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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"Sounds good," Rey would add before they parted ways. She too helped in the efforts to transfer everything from the base to the Hrafnkel, from important items and information cards, to water and rations, droids, ships, weapons and everything inbetween. At first the task seemed daunting, but with the help of the Marines Rey was surprised at how quickly the operation was.
Rey spent some time unpacking and resting in her quarters. She didn't have much in the way of personal belongings; a backpack with some food, a water bottle, her quarter staff and of course...her lightsaber. She wasn't expecting the knock at the door, and was curious as she went to open it. "Yes?" she said, opening the door and seeing the woman on the other side...if one could even call her that. Mechanical and cybernetic enhancements were not unheard of in her galaxy, but Rey had never seen anyone like this before and it took all her will power not to seem startled or weary. "Oh, um...hello. I'm Rey," she said with a polite smile; although Petra probably knew her name already by this point.
Rey would then follow Petra down the hall and through the ship, trying not to stare at her too much as they spoke. "Yes, that's right. I've always been fascinated with machines and how they work. You're correct about lightspeed travel. Most standard size ships use what's called a hyperdrive motivator, it allows the ship to travel across the entire galaxy in a matter of days," Rey said, trying not to say too much but she was getting a bit excited by the turn of the conversation. "So what is your role exactly? Are you the head mechanic of this ship?" She inquired; delighted at meeting someone who shared this common interest.
Upon hearing his answer, Rey took a moment to glance away as she thought and reflected on this. It seemed that Russ greatly valued power and strength, but was that all he cared about? She still wasn't sure how she would feel about having a so-called 'Father' who saw her only as a tool for his own ambitions. But clearly it worked for Russ and his brothers, or at least, they could understand the reasoning behind it.
"I see," she would say after a time before standing up. "Well, preserving humanity is certainly an important goal. No one can argue with that," she added with a small shrug and slight chuckle. Her smile faded slightly as she thought about her friends in the Resistance. "It seems to be a common theme around here. I was orphaned at a young age. Finn never knew his parents, Poe's parents are gone, and Leia..." Rey double checked to make sure the General wasn't near by. This information wasn't exactly classified but Leia did not like talking about it for obvious reasons.
"Leia's Father was Darth Vader...one of the most feared and hated Sith Lords to ever live. He was a Jedi, once...but turned to the dark side and was responsible for eradicating much of the Jedi Order. I suppose...if there's a small chance my parents were bad people, perhaps I'm better off not knowing. Perhaps I'm better off a mystery," Rey said, sighing a little and crossing her arms. She then realized that they might have been wasting time, and that there would be an opportunity to discuss this later.
"Well, if you and the Marines are ready, we can leave for Jakku shortly. Do you have any other questions?" Rey asked.
"Hmm, I see," Rey noted. If anything the comment made her even more curious about the new companion that would be joining them. She then took a moment to sit down in one of the chairs as she listened to Russ talk. There were definitely some similarities in their upbringing but they were quite different as well. Rey had never known her Father, or her Mother. Sometimes she could remember them a little bit if he really concentrated. All she could get were hints; flashes of memories and feelings.
Was that better or worse than having a horrible Father, like Russ had described? She honestly didn't know, and could not say. All she knew was that it looked like they had both found families; people that they can trust and rely on no matter what. "Not so different at all..." she would say, smiling faintly, especially as he told the story about the eating and drinking contest. Rey was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Can I ask you a question? If your Father is as awful as you say...why do you respect him so much? It sounds like he has done a lot for you...but surely you deserve to be treated better?"
Perhaps it was a touch out of line, but Rey was genuinely curious. She didn't know what it was like to have real parents, or to experience all the complicated emotions that come with it. But this particular piece was puzzling to her. She couldn't grasp how someone could harbour resentment and respect toward their Father at the same time.
Rey would glance at Russ and give a small, thoughtful nod. Growing up on Jakku certainly wasn't easy. Being strong in the force was one thing, but the resilience needed to survive on a harsh, cutthroat world was a whole different level. As strange as it was, a part of her was grateful that he recognized that in her.
Upon hearing his question, Rey furrowed her brow slightly. "I'm not sure. Maybe they guessed that I would be back one day...or they're just trying to cover as many planets as possible." She then nodded as he spoke about bringing on another person. "A fellow mechanic? I wonder if we'll get along," she said with a small smile before turning back to look at Jakku on the map. A heavy sigh left her as she decided to tell Russ the truth.
"My parents left me behind when I was young. I stayed on Jakku for 15 years, with every day a struggle just to stay alive. I always hoped it was a mistake, I thought they would be back one day...so I waited." Sadness crept over her face, until it then vanished the next second as she turned to look at him again. "But then I found the Resistance, and my friends...and I realized that I was tired of waiting. The family I was looking for was in front of me, not behind." She then unclipped her lightsaber hilt and stared at it for a few moments. "And then I found my purpose...my destiny, and I never looked back." Rey sighed and smiled before looking back at Russ. "So forgive me if I seem...a little off, when we go to Jakku. I honestly never thought I would be back there again."
Leia would turn to the other delegates as they began to discuss the matter quietly. After a few seconds of deliberation, the General would turn to Russ and nod in approval. "We agree. Moving everyone to your ship is a good strategy. The First Order has found our base in the past, there's no guarantee it wouldn't happen again. I trust we won't need to worry about having enough room on the Hrafnkel?" she asked with a small chuckle as it was meant as a joke.
She then cleared her throat and began sending people off to help start the lengthy moving process. All of their equipment, as well as ships and personal belongings would need to go. "Very well, Rey...would you mind giving Russ a more thorough briefing on Jakku? He'll need to know everything possible."
"Of course, General," Rey said with a nod and a small smile. Sucking in a deep breath, she would then walk over to the hologram table and make it so that Mustafar dissapeared, leaving only Jakku visible. She would then zoom in on the map to show a closer look of the planet. "Jakku is located in the Western Reaches. It's a world of intense heat, sinking fields, dangerous animals and ruthless thieves. On Jakku, it's everyone for themselves. There are small settlements here and there, but nearly 80% of Jakku is uninhabitated desert." She then paused and moved the map to show the location of the outpost. "The First Order has made their outpost here, in the wreckage of an old Star Destroyer from the days of the Empire. I've been to this one before. I suggest we make our way through the other side of the ship for a surprise attack. They won't see that coming."
Rey then turned to face Russ. Clearly she was holding something back; but nothing that would necessarily pertain to the mission. "Any questions?"
The young Jedi was pleasantly surprised once again by his words. "Hm, well...you make a good point," she noted, agreeing that it would be unfair of her to make comparisons, even if she wanted to. At the notion of more training, Rey was certainly looking forward to it. If she could move or fight even remotely similar to how Russ and the Marines had, it would surely give her that more of an advantage in the battles ahead.
Rey was happy to return to base, and spent a few hours resting in her room and catching up on sleep. Then she went and found Leia and they eagerly awaited for Russ's return along with some of the other senators and Resistance officials. Even after building some rapport, Rey had to admit she still found Russ a tad intimidating, especially when he entered a room. His size difference compared to everyone else was staggering to say the least. The only creature who was even close to his height was Chewbacca.
Leia smiled warmly and gestured for Russ to join them. "Hello, Lord Russ. My congratulations to both you and your Marines on winning the fight. It's a small start, but I'm sure your efforts have already begun to shape our odds in this war." She then would lead everyone back towards the holographic table, displaying two planets that looked vastly different.
"Here are two more outposts that we're aware of. One is on Jakku, and the other on Mustafar." Upon hearing this, Russ could see Rey stiffen slightly; her eyes glazing over with painful memory. "Neither of them are particularly pleasant environments, but Mustafar is definitely the most unforgiving. It is a world of volcanoes and ash. Given that the planet had strong ties to the Empire, I'm not surprised the First Order decided to put an outpost there."
Leia would then pause, glance at Rey and then continue. "The other is Jakku, a vast desert planet. I think you will find better insight from my apprentice, as she used to live there." Rey would nod and put on a brave face, not wanting her past experience to get in the way of this mission. "The choice is yours, my Lord. Our intel from the First Order shows that they are now aware of your involvement. I reckon whichever outpost you chose, it will not be as easy as the last one."
"I see," Rey would say, nodding and then looking away from the injured Marine as his wound was quite a shocking sight even for her. It was odd for her to see the Marines laughing and mocking the Commander as he left. She wasn't sure if it was arrogance or confidence (perhaps both), but either way it was something that the Resistance would never have done for fear of repercussions. It was pleasantly surprising to her but slightly nerve-wracking at the same time.
"I hope so..." Rey would reply. She wished she could share Russ's optimism and enthusiasm. In her heart she did believe this war would come to an end, with the First Order on the losing side. She felt it, but she could not foresee it yet. There were still many steps between here and there, with the possibility of failure ever present.
As Russ complimented her, Rey would smile slightly and glance away. "Thank you. I appreciate that, but it was nothing compared to you and your men. You were right, I did underestimate you. I've never see anyone fight like that before, not even a Jedi. You'll have to show me some of your techniques when we have the time," she added, her smile growing a bit more. While Rey liked to believe that she did not judge people based on appearance; how she still had so much to learn when it came to that. Russ had truly surprised her in more ways than one.
"Goodness...is he alright?" Rey asked, gesturing to the Marine who's face looked severely wounded by the blaster fire. Although she assumed that if it was a medical emergency, someone would have been escorting him out of here by now. Either way it didn't take long for her attention to be diverted once the commander was brought forward.
He did not say a single word, even as Russ threw his helmet away and barked orders at him. He kept his chin up and sported a look of complete defiance. Rey knew he was afraid, she could sense it. But clearly the brain washing and training of the First Order had taught him from a young age to keep fear well hidden.
As Russ allowed him to go, the Commander was clearly a bit confused by this. He stood up, grabbed his helmet, and then walked over to the door before facing them all. "You'll regret letting me live. You'll soon feel the might of the entire First Order!" He then put his helmet back on and went outside to the nearest TIE Fighter. From the window, Rey and the others could see him take off before soaring into the sky and out of atmosphere.
"...Are you sure that was wise?" Rey would ask quietly, doubt tugging at her heart for what had just transpired. If they had killed him, the other outposts would have no idea they were coming. They may have just made things much harder for themselves in the long run. Once the Supreme Leader was involved, that would change everything.
Even within the chaos of the battle, Rey was still made undeniably aware of just how fast and powerful Russ and his marines were. She had guessed that they were going to be efficient, but this was beyond even what she had imagined. The display was quite dizzying to put it lightly, but Rey knew there was no time to stand around gawking or leaving herself open to an attack.
Instead, she tried to focus on cutting down the rest of the Troopers around her. She was amazed at how quickly the marines dealt with the other Troopers, including pinning the Commander down and rendering him useless. All of this had taken place in what felt like mere seconds. It wasn't until Rey had finished running her saber through the last visible Trooper that she realized some blood had splashed onto her outfit; and it wasn't her own.
Regaining composure, Rey turned her attention to where Russ and the others were headed. Using the force she could sprint towards the outpost at considerable speed. Once inside the outpost she managed to take care of a couple Troopers who were trying to escape, but it soon became very apparent and obvious that there was no one left alive...except for the Commander.
Taking a second to breathe, Rey looked around the main room before finding Russ. "Is that it?" she asked, more in surprise than anything.
"Fair enough," Rey would comment as they walked. "I suppose we'll get to see you in action soon enough," she added with a small smile but it soon dropped as soon as she saw the Stormtroopers rushing out. There were about thirty here, but she guessed there would be more inside. They would likely wait to see what the Resistance would do before calling in reinforcements.
The row of Troopers stood firmly in a row, raising their blasters and preparing to fire. But when Russ started speaking a couple of them flinched; some even backing away slightly. Rey also couldn't help but jump, as his voice had been way louder than she was expecting. She laughed nervously at his comment, still alarmed but she couldn't deny how impressed she was at the gesture.
The Stormtrooper Commander came to the front, and he did not lower his weapon. He seemed to be one of the few who was not affected by what just happened. "Rebel scum! The First Order will not be threatened! It is you who should surrender to us!" He then turned slightly so that his helmet was now facing Rey directly. "Filthy scavenger! Surrender yourself to us and we might consider letting your friend live." Rey would smirk before twirling her lightsaber, almost in a taunting way.
"Not a chance," she hissed, shooting the Commander a fierce glare. "Fine. You give us no choice, all troops fire at will!" He ordered, and a barrage of blaster fire began to rain down upon Russ and Rey. Fortunately they had not yet noticed the Rebels in the trees, and they had begun to pick off some of the Troopers who were on the edge of the line. Meanwhile Rey used her saber to deflect some of the shots back towards the Troopers. Once she had an opening she then ran towards them, baring her teeth and slashing at her enemies with a viscious fury.
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