Ireton MaSade

"Let my epitaph be this; I was born nameless and abandoned in the gutter of a sunless pit, but I have died a conqueror of words."

- Reputed last words of Lord Militant Erais Slaithe Commander 74th Expeditionary Fleet Fall of Golgothea Terax, 0322884.M30 Lord Marshal Ireton MaSade was a warrior of much fame during the Great Crusade-era and an exemplar to the men of the Exercitus Imperialis. Enlisting as a simple trooper, Ireton MaSade’s ascension would be steep indeed, ending not only in command of an entire Expeditionary Fleet but as ruler of a newly compliant Imperial world. While exemplar, his career would hardly have led him to be remembered as he is now, the esteemed former Imperial Commander of the Agathean Domain having retired a couple of decades prior to the events of the Horus Heresy. Had it not been for the death of his beloved granddaughter, Ireton MaSade might well have been forgotten and the Imperium deprived of one of his greatest heroes. As it was, this minor event would make Ireton MaSade come out of his reclusion and take command of the Agathean Cohorts that would so valiantly fight during the Age of Heresy.

Rise of the 'Old General '
By birth, Ireton MaSade is a Terran, having being born to the scavenger tribes of the Talacra Silt Wastes to the west of Old Albia in the late eighth century of M30.

As a young man, he like many millions of other joined the muster of what would soon become the Exercitus Imperialis or Imperial Army. Ireton MaSade enlisted a common soldier, but his aptitudes would see him assigned to the Solar Auxilia, the highly-equipped elite Cohorts of the Emperor’s human troops. Over decades of frontline service, the former void-soldier would ascend swiftly through the ranks by dint of great intelligence, cold-blooded bravery and a phenomenal natural talent for warfare. Throughout his career as a common infantry man as well as a commanding officer Ireton MaSade fought against numerous different species of hateful xenos. On hundreds of different worlds, he had proved that he could overcome every situation, adapt to every enemy and use any tactic to its maximal efficiency. As well as having fought beside forces of the Mechanicum – whom strength and weaknesses he intimately knew, MaSade had also had the honor of fighting alongside Warmaster Horus Lupercal himself, studying his methods and learning the strategic value of a decapitation strike –  for an enemy without leader was an enemy half defeated. As the Great Crusade rolled onwards Ireton MaSade reached high command position. When the previous leader of the 60thExpeditionary Fleet died in battle, Ireton MaSade was promoted in command of it, his brevet command being later ratified by the hands of the Emperor Himself.

Though he served with distinction, MaSade’s efforts were overshadowed by the exploits of the Astartes. Amongst the Auxilia however his fame grew rapidly. At the head of the 60th Expeditionary FleetMaSade flew from victory to victory until the War Council called upon him to break the deadlock of the Agathon Compliance. Agathon, a hive-world of some five billions souls had until then successfully resisted Compliance for nearly fifteen standard years. Under MaSade’s orders the 60th Expeditionary Fleet would finally break Agathon’s resistance and prove victorious. The cultic aristocracy that had ruled Agathon so far was purged and in reward for this final victory and a lifetime of services, MaSade and his officers were awarded right of conquest over Agathon and the ‘Old General’ as his troops had nicknamed the ageing Ireton MaSade became its first Imperial Commander.

Protector of Agathon
Under MaSade’s rule, Agathon thrived. Although much has been lost in ways of precious documents and knowledge, it would seem that Ireton MaSade would prove an outstanding planetary ruler. MaSade made sure that the martial traditions of the 1522nd Cohort would subsist, the descendants of the original Solar Auxilia being trained in the way of their forbearers to form the Agathean Cohorts. It would seem that the colonization of the nearby world of Legatus was conducted at Ireton MaSade’s initiative, securing Legatus’ mineral wealth both for Agathon and the Imperium and thus providing the new planetary ruler a convenient place to exile dissidents amongst the population. Those that did not bow before the Imperial rule soon swelled the miners on Legatus, ensuring Agathon’s prosperity and military might. Ireton’s reign was a prosperous and a long one – if not entirely uncontested –, when time came to let his heir take over the reins of the nascent Agathean Domain, Ireton left his successor with a thriving world, a strong military and fleet, as well as a comfortable position. Although overt resistance had quickly been overcome, some parts of the population, especially the lower tiers which never mingled with the imperial colonists still harbored considerable resentment against those they perceived as invaders; a strong feeling that could easily be spurned into civil unrest asthe dark days to come would prove. His lifespan considerably augmented by imperial anti-ageing and rejuvenating technology, the old Lord Marshal retired from political life and lived a peaceful if recluse life. His family continued to play an important role amongst Agathon’s ruling elite, but on a political level Ireton MaSade would not intervene again until the fateful day his dead grand-daughter would return to Agathon. In a spirit of peace and cohesion Ireton's successor would relinquish some of his Emperor-granted powers to the Council of Electors, a political assembly intended to let the population participate to some extant in its governance.

Cry for Justice
Jocasta MaSade had been an officer of Battlefleet Agathon and captain of the henceforth famous cruiser Telemachus, the sole surviving Agathean vessel of the Treachery at Port Maw. Her death would have gone unmarked next to the millions of billions that would die during the Heresy had it not been for the repercussions it triggered on distant Agathon.

Her death would be the key-event that would bring her grandfather Ireton out of his retirement. By now nearly two hundred years old, the former Imperial Commander of Agathon and its domains was much different from the man he had been. Physically, he was almost feeble, the expensive anti-ageing and rejuvenating treatments having extended his life far beyond human norm but failed to preserve his physical strength; in fact, Ireton MaSade relied on an ambulator frame solely to move. However his mind was still as sharp as the day he had conquered Agathon and the grief and rage at his granddaughter’s death had given new vigor to his limbs. Loath to see his world and his legacy fall into ruin, Ireton MaSade would take drastic actions to ensure that the Agathean Domain would remain loyal and honor their obligations to the Emperor. His ultimate goal was however far more personal: vengeance, vengeance for Jocasta. But to reach his goal first he would first need to reinstate himself as the sole ruler of Agathon and its military might, only then would he be able to wage war against those whom had had a hand in his granddaughter’s demise.

Without explanations or being summoned there, Ireton MaSade made for the Parliament of Electors – Agathon’s ruling council of officials which had governed over the Agathean Domain since his own retirement. The Parliament’s officials had been vehemently arguing among themselves, trying t hold at bay the growing civil unrest and desperately trying to prevent the outbreak of overt warfare. MaSade’s intrusion shocked the Electors into silence for he had not come alone: behind him, a troop of Solar Auxilia Veletaris formed an honor guard around Jocasta MaSade’s body which was being transported on a floating stasis bier. All Veltaris were dressed in Agathon’s traditional color of mourning, a frosty ice white and carried their volkites in solemn silence before them. The gathered Electors were forced to listen as MaSade spoke, first oh his grief and the noble sacrifice of his granddaughter, then of the dream of the Imperium, a dream of human unity and harmony under the Imperial Truth. As his oratory turned to rage at the moral weakness of his successors, Ireton MaSade denounced the parliament and declared them traitors to the Emperor and sentenced them to death. Before the gathered nobles of Agathon could give reply or protest, the funeral guard turned their weapons on the councilmembers and burned them to ashes. With no one left to countermand his orders, Ireton MaSade assumed control of the Agathean Domain with the support of the remnants of the 60th Expeditionary Fleet’s officer cadre and their descendants. This effectively put him in command of Agathon’s military. Martial law was decreed within the first day of MaSade’s rise to power and soon mass-mobilization would ensure that the entire Domain was on a war-footing. Burning with hate, but with deliberate care Ireton MaSade began to make plans to avenge the loss of his granddaughter.

Retribution
Despite being a minor Hive World the industrial output of Agathon and its Domain was quite sizeable. In times of peace it was already sufficient to maintain several squadrons of cruisers and equip several Cohorts of Solar Auxilia, but girded for war this output was vastly increased. Ireton MaSade showed an unusual clairvoyance in prioritizing the manufacture of augmented blast-charger capacitors. These devices vastly increase the stopping power of a soldier’s lasrifle but put its barrel under horrible and often disastrous stress. Even at the time of the Great Crusade, blast-chargers were only rarely issued, but however saw fairly regular use against the most dangerous and powerful alien creatures of the galaxy. Fortunately for the soldiers of the Agathean Cohorts, Ireton MaSade was a veteran of countless xenocide wars and had had to resort to this technology several times at the head of the 60th Expeditionary Fleet. Fully expecting to be confronted by either traitorous Legiones Astartes or the dark and deadly constructs of the Mechanicum – both being considerably better armored than his troops – the increased power of the Auxilia’s small arms could potentially prove invaluable.

From the beginning MaSade’s intent wasn’t solely to mount a strong defense but to take the fight to the enemies of his Emperor and punish them for the grief they had caused him. Displaying his tactical brilliance as he had done in the past, MaSade divided his forces into three separate taskforces that would attack the enemy in quick succession and on a wide front. It is unclear if MaSade’s choices were motivated by his personal grief or by strategic expediency as both the liberation of the Agri-world of Numinal and the dispatching of the remaining Agathean warships to Cerada Secundus seem to have been directed towards thwarting Cyclothrathe’s expansion. No doubt the survivors of the Telemachus had told Ireton how the Cyclothratine war-ark Arithmetic of Violence was to blame for opening fire upon them during the events known as the Treachery at Port Maw and were thus to blame for the death of his beloved granddaughter. The last taskforce was sent to the galactic East, to secure the frontier world of Bitter Hold against enemy intrusion. Acting perhaps on knowledge of Archmagos Draykavac’s presence on Numinal – or more likely, the ongoing resistance of several insurrectionists and military units – Ireton MaSade decided to personally lead his men in the counter-invasion of Numinal.

Counter-invasion
Prior to the Agathean counterattacks, Agathon had welcomed an unusual and unexpected guest in the instance of the famed Rogue Trader vessel Hammer of the Deeps - which used to belong to Rogue Trader Militant Charid Undine, known to serve the Warmaster’s cause. This was however no longer the case as the new leader of the Agathean Domain would soon discover. The Hammer of the Deeps had been taken by the Knights of House Orhlacc on their home-world of Dark Haven when her impetuous former master had demanded of High Seneschal Valdemar Orhlacc to bow before the power of Horus and submit to his will. With all contact to Dark Haven lost, most had assumed the Knights defeated or destroyed, but the wise Seneschal had mobilized what vessel he could and evacuated their home-world before covertly trying to find refuge among an Emperor-loyal system. Seizing upon this occasion, Ireton MaSade brokered a deal with High Seneschal Valdemar: a new world to call their own and the promise that the Agathean authorities would not interfere there in exchange for House Orhlacc’s support in the dark times ahead. After some deliberation the bargain was struck: House Orhlacc would receive dominion over the savage world of Wychval and the famed Knights of the Manticore would accompany the Agathean Cohorts to do battle against those who had forsaken their oaths and allied with the Traitor Warmaster.

With such a powerful vessel as the Hammer of the Deeps to call upon, Ireton MaSade devised a new strategy to reconquer the occupied Agri-world. Sadly, it is unclear how much information Ireton MaSade acted upon. Did he know that the vaunted warleader of Forge World Cyclothrathe, Archmagos Draykavac, was on Numinal? Was this to be a personal vendetta? Did he know that some elements of the Obed Cohorts still led guerilla warfare against the occupying Mechanicum forces? Or had he heard of the huge amphibious crawlers forcibly converting Numinal’s civilian population into Cyclothrathe-bound servitors and Adsecularis? We shall never know. Tactically the counter-invasion was sound: the warp-route of Numinal being the best-known and most-travelled connection to the Agathean Domain, retaking Numinal would mean securing Agathon from future enemy invasions. These and various other reasons must have crossed Ireton MaSade’s mind while formulating his master-plan.

Using the ancient nature of the Hammer of the Deeps as an outrider to Horus’ forces, Ireton MaSade would use the mighty vessel to covertly approach the moon of Quachil where Numinal’s astrophatic relay was established. Counting on the element of surprise, he would then seize the relay and thus prevent the Traitors to call for assistance or raise the alarm on Numinal. Whilst his own troop would land on the planet and establish a fortified beachhead, House Orhlacc would remain on standby onboard the Hammer of the Deeps, ready to intervene once the enemy warlord had shown himself. Never prone to stay behind, Ireton MaSade would personally lead the Agathean Cohorts on Numinal, ensuring they would dig in and fend off any attack until the time was right for a textbook decapitation-strike, a tactic favored by the Sons of Horus since their time as the Luna Wolves and which Ireton MaSade had learned at the side of Horus himself. MaSade’s own experience would prove a precious boon for the Agatheans as he had also fought besides the untiring constructs of the Mechanicum and knew exactly both their strength and their weaknesses. Given opportunity to entrench or retreat into the myriad of outpost or processing plants that covered Numinal, MaSade’s human troops would be at disadvantage. To obtain victory Ireton MaSade would have to trust that the enemy commander would think as all Mechanicum-priest would and rely on cold logic to win his battle. This MaSade could use against his opponent until the moment was right for the decapitation strike.

The Liberation of Numinal would be a huge success and Ireton MaSade’s first victory in the bitter wars of the Age of Heresy. This resounding imperial victory would greatly affect the balance of power in the region of the Coronid Deeps. Although distant and cut-off from Terra or any loyalist reinforcements, Ireton MaSade’s determination and actions would ensure the opening of a new front within this region of space. In particular, it would hinder the expansion of the Cyclothrathine Mechanicum, which was considerably slowed down and forced to abandon the rapid expansion it had pursued thus far, even being forced to retreat from Cerada Secundus. These attacks from an unexpected quarter would also prove a thorn in the Traitor’s side in the larger war: disrupting convoys, launching raids, attacking occasionally the Agatheans would mobilize precious troops and vessels that would have been put to better use in Horus’ push for the Segmentum Solar.

Wargear

 * Master-crafted power sword 
 * Archeotech pistol
 * Iron Halo
 * Ambulator Frame - Ambulator frames are medical exoskeletons that use irreplaceable relic technology dating back to the Dark Age of Technology to counteract the infirmities of old age. These precious relics are only found amongst the most powerful and senior members of the Imperium's ruling elite as they not only continue to keep their wearer alive but the ambulator provides protections and enhanced physical strength comparable to Artificer Armour. Most of these ambulator frames also include batteries of stimulants, drugs or other medicines that can keep their wearer alive even after having suffered the most horrific of wounds as later illustrated by the legendary resilience of Inquisitor Commodus Voke.
 * Frag grenades
 * Krak grenades
 * Psi-jammers