Hektor Cincinnatus

Hektor Cincinnatus
Title/Honours	The Sun King, Founder of the Sacred Band, Savior of Olmer, Warmaster of the Great Crusade, Arch-Traitor
Discovered (world)	Terra
Discovered (period)	(at start)
Legion	First
Heraldry/Sigil
Distinguishing Traits	Charismatic
Flaws	Reckless, wrathful
Fate	Soul obliterated by the Emperor's might.

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

Hektor's great mistake was to live too long. Had he died on Cadia to the assassin's blade, he would have been remembered as a martyr and great hero of humanity. Instead, he spent thirteen unhappy years unravelling his life's work and sowing destruction through the galaxy. All that is left of my love for Hektor is the wish that he be forgotten.

(Gaspard Lumey, private correspondence)

Hektor Cincinnatus was the Primarch of the Heralds of Hektor, one of the Legiones Astartes of the Great Crusade. He was the last and first of the Primarchs, once thought the greatest of their number. But he turned against the Imperium and launched humanity into a horrific civil war that ended the Great Crusade and crippled the Emperor.

Personality and appearance

Even thousands of years after losing him at Cadia, the thought of Hektor's radiance still quickens my heart. His was the perfected form of man.

- Pallas Eugenesis

None met Hektor without being taken in by his charm. Even the Imperium's most resolute enemies still found the Primarch to be endearing and would often express their regret that they were taking up arms against such a fine warrior. He could seem graceful to the Eldar, 'ard to the Orks, and a peerless champion to Humanity. Hektor's upbringing infused him with a great admiration for the generals and warlords of humanity's past, and he consciously adopted their reported habits. Though he was only a fair writer, he sought to chronicle his campaigns to present himself and his Legion in the best light, and encouraged his entourage to add their own commentaries.

From his earliest days, Hektor felt a gnawing insecurity, sensing that he was little more than a weapon in his father's arsenal. This sense of emptiness drove the Primarch, but it left him prone to rash decisions. For all his charisma, he was short-tempered and quick to take insult. Gaspard Lumey forever alienated him by daring to submit a list of proposed changes to Hektor's voluminous campaign chronicles, pointing out where the prose was weak or overblown. Alexandri Ibirien's bad blood with Hektor is well-known, and although Arelex Orannis never sought conflict with the Sun King his unwitting offence provoked a murderous response. Among the First Legion only Cassandor Honorius, Hektor's Chief Librarian, ever made the mistake of firmly disagreeing with his gene-sire in person. His error led to bloodshed and sorrow.

His appearance was striking. Even among his brother Primarchs, Hektor's physique stood out, taller than most and athletic. His form exuded strength without seeming clumsy or brutish. Combined with an appealing manner and fair looks, Hektor was often an object of desire. Though he had no interest in women, the Primarch found love-letters endearing and maintained a collection of them as keep-sakes. He was also not above using his sex appeal as a weapon in the Great Crusade, and tended to dress somewhat provocatively when out of combat. He favoured tight clothing that displayed his figure and typically kept his arms bare.

When at war, the Sun King wore brilliant golden armour in the manner of his father. However, Hektor's was fashioned by the Magoi of Mars to resemble his heroic physique and could hardly be mistaken for the massive power armour of the Emperor. To honour his idol Sekander, Hektor fought with a power spear and shield when possible, although he also carried a power sword and bolter. His great spear bore no name and no warrior but Hektor ever wielded it - after the Primarch's death, Cassandor shattered his chosen weapon.

Early Life

If I could not have been Hektor, I would have loved to be Sekander.

- Hektor Cincinnatus

Like his brother Primarchs, Hektor Cincinnatus began as a dream. The Emperor of Mankind, long trapped on Terra by the warp-storms that heralded the birth of Slaanesh, dreamt of unifying humanity and setting His people ascendant in the Galaxy. The fall of the Eldar opened the way to making that reality, and the Emperor set to work crafting the Primarchs, god-like beings that would lead the armies of Mankind through the stars. Yet in His wisdom, the Emperor did not set His creations apart from humanity. Though they were mighty in ability and stature, the Primarchs were still akin to man, with his semblance and his frailties.

This dream did not go unnoticed by the Chaos Gods, and they moved to intervene. The Emperor was far from his Palace when the Ruinous Powers tore open reality to steal away the infant Primarchs. Yet His great mind still sensed this intrusion and He hastened His most-faithful servant, Malcador the Sigilite, to the defence of humanity's future. Braving the terrors of the Warp, Malcador was able to grasp the capsules of two Primarchs: Hektor and Kleisthenes. This interruption of the Chaos Gods' scheme drew their wrath. The Sigilite's flesh and spirit were flayed by the Ruinous Powers despite the psychic protection of the distant Emperor. Weakened, perhaps dying, Malcador faced the terrible choice to let one more of the infant Primarchs go or to lose them both. His own life mattered not, but keeping one of the Emperor's precious creations for the Great Crusade was essential.

Malcador chose to protect what he could and let one capsule go. As the child that would become Kleisthenes tumbled into the Immaterium, he and the infant Hektor wailed and reached out towards one another from within their capsules. But this sacrifice did not end the Sigilite's ordeal. Malcador was assailed by the tempting voices of the Chaos Powers. He was offered release from his agony and so much more, to be placed as the Regent of the Humanity, the Most-Favoured of the Gods, if only he would release one burdensome child. Malcador wavered, but his belief in a better, rational future for mankind stayed firm. Firm, too, was his grip on Hektor's capsule, until the Emperor could arrive in person and seal the breach to the Warp.

Though the Ruinous Powers had inflicted a terrible blow against the Emperor, Malcador's courage and strength had secured a consolation. Instead of thirty mighty Primarchs to launch Terra's Crusade there would be just one, perhaps some day to be joined by his brothers. In honour of this victory, the Emperor determined to place the last of the Primarchs in Malcador's care while He prepared new weapons of unification.

It cannot be said that the child Hektor had a loving upbringing. Malcador the Sigilite was extraordinarily busy even in those days and delegated child-rearing to a professional staff. Of his tutors, many of whom passed through very quickly, Hektor was most attached to Epemistreus the Sage, the Archeosavant of the Tarantia Hive-Spires. Epemistreus was much-famed as a lecturer and his sparkling wit and sense of a good tale enchanted young Hektor. The sage's speciality was Terran history - what little could be gleaned of it from the ruins of humanity's cradle - and his young charge was keen to hear tales of the conquerors and unifiers of the planet's past. Warlords such as Sekander, Kai Zal, Carlos Main, and Stef Stelman became Hektor Cincinnatus' idols and role-models. Although this interest was considered healthy by Malcador, he dismissed Epemistreus after five years of instruction, believing that the young Primarch had learned enough of history. This separation caused Hektor no small distress and he earned himself a severe lecture from the Sigilite on the necessities of selflessness and obedience to the Emperor's plans.

The Space Marines

The Space Marines

It is the Emperor's will that you, my gene-sons and the gene-sons of my lost brothers, shall form a Sacred Band under my command. We begin our journey as a family, born from the waters of an artificial womb. But the blood we shed together will make us a brotherhood!

- Hektor Cincinnatus

The end of Hektor's childhood education meant his introduction into the ranks of the neophyte Space Marines. Unlike the Legions that would follow, this Sacred Band of superhuman warriors was a mix of all twenty gene-lines. As the training of the Sacred Band proceeded, the Emperor noticed that Hektor's own gene-sons prospered under the Primarch's command far more than the Space Marines derived from other lines. This observation was the root of the eventual decision to form the different lines into distinct Legions, allowing their own unique strengths to develop. However, with the survival of the other Primarchs still in doubt, the Emperor deemed it best to play out the tale of the Sacred Band as a means of acclimatising his Space Marines to Hektor's overall command.

As it was, the Sacred Band would only see combat in one campaign. Gathering up the brightest recruits into twenty squads - one for each gene-line of Space Marines - Hektor was dispatched to assist the Thunder Regiments in the Pacification of the Merican Hives. Although the operation was a modest success, the shocking performance of some squads led to the experiment being ended immediately. From then on, each gene-line would be deployed as an independent part of a greater army. But the Sacred Band did not entirely vanish from the Galaxy. The survivors of the battles of the Merican Hives would forever remember Hektor as their battle brother. Even after meeting their gene-sires many would still see the first of the Primarchs as their natural lord and master.

Hektor's own sons were called on to form the First Legion. His favourites, Ajax Camillus, Hephaestion Horatius , and Leonidas Manisicus were appointed as the Legion's Lieutenants and the ten veterans of the First Squad of the Sacred Band became Sergeants, leading their own squads into battle. This cadre would be expanded again and again as the Unification Wars pressed on towards their climax at Mount Ararat. Although most of the other Legions were activated during this period, none grew so swiftly as the First or were entrusted with such significant missions.

Pallas Eugenesis

Pallas Eugenesis, Eclipse Queen of Luna

The daughters of Terra had long sought after me, and it was no surprise to hear that their sisters on Luna were similarly inclined. I had anticipated that the so-called Eclipse Queen's infatuation would be useful, but I could never have imagined the pale glory of the incomparable Pallas Eugenesis.

- Hektor Cincinnatus

Toward the end of the Unification Wars, the Imperium began to look to the heavens above Terra. The first objective was Luna and its mighty gene-forges, a resource that could be used to greatly increase the ranks of the Space Marine Legions. Securing this prize would be no easy task. Terra's satellite was under the dominion of fractious gene-cults, jealous of the independence. Repeated attempts at negotiation ended in failure, with the last envoys returned to the Emperor as a screaming biological soup. Yet one of the rulers of Luna was intrigued by the tales of the Emperor's genetically-engineered son and general. Pallas Eugenesis, styled the Eclipse Queen, dispatched an agent to Terra to meet with Hektor Cincinnatus and offer one last round of negotiation - provided that the Primarch attended in person.

Still busy with the Emperor's wars on Terra, Hektor replied that he would consider the invitation and gave it little further thought. However, the First Legion was soon assigned the task of leading the Pacification of Luna, forcing its proud rulers to submit to the Imperium. Confident that the Eclipse Queen's willingness to negotiate would give him an advantage, Hektor argued that his Legion could conquer the satellite alone, but the Emperor insisted on dispatching the fearless Seventh Legion and mobile Tenth Legion. If Hektor was disappointed at the prospect of sharing the glory, he did not let his feelings spoil the plan. Informing his command that he and a hand-picked band would go ahead to secure the landing zone, the Primarch made a stealthy landing on Luna and presented himself to the court of the Eclipse Queen.

As a negotiation, the matter was initially straightforward. Pallas Eugenesis all but brushed aside the demands Hektor brought on behalf of the Imperium of Man as already accepted, readily agreeing to her territory being used as a springboard for the pacification of Luna and signalling her willingness to submit to the Emperor's will. Her request to be recognised as the satellite's ruler and enforcer of the Imperium's laws was not unreasonable, but her final condition was a great surprise. She asked that the pact be sealed by her marriage to Hektor, thus symbolising the unification Terra and Luna. Though he found the Eclipse Queen to be a compelling ally, Hektor Cincinnatus had never considered the prospect of seriously romancing any woman, let alone marrying one. Discovering exactly what Pallas Eugenesis expected of a husband took a lengthy and delicate discussion, but at the end of their talks Hektor was satisfied that his prospective bride was mainly interested in the political significance.

As he left the Eclipse Queen to organise the military operation, Hektor was also struck by how much he had enjoyed speaking to her. In many ways, the Primarch's life had been a lonely one, ever deferred-to by his inferiors and rarely taken into the confidence of his Father or Malcador the Sigilite. His gene-sons could be beloved comrades, but there was always a line between them and their Primarch. Pallas Eugenesis spoke to him as a peer and, as Hektor considered the matter, deservedly so. She was also the product of miraculous genetic science, and her own works were astonishing in their artistry. Though Pallas was not a soldier, when their conversation had wandered into the intricacies of military organisation her brilliant mind had readily grasped the problems, and even ventured some of the same novel conclusions that Hektor had himself reached. Their marriage would not - could not - be of the kind that mortal men and women enjoyed, but as an alliance and meeting of equals it answered a need that had Hektor had unknowingly carried for many years.

Following the Pacification of Luna, Hektor spent the next few years separated from his betrothed and fought in the last hard campaigns of the Unification Wars. The Emperor put increasing trust in His son, assigning regiments of mortal auxilia to the command of the First Legion and giving the combined battle group considerable latitude in interpreting His orders. Hektor would be present to see the end of the Thunder Warriors at the Battle of Mount Ararat. Not for the last time, he paused to wonder at the fate of the gene-forged defenders of the Imperium of Mankind.

Yet such melancholy thoughts were soon brushed aside. Terra was at last unified and great celebrations were organised. At the height of the pageantry, the Emperor Himself presided over the wedding of Hektor Cincinnatus and Pallas Eugenesis, and in turn the newly-weds pledged their loyalty to His great plan. As a dowry, Pallas presented Hektor with tithe-rights to her domain, allowing the First Legion to recruit aspirants from among the hive-dwellers of Luna.

Wolves of Dawn

The Treaty of Mars - the Emperor of Mankind's pact with the Mechanicum - set the Great Crusade into action. Hektor's First Legion already enjoyed the best recruits and a steady flow of gene-seed. The Primarch's dispatch of his trusted lieutenant Daedalus Appius to Mars with instructions to combine in his person the interests of Mars and Terra not only guaranteed that the First Legion would receive a high supply priority from the Mechanicum, but established the position of TechMarines within the Legiones Astartes.