Steve Lyons’ Imperial Guard novella Iron Resolve is a gripping tale of duty and bravery as the proud, disciplined Mordian Iron Guard battle feral orks on the forest world of Kallash. Young trooper Lucius Myer, fighting in his first campaign since leaving Mordian, arrives wounded at an understaffed, overworked command post turned medical facility believing it offers safety away from the horrors of war, only to find himself defending it against endless waves of ferocious xenos. As the Mordians mount a hasty but fierce defence, Myer has to face his fears after all if he has any hope of surviving.
Set over the course of a single day, it opens with Myer’s delirious arrival at the medical facility, wounded but hopeful, only for his hopes to be dashed by an ominous pronouncement from his suspicious superior. There’s obviously more to Myer’s injury than he wants to let on, the full details of which are gradually revealed as he recuperates and recalls the events which led him to the predicament he finds himself in, even while his fellow Mordians are fighting and dying trying to keep the orks at bay. When the tide inevitably turns against the Imperials, it becomes clear that this is essentially the story of Zulu transposed to Warhammer 40,000, unashamedly channelling Rorke’s Drift even down to the famous “don’t shoot until you see the whites [or in this case reds] of their eyes” line.
It’s more than just a straightforward retelling, however. The desperate defence of a poorly-fortified compound against overwhelming numbers of bloodthirsty enemies certainly makes for a breathless, action-packed story, which does a great job of showing just how grim life is for the Imperial Guard. Dig a little deeper, however, and it’s a character-driven exploration of the uncomfortable realities of life for a soldier thrown into his first war and struggling to cope. For Myer, the discipline and bravery of the Mordians around him is something he doesn’t feel capable of living up to, and while he’s already buckled under the pressure, circumstances conspire to give him a second chance. As the orks close in and the stakes keep rising, with nowhere to go he’s forced step up or die, and learn what doing his duty really means.
Told with clear, no-nonsense prose and straightforward but effective storytelling, this is a powerful depiction of what it means to be Mordian Iron Guard, and the difference – or at least the impact – that one soldier can make if given the chance. At the same time, by contrasting Myer’s naive, inexperienced viewpoint with older characters variously offering weary acceptance and fierce, uncompromising determination, Lyons juxtaposes the burgeoning hope of a young man facing up to his fears with the characteristically dark 40k-ness of a world where we as readers know that any brief optimism is ultimately only fleeting. It all combines to form a pacy, entertaining read which offers both visceral action and an engaging emotional journey – exactly what an Imperial Guard story should! It’s very much worth picking up, albeit hard to put down.
