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'''Merir Astelan'''{{Fn|1a}} was is a notable member of the [[Chapter MasterFallen]] in the , and as such is considered a renegade [[Dark AngelsAngel]] [[LegionSpace Marine]], and is considered one of the . Once a [[Fallen AngelsChapter Master]]. He achieved his position before of the Dark Angels were joined by their [[PrimarchLegion]]{{Fn|1a}}, [[Lion El'Jonson]]he is currently hunted by their descendants as a notorious traitor. {{Fn|2}}

===Pre-HeresyThe Great Crusade===[[Image:Astelan.jpg|rightleft|thumb|200px|[[Chapter Master]] Astelan]]Prior to A [[Terran]] native from the HeresySibran region, Astelan was stationed aboard first comes to prominence in Imperial record as a Dark Angels Legion Chapter Master, or '''Chapter Commander'''. Little is known of his previous career, though it is believed that his advancement from [[Sergeant]] to Chapter Commander took only fourteen years, and that he achieved his Chapter command before the Imperial discovery of his [[Spear of TruthPrimarch]], [[Lion El'Jonson]]. He Indeed, he on occasion referred to being given his power and honours by the Emperor himself.{{Fn|1a}} However, other information about Astelan states that, as a recognised veteran, he was known to have clashed with fellow Commander in fact appointed Chapter Master by Lion El'Jonson in the years following Jonson's assumption of command of the [[BelathFirst Legion]].{{Fn|3a}}

His role in the prosecution of the [[Great Crusade]] came to end in the aftermath of the compliance action carried out on the world of [[Byzanthis]]. Previous to this, his [[Expeditionary Fleet]] (something less than eighteen vessels, led by Astelan's command ship, the ''Spear of Truth'') had spent five years on exploration duties in largely uncharted areas of space, going without refit or resupply from the Legion for four of those, and indeed not even finding any habitable planets worth absorbing into the [[Imperium]] for three. {{Fn|1a}} At the end of this five year period however, fate would bring both reinforcement and, two weeks later, a world to examine. Chapter Commander [[Belath]] and his fleet rendezvoused with that of Astelan, informing the Expedition leader that the Lion had ordered him to Astelan as reinforcement. Astelan had never heard of Belath before, but was unperturbed by this due to the rapid influx of [[Caliban|Calibanite]] Astartes into the Legion. He was sent surprised however, by the fact his fleet, which had apparently been assigned to an uneventful area of space, received reinforcement at all, Calibanite in men and material or otherwise.{{Fn|1a}} At last however, a radio signature was detected from the [[DX-619]] system and Astelan diverted his fleet to investigate. Shortly thereafter, the world named Byzanthis by its inhabitants was discovered. Relatively technologically advanced, but not unified under a single world government, the Byzanthians seemed a likely candidate for peaceful compliance, at least to CalibanAstelan. Chapter Commander Belath, however, believed that conquering them militarily was the better option. Heated debate ensued, along with many Astelan espousing a philosophy that war is bloody and costly and to be avoided if possible, and that a world brought to heel will be resentful and slow to achieve the brotherhood that diplomatic compliance can achieve. Belath for his part, stressed that the [[Legiones Astartes]] had been created to fight and that the Lion - who had appointed him to Chapter command personally - had given him orders emphasising the annihilation and punishment of enemies. Eventually, the two commanders agreed on a reconnaissance mission to help them decide on a further course of action.{{Fn|1a}} Unfortunately, this reconnaissance mission (led by Astelan in person) swiftly went wrong when it was discovered the urban area they had planned to investigate was actually a large military base, with the result that the Legion forces were detected and attacked before they could attempt peaceful contact. Denying Belath's planned retaliation with [[Orbital Strike|orbital bombardment]] Astelan had his fellow troops withdraw in fighting order.{{Fn|1a}} In the aftermath Belath again urged open invasion, preferring a plan to attack all six world powers at once. Astelan however, upon detecting the existence of Committee of Nations, a diplomatic body made up of representatives from all the powers, decided to attempt negotiation once more. Making contact with the Committee, he arranged for himself and Belath to appear before them and parley. While initially going well under Astelan's direction, the negotiations were fatally disrupted when one of the world powers detected that the Dark Angelshad positioned vessels in orbit above all the capital cities of the planet. He This move, under Belath's order, precipitated a threat response in which the Byzanthians attempted to seize the two Legionnaires Summoning his [[Terminator]] bodyguard, Belath ended the negotiation with the execution of the world's Committee of Nations. Angrily, Astelan had no choice but to follow through this act and finally order a full-scale planetary invasion. Dismayed at the outbreak of violence, he remarked that he could not allow Belath's actions go unpunished. Unperturbed by the threat, Belath responded that he would not be the one to be punished; he had already sent [[astropathic]] messages concerning Astelan's 'cowardly' actions to [[Caliban]].{{Fn|1a}} ==On Caliban==While it is not known for sure that Belath's actions in reporting the events of the Byzanthis campaign resulted in Astelan's reassignment, what is known is that, some fifteen years after the [[Sarosh|Saroshi]] campaign and the subsequent dismissal of [[Luther]] and a substantial portion of the Legion to Caliban to act as a training garrison, Astelan was himself reassigned there in mysterious circumstances. Reassignment to Caliban was considered a form of exile by those stationed there, and a single, veteran Terran Chapter Master being posted there from the Great Crusade was thought baffling, especially as Astelan was viewed himself apparently at Sarosh and had avoided the initial reassignment cull. Luther however, quickly made a great show of support for Astelan and immediately assigned him command of one of the training Chapters. Astelan is noted to have been "won over" by Luther's personal charisma and the respect afforded to him. While it is not known for sure that Belath's actions in reporting the events of the Byzanthis campaign resulted in Astelan's reassignment, what is know is that, some fifteen years after the Saroshi campaign and the subsequent ordering of Luther and a substantial portion of the Legion to Caliban to act as a training garrison, Astelan was himself reassigned there in mysterious circumstances. Reassignment to Caliban was considered a form of exile to those stationed there, and a single, veteran Terran Chapter Master being posted there from the Great Crusade was thought baffling, especially as Astelan was himself apparently at Sarosh and had avoided the initial reassignment cull. Luther however, quickly made a great show of support for Astelan and immediately assigned him command of one of the training Chapters. Astelan is noted to have been 'won over' by Luther's personal charisma and the respect afforded to him. {{Fn|3a}} Nearly half a century later, around the 200th year of the Great Crusade or a little later, rebellion broke out on Caliban, with certain sections of the indigenous population rising up against Imperial rule. While Luther was initially unwilling to commit his legion forces to combat his own people, he was eventually forced to use [[Astartes]] troops to investigate serious matters, such as the disappearance of the entire workforce and [[Army]] protection detail of a petrochem plant. Luther's lieutenant, the [[Librarian]] [[Zahariel El'Zurias]], was tasked with this undertaking and experienced Marinecalled for volunteers. He Merir Astelan was one of the first to step forward, and Zahariel was present glad to have the Terran veteran along on the mission, if a little curious as to Astelan's chosen battle-cry: "For Luther!" Zahariel and Astelan's force ultimately confronted and destroyed a localised [[Chaos]] taint], and both agreed to raze the entire site in the aftermath in order to keep what they had discovered from wider Imperial authorities other than Luther and Dark Angels Caliban command. {{Fn|3b}} In the aftermath of this discovery, tempers grew frayed amongst the Calibanite Legion command staff, principally between the Terran Librarian [[Israfael]] and Luther himself, when deliberating on what course of action to take and where potential blame may have lain. When Israfael became particularly strident in his disagreements, Astelan was observed by Zahariel to slowly reach for his weapons, prompting the shocked, younger Librarian to intervene to keep the peace. Immediately afterwards, Luther declared placed Astelan in personal command of Caliban's break-off [[planetary defence forces]] and ordered him to ready for a war footing. {{Fn|3c}} Not long afterwards, the situation on Caliban deteriorated when the '''Northwilds [[Arcology]]''' came under assault by a force of apparent [[Plague Zombies|zombies]] from the Imperiumdepths of the planet. Rioting broke out as native Calibanites and the incomer Terrans sought to lodge blame or suspicion for events on each other, and the local defence forces and rebel soldiery became involved, with battle lines and relative loyalties sorely tested. After Astelan was present at another meeting of the Caliban commanders called as a briefresult, inner conflict he joined and was therefore witness - along with Zahariel, Israfael and the [[Lord Cypher]] - when Lutherrevealed that he had lost faith in Lion El'Jonson. He attacked When Israfael broke ranks and moved to attack Luther, Astelan attempted to subdue the Librarian with the butt of his fellow brotherpistol, but was telekinetically flung across the room for his trouble. Surviving the melee that saw Israfaeldefeated and critically wounded with no further harm, but Astelan was quickly dispatched then tasked by Luther with arresting all the senior Imperial authorities on the planet, including the psykercommanders of the Army and [[Mechanicum]] forces stationed there. Astelan hesitated for a long moment at obeying such an order, but eventually agreed to carry it out.{{Fn|23d}}

*{{Endn|1}}: [[Angels Tales of Darkness Heresy (NovelAnthology)]] by [[Gav Thorpe]]**{{Endn|1a}}: Chapter One[[Call of the Lion (Short Story)]] by [[Gav Thorpe]]**{{Endn|1x2}}: {{Cite This}}[[The Unforgiven (Novel)]] by Gav Thorpe*{{Endn|23}}: [[Fallen Angels (Novel)]] by [[Mike Lee]], **{{Cite ThisEndn|3a}}: Chapter Two===Uncited===**{{Endn|3b}}: Chapters Eight, Twelve**{{UncitedEndn|3c}}: Chapter Fourteen*''[[Call of the Lion (Short Story)]]'' by [[Gav Thorpe]]*{{Endn|3d}}: Chapter Eighteen