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This article, Velites, was written by Skippu40k. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Velites, is currently under active construction. The author, Skippu40k, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "Ride now with me, though our master be fallen. Through the pass and into their center, the last thing their foul eyes shall see is the tip of our lances. If we do not waver, our immortality is assured. Glory! Discipline! Glory! "
- —III Company Bike Lieutenant Yu'Kio August (now chapter master) moments before the decisive charge at The Battle of Simon's Peak
The Velites are a loyalist Space Marine Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes created during the 10th Founding from the gene-lineage of the heroic Primarch Jaghatai Khan. They were charged with standing sentinel over the Cephas System, a vital Imperial region known for its hardy stock of its citizenry as well as the numerous Knight Houses of the Questor Imperialis that resides there. Their battle companies typically deploy in support of Knight detachments.
Chapter History
The Velites were founded in the 10th Founding from the gene-stock of the White Scars chapter. During this time of upheaval, the High Lords of Terra raised a chapter from the system of Cephas. The system had a largely untapped and hardy populace, and the move also bought the favor of the numerous knight houses present in the system, assuring their support in the coming struggles.
Notable Campaigns
The Defense of Cephas (732.M41) - In 732.M41, the culmination of years of raiding and harassing of the home system of the chapter by Drukhari arrived, with a large scale assault on the world taking place. The system's relative isolation made it an ideal target for an ambitious Drukhari warlord, and the possibility of gaining access to knight technology was of great interest. A series of battles, feints, and fleet actions were waged over the course of nearly a standard year, and with all but III Company and elements of IX company engaged elsewhere in the galaxy, the fight looked dire for the world. Ultimately the Drukhari were defeated by a daring flanking maneuver led by then III Company Bike Lieutenant Yu'Kio August that caught the Drukhari leader by surprise in the mountains. Without their leader what remained of the Drukhari forces retreated with heavy losses back into the webway.
The Cleansing of Selis (Unknown Date) - House Galladon, a minor house of the Questoris Imperialis with its origin on Cephas was known for its scientific advancement (relative to the system) but was smaller than the 4 other main houses on the planet. They surrendered their lands on Cephas after developing local space travel and established a new domain on the Desert moon of Selis. However, after several years mining operations awoke a dangerous Xenos species that quickly overtook several outlying settlements. The Velites answered calls for assistance and deployed all of their local forces, which at the time consisted of I company and the current batch of aspirants and trainees who were undergoing training. After months of fierce fighting and targeted raids, the threat was completely neutralized. It is likely that the xenos were some sort of discarded Tyranid bioform.
Chapter Homeworld
The chapter recruits from and has its headquarters located in the Cephas system, which consists of the planet Cephas and its two moons, Koshat and Selis. Cephas is a highly mountainous world, with much of the landmass taken up by large mountain ranges separated by grassy tundra and downs. The planet is roughly 0.7 times the size of Holy Terra and is home to 4 minor knight houses. Technologically it has only just begun travelling to its moons again in the last 100 standard years.
The 4 houses are in a constant state of cold war with skirmishes and minor wars in disputed regions common, full scale conflict is uncommon, but not unheard of.
Koshat is home to 1 minor knight house and is largely desert geographically. The house there has established a new colony 100 years ago and set up there to escape politicking on Cephas.
Fortress-Monastery
Spearwall Keep is a large fortress monastery/city on the otherwise uninhabited moon of Selis. Selis has no native flora or fauna, and is largely rocky terrain populated by large dormant volcanoes. One company at a minimum is always held here in reserve in a rotation.
Chapter Recruitment
When a new company is to be raised, an open call is put out to all citizens who are interested in joining. This includes a battery of tests and evaluations. Some are rejected, some are selected to be serfs or fleet crew, and those who are deemed promising are taken to Selis.
Once on Selis they are paired off and instructed to duel, each given only a melee weapon of their choice and no further instruction. The pairs are deliberately chosen from rival houses. Duelling is a common custom on Cephas, especially between officers, and this is maintained on the battlefield, where officers who come into contact are often given a wide berth to settle their dispute according to the old fashion. This means that the format of a duel to the death is widely understood among those who seek admittance to the chapter. If a duelist's opponent yields but is killed anyway, the aspirant is immediately also executed, as the chapter's code of honor is paramount, and only those with an inherent sense of it will be accepted. Those who defeat their opponent swiftly or who grant mercy are accepted, and a harsh training regimen ensues. The chapter keeps a steady stream of recruits coming in, due to their high amount of scouts fielded and aggressive tactics, the chapter has a high attrition rate.
Chapter Organization
The chapter is non-Codex-compliant with regard to the makeup of its companies, with each company having a mixture of vehicles, marines, and scouts so that each can field itself independently.
Officer Ranks
The hierarchy of ranks is as follows:
- Chapter Master - The Chapter Master oversees the chapter as a whole and typically serves with the first company as needed.
- Master (Captain Equivalent) - Each Company has a company master who commands his 100 battle brothers with a large degree of autonomy.
- Lieutenant - Within each company each detachment is commanded by a lieutenant. So within a company there would be a Bike Lieutenant, an Inceptor Lieutenant, a Scout Lieutenant and so on.
Specialist Ranks
- Chief Librarian - The First company librarian is the chief librarian, the oldest and strongest of the librarians in the chapter.
- Librarian - The chapter fields one librarian with each company, to serve as the chief psyker and loremaster for each.
- Chief Apothecary - The Chief apothecary is the first company's apothecary, and is in charge of the careful maintenance of the chapters gene-seed.
- Apothecary - Apothecaries accompany each company into battle to heal wounds and tend to the gene seed of the company.
- Reclusiarch
- Chaplain
- Master of the Forge - The Master of the Forge is a position held by a brother in X company and he is stationed at Spearwall Keep to work on special projects for the chapter. He may also help smiths and researchers in the Cephas system when not occupied by chapter work.
- Techmarine - Techmarines are essential to the chapter's operations due to the heavy usage of bikes and vehicles, and they are often also on call to help with issues with the knights.
- Chapter Champion
- Company Champion
- Chapter Ancient
- Company Ancient
Line Ranks
- Sergeant - Within each detachment each squad is commanded by a sergeant.
- Battle-Brother
- Scout Marine
- Neophyte
- Aspirant
Specialist Ranks
The chapter typically fields one librarian, one apothecary, and one Techmarine with each company, under the direct command of the company master.
Order of Battle
The chapter has an unconventional style of deployment that suits their specific role. They deploy in battle companies, which vary slightly depending on strategic considerations, but which largely follow one of two structures.
A typical battle company would consist of the following at full deployment strength
3 squads of scouts totalling 30
2 squads of tactical marines or intercessors with a Rhino or Land raider for each totalling 20
2 squads of inceptors totalling 6
7 outrider bike squads totalling 21
1 squad of incursor or infiltrator marines totalling 10
1 devastator of desolation squad totalling 5
1 command squad with the company master, librarian, apothecary, tech marine and a sternguard veteran honor guard, totalling 9
The other typical battle company is designed around urban or close quarters combat, in cases where areas that knights can't get to or bypass easily need to be occupied. This is less frequently seen, and the chapter doesn't have the inventory to field more than 2 or 3 companies in this style at any given point in time, but it is available if the knights request it when they seek the Velites assistance. It consists of
2 squads of scouts totalling 20
2 squad of tactical marines or intercessors with a land raider for each totalling 20
1 squad of reivers totalling 10
1 squad of incursor of infiltrator marines totalling 10
2 terminator squads totalling 10
5 squads of outriders totalling 15
2 squads of centurions totalling 6
1 command squad with company master, librarian, apothecar, tech marine and a vanguard veteran honor guard, totalling 9
Battle companies may also be accompanied by stormspeeders, repuslors, and gunships requisitioned from X company and dreadnoughts from IX company as requested/needed.
Companies
I Company consists of the most senior marines, and often deploy only in the most needful of situations, when not at war they are typically in charge of training neophytes for the formation of new companies on Selis
II Company is a standard battle company
III Company is a standard battle company
IV Company is a standard battle company
V Company is a standard battle company
VI Company is a standard battle company
VII Company is a standard battle company
VIII Company is a standard battle company
IX Company is one notable exception to the chapter's organizational standard. They are the dreadnought company, and are typically deployed on the squad level as needed. Dreadnoughts don't figure particularly well into the chapter's normal order of battle, so they are used only as needed and are not part of a standard deployment. This company also is typically under strength due to it's unique nature, and may have two or even three Techmarines in its makeup
X Company is the other exception to the standard organization. They are considered a logistics company and are dispersed. They are in charge of chapter fleet operations as well as handling various non-direct combat roles such as pilots, emissaries, liaisons, deathwatch recruits and serving the inquisition. They are still considered a separate company however, and are under command of their own company master
Chapter Beliefs
The Velites are fiercely loyal to the Imperium, but are not adherents to the imperial cult in a theological way. They do revere the emperor for his heroism and power, and do hold him to be the rightful ruler of all mankind, but they do not view him as a God. The chapter encourages adherence to the imperial cult among the civilians of the Cephas System because they believe that it is a beneficial belief system for mortals (and to stay in the good graces of the inquisition), but one will not hear "The Emperor Protects!" among their battle-cries.
Chapter Gene-Seed
The chapter was created from the Gene Seed of the White Scars
Genetic Flaws
The battle brothers of this chapter due suffer from the Chogorian Rage, but control it through discipline and strict personal codes.
Deathwatch Service
The chapter sends battle brothers to serve in the Deathwatch as requested, but holds no special views of the deathwatch and does not send more than is required of them.
Chapter Combat Doctrine
The chapter deploys as a mixed formation battle company and focus on supporting the knights or titans that they are attached to. The chapter will deploy scouts ahead of formations to gather intel and bike detachments to screen the formations. Tactical and inceptor squads are able to provide general support and plug holes in the lines while bikes and other vehicles flank enemies and seek out enemies that are especially dangerous to the knights.
Notable Space Marines
- Chapter Master Yu'Kio August - The hero of Cephas, Brother August has served for 7 centuries with the chapter, and as chapter master for close to 150. He famously led a daring assault bike charge at the battle of Simon's Peak where he personally outmaneuvered and slew the leader of a drukhari warband which had been engaging in a full scale assault of the Chapter's home system.
- VII Company Scout Lieutenant Kii'A Tiber - Acknowledged by all in the chapter as the finest marksmen in their ranks and one of their greatest infiltrators, he has passed up promotion to company master several times during his 4 centuries of service in order to continue to hone his craft and the scouts underneath him. Many times as Knights and infantry advance, they find the enemy positions already in a state of disarray and demoralization due to the assassination of their leadership, and the crippling of key defensive systems.
Chapter Fleet
The chapter fleet is of a standard size, and the chapter primarily uses it for transport and deployment, rarely engaging in fleet actions unless absolutely necessary.
- The Zatoich (Battle Barge) - Flagship which is used at the discretion of the first company.
- 4 Strike Cruisers - Each of these vessels have 3 escorts/frigates that accompany them.
Chapter Relics
- The Spear's Tip - The Assault bike rode by the first chapter master of the Velites, it has been passed down to each chapter master since. Though it has sustained much damage and undergone numerous repairs, the powerful ancient motor that powers it has never been destroyed or removed, though sometimes the rest of the bike has had to be rebuilt around it. Battle brother's have given their lives to retrieve it in dire circumstances, and the master of the forge is the only brother allowed to oversee repairs and routine maintenance.
- IX Company Master Dreadnought - Shortly after the chapter's founding, as they fully investigated the world of Cephas, the long forgotten remains of a heresy era battle were located high in the peaks, where locals had not been able to explore or tread for millennia. Little was salvageable, except for an ancient Contemptor pattern dreadnought chassis. This was retrieved and carefully repaired over the course of decades, and it has been maintained for the use of the IX company master in the millennia following.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The battle brothers of this chapter wear black armor with gold shoulders, gold chest aquila, and gold hands. They bear their company number on the right knee and the squad number on the left. They have white helmets, except for company masters who have gold helmets.
Chapter Badge
The chapter badge is a black rectangular shield with two silver javelins 1/3 and 2/3 the way across it pointing upwards.
Relations
Allies
The chapter is loyal to the Imperium and has a particular kinship with other White Scars Successors, but special loyalty is assigned to each knight house which a company may be attached to.
Enemies
Chaos Knights and servants of Khorne inspire a particular hatred in the chapter as they see them as a perversion of the great codes and an image of what weakness could mean for them.
| Tenth Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | Dark Lions • |
| White Scars Successors | Knights of the Frost • Velites • Wind Runners • |
| Space Wolves Successors | N/A |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Lions of Babylon • Revenant Crusaders • Void Templars • |
| Blood Angels Successors | Carmine Reavers • |
| Iron Hands Successors | Black Thorns • Ferrus' Children • Iron Retributors • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Blue Flames • Nova Knights • Sons of Eden • |
| Salamanders Successors | Wardens of the Flame • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Void Wardens • |
| Unknown Lineage | Blood Tigers • Tempestors • |
Gallery
