Kirjahaku

On a backwater planet in an otherwise barren solar system, an underground church thrives. For generations, the tyrannical world government has tried to stomp it out. But now, an elderly nun has brought hope to her suffering people when she begins experiencing a genuine stigmata. Her bishop requests her be rescued and taken far away. The Knights 15 13 send a spec ops team to do just that. But these missions never go easily. Discovered and assaulted from the land to the atmosphere, the Knights 15 13 rush to save the nun from the clutches of their enemy. An enemy who has much more sinister plans in mind. They don't want to just kill her. They want to force her to help them kill everyone.

From the beginning, there have been guardians of the Holy Catholic Church. Vowed to Christ, these saints, martyrs and heroes have always stood between good and evil. They have always pushed back against those that would commit atrocities. As mankind traversed galaxies and found myriad other species in need of evangelization, the Church created new guardians for this new mission. Known as The Knights 1513, the Brotherhood of Those Washed in the Water and Blood from His Side, they have sworn their lives to Jesus and His bride, the Church. Raiders from the sea assault a monastery on a far-off planet. Leave death and plundering in their wake. A lone Knights 1513 spec ops team must make a daring stealth recovery. In this prequel to Stigmata Invicta, learn the origin story of Brother Becket, the newest member assigned to Commander Brigid's team. A ruthless band from a warrior culture absconds across the Devil's Throat Sea with priceless cargo in tow. A new team of Knights manage to secretly get on board the cargo containers to retrieve the stolen valuables. There, they discover much more than they prepared for. They discover life. The vessel is a crude, imposing thing literally built on bones. Its captain, a merciless predator, is in possession of a stolen relic that confounds him. His new first mate, a sailor not made for their cruelty, is beginning to hear the voice of God. Brother Becket and his team fight against a continuous onslaught and try to survive long enough to complete their mission. Then, every man is willing to lay down his life for another. Every man must rise to the occasion. Those who are left, anyway. Blessed Solanus Casey once stated, "Do not pray for easier lives; pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks."

A violent act. A rushed mission. The hand of God needed to clear the way of righteousness. In this prequal to Stigmata Invicta, go on another mission with Commander Brigid and his Knights as they serve the Risen Christ against those who would see His Church murdered. Terrorists from a schizmatic movement have kidnapped a Knights 1513 archbishop and left a trail of bodies in their wake. They retreat to a husk of an asteroid that was mined hollow decades prior. Intel confirms the archbishop's location, and the Order of Those Washed in the Water and Blood from His Side need a special forces team to retrieve him. Commander Brigid's team just so happens to have the one knight who grew up on the asteroid, where his parents were miners. Divine providence has put them at the top of the batting rotation. So be it. The countdown clock to the archbishop's execution is racing ahead. Tight, filthy and precarious caverns cramp the Knights in. Unreliable gravity changes with their every footfall. Not everything on the asteroid is what it seems. And with an enemy willing to destabilize the asteroid and drop it into the atmosphere of the gas giant it's orbiting, they need stealth and surprise almost as much as they need a miracle. And that's when the shooting starts.