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Most chapters, if they went up against the Inquisition, would simply die (or if they're lucky, get ignored). Space Wolves and Dark Angels are unique cases, and they are under strict scrutiny from the Inquisition, which is monitoring both for signs of potential treason and heresy.

I've always seen the Inqusitions relationships with the Adeptus Astarties as presumably a little tense, in almost all cases there's a degree of diplomacy and posturing on each side. Space Marine Chapters are infamously independant minded. they're pretty self contained and don't tend to recknognize anyone's authority over them. Most inqusitors when dealing with SMs thus tread carefully. sure they have a peice of paper that says "do what this guy says" but Space Marines aren't apt to take that too seriously, which is why an inqusitor dealing with SMs is gonna be diplomatic, he will "Request" not "order" yes an inqusitor proably could take down a space marine chapter if he was so inclined, but the loss to the Imperium would proably suck

The thing is that with a few exceptions, an Inquisitor wouldn't be able to take down a SM chapter single-handedly. Coteaz perhaps would be the one to do it if he felt like it - maybe - especially if it wasn't that far from Formosa.

Inquisitors tend to prefer small covert actions unless they can convince enough fellow Inquisitors, Sisters, Marines and IG armies that they have a beef with someone.

The factions and cliques within the Inq make it hard for it as a body to take decisive action.

It is the unquestioned authority of the Inquisitor that allows him to bring the might of the Imperium to bear against a rebel Chapter. At the Inquisitor's word, millions of Guardsmen, fleets of Naval vessels, entire Orders of the Sororitas, teams of Assassinorum operatives and entire Chapters of Space Marines can be mobilized.

If the Inquisitor can back their claim with evidence (real or sufficiently falsified, it doesn't matter), then there's really nothing stopping him or her from ending a Chapter entirely.

Well it kinda relies on personality. An Inq with some political sway might manage it, but the Inq have a habit of self-regulating so if some young upstart made noises about deleting a whole SM chapter without some stone-cold case, I'm guessing he'd get a visit from some of his fellows who may hold a contrary position.

Possibly, but if you are, say, the Lord General of an Imperial Guard Crusade Army, and an Inquisitor walks up and shoves his rosette in your face, you don't have the rank or authority to question his demands. The Inquisitor, however, does have the authority to execute you on the spot for Heresy.

....so wait, are we talking "go against the Inquisition" like the Celestial Lions did by simply speaking out, "attack" the inquisition like the Space Wolves did (though in their case, the Inquisition actually fired the first shot), "disappear" the inquisition like the Dark Angels (apparently?) do, or ATTACK the inquisition like the Relictors did but only after they were probably already going to be excommunicated anyways?

Are there any other fluff examples of Space Marines opposing inquisitors (as in, opposing their policies or investigations) besides the above to look at, I guess?

At any rate, I'm pretty sure the fluff explicitly states that inquisitors do have official authority over astartes but in practice ask politely. Not sure how many fluff examples there are of Space Marines refusing them though (pretty sure I've seen some, mainly with Dark Angels etc, but not completely sure. I do know the Dark Angels refused to hand over Arkhos the Faithless after the Siege of Vraks.... I think)

TiamatRoar wrote:
....so wait, are we talking "go against the Inquisition" like the Celestial Lions did by simply speaking out, "attack" the inquisition like the Space Wolves did (though in their case, the Inquisition actually fired the first shot), "disappear" the inquisition like the Dark Angels (apparently?) do, or ATTACK the inquisition like the Relictors did but only after they were probably already going to be excommunicated anyways?

Are there any other fluff examples of Space Marines opposing inquisitors (as in, opposing their policies or investigations) besides the above to look at, I guess?

At any rate, I'm pretty sure the fluff explicitly states that inquisitors do have official authority over astartes but in practice ask politely. Not sure how many fluff examples there are of Space Marines refusing them though (pretty sure I've seen some, mainly with Dark Angels etc, but not completely sure. I do know the Dark Angels refused to hand over Arkhos the Faithless after the Siege of Vraks.... I think)

Well of course they do. Fact is that Inquisitors have command over everyone bar the Custodes and the High Lords of Terra, the latter taking orders only from the Emperor Himself and the High Lords being a self-elected body which a High Inquisitor participates in. However, in politics its always best to ask, lest you create a rift.

.... actually, the Inquisition *has* vacated members of the High Lords before, and is, in fact, represented by one. The HLoT do not, as a body, overrule the authority of the Inquisition, as an organization.

Custodes and The God-Emperor, Himself. That's it. Those are the only 2 groups in the Imperium that are not subject to the Inquisition.

Are there any other fluff examples of Space Marines opposing inquisitors (as in, opposing their policies or investigations) besides the above to look at, I guess?

Gabriel Angelos, in DOW1, makes the (erroneous) claim that command of a Chaper of Space Marines is not within Inquisitor Toth's authority.

 Psienesis wrote:
Possibly, but if you are, say, the Lord General of an Imperial Guard Crusade Army, and an Inquisitor walks up and shoves his rosette in your face, you don't have the rank or authority to question his demands. The Inquisitor, however, does have the authority to execute you on the spot for Heresy.

On the other hand, the Inquisitor making said demand had better be sure of a few things. Is his situation actually worth diverting a Crusade for? Will diverting the Crusade make someone with connections (High Lords, Ecclesiarchy or other inquisitors) take exception? And most important of all - will diverting that Crusade cause more damage to the IoM than an uppity Chapter, counting possible worlds lost and enemies left alive to fortify their positions?

He should have himself executed for heresy if he takes forces better needed elsewhere.

Yea, I recall several fluff examples of Inquisitors executing Inquisitors, though I don't remember any specific names so can't search them out again. So they can't just go willy-nilly on things without consequences from their peers.

 ChazSexington wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Wyzilla wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:
It's called the Badab War, pretty much.

Also, Grey Knights are not immune to the DAngel's heretical disappearing of loyalist agents.

But the entire Grey Knights chapter knows about the fallen...

Do the Dark Angels know they know? Or is it just that Grey Knights are as hard to track down as Fallen..?

Yes, it's been used by the Grey Knights to make the DA do their bidding afaik.

Nothing so exact. Certainly the entire chapter doesn't know. The Grey Knights keep secrets from their own, after all, as much as anyone.

It's in the novel Pandorax
Supreme Grand Master Draigo, specifically, manages to secure the support of the Dark Angels by providing them with some not-specified-but-you-can-guess-the-details records concerning renegade and traitor astartes.

A lot of the book is told from Draigo's perspective. He:
~ Knows the Dark Angels have done and are prepared to do some nasty things to protect their secrets
~ Can make "educated guesses" (his words) about what those secrets are
~ Doesn't know for certain and doesn't wish to
~ Most of his knowledge on this matter comes from the fact that as Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights, he has access to Supreme Grand Master Janus' journals from the Heresy

Azrael either knows Draigo suspects the truth or suspects Draigo knows the truth, as well as suspecting the source.

TiamatRoar wrote:
Yea, I recall several fluff examples of Inquisitors executing Inquisitors, though I don't remember any specific names so can't search them out again. So they can't just go willy-nilly on things without consequences from their peers.

The aforementioned Coteaz popped his boss.

 Psienesis wrote:
Possibly, but if you are, say, the Lord General of an Imperial Guard Crusade Army, and an Inquisitor walks up and shoves his rosette in your face, you don't have the rank or authority to question his demands. The Inquisitor, however, does have the authority to execute you on the spot for Heresy.

Also abit of sense and reason, you cannot just kill a space marine and not forget to plan ahead what to do with the pissed superhuman brothers. same with certain figures, you have to be abit smart or your not going to live long when the men turn on you if a very respected and almost loved officer. even they have to think of the reaction to the action. yes ultimate power but does not stop someone putting a bolt shell into your back if your not careful.

if you seed enough enemies with enough cause to desire your death, even the symbol of ultimate power is not a 100% effective defense.

locarno24 wrote:

 ChazSexington wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Wyzilla wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:
It's called the Badab War, pretty much.

Also, Grey Knights are not immune to the DAngel's heretical disappearing of loyalist agents.

But the entire Grey Knights chapter knows about the fallen...

Do the Dark Angels know they know? Or is it just that Grey Knights are as hard to track down as Fallen..?

Yes, it's been used by the Grey Knights to make the DA do their bidding afaik.

Nothing so exact. Certainly the entire chapter doesn't know. The Grey Knights keep secrets from their own, after all, as much as anyone.

It's in the novel Pandorax
Supreme Grand Master Draigo, specifically, manages to secure the support of the Dark Angels by providing them with some not-specified-but-you-can-guess-the-details records concerning renegade and traitor astartes.

A lot of the book is told from Draigo's perspective. He:
~ Knows the Dark Angels have done and are prepared to do some nasty things to protect their secrets
~ Can make "educated guesses" (his words) about what those secrets are
~ Doesn't know for certain and doesn't wish to
~ Most of his knowledge on this matter comes from the fact that as Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights, he has access to Supreme Grand Master Janus' journals from the Heresy

Azrael either knows Draigo suspects the truth or suspects Draigo knows the truth, as well as suspecting the source.

Given that Draigo is aware of all of the above, he is probably also aware of the fact that the Dark Angels, despite being split into "Chapters", are exceedingly close to their Successor Chapters, to the point where, if he wanted to, Azrael could field a force the size of an Astartes Legion that answered directly to him. In short, Azrael has a pre-Heresy Legion at his disposal. Draigo knows better than to cross them too much.

Draigo isn't an inquisitor and his chapter has one, sole, specific remit.

He probably doesn't really *care*, except where (as at pandorax) he can use it as leverage. As noted, "Doesn't know for certain and doesn't wish to"

TiamatRoar wrote:
....so wait, are we talking "go against the Inquisition" like the Celestial Lions did by simply speaking out, "attack" the inquisition like the Space Wolves did (though in their case, the Inquisition actually fired the first shot), "disappear" the inquisition like the Dark Angels (apparently?) do, or ATTACK the inquisition like the Relictors did but only after they were probably already going to be excommunicated anyways?

Are there any other fluff examples of Space Marines opposing inquisitors (as in, opposing their policies or investigations) besides the above to look at, I guess?

Imperial Armour 10 (Badab War part 2) page 54:
"..the remaining Astral Claws, Executioners, Mantis Warriors and Lamenters were put on trial before a specially convened Consistorial Court of their peers.. despite the attempts of [Inquisitor] Legate Frain to place the matter fully under Inquisitorial remit, a conclave of five Space Marine Chapter Masters whose forces were not a part of the conflict were convened in judgement in accordance with Astartes tradition."

 Psienesis wrote:
It hasn't happened in the fluff before because no single Space Marine Chapter is stupid enough to declare war on the entire Inquisition.

But if you want an example of a Chapter that goes off the track and starts thinking they're all that... look to the Soul-Drinkers. The Relictors. The Flame Falcons. There are a number of Space Marine Chapters that have gotten themselves purged and/or declared Excommunicatus Traitoris.

Relictors were lead down their path by an Inquisitor and were too ingrained in their potentially-heretical ways after they got chastised over it the first time. Though they're now only under watch and not purged since that's a post 13th Black Crusade event and that is ongoing in the fluff right now.

Spetulhu wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Possibly, but if you are, say, the Lord General of an Imperial Guard Crusade Army, and an Inquisitor walks up and shoves his rosette in your face, you don't have the rank or authority to question his demands. The Inquisitor, however, does have the authority to execute you on the spot for Heresy.

On the other hand, the Inquisitor making said demand had better be sure of a few things. Is his situation actually worth diverting a Crusade for? Will diverting the Crusade make someone with connections (High Lords, Ecclesiarchy or other inquisitors) take exception? And most important of all - will diverting that Crusade cause more damage to the IoM than an uppity Chapter, counting possible worlds lost and enemies left alive to fortify their positions?

He should have himself executed for heresy if he takes forces better needed elsewhere.

Indeed. The Lord-General still doesn't have the right to countermand the Inquisitor's orders. Any issue that arises from this situation is for the Inquisition to handle, not this Lord-General.