Gray Hussars

This article, Gray Hussars, was written by Darth Killhoon. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission.

This article, Gray Hussars, is currently under active construction. The author, Darth Killhoon, apologizes for the inconvenience.

Gray Hussars
Gray Hussars armorial with Chapter Iconography painted by Gray Hussar, Karl von Sergmann.
Tactical Marine of the 1st Division, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Platoon, 5th Battleline Squad.
Space Marine Chapter
Allegiance	Imperium of Man (Fedelitas Totalis)
Founding	26th Founding
Successor of	Black Templars (Rogal Dorn lineage.)
Chapter Master	Grand Master Riley von Gergan
Homeworld	N/A; Fleet-Based Several recruitment worlds in the Saras Sector
Fortress-Monastery	The Emperor's Saber (Battle-Barge; Flagship)
Allies	Armageddon Steel Legion Death Korp of Krieg The White Scars The Dark Angels Battlefleet Saras Ecclesiarchy
Number of Marines	~1,500-3,300 (Believed to exceed the maximum allowed 1,000 Battle-Brothers) Under Investigation
Specialty	Ship-Borne Assaults & Boarding Actions, Void Warfare, Close Quarters Operations (Boarding Assaults & Space Hulk Purgation), Combined Arms Warfare, Armoured Assault, Coordinated Mass-Theatre Warfare.
Battle Cry	"We ride for the Throne!"
Colours	Gray and White
Successor Chapter(s)	N/A

"Fight and live or fight and die. It matters not, we stand this day."

— Trudisious von Quill, Apothecary of The Emperor's Champion Squad.

The Gray Hussars is a Loyalist, Codex-divergent Space Marine Chapter from the 26^th Founding. They descend from the gene-line of Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the stoic Imperial Fists. This Chapter unlike other Imperial Fists successors, doesn't associate themselves with the parent chapter, most of the founding officers being drawn from the zealous Black Templars Chapter and inherited many traditions from their Progenitors. The Gray Hussars prefer mobility, operating a large Astartes Fleet that is continuously enlarged which it operates from without a homeworld. The Gray Hussars are zealous in their reinforcement of the Council of Nikaea, accepting no pykers within the Chapter or upon their recruitment worlds, often rounding them up from across the Saras Sector and placing them upon the Black Ships. They often go into the aid of campaigns that are seen as beneath most older Chapters, viewing every asset as important and will aid based only upon proximity to them. The Codex Astartes is barely noticed by the Chapter, choosing to follow the example of the Black Templars. Because of this, the Chapter is believed to exceed the Chapter limit. Only the Grand Master knows the true numbers of Astartes within the Chapter, but believed to not exceed 1,400 Astartes, but the Inquisition has not been able to make an accurate report.

The Gray Hussars are known for being a very cooperative chapter, always willing to work with other Imperial Forces, especially with the Astra Militarum and Planetary Defense Forces personnel, often times viewing human life as immensely valuable and will attempt to evacuate Civilian before seeking glory. Their operational zone is in the Ultima Segmentum, mostly around the Saras Sector, but often times is seen in the realm of Ultramar and its surrounding sectors. Rarely has this Chapter operated out of the Ultima Segmentum, but they did attempt to reinforce Armageddon during the Third War of Armageddon and attempted to reach Cadia to defend it from the onslaught of Abaddon's [[:w:c:warhammer40k:13^th Black Crusade|13^th Black Crusade]] and the formation of the Great Rift. There have also been reports of the Gray Hussars being spotted in Segmentum Solar to meet with the Dark Angels or one of their successors. The Gray Hussars have a mixed relationship with the Inquisition having much disdain for the Inquisitors of the Ordos Astartes and will outright be covertly hostile to them. The Ordo Hereticus is often avoided due to their mixed stances on the idea of Astartes Chapters following the Codex. The Ordo Xenos and Malleus Inquisitors tend to have more favorable relationships with the Gray Hussars, due to their easy cooperation in the extermination of the forces of Chaos and the Xenos.

Chapter History

Inception

The Gray Hussars are a young but proud chapter. They were born in an unstable time of constant war. The agents of Chaos strike out in fury against the forces of the Imperium. The Orks were a constant menace and the Tyranids had yet to make themselves known to the Imperium. The Gray Hussars were born in the 26^th Founding, 738.M41. The Lords of Terra requested that experienced Astartes lead this new Chapter, ones skilled in fleet-based warfare to reinforce the void defense of the Saras Sector. High Marshal Ludoldus offered up a Castellan, Halious von Sturmwalden as the first Grand Master of the Gray Hussars, several Sergeants, Chaplains and Sword Brethren Veterans from the Black Templars were brought along to form the new officer class to lead the young Sons of Dorn. Over their short period of operation have taken part in many campaigns across Ultima Segmentum, standing as one of the few guardians of the Saras Sector and one of the most valuable assets of the region.

The Damocles Gulf Crusade

The Chapter's first major campaign was against the T'au Empire in the Damocles Crusade. When the young Xenos Empire became known to the Imperium the Crusade was called against this new threat. The Gray Hussars were only a few years old as a chapter with no notable battles or moments of glory behind its name. Unlike the other chapters that joined in the Crusade, the Gray Hussars were lost in the caste shadows of far older Chapters, including their parent chapter the Black Templars. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan, former Sergeant of the Black Templars and commander leading the 2^nd Division decide to go his own way and separate from other Imperial Forces, wanting to prove his new chapters glory by going and preventing the expansion of the T'au to alone Agri-World in a civil war where the Pro-T'au Forces were being routed by the loyalists before a cry came out that the T'au were landing forces. The world of Yunilari 3 would become a battlefield from which the Gray Hussars would be scarred, losing 70 of its 300 Astartes compliment and having to retool its approach to war from the Close Quarters doctrine of their parent Chapter. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan would bring back his reforms and his new doctrine of the 2^nd Division to the rest of the Chapter. The Planetary Defense Forces fought with every fiber of their being beside the Gray Hussars, fighting with bitter determination, which earned them much respect from the Gray Hussars and the honor of being the first Recruitment world while the 2^nd Division retreated to lick it's wounded and return once it was back to full strength but by the time that would happen the Crusade would end.

The Defenders of the Saras Sector

Even since the inception of the chapter, the Gray Hussars have taken on the gigantic task of defending the Saras Sector, responding to nearly ever crisis that comes upon the sector of space in Ultima Segmentum. Because of this daunting mission the Chapter was assigned and with only limited resources Grand Master Sturmwalden set out to accomplish their mission by any means while upholding their mission and moral code. The Codex Astartes mattered little in the mode of operations. Each Division was assigned to one-quarter of the entire sector, patrolling the Spaces separately to put down rebellions, secure strategic positions, support Imperial Operations, assist other chapters of Astartes when necessary, establish permanent outposts and recruitment stations, develop relationships with allied factions under the domain of the Emperor, Assault Xenos worlds and be the bulwark against the forces of Chaos. The Ultimate hope of the current Grand Master is to expand the chapter by an additional 5^th Division. Pulling favors with the Adeptus Mechanicus in securing new warships and wargear while the Chaplains Conscript the strongest candidates to become Neophytes and eventually full Knights of the chapter. The Grand Master and the Council of Knights have taken it upon themselves in concealing the growing numbers of the chapter from the elements of the Inquisition that would deem them heretics, by making alliances with Inquisitors of unorthodox natures.

The Fall of Cadia

(999.M41) In the wake of Abaddon's 13^th Black Crusade, the 4^th Division attempted to reach Cadia in time to join in the defense, but increased warp activity made travel harder. The Gray Hussars barely translated out of the fringes of the system when Cadia broke and they were engaged by the Chaos warfleet. They engaged in a fighting withdrawal. The Holy Intent 'Battle-Barge,' 'along with the large retinue of Astartes vessels, three refurbished Lunar-class Cruiser and the remnant of the Imperial Navy fought for three days to retreat from the system while endless waves of Chaos ships hurled themselves at the Gray Hussars. They retreated from the system with the burning surface of Cadia gave them farewell.

The Long Shadow

(999.M41) With the formation of the Great Rift and the Gray Hussars position within the Saras sector, they felt the wave of Chaos strike deep into their lines. Chaos war bands struck deep into the Saras sector and the Plague Marines of Nurgle in the infamous Death Guard and the Black Legion forces struck through on their way to Ultramar. The recruitment worlds that the Gray Hussars had sworn to protect came under assault by the forces of Chaos. Cultists, renegade forces, Chaos Astartes, all their blood stained the blades. Each division fought bittersweet conflicts, taking ever-increasing losses. Squires were rushed to full Astartes level before many were ready, diminishing the quality of the Chapter every day. But every day they stood strong, oftentimes standing side-by-side with the Ultramarines and their successors in Ultramar when needed, putting aside rivalry for the greater good of the Imperium.

The Indomitus Crusade

In the time of the darkness decanting upon the Imperium by the forces of the ruinous powers. The Gray Hussars were caught in the center, with its Divisions scattered. The Fourth Division was retreating back to the Saras Sector from the Cadian system when they failed to reinforce the system in time. The First, Second and Third Divisions fought tough campaigns of fire and blood. In many retreating battles they fought the forces of the Iron Warriors, Black Legion, Death Guard, and World Eaters suffering immensely. The First Brigade, part of the first Division nearly destroyed with all the Veterans that made up their ranks against the Death Guard at the Battle of Titarious 9 (052.M42) and the loss of the second Grand Master to an unknown World Eater Lord at the Battle of Hellmace (019.M42) it demoralized the Chapter. The attrition took its tole, having to push recruitment from its recruitment worlds to the max, along with making deals with the Adeptus Mechanicus on the Forge World Beta 9/42/C that stored their gene-seed stores to be opened, stationing a permanent garrison of one Detachment Platoon to assist defending the Forge World against the forces of chaos.

Return of the Prince

(111.M42) After a century of near-constant war the once over-sized chapter was waving in strength. They were preparing on the creation of a fifth Division, but most of those Astartes were forced to enter service in the other Divisions to fill the depleted ranks. The chapter was cut down to 879 Knights, the First Division hit the hardest with its entire first Brigade wipe out destroying a Death Guard war band on Titarious 9. The Second Grand Master, Devilin von Bruh was slain by a World Eater Lord in the Battle of Hellmace (019.M42), before the Lord-Knight of the 2^nd Division, Riley von Gergan, slew him in turn and having to take up the mantle of the Grand Master when he was solely nominated, being the most decorated and skilled warrior with a mind of a true leader behind him. He had been leading the Chapter for the past century and is getting old, being one of the original Black Templars that became an officer in the Gray Hussars.

The 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions had gathered over an Agri-World, Huelaric 3, used by the Gray Hussars as a recruitment world was recovering from a Black Legion assault. The Combined Fleets of the 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions were rattled and on the brink, held together by the prayers of the Astartes and their Serfs when the fleet of the Primarch, Reboute Guilliman, arrived in-system with his fleet. The Massive Battleship, Macragge's Honour, came with a huge armada. Grand Master Riley von Gergan and his Officer were requested to come aboard the battleship. The Primarch was proclaimed the Leader of the Imperium, and the Emperor's Holy Regent come to lead them. With a bow, the Gray Hussars sealed their loyalty to their Demi-God, the Primarch Reboute Guilliman. Reboute Guilliman awarded the Gray Hussars efforts with two hundred Primaris Astartes from the gene-line of Rogal Dorn, to continue their defense against the forces of Chaos. When the Primarch's vessels continued on its path to Ultramar, the chapter kept their oath, assisting in the defense of the Saras Sector against the agents of the Ruinous Powers.

The Primaris

Primaris Intessessor of the 1^st Brigade's 8^th Squad, equiped with an auto Boltrifle.

The Gray Hussars after inducting the Primaris into the Chapter, reinforced the depleted Divisions of the Chapter, with the return of the Primarch and the relieving of the conflict, the Gray Hussars would be given time to rebuild. Over the next decade, they only engaged in conflicts with low mortality. The Primaris were slotted in without much struggle, taking little time to ensure they knew Chapter customs and found themselves in the Imperial Cult. The most useful units from the Primaris were the Vanguard units, organizing them into their Reconnaissance Platoons to efficiently conduct the role.

Relationship with other Chapters

The Gray Hussars are a proud chapter and view the forces under the banner of the Imperium as close relatives in an association. They hold a professional and cooperative relationship with most Chapters, willing to work with the ones they feel are more "Orderly" and ones that won't take offence to how the Gray Hussars conduct themselves. Because of this, they tend to have close bonds with Chapters that are either Codex-Defiant or Codex-Divergent Chapter as they view them as being intelligent enough to think for themselves, not being constrained by a book of guidelines and do whatever is necessary to do their duty to the Emperor. The Sons of Dorn who share the same gene-father are seen on the outside as the closest Chapters, especially with their parent Chapter the Black Templars, due to their zealous devotion to the Imperium above all, but also the Gray Hussars have had a uniquely close relationship with the Dark Angels and the rest of the Unforgiven Chapters after the Gray Hussars discovered and return some members of The Fallen to the Dark Angels and assisted in the capture of a Fallen renegade warband. The Gray Hussars have heard tails of the Red Thurst and the Black Rage and their overall lack of concern for much beyond their "blood-lust" seeing the Sons of Sanguinius as dangerous to operate with and will actively avoid them. The White Scars were one of the first Chapters to open themselves to the young Gray Hussars Chapter and put their trust in them, teaching them in the strengths of combining Bike warfare into their unit that now dominates as one of the core fighting doctrines of the Chapter. The Gray Hussars never operated with the Iron Hands or any of their successors but is distant from their "Unhealthy obsession with the machine" as they put it. The Gray Hussars and the Salamander have never served together but both value human life, not to the extent of the sons of Vulkan, but respect for the chapter is high. The Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden has banned interaction with the Space Wolves for unknown reasons, but the current Officers of the Chapter heed the warning from the first Chapter Master. The Gray Hussars have had successful operations with Raven Guard and their successors, with the Gray Hussars having some proficiency in Stealth and Areal Warfare. The Gray Hussars due to them being Codex-Divergent bud heads against the Ultramarines but have no established rivalry only disagreements, in recent times the Gray Hussars have often assisted the Ultramarines in the defence of Ultramar. The only thing that keeps some chapters from outright hostility with the Gray Hussars is the fact that they are known for viewing all the Primarchs as Demi-Gods within their version of the Imperial Cult, oftentimes making pilgrimages to Ultramar to worship at the feet of then near dead Primarch Reboot Guilliman and if operating with a Chapter of a different Gene-Line will offer prayers towards their Primarch from the Chaplains.

Chapter Serfs

The Gray Hussars host a large number of serfs with each of their vessels being like floating cities for the large communities of human serfs living within. The Serfs perform necessary duties of labour and menial tasks beneath the attention of Astartes. The Gray Hussars treat their serfs with great respect and require a level of delegation of labor to promote an environment healthy for the reproduction of their human servants to have continued generations of Serfs, with gene-lines and families able to date back to the founding of the chapter, along with humans from war-ravaged worlds offered a new life serving the chapter. Adult human males make up the majority of the labor-intensive work, switching eight-hour shifts no matter their assigned labor. The serfs have guilds to train apprentices and take over the duties and ensure healthy labor quotas, reporting to the Ship-Masters, Forge-Engineers, Apothecaries or any other Astartes supervising their areas of interest. The serfs of the chapter are considered relatively well-fed and fit compared to the average Imperial Plebian on most worlds, with some of the lowest child mortality rates in the Saras sector. The Apothecaries performed every birth for the humans and every child blessed by an Astartes Chaplain for the God-Emperor of Mankind.

Several male Serfs of the Chapter serve in the Serf Legions and regularly train as a garrison force for the chapter. Female Serfs without children serve as teachers, custodians, nurses and scribes for the chapter, the majority of the Serfs born into the chapter are fluent in at least Low Gothic script and several studied in High Gothic. With all the vessels of the chapter along with outposts of the Chapter on several worlds the chapter has an untotaled slew of millions of human serfs living for generations with the Astartes in service. It is an honor when a son of a Serf passes the Astartes trials and is accepted into the ranks of the Mounted Knights like the celebrations upon the recruitment world the names are enshrined in the Serf Chapels with a bust in their image, the statues being far too large. When the Astartes are slain eventually if born to a Serf on one of the ships, the corpse isn't buried upon a world but entombed on the ship of his birth.

The majority of the Astartes are still drawn from their recruitment worlds. The Serfs even if harboring from an Imperial world with an alien culture have adopted names and the culture of the Astartes chapter in line with the tomes from Terra's ancient Germanic Kingdoms. They even speak the Gothic tongue from the ancient Terran Kingdom. When new worlds that can sustain human life are discovered in the Saras Sector, the Gray Hussars make sure the first human settlers are donated from the chapter Serfs, dozens of worlds now herald the Germanic Terran ways of the Gray Hussars chapter, these worlds are often made recruitment worlds for the chapter and resupply points. These worlds tend to produce strong Imperial Guardsmen Regiments for the Imperium. Many Imperial authorities protest the Chapter's growing influence, except when their allied Inquisitors wave away the concerns.

Leadership, Specialist or Veteran Paths

The Chapter lacks a Codex style of advancement through the chapter that other chapters have. Normally as a Neophyte a will be made an apprentice for a full Battle-Brother to learn his trade in different combat roles in the chapter. Typically when the Neophyte is made a full Brother of the Chapter he will serve in his role of his previous master. The Astartes will then either have a choice to pursue Command or to be made a Veteran if he is unable or unwilling to become a leader. If he pursues leadership he will become the Apprentice to a Sergeant and be made the Corporal of a Squad (unless a Sergeant is unwilling to take him on as an Apprentice). The Corporal will either succeed his Sergeant or become a Sergeant of another Squad. Senior-Knights will then take on a Sergeant as his Apprentice, a Marshall-Knight will be taken on a Senior-Knight, and a Lord-Knight will take on a Marshall-Knight. This rule applies to the other methods of succession in the Chapter.

Astartes that exhibit unique traits that go beyond the standards asked of an Astartes, such as Technical, Medical, or Metaphysical, an Astartes may be brought on as an apprentice of the many specialist branches of the Chapter. The Chapter Forge run by the Chapter Techmarines, which the Chapter has dubbed Forge-Engineers will take on prospectus Astartes that show potential in the Technical Skills in Machines, Computers and Technology. These Astartes will be brought on as Aspirant Forge-Engineers under the Apprenticeship of a full Forge-Engineer (Techmarine). Once deemed read in body, mind and soul the Aspirant will be sent to Mars to be molded into a Techmarine. For Astartes that show ability in Medical procedures, they will be taken on as an Apprentice for the Apothecarium and be molded into an Apothecary for the Chapter. Astartes that show an extraordinary connection to the metaphysical world and have a gift of faith and wisdom from the Emperor will be brought to become a Chaplain for the Chapter.

For Astartes who do not wish to seek advancement in leadership, the Astartes will walk the path of the Veteran after a number of years and grueling experience through hundred of battles will end up chosen to succeed prior Veterans that had fallen in the Emperor's Service. Veterans can be assigned to either dedicated Veteran Squads, such as Sternguard, Vanguard or Terminator formations, but they may also be assigned to Command Squad details and be bodyguards for a Marshall-Knight, as well as his advisors. Veterans stand as a well of knowledge that is valuable for Officers to make tactical decisions on the battlefield with often times Veterans being far older than many of the leaders of the Chapter.

Notable Campaigns

• The Destruction of Space Hulk Faustus (739.M41) - One year post the founding of the Gray Hussars Chapter, the Chapter was untested in battle, without honors and even without a chapter name. The Sons of Dorn led by Officers of the Black Templars hadn't settled upon forging a new identity beyond the basic culture of the descendants of the Primarch Rogal Dorn. The Officers of the Chapter were given the mandate to secure and become the Guardians/Wardens of the Saras Sector with not even the full resources prescribed to a Codex Compliant Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, even lacking proper stocks of Power Armor, few suits of Terminator Armor and almost no heavy armor. The Chapter Master, Halious von Sturmwalden (then just gone by the name Halious Sturmwalden) prayed to the most Holy Emperor for the Blessings in which to properly serve his majesty. The Answer would come when a Space Hulk departed from the Warp into real space on the edge of a system with the Hive World of Kleinenprinzenhafen in the Saras Sector. The Imperial Navy Requested Astartes' aid in destroying the Space Hulk with atomic charges placed within. The Gray Hussars responded with the entire chapter with ad hoc companies formed until the Chapter Master would decide on the future organization. The Chapter would dedicate three hundred Astartes with their few of only 558 sets of Mark 7 Power Armor to board the Space Hulk led by the Chapter Master himself. The Astartes would deploy in Boarding Torpedoes after taking many scans of the Space Hulk and depicting many dozens of ancient Astartes and Imperial vessels. Chapter Master Halius Sturmwalden ordered the Space Hulk to search before destroyed of any Imperial Artifacts without alerting the Imperial Navy. The Gray Hussars would scower the Space Hulk irradicating the few pockets of deformed humans, twisted by the tides of the warp. Searching the Space Hulk they discovered that many of the vessels were from the age of the Great Crusade, and even some from the Horus Heresy era. Many ancient Astartes lay dead in skeletal remains within power armor of various marks. Searching in the Armories of the vessels many carried ancient and unused sets of power armor from Marks 3, 4 and 6 patterns. Several vessels belonged to the Imperial Fists, Dark Angels, Ultramarines and ++[Log Missing]++ legions. Once the Techmarines had taken stock of many stores of ancient wargear the totals of nothing but a blessing. The numbers have been lost over the centuries but are estimated to be over a hundred sets Cataphractii and Tartaros Terminator plate, nearly a hundred Mark 3 pattern power armor, over five hundred Mark 4 pattern power armor, hundreds of Mark 6 pattern Power Armor, dozens of Thunderhawks, Rhinos, Predators, Razorbacks, Land Raiders, and even some Spartan Assault Tanks. But locked deep at the heart of the Space Hulk lied one of the few terminals still active within Space Hulk, several documents with hundreds of thousands of words on the histories of the German Speaking nations of Ancient Terra, including the history of a great Knightly Order, the Teutonic Order. The Reclusiarch and Chapter Master would be astounded by these texts and found the ancient Terran culture which their Chapter would honor. After taking all the recorders, artifacts and armor the Chapter would set the charges and destroy the Space Hulk after four days of beginning the operation. This point would make the Chapter Truly reborn forever as the Gray Hussars.
• The Pacification of Totenburg (739.M41) - The Chapter had started searching out for worlds to set up recruitment outposts for the Chapter. Along the search the Chapter's scout ships discovered a world not charted by the Imperium before. Upon investigation into the system the Gray Hussars discovered a world with an ancient Human Population that had been cut off since the fall of the Human Empire during the Dark Age of Technology. The Planet was home to the descents of Human Settlers from Ancient Terra's region of Germania and took with them their Germanic Culture. The World had gone through many historical eras in their time involving many different ruling nations on the planet. When the Gray Hussars scouts reported back their findings they noted that the planet had stumbled into a titanic war between the Nations of the World in a form of a world war. The Gray Hussars scouts noted that certain nations that had banded together were mostly based on ideological lines. The powers that had Liberal Style Democracies and other nations that had Socialistic style regimes had formed a pact called the Allies to bring war against the defensive powers that were made of Traditional Absolute Monarchies that called themselves the Holy League, with the most powerful kingdom being the Kingdom of Prussland. The Gray Hussars Grand Master would order the aligning of the world and use of it as a recruitment world. The Gray Hussars would forge and alliance with Holy League on the condition they join the Imperium willingly, submit themselves to becoming an Astartes recruitment world and the appointment of King Wilhelm XII of Prussland as the King of all Totenburg (Planetary Governor) and his blood line would rule by the Emperor's will. The Planet was operating with technology in the state of the 1910s on Ancient Terra, when the Gray Hussars made war on the Allied Powers they would drop pod Assault and entire nations would crumble in hours to single squads of Astartes destroying the political leadership of the Liberal Democracies and Socialist Nations only to be replaced with Autocratic Monarchies and Nobles. The world would be pacified within a week and after a multi-year war that cost more than 20 million casualties resembling the First World War of Ancient Terra. The Planet would fall to Imperial Compliance and Gray Hussars would give the mandate to the lands of Holy League to cleanse the minds of the planet from such Ideologies as Democratic, Liberal, Socialistic and Anarchistic thought. Preluding the Chapter's building of a recruitment temple the planet would go under a brutal political purge killing millions mostly from the Bourgeoise Class of the Planet.
• The Battle of Yunilari 3 (743.M41) - Five years after the formation of the chapter the Damocles Gulf Crusade had begun against the new Tau Empire, several experienced chapters had taken up the call along with the other Imperial Forces. The Chapter Master, Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden, dissipated the 2^nd Division of the Gray Hussars as an expedition to test the new Chapter's warriors. The Gray Hussars had a small fleet and the Second Division took their 300 Astartes and half their number of ships with them: The Battle-Barge; The Eternal Solution, the Strike Cruisers; Reaper of Glory and Phantom of Sigismund, and twelve Hunter Class Destroyers. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan, former Sergeant of the Black Templars who served with the Grand Master in several battles prior. He was ordered to make a name for the new Chapter, proclaiming it the first of this Chapter's Eternal Crusade, the channeling of his parent chapter. The 2^nd Division on route to join Imperial Force in the main assault Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan decided to go around the main conflict and pick a battle that would be all their own, after being shunned from the planning stage. He chose to respond to a distress signal from loyalist forces on an Agri-World being invaded by the Tau-supporting separatists. Upon translation into orbit they engaged the Tau fleet, destroying it shortly with little effort. The Planetary Defense Forces on the ground requested aid in destroying the Tau landing sight where they had established a shield generator and anti-ship battery. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan decided to Drop Pod assault on the outskirts of the Tau lines. The initial assault was a slaughter for the Tau outer lines, the Gray Hussars overrunning them with their tactical and assault squads and bringing in Terminators, Devastators and Armored Vehicles. But as they charged past the second layer the assault grinded to a crawl, eventually halting with a Tau counter-attack that killed an entire platoon of Astartes and heavily damaged many of their Thunderhawks and Armored vehicles. The squads dug in. The small foxholes turned into trenches as Planetary Defense Forces purged the traitors behind them with more and more local units coming to inhabit the Trenches. Most of the Astartes and PDF Forces attempted to charge the Tau lines and would encounter a slaughter every time. Months passed and the Gray Hussars learned to change their tactics from relative copying of the Black Templars' style of combat to using more practical infantry-style warfare. The Astartes would organize squads of storm-troopers, the progenitors to the Reconnaissance Platoons. These Platoons gathered intelligence on Tau positions, sabotage one of the Anti-Ship batteries, Assassinated their most important Battle-Suit Pilots, [Name Retracted], and learned the value of ranged warfare. The best men would go on to form the first Reconnaissance Platoon, separated from the rest of their brothers to be a unique clique of highly skilled and specialized warriors. Several mass charges and assaults and high losses of Astartes lead Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan to reform his Brigades to act as unique units that worked off each other and with the assistance of the White Scars' [Retracted] Company, learned the Art speed-centrist warfare. After the third month of siege, the Gray Hussars quarantined a Grand Assault, with elements of PDF and the White Scars supporting them, along with the experiment of the new tactics that would come to define the new Chapters dogma of war. Firing a red flare the twelve-hour final assault began. Carnage, battle, fire and chaos. The blood of the Tau mixed with the humans that day. The soldiers of the PDF proved themselves in the brutal wave charges of a final strike, nearly killing one-for-one with the Tau fire warriors. After three months 79 of the 300 Gray Hussars, a handful of White Scars and 879,442 PDF soldiers died in the Emperor's name, killing a small Tau army of 339,001 Tau warriors and 2,855,937 separatists humans. They left the blood-soaked world with no more honor than they had before, but the experience of not making the same mistakes as they had done.
• The Reintegration of Slavash (747.M41) - The Mercantile Council of the Slavash System in the Octarius Sector rebelled against the Imperium to avoid a costly tithe. The traitor Navy, Guard and PDF forces ceasing the Imperial Navy station of the system and had dug in there Hive Cities. The Adeptus Administratum ordered a Crusade of Imperial Forces to converge and retake the system in a mass liberation fleet. Elements of Battlefleet Octarius, The 307^th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment, The 122^nd Death Korp Regiment, 15^th Hessian Reds Regiment, 322^nd Cadian Regiment, The Order of the Argent Cross, The Raven Guard 4^th Company and the Gray Hussars Chapter's 1^st Division, Fleet of Divine Fury and Fleet of Faith lead by the Grand Master himself, Halious von Sturmwalden. The Chapter Master became the de facto leader liberation fleet, elected by the leaders of the various factions taking part in the offensive. After several months of preparation and planning in nearby systems. In that time an entire Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes from the Blood Angels line, the Blood Fangs who had signed a blood oath to defend the system, took control of the rebelling forces. The Raven Guard 4^th Company leads the Liberation Force as a reconnaissance in force, using their reflex shields to stealth fully infiltrate and sabotage the enemy defensive instillation and provide necessary information for the successful assault of the system. Grand Master Sturmwalden ordered elements of his 1^st Division's Reconnaissance Platoon to board and acquire the Reflex Shield devices to copy and use them for their Reconnaissance Platoons. The liberation fleet transmits into the system, the entire system defense fleet, led by the Blood Fangs Astartes Fleet engaged the combined Imperial Navy Astartes Fleets outnumbering the Renegade Chapter fleet six to one in numbers of capital ships, annihilating their vessels in seven hours of void combat. After securing the void the Imperial Guard began deployment on the surface of the world. The Elysians the only ones remaining in orbit for insertion. The Death Korp took to sieging out the most heavily fortified Hive City Guarded by a single traitor Guard Regiment and three million militia personnel, bombarding them hard with endless waves of earth shaker cannons to break the city itself. The other Regiments took up the sieges of the other five hives. Over 900 Blood Fangs Astartes remained on the surface, unknown where they were. The Gray Hussars coordinated a joint Reconnaissance to hunt them down with the Elysians and Raven Guard. After a month the Blood Fangs attempted a counter-attack upon the Krieg lines to break the siege with a company of their 2^nd Company. The Death Korp fought the Renegade Astartes tooth and nail, refusing to route, buying the Gray Hussars and Elysians, the Grand Master leading a Drop Pod assault into the advancing line of Blood Fangs, the Sons of Sanguinius and Knights of Dorn entering in a fierce melee, followed by the swooping claws of the sons of Corax killing the renegades near to a man until the last squad of Blood Fang tactical retreats, being followed to a mountain fortress complex in the northern polar regions. The Elysians, Order of the Argent Cross, Raven Guard and Gray Hussars would later order reinforcements before taking on nearly a full chapter's worth of Renegades. These reinforcements would come in the form of the 5^th, 8^th and 9^th Companies of the Noble Sons, Ultramarines Successor Chapter would respond. The Three Astartes Chapters, Sisters of Battle and highly specialized Regiment of the Astra Militarum would lead to a devastating assault of blood close quarters battles. Astartes killed Astartes, humans killed humans and the Sisters of Battle reported to burn any heretic in their path. Grand Master Sturmwalden would slay the Chapter Master of the Blood Fangs, Hugious Eralious in single combat. Several hundred Astartes would die before Captain Indarcus of the Blood Fangs 5^th Company would surrender the Chapter and offer themselves to the Emperor's Judgement. The planet would soon fall with several Hives reduced to rubble by pure artillery fire and small incursions. One noble family that remained loyal to the Imperium would be placed as the King of the World and Planetary Governor by Grand Master Sturmwalden.
• The War for Pui 2 (749.M41) - The Pui system was inhabited by multiple worlds that the human populous called home in the Saras sector. The system had a civilized world (Pui 4), a feudal world (Pui 3) and a feral world (Pui 2). This system came into the path of an Ork WAAAGH!. Battlefleet Saras contacted the Gray Hussars 3^rd Division near the system. Translating in-system the Orks had already engaged and the greenskins were rampaging inside the Imperial Navy vessels. The Gray Hussars reinforced Battlefleet Saras, boarding the vessels to exterminate the Greenskins and save several Imperial warships from the eternal pests. The Ork Warboss along with millions of Orks packed into their ships landed on Pui 2, as the Orks had heard of the savageness of the locals and wanted a Gud Skrap! The Gray Hussars landed in the planetary capital of Tuch'ga'tag. The largest city of only mud apartments and tribal huts, on the planet between three mountain ranges with three passes. The local warriors dug in with the Gray Hussars chanted as Angels. Each Brigade took up the defense of a pass, holding against mass charges of Orks. The fire of bolters turned fields into killing zones, for the greenskins funneled into their firing lines. The tribal warriors battled against the Orks in fierce melees, killing them in swaths. Horse riders, woodlands hunters, jungle vipers and mountaineer tribes gave the Orks the fight they sought but were no match for the Orks martial might. The Gray Hussars knew they needed reinforcements, or else the Greenskins would reproduce and continue to rampage the rest of the world. They requested Imperial Guard reinforcements to assist in the liberation. After a whole month, the Gray Hussars would be answered by the infamous Death Korps of Krieg, in the Death Korps 219^th and 227^th Mechanized Infantry Regiments digging into the trench lines with the Gray Hussars and Tribesman warriors. The Death Korps and Tribesman began a mass offensive into the Orks of the pass while the Gray Hussars dropped behind the Orks in the first pass, slaughtering them by the hundreds of thousands. The Gray Hussars Thunderhawk Gunships dropped flammable materials over the greenskins and then lit it a sunder, burning them by the thousands. Turning the landscape into a burnt husk. After breaking out of the passes the Orks had devolved to roaming bands of Ork hordes numbering between the tens of thousands to over a million. The commanders of the Death Korps and Gray Hussars coordinated their attacks together the roaming hoards, choosing to exterminate them one by one. After several months of exterminating the Orks hoards. The final warband was the largest number nearly two million, led by a massive Ork Warboss. The Gray Hussars, Death Korps and the massive coalition of tribal warriors from every corner of the world numbering in the million readied themselves to surround and engage the ork hoard. The Orks outnumbered the Imperial Forces and were far superior to the tribal warriors they believed in their faith in the Emperor, the High Chaplain of the Gray Hussars giving a mass sermon and blessed the Army the night before. At dawn the night was illuminated by red flares and the three massive forces. Humans and Orks mixed in a bloody slog while the Gray Hussars pierced through and the Emperor's Champion, Reiner von Yashter, of the 3^rd Division dueled the Ork Warboss, landing the killing blow after a hard battle that wounded him severely upon when a random Ork shoved a spear into the Emperor's Champion, killing him there. The Orks dispersed and hunted to the last over the next few weeks.
• The Extermination of Juraun (776.M41) - In 770.M41, an Astartes Chapter descended from the Ultramarines named the Venerated Swords had ceased their gene-seed tithes for a number of years. An investigation was called by Inquisitor Lamon of the Ordo Hereticus and proceeded with his retinue to the chapter homeworld of Juraun. The Inquisitor would arrive in the system, surrounded in the void by the escort vessels of the chapter, refusing to answer the Inquisitor's hails. Coming in orbit of the world the Astartes Fleet was absent. Descending to the surface of the world the Inquisitor's retinue includes an armed escort from a consort of Sisters of Battle. They marked down the one road leading to the chapter fortress-monastery, passing by slaughtered villages filled with chard corpses and blood runes with the eight-pointed star. The Inquisitor knew not what he was walking into but ordered his ships to be ready to deploy Inquisitorial Troops if necessary. Coming to the gates of the outer walls they came upon piles of frozen corpses heaped on the sides of the road. Their forms twisted, mutilated and burst apart. The walls seemed abandoned yet defended by vigilant brothers of the Sixth Company of the Venerated Swords. The Inquisitor was allowed in by the statues of Astartes refusing to even make eye contact with the retinue. Inquisitor Lamon entered the fortress, the Inquisitorial Troops began to land. The Inquisitor came upon the body of an ancient Astartes being hung by hooked chains, kept alive without his limbs and most of his skin flayed off. The old Chapter Master, Vandle Oman, was hanging before them, slowly dying as an offering to the Chaos Gods. The Sisters of Battle and the Inquisitor were surrounded by the Terminators of the 1^st Company of the Chapter, led by the new Chaos Lord, the previous Captain of the Venerated Swords First Company, Octivan Kain. Approaching with a sword drawn the Inquisitor and his retinue were slaughtered to the man. The Inquisitorial Troops that managed to land numbered twenty thousand Tempestus Scions, when they were ambushed by the Heretic 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, 8^th and 9^th Companies. In orbit, the Inquisitorial Fleet was ambushed by all the ships that turned with the rest of the chapter. The Inquisitorial retinue and fleet would disappear. The 4^th and 7^th Companies of the Venerated Swords were on a campaign when their chapter turned, the Companies refusing to turn when they discovered their brothers had turned traitor in 775.M41. The Captains of the Companies would call a council at the sector capitol, call for aid to purge their heretical brothers and remove the stain of the chapter's honor in a glorious crusade. The Inquisitors became suspicious of the disappearance of Inquisitor Lamon and were validated and ranted of the chapter's heresy until a power-armored fist slammed on a stone desk. Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden would stand beside the captains and dedicate his Chapter to the destruction of heretics and the restoration of their brothers' honour in the violent destruction of traitorous kin. The Grand Master made a grand speech to the council of Representatives from the Astra Militarum, Imperial Navy, Adeptus Astartes, Inquisitorial and Adeptus Mechanicus Representatives that convinced a number of Chapters and Imperial Organizations to throw their support behind the Chapter Master. The 5^th Company from the Raven Guard Successor Chapter, the Silent Knights, and the 3^rd Company of the Caliban Cavaliers, a Dark Angels Successor Chapter, joined the force. The 156^th Elysian Regiment, 117^th Attilan Rough Riders, 115^th and 177^th Mordian Armoured Regiments and the 105^th Valhallan Regiment were mustered on the staging world of Rectnor in the system closest to Juruan. The Reclusiarch of the Gray Hussars addressed the Guardsman and allied Astartes in a massive service to the Emperor and the Primarchs of the Chapters of the allied chapters. The service went on for days, broadcast on every vox channel on the world and in orbit. Raising the morale of the humans and Astartes setting out for war. The service was ended with a blessing of the Astartes and the anointing of Grand Master Sturmwalden as the Lord Commander of the Extermination of Juruan. In the months prior every Reconnaissance Platoon of the Gray Hussars charted and marked the Juruan system and world, sabotaging the defenses of the traitors before the fleets would arrive. The Emperor's Saber translated out of the warp into the Juruan system followed by hundreds of vessels, his entire chapter leading the armada steaming toward Juruan. They were engaged by the Astartes vessels starting to be twisted by the taint of the warp's touch. The overwhelming force from the loyalist coalition would make short work of the traitor fleet. The ships of the Loyalist Veneraded Swords raced ahead of the fleet to drop pod assault their loyalist astartes on the planetary capitol, the only hive in the world, Kingber, that had fallen under heretical cultist rule. The Drop Pods crashed into the docks of the hives while their vessels in orbit bombarded traitor PDF forces. Moving street by street the Hive was washed in more blood than previously polluting the streets. Each corner they turned was another heretical cult found and slaughtered with brutal efficiency. The Gray Hussars, Silent Knights and Caliban Cavaliers would secure the docks and begin landing their allied Imperial Guard while leaving the Venerated Swords loyalists to their bloodbath. The former population the chapter recruited from being irradicated by the billions over the course of two weeks, the warriors of the 4^th and 7^th Companies never relenting, while waiting for fresh stocks of ammunition they butchered with their knives and chainswords. Only four Astartes would fall in the entire engagement. The traitor Astartes watching from the flanking mountain range. The traitors would use the distraction as an opportunity to further fortify their holdings and assess what was coming for them. The Imperial Guard was released to cleanse the world of all traitor forces across the world, cleansing it of all heretics accompanied by the Brigades and Companies of Astartes, going city-to-city killing and burning in their path. The Imperial Navy would bombard the Polar Fortress-Monestary's void shields without respot. Two months into the campaign Juruan was lifeless, but for the Guardsman, traitor and loyalist Astartes on the surface. Marching on the Fortress Monestary the traitor Veneraded Swords librarians would perform a ritual summoning and fusing daemons into the Veteran-First Company brothers. The Octivan Kain would become a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided. The snow would be sown with blood as the battle commenced. Astartes Coalition assaulting the Fortress Walls supported by the Guard Forces taking the brunt. Five hundred traitor Astartes and daemon Astartes would battle loyalists. Venerated Swords 4^th Company Captain, Augustus Jermanicus and 7^th Company Captain, Julious Araelious, along with five loyalist librarians would confront the Octivan Kain. The battle tore apart the Chapter's throne hall. None would survive. Octivan Kain, not able to finish the process of the conversation completely would be destroyed his soul being claimed by the warp and his body being burnt in warp flames. By the end of the battle, the traitors would be slaughtered, except for the entire 6^th Company that would flee to form a traitor warband, the Blood Swords. Thirty loyalist Venerated Swords would survive under the command of Lieutenant Klaudious Quint. He would reveal the gene-seed stores to Grand Master Sturmwalden and armory. The vaults were sealed by the Master of the Forge until a member of the 7^th Company would open it. Untainted armor, weapons, tanks, Thunderhawk gunships, sets of terminator armour and Ultramarines gene-seed. Lieutenant Quint would offer the entirety to Grand Master Sturmwalden and the Gray Hussars Chapter. The Chapter Master would decline the offer, stating, "The new Chapter Master can't expect to lead a chapter without weaponry." The Venerated Swords would lead their armory onto their remaining vessels. Declaring themselves a fleet-based crusading chapter. Chapter Master Quint and Grand Master Sturmwalden would pilgramige to Ultramar to recieve the blessing of the Ultramarines Primarch by praying to the feet of Roboute Guilliman. Chapter Master Quint would deticate his chapter to hunting down their remaining traitor brothers once able to restore their numbers back to fighting numbers.
• The War for Jorga Prime (801.M41) - In 799.M41 the Hive World of Jorga Prime had been assaulted by an Iron Warriors warband, the Steel Brotherhood, that had been besieging many Hives. Starvation had lead to riots and Chaos cults rising up as the Steel Brotherhood assaults the Hives, destroying everything in their path. The Inquisitor Drucarous Hugarious of the Ordo Malleus called a Crusade to destroy the Iron Warriors and cleanse the planet of the Chaos taint. Fleets of the Battlefleet Saras, seven Regiments of the Imperial Guard including one 117^th Armageddon Steel Legion, an Armoured Regiment. The Gray Hussars 3^rd Division was destroying an Ork pirating fleet before receiving a petition from the Inquisitorial Crusade for their assistance along with other local chapters. The Gray Hussars had no real interaction with the Inquisition but have often avoided them due to their planning to deviate from the Codex Astartes at the time, but upon a consulting with Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden the 3^rd Division join the Crusade. The elements of Battlefleet Saras and Inquisitorial Fleet arrived in the Jorga system before any other Imperial Forces arrived, engaging the Iron Warriors in the void, resulting in devastating casualties for both sides. The Gray Hussars translated into the system on the third day, joining the Imperials in the void combat. Bringing the Gray Hussars into the battle the Astartes fleet focused on a directed assault upon the Steel Brotherhood Flagship, Unyielding Iron, an ancient battleship from the Heresy period, the Gray Hussars pounded the Battleship from affair until they were within range, boarding the Battleship with Terminators and Tactical Marines, decimating the Iron Warriors traitors marines and their cultists with cold efficiency. Upon evacuation of the Astartes, only losing three Knights in the process, placed charges, destroying the corrupted vessel. The Crusade gathered above the planet's surface, the Chaos forces now trapped on the surface, with an immense force. Hundreds of traitor Astartes, and tens of millions of cultists and traitor guardsmen. The Imperial Guard began landing in the Hives to reinforce them, while the Gray Hussars requested the use of the Armageddon 117^th Steel Legion to force a joint operation force that would roam the wastes of the Hive World, in an Armored Assault against Chaos targets to be followed by other Imperial Guard to defend what's taken. The Gray Hussars intended to harass and wear down the Iron Warriors' forces enough before a final assault on their main siege upon Hive Runez. The campaign dragged on for over a year. The Gray Hussars plan led to the routing of many cultist armies in the wasted when dispatched, drawing out Lord Renser of the Steel Brotherhood to engage the Gray Hussars in a pitched battle of Mounted Knights and siege masters. The 7^th Brigade was the first to engage the Steel Brotherhood, attacking them with an Armored Spearhead assault, the Lord-Knight and Emperor's Champion knew this was the final blow that gain them prestige for the chapter in the Inquisition's eyes, dropping the entire 8^th Brigade from orbit in a drop pod and thunderhawk assault. They dropped in the midst of a great battle of armor, bursting from the pods with rapid firing of bolters, revving of chainswords and slaying with Power Swords, tearing through Iron Warrior Astartes led by the Emperor's Champion, whose name was lost over the centuries. Engaging in a final duel with the Chaos Lord, the Emperor's Champion stood no match for the ancient Astartes, a power claw cleaving him in two Lord-Knight Claus von Volk attempted to avenge the fallen champion, landing many blows on the exhausted Lord before an unlucky hit from a bolter knocked him off balance, enough to have him fall to a stab in the gut by the power claw. With Lord-Knight Claus von Volk's last breath, he thrust his power sword into the Chaos Astartes Chest, slaying him. The battle would end with the 9^th Brigade encircling the Steel Brotherhood and their followers, slaying them to a man. The Inquisitor would lead the mop up while the Astartes retreated to their vessels, retreating from the grievous losses of over 47 Knights. They were sent off with full honors and good light from the Ordo Malleus.
• The War of Toulon (810.M41) - The world of Toulon was a minor hive world on the Korianis that borders the Inferno Reach warp storm. The warp storm hid a single chaos warband with the ambition of raising the hives of the world of Toulon. The warband named the Skull Hunters had failed to assault the hives directly in the past. After centuries of rebuilding their warband numbers, they developed a new strategy to destroy the hive walls that took killed their brothers. The Skull Hunters embraced a less direct approach, infuriating the Hives the Heretic Astartes planted seeds of subversion among the populous of the world. Cults devoted to the Dark Gods grew, being led by the warband directing them to take over the lower administration and running of the world over the span of decades until on the cusp of the year 806.M41 the cults struck at the planetary defense forces and governor's forces to take control. The goal of the warband being the complete seizer of a planet by corrupted forces is to gain the attention of an Inquisitor to have the world destroyed by Exterminatus. Upon the surface the PDF forces held a stubborn resistance led by the planetary Governor, Field Marshal Phillip de Carre, an experienced Veteran of the Imperial Guard and form Quartermaster General of the Toulon PDF forces, he was elected from the Military Council as the Military Regent of Toulon. Toulon knew of the Chaos Astartes forces and called for reinforcements from any loyalist Astartes that would answer. Several years passed and none answered. Hives were falling one at a time as Phillip de Carre sacrificed the hives he knew were corrupted beyond salvage to the Hives deemed loyal enough to purge back into complete control by the armed forces of the planet. The request was responded to by the 7^th Company of the Ultramarines successors of the Bronze Bastion chapter. 808.M41, Landing in the Governor's camp they presented their blades to the aid of the Governor's forces. Phillip de Carre requested the Astartes use their superior martial prowess in the hunt for the Chaos Astartes and their elimination from the world. But the estimated Chaos Astartes outnumbered the loyalist Astartes three to one. More Astartes were requested for aid, until then the sons of Guilliman would hold off the Chaos Astartes' attempts in devastating the most important strategic assets of the world, hoping their pleas would be answered as bodies mounted. Many chapters heard the cry, but none responded, not until the Gray Hussars, guardians of the Saras Sector received the plee from their Astropaths. Lord-Knight Riley von Gerger of the 2^nd Division of the Gray Hussars patrolling their quarter of the Saras Sector, wished to respond, having recently rebuilt and expanded beyond their strength during the Damocles Gulf Crusade against the T'au forces. With the blessing of the Grand Master, the 2^nd Division departed their duties to hunt the forces of chaos. The two years of war had further devastated the loyalist forces as the Capitol Hive fell to chaos forces, turning into an orgy of blood. The last PDF forces are said to have been slaughtered in the main Cathedral while the others evacuated as many civilians as possible. The Last Hives were the smallest arranged alongside each other in a triangle of defense along the Delta of the Peu River. It was the final bastion of defense, the final stand planned by Field Marshal Phillip de Carre. The Bronze Bastion Astartes understood the effort and coordinated their efforts in keeping the Chaos Astartes away from the triumvirate Hives guarded by meters-thick layers of walls and overlapping fields of fire between the three. Trenches and tunnel networks were able to move entire brigades connected to the Hives ready for use at a moment's notice. Stores and armaments were stockpiled for the eventual defense. No single Hive could be assaulted without receiving support from the others. Tens of millions of experienced PDF soldiers were ready to give their lives. It would be the arrival of the 2^nd Divisions Fleet, escorting stock of fresh Imperial Guardsman. In the final retreat from the capitol, Field Marshal Phillip de Carre was leading the regard being overwhelmed by millions of rampaging cultists pursuing them. His former citizens are out to slaughter their old ruler. The 5^th Brigade drop podded into the waves of cultists. The Astartes cut down the ordinary humans corrupted by the energies of chaos. Thunderhawks deliver the 4^th and 6^th Brigades onto the planet's surface. The armored and fast assault units strike hard into the cultists and discover the squad of Chaos Astartes leading the assault. Slaughtering the squad of heretic Astartes and breaking their assault to be cut up piecemeal the Gray Hussars introduced themselves. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan rode back to the loyalist defenses where the Imperial Guard were landing in great numbers to reinforce the depleted ranks of the PDF forces and to meet Phillip de Carre and the Bronze Bastion Astartes. The Governor heard of the chapter's exploits in the defense of the Saras Sector relatively close to the world of Toulon. The Bronze Bastion chapter mistook the Gray Hussars for Black Templars and White Scars that were tormented. Again the younger Gray Hussars chapter would have to prove themselves to an older chapter. The Gray Hussars would themselves embark out to chase the heretics and draw them away from the Imperial Forces arriving daily to eventually push out in a purging campaign. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan analysed every report from every encounter with the heretic Astartes viewing all claims and accounts to gauge the numbers of the warband who in theory never received any reinforcements since the beginning of the war. He estimated at most they had killed thirty-two of the estimated four-hundred fifty presumed to be on the surface. The Bronze Bastion lost three brothers in the campaign avoiding major casualties up to this point and at near full strength. The Gray Hussars proposed to draw out their traitor kin in the open while using the Field Marshal as bate. The Field Marshal would organize a major assault force numbering seven hundred thousand, enough to siege a taken hive that doesn't have the infrastructure or numbers of cultists needed to defend the seized hives. Other Armies lead by the guard forces and experienced PDF forces formed other Armies to make it look like a major effort to retake the Hives. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan came to an agreement with the Bronze Bastion that they would evacuate to orbit to allow maximum deployment capability in the effort while a Single Squad from each Chapter would defend the Field Marshal. The Bronze Bastion left a Vanguard Veteran Squad behind and Gray Hussars would leave a tactical squad outfitted with extra plasma to slay the heretic Astartes. The Skull Hunters would take the bate, sending a hundred heretic Astartes supported by summoned daemons to kill the Field Marshal. Two hundred Heretic Astartes cut a path through the Guard and PDF forces terrified of the sights being witnessed to them that day. They bought enough time for the Gray Hussars 5^th Brigade and 7^th Company of the Bronze Bastion to drop pod strike and engage the traitor Astartes in close combat, each force slaying heretics from millennia past, the Gray Hussars dealing righteous retribution in the Emperor's holy guiding light. The two forces fought as one united as gene-brothers, cousins closer than brothers in the furious melee. By the time the 4^th and 6^th Brigades descended in Thunderhawks their strength lent the edge to overwhelm the traitors, slaying every last traitor while the terrified Guardsman stole themselves and took down the few minors daemons summon to the world. The Skull Hunters would attempt to flee to their twisted battle cruiser from the heresy period but would fall under fire from the combined Gray Hussars and Bronze Bastion fleets until it was not but ash. The Hives were salvaged, all had to be leveled by years of artillery after they were scoured for valuable material still usable. Seven hive cities were slaughtered, and only three remained. The Astartes remained on the world for a few weeks to ensure the rebuilding population could rebuild and killed all the Guardsman who bore witness to daemons to keep the Inquisition blinded to the true events on the world. The Gray Hussars would construct a new Cathedral in the center of the three Hives, one pilgrim goes to bear witness to the Emperor's Astartes guarding the Cathedral.
• The Marr Crusade (833-848.M41) - The planet of Marr was a marshal civilized world home to a hearty loyal civilization of humans located in the center of the Saras sector. Compared to the most famous worlds that produce the finest Guard Regiments like Cadia, Krieg, Armeggedon, etc. this world is a blimp and insignificant. To the Saras sector, it was an invaluable source of capable Guardsman to fight off the threats to the sector. Their regiments garrison a hundred worlds across the sector. The world was guarded by an Imperial Navy Squadron based from a defense platform, Noctic Eternus, along with hundreds of millions of Planetary Defense Force Soldiers, well equipped by the local forge worlds on top of local production of arms and equipment. For this, they became the destination of a mass fleet of Ork attack rocks. Coming into the system, the rocks looked like ghosts to the Imperial Navy, running silent, only moving by their momentum to drift towards the planet. When it was too late for any response the Orks with surprising coordination sparked their engines towards the planet's surface. The Imperial Navy tried to react, but as Ork rocks smashed into the orbiting space station the platform's orbit was destabilized to be pulled into the planet's gravity with the Orks. The surface forces were alarmed by the sudden assault. The forces of Marr mobilized to quarter strength in only an hour when the Space state, Noctic Eternus, and hundreds of Ork Rocks smashed into the planet. Noctic Eternus crashed into the southern Continent, Nervia, causing a massive earthquake breaking cities and scarring the lands in and around the crash sight. The Ork Rocks crashed across all continents by the dozens. The orbital defense guns fired to no avail to break them as they descended. The Marrians quickly went to total moblization as millions of Orks sprang from the rocks and started their rampage. The Marr Regiments and PDF forces managed to contain many of the Ork rocks, some even being slaughtered upon crashing. Many rocks were completely destroyed by mass artillery bombardment that would last for months at a time. It would only be after the first year when the planet failed to send its tithe that the sector command would take notice, that guard regiments weren't being sent out from Marr. Inquisitor Quintarous of the Ordo Xenos would take on the personal task of investigating after the Ork pest would become less frequent across the entire sector he had a feeling something went wrong besides missing a quota. Translating into the system Inquisitor Quintarous would quickly discover the invasion that had turned into a massive war of attrition on Marr. By that time the Orks had already taken the continent Nervia and eleven million combatants were slaughtered, and untold millions of civilians dead. The Inquisitor would report this at a council called at Port Vistus in the Saras Sector. Attending this meeting would be Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden who proposed a Crusade to retake Marr from the Orks. Inquisitor Quintarous would call on some favors in the Deathwatch, Imperial Guard and Mechanicus to muster a massive force. The Gray Hussars brought House Otartus, a Knight House in alliance with the Gray Hussars, along with the Entirety of the Shield-Order and 3^rd Division to the campaign. Battlefleet Saras would secure the void around Marr, only mopping up a few Ork craft coming to join the massive WAAAGH on the planet's surface. The Grand Master Sturmwalden would study the becoming demoralized command staff and the average Soldier was at the end of their will to fight on. The Grand Master would strike first blood in the Marr Crusade. Using his 8^th Brigade to drop pod assault onto the surface in an overrun spaceport on the Western Coast of Nervia. Quickly securing the Space Force with minimal casualties of Knights allowed for the safe landing of Imperial Forces at the heart of the Ork Forces on the surface. The Marr forces heard whispers of Astartes reinforcements riding across the continent of Nervia slaughtering the Ork menace. The propaganda used to its maximum reinvigorated the spirits of the defenders back to their original cultural standing. The 558^th Armageddon Steel Legion would land alongside Deathwatch, Knights, and even a portion of a Mechanicus Titan legion landing in force. The Crusade would have many successes as they pushed into the continent while the Marrians would commence unsustainable assaults. Each battle made the Crusading forces more complacent, wondering how easy it was. That would be until they came upon the center of the Continent highway network at the city of Kelm. The Ork warboss the Imperial never knew the location or even name of would encounter his organizational skills on the battlefield, that the Imperials wouldn't expect. The Gray Hussars rode to the gates of the dead city, turned to rubble by months of war beforehand. The 9^th Brigade would lead the infiltration of the city. The Marshall-Knight August von Hiltous would lead his assault Marines too deep into the city, falling into a laid trap by the Warboss Drekan Gushka his Orks would surround the Assault Marines with twelve thousand Orks focused purely on the annihilation of the 9^th Brigade. The Gray Hussars fought with the fury of their Primarch, but many would fall before the Knights and Guard Forces would catch up to their Astartes allies. In a vain attempt to rescue the 9^th Brigade from total slaughter the Steel Legion and Knights would charge into the city, meeting the Orks placed between them the Gray Hussars their pace was nearly halted, slowing to crawl of a pace. Until city blocks were levelled by mass bombardment, often killing their own men as much as the Orks did the first Knight charge into the Orks enveloping the forty remaining Astartes of the ninety-seven that entered the city. Marshall-Knight August von Hiltous was slain in combat with a massive Ork suspected to be the Warboss himself. The Gray Hussars received word of the trap the 9^th Brigade had fallen into over the Vox communications from their Steel Legion allies. Grand Master Sturmwalden ordered the 8^th Brigade in orbit to drop pod assault into the city to relieve their brothers. The Knights of House Otartus would encounter Ork Titans they dueled between the wrecked streets, while Guardsman was crushed under the weight of the massive war engines. The 8^th Brigade smashed into battle in full force, as more Orks would crawl out of the sewers and under levels of the city itself. Knights began to fall and the Steel Legion was unable to keep their holdings in the city proper. The 8^th Brigade did temporarily manage to break the assault upon the 9^th Brigade, managing to retrieve their gene-seed and armor and evacuate on Thunderhawks. The Emperor's Champion commanding the 8^th Brigade would reluctantly order the retreat from Kelm in a fighting withdrawal until they were completely pushed from the city limits. The Orks pressed their advantage, commencing in mass charges, breaking upon the wall of fire from the Steel Legion. Grand Master Sturmwalden would order his fleet in orbit, including the Emperor's Saber, Battle-Barge fortress monastery to bombard the city until it was nothing but ash. It was the first major humiliating defeat in the Marr Crusade. After analyzing the casualties of the 9^th Brigade and 3^rd Division as a whole with a single order Grand Master Sturmwalden would order the retreat to rebuild and return when his chapter was ready again. Inquisitor Quintarous would berate the chapter as cowards as he was left without the support of an Astartes Chapter and worse, House Otartus left with the Gray Hussars. The Marrians were brought completely under the indirect rule of Inquisitor Quintarous commanding the forces as the situation deteriorated. More lands would fall to the Orks, slowly as years drew on until forty-three percent of the planet would fall and his requests for reinforcements would be met with silence. The Orks were repopulating and the human defenders were barely able to mobilize more than seven million soldiers as the Mechanicus reduced their equipment supply to the planetary defenders due to many of their ships being shot down when landing. It would be 847.M41 when the Orks would commence a massive coordinated onslaught, hitting every segment of the Imperial lines, breaking them and rushing towards the cities behind the lines. It would be at this time that a fleet bearing familiar markings would be led by the Astartes Battle-Barge, the Emperor's Saber. The Gray Hussars 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd Divisions and the Shield-Order would return to this world to reclaim the honor of the Chapter. Only the 4^th Division didn't participate so as not to reveal them being oversized Chapter of Astartes defying the Codex Astartes edicts. The chapter would strike hard when the guard was about to be overrun, at a Mountain pass is the only one leading to the capital of the world Ingarn, the Lushen Pass. The Ork tribe would be cut down by a mass Drop Pod Assault of the 2^nd, 5^th and 8^th Brigades. Taken by surprise twenty thousand Orks were slaughtered in a matter of hours, while the wrathful Gray Hussars suffered less than three deaths. The Shield-Order would land and take the place of the PDF forces defending the pass. Grand Master Sturmwalden would stand with his elite Honor Guard over the pass while the Divisions would scatter in three main Armies around each Division themselves. The Gray Hussars would choose a strategy of indirect assaults, choosing to annihilate individual Ork warbands, tribes and clans with overwhelming force, cutting down the numbers of the masses of Green skins. The Astartes fleet wouldn't hold back in orbital bombardments of the planet's surface, targeting larger Ork gathering, but would seem to be to no avail as the numbers of Green Skins were far too many to save the world through conventional means. Grand Master Sturmwalden would plead to Inquisitor Quintarous to begin evacuation which the aging Inquisitor would refuse, believing in ultimate victory, even threatening to reveal the Gray Hussars being heretics who betrayed the Codex Astartes and the Imperium by retreating. The Deathwatch team that had been fighting for years on end agreed with the Chapter Master, convincing the Grand Master to prepare his fleet for exterminatus. The Grand Master would commit his forces to the evacuation process. Convincing Rogue Traders, the Merchant Fleets and Imperial Navy assets to evacuate the civilian populous to Gray Hussar recruitment worlds across the Saras Sector, escorted by a single Vanguard Light-Cruiser or Strike Cruiser from the chapter. Before the last transport had left at the cusp of 848.M41 the Orks would attempt another Assault upon the Lushen Pass defended by the Shield-Order they stood silent as snow began to fall, camouflaging them to the terrain in their Gray painted war-plate. With the Orks approaching with the war cries common to the Green skins. The silent statue of the Veteran Astartes forced the Green skins to halt, trying to goad the Shield-Order into a fight. They would not move. The Green Skin's warboss, Drekan Gushka would come to the front and instigate the charge, him towering over all the other Orks. The Veteran-Knights of the Shield-Order raised their shields budded in a phalanx of overlapping shields and drew their Powerswords. The Orks would break upon the Astartes shields like a tidal wave, the Veterans not breaking would stun the Orks and begin cutting them down as they dare came within the swiping range of the Powerswords. The Ork Warboss Drekan Gushka would engage Grand Master Sturmwalden on a ridge overlooking the pass. The massive Ork attempting to swipe with his massive axe. The Grand Master would vaporize the knee of massive Ork with a shot of his plasma pistol and bring it down to be decapitated with one swipe from his Powersword. The battle would last for many more hours, in that time not one Veteran would fall while the Orks lost untold thousands. Without the warboss, the Orks were disorganized but more dangerous than ever as they turned feral and tribalism again. Orks began random assaults across the now skeletal defense of the planet. Sixty Percent of the populous and ninety percent of the human defenders had evacuated, while the Gray Hussars distract the Orks with their rapid raids all across the continents. At this point, Grand Master Sturmwalden ordered the final evacuation of his brothers and anyone else that can be taken off-world. Their own vessels are the only ships in systems to take more refugees. The Deathwatch would say their farewell to their Inquisitor leaving him to his demented ramblings as madness took him in the towers of Ingarn when the Orks would reach the gates of the city, only the most stubborn of defenders remained when Grand Master Sturmwalden would reluctantly order the exterminatus of Marr. The shell of a Cyclonic Torpedo, would fall to the surface, igniting the atmosphere and destroying the Imperial World. Billions of Orks would be disintegrated and the eighty-three million humans left on the surface would perish. Marr was now no more than a lifeless husk. The order would haunt the mind of the first Grand Master of the Gray Hussars, believing they might have been able to possibly save the world if only they brought more allies and fought harder. He would never know if they could have won the war for Marr. Inquisitor Lycander of the Ordo Hereticus would investigate the Chapter but abruptly halt with the testimony of alone Deathwatch Captain who wouldn't be named in official records. Inquisitor Quintarous would be labelled missing as his ship would be sent into the warp, never to be seen again. The refugees of Marr would settle on civilized and Agri-Worlds across the Saras Sector on the direction of Grand Master Sturmwalden. Many tens of thousands of former Marr citizens would be made into Chapter Serfs of the Gray Hussars. Living comfortable lives and many even becoming battle-brothers of the chapter in the decades and centuries to come.
• The Raid of Ta'ge'raw 9 (881.M41) - The Gray Hussars 1^st Division entered the Ta'ge'raw system, home to a Hive World (Ta'ge'raw 4) and a Death-World (Ta'ge'raw 9) where the Gray Hussars took their Neophytes to conduct survival trials in both environments, first in the deepest gang dominated under hives and then survival on the frozen tundra stalked by deadly predators that come out of the mountains to kill the hearty-warrior nomads. The Neophytes that survived a month of survival training upon the Hive-World, Ta'ge'raw 4, landed on the Icy Death-World, Ta'ge'raw 9, and the second day into the trials the observing Knights from the third Brigade spotted some mysterious figures dressed in Astartes armor and were reported to bear the resemblance of Dark Angels. The Gray Hussars 2^nd Brigade tracked down the figures to a bunker complex built into a mountainside. The 1^st Brigade's 1^st Platoon of Terminators dropped in outfitted for close-quarters breached the bunker when they failed to respond, concluding the Astartes were either Renegade or Chaos affiliated. The Terminators breached the structure, twelve renegade Astartes fought a desperate struggle, but were no match against the Terminator Veterans, cutting down ten with two barely holding onto life, with only wounding a single Terminator. The two renegade Astartes were tortured for their information, discovering that they were renegade Dark Angels, known as The Fallen. Lord-Knight Putsch von Ruuns ordered the contact of the Dark Angels to return their renegades, agreeing to meet in Magog Sector with the Dark Angels' 2^nd Company, the Ravenwing.
• The Battle of the Bretz System (882.M41) - The Gray Hussars 1^st Division Fleet translated in the Bretz System skimming the Maelstrom where the Dark Angels' fleet led by the Strike Cruiser, Pride of Caliban, was waiting. The Gray Hussars and Dark Angels consolidated above the world of Bretz Prime, Lord-Knight Ruuns and Grand Master of Ravenwing, Grand Master Gideon, discussed the return of the Fallen, in the year-long voyage the Gray Hussars had extracted a lengthy detail of the Fallen and Grand Master Gideon feared that their lips would be opened. Upon the Bridge of the Pride of Caliban, Lord-Knight Ruuns made a blood oath on the Gray Hussars honor that the honor of the Dark Angels would be upheld, and that the two chapters would be in alliance. After the exchange, Lord-Knight Ruuns returned to Gray Hussars fleet when they detected the presence of Chaos ships entering the system, lead by a World Eaters Chaos warband, the Reapers of Blood, were about to lead a raid against the system which had no defenses against a Chaos warband. The Gray Hussar stood their ground, planning an ambush in the asteroid belt between the Gas Giants of Bretz 5-9 and the Rock world of Bretz Prime, 1, and 3-5. The Ravenwing diverted the Chaos warband towards them that would take them past the asteroid belt, the Khornate berserkers falling for the trap. Assaulting the Dark Angels' ship the Gray Hussars enveloped their fleet from the rear. Destroying an unspecified Chaos Battleship from an unknown period and sending the rest into attempted suicide ramming before being cut down, one-by-one.
• The War of Todesburg (928.M41) - The civilized agri-world of Todesburg was a new system to the Imperium, only having been introduced to the Imperium three centuries prior by the Ultramarines 8^th Company. The Chancellor, Billard Kord, head of the planetary parliament beneath the King, Vicarious Nordtous, of the system and planetary governor of the world. In the prior elections the head of a Separatist Party pushed through legislation to succeed from the Imperium with much support from the Imperial Guard Regiment they were about to ship off-world and instead chose to rebel. The separatists attacked the Administratum not before getting out an astropathic message directed for aid to any Imperial forces to come and join the loyalist King. The Gray Hussars 4^th Division received the message first on a return from a raid against the Tau. The traitor Guardsman took over the anti-ship batteries on the planet surface from before the time under the Imperium. The Gray Hussars 11^th Brigade, lead by Emperor's Champion, Whilner von Hueger, lead a surgical Drop Pod assault to destroy one of the batteries. The Brigade would destroy the battery, using it as a staging ground to bring down the rest of the Division. The Emperor's Champion's Drop Pod and his squad's Drop Pod would be shot off course by an aerial missile. The missile would be discovered to come from a group of Alpha Legionnaires who sponsored the uprising by the Chancellor. The Emperor's Champion and all but his apprentice, Valeer von Gesner, would die in the defense of a small farming village by Imperial Guard traitors and himself being slain by an Alpha Legion traitor Astartes. The Apprentice would retreat with the gene-seed of his squad, Black Sword of Emperor's Champion, the Armor of Faith and escort a pair of human children that were twins back to the battlelines of PDF forces led by the Crown Prince, Augustus Nordtous where the traitor guardsman and many traitor militias would lead a devastating assault the would force the PDF to retreat. The Apprentice would be confronted by three Alpha Legion Traitor Astartes would confront the injured Apprentice as he walked through a field of empty grass. The senior most Alpha Legionnaire would challenge the you apprentice with the other two taking an oath to not interfere, baffling the Knight of the Gray Hussar. The Apprentice would slay the Alpha Legion with the Black Sword, followed by the slaying of the final two, fighting through bolter round fire, nearly dying in the process. The Ultramarine's 8^th Company would once again come to a world with a liberation fleet led by an inquisitor, Juglious Dancarious, would find the Apprentice and the twins, taking them on a thunderhawk to the planetary capitol where the Gray Hussars 10^th and 12^th Brigades and a Demi-Company of the Ultramarines 8^th Company would retake the capitol. The rest of the 11^th Brigade would join the rest of the Imperial Forces in the capital to witness the execution of the traitor Chancellor and Officers, afterwards, Valeer von Gesner would be dubbed as the Emperor's Champion by his Division's Chaplain of the 4^th Division before the Inquisitor, Ultramarines and loyalist planetary King with the rest of the pockets of resistance being destroyed over the next few days.
• The Flight of the Fahrer (999.M41-099.42): The Fahrer was a refurbished Endeavour-Class Light Cruiser that was left a drifting-hulk for a millennia before the Gray Hussars 4^th Division discovered the vessel. The Techmarines of the Astartes force reclaimed the vessel from the void bringing it into service for the Chapter Fleet in 887.M41. It fought many battles with the chapter before the 4^th Division was dispatched by the Grand Master Devilin von Bruh to Cadia to fight off Abbadon's 13^th Black Crusade. The ship was put under the command of Ship Master Adaliz von Bosheit three decades before who was an experienced void commander. In his retinue, he had three full void squads and extra Astartes assigned for the massive campaign. They also had a single Thunderhawk and enough bikes for each Astartes on the vessel in the event they would have to join the fight on the ground. The Fahrer along with the 4^th Division's fleet translated from the warp too late to fight for Cadia. The loyalist fleet scattered as they saw the planet break before their eyes. Engaged by the Black Legion fleets they fought a fighting retreat back to the jump point along with stragglers from the Imperial Navy. Upon the order to jump from the system, the Fahrer jumped back into the warp. Shortly after the jump the navigator was blinded by the warp storms, losing their bearing very quickly. Ship Master Bosheit ordered the vessel to emerge from the warp, back into real space, no matter where they would arrive. The ship suffered damage from their emergency emergence in a system in the Athelaq Sector. The system they find would be named Thriich, home to a number of worlds being assaulted by dozens of chaos vessels of the Emperor's Children and defended by a handful of Imperial Naval vessels, slowly losing the fight. The Astartes were called into the battle, mistaken for an Imperial Navy vessel, and the Ship Master decided he would intervene. One of the chaos fleet's spearheads was led by an ancient Cruiser from the Heresy era. Ship Master Bosheit readied his void squads to board the cruiser. The thunderhawk launched to join the Imperial Squadrons in diverting enemy fire while the boarding torpedoes crept onto their target, eventually finding their mark in the hull of the ancient vessel. The Thirty Astartes slaughtered their way through the vessel, they encountered only a handful of traitor Astartes they managed to dispatch by sphere numbers. The Daemonettes of Slaanesh was countered by a mysterious force fighting alongside the Gray Hussars in the form of flaming loyalist Astartes that shot bolters of pure hot flame and moved like ghosts in the ship bowls. Only one Battle-Brother was severally injured during the engagement, being interred into a Contemptor Dreadnaught left aboard the vessel. The Astartes retreated after setting the warp drives to detonate, fleeing back to the Fahrer. The detonation of the Cruisers warp drive pulled a number of Chaos vessels, tearing them apart in the process and giving the Imperium the edge to take back the system. The Imperial Navy offered the chapter repairs to their vessel before heading off back for the Saras Sector, but they were followed. The Dungen of Pleasure was a Chaos Cruiser who vowed to see the Gray Hussars suffer for their interference in their clear victory. Following them through the warp, they whispered dark prayers that managed to make the gellar fields begin to fail as they got close to the Saras sector's borders. Dropping from the warp before the chaos spawns could leach but a handful of minor daemons into the 5^th deck that was sealed to the rest of the vessel. Five thousand chapter serfs were slaughtered by the daemons in less than a few minutes. Purging the warp spawn from the deck the Gray Hussars lost three more Knights in the battle, translating into a system untouched by war. They made for a dock around a minor forge world of Teshop Prime. The Mechanicus began repair when the Dungeon of Pleasure arrived into the system with a chaos warfleet at their back. The forge world was lightly defended as it was an insignificant forge compared to the colossal manufactorum at the heart of the sector. When the cultists landed, the Skitarii reacted but soon found themselves outmatched as two hundred Emperor's Children and millions of cultists assaulted them. The Gray Hussars joined, Ship Master Bosheit leaving his vessel to take part in the ground combat, as despite the Chaos fleet being in orbit, the shipyards guns kept them for a suicidal charge into them. Twenty-six Astartes rode across the dunes, nipping at the Emperor's Children at their weakest, avoiding the concentration for survivability. Months passed and the Ship Master would discover an ancient tome of knowledge, a history of an ancient order of Terran Knights that set upon a crusade to destroy the heretics. They were called the Teutonic Order. To honor the ancient order, Ship Master Bosheit rebranded his cohort as the Teutonic Riders. The second year of warfare had settled in and it was a stalemate, The Gray Hussars were reduced to only ten Knights when their messages to their chapter had been answered, cut off for so long they thought the chapter may had been destroyed. 099.M42 The 4^th Division of Gray Hussars would rejoin their brothers with a Regiment of Imperial Guard to fight off Chaos. The Fahrer had come home. Lord-Knight Hans von Durgun authorized the creation of the Teutonic Order to become an official Platoon within the 4^th Division to fight as his personnel Assault Platoon. Grand Master Riley von Gergan ordered that instead, the Teutonic Order become a full Brigade-sized force of Riders with winged helms and bikes, the wings made of a special material that made a shrieking sound to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies.
• Battle of Hellmace (019.M42): Hellmace was a civilized world of no particular importance that strafed the edges of the Saras Sector and the Great Rift, exposed to the advancing tide of Chaos. The Reapers of Blood, World Eaters warband that fought the Gray Hussars in the Bretz System in 882.M41 came for revenge by advancing upon a system in the Saras Sector to draw out the Gray Hussars. Lord Kitur lead his forces slaughtering all upon the planet of Hellmace one city at a time to give the Gray Hussars time to reinforce the local defenses. Grand Master Devilin von Bruh lead the Second and Third Divisions along with the Fleet of Divine Fury, The Shield-Order and the 119^th Mechanized Regiment of the Death Korp of Krieg to annihilate the World Eater Warband with nearly half the chapter. The Gray Hussars chose their battle in the planetary capital of Tuld. Several Million planetary defense soldiers dug in around the city behind the lines of the Death Korp. The Gray Hussars prepared for the battle. Lord Kitur lead his World Eaters along with crazed bloodthirsty cultists upon the city. Slaughtering the local towns to the Blood God. Summoning many Blood-Thirsters and Flesh-Hounds they blustered their ranks by the thousands. The Veterans of the Death Korp lead the defenses the masters of trench warfare smashing against the waves of cultists without breaking ranks. The Gray Hussars joined in the melee, Grand Master Devilin von Bruh lead in the Shield-Order while the Second and Third Divisions prepared a counter-attack to surround them from the rear. The Shield-Order marched in a phalanx formation upon the World Eaters. The Chaos Astartes fought the seasoned Veterans of the Shield-Order with faith and fury crashing upon one another. After several hours of mindless slaughter millions of Guardsman, hundreds of Chaos Astartes and dozens of the Veterans of the Shield-Order lay dead, Grand Master Devilin von Bruh confronted Lord Kitur in single combat to see who was the superior. The Second and Third Divisions started their counter-attack breaking behind the warbands lines. The Armor of the Gray Hussars carved through the cultists with brutal efficiency. The warband managed to use the dead souls to summon more daemons, slowing the assault to a grind. The duel of the leaders was said to last for hours between the Grand Master and Chaos Lord, ending with a chain axe bisecting Grand Master Devilin von Bruh. The Lord-Knight of the Second Division, Riley von Gergan, pushed forth encountering Lord Kitur standing over his Grand Master's corpse. Charging the chaos lord with one swipe of his powersword, the Chaos Lord was decapitated, the daemon possessing the Chaos Lord exploding in a burst of warp energy. The Daemons were banished and the warband was disorganized and slaughtered by the Death Korp, Planetary Defense Forces and Gray Hussars. Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan was voted in unanimously as the Grand Master of the Gray Hussars, with no other challengers for the position.
• The Siege of Verrat (033.M42): The Ascenders of Dorn was a secluded chapter from the world of Verrat, a feudal world known for its militaristic Kingdoms that often warred with each other, deep in the Saras Sector. The Ascenders of Dorn was an Imperial Fist successor chapter founded during the 13^th Founding that settled on this world and vassalized the Kingdoms of the world to the Chapter. The royal lines submitted their Princes for the Astartes trials at the Fortress-Monastery at the center of the bleakly named Wastes of Versuch. The Princes would have to survive the harsh deserts with scorching temperatures that roasted the flesh from minutes of contact with the harsh rays of the system's star, once reaching the Fortress-Monestary they had completed the first trial on their path to becoming an Astartes. The chapter cared little for the goings on of the Imperium only deploying after major partitioning from the factions and only in limited numbers. Their Chapter Master Believed the Imperial Fists Legion should reunite to wage war for the Glory of Dorn and the Emperor, not for the High Lords of Terra pretending to rule the Imperium. (017.M42) The Ascenders of Dorn assaulted an Iron Warriors fortress, slaughtering a minor warband after a two-year siege. One of the Iron Warriors was able to flee to gather reinforcements for revenge. The Iron Warriors warband, The Iron Vindicators, set out for revenge. Almost a thousand Renegade Astartes were made for Verrat along with millions of the Lost and the Damned. The Ascenders of Dorn were still recovering from the siege, losing a hundred Battle-Brothers on top of being an understrength chapter beforehand. The Chapter Master, Alexander Brusharus, knew he needed assistance, but refused to call for aid from any military force not of the Sons of Dorn, viewing all others as inferior. The Ascenders of Dorn called to the only Imperial Fists in the Sector, the Gray Hussars. Grand Master Riley von Gergan accepted viewing this as a call of the Last Wall Protecal. The entire 3^rd and 4^th Divisions, the Shield-Order and Grand Master of the Gray Hussars landed on Verrat's surface being welcomed as brothers, but the Gray Hussars brought other allies. Five chapters from the Saras Sector followed the Gray Hussars sending varying sizes of Astartes to reinforce the world along with a regiment of the Tallarn Desert Raiders. Three White Scars Successor chapters, the Vigilent Hunters sent their 2^nd Company, the Lightning Riders sent their 8^th Company and the Plains Jaegers sent a Demi-Company of their 3^rd Company. The Silent Knights, a Raven Guard Successor, sent a squad of Terminator Veterans with their 8^th Company, along with a large contingent of Scouts. The Caliban Cavaliers, a Dark Angels Successor, sent their 2^nd Company Ravenwing and 6^th Company specifically to capture as many traitor Astartes for the interrogation of the Fallen. The massive Astartes force had gathered the eye of the Alpha Legion agents that had infiltrated the system in the months of preparation. Threads of this information found them into the ears of several warbands as a challenge to break the Imperial's honor for good. The Iron Warriors arrived in the system, but instead of their singular warband, hundreds of chaos vessels entered the system. Foil Plague vessels of the Death Guard, skull-dressed Cruisers of the Worshippers of Khorne, Ironclads of the Iron Warriors, Cabal vessels of the Thousands Sons, and infiltration vessels of the Alpha Legion and dozens of Rogue Imperial Navy vessels corrupted by the forces of chaos drifted ever closer to their destination. Thousands of Heretic Astartes, millions of cultists and untold whispers of corruption descended upon the world. Grand Master Riley von Gergan saw the writing on the wall. The coalition of Astartes vessels stood no chance against the fleet of Chaos vessels. He convinced the other chapters to temporarily retreat and bring reinforcements while the Chapters would hold out until victory or death. The planet itself was outfitted over the millennia with orbital batteries, defense platforms and void mines, making the approach to the feudal world elevated to a civilized world difficult to accomplish. That couldn't halt the Chaos forces for long. Drop Pods fell releasing their heretic Astartes hosts onto the planet's surface. The fields of the world turned to rivers of blood, and Loyalists and Heretics slaughtered one another in battles only described as all hellish. Daemons stalked the battlefields reinforcing the Chaos forces as the faith of the Emperor shined from the brave PDF and Guardsman sacrificing themselves in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. Into the first year, Grand Master Riley von Gergan soon became the overall commander as the Ascenders of Dorn revealed their vile practices in front of their allies. At the end of battles, Ascenders would flay the flesh of their victims and wear their skins upon their armor, then feasting upon the flesh with the local populous. The Gray Hussars Knights were ordered to mingle with the Ascenders of Dorn brother, learning that the chapter had developed a rift between many of the Officers and the lower brothers of the chapter. In the past centuries, curtain rituals had been practised that had disgusted other members of the chapter. Alexander Brusharus had developed a taste for blood, many of his command staff secretly slaughtered villages for no apparent reason, Battle-Brothers who raised concerns had winded up dead shortly after. The chaos forces had overrun and taken the desert continent occupying the majority of the northern portions of the world. Most of the Tallarn Desert Raider had died in the defense and the Astartes weren't fairing any better. Several battles had commenced on the open plains to the east of the Wastes of Versuch. The Gray Hussars and their allies fought using their preferred style of Lightning and Armored Warfare on the open plains in congregation with their allies. The Ascenders of Dorn had retreated entirely to their Fortress-Monastery, besieged by the Iron Warriors. The Agents of the Alpha Legion had infiltrated the Ascenders of Dorn, the Chapter Master Alexander Brusharus knowing that, secretly in league with them after the information and techniques they provided to slaughter the Iron Warriors on the previous campaign. The Reclusiarch of the Gray Hussars, Fritz von Schneider ambushed the meeting with his Holy Guard and Twenty Ascenders of Dorn and their Arch-Chaplain, ousting their Chapter Master as a Traitor to the Emperor in all forms. The ambush turned into a firefight, the senior Officers of the Ascenders of Dorn holding off the loyalists for the Alpha Legion and Chapter Master to escape to declare, that their chapter had been betrayed by the Gray Hussars in an attempted coup. The Arch-Chaplain declared the Chapter Master a traitor to the Emperor and a follower of the ruinous powers and their disciples. The Veterans and 300 of the remaining 550 Astartes sided with the Chapter Master. The Reclusiarch knew right away they stood no chance, taking as many loyalists with them they stole the remaining Thunderhawks and fled for the Plains. One hundred and twenty Ascenders of Dorn fled with the Gray Hussars to the plains. At the end of the battle with a Khornate Warband, Grand Master Riley von Gergan was met by a company-sized element of the Ascenders of Dorn, they had decided to swear fealty to the Grand Master, as a true upholder of the values of Rogal Dorn, denying their Old Chapter. Shedding their old colors of Black and Purple they dawned the Gray of the Mounted Knights of Dorn. The Grand Master immediately made for the Wastes, accompanied by every remaining Loyalist Astartes on Verrat. The Iron Warriors breached the Fortress-Monastery. Close Quarters attrition warfare was pursued until the last Ascender had been slain, holding the standards high until the end. Land Raiders, Razorback, Bikes, and Predators speed across the waste until they were at the gates of the Fortress-Monastery. Only a dozen badly injured Iron Warriors remained. The Shield-Order captured the remaining Iron Warriors, gifting the Caliban Cavaliers the heretics to do as they wished. Planting promethium throughout the ruins of the Fortress-Monastery. The Alpha Legion was watching and convinced the Death Guard to make an advance and claim the Fortress-Monastery. The Gray Hussars and the remaining loyalist Astartes pulled out of the ruins. Over the horizon pock walkers and a few hundred Plague Marines marched over the sands to the blackened walls, ruined by the abandoned guns of the Iron Warriors. Marching through the gates they couldn't notice the trap set. The unknown Plague Lord sat upon the stripped-down Chapter Master throne when the Promethium detonated before the Gray Hussars could trigger it. Flames engulfed the Fortress-Monastery. Portions of the walls blew away as the innermost chamber's stone melted together. Even the protection of Nurgle wasn't enough to protect the Plague Marines. Grand Master Riley von Gergan would wonder who detonated the explosion, none in the force knew who did. Seven months into the siege the Astartes fleets returned with several flotillas from Battlefleet Saras and many Imperial Guard Regiments from a variety of worlds. The Chaos fleets in orbit had gone to slaughtering one another, their cooperation meeting an end. The massive fleet that existed before had been reduced by a dozen ships, the rest being damaged and vulnerable to the coordinated Imperial Assault. The Emperor's Saber lead the fleet from the front, showing the strength of the aged Battle-Barge and the Iron will of the Imperium of Man. The Chaos Fleet was destroyed, the only survivors being the Alpha Legion vessels, they were spotted before the battle, by the end no Imperial vessel could account for them. Almost none of the civilian populous survived and Grand Master Riley von Gergan write off the world. The Astartes evacuated the seventy million survivors including Tallarn Raiders, PDF and civilians. For the honor of Dorn the Gray Hussars slaughtered the final warbands that were made of traitors from the heresy era. Little is known of the battle besides that the Loyalists won and a few traitors were taken for interrogation by the Caliban Cavaliers. After that, the last of the loyalists evacuated to their chapters vessels in orbit. The only available exterminatus were virus bombs. With hesitation, the bombs were dropped. Verrat was no more.
• Battle of Titarious 9 (052.M42): During the reinforcing of the Titarious System with the coming Death Guard warband the First Division reinforced the helpless system, drawing on their Primarch's great mind for defensive warfare, forming rings of defense, starting with the outlining world of Titarious 9 with the Veterans of the First and Third Brigade along with local defense forces from the Civilized World of Titarious 3 dug into the only continent of the world not plagued by raging storms and poisoned lands. When the Death Guard translated in orbit from the warp the fleet of the Division harassed the Death Guard, louring them towards Titarious 9 while the Second Brigade rallied the local Defense Forces to reinforce the defenders of the outlining world. The Death Guard landed outside the range of the garrison's guns deep within the storms of the world. Their Cultists and Plague Marines summoned the spawns of Nurgle marching with millions towards the Gray Hussars fortress. The cultists and plague bearers managed to march ahead of the plague marines, surrounding the Gray Hussars and human defenders they frantically charged in up the hill that the fortress rested upon. Bolters, lasguns, lascannons, stubbers and artillery rained upon tens of thousands of cultists and daemons fell before reaching the first trench, engaging the human defenders in a brutal melee. When the first last cultist ran up the hill the Third Brigade strung their trap. The Thunderhawks transported their Assault Marines and bike Marines drove out of underground trenches to surround the cultists from the rear. Cutting them down with speed and a solid defense, the Gray Hussars slaughtered the attackers while only losing a few battle-brothers. The Gray Hussars prepared for the next wave when they could spot the first Plague Marines coming over the horizon they dropped fuel over the soil and corpses around the fortress grounds. The Plague Marines rallied their hordes of cultists, charging forward from all sides. The Gray Hussars held their fire. When the entire attacking wave stepped within the perimeter one bolter round fired, sparking the ground a blaze. Most of the cultists were incinerated on the spot, their bodies disintegrated. The Plague Marines and Plague Bearers kept charging, reaching the wall and ascending. The Terminator Veterans of the First Brigade drew blades and their storm-shields fighting a furious melee giving the Third Brigade time to surround the second wave. Their bikes struck hard into the formation from the Northern slope while the Assault Marines jump-packed onto the walls to overwhelm the Plague Marines before they could even get atop the walls. The second wave took its toll, with thirty Veterans of the First Brigade perishing in the defense and ten bike marines of the Third Brigade dying. Lord-Knight Fredrick von Stuarck ordered the Third Brigade to retreat and wait for reinforcements through their underground tunnel systems leading behind the Death Guard's line. The Death Guard Lord grew frustrated by the tenacity of the Gray Hussars ordering a final assault led by himself and the entirety of his warband forces Charging towards the main gate defended heavily by the Human and Astartes defenders. Like a hammer, they broke the gate with unstoppable force as five hundred Plague Marines and ninety thousand cultists stormed the fortress. The Veteran Astartes put up a furious defense in faith they would by the other Brigades enough time to gather a counter-attack. The Rest of the Division arrived in orbit with elements of the Local Defense Forces and ships from Battlefleet Saras able to destroy the Plague vessels in orbit. The Second and Third Brigades along with two hundred thousand soldiers of the local defense forces landed to engage the Death Guard, too late. The First Brigade slaughtered to a man not before inflecting immense casualties on the warbands ranks. The Second Brigade finished gathering reinforcements with the Lord-Knight of the First Division ordering the Second Division a Drop Pod Assault on the Chaos Warband's landing sight bringing out all their Division heavy weaponry and Contemptor Dreadnoughts to slaughter the defending Death Guard Plague Marines. They linked up with the survivors of the Third Brigade surrounding their old fortress now lying in the ruin of the Death Guard. When the three hundred thousand Planetary Defense Forces dug around the base. The Marshall-Knight of the Second Brigade and Emperor's Champion, Josef von Kludds, lead the charge of the Gray Hussars upon the breached gate. Emperor's Champion Josef von Kludds carved a way to the Chaos Lord while the Knights of the Gray Hussars fought in furious close-quarters combat, they dueled with the powers of their Primarchs behind them. The swordsmanship of the Emperor's Champion fought the cleaving scythe. Eventually, the Blessed Black-Blade pierced the chest of the Chaos Lord, curling the blade skyward, bisecting the Death Guard Lord.
• The Devastation of Navjarov Prime (061.M42): The World of Navjarov Prime was a minor forge world skirting the edges of Saras Sector known for their genetor labs, storage of Gray Hussar gene-seed, ship production and military hardware. It was immensely valuable to Battlefleet Saras and the Gray Hussars Chapter for the sustained production of void craft and armaments. To the Gray Hussars they had made a pact with the forge-world for sustained arms, vessel production and storage of their gene-seed. The World was protected from several Skitarii Legions and Knight House-Opprus of Mechanicus Forces but also Garrisoned by the 3^rd Detachment Platoon led by Senior-Knight, Julion von Retzen, along with the Traitor's Executioner Vanguard Light-Cruiser of the Gray Hussars Chapter. Forces of the Black Legion traitor legion were informed of the gene vaults upon Navjarov Prime. Without warning the traitor forces headed for their new target, translating into the system the Mechanicus Fleet mobilized in defense of the system. The Traitor's Executioner joins into the fray. The traitor battleship, Wrath of Legions, lead the traitor fleet with hundreds of vessels engaging over the unstable gas giant of Navjarov 9 of the system edge. The Mechanicus kept their distance, using their mass numbers of Nova Cannons to ravage the chaos vessels Traitor's Executioner hid behind a barren moon for the chaos fleet to spark their engines. Using their speed to conduct fast-moving maneuvers around the moon until they were within boarding distance of the nearest Chaos Cruiser, The Void Reaper, launching their compliment of void squads and armed serfs to begin slaughtering the crew of cultists. Carving a bloody path through the decks the Void Squads made it to the bridge, engaging the Chaos Lord in charge of the vessel, slaying him and his warband, the Hussars suffered many casualties, the void squads collected their dead brothers and called on all of their armed serfs to volunteer to pilot the cruiser into the Chaos flagship. They diverted all the power to the void shields and engines, driving forward until The Void Reaper ploughed into the Wrath of Legions. The force from the Impact broke the structure of the cursed Battleship. The bravery of the Hussars couldn't account for the hundreds of Chaos vessels that broke through the Mechanicus lines, heading straight for Navjarov Prime. The Traitor's Executioner had to retreat, their vessel heavily damaged. The Gray Hussars docked on the shipyard of the far side of the planet, purposely avoided by the Chaos Fleet for its defensive weaponry could shred hostile vessels from the void. Most of the Chaos fleet had received heavy damage. Tens of millions of chaos cultists and traitor guardsmen landed upon the planet below, led by their traitor Astartes overlords. Skitarii legions engaged in vicious mass battles with the chaos forces as Daemons were summoned in to lend their strength. The Gray Hussars rode out in support of their Mechanicus Allies, and the Squires and Tactical Squad remained to defend the gene vaults and labs with seven thousand Skitarii. The Black Legions most experienced forces marched on the walls of the gene vault built into the vertical face of a volcanic ridge, defended by walls made of volcanic glass. Waves of cultists and Traitor Astartes threw themselves at the Astartes and Mechanicus allies. For days the gene vault was held, using expert tactics developed by the chapter's primarch to keep the fortification standing. The other forces led by Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen joined a Mechanicus counterattack on a manufactorum conquered by the heretics that are used to produce lasrifles for local Imperial Guard regiments. Hussars, Skitarii and Knights broke into the heretic lines before being brutally crushed in what amounted to a slaughter. The Gray Hussars lost their entire Assault Squad in a vicious melee with Black Legion Traitor Astartes. Pulling back from the battle they retreated to the gene vaults to join their brothers in the bitter defense. Half the Skitarii were dead or severely injured beyond the point of fighting. Four Knights and nine squires had fallen to Black Legion incursions. The traitors had lost fifty thousand heretics in the valley leading to the ridge walls and the lands had gone from desolate deserts to an ocean of blood. Daemons stalked the battlefield, slaughtering as they desired. Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen ordered his Astropath to send a message to any available Imperial Guard Regiments to assist in the defense of the world. The Astartes held out for months, their squires replacing their fallen Knight masters as full battle-brothers of the Chapter by decree from their liege. Chaos forces had spread to hundreds of manufactorum clusters that dotted the planet's surface when the Gray Hussars message would be responded to. Translating in system Battlegroup Noctus of Battlefleet Saras escorted seven Imperial Guard Regiments of the infamous Death Korp of Krieg, to the planet's surface. The Gray Hussars had been cut off from their ally Mechanicus Forces, their armor broken beyond use, ammunition becoming scarce, chainswords clogging, and vehicles long made useless by the lack of Promethium. They had devolved to using Scout plates as armor, as their power armor failed to sustain the energy needed to use the armor. Only twenty brothers remained, most of them being former Squires, only six experience Astartes remained, Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen, Sergeant-Knight Siegfried von Zosch, and four other brothers that had served for several decades before. The Chaos Forces marched towards the wall for one last battle, the Skitarii only numbering a thousand against thirty thousand cultists and several dozen traitor Astartes. They approached and halted, ready to charge the walls on the signal. From the horizon, dust was kicked up as Imperial Guard charged forth towards the valley. Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen saw his opening. Taking the remaining experienced Astartes with him, he took all the bolt shells he could, and the power swords left working. They scaled the ridge overlooking the panicking cultists as they lost their organization from the rearward assault of the Death Korp. They hastily tried to retreat to engage the fanatic Guardsman engaging in a bloody close quarters melee with an overwhelming guard force. Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen ordered his men into the valley to slaughter the traitors with determination and grit. Lacking their suits of holy power armor only relying on the strength bestowed onto them by the Holy Emperor they charged. Bolters firing, swords swinging hundreds fell before the unclad Astartes. The Death Riders of the Death Korp managed to link up with these giants of men slaughtering the cultists in their hordes, joining them once identified as loyalist Astartes. The Astartes took the Kriegs mounts and lances, driving a blood path through the cultists. Six Angelic riders. The blood and sand sticking to their bodies they appeared like phantoms. The Black Legion lord barely notices the Gray Hussars ride in. Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen through an explosive lance at the Chaos Lord, distracting him enough for Senior-Knight to ride in and engage. It's unknown how the duel went, until the end with a bisected Senior-Knight of the Gray Hussars and a Chaos Lord dead by a powersword slash across the torso. Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen would live, only saved by his entombment into a Contemptor Dreadnaught aboard the Traitor's Executioner. The Death Korp would go on to exterminate the Chaos Forces from the planet along with the remaining Mechanicus Forces. The Gray Hussars Grand Master Riley von Gergan would request a genetically modified Krieg Mount be made by the Mechanicus that ride a fully grown and armored Astartes into battle. The beastly horse would be produced by the gene labs and a permanent unit was created in honor of Senior-Knight Julion von Retzen, it would be called The Totenkopf Platoon.
• The Pacification of Gluid (076.M42): The world of Gluid was a Semi-Industialized Agri-World that had been torn apart Workers Revolution when an illusioned Merchant by the name of Kyle Wirtem in the year 064.M42 and was initially a localized civil war barely affecting the war effort in the Saras Sector and expected the planetary authorities would take care of the revolt. By the twelfth year of the civil war it was a stalemate and several regions of the world had fallen to the worker's revolt with unprecedented success. Grand Master Riley von Gergan had been tracking agents of the Alpha Legion operating within the Sector and suspected foul play on their part within the Civil War. He dispatched three Reconnaissance Platoons, Echo, Foxtrot and Hotel, to the world. The three Hunter-Class Destroyers translated within system, their stealth systems allowing them to dispense their 150 Phobos Armored Astartes and 150 Squires onto the world. The three destroyers scanned the surroundings, stalking for any sign Alpha Legion vessels operating within the system. For months the Phobos Astartes and Squires remained in the shadows, assassinating, sabotaging and countering Revolutionary agents. The chaos within the worker revolutionaries at the deaths of many of their leaders in quick succession allowed the loyalist Imperial Forces to slowly retake lost grounds and crush them. The Squires kept eyes on the loyalist leaders, protecting them from the shadows and watching for any moves from Alpha Legionnaires. Several months in the civil war had turned in the loyalist's favor with the Gray Hussars intervention, but the Astartes were getting impatient. Their break would come when an unidentified blimp would appear on the augurs scans of the Hunter-Class Destroyer. The ship was too large to be engaged by the destroyers and disappeared within minutes. The Forge-Engineer Marine of the Huldra would manage to track the trajectory and size of the vessel. It came out to be a Heavy Cruiser-Class sized vessel in a direct course for the world Gluid. The Huldra would manage to transmit the information to the other destroyers, Mahr and Erdhenne. The Ship Masters of all three vessels would coordinate a joint strike between the three escort vessels and contacted a Squadren of three Imperial Dauntless-Class Light Cruisers patrolling near their space, demanding them divert course to intercept the Heavy Cruiser outside the Gas Giant, CZ-98813. Hours passed the phantom traces of engine radiation giving away the location of the stealth vessel. Thrirty-six hours passed. The Imperial Navy Squadron had arrived two hours early waiting for any sign of hostile presence in the system. The three Astartes Destroyers had been stalking the Heavy Cruiser within macro battery range. The Huldra deactivated their stealth systems to unleash a salvo of Macrobattery fire. Two shots impacted and deflected off the superstructure of an ancient Heavy Cruiser from the Heresy-era, marked in the iconography of the Alpha Legion. The Imperial Navy activated their engines to intercept the Heavy Cruiser while the Heavy Cruiser turned to chase the Huldra that had sparked its engines to full speed to get out of range of the Heavy Cruiser. The Mahr and Erdhenne fired a salvo of torpedoes aimed at the engine block, four warheads flying for the old vessel were soon detected. The Heavy Cruiser turned to avoid the strike, missing three of the four. One finds its mark, blowing away part of the engines with it. Left to drift, its speed halved, it was left pray for the Imperial Navy approaching within Macrobattery fire. The Astartes requested the Imperial Navy target weapons and engines, the objective to not destroy the vessel but leave it a hulk for the Void Squads to board and seize as many heretics as they can. The fire of the Imperial Navy vessels and the Astartes vessels crippled the Alpha Legion vessel in an hour of sustained fire. The Lance Battery of the Alpha Legion Heavy Cruiser pierced and severely damaged the Imperial Light-Cruiser Braidant, forcing it to disengage. When the last of the defense turrets had been blown off or disabled, boarding craft was launched from the Destroyers containing thirty Astartes. The Gray Hussars cut their way through the twisted Chaos vessel, with bolters, chainswords and astartes knives. The Alpha Legion fought hard for the seven on the vessel, two Gray Hussars fell in the engagement while subduing three of the seven Alpha Legionnaires, taking them back to the Mahr to be interrogated. The other Astartes showered the vessel for information, finding several data slates containing information on the Alpha Legion on the surface of Gluid. The Imperial Navy finished off the twisted Heavy Cruiser with the remaining macro battery rounds they had left. Deciphering the information and through interrogations of the heretics it was revealed ten Alpha Legion heretic Astartes were on the planet's surface along with locations and missions. The information was relayed to the Gray Hussars on the surface, laying traps for heretics. In the world's capital city, three Alpha Legionnaires were moving to assassinate the Chiefs of the General Staff of the PDF forces while they were in a meeting. As they infiltrated the military headquarters, the Incursor Squad and Reiver Squads from Hotel Platoon cornered them. Attempting to escape the Eliminator Sniper teams picked off one of them exiting the military HQ, their position exposed the Suppressors flew in, cornering and suppressing them in their location, only for the cold blades from Reiver knives to cut them down. Echo platoon's Infiltrator Squad moved through the snowed-in plains of the northern continent tracking two Alpha Legionnaires, making their way to ambush the world's Bishop on a Chaplain mission to the front lines. Taking a position in an abandoned Castle bombed out sitting on top of a hill, the infiltrators supported by Eliminator teams surrounded them. The infiltrators moved in, breaching their sniper's nest and slaying them with their bolt carbines. The Alpha Legionnaire assisting the Revolutions leader, Kyle Wirtem, was inspecting the elite teams of the Revolutionary People's Army when Suppressors flew in and laid fire down, the autocannon's fire too much and slaying the hundreds in the outpost. The Alpha Legionnaires remaining would attempt to escape on an Imperial Transport vessel, not knowing the Reiver Squad from Foxtrot Platoon had tracked them. When in orbit they announced themselves and aroused the crew to search the entire vessel, discovering the heretics by the trail of bodies, cutting the last four down. With the Alpha Legion threat gone. The Gray Hussars took control of the loyalists on the surface leading them to victory in a month of sustained combat and placing a noble that was a Gray Hussars puppet as the King of the world before departing.
• The Assassin Hunt upon Vershic (102.M42): 097.M42 An Assassin from the Vindicare temple of the Officio Assassinorum was dispatched to the distant world of Vershic, a hive-world within the Saras Sector. The mission tasked to Assassin was to assassinate the planetary governor, Grand Duke Unter Vershic, and his family. 101.M42 The Assassin landed upon Vershic, smuggling himself on a merchant vessel. The Assassin failed to report to the Inquisitor of the Ordo Sicarius, Luk Kaesar, the Inquisitor would depart for Vershic. Upon arrival to the planet, the Inquisitor requested an audience with the governor as he reported to the Inquisitor that a man had abducted his family. The Inquisitor despite there to make sure the governor had perished, now turned his attention to the rogue Vindicare. Inquisitor Kaesar released his entire retinue to hunt down the Assassin, but every time they get close, the Vindicare would get away. Inquisitor Kaesar would request the assistance of the Gray Hussars in hunting down the Vindicare. The Grand Master, Riley von Gergan, not wanting to compromise any of the fronts the chapter was engaged in, dispatched a single unbound unit, Reconnaissance Platoon Golf. The Astartes Destroyer equipped with a stealth system entered the system and only revealed themselves when they were near impact with Inquisitor Kaesar's Cruiser. They joined the hunt. The Infiltrators skilled in deep Reconnaissance discovered the location of the Governor's family while the Vindicare was out. The chapter set an ambush for the Assassin. The combined efforts of squads of Infiltrators, Incursors, Reivers and Eliminators managed to slay the Vindicare after Eliminator Sergeant-Knight, Ferdinand von Deabrisch, shot the Vindicare with an Executioner Round. The Astartes investigated the warehouse the Nobel family was held in. Discovering the reason the Vindicare was sent to this world. Inquisitor Kaesar convinced the High Lords to send the Assassin on false pretences of instigating heresy. In reality, the Governor chose to defy the Inquisitor when he failed to surrender his daughter to Inquisitorial authority when Inquisitor Kaesar requested marriage with his daughter, the Princess of Vershic. Senior-Knight Reiner von Junkernberg viewed the current Grand Duke as a vile human unworthy to rule over a world under the Emperor's domain. The Inquisitor had betrayed his sacred duty to the Emperor and would need to be purged. The Gray Hussars killed the Grand Duke in front of the Inquisitor and his small retinue. The Inquisitor praised the Astartes but was forced silent as Senior-Knight Junkernberg drew his bolt pistol. The Reivers and Incursors drew their weaponry, and they explained the evidence they had against the Inquisitor before his retinue and their intentions of apprehending Inquisitor Kaesar, in reality, they intended on having him killed. The retinue denied the Astartes claim, a Sister of Battle firing her bolter at the closest Reiver before his blade beheaded her. The Inquisitor used his retinue to escape, letting them be slaughtered by the Astartes. In orbit the Infiltrator Squad accompanied by a Void Squad disabled the Inquisitors Cruiser. Killing the Astropath, disabling the engines and slaughtering the entirety of the crew. The Astartes would send the cruiser into the warp without their navigator, being lost for eternity, at least that's what they would report to Inquisitor Xerxes of the Ordo Zenos that had a debt to the chapter. Inquisitor Xerxes would state that Inquisitor Kaesar was lost in the warp. Inquisitor Kaesar descended into the underhive of Vershic, not knowing he was pursued by Eliminator Sergeant-Knight Deabrisch. The Inquisitor would be shot with a Mortis round, encapsulating the Inquisitor, allowing him to come in close and finishing him with a blow from his Powersword, with a prayer to the Emperor and a singular swipe of his blade. Senior-Knight Junkernberg would install his daughter as the new Planetary Governor of Vershic, elevating the status of their title from Grand Duke to King of Vershic with the blessing of the platoon's Chaplain in the name of the Emperor of Mankind.
• The Intervention on Auchtous (104.M41): Auchtous was an Ecclesiarchial World homeworld to a Lesser Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the Order of the Iron Cross. The world was also guarded by a Temple Garrison Squad of the Gray Hussars Chapter guarding the Cathedral at the heart of the Planetary Capitol. The world fell under the assault of the forces of the chaos led by the Black Legion. Sending a distress message from every Astropath not gone insane for the daemons leaching into reality with the tide of the dark forces. The Astartes fought hard, in the defense of the Cathedral of Saint Grevier before falling after a two-month siege where the Black Legion eventually gave up on taking the Cathedral and the Chaos Sappers blew the foundation, toppling the Cathedral till it was rubble. The Apothecary being the only survivor of the Garrison Squad. The message didn't go unheard, received by the Gray Hussars 4^th Division, which relayed it to all Imperial Forces that the most sacred of worlds were under assault, for the salvation of Mankind they must rally to its defense and slay the vile traitors and cleanse the world of all heresy. The 4^th Division Fleet joined the raging naval engagement still in play in orbit between elements of the Black Legion and the Imperial Navy. The Gray Hussars fleet made for the planet, blowing through the Chaos vessels and dispensing the 11^th Brigade to the surface in a Drop Pod Assault, their target, the Adepta Sororitas fortress that had been weathering a siege by the traitor forces for three months, their order being reduced to a partial 200 of its original 1000 strength. Breaking the skyline the drop pod dispensed the entire Brigade surrounding the cultists, cutting them down by the tens of thousands as they burned down their siege camps. The Black Legionnaires decided to let the Cultists be the distraction and make one final attempt at taking the keep at the center of the Sororitas fortress. Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner knew the Black Legion had pushed inside and that the Sororitas stood no chance alone. The Gray Hussars pursued while the 10^th and 12^th Brigades were brought down in Thunderhawks, the Predators, Landspeeders and Bike Squads routing the Cultists by the sudden strike by the Knights of Dorn. Valeer von Gesner pushed forth, cutting down the Black Legionnaires in his path with his holy Black Blade. Dueling the warbands Lord he decapitated him in the innermost sanctum of the Keep, all but a singular young Sister of Battle having been slain, saved from the teeth of a Chainsword by the encrusted Black Blade of Valeer von Gesner. Her leg was broken by a mighty blow from a Traitor Astartes. The Apothecary rendered her medical aid and gave her pain medications on the champion's orders. The Sister was named Adali. She was carried out of the fortress, seeing her Sister mutilated corpses as they passed by, bringing her to tears and embracing the artificer armor of the Emperor's Champion. Many of the Astartes were off put by the Sister and even more by the emotional display by their Champion. The Astartes fleet and the Imperial Navy of Battlefleet Saras destroyed the chaos fleet, with many devastated vessels fleeing into the void to avoid annihilation. The Imperial Guard dispatched a regiment of Death Korp Guardsmen to assist the planetary defense forces and Astartes destroy the now disorganized Chaos forces. Driving forth towards the Capitol that had turned into a slaughter field, street-by-street, spire-by-spire. The flew Black Legionnaires planned revenge against the Champion. They set an ambush when the Champion lead an assault on a habitation block the Sister's leg having healed requested to fight alongside the Champion, developing an unorthodox relationship with the Champion. Walking into a preset ambush Twelve heretic Astartes ambushed the Emperor's Champion squad. The Squire bearing the Ancient was the first to be slain followed by the Two Veteran-Knights and lastly, the Apothecary, until it was only the Emperor's Champion and Sister Adali. The fighting was fierce. Being dazed Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner fell, and Sister Adali was blown back by a powerful punch from a Black Legionnaire, she screamed. In a blind flash she was given the powers of the Emperor, infused with his essence filling her to save the Valeer von Gesner. The blessing of the Emperor took away her mortal form, giving her the power of a living Saint. Slaying the Black Legionnaires she rushed to Valeer von Gesner's side and embraced him with her angelic wings, healing his wounds with a kiss of the blessed. The Champions Apprentice, rushing to his master's position was awestruck. Kneeling before the living Saint glowing in the blessing of the Emperor, muttering his prayers. The Saint would become the beacon for which the Imperial Forces would rally around to purge the Hive in the course of the month. Saint Adali raised the spirits of all and fought alongside the Emperor's Champion in what was described as loving devotion to each other, which was a common rumour among the Imperials who bore witness to the two. In the next two years, the last of the cultists would be purged and hunted down by the living Saint in every corner of Auchtous.
• The Battle of Fludrak Primus (105.M42): The Gray Hussars Reconnaissance Platoon Indomidus was formed as the fifth separate Reconnaissance Platoon to operate separate from the Divisions, patrolling the border of the Saras Sector with the Realm of Ultramar. The Senior-Knight in command of the Adlig, Hunter-Class Destroyer, when they chased a warband of the Lost and the Damned in an old Pirating vessel. They were scavenging the reck of a ravaged Astartes Vessels left to drift in the void. The Void Squad boarded and slaughtered the Chaos Pirates. Upon the scowering, the Senior-Knight Hektor von Zimmerburg ordered the investigation of the Astartes vessel, an old Vanguard Light-Cruiser. The Infiltrator Squad and Incursor Squads searched the vessel for survivors after the Adlig auspexes discovered a positive life signature. They discovered the vessel was the property of the Lamenters Chapter, the Blessed Sons of Sanginious, not cured with the Black Rage of their former Legion. Arriving upon the bridge deck they discovered the Lamenters were locked in battle with a chaos warband from the Blood Letters of Khorne, seeing the dissected remains of the Lamenters and Khornate Astartes lying where they last swung their swords and chainaxes in combat. From the remains, all the recoverable gene-seed had been recovered by their apothecarium, and stored in their vaults. The Infiltrators breached the bridge, its door held on by the blasted walls. They discovered the one survivor, a surviving Battle-Brother sitting on the Captain's Throne, drowning in his Suspended Animated state. The Lamenter Astartes was brought to the Apothecary aboard the Adlig guarded by the Reiver Squad for security. The Forge-Engineer attached to the Platoon inspected the logs housed within the ships machine spirit they discovered that this ship went lost in the warp for hundreds of years from before the War for Badab, last data log in 799.M41. The Astropaths and Serfs looked through what records they had on the Lamenters within the last century, any reports or astropathic messages sent across the warp. The Astropaths send psychic messages for the Lamenters chapters. Salvaging the Geneseed and wargear for the deliverance to their rightful owners. The nearest Lamenters chapter forces were fighting in the defense of a Hive-City, a demi-company of squads from the 5^th, 6^th and 9^th companies who were lost from the majority of the chapter. The Gray Hussars sent a message to the Second Division fleet of the location of the Lamenters ravaged Vanguard Light-Cruiser, that the Gray Hussars might refurbish the vessel for their own uses. Reconnaissance Platoon Indomidus translated from the warp in system SX-7789, where they received a distress transmission from an Imperial Cruiser being swarmed by Chaos escort vessel, a dozen frigate-sized vessels sustaining fire on the Imperial Navy vessel. Slipping in undetected the Gray Hussars launched their Void Squad upon the largest frigate, before slipping back into the shadows of the void. Within a dozen minutes, the void squad sabotaged the engine compartment and placed explosives within the Macrocannon ammunition storage. Blowing the vessel into obliviation the other chaos vessels scattered to regroup, giving the cruiser enough time to retreat back to Fludrak Primus the hive-world resting at the center of the system. In orbit of the world, a choas flotilla and a joint Imperial Navy and Astartes fleets fought for void dominance over the contested world. The Lamenters strike-cruiser taking part in the void battle was hailed by the Gray Hussars as they retreated from a boarding run against a Black Legion Battlecruiser. The Gray Hussars shared their sorrows in the discovery of their lost brothers and their intention and returned the survivor to the fold. The human naval captain of the Strike Cruiser couldn't take the authority of the chapter in accepting directing them to the Hive City of Utarp and requested the Gray Hussars assist the Lamenters and the Imperial Forces defending against the Chaos Legions assaulting the world. The Gray Hussars woke the Lamenter within their apothecarium, the fully clad warrior reacting to the graceful moments of the Angel Primarch he sired from when drawing his knife and going for the Apothecary. Halting the instinct-driven Astartes he was brought to date of their situation, requesting his aid in returning him to his chapter. Inserting by Thunderhawk, the Gray Hussars and the lone Lamenter descended to the surface, into the irradiated forests to the north of the Hive. The Black Legion had detected their Thunderhawk and laid an ambush for the new Astartes joining the fight. Once the Thunderhawk had left for the destroyer in orbit, bolter fire rained down upon the Astartes. Cultists roared down at the loyalists meeting the Phobos Astartes out of their element fighting for their lives and choosing to shatter within the woods. Fleeing on foot for the city walls the stealth-based Phobos Marines avoided the Chaos forces until they reached the wall, opting to split into their two Astartes teams for flexibility. The Lamenter joined a pair of Reivers, failing to slip past the Black Legion and their chaos cultists they were led into a preplaced minefield, that went undiscovered, and triggered a squad of Black Legionnaires to respond and assault them. The Reivers would be killed in fiery close-quarters combat, leaving the Lamenter on his own, calling for the aid of the other teams, from within the ruins of a slaughtered town. The Gray Hussars teams and scores of Black Legionnaires converged into the town, in unorganized bands fighting street for street house for house. The Lamenters from within the Hive heard of the Gray Hussars and their brother being ambushed, they sent all they could that could respond in time, a single razorback low on heavy bolter ammunition and two bikes, with a small squad of devastator marines and a Sergeant. The Guard Garrison dispatched several platoons of Motorized Infantry to catch up with the Lamenters relief force. Reaching the outskirts of the town, the treats of the right track of the razorback snapped, leaving it stranded. The Gray Hussars had suffered the loss of twelve Astartes and killed only fifteen of their Black Legion traitor kin. The Lamenters bikers road in ahead, to inform the Gray Hussars to retreat to the outskirts to fall under the protective fire of their razorback. Knowing it was the only way, the Gray Hussars retreated, followed closely by the traitor Astartes. Imperial Guard forces and Lamenter Astartes were sustaining prolonged combat with ever-increasing Cultists. Tens of thousands of cultists charged their lines, coming in endless waves. But the Black Legion had divided to retreat as they heard word of their fleet in orbit losing the Void battle. Following the slaughter of the wave of cultists, totalling thirty-nine thousand. The Gray Hussars took stalk in their losses. They had lost three more brothers in that time, and the Lamenters had gained an Astartes and the returned wargear and gene-seed. The Gray Hussars respected the honor Lamenters and viewed the Sanguine Astartes as great warriors, fighting harder for their cause than any other chapter, viewing them as the blessed sons of Sanguinious for the rest of eternity.

Chapter Organization

Not broken up like standard Chapters because of their large numbers and constant crusade the Gray Hussars are broken up into Strike Forces known as Divisions. Calling their Companies, 'Brigades' the Gray Hussars operate in Strike Force numbers. A Demi-Company equivalent is the Platoon(2-4 Squads). The Squad is the smallest unit size, normally consisting of up to ten Marines.

Each Division almost always operate separate from one another, rarely congregating together. Each Division is responsible for it's own recruitment and supplying of equipment from it's own. Most of their equipment is manufactured from a serf class that live on the ships of the Chapter.

The Chapter is in possession of a surprisingly large amount of Contemptor, Deredeo and Leviathan Dreadnoughts, rarely using other patterns of Dreadnoughts, believing that those who sacrificed themselves for the chapter deserve a Dreadnought as close to their original body as possible, viewing the other patterns as crude and not deserving of their Brother's entombment, but due to the high mortality and wounded in action rates other patterns of Dreadnaughts have been adopted..

The First Brigade of each Division is known as the Armored Brigade, possessing all the division's Land Raiders and Razorbacks, Predator tanks, most of the Dreadnoughts, several Thunderhawks and the Terminator Veterans of the Chapter. The other Astartes include a platoon of Jump-Pack Assault Marines and a Platoon mixed with Tactical and Devastator Squads. This Brigade fills the role of the Heavy Assaults to break through enemies line, wrap around and destroy enemies of the Imperium in an offensive role. In the case of a defensive battle this Brigade digs trenches and firing positions for their Razorbacks to act as mobile self-propelled Artillery to support their Serfs and Terminators holding the line, while the Assault and Tactical Marines will remain in reserve to counter enemy assaults. This Brigade possesses the most Veterans of the Division. Most of the time this Brigade is always on board the Division's Battle-Barge.

The Second Brigade of a Gray Hussars Division is known as the Assault Brigade or more informally the Champion's Brigade, as it's Marshall-Knight is the Emperor's Champion of the Division. They specialize in Light Infantry quick assaults. This Brigade Drop Pods into combat zones to destroy strategic targets, establish landing zones and be the first one in the fray. If the campaign requires, once they initially drop, Thunderhawks deliver Bikes and Assault Bikes, their Dreadnoughts if dropped with the rest of the Brigade will be evacuated back to the Strike Cruiser this Brigade operates out of. Only in the 4^th Division does the Assault Brigade operate from the Battle-Barge.

The Third and final Brigade of the Division is called the Lightning Brigade. This Brigade has often times been mistaken as members of the White Scars for their preference for fast-Bike based warfare. During the Damocles Gulf Crusade the Gray Hussars had adopted the mass use of Bikes and Land Speeders to overrun enemy positions and support their Armored Brigade by routing enemy forces in the field of battle. They have often been described as clouds bringing exploding clouds of blood and death to those who stand against the Imperium. They also have squads of Jump-Pack assault marines that use Thunderhawks to drop and slaughter enemy positions. This Brigade always operates from the second Strike Cruiser of the Division Fleet.

Each Division operates their own fleet. The flagship of the Division is the Battle-Barge, followed by two Strike Cruisers and Eighteen Hunter Class Destroyers. They also scavenge and use Imperial Navy vessels abandoned or refurbished, possessing a diverse fleet able to take on most threats thrown at them. For this the Imperial Navy have voiced concerns but the Gray Hussars have a very favorable relationship with Battlefleet Saras, always coming to their aid when called.

The Emperor's Saber is the Battle-Barge that acts as the flagship and Fortress Monastery of the Chapter where the Chapter Master operates from. The Emperor's Saber is often scene with one of the Division fleet, most of the time the Second or Third Division Fleets.

Officer Ranks

• Grand Master: Chapter Master Equivalent
• Lord-Knight: Division Commander; Captain equivalent placed in charge of a minimum of 3-4 Companies (Strike Force).
• Master of the Fleets: Strike-Force Commander Equivalent. The void commander of every ship of the Chapter.
• Marshall-Knight: Captain equivalent.
• Fleet Master: Captain equivalent that commands a Division Fleet.
• Shield-Master: Captain equivalent commander of the Shield-Order.
• Master-Tueton: Captain equivalent commander of the Tuetonic-Order.
• Senior-Knight: Lieutenant equivalent.
• Ship Master: Lieutenant equivalent that commands the vessel.
• Primus-Tueton: Lieutenant equivalent of the Tuetonic-Order.

Specialist Ranks

• Reclusiarch: Highest Chaplain of the Chapter
• Arch-Chaplain: Head Chaplain of a Division
• Shield-Chaplain: Head Chaplain of the Shield Order (Same rank as Chaplain but a more prestigious position)
• Teuton-Chaplain: Head Chaplain of the Teutonic Order (Same rank as Chaplain but a more prestigious position)
• Chaplain: Spiritual Guide and keeper of traditions of the Chapter. One per Brigade and always Second in Command of Brigade.
• Master of Canon: Specialist Chaplain within the Holy Reclusium that leads the Scribes and their Serfs in the dictation of the Chapters records compliled by the Scribe-Knights of each brigade into the records aboard the Emperor's Saber.
• Scribe-Knight: Knights that are talented in the field of writing that dictate the events of the chapter. There is one per brigade and lead hundreds of serfs in the compling and codifying the important information to be sent to Master of Canon in the chapter records.
• The Emperor's Champion: Champion of each Division of the Chapter/Marshall-Knight of the 2^nd, 5^th, 8^th and 11^th Brigades.
• The Champion's Apprentice: The Apprentice of the Emperor's Champion, selected by the Champion amongst the Knights of his Division. They bear Black helmets with a white stripe along the top. They serve as the Sergeant-Knight of the Champion's Command Squad. They are usually one of the greatest coming leaders and duelists of the Division that are brought under the Emperor's Champion to inherit his position when slain.
• Apothecary Primus: Chief Apothecary equivalent.
• Apothecary: Apothecary equivalent.
• Lord of the Forge-Engineers: Master of the Forge equivalent.
• Forge-Engineer Marine: Techmarine equivalent.
• Forge-Engineer Aspirant Marine: Astartes under the Apprenticeship of a Forge-Engineer (Techmarine) waiting to go to Mars to be trained as a proper Techmarine.
• Death-Knight: Senior-Knight equivalent and leader of the Totenkopf Platoon.
• Arbiter-Knight: Perceptor-Sergeant equivalent of the Totenkopf Platoon.
• Reaper-Knight: Veteran-Knight equivalent of the Totenkopf Platoon.

Line Ranks

• Preceptor-Sergeant: Veteran Sergeant equivalent.
• Lehrer-Teuton: Veteran Sergeant equivalent of the Tuetonic-Order.
• Veteran-Knight: Veteran Marine equivalent.
• Tuetonic-Knight: Veteran Marine equivalent of the Tuetonic Order.
• Sergeant-Knight: Sergeant equivalent.
• Corporal-Knight: Apprentice to the Sergeant-Knight of the squad, second in command of the squad.
• Knight: Battle-Brother equivalent.
• Squire: Scout Marine equivalent.
• Neophyte: Neophyte equivalent.

Specialist Units & Formations

• Emperor's Champion's Squad: Equivalent of a Honor Guard. Consists of an Apothecary, Ancient Bearer, the Apprentice to the Emperor's Champion holding the rank of Sergeant-Knight, and two Veteran-Knights.
• Reconnaissance Platoon: Mixed unit of 50 Astartes Infiltrators(10), Incursors(10), Eliminators(10), Suppressors(10) and Reivers(10) designed for deep Reconnaissance, Assassination, Sabotage, Intelligence, Commando Assaults and Investigation that operates separately from the other units in the Division. Each Division is assigned a Reconnaissance Platoon, operating from a Stealth-Drive Augmented Hunter-Class Destroyer. They often operate ahead of the Division, performing important intelligence gathering in a warzone before the rest of the Division Forces arrive. Before the Primaris Reinforcements and the addition of Phobos pattern armor, the Reconnaissance Platoons were limited to a mere support role of the Division, after the Grand Master authorized the expansion of the Reconnaissance Platoons as independent entities. The first four platoons would remain with their respective Divisions, while the others would operate away from the rest of the Chapter, performing intelligence gathering and being the eyes and ears of the chapter across the Saras Sector where the Divisions couldn't be. They sometimes participate in independent operations themselves or join Imperial Forces when needed. The Platoons not attached to a Division are kept in the dark from other Imperial authorities, as to keep their mission a secret, shrouded in their darkness. The Infiltrators trained to operate in teams of two when performing infiltration operations into population centers, military compounds and economic targets to cover ground and reduce chances of detection. Reivers train in teams of two for assassination operations as the teams will attempt to kill their targets synchronized to avoid retaliations. Incursors are normally the only component that always remains as a full squad at anytime and perform sabotage operations. Eliminators and Suppressors normally operate in teams of three with the rare occurrence of having two Corporal-Knights in the squad leading each a team and the Sergeant-Knight leads a team of four including himself.
• Recruitment Squad: Command Squad lead by a Chaplain, accompanied by an Apothecary, one Preceptor-Sergeant and two Veteran Marines. They are stationed to a recruitment world to facilitate the recruitment and weeding out of Neophytes until they are ready to become squires to be attached to a Knight. The Recruitment Squads are also known for enforcing loyalty to the Imperium and by extent the chapter among the ruling body of the planet they operate on. Todesburg has had the most cooperation between the Royal Family governing the world and the Recruitment Squad, join the King's court as distingished advisors and representatives of the Emperor's Will on the world. Chaplain Julious von Klatt married the Princess and the a noble's son, being noted for being the largest Wedding in the world's history.
• The Shield-Order: 100 Veteran Tactical Marines hand picked as the Honor Guard of the Chapter. They also act as the Astartes retinue for the Grand Master and his fleet. They are expert swordsman, honing their sword skills mixed with a Storm shield colored gray and gold with the chapter cross over the Imperial Aquila. These Astartes are normally some of the oldest members of the chapter, choosing to serve the chapter for its prestige. They are picked one on the skill of their blades, in addition to strength of faith and loyalty to the Chapter and the Imperium. Shield-Master is the title of the commander of the Shield Order and is an equivalent rank to Marshall-Knight but more prestigious. They are divided into platoons similar to the rest of the Chapter, but are renamed Orders to signify their elevated position above the rest.
• The Holy Guard: The Honor Guard of the Reclusiarch and the Chaplain Order, made up of Astartes who had either battled the forces of chaos or received visions of the Emperor or a vision of the Primarchs through ritualistic prayer. They vary in number, but there are always two accompanying a Chaplain, five with a High-Chaplain and at least a platoon with the Reclusiarch. One Platoon always remain stationed aboard the ships of the Fleet of Faith. These warriors wear far more black pattered over much of their armor and their crosses being white instead of black on the shoulder pauldrons with black backdrop. They are experts in the art of war, veterans of a thousand battles across uncounted worlds. They are lead only by the Reclusiarch and are the second Honor Guard of the Chapter solely for religious purposes or if the Reclusiarch leads a campaign they are there with them.
• The Fleet of Faith: The Fleet of the Reclusiarch is a small flotilla made to serve the needs of the chaplain order of the Chapter. The Fleet began with just the Strike Cruiser, The Imperial Shield, but over the centuries has expanded to include several of the Chapter's staple screening vessel, the Hunter Class Destroyer in the number of eight of them. Four destroyers are always dispatched under the command of High-Chaplains of each Division, the other four destroyers remain with the Resclusiarch's Strike Cruiser. For the most part the Fleet of Faith remains with the Fleet of Divine Fury, serving alongside the Chapter Master and the home fleet only going along in very specific circumstances.
• The Fleet of Divine Fury: The fleet of the Chapter Master and the headquarters of the entire chapter, consisting of the Chapter's Fortress Monastery, the augmented Battle-Barge, The Emperor's Saber, three Astartes Strike Cruisers-Rächer, Hunter of the Void and Zäh. It also possesses 8 Hunter-Class Destroyers. The Chapter Master and the Shield-Order operate from this fleet and often operate with one or more of the Chapters Divisions but sometimes is scene to operate alone, yet rare.
• Temple Garrison Squads: The Gray Hussars are responsible for the construction of Cathedrals dedicated to the Emperor and the Primarchs upon worlds they recruit from and have liberated, conquered and/or defended. With the formation of the great rift, Grand Master Riley von Gergan ordered that the Holy Shrines constructed by his Chapters will be defended against the fowl Xenos and Heretics plaguing the Galaxy. There is no set number on the size and composition of these Squads but are composed of at minimum 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Preceptor-Sergeant(Veteran Sergeant), 4-10 Knights(Battle-brothers) and 20 Squires(Scouts). The Knights carry Shields and elongated Power swords standing mostly for ceremony at the entrances of the mighty Cathedrals. There are 10 documented Squads but suspected to be up to 30 in existence. They are a branch of the the Holy Guard that fall under the command of the Reclusiarch.
• Detachment Platoons: The Gray Hussars created a new form of unit to make deals with local systems to secure resource by garrisoning members of the Chapter to particular worlds they needed sway over. Most of the time Forge or Hive Worlds. These platoons belong to no Division instead fall under the command of the Grand Master himself. They only serve a military role unlike other special units. The Platoon operate from a single Hunter-Class Destroyer lead by a Senior-Knight. It consists of 1 Apothecary, 3 Sergeant-Knights, 9 Tactical Marine, 9 Jump-Pack Assault Marines, 9 Bike-based Marines and 30 Squires(Scouts). They have 1 Thunderhawk and 10 bikes. These Marines always play a specialized and supportive role to local forces, operating separately alongside their allies. There is believed to be 5 active platoons as of 111.M42. Typically they possess a Vanguard Light-Cruiser or Hunter-Class Destroyer in orbit for evacuation and orbital support efforts under last resorts.
• Void Squads: The Gray Hussars are experts of the void, being a Fleet Based Chapter first and foremost. They have many responsibilities that include the security of the void of the Saras Sector. They have formed the greatest Knights at CQC into their own Void Squads not only specialized but experts in boarding operations and anti-boarding operations. These squads are formed from Tactical and Assault Marines to form ten man squads bent one operation in mind. In void battles they are ready to deploy at any point in a void battle to board and seize or destroy enemy void craft with brutal efficiency. They fall under the command of the Ship-Master in the chapter organization. One escort craft they possess a single squad of these marines. Vanguard Light-Cruisers and Strike Cruisers possess three squads of these Marines. Battle-Barges have on average five squads at their disposal. In a pure void battle without a planetary objective the other Marines of the Division Fleet will participate as well in the boarding operations. But in the case of the other Marines being planet side these Marines are invaluable in the silence of the void. One Hunter-Class Destroyer of the Chapter, Wrathful Judgement, responded to a traitor Tyrant-Class Cruiser on request from Battle-Fleet Saras was asked to secure the vessel from the Renegade forces. Under stealth the Destroyer approached the mammoth Cruiser and launched a single boarding craft with their squad. The Marines divided into two man teams shutting down the engines and proceeding to slaughter the whole crew in a matter of hours, once their bolters ran out of ammunition, they used their swords and knives until dull, then beat the rest to death. The ship was left a shell haunted with ghosts to remind the new Loyalist crew the price of betrayal of the Imperium.
• The Totenkopf Platoon: The Gray Hussars would bread a new horse from the Krieg Mount even larger and stronger to sustain a fully armored Astartes and wear a full set of armor on it's own. The Platoon is made up of 30 Astartes Veterans who had charged into chaos and survived. The Astartes assigned to this platoon would wear blackened helms, silver and black plate. The armor remains unmarked only the Chapter Icon remaining on their left paltren while the right was occupied by a skull, normally in any chapter signifying a Veteran Squad formation, it represented the nature of the platoon as a those who have no fear of death and are bringers of death. They would ride into battle with mastercrafted powerswords, storm-shields, ornated bolters and bitter fury. They are known for their charges into suicide mission and coming out the other side. They operate as a separate element from the rest of the Chapter, their leader being Death-Knight Siegfried von Zosch, going one campaigns of blood aboard their Vanguard Light-Cruiser, Hunter of Apostates. They answer to the Grand Master alone and are known for their darker tendencies compared to the rest of the chapter. Other Astartes chapters have questioned the point in have an Astartes force operate from modified horses, with the only response being they can out ride a bike any day and is a warrior in it's own right. The horses used by the Totenkopf Platoon have been known to flay traitors alive with their razor sharp teeth and spike like hooves. The new formation was a recent addition to the chapter and have few honors and battles under their belts, but are already proving to be one of the most effective formations in the chapter. In recent times the Platoon has been joined with a Chaplain named Fredrick von Hohenlohe or otherwise referred to as "The Chaplain of Death."
• The Teutonic Order: The Gray Hussars created a secondary personnel force for the Command of the Grand Master created in 099.42 to be made of the Veteran Riders of the chapter, experts in the art of mounted warfare. The Order Consists of 100 Veteran Astartes, 3 Apothecaries on Bikes, a Chaplain on a Bike, 1 Forge-Engineer Marine, and the officer staff. On the right knee, they cover their previous Brigade Markings with the Cross of the Chapter to signify their place in the elite formation, and have black trim on the shoulder pauldren. The Marshall-Knight of the Teutonic Order was granted the title of Master-Teuton and given a seat at the Council of Knights, Senior-Knights given the name title Primus-Teuton, Preceptor-Sergeants titled Lehrer-Teuton and Veteran-Knights titled Teuton-Knight. Fighting purely from the Astartes Bikes they had adorned them with wings. In the wind the air cycling threw the feathers would give out a painful shriek, driving many heretics made on the battlefield, causing them to flee their lines before the wave of death would arrive to slaughter them in their exposed positions. They join their Shield-Order brothers on the Battlefield now providing the mobility they were lacking as the honorguard of the Grand Master. They operate their own small squadren of vessels around the vessel they were born on, the Fahrer, along with two escort vessels. The current Master-Teuton is Adaliz von Bosheit.
• Serf Legions [Classified]: The Gray Hussars Grand Master, Halious von Sturmwalden, started the practice of arming and training the chapter serfs in Light Infantry tactics to assist in protecting the vessels of the chapter fleet when Astartes weren't present. During the War for Wintz (877.m41) the loyal PDF forces were routed by the traitor PDF forces and the Gray Hussars were left nearly alone against an army of several hundreds of thousands of human foot soldiers. The Lord-Knight of the 4^th Division decided to break the edict that Astartes couldn't raise a standing human army, he organized his male serfs of fighting age into a self-described "Legion" with the Neophytes yet to become serfs made the Officers to lead the serfs. The Chapter deployed these serfs into Cohorts and deployed them to defend loyalist towns and villages that were left undefended while the Astartes of the Division assaulted elements of the traitor forces. The Serfs were able to prove their compitence on the battlefield and effectiveness in the defense, repelling waves of traitor PDF even several times their size in numbers. After the war Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden mandated each Division maintain a Legion of any size for ground support operations of the Astartes and to be lead by the Neophytes waiting to be brought on as a Squire by a Knight. The Gray Hussars have refurbished dozens of transport vessels left astray in the Saras Sector by lost Guard Regiments. During a battle where the two Regiments of the Guardsmen of Krieg were lost to the man while allied with the Gray Hussars gave the chapter the opportunity to aquire hundreds of thousands of lasrifles, helmets and uniforms for their Serfs. The legions weren't given a hard number to hold to, each division maintains their own Serf Legion, generally every male Serf deamed as exess to the required minimun to man the ships and maintain other vital areas of the chapters function are Legionnaries. The 4^th Division Serf Legion is noted at being the largest with over two-hundred thousand at anytime. The 1^st Division has the smallest, as they were the last to start recruiting with only roughly forty thousand at their best. The 2^nd Division is noted for having the best individual Serfs of the chapter, with the most victories under unfavorable battlefield conditions of any Legion, they typically have a little over a hundred thousand at anytime. The 3^rd Division is noted to have the highest battlefield attrition of the Legions having the most green Serfs due to their high numbers of recruits to replace losses, sitting at seventy thousand at the best of times.
• Headquarters Section: The Headquarters Section is the direct bodyguard and advisors to the Marshal-Knight leading the Brigade. The Headquarters Section consists of a Command Squad with an Apothecary, Ancient Bearer, two Veteran Marines acting as the direct advisors to the Marshal-Knight, and a Brigade Champion to who is the designated honor guard of the Marshal-Knight. Two Sternguard Veteran Squads and two Vanguard Veteran Squads, each consisting of 5 man squads (Veteran Squads are the only line squads consisting of 5 men) of Veteran-Knights. The only Emperor's Champions Brigades replace the Command Squad for an Emperor's Champion Squad.

Order of Battle

Headquarters

• The Council of Knights: Grand Master(Head), Lord Knights of each Division, Master of the Fleets, Apothecary Primus, Lord of the Forge-Engineers, The Emperor's Champion of each Division, Master Teuton, Shield-Marshall and the Reclusiarch.

Chapter Master's Entourage

• Shield Order: Shield-Marshal Siegfried von Starkenburg, Shield-Chaplain Hubertus von Großmönch. Headquarters Section: 1 Command Squad in Artificer Mark 6 Armor (5 men); 1 Squad called the "Unbroken" or "10^th Squad" of Cataphractii Terminators with Shields and Power Swords (10 man Squad). 1st Order (1^st-3^rd Squads): 2 Veteran Squads with Stormshields (10 man Squads), 1 Veteran Squad with Master-Crafted Bolters (10 man Squad). 2nd Order (4^th-6^th Squads): 2 Veteran Squads with Stormshields (10 man Squads), 1 Veteran Squad with Master-Crafted Bolters (10 man Squad). 3rd Order(7^th-9^th Squads): 2 Veteran Squads with Stormshields (10 man Squads), 1 Veteran Squad with Master-Crafted Bolters (10 man Squad). Vehicles: 3 Thunderhawks, 1 Stormbird, 5 Spartan Assault Tanks, 2 Predators, 1 Stalker, 1 Whirlwind, 3 Venerable Dreadnoughts. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, 1 Forge-Engineer.
• Teutonic Order: Master-Teuton Leonard von Schnellerluft, Teuton-Chaplain Manfred von Geisterrufer. Headquarters Section: 1 Command Squad on Bike, 1 Veteran Bike Squad with Lances. 1st Platoon: 3 Veteran Bike Squads (10 men each). 2nd Platoon: 3 Veteran Bike Squads (10 men each). 3rd Platoon: 3 Veteran Bike Squads (10 men each). Vehicles: 5 Thunderhawks, 3 Stormtalon Gunships, 3 Stormraven Gunships, 1 Stormeagle Gunship. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries on Bike, 1 Forge-Engineer on Bike. Officers: 3 Primus-Teutons (Senior-Knights).

Divisions

1^st Division "The Unrelenting": Lord-Knight Fredrick von Stuarck, High Chaplain Franz von Qin

• 1^st Brigade: Marshall-Knight Wilhelm von Mein. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-3 Squad(1^st-3^rd) of Terminators. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(4^th-5^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devestator Squad (6^th). 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(7^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 4 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 2 Deredeo Dreadnoughts, 2 Leviathan Dreadnoughts, 1 Land Raider, 3 Razorbacks, 4 Predator Tanks, 5 Rhinos, 2 Stalkers, 2 Whirlwinds, 2 Thunderhawks, 2 Landspeeders. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.

• 2^nd Brigade: Marshall-Knight/Emperor's Champion Josef von Kludds. Headquarters Section-1 Emperor's Champion Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-4 Squads(1^st-4^th) of Assault Marines. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(5^th-6^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(7^th). 3^rd Platoon-2 Squads(8^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 3 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 3 Predators, 6 Razorbacks, 6 Rhinos, 3 Thunderhawks, 1 Landspeeder. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 3^rd Brigade: Marshall-Knight Tatmann von Junge. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 2 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 2 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-5 Squads(1^st-5^th) of Tactical Marines in Bikes. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(6^th-7^th) of Tactical Marines. 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(8^th-10^th) of Assault Marines in 3 Thunderhawks. Vehicles: 5 Stormtalon Gunships, 5 Stormraven Gunships, 3 Thunderhawks, 5 Landspeeders. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• Reconnaissance Platoon Alpha: [Record Classified]

2^nd Division "The Faithful": Lord-Knight Winzler von Eikenburg, High Chaplain Dwen von Polisken

• 4^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Heinrich von Leibtnech. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-3 Squad(1^st-3^rd) of Terminators. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(4^th-5^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devestator Squad (6^th). 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(7^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 2 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 1 Land Raider, 3 Razorbacks, 4 Predator Tanks, 5 Rhinos, 2 Stalkers, 2 Whirlwinds, 2 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 5^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight/Emperor's Champion Ferdinand von Pochter. Headquarters Section-1 Emperor's Champion Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-4 Squads(1^st-4^th) of Assault Marines. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(5^th-6^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(7^th). 3^rd Platoon-2 Squads(8^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 2 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 3 Predators, 6 Razorbacks, 6 Rhinos, 3 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 6^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Ludwig von Braug. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-5 Squads(1^st-5^th) of Tactical Marines in Bikes. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(6^th-7^th) of Tactical Marines in Land Speeders. 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(8^th-10^th) of Assault Marines. Vehicles: 5 Stormtalon Gunships, 5 Stormraven Gunships, 3 Thunderhawks, 5 Landspeeders. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• Reconnaissance Platoon Bravo: [Record Classified]

3^rd Division "The Angelic": Lord-Knight Ushic von Kurtzosh, High Chaplain Licander von Nach

• 7^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Drazden von Trodume. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-2 Squad(1^st-2^nd) of Terminators. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(4^th-5^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devestator Squad (6^th). 3^rd Platoon-4 Squads(3^rd ,7^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 5 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 2 Leviathan Dreadnoughts, 1 Land Raider, 3 Razorbacks, 4 Predator Tanks, 5 Rhinos, 2 Stalkers, 2 Whirlwinds, 2 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 8^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight/Emperor's Champion Igmond von Schmidt. Headquarters Section-1 Emperor's Champion Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-4 Squads(1^st-4^th) of Assault Marines. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(5^th-6^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(7^th). 3^rd Platoon-2 Squads(8^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 7 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 3 Predators, 6 Razorbacks, 6 Rhinos, 3 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 9^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Claus von Stauffen. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-5 Squads(1^st-5^th) of Tactical Marines in Bikes. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(6^th-7^th) of Tactical Marines in Land Speeders. 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(8^th-10^th) of Assault Marines. Vehicles: 5 Stormtalon Gunships, 5 Stormraven Gunships, 3 Thunderhawks, 5 Landspeeders: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• Reconnaissance Platoon Charlie: [Record Classified]

4^th Division "The Redeemed": Lord-Knight Hans von Durgun, High Chaplain Rurch von Ishaden

• 10^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Erik von Proch. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-3 Squad(1^st-3^rd) of Terminators. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(4^th-5^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devestator Squad (6^th) . 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(7^th-9^th) of Tactical and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 4 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, 4 Deredeo Dreadnoughts, 1 Leviathan Dreadnoughts, 1 Land Raider, 3 Razorbacks, 4 Predator Tanks, 5 Rhinos, 2 Stalkers, 2 Whirlwinds, 2 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• 11^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight/Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner. Headquarters Section-1 Emperor's Champion Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-4 Squads(1^st-4^th) of Assault Marines. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(5^th-6^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(7^th). 3^rd Platoon-2 Squads(8^th-9^th) of Tactical Marines and a Devastator Squad(10^th). Vehicles: 6 Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts, 3 Predators, 6 Razorbacks, 6 Rhinos, 3 Thunderhawks. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain(Hermann von Ishaden).
• 12^th Brigade: Marshall-Knight Edmund von Schreck. Headquarters Section-1 Command Squad, 1 Sternguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads), 1 Vanguard Veteran Squads (5 man squads). 1^st Platoon-5 Squads(1^st-5^th) of Tactical Marines in Bikes. 2^nd Platoon-2 Squads(6^th-7^th) of Tactical Marines in Land Speeders. 3^rd Platoon-3 Squads(8^th-10^th) of Assault Marines. Vehicles: 5 Stormtalon Gunships, 5 Stormraven Gunships, 3 Thunderhawks, 5 Landspeeders. Specialists: 3 Apothecaries, a Forge-Engineer Marine, a Chaplain.
• Reconnaissance Platoon Delta: [Record Classified]

5^th Division: ++[In development: lacks required numbers to be formed]++

Other Units:

• Reconnaissance Platoon Echo: [Record Classified]
• Reconnaissance Platoon Foxtrot: [Record Classified]
• Reconnaissance Platoon Golf: [Record Classified]
• Reconnaissance Platoon Hotel: [Record Classified]
• Reconnaissance Platoon Indomidus: [Record Classified]
• The Totenkopf Platoon: Death-Knight Siegfried von Zosch. Krieg(1^st Squad)-10 Veteran Marines, equipped with powerswords, spears, explosive lances, plasma pistols and bolters on 10 Armored and Modified Horses. Tod(2^nd Squad)-10 Veteran Marines, equipped with powerswords, spears, explosive lances, plasma pistols and bolters on 10 Armored and Modified Horses. Wut(3^rd Squad)-10 Veteran Marines, equipped with powerswords, spears, explosive lances, plasma pistols and bolters on 10 Armored and Modified Horses. Streit(4^th Squad)-10 Veteran Marines, equipped with powerswords, spears, explosive lances, plasma pistols and bolters on 10 Armored and Modified Horses.
• The Teutonic Order: Master-Teuton Adaliz von Bosheit. 1 Command Squad on Bikes. 1^st Platoon(1^st-3^rd Squad)-10 Veteran Marines on Bikes and Powerswords per squad, 1 Apothecary on bike, 1 Primus-Teuton(Senior-Knight) on bike. 2^nd Platoon(4^th-6^th Squad)-10 Veteran Marines on Bikes and Powerswords per squad, 1 Apothecary on bike, 1 Primus-Teuton(Senior-Knight) on bike. 3^rd Platoon(7^th-10^th Squads)-10 Veteran Marines on Bikes and Powerswords per squad, 1 Apothecary on bike, 1 Primus-Teuton(Senior-Knight) on bike. 1 Forge-Engineer(Techmarine) on Bike, 1 Chaplain on bike.

Chapter Combat Doctrine

"We ride for the throne!"

— Then Lord-Knight Riley von Gergan at the dawn of the battle Yunilari 3: Damocles Gulf Crusade.

The Gray Hussars follow a style of Combined Arms-Warfare doctrine, bent around fast assaults but can fit almost any environment throne to them. Each Brigade fills one of three roles. The Gray Hussars are complimented on their skills in integrating Armored, Lightning and Drop Pod Assaults, blending the three tactics into their fighting mentality. Each Brigade in a Division is meant to work off each other. The First Brigade brings the Armor and firepower along with a combination of Terminators, Assault and Tactical Marines equipped with heavier weapons. The Second Brigade are experts in Drop Pod Assaults to destroy strategic targets and respond with fast Infantry responses to enemy activity, using a balanced array of heavy and light firepower. The Third Brigade is the Fast Attack expert to route enemy formations using Bikes, Land Speeders and Assault Squads operating from Thunderhawks to strike at enemies before proper retaliation.

The Chapter Reconnaissance Platoons are left separate from the others as they are the experts of Stealth and perform the Covert Operations of the chapter often in support of the Brigades, but perform from the shadows. The Reconnaissance Platoons have the are the experts in the Chapter in Assassination, Intelligence gathering, subterfuge and the best snipers. Almost all wear camouflage cloaks for their theater of operation to conceal their Chapter's armor, being nee invisible in any environment.

The skill of the individual Knight of the Gray Hussars varies, but like any chapter are experts at the art of war. They model themselves off an ancient Elite Light Cavalry unit from one of ancient Terra's many Germanic Kingdoms. They in turn adopted many of their traditions, one of which included pragmatism, efficiency and chivalry. They also inherited the tradition of Swordsmanship from the Black Templars. The Knights of the Gray Hussars are expert duelists and battlefield swordsman. No Hussar goes into battle without a blade, weather it's a Chainsword or Power Sword. The chapter has a high amount of Power Swords that almost every Knight of the rank of Sergeant-Knight and up can equip one, unless they prefer a Chainsword. Unlike the Black Templars the Gray Hussars will not seek out melee, just always prepared. Seeking of personnel glory is rarely a concern of the Gray Hussars, preferring to achieve glory as a unit.

When drawing up battle plans the Gray Hussars are known for having a keen eye for finding ways to assault an enemy as efficiently as possible. They hate needless waste in battle.

Because the Chapter lack a dedicated First Company, Veterans are spread across all Brigades and directly support the Marshal-Knight of the Brigade as a headquarters contingent. Due to the First Brigade in a Division possessing dedicated Terminator Squads, the Veterans of the headquarters normally do not have access to Terminator Plate and are typically organized as Vanguard or Sternguard Veteran Squads.

The Chapter continues to Improve, Adapt and Overcome, as it is the way of the sons of Dorn. The Chapter continues to grow in size and more unorthodox battle doctrines continue to be worked into the chapter. They maintain their image as the Mounted-Knights of the Emperor, but as more battles go down in the Chapters history they continues to adopt tactics before alien. The incorporation of unorthodox units, as the Totenkopf-Platoon and the Shield-Order they have proven that the nature of their styles of warfare might be alien to the rest of the chapter bust still valued time and time again. No doubt the Grand Masters of the chapter will continue to persue new tactics to destroy the enemies of the Throne in the millennia to come.

Chapter Culture & Beliefs

"Touch of water, the scent of grass, the laughter of children. This purity...this peace reminds us what we fight for. The vision of the God-Emperor made manifest upon your world. We are the Bulwark of Mankind, protectors of the faith. We ride now that the illuminating light of the Emperor might shine on world like this one; rendered dark by those who would see our people annihilated. Enemies of mankind, know this! My blade is sharp, spirit radiating purity. Until my death, humanity shall know that the Emperor's Hussars ride. We ride for the Throne!"

— Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner speech upon his succession to the place Emperor's Champion of the 4^th Division after the Battle of Todesburg to the entire populous.

The Gray Hussars are one of the most zealous Knightly Orders of the Adeptus Astartes. The Gray Hussars follow a their own doctrine of the Imperial Cult, worshiping the Emperor as the Master and God of Mankind. Unlike most followers of the Imperial Cult the Gray Hussars aren't known for fervent pray, preferring to see the divinity and show devotion to the Emperor in every aspect of their lives. For this the Gray Hussars live by a set tenants of humility, devotion and efficiency. Before every battle the Gray Hussars always request that the Emperor guides their every action, as often times most of the Knights that had fallen in combat have been those who have neglected their trust in the Emperor. The also believe any form of waste is a sin, everything from food to combat needs to be efficiently used for whatever goal they had set.

The Chapter has adopted the practice of worshiping the loyalist Primarchs alongside the Emperor. They hold their gene-line of Rogal Dorn as their Patron Saint. Due to their operational zone being around the Saras sector they often times would cross into the realm of Ultramar, going to Macragge on at least pilgrimages each decade so new Knights may worship at the feet of a Martyred Primarch of Roboute Guilliman. Upon the revival of the Primarch Reboute Guilliman the Gray Hussars have rejoiced devoting themselves to the Primarch of the Ultramarines, putting aside their differences with the Codex Astartes and the Ultramarines to follow the Prince of the Emperor.

The Gray Hussars inherited many traditions of theirs from the Black Templar chapter, including the practice of the Emperor's Champion, the Knightly Order, Skill with the Blade; they have also detracted much from the original traditions. The Emperor's Champion position is no longer one that is appointed before a Battle, but one held until death or promotion to Lord-Knight. The Emperor's Champion is always the Marshall-Knight of the Assault Brigade of each Division, currently with four Champions. The Emperor's Champion is the most skilled swordsman of each Division, and it his duty to select an Apprentice, normally the most prospective Battle-Brother in the dueling rings. He will take him under his wing to hone his skills with the blade, so that he can best any Champion on the battlefield. Upon the death of the Emperor's Champion the Apprentice must retrieve his masters Armor and the Black Blade. In a special ritual the High Chaplain along with every Astartes gather on a Cathedral of any local world to dub the new Emperor's Champion before Brothers, humans and the Emperor.

The Gray Hussars are enemies of psykers. Their Chapter doesn't tolerate Librarians. The only psykers allowed in the chapter are Astropaths and Navigators. On the battlefield, most Gray Hussars will attempt to slay psykers on sight in the enemy formation. Often times their Reconnaissance Platoons being responsible for the Assassination of these targets. On the Gray Hussar recruitment worlds the Recruitment Squads will organize the capture and placement of psykers onto the Black Ships, often times taking control of the Planetary Governors to ensure the smooth process of that transition.

The Grand Master position of Gray Hussar is the Chapter Master. Upon his death the Council of Knights and entire Chapter of the Gray Hussars congregate. The selection for a replacement is to host a duel between members of the Council of Knights. The competitors for the position must be nominated by another member of the Council for the position. Aboard The Emperor's Saber in the sparing hall the Knights square off, paired off to duel until defeat, but not death until there are only two, whomever come on top will inherit the position of Grand Master of Gray Hussars.

The Gray Hussars have a funeral ritual for every Astartes. Upon the death their corpse will be preserved to return to their recruitment world. The Brothers of his squad will take and his body to a mausoleum constructed in his honor for everyone to see. If the body is unavailable the Astartes will inscribe his name on a special wall The Memorium of the Lost, in the reclusium aboard The Emperor's Saber.

During the first campaign the constant rain which had trace elements of hydrocarbons. The rains of Yunilari 3 were paint thinners, washing and smeared the heraldry. The constant need to hand paint the heraldry over and over again installed the tradition of a knight painting his heraldry on by hand. The first act of a Squire, dubbed to a full Knight is to paint the Crosses upon his shoulder pauldrens, each one similar and near identical, but each one unique from one another.

The Chapter is often credited with being very noble of warriors towards the Imperial Subjects that they encounter. They possess the attitude of an ancient Terran term called Nobless Oblige, where they believe in their role in the Imperium and the necessity to be noble they must act noble. Soon Knights of the Chapter fail to realize this obligation, most of the Officer Class teach their younger brothers the value of this devotion. Because of this they purposely don't try to antagonize the other factions in the wide Imperium and act a beacon of light in the dark corners of the galaxy. They incorporate this into their sect of the Imperial Cult. Often times the Gray Hussars have replace planetary governors they see as not living to noble values for the betterment of all in the Imperium. Planetary Ruling Bodies or Individuals that this Chapter deems heretical will over through and often replace with an aristocratic family from that world they see as following the tenants of Nobless Oblige. Because of this some sects of the Inquisition have called them into question, often times sending envoys to investigate the chapters change of hands of power. The recruitment worlds that the Gray Hussars use often fall victim to their political incursions, with the Recruitment Squads and Neophytes often toppling the regimes of the world and constantly replacing them. They say that this reminds the regents of the Emperor's realm to remember that he is always watching and that they are his swords of judgement for the betterment of mankind.

The Chapter unlike other Imperial Fist Successor Chapters, the Gray Hussars do not participate in the Feast of Blades. They believe themselves unworthy of joining ancient chapters of the line of Dorn in the sacred ritual. They claim no great victories honorable enough to deem themselves worthy. No Grand Master has so far considered even attending for unknown reasons.

Recruiting Practices

Recruitment World

1. Todesburg: Aristocratic and Civilized, semi-industrialized and Agri-World
2. Totenburg: Aristocratic and Civilized, Early Industrial and Agriculturally Self-Sufficient World
3. Titarious 4: Agri-World
4. Yunilari 3: Agri-World
5. Khaddek 4: Feudal World
6. Shadar 2: Feral World
7. Madul 4: Feudal World
8. Devash 3: Agri-World
9. Pui 2: Feral World
10. Za 3: Feudal World
11. Huelaric 3: Agri-World

The Gray Hussars being a fleet based Chapter doesn't have a Homeworld to draw recruits from. They operate a series of recruitment worlds where they have a permanent outpost where a Recruitment Squad lead by a Chaplain process volunteer and conscript recruits putting them through trials that kill the majority of Neophytes. The Chaplain subjects Neophytes to trials of faith in the God-Emperor. Reinforcing their beliefs to push them beyond their human limits, while the two Veteran Marines push their bodies to the breaking points. Killing many and if the Apothecary deems them worthy he will heal them to continue the trials. Being the Mounted Knights of the Imperium must go through a challenge to mount one of the Death Riders modified Terran Horses of Krieg. If they are able to mount and break the horse their first time the Astartes will grant the Neophyte great respect and rush him forward. Most Neophytes die attempting to mount these steeds, the one that survive will continue through the trials and have to do it again when done. If then they fail to Mount the steed the Astartes will kill the Neophyte who failed the chapter despite all the effort they put into them.

The Neophytes who are able to mount the steed upon completion the Chaplain will assign them to a full Battle-Brother Knight of the Chapter. They will adopt the title Squire and serve the Knight and fight alongside him in Combat until the Knight deems him worthy to become a full battle brother. The Marshall-Knight and Brigade Chaplain must approve and he will be dubbed as a full Knight of the Chapter before the Statue of the Primarch, Rogal Dorn, and the Emperor.

Chapter Gene-Seed

The Gray Hussars gene-seed is very stable and has never exhibited signs of mutation like most Imperial Fists successors. However, they don't possess the use of two of the special organs produced by the basic Astartes genetic template: the Betcher's Gland, which allows a Space Marine to produce poisonous/acidic spittle, and the Sus-an Membrane, which allows an Astartes to enter a state of suspended animation.

The gene-seed of the Gray Hussars had mutated to reproduce at an increased rate faster than most other Sons of Dorn. The gene-seed on average reproduces at a rate of 138% rate. This has been taken advantage of by the Chapter to increase the rate of recruitment to the chapter. The Gray Hussars have been commented as relatively youthful even among their oldest Veterans. The Eye colors normally would change to a dark blue over a matter of years. Most Gray Hussars would have black or brown hair, but occasionally previously non-blondes will see their hair turn blonde or platinum with only theorized the Astartes with those hair colors are blessed by Dorn with his strength.

095.M42 In the midst of a strenuous battle with some Black Legionnaires Sergeant-Knight Gregor von Lachtner of the 4^th Squad of the 1^st Brigade fell not to any blow, but by his gene-seed sparking a flaw, long thought exclusive to the Excoriators chapter of the Sons of Dorn. Dorn's Darkness took the Sergeant-Knight, being the one and only documented brother of the chapter to cecum to any detrimental flaw. Dorn's Darkness is now a concern of the Chapter as a possible flaw in their gene-seed. Sergeant-Knight Gregor von Lachtner still lives, but have not woken from Dorn's Darkness. hoping for his coming wakening and incite on this new threat to the stability of the chapter.

Notable Members

• Grand Master Riley von Gergan: Current and Third Chapter Master of the Gray Hussars
• Grand Master Devilin von Bruh: Second Grand Master of the Gray Hussars, won the duel for the Grand Master against the Reclusiarch at the time
• Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden: First Grand Master of the Gray Hussars and former Castellan of the Black Templars.
• Lord Knight Tatmann von Junge: 4^th and current Commander of the 1^st Division
• Knight Hurdmann von Wittelswald: Bike-mounted Tactical Marine, 9^th Brigade, 6^th Squad(3^rd Squad of the Second Platoon)
• Reclusiarch Erik von Ishmann: Current Reclusiarch of the Gray Hussars Chapter serving aboard the Flagship, The Emperor's Saber, Battle-Barge.
• Reclusiarch Paulinus von Swartzhause: The First Reclusiarch of the Gray Hussars Chapter. He was an Initiate brother, then later a Chaplain of the Black Templars Chapter for 121 years, he continued to serve as the Reclusiarch or High Chaplain of the Gray Hussars until his death in 855.M41 dying by the hands of a Chaos Chaplain.
• Emperor's Champion Reiner von Yashter: The first Emperor's Champion of the 3^rd Division, former Sergeant in the Black Templars.
• Emperor's Champion Whilner von Hueger: The first Emperor's Champion of the 4^th Division, former Black Templar Knight before he was invited to construct the new chapter of the Gray Hussars. He was known for being a truly unique and humble Knight of the Chapter, compared to his brothers. He died at the hands of the Alpha Legion on Todesburg.
• Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner: The second Emperor's Champion of the 4^th Division, was inducted into the chapter in 755.M41 and was the first Emperor's Champion to not be a former Black Templar of the Chapter.
• Saint Adali: Living Saint of the Imperium who fought besides the Gray Hussars on Auchtous with the Gray Hussars 4^th Division and still scene fighting alongside the Gray Hussars since that day expecially common alongside the 4^th Division.
• Lord-Knight Putsch von Ruuns: 2^nd Lord-Knight of the 1^st Division, died in 899.M41.
• Lord-Knight Zisler von Metz: 2^nd Lord-Knight of the 3^rd Division, died 890.M41 by a Chaos Executioner.
• Lord-Knight Claus von Volk: 1^st Lord-Knight of the 3^rd Division, died in 801.M41.
• Marshall-Knight August von Hiltous: 1^st Marshall-Knight of the 9^th Brigade died 835.M41 on Marr.

Chapter Fleet

• The Emperor's Saber (Battle-Barge)-Fortress-Monastery of the Gray Hussar Chapter
• The Imperial Shield (Strike Cruiser)-Flagship of the Fleet of Faith
• Rächer (Strike Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Hunter of the Void (Strike Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Zäh (Strike Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Holy Intent (Battle-Barge)-Flagship of the 4^th Division
• The Eternal Solution (Battle-Barge)-Flagship of the 2^nd Division
• Dorn's Honor (Battle-Barge)-Flagship of the 3^rd Division
• Banshee of Destruction (Battle-Barge)-Flagship of the 1^st Division
• The Cup of Liberation (Strike Cruiser)-4^th Division Fleet
• Nemesis (Strike Cruiser)-4^th Division Fleet
• Revanchist (Strike Cruiser)-3^rd Division Fleet
• Anarchy's Bane (Strike Cruiser)-3^rd Division Fleet
• Reaper of Glory (Strike Cruiser)-2^nd Division Fleet
• Phantom of Sigismund (Strike Cruiser)-2^nd Division Fleet
• Rider of the Night (Strike Cruiser)-1^st Division Fleet
• Knight of Terra (Strike Cruiser)-1^st Division Fleet
• Unleashed Wrath (Vanguard Light Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Avenger of Dorn (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Father's Contentious (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-Attached to the Fleet of Divine Fury
• Hospitaller (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-1^st Division
• Headhunter (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-1^st Division
• Grenadier (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-1^st Division
• Sapper (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-2^nd Division
• Pathfinder (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-2^nd Division
• Ranger (Vanguard Light Cruiser)-2^nd Division
• Jager (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-3^rd Division
• Centurion (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-3^rd Division
• Decurion (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-3^rd Division
• Raider (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-4^th Division
• Lancer (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-4^th Division
• Legionnaire (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-4^th Division
• Hunter of Apostates (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-Totenkopf Platoon
• Archer (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-1^st Detachment Platoon
• Rogue's Shadow (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-2^nd Detachment Platoon
• Traitor's Executioner (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-3^rd Detachment Platoon
• Dented Blade (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-4^th Detachment Platoon
• Shrine's Custodian (Vanguard Light-Cruiser)-5^th Detachment Platoon
• Shroud of Death (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Delta's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Shadow of Dorn (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Charlie's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Hunter of the Night (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Bravo's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Phantom of Fear (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Alpha's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Erdhenne (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Echo's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Mahr (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Foxtrot's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Nokken (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Gamma's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Huldra (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Hotel's Stealth Augmented vessel
• Adlig (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Reconnaissance Platoon Indomidus Stealth Augmented vessel
• Fahrer (Endeavor-Class Light-Cruiser)-Flagship of the Tuetonic Order
• Auftrag (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Tuetonic Order
• Dragoner (Hunter-Class Destroyer)-Tuetonic Order

Chapter Relics

Blessed Armor of the Grand Master of the Emperor's Gray Hussars (Old Image Will Change later to reflect updated Lore)

• Blessed Armor of the Grand Master of the Emperor's Gray Hussars- The set of Armor was ancient piece of modified Mark 6 Corvus Pattern that was once worn by an ancient Officer of the Imperial Fists Legion, worn by the Chapter Master. The Armor was discovered in an ancient sealed armory on a massive space hulk with ships lost from the time of the Horus Heresy, the abundance of ancient war plate found was scene as a gift from the Divine Emperor to the young and poorly equipped chapter. This armor having been worn by an Officer of the Ancient Imperial Fist Legion, of which the Chapter was descendent of, it was scene as a natural set of armor for the Grand Master. The armor was worn by the First Grand Master Halious von Sturmwalden before he was slain by the an Iron Warrior Lord in 900.M41 with a slice to the abdomen. The third and current Grand Master, Riley von Gergan, had the Armor fixed and re-purposed it for himself and had it blessed by the Cardinal of the Saras sector for every Grand Master to wear this Holy Armor in the name of the Emperor.
• The Armor of Faith- The Armor worn by the Emperor's Champion of the Artificer Power Armor. Chosen from the finest artificer armor available to the Chapter and then inscribed with sacred wards and catechisms of hatred, the armor offers greater protection than any ordinary suit of power armor could, allowing the Emperor's Champion to complete his holy duty. Such is the protection of its wards that some blows and rounds are simply turned aside or flash to nothing in a blaze of divine power. The Gray Hussars have been able to produce four sets of this Armor.
• The Black Sword - Paired with the Armor of Faith, the traditional weapon of the Emperor's Champion is the Black Sword. A massive two-handed Power Sword, blessed by the Chapter Chaplains, it becomes a deadly weapon in the hands of the chosen of the Gray Hussar. The Black Sword is one of the most exquisitely master-crafted weapons in the whole of the Imperium. It is perfectly balanced to allow it to be used either with a one-handed or two-handed grip. This allows the Emperor's Champion to either deliver a flurry of fast slashes and stabs or slower but much more damaging hacking blows to his opponents. The Gray Hussars Chapter produced only four of these sacred weapons in its armory.

Chapter Appearance

Chapter Colours

The Gray Hussars predominately wear light gray battle-plate with white coloured shoulder pauldron insets, both poleyns (knee guards) and sabatons (foot armour). A small white roman numeral is stenciled on the center of the squad specialty symbol, which indicates squad assignment. A larger black roman numeral is stenciled on the left poleyn, indicating a battle-brother's assigned Brigade (Company). Unique seals are often worn on the left greave (lower leg armour) to show which Crusade the Battle-Brother belongs to. Like their genetic forebears, the Gray Hussars have a tendency to wrap thick black chains or bindings around their arms, which are bound to their weapons, to represent the fact that they will not give up their weapons until the battle is done.

Corporal-Knights have to wear black markings on their helmet to indicate their rank. This symbolizes the heritage of the chapter as a dependent of the Black Templars Chapter, Sigismund-the First Emperor's Champion and the Primarchs Rogal Dorn.

Most Sergeant-Knights have their weapons painted Blue to represent the blood of the enemy they drew first blood from, the T'au Empire. Sergeant-Knights must wear blue over pieces in their armor with no set standard besides that they must have blue over points in their armor to signify rank. Over the right-knee they wear Brigade number and Left they wear the number of the squad they command.

The Senior-Knights of the chapter paint their weapons yellow to symbolize the heritage from the Imperial Fist Legion. Senior-Knights must wear yellow over pieces in their armor with no set standard besides that they must have yellow over points in their armor to signify rank. Over the right-knee they wear the Brigade number and left they wear the number of the Platoon they command. Their weapons must be painted yellow to signify their weapon.

Marshall-Knights adorn their armor and weaponry with dark green. After the battle of Bretz, the Gray Hussars chose to honor the Dark Angel and their Primarch Lion el'Johnson.

Lord-Knights adorn their armor and weaponry with purple to show their royal designation at the second highest position of the chapter. The Lord-Knight is also given the honorary title only recognized by the chapter itself as being the Prince-Protector of a section of the Saras Sector the Division they are in command to patrol.

The Grand Master's armor and weapons passed down three generations is a set of Artificer Armor and Master-Crafted weaponry that is adorned with Gold and the chapter colors. The Grand Master holds the unofficial title of being King-Protector of the Saras Sector, a claim that is seen as controversial to some with some honored to have the chapter devoted to the protection of their space, others denying the claim. The most support come from the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy; denied by the other Astartes Chapters that occupy a world in the sector and many planetary governors. The shining light illuminated by the Armor is said to have made even the most arrogant of planetary Governors bow at the feet of the Grand Master.

Veterans are given many liberties with colors and ordaining their armor, but generally identifed with their black helms to honor how some of the veterans remember their origins in the Black Templars; Preceptor-Knights while be marked with a white stripe on their helms. Many Preceptor-Knights (Veteran Sergeants) and Veteran-Knights (Veteran Marines) decor their weapons either Black or Crimson. Veterans tend to include a lot more black into their armor design and Gold adornment. The Veterans say the Red symbolize the blood spilt by Rogal Dorn when he lost his hand and disappeared forever.

Many Knights of chapter choose to wear holly ordained robes made of darkened tan thread typically bearing the Chapter heraldry. It is an optional article of clothing, one chose by many to bear into battle. The only restrictions placed are that no cloth shall cover the Holy Artificer Armors worn by the Emperor's Champions as their Holiness must be visible for all the enemies of mankind to witness.

The Chapter has been described by outside observers as a Sea of the different eras of the Imperium fighting as One due to the mixture of Armor patterns used by the Astartes from Mark Three to Mark Ten. The Chapter generally attempts to keep Squads equipped homogenously based on Armor Pattern so as to reduce on the maintenance strain placed upon the Tech-Adepts, Techpriests and Forge-Engineers (Techmarines). Sometimes the mixture of armor patterns is unavoidable due to the the cannibalization of armor to make a single working set for an Astartes. Mark Seven Armor is the most populous within the Chapter that has mostly come from the founding of the Chapter, but doesn't make up the majority of the Armor patterns worn. Mark Ten and its variants are all worn by the few Primaris Astartes that are scattered mostly within the First Division of the Chapter. The Mark Three and Six are the most prevalent patterns that are fielded as homogonous squads due to mission requirements. Most Mark Three sets of Armor are assigned to the Void Squads and the First Companies in the Division due to their focus on heavy Armored Assaults and ship defense and boarding actions. Most of the Mark Six Armor due to its more maneuverable and less protective nature are given to the Second and Third Companies in a Division due to their Drop Pod Assault and Shock Warfare tactics of the Second Companies and the light maneuverable infantry orientation of the third companies in a Division.

The Chapter has begun to adopt some Dark Angel's traditions of adorning their armor and especially their helms with wings. This was granted to them after the Battle of the Bretz system when the Gray Hussars fought valiantly side-by-side with the Ancient Chapter.

The Reconnaissance Platoons have adopted using camouflage based on the needs of the environment. Infiltrators and Incursors change their armor's pattern camouflage when operating in different environments. Eliminators will adjust their cloak's camouflage patterns on terrain requirements. Reivers are one of the few Astartes in the Reconnaissance Platoon that will rarely adapt their armors patterns. Mostly sticking with the chapter standard color, the Reivers are mostly only used for the most specialized of mission and rarely spend anymore time in the field than an hour.

The Totenkopf Platoon as the arbitrators of death in the Chapter and symbols of the Emperor's bravery in the face of the forces of chaos when he took on the Arch-Traitor, Horus. The Emperor's sacrifice in destroying Chaos is embodied in this elite formation blending Chapter Traditions and their devotion to their sacred duty in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. They have chosen to discard all unnecessary iconography on the armor, when inducted into the Totenkopf Platoon. Only armor is painted black and silver, the entire helm coated in black. The left shoulder is ordained with the Black Cross of the Chapter and the right with a black skull.

The Corporal-Knight of a Squad is a Sergeant-Knight in training, shadowing the Sergeant-Knight. It is new title for the apprentice of a Sergeant-Knight and is distinguished by his helm adorned with black mohawks and edging similar to his Sergeant-Knight, and if his armor permits he is adorned with his heraldry if it doesn't inhibit his combat prowess. Sometimes the Sergeant-Knight chooses weather to allow the heraldry to be worn, often times handed down as a tradition of the squad.

The Emperor's Champion is given a great deal of freedom with the adorning of his holy armor. Most of the sets of the blessed Artificer Armor already having been handed down several generations they are already colored in the bright adornments of the chapter to show the enemies of mankind the magnificence and wrath of the Emperor. Most of the Champions adorn the armor with gold trims around the chapters grays with crosses, chains and wreaths accessorize the armored plates.

The Gray Hussars prides itself with being Zeno's Hunters every since it's first Engagements in the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Because of that the Chapter has sent and extra ordinary amount of Marines to serve in the Deathwatch with many Veteran, Corporal, Sergeant, Senior, Marshal and Lord Knights having been Veterans of the Deathwatch. It is estimated that throughout the Chapter fifty-seven are Deathwatch Veterans. The Ordo Zeno has noticed this over commitment to filling the tithe and exceeding the amount of Brothers sent to the Deathwatch and began an investigation to ensure the secrets of the Ordo Militant branch of the Ordo Xenos has not been compromised by a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Nothing was found on the chapter and Deathwatch Veterans continue to be important leaders of the Chapter and wear their silver arm and shoulder pauldron proud.

Chapter Badge

The Gray Hussars Chapter icon is a variant of their Progenitor's, taking the form of a black coloured Consecration Cross, also called a Rounded Cross. The arms of this cross are splayed like paws (known in heraldry as patte), making it similar to a Maltese Cross. These crosses are carved or painted on the walls, pillars or altars of the Chapter's vessels, and adorn their battle-plate. It is believed that this powerful and ancient symbol consecrates whatever it touches with the holy blessings of the God-Emperor.

The Chapter's icon is proudly worn on the insets of both shoulder pauldrons.

Relations

Allies

• The Armageddon Steel Legion
• The Death Korp of Krieg
• White Scars
• Ordo Malleus
• Ordo Xenos
• Deathwatch
• Adepta Soroitas
• Dark Angels and the Unforgiven
• Battlefleet Saras
• Bronze Bastion

Rivals

• Ultramarines and Successors
• Black Templars
• Imperial Fists
• Ordo Hereticus

Enemies

• Ordo Astartes
• T'au Empire
• Death Guard
• Black Legion
• World Eaters
• Alpha Legion
• The Xenos

Notable Quotes

By the Gray Hussars

"Fight and win, or fight and die. It matters not, this day. We are the Emperor's Hussars, his holy Knights that shall charge into their line time and time again. We have never and shall never lay aside for this retched hoard of blasphemers to corrupt the Emperor's Holy realm. For we are blessed in body and mind to protect this Holy Imperium. Take heart, my brothers. Ride! Ride now! No Quarter, No Remorse! For the Imperium and the Emperor of Man!"

— Reclusiarch Erik von Ishmann before the final charge of the Battle of Tyrant 3.

"We fight not for the glory of our names that will be forgotten in time as millions have before. These Knights fight for so a mother can tuck in her child at night, for a father to teach a son in his craft. We fight so that generations of people can live in peace with their only worry being if the harvest will be as bountiful as the year prior. Our strength at arms grants the Imperium another day the forces of Darkness are repelled back. We will do what we must to ensure that. That is why I sentence you to hang until death for your treason. But fear not for your world shall know stability once it is rid of you."

— Lord-Knight August von Mackendorff sitting as Adjutant Judge sentencing General Secretary Nikolia Brumenski for conspiracy against the wellbeing of the citizens of the world of Zendra-Prime.

About the Gray Hussars

"They...they came. We...we...had no chance. My men were cleaved in two by invisible blades. Crushed under rushing clouds. Faster than the wind. If I had known what would come, I...should have been more loyal, maybe those young...impressionable boys who followed my path of sin would still be alive."

— Colonel [Name Retracted by Orders of the Ordo Hereticus] testimony before his execution by the Gray Hussars for treason.

[Source]

Twenty Sixth Founding Space Marine Chapters
Dark Angels Successors	Sable Pride •
White Scars Successors	Jade Knives • Maroon Hunters •
Space Wolves Successors	N/A
Imperial Fists Successors	Gray Hussars • Knights of Thunder • Mourning Wardens •
Blood Angels Successors	Knights of the Throne • Storm Angels •
Iron Hands Successors	†Iron Gaze • Sons of Iron •
Ultramarines Successors	Aasvogels • Blood Reavers • Crystal Skulls • Exercitus Imperialis • Novadracones • Sworn of Guilliman •
Salamanders Successors	Thunder Ogres •
Raven Guard Successors	Dusk Vultures •
Unknown Lineage	Angels of Eternity • Omega Knights •
Renegades	•

[Source]

Gallery

Gray Hussars armorial with their Chapter cross, painted by Knight Hurdmann von Wittelswald.

Assault Marine of the Gray Hussars

Grand Master Riley von Gergan, Chapter Master of the Gray Hussars

Lord Knight of the 1^th Division, Tatmann von Junge

A Marshall-Knight of the Gray Hussars

Neophyte of the Chapter

Terminator Veteran of the 4^th Brigade, 1^st Squad

The Emperor's Saber Fortress Monastery and Flagship of the Gray Hussars

Tactical Marine of the 3^rd Division, 2^nd Brigade, 3^rd Platoon, 5^th Battleline Squad.

A Gray Hussars Primaris Intercessor of the 8^th Brigade, 1^st Battleline Squad.

Videos

Homebrew Of The Week - Episode 198 - Gray Hussars

[[Category:26^th Founding]]