RISE OF A FALSE PROPHET

偽先知的崛起

Cardinal-Astral Xaphan began his swift rise through the ranks of the Adeptus Ministorum as a humble preacher, chosen early in his career as a protégé by the then Cardinal-Astral Borja. With the death of his master in 804.M41, Xaphan rose to the lofty heights of head of the Adeptus Ministorum in the Scarus Sector and began a long pilgrimage to its many worlds, and untold millions of Imperial subjects, he would be assuming spiritual authority over. Later Imperial histories list this as potentially where the earliest stirrings of his heresy began; that a lifetime dealing with the minutiae of Ministorum councils paled in comparison to the adulation of world after world. He allowed members of his private council to convince him that, in the hinterlands of the sector he could exert real power, stirring populations to action and embarking on a grand crusade to cleanse it of heretics and xenos. These early dreams of glory soon became simple excuses for his attempts to grasp at power within the Imperium — beginning with the seizure of Vraks, with its stockpiles of munitions and vast garrison.?

在其職業(yè)生涯的早期，薩凡被時(shí)任星界紅衣主教波爾扎選為自己的門生，這位謙遜的傳教士開(kāi)始在國(guó)教教會(huì)中迅速崛起。隨著其導(dǎo)師逝世于804.M41，薩凡榮升為Scarus星區(qū)的國(guó)教教會(huì)首腦，并開(kāi)始了一場(chǎng)漫游星區(qū)內(nèi)諸多世界，接見(jiàn)數(shù)以百萬(wàn)計(jì)帝國(guó)臣民的漫長(zhǎng)朝圣，他將成為星區(qū)的精神權(quán)威。后世的帝國(guó)歷史學(xué)家們認(rèn)為，薩凡的異端行徑最早可能就開(kāi)始于此；相比于接受來(lái)自一個(gè)又一個(gè)世界的贊美奉承，花一生歲月去處理國(guó)教會(huì)議中的細(xì)枝末節(jié)，就顯得蒼白無(wú)趣。他放任私人顧問(wèn)們說(shuō)服自己，相信在星區(qū)的腹地中，自己能夠行使真正的（世俗）權(quán)力，鼓動(dòng)民眾們采取行動(dòng)，發(fā)起一場(chǎng)大規(guī)模圣戰(zhàn)，肅清星區(qū)中異端分子和異形。這些關(guān)于榮耀的早期夢(mèng)想，很快就變?yōu)榱怂_凡企圖在人類帝國(guó)內(nèi)部攫取權(quán)力的純粹借口——他首先占領(lǐng)了坐擁龐大軍火儲(chǔ)備和駐軍部隊(duì)的弗拉克斯世界。

After taking up residence on Vraks, it took little effort for Xaphan and his cronies to stir up the oppressed indentured worker population into a religious frenzy. Soon he commanded a host of the frateris militia, as well as much of the garrison, through proxy commanders whose loyalty he had suborned from the planetary prefect. It was an attempted assassination, a failed move by the Ordos Hereticus, intended to draw the reign of this troubling new Cardinal to a quick close, that lit the fires of rebellion. In a short, but violent, civil war, Xaphan took full control of the world of Vraks, burning out those symbols of Imperial authority that he could not suborn or corrupt.?

在定居于弗拉克斯世界后，薩凡和他的親信們毫不費(fèi)力便煽動(dòng)起受壓迫的契約工人們，令其陷入宗教狂熱。很快，他便擁有了一支大軍，其兵源來(lái)自護(hù)教民兵，以及諸多的駐軍士兵——薩凡從行星長(zhǎng)官處收買到了那些代理指揮官，由此讓士兵們投入自己麾下。為了迅速結(jié)束這位棘手的新任主教的統(tǒng)治，討逆修會(huì)組織了一次暗殺行動(dòng)，但卻失敗未遂，叛亂之火由此被點(diǎn)燃。經(jīng)過(guò)一場(chǎng)短暫而激烈的內(nèi)戰(zhàn)，薩凡完全控制住了弗拉克斯世界，不能被其收買利用或腐化的帝國(guó)當(dāng)局人士都被燒死。

THE LONG SIEGE

漫長(zhǎng)的圍攻

While Xaphan loosed a storm of misguided fervour on Vraks, the Imperium absorbed news of his rebellion and slowly formed its response. That response was the 88th?Imperial Siege Army, over thirty regiments of tanks, men and artillery from the grim world of Krieg, dispatched to Vraks to put an end to Xaphan's heretical regime.?

就在薩凡于弗拉克斯世界上煽動(dòng)起誤入歧途的狂熱風(fēng)暴的同時(shí)，人類帝國(guó)也得知了他發(fā)動(dòng)的叛亂，并緩慢地做出反應(yīng)。超過(guò)三十個(gè)團(tuán)的坦克、步兵和炮兵組成了第88帝國(guó)攻城集團(tuán)軍，從冷酷的克里格世界被派往弗拉克斯，前去終結(jié)薩凡的異端統(tǒng)治。

Arriving in-system many months after the initial uprising, the task force's transports approached the far side of Vraks, avoiding the fortified defence laser batteries that guarded both the Citadel that served as Vraks' capital, and the nearby star port, to disembark the vast Imperial army onto the rebellious planet's uninhabited wastelands. They then began a long year of preparations, and as the enginseers of the Adeptus Mechanicus laboured to construct an immense servitor-guided railroad to move men and supplies from the safe landing zones to the front lines, the fighting men of the 88' Imperial Siege Army were prepared and trained for the war on Vraks.?

在最初的叛亂爆發(fā)很多個(gè)月后，特遣隊(duì)抵達(dá)了弗拉克斯星系內(nèi)；為了避開(kāi)保衛(wèi)著弗拉克斯主星首府要塞和附近太空港的強(qiáng)化防御激光炮塔，運(yùn)輸艦接近了遠(yuǎn)端半球，以將數(shù)量龐大的帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)投放到這顆叛亂星球無(wú)人居住的荒原中。帝國(guó)部隊(duì)開(kāi)始了為期一年的漫長(zhǎng)備戰(zhàn)，機(jī)械修會(huì)的引擎士們建造了一條由機(jī)仆引導(dǎo)控制的巨型鐵路，用于將人員和補(bǔ)給從安全的登陸區(qū)輸送到前線，同時(shí)第88帝國(guó)攻城集團(tuán)軍在為弗拉克斯之戰(zhàn)進(jìn)行準(zhǔn)備和訓(xùn)練。

In the time it took for the Imperial forces to ready themselves, the rebel forces were not idle. Xaphan ordered his followers to prepare for war, arming the work-gangs and rebellious militia troops with the contents of Vraks' vast armouries, and the planet's population of Ogryn labourers were conscripted and reduced to mindless killing machines through the use of crude augmetic implants and proscribed combat drugs. Those indentured workers not inducted into the militia were swiftly put back to work, this time reinforcing Vraks' already impressive fortifications.?

在帝國(guó)部隊(duì)整軍備戰(zhàn)的同時(shí)，叛軍們也并未坐等進(jìn)攻。薩凡命令自己的信徒們做好戰(zhàn)備，用弗拉克斯龐大軍械庫(kù)中的物質(zhì)裝備起工團(tuán)和叛軍民兵；星球上的歐格林勞工也被征召入伍，他們被植入粗糙的強(qiáng)化植入物，并被注射了遭到禁用的戰(zhàn)斗藥劑，淪為了毫無(wú)理智的殺戮機(jī)器。未被征入民兵部隊(duì)的契約工人們很快復(fù)工，強(qiáng)化加固了弗拉克斯那早已令人印象深刻的防御工事。

Imperial records show that the war to re-conquer Vraks finally began at 166813.M41, as the massed Krieg regiments, their preparations now complete, unleashed the thunderous firepower of thousands of artillery cannon on the first line of the enemy's defences. The Death Korps soldiers began the first assault on the heels of the opening bombardment, phalanxes of Gorgon assault carriers advancing into the teeth of the enemy's guns. Thousands died in the attack, though no ground was gained, and the Krieg regiments were forced back, leaving their fallen to rot in no-man's land. Months of bitter, bloody fighting followed, with both sides launching costly assaults across the corpse strewn wasteland and exchanging artillery fire.?

帝國(guó)記錄（文件）表明，重新征服弗拉克斯的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)最終開(kāi)始于166813.M41。隨著戰(zhàn)備工作完成，集結(jié)起來(lái)的克里格衛(wèi)軍團(tuán)調(diào)集了數(shù)千門火炮，向敵軍的第一道防線釋放出雷霆般的火力。開(kāi)幕炮擊甫一結(jié)束，死亡軍團(tuán)士兵便發(fā)動(dòng)了第一波進(jìn)攻，戈耳工突擊運(yùn)輸車組成方陣，頂著敵人的槍炮射擊前進(jìn)。數(shù)以千計(jì)的克里格士兵死在了進(jìn)攻中，但帝國(guó)未能攻占任何陣地，克里格衛(wèi)軍團(tuán)們被迫后撤，任由己方死者腐爛在無(wú)人區(qū)中。隨后便是數(shù)個(gè)月的血腥苦戰(zhàn)，雙方在尸橫遍野的荒原各處發(fā)動(dòng)代價(jià)高昂的突襲行動(dòng)，并且相互進(jìn)行炮擊。

The fall of Fort A-453 to a near suicidal Death Korps assault finally forced a breach in the first defence line, after almost a year of non-stop trench warfare. In response, Krieg infantry poured through the hole in the enemy's defences and fast moving squadrons of Death Riders began to slaughter the fleeing militia troops as they pulled back to the next defensive line.?

經(jīng)過(guò)一年近乎無(wú)休止的塹壕戰(zhàn)之后，通過(guò)一場(chǎng)近乎自殺的攻勢(shì)，死亡軍團(tuán)攻陷了A-453要塞，在第一道防線上打開(kāi)了突破口。作為回應(yīng)，克里格步兵從敵軍防線上的缺口涌入，民兵部隊(duì)逃向下一道防線，快速移動(dòng)的死亡騎兵中隊(duì)則開(kāi)始屠殺潰敵。

With their defences breached, renegade units up and down the first line began pulling back before the vengeful Imperial soldiers could surround and annihilate them. They retreated to the second of Vraks' great defence lines which was, if anything, more heavily fortified than the first defence line, and threw back all attempts to breach it. The sombre men of Krieg, meanwhile, moved past the broken first defence line, and began digging new trenches.?

隨著防御被突破，在復(fù)仇心切的帝國(guó)士兵們能夠包圍并殲滅他們之前，第一道防線各處的叛軍們便開(kāi)始撤退。他們撤回了第二道防線（如果說(shuō)有什么區(qū)別的話，那就是比前一道更為堅(jiān)固），并且擊退了所有試圖將其突破的進(jìn)攻。與此同時(shí)，性格陰郁的克里格軍也快速穿過(guò)破損的第一道防線，開(kāi)始挖掘新的戰(zhàn)壕。

For seven years, the Death Korps regiments besieged the second massive defence line, the Citadel of Vraks still distant on the horizon. Seven years of gruelling trench warfare as the Imperial Guard slowly advanced, trench-by-trench upon the enemy. Whole regiments of Earthshaker cannon, towed by fleets of Centaur artillery tractors, duelled with ancient Minotaur artillery tanks retrieved from Vraks' arsenals by Xaphan's fanatical legions and turned against their creators. The bitter war on Vraks, being fought on the doorstep of the Eye of Terror, inevitably gained the attention of the renegade Space Marine warbands who plagued the sector. One such warband, comprising Chaos Space Marines of the Alpha Legion, under the command of Arkos the Faithless, was eager to exploit the opportunity it represented. Infiltrating Vraks with ease, they presented themselves to Xaphan, who eagerly accepted their aid.?

在（之后的）七年時(shí)間里，死亡軍團(tuán)圍困著規(guī)模龐大的第二道防線，而弗拉克斯堡壘仍然遠(yuǎn)在天邊。在這七年的塹壕游擊戰(zhàn)中，帝國(guó)衛(wèi)軍們緩慢挺進(jìn)，清理一條又一條敵軍戰(zhàn)壕。整團(tuán)的地震炮被半人馬牽引車隊(duì)拖拽至炮位，與古老的牛頭怪炮擊坦克——薩凡的狂熱軍團(tuán)從弗拉克斯軍械庫(kù)中找回了這種武器，用于對(duì)付帝國(guó)部隊(duì)——進(jìn)行對(duì)轟。由于這場(chǎng)苦澀的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)就發(fā)生在恐懼之眼的門階處，禍亂該星區(qū)的變節(jié)星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)幫也不可避免地注意到了此次沖突。由“無(wú)信者”阿爾考斯領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的某個(gè)阿爾法軍團(tuán)混沌戰(zhàn)幫，便渴望利用起弗拉克斯戰(zhàn)役所代表的機(jī)遇。他們輕松潛入了弗拉克斯，親自面見(jiàn)了薩凡，而后者也熱切地接受了對(duì)方的幫助。

Attacks by the Alpha Legionnaires quickly threatened to turn the tide of the war and undo the Krieg regiments' hard-fought gains. Lord Commander Zuehkle, commander of the 88' Siege Army, requested aid from the Adeptus Astartes to counter this new threat, and that request was answered by a strike force of Dark Angels. Five companies from the Chapter staged a daring assault on Vraks' primary star port, in the shadow of the Citadel itself. The infamous warriors fought overwhelming odds, and a brutal counter-attack was launched against Arkos and his brethren to destroy the star port, to cut off Vraks from any further heretical allies that could assist them.?

阿爾法軍團(tuán)戰(zhàn)士發(fā)動(dòng)的襲擊很快便威脅到了戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)局勢(shì)走向，并毀滅了克里格軍苦戰(zhàn)而來(lái)的成果。第88攻城集團(tuán)軍的統(tǒng)帥——領(lǐng)主指揮官祖爾克請(qǐng)求阿斯塔特修會(huì)來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)這一威脅。一支黑暗天使打擊部隊(duì)對(duì)其做出了回應(yīng)，五個(gè)連隊(duì)的星際戰(zhàn)士對(duì)弗拉克斯的主星港——該設(shè)施緊鄰星球堡壘——發(fā)動(dòng)了一次大膽突襲。聲名遠(yuǎn)揚(yáng)的黑暗天使們以壓倒性優(yōu)勢(shì)作戰(zhàn)，對(duì)阿爾考斯及其兄弟發(fā)動(dòng)了殘酷反擊；他們摧毀了星港，切斷了弗拉克斯與其他任何異端盟友的聯(lián)系。

The attack was successful, despite the Dark Angels taking heavy casualties. However, as they refused to co-operate with the Krieg regiments, the 88' Siege Army was unable to capitalise on the victory. After destroying the star port, the Dark Angels departed Vraks, considering their mission complete and leaving the continuing siege to the Imperial Guard. Weakened by almost nine years of grinding attritional warfare, the 88th Siege Army paused its attacks in order to build up replacement troops and ammunition for an overwhelming assault on the second defence line.?

盡管黑暗天使遭受了嚴(yán)重傷亡，但這次行動(dòng)是成功的。不過(guò)，由于星際戰(zhàn)士們拒絕與克里格軍協(xié)同配合，第88攻城集團(tuán)軍未能利用起這次勝利。在摧毀星港后，黑暗天使們離開(kāi)了弗拉克斯，他們認(rèn)為自己已經(jīng)完成了任務(wù)，留下帝國(guó)衛(wèi)軍們繼續(xù)攻城。遭受了將近九年無(wú)休止消耗戰(zhàn)的削弱，第88攻城集團(tuán)軍暫停了攻勢(shì)，以組建起替換部隊(duì)并獲取彈藥補(bǔ)給，為向第二道防線發(fā)起壓倒性攻勢(shì)做準(zhǔn)備。

The attack was presaged by a mighty four day bombardment of enemy positions, the constant firing of thousands of cannon lit the sky at night and filled the days with thunder. Once the guns finally fell silent, soldiers on both sides knew what it must mean, and scrambled to their assigned positions, ready for battle. For eight days the Krieg Line Korps threw themselves against the defences Xaphan's fanatics had laboured to build, hammering them with a relentless tide of men and tanks until a breakthrough was made, heedless of the cost in men and equipment that was paid. Despite the sacrifices made to topple the second defence line, the battered Krieg regiments now faced the final, and most fortified, of the defence lines.?

總攻是以四天的猛烈轟炸為預(yù)兆，數(shù)千門火炮不斷開(kāi)火，夜空被照亮，隆隆雷聲也響徹天際數(shù)日。待炮聲剛剛陷入沉寂，雙方士兵都明白這意味著什么，他們?nèi)紱_向指定的陣地，做好戰(zhàn)斗準(zhǔn)備。面對(duì)薩凡麾下狂熱信徒辛勞建造的防御設(shè)施，克里格線列軍們猛攻八天，他們不顧人員與裝備損耗，用步兵和坦克組成的無(wú)情波潮撞開(kāi)了一道突破口。盡管拔除第二道防線令其付出的重大犧牲，但遭受重創(chuàng)的克里格軍現(xiàn)在面對(duì)的，便是最后也最堅(jiān)固的一道防線。

附錄：

THE FIRST BREACH?

第一道缺口

At 897814.M41, the 9'" Company of the 261st Regiment was ordered to conduct a probing attack on the enemy position listed on the Krieg charts as Fort A-453. This was a series of bunkers, each linked by concealed underground tunnels and defended by multiple heavy bolters. The central bunker had at one point mounted an earthshaker cannon in its casement, but Imperial artillery had destroyed the gun some weeks earlier. The approach to the fort itself was warded by a deep anti-tank ditch and layers of razor wire and mines, a killing ground daunting to any attacking force.?

在897814.M41，第261克里格團(tuán)的第九連被命令去對(duì)克里格作戰(zhàn)地圖標(biāo)記為“A-453要塞”的敵軍陣地進(jìn)行試探性進(jìn)攻。該區(qū)域由一連串的地堡組成，而且被隱藏式的地下隧道彼此相連，并有多門重型爆彈槍用于把守此地。中央地堡的平開(kāi)窗處曾經(jīng)設(shè)置過(guò)一門地震炮，但帝國(guó)炮兵已經(jīng)在幾周前將其摧毀。通往堡壘的道路上開(kāi)挖了一條很深的反坦克壕溝，并布置了層層的鐵絲網(wǎng)和地雷，這是一片任何進(jìn)攻部隊(duì)都將望而生畏的殺戮區(qū)。

The 9'h Company attacked under cover of darkness, and an artillery barrage launched by quad launchers was brought up for the attack. The Krieg Guardsmen's unflinching determination got them past the initial barriers, despite taking heavy casualties from the emplaced heavy bolters and mines, and up to the first of the bunkers. Grenade blasts quickly cleared the militia defenders from the bunker, and the men of the 9th Company advanced into the fort, quickly becoming embroiled in a close range fire-fight with the remainder of the garrison as it was roused from sleep.?

第九連在夜色中發(fā)起了進(jìn)攻，而且后方的輪式四管火炮們也進(jìn)行了一輪齊射，為其提供掩護(hù)。盡管重型爆彈槍和地雷令其傷亡慘重，但克里格士兵還是憑借堅(jiān)定的決心穿越了最初的障礙，沖入了第一座地堡。第九連用手雷快速清理掉建筑內(nèi)的民兵，前進(jìn)殺入要塞；其余守軍也從睡夢(mèng)中被驚醒，雙方陷入了近距離交火。

Despite being vastly outnumbered by the rebel fighters, Captain Tyborc of the 9'h Company refused to abandon his position, the only breakthrough the Imperial army had created since the start of the invasion. His vox operator dead in the shell-cratered wastes of no-man's land, Tyborc ordered one of his forty remaining men back to friendly trenches with word of the attack's success, and led his remaining men into the underground vaults below the bunkers.?

盡管己方在人數(shù)上極為劣勢(shì)，但第九連指揮官——迪波爾克上尉拒絕放棄陣地，因?yàn)檫@是帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)自入侵弗拉克斯以來(lái)打開(kāi)的唯一突破口。由于通訊器操作員已經(jīng)死在了遍布彈坑的無(wú)人荒原上，迪波爾克命令某個(gè)下屬——現(xiàn)在他手下還剩余四十名衛(wèi)軍——返回己方戰(zhàn)壕，匯報(bào)襲擊成功的消息；上尉自己則率領(lǐng)其余士兵進(jìn)入了掩體地下的倉(cāng)庫(kù)區(qū)。

For three days, Captain Tyborc and his men fought a desperate defence in the pitch black depths of the rebel fort, fighting off wave after wave of Vraksian militia fighters in vicious close quarter battles. By the third night of near constant fighting, they were down to eight wounded men, and all but out of ammunition, food and water. It seemed that their runner had failed to reach regiment's commanders, leaving them stranded behind enemy lines with no hope of rescue.?

三天的時(shí)間里，在叛軍要塞漆黑的地下，迪波爾克上尉和下屬們進(jìn)行了一場(chǎng)絕望的防守戰(zhàn)，在激烈的近戰(zhàn)中擊退了一波又一波弗拉克斯民兵。等到第三天夜間，連隊(duì)中僅剩八名傷員，而且事物、飲水和彈藥已經(jīng)耗盡。似乎信使并未能抵達(dá)團(tuán)指揮部，第九連被困在了敵軍后方，再無(wú)獲救希望。

Unbeknown to the men of the 9' Company, the 88th Siege Army was well aware of their plight. All along the front, the 30'" Line Korps was furiously attacking enemy positions, and a detachment of grenadiers and an armoured company had began an assault on Fort A-453 on the morning of the third day of the 9' Company's holding action. On the morning of the fourth day, Tyborc and his men were relieved. Of the eight men who survived, none was without serious wounds and most had no ammunition left, having relied on captured enemy weaponry or bayonets and trench clubs. More importantly, the 88"' Siege Army had broken the first line of defence, and began the first real advance since the beginning of the war.?

但第九連不知道的是，第88攻城集團(tuán)軍非常清楚他們的困境。第30線列軍正在前線各處猛攻敵軍陣地，在第九連堅(jiān)守陣地第三天的早上，一支由擲彈兵和裝甲連組成的分遣隊(duì)開(kāi)始攻擊 A-453要塞。迪波爾克和下屬們?cè)诘谒奶斓脑缟汐@救，這八名幸存者全部身受重傷，而且大多數(shù)人都已耗盡了彈藥，是依靠繳獲的敵軍武器或刺刀與戰(zhàn)壕槌進(jìn)行抵抗。而更重要的是，第88攻城集團(tuán)軍已經(jīng)擊垮了第一道防線，開(kāi)始了自戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)開(kāi)始以來(lái)的首次真正挺進(jìn)。

?A GATHERING OF MIGHT?

集結(jié)力量

The siege ground on, now within the shadow of the Citadel of Vraks' walls, as the tireless regiments of the Death Korps assaulted the final defence line, advancing in heavily armoured Gorgon assault carriers in the wake of earth-shattering artillery bombardments. Even deep beneath the surface of Vraks the war raged, in kilometre after kilometre of tunnels dug to undermine the rebels' defences, Krieg engineer detachments fought desperate battles in the dark, securing their mine-heads from counter-attacks by Xaphan's fanatical warriors.

攻城戰(zhàn)繼續(xù)進(jìn)行，帝國(guó)部隊(duì)現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)進(jìn)入到弗拉克斯堡壘高墻的陰影中。在一陣摧山裂地的炮擊之后，不知疲倦的克里格死亡軍團(tuán)登上裝甲厚重的戈耳工突擊運(yùn)輸車，向最后的防線發(fā)起進(jìn)攻。甚至在弗拉克斯地下深處，戰(zhàn)事也在激烈進(jìn)行中，為了破壞叛軍的防御，克里格工兵分隊(duì)在地下挖掘了一公里又一公里的隧道，并在黑暗中進(jìn)行著絕望的戰(zhàn)斗，以阻止薩凡麾下狂熱戰(zhàn)士的反擊破壞掉他們的地雷。

Backed into a corner by the relentless advance of the Imperium's army, Xaphan turned to the only allies that remained to him. Arkos the Faithless bid his sorcerous advisors to send forth a summons, calling on Chaos Space Marine warbands who would battle the forces of the False Emperor to rally to Vraks and join their cause.?

帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)的無(wú)情挺進(jìn)將薩凡逼入了絕境，他向留在自己的僅剩盟友尋求幫助?！盁o(wú)信者”阿爾考斯命令自己手下的術(shù)士發(fā)出召喚，呼叫那些愿意對(duì)抗偽帝走狗的混沌星際戰(zhàn)幫，要他們前來(lái)弗拉克斯集結(jié)并加入自己的事業(yè)。

Within a few months, a great fleet of loosely allied warbands surged into Vraks' orbit and scattered the Imperial ships moored there, unleashing their cargo of traitorous Adeptus Astartes, their sub-human chattel and even great, warped Chaos Titans onto the planet. The followers of the Blood God roared forth and began to drive back the servants of the Emperor, whilst the disease-ridden servants of Nurgle spread across the wastes of Vraks, using the vast stores of chemical weapons, once safely stored in the lmperium's armouries, to pollute the land and slaughter the Death Korps soldiers who doggedly defended their trenches. The once monolithic trench war had become a shifting, mercurial battle, as lumbering formations of tanks and Death Korps soldiers tried to counter the swift attacks of the power armoured Chaos warbands.?

短短數(shù)月之內(nèi)，各混沌戰(zhàn)幫組成的松散聯(lián)盟派出一支龐大艦隊(duì)，涌入弗拉克斯的軌道并擊潰了停泊于此的帝國(guó)飛船。從船艙中走出的是叛變的阿斯塔特與他們的亞人奴兵，甚至還有巨大扭曲的混沌泰坦。血神信徒們咆哮著沖上前來(lái)，開(kāi)始驅(qū)逐帝皇的仆人們；惡疾纏身的納垢奴仆分散在弗拉克斯荒原各處，利用起曾經(jīng)被安全儲(chǔ)存在帝國(guó)軍火庫(kù)中的巨量化學(xué)武器，污染土地并屠殺那些堅(jiān)守戰(zhàn)壕的死亡軍團(tuán)士兵。曾經(jīng)完整統(tǒng)一的塹壕戰(zhàn)變?yōu)榱俗兓媚獪y(cè)的遭遇戰(zhàn)，步兵和坦克組成的笨拙編隊(duì)努力反擊著混沌星際戰(zhàn)士們的快速進(jìn)攻。

In the face of this onslaught, other Imperial forces were swiftly diverted to Vraks to aid the war effort and counter Xaphan's heretical allies. Titan maniples deployed by the Legio Astorum strode across the corpse-strewn plains, duelling with their rivals of the traitorous Legio Vulcanum and blasting rebel positions apart with weapons larger than battle tanks. Lord-commander Zuehlke, who had led the 88th?Imperial Siege Army up until this point, was relieved of his command and reassigned to other warzones. His replacement, Grand Marshal Kagori was charged with ensuring the Imperial forces victory. Kagori set about re-organising and reinforcing the troops now under his command. Knowing that the depleted siege regiments might not prove adequate for the task ahead, he also dispatched messengers to seek allies amongst the Adeptus Astartes. After encountering a battle group of the Red Scorpions, returning from war in distant sectors, Kagori's representatives brought over a hundred battle brothers of that Chapter into the fray.?

面對(duì)此等進(jìn)攻，其他帝國(guó)部隊(duì)也被快速調(diào)往弗拉克斯進(jìn)行增援，對(duì)抗薩凡的異端盟友們。星象軍團(tuán)（虛空行者）派出的泰坦支隊(duì)們闊步于尸橫遍野的平原各處，它們與來(lái)自火神軍團(tuán)的叛徒敵手對(duì)決，用比戰(zhàn)斗坦克還要龐大的武器炸碎敵軍陣地。第88攻城集團(tuán)軍一直以來(lái)的統(tǒng)帥——領(lǐng)主指揮官祖爾克被解除了指揮權(quán)，并重新指派到其他戰(zhàn)區(qū)。他的繼任者——大元帥卡戈里負(fù)責(zé)確保帝國(guó)部隊(duì)獲勝。卡戈里重整并強(qiáng)化了這支現(xiàn)在處于自己麾下的部隊(duì)。他明白，這些損耗嚴(yán)重的攻城團(tuán)可能無(wú)法勝任眼前的任務(wù)，便派使者去阿斯塔特修會(huì)中尋找盟友。在偶遇到紅蝎戰(zhàn)團(tuán)的一支戰(zhàn)斗群后（他們結(jié)束了在遙遠(yuǎn)星區(qū)的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，正在返回母星），卡戈里的代表們將一百多名戰(zhàn)斗兄弟帶入了這次混戰(zhàn)。

With his strategies set and allies secured, Kagori began the new offensive. Repeated attacks by massed waves of Imperial Guard infantry, backed by the massive firepower of the Legio Astorum, finally forced a breach in the final line of defences that surrounded the great Citadel. However, it was only the heroic orbital assault of the Red Scorpions that secured victory for the forces of the Imperium, who now stood upon the brink of victory, ready to begin the final assault upon the mighty Citadel of Vraks.?

隨著戰(zhàn)略擬訂，盟友就位，卡戈里發(fā)動(dòng)了新的攻勢(shì)。在星象軍團(tuán)龐大火力的支援下，大量步兵集群反復(fù)進(jìn)攻，終于在環(huán)繞著巨大堡壘的最后防線上打開(kāi)了缺口。不過(guò)，全賴紅蝎戰(zhàn)團(tuán)英勇的軌道突襲，帝國(guó)部隊(duì)才得以取勝；他們現(xiàn)在就處于勝利的邊緣，準(zhǔn)備開(kāi)始向強(qiáng)大的弗拉克斯堡壘發(fā)動(dòng)最終攻勢(shì)。

RIFTS IN THE WARP

亞空間裂隙

With his forces poised to begin the final assault on the Citadel of Vraks, Grand Marshal Kagori received word that an Inquisitor Lord had arrived and demanded an audience. Even a man as powerful as Grand Marshal Kagori, commanding millions of Imperial soldiers, could not ignore the summons of an Inquisitor and he hurried to obey.?

就在麾下部隊(duì)緊鑼密鼓地準(zhǔn)備對(duì)于弗拉克斯堡壘的總攻時(shí)，大元帥卡戈里得知一位領(lǐng)主審判官已經(jīng)抵達(dá)此地，并要求與之會(huì)面。即便是大元帥這樣手握數(shù)百萬(wàn)帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)的強(qiáng)勢(shì)人物，也無(wú)法忽視一位審判官的召見(jiàn)，于是他匆忙前去。

Hector Rex brought word from the Scarus Conclave, the Inquisitorial council for the Scarus Sector. Psychic auguries warned of a coming catastrophe on Vraks, of Daemons and death, and Inquisitor Lord Rex had travelled to Vraks to make sure such a thing did not come to pass. Under the authority of the Holy Inquisition he was to take command of the 88' Siege Army, which was to be inducted as an Inquisitorial force, and end the war on Vraks. Rather than step down from his post and move on to another war zone, Grand Marshal Kagori requested a transfer to a combat command on Vraks, as did many of his officers, a request which was quickly approved by the Inquisitor.?

赫克托爾 雷克斯帶來(lái)了Scarus星區(qū)審判庭議事會(huì)——Scarus圣團(tuán)的消息。靈能占卜表明弗拉克斯上將要爆發(fā)關(guān)于惡魔與死亡的災(zāi)難，領(lǐng)主審判官雷克斯前來(lái)此地，就是要確保此類事件不會(huì)發(fā)生。在審判庭的授權(quán)下，雷克斯接管了第88攻城集團(tuán)軍的指揮權(quán)，將其吸納為審判庭部隊(duì)，并結(jié)束了弗拉克斯上的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。大元帥卡戈里也沒(méi)有從自己的職位退下，并前往另一個(gè)戰(zhàn)區(qū)，而是和自己麾下的諸多軍官一樣，申請(qǐng)被調(diào)任到弗拉克斯的戰(zhàn)斗指揮部。審判官很快就批準(zhǔn)了他們的請(qǐng)求。

Soon an influx of new troops began to arrive on Vraks - Inquisitorial warbands and storm trooper cadres, as well as over thirty Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus. However, Hector Rex's rivals within the Scarus Conclave felt his crusade on Vraks was a waste of resources, the grandstanding of a man aiming to make himself a hero, and moved to block his preparations. The vast bureaucracy of the Adeptus Administratum downgraded the priority of the war on Vraks, slowing its rate of ammunition and troop resupply, and forcing Inquisitor Lord Rex to look further afield for manpower. Detachments of the Red Hunters Space Marine Chapter were quick to answer his call, ancient allies of the Inquisition, alongside the Grey Knights, the silver fist of the Ordo Malleus.?

很快，一批新的部隊(duì)開(kāi)始抵達(dá)弗拉克斯：審判庭戰(zhàn)幫，風(fēng)暴軍，以及三十多名圣錘修會(huì)審判官。不過(guò)，雷克斯在Scarus圣團(tuán)中的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手認(rèn)為他的弗拉克斯遠(yuǎn)征是在浪費(fèi)資源，是某個(gè)嘩眾取寵之人在將自己包裝為英雄，便對(duì)雷克斯的備戰(zhàn)進(jìn)行阻攔。政務(wù)部龐大的官僚體系降低了弗拉克斯之戰(zhàn)的優(yōu)先級(jí)，減緩了其彈藥與部隊(duì)的補(bǔ)給速度，雷克斯被迫向更遙遠(yuǎn)的區(qū)域?qū)で笕耸帧＜t蝎戰(zhàn)團(tuán)——他們是審判庭的古老同盟——的分遣隊(duì)們很快便響應(yīng)了他的號(hào)召，圣錘修會(huì)的銀色重拳——灰騎士們也前來(lái)助戰(zhàn)。

His troops assembled, Hector Rex departed for Vraks, arriving to co-ordinate the armies manoeuvring to begin the assault on the Citadel. Firstly, the massed regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg needed to close the ring of men and tanks that was forming around the Citadel, the Inquisitor intended that no heretic should escape Vraks to plague the Imperium in some later battle. As fighting broke out along the regiments' advance, the Inquisition's fears were to come to pass.?

隨著部隊(duì)集結(jié)完畢，雷克斯動(dòng)身前往弗拉克斯，協(xié)調(diào)帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)開(kāi)始進(jìn)攻堡壘。首先，大量的克里格衛(wèi)軍團(tuán)需要形成嚴(yán)密封鎖帶，圍困住堡壘周圍防御圈中的人員和坦克，審判官不打算讓任何異端分子逃出弗拉克斯以在之后的戰(zhàn)斗中為禍帝國(guó)。但隨著戰(zhàn)斗沿帝國(guó)部隊(duì)的挺進(jìn)路線爆發(fā)，審判庭所擔(dān)憂的狀況將要成為現(xiàn)實(shí)。

As the 30" Line Korps pressed the attack on Armoury 59-44, a vital target if the Citadel was to be taken, the servants of Nurgle tore through the curtain of realspace, its very substance weakened by the constant bloodshed and poisoning of Vraks, and called forth a daemonic horde to drive back the Imperial host, a horde led by the immense Daemon Scabeiathrax. Only the intervention of Captain Stern of the Grey Knights was able to stem the tide of Chaos and throw back the daemonic legions, and Inquisitor Lord Rex knew full well it would only be a temporary respite while the renegades yet held out on Vraks.?

在第30線列軍進(jìn)攻59-44軍械庫(kù)的同時(shí)（奪取該目標(biāo)是攻占堡壘的關(guān)鍵前提），納垢的奴仆們撕裂了現(xiàn)實(shí)宇宙屏障——弗拉克斯上連續(xù)不斷的流血和投毒早就削弱了現(xiàn)實(shí)的本質(zhì)，并召喚出身形巨大的斯卡貝拉撒克斯領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下的一群惡魔來(lái)驅(qū)逐帝國(guó)部隊(duì)。完全是由于灰騎士連長(zhǎng)斯特恩的干涉，帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)才能夠抵擋住混沌波潮并擊退惡魔軍團(tuán)；領(lǐng)主審判官雷克斯很清楚，這只是暫時(shí)的喘息，因?yàn)榕衍妭內(nèi)耘f盤踞在弗拉克斯。

Unknown to the Imperial army, as it surrounded the Citadel with the massed might of the Imperial Guard, many of the mortal soldiers who made up the vast bulk of the traitor Cardinal Xaphan's armies were in a state of panic. Decisive leadership from Xaphan had long since ceased, he had not ventured from the safety of his chambers deep within the Citadel in many years; it seemed that they had but two choices — surrender or die.?

不為帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)所知的是，在數(shù)量龐大的帝國(guó)衛(wèi)隊(duì)包圍住堡壘的同時(shí)，叛徒薩凡麾下大軍中的很多凡人士兵都陷入恐慌。薩凡的堅(jiān)定領(lǐng)導(dǎo)早已不復(fù)存在，主教已經(jīng)很多年都未曾冒險(xiǎn)離開(kāi)過(guò)堡壘深處的安全房間了；他們似乎只剩下了兩個(gè)選擇——投降或死亡。

However, there were those amongst the traitor host who did not want to see the slaughter end until every possible soul had been wrung from Vraks. Chief amongst these was Zhufor, leader of the Skulltakers, the largest of the Khornate Chaos Space Marine warbands on Vraks. In a campaign of shocking brutality and startling political insight, Zhufor forged an alliance of all of the major warbands on Vraks, with himself at its head.?

不過(guò)在叛徒大軍中，也有人不想還未能榨出這顆世界上的全部靈魂，便看見(jiàn)屠殺結(jié)束。弗拉克斯上規(guī)模最大的恐虐混沌戰(zhàn)幫——攜顱者的領(lǐng)袖，朱弗便是其中的佼佼者。利用人震驚的殘酷武力威脅，結(jié)合上驚人的政治交易，朱弗將弗拉克斯上的主要混沌戰(zhàn)幫組建為聯(lián)盟，并由自己親執(zhí)牛耳。

His first act was to drag Xaphan from his throne, casting him down and watching as the Dark Gods Xaphan had pledged himself to warped his body into a twisted, mewling Chaos spawn, before taking control of the war on Vraks. Harsh discipline was swiftly imposed on the wavering Vraksian armies, and Zhufor forced them back into the fray, uncaring of whether they slew the enemy or if the Imperial guns slaughtered his new minions. All that mattered was that blood continued to flow on Vraks.?

朱弗的第一項(xiàng)行動(dòng)就是把薩凡拖出了王座室，他將主教丟在地上，眼看著黑暗諸神——薩凡已經(jīng)宣誓效忠于它們——將之變異為扭曲嚎叫著的混沌卵，然后自己掌控住了弗拉克斯之戰(zhàn)。朱弗向軍心動(dòng)搖的弗拉克斯軍隊(duì)強(qiáng)加于森嚴(yán)的軍紀(jì)，強(qiáng)迫其重新投入戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，完全不在意自己的新奴仆們是殺死了敵人，還是遭受了帝國(guó)槍炮的屠殺。他在意的只是要讓弗拉克斯上繼續(xù)血流漂櫓。

Where the fighting on Vraks had been a slow, grinding affair?in the past, battles of attrition and slow advances, now it shifted into a new form of war. Swift moving Chaos Space Marine warbands and unpredictable daemonic incursions threw the carefully planned Death Korps attacks into confused close range bloodbaths. The remaining renegade militia forces fought with the strength of the doomed, knowing that to retreat would be to guarantee their deaths in a manner far worse than anything the Imperial soldiers could inflict. As the tempo of war increased, so too did the appearance of the renegades' daemonic allies, and every step towards the walls of the Citadel was bought with the life-blood of many Imperial soldiers.?

之前進(jìn)行于弗拉克斯上的，是緩慢且難熬的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，是關(guān)于消耗與緩慢挺進(jìn)的戰(zhàn)斗，而它現(xiàn)在轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榱诵碌男问?。快速行?dòng)的混沌星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)幫與無(wú)法預(yù)料的惡魔入侵，將死亡軍團(tuán)精心策劃的攻勢(shì)轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榛靵y的血腥近戰(zhàn)。剩余的叛軍民兵也瘋狂進(jìn)攻，只求一死，因?yàn)樗麄冎雷约禾热舫吠?，死狀肯定更為凄慘。隨著戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)節(jié)奏的加快，叛軍惡魔盟友也出現(xiàn)得更為頻繁，帝國(guó)部隊(duì)向堡壘的城墻邁進(jìn)的每一步，都是由許多士兵鮮血換來(lái)的。

Even with the renegade army's renewed ferocity, the Imperial advance could not be denied. New allies arrived to bolster the 88th Siege Army's ranks, battle forces from both the Red Scorpions and Angels of Absolution Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, answering Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex's call for reinforcements. With these new troops, the Citadel's defences began to crumble, the Red Scorpions led the attacks at the St. Leonis Gate, while Death Korps engineers forced entry into the Citadel undercrofts from below and the Angels of Absolution Chapter launched a drop pod assault directly on the Citadel's central keep.?

盡管叛軍發(fā)動(dòng)了兇惡的反擊，但帝國(guó)的挺進(jìn)還是未能被阻擋住。應(yīng)領(lǐng)主審判官赫克托爾 雷克斯的呼叫，紅蝎和赦免天使戰(zhàn)團(tuán)的部隊(duì)也前來(lái)增援第88攻城集團(tuán)軍。在援軍的協(xié)助下，帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)開(kāi)始攻破堡壘的防御攻勢(shì)：紅蝎戰(zhàn)團(tuán)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了對(duì)于圣萊昂尼斯之門的進(jìn)攻，同時(shí)死亡軍團(tuán)的工兵們也下方強(qiáng)行攻入堡壘的地下通道，赦免天使則是直接向堡壘的中央要塞發(fā)動(dòng)空降艙突襲。

Many tales of glory can be told of this final assault: of how Hector Rex faced and defeated the immense Daemon lord An'ggrath, of how Chaplain Belphegor of the Dark Angels Chapter, accompanying the Angels of Absolution, destroyed the last of the Faithless warband and took Arkos the Faithless as his prisoner. Many more tales go unrecorded, desperate actions fought to rid Vraks of the taint of Chaos in the final days of the siege, but eventually the Imperium's army swept through the Citadel, and at a great cost in men and equipment, destroyed the remaining renegades.?

對(duì)于最后的總攻，有很多故事可供講述：赫克托爾 雷克斯如何直面并擊敗了巨大的惡魔領(lǐng)主安格拉斯；黑暗天使戰(zhàn)團(tuán)的牧師——貝爾芬格如何在赦免天使的陪同下，剿滅了無(wú)信者戰(zhàn)幫的最后成員，并逮捕了“無(wú)信者”阿爾考斯。還有更多的故事未能被記錄，在圍城戰(zhàn)的最后幾天中，為了讓弗拉克斯擺脫掉混沌的污染，帝國(guó)部隊(duì)采取了絕望的行動(dòng)，但他們最終還是席卷了堡壘，并在付出巨大的人力和裝備代價(jià)后殲滅了剩余叛徒。

The final battle was fought deep within the Citadel as Inquisitor Rex, Captain Stern and a force of Grey Knights and Inquisitorial troops teleported into the inner keep ahead of the main army to destroy the Warp portal the Chaos Space Marines had constructed. Zhufor and many of the other surviving Chaos Space Marines had already departed Vraks through the portal, abandoning the failing war on Vraks, and the Inquisitor and his Grey Knights allies could only vent their wrath on the daemonic guardians that had been left behind. With the Warp portal closed and the Chaos Space Marines fled, the war on Vraks was finally over

最終的戰(zhàn)斗爆發(fā)于堡壘深處。趕在主力部隊(duì)到達(dá)之前，審判官雷克斯、斯特恩連長(zhǎng)、一支灰騎士打擊部隊(duì)和審判庭部隊(duì)被傳送進(jìn)入內(nèi)部要塞，前去摧毀混沌星際戰(zhàn)士們已經(jīng)建造完成的亞空間傳送門。朱弗和其他很多幸存的混沌星際戰(zhàn)士已經(jīng)離開(kāi)了弗拉克斯，放棄了這場(chǎng)正在失敗的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，審判官和灰騎士們只能將怒火發(fā)泄在被遺留下的惡魔守衛(wèi)們身上。隨著亞空間傳送門被關(guān)閉，混沌星際戰(zhàn)士們四散逃離，弗拉克斯之戰(zhàn)最終結(jié)束了。

THE PRICE OF VICTORY

勝利的代價(jià)

At 414830.M41, the siege of Vraks was officially declared at an end. The campaign, which had been planned to last for twelve years, had become an eighteen years bloodbath that had seen the deaths of over fourteen million Imperial Guardsmen. Enemy casualties could not be easily calculated, but the victorious Imperial armies took few prisoners, all of whom were given over to the grim-faced Inquisitors of the Ordos Malleus and were never seen again.?

帝國(guó)在414830.M41正式宣布弗拉克斯攻城戰(zhàn)結(jié)束。這場(chǎng)原本計(jì)劃進(jìn)行十二年的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，最終演變了持續(xù)十八年的血腥屠殺，超過(guò)一千四百萬(wàn)帝國(guó)衛(wèi)軍在戰(zhàn)斗中陣亡。敵方的傷亡人數(shù)無(wú)法被輕易計(jì)算，但獲勝的帝國(guó)軍隊(duì)只抓獲了少量俘虜，這些異端分子都被交給了圣錘修會(huì)的冷面審判官，以后再未出現(xiàn)過(guò)。

Vraks itself had been devastated by the fighting. Nothing of value remained for the Administratum's servants to plunder, Vraks' infrastructure lay in ruins and its indentured workers had either been slaughtered in the war, or removed by the Inquisition. Even the great underground armouries had been rendered worthless; the supplies of arms and munitions long since used up by Xaphan's rebellious armies.?

弗拉克斯世界本身也被戰(zhàn)火摧毀。星球上任何可供政務(wù)部官員們回收的有價(jià)值物品都不復(fù)存在，基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施化為了廢墟，契約勞工們不是死于戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，就是被審判庭帶走。哪怕是龐大的地下軍火庫(kù)也已變得毫無(wú)價(jià)值：薩凡麾下的叛徒大軍很久之前就耗盡了其中的武器彈藥補(bǔ)給。

Abandoned minefields, unexploded shells and dormant fields of toxic chemicals had turned the wastelands of Vraks into a hellish and deadly landscape, and many within the Inquisition feared that the world might still be at risk from daemonic influence after the horrors unleashed upon it by Zhufor. In the end the planet was abandoned and interdicted, by order of Lord Inquisitor Hector Rex. Automated beacons were set in orbit to ward away all those who might come across the planet, and Vraks was declared lost to the Imperium.?

廢棄的雷區(qū)、未爆彈和含有化學(xué)毒素的土地，讓弗拉克斯的荒原變?yōu)榱说鬲z般的致命區(qū)域。審判庭中的很多成員也認(rèn)為，在朱弗于其上釋放過(guò)（亞空間）恐怖之物后，弗拉克斯可能仍然處于遭受惡魔影響的危險(xiǎn)中。最終，領(lǐng)主審判官赫克托爾 雷克斯下令放棄并封鎖該星球。弗拉克斯的軌道上被放置了自動(dòng)信標(biāo)，警告所有可能經(jīng)過(guò)該星球的人們避開(kāi)此地，人類帝國(guó)也宣布失去了弗拉克斯世界。