The Order of the Broken Sword

After the Destruction of Galland V the Mechanicus moved all of the equipment, infrastructure and machinery of their mining operation to the moon “Galland Seniorem” which possessed the same resources only in smaller quantities.

They reconstructed the Chapter Monastery although it was only a shell and possessed no decorations or anything of significance to the Chapter. Their Swords were taken and distributed among the high ranking members of the Adeptus Mechanicus on the Moon who treated them as curiosities and badges of office.

Only the Former First Captain, Brother Captain Vandels Excitor, had his sword preserved.

In his duel with the Eldar Autarch Brother Captain Vandels’ Sword was broken in half. He managed to mortally wound his opponent with the remnants of his sword before delivering the deathblow with the top of the blade that had broken off. His Sword, seen as useless by the Local Mechanicus, was attached to his Dreadnought Sarcophagus.

Vandels was made into the Chapter Master of the Order of the Broken Sword. His Dreadnought was outfitted with a close combat weapon and a Plasma Cannon although both were deactivated. For millennia he was kept in a limited stasis, his only function to scan the vast collections of Imperial Records, Data and History collected by the Mechanicus and upload it to a database.

Normally such tasks were unnecessary, the data is transferred from Database to Database but with the loss of Galland V the Mechanicus also lost their Database. It was destroyed by Vandels when he and his First Company retreated into the Fortress Monastery to prevent it falling into the hands of the Eldar.

Any nearby Forge World could easily have sent a portable Data Transfer to the system and instantly create a new Database but this would result in the shame, demotion and reduction to being a servitor for those charged with it’s protection.

Rather than face this ordeal Fabricator-General RTMGUI-100100100111 decided to manually upload all the trillions of files by “hand” using the enormous backups that the Mechanicus carried with it in case of critical Database Failure. The process has lasted Four Millennia and it is almost complete.

The Files range from arbitrary troops deployments several millennia old, entire histories of planets that no longer exist all the way to a copy of the Lectitio Divinitatus, written by Lorgar Himself.

Unknown to the Imperium, this faction of the Mechanicus had horded copies of Remembrancers Images, Poetry and Histories dating back to the Great Crusade that they could get their cybernetic hands on.

When the decision was made to reinforce the Adeptus Astartes with Primaris Marines those Chapters which had suffered the worst were given priority.

When the great fleet of Primarch Guilliman arrived at Galland Seniorem they brought with them nearly a full Chapter of Marines all ready for action.

When the presence of Chapter Master Vandels was requested and denied the issue was pressed further until the Mechanicum was forced to relent. Reluctantly they reactivated the Ancient Dreadnought and connected him via video link to the new Marines.

Upon being powered up Chapter Master Vandels took his Vengeance. He incinerated the Servitors, crushed his Techpriest babysitter before going on a rampage.

After killing hundreds of servants of the Mechanicus Vandels addressed his new Chapter

Brothers these Heretical Filth have bound me in chains but no more shall I be a slave to their machines. Rise my Friends for we are all Brothers in the Order of the Broken Sword. Destroy these Heretics, Liberate your Chapter, Scour Our Enemies and Serve the Emperor.

The Primaris Marines immediately deployed to the Planet and wrought a terrible vengeance on the forces of the Mechanicus. Despite their best efforts many of the Mechanicus escaped and fled in all directions, taking with them the precious Blades of the former Chapter.

After being informed of their betrayal the Order of the Broken Sword was given a mandate to undertake a Crusade to destroy the remnants of Forge World Galland wherever they may hide and avenge the Knights of the Blade.

After retaking their Fortress Monastery Chapter Master Vandels personally destroyed all the Mechanicus Banners in the Great Hall of the Monastery. He then gathered to him the entire Chapter and laid down the new rules of the order, several Millennia of torture, forbidden wisdom and reflection had left Chapter Master Vandels with a series of reforms to implement.