The Justicars

"Regard your followers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you against all others"
- Uriel Starikov

The Justicars
Battle Cry	"He wills it"
Number	XIII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Primarch	Uriel Salazar
Homeworld	Tiberia V
Strength	Accurate Figure Unknown; believed to be over 150,000 at start of Heresy.
Specialty	Siege and Extra-conventional warfare
Allegiance	Traitor. Tzeentch.
Colours	White and Black

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

The Justicars were a Traitor Space Marine Legion. Atypical for Astartes, the 13th joked, talked freely, and pulled pranks on each other. This stood juxtaposed against a solid reputation for relentless professionalism on the battlefield. Once considered the most loyal and trusted of the great Legions, they were consumed by the powers of Chaos and sided with Hektor Cincinnatus in the Hektor Heresy. Among the ranks of the Traitors, they are unusually renowned for their selflessness and courage - the same qualities that had made the 13th beloved servants of the Emperor.

Legion History

The most difficult task any living being confronts is understanding their place in the galaxy.

- Uriel Salazar, Confessions

The story of the Justicars is both irony and tragedy. The Emperor crafted their gene-sire Uriel Salazar as a great weapon against the dark powers of Chaos, and Uriel's gene-sons were well-equipped to carry on that mission against the Witch Kings and Sorcerers who plagued humanity at the end of the Age of Strife. Yet as the mission of the Legion evolved into a fight against the corrupting touch of Chaos within the young Imperium, they were drawn into the web of Tzeentch and turned against mankind.

Humble Beginnings

The XIII Sacred Band as recorded in Orders of the Day, by Hektor Cincinnatus.

The first recruits for the nascent Thirteenth Legion came from the children of the Emperor's defeated enemies in the Unification Wars. From those few who survived the gene-seed, the ten best were selected to make up the Thirteenth Squad the Sacred Band and fight in the Pacification of the Merican Hives under the command of Hektor Cincinnatus. Led by Aldous Cadigan, the Thirteenth Squad undertook reconnaissance and kill-team missions. They were rightly commended for slaying the Psysavant Cabal of San Angelus before the battle for that hive commenced, but the six survivors of the Thirteenth Squad refused to accept decorations and asked that the honours only be awarded to the fallen. For this reason, only the names of the slain are commemorated: Hong-Lau Shi, Zlatko Tolyan Blazić, Malik Al-Hasheem, and Arkady Balotin. It was here in their very first actions that the legions long-standing tradition of recording only the names of those lost was begun.

Despite impressing with their combat effectiveness and humility, Cadigan and his men played a limited role in the Unification Wars. New recruits were inducted into their number, now styled the Thirteenth Legion, but they held up no great battle honours. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the warriors of the Thirteenth carried out small operations against high-value targets, particularly enemy psykers, ahead of the more glorious battles fought by other Legionnaires. Certainly someone was doing this dirty work, for the chronicles of the Unification Wars often make reference to sorcerers serving Techno-Barbarian Warlords such as Nathaniel Dume, or perhaps most notably Kalagann of Ursh, but hardly ever speak of these powerful figures intervening against the Emperor's armies after the Pacification of the Merican Hives.

Had it not been for problems with many of the Legions activated prior to the Thirteenth, it is possible that the gene-sons of Uriel Salazar might have remained a specialist force dedicated purely to the slaying of witches. But with the exception of Hektor's glorious First Legion, few of the Thirteenth's elder brothers were truly ready to leap forward into the stars around Sol. In His wisdom, the Emperor commanded that additional genetic resources be devoted to expanding the Thirteenth Legion and making them ready for the Great Crusade shortly after the Battle of Mount Ararat and the end of the Unification Wars. To furnish recruits to the expanding Legion, the officers of the Thirteenth Legion sent their agents into the vast subterranean prisons beneath Terra's hives, searching for children who had been born to a ruthless struggle for survival. In explaining the new course, Aldous Cadigan wrote to the War Council that the work of his Legion, "can only be done by saints and monsters, and we already recruit every saint we find."

However, those who expected the Thirteenth's new men to commit terrible atrocities were greatly disappointed. In the first campaigns of the Fifth Expedition Fleet Cadigan's "saints" kept a careful watch over their charges and the careful, disciplined compliance actions of the Legion soon won them the nickname, Guardian Angels. Even in the bitter and bloody Tartaros Campaign against the sorcerous cohorts of the "God-Emperor" Bassal-Narassur the Undying, the Guardian Angels went into battle and laid down their own lives, rather than employ orbital bombardment and inflict civilian casualties. Bassal-Narassur was slain and the Messonian Empire brought into compliance with the Imperial Truth. But the cost of victory was high; the Thirteenth were so bloodied from the campaign that their Expedition Fleet withdrew to the Sol System to rebuild.

Notable Campaigns

• 782.M30 The Battle of San Angelus

Though they played only a limited role, the Psysavant Cabal that ruled the San Angelus Hive were a potent group of psykers, and the XIII Sacred Band's mission to eliminate these sorcerers played a pivotal role in the pacification of the hive and certainly saved many Imperial lives.

• 813.M30: The Tartaros Campaign.
  A powerful, self-styled rival to the Imperium, the Messonian Empire would be utterly humbled by the Thirteenth in a brutal, and decisive campaign that would bring the Messonians into the Imperium, and silence all dissent in the sector for over four millennia. The Messonian Empire, largely untouched by the chaotic infighting of the Heresy, positioned itself as a major base of operations for the early Imperial pushes of the Scouring into Ultima and Obscurus.

Uriel Salazar

The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. Something is going on in time and space, and beyond time and space. Which, whether we like it or not, spells Duty. You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children, this the last, best hope for mankind in the galaxy, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into ten thousand years of darkness.

- Excerpt from Uriel Salazars reunification speech to the legion in 817.M30.

Uriel Salazar, Primarch of the Thirteenth Legion

It has been theorised that the sacrifice of the Thirteenth at Messonia was at the command of the Emperor, for just five years later the Legion would be meet with their Primarch and gain access to the vast manpower reserves of his home world Tiberia. Fresh genetic material from Uriel Salazar invigorated the Legion physically, but his moral presence was even more significant. Uriel's selfless dedication to the Imperium and its peoples, his great humility, and his tremendous self-discipline made him the embodiment of the Thirteenth's principles. More than just a leader or a father, he was his gene-sons' ideal. The Primarch's first command was to set aside the name "Guardian Angels". Uriel explained to his men that such a moniker was boastful and unfitting for their mission. In place of that grand title, he styled the Thirteenth as "The humble fellow-soldiers of the Emperor and His justice", but they would be more commonly known as The Justicars.

Uriel never officially re-based his Legion to Tiberia and always hailed Ancient Terra as the cradle of the Justicars. However, in reality the Thirteenth moved much of their recruiting and training infrastructure to the Primarch's home world very early on. The Fifth Expedition Fleet officially rejoined the Great Crusade in 820.M30 under Uriel's command, but it would not embark on major campaigns again until 823.M30, as Uriel brought with him a sweeping reforms to the legion and its methods that required extensive training and acclimation. Other Expedition Fleets, at first commanded by Cadigan's veterans, soon followed in the footsteps of the Fifth Fleet, and in quick succession the Justicars won many firm victories for the Imperium under their own banner. Almost as important were the many independent "Compliance Groups" that went to the aid of other Imperial forces confronted by Sorcerers and Psykers. The skills of the Unification Wars had not been forgotten by the Thirteenth Legion, and a small dedicated formation of the legion hunted witches all across the galaxy. Their talents were also used to great effect in the fight against psychically-potent Xenos, such as the Eldar.

As the Great Crusade began to reach the fringes of the Astronomican's light, the Justicar's mission slowly changed. The Space Marines were too few to hold and expand the vast frontiers of the young Imperium alone. Human warriors of the enormous Imperial Army were committed to the spearheads of the Crusade in ever-increasing numbers, and the Justicars sought to make available to every fleet they worked with their full legionary resources to better fight the enemies of mankind. In addition, many officially compliant worlds harboured treasonous intent. Uprisings flared up across the Imperium, often led by psykers. To combat the threats within the Imperium, Uriel began to break up all but 5 of his Expedition Fleets into more and more "Compliance Groups" spread thinly throughout the Galaxy. Although their lack of concentration robbed the Justicars of the laurels won by other Legion at the end of the Great Crusade, they gladly gave up honour for duty. Their small bands were indispensable to the merely mortal soldiers of the Imperial Army confronted by the terrors of the Warp.

Yet for every witch-led rebellion that the Justicars put down, two more sprang up elsewhere. Uriel Salazar became obsessed with understanding the patterns underlying these revolts, believing that if he could discover a logic progression to such events he could better deploy his far-flung forces. Uriel is even recorded as having been party to private discussions with the Emperor and Malcador the Sigilite around this time, and may have sought guidance or insight, though the truth of what they spoke of is lost to us. However, for all the nobility of his purpose, Uriel's great project led him into darkness. The logic that he worked to understand was the unfathomable intelligence of the Chaos God Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. Every new insight twisted the Primarch's great mind towards the paths of Chaos, the very foe he was created to defeat. When Aubrey The Grey came to claim the Thirteenth for the Traitors, while he refused to kneel, Uriel agreed to join with the Arch-Traitor and solemnly pledged his men to Hektor's cause with the words he had once used to affirm his loyalty to the Emperor:

He wills it.

The Heresy

Having his men scattered throughout the Imperium was at once help and hindrance to Uriel's new plans. The Justicars swiftly went into action sabotaging Imperial infrastructure, disabling astropathic relays, and securing strategic points such as supply depots for the Traitor Legions. However, a small minority of the Thirteenth Legion refused to follow their Primarch into damnation. These "Guardian Angels", as they called themselves, were few in number but were particularly adept at slaying the corrupted Librarians in thrall of the Chaos Powers across the Galaxy.

Aside from dealing with their Loyalist brothers, Uriel's Justicars were also called on to contain the warriors of the Eyes of the Emperor who had spurned the Council of Ten and rallied to Shakya Vardhana. If these two subtle Legions did not yet confront one another in great pitched battles, their countless skirmishes over six years of war still added up to a terrible toll in lives. The hatreds formed in the little war between the Justicars and the Eyes of the Emperor would reach a crescendo at the Siege of Terra, where the Legions would finally be matched in a field battle.

The Scouring

Uriel and the Justicars were quick to adapt to the path Fate had chosen on the bloody steps of the Imperial Palace that day. Hektors body had barely hit the vast marbled steps by the time Uriel had given his orders for the 13th to withdraw. Old habits die hard however, and die hard they did; the majority of the Justicars began their fast but orderly staggered withdrawal, accompanied by elements of the Iron Rangers who had also seen the writing on the wall. Hektors death sent panic and confusion through the traitors at a critical time in the battle, and many of the traitors simply turned their back on the Heralds and fled. Though they had turned their back on the Emperor, the traitorous Justicars had not lost their spirit, nor their sense of duty. Despite the confusion, Uriel rallied a corps of traiors around himself; elements of the Fourth and Ninth legions, pledged to Khorne and Slaanesh respectively,

But the spirit of the Thirteenth Legion was embedded deep, and Uriel personally lead a few of his veteran companies in a strikingly selfless rearguard action that saw the near total destruction of those involved, including Uriel himself being banished????? to the warp. This begrudgingly courageous move bought enough time for the Heralds to evacuate the body of the Warmaster, and crucially for the bulk of the traitor forces to retreat and allow the new leadership to regain control of the situation as best they could.

Post-Heresy

Legion Wars The 13th were a divisive group in the Legion wars, earning as much hatred and envy as they earned respect and friendship for their actions in the heresy.

Culture and Traditions

The culture of the Thirteenth legion is difficult to define, simply because their recruitment practices see them take worthy individuals from such a wide and broad variety of cultures that no single culture reigns dominant. Instead, a pseudo-culture has resulted from this melting pot of individuals, whereupon common beliefs and traits bind the diverse cultural backgrounds together.
Courage, justice, integrity, duty, cooperation, generosity, humility, diligence, and determination; These nine common values are few but are fiercely and proudly venerated by each and every individual in the legion. Uriel's reunification with his gene-sons strengthened the resolve for these shared values considerably, so vindicated were the legion in having a Primarch who embodied their beliefs so strongly. Uriel's arrival brought with him some new beliefs too; his experiences on Tiberia_V instilled into him a distrust for authority, and the value of self-reliance and cynicism.

This distrust of authority, and the legions fiercely held belief of justice served as the catalyst for Uriel's striking decision to make the legion serfs 'free men'. Though little changed functionally, with these 'free men' still carrying out menial tasks for the Astartes, the general outlook on the former-serfs and their morale changed dramatically; they went from essentially valuable slaves, to respected and valued members of the legion, treated humanely and equally with the rest of the legion. This single change can be argued to be one of the key reasons the legion became so beloved of the Imperium, and so hurt by their betrayal. This scepticism of authority also lead to a respect for vigilantism; with so many of the legion having been recruited from the under-classes of society, the idea of no individual, however rich or powerful, being above justice resonated deeply. Though a minor aspect of the legions cultural traditions, vigilante justice was seen as a hallowed and respected method, though it often damned the vigilante in the process. A curious by-product of these developments was the legions belief in speaking freely. It began with the 'Old Terran Guard' who were experienced Astartes warriors; their experience lead them to be quite frank with their new officers when they believed the officers had made a poor decision. This eventually transcended the divisions of Terran and non-Terran Astartes, and became a legion-wide tradition for the experienced veterans of the legion to hold the privilege of openly expressing their opinions and discontent freely. Even in the presence of Uriel himself such behaviour was tolerated, even encouraged by Uriel himself so long as it did not cause a dereliction of duty.

The diverse cultural identities of the Justicars also seems to have lead to a strong sense of humour. From humorous anecdotes to sarcastic wittiness, and everything in between, the legion was renowned for its broad sense of humour and its bewilderingly surreal propensity for pulling pranks among themselves and on others. This sense of humour won the legion many enemies, especially among the high nobility to whom such informality and irreverence was abhorrent. However, it also won the legion many friends among rank-and-file soldiers and civilians alike. Even some quite unlikely friendships were formed, such as with the notoriously suspicious Fifth legion.

Finally, a notable tradition of the Justicars dating all the way back to their beginnings on Terra itself, is the tradition of only honouring their dead and not the living. Beginning with 4 casualties from the XIII Sacred Band's role in the pacification of the San Angelus Hive, the names of the fallen were recorded on great black and white marble walls, the name of each of the fallen inscribed in gold followed by the name of their last campaign. After Uriel's reforms, the legion also began commemorating the fallen among their 'free men' and their auxiliaries side by side with the Astartes fallen. This humility served a unifying purpose with recently conquered worlds, who saw the sacrifices of their men and women who now fought and died for the Imperium, were as valued as every other human in the Imperium.

Aside from recording names, the legions commemorative traditions included music and song; deeds of duty, courage, justice and self-sacrifice were immortalised in battle chants and solemn hymns. This aspect of the tradition originally began as a tool for raising and maintaining morale among the regular soldiers of the Imperial Army who were not as well-prepared to deal with the horrors of the galaxy as the Astartes were, let alone the incomprehensible nightmares that the Immaterium produced. It worked well, if modestly, and served a secondary purpose as a way of honouring the contributions of regular soldiers of the Imperial Army to the Great Crusade. But it eventually found a home in the hearts of the Astartes of the Justicars as well; finding music and song brought Astartes and human alike together as equals. This would even develop into more than just a cultural tradition, as its value as a propaganda tool and eventually even as a psychological weapon was realised by the expanding Watchtower. After the Heresy, this use of music as a weapon became a hallmark of the Justicars, accompanied by foul magicks to break the will of their enemies with psychological terror and confusion.

Notable Domains

Tiberia main article

Also need a bunch of recruiting worlds, also a world in the EoT might help too.

Organisation

Where many legions had idiosyncratic and unique organisational structures born of their deep-rooted cultural and philosophical backgrounds, the 13th had always kept there own simple and clear. Before reunification with Uriel, the legions organisation was based on the Terran standards each of the legions had been formed using; The Guardian Angels specialist witch-hunting role did not require more sophisticated organisation than that. After reunification with Uriel in 817.M30, the underlying organisational framework remained the same, but Uriel's reforms did bring great change; The immediate expansion of the legion's depleted manpower and its name change aside, Uriel's vision for his Justicars sought to streamline the legion, while maximising its capabilities. His vision was to ensure that the greatest effect could be achieved with the least effort, and the most efficiency.

The Watchtower Project - NOT GOOD ENOUGH

The first major organisational overhaul Uriel passed was to centralise all the support and administrative arms of the legion under one command structure; The Watchtower Project, more commonly known simply as Watchtower was the result. Aware that the Great Crusade would stretch the Legion beyond its capacity as the campaign went on, Watchtower was a long-term solution to address this problem. The principle was to leave this work largely to the legion serfs and auxiliaries, leaving Astartes free to see to their principle duty as the bleeding edge of the Great Crusade. The Librarium, Apothecarium, and Armorium were unified in this project, pooling their resources alongside the Thirteenths other support formations. Head scouts were also reformed under Watchtowers structure, the idea being they could share their intel with Watchtower who could quickly and efficiently disseminate this to the relevant parties, keeping operations and campaigns fluid and granting them a faster reaction speed than they would otherwise have. This move did have its risks; doubt was raised as to whether the freed men and human auxiliaries could even keep to the standards the legion set, let along keep up with the high operational tempo the legions operated at. Uriel stood by his decision, giving the freed men and auxiliaries his full support and encouragement. Ultimately, Uriel was vindicated in his decision and critics silenced, as the Watchtower Project became a great success of the legion.

Watchtower was also used as a transitioning tool with Imperial Army forces who followed to garrison recently conquered worlds. Watchtower provided them with everything they would need to do their job to maximum efficiency, and left behind a structure from which the garrison forces could deal with uprisings and maintain compliance should it be required. Personnel being retired from Watchtower were also often left behind, in new leadership roles relevant to their discipline and experience. This was a means of honouring those who served with the Justicars, but also a means of creating and maintaining a strong network of mutual understanding and respect that was designed to foster cooperation and loyalty. In this it succeeded, as a vast number of worlds conquered by the Justicars would follow them into the traitorous ranks of Hektor Cincinnatus, however, the values the legion often instilled in the conquered lead a great many worlds to remain loyal, much to the chagrin of the Traitors.

Doctrine

Uriel also brought about a significant change for the legions doctrine of war. Since its inception the legion had been focused on small scale Psyker-hunting kill-teams and after it was expanded to fight in the Great Crusade it learned other methods to conquer entire worlds and not just hunt witches. Uriel's reforms set the legion a versatile and universally applicable doctrine most easily described as Siege.
To call it this however, brings forth images of slow, plodding battles of attrition. Of charging over barricades and up walls. This is not what Uriel had in mind. Uriel noted from his own experience that war had two battlefields: Conventional and Extra-Conventional. The Conventional battlefield was physical. It was where overcoming an enemy meant judicial use of bolter and chainsword. Uriel noted that strategically, this always came down to terrain; control the crucial terrain - resource mines and stockpiles, citadels, bridges and key logistics routes - and you control the enemy. He explained to his gene-sons that such places are among the most brutal of battlefields, for the enemy also knows the importance of such places, and will protect them bitterly. It meant that often the legion would be assaulting fortifications. Besieging them.
This was preferably done with an emphasis on surprise and aggression, mostly facilitated by orbital strikes and fast, mobile troops who would be upon the defenders before they were able to marshal a proper defence.
Once this bloody business was done, these locations needed to be fortified or refortified, so they could serve the legion and Imperial forces following them as bases of operation. But he also explained that they held a secondary importance: protecting the population. Such fortifications were to be used as shelters for the people from the ravages of war. Uriel, much like his legion, despised collateral damage, but Uriel's understanding went further; having dealt with rebels in his youth, he knew very well that civilian casualties only aided the defender, and created animosity among the surviving populace toward Imperial rule later.
The Extra-Conventional battlefield worked in tandem with the conventional. It included the opinion of the people in its computations; Hearts and minds efforts were key to long term success in bringing compliance, and this could not just be left to propaganda alone, the civilians needed to be shown a better alternative by the Imperium. Extra-conventional warfare also meant sabotage of enemy infrastructure, industry, and even their political and economic structures to strangle their ability to fight. It meant undermining the leadership in the eyes of their soldiers and the population they guarded to weaken resistance. It meant gathering intelligence and reconnaissance on critical targets so the legion could strike where the maximum effect would be felt.
It meant defeating the enemy without physical confrontation. Uriel placed the extra-conventional warfare solely under the responsibility of Watchtower, who ranged ahead of the legions fleets, and trailed behind them, leaving his Astartes to focus their attention completely on the conventional battlefield.

This doctrinal change met some resistance from the Terran 'Old Guard' whose speciality had been in witch-hunting missions. Uriel explained he would not be abandoning this mission, but that Compliance Groups working with Watchtower personnel would continue this mission. He noted that hunting sorcerers was a key part of limiting casualties, and came under the umbrella of Extra-Conventional warfare handled by Watchtower. He continued that it would not just be limited to the campaigns of the Justicars alone, but that Watchtower Compliance Groups would be attached to other expeditionary fleets, to seek out sorcerers and witches and eliminate them to spare the Imperium from the evil magicks they ply.

Geneseed

There was only one real change to the organisation of the legion, but it was a major change.

changes legion method of war to modern/mobile siege Terrain control - dealt with in strategy/tactics.

dislikes the idea of serfs, makes them free-men and ensures they're treated well like regular IA are.

sets up Watchtower to centralise management of the support and non-conventional warfare aspects of the legion compliance groups - its the legions mission, and the Sacred Band believe this is important, Uriel agrees, so retains it, but ups the scale. emissarius - acts as a vector and liason for the compliance groups and the legion/fleet they attach to. Emissarius are always serfs unless attached to primarchs.

It has been noted many times how incredibly effective the XIIIth's battlefield communication networks are, despite their seemingly disorganised ways making such a feat seem illogical. Many have claimed their ill-disciplined image is just a facade, while yet others have claimed they use xenos technology that allows the legion to communicate across implausible distances without the need for astropaths. These claims should be ignored as disreputable, yet not disregarded; the 13th are known for their skill at deception, despite how trustworthy they were once deemed.

In hindsight, it is readily apparent how the legion was able to keep the secret of it's true allegiances for such a long time. Indeed post-Heresy, the XIIIth legion continues confounding the friend and foe alike with it's convoluted methods, which seem to get more intricate as time passes.

Specialist Troops

The 13th legion with its unorthodox and ever-adapting methods, are among the legions with a larger number of specialist troops than average. Many squad formations are formed to deal with a single campaign-specific threat, and once the campaign was complete they would be disbanded. The marines that formed those specialist units then go on to take their experience to new formations, leaving the 13th Legion a surprisingly wide pool of expertise to wield, and the ability to employ surprisingly unorthodox maneuvers with little difficulty.

There are however, many specialist troops whose roles were more universal, or had a broader potential, and so were maintained as permanent fixtures to the legion. Some of these even spread to other legions, such as the "Seeker Squads". The 13th were also very keen to acquire new formations from their brother legions, always striving to push the boundaries of their own knowledge and capabilities.

Stalker Squads

"One cannot hide from shadows"
(Stalker motto)

Roles:

• Active and passive reconnaissance, and observation of enemy forces
• Guerrilla warfare
• Capture, assassination, and protection of Designated Targets
• Sabotage and observation of target locations
• Infiltration
• Additional capability to attack targets of opportunity

Stalker squads specialise in reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering and were consummate masters of stealth, and infiltration, being required to assassinate, kidnap, and sabotage designated military targets deep behind enemy lines. It is not unheard of for Stalker squads to complete their missions without firing a shot, prioritising stealth and mission success over body-count.

The origins of the Stalker squads come from the Iron Rangers Heliwyr squads, who would use stealth and infiltration to get deep into enemy territory and help guide allied forces, harass enemy supply lines, and attack enemy targets of opportunity. The Heliwyr and Stalker squads turned the humble scout into a fearsome formation, capable of wreaking great havoc. The Iron Rangers often cooperated in operations with the Justicars early in their legions history, the two legions sharing an affinity with complimentary methods of warfare.

Stalker squads were more than just scouts to the Justicars however; Stalker Squads were often deployed as a vanguard in counter-insurgency roles with Group 13 and Echelon forces, and given autonomy to conduct long range operations. Usually these heavily involved snipers and heavy weapons, servitor-air support, and light vehicles from which the formation would live and operate.

Mobile Assault Commando squads (MAC's)

If the plan seems crazy to you; you were not crazy enough to begin with.
(MAC squad joke)

Roles:

• Rapid deployment strikes, by air, sea, void, & land.
• Commando direct action and unconventional assault operations on high value targets
• Rapid deployment battlefield support and interdiction
• Capability to attack targets of opportunity

Most commonly utilising the Koln pattern LandSpeeders (similar to the Landspeeder Storm) and Schwarzefalken-Pattern Stormtalon ground attack aircaft, which were customised and outfitted for transporting troops, the Mobile Assault Commando squads, or MAC's, undertake sudden assaults and raids on unsuspecting foes, often far behind enemy lines. They are also deployed in the flanks and rear of assaulting enemy forces, before their assault has made contact the legions lines. This is to sow confusion among the enemy, and destabilise their ability to prosecute their plans. Often the MAC's are also used to lure or corral enemy forces into kill zones and traps laid out by the rest of the legion.

In environments unsuited to fliers, the MAC's utilise fast ground vehicles, often favouring light bikes and the custom 6-wheeler "Caracal" light transport and combat vehicles's designed for maximum speed, agility, and endurance. Utilising a brash dismounting assault, the MAC's complete their assigned mission before remounting and riding off, often drawing enemy reinforcements out of position for follow-up ordnance strikes and ambushes.

Casualties vary from mission to mission, sometimes very high, sometimes almost non-existent over an entire campaign - The squads Modus Operandi is often shockingly effective, but the high level of risk employed in their attacks can leave them at great risk should a mission go wrong. Due to the nature of the MAC's operation, they attract a wide range of personalities, from cavalier and aggressive to methodical and utterly implacable. However, they are all highly efficient, and quick on their feet, both mentally and physically; those who aren't tend to die off quickly.

Insidiators

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win
(XIIIth Legion proverb on the value of preparation)

Created in the sweeping reforms Uriel instituted after the Metnav I campaign, the Insidiators are without a doubt the strangest of all the legions idiosyncratic formations.

They are an element of the mythical Group 13, who does not answer to or interact with the rest of the legion. Like all Group 13 marines, the Insidiators are given new identities and undergo extensive surgery to alter their features and make them unrecognisable. Where Group 13 operates separate from the rest of the legion, Insidators are one degree further in this separation, operating completely alone, even from Group 13 forces. They travel across the galaxy, sometimes ahead of the Great Crusades front line, other times in conquered Imperial territory. They seek out enemies of the Imperium, designating and preparing operations on locations and people of interest for the legion to follow up on later. A great deal of the Insidiator's role is pre-emptive preparation, ensuring contingency plans are prepared for even the most unlikely of circumstances, and often on a strategic scale that would bewilder even some of the other primarchs.

Insidiators have countless purposes, but primarily they act as Uriel's eyes and ears, informing him of the state of affairs in the galaxy and also enforcing his will across it; Insidiators answer to Uriel and the Group 13 commander directly, and while rarely exercised, they have jurisdiction to overrule any commander in the 13th should they deem it necessary. This degree of power comes with great responsibility, and only those who have repeatedly demonstrated that they possess exceptional minds, understanding, and talent are ever recruited into the Insidiator ranks. As a result, Insidiators are entrusted with complete autonomy in their actions, given only a list of objectives to achieve and a time-frame to work within. Fundamentally, Insidiators encompass the roles that the 4 operational officers of the 13th fill, but instead on a strategic scale. It was Insidiators who first made diplomatic contact with the Vetrovnak on behalf of the XIIIth legion, seeing the value in cooperation, however temporary. It was also Insidiators who forged the close bonds with various Rogue Traders that the legion came to use so effectively in its doctrine, travelling with the Rogue Traders out to the frontiers. Insidiators are the cutting edge of the legion, directing its very focus, and surveying the galaxy ahead of the Imperium, finding the best routes and most important locations and people. Crucially, like Group 13, the Insidiators handle all missions of a sensitive or 'black' nature, and are believed to have even been involved in the theft of Imperial and Mechanicus secrets.

During the Heresy the Insidiators were constantly busy completing endless objectives; creating anarchy, inciting and leading rebellions, raising and marshaling traitor militia's, spying on Imperial forces, assassinating key figures and sabotaging critical locations. Insidiators were also involved in the daring operation to infiltrate onto the surface of Mars alongside a small force of Iron Rangers ahead of the traitor vanguard, to advise and support the Martian rebels, and to secure secret information, and technology blueprints. After the Heresy most Insidiators that fell to chaos would continue to work alone or with a small retinue as mercenaries, on behalf of whatever warband offered them most. Some though, would lead deadly warbands, and wreak havoc deep in and out of the Eye of Terror. Loyalist Insidiators were forced to turn renegade or surrender to the Imperium. Most were hunted down by the Inquisition after the Scouring, although some found great success outside of Imperial control leading criminal organisations and pirate warbands.

Emissarius

"The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself"
(Ancient Perfidian Proverb)

Akin to the Crusader Host on Terra, the Emissarius was officially a non-combat role, with a single marine embedded into each of the legions. The role is a temporary position, held for an indeterminate duration before being returned to the legion and replaced by a new Emissarius; the average time spent in the role is 20 years. The rotation is designed to teach the brightest and best of the 13th skills and experiences of the other legions, that can then be studied and adopted or methods devised to counter them.

responsibilities:

• Handling diplomacy and inter-legion communication, speaking with the authority of Uriel himself
• Coordinating operations between the 13th and their host-legion when required
• Discreetly watching over the host-legion for any questionable behaviour
• Establishing intelligence networks for potential future counter-insurgency operations

However, while officially a non-combat role, by nature of being attached to the retinue of a Primarch or Chief Commander of a battle-group, Emissarius often saw a great deal of combat.

The Emissarium was formed to fulfill several purposes for the 13th, and it's members were among the brightest and most well-rounded individuals the legion had to offer, providing a wide range of skills to fill those purposes. Many of its membership would go on to lead chapters and fill other important roles, including serving in Uriel's Inner Circle.

Primarily for maintaining and strengthening relations with the other legions, the Emissarius was required to be a consummate political operator, as well as possess an impressive understanding of people. However, the Emissarius was also to watch over their assigned legion, mostly for any troubling behaviours or events that may require the intervention of the 13th in their role as executioners. Due to this, there were some legions who refused the Emissarium access.

This caused the role to expand it's requirements to include espionage; several legions refused the Emissarius assigned to them access, as was their right, so the Emissarium had to resort to using spies to watch over their charges instead. While originally limited to those legions who refused the request for embedding, the practice of using agents was soon adopted universally by the Emissarium, and would expand from just watching over the assigned legion, to include pursuing their own operations, and establishing isolated networks throughout the galaxy whose loyalty lay with the 13th.

At the outset of the Heresy, Uriel had manipulated the rotation of the Emissarium to ensure that he had marines he could trust in the right positions; the fallen members of the 13th assigned to the legions Uriel had determined to side with Hektor, and select loyalists assigned to the legions Uriel believed to remain loyal. In this way the Emissarius was a vital source of information for the 13th, and helps explain how the Traitors in general were so successful prior to the Siege of Terra.

However, the loyalists among the Emissarius, like those among the legion at large, found their loyalties tarnished by association with the rest of their traitorous legion. Yet where the loyalist faction of the legion had the opportunity to flee as renegades or face the misguided vengeance of the Imperium, the Emissarium did not, and all but one of their number were hunted down and slain. The fate of the last loyal Emissarius is unknown however, all that is known is that his life was spared.

Group 13

Group 13 is a secret operation unit, involved in covert and black operations. Officially, they do not exist, and even within the legion the name is spoken with disbelief and conspiracy. In reality, they are another chapter of the legion, whose numbers are not included in official records as all recruits to the formation have their deaths faked and new identities given to them, up to and including facial reconstruction and the adoption of new mannerisms.

Aside from black and false flag operations, Group 13 is involved in high-risk and often seemingly-suicidal operations; retrieving compromising intel, long-term infiltrations, assassinations, and the kidnap or capture of targets where the Imperium - or even the legion - cannot be seen to be involved. As a consequence of this, Group 13 regularly sustains significantly higher casualty rates than most units.

Recruitment is heavily steeped in counter-intelligence preparations, with recruits only being selected from marines whose geneseed has been fully harvested. Selection takes place before the recruit is even aware they are being considered as a candidate, with a profile on the potential recruit being assessed, and reports of how the marine acts in and out of combat. Only marines that have displayed that their talents extend well beyond those required on the battlefield are considered, with most candidates exhibiting extreme self-reliance, quick wits, and a wide range of knowledge and experience.

The theories on Group 13's rigorous and brutal selection, the seemingly-suicidal nature of their missions, and the isolation from the rest of the legion has lead the unit to refer to itself as the Unlucky Bastards, and it has become a humourous joke among those few in the group.

Group 13 was crucial in the Justicars preparations before the Heresy, and were responsible for eliminating any threats to the legions secret allegiance to the Ruinous Powers; only Arkady Balotin escaped their reach, but even he was slain before he could reveal the truth. Since the Scouring, Group 13 has gone to ground somewhere in the Imperium, and are believed to offer their services to any warband or criminal element who can pay their price. Their allegiance is unknown, but there have been reports of Vetrovnak in their ranks, leading some to claim wildly that they have sold their services to the Vetrovnak Protectorate, though this is unsubstantiated.

Support Formations

The XIII legion's use of its support formations is more indirect than most legions, but they still wield immense power on and off the battlefield. Taking the doctrinal tenet of Coordination to heart, the support formations of the 13th work almost imperceptibly as one.

Librarium

Psy Ops Interrogation Support/buffs

Apothecarium

Interrogation Kidnap and Capture

Armorium

Psy Ops Information Warfare Gadgetforge

Praeceptus Cognitio

"When you're thirsty it's too late to think about digging a well."

- Uriel Starikov on the necessity of intelligence networks

While marines are unparalleled creations for war, their stature makes them inadequate for intelligence work. With the lessons learned from the Metnav I Incident fresh in his mind, Uriel formed a mixed-auxilia formation made up of legion serfs, of whom the Justicars had a magnitudes more of than other legions. These were bolstered by great number of exceptional Imperials. Their mandate was to handle all intelligence and counter-intelligence matters of the legion, and prevent the legion from being caught off-guard again.
The Praeceptus Cognitio, also known colloquially as "Cognitio", or by the codename "Watchtower", had a dual purpose role: Firstly, to attain, analyse, and disseminate actionable military intelligence for the XIIIth legion. Secondly, they were to watch over the Imperium, ensuring compliance with the Emperor's orders, and rooting out any threats from within.

The Praeceptus Cognitio developed networks of informants, agents, and assets all across the Imperium. Most acted with autonomy, collecting all the data they attained from their area of operation into libraries that would remain until the legion arrived. They would then brief the Justicar forces on everything relevant to the region, transferring their encrypted records to Legion's Librarium for posterity.
Generally, the Praeceptus Cognitio had little face-to-face action with the marines, but possess the authority to temporarily recruit marines for special missions that Astartes are deemed necessary for. However, two legionary formations were merged into Watchtower permanently: Group 13, and Echelon.
Praeceptus Cognitio recruited a vast number of permanent operatives to its fieldwork teams to prosecute its own operations, often from Imperial Army regiments and Adeptus Arbites forces. But it is also common for criminals, and other undesirables to be recruited, the legion only caring for talents and knowledge.

The Watchtower fieldwork teams are used for:

• Military, economic, and political espionage and sabotage
• Battlefield support for the legion and supporting Imperial Army formations
• Instigating and often leading rebellions and uprisings, or supporting local authorities in crushing them.
• Covert and black operations of a priority or necessity that excludes Astartes involvement
• Making diplomatic contact with non-imperials and xenos when the legion requires such action

Watchtower recruits agents and staff from all over the galaxy, looking for individuals with extraordinary talents, knowledge, and experience from all aspects of life, not just those relating to war.
Cognitio field-training is intense: ~83% of recruits fail to make the cut every recruitment cycle, and an alarming 32% of recruits die in training in unexplained events. However, aside from statistics, there is little concrete record on Watchtower training, as it takes place at one of the mythical Grey Box facilities where legion aspirants are trained.
The basic training seems to include at least: an extensive variety of martial skills, intelligence and counter-intelligence techniques, languages, science, mathematics, Imperial law, and extensive instruction in conducting and resisting physical and psyker interrogation.

In the wake of the Heresy, with the revelation of the 13th legion's corruption, many Cognitio networks were discovered and purged. However, a great many are believed to still exist, and the alarming accuracy of the intelligence some traitors often possess would suggest this great fear to be true.

Doctrine

The Doctrine of the Justicars is expansive, designed to primarily prepare the legion for any eventuality, and retain the strategic, operational, and tactical advantage at every turn. Colloquially known as Unrestricted Warfare, the legion's doctrine is essentially a modernised form of the Total War doctrine, where instead of using and and targeting all the available apparatus that fuel and fund military ambitions, those apparatus are themselves turned into weapons and applied directly to the enemy. The flexibility inherent in this doctrine lies in the implementation of its tenets; not all of the Imperium's foes are susceptible to psychological warfare for example, in which case this tenet is retired in favour of tenets that are applicable to the enemy being faced. It should be mentioned that the Justicars ability and willingness to innovate and adapt may have informed this doctrine considerably, but an equally convincing argument can be made of the opposite. Regardless, its effectiveness lies in its ability to strip the enemy of its ability to prosecute a war, and limits the strategic and tactical options the enemy can choose from. It is also remarkably effective against foes who are more technologically advanced than the Imperium, as it's concepts do not rely on technology or advanced weaponry to be utilised successfully.

Strategy

The Strategic doctrine of the XIIIth is formed around 5 basic principles that they believe to be most important in war:

1. Deception

Deception is perhaps the most pervasive tenet of the legion, as it goes to extraordinary lengths to conceal everything it does from friend and foe alike, only ever revealing what they want to be revealed. As such, it is very difficult to decisively counter the XIIIth's attacks and penetrate their defenses, as the enemy can never be sure whether they have been lured into the chosen course of action, or have genuinely gained an advantage over the 13th and should press their attack. Even against foes that either cannot, or choose not to follow conventional methods of war, simple deceptions such as baited ambushes are strikingly effective.

2. Mobility

Mobility is one of the most important principles, although the most overlooked by outsiders. Where mobility for other legions means heavy and direct use of vehicles, the 13th see mobility as the process of responding to a threat and deploying for battle within the shortest time, and in the most efficient manner. As such, they highly prize their naval and airborne fleets, both of which are used extensively to deploy the Justicars with alarming speed and surprising range. The legion's vaunted MAC units exemplify this tenet most, operating entirely from aircraft and skimmers, or fast ground vehicles when flyers are impractical. Mobility is also a great strength when used in conjunction with the other tenets, allowing the legion to act and react at a tempo that is difficult to match for most foes.

Furthermore, mobility stretches into the legions intelligence operations. Using their range and speed in conjunction with secrecy and deception to undertake vital covert and clandestine operations. Maintaining mobility while including secrecy has lead the legion to acquire and maintain many civilian and xenos vessels, in addition to cultivating close links with Rogue Traders, whom aid the legion for profit found in their economic operations.

3. Unconventional Warfare

Unconventional Warfare is the most peculiar of the legions tenets. While other legions do engage in unconventional warfare the XIIIth legion however, take the concept far beyond standard levels. This tenet includes a countless number of applications, but the core concepts are the following: psychological, political, and economic warfare.

Psychological Warfare was initially limited to terror tactics, using controlled and ruthless violence on enemies to damage enemy morale, and Hearts and Minds, winning over civilians to the Imperial cause by aiding them. This would expand exponentially after leaving Sol, and lead to some truly bizarre and often wildly effective tactics being utilised by the Justicars on and off the battlefield. This tenet often overlapped with political and information warfare.

Political warfare is simply the means of using politics as a battlefield. Whether supporting rebel or government factions, using diplomacy, or instigating civil wars and insurrections, political warfare has a permanent place in the 13th's arsenal; It has enabled them to bring worlds into compliance without needing a single Astartes to enter the system. While it would seem to be limited in effectiveness against xenos, many Ork Waaghs and Dark Eldar cabals have been defeated by significantly smaller legionary forces who simply pitted them against each other, playing on personal ambitions and animosities to incite infighting, and mopping up the remains.

Finally, Economic warfare turns economic means, such as trade, industry, and even resources into weapons to aid in the defeat of the enemy. Over time the legion has fostered close links with Rogue Traders to enact these missions, with the Rogue Traders facilitating or participating in the missions for equity in the conquered territory. These tactics are limited in application, as not every foe of the Imperium has an economy, but it is a potent option when they do.

4. Information

Information warfare is one of the most important tenets of the legion. From intelligence and counter-intelligence operations, to battlefield reconnaissance and compromising enemy communications, information was crucial for the 13th. The Praeceptus Cognitio handled the vast bulk of the legions intelligence work, being formed specifically to address this tenet, and has guided the Justicars on campaigns across the galaxy with frightening precision and efficiency since its creation. The Justicars believe strongly in the importance of information on and off the battlefield, and became masters of using it in a scale and scope that only the Inquisition has rivaled since, testament to the unparalleled power wielded by the legions, and a justification for the Codex Astartes. By the time of the Reformation, the legion's intelligence networks have been found across the entire Imperium, one wonders: just how far did their influence reach? And perhaps more worrying, how far does it still do so?

5. Coordination

Coordination is similar to the 'combined arms' approaches other legions employ, but extends to the strategic scale, with all relevant commanders involved in the planning of any operation, from Legiones Astartes to local PDF or volunteer civilian forces. This is a principle introduced by Uriel after talking with the members of the XIIIth Sacred Band squad. Observing the effectiveness and loyalty engendered among the marines by fighting alongside other legions, and for Hektor Cincinnatus especially, Uriel sought to achieve similar results.

The tenet served a purpose beyond forging bonds however; close coordination between the Thirteenth and other Imperial forces, including factions like the Adeptus Arbites and the Adeptus Mechanicus, allowed for the legion's forces to complement each-others strengths and cover each-others weaknesses. It would later be revealed to also have been a tool to infiltrate numerous factions with agents and extend the reach of the legions intelligence networks, which would prove to be a significant but not unassailable problem once the 13th's allegiance to Chaos was revealed.

Tactics

The tactics of the Justicars are far less structured than their Strategic doctrine, closer to an extensive repertoire of proven methods than a cohesive doctrine. This makes the legion incredibly unpredictable in combat, often catching opponents off-guard. Predominantly based in their early years around counter-insurgency operations, the legion engaged on everything from tactical raids on enemy strong-points, to ambushing enemies en-route to ambushes of their own, all of this built on a strong backbone of reconnaissance. This was extended over time as the legion adapted to Uriel's reforms, but the core ideas remained. Due to their experience with counter-insurgency operations and intelligence work, the Justicars found themselves quite often fighting in urban terrain. The experience they earned there lead to some strikingly effective tactics and a slew of equipment and vehicles being developed to excel in the confined spaces of urban terrains. Perhaps the most notable of these vehicles is the Stag. Due to their background in city-fighting and close-quarter environments, the Justicars are fond of creating dynamic entry points using a variety of explosives and shaped charges, and make use of a very wide variety of grenades and equipment to help give them the tactical edge over their opponent.

The only real universal principle of Justicar tactics is the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act loop (OODA-loop). This is an innovative and astonishingly effective means of dominating the battlefield, and crucially allows the XIIIth to remain flexible for as long as possible. The OODA-loop is simple in its concept: it is simply a mathematical decision-cycle that dictates the course of action military forces - and their leaders - take. The genius of the OODA loop is in its universality; every force operates on an OODA-loop process, even if they don't realise it, simply because everyone acts upon information; from what they see, to what they know. The key to the OODA-loop is in disrupting your opponents cycle with misinformation, misdirection, and unpredictability, while clarifying the information you glean from the enemy. A force which is able to rapidly cycle through the OODA loop process can get inside the opponents loop-cycle, and thus dictate their actions. The XIIIth's intelligence networks and skilled reconnaissance give the legion and enormous edge in this process, and it must be noted that no other legion operates with such strategic and tactical agility as the Justicars did and still do; perhaps fitting given their intended role as "secret police" over the other legions.

Arms, Armour, & Equipment

Prior to the reunion with their primarch, the Justicars had maintained a smaller armoury than most legions, largely neglecting equipment and weapons without a use in the strategies they pursued. Even then, it was not uncommon for improvisation to fill the roles equipment traditionally would, speed and surprise being prized over how well-equipped the legion was. But once Uriel was returned to the legion, this changed. The XIIIth's untouched stocks of equipment, armours, and weapons were rapidly and the legion thoroughly brought up to combat-ready standard in their operation. So too was the amount of equipment stocked expanded exponentially. In an impressively short time span indicative of logistical brilliance, Uriel had refitted his legion, its fleet, and even some of its subordinate allies with newer and more modern equipment. His changes carried on further still, as Uriel made controversial changes to the Armourium, encouraging the techmarines of his legion to improve existing equipment, and to develop new tools and gadgets for the legion to employ. The freedom given to the techmarines of the 13th notably lead to the Soltek pattern bolter, the Grizwold pattern bolt-revolver, and the Schwarzefalken pattern Storm Eagle which was widely employed by the legions MAC squads. This and the XIIIth's ties with Rogue Traders would strain relations with the Mechanicum slightly, but the two sides would come to an accord, Uriel negotiating with the Mechanicum to find an agreeable middle ground, yet some bitterness reportedly remains.

During the Scouring it was revealed that the legion had massive stockpiles of non-imperial and xenos equipment across the Imperium in a vast network of hidden caches and safe-havens. Among this plethora of assorted tech, Imperial forces would find what would later be identified as equipment of Vetrovnak origin, specifically "Fold Comms", which are capable of sending messages over vast distances almost instantaneously and with stable signal, by means the Mechanicus would not divulge to me. It is perhaps no surprise the legion was able to conceal its secrets with such a powerful and covert communications network at its disposal, and answers how the legion was able to respond to intelligence with such improbable speed and preparation.

In addition the Justicar Armorium is known to have developed an abundance of electronic and mechanical gadgets to be used on and off the battlefield; from listening devices and comms-jammers, to aerial reconnaissance and fire-support servitors. These devices were designed largely to aid in the legions espionage and counter-insurgency activities, and presumably met great success, as the betrayal of the XIIIth legion was not apparent until the gates of Terra itself.

Notable Examples

Schwarzefalken-pattern Storm Talon The Schwarzefalken is a troop transport conversion of a Storm Talon. The Schwarzefalken is designed for the rapid and precise deployment of up to 20 Astartes troops, often to areas too small for Thunderhawk access, or requiring hovering capabilities. The Schwarzefalken is also used continually; whereas a Thunderhawk is used to get troops from orbit to planet-side, the Schwarzefalken deploys troops, then usually remains in the area to pick those troops up again when they are done and deploy them elsewhere before enemy forces can react. This is important for the Justicars doctrine of mobility and speed.

Koln-pattern Landspeeder Much like the Landspeeder Storm, but larger, designed to deploy a squad of 10 marines. Used often in conjunction with the Schwarzefalken, or as a suitable replacement for it. Outside of these roles it is generally in widespread use with the recon squadrons of the legion, who utilise its excellent speed to cover larger distances without needing to follow traditional land-routes. When absolute stealth is required however, the Landspeeder Koln is used as in a support role for the recon squadrons, providing security teams with a means of rapid-reaction deployment to unfolding threats, should the recon teams be discovered.

Caracal Light Combat Vehicle The Caracal is another strange vehicle designed by the XIIIth Legion's armories. It is a 6-wheeled car, stripped of most of its armour and non-essential items to leave a framework vehicle serving as an all-terrain fast-attack transport and combat vehicle for situations where air-deployments are not ideal or otherwise unfeasible. It is prioritised for speed and agility, sacrificing the armour of a rhino or razorback. The combat vehicle is armed with a front-mounted heavy bolter for the co-driver, and a top-mounted heavy weapon, most commonly a lascannon. The larger transport version forgoes the top-mounted heavy-weapon to make room for troops, but retains the front-mounted heavy bolter. It is in only limited use with the legion, predominantly with the recon and fast-attack squadrons, but the Caracal features prominently with various auxiliary Imperial Army units and to a lesser extent with the Justicars intelligence-support forces.

Stag Combat Engineering Vehicle The Stag is a strange creation, closer to a civilian construction vehicle than a typical military vehicle. It's purpose is very specific; to function as a siege-engine for city-fighting and as an engineering-vehicle for attacking fortifications, but it appears to have limited use outside of its designated role as well. Based on the chassis of an industrial tractor, the 6-man crewed Stag is typically equipped with a large, heavy-duty extending hydraulic bulldozer blade, a fixed turret, high-angle artillery cannon, and 2 pintle-mounted weapons on each side with extremely high and wide angles designed to act as both Anti-Air support, and to provide small-arms protection from rooftops and upper-stories in city-fights. It seems to also be possible to equip the Stag with a variety of tools, from assault-ladders and battering rams to fire-fighting equipment and crowd-control non-lethal equipment.

Fleet

As for fleet strengths, the Justicars Legion was known to possess a very extensive and diverse fleet, although having less heavy capital ships and planetary siege craft in comparison to many other Legions. The main strength of the XIII Legion's fleets then was found in a plethora of different intermediate and light vessels, with range and speed being their primary focus, requiring these capabilities due to the extended distances their networks and missions presumably extend. To this end, they make a lot of use of Vanguard variant Strike Cruisers, as well as Dauntless-class Light Cruisers, Exorcist-class Grand Cruisers, Nemesis-class Fleet Carriers, and Devastation-class Cruisers. The Justicars seem to favour boarding actions over full-on fleet based combat, but they do not shy from the latter, the concepts Uriel learned in regicide translating well into his understanding of timing, fields of fire, positioning, and maneuver in void battles.

The Justicars were also suspected of utilising a number of captured xenos  and non-imperial vessels, and indeed sometimes incorporating xenos and non-imperial technology into their warship designs –- a practice strictly forbidden without the sanction of the Mechanicum - but given the Legion's frequent activities far beyond the Imperium's borders and its hidden strengths and bases of operation, such suspicions are next to impossible to prove, if indeed such suspicions are are not just misinformation originating from the Justicars themselves.

At the beginning of the Heresy, the Justicars are believed to have had:

1 Gloriana-class Flagship (likely 2)
~70 Battleships
~500 Cruisers
~710 Escorts

These fleet numbers do not include the Imperial Army and Navy vessels requisitioned to the XIIIth Legions command.

Notable Vessels

Perfidus Iter- Gloriana class Battleship
Captain: listed as Sidor Ivanov (believed to be a fake name)

Believed to be Uriel's Flagship since his reunification with the Justicars. Often confused (possibly intentionally) with the other believed Flagship of the same class, Eris. It is a contradiction, a vessel stripped down so that nothing remains that does not serve a useful purpose. Yet everything that does remain is often of exquisite artistry and of erudite taste, creating a strange dichotomy of purpose and aesthetic.

Eris- Gloriana class Battleship
Captain: listed as Ivan Sidorov

Identical to Perfidus Iter in every way, down to the smallest detail. It is believed to have been used as Uriel's Flagship more than once. Many observers have theorised that both ships are indeed the same, with the name and call signs somehow being changed, while others claim that they are indeed two separate ships, and the Justicars are simply playing mind games, although where they acquired the second ship is never explained. Presumably, if this second Gloriana does exist, it was taken from one of the lost legions, whom the XIIIth would have likely dealt with.

Champion of Uraboros/Uraboros Aeternum- Strike Cruiser
Captain: Eanoq Grymmwood

Linked with many major operations the Justicars have been a part of, seeing service since the XIII Legion left Sol. It was crippled beyond repair at Paramar, but it's parts were taken and rebuilt by the Mechanicum, being renamed Uraboros Aeternum. Despite it's active status, there have been many conflicting reports that have all stated that this ship has either been lost to the warp, destroyed by Tyranids, Necrons, Orks, or Eldar, and even one report claiming that the crew were all Traitor Legionnaires.

Child of Justice - Strike Cruiser
Captain: listed as various.

This ship is shrouded in mystery, and many have claimed that the Justicars simply name one ship in every fleet division Child of Justice, as reports have a Strike Cruiser with this name appearing in over 30 different locations around the Imperium, in a time-frame that would make it impossible for the ship to physically travel those distances. Those more inclined toward evidence-less theories, have claimed that Child of Justice is the same ship, fitted with Xenos technology, allowing it to travel far further and significantly faster than any Imperial ship is capable of.

Qarin- Battle Barge
Captain: Zachary Coreyeuses

Destroyed in the fleet combat preceding the Battle for the Arcus Cluster during M41. Stolen from Imperial docks, in it's first ever battle, it sacrificed itself to ensure it could destroy a Tyranid Hive Ship; boarding it, and deploying all manner of unorthodox tactics to ensure that when they detonated the Exterminatus Bombs on the Qarin, the Hive ship would be utterly destroyed. Of the few reports extant of this battle, everything from simple plasteel cable harpoons, to phosphex bombs were used to rip the Tyranid ship apart.

Culture

Traditions, Philosophies, and Pastimes

Of all the research conducted by myself and Inquisitor Enoch Vestin, the strangest and most accurate findings were on the Justicars legionary culture. Perhaps the most notable of their idiosyncrasies, was the legions fondness of pulling pranks on each other. The image of 7ft tall demi-gods pulling pranks like children is all at once surreal and intensely amusing, and one can certainly see what the nickname "Children" is founded upon. These pranks seem to have ranged from simple and childish, to positively Machiavellian in their deviousness. These pranks may have served another more devious role: encouraging the other legions to not take the XIIIth as seriously as they should have - especially considering their role as the Executioner legion, and their insidious spy networks. Inquisitor Vestin noted that these pranks also likely served the purpose of distraction, to deflect attention from the legions darker inner workings, notably their role in the Heresy. The prank seems to be a notable manifestation of the legions propensity for humour, which has been recorded in various sources on and off the battlefield, as being highly entertaining, which had a positive effect on morale, especially on Imperial Army troopers. Many have noted the legions humour even persisted in the face of overwhelming adversity, taking a darker twist, but never faltering in its wit.

The other of the more unusual quirks of the legion is their philosophy of equality. Completely lacking in the aloof superiority typical of Astartes, The Justicars held a deep-seated belief that everything had a value and a use. In practice, this lead them to interact with Imperial Army and other non-Astartes forces in surprisingly respectful manners, which undoubtedly bolstered their popularity within the Imperium. This equality is also evident in their own legion, where all members can talk freely and informally, with little respect for rank; to the Justicars experience and knowledge are more important than title and hierarchy.

This further feeds into another key aspect of the legion: Loyalty to the group. The legion holds loyalty to their own highest of all; partly due to their Primarchs paternal leadership style, and partly due to their understanding that the cause they serve and the role they play requires them to stick together above all else. It is commonly observed in the legion, often by those with backgrounds in law, that the biggest weakness of criminals is that they put themselves before the group, and this makes them weak and easy to exploit by enemies. Indeed it is a common tactic used by the Legion when they purge conquered worlds of their criminal factions. As Inquisitor Vestin points out in his treatise on the Heresy, the Justicars loyalty to themselves before all else allowed the foul and Ruinous Powers to insert themselves between the legion and the Imperium - without this the Heresy may have not even have occurred.

Finally, the legions philosophy of justice is worth mentioning. The idea of justice was a driving force in the legions early culture and strategies for conquering worlds. On more than once occasion this philosophy lead to controversial decisions on punishment and protection of innocents. Every case was dealt with on its own merits, the legion never permitting hatred or grudges to cloud their judgement on the most righteous course of action. After the reunification with their Primarch, this philosophy would remain, although it would change. The methods and philosophies Uriel introduced to the legion would bring with them new moral, legal, and ethical challenges that made it more difficult to discern the truly just course of action, if one even existed. This lead to the development of the Justice philosophy, shifting from a focus on the needs of victims, and punishment of wrongdoers, to a focus on whatever outcome held the greatest overall value to the Imperium, which was not always the most righteous course of action.

Notable Personnel

In alphabetical order:

Malik Al-Hasheem

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Status:Deceased

Arkady Balotin

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Status:Deceased

Arkady Balotin

Arkady Balotin had a bright history and brighter future in the Justicars. A Terran-born son of a semi-famous lawman, and member of the XIIIth squad of the Sacred Band, Balotin was well-liked, well-balanced, and well-read. A man of honour and integrity, Balotin found himself as the heart of the legion early on. Although at first underestimated due to his focus on aiding the citizens of Terra, his hearts and minds campaigns bore a great harvest in the Merican hives, where the XIIIth had been put on mopping up detail as punishment. Balotins actions turning the citizens against the insurgent remains of the Merican forces. He would become a driving force in the legion, seen as a champion of the legions early philosophy of justice. After the reunification with Uriel, Balotin almost immediately found himself as one of Uriel's Circle, and served as Equerry more so than even Bezhryukov; Arkady had a way with people, some even likening his talents to those of Uriel himself. However, Balotin's loyalties and deep-seated belief in justice kept him loyal to the Imperium when the XIIIth Legion began its plans for starting the Heresy. Although his loyalty was only clear after he had overcome some serious inner turmoil, Balotin's choice ultimately sealed his fate, and those of his Company, and close friend sergeant Uziel Faulken.

Balotin's body was found in a very small, battle-scarred trade ship drifting listlessly some time during the Scouring. Autopsy revealed he had been executed, likely killed during the Heresy itself, but the how and why remain a mystery. This mystery caught the attention of Inquisitor Enoch Vestin, and was a large motivation behind the Inquisitors research into the legion, which lead to the extent of the Justicars betrayal coming to light.

Artyem Bezhrukov

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Status:Alive

Artyem Bezhrukov in Group 13 armour

Artyem Bezhrukov's history is unknown. A former Insidiator and member of Group 13, his identity as it was known to others was fabricated and his true identity destroyed. Believed to have been a recruit from Perfidiae, as Artyem had an unexplained and very close relationship with Uriel from his introduction to the legion. Artyem could be described as a mostly serious man, with the charisma and dramatic flair of an erudite religious preacher, always using 10 words where 2 would suffice, dripping with wisdom and wit. This captivating persona is a front, for a ruthless and calculating mind. It is believed that Bezhrukov served as a key legion commander, was a member of Uriel's Circle, and served very often as one of Uriel's constantly changing Equerries.

Bezhrukov, along with Reynhardt as his second-in-command, kept the legion as intact as possible through the Legion Wars in the Eye of Terror. Although the legion did fragment, he did manage to keep most of splintered warbands working together, playing on the traditions they all shared as the Justicars.

Zlatko Tolyan Blazić

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Status:Unknown

Aldous Cadigan

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Status:Unknown

Uziel Faulken

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Status:Deceased
Company First Sergeant under Arkady Balotin, Faulken was an experienced and grizzled soldier, highly respected by every man in the legion for his skill and experience in close quarter combat. A member of the legion since the reunification with primarch Uriel Starikov, Faulken had turned down a promotion to his own captaincy to stay as First Sergeant with his company. He is believed to have died in the last of a number of rearguard actions, to save his close friend and Captain, Arkady Balotin from what are presumed to have been Group 13 kill teams.

Ignacy Gagarin

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Status:Alive

A stoically quiet, incredibly observant, and surgically precise member of Uriel's Circle. A former Emissarius to the Iron Rangers Legion, Gagarin adopted some of their mannerisms, and retained them when he returned to the XIIIth Legion. Smaller in stature than the other Astartes members of the Circle, Gagarin is respected and feared for his abilities, although few can outright state what they are, so shrouded in secrecy is his history. Not an original member of the legion, Gagarin was supposedly a trainee-agent in one of Uriel's networks back on Perfidiae V, although some have discredited this theory, noting that Gagarin's name does not appear in any records before the Daicham Campaign. Ignacy is believed to have masterminded the purge of the Justicar's loyalists who could not be mislead, with only Arkady Balotin managing to elude the trap Gagarin had set. If the pict-feed from Balotin's spacecraft is verified, Gagarin seems to have caught up with Balotin personally, executing the latter on Uriel's direct orders to prevent the loyalists from getting a warning out to the rest of the Imperium. He is also believed to have been involved in at least one other legions purges of their own loyalists, and since the Heresy has apparently acted as a freelancer for the former XIIIth Legion warbands, with whom he seems to walk among unchallenged, and has sold his services to at least one non-Justicar warband. He is suspected of being the killer of Inquisitor Enoch Vestin, although there is scant available evidence proving anything.

Kamaraj Kohli

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Status:Deceased

Lo-Zho Lou

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Status:Unknown

Temur "Bull" Oghruk

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Status:Deceased

Oskar Reynhardt

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Status:Alive

A few inches shorter than even Uriel, Reynhardt is without a doubt the toughest and strongest marine in the legion. Before becoming a marine and joining the Sacred Band, Reynhardt actually saw active service in the Unification Wars as a member of the Old Hundred/Imperial Army. Having lied about his age to the recruiters, and due to his already adult height and early facial hair, Reynhardt was mistaken for much older than he was. He acquitted himself valiantly, and earned recognition on the battlefield, which also drew unwanted scrutiny to him. The Imperial recruiters discharged Reynhardt from his regiment was to be sent to a penal regiment before someone realised his potential, and entered Oskar into the Astartes project.

Despite his extensive experience in combat and famously inexhaustible repertoire of dirty battlefield tricks, Reynhardt had no interest in leading an elite formation. He elected instead to lead the recruits, imparting his wisdom to the recruits so the legions high standards would not just be maintained but exceeded. He was a key factor in the Justicars tradition of free-talking and respect for experience over rank, and was instrumental in the legions extensive training regimen. He would find himself a member of Uriel's Circle, for his expertise in training as much as his tactical and strategic understanding. The most straightforward of the Circle, and the most normal (by Astartes standards) of the rest of the Justicars, Oskar can often be found holding the line wherever a weak spot needs shoring up, or wherever the fighting is thickest.

Earl Togou

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Status:Unknown. Believed Alive.

Karolus Vayne

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Status:Alive

Non-Astartes Personnel

Annastasya Key

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Status:Unknown
A former Reclusiam Student turned inter-system Gangleader, Annastasya Key is one of the most important non-Astartes in the XIII Legion. Despite being just a regular human Annastasya is part of Uriel's Circle, and is the head of the XIII Legion's "Praeceptus Cognitio" organisation. She was recruited by Uriel personally, after an Insidiator 'discovered' her while on an operation that took him into the Hives of Malekkai III, whereupon the Insidiator used her position and influence to achieve his mission, allowing her to prove her already impressive skill set to him. Her networks ranged across several hiveworlds, her influence running from the Underhives to the top of at least one of the spires, and she hadn't even hit her 20th Terran Year. Uriel was impressed by Annastasya, and recruited her upon their first meeting. She was then sent to The Grey Box. She would later be trained by various people, including Reynhardt, Gagarin, and Balotin, before being mentored by Uriel himself as part of his Circle.

Her whereabouts post Heresy are unknown, although considerable evidence points toward her still operating for the legion, possibly from within the Imperium.

Liev Sparatin

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Status:Alive
A former violent criminal in a penal regiment, and before that a space faring mercenary who ended up running his own mercenary group before being caught by an Imperial Army fleet coming out of warp travel. He was recruited from a maximum security prison-ship the penal regiment traveled in by an Insidiator, with a group of other convicts, and recruited into the legion in the first draft of the newly formed 'Praeceptus Cognitio' to teach agents and informants criminal skills, and eventually bacome a unit commander of the deniable-operations "Echelon" group.

Donovan Speer

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Status:Unknown. Believed Dead.
A former thug turned Rogue Trader who joined the Justicars post-Heresy, and utilised his talents and connections with the van Oranje Rogue Trader Dynasty to not only corrupt a branch of their dynasty, but also exploit events in several Northern sectors of Segmentum Pacificus to throw the region into rebellion to distract from traitor operations in southern Obscurus.