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The SOTHAN 1st was an odd formation as it was more than a regular pdf force yet not really a guard regiment.
Under direct command of the Scythes of the Emperor as per Astartes world traditions. They were however organised like an imperial guard formation, drilled constantly and seeing all kinds of action around the worlds of the Sotharan League.
It wasn't uncommon for the cream of the hoplitai to be sent to the fortress monastery of the Scythes for induction into the aspirants corps .
What differs though is that once the proper screening by the apothecarion and reclusiam were accomplished, the aspirants were given the choice either to undergo the trials before becoming a scout or leave the fortress and reintegrate the SOTHAN 1st with their honour intact.
The inductees who chose to go back were then even more eager to prove themselves as to make their Astartes overlords proud to have them offered such a chance.
During the fall of Sotha the SOTHAN 1st
Initially performed even better than anticipated. They were pushing back hordes of Tyranid and recapturing strategic objectives that even led their astartes overlords to believe that a victory was possible on Sotha.
However it was in the darkest hours that the tragedy was revealed as every single member of the officer corps and the ruling caste of Sotha were infected genestealers agents.
The chaos that ensued left the SOTHAN 1st on the verge of extinction.
as the planet was consumed by the tyranids, the Scythes oblivious of the xenos treachery, did their best to evacuate the people of noble Sotha. And the remnants of the Hoplitai proved their worth once more by systematically gunning down any officers or higher ups that tried to "escape" alongside their troops. It is said that the survivors of the Sothan 1st were the ones who brought the truth to Captain Thracian and chapter master Thorcyra which helped them uncover their own infections.
Again the Scythes offered them a choice en route to Miral, the Emperor peace or a beautiful death against the hated foe.
Nowadays the remnants of the Sothan 1st are highly specialised tyranids executioner. Whilst it is true that their numbers cannot allow for traditional conflicts their heavy equipment and tactical accumen shine alongside salvation and retribution squads in boarding actions against tyranids hive ships or uprooting and destroying genestealers cults in lower levels of hive cities.