Dark Soldiers

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## Renegade Faction

### Specialty

Guerilla Warfare, High-Mobility Warfare, Terrorism, Weaponry and Armor Innovations, Psychokinetic Experiments

### Nickname(s)

Tertia Comitatu (Third Company in Low Gothic)

### Battle Cry

"Ferrum aeternus" ("Iron Forever!" in Low Gothic)

### Colours

Brown Camouflage, Black and Gold striped pattern common

## Organization

### Strength

Around 10,000 Astartes, unknown amount of mortal and xenos soldiers

### Fleet (Size)

Two battleships, one battle barge, one starfort

## Leaders

### Commander

Commander Skvann Hellhammer

"*Tactics are the key to victory. Ideals, gods, and mindsets will always fail you. But Tactics, the very heart of warfare, won't.*"
— Epistolary Sanduls Berukus
The **Dark Soldiers** is a Renegade Astartes warband from the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion. They are led by the former Commander Skvann Hellhammer, and are dedicated to survival above all else. They believe that the Imperium is too uncaring about tactics, and solves all of its problems by throwing men at the issue. They also dislike the imperial ban on certain weapons technology. However, they despise the extremes that the forces of Chaos all go to, and have become a more moderate, renegade faction.

## Warband History

Before the Iron Warriors fell to Chaos, the warband, which was the 3rd Grand Company of the Iron Warriors, had shown signs of insubordination when it came to their choice of tactics and their constant insistence on lifting the Imperial ban on many forms of "heretical" weaponry.

After the Iron Warriors had fallen to Chaos, the warband left, disgusted by what they felt was a betrayal of their Legion's integrity. They fled to deep space, developing arms and looking into the history of Terra. Their research led to the discovery of several fictional legends that humans during Age of Technology consumed for entertainment. While these legends did offer some value into developing new tactics, the core value of these legends were the repeated, and highly detailed, mention of a non-fictional archeotech biological weapons program, known as MKUltra, which was an attempt to create Psykers completely disconnected from the Warp. While the program was shut down by the ancient governments of Terra while it was still in it's infancy, it was able to produce some Epsilon and Delta class Psykers. The warband attempted to restart and update the program, which they renamed to Project Thronebreaker, in order to gain an edge over their enemies.

The Dark Soldiers also attacked and raided Imperium, Chaos, and xenos outposts, attempting to convert as many as possible. During 673.M40, the Dark Soldiers came across the T'au. After a brief confrontation, Skvann Hellhammer, in spite of his hatred of Xenos, offered a truce with the T'au, in order to prevent any more lives being lost and for a chance to study their weapons technology. The T'au Ethereal Aun'Vre Ke'lshan Resh'la was sent to negotiate the truce. The two leaders, despite their cultural differences, bonded over their inherent love of high-powered weaponry. While the Dark Warriors declined in joining the Greater Good, they forged an alliance with the T'au, which involved arms deals between both parties.

After two earlier unsuccessful trials of Project Thronebreaker, the Dark Soldiers sought out and formed an alliance with the Drukhari because of their expertise in torture. Archon Genvela answered their query. She agreed to join the project, with the condition that she would be Hellhammer's Lieutenant instead of Epistolary Sanduls Berukus. After a month of uncharacteristically emotional deliberation and soul-searching, Hellhammer begrudgingly agreed to the deal. However, despite their alliance, the Dark Soldiers and Drukhari had an incredibly cold relationship made worse by the accident involving the creation of Subject 3.018, which Genvela blames on Invictarii Sarndiel Cycus.

## Warband Organization

The warband is led by Skvann Hellhammer, former Commander of the Iron Warriors. Archon Genvela serves as Hellhammer's lieutenant, and heads the MKUltra program, with Hellhammer's previous lieutenant, Epistolary Sanduls Berukus, assisting her and making sure she doesn't get carried away. Aun'Vre Ke'lshan Resh'la is in charge of maintaining the alliance between the T'au Empire and the Dark Soldiers, while Fio'O D'yanoi Orna'ko heads the Weapons Development programs.

The Dark Soldiers retained the Astartes they had before they left the Iron Warriors, and have gained new Astartes, both by recruiting and making new Astartes. This includes Apothecaries, who are instrumental in the both the requisition of Astartes and Project Thronebreaker. However, they also have the assistance of both normal human soldiers and T'au Fire Warriors. The Dark Soldiers have an impressive fleet, and have several combat vehicles.

Most importantly, the Dark Soldiers have created some serviceable Delta and Gamma Psykers from Project Thronebreaker. Due to the nature of their creation, these Psykers have a slight advantage over normal Psykers, as they are disconnected from the warp entirely, making them simultaneously Psykers and Blanks. Subject 3.018 is the most powerful and unstable Psyker at their disposal, which they will only ever use if a catastrophic event, such as the End Times, occurs.

## Warband Gene-Seed

While most of the Astartes in the Dark Soldiers' ranks use the Gene-Seed of the Iron Warriors, which increases the Astartes' problem solving skills and intellect at the cost of a tendency towards suspicion and paranoia, many Astartes were converted from other chapters, and therefore have that chapter's Gene-Seed.

## Warband Beliefs

"*Humanity and the T'au have always been races of innovation. The whimsical, flawed, religious ideals of the Ecclesiachy, the Cult Mechanicus, the forces of Chaos, and the Dark Mechanicus spit in the face of innovation. Therefore, they spit in the face of the T'au and humanity.*"
— Commander Skvann Hellhammer
The Dark Warriors believe in tactical supremacy, logic, and innovation above all else. The abhor the ideals of religion, and have much warmer relations with the T'au than the Drukhari because of this.

## Warband Doctrine

The Dark Soldiers often attack planets inhabited by either the Imperium or Chaos. Usually the warband will create rebel movements by infiltrating the planet with either their Scout Marines or standard human troops and causing chaos via terrorist attacks. While the chaos unfolds, the Dark Soldiers will covertly blockade the planet with their navy. They will only send in their standard Astartes troops and vehicles once a large-scale rebellion takes place on the planet.

The Dark Warriors operate on tactics that involve keeping as many troops alive as possible. Because of this, the warband will attempt to convert people on the planet to them in order to gain extra fire support and weaken the enemy, to minimize casualties. They will also attempt to shut down communication early into the invasion.

In the case of Imperium-held planets, the Dark Soldiers will sometimes send their T'au troops to attack key locations, to make the government think that they are being attacked by the T'au Empire, as a form of diversion.

## Notable Dark Soldiers

* **Commander Skvann Hellhammer** - Skvann Hellhammer is the former Commander of the 3rd House, and the leader of the Dark Soldiers warband. He is highly intelligent and believes that the best case scenario for a battle is one that doesn't happen in the first place. He is very close with Berukus, and some say that he showed the first bit of emotion in his life when he had to replace him with Genvela.
* **Epistolary Sanduls Berukus** - Sanduls Berukus is the former Epistolary of the 3rd House, and is a powerful Psyker. He works on Project Thronebreaker as resident Apothecary-Librarian. He was Hellhammer's lieutenant before he was replaced by Genvela, and despises her for it. He often injects the test subjects with painkillers so she can't get any satisfaction from torturing them.
* **Invictarii Sarndiel Cycus** - Sarndiel Cycus is a former Invictarus Suzerain of the 9th legion of the Ultramarines, and is the chief tactician of the Dark Soldiers. He is unflinchingly xenophobic, and has often been berated by Hellhammer for "accidentally" firing upon their own allied Xenos troops.

### Non-Astartes Personnel

* **Archon Genvela** - Genvela is a Archon of the Drukhari. She leads Project Thronebreaker and is the Commander's lieutenant. She joined the Dark Soldiers for the chance to torture the test subjects, and often has to be reminded that the purpose of the torture is for innovation, not for pleasure.

* **Aun'Vre Ke'lshan Resh'la** - Aun'Vre Ke'lshan Resh'la is a T'au Ethereal, and ensures that relations between the T'au Empire and the Dark Soldiers remain steady. He wishes that the Dark Soldiers did not form an alliance with the Drukhari, but doesn't have the self-esteem to voice his opinion. He shares Hellhammer's enthusiasm towards high powered weaponry.

* **Fio'O D'yanoi Orna'ko** - Fio'O D'yanoi Orna'ko is an Earth Clade T'au, and is in charge of the Weapons Development program. She is in contact with the Dark Mechanichus, and has seceretly rejected the Greater Good, in favor of Tzeentch.

* **Subject 3.018** - Subject 3.018 is a Half-Aeldari child, and an Alpha Plus class psyker accidentally produced by Genvela's Project Thronebreaker experiments. The child's origins are currently unknown, although the most popular theory amoung the dark Warriors is that they are a result of a secret affair between Skvann Hellhammer and Genvela. The child is incredibly dangerous, especially in the hands of many of the Drukhari reasercher in charge of the project. They have been put into stasis on the Synapse, in order for them to be studied without interference from age or manipulation.

## Warband Fleet

* ***Bismark* (*Apocalypse*-class Battleship)** - An ancient, formidable vessel that simply refuses to be destroyed. Found drifting in deep space by the Dark Warriors, mysteriously abandoned. It serves as the commanding war ship during battles.
* ***Hammer Down* (Battle Barge) -** The main offensive ship of the Dark Soldiers. Has been equipped with additional armaments in the form of T'au railcannons.
* ***Elysium* (*Custodian*-class Battleship)** - A flagship gifted to the Dark Soldiers by the T'au Empire.
* ***Synapse* (*Ramilies*-Class Starfort)** - A scientific base dedicated to Project Thronebreaker. Subject 3.018 is kept in stasis on this craft.

## Warband Artefacts

* **Mark X Kaiser Power Armor** - The Mark X Kaiser Power Armor is the standard power armor used by the Astartes of the Dark Soldiers. It serves as an upgrade to the Mark VIII Errant Power Armor, and takes elements from the Mark III Iron Power Armor. It also incorporates Aeldari Spirit Stones into itself to prevent the wearer from falling to Chaos.
* **Mark II Rail Bolter** - Like all weapons in the bolter family, the Bolt Rifle fires small, self-propelled projectiles known as bolts which explode with devastating effect. The Mark II Rail Bolter incorporates elements from T'au pulse rifles, giving it longer range and slightly more penetrating power compared to the standard-issue Firstborn bolters and Primaris Bolt Rifles.
* **Destructor Pattern Machine Bolter** - The Machine Bolter is a rotating double-barreled version of the standard bolter, built with an extended magazine and a stock. The standard configuration fires .998 Metal Storm Frag Bolts. It is unique in it's design, having a long straight magazine be located on the side of the gun, rather than on the bottom. It also has a generally more rounded design than most other bolters, looking very similar to 15th Millennium armaments.

## Warband Appearance

### Warband Colours

The Dark Soldiers changed their colours after their alliance with the Drukhari and T'au, wanting to differentiate themselves from other Space marine chapters to avoid being accidentally fired upon by their new allies. Hellhammer chose a Brownish-tan Camouflage pattern, which he favored for its "tactical" look.

Many Astartes of the Dark Soldiers also paint their armor with the iconic Black and Gold stripe pattern of the Iron Warriors, in honor of what they consider to be a dead chapter.

### Warband Badge

When they left the Iron Warriors, the Dark Soldiers struck the badges from their armor. For a long time, they wore no symbols on their armor, to show their allegiance to no master. However, upon allying with the T'au and Drukhari, they chose to take up a badge so that they could be identified by their new allies. They originally used the sept of T'au symbol, but they later overlaid the Pre-Heresy badge of the Iron Warriors over it.

## Relations

### Allies

**T'au Empire:** Despite their relationship beginning with a short war, the relationship between the Dark Soldiers and the T'au is very stable, despite the Xenophobia of many Astartes within their ranks. Both powers are working on ways to develop weaponry using both of their technologies.

**Drukhari:** The Dark Soldiers and Drukhari have formed an alliance of necessity, with the Dark Solders needing Psykers with an expertise in torture for the MKUltra program, and with the Drukhari needing victims to torture for their own amusement, in the form of Project Thronebreaker. Because of their colder relationship, the Drukhari bear the brunt of the Dark Soldiers Xenophobia.

### Enemies

**The Imperium of Man:** The Imperium declared the Dark Soldiers heretics before they even became a warband. The Dark Soldiers despise the Imperium's religious viewpoints and emotionally-based actions.

**The Forces of Chaos:** The Dark Soldiers despise Chaos for everything that it stands for, and for causing the fall of the Iron Warriors, which they have sworn to never forgive.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Dark Soldiers

"*Tactics are the key to victory. Ideals, gods, and mindsets will always fail you. but Tactics, the very Heart of warfare, won't.*"
—Epistolary Sanduls Berukus
"*"What is torture if you cannot enjoy it?" "For the last time, the purpose of this torture is to disconnect the mind of the subject from the grasps of the Warp. It is not for your sick fetishes."*"
—Autarch Genvela and Epistolary Sanduls Berukus
"*Humanity and the T'au have always been races of innovation. The whimsical, flawed, religious ideals of the Ecclesiachy, the Cult Mechanicus, the forces of Chaos, and the Dark Mechanicus spit in the face of innovation. Therefore, they spit in the face of the T'au and humanity.*"
— Commander Skvann Hellhammer
"*The Iron Warriors are dead. Chaos has killed them. And for that, they will not be allowed to continue their putrid existence.*"
—Invictarii Sarndiel Cycus
"*"I can't believe they actually trusted us. I knew humans were dumb, but I thought they would be smarter than that!"*"
—Jetbike Pilot Rouge
### About the Dark Soldiers

"*These ones, they are traitors of the highest calibre. They send out propaganda that I and my Chapter are dead, when we are more alive than we have ever been.*"
—Perturabo
"*"These heretics are dangerous. They have raided our territories, killed our people, and indoctrinated thousands to their fell cause. Worse yet, they have allied themselves with Xenos, and are using Archeotech to create weapons that are a sick perversion of our armories.*"
—Inquisitor Carus Lupin

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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