Hans Nieman

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Summary
Inquisitor Hans Nieman was an Inquisitor who attempted to have the Revenants Chapter Astartes declared Excommunicate, before vanishing. He is the founder, leader, and master strategist of Sanctimonia Praesentia.

History.
Little is known of Nieman's history save that it is likely he was born on Praetoria. All that is know is that he was the most extreme of the fundamentalists in the Inquisition, and it was this that first drew him to suspect the Revenants of treason and heresy.

Beginnings.
The obsession Nieman had with the Revenants began when he fought alongside them against Chaos Marines of the Night Lords on Tires - he began suspecting them of being cowards and heretics after hearing their battle cry - "for Peace and the Emperor" - and some of the things they said to their foe as they vanquished them. The conflict lasted two hundred and ten days, and during it, the Inquisitor managed to find examples on almost every day of the Revenants supposed "heresy."

Log Entries, Inquisitor Nieman: 1
"Day sixty seven. Revenant Marine in combat with Chaos Space Marine, Legion 'Night Lords'; 'I pity you, slave of Chaos, and I will now release you!' More proof that the Revenant's are heretic scum."

"Day eighty nine. Revenant Marine in combat with chaos Space Marine, Legion 'Iron Warriors'; 'You slavery to Chaos ends brother - may you find peace.' They openly wish their enemy well! It is a disgusting thing to see, and to record it in words all but shatters me..."

"Day one hundred and six. Revenant Marine, speaking with battle brothers; 'I pity the Orks, to know nothing but war; would that they would become more civilised, like the Eldar or the Tau, then they might see that there is more to life.' Praising the alien! Is there no depth to which these scum will not sink?! Clearly, I must look further into this than merely one battlezone."

Seeking further evidence.
Having written enough examples into his "Journal of Heresy" to justify beginning an investigation, Nieman began looking into their history; the planet Peace he visited extensively and learned much of its inhabitants, culminating in him securing from a less-than-reputable source (whom he then executed) a copy of the Doctrine of the Revenants. Upon studying this, rather than seeing the ideals of peace and civilisation as noble and kind, as some have, or taking them merely to be a sign of weakness as others, especially among the other members of the Astartes, he instead took the view that the entire Doctrine had in fact made the populous of Peace susceptable to the depravations of Chaos, and that the Revenants were now servants of said Ruinous Powers.

Log Entries, Inquisitor Nieman: 2.
The final entry in the "Journal of Heresy" reads as follows.

"Day eight hundred and ninety two - a most shocking read this. The "Doctrine of the Revenants Chapter" indeed. More like a manual for other traitors! At the least, these Revenants are cowardly fools who drone on about being civilised and translate this in lacklustre fighting and heretical rhetoric. At the most - this is a manual for Chaos traitors, and should it spread, I fear entire worlds would become ripe for the Ruinous Powers. Now the games end. I will take this to the Inquisition."

Upon "discovering" this, Nieman immediately sent off a message demanding a trial of the Chapterr - knowing that to simply declare them excommunicate outright would be risky.

Hearing.
This "Journal of Heresy" was a key part of Nieman's supposed case to have the Chapter declared excommunicate. He took it to his superiors higher in the Inquisitorial ranks, who, while reluctant to allow him to do so, were forced by the sheer fact of a complaint to allow him to bring it to a hearing.

At this hearing, Marius Tron, the then Chapter Master of the Revenants, who was called upon to give evidence in his Chapter's defence, gave an eloquent description of the reasoning behind the Doctrine of his chapter, finishing by pointing out the limited authority that the Inquisition had over the Revenants, and humbly saying that if his Chapter were judged to be traitorous, he would personally perform Exterminatus on Peace and his bretheren and then kill himself. This he would later admit was bravado, designed to show that his Chapter were loyal, but it made its impace; he left the stand to applause and Inquisitor Nieman reluctantly withdrew his claim for Excommunication. He was then reprimanded by the Inquisition for time wasting and told not to "go snooping around Space Marines trying to stir up trouble". His own reply was, "if I don't snoop, who will?"

Aftermath.
Inquisitor Nieman vanished shortly after this, and no one was able to trace his whereabouts, even amongst the Inquisition. The Revenants offered to search the galaxy for him (at least, Marius Tron did; it was known that Yan Rill opposed him on this, feeling that Nieman deserved to be lost for accusing as loyal a Chapter as the Revenants of heresy). However, the Inquisition shared Rill's view, in part, and decided that Nieman was of sulking. However it has since come to light that he spent this time recruiting.

Sanctimonia Praesentia.
"People of the Imperium. I am Hans Nieman. We are Sanctimonia Praesentia. Some will accuse us of the most base treachery, but this could not be further from the truth; we are the saviours. Amongst our people, there lies a cancer; the cancer of the planet so erroneously named "Peace." The Revenants, traitors to the Imperium and its might. If the Revenants are destroyed or cast out from our Empire, then no further damage will be inflicted by our group, and we will submit ourselves to whatever justice the Imperium believes due. If they are not, we will destroy Imperial Settlements until they are. This is your choice. Choose wisely." -The ultimatum of Sanctimonia Praesentia.

Hans Nieman's group came to prominence first with the annihilation of the Doctrine of Peace, marius Tron's flagship, upon which he was leading a crusade against the Tyranids. Nieman's ship ambushed the Doctrine and utterly obliterated it. From there, he left a buoy transmitting what has become known as the Ultimatum of Nieman. The group Sanctimonia Praesentia (roughly translated as Purity Power) represented itself as a group dedicated to saving the Imperium from the Revenant's "debasery" and according to the ultimatum, every man amongst them was willing to sacrifice their life to the cause, even at the Imperium's hand. At the Battle of Orbis Field, this would later be proved true.

Orbis
Knowing that eventually he would be traced by Aldus Flynn, Tron's successor, Nieman decided that he would choose to face the Revenants on a small world called Orbis.

Two days after he ha landed, the Revenants set up camp near him and Flynn requested a meeting. Despite his tacticians suggesting that he surprise attack the Space Marines, Nieman agreed and met with the Chapter Master.

Nieman ordered that Flynn submit his entire Chapter and homeworld for termination "if you have any loyalty to the Emperor in you," refusing to accept Flynn's pleas to end the conflict. Eventually Nieman accepted Flynn's suggestion of a battle between the two men, one on one, that would decide the fate of the Chapter, on the grounds that the God-Emperor would surely protect his own. On the face of it an uneven request, what with the Marine's superior strength, Nieman nevertheless agreed: he believed he was the one who would be protected.

Duel
The duel took place three hours later at the exact median between the two army's lines. Flynn wielded his power sword and armour, Nieman his own power weapon and a simple set of robes. It looked as though the duel would be over in moments. However, Nieman had a few surprises up his sleeves: the previous three hours he had spent preparing himself in body and mind, ready for the coming conflict and convinced that he would win.

The two combatants began duelling almost immediately; Nieman moved faster than any mere man had any right to, and quickly wounded Flynn, who was confused for a moment before noting a sanctioned psyker among Nieman's retainers, whom he deduced to be lending the rogue Inquisitor an edge. Unsheathing a bolt pistol and killing the psyker slowed Nieman down, but unfortunately, it also proved a signal that both armies took as an order to charge.

The Battle
The battle was a long and bloody one. The armies of Sanctimonia Praesentia were well trained and fanatical, and outnumbered the Space Marines by three to one all told. However, with the righteous skill that the Astartes were famed for and bravery unmatched by any others of their Chapter since its founding, the Marines of the Revenants held, though at great cost. Fully half their number lay dead on the field.

Hans Nieman had continued to fight his foe, even though he must have known he could not win. Aldus Flynn, though he had spent many years seeking the rogue Inquisitor out, could not find any joy in victory. All he saw was a broken old man who had been trying to do what he thought was right for the Imperium, in a way. Nieman's last words, spoken blindly to air, were unrecorded by any save Flynn. Flynn later reported that they had been, simply, "protect the Imperium."

Legacy
Sanctimonia Praesentia was wiped out, but unusually for a traitor Inquisitor, Nieman's actions and history were not expunged. He is recorded as a pious man who believed wrongly that a loyal Chapter were traitors, and his death is more a warning against pride than treachery or heresy.