Kari Virtanen

Captain Kari Virtanen was one of the rising stars within the Sky Reavers. First taking to the air a few decades before the Vanishing in the late 980s, Astartes instructors noted great potential that was often diverted by the young recruit's never-ending urge for jousting, an intra-legion sport that was by far the most responsible for creating its most noted pilots and killing off their most reckless warriors. Ironically, it was the Vanishing that would divert Virtanen's own potential death from the jousts.

Background
Among the many disasters inflicted by the Astronomicon's momentary lapse, a reinforcing Imperial Army naval squadron made an emergency exit from the Warp...straight into a Sky Reavers' planetary picket force. The resulting collisions would scatter debris and ship pieces onto the Battle of O-van Empri where the Sky Reavers fought against the Van's extensive air force and their unique floating cities. Virtanen, struck by an flying and flaming predator cannon mount, was forced to abandon his fighter and landed on one of the hostile cities with a small number of similar, surviving Reavers. They were able to fight their way to landing zone forced open by their aloft brethren. While most of the survivors would perish, Virtanen was able to make his way onto a Fire Raptor gunship. The gunship's pilot was killed as they attempted to lift off, and Virtanen was the first to react and assume control of the craft.

He was able to fly the raptor out of the lost landing zone and coordinated an orderly withdrawal. In spite of his love of fighters and their speed, the legion discovered that Virtanen was far more valuable as a gunship commander. Torn away from the controls, a keen strategist and tactician came to the fore. One who rose rapidly within the legion and was rumoured to be well-regarded by the Primarch Aato himself. Alas, Virtanen would not survive to legion high command.

In 007.M31, Captain Virtanen was among the shrinking number of Sky Reavers committed to Reclamation duty. Assigned as a support wing to the Red Eyes, Virtanen and the Reavers' often mocked the Eyes' passionate fervour and held themselves aloft as much as possible. During an investigative campaign on Soranus III, conflict broke out between local forces and the Astartes. Having narrowly avoided death's clutches twice, Virtanen could not repeat the stunt a third time. His fire raptor had been out on extended patrol to be free of the Red Eyes' presence. Subsequently, when hostilities broke out, they were isolated and overwhelmed by enemy resistance.

It is theorized that this death in particular contributed to Aato's growing reluctance to support the Reclamation Command.

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