THE SECOND SPHERE EXPANSION?

第二次天穹擴(kuò)張

When Hive Fleet Kraken invaded Ultima Segmentum, Imperial forces from across the length of the Eastern?Fringe were diverted to meet this new threat. Sensing an opportunity to enlarge their empire while the lmperium was thus distracted, the Tau wasted no time in annexing a series of Imperial worlds along their border. Nimbosa was the most important of these worlds.

當(dāng)克拉肯蟲巢艦隊(duì)入侵極限星域時(shí)，遠(yuǎn)東邊境各處的帝國部隊(duì)都被調(diào)配去應(yīng)對(duì)這一新的威脅。在人類帝國的注意力被泰倫異形分散開的同時(shí)，鈦星人也察覺到了擴(kuò)大自己帝國疆域的機(jī)會(huì)，它們立刻吞并了位于其邊境上的一系列人類帝國世界。在這些世界當(dāng)中，寧波撒世界最為重要。

With the majority of Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy units redeployed to fight the Tyranid threat, the Tau landed a vast invasion force on Nimbosa. Commander Brightsword, the leader of the Tau, set about the systematic extermination of the populace. The only Imperial Guard force able to resist them was the Vostroyan Firstborn IX, who made their stand in the factory city of Polia. Serving under Graf Toschenko, the Firstborn knew that against such an overwhelmingly large invasion force their only hope was to hold out against the Tau long enough for reinforcements to arrive: something that could take weeks if not months to happen.?

由于大部分帝國衛(wèi)隊(duì)和帝國海軍部隊(duì)都被重新部署去對(duì)抗泰倫異形威脅，一支龐大的鈦星人入侵部隊(duì)登陸在了寧波撒世界上。鈦星人部隊(duì)的領(lǐng)袖——亮劍指揮官開始系統(tǒng)性地滅絕當(dāng)?shù)厝丝凇Ｎㄒ荒軌虻挚光佇侨说牡蹏l(wèi)軍部隊(duì)是沃斯托尼亞長(zhǎng)子軍第9團(tuán)，他們堅(jiān)守在工廠城市Polia中。在托斯琴科伯爵的指揮下，長(zhǎng)子軍們明白：要對(duì)抗如此壓倒性的龐大入侵部隊(duì)，他們唯一的希望就是拖住鈦星人足夠長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間，直到援軍抵達(dá)，但這一過程會(huì)需要幾周甚至幾個(gè)月的時(shí)間。

The manufactoria complex was a vast industrial zone with buildings that reached high into the skies. It consisted of scores of machine workshops, a labyrinthine warren of Administratum archives spanning six city blocks, an Ecclesiarchal cathedral and the great manufactorum itself.

工廠復(fù)合體是一片巨大的工業(yè)區(qū)域，其中的建筑物高聳入云。它包含數(shù)十個(gè)機(jī)械車間、一座橫跨六個(gè)街區(qū)的錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的政務(wù)部檔案館、一間國教大教堂和巨大的制造工廠本身。

The Vostroyans wasted no time in digging in, establishing a series of strategic strongpoints from which they could hold off the Tau. Internal walls were knocked down to allow easy movement and industrial machinery was used to heap wreckage into makeshift barricades that blocked off streets. Several buildings were carefully rigged with booby traps while a few that were deemed indefensible had anything of use scavenged from within before engineers loaded them with enough explosives to collapse them when the time came.

沃斯托尼亞人們迅速挖掘了戰(zhàn)壕，并且建立起一系列讓他們可以拖延住鈦星人的據(jù)點(diǎn)。內(nèi)墻被拆除以方便衛(wèi)軍們進(jìn)行移動(dòng)，他們還用工業(yè)機(jī)械將廢墟殘骸堆成了封鎖街道的臨時(shí)路障。許多建筑中都被小心翼翼地安裝了詭雷，少數(shù)些被認(rèn)為是不可防御的建筑則被從內(nèi)部清理了任何可用的資源，之后工兵們?cè)谄渲刑钊肓俗懔康谋ㄎ?，時(shí)間一到便能將其炸塌。

Ammunition was stockpiled in three key locations. and the great manufactoria was reinforced with flak board and support struts and a vox caster network linked it to the other positions. Toschenko and his officers used the manufactoria as their command centre and it wasn't long before the Vostroyans began referring it as Toschenko's 'Fortress'.?

彈藥被儲(chǔ)存在了三個(gè)主要地點(diǎn)，衛(wèi)軍們還用碎料板和支撐架加固了巨大的制造工廠，并用音頻廣播網(wǎng)絡(luò)將之與其他位置連接起來。托斯琴科和他的軍官們將制造工廠用作指揮中心，不久之后沃斯托尼亞人們就開始稱之為托斯琴科的“要塞”。

BRIGHTSWORD STRIKES

亮劍出擊

When Brightsword's force arrived he found the Imperial troops ready and waiting. Other, less impetuous Tau Commanders would have offered the enemy a chance to surrender. but Brightsword, a student of the aggressive Farsight, had no such desire and with aggression characteristic of the Vior'la he launched the attack. Shoals of Devilfish led the advance while Sky Rays and Hammerheads pounded the forward Imperial positions. Pathfinder teams rappelled down from their hovering transports and struggled through bloody firefights to secure the rooftops from the Vostroyans.?

當(dāng)亮劍的部隊(duì)抵達(dá)時(shí)，它發(fā)現(xiàn)人類帝國的部隊(duì)已經(jīng)完成備戰(zhàn)并正在等待。其他不那么沖動(dòng)魯莽的鈦星人指揮官會(huì)給予敵軍一個(gè)投降的機(jī)會(huì)，但作為遠(yuǎn)見這位富于進(jìn)攻性的指揮官的學(xué)生，亮劍沒有這種意愿，它以Vior'la家門世界住民那種進(jìn)攻好斗的性格發(fā)動(dòng)了進(jìn)攻。成群的魔鬼魚運(yùn)輸車一馬當(dāng)先，同時(shí)天光炮艇和錘頭鯊炮艇也猛烈轟炸人類帝國的陣地。尋路者小隊(duì)從盤旋的運(yùn)輸車上用繩索降下，并在血腥的交火中奮力保護(hù)屋頂免受沃斯托尼亞人的攻擊。

With a foothold secured. Brightsword hoped to bombard the Imperial Guard into submission, but the walls of the cathedral and Toschenko's 'Fortress' were too robust for the weapons he had on the ground. After several days of bombardment the Imperial forces showed no signs of surrender so, using the barrage as cover Brightsword implemented a variation of the Kauyon 'patient hunter'?philosophy and sent teams of Kroot forward to flush out the Guardsmen. The Kroot were met with a hail of lasgun fire that tore into their ranks slowing their advance. But unerringly accurate shooting from Pathfinders armed with rail rifles silenced the Imperial guns and eventually the Kroot fought their way inside the cathedral. Once inside. the savage Kroot carnivore squads hacked into the Vostroyan defenders, devouring their victims as they went.?

在確立了立足點(diǎn)之后，亮劍希望用轟炸令帝國衛(wèi)隊(duì)屈服，但大教堂的墻壁和托斯琴科的“要塞”過于堅(jiān)固，鈦星人地面上的武器無法將之攻破。在數(shù)天的轟炸之后，帝國部隊(duì)仍未顯示出投降的跡象，于是在炮火覆蓋的掩護(hù)下，亮劍采用了空育信條中“耐心獵手”哲學(xué)的改編戰(zhàn)術(shù)，派出克魯特小隊(duì)去驅(qū)逐衛(wèi)軍士兵們。沃斯托尼亞人冰雹般密集的光槍射擊減緩了克魯特人的行動(dòng)速度，但裝備著磁軌步槍的尋路者們用精準(zhǔn)無誤的射擊令帝國部隊(duì)的槍炮安靜了下來，克魯特人最終進(jìn)入了大教堂。一經(jīng)踏入其中，這些野蠻的克魯特噬肉者小隊(duì)便潛入了沃斯托尼亞守軍陣地，一邊前進(jìn)一邊吞食受害者的尸體。

COUNTER-ATTACK?

反擊

Toschenko realised that his enemy was systematically cutting off one point of defence after another and eradicating it. There was no chance of victory unless he launched a counter-attack. Across the Vostroyan positions the order was given to rise up and assault the Tau. More than two thousand Vostroyans burst from their cover in the factory and charged down the cratered streets to the cathedral where their comrades were being exterminated. vengeful they stormed the building, only to find the Kroot already in full flight, retreating in the face of their fury.?

托斯琴科意識(shí)到敵人正在系統(tǒng)性地切斷并消滅一個(gè)又一個(gè)防御點(diǎn)位。除非反擊反擊，否則他就毫無勝算。沃斯托尼亞人陣地的各處都被下達(dá)了命令：起身沖鋒，進(jìn)攻鈦星人。超過兩百名沃斯托尼亞人沖出了自己在工廠中的掩體，沿著坑坑洼洼的街道奔向了大教堂——他們身處此地的戰(zhàn)友兄弟們正在遭到屠殺。滿懷復(fù)仇怒火的衛(wèi)軍們?nèi)顼L(fēng)暴般沖入建筑中，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)克魯特人已經(jīng)全體逃離了——面對(duì)著他們的憤怒，異形們撤退了。

Buoyed by this apparent success, Toschenko and his men, backed by what tanks remained, moved forward to engage several Tau units holding position in the machine workshops. As the Guardsmen stormed down the open streets they encountered only light resistance and their vanguard was only metres away from cover when Brightsword sprung his trap. Crisis battlesuits on rooftops fired down at the Guardsmen in the wide streets below. tanks were blasted apart as seeker missiles guided by Pathfinder teams targeted their weaker rear armour and concealed Stealth teams armed with burst cannons blew entire infantry companies apart.?

這一明顯的勝利鼓舞了托斯琴科和他的下屬們，他們以剩余的坦克作為后援，前去進(jìn)攻機(jī)械車間中的數(shù)個(gè)被鈦星人控制的陣地。在沖過開闊的街道時(shí)，衛(wèi)軍士兵們僅遭到了輕微抵抗，而當(dāng)他們的前鋒部隊(duì)離掩體只有數(shù)米遠(yuǎn)時(shí)，亮劍突然跳出了自己設(shè)下的陷阱。屋頂上的危機(jī)戰(zhàn)斗服向著下方寬闊街道上的衛(wèi)軍士兵們開火，尋路者小隊(duì)指引著尋路者導(dǎo)彈瞄準(zhǔn)帝國坦克脆弱的后側(cè)裝甲來將其炸碎，裝備了脈沖爆裂炮的偷襲小隊(duì)也隱藏起來，（伺機(jī)）炸死整個(gè)連隊(duì)的步兵。

TOSCHENKO'S STAND?

托斯琴科的堅(jiān)守

At the forefront of the Vostroyan advance, Toschenko's command squad was caught in the open and cut down in a blistering hail of fire. Rising, bloody and injured, from the dirt Graf Toschenko snatched up the regimental banner from the dead hands of its bearer and exhorted his men to fight to the last. As his remaining warriors rallied to him a monumental battle erupted. The Tau Fire Warriors, sensing their foe was beaten surged forth and lent pulse rifle fire to the fury of the battle and soon a swirling melee erupted in the streets.?

在沃斯托尼亞人攻勢(shì)的最前線，托斯琴科的指揮小隊(duì)被困在開闊地帶，一陣猛烈的炮火擊倒了他們。雖然受了傷且滿身是血，但托斯琴科伯爵還是從土中站起身來，他從掌旗官的遺體手中一把奪過團(tuán)旗，并告誡下屬們要奮戰(zhàn)到底。隨著剩余的戰(zhàn)士們聚集在指揮官的身邊，他們與鈦星人之間爆發(fā)一場(chǎng)不朽的戰(zhàn)斗?；饝?zhàn)士們察覺到那些被打敗的敵人沖了上來，它們用脈沖槍射擊這些狂怒的衛(wèi)軍戰(zhàn)士，街道上很快便爆發(fā)了一場(chǎng)殘酷的混戰(zhàn)。

Hundreds of Tau warriors died as the Imperial Guard hacked into them with bayonets and chainswords but in the end the Vostroyans had no chance. Leading his bodyguard to the front line. Commander Brightsword soared above his army and in a devastating volley killed Toschenko and all hope of Imperial victory.?

帝國衛(wèi)軍們們用刺刀和鏈鋸劍劈砍刺殺敵軍，殺死了數(shù)百名火戰(zhàn)士，但沃斯托尼亞人們最終還是失去了機(jī)會(huì)。亮劍指揮官率領(lǐng)部隊(duì)來到前線，他從部隊(duì)上方快速飛過，用一陣毀滅性的齊射殺死了托斯琴科與人類帝國取勝的全部希望。

When the Imperium was finally able to begin reconquering Nimbosa. CasteIlan Folker of the Black Templars despatched a force to reconnoitre the last known position of Toschenko and the Vostroyan Firstborn. Brother Lodhuvicus reported that the ruins of Polia were strewn with the remains of thousands of Imperial Guard, their weapons and wargear untouched. Within the shattered buildings of Polia itself, the Tau left no presence.?

當(dāng)人類帝國最終能夠開始再次征服寧波撒世界時(shí)，黑色圣堂戰(zhàn)團(tuán)的弗科爾堡主派出一支部隊(duì)前去偵察托斯琴科與沃斯托尼亞長(zhǎng)子軍已知的最后位置。羅德威庫斯修士報(bào)告稱：Polia的廢墟上散落著數(shù)千具帝國衛(wèi)軍的遺骸，他們的武器和戰(zhàn)斗裝備原封未動(dòng)；鈦星人在Polia破碎的建筑物內(nèi)未留下任何痕跡。