Liber Challenge VI - Silent Swords Renegade Marines

[Grand Master Belial]

Silent Swords - Renegade Marine Warband

 

SUMMARY

• GENE-SEED: Various
• WAR LORD: Sitaan
• BASE OF OPERATIONS: 
• MAIN COLORS: Black with Gray and Red
• SPECIALITY: Guerilla
• BATTLE CRY: None
• CURRENT STRENGTH: 35 Renegades
• ALLEGIANCE: Non-Aligned

ORIGIN

The Silent Swords got their start as a Veteran Squad of Raven Guard that was deployed to the surface of a lifeless rock to assault a mining facility deep below the surface. The mining facility was controlled by a renegade faction that was selling the minerals to the highest bidder instead of the designated forge world. The squad encountered very little resistance and had purged the facility, but with the mining equipment running without operators, a catastrophic cave-in trapped the squad underground. With only intermittent communication with their strike cruiser, it was surprising that the squad would find themselves abandoned by their brethren when they were able to dig themselves out. It would be nearly ten years before another ship would approach the mining facility. In that time, the squad had become bitter to the Imperium and when it was found that the ship was a rogue operation to steal the minerals and secretly restart the facility, the squad of marines were no longer Raven Guard. 

 

For passage off the rock, the marines would provide methods to improve security of the operation and provide security on the ship. Once away, they found themselves at a transfer port outside the tight control of the Imperium, there they found three other excommunicated marines working as mercenaries. From the mercenaries, the squad heard of rogue traders willing to hire the renegades for some professional assistance to acquire dangerous artifacts and treasures. This was the start of a series of operations that would see the squad grow in size to become a renegade warband that would in time become rogue traders themselves with a series of ships operating for their own interests or for the credits of a wealthy client.

 

BASE OF OPERATIONS

The Swords operate off of three Rogue Trader vessels as well as stopping at a few way-stations spread throughout the galaxy. If they don’t have a job to do, they will keep moving until they find one. 

 

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

Currently, the Swords are preparing for an operation to liberate the Imperium of a supply of cyclonic torpedoes from a secure location. Using abandoned facilities for training, they are waiting for an expansionist group of Tau to begin their incursion of the system before making their move on the facility. While the Tau do not know about the secret facility, the nearby base on another planet was ample reason for them to send a task force to neutralize a threat to their proposed expansion into the sector. In return for the information, the Tau gave the Silent Swords crates of armaments they had captured in the past.

 

COMBAT DOCTRINE

The original squad of Raven Guard were masters of silent killing techniques. With so few marines and no reinforcements to count on, they returned to their training and fighting from the shadows. They would take out their opponents silently with their combat knives. This would become their signature and their new badge. Rogue Marines wanting to join the warband would have to prove themselves with their skills at stealth. 

 

Once a part of the Silent Swords, the Warband will take on missions and try to reduce their casualty count and maximize their pay to repair or improve their gear. As part of their training, they routinely raid supply depots with gear slated for Marine Chapters. The goal is to silently remove the crates without anyone’s knowledge. With only missing crates, the Imperium would merely note the incident in a routine log. There is greater concerns for the Imperium and the fires of war ever attract the Imperium’s eyes and forces while theft becomes a lower priority. To further remove themselves from consideration, they would deploy the other rogue trader vessels to another system to engage in a diversionary attack.

 

NOTABLE BATTLES

The Xenos Prison Break on Kaledon II - The Swords were contacted by a Eldar Ranger from the Alatioc Craftworld of a group of their kindred that had been captured in a recent skirmish with the Imperium. Without the resources to mount a rescue, the Ranger sought the assistance of the Swords. Using the Eldar’s Webway portals, the Swords infiltrated Kaledon II and released the entire prison population while silencing the guards and the Xenobiologists that were there to experiment on the prisoners. 

 

 

Sabotage of the Forge Volcanis - Forge Volcanis is responsible for making many of the extreme calibre weapons found on titans and super heavy tanks and the ammunition for them. After encountering the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth and the successful development of the bolt rounds developed for the Deathwatch, Forge Volcanis sought to upscale the designs for use on titans and knights. The weapons were deemed to be too potent to be in the hands of lesser men and an Inquisitor sought out the Swords to make sure that the weapons were never put into production. In a very tense meeting, the Swords agreed to sabotage the facility to make it look like the weapons were too unstable to be used. It did not take much for the weapons to become unstable and the resulting explosion liquified any organic material in a ten kilometer radius and covered up any trace of the Swords involvement.

 

ORGANIZATION

The Silent Swords have given up the rigid doctrine of the Codex Astartes and with the constantly varying size, the Swords have taken to being an ad hoc group. Each renegade joins a group based on their preferred style of warfare (Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Recon). Each group is led by a single Chieftain in all of the planning sessions and sends out members of the group on their assignments. Above the Chiefs is the Master of the Swords and is typically the most experienced renegade. When members of the group depart, at least one Champion is appointed amongst those in each group set on the assignment. 

 

ASSETS

Beyond the three Rogue Trader vessels, the Silent Swords keep all of their equipment man portable. They do not have any bikes or tanks and the few flyers they do have are not designed for combat.

 

BELIEFS

The Swords are made up of members of other chapters that had been excommunicated from their home chapter for a variety of reasons. Some have quests that should they complete them will allow them to return to their old chapter. But for most, they are lost without their fellow brothers. The Silent Swords are nothing more than mercenaries for hire, but the fellowship between those in their ranks are strong and though the influence of Chaos is stronger in a Renegade band, few ever go over wholly to a single power. 

 

In their despair, they care for very little if anything at all. The Swords will protect their brother’s back but they rarely protect their own. In that way, they are far more dangerous and do not care who they kill in the process of their mission.

 

RECRUITMENT

With every Sword being disgraced in some manner and embittered toward the Imperium, there is no desire amongst them to train and teach anyone how to become a marine. They only replenish their numbers through meeting other marines who have failed their chapter and are wandering aimlessly from port to port.

 

RITUALS

There is only the single ritual for people wishing to join the Silent Swords. The Silent Swords can usually set up the task with little preparation. Any marine wishing to become one of the Silent Swords has to silently track down five of the Swords and remove an article of wargear without alerting the others.

 

ICONOGRAPHY

Each marine has their own stylized form of the simple sideways sword used to represent the members of the warband. First designed by the original Raven Guard squad from their preferred method of silently slashing the throats of their foe. 

 

TROPHIES

The Silent Swords have very little use for trophies since it turns away prospective clients who come to them for their discretion.

 

BATTLE CRY

The Silent Swords do not have a battle cry but their signature of slicing throats leaves little doubt to those who find them what they are facing.

 

LINEAGE

Several of the Silent Swords hail from the lineage of the Raven Guard but nearly half have the blood of Ultramarines in their veins, but nearly every bloodline of the original loyal legions are represented and even a few traitor marines have joined the ranks of the Silent Swords, most notably those who hailed from the Black Legion, Night Lords or the Alpha Legion.

 

CHAMPIONS

SITAAN - Raven Guard Lineage - Master of the Silent Swords

Sitaan was the Sergeant of the squad sent to the mining facility to pacify those who would deny the Imperium their supplies. Sitaan took a dim view on the greed of lesser men and it is with a sense of irony that Sitaan now fights for credits and supplies. In his dealings with traders and other merchants, he has been able to amass enough wealth to live a comfortable life, but the fire of war still burns bright and he uses the wealth to enrich and enhance those who fight with him. 

 

VIPER - Alpha Legion Lineage - Recon Element Chieftain

Viper is a relative mystery to many of the Silent Swords. He came to the Swords in unadorned armor but his skills at planning operations without the need for weapons had made the Swords very wealthy. Only the fact that his face is identical to nearly every other Alpha Legionaire leaves little doubt to the others where his lineage lies. While Viper does not negotiate the contracts, it has always puzzled Sitaan if Viper is actually working for the Swords or is using the Swords for his own purpose. But one thing is not in doubt, the success rate of the Swords and the lack of casualties has been a direct result of Viper’s planning. In a perverse twist, Viper has helped at least two former Swords to return to their chapter by helping them complete their blood-quests. Though to both of the former Swords, it soured their victory.

[Kierdale]

If I may make a suggestion, six months seems rather quick for Astartes to go rogue.

How about having their ship called away to answer an emergency in system BBB (the ship's captain of course torn between duty and loyalty to his brothers believed to be trapped on the ground), and it being destroyed in that emergency...hence no one knows the lost brothers weren't on the ship when it as lost at BBB, let alone that they were trapped underground at AAA. I'd have them lost there for years before they got off-world.

 

Just a suggestion or two :)

[Grand Master Belial]

That was my original thought. My thinking was that the supplies in their suits of armor would deplete themselves a lot faster since they had to dig themselves out. With no food and water save what is recycled by the suits and no honor in starving to death, it would prime them for the betrayal (in their eyes) of being abandoned when their chapter knows they are still alive.

 

If the ship were called away, I would think they would leave some kind of beacon to alert the trapped marines of what is happening and that they will return. While a marine does not require hope, they could go into sus-an and wait.

 

I will increase the length of time.

[jpwyrm]

They could have survived from the mining operation's supplies for months (marines don't need to eat or drink that much to remain operational). I guess they also could have needed to feed of the corpses of their enemies. While not a corrupting action in itself, this might have strengthened their resentment towards their "brethren" and the Imperium as a whole.

 

Anyways, just my two cents. I like your idea, hope you write more soon.

 

Cheers!

[Grand Master Belial]

Valid points. I hope to add more tonight.

[Grand Master Belial]

Added some and made some edits.