Fifth Fellowship
The Fifth Fellowship of the Thousand Sons Legion was active during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[1d]
Led by Sul Kontep, a large part of the unit was able to escape the Burning of Prospero, and later surrendered to the Imperium. As the Fifth Fellowship's members still considered themselves loyalists, they were allowed to fight for the Emperor in the Horus Heresy under the supervision of Sisters of Silence led by Ambriel Malineux.[2a][2b] The Fifth Fellowship was largely destroyed in the Siege of Cthonia, though its remnants were subsequently considered redeemed and absorbed by the Imperial Fists.[2d][2e]
Contents
History
The Fifth Fellowship fought in the Great Crusade with distinction, with some of its more famous actions being the bloodless Compliance of Cazhat[1d] and the rediscovery of Zhao-Arkkad.[1f]
By the Imperial attack on Prospero in 004.M31, the Fifth Fellowship had been depleted in strength due to a number of previous operations. A number of its companies were still engaged in operations across the Galaxy, with about 6,200 Space Marines of the Fellowship being based on Prospero at the time.[1a] Much of the unit was located at Tizca's Valperine Bastion when the Imperial Censure Host invaded Prospero; there, it fiercely resisted and survived the initial battle. However, when mass-flesh-change erupted in the Legion over the course of the battle, the defence of the Valperine Bastion collapsed. Regardless, elements of the Fifth Fellowship under a line officer, Sul Kontep, survived and hid in the bastion's ruins using psychic kine shields. When Primarch Magnus escaped into the Warp and the Imperial forces began to organise mopping-up operations, Kontep's troops broke out of their hiding places and quickly gathered supplies, refugees, aircraft and anti-grav vehicles amid the ruins of Tizca. Before the Imperials could muster a response, the Fifth Fellowship fled onto Prospero's sea.[1b]
Kontep's forces only reemerged once the victorious Censure Host was in the process of evacuating Prospero. Using some manner of powerful divination, the Fifth Fellowship staged a well-timed assault, capturing three Imperial Army Transport Arks and fleeing into space. Due to the Censure Host's fleet being dispersed around Prospero's orbit, the Transports were able to reach the outer regions of the Prospero System. While one transport was eventually destroyed by the Censure Host's destroyers, the other two managed to escape their pursuers. However, since the transports lacked Warp Drives, the Censure Host did not commit a concerted search for them and soon left the system.[1b]
Though it is unclear in what manner they achieved it, the remnants of the Fifth Fellowship ultimately contacted Imperials who were willing to deliver them to Terra for judgement. There, the unit was tested and Malcador the Sigillite allowed it to rejoin the Imperium's armies, serving a "custodial penance". Overseen by a cadre of Sisters of Silence led by Ambriel Malineux, the Fifth Fellowship thus joined the Horus Heresy on the loyalist side.[2b][2f] The unit was subsequently equipped from Terran reserves and changed its iconography, readopting markings and symbols of the Thousand Sons before they had been reunited with their Primarch.[2f] Kontep became official commander of the Fellowship, taking the title of Magister. Still, most Imperials trusted the unit little, and it was posted by Rogal Dorn to Cthonia to join Evander Garrius's garrison. The Imperial Fists of Garrius also considered Kontep's forces suspect, and Garrius ordered the Thousand Sons to stay away from other Imperials. Regardless, Kontep's men subsequently became involved in the Siege of Cthonia.[2a][2b] By 013.M31, the Fifth Fellowship had about 3,000 members.[2b]
When Captain Vheren Ashurhaddon's "True Sons" invaded Cthonia to retake it from the Imperium, the Fifth Fellowship proved crucial in countering the activities of Zedak Mordakar's Word Bearers. The latter attempted to exploit the fighting between the armies of Ashurhaddon and Garrius to conduct a powerful Chaos ritual to influence the Siege of Terra, yet were foiled by the intervention of the Fifth Fellowship and the Sisters of Silence. Meanwhile, the Dark Angels opted to destroy Cthonia, heedless of the local loyalist garrison.[2c][2d] Kontep gave his life to help evacuate Garrius from the dying world. Overall, the Fifth Fellowship suffered horrific losses during the Siege of Cthonia, yet its remaining members were subsequently accepted by the other loyalist survivors of the battle. The Fifth Fellowship thus repainted their armour and joined the Imperial Fists of Garrius' rogue fleet. Whenever other loyalists encounter the forces of Garrius during the following years of the Great Scouring, they remarked that these Imperial Fists were unlike any others, "the songs of both lost Cthonia and Prospero heard as they marched to war".[2d][2e]
Known Actions
- ???.M30: Compliance of Cazhat - A detachment of the Fifth Fellowship attached to the 493rd Expeditionary Fleet commanded by Shai-Captain Tachus Makt took the desert world of Cazhar without firing a single shot.[1d]
- ???.M30: Rediscovery of Zhao-Arkkad[1f]
- ???.M30: Kamenka Troika campaign[3a]
- ???.M31: Battle of Shrike[3b]
- 004.M31: Burning of Prospero[1a]
- 006-014.M31: Siege of Cthonia[2a][2b]
Known elements
Known units
Known assets
Known members
- Itzal Apophis - Captain, KIA at Kamenka Troika. Succeeded by Uthizzar.[1f][3a]
- Baleq Uthizzar - Captain and Magister Templi, leader of the Athanaean Cult.[3b] Killed by Magnus just before the Burning of Prospero.[3c]
- Sul Kontep - Magister, leader of the unit since the Burning of Prospero.[2a] KIA on Cthonia.[2e]
- Tachus Makt - Shai-Captain[1d]
- Kaspor Sekare - Legionary[2f]
