IL V - The Halcyon Wardens

[simison]

From there, it was a straightforward road of experience and success to reaching the position of Legate, the eight officers who stood directly beneath the Warmaster. Yet, the Legates themselves proved as clear of a picture of the duality of the Halcyon Wardens as both administrators and crusaders. Given the shifting nature of Warp travel routes and the Great Crusade's multi-faceted battlefronts, it was not unusual for a new foe to strike at areas deemed safe or for a dying enemy to hurl themselves just past forward Imperial positions. In those rare cases where Halcyon Warden commanders of equal rank from both the Disciples of Protection and Destruction combined forces to repel these excursions, a single overall commander would be chosen for the specific campaign. What determined who was chosen depended on a number of factors, including overall experience, familiarity with the local system, time spent in fighting the enemy, and so on. Whoever was chosen, whether the Disciple of Destruction or Protection, the commander not chosen was expected to become the second in command to provide additional balance and flexibility to the campaign. 

[simison]

Other factors could affect the chain of command. The most significant factor was membership in one of the Orders and its applicability to the current situation. If the current campaign was defensive-oriented, an officer with high standing in the Order of Shield may be chosen over an officer of equal rank given their experience and familiarity with holding and fortification tactics. If a campaign called for a vigorous offensive, a Halcyon Warden officer who was also a renowned Prefect would be given deference. In rare situations, a higher-ranking officer may forego his right to be campaign commander to place a lower officer in command if the latter possessed critical skill in demand by the current campaign. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by simison

[simison]

War Disposition

 

In the final days of the Great Crusade, the Halcyon Wardens stood as one of the most widely dispersed Legions, as evident from their organisation priorities. With Legionaries fighting in every established Segmentum, one might assume that the Legion's core served with their Primarch, yet Alexandros was on Terra before the onset of the Insurrection with, while a substantial force, was a mere fraction of the Legion's total fighting strength. Instead, several clusters of brigades fighting on the front lines provide the most concentrated deployments of the Halcyon Wardens. Outside of these few clusters, the Halcyon Wardens were dispersed among newly Compliant systems to ensure the establishment of stability and guarding their own protectorate systems. The Ninth Cohort alone had individual Legionaries spread out on assignments with other Legions across the galaxy.

[bluntblade]

Is it worth mentioning a forward base planet, located in Ultima? That could then be taken over by Malis' lot.

[simison]

Despite being stretched from one end of the galaxy to the other, the Halcyon Wardens ahd the numbers to support these numerous operations. For the V^th Legion counted over 240,000 Legionaries, earning the title as the largest Legion of the Great Crusade. What fueled such a large size was a combination of protectorate systems and a priority on reducing attrition rates. While Alexandros rejected the pocked empires some of his brothers indulged in, neither did he simply collect recruits from Delos and Terra. Instead, he struck a middle ground. The protectorates were systems that the Halcyon Wardens had pledged their eternal defence in exchange for recruitment rights and an active presence in the local political system. The Wardens never outright ruled these systems as could be found in the Dominion, but could influence events and trends. Indeed, many of the Diplomats first practiced their craft in protectorates where the Wardens' established clout provided an initial training ground. In addition to recruitment, most protectorates were strategically located. At least one protectorate was established in each segmentum where they could serve as regional headquarters for the respective Cohorts. 

 

All of these assets did not truly capture the strength of the V^th Legion. Even before Qarith, the Shield Lord and his sons had cultivated and maintained a wide array of alliances and favours that affected a great portion of the Imperial war machine. The most effective Diplomats, it was rumored, had such a strong web of ties that they could summon small armies if the word was given. After the Warmaster appointment, Alexandros was under constant siege by an endless tide of requests from those who sought his support and favour. Even as more and more members of the War Council spurned the new Warmaster, the Halcyon Wardens never lacked the auxiliaries to support their campaigns, from ad hoc militia units of local systems to Mechanicum Thanatar-class siege automata. 

[simison]

The Colchisian Compliance

 

Given its relative close proximity to Terra, many may have assumed Segmentum Pacificus to have been an early priority of the Great Crusade. However, the segmentum suffered from a lack of stable Warp routes, unlike the many tendrils that often crossed the vast distances of Ultima. Thus, while the Astronomicon provided a bright navigation point, actual travel and exploration occurred at much slower rates than the other segmentums. Atlhough the discovery of Gwalchavad would accelerate the Great Crusade's efforts in the segmentum, huge swathes remained unable to enjoy the Pax Imperialis. 

Edited December 31, 2018 by simison

[simison]

Fresh off another bout with the Council of Terra, the Warmaster was eager to return to the front lines. With free reign to make any choice he desired, Alexandros set his sights on Northern Pacificus. The declared objective of the campaign was to locate and conquer the Laanath Rifts. Rogue Traders in the galactic area reported secondhand sources describing the region as volatile yet being the home of several surviving human civilisations. Although it was unknown if the region truly existed, the Warmaster intended his campaign to to secure Imperial dominance and establish new sectors that could be used as forward outposts for future campaigns. A personal reason was also recorded with Alexandros desiring to fight alongside his sons of the Fourth Cohort; an honour that had yet to be given after his organisation reforms a couple of decades prior.

Edited December 31, 2018 by simison

[simison]

Raj Shamsuddin Ataga commanded the Fourth Cohort, then known as the Liberators of the West, and was the smallest command among the Disciples of Destruction with only the 4^th and 13^th Brigades assigned to him. Alexandros transferred an additional two Brigades from the Second and Third Cohorts for the upcoming campaign. This new enlarged force of 40,000 Legionaries was rivaled in size only by Irvin Ruel's First Cohort fighting in the East. Additional Battalions from the Fifth Cohort were summoned from systems deemed as fully integrated by the Diplomats to act as a ready garrison force for new conquered systems. Even with this incredible concentration of the Legion, more was still required given how vast the campaign territory was. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by simison

[simison]

As mentioned on Discord, I've thrown some thoughts into Halcyon Wardens medals and physical markings of ranks. So, here is the first draft.

 

Rank Helmet Markings

Sergeant - White Central Strip

Lieutenant - Yellow Strip

Centurion - Red Strip

Tribune - Helmet Crest

Brigadier - Red Strip with Crest

Legate - Gold Strip with Crest

 

These are award markings that can be placed on a Legionary's pauldron:

 

Markmanship - Legendary shot - Arrow

Dueling - Legendary melee fight - Sword

Valor - This encompasses essentially well-executed aggressive manuevers, the most common case is impressive charges - Spear

Gallantry - Amazing display of defense, comes up the most when defending civilians and others at great risk/cost - Cross

[simison]

Enjoying his authority as Warmaster, Alexandros enlisted a little less than fifty regiments of the Imperialis Auxilia, charged with supporting the Astartes and garrisoning less contested systems that did not require the Fifth Cohort's presence. This force would include regiments in the Solar Auxilia pattern, among them were regiments of the Balovian Vanguard and the Zanskat Guard. The Knight House of Zivich, who was personally sworn to the Warmaster's cause, would take part in the campaign with two-thirds of their strength, including a detachment from the rising House of Teivon. Once again, the Mechanicum of Forge World Eskut came to the support of the V^th Legion, providing critical technological supplies, skills, and their own Taghmata.

 

Although Legio Tempestus was traditionally aligned with the Halcyon Wardens, politics ended up deciding that a different titan battle-group would join the campaign. With rising tensions on Mars, the Warmaster was keen to de-escalate tensions or, at the very least, strengthen the Loyalists. To that end, a substantial force of the Legio Suturvora would participate in the new offensive. Nicknamed the Fire Masters, Suturvora had served with distinction ever since Mars and Terra united in alliance, but had been incurring a reputation for needless collateral damage. The legio was also infamous for its fanatic loyalty to the Fabricator-General of Mars. It was Alexandros' hope that the Fifth Legion could undo some of that influence and soften their overly destructive streak.  

Edited January 5, 2019 by simison

[simison]

Finally, at the request of Hectarion, the Crimson Lions would be represented on the campaign. Three thousand Lions from Clan Atrebetas eagerly made their way to the rallying point, serving under their Ardix, Barinthir "Wave-born" once the Warmaster gave his assent. A similar offer was then made to Gwalchavad and the Wardens of Light. The Lord of the XII^th gladly accepted the offer and sent 9,000 Wardens of Light under the command of the Terra-born Cervantes de Leon of the 66^th Expeditionary Fleet. Incorporating these allied Legion forces with ease, Alexandros designated three systems as staging grounds. From these three planets, the campaign would travel Northeast on a wide front towards the Pacificus border with Obscurus. If the Rifts had not been located by then, the campaign would advance Northwest along the border to complete the galactic sweep. 

Edited January 4, 2019 by simison

[simison]

The Warmaster, commanding the center of this grand offensive, would begin his campaign from the planet Khur. Liberated five decades prior by the 13^th Brigade, the Khurians had not only proved to be a relatively bloodless Compliance, but had quickly developed an enthusiasm for the V^th Legion that led to a petition to become a protectorate. Although surprised by the fervour the Khurians displayed, their petition had been granted and often served as a headquarters to the Liberators' campaigns in central Pacificus. When at last the Warmaster had deemed his preparations complete, it would be above the planet that he announced the campaign's beginnings. While the Primarch commanded the central force, Raj Ataga would lead the left wing, and Brigadier Myltiadese of the 13^th overseeing the right wing. 

[simison]

The grand offensive's first half-year passed without issue. Screened by a combined scout fleet and a dozen Rogue Traders who hoped to curry favour with the Warmaster, only light fighting occurred in Imperial space as the three fleets dealt with minor pirates threats, a simmering rebellion on Mangalaru IV, and several xeno raider groups. No threat required more than a few weeks to resolve and did not slow the campaign's progress significantly. 

[simison]

After passing out of Imperial space, it was not long before the first major battle occurred. Raj Ataga's wing found a nascent Ork empire growing into existence as the local clans steadily rallied behind three chieftains. In time, one powerful Ork chieftain would emerge and undoubtedly threaten Imperial territory. While Ataga possessed the strength to launch an immediate invasion, it would delay his wing's advance for possibly years and might end up requiring an embarrassing request for reinforcements from the two other fleets. 

Edited January 6, 2019 by simison

[simison]

Opting for guile, Ataga coordinated a simultaneous series of diversionary assaults against each Ork mini-empire with a combined force of Halcyon Wardens and Wardens of Light. The Halcyon Wardens provided the foundation to support the Wardens of Light signature bold attacks, using their distinct armour to pull at the Greenskins' attention. During each assault a specialised task force of infiltrators targeted and then assassinated each of the warbosses. The moment the targets were confirmed killed, Ataga ordered a complete withdrawal from Ork space. A week passed before Ataga's fleet re-entered the system. Without their warlords and deprived of an external enemy to rally against, the Orks had devolved into in-fighting, vastly reducing their strength. It was only now Ataga began the extermination proper, a war that would be measured in weeks instead of years.

[simison]

The first system to challenge the Warmaster's fleet would be the lost human civilisation of Colchis. The planet was unusual in size, several times the size of Terra and was mostly arid with the remaining cities concentrated along the surviving waterways. While hulks of long destroyed orbiting warships declared a level of technology equal to Terra, the Colchisians had slid back into the Titanium Age, a few more remote locations even further into the Steel and Iron Ages. Given the technological gulf between the Imperials and the Colchisians, victory was never in doubt. However, Alexandros, also known as the Voice of Terra, would never forego a chance to win hearts with words before resorting to the sword. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by simison

[simison]

Yet, a monumental task stood before the Warmaster. Colchis had failed to unify after being struck by the Old Night, requiring any Compliance operation to confront a dozen different regional powers. The one thread that united them all and proved to be the greatest obstacle was religion. For all of their differences, the Colchisians all practiced a form of polytheism centered around four prophet-deities. Given the volatility of religious belief, an especially delicate touch would be required. After spending a few days in contemplation and meditation, Alexandros gave his orders, preparing detachments targeting specific cities that were to be unleashed upon his command. 

[simison]

The Warmaster's first move was quite unorthodox and would set off a storm of controversy much later. Selecting twelve individuals from the Balovian Vanguard and Zanskat Guard, Alexandros made planetfall with his squad before presenting himself to the city of Golgora. There, Alexandros declared himself a new prophet and introduced an ad hoc monotheism to the city's inhabitants. To prove the veracity of his claims, the Seer wielded his psychic gifts to awe and amaze the people. The few who were not overwhelmed by the Warmaster's power were quickly identified and disarmed. In 72 Terran standard hours, Alexandros advanced from the city with a new army of several thousand converts. 

Edited January 12, 2019 by simison

[simison]

Their destination was Vharadesh, home of the Covenant. Upon hearing of Alexandros' approach, the Ecclesiarch, ruler of the Covenant, assembled his own army to meet what he had deemed a false prophet. By the time the armies met at the edge of Vharadesh's agricultural fields, Alexandros' army had doubled in size. The Warmaster had declared one of the tenets of his new religion was the equality of mankind and had demanded the emancipation of the slave caste everywhere he trod. Every outpost visited by him offered new recruits who wished to serve their new saviour. Despite this incredible growth from a mere twelve soldiers, Alexandros' force only equaled the Covenant's army in numbers and did not possess war vehicles or even enough firearms. More than half of his new army carried sharpened farming and mining tools as their sole weapon.

[simison]

Before commencing battle, Alexandros placed himself between the two armies and asked the Ecclesiarch to surrender. The Warmaster warned that if the Ecclesiarch refused, Alexandros would '...summon titans of flesh and metal from the heavens." The Ecclesiarch refused. Scarcely had the Ecclesiarch finished speaking did the sky began to rattle. As the Covenant forces quailed, an entire Battalion of the Fifth Legion crashed all around them in a massive drop pod assault. After waiting for the Warmaster's command for several days, the Halcyon Wardens now tread upon Colchis, surrounding the Covenant army. While still possessing the numerical superiority, the Covenant army broke as many of the soldiers threw down their weapons and bowed before Alexandros. When the Ecclesiarch attempted to rally his forces, the Warmaster, in an unusual display of overt psychic strength, struck him down with a bolt of lightning fired from the Spear of Terra. The rest of the Covenant promptly surrendered.

[simison]

Only a single day was spent securing Vharadesh before Alexandros was on the move. Now with the Fifth Legion deployed, Alexandros launched simultaneous operations as his reputation spread throughout the globe. The Legionaries were under strict orders to support their sire's ruse, but to deny any hint of divinity. For the more reluctant, they were encouraged to view the title of prophet as a political position on this theocratic world. 

[simison]

Several more cities rapidly joined the new prophet, eagerly pledging themselves to the Warmaster. The next battle would occur at Epicea where they stubbornly held onto their old beliefs, trusting in their faith and in the city's fortified towers. In turn, Alexandros proclaimed a plague of Lions would strike the city. The Apostolo declared the prophecy false, but the Epiceans soon barricaded their doors and avoided the streets. Exactly as Alexandros envisioned. His Colchisian army surrounded Epicea. Alexandros, with three Battalions of Wardens, launched an assault against the main gate. As the Epiceans showered them with flaming arrows, the heavens unleashed a new danger. Upon red wings, the Crimson Lions seized the center of the city without struggle and rushed Epicea's citadel. The Epiceans, seeing their defences had failed, broke. Before the Wardens had even reached the walls, organised resistance melted away. 

[simison]

Less than a day after his newest victory, Alexandros' attention shifted to the North. Hidden in a mountain range, the Warmaster foresaw a threat that would grow and was best confronted as soon as possible. Speaking with his Colchisian converts, Alexandros procured a name: Lyphis. It was a regional myth about an ancient village where one of the original prophets had disappeared to. Despite its mythical status, Alexandros declared its existence, and he would destroy it. Since it would take weeks for his forces to merely climb to the location, Alexandros dispatched them to other cities, while he summoned the Wardens of Light, famed for their mobility, to take part. 

[simison]

Alexandros arrived at the village aboard his personal stormbird. Although he made an attempt at diplomacy, the village inhabitants responded with Warpfire. For the Inheritors, as they had named themselves, was a community of psykers, utterly devoted to their false gods. They too had foreseen the Warmaster's coming and declared him a walking blasphemy to their cult. What they could not foresee were the Wardens of Light. Leaping from golden thunderhawks, the Wardens of Light weathered the initial storm of Warpcraft as they landed among the huts. There, they unleashed their potent weapon: the Soulless. Although composing only a fraction of the assault force, they devastated the Inheritors who were bereft of their powers and found their souls rent from their bodies by the merciless gaze of the Theach. In less than an hour, the skirmish was over.

Edited January 21, 2019 by simison

[simison]

To the surprise of his allies, Alexandros ordered the execution of every individual who would not forsake the Old Faith, warning that they were too affected by Warp taint. Those who did and the youth were to be taken directly to the fleet and await the arrival of a Black Ship. Finally, the village was destroyed by orbital bombardment. Alexandros would take only a single banner from the village as proof he had been there to the other Colchisians.

 

The destruction of Lyphis marked a new phase of the war. With an established foothold on the planet, the Warmaster accelerated Compliance operations. Expansion now formed a noose as the Fifth Legion conquered the city-states at the edge of the planet's civilisation. With the Legionaries being stretched across such a distance, the Imperial Army arrived in force as regiments filled in the gaps. Once the ring was complete, the Imperial war machine advanced inward. No force could slow the Warmaster's momentum. The Halcyon Wardens spearheaded the assaults and were well supported by the Imperial Army. Against the Old Faith, the Logotians and Caryana, battle-psykers who emulated their gene-sire, fought battles of words with liberal usage of psyker gifts to bolster their claims.

 

Before this overwhelming force, no Colchisian city would prevail. The populace of a defeated city was given three choices: convert to the new religions, abandon the old and leave peacefully, or be exiled from Imperial jurisdiction. The exiles often retreated, or were forced, to travel to the next independent city. These refugees, including soldiers allowed to keep their primitive armaments, became yet another weapon in the Warmaster's arsenal. They spread tales of Alexandros' new religion and the Halcyon Wardens' might, sapping morale and inflicting confusion. Logistically, the refugees placed an additional strain on local resources. Wherever the city-states rejected the refugees, they succeeded only in creating armed bands of raiders that diverted precious military strength to put down. When the Halcyon Wardens swept through, they won over local residents by re-establishing stable food supplies and reasserting order in the region. Those who chose exile the first time found their fighting spirit breaking after repeated defeats, leading to additional latecomer recruits for the Warmaster's growing Colchisian Army. 

 

The Halcyon Wardens' advance wasn't uniform, but designed to drive all resisting faction to a final city: Gahevarla. The city's infamous city witch-rulers, the Magisters, wielded the power to summon the Scourstorm, a localised super storm that protected the city with wind, dust, and lightning that could strip flesh from bone. As their neighboring cities fell, the Magisters activated the Scourstorm. The final remnants of Colchisian resistance were driven to the edges of the Scourstorm, trapped between it and the Warmaster's united forces. 

 

It was unknown how well Legionary plate could withstand the Scourstorm or if Alexandros and the Caryana possessed the strength to counter it directly. The Warmaster's solution was uncharacteristically blunt. On this last day of the global war, great shadows loomed over Gahevarla and the armies around it. Transports that terrified the Colchisians with their monstrous sized landed at eight points around the Scourstorm. The world shook as Legio Suturvora marched to war. After weeks of waiting as others gained glory, the god-machines vented their wrath. Despite the Colchisian rebels numbering in the tens of thousands, they died in fire or fleeing into the Scourstorm in hours as the Titan Maniples burned them from the planet's surface. 

 

All that remained was Gahevarla. The Warmaster ordered the entire Legio's to concentrate all of their firepower on the storm itself. It rained glass and melted rock as the storm discarded ruined and consumed more from the earth. Then the winds slackened, until at last the Magister's magic yielded to overwhelming power. The Scourstorm collapsed. 

 

To this last bastion, Alexandros offered only one chance for its inhabitants to embrace him. A stream of humanity promptly abandoned the city. When the last Colchisian had made their choice, the Warmaster gave the final combat order of Compliance. "Create a monument of ash. Let nothing stand above the ground." The Burning Legion happily obliged. Only scorched earth now hints of the city's former existence. 

 

With Colchis united, duty shifted from the combative to the administrative. Alexandros swore to the Colchisians that he would return in a generation with new teachings. [General Sikh] of the Zanksat Guard gracefully accepted position of Imperial Governor. Furthermore, the 21st Battalion of the Disciples of Protection would stand watch over this volatile world. Alexandros left strict instructions that the Colchisians' prior polytheism was to be stamped out. When he returned, Alexandros was to begin the final path of Compliance, weaning the Colchisians off religion entirely. 

 

Returning to the stars, the Warmaster would face additional criticism. Despite outlining a path to the Imperial Truth, members of the War Council declared it outrageous that the Warmaster had created a religion. To add to Alexandros' frustrations, a new political crisis on Terra necessitated his return. The Warmaster appointed Ataga as campaign commander until his return. It was not to be.