139-142.M41 - OMENS OF DARKNESS?

139-142.M41 ——黑暗前兆

THE ARX RAID?

ARX掠襲

Although the bulk of the Imperium's defences around the Eye of Terror are based in the area known as the Cadian Gate, there are many monitoring stations throughout the Segmentum Obscurus. These outposts are constantly raided and attacked by the Emperor's foes, but during the mid-second century of the 41st millennium, the number of these attacks dramatically increased. Most important of all, in the eyes of scholars, is the attack on the watch station at Arx. Due to its low priority and importance, Arx was inhabited by only a skeleton garrison of Imperial Guard. whose duty it was to protect the few Tech-adepts required to maintain the station's observation equipment.

雖然人類帝國在恐懼之眼周邊建立的防御，大部分都是以被稱為“卡迪亞之門”的區(qū)域為基地，但朦朧星域各處也被設置了眾多監(jiān)測站。這些前哨不斷遭受著帝皇之敵的掠襲和進攻，但在第41個千年第二個世紀的中葉，進攻次數(shù)顯著增加。在學者們看來，其中最重要的是發(fā)生于Arx世界處監(jiān)視站的進攻。由于Arx的優(yōu)先性和重要性較低，當?shù)貎H有一支最小規(guī)模的帝國衛(wèi)隊駐軍，其職責是保護負責維護觀測設備的少量技術(shù)教士。

Early in 139.M41,the scout frigate Ascendance received a garbled plea for help from Arx station's ageing?Astropath. The attackers were unknown and when reinforcements arrived four months later, there was no sign of those responsible. The Imperial Guardsmen stationed on the planet had been wiped out. As Captain Thetis of the 122nd Borlian Imperial Guard wrote in his journal.

在139.M41早期，偵查護衛(wèi)艦“主權(quán)”號接受到了含糊其辭的求救信號，發(fā)送者是Arx空間站中那位蒼老的星語者，襲擊者未知。當增援部隊在四個月后抵達時，現(xiàn)場沒有表明襲擊者身份的痕跡。駐扎在星球上的帝國衛(wèi)軍們已被抹除干凈。Borlian第122帝國衛(wèi)隊團的連長瑟提斯在其手記中寫到：

"They had been horribly butchered, their mutilated bodies left to the ever present scavenging wild dogs that are Arx's only natural predators."?

“他們被殘忍屠殺，殘缺不全的尸身被丟給了Arx上僅有的天然掠食者——那些四處覓食的野狗們?！?/p>

The Inquisition sent one of their agent, the experienced Inquisitor Horst, but there was little evidence for him to uncover.?

審判庭派出了自己的一位特工——經(jīng)驗豐富的審判官霍斯特，但他也幾乎沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)什么證據(jù)。

If Arx had been the only outpost attacked in this way, the raid would have become just another intriguing riddle in a galaxy full of mysteries, soon to be forgotten. However, over the next three years a number of similar attacks were reported throughout the neighbouring systems and spreading into the adjacent sectors. and Inquisitor Horst began to suspect that some larger scheme was in motion. However, with no proof to support his instincts or identify the attackers, he decided to watch and wait for his enigmatic enemy to make another move.?

倘若Arx是被以此種方式襲擊的唯一前哨，那這場掠襲就只會成為這個謎團遍布的銀河中的另一次神秘事件，并被很快遺忘。然而在之后的三年中，周邊的各個星系都報告了多次類似的襲擊，且此類事件還蔓延到了臨近的星區(qū)們。審判官開始推測有某些更大規(guī)模的陰謀正在進行。但并沒有證據(jù)能支持他的直覺（猜測）并證明襲擊者身份，霍斯特便決定進行觀望，并等待自己的神秘敵人采取另一步行動。

A PLAGUE OF DAMNATION?

詛咒瘟疫

Just over a year after the Arx raid, several patrol vessels made grisly discoveries in the Athena Sector. A number of Imperial merchant vessels and warships, one of them an Emperor class battleship, were found drifting uncontrolled through wilderness space. Upon being boarded, it was found that the crews of the ships were all dead, their disease ridden corpses strewn along corridors and gantries, some found still at their workstations. Xebal Astolax, Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus, listed the various symptoms he encountered on his examination of corpses from the merchant vessel Shanxi.?

就在Arx掠襲事件過去一年多之后，數(shù)艘巡邏艦船在Athena星區(qū)有了可怕的發(fā)現(xiàn)。多艘帝國商船和戰(zhàn)艦被發(fā)現(xiàn)不受控制地漂浮在荒蠻空間中，其中甚至包括一艘帝皇級戰(zhàn)列艦。一經(jīng)登上這些飛船，調(diào)查隊便發(fā)現(xiàn)船員們已全部死亡，遍布疫病的尸體散落在走廊中和龍門架上，某些死者被發(fā)現(xiàn)時仍待在自己的工位上。機械修會生化賢者，澤巴爾 阿斯托萊斯，列出了自己在檢查“珊?！碧柹檀洗瑔T尸體時遇到的各種癥狀。

"The skin was blistered with many weeping sores, the blood thin and watery. Fungal growths were found within the brain cavity, which must have caused extreme pain and delirium when the victims were still alive."

“皮膚上遍布淚痕，血液稀薄。顱腔內(nèi)被發(fā)現(xiàn)有真菌贅生物，受害者在仍然活著時便遭受了劇烈的疼痛與精神失常?！?/p>

Each ship also bore the scars of a brief space battle and signs of being boarded, though no enemy dead could be found.?

每艘飛船上都帶有短暫的太空戰(zhàn)斗所造成的傷痕，以及被跳幫的痕跡，但調(diào)查隊未能發(fā)現(xiàn)敵軍遺體。

As Inquisitor Horst puzzled over these new developments, his many agents and spies brought more news. A rumour was spreading amongst the captains of the Imperial Navy concerning an ancient, despised Chaos ship known as the Plagueclaw. Crewed by pestilential followers of the God of Decay, this ship had been the scourge of the Imperial Navy for four millennia. The infection of the ships' crews and the reappearance of the Plagueclaw must have been more than coincidence and when a force of Chaos Marines from the Death Guard Traitor Legion sacked the hive world of Morganghast, Horst was convinced that the forces of Chaos were planning another major incursion. The watchposts around the Cadian Gate were put on close alert and Navy ships from all over the Segmentum Obscurus were detailed on increased patrols around Cadia.?

就在審判官霍斯特對于這些新發(fā)展（狀況）百思不得其解的同時，他手下的眾多特工與間諜也帶來了更多新情況。帝國海軍的艦長們之間正在傳播一條謠言，內(nèi)容是關(guān)于一艘被輕視的古老混沌艦船——“瘟疫利爪”號。這艘飛船被腐敗之神那些引發(fā)瘟疫的信徒們駕駛著，它為帝國海軍帶來災禍的時間已有四千年之久。船員們遭受的感染與瘟疫利爪號的重新出現(xiàn)必然不只是巧合，而當一支來自叛徒軍團死亡守衛(wèi)的混沌星際戰(zhàn)士部隊出現(xiàn)在巢都世界Morganghast時，霍斯特確信混沌勢力正在計劃另一次重大入侵?？ǖ蟻喼T周邊的監(jiān)視哨站都進入了嚴密監(jiān)控狀態(tài)，朦朧星域各地的海軍艦船都被派往卡迪亞周邊，增加巡邏力度。

ANARCHY SPREADS

亂局叢生

While Inquisitor Horst investigated the Chaos activity around Arx and its neighbouring systems, events began to take an even more sinister turn in the Gothic Sector. 2500 light years away. The Navigators of the Navis Nobilite reported greater disturbance within the warp around the region, the incidence of warp storms gradually increasing as the year went on. On many worlds, this news was received with panic. a situation which was made more precarious by several religious fanatics declaring that the Emperor was displeased and was sending warp storms to purge the unholy.?

就在霍斯特審判官調(diào)查Arx周邊及其鄰近星系中的混沌活動的同時，2500光年之外的哥特星區(qū)中的局勢開始變得更加險惡。導航者們報告稱，該區(qū)域周圍的亞空間內(nèi)部有著更大規(guī)模的擾動，隨著時間推移，亞空間風暴的發(fā)生概率在逐漸增加。在很多世界上，人們都在恐慌中收到了這些信息；而由于很多宗教狂熱信徒宣稱：這是帝皇不悅的表現(xiàn)，怹正在放出亞空間風暴以凈化不潔者，局勢變得更加不穩(wěn)。

This led to a number of sects forming,members stricken with feelings of impending doom. They were desperate for the Emperor's forgiveness and as the shocked preacher of Flexeberg noted:

這導致了諸多教派的形成，其中的成員們都因感覺到即將到來的末日而倍受煎熬。他們迫切希望得到皇帝的寬恕，正如震驚的弗萊克斯伯格牧師所言:

"They spend their whole time flagellating themselves to purish?their souls, decrying the excesses of their fellow men and driving their neighbours to cast out the sinful and purge their own blasphemies. Though very laudable behaviour in itself they have forgotten their sacred duties to the Emperor — while they wail and gnash their teeth, the coffers rattle emptily!"?

“他們將所有時間都用于自我鞭撻，以凈化自己的靈魂；他們譴責自己同胞們的過分行為，并迫使他們的鄰居驅(qū)逐罪人，凈化其褻瀆舉動。盡管這些行為本身值得稱贊，但人們也忘記了自己對于帝皇的神圣職責——當他們哀嚎、咬牙切齒地咒罵別人時，我們的金庫卻變得空空蕩蕩！”

On many planets, the cults?became very powerful, swelled by popular support to such a degree that the Ecclesiarchy (and sometimes even the planetary govemment), could do?nothing to stop the rampaging hordes. As the hysteria spread. lynch mobs roamed hive cities and mining colonies seeking the impure. Impromptu burnings and hangings became commonplace as the desperate citizens threw themselves into a fervour of apocalyptic faith, scouring their friends and loved ones to atone for real or imagined sins against the Emperor. Yet it was to no avail. Fleet-Admiral Bratha, when sending a message?to the naval base at Port Maw, lamented.

在很多星球上，此類教派都變得極具影響力，他們在民眾們的支持下變得極其膨脹，以至于國教教會（有時甚至是行星政府）都無法阻止那些暴虐妄為的群氓。隨著歇斯底里情緒蔓延開來，暴民們在巢城和采礦殖民地中游蕩著，尋找不潔之物處以私刑。即興而起的火刑與絞刑成為常態(tài)，絕望的公民們沉浸在末日信仰的狂熱中，讓親朋們?yōu)槠鋵Φ刍史赶碌幕蛘婊蚣俚淖镄卸H罪。但這一切都無濟于事。在向巨口港的海軍基地發(fā)送某條信息時，海軍上將巴拉薩哀嘆到：

"And still the warp swirls and rages. and the situation becomes ever more desperate."?

“亞空間中仍在暴怒攪動，局勢變得更為絕望?！?/p>

Under cover of widespread paranoia, secret cults and covens insinuated themselves into positions of power, subverting ever more people to their twisted causes. Misguided followers of the Dark Gods openly proclaimed that Chaos would save humanity when the Emperor had turn from them. Thousands. even millions, of Imperial citizens were deluded by false promise, flocking to these calls. and the Inquisition was hard pressed to root out every cult members, deviant and heretic. To make the situation worse, several naval vessels were destroyed in dock, by reactor overloads and magazine explosions. Though official reports declared the incidents the result of poor maintenance, faulty ammunition or other ordinary causes. many readily believed the tales of sabotage and rebellion within the Navy's own ranks.?

無端妄想廣泛傳播開來，而在其掩護下，秘密的邪教與巫師團體逐漸篡奪了權(quán)力，策反更多的人加入他們扭曲的勾當。被誤導的黑暗諸神信徒們公開宣稱：當?shù)刍史艞壢祟悤r，混沌會拯救眾生。虛假的承諾哄騙了數(shù)千乃至數(shù)百萬帝國平民，成群的人們響應著這些號召。審判庭要鏟除邪教成員、異常者和異端分子，他們面臨著嚴峻壓力。而讓情況更糟的是，數(shù)艘海軍艦船在船塢中被摧毀，原因是反應堆過載和彈藥庫爆炸。盡管官方報告中稱，是缺乏維護、彈藥故障或其他普通原因引發(fā)了事故，但很多人都樂意相信海軍內(nèi)部存在叛變者和內(nèi)部破壞。

THE HAND OF DARKNESS?

黑暗之手

While the Gothic Sector was being engulfed in anarchy and confusion, Horst was searching for more clues to the plans of the heretics. When he heard of a Chaos attack on the Imperial world of Purgatory, he demanded to accompany the investigating fleet. There was?one thing which made Purgatory different from the dozens of other raids — the device known only as the Hand of Darkness. existence known only to a few of the most trusted members of the Inquisition, the Hand of Darkness was an incredibly ancient alien artefact located deep beneath the surface of Purgatory. All attempts to divine its purpose had proved fruitless, yet distant legends, from older races such as?the Eldar, spoke of the?Hand of Darknes with horror and revulsion. It was widely believed to be?a weapon of immeasurable power, although its exact functioning was a mystery. When Horst arrived at Purgatory, the Inquisitor's deepest fears had come true — the Hand of Darkness was?gone. If the followers of Chaos learned how to activate this unimaginably potent weapon, who could tell what destructive power they could unleash on the forces of the Imperium??

當哥特星區(qū)遍布混亂無序和困惑的同時，霍斯特正在尋找關(guān)于異端分子們計劃的更多線索。當聽說帝國世界Purgatory上出現(xiàn)混沌襲擊時，他要求陪同調(diào)查艦隊一并前往。有一件事物令Purgatory事件不同于其他數(shù)十起掠襲——被稱為“黑暗之手”的裝置，其存在僅為審判庭中少數(shù)最受信賴的成員們所知，這件古老到不可思議的異星人造物位于Purgatory地下深處。探測黑暗之手目的（用途）的一切嘗試都是徒勞的，不過在那些來自諸如艾爾達人之類更古老種族的遙遠傳說，曾帶著恐懼與厭惡講述過黑暗之手。人們普遍相信它是一件威力不可估計的武器，不過其具體運作（方式）仍是個謎。當霍斯特抵達Purgatory時，審判官最畏懼的事情成了真——黑暗之手消失了。如果混沌信徒們學會了如何啟動這件強大到難以想象的武器，誰又知道他們能向帝國部隊釋放出怎樣的破壞性力量？

THE INVASION OF ORNSWORLD

ORNSWORLD入侵

Horst knew of another artefact connected to thc Hand of Darkness in the old myths. Called the Eye of Night, it was located on the Ratting planet of Ornsworld. As Horst sped towards it on the fastest ship he?could commandeer, a report came in of an attack on the Ratlings. A small force of renegades had landed close to where the Eye was?embedded in an ancient statue, worshipped as a god by the Railings in pre-Imperial times. After a brief skirmish, an Imperial Guard recruiting force stationed near to the Chaos force's landing site drove off this initial foray. However, a month later Chaos ships blockaded Ornsworld and a full scale invasion began. The defenceless?Railings stood no chance against the depraved Chaos Marines and the death toll reached millions as?the hills and mountains were scoured with fire and shells by the followers of the Dark Gods. Lieutenant Compton-Hawkins, attached to the recruitment team, recorded the scenes that followed the attack:?

霍斯特知道，在古代神話中，還有另一件與黑暗之手相關(guān)的造物。這件被稱為“暗夜之眼”的裝備位于拉特林人定居的Ornsworld星球。就在霍斯特登上自己能指揮的最快飛船，迅速趕往Ornsworld星球時，一條關(guān)于（當?shù)兀├亓秩嗽馐芤u擊的報告?zhèn)鱽?。暗夜之眼被鑲嵌在了一座古代雕像上——在帝國到來之前，拉特林人將塑像作為神明來崇拜；一小群變?jié)者降落在了那附近。在短暫的沖突之后，駐扎在混沌部隊登陸點附近的一支帝國衛(wèi)軍征兵部隊擊退了最初的突襲。然而，混沌戰(zhàn)艦在一個月后封鎖了Ornsworld，開始了一次完全規(guī)模的入侵。面對墮落的星際戰(zhàn)士們，沒有防備的拉特林人們毫無勝算。黑暗諸神的信徒們用烈火與炮彈掃清了丘陵與山脈，數(shù)百萬人被屠殺。附屬于征兵部隊的中尉——康普頓 霍金斯記錄了襲擊發(fā)生后的場景。

"Piles of Railing skulls towered over the plains, funeral pyres blackened the skies as the Traitors systematically wiped out everything in their path.The small settlement of Estnerelda's Dale is now but a smoking crater,?the bones of its 4.000 inhabitants crushed to powder and scattered over the surrounding area. A powerful seismic detonator brought down the (mountainside of) the Great Belly, sweeping away seven towns and 82.000 Ratlings. in a tide of crushing boulders and boiling mud slides."?

“平原上高高聳立著拉特林人顱骨堆成的立柱，由于叛徒們系統(tǒng)性地掃清了擋在自己路上的一切，火葬柴堆熏黑了天空。位于Estnerelda山谷中的小定居點現(xiàn)在只是一個冒煙的坑口，4000名定居者的骸骨被碾成齏粉，并被散落在周邊的區(qū)域中。一枚強悍的震地炸彈轟塌了大腹山（的山腰），在破碎的巨石與翻涌的泥石流中，7個城鎮(zhèn)與82000名拉特林人被掃平?！?/p>

Amongst the carnage. the Eye of Night was torn?from its mounting and the thief slipped away into the stars. The forces of Chaos now had both the Hand of Darkness and the Eye of Night and with them perhaps the power to overthrow the Imperium in its entirety. Inquisitor Host was tormented by a single question: where would they strike first? The answer was to come all too soon.?

在這場大屠殺中，暗夜之眼被從基座上扯下，竊賊們溜回了群星間。現(xiàn)在，黑暗之手和暗夜之眼都落入了混沌勢力之手，后者或許由此得到了推翻整個人類帝國的力量。一個問題（現(xiàn)在）困擾著霍斯特審判官：他們會首先進攻哪里？而答案很快就會到來。

THE STORM BREAKS

風暴驟起

The old Inquisitor began compiling scattered reports of unusual activity in an ever widening area, and learned of the disruption engulfing the Gothic Sector. As he headed for the region, more reports of sightings of Chaos vessels came to Horst's attention. reinforcing his belief that the Gothic Sector was to be the arena of this latest incursion. A month after Horst arrived in the sector, three years after he had begun investigating the Arx raid. a cataclysmic shockwave passed through the warp. The massive storm engulfed the Gothic Sector in swirling tempests, cutting the area off from the rest of the Imperium. Whatever happened next, the ships and warriors of the Gothic Sector would face it alone.?

年老的審判官開始在一片不斷擴大的范圍內(nèi)搜集關(guān)于異?；顒拥牧闵蟾妫⑶伊私獾搅讼砀缣匦菂^(qū)的混亂局面。就在他趕往這片區(qū)域的同時，更多關(guān)于混沌艦船的目擊報告引起了霍斯特的注意，這讓他更為堅信：哥特星區(qū)將會成為這場最新入侵行動的戰(zhàn)場?；羲固卦谝粋€月后抵達了該星區(qū)，此時距離他開始調(diào)查Arx掠襲已經(jīng)過去了三年。而就在此刻，一道災難性的沖擊波從亞空間中穿過，一場大規(guī)模亞空間風暴將哥特星區(qū)吞入漩渦，切斷了此地與帝國其他區(qū)域間的聯(lián)系。無論之后將要發(fā)生什么，哥特星區(qū)的艦船和戰(zhàn)士們都要獨自面對了。