Thy will be done…

Thy will be done…

9781 CY (alternate)

Sterrin Rock had finally fallen. Cardinal Hunt watched as the casualty list scrolled down across his terminal. For six months, the seige of this Nietzschean stronghold had been a case of angst with the Order's strategic planners. To move around it would be to leave a highly concentrated base of enemy ships and soldiers making much of the Order susceptible to offensive strikes. The planners, realizing this, sent the fleet to prevent the Nietzschean ships based there from entering slipstream and escaping. What the planners did not realize, was that the planet called Sterrin Rock was practically impregnable. Yet, with strength of purpose and the guiding faith of the Divine, the Order prevailed.

But at what cost?

The Cardinal looked at the growing list with increasing anger. How many more would have to die before the Nietzschean's came to their senses? They were using the Order's principles against them. They knew that the Order would try their best to save their errant brothers… at whatever cost. What would it take to save the Nietzschean's?…from themselves?

The Triumvirate, at this moment, was contemplating the Nietzschean question. With constant consulting of the Holy Writings along with mediation, the answers would present themselves. They always did…and those answers would become the Will of the Way.

People, citizens, soldiers, all are servants of the Way. That is what they were first and foremost. Imagine spreading the word without the benefit of the Order? Try as he might, the Cardinal could not imagine a universe that did not embrace all that the Father had taught. The Father had gone first to the chosen ones… the Magog. With that contact, he had instilled in the Magog the sense of purpose to spread throughout the galaxies all that he had taught them. High ideals that bespoke of peace…of order, of unity.

Tarn Vedra had, at first, resisted those ideals. But as the Triumvirate stated, most people resist that which is new. It took the Plague, the plague that killed Tarn Vedra, to unite the Commonwealth under Orthodoxy. Now Orthodoxy was the will behind the Order. And that will would be accomplished, in one form or another.

"Cardinal." Intruded Andromeda's hologram.

"Yes, Andromeda?" responded Dylan, being released from his musings.

"Vessel coming out of slipstream. It's the Renewed Virtue." she informed.

"Gar!" exclaimed Dylan, a little surprised. Her station was nowhere near here. Strange.


"They are requesting permission to come aboard, Sir." Came a young lieutenant.

"Granted," Dylan responded puzzled. What was going on?

A small honor guard of Than stood at attention along with the Cardinal as the shuttle from the Renewed Virtue landed in Andromeda's hanger bay.

As the shuttles doors opened, out came not only the master of the Renewed Virtue, but a member of the Triumvirate.

"Vicar!" exclaimed the Cardinal.

The old Magog's smile reached his eyes. "It's always good to see my favorite Cardinal." He responded, his hand moving to the young man's shoulder.

"If you had informed us of your arrival.." started the Cardinal.

"Nonsense," the Vicar replied. "If I had told anyone, the Nietzscheans might have intercepted it and cut our meeting short."

"I suspect a decision has been reached?" Dylan asked.

"Yes, one has been reached." Sighed the Vicar as the three leaders made their way to the Andromeda's reception area.

"It's going to change our entire war strategy, Dylan!" Gar informed, a little excited.

"Really?" Dylan asked, a little concerned.

The Vicar noted it. "The Triumvirate has finally come to understand the root of our problem. Why the situation is worsening despite our good intentions. Why our Order's member worlds are only half-heartedly supporting the war effort. This new decision, will change everything and restore peace to the Holy Order of the Commonwealth."

The three leaders sat down in the reception area and the Vicar was right.

This new "understanding" would change everything.

**

The soldier interrupted a man and woman talking in hushed tones. The soldier, upon handing the man a note, immediately left.

"Rhade, the Order is only trying to help." The woman continued. "The Order stands for peace…that's all they want…"

"No." The Nietzschean calmly interrupted. He looked at his companion with a patience not felt. "What about freedom? Freedom to live as we choose? How does our life, outside of your precious Orthodoxy, ever conflict with your lives? You just couldn't let us live without your attempts at converting us? Don't we get a say in how we want to live?"

"You attacked, Rhade. The Nietzscheans struck first." The woman replied.

"We had no choice. If we allowed your missionaries a foothold, the Nietzschean worlds would have suffered from the Plague."

"That's not true!" the woman shouted indignantly.

"Then perhaps the fact that only worlds resisting Orthodoxy are the ones being hit with the Plague is simply a coincidence." Rhade concluded.

"You're trying to justify…."

"Am I!" Rhade countered. "Take a look at this." He handed the note to the woman.

"We are no longer fighting to stay free. We are also fighting for the freedom to exist."

"Oh my god!" the woman exclaimed staring at the directive from the Order's Truimvirate.