At the Empire's end

帝國的盡頭

Having scoured in the archives of Terra over the course many Years and several expeditions to the lowest vaults seeking answers to the riddle of the Nostramo sector, it seemed that both the archives and the patience of their keepers has?been exhausted by my search. little more would be uncovered for some years as forces within our battered Imperium moved to secure their power and those of us who were seen as relics of a time now past were pushed aside. The next, and perhaps final piece of the puzzle to emerge would come from the distant?halls of Ultramar, passed into my hands by a loyal acolyte whose travels had led him down distant trails.

為了尋找諾斯特拉星區(qū)密秘的答案，我在泰拉檔案館搜索了數(shù)年之久，并且對最深處的儲藏室進行了多次探索。我的研究似乎已經(jīng)掏空了檔案館的資料，也已經(jīng)耗盡了管理員們的耐心。隨著我們備受凌虐的帝國中的各種部隊轉(zhuǎn)為儲備自己的力量，我們這些被視為舊時代遺產(chǎn)的老家伙們也罕有人問津，所以在這幾年中我們幾乎沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)更多信息。下面這份資料可能就是這個謎團（答案）的最后一部分，它來自遙遠的奧特拉瑪?shù)馁Y料大廳，一位曾經(jīng)前往過遙遠地方的忠誠軍團仆役將這份檔案送交我手。

Here presented is the record of one of the battle?fought by those fragments of the Ultramarines that were separated from?their brethren by the advance of the Word Bearers, left isolated after the fall of Honourum. In the final days of 011.M31, under the command of Arceas Odenathus of the 10th Chapter, the Ultramarines moved to assult the world of Desperation, on?the coreward edge of the Nostramo sector seeking to establish a zone of?Loyalist control in?the Dominion of?Storms. While the result of the battle is of little consequence to my investigation,?the circumstances that brought its conclusion have much import on its answer.

我在此所展示的是一份極限戰(zhàn)士軍團散兵部隊的戰(zhàn)斗記錄——他們在懷言者的進攻中與自己的兄弟們分散，并在Honourum世界淪陷之后陷入孤立狀態(tài)。在011.M31的最后幾天里，第十戰(zhàn)團的指揮官阿爾凱斯 奧登蘇斯指揮極限戰(zhàn)士們前去攻擊位于諾斯特拉莫星區(qū)朝向銀心地帶邊境的絕望星，他們試圖在風暴統(tǒng)治域中建立起一片忠誠派控制區(qū)。雖然這次戰(zhàn)爭的結(jié)果對于我的調(diào)查沒有什么太大的影響，但其戰(zhàn)局對于我的調(diào)查意義非凡。

ULTRAMAR, SECURED DATA REPOSITORY 346/SIGMA, ARTICLE 4/997/011/31

奧特拉瑪，安全數(shù)據(jù)存儲庫西格瑪346，文檔編號4/997/011/31

INTERNAL?LEGION DATA-MISSIVE #4445-893

軍團內(nèi)部數(shù)據(jù)公函，編號#4445-893

IDENT-IMPRINT: ARCEAS ODINATHUS, PRAETOR, 10TH?CHAPTER

提交者身份：第十戰(zhàn)團執(zhí)政官阿爾凱斯 奧登蘇斯

PREFACE

前言?

A WISE MAN DOES NOT FEAR, A MAN AFRAID DOES NOT THINK. CODICIL 1：18

智者無懼，懼者無謀。附錄1：18

My Lord Guilliman,?

基里曼吾主

As per your standing orders, I have compiled a full report of our recent actions for analysis and dissemination within the Legion, though I do not know when this missive may reach your person as the fighting turns bitter in the Dominion of Storms. Our recent success in-battle against the garrison forces left by the Word Bearers and World Eaters has been marred by a defeat at the hands of the Night Lords and the loss of much of the 104th?and 108th Companies. The remainder of the 10th Chapter remains fit for battle, and we shall endeavour to harry die Traitors and force them to continue diverting manpower?and resources to this segmentum.?

根據(jù)您的常規(guī)訓令，我將最近的行動編撰為一份完整報告以供軍團內(nèi)部傳閱和分析，但我不知道隨著暴風統(tǒng)治域的戰(zhàn)斗變得越來越艱難，這份公函何時會到達您面前。我們最近戰(zhàn)勝了懷言者和吞世者留下的駐軍，但之后我們被午夜領主們擊敗，第104和108連隊損失慘重。但第10戰(zhàn)團剩余的部隊依舊適合作戰(zhàn)，我們會盡力剿滅叛軍，迫使他們繼續(xù)向該星域轉(zhuǎn)移人力和資源。

Section One：Of Preparation

階段1：備戰(zhàn)

Ruthlessness is the Kindness of the Wise. Codicil 3:94

無情是智者的仁慈。附錄?3:94

Having established our regional command post on the Loyalist Forge World of Gulgorahd, our initial strategic aim has been to create a buffer zone Between Gulgorahd and nearby Traitor outposts. World Eaters units on Taur have been eliminated after being drawn into?an ambush by Seeker squads from the 83th Company, and those Word Bearers companies on Caith Laes engaged in a protracted campaign of senseless genocide have been annihilated. The Night Lords stronghold of Kniun has fallen silent and Khrave nest ships have been sighted in orbit, and though it pains me to leave these foul xenos to butcher?and raid?unchallenged, we do not havethe manpower to fight both the Traitor Legions and reavers from the Ghoul Stars. This has left Desperation as the only major enemy stronghold within striking?distance.

我們已經(jīng)在忠誠的鑄造世界Gulgorahd上建立了自己的指揮站，初期的戰(zhàn)略目標是在Gulgorahd和周邊的叛徒哨站之間創(chuàng)建緩沖區(qū)。第83連隊的尋路者小隊將Taur上吞世者部隊引誘到伏擊圈中進行殲滅，Caith Laes上那些陷入曠日持久的無意義種族滅絕戰(zhàn)爭的懷言者部隊們也被肅清。Kniun上的午夜領主據(jù)點已經(jīng)陷入沉寂，該世界的軌道上被目擊到了卡拉夫人的蜂巢戰(zhàn)艦。放任這些丑惡的異形不受阻礙地進行屠殺和掠奪令我痛苦，但我們沒有與叛徒軍團和來自食尸鬼群星的掠奪者們兩線作戰(zhàn)的兵力。這讓絕望星成為了我們進攻距離內(nèi)僅有的主要叛軍據(jù)點。

Our last intelligence on Desperation, provided by stragglers from the 1st Legion fleet in 010M31, placed twelve companies of Night lords at Desperation as well as a small fleet contingent. As per our established doctrines, I mustered a force exceeding estimated enemy strength by at least fifty percent before engagement: ten companies of the 10th Chapter, seven taghma of the Taghmata Gulgorahd and a mixed compmany?of Blood Angels and Iron Hands. This force was mustered on the recently captured world of Yaelis in 997011.M31 and subsequently moved to begin the assault?in good order and provided with ample supply and fleet support.

第一軍團艦隊的掉隊者們在010M31為我們提供了關于絕望星的最新情報：絕望星上有12個午夜領主連隊以及一支小規(guī)模分遣艦隊。根據(jù)我們的既定信條，我在交戰(zhàn)前召集了一支軍力至少超過敵軍預計兵力百分之十五的部隊：第十戰(zhàn)團的10個連隊，Gulgorahd禁衛(wèi)軍的7支禁衛(wèi)隊以及圣血天使和鋼鐵之手組成的一個混合連隊。部隊的集結(jié)地是在997011.M31被我們新征服的世界Yaelis，我們在調(diào)整好狀態(tài)后便開始進攻，并且充分地補給了部隊和艦隊。

Section Two: Of Battle .

階段2：作戰(zhàn)

Wars?are Won or Lost when the Battle Lines are Drawn.Codicil 18:03

戰(zhàn)線已成，非勝即隕。附錄18：03

On arrival at the outskirts of the Qetesh System, we found its fifth world, Desperation, to be more heavily defended than expected. Nine capital class craft and a score of lesser ships were set in defensive positions in high orbit, obviously placed to interdict long range bombardment?at the planet and apparently?well prepared for attack.Our own?fleet, composed of six Legion strike cruisers of various types, five Gulgor assault barques and supporting small craft squadrons, held only a slight advantage in numbers. Yet as we retained the strategic initiative, our foe bound to protect die planet over which they orbited, it was decided that the fleet would press the attack.?To?that end the fleet was divided into three battle groups: two smaller battle groups composed of a pair of strike cruisers, each along with the majority of our more agile small craft, and a single larger formation that included all of the formidable Gulgor close assault ships and the largest of the two strike cruisers,?a pair of Ancient Terran Excelsior class craft bristling?with kinetic?lance launchers. Utilising a variation of ?standard Legion?envelopment tactics, the two smaller squadrons made probing attacks from opposite vectors, attempting to draw the defenders into spreading their forces thin at the centre, where the third formation waited to drive home a crippling attack at short range.

當?shù)诌_Qetesh星系的邊緣時，我們就發(fā)現(xiàn)星系中的第十五個世界——絕望星的防守比我們預想得更為嚴密，九艘主力艦和二十艘輕型艦船在高軌道進行防御，明顯是要阻止對于行星的遠距離轟炸，顯然敵軍準備完善。我們自己的艦隊包含六艘各種型號的軍團打擊巡洋艦，五艘古爾戈突擊艦和幾支小型支援艦中隊，我方只在數(shù)量上有微弱優(yōu)勢。由于我方擁有戰(zhàn)略主動權(quán)，敵軍則要負責保護他們環(huán)繞的固定世界，所以我決定用進攻。為此，艦隊被分為三個戰(zhàn)斗群：兩個小型戰(zhàn)斗群包含兩艘打擊巡洋艦，已經(jīng)大量更為靈活的小型艦船，另一個大型戰(zhàn)斗群包含所有強悍的古爾戈突擊艦和兩艘最大的突擊巡洋艦——她們是遍布移動光矛發(fā)射器的古泰拉的精進型戰(zhàn)艦。我們使用了某種包抄戰(zhàn)術的變種：兩個小型中隊從相反的方向進行試探攻擊，試圖引開敵方守軍，使其中心地帶防守薄弱，此刻第三支編隊就能對其直接進行近距離殘酷突擊。

At?first it seemed that the strategy had succeeded, with squadrons of Night lords craft splitting off from the main force to counter our probing attacks. Indeed, the clumsy manoeuvring of the VIIth?Legion?craft would suggest a?dire lack of a cohesive command element, wih the sudden shifting of their formation?causing some disarray within?the fleet. With our flanking?elements fully engaged, the main?force of the fleet moved to engage the Night Lords ships，advancing at flank speed towards Desperation. Yet those squadrons not engaged with the smaller battle groups, upon detecting the advancing phalanx?of capital craft, either turned on our embattled flanking groups or fled local space entirely; making no attempt to defend the planet or engage our main force in complete defiance of established military logic.

起初這套戰(zhàn)略似乎奏效了，一支午夜領主艦艇中隊脫離出主力部隊，前來反擊我們的試探性進攻。事實上，第七軍團艦船笨拙的機動顯示出出他們極其缺乏一個有凝聚力的指揮團隊，它們編隊的突然變動在艦隊中造成了混亂。隨著我們的側(cè)翼部隊全面進入戰(zhàn)斗，艦隊主力也以側(cè)翼速度駛向絕望星，前去對抗午夜領主的戰(zhàn)艦。然而，在發(fā)現(xiàn)了主力艦前進的方陣后，那些并未與小型戰(zhàn)斗群交戰(zhàn)的中隊要么轉(zhuǎn)向我軍被圍困的側(cè)翼戰(zhàn)斗群，要么完全逃離了當?shù)乜沼?他們完全無視既定的軍事邏輯，并未試圖保衛(wèi)星球或與我們的主力艦隊交戰(zhàn)。

There was little that could be done to avoid the loss of two of our cruisers,?the Amaranthine Vigil and the Heart of Valour, overwhelmed by Night Lords vessels that closed to point blank range to cripple and board them. The collapse of one of the flanking actions left a clear vector for the remaining Night Lords craft to disengage and regroup on the far side of Desperation's binary moons, shielded from our guns by the two conjoined planetoids. Unwilling to retreat with the remains of the Night Lords fleet menacing our formation, the heavy assault craft began deploying landing craft and gunships, the initial stage of our conquest of Desperation. These craft took heavy casualties from surface-based defence lasers and macro cannon batteries, which the?Night Lords had sited within the heavily populated hive cities of ?Desperation in an attempt to discourage orbital?suppression with the spectre of collateral damage to the infrastructure and populace. These orbital-defence batteries were the primary targets of the initial assault groups, composed mostly of Ursarax cohorts commanded by the grim bronze-masked adepts of?Gulgorahd, and Ultramarines of the 22nd?Chapter, the destroyers of?the Nemesis Charter accompanied by hulking Leviathan pattern siege Dreadnoughts. As the assault groups fell prey to cunningly wrought ambushes, sabotage and entire towers rigged for destraction, the fighting bogged down into vicious, isolated street fights. We were also subject to near-continuous raids by small squadrons of Night Lords craft in orbit, targeting isolated craft and?the lumbering transport barges. We were unable to fully suppress these raids while bound to protect those troops we had landed on the surface, placed in an invidious position by our own success in the initial stages of the assault.

我們的兩艘巡洋艦“長明守望號”和“勇氣之心”號被午夜領主戰(zhàn)艦所壓制，敵軍進入了（艦炮的）空白范圍內(nèi)以癱瘓它們并進行跳幫，我們幾乎無法避免這兩艘船的損失。（而且）我們某一側(cè)翼的進攻行動失敗了，這就留給了剩余的午夜領主艦船們一條前往絕望星雙子月亮的遠端進行脫戰(zhàn)和重整的安全航線，那兩顆連體小行星能讓它們避開我們的炮火。我們不愿意在午夜領主的殘余艦隊（依然）威脅著我們編隊的情況下撤退，重型突擊艦開始部署登陸艇和炮艇，這是我們占領絕望星的第一步。地基防御激光和宏炮炮塔讓這些艦艇損失嚴重，午夜領主們在人口眾多的巢都中設置這些防御設施的目的是阻止軌道壓制，以免空襲對基礎設施和民眾造成附帶損害。第一批進攻部隊的首要目標就是這些軌道防御炮臺，部隊主要由（帶著）青銅面具的Gulgorahd技術修士指揮的蒼熊機兵大隊、第22戰(zhàn)團的極限戰(zhàn)士們、復仇女神戰(zhàn)團的毀滅者部隊與陪同他們的巨大利維坦攻城無畏機甲們組成。隨著進攻部隊遭遇了敵軍狡猾的伏擊，計劃被打亂，防御塔被用于進行毀滅，戰(zhàn)斗陷入僵局，雙方展開了殘酷孤立的巷戰(zhàn)。我們也在軌道上遭遇了午夜領主艦艇小型中隊近乎持續(xù)的掠襲，它們瞄準的是孤立的艦艇和緩慢笨重的運輸巨艦。我們無法在保護地面登陸部隊的同時全力壓制對方的掠襲進攻，在進攻初期階段獲取的勝利讓我們陷入了兩難境地。

Section?Three： Of Betrayal?

階段三：背叛

Hesitation in War is a Warrior's Greatest Betrayal .Codicil 6:14

戰(zhàn)時遲疑是最大的背叛。附錄6:14

At this point in the fighting, we had lost the initiative both in orbit and on the ground. In an effort to regain some mennentum, the remainder of our landing craft were deployed, despite the destruction of less than half the enemy's ground defence batteries, heavy casualties being deemed Better than complete failure. The additional forces began to shift the battle back in our favour, with Legiones Astartes of the 10th Chapter establishing safe zones for the deployment of heavy Gulgorahd artillery-automata. In orbit, the relative parity of strength Between the two fleets left us with fewer offensive options, however, the intercession of a fleet of unmarked warships of Imperial pattern was to shift the balance in our favour.Emerging from warp space at some distance from Desperation, this unknown fleet, comprised of six capital class vessels, older Hoplon pattern assault?cruisers of Jovian design, moved to engage the Night Lords ships. Caught Between our own ships and the unidentified ebon-hulled craft, the Night Lords cruisers fell victim to a withering crossfire that left them in ruins. Only three craft managed to escape the conflagration, using the deaths of their brethren to mask the signatures of their engines as they pushed to overload in the effort to escape our effective auspex range.

此刻，我們在軌道和地面上都喪失了主動權(quán)。為了努力重新獲取到一些進攻勢頭，盡管地面部隊只摧毀了敵軍不到一半的地面防御炮塔，我們?nèi)匀徊渴鹆耸Ｓ嗟牡顷懲?，傷亡慘重總好過徹底失敗。新增的部隊開始將戰(zhàn)斗轉(zhuǎn)向?qū)ξ覀冇欣姆较?，第十?zhàn)團的阿斯塔特們?yōu)镚ulgorahd重型炮擊自動機兵的部署建立了安全區(qū)。在軌道上，雙方艦隊的軍力（對比）相對平等，這讓我們擁有了少量的進攻選擇權(quán)。但一支由無標識帝國型號艦船組成的艦隊的（突然）介入讓戰(zhàn)斗形勢轉(zhuǎn)向了對我們有利的一方。這支未知的艦隊在較為遠離絕望星的區(qū)域離開了亞空間前去與午夜領主艦隊交戰(zhàn)，其中包括六艘主力艦，它們是木星設計的陳舊的圓盾型突擊巡洋艦。午夜領主巡洋艦們夾在了我們的戰(zhàn)艦和身份未確認的烏黑艦船之間，毀滅性的交叉火力讓它們化為殘骸。只有三艘艦船成功從沖突中逃出，他們超載引擎來逃出我們鳥卜儀的有效偵測范圍，利用兄弟（艦船）的死亡（殘?。﹣黼[蔽自己的引擎信號。

Now in control of oibital space above Desperation, we attempted to make contact with the craft that had come to our aid. The battle-scarred craft had disabled their ident broadcast signals, and did not display any sign of Legion heraldry on their hulls, yet their actions would have us suppose them enemies of the traitor Warmaster. Our attempts at communication, intended to secure their co- operation in the reduction of Night Lords' positions on?the surface in the Emperor's name, met with curt rebuff a commtmication transmitted across audio-only vox channels by a praetor who gave his name as Kirine:"The Emperor consigned us to the care of a tyrant who sought to see us dead and forgotten; now the Raven Lord himself is?dead,we care not to see the collar of servitude clasped around our necks?once more,?neither in service to the turncoat Warmaster or a failed empire"

現(xiàn)在我們控制住了絕望星上空的軌道空域，我們試圖與這些施以援手的艦船進行聯(lián)系。這些戰(zhàn)疤累累的艦船關閉了它們的身份識別廣播信號，船體上也并未展示出任何軍團紋章的標記，但他們的行為讓我們假定他們?yōu)榕淹綉?zhàn)帥的敵人。我們試著與他們進行溝通，意圖讓雙方以帝皇之名合作剿滅午夜領主們在地表的據(jù)點。對方斷然拒絕了我們的提議，一位自稱基林的軍團執(zhí)政官通過一個只供收聽的無線電頻道發(fā)送給我們一條通訊：“帝皇將我們丟給一名暴君，而后者只想看著我們死掉和被遺忘；現(xiàn)在渡鴉之主已死，我們不會眼看著自己的脖子再次套上奴隸的枷鎖。我們不侍奉那位變節(jié)的戰(zhàn)帥，但也不會給一個失敗的帝國賣命?！?/p>

Section Four: Of Defiance

階段四：反抗

Doubt is the Greatest Weapon of our Foe. Codicil 3:48

懷疑是敵人最好的武器。附錄3:48。

Despite such slander of the Emperor and His chosen Primarchs, the craft under Kirine's command did not attempt to target or engage our ships, but instead approached the planet and began to launch their own landing craft. Eager to avoid a three-way conflict, those Loyalist craft in the area were ordered to keep their distance unless locked onto by targeting augurs, however my attempts were to prove to be in vain. The dropcraft of the cast-off Raven Guard vectored towards the principal armorium of Desperation's?sprawling hive, an area mostly under the control of pathfinder units of the 10th Chapter. These dropcraft disgorged a host of Legiones Astartes clad in worn battle plate bearing a heraldry of black and red. Organised into small fast moving units, these Legiones Astartes engaged in a brutal strike and fade assault against the Ultramarines in the area. Though far from unprepared for such a treacherous attack, for we had all learned lessons from the fall of Honourum and Calth, the sheer ferocity of the assault carried it home. With our surviving squads falling back to sound defensive positions, the Raven Guard were able to occupy the armorium, bringing up their landing craft with the apparent intent of looting the store of arms and munitions kept within.

盡管基林對于帝皇和被帝皇選中的原體進行了如此嚴重的誹謗，但他指揮下的艦船并未試圖瞄準或攻擊我方艦船，相反，他們接近了絕望星并開始發(fā)射他們自己的登陸艇。為了極力避免三方混戰(zhàn)的發(fā)生，我命令該區(qū)域的忠誠派艦船（與基林艦隊）保持距離，除非被對方用瞄準卜儀鎖定。但我的努力被證明是徒勞的。這些被流放暗鴉守衛(wèi)的空降艇沖向了絕望星雜亂巢都中的主要軍火庫，這片地區(qū)主要由第十戰(zhàn)團的尋路者部隊控制?？战低п尫懦鲆蝗荷砼麕в屑t黑色紋章的破舊戰(zhàn)斗裝甲的軍團阿斯塔特，他們組成了小型的快速移動單位，對該地的極限戰(zhàn)士們發(fā)動了兇狠的突擊。盡管我們都吸取了考斯和Honourum隕落的教訓，對于此類背刺進攻也遠非毫無準備，但這種純粹兇悍的進攻仍讓極限戰(zhàn)士們招架不住。我們幸存的小隊們撤到了完好的防御據(jù)點，暗鴉守衛(wèi)們現(xiàn)在攻占了軍火庫，他們的登陸艇降落下來，意圖明顯是要洗劫倉庫中儲存的武器彈藥。

For the next few hours, the site of the armorium became the focus of the fighting on Desperation, with the Raven Guard mounting a stubborn defence of the complex, now besieged by fresh Ultramarines units from the 10th and 22nd Chapters, and with Night Lords terror squads launching probing attacks and ambushing isolated units of either side. All the while, a stream of Raven Guard shuttle craft emptied the armorium under the watchful eye of squadrons of Fire Raptor gunships and smaller fighter craft, whilst in orbit a tense war of manoeuvre saw our capital ships attempting to force the enemy out of geo-synchronous orbit of the armorium. While we were unable to displace the enemy cruisers, and remained unwilling to endanger our remaining undamaged capital craft, a breakthrough in the defences thrown up around the armorium was forced by the Destroyers of the 22nd Chapter, their Leviathan Siege Dreadnoughts battering down the hastily erected barricades under heavy fire. With a hole punched in their fortifications, the Raven Guard were forced into a fighting retreat, evacuating as many of their units as possible as the noose was closed. The last of their units, a squad of Cataphractii Terminators, sealed the doors of the armorium behind them, though when it was later prised open they were gone, having most likely teleported to the waiting cruisers above. In the wake of the Raven Guard's evacuation, Night Lords units began a hive-wide counter-attack, surging forwards into the exhausted Ultramarines units across the city.

在之后的幾個小時中，軍火庫區(qū)域是絕望星上爭斗的焦點。暗鴉守衛(wèi)們對巢城復合體進行了頑強防御，來自第10和第22戰(zhàn)團的新增援極限戰(zhàn)士部隊圍困著他們，午夜領主的恐懼小隊也進行了試探性進攻，并伏擊了另外兩方的落單部隊。在火焰猛禽炮艇和小型戰(zhàn)斗機的護送下，一艘接一艘的暗鴉守衛(wèi)運輸艇最終搬空了軍火庫；同時在軌道上也進行著一場緊張的機動戰(zhàn)爭：我方主力艦試圖逼迫敵軍離開軍火庫（上空）的同步軌道空域。但我們無力趕走敵軍的巡洋艦，也不愿意讓我們剩余的完好主力艦陷入危險，這時第 22 戰(zhàn)團的毀滅者部隊強行突破了軍火庫周圍的防御工事，他們的利維坦攻城無畏機甲頂著猛烈的火力摧毀暗鴉守衛(wèi)們匆忙架起的路障。由于防御工事被打出了突破口，暗鴉守衛(wèi)們被迫進行戰(zhàn)術撤退，他們在極限戰(zhàn)士大舉進攻時盡可能多地疏散了部隊。他們最后的部隊——某支鐵騎終結(jié)者小隊封鎖了自己身后的軍火庫大門，不過之后等我們撬開大門時，他們已經(jīng)消失了——很可能是被傳送到了上方等待著的巡洋艦中。在暗鴉守衛(wèi)們撤退后，午夜領主們發(fā)動了巢都范圍的反擊，沖向城市各處精疲力竭的極限戰(zhàn)士部隊。

Summation?

總結(jié)

Knowledge is the Truest Weapon in a General's Arsenal. Codicil 9:23

知識是一位統(tǒng)帥最真實的武器。附錄9:23。

In defence of our own troops, we were forced to evacuate those forces on the ground, suffering heavy casualties in the process. By necessity this left us unable to oppose the retreat of the Raven Guard cruisers, which left orbit in possession of a sizable store of munitions, but having paid for them in the blood of their fallen brethren. On Desperation the Night Lords once again controlled the hive city, which had been mostly reduced to rubble during the day's hard fought battles, and our only recourse was to bombard the city from orbit. While we assume that many Night Lords units were able to seek sanctuary in pre-prepared shelters in the hive's lower levels, the remainder will be combat ineffective and unable to leave the ruins with their fleet destroyed or scattered.

為了保護我方人員，我們被迫撤回地面上的部隊，在這個過程中我們損失慘重。這必然使我們無法阻止暗鴉守衛(wèi)巡洋艦的撤退，它們在離開軌道時帶走了大量彈藥，但這是用他們陣亡兄弟們的鮮血換來的。午夜領主們再次控制住了絕望星上的巢都，但這一天的艱苦鏖戰(zhàn)已經(jīng)讓城市的大部分都化為瓦礫廢墟，我們也只能從軌道上轟炸這些城市。我們姑且假設許多午夜領主都已經(jīng)躲入了巢都下層事先準備好的避難所中，但由于他們的艦隊已被摧毀或逃散，這些幸存者們（之后）將無法有效戰(zhàn)斗，也不能離開廢墟。