Editing Heralds of Hektor (section)

=History of the First Legion=
{{See also|Hektor Cincinnatus}}

The fall of the Heralds of Hektor began with a tale of salvation.  For a time, they seemed beloved by fate, ever-blessed by good fortune.  But in the end, their luck ran out and their death scream would crack the foundation of the Imperium.


==The Primarch Project==
The Emperor of Mankind's plan to unify humanity and set it above all other races in the Galaxy relied on the creation of superhuman soldiers.  The first unleashed were the doomed '''Thunder Warriors''', who lived and died so that Terra would be one.  But they were only a crude instrument to be used up while their successors gestated.  Deep beneath the Himalayzian Mountains, the '''Primarchs''' were created.  Each of these beings was destined to be a superlative soldier, general, and statesman - the spearheads of humanity's crusade.  Foreseeing the threat, the Ruinous Powers conjured up a localised warp rift to steal the Primarchs away from the Emperor and scatter them across the broad [[Galaxy (Hektor Heresy)|Galaxy]].  They were almost entirely successful, but the Emperor's loyal vassal Malcador the Sigilite caught hold of one Primarch's gestation pod and held it fast until his master could seal the breach in reality.

Within that chamber was Hektor Cincinnatus, the last of the Primarchs.

Rather than create new Primarchs to replace those who had been lost, the Emperor adapted his plans.  He still had at his hands the genetic material of the Primarch project and one of his god-like creations.  Using the former, the Emperor painstakingly designed a series of artificial organs that could be implanted into young recruits, transforming them into supersoldiers more reliable than the wild Thunder Warriors.  The last of the Primarchs was entrusted to the care of Malcador the Sigilite, and raised to be the general of the new Space Marine Legions.  Busy and believing that his ward would be best-raised by committee, Malcador delegated the upbringing of Hektor Cincinnatus to a brigade of tutors, nannies, and instructors.  Some lasted only a few weeks before being deemed inadequate to the task.  '''Epemitreus the Sage''', Archeosavant of the Tarantia Hive-Spires, was perhaps the young Primarch's most enduring influence.  For ten months - not long in the span of a mortal life, but fully one-third of what passed for the Primarch's childhood - the lessons that the sage had carefully pieced together from Terran history were passed on to Hektor.  The youth listened enraptured to tales of conquerors and unifiers from Terra's Golden Ages of the past and his notebooks were filled with sketches of Sekander, Kai Zal, Carlos Main, and Sef Stelman.  At the end of this time, Malcador deemed that Epemitreus's instruction served no further productive purpose.  Above the protests of teacher and student, Epemitreus was dismissed from the Imperial Household and Hektor Cincinnatus was inducted into the ranks of the Imperial bodyguard to season as a warrior.  But Hektor's true destiny was to form and lead the nascent Space Marine Legions.

==The Unification Wars==

[[File:Space Marines by The First Magelord.jpg|250px|thumb|The Space Marines]]
Due to uncertainty regarding the survival of the other Primarchs, the Emperor first experimented with a mixed body of Space Marines known as the [[Sacred Band]].  This formation, commanded by Hektor, had a squad to represent each of the gene-lines that would spawn the great Legiones Astartes.  The experiment soon proved its short-comings, as only Hektor's own gene-sons truly prospered under his command, but the Sacred Band would still win its spurs in the '''Pacification of the Merican Hives'''.  Though short-lasting, the Sacred Band left a legacy of brotherhood among the early Marines, as the most prominent members of most Legions had known and fought alongside one another.  Hektor Cincinnatus benefited greatly from being identified as the first commander of the Space Marines.

The First Legion was born shortly after the fighting in Merica.  Hektor was given command, with his favourites '''Ajax Camillus''', '''Hephaestion Horatius''', and '''Leonidas Manisicus''' appointed as his Lieutenants.  These three warriors would soon bear the title '''Ouragos''', drawn from the tales of Sekander that young Hektor had so enjoyed.  Although the Emperor did not bias supply towards the First Legion, the presence of their Primarch made Hektor's sons by far the most effective of the Legiones Astartes and they were the first choice for every difficult assignment.  Hektor's outrageous success in winning Luna for the Imperium brought an immense wealth of genetic knowledge and equipment into the Space Marine project and his alliance with [[Pallas Eugenesis]] insured that the First Legion would receive the first priority for genetic resources.  With their ranks swelling with outstanding warriors and their battle records growing long with tales of victory, the First emerged from the Unification Wars as not merely the oldest, but the greatest of the Space Marine Legions.

===Notable Campaigns===
{{See also|Unification Wars (Hektor Heresy)}}

*'''Pacification of the Merican Hives''': The Sacred Band's contribution to victory in the Merican campaign was small but significant.  Even more important was the leadership of Hektor and his gene-sons, which would establish a precedent for the First Legion being at the head of the Legiones Astartes.
*'''First Pacification of Luna''': Thanks to their Primarch's unexpected alliance with the Eclipse Queen, [[Pallas Eugenesis]], the First Legion spearheaded an unexpectedly easy conquest of Terra's satellite.  Their victory secured valuable genetic laboratories and the Hektor's political marriage to Pallas would have a lasting impact on the Legion.
*'''Burija's Folly''': Newly-elected Fabricator General Valran Burija led a Mechanicum expedition to Terra, planning to humiliate the Emperor.  First Legion used Yndonesian Stormbird transports to swiftly respond and caught the warriors of [[Mars (Hektor Heresy)|Mars]] while they were unloading from their transports.  The disorganised Mechanicum force was swiftly routed before they could deploy their Titans and Burija was slain by Hektor.  The survivors, under the command of [[Zorr Yenser]], slunk back to the Red Planet to face the displeasure of the Martian Parliament.

==The Great Crusade==
[[File:Wolvesofdawn.png|200px|thumb|The colour scheme of the Wolves of Dawn.]]
The first laurels of the [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]] fell to the Wolves of Dawn.  Hektor's gene-sons were at the forefront of the fighting in the Segmentum Solar, bringing worlds into compliance even before the great Astronomican was completed.  Once that mighty beacon began to signal into the Galaxy, the First Legion led the way for the Imperium, forming the core of three of the first ten [[Expedition Fleets (Hektor Heresy)|Expedition Fleets]] and contributing detachments and advisers to many of the others.  Although the Imperial records have been heavily redacted, fragmentary evidence points to fully half of that Segmentum being brought into compliance by First Legion.   These victories won immense resources for the nascent Imperium of Mankind.  Hektor's likeness was engraved on countless frescoes and statues across the Segmentum, preserved by the Imperium's grateful new citizens.

Though the First won great glory, they also learned their lessons.  The hard experiences of the [[Parthorum Wars]] taught Hektor that it was not enough to come bearing bolter and chainsword.  In their battle for Empire, the First Legion adopted a pacification strategy centered on military colonies called ''Cleruchies''.  Veterans of the Legion auxilia would settle in cities across the Segmentum Solar, forming nuclei of Terran culture on vastly foreign worlds.  Over time, the Cleruchies would assimilate the domestic population, helping to solidify the new Imperium.  The lords of the First Legion would visit each Cleruchy in turn to establish a network of ''Scholae Astartes'', originally intended to train new Imperial administrators, officers, and soldiers.

However, as the first Century of the Great Crusade came towards its end, the First Legion's star was challenged by new-comers.  Roman Albrecht's valiant Steel Marshals showed that they were perhaps even more courageous and noble than the Wolves of Dawn.  Gaspard Lumey and his once-forgotten Fifth Legion achieved the impossible and won the Imperium a thousand sectors in a single year.  Through grim resolve and ruthless efficiency, Alexandri Ibirien and the Silver Cataphracts became the Emperor's first choice for the most daunting assignments.  Although Hektor pushed his men harder, the First Legion's recruiting grounds on Luna and elsewhere in the Solar System could not compete with the tides of new warriors drawn from Centauri Primus, Ciban IV, and Rosskar.  Some whispered that the decline of the greatest champions of Imperium meant that the Great Crusade would be a fleeting achievement.

Hektor was not among them.  The Primarch made a series of reforms intended to restore the cutting edge of his Legion.  Five '''Ephors''' were appointed with the authority to break up the patterns of patronage and influence-peddling that Hektor feared were eroding the Legion's strength.  To avoid upsetting valuable officers by displacing their proteges, the Primarch established a second section of his Agema, or personal troops, adding the Chalkaspides to the famous Chrysaspides.  Although the Chalkaspides were not remarkable soldiers by the standards of the Space Marines, they were brave and fiercely devoted to their lord.  While the Ephors carried out their work, Pallas Eugenesis and her gene-wrights were commanded to purify the gene-seed, replicating the best samples and purging mediocrity, while the Legion's apothecaries turned to the old ''Scholae Astartes'' system to provide a new supply of recruits.   New allies were sought, such as the Knights of '''House Drăcul''', a once mighty Household that had resisted the Imperium and been ruined because of it.  Hektor also sought closer alignments with some of his brother Primarchs, especially The Voidwatcher, Cromwald Walgrun,  and Uriel Starikov.  These pacts would have dire consequences, but they did restore something of the Legion's fortunes.  Towards the end of the 900s, the First Legion played the pivotal role in the immense struggle with the Orks of Ullanor and their triumph was crowned by the appointment of Hektor Cincinnatus as Warmaster. 

If Hektor was somewhat gratified by these achievements, his next campaign was less satisfactory.  A blasphemous rebellion had broken out on the world of Cadia and the Heralds's command fleet was the closest force to the traitor system.  Although the rebels were quickly put to the sword, an assassin took the opportunity to lay Hektor low.  The Primarch dispatched with his attacker, but the wound he took to his eye did not heal quickly and Hektor was soon feverish and deathly ill.  While in this fragile state, he suffered a series of shocks.  Firstly, news arrived of Gaspard Lumey's lightning strike against the Core World Campaign - a great gain for the Imperium, but also for one of Hektor's rivals.  Worse, the War Council was to be disbanded and his appointment as Warmaster meant only that he would head the Military Council, a rump organisation for the tidying up of the Great Crusade.  Malcador the Sigilite and the newly-founded Council of Terra ruled the Imperium in the Emperor's absence.  The final insults were the appointment of Alexandri Ibirien's Silver Cataphracts as the guardians of the Solar System and an invitation to Arelex Orannis to sit on the Council of Terra as an observer.

===Notable Campaigns===
{{See also|Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)}}
*'''800.M30 [[Volemar Gamma Campaign]]''':  Alongside the [[War Scribes|Second Legion]], the First won the first Imperial victory over the [[Orks (Hektor Heresy)|Orks]], removing Uggut Shakgrod's outpost from the Solar System.

*'''811.M30 [[Parthorum Xenocide]]'''  The First Legion descended upon a Xenos-ruled Empire located in the Parthorum Stream.  The alien ''Osroene'' had vast legions, but Hektor used his Astropaths and Navigators to out-maneuver his foes at every turn.  After a sequence of crushing defeats, the Xenos offered the Imperium terms - but by this stage their demise was inevitable.  Within a year, the Osroene had been reduced from a sector-spanning Empire to a few handfuls of refugees.

*'''818.M30 [[Second Parthorum Pacification]]''' Although the Osroene had been decisively defeated, their human subjects did not take easily to the Imperial Truth.  Small-scale rebellions simmered for years, before a succession of planetary revolts overwhelmed the Imperial garrisons.  Leonidas Manisicus led the 6th Expedition Fleet in a short, sharp punitive action to put down the rebels. 

*'''823.M30 [[Third Parthorum Pacification]]''' The 6th's victory proved fleeting.  Although the worlds they had punished remained passive in this revolt, other systems in the Parthorum Stream threw off the Imperial yoke in 822.M30 and would not be restored to order until the arrival of Hektor's own 3rd Expedition Fleet.

*'''994.M30 to 000.M31 [[Ullanor Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Ullanor Crusade]]'''

==The Heresy==
[[File:Heralds of hektor.png|200px|right]]
Numeration: First Legion

Primogenator: [[Hektor Cincinnatus]]

Cognomen (Prior): Wolves of Dawn

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Elite formations, mobile artillery, shock tactics

Noteworthy Domains: The Olmer System (Primary), Tithe Rights to the Hives of Luna.

Alliegence: Traitoris Maximus


Pallas Eugenesis, summoned to tend to Hektor, was incensed by his wounding.  She unhesitatingly laid the blame on the Council of Terra, and declared that the "white-handed bureaucrats" of the Council had thrown Hektor into the fire out of jealousy and fear that his First Legion would once again reclaim its place as the right hand of the Emperor.  Pallas remained bitter even after Hektor recovered his health, often pointing to his lost eye as a reminder of the callousness of the Emperor's ministers.

The Warmaster did not hasten to rebellion, but he began looking for others among the Adeptus Astartes who shared his resentment of the Council of Terra.  Such men were not in short supply.  [[Camaxtli]] felt that his men had long been dishonoured by the duties thrust upon them.  [[The Voidwatcher]] and his [[Black Augurs]] craved complete liberty in their mystical research.  [[Rogerius Merrill]] perhaps had no hate for the new regime, but he preferred a man he long knew and trusted to the new Council.  Most dangerous of all was Hektor's protégé, [[Aubrey The Grey]], whose youthful optimism had been slain at Lazarus.  The Primarch of the Eternal Zealots feigned personal loyalty to Hektor and pledged to find him more partisans besides, but his real goals were much darker than the Warmaster's.