inevitable as soon as our women and men set foot on the welcoming snows of Drechia. Had it not been for the redoubtable commissar’s alertness and typical concern for those fortunate enough to serve with him, warning us all before carrying the fight to the enemy without a thought for his personal safety, things might well have gone far worse than they did.

But thanks to Commissar Cain we had an early and easy victory, which did much to swell the hearts and stiffen the resolve of the daughters and sons of Valhalla – a resolve which hardened rapidly to ice,19 inspiring us all to do our duty without fear or hesitation.

Indeed, at first we may even have been a trifle overconfident, as the tide of battle seemed to be turning in our favour with remarkable speed. The terrain we found ourselves in was ideal for skirmish warfare, being frequently wrapped in blizzards and lesser flurries which concealed our movements, and which enabled us to conduct a number of highly successful ambuscades. The last sight for many an eldar pirate was a Valhallan soldier rising from beneath the snow,20 lasgun or utility blade in hand to strike them down without mercy in the blessed name of Him on Earth.