Editing Cato Sicarius (section)

== Un-assholing the asshole ==
[[Nick Kyme]] and [[Graham McNeill]], (and surprisingly, [[Phil Kelly]]) in the Ultramarines books they've written, have played with Sicarius' character, showing his desire for glory putting the Second Company in extreme danger, and having several of his own sergeants suspicious about his motives. Nick Kyme's Space Marine Battles novel about the fall of Damnos shows the real reason the Ultramarines lost: because Sicarius insisted on winning an actual victory instead of just [[Exterminatus|blowing the planet to kingdom come]], which [[Varro Tigurius]] ultimately did after Sicarius had his ass handed to him (Which didn't work at all since Damnos became a major Tomb World). Phil Kelly's Blades of Damocles often shows Sicarius contrasted against the more [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable]] Jorus Numitor, who justifiably sees Sicarius as insufferable and frequently has to strong-arm him into doing the practical thing. Gods of Mars also noted this with one character (present during the Damnos Evacuation) saying that meeting Sicarius was the biggest anti-climax of his life because Sicarius gave every impression of feeling like he had lost personally, not the Ultramarines or the planet's population.

That said his way of thinking wasn't wrong, the Real Problem was that the Necrons outnumbered the Ultramarines 500 to one; and unlike other races they get back up, while the 2nd was mostly worn down by sheer attrition. Were any other forces present, Damnos could have been saved. In Graham McNeill's Ultramarines series, Sicarius acts as chief prosecutor (which is, technically, one of his roles as Captain of the 2nd) when [[Uriel Ventris]] and Pasanius Lysane are put on trial for violating the [[Codex Astartes]], having such a smug attitude toward his fellow Captain that even the [[Eldar]] would think he was being rude. While there is no denying he's ambitious, Sicarius takes extreme offense at insinuations that he's gunning for Chapter Master. Which means you can just rationalize Ward's fluff as just propaganda (in fact MOST of the codex reads like what Ultramar believes their chapter is). This wouldn't be the first time 40k had an asshole glory hound painted as the greatest hero ever, they're just usually in the [[Imperial Guard]]. (Space Marines who are glory hounds and heroes in evidence aplenty, even some who are [[Carab Culln|assholes]], just not to the level of [[That Guy|this motherfucker.]])

That said he's been getting some character development turning him into a rather likable guy, namely in Veil of Darkness and Warzone Damnos. Such as the reason for his smugness during Uriel Ventris' trial was because Cato was a long time friend (and Champion) of Captain Idaeus, and he was blaming Ventris for his death. On top of that, the typical Ultrasmurf Mary Sueishness aside, Sicarius is the only Ultramarines special character who regularly wears his damn helmet, and that’s gotta be worth brownie points for (un)common sense, at least. And oh Emperor, that armor looks awesome! And those who still can't get over his continual Mary Sue achievements have taken great joy in that he's been relegated from being on the front line all the time killing Necron and Tau armies with his pinky toe to guarding his resurrected Primarch. This amounts to standing in front of doors while Grandpapa smurf talks to important people/sleeps/RAGES at what the Imperium became, or throwing himself into a lascannon shot pointed in Guilliman's direction. Seems the wrath of Ward can go both ways.

After the Gathering Storm and the return of [[Roboute Guilliman]], Sicarius is appointed Captain of the [[Victrix Guard]], Guilliman's new (old) [[Honour Guard]], and seems to have ceded command of the 2nd Company to Captain Acheran, the Primaris Captain on the front of the Dark Imperium box set, though he seems to have kept his other titles. Seeing a little of [[Aeonid Thiel]] in Sicarius, but also recognizing that his combat prowess is equal only to his ego, Guilliman has wisely moved him out of strategic command and into a role as a guard captain, where Cato can always follow his lord into the thickest combat to fight duels and jump in front of bullets and do other brave courageous things. Guilliman also hopes to temper his personality to forge him into the leader he could be, in addition to the warrior he already is.

Early into the Indomitus Crusade, the [[Strike Cruiser]] he was on, ''The Emperor's Will'', gets lost in the Warp when the light of the Astronomican flickers for a brief moment. For five years it finds itself adrift in the Empyrean's tides, while the crew and Astartes gradually lose section after section of the ship. After a desperate defense of the Gellar Field generators, the ship is forced out of the Warp... Unto an unknown but inhabited feudal world. In desperate need of supplies, Sicarius leads an expedition to the planet, and once there claims that he and his men were Knights from a northern country called "Macragge". He and his Marines are soon drawn into conflict with Feral Orks, who had plagued the humans of the world for centuries. While things become complicated when it was discovered that the local ruler to be controlled by Necrons, of all things, Sicarius and his Marines still aid the people in fighting off the Orks. Then they turn their attention to the Necrons there, which is impressive, considering the drubbing the Ultramarines received on Damnos. Presumably he was done with all the shit and just told the men to toss Vortex Grenades liberally. With that little issue settled, Sicarius finally makes contact again with Imperial Forces, and rejoins his Chapter.

Dark Imperium: Plague War establishes that he has gotten some pretty major PTSD from his experiences being lost in the Warp. Given what we now know, it had clearly been a humbling experience for him, and filed off much of the brashness from ol' Cato.

Knights of Macragge heavily implies that he was implanted with Thiel's gene seed line.