Gershwin Company

The Gershwin Company is a post-heresy Chapter founded by Pierrepont Gershwin. Composed of three divisions, they are dedicated to unity among races, defense of the innocent, and peace through diplomacy. Their greatest belief is in the "Brotherhood of Life", meaning that all thinking creatures are linked, and that the best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend. They are also known for their unusual tactics on the battlefield, performing elaborate synchronized dances and singing in harmony to intimidate or confuse the enemy.

Founding
The Gershwin Company was founded by Peirrepont Gershwin.

Legend says that Gershwin was to be executed by a large squadron of Space Marines of an unknown chapter for heresy. According to this legend, he sang a rousing song to the Marines that the pride they had in who they were was shared by all thinking creatures, and this was only one of the many things they had in common with them. The Marines, inspired by his music, dropped their weapons and broke out into song and dance. Even the Captain-General who ordered him executed sang in joy. Gershwin was forgiven and the Marines declared themselves independent from their Primarch, naming their new Chapter the Gershwin Company in his honor, and giving Gershwin the title of Director of the Company. When this happened, Gershwin had a dream in which he was told he was the reincarnation of the Eleventh Primarch, forgotten before the Horus Heresy. With this knowledge, he named himself the Primarch of the Company.

Divisions and Ranking
When Gershwin became the new leader of the Chapter, he completely restructured the Marines, turning them into a self sufficient military. The Company is split into three divisions, each with its own duties, moral code, and choreography.

Jet Division
The Jet Division, or "Jets" are the foot soldiers of the Company, fighting off invaders through hand to hand combat and close range weaponry. Jets dance in a fluid and "bouncy" style, ready to fight at a minute's notice. They believe in loyalty to their fellow foot soldiers, saying that "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way." They also characterize invaders as frightened of the Company, and that the Jets have the honor of fighting them off. The ranks of Jets, from lowest to highest, are Private, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Major. Higher ranks are made General and sent to the Executive Division.

Barricade Division
The Barricade Division is the defense force of the Company, and was formed by the Space Marines who followed Gershwin. Their movement is less fluid than the Jets, being more marching than dancing. They, like the Jets, believe in loyalty to each other, but all loyalty is for the honor and glory of the Company. They are trained in guerilla tactics to confuse the enemy, as well as singing techniques that, when combined with guerilla tactics, give the appearance of them surrounding the enemy, even when outnumbered 10 to 1. They are also known for their rampant drinking. The ranks of the Barricade Division are Ensign, Corporal, Brigadier, and Captain. Higher ranks are made General and sent to the Executive division.

Executive Division
The Executive Division is made up of 10 Generals, the Primarch and/or Director, and various assistants. The Generals manage the Jet and Barricade divisions from afar. They are known for going weeks on end without sleep in order to protect their divisions, a feat accomplished by the use of liquid stimulants, which the various members of the division ingest almost every hour. The executives have been known to break out into a high-energy dance number in order to keep themselves awake in the event of a shortage of these stimulants.