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The '''13th Penal Legion''', also known as the '''Last Chancers''', is an official a [[Penal Legion]] of the [[Imperial Guard]]. However, rather than being simply a general punishment unit aimed at achieving the redemption of all the souls unlucky enough to enter it's its ranks, the 13th Penal Legion is specifically used to create elite squads of soldiers for use in extremely hazardous , top -secret special operations missions. It is particularly notable for achieving the destruction of [[Coritanorum]]{{Fn|1}}, the assassination of [[Tau]] [[Commander Brightsword]] {{Fn|2}} and also the assassination of the traitorous Overlord of [[Armageddon]], [[Herman von Strab]].¹{{Fn|3}}

Members of the Last Chancers are all convicted criminals facing various punishments. While most of those inducted into the 13th Penal Legion are done so at the deliberate behest of [[Colonel]] [[Schaeffer]], a small minority are random transfers. All are given one 'last chance' at redemption by fighting in the worst combat zones possible. If they manage to survive an unspecified number of these missions, which is highly unlikely given the nature of the operations they undertake, they earn a pardon, being forgiven of their crimes in the eyes of the [[Emperor]]. A Last Chancer who dies fulfilling his duty is pardoned posthumously by the Colonel, who takes it upon himself to provide redemption to all of his troops, sometimes by his own hand. Schaeffer's dedication to his cause is unparalleled and he has never failed a mission with his Last Chancers.¹{{Cite This}}

The Last Chancers are kept in a constant state of battle-readiness, being sent from war zone to war zone across the [[Galaxy]] to protect the [[Imperium]] and earn their redemption. There is perhaps no suicidal action which the Last Chancers have not undertaken, including but not limited to suicide assaults on sieged cities, rear-guard actions against overwhelming foes, daring commando raids into enemy territory, human shield operations, and holding the breach throughout unrelenting assaults. It is the Last Chancers' duty to the Emperor to die defending his realm and many accept this as the depressing truth of their situation. Escape attempts are surprisingly low, perhaps due to the Colonel's reputation for delivering the Emperor's redemption personally to those who cannot stand the fires of battle. When not in combat, active Last Chancers are held on-board starships, heavily guarded by [[Commissariat]] provosts or [[Naval Ratings]]. Colonel Schaeffer also keeps a separate penal facility in an anonymous location to which he transfers convicted Imperial Guard troopers he has selected as potentially useful for future missions. These prisoners (no matter their actual original sentence) are kept in life imprisonment until the time they are offered their 'last chance'.¹{{Cite This}}

Little is known of the 13th Penal Legion before 993.[[M41|993.M41]] and the [[Second Tyrannic War]]. Prior to becoming engaged in combat during the war, the Legion is known to have consisted of 4,000 troops. Upon being removed from the combat theatre some 2 and 1/2 years later, unit strength was approximately 250 effectives. The survivors were organised into one unit under the command of [[Lieutenant (Imperial Guard)|Lieutenant]] [[Kage]], the most senior surviving officer. This unit was then transferred from war zone to war zone, continually taking casualties - although two [[Afriel Strain]] soldiers were added after the battle on [[False Hope]] - until it finally arrived at [[Typhos Prime]] with a grand total of 12 surviving penal troopers. After incurring further casualties just getting to their briefing post, the Last Chancers were finally told the real reason behind their penal careers; the 13th Penal Legion existed as a training formation to generate the best possible soldiers for a secret mission organised by the [[Inquisition]]. This particular mission was to destroy the city of Coritanorum, which had rebelled against Imperial rule under the influence of [[Genestealer]] infiltration. The mission was accomplished when the surviving Last Chancers were able to detonate the power reactors of the city and cause a massive, vaporising explosion.^{{Fn|1}}

*[[Ichar IV]] - Battled [[Tyranids]]. 4,000 effectives at commencement of mission.

*[[Deliverance]] - Battled Tyranids. Death of Lieutenant Green. 250 effectives at mission's end.*[[Fool's Paradise]] - Hunted down and killed the [[Daemon Prince]] [[Mk'lrathirix]]. Only two Legionaries survived the battle.{{Fn|35}}*[[False Hope]] - Battled indigenous lifeforms. 47 effectives at mission's end.*[[Hypernol Penal Colony]] - Shuttle-crash followed by combating indigenous lifeforms. 45 effectives at mission's end.*Boarding action - Repelled [[Eldar Outcasts|Eldar Pirates]]. 24 effectives at mission's end.*[[Kragmeer]] - Battled [[Orks]]. 12 effectives at mission's end.

;*[[Colonel ]] [[Schaeffer{{main|Schaeffer}}]] - Commanding Officer. Survived the mission and escaped the destruction of Coritanorum in the company of Kage and Striden.;*[[Lieutenant Kage{{main(Imperial Guard)|Lieutenant]] [[Kage}}]] - Convicted of murder. Survived the mission and escaped the destruction of Coritanorum in the company of Schaeffer and Striden.;*Lieutenant [[Kronin]] - Brain-damaged on [[Deliverance]], Kronin could only speak in phrases from holy scripture. Killed by a lasbolt to the chest.;*[[Lorii]] - [[Afriel Strain ]] trooper. Survived the mission and escaped in the company of [[Inquisitor]] [[Oriel]].;*[[Loron]] - Afriel Strain trooper and Lorii's brother. Killed by a lasbolt to the head.;*[[Adept ]] [[Gudmanz]] - A member of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] from the [[forgeworld]] of [[Fractrix]]. Convicted of selling [[Imperial]] armaments to pirate forces. Killed by a lasbolt to the back.;*[[Inquisitor ]] [[Oriel]] - Planner of the entire mission; it was his attempt to study a Genestealer that doomed Coritanorum in the first place. Survived the mission and escaped in the company of Lorii.;*Lieutenant [[Striden]] - Ground Observations Officer for the [[battleship]] ''[[Emperor's BenevolanceBenevolence]]''. Not actually a Last Chancer, Striden was enlisted to co-ordinate a naval barrage on Coritanorum. He volunteered to accompany the penal troops on their mission and survived, piloting the shuttle used by Schaeffer and Kage to escape.

The next mission undertaken by the 13th Penal Legion began approximately one year after the mission to Coritanorum, and differed from the previous one in that Schaeffer dispensed with his full-scale 'whittling-down' approach and instead chose to assemble a smaller strike team from the outset. To this end he ordered Lieutenant Kage (who, having once again committed murder, had been reacquired by the Colonel) to select the team from a selection of convicted Imperial Guard troopers held in a special prison that the Colonel appeared to have authority over. Despite incidents (including deaths) during the team's training process, an elite Last Chancers unit was put together over the course of a few months and engaged upon it's its mission - the assassination of Tau Commander Brightsword. Posing as diplomatic envoys, and later, mercenaries, the team was able to infiltrate Brightsword's command compound and assassinate the alien.¹{{Fn|2}} The Last Chancers on this mission all adopted code-names.¹{{Fn|2}}

;*Colonel Schaeffer - 'Colonel'{{main|Schaeffer}}Commanding Officer. Survived the mission.;*Lieutenant Kage - ', "Last Chance'{{main|Kage}}Convicted of murder. " - Survived the mission.;*[[Moerck ]], "Hero" - 'Hero'Ex-[[Commissar]]. Convicted of failing to obey orders (although actually innocent of the charges). Killed by Kage.;*[[Tanya Stradinsk ]], "Sharpshooter" - 'Sharpshooter'[[Imperial Guard Sniper|Sniper]]. Convicted of failing to obey orders. Survived the mission.;*[[Strelli ]], "Flyboy" - 'Flyboy'Shuttle and [[Thunderbolt|Thunderbolt Interceptor]]-qualified pilot. Convicted of firing upon friendly troops. Deserted during the mission; believed to be have been recaptured by Imperial forces.;*[[Quidlon ]], "Brains" - 'Brains'Trooper. Convicted of insubordination. Died during the mission when attempting to interface with Tau [[Battlesuit]] armour.;*[[Oynas Trost - ']], "Demolition Man'" - Former agent of the [[Officio Sabatorum]]. Convicted of murder. Survived the mission.;*Inquisitor Oriel- Orchestrated the mission and survived it.;*[[Dionis]] - [[Space Marine]] of the [[Deathwatch]], Dionis participated . Participated in the final stages of the mission, and survived.

The next, and so far last known about, mission undertaken by the 13th Penal Legion took place in the year 999.M41, on the world of [[Armageddon]]. Having assembled only 30 penal troopers, Schaeffer had them train in a variety of tactics for around a year (relative) of [[warp]]-travel. Unfortunately, their transport ship was critically hit by [[Ork ]] gunfire on its approach to orbit and all aboard were forced to abandon ship. Landing in the jungles of [[Armageddon Secundus]], Schaeffer and a small group of survivors were able to make their way to [[Cerberus Base]] and from there, whilst engaging in random combat actions, were able to embark upon their original mission - the assassination of the traitor, [[Herman von Strab]]. Infiltrating [[Hive Acheron]], the mission was undone by the [[daemon|daemonic possession]] of Lieutenant Kage. Allying himself with von Strab, Kage led the others into a trap. However, shortly before the entire team was executed, Kage was able to briefly subsume the daemonic possession and managed to commit suicide, taking von Strab with him. The fate of the other Last Chancers after this event is unknown.¹{{Fn|3}} 

;*Colonel Schaeffer{{main|Schaeffer}}Commanding Officer.;*Lieutenant Kage{{main|Kage}}Convicted of murder. - Died falling into a lava-filled crevasse; took Herman von Strab with him.;*Lieutenant [[Fenn ]] - Ex-[[Armageddon Ork Hunters]]. Convicted of insubordination.;*[[Corporal ]] [[Festal Kinn-Drugg]] - [[Drop Troops|Drop-Trooper]]. Convicted of looting.;*[[Brin 'Brownie' Dunmore]] - Heavy Weapons Specialist. Died falling into a lava-filled crevasse.;*[[Oahebs]] - [[Blank|Soulguard]]; purposefully placed into the Last Chancers by Inquisitor Oriel in order to neutralise Kage's developing [[psyker|psychic]] abilities.;*[[Lorii]] - Previously pardoned and once an operative for Inquisitor Oriel, Lorii volunteered for the Last Chancers in order to gain an opportunity to murder Kage; she failed in her attempt to do just that and was in turn murdered by her intended victim.;Navigator KelthA *[[Navigator]], Kelth - Kelth made planetfall with the Last Chancers and found himself seconded to them against his will. Died falling into a lava-filled crevasse.;*[[Adept ]] [[Erasmus Spooge]] - An [[Adept]] of the Ministorum, Spooge was the supply clerk assigned to the 13th Penal Legion and found himself seconded to them even during combat operations.

The following individuals were assigned to the Last Chancers at an indeterminate time and their fates are currently unknown.²{{Fn|4}};'*[[Ox]]'- Convicted of murder.;'*[[Demolition Man]]'- Convicted of theft - (unknown if this is [[Oynas Trost]] re-interred).;*[['Hero' Green]]- Convicted of failing to obey orders - not to be confused with [[Moerck]]. Unknown if this is the same man as the Lt. Green who died on Deliverance.;'*[[Brains]]'- Convicted of techno-heresy. Not to be confused with [[Quidlon]].;'*[[Shiv]]'- Convicted of murder;'*[[Scope]]'- Convicted of being AWOL.;*[['Rocket Girl' Mikhaels]]- Convicted of murder.;'*[[Animal]]'- Criminal record classified.;'*[[Grease Monkey]]'- Convicted of theft and xeno-heresy.;*[['Fingers' Vagin]]- Convicted of theft;'*[[Warrior Woman]]'- Convicted of heresy.

This unit draws heavy inspiration from the classic film ''[[Wikipedia:The Dirty Dozen,|The Dirty Dozen]]'' as well as the stories of penal legions in both Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany during World War II.

*^{{Endn|1}}:[[Last Chancers Series13th Legion (Novel)]] by [[Gav Thorpe]], {{Cite This}}*^{{Endn|2}}: [[Kill Team (Novel)]] by '''Gav Thorpe''', {{Cite This}}*{{Endn|3}}: [[Annihilation Squad (Novel)]] by '''Gav Thorpe''', {{Cite This}}*{{Endn|4}}:[[Chapter Approved 2001]], {{Cite This}}*{{Endn|35}}: [[Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition)]] , pg.25[[Category:Armageddon Wars]]

[[de:13. Straflegion]]