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Space Marine Chapter Articles

The Blades of Onyx are a band of mercenary Astartes that have exiled themselves from the Imperium and sell their services to Rogue Traders and Xenos races.

History
During the Great Crusade a joint force of Astartes was gathered for an operation beyond the edges of Imperial space, deep into the Ghoul Stars. Drawn from a number of Legions, these warriors under the command of Praetor Xenaphi were intended to liberate several key worlds believed to reside there and bring their human occupants into the fold. They set off with a strong detachment of Imperial Army ships and troops to support them. Almost immediately the expedition was beset by problems, as they exited the Warp close to their destination they discovered the journey had taken years rather than the expected weeks. Attempts were made to contact the Imperium with no reply. Despite this ominous turn of events it was decided to press on with the mission and the fleet set course for the first system. Here they encountered the forces of the Cythor Fiends, a xenos coalition who controlled the contested star systems. Despite heavy resistance the Imperial forces pressed forwards and steadily crushed the defenders in a brutal and swift campaign that saw the xenos exterminated. With their task completed and casualties light, the task force prepared to return home, leaving behind garrisoned worlds eagerly awaiting Imperial colonists that would never arrive. The return Warp journey was even more chaotic as the first, during transit the light of the Astronomicon was lost and the ships blindly exited into realspace, scattered across a dozen star systems. As the Praetor gathered his errant vessels disturbing reports arrived both from these scattered ships and through garbled messages from the wider Imperium. As these messages were pieced together the disturbing truth was uncovered, betrayal by those trusted the most. The news was broken to horrified warriors who immediately began looking at each other with distrust, for almost half of the task force hailed from the Legions that had reportedly turned traitor. Fights broke out across the fleet, with several ships opening fire upon each other as the task force tried to grapple with the enormity of this new reality. Praetor Xenaphi and his senior officers desperately tried to calm the situation but to no avail. Even the leadership was split thanks to the mix of origins. A resolution was only achieved when a signal was received from a group calling themselves Blackshields who claimed to be survivors of the Dropsite Massacre and contained members of all Legions. This somewhat calmed the fury, for it showed that loyalists still remained amongst the Traitor Legions and the same could ring true for those in the task force. Praetor Xenaphi seized the opportunity and managed to talk his Astartes back from the brink, setting up an uneasy ceasefire between the groups.

The Blackshields, part of a larger host of displaced Astartes which identified as the Silver Ashes, was conducting a guerilla campaign against the heretics. Praetor Xenaphi decided to align with these Blackshields and take the fight to the enemy, providing a strong fleet and strength to a force that before now had relied upon a cobbled together band of damaged warships and armed merchant vessels. They conducted a brutal campaign of strike raids, hitting supply bases, strongholds and enemy convoys.

News eventually reached the fleet about the siege of Terra and the task force readied to travel to the Sol system in support. Alas these messages were out of date and swiftly behind were messages detailing the aftermath. The news spread swiftly amongst the fleet and in the midst of renewed chaos a strike team of Blackshields from the Silver Ashes attempted to topple Praetor Xenaphi and seize control of the fleet. In the resulting confusion almost the entirety of the Silver Ashes were destroyed before the fighting could be stopped. To late it was discovered that the coup had been conducted by Alpha Legion operatives for unknown purposes.

The Praetor called an assembly of representatives to decide what to do next. The loyalists had triumphed, at unimaginable cost, and the task force had a difficult decision to make. If they returned home at the very least half of the fleet would be branded traitors and destroyed. It was possible the entirety would be declared traitors for continuing to fight alongside their comrades or simply destroyed on sight out of fear that they were a trap. The Astartes had no idea who they could trust anymore and with great reluctance it was agreed that they would go into self imposed exile, leaving Imperial space. The task force would divide into 12 smaller forces to make their escape easier and would scour any traitor forces they encountered on route to the galactic fringe.

When these groups reunited outside Imperial space it was a bittersweet reunion. Several had been completely lost, including that of the Praetor and the flagship. Others had suffered heavy losses and had to abandon a number of valuable warships. Some had survived untouched by combat but nevertheless lost hugely through desertion as the resolve of units wavered and they decided to take the risk and attempt to rejoin the Imperium. In total about 3000 Astartes arrived at the checkpoint. The highest ranking survivor, a Captain of the Ultramarines, decided that the decision of leadership would be settled through an election and that this would be the norm in future. To his surprise the Astartes elected him to be the new Praetor regardless, for he was highly respected amongst the survivors. It was decided that the task force would be disbanded and remade as the Blades of Onyx, a mercenary band that would undertake contracts in exchange for resources so that they could survive. Between these contracts they would continue their campaign against Chaos, waging war against the heretics at any opportunity. The old Legionary ties were severed and the various sub units were intermixed to remove any remaining differences between the marines. A large number of the Astartes adopted the Blackshield name and altered their armour accordingly. Others clinged to their old Legions more strongly but nevertheless acquiesced to the mingling of units.

Post Heresy
In the Millennia since the Horus Heresy, the Blades of Onyx have steadily dwindled, attrition taking its toll on the resource-strapped mercenaries. They continue to avoid the Imperium, taking contracts from Rogue Traders, independent human worlds and even xenos when their goals align.

Homeworld
The Blades of Onyx are fleet based, having renounced their former allegiances they do not hold any worlds or draw recruits in the standard manner.

Fortress-Monastery
The Fortress-Monastery of the Blades of Onyx is a heavily converted Exorcist class Grand cruiser that serves as a Battle Barge and flagship of their fleet.

Organisation
The Blades of Onyx do not follow the tenets of the Codex Astartes, having been formed prior to the creation of the document and preferring to follow their own doctrines based on Legion era tactics and the experience they have built up in the millennia since. Due to attrition the Blades of Onyx can only muster enough Astartes to man five Companies. The nature of the various contracts they have signed means that the mercenary band rarely gathers its full strength and as such the various Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants enjoy substantial autonomy. Typical deployments are squad strength with Company or even Demi-Company deployments being rare.

Officer Ranks

 * Praetor
 * Captain
 * Lieutenant

Specialist Ranks

 * Reclusiarch

Line Ranks

 * Sergeant
 * Battle-Brother
 * Neophyte
 * Aspirant

Specialist Formations

 * The Silent Brotherhood - Secretive and well hidden from prying Inquisitorial eyes, The Silent Brotherhood are utilised as elite guards for critical locations and shock troopers when a particularly hard fight is expected. Composed of the surviving Thousand Sons in the task force who suffered from the Rubric of Ahriman and lead by the few Librarians available to the Blades, The Silent Brotherhood is a highly valued Order.


 * The Unforgiven - The Astartes that are descended from Traitor Legions are a closely guarded secret within the Blades of Onyx, with none permitted to wear any icon or heraldry which may indicate such a heritage. While there is no discrimination towards the group these marines voluntarily isolate themselves from the rest of the mercenary band and only accept missions that keep them far from Imperial space.
 * Obsidian Guard - An assortment of Auxilia formed from militia, failed Aspirants and other soldiers that serve alongside the Astartes. Reasonably well equipped, with some units the equal of Imperial Grenadiers or Tempestus Scions, they fulfil the usual ship defence, guard duty and cannon fodder roles that are beneath an Astartes.

Order of Battle
The task force originally dispatched to the Ghoul Stars comprised of ten thousand Astartes broken down as follows:
 * 4000 Ultramarines
 * 1500 Word Bearers
 * 1000 Space Wolves
 * 500 Luna Wolves
 * 300 Thousand Sons
 * 1000 Imperial Fists
 * 300 Raven Guard
 * 700 Emperor's Children
 * 700 Iron Warriors

The current breakdown of progenitors is unknown. Losses, both physical and of records, combined with unique mutations from the base Gene-Seeds has meant that any new Aspirant cannot be fully sure what Legion/Chapter they descend from.

Chapter Beliefs
Despite their exile from the Imperium the Astartes of the Blades of Onyx still cling to their loyalty to the Emperor and regard the contracts they undertake as still serving the Emperor in their own way.

Chapter Gene-Seed
Due to their heritage as a mixed task force the Blades of Onyx have no common Gene-Seed source. As disparate groups of lost or renegade Astartes have been absorbed into their ranks this variety has increased to encompass Marines of almost every Legion progenitor.

The Blades of Onyx carefully horde any Gene-Seed they can acquire, lacking a reliable source of new Gene-Seed to replenish any that is lost permanently.

Chapter Recruitment
The vast majority of recruits are inducted in the usual manner, children selected from worlds that the Blades of Onyx are serving on and inducted as Aspirants. More rarely they are approached by Astartes that have exiled themselves from their former Chapter and seek a new purpose or chance at redemption. Typically a contract undertaken will include a clause that payment will include a tithe of genetically suitable orphans or other children that can be utilised as Aspirants. These recruits are assigned to Chaplains and taken to a Death World. After a year of gruelling training and trials the survivors rejoin the fleet and if they are lucky there will be Gene-Seed available for them to be implanted with. Those that are unlucky will join the Obsidian Guard, which is the collective name for the Serfs, Guardsmen and other Auxilia which support the Astartes. If Gene-Seed becomes available before they grow too old they may yet become Neophytes but such events are rare.

Combat Doctrine
The lack of the usual logistical and tactical support afforded to typical Astartes forces has lead to the adoption of highly flexible doctrines. As most deployments are based around one or more Squads these units are often formed into kill teams equipped to suit the operational environment as much as possible. On the rare occasions that Demi-Company and larger formations are deployed then a mix of Tactical and Devastator are fielded.

Devastators
Only the most Veteran Astartes are entrusted with the ancient and scarce heavy weapons that the Blades of Onyx possess

Deathwatch Service
Occasionally a member of the Blades of Onyx will feel the yearning to rejoin the Imperium and gain redemption through service as a Deathwatch Blackshield. Such Astartes are freely released from their oaths and allowed to leave in peace, though their loss is felt keenly by every member of the mercenary band.

Chapter Fleet
While the strength of their fleet as dwindled due to attrition and lack of manpower the Blades of Onyx still have a sizeable fleet based around an Exorcist class Grand Cruiser which has been extensively modified to serve as a Battle Barge. Over the Millennia most of the larger vessels have been scrapped or sold, leaving only a handful of capital ships. Strike Cruisers and Frigates are the most highly prized vessels thanks to the typically small deployments undertaken.

Current Fleet Composition

 * Anabasis - Exorcist class Grand Cruiser. Losses, irreparable damage and reductions in manpower have robbed the Blades of Onyx of their precious Battleships by the 41st Millennium. The Anabasis is the current flagship, based upon an Exorcist class hull. After a brutal battle which saw her almost crippled the Anabasis was rebuilt using pieces of another scrapped Grand Cruiser. At the same time her armament was upgraded and interior modified to improve her command abilites and an armoured prow fitted. As a result she is a formidable fighter and almost a kilometre longer.


 * The Forlorn Lance - Styx class Heavy Cruiser
 * Dispirate Destruction - Styx class Heavy Cruiser
 * Nugatory Endeavour -
 * Unavailing Sorrow -
 * Banal Vanity -

Ordinatus
Acquired by the Blades of Onyx during a salvaging operation, this Ordinatus is a super-heavy flyer capable of transporting several squads of Astartes into the deadliest of combat zones and supporting them with deadly fusillades of lascannon, missile and autocannon fire. An extensive suite of countermeasures complements the impressive defensive abilities of the Ordinatus

Chapter Colours
The majority of the Blades of Onyx wear black power armour of various marks devoid of any heraldry, as befitting their status as Blackshields. Others have adopted their own colours and heraldry to honour a past campaign or hero. A few maintain the Heraldry of their former Legions/Chapters but these are increasingly rare.

Chapter Badge
Crossed swords that have been burnt

Allies

 * Rogue Traders - The majority of contracts undertaken by the Blades of Onyx are signed with Rogue Traders who are often happy to turn a blind eye to a roving band of Astartes in exchange for securing the services of a group of transhuman warriors for their missions. Some of these Houses have open contracts dating back centuries and the marines that work alongside them have almost forgotten their lives beyond the House.

Enemies

 * Inquisition - While the Inquisition is largely unaware of the Blades of Onyx as an entity, reports of Blackshields and other rogue Astartes are treated very seriously. As far as the Inquisition is concerned any Astartes not aligned with the Imperium is part of the forces of chaos and to be treated accordingly. The Blades of Onyx avoid any possible interaction with the Inquisition and any contract is carefully scrutinised to ensure all measures are taken to prevent drawing their gaze.

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