Adeptus Arbites

In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Adeptus Arbites are the interplanetary police force of the Imperium, and responsible for maintaining the Emperor's Law and Peace. While peace and order are maintained by local security forces under an Imperial Governor, the Arbites were formed primarily enforce the strict doctrines of Imperial Law, leaving the enforcement of local laws to native agencies (usually under the close watch of the Arbites). In the event of a planetwide collapse of Imperial control, the Arbites can decree martial law and take control until a suitable command can be established, generally under an Imperial Guard force. Even in circumstances that are not as extreme, Arbitrators have power over most people in the Imperium. They are authorised to arrest, interrogate, and execute Planetary, Sub-Sector, or even Sector Governors should the occasion warrant it, and can do the same to officers of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy (although custom dictates that they must seek permission from the Commisairiat, the organisation responsible for military law). Only the very highest ranking people and institutions are above Imperial Law (The Inquisition, the Adeptus Astartes, the Navis Nobilitae, etc), something that reflects powerfully on the mutual awe and terror they are held in across the Galaxy.

Overview
Commanded by the Grand Provost Marshal of the Adeptus Arbites, one of the High Lords of Terra, Arbites maintain an uncompromising attitude towards crime and hand out harsh sentences for violations, including summary execution. They are, for all intents and purposes, the practical Chamber Militant of the Adeptus Terra. They present an united legal front across the galaxy - they are concerned only with citizens following Imperial Law, and remain separate from enforcing local (planetary) laws. They go to great lengths to remain aloof and separate from the populations they police, often only appearing to patrol and drag some poor unfortunate back to their terrifying Precints.

Organisation
A Standard Arbites Combat Squad will either consist of five, ten, fifteen or twenty Arbiters, led by a Squad Leader (included in the number of the squad, and usually called a 'Proctor') and armed with Shotguns, Suppression Shields and Power Mauls, as well as an array of grenades (Frag, Krak, Smoke, Blind, and several other types, depending on the situation). Arbitrators are trained to intermingle in the event of casualties, meaning that even if one squad loses several members, it can easily disperse to fill the gaps in nearby units, or fall back for reinforcements and resupply before plunging back into the fighting once more.

Traditionally larger Squads of fifteen to twenty are only used in extended combat actions; where greater numbers are needed for tougher jobs such as storming a gatehouse or defending a vital area. In serious attacks Shock Squads (Arbiters trained to break enemy positions)will lead the way, organised into units of ten. Although these grim-faced men and women are equipped in exactly the same way as Combat Squads (albeit with larger Grenade and Ammunition rations, since they cannot be expected to fall back and restock as frequently as their more mundane counterparts) they probably receive extra training, as they are considered the elite of an Arbites force.

Other branches of the Adeptus Arbites include:

• Verispex Squads, equivalent to modern day Forensic teams.

• Arbitrator Detectives, who spend the most time in the field of any of the Arbites, usually within deep cover. A rare few may be psykers.

• Chasteners, whose task it is to interrogate prisoners by any means they might see as necessary, including mental and physical torture. Treatment at the hands of these men and women usually ends in death, although a death in which you are absolved of your sins against the God-Emperor, provided you confess.

• Chaplains, the spiritual overseers of the Adeptus Arbites. A number of Chaplains are always to be found in Arbites Installations.

• Judges, these work closely with Arbites Chasteners and pronounce sentences over prisoners (Any Arbitrator has the authority to place and execute sentences in the field).

• Cyber Mastiffs, the sniffer dogs of the Adeptus. It is known that these form their own squads, consisting of a paired Cyber Mastiff and its Handler, but there are no specifics as to how many pairs form a squad. Cyber Mastiffs are often employed to sniff out any hostiles that might have hid themselves in the wake of an Arbites advance, but are still fully capable of defending themselves and their handlers. They are controlled by verbal commands from whoever is paired up with them, and are probably keyed to a certain voice/smell to prevent enemies from giving them counter-acting commands. Mastiffs can be biological or mechanical creatures.

• Handlers, see Cyber Mastiffs.

Arbites Installations are known as Precincts, each of which is located in an armoured courthouse that serves as an armoury, training ground, barracks, prison and judgement hall. In order to remain fully aloof and separate from the populations they patrol, Precincts are as close to fully-enclosed cities as they can be. They include all possible resources that the Arbitrators require - including their own Astropath facilities and access to orbital docks. Arbitrators and Judges operate in parallel organisations within the Adeptus Arbites, the two separate organisations joining at their highest ranks.

Often being amongst the highest trained and best disciplined individuals in the Imperium, an Arbitrator may sometimes find themselves commissioned to the retinue of an Inquisitor. The organisation has strong ties with the Ordo Hereticus, and the two can often be found working alongside for common goals. Arbitrators in these retinues are often known as 'Enforcers', having being released from their single-world jurisdiction, and free to punish law-breakers wherever they may be.

Imperial Law
The Imperial Law that the Arbites enforce is thousands of years old and often woefully oppressive. It is as much a crime to be kidnapped as it is to kidnap an individual. The definition of Imperial Law, as collected in the Dictae Imperialis, is the only mandate an Arbitrator must obey, and to the letter - local laws are not their problem, and are left to be enforced by local agencies. Punishment for any crime is invariably harsh and often fatal. Aside from (very) public executions, the preferred sentence for crimes is conscription into a Penal Legion. Although this period of service will eventually come to an end and the prisoner released, service in a Legion is often immediately fatal. Other punishments include public lashings, death by burning, and with the permission of the Ecclesiarchy (and usually for crimes of a heretical fashion) arco-flagellation.

Equipment
Often operating in dense urban environments, Arbites are equipped with shotguns and bolters with Executioner rounds, special ammunition with homing capabilities. They are also generally armed with power mauls for melee combat, electro-net launchers and pulse-charged bolas for capturing perpetrators alive, grapplehooks and stingers, and escorted by cybernetically enhanced mastiffs for hunting hidden criminals.

For protection, Arbites wear black carapace armour with signature jaw-exposed helmets. Arbites make use of combat motorcycles for patrols and Repressors, a variant of the Rhino, for riot response and heavy patrols, as well as heavier tanks such as the Leman Russ.

Game history
Borrowing heavily from Judge Dredd imagery, the Adeptus Arbites were first mentioned in Rogue Trader, but were introduced as a playable force in during the 2nd edition of Warhammer 40,000, and have since appeared in the spin-off games Necromunda and Inquisitor. The organisation is the focus of three novels by Matthew Farrer, Cross Fire (Farrer, 2003) Legacy (Farrer, 2004) and Blind (Farrer, 2006).