Imperial Swords: First Cohort

The very first batch of Space Marines I did almost a year ago.  This bunch has accompanied me to battle for the longest period of time.   They were painted as part of the 500 point painting challenge my friends decided to do at that time.

From Left to Right:
1st Scout Squad, Dreadnought Rax, 1st Tactical Squad & Chaplain Dardalion in the center.

Dreadnought Rax
Brother Trendor Rax bravely threw himself in front of his Commanding Officer to shield him from a deadly attack by a Chaos Daemon.  His heroic action allowed his Captain to distract the Daemon Prince while his Sergeant landed the killing blow that slayed the Daemon Prince.

As a result Brother Rax suffered injuries so terrible that even the Apocthecaries could not mend.  For his noble sacrifice, he was interred into Dreadnought Sarcophagus to continue fighting in the name of the Imperium.

2nd Company - 1st Tacticals, Squad Katana
The generation of Tactical Squads to hit the front line after the Chapter rebuilt itself.  Squad Katana has seen the most battles and has new recruits rotated in the fill in fallen Battle Brothers.

They are also known for the most self inflicted injuries within the 2nd Company, earning numerous complains from the Company Apocthecary.  The Circle has since then requested that they spend more time cleaning and practicing with their plasma weaponry to avoid overheating in critical times. 

Squad Katana is lead by none other than Sergeant Callum Fist (Center), one of the first few recruits after the Chapter's near destruction.  Fist is a seasoned soldier and uses his experience to guide his fellow squad members.  Alongside with him is Brother Chassus Skuds (Left), otherwise known by his battle brothers as "Skulls", mostly due to his armor and boltgun adorned with skull symbols.

Assisting Sergeant Fist, is Squad Leader Varkus Trent (Center).    A seasoned Space Marine who survived many battles, he helps to ensure the 2nd element of the Squad provides covering fire where it is needed. 

Imperial Swords: The Descend

As Neo-Terra Secundus progresses, new settlers and colonist arrived from other Imperial controlled worlds.  Hoping to make a new future on the newly acquired planet.   It was not long before the existing towns and cities were no longer able to accommodate the new arrivals.  Even though the existing settlements were being expanded it was not fast enough.

Lord Cairon, the Imperial Governor then thought it would be best to utilize the new arrivals to colonize the tropical jungles near the equatorial belt.  The region is considered significantly less desirable due to the myriad dangers associated with the tropical jungles.  From deadly diseases to vicious predators, it bears close resemblances to a death world.  While surveying the land, the officials came across several strange structures jutting out from the canopy of the forest.  Initially they thought that they were Volcanic Calderas overgrown with vines and vegetation.  But closer inspection reveals that these to be structures of unknown origin.

Soon this reached the ears of the Adeptus Mechanics stationed on the planet.  The Tech Priest soon developed an interest in exploring these odd structures.   After several weeks, they discovered that these structures went even deeper into the earth itself.    Lord Cairon wanting to develop better relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus and knowing the danger presented by the jungle, dispatched two of his best jungle trained regiments to protect the Tech Priest.

Soon the excavation began in earnest and the explorers discovered that beneath the strange structures, were a vast super complex buried deep beneath the earth.   The Tech Priest discovered that the structure has strange similarity to designs of older Terran technology, excited by the possibility of uncovering new STCs, the Tech Priest ventured even deeper into the complex.

Several days gone by and suddenly all contact with the exploration team was lost.  The regiment assigned to protect the Tech Priest also did not respond to check in calls from the control center.  Concerned that something may have happen, PDF commander sent the 2nd regiment on the surface into the complex to investigate.   Within hours, scrambled message was received, requesting for aid before communication was lost again.   A day later, a battered and injured Guardsman returned to the camp and spoke of horrors within the complex that attacked them. Something within the complex was also interfering with communication with the surface.

With two regiments already lost, the PDF commander turned to the Imperial Swords for assistance and within hours the 2nd company has arrived.  Wasting no time, the Space Marines descended into the superstructure.  As they went deeper they found mangled bodies of PDF as well as the attackers.  It was a humanoid creature with pale white complexion, lanky and hairless body, sharp claws, feet and teeth.  
The head bore resemblance to humans but with a twisted feral look.  Large, jet black eyes rest within its sockets, and a hole simply appeared where the ears would be.  These creatures were armed with crudely made weapons shaped from rocks.  Though some had bizarre weapons that resemble nothing the Space Marines encountered before.    Unable to identify the creature, the Space Marines simply called these creature the "Deep Ones".

When the Space Marines found no bodies of the Tech Priest amongst the dead, Captain Talvas then decided to lead the Imperial Swords deeper into the complex to search, hoping that the Tech Priest might have escaped the slaughter.

Not a moment too soon, sounds of boltgun fire began to echo within the complex.  The Deep Ones have appeared from nooks and crannies through the narrow ventilation shafts.   The creatures twisted visage snarled with rage at the Space Marine's intrusion and charged forward.   Many of the Deep Ones were cut down by the Space Marines but there was simply too much.    Two hours after their first encounter with the Deep Ones, the Space Marines were beginning to take casualties, the way back to the surface was also cut off by a huge horde of Deep Ones. 

Determined to complete the mission, Captain Talvas did the unexpected, he led his Marines deeper into the complex and believed that someone or something must be coordinating these hordes of Deep Ones.   Eventually the Deep Ones ceased their attack and held their ground as if waiting for something.  From within the ranks of the Deep Ones, came another creature resembling a Deep One.  With thinner body and an extraordinary enlarged cranium.  It was accompanied by Deep Ones that are much larger with muscles swelling up to grotesque size.  The Deep One with enlarged cranium looked at the Space Marines quizzically and then suddenly shrieked.

It was a bloodcurdling shriek that pierce the eardrums of the Imperial Swords.   Many Space Marines were struck down with agonizing pain, stunned and unable to react.  The horde of Deep Ones resumed their attack and surged forward, quickly overwhelming the Space Marines.

Mustering all his willpower, Captain Talvas resisted the effects of the shriek and charged towards the Shrieking Deep One. Slashing left and right, he fell many of the creatures as he closed in on his quarry.  But before he could advance any further, the Shrieker unleashed a bolt of incandescent energy out of mid air and blasting him back.  His personal squad that followed behind was cut down by the Hulking Deep Ones. 

As he struggled to get up, the Captain saw that only thirty out of a hundred of his brother marines remain in the fight.  Some of them fought desperately to reach him but are cut off by the hordes of Deep Ones that stood between them.  Seeing that he is not yet dead, swarms of Deep Ones rushed towards him.  Wrecked with agonizing pain from the psychic attack, Captain Talvas mustered his last strength and dispatched as many Deep Ones as he could.

Grievously wounded and cut off from the rest of the Space Marines, Captain Talvas reached for his grenades.  Pulling off the pin, the grenades exploded and tore through the ranks of the Deep Ones while they try to pull the Space Marine down.  Bloodied and battered, the wounded Captain laid on the ground gasping his last breath.  With their ammunition depleted, the remaining Imperial Swords stood their ground and grimly faced the horde of Deep Ones which encircled them, determined to take down as many as they can before their inevitable defeat.

Just as all hope was thought to be lost, sounds of assault cannon fire echoed through the complex.  The Deep Ones quickly turned to faced their new attackers but was quickly cut down.  Imperial Swords 1st and 4th company has arrived to aid their battle brothers.  Leading them was the Chapter Grand Champion Druce and Chief Librarian Davos, both seasoned veterans of many battles.

The Grand Champion charged forwarded dispatching many of the Deep Ones before coming face to face with the Shrieker.  The hulking Deep Ones, personal bodyguards of the Shrieker stood in the path of Champion Druce.   Sensing that the Shrieker was about to unleash a psychic attack, Chief Librarian Davos harness his powers to hold the warp energies from manifesting. 

While the two pskyers are locked in a contest of willpower.  Grand Champion Druce battled against the Hulking Deep Ones.  Meanwhile, Space Marines reinforcements have managed to cut a path towards the 2nd company survivors.

With the last Hulking Deep Ones dispatched, the Champion turned his attention towards the Shrieker.  Its psychic abilities was so immensely strong that even the Chief Librarian was straining to keep warp energies from manifesting.  A psychic counterattack was impossible.  Seeing that the Shrieker is distracted, the Champion swung the relic axe into the skull of the creature.  Splitting it in the middle.

Instead of falling to the ground.  The Shrieker's eyes glowed intensely, strange warp energy then burst out from the wound blasting the Champion back.  The physical body of the Shrieker then slumped to the ground, above it hovered a glowing warp entity with a malevolent glare.  Seizing the opportunity, Chief Librarian Davos mustered all his remaining willpower and blasted at warp entity with psychic bolts of energy.   Howling it rage, the warp entity vanished just as suddenly as it appeared.

When the Shrieker dead, the Deep Ones lost the will to fight.  Many were cut down by the Space Marines as they tried to flee, however some did manage to escape into the tunnels.  With the situation under control, the Imperial Swords began to regroup.   With the wounded Space Marines evacuated, the rest of the Imperial Sword resume their mission to locate the Tech Priest.  Any surviving Deep Ones encountered was purged.

Eventually the surviving Tech Priest was rescued. Despite their harrowing encounter with the Deep Ones, the Tech Priests insist on continuing the exploration, they are convinced that a complex of this size will surely hold some secrets.

Taking precaution, the Imperial Swords ordered a systematic sweep of the complex to root out any remaining Deep Ones.
Several weeks later, the Tech Priest finally made some headway into the excavation.   They have learn that the complex was infact a generational starship predating the Dark Age of Technology.  It carried within it thousands of families that left Terra to colonize the galaxy.

The vast structures above the surface were not calderas but were atmospheric processors built millenniums ago.  The humans settle here but was soon attacked by an unknown alien race and was driven underground.  They began to genetically modify themselves to suit their new environment and over time their descendents evolved into the Deep Ones.

But this discovery did not excite the Tech Priest as much as their next find.  Months of searching through the data archives reveal STCs unknown to the Adeptus Mechanicus.  But what fascinated the Tech Priest more was that this generation starship was but one of the many that left Holy Terra in ancient times.  The data also provided coordinates of the other generation starship.

Excited by the prospects of discovering even more STCs, the Tech Priest began to petition Mars for an expedition to these star coordinates.   Meanwhile, the Imperial Swords attend to their duties elsewhere and Imperial Governor resumed the project to colonize the equatorial jungle with the new settlers.

Imperial Swords: Decimation

After repelling an eldar pirate attack in the Ghoul Stars region.  Imperial Swords fleet pick up a distress signal from a vessel claimed to be in the service of the Adeptus Mechanicus.   The Imperial Swords dispatched ships to investigate.    The scouting party returned a distress signal stating that they were under attack and require assistance. The remaining Imperial Swords fleet then mobilized their entire fleet to assist their the scout vessel.

After a brief period of space travel, the fleet arrived at where the distress signal originated from.   A sudden warp storm then pulled the entire fleet into it and deposit them into an unknown part of space.   There they found the remaining ships that they initially sent to investigate the signal to be largely intact.  After some probing, they discovered that they were in a star system with a variety of planets.  Long range sensors picked up one planet which harbored an advanced  civilization. 

When the Imperial Swords approached closer to the system, they discovered that the planet was already under attack by a Tyranid splinter fleet.  The local inhabitants turned out to be a highly advanced human civilization.    The Adeptus Mechanicus and Imperial Swords Scouting party which was thought to be lost in the warp arrived here some months ago due to temporal disruption in space time continuum.    Along with the local inhabitants known as the Neo Terrans, they put up a strong defense against the Tyranid Splinter fleet.

The Imperial Swords then made planet fall to assist the defenders in repelling the Tyranid invasion force.   The allied force of advance humans and forces of imperium held off the Tyranids but an arrival of a 2^nd splinter fleet proved too much for the Neo-Terrans and their Imperium allies.  The defenders were slowly pushed back from every front and it would not be long before they would be overwhelmed by the voracious Tyranid invasion force.

Although advance, the Neo-Terrans did not possess any starships capable of warp travel or of sufficient speed to outrun the Tyranid fleet.  They had arrived to this planet in ancient times via massive hibernation ships.   

To ensure the survival of their people, the Neo Terran Leaders pleaded the Imperium forces to allow the use of their ships to evacuate the planet.

The Imperial Swords agreed on the basis only if the Neo-Terrans would pledge fealty and be part of the Imperium.   The Adeptus Mechanicus only agreed after the Neo-Terrans agree to give them access to their technology.  Threaten with extinction of their civilization, the Neo Terrans readily agreed.   

The Adeptus Mechanicus later discovered that the Neo-Terrans possess ancient STC dating as far back to the Dark Age of Technology.

Evacuation was well under-way.   But the Tyranid hive fleet had already advanced faster than the Imperium expected.   Hive ships were found blockading the higher orbit of the planet.

The Imperial Swords fleet engaged the Tyranid hive ships long enough for the civilians and the Adeptus Mechanicus to evacuate.  However, Imperium forces were severely overwhelmed and the Imperial Sword took heavy casualties during the course of the battle.   Up to forty percent of their forces were wiped out in Space Engagement. 

The Imperium ships finally made orbit and prepared to enter warp jump.   However the Tyranid hive ships continue to harass the Imperium forces relentlessly.   It was then decided that the STC recovered on the planet was too important to be lost.  The surviving Imperial Sword fleet sacrificed themselves to protect the Adeptus Mechanicus vessel. 

The Imperium Forces managed to escape but was dropped out onto an unknown part of space, by then are left with only ten percent of their overall strength.  Many of their vessels sustained heavy damage and their life support was failing.    

The survivors were eventually discovered by Tau Exploration Fleet with complements of military vessels.   The Tau offered to “rescue” the Imperium Forces should they submit to the Greater Good.  The Imperial Swords refused and would rather face slow death.   In a strange twist of event, the Tau space vessels towed the damaged Imperium vessels towards Imperial Space and left them there.    It is of no doubt a manipulative plan by the Tau to turn loyal followers of the Imperium over to the “Greater Good”. 

This was later to become the secret shame of the Imperial Swords.  The Imperium Forces was found some weeks later by Rogue Trader exploration fleet and were eventually rescued.   By then the Imperial Swords numbers had reduced to only a mere thirty Space Marines due to the failing life support systems.  Several space marines had sacrificed their lives for the Neo-Terrans to honor their agreement.  

The Adeptus Mechanicus returned to the Forgeworld with their newly recovered STC, grateful for the Imperial Swords & the Rogue Trader’s assistance.  The Neo-Terrans and the Imperial Swords were eventually absorbed into Rogue Trader exploration fleet as part of their assets and forces.

The Exploration fleet eventually discovered an inhabitable world dubbed by the explorers as Neo-Terra Secundus.  There the settlers found hostile indigenous lifeforms on the planet and the Imperial Swords assisted the settlers in establishing a foothold on the planet.

Out of these thirty space marines, ten remained on Neo-Terra Secundus to watch over the populace.   The Neo-Terrans in the gratitude of their rescue, pledge themselves to the service of the Space Marine Chapter.   The strongest of their male child to be given to the Imperial Swords to be trained as Space Marines.

Another ten stayed with the Exploration fleet and served as honor guard for the Rogue Trader expeditionary leader, grateful for the Exploration fleet’s rescue.   The remaining ten Space Marines wandered the galaxy, seeking means to restore their Chapter to their former strength.

Neo-Terra Secundus

Type: Civilized World
Orbital Period: 1.68 Earth Year
Day Length: 28 Earth Hours
Average Surface Temp: 25 °C
Surface Gravity: 1.1 g
Mass: 4.895 Earth Masses
Satellites: Luna Delta & Luna Epsilon


Capital: Neo Singapore
Population: 64,700,000 (Estimated)


GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE

A super earth with similar composition to that of Holy Terra in bygone ages, Neo-Terra Secundus is a planet with moderately rich resources.   It is five times the size of the Holy Terra and situated within habitable zone of its star.  This meant that the planet had very varied zones on the planet itself.

The equator itself is scorching hot.   Deep canyons where water once flowed formed valleys.  Deserts stretch for thousands of miles wide and forming an equatorial desert band around the planet itself.  The night here is exceedingly cold and harsh.  It is here where some of the toughest and hardiest creatures eke out their living.  The most dangerous of these are sand worm, these massive armored arthropods lie deep beneath the sand and ambushes its prey by bursting out from the ground.  It will devour anything that it comes across, even industrial vehicles and tanks have been lost to this behemoth. 

On the edge of the equatorial desert band are hot and humid tropical jungles.  Filled with vicious and hostile indigenous life forms.  Ranging from parasitic nematodes that can burrow through cloth and skin, insects that carry various deadly pathogens, carnivores plants and deadly predators.
Yet this did not deter human colonist from trying to tame the jungle.  With the aid of the Imperial Swords Space Marines, the colonist managed to set up a few settlements here.   But for most part, the jungles are the training grounds for the local military force as well as the Space Marines.

Going further away from the equator and beyond the jungles.  The climate becomes much more bearable and milder.   Filled with rich alluvial plains and temperate rain forests.   It is here the majority of colonist settlements are found.  The rich plains soon put to use as agricultural center for the planet.   Excess produce are shipped off the planet to supply other Imperial worlds.  This land is also home to the mega fauna of the planet, most which are placid herbivores now domesticated by the colonist.  The carnivores predators have mostly been driven to extinction by the colonist.

 Further north lies cold temperate forests and mountains.  The land here are rich in minerals needed for construction of Structures, starships and tanks used by the Imperium.  Mining settlements are established to exploit such natural resources.  Deep within the forest are large and deadly predators that could easily kill a men.   Making this another training ground for the soldiers as well as neophyte space marines.

Venturing even further are polar regions which experiences very little to no sunlight.  This meant that the region is kept in almost in perpetual darkness and temperatures are exceedingly cold.  Strong winds sometimes carry warmer air from the south into the north.  Such interactions often result in extremely violent storms.

Yet despite this, hardy life forms prevail - some of which are dangerous predators extremely hostile to non native species.
The seas and oceans of are quite varied.   The changes in temperature are mild in some and very extreme in others.  Resulting in some very stormy seas and volatile weather.  Whereas some other parts are frigidly tranquil.   These large bodies of water harbour a huge diverse range of marine life form.  Of which several species are edible and very palatable.   However it is not without danger, large amphibious creatures prowl the coastal regions while the marine animals of gigantic proportions lurk beneath the seas.

Very few settlements exist within the polar region and most of these are located closer to mountainous regions bordering the temperate forests where temperature a barely tolerable.  


CULTURE

The cultures and traditions of the human settlers on Neo-Terra Secundus are quite varied.  The humans from the original Neo-Terra itself consist of many cultures and ethnicity preserved from earlier days of Holy Terra in much more ancient times before the Dark Age of Technology.


Each of these cultures belong to a distinct house.  From the Pan-Asian Coalition, to Yndonesia Bloc, Oceanic Alliance, United Federation, Pan European Front, United Arab Leagues and lastly the Del Santos Combine.  The nobles from these houses periodically compete with each other for trading rights or property rights.  Although such freedom comes with a price, these merchants are expected to pay a portion of their earning as taxes to Imperial government.  It is also considered a great honor should any of the male heirs of these houses be selected to become a Space Marine.

The 2nd and subsequent waves of settlers also brought the culture of their original homeworld.   Some were feral tribes taken from feral death worlds.  Placed into some of the most inhospitable environments found on the planet.

The others were from other already colonized but overpopulated worlds. 



GOVERNMENT

The planet governed by both the planetary governor and Chapter Master of the Imperial Swords Space Marine Chapter.

Members of the Adeptus Arbites serves to reinforce the laws of the Imperium while the Adeptus Sororitas see to the needs of the faithful.   Crime is relatively low and intervention from the either the Arbites or Sororitas is called in toe settle dispute between the houses.

While the Astra Militarum serves as the Planet's primary defense force, consisting mostly of locals.

Imperial Swords: Chanced Discovery

Imperial Swords patrol consisting of Strike Cruiser "Murasame" and several frigates picked up a distress beacon deep in space.   Fearing that history would repeat itself, the Imperial Swords took extra precaution to avoid the tragedy that struck their chapter half a century ago.

Brother Sergeant Zheng Ho, agreed to volunteer his frigate for the scouting mission.   Approaching the coordinates, they discovered that it was a derelict space hulk orbiting close to a brown dwarf in a desolate star system devoid of any planets.  Adjusting the frigate to compensate for the gravity of the brown dwarf, a few brave space marines including Brother Sergeant Zheng Ho prepared to board the space hulk.  

Performing a initial scan of the vessel, they found that the vessel had sustained significant damage, with the structural integrity of the space vessel compromised with several areas of the ship unaccessible.  It would require an arduous and time consuming process of using mag boots to traverse on the exterior of the ship to access the areas that are closed off.  They also discovered some parts of the ship that is still emitting power signatures, some which are beyond their reach.

The Sergeant then led this team onto the space hulk.  Upon entry, they discovered that there has been a battle within the vessel itself.  The corridors were strewn with debris and wreckage floating in the weightless environment.   The walls were also riddled with many holes that could only have been caused by boltgun shells.  Scorched sections of the wall with metal fused together indicated that plasma and melta weaponry was also utilized.  

Assessing the risks and the time that they had.  The Sergeant decided to led his team towards the closest and most accessible area still emanating the power signature.   After plowing through the wreckage, they came across the bridge.  Within it was the corpse of several Space Marines encased within Black Power Armor along with their the human support staff floating in the weightless environment.   Most of them still clutching to their weapons.  Yet no sign of the attackers or remains of the attackers were found. 

It turns out the power signature detected was actually the distress beacon.   The remaining power signatures lay beyond the reach of the team.  Realizing that they will need more time and additional support to conduct a thorough investigation.   Brother Sergeant Zheng Ho led his team back to the frigate to report to his superiors.

Not long later, the frigate was joined by the rest of the patrol along with the Strike Cruiser "Murasame".  Together they begin the process of towing the derelict space hulk away from the brown dwarf's gravity field to another location which the Imperial Swords can conduct their investigation safely.  

Now with additional support, the Imperial Swords renew their investigation on the derelict space hulk.  The 1st team was sent back to the bridge to try and extract any data from the ship's logs as well as act as command point.  The 2nd team explored the areas within the space hulk to gather as much information as they could.  The 3rd team used their mag boots to traverse to areas emanating power signatures that are inaccessible from within the space hulk itself. 

Not too long after the 2nd and 3rd team begin their exploration into the space hulk, they begin to encounter strange creatures that they have no seen before.  The creature is a massive bulbous head with multiple tentacles, upon sensing the Space Marines it unleashed devastating psychic attack on them.   Soon the radio was filled with combat chatter, sounds of boltguns rattling off and impact explosions caused by the bolter shells.  More and more of these creatures appeared out of nowhere and begin to assail the Space Marines. 

After several hours of battling the unknown xenos, the Imperial Swords took severe casualties.   Most were scouts that have completed their training and received their power armor for the first time.
Eager to prove their worth despite their relative inexperience, the Space Marines fought on bravely.

Eventually reinforcements from nearby frigates was dispatched to support the 3rd team while the 1st team moved to aid the 2nd team. Accompanying the reinforcements were Chief Librarian Davros Gremmell, who used his psychic abilities to bolster the psychic defense of his brother marines.

The tide eventually turned and the strange xenos was eradicated.   The Imperial Swords are finally able to continue their investigation.

After several days of investigation the Imperial Swords discovered that the space hulk was battle
 barge "Blades of Redemption" belonging to their predecessor chapter the Sword Angels.    According to Imperial records, the Sword Angels Space Marine chapter existed some 1000 years ago and was stationed near the Eye of Terror.
The Chapter sustained significant casualties throughout the years and was already considered under typical chapter strength.  The "Blades of Redemption" was actually en-route from Mars to Sword Angels fortress monastery "The Cathedral of Swords" carrying gene seeds to rebuild the chapter before disappearing completely.   And the alien xenos that the Imperial Swords encountered are the deadly aliens known as the Enslavers.


Piecing together bits and pieces of information found in the space hulk and the ship's log.  The investigators surmise that the "Blades of Redemption" was attacked by unknown assailants while traveling back to the Fortress Monastery.  The crew aboard the "Blades of Redemption" entered warp jump prematurely before the Gellar field could be activated.  Which allowed the Enslavers assume psychic control of the crew aboard the vessel.

What happened next became evident.   The Enslavers and their possessed slaves fought against those who were not possessed.  Causing even more damage to the space vessel and subsequently causing it to be lost in the warp.  Eventually the "Blades of Redemption" was thrown out of the warp into an unknown and unpopulated region of space.  And has been drifting in the void of space ever since then.

However this was not to be all...  The 3rd team had managed to venture into an area of the space hulk still emanating power signature.   There they discovered, ten Space Marines that are placed in stasis as well as the stock of gene seed that was intended for the Sword Angels still meticulously preserved.

Amongst the ten space marines remaining, one of them is the techmarine Codon Corix responsible for keeping the machines working.  The other was Salrun Elm, the apocthecary responsible for ensuring gene seeds are properly preserved and recovering the gene seeds from those battle brothers who died in the battle aboard the "Blades of Redemption".

Considering that the Sword Angels was already declared lost or destroyed some 500 years ago.  The Imperial Swords absorbed the remnants of their predecessor chapter into their ranks.  The newly acquired gene seed will mean more recruits for the Chapter.

While the surviving Space Marines tasked with the investigation has also grown stronger through combat experience.

Imperial Swords: A New Beginning

Some fifty years have passed since the Imperial forces first began to colonized the planet they dubbed as Neo-Terra Secundus.   With Rogue Trader House Castellan ever expanding the borders of Imperial Space, setting new trade routes, trading partners and discovering ancient worlds.

There has been a steady influx of new waves of Imperial colonists, merchants and expeditionary forces using Neo-Terra Secundus as a stopover or staging point.   As a result, the colony has expanded greatly over the years.  With new settlements being established by the colonist after subduing the indigenous hostile life forms. 

Various infrastructure was also set-up to help support the expansion of Imperial forces from this system into neighboring star systems.  Such growth also meant that there is now a much bigger population. 

The Imperial Swords has served Rogue Trader House Castellan faithfully in the past five decades.  Serving as vanguard to the exploration force as well as personnel bodyguard to the head of House Castellan.   The current head Valorem Castellan has saw fit to reward Imperial Sword's faithful service with the joint governorship of Neo-Terra Secundus. 
It seems fitting as the first wave of colonist was largely made up of Neo-Terrans who were extremely grateful to the Imperial Swords for rescuing them from Tyranid splinter fleet many decades ago.

As such a large majority of the population were descendants of the Neo-Terrans who welcomed the Imperial Swords as their Joint Governor and Protector.  To have their first sons chosen to be trained as a space marine earns each family great honor and respect amongst the population.

The recruitment base established many decades ago now serves to screen potential candidates.  Candidates that are found physically fit and meeting the criteria are sent for training in another Imperial Swords training camp for some years.

There the candidates will be assessed and those who are found suitable are moved to another Imperial Swords facility where they will finally undergo organ implantation to transform them into Space Marines. 

The candidates that fail the trial and are found not suitable to become Space Marines are given a 2nd chance to join as trainees of the local PDF.   Those display exemplary performance usually inducted into the Tempetus Militarum. 

Despite the large numbers of potential candidates.  Not many passed the trials, Imperial Military Observers note that the Imperial Swords requirements are extremely demanding and stringent.  Even more so than other Space Marine Chapters.   A rather peculiar practice given that the Imperial Swords are functioning well below combat strength.

As a result the Imperial Swords remain cautious and would not readily involve themselves in a protracted battle without support from allied contingents such as Astra Militarum and Adeptus Sororitas or other Chapters of Adeptus Astartes.  So far they are content with small scale engagements and ship boarding actions.