Leman Russ, also known as the "Wolf King" and the "Great Wolf" during his lifetime, is the currently missing Primarch of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines. He led the Space Wolves Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy and is famed in Imperial history for his hatred of psychic powers and sorcery, whose use in battle he viewed as dishonourable and unworthy of true warriors. After receiving a disturbing vision in 211.M31, Leman Russ disappeared with the warriors of his bodyguard, his destination and fate unknown.
Russ, along with his brother Primarchs Angron and Vulkan, were considered to be the greatest warriors one-on-one amongst the Primarchs. Known for his fierce and sometimes barbaric personality, Leman Russ considered himself the Emperor of Mankind's most loyal son and executioner. he viewed his role as unquestionably carrying out the punishments requited by the Master of Mankind. Among the forces of Chaos he was known as "the Brawler."
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As they trudged along, Rey did her best to move as quickly and efficiently as possible, the white fabric of her pants quickly becoming stained by the muddy waters. She couldn't have cared less; there were much more important things to worry about. Turning her head to glance at Russ, she wasn't sure what she had expected him to say next, but it certainly wasn't that.
Her pace slowing down a little, Rey realized that perhaps she was telegraphing a little too much. Her facial expression, her body language, all signs pointing to the fact that she was annoyed by something. It was no wonder he noticed. But she was quite surprised by his words, especially the part about envying her. "It's alright," she would eventually say, meaning that there was nothing to forgive. "I wasn't insulted really, but its feels as though you underestimate us. We're all grateful for your help, there's no question...but we've been fighting this war for a long time, and...well," Rey shot him a playful smile, her mood improving. "We can't just sit by and let you take all the credit." It was more of a joke than anything; she was starting to think that perhaps she had misunderstood.
As they stopped to go over the plan, excitement and adrenaline was starting to build within Rey; especially as Russ talked about the two of them going in first. The Rebel fighters would nod and Rey gave a silent gesture for them to go ahead and take their positions. The fighters then began to scatter amongst the treeline, some of them even hiding up in the branches, ready to snipe some of the Stormtroopers with their blaster rifles. Rey would then ignite her saber and look over at Russ, determined. "I'm ready."
Rey would have been lying if she had said she wasn't at least a little bit disappointed by his response; but she tried her best not to show it and simply nodded before stepping down. His comment about keeping up burned her even more, and she couldn't help but scoff a little. She may have been mortal, but she was far from helpless. This wasn't their first encounter with the First Order, and it wouldn't be the last. They knew how to deal with them just as well as anyone else. If it weren't for their disadvantage in numbers and equipment, this war would already be over.
Rey decided to stay with the Rebels on the second ship. She needed some time to think and meditate before the battle ahead; and besides...Russ wasn't exactly her favourite person right at this moment. She could acknowledge and accept that they needed his help, and he didn't seem like a bad person by any means. If anything he was sacrificing quite a lot to help them, and Rey was grateful for it. However, she was struggling with a few things, particularly the way he and his men seemed to swoop in and suddenly take charge of everything, perhaps undermining even Leia's authority. Russ seemed to view the Resistance as mere child soldiers who were incapable of handling themselves, but did he forget they had been fighting this war on their own for a long time?
She knew it would be prudent to say something, but figured they were too close to battle for her to bring it up now. She would survive this fight, there would be time for it later. As the ships landed on Kashyyyk, both teams were greeted to a thick, dense jungle crawling with wild animals and giant bugs. Muddy swamps covered much of the forest floor, and from where they were standing they could not yet see the Outpost.
Rey would approach Russ and give him a formal nod. She then pulled out a pocket-sized holographic panel which showed a small blue map of how to get to the Outpost. "It should be north from here, straight ahead," she said and pointed in the appropriate direction. As they began to make their way through the dense terrain, Rey would stray a bit further from the Rebels, trying to stay close to Russ and the Marines. She would prove that she belonged on the front lines. She would show him that she was more than capable of "keeping up".
She was even more relieved when he said that he didn't entirely agree with his Father's viewpoint, and a small smile would form as he spoke about this. Perhaps the apple fell quite far from the tree; in some cases a least. As he said his last comment before patting her on the back and leaving, Rey would whisper in response; a phrase nearly inaudible to anyone except her. "I wouldn't know..."
Rey would then join the Rebels who were getting ready to leave, and she listened amongst them as Russ gave his commands. When the time came for any questions, the Resistance fighters shared awkward looks amongst themselves; they were either out of questions or too intimidated to speak their minds. As Rey listened to what he was saying, one question did spring to mind and she raised her hand until Russ called upon her.
"My Lord...in previous battles I was always on the front lines. I can only use my lightsaber at close range," she would say, igniting it and showing him the Jedi weapon as he had not seen it yet. "Shall I join you and the marines? Or would you prefer I stay with the other Rebels and provide back up support?" As she asked this, the others from the Resistance murmured to each other in wondering; curious as to what Russ would say or allow.
In a way, Rey was quite relieved that what he said had nothing to do with the force, or her being a Jedi. However she was rather concerned by the notion of droids as being "abominations", not to mention the distrust of anyone who isn't human. Although she could understand where Russ was coming from and the origin of this prejudice, it still made her quite angry as she thought about all the droids and non-human species that she considered dear friends.
Trying to take a page out of Leia's book, Rey mustered her most diplomatic response. "I'm...sorry to hear about these differences in our beliefs. My first friend was actually a droid, and it would be hard to see them as anything else. Perhaps as a temporary solution we could make sure that no droids join the outpost missions. However I think it is going to be more difficult to ensure that all of the Rebel fighters are human. I suppose they could wear a helmet to hide their identity." Even as the idea came out of Rey's mouth, it was difficult not to cringe. It shouldn't be this way. This idea was absolutely archaic and wrong...but if they were going to work together with Russ's army, what choice did they have?
"And yes, I agree. Taking down the First Order is our top priority. If we're leaving right away, I can be ready in minutes. I just have to gather my supplies." Even now as they spoke, General Leia was preparing a small squadron of experienced fighters to join the mission. Fortunately most of them were human just by luck of the draw, except for one...a Rodian.
Leia smiled, clasping her hands together. "Excellent. And thank you, again, Lord Russ. Your alliance and cooperation means more to us than you can ever know." The General would then take her leave as she had some other matters to attend to; leaving Rey and Russ alone for the moment. She glanced over at him as well as the information that he was reading. Rey wondered what he had thought of the Jedi Order and the Force. It was something that even people from this galaxy sometimes had difficulty grasping, let alone someone from another place entirely.
It seemed that Rey's wondering could not have come at a better time. As Russ urged her to follow to a more secluded place, she had a feeling about what he was going to say. When the words finally came, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion but she was not angry. "I'd be happy to help you find a solution, but if you don't mind me asking...what sort of aspects go against your ways? Have I done something wrong?" Rey asked, hoping to get clarity on what exactly Russ meant by all this. Either way she hoped it wasn't going to affect what she could do in the upcoming battle.
"Understood," Leia nodded. "We will only send our most experienced fighters. They will be there for support, and won't get in the way of your army." She looked pleased when Russ had agreed to allowing some Rebels to join. Normally Leia was the type to avoid casualties at all costs. But this was important, and she felt it necessary for her troops to join the front lines, especially if they were to help turn the tide of this war.
When Russ spoke to Rey directly, she stiffened a little but nodded in agreement. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of it," she said, and she meant it. She couldn't imagine a scenario where she would need to use the force on one of Russ's men, if only to help them in some way. Leia would then walk over to a holographic pad and press a few buttons, prompting a large, transcluent image to appear above it.
"These show the coordinates of all the First Order outposts that we are currently aware of. We'll send you the exact location for all of them, but if you want my recommendation...Kashyyyk is the closest and will probably be the easiest outpost to take care of first. Do your men have experience fighting in a jungle environment? I imagine the First Order does not."
Rey jumped a little as Russ destroyed the tablet. Meanwhile, Leia was still and only looked concerned. "I...understand your frustration, Lord Russ. I'm sorry that we cannot provide you with more information to help find your way back." She then took a couple steps closer to where he was. Leia listened intently and would give a firm nod upon agreeing with his idea. She wasn't entirely fond of it. The Resistance almost never made the first strike, but perhaps that was the issue all along? Maybe it was time for them to take a stand, instead of waiting for the inevitable.
"Yes, I agree. The smaller outposts will be easier to take care of, without alerting the full force to our presence. However, Lord Russ...might I make a suggestion?" She then beckoned for Rey to join her side. "I have no doubt your warriors are capable of handling this fight on their own, but we have many capable fighters who are eager to join the front lines. Won't you at least take a small squadron with you? This was our fight before you came, after all. It only seems right."
Leia then paused to glance at Rey. "Or at the very least, take my apprentice with you...she is the best fighter we have, capable of doing things that no one else can." Rey then looked at Leia, feeling very proud in this moment. She couldn't help but smile at her teacher as she complimented her abilities. She too, was longing to join the fight again and to begin what she hoped was the end of the war.
[ I think I can follow okay so far, plus what I learned during our last thread. Thank you, though! ]
"The...Lion?" Rey would ask quietly. She assumed he was talking about a person but didn't know for certain. She then became silent once more as Russ spoke. At least he was taking her seriously, or seemed to be. She wasn't quite sure why she didn't trust him immediately like Leia did. Perhaps she was just feeling paranoid due to past experiences, and the near-destruction of the entire Resistance almost a year ago. They were almost brought to extinction and barely survived the battle of Crait. After all the recruiting they've done, all the rebuilding and hard work...Rey couldn't bare to think about it being for nothing. This new legion could easily wipe them out if they wanted to, perhaps that was why she felt so uneasy.
But things changed a little bit when Russ told that story. Rey didn't fully understand every concept, but she knew the core of what he was trying to say. He too had faced horrible betrayal, perhaps even more detrimental than the kind she had experienced. She couldn't even imagine what it must have been like, to have people turn on you after 200 years of fighting side by side.
When he explained what he wanted to have happen, Leia nodded as she began to follow. "Of course, we will give you an extensive tour of our facilities." As the hours marched forward, Leia, Rey and the others tried to help out as best they could; although it seemed Russ's warriors needed very little in the way of helping labour. The young Jedi was amazed at how much more defensive the base looked in just a short period of time. It wasn't enough to win the war on its own, but it would certainly help their chances if the First Order ever did discover their location.
Leia and Rey approached Russ as he was reading the information that had been provided. The General cleared her throat and perked up a bit. "Sorry to interupt, Lord Russ. We were just wondering if you had any questions?"
"Yes, of course. We understand completely," Leia said. "We're not exactly at full force ourselves, although any help is appreciated." She then turned and gave a couple quieter commands to her strategists, asking them to look into the metal situation and see what can be spared. She would also request that they create a data drive of sorts that could help bring Russ and his crew up to date on the Galactic War and everything that has happened, including some other facts about the culture of their universe, such as the way of the Jedi.
Rey was not expecting Russ to approach and speak to her directly. She was briefly made uncomfortable as it seemed all eyes in the room were focused on her, as well as the intimidating gaze from the Wolf King. His request did not seem entirely hostile, and it seemed like a part of him was genuinely interested in what she had to say. With an approving nod from Leia, Rey cleared her throat and looked him in the eyes.
As Russ spoke about being able to wipe out the Resistance like it was nothing, everyone including Leia became quite tense. The General assumed (or hoped) that he was joking, but it was somewhat difficult to tell. Why would he ever do such a thing, anyway? A few more seconds came by and as Russ laughed, Leia also let out a nervous, relieved chuckle; disguised as one that was in on his little joke. Rey, on the other hand, was not amused at all. She thought it quite cruel of him to taunt the General in such a way. In fact, she was almost about to say something against her better judgement; but Leia spoke first and interupted her.
"Thank you, my Lord...you cannot know how much this alliance means to us. I look forward to our future collaborations." She then gave her student a knowing look, and Rey took a step back; remaining silent. "Yes, my associates here can help bring you and your crew up to speed on the war we've been fighting. You'll have all the information you need to study the First Order. Fortunately, our base is well hidden...but it'll only be a matter of time before they show themselves again."
As he clarified that it was not manpower they were after, Leia would give another nod of understanding. "Very well. I'll look into this and see what kind of metal we have to spare. I hope it will be sufficient for your repairs," she then turned and spoke a few commands to the others. Rey looked over and caught Russ's gaze for a moment before returning it to her feet. Despite his so-called allegiance, she was still rather leary of him.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Leia asked rhetorically with a small laugh. "I'd like to introduce those in my closest circle. This is Commander Poe Dameron, my most skilled pilot and second in command. Next is Lieutenant Connix and Commander D'Acy, my core strategists. And last, but not least..." she smiled and placed a hand on Rey's shoulder. "This is Rey, my apprentice. She is training to become a Jedi Knight." Leia then paused and turned to face Russ again. "Although, I imagine you have not heard of the Jedi, either. I suppose that's another thing we'll need to inform you of."
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