Orions Fists (draft 2, 12/18/11)
A history of one of the Imperium's newest chapters.
The Beginnings
Not long ago, after the launch of a very large WAAGH! from a system not far from Ultramar, Marneus Calgar ordered a task force to scour the system, in search of the source of these masses of Orks. A multi-chapter task force was assembled, and dispatched to the nearby system. One planet in the system was of particular interest to Calgar. It was shown in Imperial records, to be hospitable to life, and had other inhabitable, mineral rich planets and moons in it's system.
This system was also referred to in old Imperial records, it was supposed to be the homeworld of a 2nd Founding chapter that was never heard from again. Other than a brief mention of this prospective homeworld, no other record exists of Imperial exploration of the system. No record of the specific chapter that was supposed to have made this planet their homeworld could be found, just a mention that this planet had been assigned as a new homeworld for a chpater after the 2nd Founding. It is unclear how old these records actually are, or from what origin.
Upon preliminary scans of the system, remnants of an Imperial fortification were indeed found on the planet's surface. Untill recently the planet was only known by a catalogue number, but thanks to the resolve of the mighty Space Marines, that has changed. The foce commander was Captain Sinon of the Ultramarines 9th Company. This was a reserve company of Devistator squads, but Sinon was the only Captain available at the time, so he was assigned by Calgar as Force Commander of the task force. Sinon assembled his troops, with him, 4 full squads of his finest Devistators as his personal retinue, and what would amount to more than an entire company of marines were dispatched to the planet to investigate.
The initial task force was comprised of no less than 140 battle-brothers. At least 10 Chapters of the Imperium's finest marines were represented. Some chapters sent specialized support, such as the entire armoured assault sent by the Aurora Chapter, or the jump infantry and small wing of Thunderhawk gunships sent by the Hawk Lords. Other chapters sent large numbers of battle-brothers, like the 50 Ultramarines that were sent, yet others sent only a handfull of soldiers or even a single tactical squad to satisfy Calgar's request that their chapter participate in the investigation. The ten or more chapters that made up the task force included Ultramarines, Crimson Fists, Imperial Fists, Silver Skulls, Genesis Chapter, Aurora Chapter, Novamarines, Hawk Lords, and others.
Once preliminary searches were conducted, and reports examined, Calgar's personal representative and a number of Ultramarines departed to return to Calgar and report on their findings. What they had found was a beautiful planet, a system rich with resources, remnants of what appeared to be an unfinished fortress, but no obvious signs of who had built it, or anything else Imperial. A sizeable number of marines remained to investigate further, and begin rebuilding the ruins into an outpost in the system.
In the weeks that followed some 14 artifacts were recovered during initial cleanup and fortification efforts. These included the buried remains of almost a full tactical squad of Marines, found under a collapsed pile of what was once the entrance to a large hall. Upon discovery of this passage, and these remains, Sinon ordered the area closed, and only a few workers and marines were allowed access. Aside from speeders searching the nearby planetary surface, and a few Vindicators and other tanks of the Aurora Chapter stationed as an outer defensive perrimeter, the rest of the marines on the planet were stationed around this new discovery. All were arranged in a manner in which they could protect the hall from outside, or possibly guard the outside from what was in the hall.
Before resupply vessels could make it to the system, Calgar recieved word that a distress call had been detected coming from that area. Almost an entire company of Ultramarines were dispatched, but their fleet was was lost in the warp. It later emerged in the system, but nearly 2 centuries had passed. When they finally reached the planet's surface, they found less than a full squad of battle-brothers, defending a pile of rubble and debris that slightly resembled Imperial fortifications. These 8 marines were surrounded by a wall of battle brothers, clad in black armour with an eerie glow about it. Fire danced about thier feet. They all poured forth a hail of bolter fire into the sea of green that lay beyond these mysterious figures. This small group was surrounded by thousands of Orks.
The Ultramarines landed nearby, and unleashed a withering torrent of bolter an heavy weapons fire. Quickly mowing a clear swath between themselves and their few brothers that remained. When they got there, no sign of the shadowy figures remained, just 8 Marines remained there, weary and battle worn. When told to retreat to a waiting Thunderhawk, they refused, they would not leave while an Ork still lived on this planet.
Upon debriefing, it was learned that they had found a nearly completed Fortress Monistary, mostly carved into the rocky crags that covered most of the landmass of the planet. There was evidence that some many hundreds of years ago, a small group had begun building on this planet, but had been overrun before their work had been completed, and so the great ruins lay bare, unused, and undiscovered for centuries. All material of significance, including the remains of the burried marines, and all other articacts found on Orion Prime, had been sent back to Ultramar shortly after they had arrived. Rumours still circulate, that among these artifacts, were the remains of part of the lost Fire Hawks chapter. Little is know whether or not there is any truth in these rumours.
A fierce battle was fought, and after 9 days the immediate area was cleared of any signs of the Orks. "The 8" agreed to return to Ultramar only if the Ultramarines remained. Of the 8 marines that survived to return to Ultramar, 3 were in fact Ultramarines, 2 were Imperial Fists, and one remained from the Crimson Fists, Novamarines, and Aurora Chapters. Once Calgar met "the 8", and heard their tales, he once again called to all the chapters of the Imperium for aid. He believed that he had found one of the original Ork homeworlds. He was sure that further investigation would lead to the Imperium gaining knowledge necessary to finally rid entire regions of space from the Ork presence.
Calgar and a consortium of well respected Chapter Masters petitioned the High Lords of Terra. They insisted that a Chapter be founded, and assigned to the duty of cleansing that entire system of Orks. Upon seeing the vast number of Chapter Masters that supported Calger in his request, their petition was granted. A new chapter was founded on the same day the great fleet left Ultramar. Axel Orion was named Chapter Master, as he was the most senior member of "the 8". The planet of their destination, was henceforth referred to as Orion Prime, and no longer known by just a catalogue number. Chapter Master Orion chose the Captain of the First Company, as the ceremonies came to a close, and the Imperium's newest chapter, Orion's Fists, were formed.
The Ultramarines sent 2 Apothecaries, 2 Chaplains, and a Librarian, to aid in the founding of the new chapter. 25 battle-brothers were sent, from each of the chapters that "the 8" were originally part of. These would make up the initial recruitment of the chapter, and become the First Company of Orion's Fists. In their entirety, the chapter numbered less than 140 Battle Brothers on their fist day. An entire Armoury of equipment and techmarines were sent by the Adeptus Mechanus, and a host of tanks sent by the Aurora Chapter, along with speeders and transport vehicles. Most of these were new, and some of the tanks were yet unpainted or un-named. These were ready for the colors of the new chapter.
The First Trials of a New Chapter
When they returned to Orion Prime, a huge battle erupted. The Orks seemed to come from every swampy area on the entire planet. After 3 years of intense battles, the planet was nearly wiped clean of the Ork presence. One area remained, no matter how hard the marines pressed, they could never seem to totally eliminate the Orks from this place. It was a huge swampy area, with mountainous rocky crags jutting up out of the muck. These outcroppings were riddled with caves, and these caves were all teeming with orks. They had finally found what Calgar had been seeking.
Over the next few centuries, the Orion's Fists chapter was able to maintain their control over the Ork population on Orion Prime, and despite relentless attacks on their fortifications and monistary, the House of Orion still stands. They have built up recruitment and production abilities throughout the system, and continue to recieve support from all areas of the Imperium. Due to intense fighting with Orks, and other engagements with alien races that seem curious about Orion Prime, and what it's system has to offer, the Orion's Fists have yet to build numbers sufficient to adopt all of the ways of the Codex Astartes. They do adhere to the doctrine as closely as possible, but have yet to adhere strictly to the codex. The chapter still strives to form a 4th Company, as it now only has 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 10th Scout Companies.
The Orion's Fists commonly fight in Armoured Spearhead formations, this has helped to eliminate unneccessary casualties over the years, and allowed the chapter to build it's numbers slowly but steadily. This has only been possible with the generous support of the Aurora Chapter and their vast armoury. The chapter, at the next Rites Ceremony, is slated to initiate enough new battle-brothers from the scout company, to form an official 4th and 5th Company.
The armoury has recently began producing jump packs and ramped up production of heavy weaponry not used solely in the chapters tanks and armoured transports. Future Rites Ceremonies should see the appointment of the chapter's first Chief Apothecary, a Techmarine will be named as Master of the Forge, and Captains of any added companies will be named, as well as many other figures imortant to the growth of the new chapter. Hopefully the chapter will someday boast a full 10 Companies, with active reserves, but their numbers will have to more than double to meet that goal.
They seldom make use of bikes or jump packs in large numbers, and rely on a steady supply of speeders to supply their mobility. They do, however, recieve regular support from the Hawk Lords. With the Hawk Lords' superb pilots and jump infantry, precision strikes can be enacted against important tactical sites deep within the zone still controlled by the orks. There is a regular rotation of Thunderhawks and Assault marines stationed on Orion Prime, and the Hawk Lords have erected a port on the planet. In it, is contained a memorial to the many pilots and assault marines the chapter lost on this planet.
The Orion's Fists scout squads serve short tours, as guards stationed at their fortifications, in mostly defensive roles. However they are regularly called upon to perform scouting duties around key strategic locations. Due to the frequency of Ork attacks, they are either well seasoned in battle in just a short time, or they become but another name on the walls of the Hall of Rememberance.
Once a new battle-brother has proven himself worthy of the chapter's colors, he is promoted to serve among the chapter's few Devistator or Assault squads, depending on what battlefield role his skills favor. To be promoted to one of the chapter's tactical squads is a great honor, and usually means that the Marine has killed hundreds if not thousands of Orks, among other enemies of the Imperium. Due to a limited number of heavy weapons available, the chapter rarely fields numerous Devastator squads, and it's heavy weaponry is often only used by Veterans of the First Company. Sternguard Veterans often employ heavy weapons in their squads, and sometimes perform battlefield roles similar to that of
Dev. Squads.
Squad leaders and chaplains are often heard encouraging their peers to fight on, with the chapter's unofficial battle cry: "Honour The Emperor, and your Battle-Brothers" followed by a reply in unison, as all the marines recite "In Battle, and In Death". Depending on the state of the battle at hand, the Battle-Brothers are often heard reciting, "In Victory, and In Death". This is typical in times when weary marines are regrouping after a hard fought engagement.
One of the most frequent sights associated with the Orion's Fists chapter is that of the eerie, dark armoured, silent soldiers that regularly accompany them into battle. Many times, the inquisition looked into the phenomenon, but they have never been able to catch more than a glimpse of these warriors. They have actually had closer encounters by accident. These dark and mysterious figures are seen fighting alongside members of the chapter whenever they are in a heated battle. Over a hundred accounts of these "Damned Legionaires" have been recorded in the chapter's brief history.
The most notable of these accounts is of the battle that was being fought when "the 8" were rescued. Another famous tale, however, is told on Orion Prime. A tale of a battle that drove the orks once and for all, back into their marshy lands and caves. In this battle these shadowy figures fought alongside members of the chapter for 3 weeks, in numbers that would equal a complete company or more. In evey battle in which the fate of the chapter was at stake, these battle-brothers appear and turn the momentum of the day in Orion's favor. Fire always dancing at their feet, bolters spewing the Emperor's will about the battlefield, always gone once the frenzy calms down.
The Future of the Orion's Fists
Over the past few decades, Orion Prime has come under attack from almost every enemy known to the Imperium. Eldar pirates have sent raiding parties to the planet surface, mainly focusing on the areas still teeming with Ork activity. Other races, such as Necrons, Tau, and Tyrannids have attacked, albeit in small numbers and with little frequency. Most notably, a warband of Chaos Renegades have established a foothold on the far side of the planet. They have built their garrison in a remote mountainous region, surrounded by murky swamps and pits of bubbling black sludge. Many of these pits fuel pillars of fire, and provide the smoke that blankets this region of the planet in dim twilight.
Enemies of the Orion's Fists chapter are numerous, and as of late they are quite diverse, and varied in tactics. In order to survive another century, the growing chapter will have to proove it's strength and determination is equal to that of it's parent chapters. It will have to proove that it is worthy of carrying the geneseed of both Roboute Guilliman and Rogal Dorn. Only the Emperor knows the fate of the chapter, but every Battle-Brother displaying the colors of the Orion's Fists will gladly give his life in battle, to ensure victory and sucess for his fellow marines.
Colonies have sprouted up, on Orion Prime as well as in other key locations amongst the systems planets and their moons. This has led to increased production of supplies and weaponry, as well as increased recruitment. Along with these benifits comes the drawback of maintaining a guard of such colonies. Recent attacks on these facilities by both Orks and Chaos forces, have forced the chapter to spread it's resources thin, almost to the point of ineffectiveness. In every recent battle, when greatly outnumbered, the marines of the Orion's Fists chapter have prevailed, eerie guardians always at their sides.
Battle-Brothers have fought side by side with these ghostly figures, often coming into physical contact with their mysterious brethren, when in hand-to-hand combat. This is something never heard of before the founding of the Orion's Fists. Sternguard Veterans are often seen, raining bolter fire into charging ranks of Orks and Renegade Marines alike, shoulder to shoulder with these unyielding spectres. They are often outnumbered ten to one, or worse, yet have suffered few casualties.
There is a tale of a Sternguard Veteran Sergeant who ran out of bolter ammunition during a fierce firefight with some Dark Eldar. One of these dark, silent figures threw him a loaded magazine just as his last shots rang out. When he resumed firing, each shot found it's mark with unbelievable accuracy. Each of the enemies targeted fell, with a minimum of effort, usually requiring only one shot. The Sergeant was able to effectively target enemies at ranges twice what he was accustomed to, and the magazine seemed to have a far higher capacity than he was expecting.
After the battle, the Sergeant removed the magazine to inspect this ammunition, as it seemed far superior to even the Hellfire or Kraken rounds given to the Sternguard Veterans. When he looked down at his hand, he saw that the magazine was empty, either he'd fired the last shot just as the battle came to a close, or there was truely something unnatural about their shadowy companions on the battlefield.
Due to the recent surge of sightings of these protectors, the Inquisition has sent personnel and a small force of Grey Knights to Orion Prime. They have taken up residence in a small hall within the House of Orion, their presence welcomed as they are some of the Imperium's finest warriors. These Grey Knights often aid the members of the Orion's Fists chapter when they are in need, hoping to get a glimpse of their typical reinforcements. They either provide the needed assistance, or end up on the opposite end of the battlefield from where the Legionaires can be seen fighting. In over a hundred engagements, not once have they gotten any useful information about these dark warriors of the Imperium. Yet they have appeared in more than half the battles since the arrival of the Inquisition and their Grey Knight escorts.
Army List and Modeling Ideas
I intend to use the Pedro Kanto model as my chapter master, slightly converting him so his banner no longer reads Kantor, but Orion.
I will use Lysander as 1st Company Sgt. (also renamed)
I will use the
AOBR capt, or a
SM commander to model any other
HQs necessary.
I also intend to have at least one Chaplain model, most likely a Chaplian in Terminator armour, as I like the model and it will fit in when Lysander is not used...
My first 2 Tactical Squads will be
AOBR squads, painted in the Orion's Fists colors... the 3rd will be painted black, with flames, like
LotD, but will still be a regular
Tac. Squad, with a
LotD Rhino...
Additional
Tac. Squads will most likely be from other chapters mentioned in the fiction, probably just one squad and a rhino for each color scheme, eventually one might develop into a 1000-1500 pts army list with a different fighting style, like Drop Pod or bikes, or scout heavy... etc...
I have 10 Tactical Terminators, with Storm Bolter and Power Fist, I will use 5-7 of them with Lysander, in a
LRC, and hope they don't continue to dissapoint every game as they have in the past...
LOL
Sternguard will be made from regular Tactical Marines, but I will make an effort to make the all more decorated than the normal infantry, they will also all have the molded chapter shoulder pads to help identify them as Veterans. I am unsure if I want to give them white helmets.
Transports will all be the colors of the squad they carry, and any additional vehicles, like Predator tanks, speeders, and such, will most likely end up as part of one of the other chapters, like Aurora Chapter......
Company and Squad markings will be on a shoulder pad most likely, or a knee pad, etc... The squad will be shown by a roman numeral, and the company will be depicted by the color of that numeral. IE. a gold IV would indicate a member of the 2nd Company, 4th Squad.
I am still working on names for characters, so I can give it more color and detail. I hope to someday make this into a nice 25-50 page story, and possibly add one from the ORKS point of view, and Chaos as well, so they could go together as a book... that will depend on the feedback I get from this project...
Many thanks to anyone who read this far. More thanks to anyone who cares to give input.
Sincerely,
Isaiah
axelsfolks on YouTube and DakkaDakka
shadymoon1282@yahoo.com
Also have you got a modelling blog?