Void Eagles

Void Eagles armorial with Legion iconography.

Void Eagles Legionary of the 1st Expeditionary Fleet.

### Observed Strategic Tendencies

Large-Scale Astral Warfare, Aerial Superiority, Saturation Warfare, Area Denial and Scorched Earth Operation

### Allegiance

Suzerainty
(*Socius Solicitus*)

### Unique Organisations

Saturator Terminator Squads, Worldburner Grenadiers, Corsair Squads, Inexorii

### Noteworthy Successors

Ash Walkers, Blood Eagles, Burning Angels
Wings of Woe & Sons of Nothingness (Insurgos)

### Colours

(1st Expeditionary Fleet) Brass and Green. Other fleets bear different colours

### Warcry

"Aquila Regnat!"

"*Tragic was the destiny of the Fourth. From inception they were destroyers, more so than the other. Burning souls carrying burning swords, they sacked and razed the horrors of Auld Night. And then they found their Father, the commander of the Little Crusade. A man full of hatred and hope both, Yucahu was a magnificent being. All that was not human, in his mind, was destined to burn; but for the sons of Terra a new era of grandeur awaited among the stars. This, as History showed, would never come to pass, for the dream died as the dreamer did.*"
— Remembrancer historiale Arcturus Meyan, "*From Unity to Anarchy: A Comprehensive History of the Legiones Astartes*", introduction to Vol. V
*Prowling through the deep reaches of space, the Void Eagles wage war from the heavens above. Trained in pragmatic brutality, the Fourth Legion cared not for high-minded ideals of their fellow legions or the well-being of their homeworld, for they claim no planet as their own. At the core of the Legion's tenets is the prosecution of the Great Crusade no matter the cost, imbued by their Primarch Yucahu, a fervent user of the most destructive weapons in the arsenal of the Legiones Astartes. His fanaticism for the Imperial cause saw him raised to the rank of Warmaster, a contested event that would culminate with his assassination. Now without a Primarch, the Void Eagles' command structure has crumbled into individual warfleets supporting the various claimants to the Throne.*

## Legion History

### Origins: Fire in the Skies

Among the earliest raised of the Legiones Astartes during the Wars of Unity, the Fourth would be pressed into service for the conquest of the Yndonesic Bloc. This would only be possible due to a high geneseed acceptance rate, and conditioning to independent action. When Imperial generals warned that the campaign would involve tremendous loss, to the point that marching on Yndonesia was folly, the first legion master replied mockingly that none would march there. At the break of dawn, an airborne strike force of Astartes debarked on the highest spires of Cardinal Tang’s palace, savagely massacring the command echelons and nobility of the empire. The Ethnarch himself was executed without ceremony, and his forces sent in disarray. Of the two thousand legionaries deployed, less than three hundred had perished. This strategy and bravado became a staple of the IVth, and soon enough the Imperial Army gave it the nickname "Wings of Woe", which the Legion took as its own.

### The Star-Born

The origins of the Fourth primarch are, in comparison to those of his legion, covered in much mystery. It is known that he landed on a civilised world in the galactic south-west, a planet surrounded by shipyards pre-dating Old Night; a gift its people would seem to have forgotten until the coming of the Emperor's son. History would forget the name of this world, not by redaction like the birthplace of K'awil Pakal, but out of irrelevance to the Primarch and Legion alike. Unlike most of his brother primarchs, Yucahu would never rise to rule, keeping instead a place as general in a state remembered only as the Invictarian Coalition. There he is recorded as devising innovative tactics to fight in the weightless confines of the stations, forming a corps of espatiers known as the Void Marines, comparable in their disposition and equipment to pre-Imperial Saturnyne Hoplites. Yucahu's troops were exclusively formed for tridimensional warfare, moving with ease through the dark, derelict facilities and ambushing their foes from all directions simultaneously. As greater segments of the stations were secured, their treasures were gradually unveiled: orbital construction systems, trans-solar vehicles, and three warp-capable vessels, almost intact in their grandeur despite spending millennia unattended. It so happened that these wars were simultaneous with the dissipation of the galactic Warp Storms of the Age of Strife.

These would prove instrumental to the Primarch's ascension. His prowess in the orbital wars had earned him a great reputation on the entirety of the planet, his treatises on warfare becoming the basis of modern strategy. With the main battles over, and the lesser work left to his subordinates, Yucahu was named Marshall of the Space Force. Led by a creed of liberating Humanity from its various alien oppressors, they quickly ordered his newly-formed fleet to conquer the stars, he alone herald of both dawn and doom. In the unknown darkness of space, the Primarch was de facto commander of the Coalition's armies, as well as all civilian personnel onboard his fleet.

His first documented conquest is that of Ekhwesh, a planet whose inhabitants had reverted to early industrial levels of civilisation yet retained technologically advanced weaponry. Semi-sentient orbital defense grids took a surprisingly heavy toll on the initial scout squadrons, but showed extremely predictable patterns, which allowed for their destruction without a single loss on the Primarch's side. The planetary phase of the battle was far more bloody, soulless bombings both orbital and atmospheric targeted on political and military centers, to no avail: the people of Ekhwesh would not yield. Rather than accept that honorable trait and leave them be, Yucahu ordered more ruthless actions: the simultaneous crushing of all major population centers. In four hours, the planet had lost fourty million inhabitants, one quarter of its total population. Only then did Ekhwesh surrender to the bringer of death born from the stars.

Under this new title, the primarch would subjugate dozens of worlds for the Coalition, from xeno-enslaved Irautza to the burgeoning kingdom of Salezada, and the much valued Forges of Vernes, whose alliance with the Coalition gave Yucahu's conquests a massive boost in materiel strength, especially Warp-capable vessels. This wave of conquests would only meet its end in 933.M30 on Coaban.

Unlike his brother Primarchs, Yucahu would first meet the Emperor on a battlefield. Vernalis had gained a fearsome reputation in the local sector for its advanced weaponry, and with its recent acquisition of spacecraft, was threatening the expansion of both the Coalition and southwestern Imperium. Arriving at the Mandeville threshold, Imperial and Coalition forces struck a temporary alliance to bring Vernalis to kneel. It was agreed that Marshall Yucahu's fleet, being more numerous, would engage orbital defences while Grand Captain Golag's astartes made planetfall to wage war on the ground. However, both forces had underestimated the might of Vernalian weaponry. C-beams fired from satellite stations burned through ships as if they were cardboard, while the Wings of Woe lost five of their own for each autodrone destroyed. For weeks on end the battle lasted, the allied forces slowly gaining ground, until the Coalition decided to break a point of its agreement: orbital bombardment was declared, shaking continents while the Primarch himself dropped to the position of Golag. Together, Void Marines and Astartes fought to the oligarchy's mockery of a Senate, where they unleashed a rain of bolt-shell and Vernal shotgun rounds upon the despots.

The leaders deposed, Vernalis was left a burning wastes. As occupation forces from both parties awaited orders, a golden leviathan appeared in the skies: *Imperator Somnium*, the Emperor's own flagship. When the Emperor teleported down to the still-smoking battlefield, it is said that Yucahu instantly kneeled, recognizing him as his legitimate liege. Onboard the Emperor's ship, oaths were sworn, the Coalition officially dissolving into the Imperium, and Marshall Yucahu took the mantle of Primarch of the Fourth Legion; from this day on, they would be Wings of Woe no more, but Void Eagles, in deference to the Aquila of his Lord; their livery would be brass, a lesser metal to the Emperor's gold. Vernalis was given to him as a recruitment ground, and as a last gift before leaving, the Emperor granted his son with a Gloriana-class battle-barge: the *Ala Lux*, and an order to wage the Great Crusade.

### The Weapon and Its Master

Leaving the dissolved Coalition behind, Yucahu devoted himself to the Emperor's Great Crusade. As such, his first concern was the disposition of his new Legion. Although there had been an initial excitement at the prospect of being reunited with their Primarch, the Wings of Woe quickly became divisive as they came to understand the true nature of their gene-sire. A number of the legionnaires declared that honour dictated their submission to their new liege lord and adopted Yucahu's brass and the moniker 'Void Eagles'. However, a significant remnant rejected both, claiming that they could not in good conscience betray the traditions that had sustained them for decades of the Great Crusade.

Many Imperial observers watched the growing conflict with great curiosity. After all, it was only a mere six years earlier where the Shepherds of Eden broke ranks from the Berserkers of Uran, supported by powerful patrons. Many quietly wondered if a similar situation, the creation of a new Legion 'Auxilia', would come to pass. This hypothetical situation never came to pass. Unlike the more brutal Raktra Akarro, Yucahu, while refusing to change his ways to mollify his irate sons, was content to allow them to fight as they wished so long as they continued completing compliance operations in the Emperor's service. This stubborn remnant was given their own fleet and kept their old title before continuing on with the Great Crusade.

Many Imperial observers watched the growing conflict with great curiosity. After all, it was only a mere six years earlier where the Shepherds of Eden broke ranks from the Berserkers of Uran, supported by powerful patrons. Many quietly wondered if a similar situation, the creation of a new Legion 'Auxilia', would come to pass. This hypothetical situation never came to pass. Unlike the more brutal Akarro, Yucahu, while refusing to change his ways to mollify his irate sons, was content to allow them to fight as they wished so long as they continued completing compliance operations in the Emperor's service. This stubborn remnant was given their own fleet and kept their old title before continuing on with the Great Crusade. The remaining Sons of Yucahu would make the transition to Void Eagles, steadily leaving their traditions and past identity behind as attrition did the rest.

The history of every Legion contains a turning point, where the dominant Terran culture was confronted with - and typically supplanted by - another. This is true of the IVth, more so than many of their cousins, as history sadly attests. The nature of the culture that eventually came to dominate was unusual, however, because it was not tied to a particular stellar polity.

While the Iron Bears and Crimson Lions bear the influence of their Primarchs' realms at almost every level, the Void Eagles drew almost nothing from the world where their father was fostered, to the extent that it is now forgotten by Imperial records. Yucahu reckoned any attachment to his homeworld to be unnecessary sentiment, and while the Legion exercised its recruitment rights there, no Astartes partook in its governance. Nor was any grand fortress-monastery established to rival the floating Stormspire of Madrigal or (To be added) forged by **----** architectural insight. The Void Eagles moved fast, often ranging far ahead of the bow wave that was the Great Crusade, taking recruits as tribute from hundreds of worlds. Certain Clans of the Crimson Lions were similarly adventurous, but they would regularly seek out the company of their brothers, taking in new warriors at these times. In this way, the dominance of their parent culture was preserved.

Not so the Void Eagles. Except for the rare occasion that a fleet took such heavy losses as to force a pause to rearm and replenish their numbers, they made it necessary for new blood to pursue them. To this end, neophytes would undertake the latter years of their training across several worlds en route to their designated fleet. However, the lion's share of their trials and lessons occurred aboard the ships that carried them. While Yucahu's chosen specialisation would have forged his sons into masters of ship-to-ship combat anyway, this policy surely provided a catalyst for their expertise, and the Void Eagles boasted an unusually high number of breachers.

Those neophytes who hailed from Vernalis and other permanent recruitment worlds found themselves surrounded by comrades from a multitude of planets, as well as those born in the confines of IV Legion vessels, who had never trodden soil. Imperial Gothic was the de facto language when so few shared a first language. Moreover, the often observed effect of Ascension on an Aspirant's memory seems to have played a part in creating the "voidborn" culture. Many space marines, in stark contrast to their near-perfect recall of events following their metamorphosis, have attested to faint, incomplete memories of Ascension and life before it. Whisked away shortly after most of the implants had taken, these young warriors would have had little recollection of the worlds that had raised them. Their experience was then of fleeting planetfall, interspersed with a far greater amount of time in the void or the Warp. During the Rangdan Xenocides, many inductees were abruptly taken from their homes and accelerated growth and implantation methods used to make them into Astartes. Such practices can only have exacerbated the above phenomena.

As a consequence of all this, few affectations from parent cultures survived among the Void Eagles, and while the fleets differentiated themselves aesthetically, those differences could not easily be traced back to any one system. Idiosyncratic weapon types and variants were almost entirely absent, whereas they dominated the arsenals of the Lightning Bearers and Eagle Warriors. There was one exception - Alvator's Fifth Fleet - yet their deviations originated with their eccentric Mechanicum allies, who consistently skirted excommunication from the Cult of Mars even before Alvator led them into a decades-long absence. In Legion and serf slang, references to the normality that the void represented were commonplace; the heat of an enginarium came to a IV legionary’s mind more readily than a warm day. Some even showed an aversion to planet-welled water or non-synthesised meat - to the bafflement of many a cousin or remembrancer.

Brotherhood came with surprising ease to the new intakes, perhaps because they lacked pronounced cultures to separate them. This "blank slate" effect may also have contributed to the Void Eagles' remarkable degree of loyalty to the Emperor. They existed as His soldiers and nothing else but brothers to one another, with little time or inclination to speculate on their purpose beyond that. Moreover, the warrior lodges which incubated the seeds of rebellion in many Legions were simply found superfluous among the Void Eagles, who maintained their own customs to foster kinship. Thus it was that, when betrayal cast the Imperium into disarray, the Void Eagles adjusted with relative ease, fighting and living as ever they had. They were the marauders, anchored nowhere and taking what they needed from wherever they could get it.

## Notable Campaigns

Among the roll of victories accomplished by the Void Eagles, one will quickly note a harshness equal to the vacuum of space. The Void Eagles, with few exceptions, cared little for how they prosecuted the Great Crusade so long as their enemies were broken. Although the battles and campaigns of the early Great Fleets are well recorded, the latter Great Fleets, especially those founded after Yucahu's discovery, lack a more thorough comprehension, eclipsed as they are by their Primarch. Yet, given how new Great Fleets would be founded, they provide helpful markers and windows into the closing era of the Great Crusade.

### The Fourth Rangdan Xenocide

Midway through the second century of the Great Crusade, the dread Rangdan emerged again to devastate swathes of the northern Imperium. Worlds burned, Expeditionary Fleets went to their deaths without a single survivor and entire Legiones Astartes [REDACTED] lost to the Imperium. The Void Eagles confronted the xenos and performed deeds of great bravery and foul infamy in a campaign which finally saw the xenos destroyed once and for all. In the wake of the campaign Yucahu would be known, along with Raktra, Andezo and **----**, as one of the Imperium's "Four Horseman", treated with as much dread as reverence.

### The Vremalkyr Incursions (981. M30)

The main strength of the IVth Legion sallied forth under the command of the Emperor himself to end the depredations of these xenos monsters. Alongside the Lightning Bearers and **----** they followed the Master of Mankind into a relief campaign which saved much of the Southern Imperium from destruction and ended the godlike power of the Vremalkyr.

## Legion Organisation and Structure

### Units and Formations Within the Legion

At the time Yucahu took command of his legion, its structure and hierarchies were rearranged to better suit their new disposition. Gone were the Musters and their jemadars, titles inherited from the Thunder Warriors of whom the Wings of Woe descended, for the Void Eagles were not warriors, but soldiers. In an interesting inversion of usual tendencies, the primarch of the IVth built his new order to more closely follow the guidelines established in the *Principia Bellicosa*, whereas many of his brothers had imported much from the culture of their home world. By the end of the Great Crusade, the Void Eagles were composed of nine independent Great Fleets led by admirals (with the notable exception of the 1st Fleet, which was directed by the Primarch himself). These fleets formed the wider form of organisation, each pushing the Crusade in a different direction. Each of these fleets was further divided in a dozen flotillas of approximately one thousand legionnaires, and were the main operational elements of the legion. A flotilla was itself composed of two battalions, or squadrons – the latter almost exclusively used by airborne and astral elements – directed by lieutenants. Due to the legion's nature being spread thin across the galaxy, and its erratic recruitment methods, these numbers are at best indicative of each formation's order of magnitude. In reality they tended to vary greatly, as one might see the example of the 734th battalion, who spent the better part of the late Great Crusade reduced to merely four squads, or the first flotilla of admiral Maloran, kept purposefully over-strength at two and a half thousand warriors.

The legion's culture was not without impact on its hierarchy. Promotion in the lower echelons was mostly a matter of challenge, be they martial or otherwise, and a great many implied exposure to danger far exceeding the investment to augment and equip the marine concerned. It also transpired in the quasi-systematic designation of units by their informal titles or nicknames, a practice which forced many a clerk to abandon attempts at recensing precise unit numeration. Notables include the 71st Flotilla, *Limtoc's Blood-beaks*, rumoured to partake in the flesh of their foes, the 205th "*Stormbringers*" Squadron, or the *Sons of Nothingness*, a cognomen given to the entirety of the 5th Fleet after their numerous ventures beyond the light of the Astronomican – the longest of which saw them believed lost for most of the Insurrection.

What provided unity among such a disparate group was simple pragmatism. Even the honour-bound Wings of Woe could not ignore necessary tools of war to thrive nor resist the inevitable evolution that accompanied a fleet-based Legion.

As the Imperium's foremost masters of astral combat, every Void Eagle became adept at handling several critical roles in the operation of a warship. This ensured that Void Eagle warships were the most expertly crewed in the entire Imperial war machine as Void Eagles had the ability to assume any position on a vessel, whether it be manning gunnery posts to assisting in the enginarium.

This skill was one that easily lent itself in both defensive and offensive operations, giving the Void Eagles an edge in seizing enemy void ships. Given this was their primary environment for combat missions, the Void Eagles developed along lines that enhanced their capabilities in this hostile field of battle. The narrow corridors of warships pushed the Void Eagles to favor small unit sizes as opposed to the more bulkier troop deployments of other Legions. Breachers, in particular, would become a key unit whenever the Void Eagles engaged in ship boarding actions, while assault squads were the primary choice for ground operations. Between the two, the ubiquitous tactical squad saw little use among the IVth Legion. Where breacher shields proved to be ineffective, it was here that the Void Eagles would unleash terminator assaults, becoming one of the strongest proponents for the newly developed tactical dreadnought armour. The extra firepower and survivability in the void was treasured, and the Void Eagles would develop their own patterns to suit their purposes, making them one of the few Legions that could field prolific terminator units.

Further distinguishing themselves, Void Eagles typically structured their formations around their fleets. Despite whatever title, all Void Eagle recruits began their service aboard the smallest ships. Rank and influence directly correlated to the size of the ship and to the position aboard such ship. A Void Eagle captain of a destroyer knew better than to pull rank on a Void Eagle sergeant assigned to a battleship with exceptions. One notable exception was the Second Great Fleet, the Wings of Woe. Here, pilots and wing commanders stood in equal stature to warship captains, developing a reputation for flamboyant bravado.

However, it was a confidence earned. None questioned the Void Eagles' superiority of air units. No other Legion could field as many fighters, bombers, and transports as the Void Eagles could and did, from the agile Lightning fighters to the colossal Stormbirds. Most of the finest Astartes pilots in the Imperial war machine served in the IVth. Yet, this came at a cost of a vastly reduced ground vehicle fleet. So rarely used were these assets, it was rumoured that one or two of the Great Fleets carried no tanks of any kind, relying completely on aerial superiority to provide the necessary strength for ground operations.

This weakness of ground support led to one unusual evolution in Void Eagle tactics: the weaponisation of drop pods. After a recommendation from one Wing-Captain Shilon Zacao, who had been pioneered the tactic of orbital dropping tarantulae to secure landing zones, Yucahu invented the deathwind drop pod to clear initial drop points. While the drop pod had always come with some kind of armament, the deathwind drop pod completely sacrificed transport capability and carried several small missile batteries instead. Upon landing, the doors would blast off before unleashing a barrage of the local terrain. Although decried by some critics for its indiscriminate nature, the Void Eagles cared little.

### Legion Command Hierarchy

The Void Eagles' officer corps could be neatly divided into two. The two highest ranks in the Legion were inviolable and required of all of the Great Fleets. The Brass Lord himself occupied the highest rung as both Primarch and the Great Admiral. Although he commanded with a light, sometimes absent, touch, Yucahu's authority could not be challenged by any of his sons. Standing directly beneath the Primarch were the admirals of the Great Fleets. To these nine individuals, Yucahu granted almost complete latitude to shape the Great Fleets to their visions so long as they took care to prosecute the Great Crusade's objectives, despite establishing a blueprint organization mentioned above in his own Great Fleet that was alternatively modified or ignored by the other admirals.

Beneath these two towering positions existed a logistician's nightmare as the structure of the lower ranks were dictated by the whims of their admirals. Two excellent examples of the potential gulf between Great Fleets would be the 2nd and 5th Great Fleets.

The 2nd Great Fleet, known colloquially as the Wings of Woe, was perhaps the most similar Great Fleet to Yucahu's own 1st. A clear chain of command extended from Admiral Golfein down to the lowly ship rating. Corporal was the first rank to distinguish oneself from the standard Legionary, followed by the typical sergeant. It was at this rank where the Wings of Woe developed their own idiosyncrasies separating them from their parent fleet. Once a sergeant was deemed worthy of promotion, he was presented with three fields to specialize in: ground assault, naval command, or squadron support.

Ground assault covered every aspect of planetary occupation and terrestrial warfare. It was here that the Wings of Woe's tank and artillery corps could be found along with other typical ground forces. Although a necessity even in such a void-based Legion, the titles of ranks within ground assault made it clear of its diminished importance in the eyes of the Void Eagles. For a sergeant promoted through this path was immediately promoted to staff sergeant before receiving the next assignment. Four more ranks were available along this career course, going from master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, and finally sergeant major of Terra. Each granted additional command responsibilities with the final rank being theoretically third in command of the entire 2nd Great Fleet. However, as noted by the names, no Void Eagle in ground assault was truly considered a proper officer in the Great Fleet.

Naval command provided the typical career track found throughout the Void Eagles Legion. A sergeant would promptly be promoted to a lieutenant and be placed in a specialist position aboard an escort's bridge crew. From there, the newly minted officer would be cycled through the various aspects of ship command to better familiarize himself with ship operations until finally granted a captaincy of his own. After a few years of service and demonstrating adequate skill, an escort captain would be granted a new assignment aboard a larger ship and repeat the same process. While this process normally took decades for a Void Eagle officer to be stationed aboard a battleship, service above and beyond duty could lead to rapid promotions and assignments. However, it is not unheard of for a Void Eagle captain to refuse advancement to remain in command of his beloved ship.

Squadron support is what separates the Wings of Woe from their fellow Great Fleets, even to this day. Promoted to the rank of 3rd Lieutenant, a Void Eagle is immediately placed in a squadron based on aptitude and preference. Whether piloting a fighter, bomber, or transport, all Void Eagles traverse through the same ranks as they demonstrate skill and survive battles, moving from 3rd to 2nd to 1st Lieutenant. During this period, pilots are encouraged, though not required, to cycle through various craft to better understand their place in war. If a pilot demonstrates potential for command, he is offered the chance to be promoted to commander, the first rank required to command one's own squadron. Some Void Eagles never reach beyond 1st Lieutenant, either out of deficient command ability or who simply prefer to remain ace pilots for the rest of their service to the Emperor. Those that do become commanders may continue to climb ranks as they gradually command more squadrons. At the pinnacle of this track is the supreme commander of æther, who is second in command of the Wings of Woe.

Although ostensibly lower in rank and power than their ship counterparts, it would be the pilots who would give the 2nd Great Fleet its name. Additionally, the aces of the Wings of Woe were the source for the sometimes deserved reputation for flair and bravado. Regardless, the Wings of Woe was and is one of the most regimented and professional Great Fleets.

In contrast to the professionalism and orderly Wings of Woe, the 5th Great Fleet, known as the Sons of Nothingness, was always only a few short steps from complete anarchy. Admiral Tatch commanded only through reoccurring acts of brutality that kept his own officers from displacing him. In turn, his lieutenants reached their positions of power through violence. 'Honour duels' was the primary method of promotion though these duels often saw every dirty tactic used between both superior and subordinate. The officer attrition among the Sons of Nothingness was the worst recorded of all eighteen Legions, even outpacing the callous Berserkers of Uran.

Only two official ranks existed within the Sons of Nothingness: admiral and captain. This is not to say that no other position existed. Much like any warship, Void Eagles operated and commanded various ship operations from the Apothecarion to the weapon systems. However, the standards of discipline were so lax that it was left to whoever happened to be in the right place and the right time, unless a specific Void Eagle had laid and defended his claim of control. While this had the inevitable impact of causing disciplinary incidents and degrading reaction times at its worst, at its best it promoted an odd versatility as any Son of Nothingness had to be prepared to assume any duty at a moment's notice.

Given the typical promotion method, one might assume that the Sons of Nothingness were dominated by a small number of captains and its single admiral. This was far from the truth. For in terms of raw ship numbers, the 5th Great Fleet was the largest of the Void Eagles fleets, outnumbering even Yucahu's personal 1st Great Fleet. This was possible because the Sons of Nothingness eschewed heavier warships in favor of lighter warships which better synergised with their preferred tactics of hit-and-run and ambush operations. Thus, at any moment, the Sons of Nothingness possessed several hundred captains, nearly five times greater than a standard Expeditionary Fleet.

To become a captain among the Sons of Nothingness required only one ingredient: success. A Sons of Nothingness captain was one that had demonstrated some talent for either personal skill of arms, manipulative guile, or powerful charisma and managed to weaponize this talent in their pursuit of power. Once a captain, the single most effective method of maintaining one's position was to ensure a steady supply of spoils to those beneath their command. Notorious among most Space Marine Legions, the Sons of Nothingness were one of the rare groups of Astartes who openly pursued wealth, whether in hard currency, unique technology, or destructive weapons. A Sons of Nothingness captain who could sate his crew's desires endured fewer challenges to his authority.

Especially successful captains could expand their influence beyond their own ships. Although no official rank existed between admiral and captain, only one officer could command a detached group from the main fleet. Only captains who had proven themselves were given authority over these temporary units. Nicknamed commodores, these officers walked a thin line between achieving their objectives, appeasing their crews, and dealing with other captains. Few could manage this delicate balancing act, but those who could often set their sights on becoming the next admiral of the Sons of Nothingness.

As a reminder, these are only two Great Fleets among nine, each with their own idiosyncrasies and traditions. Yet, between the professionalism of the Wings of Woe and the anarchy of the Sons of Nothingness, one can draw a spectrum of the possibilities within the Void Eagles and understand why the logisticians of the Departmento Munitorum rue any interaction between these two aspects of the Imperium.

To the side of the riotous command hierarchy stood the Viceroys; a collection of veteran captains, detached from their fleets and given rule over the Legion's primary recruitment worlds and strongholds. Here the representation of individual fleets was distinctly skewed; the more stable fleets tended to produce officers more suited to governance, not to mention dealing tolerantly with mortal and particularly civilian personnel. Conversely, those such as the Sons of Nothingness usually took what stock they needed, as and when required.

### Legion-Specific Units

#### Saturator Terminator Squad

Main article: Saturator Terminator Squad

"Devoid of all grace but undeniably potent," was how one Lord Commander described the Saturator elite, and from their moniker to their methods, it encapsulated these Astartes. Forsaking any melee viability, they essentially became walking weapon platforms, easily distinguished by their unique pattern of Terminator armour. This was the product of collaboration between IVth Legion artificers and Magos of the Ordo Reductor. Building off siege variants of Cataphractii pattern battle-plate and the obsolete, but stalwart, Saturnine pattern suits, they produced the 'Deredes' pattern. The shoulder plates and helmet became a solid mass encompassing the wearer's head, adding extra layers of armour as well as the power coils, ammunitions feeds, targeting systems and shock absorbers required to mount heavy weapons atop the suit.

The result was a force barely human in aspect and sufficiently armed to devastate armour formations. Against infantry, their flanks guarded by their brethren, they were monstrous, killing with horrific ease as they slowly advanced. Yucahu often used them in conjunction with Mortis Dreadnoughts when the Void Eagles faced Orks and other "swarm" armies. While never held in as high esteem as the Corsair Breachers, the Primarch still had high regard for these Terminator elite, comparing them to the likes of the Myrmidons or Triakonta. The skill of the Saturators in wielding their arsenal of ruin was impossible to ignore.

#### Corsair Squads

Main article: Corsair Squad
While Yucahu reorganized his legion to follow the *Principia Belicosa* more closely, his sons were wont to deviate from "standard" legion structure. The most infamous example of this are the Void Eagles' Corsair squads. Unlike the walking battle tanks of the Saturators, the Corsairs were designed for shock rather than firepower. At the core of their being, the Corsairs were the elite of the IVth Legion assault cadre, drawn from the most aggressive brawlers in the IVth. However, rather than simply being close combat specialists, the Corsairs were given the most dangerous objective of a boarding action: to tear the enemy vessel's throat out. Such a task could only be accomplished by a charge directly towards the bridge of the enemy vessel, typically the best defended part of an enemy vessel leading to enormous casualties, upwards of 70% in some actions. As such, for a Corsair to survive more than a few years service was rare (the average service length at the end of the Great Crusade was two years) but replacements were never in short supply.

Because of the highly dangerous nature of their role on the battlefield, the Corsairs were an incredibly close knit brotherhood, more so than even other units of astartes, and they rapidly took on a separate identity within the Void Eagles as an elite unit. Because of this, they differed in their appearance from other Void Eagles, many choosing to bedeck their armour with symbols of death and danger. Apart from their appearance, they had their own battle cry and, although no official record is made of it, most sources claim it to be either '*Semper Fidelis*' ("Always loyal!") or '*Semper Primus*' ("Always the first!").

However, strangely, despite their place within the Void Eagles legion as an elite unit, the Corsairs were never officially recognized as such by IVth Legion command. On official records, even after he became part of the Corsairs, a legionary remained part of his old unit. The resulting logistical confusion was typical of the IVth with some legionaries dying as sergeants in the Corsairs but being officially listed as rank-and-file legionaries and supplies requested by officially non-existent Corsair units needing to be acquired through less conventional means more often than not.

#### Worldburner Grenadiers

Main article: Worldburner Grenadiers

Few elites among the Legiones Astartes were as reviled as the Worldburners. An offshoot formed during the early Crusade from Destroyer squads, augmented their weaponry so as to raze any environment in which they fought. This meant that they were rarely favoured in the Void Eagles' preferred battlefields in the void; indeed, the Espatiers already filled that niche, and so the Grenadiers were primarily used for terrestrial battles, equipped with the jump packs which proved so unwieldy aboard ships.

To the already foul tools of the Destroyer, they added gas and incendiary weapons, making them figures of surpassing terror to any infantry who stood in their way. With little interest in sowing terror for its own sake, the Worldburners moved rapidly, seeking to inflict destruction as rapidly as possible and leave easy pickings for their brothers. At battle's end, they would return, systematically razing the battlefield after everything of worth had been recovered.

#### Inexorii Squads

Main article: Inexorii Squad
Even before the beginning of the Insurrection rumours of the Inexorii surrounded the Void Eagles like a cloud. They were born during the dark days of the Rangdan Xenocides, when many noted the Void Eagles seemed far better able to sustain losses in battle than their brother legions and than their small size would suggest. At first this led many to conclude that the wide range of operations of the IVth, combined with their own lax record keeping, had hidden their true numbers from the wider Imperium and that they were far larger than any knew or could have guessed, on par with the Ist and XIIIth legions. However, then darker rumours began to spread, rumours of boys snatched from their parents by serfs of the IVth and turned into Astartes in less than a year, encased in a suit of power armour and thrust into a war for a cause they barely understood, watched over and with the guns of the Opsequiari to the backs of their heads.

In the decades after the Rangdan Xenocides' bloody conclusion, such rumours were suppressed and many began to regard them as just that: rumours. Limiting themselves to the bloodiest warzones, the Void Eagles were kept well away from the public eye and many forgot the rumours. However, upon the outbreak of the Insurrection, the Void Eagles were at the forefront of the defences against the Insurrectionists and the rumours returned. However, now none dared deny what was plainly true.

#### Exactorii

The Exactorii were a specialised officer cadre, carrying the function of Opsequarii, Sergeants and Apothecaries, placed in command of Inexorii units.

#### Firebrands

Specialised honour guards, the FIrebrands were chosen from elite Breacher squads, clad in Indomitus plate and armed with heavy melta weaponry. Rather than defend their charge, they were tasked with leading the way, cutting down hordes and burning through walls to make way for their commander.

## Notable Void Eagles

* **Yucahu Sumakutaa** - Yucahu Sumakutaa, the Star-Born, the Brazen Eagle, is the Primarch of the IVth Legion. He commands the 6th Expeditionary Fleet from aboard his flagship *Ala Lux*.
* **Dakkar the Voidborn** - Known also as 'The Last Terran', Dakkar serves as Equerry to the IVth Legion Primarch. Served in the 6th Expeditionary Fleet aboard the *Ala Lux*, under the command of Yucahu. After the Primarch's death, takes command of the 1st Fleet and - for a time - of the Legion.
* **Acao Culica** - Known as the 'Sky-Walker', Acao serves as the admiral of the 2nd.
* **Golag** - Legion Master of the Wings of Woe at the time of the compliance of Vernalis
* **Hezan** - Legion Master of the Wings of Woe during the early Great Crusade
* **Sihim Vohal** - Sihim serves as a Lieutenant, commanding the 205th Airborne Squadron, aboard the IVth Legion flagship *Ala Lux*.
* **Elaban Kisakey 'Bloodied Beak**' - 8th Flotilla Captain who served in the 17th Expeditionary Fleet aboard the *Sky Walker*, commander by Admiral Acao Culica.
* **Amaros Alvator** - Admiral of the 5th Fleet
* **Calius** From his flagship *Foresworn Faith*, he commanded the 254th Expeditionary Fleet.
* **Nalam Elica** - 44th Flotilla Captain who commanded the *Rimward Light*. He served in the 89th Expeditionary Fleet, under the command of Admiral Amaros Alvatar, commander of the flagship *Penumbra*.
* **Limtoc** - From his flagship *Warmonger*, Limtoc commanded the 947th Expeditionary Fleet.
* **Mili Ayelat** - From his flagship *Tonitrua*, the admiral of the Ash Walkers commanded the 233rd Expeditionary Fleet. He would go on to found the Ash Walkers order.
* **Ignatius Maloran** - From his flagship *Scourge of Scandia*, he commanded the 146st Expeditionary Fleet.
* **Hiram Qalie** From his flagship *Aquila Rex*, he commanded the 1200th Expeditionary Fleet.
* **Ramius Osaun** - An Espatier Sergeant early in his career, Osaun served in the 2nd Flotilla, steadily rising up the ranks until Culica's death saw him promoted to the Admiralty.

## **Legion Fleet**

* ***Ala Lux* (Gloriana-class Battleship)** - the flagship of Yucahu and one of the largest Gloriana battleships, the *Ala Lux* was easily among the most powerful ships in the entire Imperium
* ***Sky Walker*** - flagship of the Second Great Fleet, this vessel was fifteen kilometres long from prow to stern
* ***Penumbra* (Battleship)** - Amaros Alvator's flagship, which was for many years considered lost along with its master
* ***Scourge of Scandia*** - the Eighth Fleet's flagship
* ***Tonitrua*** - flagship of the Seventh Fleet
* ***Foresworn Faith*** - Calius' flagship
* ***Warmonger*** - Limtoc's personal vessel, and the flagship of the Sixth Fleet
* ***Aquila Rex* (Battleship)** - this fifteen-kilometre behemoth was the flagship of Admiral Qualie, and later Ramius Osaun
* ***Hand of Infinity*** - flagship of the Wings of Woe
* ***Skyfall***
* ***Devestation of Anukia***
* ***The Void's Grasp***
* ***Solar Walker***
* ***Irradiant Dawn***

## Domains

While not possessing a coherent territory such as the Madrigal Sphere or Tudannan, or even certain loosely thrown protectorates, the Void Eagles exacted tribute from a great many worlds and void enclaves, and maintained a fortress in each Segmentum.

## Gallery

Post-Reunification iconography of the IVth Legion, the 'Void Eagles'.Ineluctable Quindecem of Ustiria, 1st Fleet