Marines Mercantile

The Marines Mercantile are a 14th Founding Chapter of unknown descent who were created at the behest of the Adeptus Administratum and work closely with the Praeses Mercatura. Their role is primarily to escort especially high-value cargo from one location to the next. While not officially a part of the Administratum they are in effect, the Administratum’s sword arm where interstellar commerce is concerned. Marines Mercantile squads accompany things like relics, large tithes, VIPs, either in a direct fashion (to dissuade rebels and other dissidents from attacking the shipment) or covertly (to spring a trap on pirates, when their presence would attract attention to secret cargo, etc). They are made to be seen, adorned in metallic brass/gold colored power armor they always make a statement; the cargo is under their protection.
The Marines Mercantile are a fleet-based chapter but they recruit from a pre-medieval world with a strong maritime culture. They recruit exclusively from the naval heroes of this planet- a mighty mercantile Thalassocracy. Despite regulations, this chapter maintains a powerful space navy due to their need to accompany cargo in many parts of space. They have twice the normal complement of spacecraft, boasting 6 full battle barges. The chapter is organized in a naval fashion which each fleet (a battle barge and support ships) serving as the equivalent of a company.
The marines of this chapter are exceptional pilots, navigators (in the non-psychic sense), and space-tacticians. In combat they often commit to boarding actions- often using their terminator squads to destroy an enemy ship from the inside. Their recruits start out as crewman on their ships and eventually become Junior Officers (their equivalent of scouts) before becoming Officers (battle brothers). 
== Relation with the Adaptus Administratum ==
While not formally part of the Administratum or even under their purview the chapter was created to help with protecting its vital commerce and thus maintains very close ties with it. They swore an oath to help with certain aspects that often align with them. This oath lays out specifically what they can be used for and what they cannot. It is mostly limited to protecting cargo but it is often bent by corrupt members of the Administratum who declare themselves as “high value cargo” in need of protection or just happen to board a ship with a vital relic going where they wanted to. This is a rarity because, while they will follow the orders of the Administratum they only do it within the confines of their duties. They has included letting a Administratum Prefect die in favor of saving a holy relic, purging a corrupt Curator who attempted to sell off vital Imperial documents, and even working with the Eldar on one occasion (in an “enemy of my enemy” kind of fashion) against the orders of a member of the Administratum in order to protect cargo essential to the Imperium. Because of this single-track mission statement, the Marines Mercantile are not always relied on by the Administratum except in their commerce related role. This makes for odd bedfellows- the Administratum not fully trusting their own creation and the Marines Mercantile acting a degree more autonomy than perhaps they should. Several times they have been investigated by the Inquisition but politics and their ironclad record have kept them out of significant punishments. To signify their relationship they wear the logo of the Adaptus Administratum on their pauldrons. This is a little confusing as this is not actually their chapter's heraldic logo.
== Relationship with the Praeses Mercatura ==
The Praeses Mercatura is the military arm of the Merchant Fleet of the Imperium and the Marines Mercantile are strong allies of them. On high priority missions the Praeses Mercatura will be augmented by a squad of Marines Mercantile. Rarely a Marines Mercantile will be recruited to join the chapter or offered to be made a serf. The Marines Mercantile keep several shrines dedicated to the saints of the Praeses Mercatura and their heroes.
== Kymatista ==
The pre-medieval paradise world of Kymatista is a flooded world with very little land. Because of this a very under-developed level of technology is present and naval travel/warfare is in vogue. The Empire of Iroes, a power based in the southern hemisphere uses brightly decorated, long, wooden warships powered by serfs with paddles, to do battle with their foes. They have managed to establish control over most of the planet’s naval traffic except for a region in the north held by a powerful land-based kingdom. The large tidal pull on the surface of Kymatista means that waves are larger than on Terra and surfing is a popular pastime. Heroes, particularly philosophical and military ones, are venerated as deities (“venerated spirits”). The Emperor is regarded as the “Most Venerated of Spirits”, though the chapter does not weigh in on if they believe the Emperor actually “dead” or not- to them it is the same thing. They feel his spirit actively in their lives so to them he is a “venerated spirit” alive or dead.
The marines of the chapter are distant and only return to recruit every 10 years. A great series of games are arranged to demonstrate martial and athletic prowess. The battle-brothers are regarded as the greatest warriors ever know in their culture and many myths have grown up around them. To be selected by the chapter is the culmination of a heroic life, though they are forbidden from ever contacting the people they knew in their “1st life”. They view their service as marines as a sort of religious second life, ritually “killing themselves” as part of their induction after which they adopt a new name and identity.
== Gene Seed ==
It’s unclear where the gene seed for the Marines Mercantile came from. It has been supposed that they are of ultramarine stock due to their rather pure genetics. Rumors and conjecture are, of course, rampant, and darker theories have circulated. Some are relatively benign and others not so much. Some say they may actually be of Dark Angel stock and have some nefarious designs upon the Administratum; reporting on their actions to their parent chapter to keep them one step ahead of them finding out their dark secret. The more ludicrous ones say they are descended from traitorous stock because the mechanicus was reluctant to give the Administratum weapons they could possibly use against them. That would have put a hamper on their ability to employ them for, if they used them irreverently, the Mechanicus could simply reveal the truth and ruin it. There is so much speculation about them because they seemingly came out of nowhere, their supposed 14th founding origin only added in many years later and much about their creation is shrouded in mystery or redacted by order of the Administratum. This could just be them being overprotective or could hint at something quite heretical...
== Organization & Tactics ==
The Marines Mercantile are not a full strength chapter. Their numbers are kept around 600 and they operate on a “fleet” basis. Each “fleet’ has a battle barge, a complement of cruisers, frigates, destroyers, and support craft. Each fleet is comparable to a codex-compliant chapter and is about 100 marines (along with serfs and other naval officers). The “captain” of a “company” is styled as the Admiral of the Fleet and is responsible for the organization and implementation of the marines under his command. The Admiral of the 1st Fleet is styled the “Grand Admiral” and serves the same role as a chapter master. The 1st Fleet is the most prestigious and contains a double size complement of escort vessels. Their flagship, Certain Death (nicknamed “Death & Taxes”) is a uniquely powerful Battle Barge that has a reputation amongst pirates as one of the fiercest ships of the line.
Each squad serves as the command crew of a ship in a fleet with Senior Officers (Sergeants) serving as the commanding officers. More veteran squads are assigned to more important ships in the fleet’s battle group and Jr. Officers often only crew support vessels.
When on mission where their physical presence for escort duty is required squads operate independently from their fleet- serving a period of detached service. Often the most veteran brother-marines are assigned to these detachments and thus the Marines Mercantile cannot always present their best troops if requested to engage in other military actions. Each fleet has at least 1 terminator squad and is used for boarding actions to defend the fleet. The Marines Mercantile are famous for their extensive use of drop pod deployments from their ships in orbit. Often they will arrive in orbit around a target unannounced and immediately deploy drop poded squads of gold-clad marines before the enemy can mount a defense.
== Forces (Pre Indominus Crusade) ==
=== 1st Fleet ===
Flagship: Certain Death
Grand Admiral: Jason Aeson
* x6 Terminator Squads (Boarding)
* x2 Veteran Squads (Escorts) 
=== 2nd Fleet ===
Flagship: The Black Sun
Admiral: Euphemus Aeolid
* x1 Terminator Squad (Boarding)
* x1 Veteran Squad (Sr. Officers)
* x2 Scout Squads (Jr. Officers)
=== 3rd Fleet ===
Flagship: The Emperor’s Javelin
Admiral: Castor Tyndareus
* x1 Terminator Squad (Boarding)
* x1 Veteran Squad (Sr. Officers)
* x6 Tactical Squads (Officers)
* x2 Scout Squads (Jr. Officers)
=== 4th Fleet ===
Flagship: The Hero of Kymatista
Admiral: Heracles Tyro
* x1 Terminator Squad (Boarding)
* x1 Veteran Squad (Sr. Officers)
* x4 Assault Squads (Officers)
* x2 Tactical Squads (Officers)
* x2 Scout Squads (Jr. Officers)
=== 5th Fleet ===
Flagship: The Venerated Spirit
Admiral: Polydeuces Tyndareus
* x1 Terminator Squad (Boarding)
* x1 Veteran Squad (Sr. Officers)
* x4 Devastator Squads (Officers)
* x2 Tactical Squads (Officers)
* x2 Scout Squads (Jr. Officers)
=== 6th Fleet ===
Flagship: The Grand Bullion
Admiral: Meleager Calydon
* x1 Terminator Squad (Boarding)
* x1 Veteran Squad (Sr. Officers)
* x6 Tactical Squads (Officers)
* x2 Scout Squads (Jr. Officers)
== Era Indomitus ==
When Primarch Roboute Guilliman recalled forces to him during the opening days of the Indomitus Crusade, the Marines Mercantile heeded his aid. Their role was folded into that of the Officio Logisticarum and many of them were seconded from their normal duties with the Adaptus Administratum to aid the new organization. Their fleet of ships was folded into Indomitus Crusade Fleet Septimus, though many Marines Mercantile remained on Holy Terra to help support the Officio Logisticarum and act as a home guard and enforcers of the Logisticarum. They fought many battles against those who mutanied against Guilliman.
Two companies of the Marines Mercantile fought at the Battle of Lion’s Gate on Holy Terra and in surrounding space but were killed defending Officio Logisticarum assets. This included the captains of the 3rd and 4th companies and many of their veteran marines who were not in Crusade Fleet Septimus.
Currently the chaputer is under strength, having suffered heavy losses during the Indomitus Crusade. Even with their Primaris reinforcements the chapter is on the verge of collapse due to the catastrophic losses they suffered. Still, they remain eternally vigilant in these darkest of times as they act as the hammer of the Adaptus Administratum and boogiemen of the Officio Logisticarum.
Category:Chapters of Unknown Lineage