Ghostmaker is a Gaunt's Ghosts short story by Dan Abnett, first published in Inferno! magazine in 1997. In 2000, it was incorporated into a collected works novel, also named Ghostmaker, linked into the narrative by an overarching story which uses the original as it's first chapter.
Ghostmaker tells the story of how Gaunt came to Tanith, of the Founding, the fall of Tanith, and the regiment's first action at Blackshard. Chronologically, it is the first Gaunt's Ghosts story, although flashbacks in the series occur earlier in the timeline.
Plot Summary[]
Act I[]
Gaunt and his adjutant, a man named Sym, are riding a cutter from orbit to Tanith Magna on the forest world of Tanith, to oversee the induction of the freshly-raised regiments that he is to take command of. Initially asleep, Gaunt dreams of a forest burning before being woken by Sym, who has news of their plans for the day. Gaunt, impatient and weary of official ceremonies, tells Sym to arrange for the Tanith to begin embarkation of the transports immediately, rather than in a week as planned. Sym gossips that the Nal forests of Tanith move, and that some say they are touched by Chaos, which Gaunt takes to be nothing more than superstition.
On the ground, Gaunt's cutter is spotted from the Founding Fields by Tanith Guardsman Colm Corbec, who talks with his tent-mates Rawne and Larkin about who may be onboard, speculating that it must be someone of importance due to the markings on the shuttle.
Later, after a meeting with the Elector of Tanith, the planet's ruler who assures Gaunt of the quality of the new regiments, the Commissar receives warning that a large Chaos fleet has just transitioned into the system and is heading straight for Tanith. Gaunt immediately has a warning sent to Warmaster Macaroth about the danger to his rear, and orders as many of the men assembled to be loaded into the waiting transports as possible before the planet is overwhelmed.
As Gaunt is fighting to escape the embattled Tanith Magna, he encounters Sym who has been mortally wounded by a pair of Tanith soldiers desperate to get on board the last shuttle off-planet. In the process of dragging Sym to the shuttle, he is attacked by Chaos soldiers who kill Sym while he is attempting to save his commander from the enemies. Just as Gaunt is about to be overwhelmed, he is rescued by a young piper named Brin Milo who uses an abandoned emplaced weapon to kill the Chaos soldiers. Gaunt then takes the boy with him as an act of gratitude.
Act II[]
Aboard the Imperial frigate Navarre at a rendezvous point above Nameth, Gaunt meets with a deputation of Tanith men consisting of Corbec, Rawne and Milo who demand to know why he left Tanith to burn. Having previously learned of the lack of officers amongst the Tanith survivors, Gaunt somewhat mollifies the angry soldiers by informing them of Warmaster Slaydo's promise to him, that his command would earn the settlement rights to the first planet which they conquered, before promoting Corbec to Colonel and Rawne to Major and instructing them to make the necessary promotions amongst the men to fill in the remainder.
Act III[]
On the planet of Blackshard, elements of the Tanith First are ordered to support units from the 10th Royal Sloka regiment in an assault on a ruined citadel occupied by the forces of the Archenemy. Gaunt offers to take his men and scout ahead for Colonel Thoren, commander of the Slokans, as his unit are comprised of heavy infantry and therefore ill-suited to the task.
The Tanith men use their stealth abilities to neutralise any resistance in their way, and eventually encounter a bizarre artefact of Chaos beneath an old temple. Whilst Major Rawne sets demolition charges to destroy it, all of the Tanith men besides Gaunt retreat. Rawne, who despises Gaunt for abandoning his homeworld, attempts to kill the Commissar, but is knocked unconscious by him. Gaunt then carries him back to friendly lines.
In the aftermath, it is discovered that the destruction of the artefact has caused all of the citadels' defenders to commit suicide, opening the way for the rest of the Crusade forces, and Gaunt congratulates the regiment on their first blooding.
Trivia[]
- This is chronologically the first appearance of the Tanith First in the Gaunt's Ghosts story arc.
- Ghostmaker sees the first combat deployment of the Tanith First.