After the events of the Horus Heresy, the Dark Angels returned back "home" to Caliban. Only, whilst they had been away, the powers of Chaos had whispered sweet nothings in to Luther's ears and caused him to fall under their sway. His followers ultimately went on to become the "Fallen" whilst the Dark Angels - and even their successor chapters - started to refer to themselves as the "Unforgiven" over this event.
During this encounter, the Dark Angels ultimately decide to bomb Caliban in to space debris. The largest chunk of it, The Rock, became their home with The Lion ultimately occupying its deepest recesses in deep sleep.
What has bothered me about this sequence of events recently is how the Dark Angels ultimately justified the destruction of their home world. Imagine this: you are a scribe (of a very senior rank) in the administration. The Dark Angels suddenly say they've bombed their home planet in the smithereens. You report this. You're asked to query this. Why did they do this? What justification was there to use such excessive force? They say, they dunno. Because we keep our secrets.
Seriously?
How does the blowing up of a planet escape notice because "secrets"? Especially given how Istvaan III's death screams were heard from such a vast distance away by the Astronomicon.
So, my question today, is what was the reason, or the cover story, given by the Dark Angels to destroy Caliban -- given that they want to keep quiet about Luther and the Fallen?
Perhaps its just because Grimdark. The processing of the order to investigate the "why" and "wherefore" never got processed. Perhaps is just is "secrets". But didn't anyone notice that Caliban was now a Rock? How do they continually keep this a secret?
(Disclaimer: my long term readers will know I have a soft spot for the Dark Angels, so please don't shoot!).
The bombardment didn't help, but as I recall, it was as much the WarpStorm that came up that tore the planet apart as anything. At that point in time, right at the end of the Heresy, "Our homeworld and a bunch of our bros were destroyed by a Warp Storm" was probably a pretty easy sell.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Caliban was far less densely populated than Istvaan III, and that would have created a weaker psychic signature, which would combine with the increased turmoil in the warp and the additional strains on the Imperium's attention to help that signature get drowned out.
That was my memory as well. When Luther threw down his sword and refused to continue after felling The Lion, the chaos gods were displeased and created the warp storm to destroy Caliban along with the loyal Dark Angels that had (at great cost) foiled their plans - not to mention providing an easy means for vacuuming up any fallen that still survived.
ReplyDeleteWhile the planet was certainly bombarded to make way for the assault on the rock where Luthor and the Lion fought, it wasn't to destroy Caliban.
Regardless, it did make a good cover story ultimately!
I can only imagine the communique:
ReplyDeleteDear Lord El'Johnson. We sense a turbulence in the Warp on your home planet, Caliban. Can you investigate?
Yeah, umm, we're already there.
At the location of the anomaly?
Yep! And Caliban has been destroyed.
And are you warp tainted now Lord…? (quietly orders Garro to go investigate. Probably Russ as well).
;-)
Also, at the time, perhaps the Bureau Astartes were a bit busy....
ReplyDelete