Iron Wardens

Founded late in M35, the Iron Wardens were founded partly as a possible counter to the marines that were now rouge due to the Moirae Schism. While these outcasts would go on to prove themselves loyal as the Sons of Medusa, the Iron Wardens themselves would go to prove themselves as tactically brutal Space Marines.

Like their forebears the Wardens have close a relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus. This not only allows the chapter to use and maintain advanced weapons and vehicles but often the chapter will march alongside the Skitarii and other forces of Mars. This however leads the chapter to accept numerous missions from the Mechanicus often without questioning the orders given. This has lead to clashes with other parties - both chaos and xenos alike.

The chapter doesn't follow the Codex Astartes as far as chapter organisation goes. They are ruled by a chapter council rather than a chapter master. Veterans are spread across all companies and the duties of scouts are carried out by experienced battle brothers. Four battle companies with 200 battle brothers each, which are reinforced by reserve companies of 80 men. This gives the chapter the ability to hit harder than Codex-compliant chapters. But at the same time it means the chapter must choose which calls for assistance it responds to.

The chapter dreadnoughts are formed into the 9th company. Lead by the most senior of their number, the founder of the Iron Wardens Kentaro. The 9th rarely deploy as one they are usually assigned to strike forces lead by a venerable dreadnought.

Chapter History
The Moirae Schism was the largest internal conflict to plague the Adeptus Mechanicus, the fighting spreading across the galaxy long after the rebellious world's destruction. The Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes with close ties to the Machine Cult where the most heavily affected of those outside the organisation. Many different solutions where undertaken by each of the chapters affected, while some such as the Red Talons destroyed the rebels immediately, their founding chapter took a unique approach. The Iron Hands council voted in favour of exile. However, this vote wasn't unanimous. Iron Captain Kentaro of Clan Company Sorrgol had argued against such action, stating that allowing these marines to leave with no censer or mission would simply leave them to cause them to raid and loot in order to survive at best, and at worst, could cause the heretical doctrine to spread further, causing a grater schism within the Mechanicus.

After the Moirae Iron Hands had been removed from Medusa the Voice of Mars approached Captain Kentaro with an offer. The higher ups of the Adeptus Mechanicus and a significant number of High Lords of Terra and Inquisitors had taken an interest in how the Iron Hands had dealt with the situation. Similar concerns had arisen in the various organisations over the release of Marines that embraced an edict that had been declared heretical by the proper authorities, as such there had been a vote to create a new chapter in the next founding of Space Marines of Iron Hand decent. They would serve as a counter force if the Moirae Marines turned against the Imperium, as well as being a loyal force that would act on the behalf of Mars and Terra, undertaking difficult missions that other chapters would be hesitant in accepting.

Kentaro accepted this honour, taking his most trusted veterans with him to Mars where the full chapter would be assembled. Once they arrived Kentaro was introduced to the rest of the Marines that would assist in filling out the ranks, Veterans and Specialists from the Red Talons who had completely eradicated the entirety of their Moiraen element. These similar ideals in both faith and tactical doctrine went a long way to speeding up the training process. Starting as a Codex-compliment Chapter they raised the 2nd and 3rd companies before being assigned to a crusade into the Calixis Sector intent on bringing the sector into the Imperium. Leaving some of the Veterans to continue training and to receive the war machines and ships of the Chapter, Kentaro took the two companies aboard the newly constructed battle barge Gorgon's Wrath and made for the rally point.

However the crusade was short-lived, as the Ecclesiarchy had voted against the formation of a chapter, not wanting an additional chapter to be so closely linked to the Adeptus Mechanicus, while they failed to tip the vote in their favour they began throwing their political weight around to deny this Crusade with as much support as possible. With the Mechanicus only able to provide logistical support due to local forces being reassigned elsewhere, the Wardens where the only ground force still assigned. The Ecclesiarchy knew that the chapter would not receive reinforcement and thought the Chapter would be ether forced to suffer a shameful retreat to Terra or lose much of its fledgling strength to a crusade it could not hope to complete. Kentaro choose a third option. Meeting with the tech-adepts that where assigned to oversee the rebuilding process he asked them which system was Mars most interested in that would not require a corridor to be held back to the Imperium. The priests pointed to the Deminsor System, highlighting the third planet of the six displayed on the map. Records indicated that this system was already industrially advanced to the point where little preparation would be needed for it to produce the material the Imperium would require. Kentaro then made the decree that the Iron Wardens would establish this foothold and await sufficient forces to be gathered for the crusade to begin properly.

The Liberation of Deminsor (as the conflict was later referred to) was a hard-fought battle, the Wardens suffered heavily due to the lack of support, lack of scout's and heavy vehicles. The greatest loss of the campaign came about when the Captain of the 3rd Company and his command squad were killed by enemy artillery emplacements. Reorganising the 2nd and 3rd into a single company, and appointing a Lieutenant to help handle the now 160 man company, Kentaro ordered two of his more experienced squads to remove their power armour in favour of the carapace of the scouts. These veterans where unleashed in a month-long sabotage campaign, undermining the capital's defences along with removing the more competent commanders among the enemy's ranks. After he judged the defences of the capital had been undermined enough, the full force of his company was unleashed. The defence's guns that had survived the initial sabotage campaign now found themselves with no ammo or unable to properly target the rapidly approaching marines. The Wardens advanced street-by-street, cutting down any who opposed them with surgical precision. In the end no defence could be mounted and the planetary governor and his inner council had been executed.

Following this victory the few hive still resisting surrendered to imperial authority, the populations of the cites who had defied the Wardens where moved off world to penal colonies. The bulk of the Warden fleet arriving just as this task was complete. Kentaro addressed both the now battle hardened warriors of his own force and the new Wardens:

"We are alone, that is a fact of life out here on the fringe of the galaxy. We are alone and isolated form the Imperium out here, as such we cannot afford to show weakness, we cannot follow guidelines set down by someone in the heart of the Imperium some thousand years ago. We must form our own way of war, one that does not leave a Company bereft of the assets needed for victory. From now on the Iron Wardens will forge our own path, not one dictated to us by those outside" 

After this Kentaro created a new way of organisation for the Wardens along with a code that would set the standard for all Wardens to aspire to. These included the way in which members of the Iron Wardens were expected to serve. The Marines recruited from that point on would drop their family name upon joining the Wardens in order for chapter to have as few ties outside the chapter as possible. The Iron Council was formed to govern the chapter. A seat would be given to each company captain numbering 1-8 along with each of the established the specialist branches, these included the stations of the Master Of the Forge, the Head Apothecarion, the Master of Faith (Head Chaplin), the Chief Librarian. Future Dreadnoghts would also retain the right to speak on the council to offer their weight to debates. Kentaro kept to idea of the Iron Hands, that no singular being would rule the 10th Legion other then Ferrus Manus, each company captain would holds equal weight when voting on a matter. The 1st captain of the chapter would act as the head of the Iron Council as an arbiter as well as the face of the chapter, the first one any who wished to have an audience with the chapter, The only acceptation to this would be the priests of Mars, like the Iron Hands the Wardens would have a tech priest that would hold the position of Voice of Mars, they would bring intelligence and mission requests from the Mechanicus to the Wardens, the position would hold no sway over the internal issues on the chapter.

For the next few centuries Kentaro would lead the Wardens in multiple campaigns establishing the power base that would sustain the Iron Wardens efforts throughout the Imperium far into the future. On the planet designated Grarvis 9ICH by the mechanicus adepts that wanted the planets research bases destroyed on the grounds of heresy, Entering Orbit with his 1st Company at the head of the strike force made up of a vast majority of the Chapters strength. After scattering the enemy fleet the Iron Wardens made planet fall, the ragtag nature of the enemy flotilla gave the Wardens the confidence to press a ground assault immediately. Descending on 9ICH the Wardens found a well prepared and entrenched enemy waiting for them. Without scanning the planet-side fortifications Kentaro lead the spearhead of the 1st company into the fray.

Upon discovering the enemy ground forces (Dark Mechanicum with an Iron Warrior warband acting as support) Iron Warden battle companies charged into the trenches where both warriors of the 4th legion and the combat servitors. While the 10th and 4th legions where able to match each other in both durability and firepower the shear numbers of the servitors begun to turn the battle in the Heriteks favor. The First captain and his personal squad fought till the last as the mountain of the slain surrounded them. With Kentato brought to the brink, limbs removed, the lead tech-priest finally showed his face, a mistake that cost the chaos worshipper his life as the Wardens trained all heavy weapons on him, which in turn stunned the entirety of the enemies mind-slaved force as the network attempted to compensate. Using the time bought the Wardens withdrew from the planet to orbit, Kentaro with them as the fleet turned the planet to ash destroying the bases that as it turned out weren't protected from orbital bombardment.

Awakening on in a Dreadnought sarcophagus Kentaro learned just what his plan had cost the chapter, his own company had essentially feed themselves to regain his broken body and the 2nd, 6th and 7th stood below 50% operational straight due to the enemy simply swamping the marines with wave after wave of infantry. This is only made worse by the knowledge that had the Iron Wardens scanned the planet they simply could have wiped the enemy out form orbit. Unwilling to allow the Wardens to fight with such disadvantage again Kentaro petitioned the local Ad-mech to allow a skitarii unit to be riased to fight alongside the Iron Wardens, the chapter would provided the training for such a force while the martian priesthood would retain the ability to reassign or dissolve the unit. This unit would latter be known as the Iron Valkyries and would surve with the Wardens for millennium to come.

The next issue for the chapter was what exactly to do with the founder himself, few of the chapters founders still lived and none with the experience of Kentaro, to simply assign him to his old company would be a disservice to him and could also undermine the authority of the new 1st captain, as such a new company was crated, the 9th company of the Iron Wardens would function similarly to the 1st of other chapters except instead of Veteran Marines it would be made up of the chapters Dreadnoughts, the times when such a formation would fight as one would be few and far between, but such a mighty force would shape many conflicts to come.

Homeworld
When arriving in the the Calixis Sector lacking the forces to take the swaths of territory expected. At the behest of the Mechanicus the Wardens moved to the Deminsor System. There was only one habitable world in the system. Upon approaching the third world of the system they where hailed by the rulers of the world, who despite not being of the Imperium were not stunned by the presence of the Adeptus Astartes, however what started out as offers or refuelling and rearmament soon turned south as the Wardens asked them to swear loyalty to Mars and Terra. Communications where abruptly cut and the meagre defence fleet turned on the Imperials. No match for the Navel detachment assigned to the crusade the fleet was quickly routed. Upon arriving in orbit and using the advance scanners to identify what defences awaited them. Almost instantly a massive anti-air network was activated on the surface around the void shielded capital hive, the flak would be too thick to assault the capital Hive directly

Combat Doctrine
The combat doctrine of the Iron Wardens is true to the ways of the Xth Legion, they share the technological strength of their prenatal chapter, they are professionals waging war without a shred of mercy or passion. They are soldiers not warriors, unlike the sons of Russ, Sanguinius or Roboute Guilliman, there are no battle cries or chants over the vox while marines charge into melee. While hand to hand combat is still drilled into the marines throughout their service, the chapter puts very little value on honour duels. Commanders of the Iron Wardens will often use the idea of honour against the enemy, luring enemy war leaders into the open, only to be nailed by the artillery and air strikes.

Unlike other more proud chapters the Wardens don't reject stealth and make great use of their reconnaissance marines to prepare for operations well in advance, mounting sabotage campaigns to undermine defences and any efforts to escape the oncoming columns of tanks and dreadnoughts. Information is viewed as the key to victory and the Iron Wardens will use multiple hit and run attacks to judge enemy reaction times before moving in for a singular killing blow.

Deathwatch Service
All the Iron Wardens are trained in the ways of the priests of mars to a lager degree then most chapters either on mars or on Deminsor by the Techmarines of the chapter. Due to this the Iron Wardens will offer their kill-team a great amount of knowledge on both imperial and xeno technological works. The relentless dedication with which a Warden will pursue their objectives makes them ideal for the harder tasks the more humanitarian chapters would struggle to carry out. The Deathwatch tithe is an important component to the Iron Wardens existence, as this dedication to the Inquisition means the the shadowy organisation ignores the chapters higher number of marines.

Chapter Fleet
Number of escorts = 36
 * Gorgon's Wrath (Battle Barge) - 1st Company Flagship
 * Martian Thunder (Battle Barge) - 4th Company Flagship
 * Lighting of the Abyss (Strike Cruiser) - 2nd Company Flagship
 * Brass Wolf (Strike Cruiser) - 2nd Company
 * Falcon of Deminsor (Strike Cruiser) - 3rd Company Flagship
 * Iron Griffin (Strike Cruiser) - 3rd Company Flagship
 * Wraith Of Medusa (Strike Cruiser) - 5thCompany Flagship
 * Steel Drake (Strike Cruiser) - 6th Company Flagship
 * Reaper of Calixis (Strike Cruiser) - 7th Company Flagship
 * Mace of the Gorgon (Strike Cruiser) - 8th Company Flagship
 * Storm Predator (Strike Cruiser) - 13th Company Flagship
 * Lighting Manticore (Strike Cruiser) - 13th Company

The Chapter fleet is split among the Chapters companies as permanent assets. The Battle barges are placed under the 1st and 4th companies and when the whole fleet is assembled the current Master of the Fleet will take the lead.

By the Iron Wardens
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About the Iron Wardens
"Have you heard of their 9th company? All dreadnoughts. Seriously, even our elites of the chapter would pause at that advance." - Kev Pulvis, Apothecary of the Ashen Knights speaking about the Iron Wardens "Hmm. It seems someone taught our step-brothers how to fight." - Lord Gaius, Warlord of the Knights of Laeran, after taking significant losses against the Iron Wardens.

"I always wondered what it must be like, to give up ones own name. To completely abandon mortality. It must be an interesting perspective on life, but it seems unsettling. As though they have given up their own souls. I cannot deny their effectiveness in combat, or their devotion to the cause of the Imperium"-Reclusiarch Corrosium, Will Breakers