Siege of Vraks - The Long War Continues: After the latest surge in fighting, the long war of attrition resumed. Both sides husbanded their forces, re-organised, and re-equipped. The daily artillery duel continued, but both sides were a spent force for now. Marshall Kagori accepted the gains his offensive had made and drew up new plans for the recapture of the lost ground, but he realised now that the attrition would have to go on, indefinitely if needs be. The enemy, reinforced by the most fervent of Chaos worshippers and now fully embracing the power that the dark gods were offering, would not break or surrender. They would have to be wiped out, annihilated to the last man. In all it had been estimated that 8,000,000 men had started out defending Vraks and their self proclaimed messiah. Now how many were left? If the 88th siege army had killed the enemy at the projected rate of one for every two casualties borne by its regiments, then over 3,000,000 Heretic souls had been purged from the galaxy since the start of the war. That meant the 88th siege army wasn’t even halfway through the Apostate Cardinal’s manpower reserves, and he had been reinforced.Where once the enemy had been mere militiamen, labourers and a rabble of untrained workers, all were now veterans, hardened in the crucible of this bitter siege into excellent soldiers. They believed their gods were supporting them and believed victory could ultimately be theirs, regardless of defeats in the field. Cardinal Xaphan had not been seen or mentioned for a long time. Was he still alive, hidden within his lair? Perhaps a servant of the Officio Assassinorum should be dispatched to Vraks to eliminate him? Ultimately it would serve little purpose. It was more likely that the Chaos Space Marine Warmasters had taken direct command. This war was now being fought to their plans and their desires.So the two armies were once again at deadlock. The long war must continue. The projected date for the end of the siege of Vraks had passed almost two years ago. The Administratum had accepted the extension and found the extra resources but the Department Munitorum was now conducting another of its long reviews of the campaign. The twelve year plan had run its cycle and more, but it had not brought the projected victory.Marshall Kagori argued against it but the commitment of resources that Vraks had demanded could no longer be maintained. The Adeptus Administratum’s planning required Krieg guardsmen for other warzones and the high priority the campaign on Vraks had enjoyed must be downgraded. The siege was not to be abandoned, the heretic forces must still be fought and defeated and Vraks returned to the Emperor’s rule. This new policy just meant that it would take longer and cost more in the long run. The Marshall and his advisors argued in council with the Departmento’s delegates sent to inform him of the decision. It didn't help his cause. The revised plans had already been stamped on Terra by the Office of the Master of the Department Munitorum. Marshall Kagori must make do with fewer replacements and fewer supplies. He should revise his plans accordingly. He had another five years before the next review would be undertaken.In response to this bitter blow the Marshall dispatched a delegation of his own staff officers, with a mission to enlist more aid quickly, before the Departmento Munitorum's new policy started to take effect.