Borne upon the Storm

忍受風(fēng)暴

The distant Agathean Domain, an autonomous cluster of Imperial worlds sitting outside the borders of the Ultima Segmentum in the stellar deserts of the northern Fringe, was in truth only part of the Coronid Deeps by accident of history and the vagaries of Warp travel. Isolated as it was ——access was limited principally by somewhat tortuous and storm-prone warp routes from the Grail Abyss and Numinal——and strategically of no real import to their plans, the Traitors' attack on the region had bypassed it utterly, and the Agatheans' only involvement in the conflict thus far was to dispatch a cruiser squadron from its own small battlefleet in support of the general muster at Port Maw. This act, and its consequences, were however to have deep and unforeseen repercussions in the years to come. Of the eight ships which had set forth from Agathon the year previously, only a single cruiser, the Telemachus, returned, storm-wracked and battle scarred from the treachery at Port Maw. Having escaped by luck and bloody perseverance from the Traitors'?trap, she bore with her not only a true account of the catastrophe at Port Maw and the perfidy of the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum, which had cost the lives of her sister ships, but also news gathered from her long and arduous journey home through star systems given up to war and anarchy. The Telemachus also carried the body of her captain, Jocasta MaSade, held in state, she having perished of her wounds after the Battle of Port Maw, having refused medical assistance until her ship was out of danger. The arrival of the Telemachus was the spark of ignition to a powder keg of fear and political division that had been fermenting on the hive world of Agathon, centre of the Agathean Domain, since the first word of the rising of Horus against the Imperium had become known.

遙遠(yuǎn)的Agathean統(tǒng)治域處于北部邊境的星辰荒漠中，這片自治星叢中的帝國(guó)世界位于極限星域邊界外側(cè)，由于歷史的偶然性和亞空間旅行的變幻莫測(cè)，它實(shí)際上只是王冠深淵的一部分。該地區(qū)偏僻孤立，進(jìn)出此地主要受限于來(lái)自Numinal和圣杯深淵的較為曲折且易受風(fēng)暴影響的亞空間航線。對(duì)叛軍而言，該區(qū)域?qū)λ麄兊挠?jì)劃缺乏戰(zhàn)略上的真正重要性，所以他們對(duì)于王冠深淵的進(jìn)攻完全繞過了Agathean統(tǒng)治域，而Agathean統(tǒng)治域?qū)τ谶@場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的參與就是從自己微小的戰(zhàn)斗艦隊(duì)中派出了一個(gè)巡洋艦中隊(duì)前去響應(yīng)巨口港的總動(dòng)員。但是，這一舉動(dòng)及其后果在接下來(lái)的數(shù)年中產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)且不可預(yù)見的間接影響。一年前從Agathean出發(fā)的八艘船中，只有一艘巡洋艦“泰勒馬庫(kù)斯號(hào)”（機(jī)仆：Telemachus是希臘神話中奧德修斯的兒子，本意是遠(yuǎn)離戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，后來(lái)代指回到故鄉(xiāng)盡其天職的人）返回故鄉(xiāng)，船身上遍布被亞空間風(fēng)暴蹂躪和在巨口港遭到背叛后所留下的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)傷疤。這艘船憑著幸運(yùn)和血戰(zhàn)到底的毅力逃出了叛徒的陷阱，她不僅帶回了關(guān)于巨口港災(zāi)難和鑄造世界Cyclothrathine機(jī)械神教背信棄義行徑的真實(shí)報(bào)告——代價(jià)是她的姊妹艦們付出了生命代價(jià)，而且在自己穿越那些屈服與戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)和無(wú)政府狀態(tài)的星系的漫長(zhǎng)艱難歸鄉(xiāng)旅途中收集到了新的信息。泰勒馬庫(kù)斯號(hào)也一并抬回了艦長(zhǎng)喬卡絲塔 馬薩德，馬薩德艦長(zhǎng)在巨口港戰(zhàn)斗結(jié)束后死于外傷——在戰(zhàn)艦擺脫危險(xiǎn)之前，她拒絕接受醫(yī)療救治。泰勒馬庫(kù)斯號(hào)的到來(lái)點(diǎn)燃Agathean統(tǒng)治域的中心——巢都世界Agathon的恐懼和政治分裂的火藥桶，自從第一次得知荷魯斯發(fā)動(dòng)了反對(duì)帝國(guó)的叛亂，這些問題就在不斷發(fā)酵。

Although a relatively minor hive world by the standards of sprawling Manachea or soaring Necromunda, it was ancient; its founding lost in the Dark Age of Technology, while its Compliance with the Imperium had not been without bloodshed. Its first Imperial rulers had been the Solar Auxilia officers of the 60th?Expeditionary Fleet, whose final conquests these worlds had represented, and its first Imperial Commander had been Lord Marshal Ireton MaSade, grandfather to the slain captain of the Telemachus, and once master of the 60th.?Quickly, the fleet's officer cadre had integrated with the local families of nobility and within a few generations the lines had blurred between the two, but the further down the social order, the more indifference and resentment was encountered regards Imperial rule on Agathon. Now the threat of encroaching civil war and universal fear of the whispered fates of worlds such as Moab and Manachea had given voice and power to that resentment, and Agathon's Parliament of Electors slipped into open conflict, caught between die-hard Loyalists, those who would cast their lot with Horus in fear of the consequences of not doing so, and those who would secede entirely and return Agathon to independence. Blackmail, threats and assassinations were rife, the wheels of government became paralysed, and the hive world teetered on the precipice of all-out civil war without a single Traitor's shadow falling upon its ground.

雖然根據(jù)巢都綿延伸展的Manachea或巢城高聳的涅克洛蒙達(dá)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)看，Agathean是一個(gè)相對(duì)較小的巢都世界，但它是一個(gè)古老的世界：它被創(chuàng)建于黑暗科技時(shí)代，而且兵不血刃地歸順了帝國(guó)。該世界的第一批帝國(guó)統(tǒng)治者們是第60遠(yuǎn)征探索艦隊(duì)的太陽(yáng)輔助軍軍官們——Agathean代表了他們最后的征服行動(dòng)，它的第一任帝國(guó)指揮官是第60遠(yuǎn)征探索艦隊(duì)的統(tǒng)帥，領(lǐng)主元帥伊拉頓 馬薩德，同時(shí)也是泰勒馬庫(kù)斯號(hào)被害艦長(zhǎng)的祖父。艦隊(duì)的軍官們很快就與當(dāng)?shù)氐馁F族世家們?nèi)诤蠟榱艘惑w，兩者之間的界限在幾代人的時(shí)間內(nèi)就變得模糊起來(lái)，但社會(huì)下層的人士對(duì)于帝國(guó)在Agathon的統(tǒng)治感到冷漠和怨恨，而且階層越低問題越嚴(yán)重。現(xiàn)在，內(nèi)戰(zhàn)威脅不斷侵蝕著帝國(guó)，人們也對(duì)諸如Moab、Manachea等世界被私下談?wù)摰谋瘧K命運(yùn)普遍感到恐懼，這些狀況給了心懷怨念的人們力量和話語(yǔ)，Agathon議會(huì)中的辯論也惡化為公開沖突，誓死效忠帝國(guó)的忠誠(chéng)派、由于擔(dān)心反抗戰(zhàn)帥遭受悲慘命運(yùn)而投向荷魯斯的投降派與希望讓Agathon徹底脫離帝國(guó)重新獨(dú)立的分裂派之間公開對(duì)峙。威脅、恐嚇與暗殺接連不斷，政府工作陷入癱瘓。盡管連叛軍的影子都尚未籠罩此地，但巢都世界就已經(jīng)在全面內(nèi)戰(zhàn)的邊緣搖搖欲墜了。

Into the warring chamber of the Parliament of Electors, convened in a last desperate attempt to prevent the outbreak of overt warfare, came Ireton MaSade, the old Marshal, former Imperial Commander, nearly two centuries in age and retired from public life, and all but a recluse for nearly two decades. With him he brought the body of his granddaughter upon a floating stasis bier, flanked by a troop of Solar Auxilia Veletaris armoured in a livery of ice white in deference to Agathon's traditional colour of mourning. The chamber was forced to listen in stunned silence as MaSade spoke, first of grief and sacrifice, and then of the dream of the Imperium, of human unity and the Imperial truth. And as his oratory turned to rage at the moral weakness of his successors, he denounced the parliament and declared them traitors to the Emperor. Before the lords of Agathon could give reply or protest, the funeral guard turned their volkites on the nobles of the parliament and burned them to ash. In the days that followed, Agathon and the worlds around it were placed under martial law under the direct control of the 'Old Guard' of the 60th Expeditionary Fleet and its direct descendants, and their entire economy and society placed on a war footing. The aim of this mass mobilisation was not merely to mount a defence, but to attack. Agathon would have its vengeance on the Traitors—MaSade would have his vengeance, no matter the cost.

伊拉頓 馬薩德走進(jìn)了議會(huì)的會(huì)議室，這位前任帝國(guó)指揮官召開會(huì)議，最后一次絕望地試圖避免公開戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的爆發(fā)。老元帥已經(jīng)將近兩百歲高壽，他已經(jīng)辭去公職，隱居了幾乎二十年?，F(xiàn)在他扶著安置了孫女遺體的懸浮靜置靈柩走入會(huì)場(chǎng)，一支穿著冰白色制服的太陽(yáng)軍維勒塔里斯部隊(duì)護(hù)衛(wèi)在他的身側(cè)——制服的顏色是向Agathon的哀悼傳統(tǒng)表示尊重。會(huì)場(chǎng)眾人因震驚而沉默，他們被迫聽著馬薩德的演講。演講開始的部分是悲痛和犧牲，之后則是關(guān)于帝國(guó)之夢(mèng)、人類的統(tǒng)一和帝國(guó)真理。隨著老元帥的演講變?yōu)閷?duì)繼任者們道德軟弱行徑的憤怒指責(zé)，他斥責(zé)了議會(huì)，宣布議員們都是愧對(duì)帝皇的叛徒。在Agathon的領(lǐng)主們回應(yīng)或抗辯之前，護(hù)棺衛(wèi)隊(duì)便用自己的爆燃槍對(duì)準(zhǔn)了貴族議員，將他們燒為灰燼。在之后的日子中，Agathon和周邊的世界在第60遠(yuǎn)征艦隊(duì)“老衛(wèi)軍”們的直接控制下被執(zhí)行軍事管制，當(dāng)?shù)厝艘约八麄兊恼麄€(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)都處于了戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)狀態(tài)。這次大規(guī)模動(dòng)員的目的不僅是防御，而且是攻擊。Agathon將會(huì)對(duì)叛徒們進(jìn)行報(bào)復(fù)——無(wú)論代價(jià)如何，馬薩德元帥都將進(jìn)行復(fù)仇。

Retribution

報(bào)應(yīng)

It was not from the Agatheans that the first great blow against Traitor control of the Coronid Deeps would come, but from the outer darkness of the Grail Abyss. More than a year previously, the Gethsamaine System had submitted to Horus without resistance and this obeisance had thus far spared them the worst of the war's deprivations. The system's only inhabited world, Gethsamaine Colonus, had been forced to suffer newly imposed overlords in the shape of Tithe Aquistors bearing the serpent's eye of Horus, where once they had the raptor-headed Seal of Terra. Under their directions, the industries of Gethsamaine now laboured, and the planet's vast rain forests were being clear-cut to provide fodder for off-world export, but other than the Aquistors' harsh quotas, little in truth had changed for the people of Gethsamaine. But just as the unexpected arrival of a lone survivor from the Isstvan system in 006.M31 had gone on to herald the dawning of the terrible war that was to follow, so now with fell irony was a second survivor of that great treachery to herald a new wave of conflict.

針對(duì)叛徒控制的王冠深淵的第一波大規(guī)模攻勢(shì)并非來(lái)自Agatheans統(tǒng)治域，而是來(lái)自圣杯深淵的外層黑暗空間中。在一年多之前，Gethsamaine星系未做任何抵抗便屈服于荷魯斯，到目前為止，這份順服讓他們免于遭受戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中最殘酷的剝削。星系中唯一的定居世界Gethsamaine Colonus的居民們被迫忍受被強(qiáng)行指派給他們的新主子的壓迫，這些新的領(lǐng)主們是佩戴著荷魯斯蛇眼標(biāo)志的十一稅征收官，而他們也曾是手持泰拉鷹頭圖章的帝國(guó)官員。在他們的命令下，Gethsamaine的工業(yè)體系現(xiàn)在超負(fù)荷運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，星球上巨大的雨林被砍伐一空，以騰出空地用于種植向其他世界出口的糧食。但除了征稅官們實(shí)行的苛刻的配給制之外，Gethsamaine人民的生活實(shí)際上幾乎沒有改變。不過在006.M31，一位不速之客——某位從伊斯特萬(wàn)星系逃出生天的孤獨(dú)幸存者造訪了這個(gè)世界，他的到來(lái)繼續(xù)預(yù)示著即將來(lái)臨的可怕戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的前兆，現(xiàn)在具有諷刺意味的是，第二個(gè)逃過那次嚴(yán)重背叛的幸存者預(yù)示著新一波沖突。

When the ill-starred warp route from the haunted Grail Abyss tore open once more, the vessel that cut into realspace with dreadful purpose was no derelict caparisoned in Emperor's Children amaranth as that first survivor-ship had been, but a jagged and scar-hulled killer in black iron and blood crimson. It was the Red Talon, the ship of the Iron Hands Clan Morragul, and their master, Autek Mor. Gethsamaine had been stripped of much of its void defences in the Traitors' passing and now it stood all but naked before this spectre of the Imperium's grim retribution. The few remaining gun platforms which protected Gethsamaine Colonus were quickly swept away by the attacking grand cruiser, and a ruthless bombardment of the planet from low orbit immediately commenced preparatory to a ground assault. Then came the grim sons of Medusa to enact judgement.

當(dāng)由災(zāi)厄纏身的圣杯深淵通往此地的混亂危險(xiǎn)的亞空間航線再次張開時(shí)，懷著險(xiǎn)惡目的出現(xiàn)在現(xiàn)實(shí)宇宙中的艦船并非是像第一艘幸存艦船那樣，是噴涂著帝皇之子軍團(tuán)絳紅色的被遺棄戰(zhàn)艦，而且噴涂著鐵黑與血紅顏色、船身上下戰(zhàn)疤累累的殺手兇艦——是鋼鐵之手軍團(tuán)莫拉古的戰(zhàn)艦赤紅利爪號(hào)，一并前來(lái)的還有他的主人：奧塔克 摩爾。在叛軍們經(jīng)過時(shí)，Gethsamaine已經(jīng)被剝奪了大部分虛空防御設(shè)備，現(xiàn)在面對(duì)著帝國(guó)恐怖的冷酷報(bào)應(yīng)，這個(gè)世界赤身裸體，毫無(wú)自我防護(hù)能力。極少數(shù)保衛(wèi)Gethsamaine Colonus的殘余火炮平臺(tái)被進(jìn)攻的重巡很快掃清，之后赤紅利爪號(hào)從低軌道對(duì)星球進(jìn)行了無(wú)情轟炸，迅速為地面進(jìn)攻做好準(zhǔn)備。美杜莎的冷酷子嗣們開始執(zhí)行審判。

Any resistance to the Iron Hands was swiftly obliterated, and an entire cohort of planetary militia and their Horusite overseers crushed beneath the treads of Clan Morragul's armour in less than an hour settled the matter into a general rout for the defenders. Wasting no time, seats of government were blasted to rubble, and those in positions of power that had aided the Traitors or sided with their cause were methodically hunted down and executed, save for a select number of prisoners deemed to have potentially useful information, who were dragged screaming back to the Red Talon's gunships. As the Iron Hands Thunderhawks blasted off from the surface, the bulk of the civilian population, which had fled into hiding during the sudden assault, nervously rejoiced and came forth, little knowing what would come next. In each of the five major cities of Gethsamaine, the Iron Hands had left behind an improvised atomantic device fashioned by the bloody hand of their Iron-Father, each bomb clad in layer upon layer of radioactive material designed to enrich and multiply the fallout generated by its detonation a hundred fold. The Red Talon broke orbit just as the cities bloomed into fire; sentence had been passed on both the Traitors and those who had knelt before them, and notice served that there could be no bystanders in this terrible war, no civilians to be given quarter, only Loyalist and Traitor to the death.

鋼鐵之手們快速擊潰了他們?cè)庥龅降乃械挚梗诓坏揭粋€(gè)小時(shí)的時(shí)間里，一整支行星（防御）民兵兵團(tuán)和他們效忠于荷魯斯的監(jiān)軍們就成了莫拉古氏族踩在動(dòng)力甲鐵靴之下的尸體，守軍一敗涂地。鐵手們沒有浪費(fèi)任何時(shí)間，他們把總督辦公機(jī)關(guān)炸成了一片瓦礫，那些曾幫助或支持過叛軍的當(dāng)權(quán)者們被有條不紊地捕獲和處決，只有一些被認(rèn)為能提供潛在有用信息的囚犯?jìng)儽涣粝?，他們尖叫著被拖入了赤紅利爪號(hào)的炮艇。大部分當(dāng)?shù)鼐用穸荚谛请H戰(zhàn)士們突然發(fā)動(dòng)進(jìn)攻時(shí)逃入了避難所，當(dāng)鐵手們的雷鷹炮艇從地表飛走時(shí)，這些凡人緊張而欣喜地從避難所中走出，但他們并不知道將要發(fā)生的事情。Gethsamaine的五座主要城市都被鐵手們留下了臨時(shí)組裝的核爆裝置，這些原子炸彈是由他們的鋼鐵之父親自用自己沾滿鮮血的雙手制造的，每顆都被一層又一層地覆蓋了放射性物質(zhì)，旨在濃縮其爆炸時(shí)產(chǎn)生的輻射塵，使其傷害倍增一百倍。隨著城市被炸為一片火海，赤紅利爪號(hào)也離開了軌道；叛徒和屈服于他們的走狗們已經(jīng)被降下了審判，奧塔克 摩爾也告知了所有人：這場(chǎng)恐怖的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中沒有旁觀者，不會(huì)有任何（所謂的）平民被放過，忠誠(chéng)派和叛徒們將會(huì)戰(zhàn)至你死我活。

The Hammer of the Deep

深淵之錘

In the Coronid Reach, the Taghmata Cyclothrathe was also finding its conquests far more difficult to grasp firmly than it had anticipated. Despite almost a sidereal year of armed occupation, Numinal was still not completely under its control. The remnants of the Obed Cohorts of?the Imperials Auxilia that had defended it during their assault had splintered into a resistance guerrilla force, which used their expertise in the swamps and semi-aquatic terrain that dominated Numinal to their advantage, terrain that was an anathema to the Mechanicum's heaviest combat units. As a result, the Cyclothrathine forces were entangled in a continued campaign of opportunistic assaults and sabotage which required further deployments to counteract, slowing their plans of attack elsewhere in the region. Eventually, Archmagos Draykavac, Cyclothrathe's principal warlord, was forced to return from his Forge World's recently launched invasion of Cerada Secundus and command of the Taghmata war fleet to deal with a sudden and violent upswing in resistance and civil unrest from Numinal's population in response to an accelerated program of forced servitor conversion and adsecularis lobotomisation. Upon his arrival, Draykavac purged the sin of failure from his predecessor in charge of the suppression by ripping out what remained of her organic cortex and resubmitting her for purified reconstruction to the Magos Mortifex. He then immediately formulated a plan for the ordered processing of Numinal's entire population, dividing its many archipelagos and island masses up into sectors which would be dealt with in turn, and ordering the fabrication of huge amphibious crawlers for this purpose, outfitted within with servitor- controlled charnel-surgery chambers, corpse-sluice and protein recovery vats so that nothing would go to waste. These nightmarish machines went out with escort maniples drawn from Draykavac's own personal force of covenant-bound Knights, the thrall-House of Atrax. Against the power of these Knights and their hulking war machines, nothing left on Numinal could stand, and under this slow and mercilessly methodical pogrom, Numinal appeared doomed. But unknown to the inhuman Magos of?Cyclothrathe, their actions were being observed and other hands were laying plans against them.

在王冠深淵中，鑄造世界Cyclothrathe的機(jī)神禁衛(wèi)軍們發(fā)現(xiàn)：牢牢掌握自己的征服進(jìn)程遠(yuǎn)比他們想象得要艱難。盡管他們已經(jīng)武力攻占Numinal世界長(zhǎng)達(dá)一個(gè)恒星年的時(shí)間，但這個(gè)世界仍未完全被他們所掌控。曾在他們進(jìn)攻時(shí)進(jìn)行過抵抗的帝國(guó)輔助軍奧貝德兵團(tuán)的殘兵分散成反抗軍游擊隊(duì)，反抗軍利用他們?cè)谡訚珊桶胨匦畏矫娴膶I(yè)知識(shí)，使 Numinal 的星球環(huán)境成為他們的優(yōu)勢(shì)——機(jī)械神教最為重型的戰(zhàn)斗單位在此類地形上難以施展出實(shí)力。結(jié)果就是持續(xù)不斷的游擊戰(zhàn)和暗中破壞行動(dòng)纏住了Cyclothrathine部隊(duì)，機(jī)械神教需要進(jìn)一步部署部隊(duì)以解決困境。最終，Cyclothrathe的首席軍閥——大賢者德拉卡瓦克被迫從他的鑄造世界最近發(fā)起的對(duì)于Cerada Secundus世界的入侵行動(dòng)中返回，并指揮機(jī)神禁衛(wèi)軍的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)艦隊(duì)去應(yīng)對(duì)Numinal當(dāng)?shù)厝嗣土以黾拥牡挚够顒?dòng)和內(nèi)亂——當(dāng)?shù)厝藢?duì)于機(jī)械神教入侵者加速機(jī)仆強(qiáng)制轉(zhuǎn)化程序和腦葉切除手術(shù)行徑進(jìn)行反抗。一經(jīng)抵達(dá)，德拉卡瓦克就嚴(yán)懲了負(fù)責(zé)鎮(zhèn)壓任務(wù)的前任負(fù)責(zé)人的失職罪——?jiǎng)兂羲挠袡C(jī)皮層，然后丟給亡靈賢者進(jìn)行凈化重建。之后大賢者馬上制定了有序處理Numinal全部人口的計(jì)劃，把星球上的許多群島和島嶼群劃分成幾個(gè)分區(qū)進(jìn)行依次處理，并且為此目的而訂購(gòu)制造了巨大的兩棲履帶車，這些載具上配備了機(jī)仆控制的停尸房手術(shù)室、尸體沖洗房和蛋白質(zhì)回收桶，這樣一來(lái)就不會(huì)浪費(fèi)任何資源。這些噩夢(mèng)般的機(jī)械行進(jìn)時(shí)，從德拉卡瓦克的私人契約騎士家族——來(lái)自阿特拉克斯契奴家族中挑選而出的騎士們會(huì)組成護(hù)航中隊(duì)為其提供保護(hù)。Numinal上沒有哪些勢(shì)力能抵抗這些騎士和巨大的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)機(jī)器，在這種緩慢且無(wú)情的有條不紊大屠殺下，Numinal似乎走向了毀滅。但毫無(wú)人性的Cyclothrathe賢者們不知道的是，其他人正在觀察著他們，而且正在計(jì)劃與他們對(duì)抗。

The attack came first not directly to Numinal, but to the system's astropathic relay station, a sprawling complex built into the polar rock plain on the barely life-sustaining dust moon of Numinal V, known as Quachil. The site had been extensively fortified by the Taghmata Cyclothrathe since their occupation, owing its strategic importance to their expansion efforts, and served now as the major Traitor-held navigational and astropathic communication nexus in the region, its transmitting power doubly important given the rising storms and turbulence plaguing the Warp. The first sign of danger was the arrival of an unexpected ramshackle flotilla of ships, mostly macro freight-haulers and warp dromons, but identified immediately as being led by the ruby-hulled galleass of the Rogue Trader Militant Charid Undine, a renowned and powerful vessel named the Hammer of the Deep, and one known to the Mechanicum as serving now the Warmaster's cause. The Cyclothrathine Magos on Quachil allowed the flotilla to approach slowly, mindful of their ultimate allegiance but warily so, and even after they were answered by vox with the relevant code cyphers and requests for trade and resupply, they would not allow the flotilla to close with the station. When it continued on its course however, they threatened to open fire; the reply to their ultimatum came from the prow lances of the Hammer of the Deep.

忠誠(chéng)派的進(jìn)攻并非在一開始就直接指向Numinal，他們率先進(jìn)攻了星系中的星語(yǔ)中繼站，這座蔓延伸展的綜合體建筑坐落在Numinal V被稱為Quachil的衛(wèi)星上，矗立在這顆勉強(qiáng)維持生命的塵埃月球極地的巖石平原上。從他們占領(lǐng)此地開始，Cyclothrathe禁衛(wèi)軍們就對(duì)這座站點(diǎn)進(jìn)行了大范圍的要塞化；這座中繼站對(duì)于黑暗機(jī)械神教的擴(kuò)張征服有著戰(zhàn)略重要性，它現(xiàn)在是叛軍在這一地區(qū)控制的主要導(dǎo)航和星語(yǔ)通訊聯(lián)結(jié)點(diǎn)?？紤]到不斷增加的亞空間風(fēng)暴和擾動(dòng)亞空間（航行）的湍流，該站點(diǎn)的傳輸能力顯得加倍重要。最初的危險(xiǎn)跡象是一支未曾預(yù)料的破爛不堪的艦隊(duì)抵達(dá)此地，艦隊(duì)中大多數(shù)船都是巨型貨運(yùn)艦和亞空間快船，當(dāng)?shù)伛v軍馬上識(shí)別出領(lǐng)頭的戰(zhàn)艦是武裝行商浪人查理德 安迪恩那艘著名且強(qiáng)大的紅寶石色軍艦——深淵之錘號(hào)，據(jù)機(jī)械神教所知，這艘船現(xiàn)在為戰(zhàn)帥服務(wù)。Quachil上的Cyclothrathine賢者們?cè)试S這支艦隊(duì)緩慢接近（衛(wèi)星），他們知道了來(lái)者的忠誠(chéng)對(duì)象，但仍舊謹(jǐn)慎對(duì)待，即使對(duì)方通過無(wú)線電報(bào)出了正確的密碼并且要求進(jìn)行貿(mào)易和補(bǔ)給，機(jī)械神教仍然拒絕讓對(duì)方接近中繼站。但是行商艦隊(duì)仍然在駛向中繼站，機(jī)械神教駐軍威脅要開火進(jìn)攻，對(duì)方也對(duì)它們的最后通牒做出了回應(yīng)：深淵之錘號(hào)的船體光矛開火射擊。

Battle was quickly joined, though the outranging firepower of?the galleass, augmented as it was with technology rumoured to be stolen from the Eldar, was quickly proven the clear superior. Under the cover of the Hammer's guns, several of the huge warp dromons broke from the flotilla and made assault runs at Quachils surface. Detaching from the lead dromons, where it had hung concealed and limpet-like, was a Legiones Astartes strike craft, slim and predatory; a Pilum class corvette barely registerable as being clad in the azure and white of the World Eaters Legion, The strike ship raced ahead to strafe the way clear for a hostile landing in the dust dunes on the plateau directly beyond the relay station. Behind her, the huge dromons came in all but unopposed and landed with ungainly weight onto the dust, creating a minor quake with the force of their impact slamming into the moon's surface. As the tremors subsided, the dromons' vast cargo bay doors opened at once to disgorge scores of Dracosan super-heavy armoured carriers and with them dozens of supporting squadrons of augmented Solar pattern Leman Russ battle tanks. This ground attack wave, roaring into the dust storm thrown ahead of them, comprised a full armoured cohort operating as a single, unstoppable thrust. It bore the dull bronze and dark emerald heraldry that had once marked out the Solar Auxilia of the 60th Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Crusade and the white crested-helm sigil of Agathon.

戰(zhàn)斗快速打響，深淵之錘的超遠(yuǎn)程火力被證明具有明顯的優(yōu)勢(shì)，有謠言聲稱這艘軍艦的火力是用盜竊自靈族的技術(shù)進(jìn)行了強(qiáng)化。在深淵之錘號(hào)的火炮掩護(hù)下，數(shù)艘巨大的亞空間快船離開艦隊(duì)，向Quachils的地表發(fā)動(dòng)了突襲。領(lǐng)頭的快船上飛出一艘身形纖長(zhǎng)而兇悍的阿斯塔特軍團(tuán)突擊艦——它之前像帽貝一樣隱蔽地懸掛在船上，這是一艘噴涂著吞世者軍團(tuán)藍(lán)白配色的幾乎未注冊(cè)過的短矛級(jí)輕型護(hù)衛(wèi)艦。攻擊艦沖向前方去掃清道路，準(zhǔn)備在中繼站正對(duì)面的高原沙丘上進(jìn)行登陸進(jìn)攻。在她身后，巨大的快船幾乎未受阻擋地駛?cè)肓诵l(wèi)星，沉重地降落在沙原上，它們撞擊月球表面的沖擊力產(chǎn)生了小規(guī)模地震。隨著震動(dòng)平息，快船巨大的貨艙門馬上打開，數(shù)十輛天龍重型裝甲運(yùn)兵車和由強(qiáng)化過的太陽(yáng)型黎曼魯斯戰(zhàn)斗坦克組成的數(shù)十個(gè)支援分隊(duì)沖出船艙。地面進(jìn)攻部隊(duì)引擎咆哮著沖入前方的沙暴中，組成一支合而為一、不可阻擋的全副武裝隊(duì)伍。這支部隊(duì)配戴著表明大遠(yuǎn)征時(shí)期第60遠(yuǎn)征艦隊(duì)太陽(yáng)輔助軍身份的暗青銅色和深色祖母綠紋章，以及Agathon的白色冠盔標(biāo)志。

Automated cannon turrets ringing the station's outer walls turned to track the attack, and tarantula batteries rose up from the dunes, weapons firing wildly into the wall of dust. The armoured attack column did not stop, the heavy tracked Dracosans smashing straight through the Tarantulas, pulverising the automated guns under their bulk and surging onwards, mine ploughs sending up bow-waves of debris and dust. As they closed, Demolisher cannon volleys battered and broke the station's curtain walls in a dozen locations, while the Vanquisher cannon of the Leman Russ formation punched armour-piercing shells through the turrets and gun embrasures which lined the walls. Under the onslaught, the curtain walls shuddered and suddenly collapsed, the attackers surging through the rubble as the war-scarred corvette hovered low above the station's auspex towers, grey armoured figures dropping on jump pack flares towards the devastation unfolding below. And in the void beyond, the Hammer of the Deep?turned and its remaining flotilla followed with it, as gaining speed it made for Numinal.

環(huán)繞著中繼站外墻的自動(dòng)化炮臺(tái)旋轉(zhuǎn)著追蹤進(jìn)攻者們，狼蛛炮塔也從沙丘中升起，武器向著沙塵墻瘋狂開火。裝甲進(jìn)攻編隊(duì)并未止步，沉重的天龍運(yùn)兵車筆直地沖向狼蛛炮塔，將這些自動(dòng)化火炮碾碎后繼續(xù)向前進(jìn)發(fā)，地雷犁（在身后）掃起碎屑和灰塵的弓波。隨著他們接近中繼站，粉碎者加農(nóng)炮的齊射在十幾個(gè)位置擊碎了中繼站的幕墻，同時(shí)黎曼魯斯坦克的征服者加農(nóng)炮發(fā)射的穿甲彈穿過排列在墻上的炮塔和炮眼。猛攻之下，幕墻一顫，驟然倒塌。襲擊者們?cè)谕叩[中沖過，同時(shí)飽經(jīng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)滄桑的輕型護(hù)衛(wèi)艦在車站的鳥卜塔樓上方低空盤旋，身穿灰色裝甲的戰(zhàn)士們啟動(dòng)跳躍背包，沖向下方，加入到毀滅行動(dòng)中。而在天外的虛空中，深淵之錘號(hào)轉(zhuǎn)變航向，剩余的艦隊(duì)緊隨其后，加速駛向Numinal。