Gershwin Company

Gershwin Company armorial decorated with the Personas Revelus

Gershwin Company Heretic Astartes, formerly of the 4th Company, 6th Tactical Squad (Battleline).

## Renegade Chapter

### **Allegiance**

Gershwin
*Traitoris Perdita*

### **Chaos God**

None
(Some Imperial savants theorise that perhaps, these Astartes are guided by a hitherto unknown, minor god of the Chaos pantheon.)

### **Primarch**

Pierrepont Gershwin (Self-Proclaimer)
Unknown (Actuality)

### **Colours**

Red and Black

The **Gershwin Company** is a post-heresy Chapter founded by Pierrepont Gershwin. Composed of three divisions, they are dedicated to unity among races, defense of the innocent, and peace through diplomacy. Their greatest belief is in the "Brotherhood of Life", meaning that all thinking creatures are linked, and that the best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend. They are also known for their unusual tactics on the battlefield, performing elaborate synchronized dances and singing in harmony to intimidate or confuse the enemy.

The complete doctrine of the Company is found in Gershwin's *Codex Musica*, which outlines the basis of the Company.

## Chapter History

The Gershwin Company was founded by Peirrepont Gershwin. Legend says that Gershwin was to be executed by a large squadron of Space Marines of an unknown chapter for heresy. According to this legend, he sang a rousing song to the Marines that the pride they had in who they were was shared by all thinking creatures, and this was only one of the many things they had in common with them. The Marines, inspired by his music, dropped their weapons and broke out into song and dance. Even the Captain-General who ordered him executed sang in joy. Gershwin was forgiven and the Marines declared themselves independent from their Primarch, naming their new Chapter the Gershwin Company in his honour, and giving Gershwin the title of Director of the Company. When this happened, Gershwin had a dream in which he met his true father: The Emperor of Mankind. The Emperor told Gershwin that he was a Primarch, but thought dead and never searched for (Though considering Gershwin, this was likely a lie to further legitimize his position). With this knowledge, he named himself "Primarch" of his Chapter.

## Chapter Organization

When Gershwin became the new leader of the Chapter, he completely restructured the Marines, turning them into a self sufficient military. The Company is split into three divisions, each with its own duties, moral code, and choreography.

### Jet Division

"*The Jets are in gear, our bolters all a' clickin'. Big I'll stay clear, 'cause all the Inquisition is lousy chickens!"*"
—The Jets, ready to fight against invasion by the Inquisition
The Jet Division, or "Jets" are the foot soldiers of the Company, fighting off invaders through hand to hand combat and close range weaponry. Jets dance in a fluid and "bouncy" style, ready to fight at a minute's notice. They believe in loyalty to their fellow foot soldiers, saying that "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way." They also characterize invaders as frightened of the Company, and that the Jets have the honor of fighting them off. The ranks of Jets, from lowest to highest, are Private, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Major. Higher ranks are made General and sent to the Executive Division.

### Barricade Division

The Barricade Division is the defense force of the Company, and was formed by the Space Marines who followed Gershwin. Their movement is less fluid than the Jets, being more marching than dancing. They, like the Jets, believe in loyalty to each other, but all loyalty is for the honor and glory of the Company. They are trained in guerilla tactics to confuse the enemy, as well as singing techniques that, when combined with guerilla tactics, give the appearance of them surrounding the enemy, even when outnumbered 10 to 1. They are also known for their rampant drinking. The ranks of the Barricade Division are Ensign, Corporal, Brigadier, and Captain. Higher ranks are made General and sent to the Executive division.

### Executive Division

The Executive Division is made up of 4 Generals, the Primarch and/or Director, his second-in-command, and various assistants. The Generals manage the Jet and Barricade divisions from afar. They are known for going weeks on end without sleep in order to protect their divisions, a feat accomplished by the use of liquid stimulants, which the various members of the division ingest almost every hour. The executives have been known to break out into a high-energy dance number in order to keep themselves awake in the event of a shortage of these stimulants.

Non-combatants include Secretaries (A mix somewhere between Aspirant and Chapter Serfs), as well as the staff of the Stage and garrisons located all over Normandy. Everyone assigned a suit of Power Armor will have a Secretary to assist them. Secretaries and staff are all treated with respect and kindness, because, as the *Codex Musica* says,

> "Never treat your fellow man as lesser. If you are going to treat others as lesser, there are three kinds of people you should never make angry at you: The people making your food, the people handling you ammunition, and the people repairing your Power Armor."
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### Technical Legion

The Technical Legion is a secret division of the Company, responsible for the creation of the Gershwin Company's modified power armors. Utilizing secret and proprietary technologies, they augmented the somewhat outdated technology of the Old Chapter's power armor. The Power Armors are designed to work with a purely human wearer without any of the modifications common among Astartes, such as linking neurally with a wearer without a Black Carapace. The Adeptus Mechanicus still does not know how this is possible, and would very much like to study a specimen of Gershwin Company armor.

The "Techies" of the Technical Legion have a permanent, if unseen, presence within both the Company and all Normandy. Using a Vox network they call the TelVox, any one Techie can communicate with any other Techie, from the moon of Kaufman, to the polar ice caps, to the Stage.

It is rumored that the Legion uses Dark Age technology for their modifications, and perhaps even has an intact STC super-computer. There has been no evidence of any of this being true, but that does not mean it is untrue.

## Combat Doctrine

"*There's just so many of them! We need more dakka! Aw, great, now they've got me doing it!*"
—Lieutenant Shrankuin of the 2nd Jet Squad, while running low on ammunition during the Battle of Southsific Harbor
 The Company, as a whole, are specialists in ranged combat, though can easily hold their own in melee and hand to hand combat. They are also skilled in defending against sieges, mostly through the use of Normandy's weaponized moon, Kaufman, which is also used as a spaceport and staging base. Gershwin has a standing order not to attack anyone nearby, unless they are a direct threat to Normandy and its people.

The Company has fought, and achieved victory, in two major battles: The Glorious Battle of Kaufman, against the Ordo Hereticus, and the Battle of Southsific Harbor, against an Ork Warband led by a warboss named Skuknoz Amakutta. They also have experience in keeping Chaos cultists under control. Officially, citizens of Normandy are free to worship as they please, as long as it doesn't bring harm to anyone else, directly or indirectly. Since the worship of Chaos often involves harming others through plagues or outright slaughter, Chaos worship is unofficially banned on Normandy, and cultists are often demanded they put a stop to their actions, captured if they refused, or, if there is no other way, summarily executed. But the *Codex Musica* has made it exceptionally clear:

> "If someone is suspected of partaking in worship that directly or indirectly harms another, sufficient evidence is to be given before any irrevocable action takes place, such as summary execution."
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## Chapter Homeworld: Normandy

Normandy is located within the Eastern Fringe, and is mostly left alone by other races, mostly because of the threat of the Company-controlled weaponized moon of Kaufman. The planet has a population of approximately 10 million, mostly due to it's small size, large plantations, and vast oceans.

### Fortress-Monastery

The Stage is the home of the Director, and his command center where he communicates with the Kaufman base and the Executive Division. It is entirely situated on a large island, so as to keep it away from civilian areas. It is also outfitted with an impressive armory, containing weapons of many shapes and forms.

#### Kaufman

Kaufman is Normandy's only moon, and is heavily fortified and armed. It is used as a defensive tool by the Company to shoot down enemy invaders.

## Chapter Beliefs

### The Brotherhood of Life

The Company is joined in the belief that all races are linked by many reasons, and among them, the pride in who they are and the joy they find in glory. (Of course, this does not mean that atrocities should be excused. For example: Chaos worship, the Inquisition, just about every Ork WAAAGH!) They also believe that "disagreement" (Or, as most members of the Imperium would say, heresy) should be dealt with as a debate, arguing facts and facts alone, rather than through violence and death.

### The Curtain

The Company is tasked by Gershwin to protect Normandy and her people, and especially to not allow off-worlders to go near either of the planet's polar ice caps. Obviously, this has made groups like the Inquisition and the Adeptus Mechanicus even more curious. The Company calls this, "Keeping the Curtain down." As such, their vigilance is known as "The Curtain."

## Chapter Gene-Seed

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, as the technology to create gene-seed was lost, and no gene-seed was created for Gershwin because he was thought dead, the members of the Company do not have Gershwin's gene-seed within them.

## Notable Members

### Jaspair Whompus

Rank: Second in command to Gershwin and Chapter Master, formerly Captain-General of the Old Chapter.

Known for: One of the 22 witnesses of Gershwin's Awakening, which is the event where Gershwin first spoke about the Brotherhood of Life.

### Officae Krupkaeious

Rank: General Primus of the Jet Division

Known for: The first General to come from the citizens of Normandy. The rest had been Battle Brothers of the Old Chapter before his promotion to General. Promoted for defeating an Inquisitorial ship using the moon of Kaufman.

## Chapter Appearance

When the Old Chapter became the Gershwin Company, Gershwin had all of the power armor of the Marines painted new colors, as well as emblazoning a new symbol on the pauldrons.

### Chapter Colors

The colors of the Gershwin Company are red and black, to increase visibility in low light situations.

### Chapter Badge

The Company's badge is a that of a smiling red mask juxtaposed to a frowning black mask, an ancient symbol going back to first millennium Terra. It is called the Personas Revelus, High Gothic for "Revelry Mask".

## Relationship with the Wider Imperium

"*Under no circumstances shall any member of the Inquisition, Marines Malevolent, Black Templars, or any Traitor Legion be allowed by any member of the Company to set foot on the planet of Normandy. In the case of the Inquisition, however, the Director will be left to his own discretion. Violaters shall be considered enemies, and immediately engaged.* "
—The Codex Musica, Section 3, Article 2
The Company has a dislike for the Inquisition, Chaos Space Marines, Black Templars, and Marines Malevolent, all for similar reasons.

* The Inquisition is a direct violator of the Brotherhood of Life, and have what they call a "nasty habit" of killing anyone who disagrees with them.

* The Chaos Space Marines are a direct threat to the people of Normandy, through the harm brought about by Chaos worship.

* The Marines Malevolent are hated by all Astartes, even the ones who end up going renegade. Their hatred is also disliked by the Company, who sees hatred as counterproductive to the Adeptus Astartes' mission of protecting the Imperium, and in their case, Normandy.

* The Black Templars, like the Inquisition, has a "nasty habit" of killing anyone who disagrees with them, or for that matter, anyone they don't like.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Gershwin Company:

*Feel free to add your own*

"*In this grim and dark universe, we need to always be able to rely to be each other. Understand that I do not cling to my concept of the Brotherhood of Life like a hopeless sailor to a ship in the middle of a typhoon, but rather, I am blocking the holes and bailing out the water.* "
—Pierrepont Gershwin, after being asked about the Brotherhood of Life.
"*Gee, Director Gershwin, you're really a square. But no matter what, we'll follow you anywhere. You may be a moron, but let this be understood: Deep down inside you, there is good!*"
—"Gee, Director Gershwin", a tongue-in-cheek song often sung when Gershwin meets with the Jet Division. (Don't worry, he thinks it's hilarious)
"*Yes, it is true, we have turned our backs on the Imperium, and on the Ecclesiarchy. But never, NEVER, did we turn our backs on humanity. Can you say the same, Inquisitor?*"
—Officae Krupkaeious, to an Inquisitor who had come to investigate Normandy.