Jemar replied, nodding to the food that Cassa had placed on the table. “I will show you around the vineyard after breakfast.”
Josh nodded, reaching for the plate of food in front of him. He handed the plate to the young boy sitting to the left of him after he had taken several pieces of fruit and some bread. A smile tugged at his lips at the boy’s curious, wide-eyed stare.
“So, how big was your ship?” Jesup asked.
*.*.*
Josh walked beside Jemar as he quietly explained the harvesting process. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be small robots moving down the rows. His eyes widened when he saw a larger robot step over the long line of vines and lift the full bins of fruit. It poured the picked fruit into itself before setting the container back down and moving to the next one.
“We only have seven helpers left. The others have either left the planet or joined the Gallant Order,” Jemar stated.
Josh could feel Jemar’s intense stare at his comment. He still didn’t know who or what the Legion or Gallant Order was. From the few pieces of information he had been able to gather, he was pretty sure they were two opposing governing forces. Cassa’s harsh question asking him if he was a member of the Legion told him that she wasn’t a huge supporter of that particular group.
“Why would they leave the planet? Where would they go?” Josh asked, pausing to study the large, thick orange fruit that was almost as big as his hand.
Jemar stopped beside him and turned to look at him. “What do you know about the Legion and the Gallant Order?” Jemar asked in a quiet tone.
Josh shrugged. “Not much,” he admitted. “I know that Cassa isn’t too happy with the Legion.”
“My daughter can be very difficult when she isn’t happy, Joshua Manson,” Jemar chuckled and reached out to cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp, curved blade that looked very similar to the one that Josh had taken last night. “I do not know where you are from, but I can tell that it is not from any of the known galaxies.”
Josh stiffened and he cleared his face of any expression. “Why do you say that?” He asked in a cautious tone.
Jemar looked at him with amusement. “You do not deny it,” he murmured in approval. “I would have had doubts about you if you had lied. Anyone who lives here, even in the remotest sections of the galaxy, is aware of the power of the Legion, and the struggles of the Gallant Order to stop Lord Andronikos from taking over any more worlds.”
“Lord Andronikos?” Josh replied with a raised eyebrow.
Jemar nodded. “He is the director of the Legion and not a man you want as an enemy. Those that have disagreed with him do not live long,” he warned.
“What is the Gallant Order?” Josh asked after several long seconds.
“The Gallant Order was once very powerful,” Jemar explained. “The Gallant was made up of representatives from each world, knights that swore on their lives to help guide and protect the worlds. As the members grew older, the younger generation thought them old fashion and weak. Andri Andronikos took advantage when one of the planets under the Gallant Order suffered a devastating loss.”
“What kind of loss?” Josh asked with a frown.
Jemar’s lips tightened in anger. “It was said to be a natural disaster, but I seriously doubt it. The central core of the planet froze. Millions of people died before support could be sent to them,” he explained with a sad look in his eyes. “Lord Andronikos accused the Gallant Order of ignoring the pleas of the planet. He drew in large followings and continued to build up his army.”
“Why didn’t the Gallant try to stop him?” Josh asked in surprise.
Jemar looked out over the fields. “There are few of the original knights left in the Order. We saw what was happening and tried to stop Andronikos. The cost of trying to stop the director came with huge consequences. Unfortunately, we were too few and too
Josh nodded, reaching for the plate of food in front of him. He handed the plate to the young boy sitting to the left of him after he had taken several pieces of fruit and some bread. A smile tugged at his lips at the boy’s curious, wide-eyed stare.
“So, how big was your ship?” Jesup asked.
*.*.*
Josh walked beside Jemar as he quietly explained the harvesting process. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be small robots moving down the rows. His eyes widened when he saw a larger robot step over the long line of vines and lift the full bins of fruit. It poured the picked fruit into itself before setting the container back down and moving to the next one.
“We only have seven helpers left. The others have either left the planet or joined the Gallant Order,” Jemar stated.
Josh could feel Jemar’s intense stare at his comment. He still didn’t know who or what the Legion or Gallant Order was. From the few pieces of information he had been able to gather, he was pretty sure they were two opposing governing forces. Cassa’s harsh question asking him if he was a member of the Legion told him that she wasn’t a huge supporter of that particular group.
“Why would they leave the planet? Where would they go?” Josh asked, pausing to study the large, thick orange fruit that was almost as big as his hand.
Jemar stopped beside him and turned to look at him. “What do you know about the Legion and the Gallant Order?” Jemar asked in a quiet tone.
Josh shrugged. “Not much,” he admitted. “I know that Cassa isn’t too happy with the Legion.”
“My daughter can be very difficult when she isn’t happy, Joshua Manson,” Jemar chuckled and reached out to cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp, curved blade that looked very similar to the one that Josh had taken last night. “I do not know where you are from, but I can tell that it is not from any of the known galaxies.”
Josh stiffened and he cleared his face of any expression. “Why do you say that?” He asked in a cautious tone.
Jemar looked at him with amusement. “You do not deny it,” he murmured in approval. “I would have had doubts about you if you had lied. Anyone who lives here, even in the remotest sections of the galaxy, is aware of the power of the Legion, and the struggles of the Gallant Order to stop Lord Andronikos from taking over any more worlds.”
“Lord Andronikos?” Josh replied with a raised eyebrow.
Jemar nodded. “He is the director of the Legion and not a man you want as an enemy. Those that have disagreed with him do not live long,” he warned.
“What is the Gallant Order?” Josh asked after several long seconds.
“The Gallant Order was once very powerful,” Jemar explained. “The Gallant was made up of representatives from each world, knights that swore on their lives to help guide and protect the worlds. As the members grew older, the younger generation thought them old fashion and weak. Andri Andronikos took advantage when one of the planets under the Gallant Order suffered a devastating loss.”
“What kind of loss?” Josh asked with a frown.
Jemar’s lips tightened in anger. “It was said to be a natural disaster, but I seriously doubt it. The central core of the planet froze. Millions of people died before support could be sent to them,” he explained with a sad look in his eyes. “Lord Andronikos accused the Gallant Order of ignoring the pleas of the planet. He drew in large followings and continued to build up his army.”
“Why didn’t the Gallant try to stop him?” Josh asked in surprise.
Jemar looked out over the fields. “There are few of the original knights left in the Order. We saw what was happening and tried to stop Andronikos. The cost of trying to stop the director came with huge consequences. Unfortunately, we were too few and too
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