The Plan of?Attack

進(jìn)攻計(jì)劃

The decision for immediate and all-out attack upon the Traitor positions on the planet was taken by Ferrus Manus. As senior battle-leader among his fellow Primarchs in the first wave, the darkly aggrieved master of the Iron Hands would brook no delay. Some surviving reports make note of the Iron Hands Primarch overriding Vulkan's counsel of caution to await the bulk of the Loyalists before mounting the attack, and taking Corax's own misgivings and taciturn silence once challenged for agreement, but regardless it is certain that Ferrus Manus had swiftly drawn plans for immediate invasion before ever arriving at the Isstvan system; his warlike intelligence formulating a hundred possible scenarios of attack and defence already, then refining them further as the data from the Ad Temperesta's intelligence had been received. The Raven Guard infiltrator's reconnaissance had been thorough, identifying the vast majority of the Traitors' activity planetside as being confined to an area identified by Imperial cartographers as the Urgall region, comprising a wide volcanic plateau, breached by a rapidly reducing valley known as the Urgall Depression. At the head of this depression, where it intersected the plateau, lay a jagged range of rocky hills and ravines, and here the half-ruined structures of a vast fortress network of?ancient pre-human origin had been registered by Imperial cartographers decades before. It was these antediluvian ruins the long-range auguries of the Raven Guard vessel identified as the locus of Traitor activity, with fresh bastions and defence lines raised by the Traitors, using the eroded alien battlements as their foundations, and its long-empty keeps as their strongholds.

費(fèi)魯斯 馬努斯決定對行星上的叛軍據(jù)點(diǎn)發(fā)動迅速并且全力的進(jìn)攻。作為第一波進(jìn)攻中原體兄弟們的高級戰(zhàn)斗領(lǐng)袖，帶著壓抑怒火的鋼鐵之手主宰不會容忍拖延。某些幸存的報(bào)告表明鋼鐵之手原體在進(jìn)攻前毫不理會伏爾甘等待忠誠派主力（會師）的耐心勸誡，而且將克拉克斯的疑慮和沉默寡言視為對于意見一致的挑戰(zhàn)。但不管怎樣，費(fèi)魯斯 馬努斯確實(shí)在抵達(dá)伊斯特萬星系之前就快速制定了即刻侵攻的計(jì)劃，他已經(jīng)動用好戰(zhàn)的才智制定了一百種可能的攻擊和防御方案，并且根據(jù)暴雨將至號傳遞的情報(bào)所蘊(yùn)含的信息進(jìn)一步改善了計(jì)劃。暗鴉守衛(wèi)的滲透者進(jìn)行了徹底的偵查活動，他們確定絕大多數(shù)叛徒的活動僅限于某個(gè)被帝國繪圖員們辯識為Urgall地區(qū)，包括一片廣闊的火山平原，并被一片被稱為Urgall洼地的快速縮小的山谷打開缺口。該洼地的初段與高原相連，分布著參差不齊的巖石山丘和溝壑，這里還有一座起源于人類之前遠(yuǎn)古時(shí)代巨大要塞網(wǎng)絡(luò)的半廢墟化的結(jié)構(gòu)，帝國繪圖員在數(shù)十年前標(biāo)注了它。暗鴉守衛(wèi)艦船的遠(yuǎn)距離遙卜將這片上古洪荒之前的古老廢墟辯識為叛徒活動的中心，叛軍在此地新建了堡壘和防御線，將飽受侵蝕的異星人城垛用作基地，將空蕩已久的要塞主樓用作據(jù)點(diǎn)。

With the vast bulk of?the volcanic plateau rearing up behind it, and a treacherous spread of?tangled gorges, cliffs and ravines to either side, the fortification was a formidable defensive position. The only major route of approach and ground attack to the fortress was the expanse of the Urgall Depression before it; a rocky, pitted wasteland of black volcanic sand and meagre scrub perhaps twenty kilometres wide at its greatest extent, and scattered with mesas of broken stone and defiles of pumice and basalt. This natural defence had been further augmented with a network of trench works and strongpoints whose extent could not be readily determined from orbit. Elsewhere in the region, other smaller outposts had been identified, while at the rearward extent of the Urgall Plateau, some thirty kilometres away from the main fortification line, within the cavernous bounds of a particularly deep, high-sided gorge, several shielded reactor signatures had been faintly detected which were judged by the Mechanicum augursavants to be the hidden sign of battle-Titans, slumbering in aid of concealment.

這座要塞背靠著絕大部分的火山平原，兩邊四處蔓延著復(fù)雜崎嶇的峽谷，懸崖和溝壑，它是一座可怖的防御據(jù)點(diǎn)。對其進(jìn)行接近和地面進(jìn)攻的唯一主路是要塞前方廣闊的Urgall洼地——黑色火山砂構(gòu)成的多巖坑洼廢土和最寬處可能為二十公里的狹窄灌木林地，散布著碎石臺地與浮石和玄武巖構(gòu)成的的山中狹徑，而且叛軍們用難以從軌道上確定其范圍的地道工程和據(jù)點(diǎn)網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)一步加固了這道天險(xiǎn)。暗鴉守衛(wèi)還在其他地區(qū)辨別出了小型哨站，另外在距離主要塞防線大概三十千米處的Urgall后方邊緣處，暗鴉守衛(wèi)們還在一個(gè)極其高深的峽谷的極深洞穴內(nèi)檢測到了被屏蔽的反應(yīng)堆的微弱信號跡象，機(jī)械神教的占卜士們判定這是被隱藏的戰(zhàn)斗泰坦的信號，它們正處于暗中沉眠的狀態(tài)。

Incursion

進(jìn)攻

Planetfall: Minus 7 hours Terran Sidereal?

時(shí)間：行星登陸前7個(gè)泰拉恒星時(shí)

By preordained astropathic signal, the forces of two mighty battlefleets of the Legiones Astartes, the Raven Guard and the Salamanders, ripped themselves out of the Warp on approach to Isstvan V in near unison; a feat of the Navigators'?art seldom equalled, and at their head was the Ferrum, the battleship of Ferrus Manus and his Iron Hands Legion elite. The Space Marine armada transited as close as they deemed possible to the planet on converging attack vectors, and immediately burned full thrust towards the Traitor stronghold.

根據(jù)預(yù)定的信號，暗鴉守衛(wèi)和火蜥蜴兩支阿斯塔特軍團(tuán)強(qiáng)大的戰(zhàn)爭艦隊(duì)近乎一致地在接近伊斯特萬五號時(shí)離開了亞空間，這是導(dǎo)航者們幾乎未實(shí)現(xiàn)過的壯舉，領(lǐng)頭的是費(fèi)魯斯 馬努斯和鐵手軍團(tuán)精銳們搭乘的戰(zhàn)列艦——鐵拳號。在聚集進(jìn)攻矢量的情況下，星際戰(zhàn)士艦隊(duì)按自己認(rèn)為可能的形式盡量接近這顆星球，并且立刻就全力沖向叛軍據(jù)點(diǎn)。

In response came a storm of signals and blazing power signatures from the planet below as the Traitors awoke themselves to war, their early warning systems reacting in sudden alarm to the massive incursion. Orbital missiles rose up to firing position from concealed mobile launchers on Isstvan V's desert plains, streaking skyward on columns of fire, while defence squadrons were hurriedly scrambled. Against a raiding squadron or even an avenging battle group come across the Traitors for an attack of opportunity, this out-lashing of firepower might have prevailed or at least forestalled a ground assault, but against the combined might of two Legiones Astartes fleets, plus the Ferrum as vanguard, it was all but useless and was swept aside without a single loss to the attackers.

作為回應(yīng)，下方的星球上傳來大量信號和灼熱的能量跡象——叛軍們也在投入戰(zhàn)斗，他們的早期警報(bào)系統(tǒng)發(fā)出突然警報(bào)，提醒大規(guī)模侵攻的到來。軌道（防御）導(dǎo)彈從隱藏在沙漠平原中的移動發(fā)射架上點(diǎn)火升空，火柱直直地沖向蒼穹，同時(shí)（戰(zhàn)機(jī)）防御中隊(duì)也匆忙向太空中爬升。叛軍的（快速）掠襲中隊(duì)甚至是復(fù)仇戰(zhàn)斗群得到了進(jìn)攻機(jī)會，它們兇猛強(qiáng)悍的火力或許可以壓倒或至少阻止一次地面進(jìn)攻，但面對兩支阿斯塔特軍團(tuán)艦隊(duì)的綜合力量外加作為先鋒的鐵拳號，這種進(jìn)攻毫無用處。忠誠派進(jìn)攻艦隊(duì)毫發(fā)未損便掃清了他們。

Through the impotent barrage, the Loyalist warships hurtled onwards, towards the planet’s upper atmosphere, the ornate and savage aspect of the bronze-chased and emerald reptilian-armoured hulls of the Salamanders vessels contrasting with the sable black of the Raven Guard's own ships, darker than the void through which they flew, and at their head, the pitiless barbed iron spike of the Ferrum, descending like a spear hurled from the hand of a wrathful god. This would be no mere bombardment from orbit, no impersonal razing of a world from the cold blackness of space, but an invasion, a scouring. The foe would be met head on, blade-to-blade, the Traitors' blood spilled and punishment dealt face-to-face; only by this would the stain of treachery be expunged. Honour demanded confrontation, as did surety; for Rogal Dorn had ordered the Emperor's wayward sons dead for their crimes and nothing more than their broken bodies would suffice as evidence of the deed.

忠誠派艦隊(duì)穿過這層無用的炮火，朝著地球的高層大氣前進(jìn)沖刺?；痱狎媾灤拇w上覆蓋著著青銅雕刻和祖母綠色的爬蟲鱗甲裝飾，暗鴉守衛(wèi)艦船的顏色則是比她們穿過的虛空更為黑暗，前者的華麗野性與后者的漆黑色澤交相輝映，率領(lǐng)他們的則是宛如無情鐵刺的鐵拳號，她如暴怒神明擲出的長矛般降臨于此。處決艦隊(duì)所帶來的不僅是軌道轟炸，也不是要從冰冷的黑暗太空中將這個(gè)世界無情地夷為平地，而是要進(jìn)行一場進(jìn)攻，發(fā)動一場肅清。雙方將迎頭正面交戰(zhàn)，刀劍相向，忠誠派將會讓叛軍流出鮮血，面對面地向他們施加懲戒；唯有如此，方能抹去叛變的污點(diǎn)。榮譽(yù)要求戰(zhàn)爭對抗，三位原體亦然：羅格 多恩已經(jīng)下令帝皇的逆子們要以死謝罪，他們破碎的尸體最適合作為死亡的證明。

In the Space Marines warships’ wake came the Legions retainer vessels, their engines straining to keep pace: Imperial Army troop transporters, macro-haulers filled with war engines and ordnance, fleet escorts, Mechanicum war barques and a single blood- red Ark-Titanicus of the Legio Atarus, the latter having rendezvoused with their fleet only days before. Rarely, even at the height of the Great Crusade's conquests, had such a powerful force been gathered to attack a single geographic target, but greater force was yet to be unleashed, as the armada's Empyreal- registers were already plotting the approach of the four other expected Legion fleets of the taskforce, no more than a few hours away.

在星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)艦的身后跟著的是軍團(tuán)的附庸艦船，他們引擎加速來跟上步伐：帝國軍的運(yùn)兵船，裝滿戰(zhàn)爭引擎和軍需品的巨型運(yùn)輸艦，護(hù)衛(wèi)艦，機(jī)械神教的戰(zhàn)爭巨艦以及來自炎紋軍團(tuán)的一艘血紅色泰坦方舟，后者在幾天前與艦隊(duì)會合。哪怕是在大遠(yuǎn)征征服的高潮時(shí)期，帝國也幾乎沒有聚集起如此強(qiáng)大的一支部隊(duì)去進(jìn)攻一個(gè)地理目標(biāo)。但帝國派出的部隊(duì)更為強(qiáng)大，艦隊(duì)的亞空間（航線）記錄者們已經(jīng)在繪制預(yù)期中特遣隊(duì)中另外四支軍團(tuán)艦隊(duì)的接近路線了，他們距離此地只有幾個(gè)小時(shí)的路程。