The Sacred Band: Sixth Squad
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'''Erik Faas''' was a much-feared commander. His weapon of choice in the Merican Hive campaign was the flamer, and it was well-suited to his temperament. Though Faas could be jovial and kind to his men, he is best-remembered for his declaration to the Legion at the start of the Great Crusade, ''Do not be swayed by the false virtues of compassion or mercy. No carelessness, driven by warm feelings, should dissuade you from utter loyalty to the cause of Mankind. We go to the stars to destroy the Alien, the mutant, and all who would endanger the human race!'' A number of the darker crimes committed by the Legion were attributed to his command. He was known for deploying Destroyers more than any other Crusaders commander, with a particularly large cadre of them under his command. Faas was chosen by Thomas Gaudin to lead the '''Crusaders Obscurus''' Chapter that would have to face the brunt of Traitor forces from the Eye, and he instilled them with his fierce spirit and hatred for all who would oppose the Imperium.
'''Erik Faas''' was a much-feared commander. His weapon of choice in the Merican Hive campaign was the flamer, and it was well-suited to his temperament. Though Faas could be jovial and kind to his men, he is best-remembered for his declaration to the Legion at the start of the Great Crusade, ''Do not be swayed by the false virtues of compassion or mercy. No carelessness, driven by warm feelings, should dissuade you from utter loyalty to the cause of Mankind. We go to the stars to destroy the Alien, the mutant, and all who would endanger the human race!'' A number of the darker crimes committed by the Legion were attributed to his command. He was known for deploying Destroyers more than any other Crusaders commander, with a particularly large cadre of them under his command. Faas was chosen by Thomas Gaudin to lead the '''Crusaders Obscurus''' Chapter that would have to face the brunt of Traitor forces from the Eye, and he instilled them with his fierce spirit and hatred for all who would oppose the Imperium.
−
'''
Marcus Drag
'''
is often forgotten by outsiders who recount
the
history
of
The
Crusaders,
for he had few great victories associated with
his
name
,
serving in the Primarch’s own Fleet for
his
entire career. But for the Legion
and
their many successors his name is highly honored as
the
‘Spear
of
Sturmundrang’
.
Drag was a skilled tank driver and commander
, and
he certainly contributed
to
some of The
Crusaders
finest hours – especially
the
armoured thrust at Grudno
and the
lightning strikes during
the
Siege
of
Terra
,
when
he
laid down his life fighting against
the
Traitors
.
Yet it
was
his role behind
the
scenes that truly defined this warrior
'
s role
. He
was a firm convert
to
the decentralized nature
of the Crusaders,
where every expeditionary fleet would be an entity unto itself
and
he worked tirelessly
to
plan and establish The Crusader's network
of
motor-pool fortresses throughout
the
interior
of
the Imperium,
as
well as negotiating deals with several Forgeworlds to supply those worlds so that there would always be
a
stockpile for
the
Crusaders to swiftly re-arm with
.
Drag's achievement allowed
the
Legion
,
and later their association
of
Successor Chapters,
to
rapidly rearm and redeploy across the Galaxy to confront the Imperium's direst foes
.
It is for this that he is remembered
as ''
The Peacemaker
''.
+
'''
Max Toten
'''
was one of
the
best-known
of
the
Crusaders
outside of their Primarch. Toten's tall
,
bearded figure stood out among
his
peers
,
and
his
great voice
and
charisma could rally
the
forces
of
the Imperium like few others
.
He served closely with several other Primarchs
, and
was willing
to
listen to their council unlike his stubborn father, to the point where even Gaspard Lumey praised him for his tact, a rare commodity among the
Crusaders
. Though not
the
most skilled general of Gaudin's inner council
and the
one who had
the
most disagreements with his Primarch (where his own booming voice mixed with that
of
his Primarch deafened everyone within earshot)
, he
was regularly entrusted with critical commands because of
the
effect he had on morale Thankfully for the Crusaders, Toten was humble enough to take advice from better planners
.
Max Toten's final battle
was the
massive naval engagement at the beginning of the Traitors
'
attack on the Solar System
. He
volunteered
to
take command
of the
point ship in the Imperial forces, the mighty
Crusaders
Infernus-class battleship ''Koenigsraum''
,
understanding that this duty was a death sentence. Though Toten
and
his command were lost early in the engagement, his selfless courage would continue
to
inspire the Crusaders through the dark days
of the
Siege
of
Terra. He is venerated
as a
saint in many parts of
the
Imperium
.
Void-farers, especially sailors in
the
Imperial Navy
,
often carry medals bearing a likeness
of
"Saint Max"
to
invoke his protection
.
Toten was posthumously honoured
as
the first Chapter Master of the
''
'Crusaders Tempestus'
''.
−
'''Max Toten''', on the other hand, was the best-known of the Crusaders outside of their Primarch. Toten's tall, bearded figure stood out among his peers, and his great voice and charisma could rally the forces of the Imperium like few others. He served closely with several other Primarchs, and was willing to listen to their council unlike his stubborn father, to the point where even Gaspard Lumey praised him for his tact, a rare commodity among the Crusaders. Though not the most skilled general of Gaudin's inner council and the one who had the most disagreements with his Primarch (where his own booming voice mixed with that of his Primarch deafened everyone within earshot), he was regularly entrusted with critical commands because of the effect he had on morale Thankfully for the Crusaders, Toten was humble enough to take advice from better planners. Max Toten's final battle was the massive naval engagement at the beginning of the Traitors' attack on the Solar System. He volunteered to take command of the point ship in the Imperial forces, the mighty Crusaders Infernus-class battleship ''Koenigsraum'', understanding that this duty was a death sentence. Though Toten and his command were lost early in the engagement, his selfless courage would continue to inspire the Crusaders through the dark days of the Siege of Terra. He is venerated as a saint in many parts of the Imperium. Void-farers, especially sailors in the Imperial Navy, often carry medals bearing a likeness of "Saint Max" to invoke his protection. Toten was posthumously honoured as the first Chapter Master of the '''Crusaders Tempestus'''.
+
'''Gabriel Bain''' was initially groomed for duty as an Apothecary in the embryonic Legion, but his combat and leadership skills improved much more quickly than his peers. A sober and stiff-mannered Marine, his cool demeanour masked a tendency for daring in both personal combat and command. Bain was Sixth Squad's point-man throughout the Pacification of the Merican Hives, and tanks under his command would reprise the role during many of The Crusader's armored actions
. He became known as the ‘Spear of Sturmundrang’, a skilled tank driver and commander, who contributed to some of The Crusaders finest hours – especially the armoured thrust at Grudno. Yet it was his role behind the scenes that truly defined this warrior's role. He was a firm convert to the decentralized nature of the Crusaders, where every expeditionary fleet would be an entity unto itself and he worked tirelessly to plan and establish The Crusader's network of motor-pool fortresses throughout the interior of the Imperium, as well as negotiating deals with several Forgeworlds to supply those worlds so that there would always be a stockpile for the Crusaders to swiftly re-arm with. Drag's achievement allowed the Legion, and later their association of Successor Chapters, to rapidly rearm and redeploy across the Galaxy to confront the Imperium's direst foes
. His forces were yet another group
of Crusaders
that failed to link up with the main body of the Legion
when it was ordered to Terra
, and he would fight the traitors all across Segmentums Obscuras and
Pacificus
, ending up on Rosskar where his forces fought until relieved by the Steel Marshalls. In the Second Founding he was assigned to lead the '''Crusaders Pacificus''', a sign of how seriously Thomas Gaudin took the threat of the resurgent [[Harakien Eldar Empire]] as well as a recognition of the reputation he had built during his fighting in that region during the Heresy.
−
+
−
'''Gabriel Bain''' was initially groomed for duty as an Apothecary in the embryonic Legion, but his combat and leadership skills improved much more quickly than his peers. A sober and stiff-mannered Marine, his cool demeanour masked a tendency for daring in both personal combat and command. Bain was Sixth Squad's point-man throughout the Pacification of the Merican Hives, and tanks under his command would reprise the role during many of The Crusader's armored actions. His forces were yet another group that failed to link up with the main body of the Legion, and he would fight the traitors all across Segmentums Obscuras and
pacificus
, ending up on Rosskar where his forces fought until relieved by the Steel Marshalls. In the Second Founding he was assigned to lead the '''Crusaders Pacificus''', a sign of how seriously Thomas Gaudin took the threat of the resurgent [[Harakien Eldar Empire]] as well as a recognition of the reputation he had built during his fighting in that region during the Heresy.
+
'''Severin Hahn''' A highly skilled warrior with a flair for bladework, Severin Hahn was the first Legion Champion of the X Legion. He spent much time with the [[Steel Marshalls]], and learned the arts of dueling and swordplay from them and became close to Primarch [[Roman Albrecht]]. Much of his service would be leading armored forces alongside the Marshalls, acting as the hammer to their anvil. Though highly regarded outside the Legion, within it he was also seen as somewhat quaint with his ideals of honor and chivalry, including the Pacification of several feudal worlds where Hahn bested a chosen champion as a proxy for open warfare, which was seen by others within the Crusaders as not a sufficient enough lesson to truly pacify them. This noble warrior met his end on the blasted plains of [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]], slain by the traitor Primarch [[Tollund Ötztal]] in single combat.
'''Severin Hahn''' A highly skilled warrior with a flair for bladework, Severin Hahn was the first Legion Champion of the X Legion. He spent much time with the [[Steel Marshalls]], and learned the arts of dueling and swordplay from them and became close to Primarch [[Roman Albrecht]]. Much of his service would be leading armored forces alongside the Marshalls, acting as the hammer to their anvil. Though highly regarded outside the Legion, within it he was also seen as somewhat quaint with his ideals of honor and chivalry, including the Pacification of several feudal worlds where Hahn bested a chosen champion as a proxy for open warfare, which was seen by others within the Crusaders as not a sufficient enough lesson to truly pacify them. This noble warrior met his end on the blasted plains of [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]], slain by the traitor Primarch [[Tollund Ötztal]] in single combat.
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'''Walter Blum''' was the Sixth Legion's first combat casualty. A promising, gregarious warrior inducted into the Sacred Band as a candidate for high command, he was struck down in the bitter fight for Atl'Ntar Hive. Even thousands of years later, his name is well-remembered and is awarded to any aspirant who meets an honorable death in training.
'''Walter Blum''' was the Sixth Legion's first combat casualty. A promising, gregarious warrior inducted into the Sacred Band as a candidate for high command, he was struck down in the bitter fight for Atl'Ntar Hive. Even thousands of years later, his name is well-remembered and is awarded to any aspirant who meets an honorable death in training.
−
'''Lucas Braun''' is officially forgotten and his name stricken from the records, though he was highly regarded by Hektor during the Unification Wars
,
and a major presence in the War Councils of the Crusaders. He protested the dramatic
reorganisation
of the Legion under Gaudin, and remained close to Hektor. He was turned by the many Traitors in the Sacred Band and attempted to spread corruption through the Legion, turning the three Chapters of the 154th Expeditionary Fleet to the service of Hektor. He would lead them on a rampage throughout the Segmentum Tempestus before arriving on [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]] by the order of the Warmaster to reinforce the traitor Tank forces fighting the climatic battle there. There he met his Sacred Band brother Severin Hahn and his loyalist Crusaders at the '''Battle of Bitter Iron''', one of the most brutal battles of the entire Heresy where loyalist and traitor Crusaders destroyed each other. Hahn would slay him there, and Braun would only be remembered as "the Serpent" in the legends of the Crusaders and their Successor Chapters.
+
'''Lucas Braun''' is officially forgotten and his name stricken from
all but
the
most secure
records, though he was highly regarded by Hektor during the Unification Wars and a major presence in the War Councils of the Crusaders. He protested the dramatic
reorganization
of the Legion under Gaudin, and remained close to Hektor. He was turned by the many Traitors in the Sacred Band and attempted to spread corruption through the Legion, turning the three Chapters of the 154th Expeditionary Fleet to the service of Hektor. He would lead them on a rampage throughout the Segmentum Tempestus before arriving on [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]] by the order of the Warmaster to reinforce the traitor Tank forces fighting the climatic battle there. There he met his Sacred Band brother Severin Hahn and his loyalist Crusaders at the '''Battle of Bitter Iron''', one of the most brutal battles of the entire Heresy where loyalist and traitor Crusaders destroyed each other. Hahn would slay him there, and Braun would only be remembered as "the Serpent" in the legends of the Crusaders and their Successor Chapters
.
+
+
'''Marcus Drag''' is the second of the Crusader’s Sacred Band traitors, and like Braun his records have been removed save from the deepest vaults of knowledge on Terra and Sturmundrang. He was a naysmith who constantly questioned his brothers and their maverick nature, believing that only by working as part of the whole could the VI Squad truly benefit the Sacred Band as a whole. When the Legion grew big enough, he was given his own command and left the bulk of the Legion, becoming part of the 'Alizarin' fleet, the forces of Rogue Trader Carl Alizarin. Drag was not present when his Primarch was found, and only met him later after the Legion's reformation. Drag was known to dislike the new direction, believing that flesh was superior to steel and the only way to win battles. But he could not stand against his Primarch, and reluctantly bowed before him. Once again he was given a new command and sent forth into the stars to conquer as he would, free from the constraints of the rest of the Legion. His 234th Expeditionary Fleet had a large percentage of Terrans who did not sit comfortably with their Brash Primarch and his swift, brutal and incomplete methods of conquest. They would continue to take worlds slowly, methodically and, for them at least, correctly. Drag always maintained close ties with the other Sacred Band members beyond his Legion, and when Hektor rose the standard of rebellion Drag answered the call. His fleet was diverted to block the passage of the Void Angels as they struck towards Terra, and though the Void Angels never discussed what happened, it is known the Drag and his entire force was destroyed trying to keep the Angels at bay
.
'''Rook North''' was an exemplary warrior. He was also something of a blowhard, composing and performing many fine songs - about his own heroic exploits. His bragging did not endear him to his peers, and his ties to Hektor, second only to Braun meant that when the Heresy did break out he was suspected of traitor sympathies. However the Crusaders prize results more than personality and North certainly got his results. He would fight in every great campaign of the Legion, from its origins in the Merican Hives to the pyrrhic victory at the Siege of Terra. Unlike his peers, North was particularly able in void combat, setting up specialist ''Sturmtruppen'' squads for boarding actions. The expertise and heavy equipment of these troops would be invaluable in the brutal slugging match of the Siege of Terra. For all of his skill, North's unpopularity saw him passed over for command of a Second Founding Chapter. He would eventually be dispatched to guard an ancient relic in the far Galactic South-East as the Master of the [[Nova Defenders]] Chapter.
'''Rook North''' was an exemplary warrior. He was also something of a blowhard, composing and performing many fine songs - about his own heroic exploits. His bragging did not endear him to his peers, and his ties to Hektor, second only to Braun meant that when the Heresy did break out he was suspected of traitor sympathies. However the Crusaders prize results more than personality and North certainly got his results. He would fight in every great campaign of the Legion, from its origins in the Merican Hives to the pyrrhic victory at the Siege of Terra. Unlike his peers, North was particularly able in void combat, setting up specialist ''Sturmtruppen'' squads for boarding actions. The expertise and heavy equipment of these troops would be invaluable in the brutal slugging match of the Siege of Terra. For all of his skill, North's unpopularity saw him passed over for command of a Second Founding Chapter. He would eventually be dispatched to guard an ancient relic in the far Galactic South-East as the Master of the [[Nova Defenders]] Chapter.