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However, on learning that Captain Melian spoke for a group of officers and veterans in his command who were preparing to take militant action against Luther in order for their concerns to be recognised, Astelan agreed to aid them in planning a more legal and bloodless move against the planetary commander. He suggested commandeering a secondary communications spire and sending messages to Terra and the Lion requesting restoration of the original Legion protocols and command structure until the Lion could assay the situation personally, while simply detaining Luther under close arrest. His plan was agreed upon by the conspirators, though not without them slightly warily noting that, under old Legion protocols, Astelan would become the [[Force Commander|force commander]]. Regardless, the plan was carried out; the bulk of the conspirators would head to the spire on a 'live ammunition training exercise', while most of the ringleaders - including Astelan - would confront and arrest Luther. Luther was surprised by Astelan's presence in the delegation that came to seize him, and also by what happened next. Astelan contacted the commander of the Army forces garrisoning the tower - [[Colonel|Marquesa-Colonel]] [[Tylaine]] - and ordered her to proceed with ''their'' previously agreed plan; the Army forces and a company of Dark Angels under the command of Astelan's subordinate, Captain [[Galedan]], suddenly attacked the conspirator's column. Realisation dawning, Luther joined Astelan in turning upon the ringleaders, and with him, slew them all. Most of the conspirators surrendered rather than fight other Space Marines, and the little rebellion was quickly over before it could truly begin. In fact, there were so many prisoners that there wasn't enough space for them all in the dungeons of [[The Rock|Aldurukh]]; Astelan counselled that Luther simply carve out new ones. Luther also questioned why Astelan had allowed the conspiracy to get so far along, rather than just reveal it to him immediately, suspecting that Astelan may have truly wished it to work and only switched sides to curry favour; after all, according to Luther, Astelan's dislike of Caliban and Calibanite ways was "well known". Astelan stated that he considered the Lion a taint, that in his opinion everything had gone wrong in the First Legion since discovering him, and that he would rather serve a more worthy lord...especially one whom he suspected also wished to rid the legion of the Lion. Astelan dared Luther to say that he intended otherwise...and Luther remained silent.{{Fn|4}}

==The Testimony of Astelan==

**{{Endn|5x}}: {{Cite This}}

*{{Endn|6}}: [[The Unforgiven (Novel)]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Astelan, Merir}}

[[Category:Characters (Fallen Angels)]]