Pact of the Lighthouse

The Pact of the Lighthouse was an event that occurred early in the history of the Gilded Hammers Space Marine Chapter, which resulted in the formation of a strong alliance with the Navigators of House Rubjerg.

Background
Following a system wide war of extermination against a psychically active xenos species, the 1st, 4th and 5th Companies led by Chapter Master, Svin Kamar, along with elements of the Haillin Sea Guard would become completely stranded within the system. The xenos's final act of defiance would come in the form of a mass psychic flashbang that would result in the deaths of all of the fleet's Astropaths and Navigators as well as all Gilded Hammers Librarians in the fleet becoming incapacitated and some 140 battle brothers who were near the epicenter of the psychic explosion. The supply lines were no longer due to arrive as the last supply convoy had been given instructions that the war was over and that the fleet would be moving on soon. Worst case the fleet would be stranded forever while less pessimistic speculation put rescue at 45 years away and with several ships of the fleet badly damaged and quite a number of wounded either prediction would spell massive losses for the fleet. There was, however, a small hope.

Early into the war a Cruiser had been boarded and their Navigator, Margaret Rubjerg, heavily wounded and placed into stasis and this stasis had kept her from experiencing the fate of the others. After two days of effort from the Apothecaries Margaret Rubjerg was brought to a semi-stable condition, she could guide a single ship a relatively short distance and likely perish on reentry. After much discussion a plan put forth by Margaret herself was agreed upon. She would take the First Company's Battle Barge "Betrayed Father" to the world of Knude where her house, House Rubjerg, had set up their headquarters.

Seven days later the Betrayed Father would be pushed out of the warp by Margaret's final efforts just outside of the system in which Knude resides. The Battle Barge would be met by a mass of panicked vox pleas for help coming from Knude and House Rubjerg. A small naval group along with the Imperial Guard regiments they had been transporting had fallen to Chaos and where planning to sacrifice the Navigators of House Rubjerg to their dark gods or worse twist them to their own purposes.

The void battles above Knude were vicious as the Betrayed Father slowly crept along the edges of the system slaughtering the small ships left on watch and would draw the Battleship leading the Traitor Navy into its clutches. The First Company's Terminators lead by Chapter Master Kamar would teleport into the Battleship's command deck and slaughtering everyone within. Kamar would personally crush the traitor Admiral's skull under his boot thus tearing out the throat of the traitor navy and causing the remaining ships to scatter.

The Gilded Hammer's descent upon Knude was a swift execution of traitor leadership and relief of the Planetary Defense Force and House Runjerg's private army. Once the enemy was scattered and the danger passed for the moment House Rubjerg would receive the surprise of their lives. An Astartes honor guard would carry the body of Maragaret Rubjerg with all of the care and reverence usually reserved for Astartes. Kamar would kneel before the assembled Navigator house and deliver a speech that would be kept by both parties as an honor and a contract.

"Do not thank us Navigators we did nothing. It was your kin that gave her life to bring us here, it was your kin that was our salvation, it was your kin who saved all of us. We, the Gilded Hammers, and I, Chapter Master Svin Kamar, swear to always watch over you. Even if the Astronomican grows dark and your third eye blind we will be there to protect you."

- Chapter Master Svin Kamar

From that day onward all of the ships of the Gilded Hammers would have House Rubjerg Navigators who would always be given both a seat on any council whether of war or policy and an honor guard of five Gilded Hammers would always be stationed to guard and serve the leaders of House Rubjerg. Additionally the heraldry of House Rubjerg would bear the symbol of the Gilded Hammers in its design and a banner of House Rubjerg is placed alongside the company banners hanging in The Merchant's Harbor ' s Grand Hall.