Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Robute Guilliman, 13th Legion "Ultramarines"


Shortly after being visited by Fulgrim, Draco received a psy-locked adamantium case from his brother Robute. Carried across 20.000 lightyears by a Color Sergeant of the Ultramarines. "We must talk," was the message inside the box. 

Having no particular reason to hurry - the letter was rather vague - Draco proceeded with the planned campaign. Planning, superior forces - and a dash of psychics - carried the day. After the enemy had been broken, Draco left for Segmentum Tempestus, leaving his subordinates to complete the compliance of the 30 or so worlds on the target list. Another laurel for the 11th (and a small one for the 2nd).

After a lengthy trip aboard the Manu ad Bellum, the Primarch of the 11th arrived at Angelus Furore - the Furious Angel - a battle station of cyclopean dimensions. A prototype Segmentum Fortress designed by Rogal Dorn the Angel would be "impregnable." Not even Perturabo could find a way to penetrate its defenses. It would also take half a hundred years to build and the resources needed to outfit a hundred reclamation fleets.

Constant delays were caused by the enormity of the project and lack of resources, but every year saw it come closer to completion. When the Ullanor orks embarked on their gargantuan Waaagh! in the waning years of M30 the station was almost finished. But orks are nothing if not persistent and cunning. Somehow they found a flaw in the station's incomplete defenses. Heedless of their own losses, they pushed forward and slaughtered the defenders. Afterward, they broke up the station and forged it into a thousand kill-kroozers and a hundred orky battleships - a fleet mighty enough to require Horus and several Legions of Astartes to stop.

Draco and Robute had never been exactly close. Guilliman was discovered relatively early by far-ranging exploratory and by the time of Draco's discovery he was already deep in the Emperor's counsel and one of the architects of the Great Crusade. They met occasionally when the Ultramarines Primarch returned to Terra but that happened but rarely.

Robute sent his message after learning that the 11th had been denied additional Astartes by Luna. This confirmed his suspicions: that Luna had sent 11th Legion stock to the 13th as they had the 2nd. Draco told him to keep the stock - it was not his to claim. Even the Primarchs were but servants, and if this was the will of the Emperor, so be it. Robute claimed to be deeply honored. To mingle blood with the 11th would make his Legion stronger and more numerous than any other.

The Ultramarines, the 13th Legion, from which so many Chapters are descended (possibly as many as half) contains gene materials from both (pre-Kymeria) 2nd legion and the 11th. This could perhaps explain to some degree the Ultramarines' reputation as stalwart, determined, and highly resistant to the corrupting forces of Chaos. Maybe they also became stronger in the body than they were when the 11th Legion bested them in martial games.

It also means that to some degree Draco is the gene-father of a great many Ultramarines and their successor chapters. he should have some sort of bond with them. How many of the "Lost Sons" are out there is unknown. Could be only a few, could be many. Could be entire Chapters, could be only scattered individuals. It could also be all or most of them. It's been 10.000 years and very many generations have passed. The seeds sown could have spread far indeed.

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