04-01-YC122

I have had better celebrations of a New Year, it must be said.  I decided against destroying this diary quite yet, though this has been the first opportunity to write anything as Tribal attacks have been near constant.  We have fought them off each time, though careful to conserve ammuntion as much as possible.  We have had to withdraw deeper into the mine, and I have no idea of how the war elsewhere is going.  Slowly but surely our ammunition, grenades, and food deplete, though there seems to be reasonably fresh water in various spots in these tunnels, filtering through the countless layers of rock.  After a week here, however, the air is unpleasantly stifling and there is not one of us who is not covered in a layer of dust and grime.  Yet we blunt and repel each Tribal attack through a combination of resolve, Faith, and intelligent use of the defensive opportunities of our locale.  I am sure our little surprises here and there have accounted for more than half of enemy casualties, and if they do manage to get into close quarters we are more than happy to demonstrate our superior training.  In all truth, however, unless God grants us a miracle, with our own casualties steadily mounting, we cannot hold out forever, and we shall, sooner or later, make our last stand here.

I say a week here, but by that I mean a week in the mine itself, of course.  It is closer to three weeks since we first came to East Hav.  I pray that the Intelligence we gathered was worth this sacrifice.  I believe that it was, but time shall tell.  I have been careful not to state our objective here, though I should think that the more intelligent amongst them should, by now, be at least suspicious that we have attempted no breakout or negotiations on terms.  They must have come to the conclusion that we are holding this objective to the last for a reason.  They are correct, of course.

However, a breakout may be an option to consider.  We have done what we intended to do, and the Tribals have been, at least to a degree, occupied with attempting to either dislodge or overrun us.  Combined with the evacuation of the civilians, that should have ensured enough time for things to be set in place and motion.  A section, or perhaps even just a fireteam, whilst depleting our numbers further, would have the highest chance of making it out of the mine via the less well known portals and to friendly lines, assuming there are any such forces left on this planet.  Even if not, and they find it necessary to get off the planet, a smaller number would, I feel, more easily disappear and find their way back to the Empire, especially given the training we ensure our Household troops have.

It shall have to be done soon, however, before it is too late.  The Tribals are not going to give up their attempts to annihilate us.  They have even started sending in camera drones with their assaults, presumably to capture their victory and our last moments for their bloody and distasteful entertainment.

We shall be only to happy to oblige them a spectacular.