Helion Legion

The Helion Legion is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of Ultramarines lineage created during an unknown Founding. Created as they were from the vaunted lineage of Roboute Guilliman, the Helion Legion was founded in order for the Imperium to provide guardians for the furthest flung Imperial worlds. Due to this isolation, the Helion Legion is often faced with those Imperial worlds who attempt to break away from Terra altogether as well as the omnipresence threat of Orks. Fringe worlds have also started showing signs of Necron activity as well. Currently, they are defending the isolated Industrial World of Arkalli from multiple invasions from both the Orks and Plague Marines. Almost nothing else known about this obscure Chapter in official Imperial records.

History
Though their exact origins are unknown the Helion Legion have continued to faithfully serve the Imperium of Man throughout their existence. A stalwart and dedicated Chapter, the Helion Legion is often isolated at the edges of the Imperium for long periods of time, working with scarce supplies and little reinforcements. Often, the Chapter ends up attempting to hold several far-flung systems together through their efforts. Facing the every-present threat of the warlike Orks, the Chapter continuously fights off wave after wave of greenskin raiders seeking to plunder these war-torn Imperial worlds. But the Orks are not the only threat the Helion Legion faces, for even now a new threat emerges on the horizon -- the ancient Necrons -- for signs of activity have begun to emerge on a few of the furthest worlds in the current sector the Chapter is deployed.

Notable Campaigns

 * Defence of Arkalli (Unknown Date, Late 900's.M41) - Sometime in the late 900's.M41, the Helion Legion took part in one of the most notable events within the annals of their Chapter's history, which came to be known as the Defence of Arkalli. This vital Industrial World is located in the industrial heart of Imperial worlds at the limit of the Astronomican. When the Helion Legion arrived to the sector, news reached the Chapter of a large Ork WAAAGH! that had made it's way to Arkalli to steal it's machinery and resources for their own twisted Mekboys. It was with haste that the Chapter deployed to halt this menace and free it's people from Ork occupation. Fighting on the planet began simple enough as the chapter had divided it's companies to various areas on the planet to combat the threat on multiple fronts with the aid of the planet's local imperial guard while the chapter's fleet and first company stayed in orbit to combat the Orks in the void. After several months of fighting the Helion Legion were on the brink of victory when the unexpected occurred. Around the same time when the defence of Arkalli was well underway, a Nurglite cult had been forming in darkness of the planet's hive cities. With the Ork invasion providing a distraction for the imperium's finest warriors, an uprising soon began which allowed the planet's defences to fail and further allowed the Orks to rain down their seemingly numberless greenskin hordes upon the besieged world. With the spread of death and despair across the planet, foul rituals were enacted by the cults to summon forth the Curse of Unbelief -- a spiritual plague that rots the mind, body and soul of a "unbeliever" until the victim becomes nothing more than a mindless zombie hell-bent on spreading the plague onto others. As the fighting carried on, so too, did the influx of chaotic reinforcements, as not only did the human populace succumb to the plague but the invading Orks also fell victim to it. The dire situation was further exacerbated by the arrival of a Death Guard Chaos warband. Though the Helion Legion fought valiantly, they sustained severe losses due to fighting a war on two fronts. To this day the Helion Legion has never forgotten nor managed to replenish the losses they sustained during this conflict. Now and forever, they continue to zealously burn with an even more intense hatred for both the Orks and the followers of Nurgle.

Chapter Organisation
As an Ultramarines Successor Chapter, the Helion Legion was originally a Codex-compliant Chapter, comprised of the proscribed 1,000 Space Marines broken down into ten separate companies. But due to fighting in ceaseless conflicts for millennia, the Chapter's numbers began to dwindle faster than they could recover, which resulted in the loss of three whole companies. The Helion Legion were forced to take drastic measures, and so, they were forced to restructure the Chapter as best they could in order to maintain their military commitments throughout their assigned sector of the galaxy. As the Chapter's forces became stretched thin as they attempted to fight the myriad threats that assailed them, seemingly from all sides, this resulted in the Helion Legion dividing the Chapter into several self-sufficient Companies -- each acting as a min-Chapter unto itself -- with its own Scouts, Veterans and support. The Helion Legion possesses seven such companies.

The chapter's Grand Master often travels between his far-flung domains, along with his own company of warriors, recruited from the best that the different Battle Companies have to offer. These veteran warriors are often fitted with the finest wargear the Chapter possesses, bedecked in all of the ornate heraldry and history that the Chapter can muster.

A typical Helion Legion company consists of the following:

Headquarters:
 * 0-1 Captain
 * 0-1 Librarian
 * 0-1 Chaplain
 * '''0-1 Command Squad (Consisting of a 1 Standard Bearer, 1 Apothecary, 1 Techmarine, 1 Company Champion and the Librarian and Chaplain listed above).

Elite:
 * 0-1 Terminator Squad
 * 0-1 Dreadnought
 * 0-2 Veteran Squads

Troops:
 * 0-3 Tactical Squads
 * 1+ Scout Squads

Fast Attack:
 * 0-2 Assault Squads (Only one squad is equipped with Jump Packs)
 * 0-2 Scout Bike Squads
 * 0-3 Land Speeders
 * 0-1 Land Speeder Tornado or Land Speeder Typhoon

Heavy Support:
 * 0-1 Devastator Squad
 * 0-2 Predators
 * 0-1 Land Raider
 * 0-1 Whirlwind

Combat Doctrine
Due to their limited resources and inability to call upon other chapters for reinforcement, members of the Helion Legion have learned to make the most of their wargear and surrounding environment when fighting the enemies of Mankind. While their individual wargear is always properly maintained and ready before any conflict, it is not rare at all to see battle-brothers fashioning crude repairs on their battle-plate and weapons during a prolonged battle in order to continue fighting. These battlefield repairs can range from welding scrap metal onto damaged armour panels to incorporating armour pieces and weapons once belonging to the enemy. In one notable campaign, during the Defence or Arkalli some Helion Legion Astartes were reported using Ork weapons while in the middle of a long siege when their own weapons ran out of ammunition or were damaged beyond repair. These items were eventually scrapped or discarded in favour of Imperial technology after the conflict ended.

Chapter Gene-Seed
Hailing from Ultramarines' decent, the Helion Legion possess very pure gene-seed, which is rigorously scrutinised, maintained and preserved by the Chapter's Apothecaries to ensure purity and that there are no unacceptable mutations.

Chapter Colours
The Helion Legion's Chapter primarily wear black coloured Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is bronze, while the skull on the center of the Imperialis is silver. Parts of their battle-plate is also silver, including: the top and vents on the back pack, the top and ear protectors on the helmet and the trim of the shoulder pauldrons. The inset of the right shoulder pauldron is white in colour, while the left shoulder pauldron inset is black. The inset of the right shoulder pauldron worn by a Squad Sergeant remains black, but the colour of the cross on the displayed Chapter icon is instead painted white in colour. A white vertical stripe worn on the helmet also designates a Squad Sergeant's rank.

Most unique to this Chapter, is that they place their Chapter icon on the right shoulder pauldron instead of the proscribed place of honour on the left shoulder pauldron in accordance to the dictates of the Codex Astartes. This is due to the fact that the Chapter still utilises a large number of complete or mixed components of relic Mk VI 'Corvus' pattern power armour. As this particular pattern often had molecular bonding studs on the left shoulder pauldron, the individual battle-brother often wore their Chapter's icon on the right shoulder pauldron, a tradition that began during the Horus Heresy. Even on newer sets of Mk VII 'Aquila' pattern power armour, this tradition has been maintained.

Unlike their Progenitors who maintain strict adherence to the Codex Astartes, the Helion Legion instead makes use of heraldic symbols unique to their Chapter which designates squad type (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran). The white squad specialty symbol is located on the left shoulder pauldron. A white Roman numeral placed on the inset of the left shoulder pauldron next to the squad specialty symbol, shows designated squad number. The left poleyn (knee guard]] is coloured white. A black coloured, traditional Codex-proscribed squad specialty symbol adorns the left poleyn. It is not known how the Chapter designates company number, if at all. Due to their unique Chapter organisation, all Scout Marines receive squad specialty markings, like their full-fledged battle-brothers, depending on their assigned role that is given. Those who are assigned as snipers or heavy support wear Devastator markings, while those Scouts equipped with close-combat weapons and bolt pistols are authorised Assault markings. Finally, those Scouts who are armed with bolters or shotguns are allowed to wear Tactical markings.

While the Helion Legion's overall colour scheme is standard for most of the chapter, there is one notable exception. Due to the relic nature and scarcity of the few suits of Terminator Armour the Chapter possesses, and the fact that most of the chapter's 1st Company veterans were trained in the Ultramar Sector, a curious custom came about, where all Terminators and Veteran Marines leave at least one or more parts of their power armour unpainted or repainted to display the Ultramarine blue colour of their Progenitors, as a way to honour their genetic forebears. Also, these veteran elite are known to replace their Chapter symbol on their shoulder pauldrons with a roll-call of previous wearers of their individual battle-plate -- each one framed differently -- as a walking memorial to those who came before. This 'Roll of Honour' is meticulously hand-written and carefully maintained. Each battle-brother who inherits a suit of Terminator Armour from their fallen predecessor, will then add their own name alongside all those who have worn it previously, before he goes on to avenge his fallen brothers on the battlefield. Eventually, when he too falls in battle and the armour is once more retrieved and handed down, it is up to the next successor to continue enacting vengeance for his fallen brothers.

Chapter Badge
The Helion Legion's Chapter badge is a stylised black four-pointed cross, overlaying a stylised red sun and centered upon a field of white. Squad Sergeants wear a variant of the Chapter's badge, with the cross being painted white and centered upon a field of black.

Gallery
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