Lune Crackham

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"Me? My Lord, I am nothing more than a mere colonel, filled with passion and desire to protect Mankind against any and all signs of treason. I am the bolter that shoots. I am the act, for I can not bear the patience of watching. Simply put, I'm a man who loves his Imperium and would gladly jump into the middle of a heretic horde for it!"

―Acting Commander Lune Crackham to an Inquisitor, when asked about himself.

Lune Crackham is the acting commander of The Crescent Elites and a man who can best be described as a bold natural leader. Rousing speeches filled with fervor and passion are his forte, for they are the traits that make Lune differ from his peers and stand tall against all the madness this cruel galaxy levies on him. However, while he is a persuasive and genius commander, Lune is not really known for his patience. In fact, he is almost always the first to jump into battle, with his regiment following right behind him. Some of his associates and comrades claim this impatience is a result of Lune's firm belief in leading through the front lines and wish to be in the thick of the battle. In support of this, most of his peers say that he relies too much on willpower and prowess, claiming that he is "as much as a bold fool as he is a brilliant commander."

While Lune mostly adheres to the "shock and awe" doctrine and commits to plans that are outright bold even by the standards of the Astra Militarum, he rarely succumbs to blind rage. True, his passion and willpower are what mostly drives Lune forward, but this anger is mostly kept in check by Lune's sometimes unnecessarily caring personality, for he always tries to assert that sacrifice and wastage are two distinctly different acts. Indeed, Lune is, by all means, seen as an uncle or a father to his men. His soldiers even say that he throws jokes and rousing fiery speeches to bolster the morale even in the direst of situations. Having received extensive specialist training in the past, he also claims and boasts that he is quite proficient with almost all types of weapons available to the Astra Militarum, but he mostly prefers using his spear and bolt pistol in battle.

The Colonel commands a lightly armored, extremely mobile regiment that can turn into solid walls if needed, a reflection of their leader's personality. Moreover, Lune's regiment specializes in espionage and information gathering as much as open warfare and thus he and the Crescent Elites possess more autonomy compared to other Imperial Guard regiments. Even though they still answer to the same command structure in the end, this autonomy enables them to carry out intelligence missions in a much more effective manner and is a prized gift for many within the regiment.

Biography[]

Family[]

Even though Lune learned the true occupations of his family as well as the mystery surrounding their differences quite later in his lifetime, it is worth mentioning that he has three known relatives: His father, mother and sister. His mother, Verina Crackham, was a Terran working with a Rogue Trader that had secretly stationed her on Holy Terra as an agent. Aramus Crackham, his father, was a well respected Sergeant Major in the Cadian Shock Troops and Miri is his caring as well as calm older sister that constantly reminds Lune that she is two years older than him.

His mother and father had met on Cadia when the aforementioned Rogue Trader arrived on the planet to assist the Imperial Guard against a Chaos Cult. They eventually fell for each other as the war became a bloodbath, turning into a massive cultist rebellion. 15 years after the war had started, the two got married and the war ended two years after. Lune's father, unconvinced to join the Rogue Trader's crew despite being on good terms with them all, stayed behind, claiming it was his duty. Miri was born a year after that. A year later the Rogue Trader re-visited Cadia to tie up some loose ends, and her mother gave birth to Lune when the Rogue Trader left Verina on Holy Terra. When the Crackham siblings grew up they also had interactions with this rogue trader and he secretly protected them at times before their enrollment into the Imperial Guard. It is also rumored that he even made a deal with Alexius Kazanov to craft fake identities for the siblings to use when necessary, making them look like a part of the Rogue Trader's crew in order to grant them even more flexibility.

Early Life[]

There are numerous rumors about Lune Crackham's date of birth, but the exact date is never specified on any known document. However, he is presumed to be born around late 41^st Millennium, 30 years before the Kronus crusade, on Holy Terra. Born into a life of poverty, Lune was just a simple member in a hive city, always working. However, the plans fate set in motion for him were very different. He lived with his mother and his sister, Miri. Since Lune was, and still is, an idealist and a huge bookworm, he learned, learned and wanted to learn much more, even though a lot was lost in time. He cursed the laziness of the librarians anytime he had the chance for not protecting the memory of The Emperor.

At the age of 18, the Crackham siblings witnessed their mother abruptly succumb to a disease. Right before Lune went to call help, which would arrive too late, his mother whispered into Lune's ear: "make your father proud; Do what he wanted to." Doubts of assassination plagued his mind, but what importance they could've possibly had? One month after the death of his mother, while pondering on that thought, a supposed friend of his father arrived, claiming that he was working for a Rogue Trader. The man left an amulet for them and a note from their father, both of them actually intended for Verina. The note contained a small, hastily written message: "Love, I failed to find the artifact even the sands of time can't damage. I failed to secure the lost knowledge. My last lead suggested Cadia, my home, but there is only death here. Look after the kids, make sure they never set foot on this cursed place I call home." When they asked how long has it been since the man left Cadia, he said that it was roughly six years ago, due to the fact that the rogue trader his father sent the message with got captured by a dark eldar raiding party. He then hastily bade them farewell and disappeared. The Crackham siblings later on discovered that the amulet actually contained a secret note. To make the matters more confusing, the note included a coded location. Weeks of effort finally paid off and they deciphered what it was describing. The message was a detailed description of an island on Cadia. After making sure that they were ready to leave everything behind in a suicide mission, Lune and Miri decided to set out on a journey to Cadia and find anything related to their father. Lune still claims that they actually found a private ride to the extremely isolated planet but it is almost a certainty that they traveled mostly as stowaways and by backtracking the steps of deserters to reach Cadia.

On Cadia[]

"Look at this! This place must be a dream come true for us Terrans."

―Lune Crackham, to Miri Crackham, upon landing on the surface of Cadia.

When the young Lune Crackham arrived on Cadia, the planet amazed him. Unlike Holy Terra, which had effectively turned into a massive hive of metal and concrete, Cadia actually had a wildlife, even though it was extremely hostile. He was no warrior, but his life on Holy Terra did teach him the basics of fighting. So he grabbed the family heirloom shotgun he brought alongside and decided to travel to the island in question alone because he did not want to put his sister's life on the line as well. When he managed to enter the Heretic Island, named after a cultist who mapped it, he found out that the island was abandoned and lacked any human life, or so he thought. When he was ready to give up, to let go of all the things he faced and to think that they were a "joke", he heard a simple "click" down underneath his feet. Immediately understanding the danger, Lune threw himself away, just before bolter rounds temporarily deafened him and broke the hidden hatch he was standing on. Terrified, he looked below, only to find a single Space Marine on the edge of death. He then dropped down into the tunnels and the marine somehow recognized him immediately. Gasping in terror, he looked at Lune and he whispered:

Lune's Crackpot — Crackpot, personal shotgun of Lune Crackham and a family relic of a bygone era.

"You, you are his son! You must be! You have to reach my brothers, so that you can see what your father sought.".

Confused, Lune only managed to ask "Who are you?". The answer of the marine made him feel terrified. "I am no one. My past is lost." Leaving the fatally wounded marine to his fate right after he handed him a melta bomb, Lune then rushed towards the sound of bolter fire, finding himself in the middle of an intense battle between Space Marines in front of a massive gateway. The defenders, all clad in jet black power armor, were pinned down and were trying to hold what little ground they had while the attackers kept chanting "All Is Dust!" as they marched on. If Lune had not been a man who loved history and legends, he would've panicked. However, spending a lot of time in the streets as well as reading whatever he could get his hands on had served him well, for he knew of the legends that once were told. He predicted that the Thousand Sons were after the knowledge his father sought. Observing that a group of rubricae had been trying to flank the pinned down astartes by rotating around a pillar, Lune took the initiative and activated the melta bomb he was carrying with both of his hands and threw it right to them.

Exploding with the brightest flash and loudest bang he has ever heard, the bomb instantly melted one of the rubricae while the other two were taken out by the rubble after the pillar fell down and a portion of the cave collapsed on top of them. Taking advantage of the confusion, he jumped straight into the ranks of the attacking marines and put the barrel of his gun to the head of a chaos cultist closest to him. As the confused heretic did not notice his arrival, he fell down without saying even a single word, having lost his head. Lune then rushed towards the defenders through the path opened by the collapsed pillar and hastily took cover. The marines defending the gate did enjoy the sight: an outsider, sneaking into the ranks of their traitor brothers and taking down three of them. Lune was, however, was breathing like a madman and his heart was pounding on his chest quite heavily and thus did not understand the reason of their enjoyment. Confused and tired, he finally gathered the stamina and asked the marine near him: "Who are you?" The marine laughed: "Do not confuse me with my traitor brethren outsider, we are nothing like those corrupt traitors who listen to xenos. We are no one!". A cry raged across the cave and the marines lashed out at the Thousand Sons.

In the ensuing bloodbath Lune miraculously killed 2 more Rubircae, one by shooting a melta bomb on a corpse next to it and the second by finishing off one trapped under rubble by the loyalist astartes. It is still an achievement he is proud of to this day. Then, after the last sorcerer drew his final breath, the marines looked at Lune carefully. One immediately noticed his amulet and shouted : "That must be Crackham's son!". All the 12 marines looked at him with weary eyes while Lune, exhausted and oblivious to their weary faces, asked about his father. All of them lowered their heads as their leader stepped forward: "Look kid, your father was a hero. He was the one who made us understand why our predecessors ordered us to guard this place. For millennia, we stood vigilant here, even though our faces changed. The gene-seed that passed down from those that held their vigil prior shed only a small light as to who we are and what we were doing. The light grew dimmer and eventually, we came to a point where we forgot the reason behind our vigil. It was but a process of defending this gateway for each of us. However, we held on to our past, to each and every crumb of history we could protect. It is said that our Primarch too valued cunning and knowledge over brutality. However, these are unimportant. Ultimately, it was your father who helped us understand what we were guarding and the actual importance of our vigil. He then faked his own death on the outside world and became one of us. He was our best and brightest, the one that made us understand our predecessors."

"But where is he? Why are you telling me this?"

"He vanished. The Thousand Sons took him prisoner and retreated into the warp. We failed to protect him, but we held this place as per our ancient orders. However, we also waited for you, for he shouted at us that day, right before he vanished and said that one day his children would come here. He said that you are the true key that can complete our mission."

"What is this place?"

"The Well of Ancients. An artifact that predates Great Crusade itself and goes back into the Dark Age of Technology. Its purpose is unknown, but our ancient orders are clear: We must protect this place until the sign of change becomes visible. That sign is not for you to know, but know that all except your father who walked beyond these doors into the artifact room simply perished." Lune, after hearing this, immediately walked towards the now open gates under the watchful eyes of the marines and the doors closed behind him. He looked at the artifact for a while inside, investigating the structure of a thing he would later be able to recall only in name. He did not know what to do, so he instinctively raised his hand with the hopes of looking at the artifact closely. A tremendous pain then knocked Lune back as his body began twisting in weird shapes and forms, all the while his blood-freezing scream echoed beyond the doors. He eventually passed out due to pain, but frankly did not die. Then, in the ongoing hours, what happened to him is unknown. However, one thing is certain: Lune changed inside that room. Some say he was blessed with inhumane amounts of knowledge that would drive an ordinary human mad, while others merely claim he was given visions of despair and destruction. The truth we may never know, for it is among the topics that Lune rarely speaks of and even if he does, he often speaks of it in circles and myths, often failing to recall some of the things that transpired as if they were erased from his mind. His memory of when and how he came back to his senses, however, is quite clear.

He woke up right next to the same gateway but to his horror, the doors leading to the artifact were gone, alongside all the corpses, replaced by nothing more than walls and a couple bolter shots that were cleverly placed later on. Moreover, the marines had left a note for him and departed: "You survived. Our duty is complete. You need to fight. We shall observe and help when the night is darkest." Just after Lune picked up his shotgun, he heard the melancholic sound of boots hitting the cave floor, but quickly realized these were simple humans. Holding his ground out of confusion and tiredness, Lune then saw a flashlight hastily approach him. What followed was a strong hug coming from his sister, Miri. Behind her was the person who would become his future mentor, Alexius Kazanov. Alexius was at that time a colonel commanding an elite unit only known as the Cadian Rangers. After a brief time of searching around and gazing at a bunch of heretic cultist corpses in front of Lune with sheer amazement, Alexius finally concluded that what happened here was a small cult meeting and Lune had interrupted and torn the cult down in a superb manner. Wishing to keep this false story intact, Lune said nothing in objection even though he still wonders to this day that whether Alexius actually believed him or that he simply wanted to avoid involving other Imperial organizations.

Alexius then explained to him that he had a meeting with her sister and that she was also entangled in a whole other mess. Alexius then concluded that both of them had great potential, but needed tempering. He then offered them a choice: Either remain stranded on Cadia and wait for the extremely long bureaucratic procedure to run its course or get conscripted into the Cadian Rangers. When both of the kids accepted this wholeheartedly, Alexius also revealed to them that he would also adopt them formally in order to make full use of their talents. In truth, these kids resembled the children he never had to this grizzly old commander and perhaps it was a humane wish to protect them that drove Alexius to formally adopting them later on. Now, at the onset of a new life, the Crackham siblings left alongside Alexius since he was called back to Holy Terra immediately.

Years Under The Cadian Rangers[]

The things Lune experienced and witnessed inside the artifact room changed him. He became a more cunning person while maintaining his idealism and started acting strangely. The young Crackham, after this brief encounter, was filled with a new purpose: to help the Imperium in any way possible. Maybe return it to the road it's Emperor paved. Upon arriving on Holy Terra, he and Miri were immediately sent to the training grounds of the Cadian Rangers. They spent a year training. Lune quickly distinguished himself as a great soldier and a natural leader. Miri, on the other hand, dedicated herself to healing those injured. So, she became a medic and turned out to be a really skilled one as well. Miri and Lune proved they were fast learners during their training and were granted the right to fight under the banner of the Cadian Rangers with just two years of training. The Rangers were elite soldiers and secretive units, and that caused Lune to master the art of stealth and espionage in his countless missions. When Lune turned 25, he was amongst the most decorated soldiers in Cadian Rangers, having fought and survived numerous campaigns. Lune's last mission with the Rangers happened on Hethgar Prime. An Ork band had laid waste to the area and was pushing into the edges of the planet. Dispatched under secret orders, Lune and Miri got separated from their comrades during an ambush by the Orks. They tried to outrun the Orks, but the Orks managed to pin them down. They fought the Orks for hours but eventually ran out of bullets. Then, as Lune drew his knife with the impression that all was lost, he saw the very same marines that helped him 5 years ago. Together, they pushed the Orks back. Their leader again stepped forward:

"I see you have grown, Crackham."

"And I see you're still alive."

"I am, thanks to my brothers in arms. However, we must not dally. We came here because our sources said that the forces of chaos are preparing for an assault on this planet and we have to eliminate their agents quickly."

"Then we have a common goal. Help us hold this place."

"Sadly, no, kid. The Imperium must not know about us. Not yet. However, when the time comes, we shall aid you." After this encounter, Lune and Miri made their way back to camp and the war went on. However, the fighting ended much quicker than how Adeptus Munitorum had planned, much to the Rangers' delight. Due to their successful counterattack, Alexius and the Rangers that survived the bloody battle in Hethgar Prime's capital were called back to Terra for a feast. Or so they thought.

After their return to Terra, they faced an immediate ambush. All the survivors of Hethgar Prime except them were wiped out and Alexius was dispatched for an immediate meeting with Senatorum Imperialis. Lune and Miri were quite surprised when Alexius took them along. When they arrived, they received alarming news: A combined assault by unknown forces had effectively wiped out the remaining Rangers. Their training grounds had been destroyed completely as well. To complicate the matters even further, the High Lords were going to determine whether their regiment should be rebuilt and receive increased funding or be disbanded entirely.

These revelations about the Cadian Rangers proved nothing in their regiment was what it looked like. Bewildered, the Crackham Siblings turned their wary gaze towards Alexius, who took this as an opportunity to clear the confusion in their heads. He began with explaining that his position was a colonel only in name. In reality, his name and regiment carried a lot more respect to those who knew of their "real nature", which was gathering information. The Cadian Rangers was a pet project of the Senatorum Imperialis that asked if a regiment which collected information about the war zones they were deployed in would help the larger Astra Militarum or not. Alexius had gathered every bit of knowledge he could on all the planets they had set foot on and sent such reports to the Lord Commander Militant's aides and sometimes even the Lord Commander Militant himself for analysis. In fact, the only reason why Alexius hadn't climbed up the ranks of the Imperial Guard was because he needed the appropriate guise and flexibility, not to mention that he was "more interested in the action".

Frankly, however, within all this chaos, Lune saw an opportunity and told Alexius to use his connections to conscript a new regiment, based on new principles and recruitment plans. However, Alexius disagreed and asked how could they do that with no funds or plans. Lune then convinced Alexius to meet with him on their training grounds a day later. unknown Space Marines clad in jet black power armor, as promised, were waiting on the destroyed Cadian Rangers camp. There, Alexius realized that the Space Marines Lune tried not to talk about back when he first found him were actually very real. There, they began brewing up a new, better regiment which would manage it's duties with much better efficiency. The upcoming result was the Crescent Elites.

Alexius, as expected, became the first Colonel of the new regiment, a title that would change sooner than he thought. Then, Lune made sure that recruitment would only be made from Holy Terra, for reasons unknown. At last, the marines agreed to train a handful of soldiers to serve the regiment better as well as vaguely promising that the political scenario would be in their favor. As a result, Alexius agreed to keep their existence a secret, as hidden as possible. Thus the Crescent Elites were born. Nominally, they were a replacement for the Cadian Rangers with more funding, but Lune had bigger plans for them. Much bigger plans.

Second In Command[]

"We needed the best to help The Imperium. To make it a place of unity and peace. We believed the atrocities committed by the Inquisition not necessary. We thought that he was a hero, a man with good and bad deeds, crimes and kindness all merged within his personality. Have done wrong to turn away from idolizing a man? Have they forgotten that they've said 'A suspicious mind is a healthy mind'. Are we guilty for suspecting?"

― Taken from the personal journal of Lune Crackham.

Lune was always a great leader, being gifted with the ability to inspire his men anywhere. His ability to lead and inspire others only increased after he was chosen to be the second in command of Alexius Kazanov. Lune Crackham, for the first time in his life, felt happy and satisfied. He had a rank with which he could help those in need, was ready to complete the final will of his father and, most importantly, his sister was safe. A poor Terran boy, rising to the stars and turning into a grand soldier. "Truly an inspirational story." he thought. Their regiment grew in size as they traveled from planet to planet, bringing The Imperial rule upon many and punishing those who betray or hurt the civilians of The Imperium. His soldiers showed The Imperium how the real Imperial Guard should be. It's even thought that he used every available type of weapon issued to the Imperial Guard during this period, from bolters to plasma cannons. He was a legend among his fellow soldiers when he turned 30. His sister also became a very skilled Medic, skilled enough to earn the title of "Lead Medic" of The Crescent Elites. She has been known to cure even the deadliest poison and heal the worst type of wounds. "The Killer Of Wounds" they called her. Her methods of "reverse engineering" any type of poison greatly helped the wounded of the regiment to rise and rush back to the enemy. Everything was working fine, the regiment was rising in influence and enjoyed a time of great fame.

Until "The Accident" happened. The regiment was deployed on Kronus, a world controlled by the Tau Empire and beset by all types of xenos, from Orks to Eldar. This was problem enough for Senatorum Imperialis and it was decided that the planet would be better under Imperial rule. To achieve this they sent The Crescent Elites to ensure that the Imperial Guard would establish a foothold on the planet without heavy casualties. Lune never knew that this would be a bloodbath for his men. He never thought. That's why, even today, if he falls asleep in his office, he can be heard waking up, screaming and cursing himself. The mission to establish a foothold on Kronus began without problem, with shells from 3^rd to 8^th infiltrating the population with the help of the 9^th shell, which was on recon missions days later the first plan to invade Kronus had been suggested (it should be noted that the 9^th shell was already on the planet and there were only 13 shells when The Crescent Elites were deployed on Kronus). Later on these shells, through propaganda and intrigue, managed to incite the humans living on Kronus into a full scale rebellion. Thus came the Imperial Guard and without a serious force to attack them, as the Tau were busy trying to find the operatives who provoked their people into a rebellion, easily occupied Victory Bay. What ensured the death of almost all the shells on Kronus and the uncountable amount of Imperial Guard forces was the deployment of the Blood Ravens on the sector. At first, the Crescent Elites were ordered to disengage upon meeting a Blood Ravens force. However, when the Imperial Guard and the Blood Ravens were the sole survivors left on the planet, the end was inevitable: one side had to win the war. Questioning his orders and being unable to rotate the regiment out of the war, Lune was under great pressure. When war became certain, Alexius did what Lune couldn't: He openly pledged his aid to the Imperial Guard forces on Kronus, and secretly ordered all the shells in the planet to start scouting the Blood Ravens positions. Thus the way was set for another infighting within the Imperium of Man. The fight dragged both Lune and Alexius to the front lines and they arrived on Kronus to aid their shells and help Governor-Militant Lukas Alexander to win the fight. Lune fought on many fronts during the war in Kronus and witnessed the destruction of entire shells, just to delay their retreat. Eventually, the marines pushed their way into Victory bay and a bloody war ensued after their initial retreat from the outskirts of their base. Alexius and Lune barely managed to flee the assault of Blood Ravens as chaos and confusion spread. Being unable to form a defense line, many guardsmen were quickly surrounded or routed. Lune, outraged, jumped straight into the closest group of routing soldiers and rallied them into a landing zone. There, Alexius had secured a transport for them to secretly leave the planet while the marines where dealing with Lukas Alexander. Lune refused to back down and said:

"I'm not letting those men die!"

"They're already dead. Lukas Alexander himself is no more than a glorified politician. Will you risk YOUR life for his?"

However, their talk was cut short when a scout squad of Blood Ravens spotted them and opened fire. Alexius, unlike Lune, knew what he had to do. He, without a single word, kicked him into the transport and signaled the pilots. When the transport started to fly, Alexius opened his communications jammer to prevent the Blood Ravens scouts from telling about the transport. There were 6 scouts, with a sergeant clad in power armor leading them, facing Alexius. After around 30 minutes, Alexius gasped for air as the Blood Ravens sergeant, covered in blood, collapsed to the ground. The sergeant's his left arm, exactly 3 centimeters up his heart, was shot with a bolter Alexius took from a Space Marine, which also broke Alexius' arm in return. He had his greatest victory: He, alongside a squad of other guardsmen that rallied around him, had managed to eliminate all of the Blood Ravens squad and made sure Lune and the other soldiers survived. Only Alexius and the sergeant were standing in the end, both of them barely breathing. Alexius finally broke the silence:

"Some sergeant you turned out to be."

"I'm bested, yet you are going down with me."

"War is not about our survival. For us, it is to ensure the survival of people around us. It is to die if they are to live. That's why we officers are for: To protect those inexperienced and guide them, and that you have failed, because you go down with your comrades, while mine are still out there."

A few seconds later, The Hero-Commandant of The Crescent Elites, Alexius Kazanov, drew his last breath. He became a hero of The Crescent Elites, even a Saint to some and impressed the Blood Ravens to a state where he was granted the most esteemed honor of being buried in a small shrine, to honor his deeds.

Acting Commander Lune[]

"I took his place because I was the only one who could have honored his sacrifice. Properly."

―Lune Crackham, to an Imperial Comissar.

Lune Crackham took the position of Alexius Kazanov but not his title, because he believed that he had suffered a great defeat and was unworthy. He made many reforms in The Crescent Elites and conscripted the soldiers that survived with him on Kronus. That is the only exception made within the line of recruitment of the Crescent Elites. He made sure to increase the number of shells out in the galaxy, in order to prevent another campaign like Kronus from happening. Also, to ensure the devotion of his soldiers, he invented the "Redemption" tests. While the ways this "test" proceeds is not clear, the outcome of is seen in every soldier under his command, as they dedicate themselves solely to the Imperium of Man. It was another milestone for Lune, because now he had a regiment to lead and a long, tiring path to follow.

First Aurelian Crusade[]

During the First Aurelian Crusade, Lune Crackham tasked the 22^nd shell with scouting the area and determining the seriousness of the Ork WAAAGH!. However, only one soldier returned from this simple task in a small ship which he had stolen from the Planetary Governor of Aurelia. The brave soldier managed to tell Lune Crackham the grave threat that approached as he died in his hands. Tyranids had attacked the 22^nd shell and quickly exterminated them. The destruction of the 22^nd shell was unexpected and grave news for the regiment, which depressed most of the soldiers that heard the news. Lune worked day and night and finally managed to persuade the Administratum to allow his regiment to be deployed to the sub-sector. Lune Crackham, alongside 10 shells, from the 1^st to 11^th and Miri, who volunteered to examine the Tyranid threat, set out to Sub-Sector Aurelia to push the Hive Fleet back. The Crescent Elites arrived on the sub-sector on a critical time as the Tyranids had started to assault Meridian, the planetary capital of the sub-sector. Lune deployed his forces on critical areas and on important supply lines to stop the enemy from seizing these key points. However, being inexperienced about the Tyranid menace, Lune's forces easily got decimated and were scattered by the hive fleet. Changing his tactics and adjusting them accordingly, Lune launched a full-scale guerilla war against the Tyranids. He also played an important role during the first siege of Angel Forge, by rallying the remaining Imperial Guard forces back into battle. Taking a dangerous risk, he held the Angel Gate on his own, alongside the 1^st shell, for almost an hour against the Ork forces until the Blood Ravens arrived. As Lune was fighting alongside Blood Ravens, his sister was examining the Tyranids. She reached the conclusion that the only way to destroy the Tyranids was to create a poison that could damage the Hive Mind. Reporting her findings, she was amazed to see that the Blood Ravens had also found a similar solution and their famous Apothecary Gordian was already working on a poison. The crusade advanced and Lune continued to lead his men with glory. However, he was not present during the assault on the heart of the Hive Fleet, as he had learned that the old planetary governor of Meridian ran away because of the Tyranid menace and thus, abandoned the planet. Waiting for the moment for the governor to be declared a traitor, Lune acted almost immediately after the order reached his desk. Deploying all of his regiments, he started a manhunt while leaving one of his closest allies, Sergeant Major Carl, to update him on the status of the crusade. He later on dragged the governor back to Aurelia with his own hands and watched with satisfaction as Administrator Derosa seized control of the sector and got appointed as the new governor. Because of the Crescent Elites' important aid, Blood Ravens gifted them an artifact of their past that was recovered after a bloody battle: Edge of Justice, the famous sword of Alexius Kazanov.

Second Aurelian Crusade[]

When Aurelia emerged from the warp and the forces of Chaos assaulted the Aurelian Sub-Sector, Lune saw an opportunity to improve their influence in the Sub-Sector even further. Launching a secondary campaign, Lune Crackham took all the forces under his command that were stationed on the Sub-Sector, which equaled a total sum of 24 shells, to combat the heretics invading the planet. He personally prepared the defense plan to protect the outskirts of the Governor's Palace in Meridian. However, due to a fatal mistake in it, the forces of chaos managed to easily break through their right flank, causing massive confusion and, ultimately, a disastrous defeat. Being beaten heavily, Lune was brought back to the field when the task of protecting the Planetary Governor of Aurelia was given to him, much to his surprise. This time, Lune and Miri planned the defenses of the palace together and they held their ground with acceptable losses until the Chaos Marines arrived. The Forces of Chaos smashed through their defenses and assaulted the Palace, disregarding their losses entirely and aiming solely to kill the Governor. Lune and Miri decided to make a last stand and jumped straight into the middle of the conflict, leaving the Governor's personal guard to do their duty. They fought for hours but held the line. Lune's Armor had turned into a wreck that barely covered his body when he was stabbed by a Chaos Champion. After he killed the champion with a final attack and fell, almost a hundred heretic corpses were lying in the ground, all killed by him. Miri was there, however, and she was not going let her brother die so soon. The remaining shells made a daring push and, after grabbing Lune's body, successfully retreated back to the palace. Miri ordered all the soldiers to stand guard as she treated Lune. When the drop pods, all containing Space Marines, started falling from the sky, Lune was still in a coma. They held the palace and pushed the enemy back but Lune was unable to move, let alone help his forces. Miri, using her emergency powers, took command of the remaining shells and the Crackham siblings departed back to Holy Terra in order to both notify the High Lords of the situation and recover their losses. The Crescent Elites lost almost a quarter of their entire force to the Second Aurelian Crusade and Lune spent a week in coma, plus a month in the Crescent Elites' Headquarters regaining his strength. Though the scars were cleaned and he was back on his feet after a month, the pain he suffered was magnificent, both physically and mentally as he had witnessed a shameful defeat and ultimately, failed to fully perform his duties. Lune knew that if Miri wasn't there, he would've perished. This strengthened their bond as siblings and Lune took the result of this crusade to heart. He ensured that the regiment was expanded even further and the training was improved to be "more selective". The result of the campaign is considered as a stalemate by most of the Crescent Elites.

Third Aurelian Crusade[]

"I will avenge every innocent soul who died on this once beautiful world."

―Lune Crackham upon landing to the destroyed surface of Typhon Primaris, during the Third Aurelian Crusade.

The Third Aurelian Crusade was a chance for Lune to regain the honor his regiment had lost in the Sub-Sector. However, not he nor the Crescent Elites were in a position to wage war as many other threats had forced the regiment to spread thin. That was why Lune was not present in the first stages of the Crusade, but with the help of a rogue trader passing through the Sub-Sector, the Acting Commander managed to enter the sector, only aided by Miri Crackham and the Renegade. Lune had his personal agenda to follow. For that purpose, he secretly leaked information regarding the traitor guardsmen to the loyalist Imperial Guard forces and the Blood Ravens in order to help them without detection. Lune waged a war of espionage and information as the Third Aurelian Crusade progressed. The Acting Commander had a daring plan to enact revenge. With Miri and the Renegade, he mainly fought on Meridian, but later on found out that the Chaos Champion that had stabbed him was actually alive and on the recently exterminated world of Typhon Primaris, using a destroyed Imperial facility as the headquarters of his remaining forces. Lune successfully drew him out using several ambushes against the forces of Chaos on Meridian, and they met again at the very same spot where they had fought first. They fought again for hours and still no one triumphed. Being a human, however, Lune was exhausted in the end and was finally bested by the Chaos Champion who managed to knock him out and drag him to his headquarters in order to enslave him. However, his plan was sunk because the Renegade and Miri discovered a small webway gate that opened to the now destroyed world of Typhon Primaris. Infiltrating the chaos outpost, they managed to save Lune, who had organized a jailbreak in their absence and was fighting the Chaos Champion to death. They ran away just in time, but not before Lune, with the help of Miri and The Renegade, beheaded the Chaos Lord. He took his revenge, even though it was an unofficial one.

The Sabbat Worlds Crusade[]

"General Carnhide! It is a great pleasure to see you here!"
"The pleasure is mine, Colonel Crackham. I personally came here to inform you that your regiment is granted the most prestigious honor of taking part in a crusade! Their first time being in such a massive war effort, I reckon."
"Indeed. I presume the Sabbat Worlds are finally going to be retaken? And what shall be my part in it? Whom shall I serve under?"
"That is why I came. You are to report to me directly. As for your duties, there is time to discuss them."

―Colonel Lune Crackham and General Andreas Carnhide on the onset of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.

Lune Crackham and his regiment were granted to the most prestigious honor of being included in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Attached to General Andreas Carnhide's forces, Lune quickly got to know the General and eventually got to regard him as a clever and charismatic man. During the first stages of the Crusade, Lune and his regiment didn't see much combat and served behind the front lines...

Wargear[]

Spear of Order and Authority: The spear which is currently wielded by Acting Commander Lune Crackham, much to the disgust of the inquisition. Imperial Archives contain no information about the spear and the origins of it remain known only to Lune Crackham. The spear is a power spear in origin and functions like one, yet it is also powered with an unknown energy. According to Lune Crackham, no one can truly reveal all of the secrets it posses. A crimson crystal shines brightly at the top of the spear and grants various abilities to the wielder; yet the ability granted changes from wielder to wielder. At the hands of it's current owner, the tip of the spear can be ignited, if the wielder wills it. This crystal on top of the spear is a true anomaly, with the secrets of it remaining unknown to many and those that know it only know a glimpse of what it truly is.
The Crackpot: The personal shotgun of Lune Crackham. Thought to be a family heirloom, this shotgun has been heavily modified by Lune to fit his needs. The shotgun has a longer barrel compared to its counterparts and a small silencer that Lune added after the Kronus Campaign. The weapon itself is semi automatic and has a flashlight in the lower side of the weapon. The gun uses normal shells but the weapon is powered by a generator in the lower side of the shotgun and as such, shells fired create an electricity field that can stun enemies for a short duration.
Oathkeeper: Lune's personal sidearm which is ordered during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. This magnificent weapon is a Cinder Crag Forge "Mauler" pattern bolt pistol. A marvelous artifact and weapon by design, it is also outfitted with a sensitive trigger and flashlight on the planet Cinder Crag, at the Colonel's behest. One of the most notorious weapons Lune uses, it's name originates from the campaign called "Cleansing of the Imperium's Bane", when Lune, alongside his personal guard, killed the Chaos Lord Pugnator and thus fulfilled the promise he had made to the Green Wolves. A weapon of immense beauty, Lune Crackham considers this weapon to be irreplaceable and thus goes to great lengths to keep it secure.
Lune's Battle Armor: The Battle Armor of Lune Crackham, which is crafted for him by Master of the Forge Sinan from Turquoise Protectors. The armor itself is similar to a scout marine armor, but it is less heavy and has more functions. There is a small vox caster inside the armor that enables Lune to command his soldiers. Also, there is a conversion field embedded at the backside of the armor that saved Lune's life on more than one occasion. The armor is damaged often as Lune is always in the middle of a war but thanks to the aid of a forge world called Muspelheim, the armor is repaired and improved every time it is damaged and Lune still wears it to display the pride of his regiment.
Frag Grenades
Krak Grenades

Personality And Traits[]

"Wars are not only about annihilating your enemy, for we can not exterminate every other xenos in the galaxy. Their elimination will only plant the seeds of a new advanced xeno race to replace them. However, if you shatter their minds, break their resolve, destroy their culture, art, beliefs, and adjust their minds in your own image, they will forever become your ally. After all, you are the one who destroyed the maze in their heads. All you have to do is to hide the fact that you've rebuilt it as well."

―Lune Crackham to Sergeant Major Carl, about his strategies.

Even though a lively and a truthful soldier, Lune is also a cunning man, combining his wit with his short temper against his enemies. He embraced the idea of "Being a great ally to his allies, a grand enemy to his enemies" during his long and painful military career. However, Lune only acts mercilessly when he believes that his enemy is beyond his ability to save. To him, every enemy is a potential ally and every ally might become an enemy one day, with there being one exception. He does his best to help his associates when needed and expects the same help when required. His lively and truthful attitude also makes his soldiers admire him and thus, he is regarded as a well respected warrior among his soldiers and peers alike.

While many would consider his mixture of truth and cunning a liability, this attitude has also made him an expert in the political games played on Holy Terra. The Acting Commander, after all, commands a regiment that directly reports to the Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard and thus, he is often called back to the suffocating bureaucratic mess of a capital he calls home so that he can deliver reports to the Lord Commander Militant or, on rare occasions, the High Lords directly.

Lune is also a skilled stealth specialist and a very agile man. It isn't known how Cadian Rangers made a stealth specialist out of Lune, who is a man not known for his patience, but the fact that he is a very good one remains clear. However, one can say that time has taught Lune to slow down on and think on more than one occasion, even though he disregarded most of these lessons before finally grasping the fault in his plans. He is also a master of disguise and can camouflage himself easily because he was trained to master stealthy movement on any terrain.

His beliefs are perhaps the least known thing about Lune, as none except his closest ally truly knows what his beliefs are. Lune appears a devout worshipper of the Emperor, with more fervent devotion than many of his equals, but he has faced quite a lot of smearing campaigns against him and many of those tried to prove that the Colonel actually refused the Emperor's ascension into godhood. Luckily for him, all these whispers are either spoiled or silenced.

Quotes[]

By Lune[]

"Hey Carl! Do you have a family?"
"No sir!"
"What about people that may weep after your death?"
"Not a single soul, sir!"
"Then why in the cursed warp am I charging on first?! Get your lazy back up here, you little coward!"

―Lune Crackham, trying to lighten up the mood right before a massive Chaos attack.

About Lune[]

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Feel Free to add your own!

Trivia[]

Lune Crackham, through the authority of an unknown Rogue Trader, maintains an eldar "associate" for diplomatic and strategic purposes. Called The Renegade, almost nothing is known about this sanctioned xenos rather than the fact that she fights alongside Lune Crackham and is used a secret operative in operations conducted against other xenos.
Lune has a pet dog. Called "Braveheart", Lune acquired it as a puppy during the Third Aurelian Crusade, and mostly keeps it in his office on Holy Terra. While Lune cares greatly about the huge German Shepherd, he rarely takes it with him. The dog is 14 years old and has served Lune faithfully ever since he found it.
Lune is a well known regicide player and has never been defeated by someone in his regiment. However, his games against Miri have always ended with a draw and so far he has played 16 times against his sister. It is not known if they can end the tie streak, but Miri was said to be winning on Meridian when they were playing it for the 17^th time, right before their game was interrupted by a chaos attack which is the same attack that put Lune in coma for one week and made him spend months away from active duty.
Lune is also in possession of an ancient regicide set, one so old that the pieces are quite different from what they are today. This is a set that he acquired after playing a regicide match against Alpenan Joichoks, the Archmagos of Muspelheim, which ended in a draw. Amazed by the potential of the Colonel, because of the fact that he never had a tie against a mere mortal, the Archmagos gifted the Colonel the very Regicide Board they played their match on.
Lune's helmet is said to be used by his father and his father before him. Finding this prized artifact during his time on Cadia, Lune has taken the helmet for himself and ordered it's mass production when The Crescent Elites were created. It doesn't have any specific traits, but it has a great sentimental value in Lune's eyes. That is why he does his best to keep it secure (and repaired) but also wears it nearly all the time. This also caused his regiment to adopt this style, as they take their helmets with them to nearly everywhere they go as well, from formal meetings to war zones if they are allowed to do so. Regardless of the custom, The Crescent Elites are a covert operations regiment after all, and the troops wear disguises on many occasions, which causes them to wear their helmets mostly during formal occasions.
Being one of the oldest colonels in the entire Imperial Guard, Lune is known to have used rejuvenat and some unknown techniques to prolong his life, and it is said that he continues to do so. However, he is still a normal man, because rejuvenat, along with all the other techniques he uses, only prevents someone from aging and doesn't make them immortal. Lune, even though not believing in immortality, has learned this the hard way during the Second Aurelian Crusade.