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Kovarny

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Kovarny was a Reaver Attack Squad Chieftain in the Sons of Horus Legion and commanded the Heathens Squad during the Horus Heresy.[1]

History

Spoiler!
This page contains spoilers for: Traitor's Faith (Short Story)

He was originally a member of the Luna Wolves, during the Great Crusade and joined his Legion's Quiet Order Warrior Lodge. Among the battles Kovarny took part in at that time, was a victory against a Xenos species on Lactrical, as part of Captain Hastur Sejanus's Fourth Company. They had fought alongside the Imperial Fists as well and it was during that campaign, that Kovarny developed a close friendship with the Imperial Fists Breacher Lieutenant Garrius. The two fought together and saved each others' lives and ended up referring to themselves as Brothers, by the time the Xenos were exterminated. Afterwards, the Great Crusade hit its stride and the Luna Wolves' Primarch, Horus, gathered his veteran warriors together for a review of what they had learned fighting besides other Legions. Seeing the Imperial Fists' Siege Breachers in action, led Kovarny to discuss how such units would be useful to the Luna Wolves, to employ within their Legion. Other Luna Wolves mocked this as the Sons of Dorn hiding behind their shields, but Kovarny persisted due to the bond he shared with Garrius. Eventually the other veterans agreed and Kovarny became the first to become a Siege Breacher, when his Primarch Horus incorporated the units into the Luna Wolves.[1]

His relationship with Garrius was shattered, however, when the Horus Heresy began. They would find themselves on opposing sides during the conflict, but would not meet again until the Siege of Cthonia. Kovarny was among the Sons of Horus, that Captain Ashurhaddon led to free Cthonia, while Garrius was among the Imperial forces stationed upon it. By then, the Imperial Fist was the Captain of the 465th Company and became the commander of the Traitor's Gate Hive's remaining defenses, as the Imperials began to be overwhelmed. His efforts prevented Ashurhaddon's forces on the Hive World's surface from consolidating together and led the Captain to target Garrius for death. Ashurhaddon would charge Kovarny with this task, but the Chieftain secretly refused to do so. Instead, Kovarny sought to capture the Imperial Fists Captain alive and convert him into worshiping the Chaos Gods. Garrius would then willingly join Kovarny's Heathens Squad and their brotherhood would be renewed, as they fought the Imperium together.[1]

When Kovarny later gave his Heathens Squad their mission, the Chieftain lied and said Captain Ashurhaddon had ordered Garrius to be taken alive. While the Squad grudgingly accepted this, the Word Bearer Ul-Buus questioned why they would do so, when the undertaking would come at a great cost to them. The Dark Apostle had been assigned to the Heathens as a missionary and councilor to Kovarny, but the Chieftain immediately brushed off Ul-Buus' concerns. When the Word Bearer then asked if Kovarny knew Garrius, the Chieftain lied once more and replied that he did not. The Imperial Fist Captain was in fact well known to Ul-Buus however, and the Dark Apostle claimed Garrius was too dangerous an opponent to capture alive. Ul-Buus also knew Ashurhaddon and stated the Captain had been quite clear in wanting Garrius dead. Kovarny noted the Dark Apostle's objections, but the Chieftain knew his orders and the Heathens moved to carry them out. Ul-Buus went to follow them, but was stopped by Kovarny, who warned the Dark Apostle not to question his orders again. What followed next were a series of battles within Traitor's Gate, that always ended with Garrius escaping and Kovarny losing a large number of his Squad's forces. But each death the Heathens suffered, only further solidified Kovarny's desire to convert Garrius to his side.[1]

After their latest devastating loss, however, Ul-Buus privately confronted the Chieftain as he sat alone atop a Hive canyon wall. The Word Bearer questioned Kovarny's connection to Garrius once more, as the Dark Apostle had figured out that the two were friends. Ul-Buus then stated that it was this friendship, that was driving Kovarny to spare Garrius' life by converting him into worshiping the Chaos Gods. However the Dark Apostle told the Chieftain, that while the plan was laudable, it would not work, as the Imperial Fists Captain had made it clear he would not betray the Imperium. Ul-Buus then urged Kovarny to remember the brotherhood he shared with his Squad and the cost in lives the Chieftain's vainglorious quest had cost the Heathens. Kovarny stood up at this and Ul-Buus readied to defend himself, despite the Chieftain claiming the Dark Apostle was right. However Ul-Buus still kept his guard up and was proven right to do so, when Kovarny suddenly charged at him. Despite being ready, though, the Dark Apostle was overwhelmed as the Chieftain screamed that Ul-Buus would not understand the brotherhood he and Garrius shared. Kovarny claimed the Word Bearers were nothing but serpents, who had caused the Horus Heresy and led the Chieftain and Garrius to being on opposing sides. Kovarny then tore the Dark Apostle's jaw off, before sending Ul-Buus plummeting to his death in the canyon below them. After confirming Ul-Buus was dead, Kovarny readied his Heathens to begin seeking out Garrius once more and ignored their questions about the Dark Apostle's whereabouts.[1]

Matters came to ahead, when the Chieftain finally made contact with Garrius and informed his old comrade that he sought to corrupt the Imperial Fist into worshiping the Chaos Gods. The Captain sternly refused and told Kovarny that he would never betray the Imperium, which greatly angered the Chieftain. However his mood calmed, when Garrius instead hoped that a noble spirit still remained within Kovarny and offered the Chieftain a chance at redemption by joining his side. Kovarny agreed to meet with Garrius to do so and the Imperial Fists Captain gave the Chieftain a location where they could meet alone. Neither intended to do so faithfully however. While Kovarny had his Heathens placed nearby to capture Garrius, the Imperial Fists Captain used that time to begin evacuating a gene-forging facility within the Hive. When the Chieftain waited at the arranged area and Garrius did not arrive, he became enraged and felt betrayed by the Captain. Meanwhile, Garrius and his Imperial Fists marched to an evacuation site at an outside opening in Traitor's Gate's wall, where they would escape aboard Stormbirds. Kovarny's Squad spotted them, though, and began firing at the Imperial Fists, which drew the attention of the Chieftain. Filled with hatred towards the one he once called his Brother, Kovarny immediately charged at Garrius and sought to kill the Captain for the personal betrayal. Garrius would admit the Chieftain's traitorous actions meant they were no longer Brothers, as he sought to protect the Imperium from nightmares like Kovarny. The Stormbirds then arrived and the Imperial Fists began boarding them, as the two fought. Kovarny then lunged at the Captain, but Garrius dodged the attack and used the momentum to throw the Chieftain into a nearby breach in the Hive's wall. This led directly to the outside of the Traitor's Gate and Kovarny fell to his death, as Garrius and the Imperial Fists made their escape. Before he struck Cthonia's surface, however, Kovarny was struck by a bitter truth - he had stayed loyal to his brotherhood with Garrius until the end.[1]

Sources