White Lions

The White Lions are a chapter of loyal, Codex-compliant Adeptus Astartes founded in the 36th Millenium. The only surviving founding Brother, the Dreadnought Venerated Brother Sergeant Bolo, has said they are a successor chapter of the Imperial Fists, but confirming documentation of this is no longer available. Their location supports this, as does their mission of patrolling and protecting in the Ultima Segmentum north of Ultramar. The chapter was heavily involved in the Damocles Gulf Crusade, and has since been assigned with monitoring the activities of the Tau.

Current Status
Strategically, the chapter Master has decided to try to encourage the Tau to migrate north instead of into Imperial space to their west, and is now working on getting Imperial support, Tau support and the support of numerous Space Marine chapters to assist.

Uniform
The White Lions wear predominantly white armour, with shining gold shoulder pad trim and back pack. The chapter symbol, an ancient Terran symbol for the constellation of Leo, is shown in black on the left shoulder pad. Tactical markings are marked in black on the right shoulder pad, with squad numbers stenciled over the top in white. Company colours are shown on the right knee or shin guard.

The White Lions forgo the use of alternate helmet colours to show specialty, but colour the helms of their veterans gold, rather than Codex white to denote status; the Codex assured stripe to denote veteran-sergeant status is still apparent and shown in white.

Organisation
Tactically, the chapters' Master is struggling to re-build the 2nd and 6th Companies, which were destroyed in battle with a wisp of a Tyranid hive almost fifty years ago. Many of the 1st Company veterans were taken to be officers and squad leaders, and each squad in every company contributed a Brother to help in the re-building. As a result, most squads are only nine Brothers, and the 1st Company only has seven squads at the moment.

Relations
The chapter protects the Zanzibar sub-sector, a six-star cluster with eighteen inhabited planets and moons, on the northern rim of the Damocles Rift. Their home is the world of Zanzibar, and they maintain a naval force based on one of its three small moons. They are charged with patrolling the Rift along the Tau Farsight Enclaves and watching for signs of westward Tau expansion. They are, consequently, in frequent contact with the Tau, and so are viewed by the most xenophobic with suspicion. Despite this, they maintain close ties with the Ultramarines who are south of them and the Red Legion to their north. The three chapters often train and fight together, and the Ultramarines and Red Legion are among several chapters who maintain attaches with the White Lions.

Tau
Politically, the chapter works locally along the fine line of protecting the Empire's interests where they intersect with day-to-day life in a mixed-species corner of the galaxy, patrolling the Rift aggressively with squads and companies of Marines in Nova-class frigates and strike cruisers. Because of the frequency of contact with the Tau, and the diplomatic manner in which the Lions behave themselves, there is often an Ordo Xenos inquisitor hovering around the chapter.