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 tongue-in-cheek 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, staking 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 were 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 the Imperium for the children of man; this 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 small dedicated formations of the legion hunted witches and corruption 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 Astartes'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 formerly kept in support roles, were now committed to the spearheads of the Crusade in ever-increasing numbers. The Justicars adapted to these changes exceptionally well, having long made use of the Imperial Army in its campaigns since the creation of Watchtower in 817.M30. for. But despite its planning, the Justicars felt the increased pressures upon it to fulfil its mandate; many officially compliant worlds within the Imperium were found to harbour treasonous intent. Insurrections flared up across the entirety of the Imperium, often led by psykers. To combat the threats within the Imperium, Uriel began to break up all but the 3 core Expeditionary Fleets under his command into increasingly more "Compliance Groups", spread thinly throughout the Galaxy; desperately determined to try and keep apace with the alarming rate of uprisings. Although their lack of force concentration robbed the Justicars of the laurels won by other Legions at the end of the Great Crusade, they gladly gave up honour for duty. Having myself long studied the Thirteenths exploits, the conspicuous black hole in records that these operations present indicate to me that the legion made a great and difficult sacrifice to preserve the Imperium at any cost. Their small bands were indispensable to the merely mortal soldiers of the Imperial Army confronted by the terrors of the Warp. This was not forgotten when the Justicars were counted among the ranks of the traitors; indeed the bitterness many Imperial Guard regiments still hold the XIII in demonstrates just how deep of an impression the legion had inflicted.

Yet for every witch-led rebellion that the Justicars put down, more sprang up elsewhere. Uriel Salazar became obsessed with understanding the patterns underlying these revolts, believing that if he could discover a logical 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, seemingly seeking guidance though the truth of what they spoke of is lost to us. However, for all the nobility of his purpose, Uriel's great focus 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 path of Chaos, the very foe which 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 rapid, orderly withdrawal, accompanied by elements of the Iron Rangers and some other legions who had also seen the writing on the wall. But as Hektors death sent panic and confusion through the traitors at a critical time in the battle, and with many of the traitors simply turning their back on the Heralds and fleeing wildly, Uriel saw what needed to be done. Though they had turned their back on the Emperor, the traitorous Justicars had not lost their spirit, nor their sense of duty. And so, in spite of the confusion, Uriel rallied a corps of traitors around himself; elements of the Fourth and Ninth legions, pledged to Khorne and Slaanesh respectively, backed by a solid core of Heralds held. In a bitter and effective rearguard action that surprised the loyalists who had surged in behind the fleeing traitors, Uriel and the motley crew of traitors extracted a heavy toll on the hard-pressed Loyalists, buying as much time as possible for the remaining traitor forces to withdraw somewhat safely.

The strikingly selfless rearguard action saw the near total annihilation 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, affording them enough time to somewhat regroup before the Scouring began in earnest.

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, as their recruitment practices see them take worthy individuals from such a wide and broad variety of cultures that no single culture has reigned dominant, though both Terra and Tiberian cultures are strongly represented. Instead, a pseudo-culture has resulted from this melting pot, whereupon common beliefs and traits bind the diverse 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 as Uriel did. The primarchs 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 critical thinking that often veered deeply into cynicism.

The legions humility, and fiercely held belief of justice served as the catalyst for Uriel's decision to make the legion serfs 'free men'. Though little changed functionally, with these 'free men' still carrying out the same menial tasks for the Astartes they had before, the morale of these men changed dramatically. They became respected and valued members of the legion who were treated humanely and equally with the rest of the legion. Not content to stop within his own legion, Uriel extended this equal treatment to the rank-and-file soldiers of the Imperial Army; they were included in decision making, and granted to full resources of the legion, but more than this they were given real responsibility. Where the Imperial Army was used to mop up resistance after the Astartes of other legions, the Justicars brought the regiments under their remit onto the frontlines with them. Earning real glory and being valued for the skills they brought to the table, the legion became quickly beloved within the Imperium. And it is undeniably this factor that so hurt the Imperium by the Legions betrayal.

The scepticism of authority also lead to a deep 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 powerfully. 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, 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.

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. 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, especially with recently conquered worlds, who would see the sacrifices of their men and women who now fought and died for the Imperium, were as valued by said Imperium as much as every other.

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 ever-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.

Watchtower

Upon taking control of the XIII Legion, Uriel began reshaping the legion to fit his vision. From his background as a detective on Tiberia V, Uriel understood the importance of accurate intelligence and its profound effect on the battlefield. He also knew that it had a life span; very little in life is static and constant, and information became inaccurate quickly, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Thus a key factor Uriel sought, was to maximise the legions strategic and tactical agility. If he could achieve this, the quality of intelligence, and speed of communication were the only concerns. Uriel had also considered the mission given to him by his father, and he had thought deeply about the challenges such an endeavour would face, both in the short and long term. Uriel was keenly aware that while intelligence and communication were of premier importance, long term, the Astartes would be spread too thinly to maintain effectiveness, and thus the Imperial Army would shoulder the excess burdens. With this in mind, Uriel sought to lay the foundations for that day, supposedly observing that it was too late to build a well once you were thirsty.

And so Watchtower was born; a centralised support network for the legions fighting forces, able to guide and provide the required assistance to those who need it faster, and in more complex ways than other methods. Primarily Watchtower was formed of the Librarius, Castra, Armorium, and the Apothecarium. Additionally the Legions fleet assets were assigned, giving Watchtower responsibility over the legions logistics and also its communications.
On this foundation, Uriel incorporated trusted Imperial Army regiments directly under the legion, to act as auxiliary commanders in order to achieve increased cohesion and coordination with the rest of the Imperial Army. An administrative infrastructure was also formed, whose sole purpose was to manage the legions communications, and intelligence networks.

An unintended outcome of Watchtower was the innovation and creativity of solutions it provided the legion and the Imperium at large; one only has to imagine the possibilities of combining the expertise and knowledge of the Armorium and the Librarius to see the potential this has; it certainly stirs ones cognitive apparatus! Indeed, this creativity often manifested itself onto the battlefield where the dynamic and time-sensitive nature of the challenges faced brought out some extraordinary solutions from the legion. Given the doctrine of controlling the enemy Uriel installed upon his reunification with the XIII, this creativity was weaponised and brought to bear with full effect.
However, Uriel's changes did not go without hitch - the Mechanicum regularly expressed its concern at the legions Techmarines sharing their knowledge with other personnel, especially Librarians. Relations were usually strained at best, and on one occasion the Mechanicum threatened to cut ties with the legion entirely. Since that moment the Mechanicum seems to have provided the bare minimum resources to the Justicars, and rarely in a timely fashion. This in turn forced the XIII to apply their meticulous drive to becoming as independent and self-sustaining as possible, a consequence that the Imperium would pay for during and after the Heresy.

Watchtowers incredible reach required an incredible quantity of incredible people. The Justicars made extensive use of their vast reserves of legion serfs for this purpose; their own, and those acquired from the lost legions after the 13th had 'lost' them. The serfs, or free men as per Uriels directives, made up the backbone of Watchtower; trusted individuals who were as much a part of the legion as the Astartes were. These were then bolstered by a vast plethora of extraordinary individuals recruited from across the Imperium; academics, tradesmen, craftsmen, policemen, soldiers, rogue traders and more. They were all recruited for their expertise, judgement, and knowledge. This was extracted via interviewing, the information was recorded, archived, and then made available throughout the legion to any who might find use for it, whenever they needed it. Knowledge was power to the XIII Legion, and they sought that power with a meticulous focus and discerning care.

Group 13

The traditional role of the Justicars as witch-hunters was retained and expanded under Uriels reforms to the legion. Each of the anti-psyker kill-teams was merged into a single chapter strength formation, dubbed Group 13. Group 13 was given autonomy over the legions various Compliance Groups that wandered the frontlines aiding Imperial Forces by tracking down and eliminating powerful Psykers. The success and support Group 13 earned through their dedicated work saw their numbers expand; it became a tradition of the legion to serve with Group 13's many task forces before becoming a fully fledged battle brother. But aside from all of the marines rotating through the Group, a hardened, permanently assigned core remained at its heart. These Astartes warriors were among the most hardened veterans of the legion, and were granted the utmost respect by Uriel, who provided them with their every desire without complaint. Group 13 worked closely with Watchtower, who were Uriels hands and eyes respectively when hunting the elusive string of cults that sprang up across the Imperium during the Great Crusade. Their loyalty to Uriel absolute, Group 13 was the fulcrum of the Justicars pre-Heresy preparations. At the height of the Heresy, with Hektor laying on the steps of the Imperial Palace dead and the Traitors fleeing, Group 13's first company, who had united with Uriel for the Siege of Terra, disobeyed his orders for the first time in their long history. They refused the order to retreat when their beloved primarch had gathered a small cadre of traitors to fight a valiant rearguard to shield the Traitor retreat. Instead, they died to a man, fighting with terrifying fury and skill. Since the Heresy, Group 13's shattered number has slowly rebuilt itself, pledged completely to Tzeentch, they hunt down Imperials with Psyker powers, aiming to capture them alive to be sacrificed to Tzeentch, or turned to Chaos and unleashed on the Imperium at the opportune moment.

The Emissarium

"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 Tiberian Proverb)

roles:

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

Akin to the Crusader Host on Terra, the Emissarium was officially a non-combat role, with a single marine, or Emissarius, embedded into each of the other legions. The role was a temporary posting, and was held for about a two decades, before being rotated to another. The rotation, and the Emissarius itself was designed to teach the brightest and best of the 13th the skills and philosophies of the other legions. The purpose of this being that they could be studied and adopted, or methods devised to counter them. 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.

Many of the Emissarium alumni would go on to lead chapters and fill other important roles, including serving in Uriel's Inner Circle; the experiences and understanding gained in their posting gave them a unique insight into command one could only get from shadowing a primarch. Also, it provided a deep expertise of the legion they had been attached to, which could prove useful if the Justicars were ever called upon to enact punishment.

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; he assigned men he trusted to the legions Uriel had determined would side with Hektor, and the few loyalists the 13th had were assigned to the legions Uriel believed would remain loyal. This helped keep the 13ths loyalty undetermined for such a long time into the Heresy. 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.

Specialist Troops

Stalker Squads

"One cannot hide from shadows"
(Stalker motto)

Roles:

• Active and passive reconnaissance
• 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 battlefield intelligence gathering. They are the legions 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 mission success over body-count.

The origins of the Stalker squads come from adopting lessons learned 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. Stalker squads were more than just scouts to the Justicars however; Stalker Squads were often deployed with the Watchtower formation Vanguard to provide Astartes support to advance operations. They were also one of the units who worked closely with Echelon, providing battlefield support and training to Imperial Army regiments. Usually they made heavy use of snipers, heavy weapons, and many of the interesting gadgets the legions forge concocted, such as the Airborne Pictographic Servitor, which provided a birds-eye view to the marines on the ground in real time.

Mobile Assault Commando's (MAC's)

If the plan seems crazy to you now, why did you even sign up?.
(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 enemy interdiction

Most commonly utilising the air and hover transport vehicles, the MAC squads were employed in two ways: as a rapid-deployment strike force, designed to react first to acquired battlefield intelligence, focusing on eliminating valuable targets and interdicting enemy supplies and reinforcements. But also as a strategic reserve, allowing the Justicars to quickly redeploy their forces to react to enemy manoeuvres, or exploit opportunities as they present in real time. In environments unsuited to fliers, the MAC's utilise fast ground vehicles, often favouring light bikes and custom light combat vehicles's designed for maximum speed, agility, and endurance.

Doctrine

The doctrine of the nascent XIII legion could be simply categorised as conventional; the legion began its history as a small, specialised force designed to track down and eliminate enemy psykers. However, in the closing days of the Unification Wars, it became clear many of the line legions would require time to recover their depleted strength, while the young XIII legion were in relatively good order. And with a healthy stockpile of stable geneseed ready to be implanted, the Emperor ordered the XIII to begin preparations to adapt to a new front line role while the other legions rebuilt. Ever dutiful, Aldous Cadigan set about realising the Emperors orders, adapting the legion to conventional warfare with discipline and focus. However,Oskar Reinhardt, the wise and obstinate second-in-command of the XIII Sacred Band, refused. He argued that the Thirteenth would one day be called to fulfil its original role, and so should retain its kill-teams, lest the expertise bought with the blood of their fallen be lost forever. Cadigan, understanding the burdens of command, and so elected to heed his seconds advice, attaching a kill-team company to each battalion. Each marine in the legion was required to rotate through a kill-team to complete their training. Thus, Cadigan preserved the legions heritage while still enacting the Emperors orders accurately.

However, the reunification with their primarch Uriel brought about a significant change for the legions doctrine. At its base, the legion doctrine installed by Uriel is unpredictable and versatile; a war with the Justicars is not limited to the battlefield with its blades and bullets, but instead incorporates the abstract, intangible machinery required to fight war itself. Infrastructure, economy, industry, politics, popular support; all these and more are potential battlefields to the Justicars, who employ auxiliaries to undertake the non-combat methods, leaving the strength of the Astartes to be brought to bear on the conventional battlefield. The legions doctrine here is indirect and deceptive, designed to control the enemy tactically and strategically. Though there is an underlying focus on seizing key strategic points, the Justicars will pull back from strategic positions to lure enemy forces out of position, setting them up for a flank or counter attack. The strategic goal is to decisively crush the enemy, to encourage capitulation or a disruption in the enemies ability to function cohesively; no degree of trickery is left unexplored in this goal, and combined with the extra-conventional methods employed by Watchtower, the Justicars pose a potent threat.
Core to the strategies of the legion though was the preservation of life, especially of innocents. to this end, captured strongpoints were rebuilt and heavily fortified by the Thirteenth, who would relocate any civilians from the surrounding area while their operations were underway. If no humans were present, the bases served as secure strongholds for the legion and later Imperial Army forces to operate from.

Post-Heresy, these strategies persisted, but became more exaggerated and complex. Psychological damage became a key strategic objective, and the sorcerous powers imparted on the legion by Tzeentch only served to elevate these methods to terrifying heights. Notably, the use of music and was deployed with powerful demoralising effects, even going as far to cultivate patterns for the Imperium to react to, just so the Justicars could mess with their foes minds. The other methods of extra-conventional warfare too, previously used to restrict warfare, were now twisted to undermine sectors and incite unrest. A great deal of energy was placed on leaving the status quo significantly altered, and the Justicars methods rarely failed in this regard; Especially not when bolstered as they were by mutation and magic.

Watchtower still to this day has its tendrils latched deeply into the Imperium, though thankfully it was dealt a great blow by the Scouring and the Reformation, which managed to tear up the corruption that lay beneath the surface. Watchtowers networks of informants and agents now operate with a darker purpose, though their methods have changed little. The rise of the Imperial Faith provided an avenue for enterprising 'Disciples of Uriel' , to sow chaos and insanity. These Disciples were normal, though thoroughly insane individuals who were granted remarkable powers through Uriel. Armed with these powers they were sent out into the Imperium to make their twisted visions of insanity reality. Peculiarly, civilians are still spared by the 13th, though given that for simply laying eyes on the traitors, entire worlds are burned, perhaps they are using their mercy as a contrast to the Inquisitions heavy hand.

Geneseed

The geneseed of the XIII was remarkably stable and virile, which some may find ironic given their new master. Though, a peculiar discovery was found during the Reformation; the legion had several geneseed samples in their stockpiles. The prevailing opinion is that the traitors were experimenting with their own geneseed, and there is certainly proof of multiple geneseed samples, but I point out that this is not proof of tampering. In fact, when one factors in their role as executioner and the two lost legions, it is easy for me to conclude the true source of those geneseed samples. None of these foreign geneseed samples were ever found in marines themselves, though this proof is not definitive, statistically it certainly lends strength to my theory that the Thirteenth recruited a number of the lost legions into their ranks, but never implanted the lost legions geneseed into new hosts. It is believed that the legion still has more stockpiles stashed around the Imperium, though this seems to be naught more than conspiracy.

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.

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.