The
Mardannon
Crusade
By Chief Scrivener Hannan
Six years ago, a Black Templars crusade fleet arrived in the Mardannon sector, arriving unexpectedly at Mardannon Prime. The Marshal of the Crusade began to hail the command stations from the immense fleet, and upon achieving contact Sector Command was then simply informed that the Crusade had arrived. The Black Templars had been dispatched to begin conducting campaigns in the Emperor’s name immediately. This was the beginning of the Black Templar chapter’s involvement in the Mardannon Sector War, and they began as their chapter begins many things – with uncompromising demands and acts of aggression.
Taken aback at being dressed down by a space marine commander who challenged their honor and loyalty, Sector Command attempted to articulate their desires to the Crusade’s leaders. Upon receiving information on current conflicts in the sector, the Crusade fleet began to break up. With as little preamble as they had when they had arrived, the Black Templars shot into the recesses of the sector, intent on wiping out all resistance to the rule of the Emperor.
Ships of the Crusade
A massive amount of Black Templars are active in the sector. There are two main battlegroups that have begun to amass more forces around them as they sweep from world to world, and the Imperial defenders they liberate then join them on their crusade across Mardannon. Of those battlegroups, an ancient and immense Astartes Battle Barge dominates one, while an Emperor Class battleship commands the other. Each is attended by several strike cruisers and escort class ships.
The Battle Barge, named the Hand of Communion, has seen battle for nearly eight thousand years. Aboard this mighty vessel, Crusade Marshal Erasmus commands the mightiest force of Imperial power seen in the sector since the Cleansing of Medula Praeses.
The other arm of the crusade is overseen by the Flame of Incendia, an ancient ship that has served in the sector since the Old Crusade. Now, commandeered by the Black Templars and filled with Imperial Navy and Guard liaisons, the Flame once more carries her firepower to distant stars to wage war in the Emperor’s name.
The Sector At War
As the Crusade’s victories pile upon one another and the war does nothing but continue, the Crusade’s strength waxes greatly. Every world liberated adds military might to the campaign as units pledge service to the Black Templars. For Marshal Erasmus and his Castellans, this is an unexpected boon. They didn’t believe the Imperial spirit would be so strong in so many, but are grateful. Having so many more ships and troops available means they can wage a much greater war to rid the sector of malign and alien influences.
Not every world has been welcoming of the Crusade, nor has the Crusade spared those seen to be compromised by enemy influences. The Black Templars have a reputation for savagery that is not undeserved, and in some cases have eradicated Imperial citizenry during its campaigns. The Templars have also erected permanent bastions on several worlds, seemingly intent on recruiting from such places in the near future. How this has affected the societies of some worlds is still in question as the war for the sector grinds on.
Hunting down bands of renegade space marines seems to be a priority for the Crusade’s masters, though elements of the Crusade have engaged all manner of aliens so far. These seem to be incidental, however. For now, the Crusade seems intent on securing the hearts of the individual subsectors rather than mounting large scale attacks on heavily guarded alien or heretic strongholds.
It is unknown exactly how many Black Templars have entered the sector. Certain Imperial analysts present at the arrival of the fleet at Mardannon estimate perhaps seven hundred or so based on the ships present. Many are crewed by bondsmen, and only carry a certain complement of marines, so this number has been cited by members of the Ordo Hereticus as a breach of the Codex Astartes. Obviously, there are more Black Templars operating in the galaxy than is strictly allowable by the word of the codex…
No matter what the hidden intentions of the Crusade’s commanders might be (if indeed there are any) one thing remains certain. Since the arrival of the Crusade fleet and its split into two different arms, each of the arms of the fleet has grown to double its starting size. Now reinforced by elements of several Imperial armies and fleets, the scale of its warfare has increased exponentially. If they were ever to recombine, as it is suggested that they soon shall, the entire sector would quake at the might of the Crusade.
Many of the strike cruisers in each battlegroup frequently break from the Crusade to visit various battlefields. In several cases, other Astartes previously operating in these theatres return to the Crusade when the battle is over. So far, the following chapters have contributed units to the Crusade: Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Infinity Watch, Revilers, Imperial Fists, Crimson Fists, White Scars, Fire Giants, Death Wombats and War Turtles. There hasn’t been a gathering of so many chapters in Mardannon in five thousand years – if ever there was a time of legends as during the Old Crusade, now is that time in the Mardannon Sector.
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