IL V - The Halcyon Wardens

[simison]

Okay, I'm just not used to seeing Legion/Chapter homeworlds also contribute to the Imperial Army/Guard. 

[bluntblade]

Cthonia does it, and Bodt too in canon. Not to mention the forces drawn from Strela, Madrigal and Uran off the top of my head.

[Doctor Perils]

Olympia and Deliverance/Kiavahr too, and probably Fenris and Macragge too

[bluntblade]

Delos will be comfortably in the billions by the time of the Insurrection, I imagine.

[simison]

The Circles of Mind

 

Due to the genetic link between Primarch and gene-seed, it is no surprise how often the Astartes take of their gene-sires, whether in appearance or in character. Yet, this is not an ironclad process as the very essence of humanity cannot be forced into a single template. Among the Halcyon Wardens, the differences could be very significant. As such, the Order of the Mind was not a monolithic union of like minds and powers, but featured its own spectrum of factions. 

 

The most familiar of which are the Caryana. Dedicated in mind and soul to their Primarch's specific ideals, the Seer's favor and biological links ensured they would always be represented as the largest faction within the Order of the Mind. A brotherhood dedicated to limiting itself to divination and telepathy, these self-inflicted constraints proved quite liberating in garnering strength and influence, boasting several of the Legion's greatest Librarians. 

 

Yet, if there was one faction devoted to mirroring their Primarch in all things, there existed an opposing faction that defined itself against the same being. This faction became known as the Gnostics. They devoted themselves not to bridging the barrier between psykers and mundane, but on exploring the esoterica. Sharing a similar inclination toward sorcery as the short-loved [REDACTED], knowledge of the strange was in of itself worthy of pursuit, rather than in service to the average citizen.

[simison]

To say the Warmaster disapproved of the group would be too strong. Only those who outright disparaged the common man would earn Alexandros' ire. The rest he reacted with mild interest. The Gnostics' own views of their Primarch ranged from one extreme to the other. Several were known to be possessed with an unhealthy fascination with VonSalim, claiming greater designs orbited him. Others often suggested a flaw would lead to the death of millions. To both, Alexandros responded he was a Primarch. 

[simison]

Is the Zanskat Guard supposed to be Sindhuans only or any Delian?

[bluntblade]

Originally Sindhuans, but I figure that might change over time.

[simison]

Originally Sindhuans, but I figure that might change over time.

 

Did you intend for them to be the only regiments to come out of Delos?

[bluntblade]

Not at all. I figured there'd be a few Tyrin ones too, and then increasingly integrated regiments.

[simison]

The Delian Scions

 

Not all have the strength and preserverance to endure the grueling trials to become a Legiones Astartes. Where the spirit is able, the body may fail as it proves inadequate to receive the demanding gene-seed which transforms a human to transhuman. It was not without cause no Legion has ever reached a million-strong. This was true regardless of how merciful or how exacting one of the eighteen gene-seed types could be, including the Halcyon Wardens' more accepting sub-type. 

 

Yet, not all of those who failed the necessary trials did not give up on their desire to serve the Imperium in martial glory. Less than a decade after the Imperium found Delos, those men and women who had lost their opportunity to serve as a Legionary would gain another chance to uphold the Imperial banner on the battlefield. Lord VonSalim instituted several regiments for those would serve in the Great Crusade. Most of the regiments have aligned with the respective cultures of Delos, such as the famed Zanskat Guard. 

Edited August 2, 2019 by simison

[simison]

One, however, would come to symbolise Alexandros' vision for Delos as a united planet in thought and body. The regiments known as the Delian Scions explicitly take recruits from both of the primary Delian cultures and blend them into one. Swearing oaths to Emperor and humanity above old ties, the Delian Scions enjoyed special favour from the Warmaster in return for their ideological purity. Ranging from better equiptment to coveted deployments alongside the Shield-Lord, the Delian Scions' legacy grew faster than their fellow regiments from Delos. 

 

It has not been a simple road. The early days of the Delian Scions were marked with widespread rivalry and discipline issues. Prejudices rooted in thousands of years of history wrestled with new ideals of unity that could not be sidestepped with aggressive use of psycho-conditioning. The debacle at Hydastes nearly saw the Scion First disbanded during their fourth campaign. Instead, it proved to be a rallying point. Due in no small part to the tireless efforts of the First's second officer and chief discipline officer, the disaster provided the necessary motivation for the Delian Scions to put aside their biases to fight as a united front. 

[simison]

Since then, the Delian Scions have proved themselves worthy of Alexandros' vision and trust. From the stalwart defence of Goa to the brilliant double envelopment at Iazus, the Delian Scions have become synonymous with discipline and valor to this very day. May they continue to honor the legacy of the Warmaster until the end of days. 

 

War Disposition

 

At the time of the Day of Revelation, twelve regiments bore the name of Scion. Such a short list was a sign not of martial cowardice but of blunt logistics. With the Fifth Legion absorbing the most qualified candidates, fewer recruits were left able to form the regiments. The largest regiment was undoubtedly the all-female Scion Second, nicknamed the Amazons of Delos. 

[bluntblade]

I'd skip the cowardice bit. There's no reason to suggest that Delian martial culture is in any way lacking.

 

Also I think the overall ratio of mortal forces to HW should be several million to their 200,000, though that's between several bodies.

[simison]

After a long, headache-inducing crunch of numbers, here is what I've come to.

 

During the Great Crusade era, it's likely that 12,272,880 men serve in Delian regiments, while 47,120 women fought. The women will be divided into two all-female regiments. One will be mounted infantry and one will be armored. The mounted infantry regiment will be the Amazons of Delos. 

 

Given Delos culture, I'm considering have both female regiments serve among the Scions. 

[simison]

838 snapshot -

 

838.M30 Praetorate

• Primarch: Alexandros
• First Brigadier/Lord Commander: Irvin Ruel
• Second Brigadier/Lord Commander/Master of the Prefects: Licinius Crassus
• Third Brigadier: Pipin Lothar
• Fourth Brigadier: Qapibain
• Chief of Legion Support Corps/Commander: Erick Ludendof
• Chief of Legion Destroyer Corps/Praetor: Niemann
• Chief Apothecary: Theodor Villrof
• High Chaplain: Otmar Adalbard
• Forge High Lord: Weyland Vonsmith
• Chief Vigilator/Commander: Hans Scholl
• Chief Korniken (Chief Master of Signal)/Commander: Albert Praun

 

The Halcyon Wardens number in the area of 32,000 legionaries.

 

Average Brigade size - 7,500 legionaries

Battalions set at 1,000 marines. Total of 31 battalions

Centuries set at 100 marines. Total of 310 centuries. 

 

Mahtva's unit - Fourth Brigade under Brigadier Qapibain, Third Battalion under Tribune Vyber, Seventh Century (stationed aboard the Advance of Progress) under Centurion Coler. 

[simison]

Between the rock and the void

 

When the door to the strategium opened once more, Singh snarled, "What now!?"

 

The mortal, one of the communication officers of the Mrtyu ka Chandrama, froze in his tracks. Brigadier Harikapa Singh scowled as he rose to his full height. He towered above mortals and Astartes. He hated it. His towering physique was difficult to fit into his beloved armoured units. 

Edited August 27, 2019 by simison

[simison]

In the pause, Singh took a deep breath, his hairy face relaxing. He reached up and scratched through his full, dark beard, an old human habit that refused to disappear with the centuries. It was also useful for connecting with humans as his Primarch had pointed out several decades prior. Calmer, he ordered, "Speak?" But couldn't quite stop himself from adding, "What new disaster do you bring me?"

 

The officer walked over to the hololith table and held out a dataslate. "We have a confirmed report. The 683^th Expeditionary Fleet have aligned with the Traitors and are invading the Claudius system."

 

Singh stopped stroking his beard as his hand formed into a shaking fist. His furious brown eyes flashed to the hologram of Segmentum Atlanticus. Already, it was riddled with red zones marking new combat fronts, black markers for the new Traitors, and gold markers for the Loyalists. Before his eyes, the 683^th flipped from gold to black. "Damn Dune Serpents," he hissed to himself. 

Edited August 27, 2019 by simison

[simison]

Dhana, Singh's foremost Mukhiyā and his right hand, grimaced at the display. Possessing of dark brown skin and four heads shorter, Dhana boasted his diminutive size allowed him to pilot any war vehicle of the Imperium. It was a boast Singh was jealous of, but he could not deny Dhana's experience had translated well into a tactical genius. "That's now six warzones demanding our attention." 

 

Singh swallowed an angry retort. Given how young Atlanticus was, was it at all surprising to see so many systems exploiting the situation? All across the segmentum, rebellions, independent movements, and separatists exploded as they saw the monolithic strength of the Imperium fracture before their eyes. And that was before factoring in the Madrigalan Traitors. In the last hour alone, Singh had received desperate calls for reinforcements in three systems. The sole sense of satisfaction Sing could derive from the situation was seeing the systems brought into Compliance directly by the Halcyon Wardens were upholding their oaths better than the others. 
 

"We could split the brigade," Dhana continued. "Four of the warzones involve local rebels, unlikely to possess the necessary weapons to threaten us." 

 

"We don't have the munitions," Singh answered with a sour face. He threw a frustrated gaze at the Varanasi system. The 14^th Brigade had not completed Compliance operations with the last of the enemy hiding somewhere on Varanasi Prime's mountainous regions. Singh had been preparing for a final blow for the lengthy campaign when the Day of Revelation struck. The fact that the 14^th would have to abandon Varanasi with victory so close had poisoned his mood before the calls for help started flowing in. "Until we're resupplied, we're limited strategically."

[simison]

Dhana typed a few keys, and several systems glowed green against the blue. "These three have stockpiles and caches we could use as we quell the uprisings." Singh studied them. The names, Oshia, Zaham, and Ramitha, highlighted. "Zaham is closest. We can be there in as little as three days."

 

"And be right next to the 683^rd. If the Serpents choose to abandon Claudius, they could catch us before we can resupply."

 

"They'd never challenge us to open battle," Dhana protested.

 

"As if they'd ever try. They'll strike from afar with poison and wait until we're seven different colors before pilfering our war machines. Even if the 683^rd neglects us, our reports from the other neighboring system, Vallykastle, stated the secessionists there have already taken the governor's palace. If they successfully seize the fleet and look to expand, Zaham would be their natural choice." Singh shook his head. "There are simply too many threats. We need to get further from the galactic edge."

[simison]

"Then Ramitha?" Dhana suggested as the system highlighted. "It'll take three weeks of travel, but the neighboring systems remain uncontested."

 

Singh considered the system. "The route may be dangerous, and I do not care to be seen running by so many foes. Yet, it is viable."

 

"It would also provide us a firm foundation to launch a campaign back toward the edge of Atlanticus."

[simison]

Before Singh made a final decision, he eyed the last system. "What of Oshia?" 

 

The digital projection dutifully enlarged it as it shrunk Ramitha from view. Unlike Ramitha, which hovered near the Segmentum border, Oshia existed two-thirds of the way between Ramitha and Zaham. It was also colored in stripes; it was in the middle of a civil war. Dhana repeated as much.

 

"Status of the war?"

[simison]

[saved from Discord.]

 

He admitted. Perhaps he had gone a little too far in this ploy. But that woman’s defenses were quite formidable he admitted. Surely, some opening would happen in the heat of battle with her Allied Commander behaving a little recklessly.

 

Or too recklessly, as it turned out.

 

The pilot’s mind screamed before he shouted, “we’re going down!"

 

Aflame, the Byangoma, Alexandros’ personal stormbird fell from the heavens.

[simison]

"Stalemate," Dhana stated. "The rebels have the advantage of numbers, but there was a full company of Fire Keepers garrisoned on the planet. The report we have suggests even a few marines might be enough to break the deadlock."

 

A slow smile spread out on Singh's face. "We may not be able to wage an entire campaign alone, but we can fight one or two battles without fear of supplies." Singh turned as he headed for the door, Dhana falling in step with him. "Oshia will be-"

 

The door opened, and another messenger ran in. Singh halted as he glared at the new arrival. "My lord!" The messenger said as he saluted with the aquila. "We have another call for aid. This one from Legate Chukhay."

 

Dhana could see some of Singh's anger slide out of him as it was replaced by deep concern. "Where?"

 

"The Macragge System, my lord."

[bluntblade]

You know, Macragge strikes me as a world that would be receptive to the Vth reaching out to downtrodden elements, which I'm pretty sure Macragge will have in this timeline, and using those to remove the ruling regime.

 

Possibly sending mortal personnel to advise any allies they convert.