Patrons of the Order - Chapter One

"Are you sure we should be doing this, Mistress?" The old priestess smiled, her ornate headdress tinkled as pieces of hammered silver bounced off each other. Its metal work was intricate, and though it was quite large, it was still light and easy to wear. The traditional robes of office for the priestess, and her acolytes was primarily to show their success in keeping to the traditions of their forefathers. "The time has arrived, Major...., sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name." He lowered his eyes in a sign of respect. He knew it was part of her job to remain aloof, but this still hurt.

"Its Ori. I was named for the father of the old gods. Come to think of it, so are the majority of my unit." She smiled benignly, but disliked this show they had to put on for the others. She had raised Ori herself, taught him all about the Patrons of the Order, and his Patron specifically. He was quite special to her. "Yes, Major Ori. Its time, according to the ancient texts. We were to return to the place of our origin when we were able to replicate the gifts left behind by our patrons, the old gods, as you call them. You're wearing our latest achievement, aren't you?" "I mean no disrespect, Mistress." He lifted his eyes after a respectable period of a minute, something Neku, long considered the heart and brains of the Patrons, established in the canonical writings of the patrons of the Order. "It is the latest model of powered armor. Extremely light, yet it can take direct fire from our best weapon, and still allow the wearer to survive."

"True, which is something we expected from beings of their intelligence. Radiation, heat dissipation, temperature control, environmental controls beyond anything available to the enemies of the order, and we've finally unlocked the healing capability the original gifts were able to do so easily." He nodded eagerly, then cleared his face of his excitement. His thoughts were well ordered, and he returned to the ones on his mind.

"This is the Holy Planet we're talking about, Mistress. No faction has been allowed to set foot upon its revered soil for over a thousand years, not since the Core was tapped for power, and everyone had to abandon it. How is it that we've been allowed to go there?" She turned away.
"The Order has deemed it necessary. You are to escort a contingent of your finest soldiers, and a science team to the Holy City. And not just the city. You are to descend to the Core." He stopped. "You want us to descend into the very heart of the place that is now cursed? I don't know why the old gods didn't destroy our people for destroying the Holy Planet, but that is their resting place, and you want us to desecrate it?" She nodded. "Chaos, and our ancestors tapped the very core of the planet for energy, and when they found their world in peril, they were directed by the old gods to build the core. So please, do not call it cursed. It was also one if their gifts. That kept the planet from turning into solid ice even to this day, over ten thousand years later, and allowed it to maintain life for nearly two millennia after it was built. If they hadn't tapped the Core as well, the planet might still have been capable of sustaining life even to this day." He lowered his eyes again. "Yes, Mistress. Forgive me." She smiled softly, and felt a shiver go down her spine. The texts were clear. Once the suits were created, send the best to the planet. That was the Major, and his entire unit. All the pieces were falling in place. She felt excited like when she was merely an acolyte, and learned of the patrons, the protectors of their species. The Great Patrons of the Order.

The Patrons had plans that stretched far into the future, and they got to be a part of it. "Get going, Major. The Core awaits." She smiled as the figure of her god appeared to her once more, and familiar eyes greeted her. Ori left the room, and she shivered slightly. Another acolyte entered the room, and immediately fall to her knees. Her face reflected a deep religious awe. Her god had shown himself to her.

"So, its true! The Famine is over?" The Matriarch nodded.

"Its almost time. Make sure everything is complete. We need to be ready."





"Major, the pilot says it will take several hours before our ship arrives in the home system." Technology had advanced far enough to make space travel relatively quick, and reduced the risk to a simple system jaunt, but travel between systems could still be hazardous. Especially when they were going to this planet.

He pulled up a visual display of the planet of their destination. The origin of the Order.

"Is this...."

"Yes, the Holy Planet. Canaan. Back when humans only looked at the skies through....telescopes? Well, those human called this planet Alpha Centauri. The closest planet to Old Earth, and though they assumed it could be habitable, they also assumed it wasn't. The Order was the first of the humans to make the long journey there, and we found a rich vibrant world, full of life, so similar to Old Earth, we wondered if it was created just for us." His subordinate, Captain Jokrah, pursed her lips. Her ancestors could be traced all the way back to the original settlers of the Holy Planet, but her ancestral lineage was lost to time.

Not that it mattered. The things that separated them on Old Earth were dead. National borders, race, or philosophies were not the reasons they waged war. It was to protect life, living planets, biospheres, and the tenets of their gods. The Patrons of the Order.

"And look what we did to it." She said bitterly. He looked up.

Her anger was understandable. It was said that the goddess Jokrah, the one she also revered, was responsible for executing the traitor. The unnamed one who used to be one of the gods, but betrayed them before it could ascend. Its betrayal was so profound, all mention of who it was, or what, was removed from all the records. Jokrah took her name seriously.

"That's one of the reasons the Order changed some of its tenets, and realized what Neku meant. They thought it was to protect the Order. Now, we are to protect life. To prevent the disasters that caused those settlers to drill into the planet for energy, and drain away its heart." She nodded.

"We've maintained dozens of planets, settlements, and massive cities, all without killing planets to do so. I just wish....." He smiled.

"We all do, captain. How are the scientists?" She snorted. Her disgust was evident.

"As stupid as you could expect. No belief in the old gods, and refuse to believe that humans were responsible for the death of the planet. They want to believe that a natural disaster made our ancestors dig into the crust, and they had to go deeper and deeper to survive whatever calamity befell them. The result was they had to tap the heat of the planet to create energy." She growled. "Our faith may not tell us everything, but we know why it happened." The Major nodded.

"Good old fashioned human greed. We lived by the old systems back then. Monetary. Wealth acquisition. Property. Things." He nearly spat the word. "Not like today. Today we focus on the real things. Life." She began to smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Major. Just like the patron, Ori, you are clear thinking, and know what our priorities should be. Use only what we need to live and thrive, and do so without damaging the place we call home." He lowered his eyes.

"You give me too much credit, captain. I had the same problems when I was younger. Some greed, and a desire to have more, but now I recognize that if you want your home to last, don't break its windows, or rip off the roof. It may not fall down right away, but eventually, it will weaken. Once it begins to weaken, that will never stop." Her smile grew wider. Her loyalty to this man was almost an obsession for her. Quite similar to her faith in the Patrons of the Order.

"Its an honor to serve under you, Major. A real honor."





"Admiral." Ori kept his distaste out of his eyes, though Jokrah had a little bit of trouble with that skill.

"Major. We're almost within range of the Alpha Centauri system. That means we should play our orders, correct?" Jokrah bristled hard, which meant that the major had to correct the admiral or there would be blood spilled. Those of the Order were quite fierce, and protective of the faith. This was a direct insult.

"Admiral Benson, I must remind you to be mindful of Canaan's correct name. To call it by the archaic name given to it by those over ten thousand years dead is a criminal act." The admiral's eyes narrowed. Ori had no small amount of dislike for the one who bought his commission, but it was a tradition that allowed the Order to have top notch equipment, and heavy cruisers equivalent to any power in the galaxy. It was also the order of things.

"You are correct, Major Ori." There was a special inflection on his rank, a reminder of the power the admiral wielded should the major become a problem. However, he was a civilian admiral, the highest rank to be attained among civilian ranks, and when it comes time for combat, military of any rank will always outrank the civilians. "I've been talking with the scientific team, and heard that name far too often. I shall have to remind them not to make such mistakes again." The major relaxed. It was a valid excuse, and one that allowed both men not to take action against each other. Mutiny was a crime punishable by death, and while the admiral's mistake might not be considered as severe by some, it was considered worse by those who had strong faith.

"Captain, if you would call the other ranking officers up to the bridge, then we can listen to the recording from the Matriarch." Captain Jokrah disappeared for a brief moment, and was followed back onto the bridge by all twelve officers who were assigned to this task. Sergeant Saltea, one of the only other males within the military officer ranks, walked up on the rear. He was also the only one of the officers who was not named for one of the patron gods of the Order.

Admiral Benson pressed a button, and the view screen flashed to life. The Matriarch of the Order appeared a second later.

"Greetings, Major Ori, and assembled officers of the Order. This mission is primarily a combat mission, which places the Major in charge, Admiral Benson. Follow his orders to the letter." Her eyes never wavered, while the admiral looked outraged. He was not so foolish as to question his orders in public, but he would vent later.

"Major, the Holy planet's core has flickered as of late, and this was to be expected. The texts relate a catastrophe that may or may not cause the destruction of the planet of origin. It is your mission to escort the scientists to the Holy City, and down into the core of the planet. Find out what the problem is, if it can be fixed, and expect trouble. Chaos will not sit idly by while the Order investigates. They may interfere, or sabotage your efforts. Canaan must be preserved, at all costs!

"Stick to your faith, Major. And may the Patrons watch over you." The screen disappeared, and the officers turned to look at each other. The admiral's outrage had died as the message progressed, and was replaced by a deep sense of unease.

"Chaos. Bloody hell." The major clapped him on the shoulder.

"You are correct, Admiral Benson." The admiral lifted his eyes in surprise. "This ship is your primary concern. Not the people on the surface, nor my men. If Chaos attacks this ship, get it, and your crew to the safety of the shield, and wait for reinforcements. You are this ship's commander." He frowned.

"But....sir, its a combat mission!" Jokrah voiced her concern, as it was also the concern of every other soldier.

"True, and all capable soldiers will be with us, correct?" She nodded, then smiled.

"And as such, this ship would be left without combat ready troops to protect it." She turned to the admiral. "He honors you, Admiral Benson, and so shall I. Keep the ship safe." He nodded.

"That is the duty I was given, Captain Jokrah, and I shall fulfill it. As per the orders of the Matriarch, and Major Ori." He turned to the major. "May the Patrons watch over you and your unit, Major Ori. Faith, To the End."




"It looks like this place has seen battle." Jokrah said softly as they walked through the now silent, and completely dead city. Not a scrap of energy remained within to light a simple low powered display. There was enough ambient light from the sun, but the city had grown haphazardly, and blocked most of the natural light.

"The scars of flash grenades, pulse grenades, and laser rifle fire." The major knelt down. "I know these kinds of battle scars well, but....how did it end up on the holy planet?" His soldiers collected together.

"The rust outside of the scars indicate that it happened a long time ago. This planet is practically frozen in the time arc." The major frowned.

"Explain yourself." The scientist looked excited.

"Its quite easy to see, sir. The level of technology here, even in this lifeless city, is quite advanced, and almost as advanced as our own tech. The core is supposed to be even more advanced." Jokrah bristled.

"That doesn't explain what you mean by 'time arc'."

"Oh, sorry, I did get carried away." The scientist was almost like a bee, an insect that moved from flower to flower, but never taking its attention off its chore. The scientist's main goal was to learn, and this place offered a lot of potential to learn. "Its said that the sun, and the technology of this city, as well as the core, all worked together. It provided a way to preserve the planet, even while its life was being bled away. Something to do with the design of the core, and the future plans of the original designers." Rakal, a behemoth of a woman with a heart of pure titanium, and the look of a beast on the hunt, grunted, and gave a gentle push to the scientist.

"On the move now. We have a mission, and the Major can not be sidetracked." Jokrah smiled. All the soldiers, except for Saltea and Ori, were female, and the best who ever lived. They carved their way through the ranks with undying loyalty to the Patrons of the Order, and a new fervor for their Major. There was something about him, and his ways, that drew them in like a magnet. His loyalty could not be measured, or even tested. Whenever someone tried to pin him down, his humbleness and deference to the Patrons, and to the Matriarchy within the Order, always smoothed the way for unity, and a deep appreciation for his skills, and faith.

"Right, right, sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone! The core awaits!" The scientist rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait to see it! A vast machine designed to keep the entire planet warm enough to sustain life! Oh, what we could learn from it! If only the designers hadn't kept the plans so secret! Wondrous, simply wondrous what they accomplished!" The soldiers smiled. To have their Patrons considered wondrous, and by someone who did not even believe in them, was something that made their faith shine brightly.

"Yes?" Jokrah caught the major's attention. He spoke to her through the mics, and kept it private.

"Somethings off, Major. Saltea seems jumpy, while the rest of our soldiers are relaxed. Even the scientists are excited, but not jumpy." Ori thought for a moment.

"He worked hard for his position, Captain. Don't ruin it for him, unless necessary. If it is necessary, you know what to do." She smiled.

"You always consider everyone, don't you?" She asked softly.

"Everyone who works for it. My entire squad has worked their entire lives to be here." He frowned for a moment. "You know, I don't know his history, other then that he was assigned here. Can you send a discreet message back to the ship, and ask for information?" She nodded.

"I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." She held up her hand. "Don't worry, Major. I have your tag on my screens. I'll always know where you are." He nodded, and gave her the simple, yet respectful salute he always gave to those under him. He considered them all friends, and never failed to show them the respect they deserved.

"Listen up, soldiers of the Order! We are now heading deeper into the Holy City! Respect it, and the core, and we'll come out alive! The Patrons will it!"