Arkblazer Order

The Arkblazer Order is a small contigent of specialized troops and scientists that operate out of the Embassy Ark. Before the Great Jump they were a large Boshaari organization of explorers and trailblazers, which trace their roots to Fallanist archivists operating in the lost city of Arulussa ever since the dawn of Boshaari civilization. Later, the Order accepted Mewei into their ranks. They are credited for the discovery and retroffiting of the Embassy Ark which allowed survivors to evacuate their war-doomed home galaxy.
Upon the success of the Great Jump and the establishment of sovereign colonies, the Order mostly disbanded. Ark Embassy staff merged into the Ark Committee; several key scientists left to lead colonies on their species' respective worlds. Those who remained reformed the Order itself as a smaller group of militarized explorers working together for the greater good of all Tau Elpis colonies.
According to Fallanist tradition, the patron Æsimar of the Arkblazer Order are Syl, the Fae Archivist, and Harmony, the Fathomless Mystery.

Role

Upon arrival, the newly-reformed Order was initially to assist new colonies with local threats - wildlife, environmental or crime related. As each colony created their own militia and broke away from each other, the role of the Order shifted : they became prospectors, surveyors, and local advisors. The Order always publicly eschews political roles and takes care to be seen as neutrally as possible, for it endeavours to develop pan-colonial solutions and not to take part in direct warfare. Many pan-colonial initiatives are heeded by an Order representative. In recent decades, this neutrality has become increasingly difficult to uphold given their position of influence, though the Order has escaped mainstream drama and continues to assist where needed.
By the 151st cycle, the Order is probably best known for its Seekers : elite explorers who travel around the Elpis system and beyond and lend their support to scouting operations.
As the Order answers directly to the Embassy Committee, they are often above the law whilst on the station. Many colonies will also recognize their status and role and help out, though such privileges are not automatically granted.

Organization

The command structure of the Order is fairly loose. It is split in three Chapters : the Administrarium (day-to-day, admin, finance, etc), the Athenaeum (Embassy-bound research personnel) and the Gnositheras (outward-bound Seekers and support personnel)
The Gnositheras is the most public part of the Order - most notably their Seekers, hand-picked elite explorers and field agents, who have assisted with colonial development for nearly two centuries. The Gnositheras is divided in five Lodges, each responsible for a different field of study. Lodge Echo, operating out of the AKV Duty of Dust, is posted permanently on Outpost X-5 under the command of Matriarch (and High-Seeker) Yulia and Seeker Indil. As of the 151st Cycle, Lodge Bravo is posted on Gorass to assist the Hhrot with the settling of their new agro-world whilst Lodge Charlie is assigned to the joint Hhrot-Boshaari expedition to the Rust Clouds beyond the Hepera subsystem. The other two lodges float between different mining assignments - though Lodge Alpha is rumoured to be a research cell investigating occurances of Psionic Metadisease.
The current Head-Seeker of the entire Order is Aramesh Arali, assisted in day-to-day operations by High-Seeker Melina d'Ariel.

Headquarters

The Order's Grand-Lodge is located at Whitespire, a tower complex embedded deep within Embassy Ark. From there, several dockyards allow them to press on to different assignments across the system.

Type

Special Forces