Editing Holy Order of Knight Defenders

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image = 
| Designation = Holy Order of Knight Defenders
| Formed = 1 January [[3084]]<ref name=UD:KDp3>''Unit Digest: Knights Defensor'', p. 3, "Knights Defensor Profile"</ref>
| Disbanded = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname = Knights Defensor
| Affiliation = [[New Avalon Catholic Church]]
| Parent Command = [[Soldiery of the New Avalon Catholic Church]]
| Sub-Command = 
}}

==History==
The '''Holy Order of Knight Defenders''' better known as the '''Knights Defensor''' were created by the Pope of the [[New Avalon Catholic Church]] on 1 January [[3084]]. The Pope took this action after several of the Churches' missions, schools, and hospitals in the [[Outback]] were raided. Knowing that the [[AFFS]] was unable to protect the NACC's missions, the Pope looked back to the history of the Church and created the Holy Order of Knight Defenders based on the warrior orders once sponsored by the Church.

After the horrors of the [[Jihad]], many soldiers who sought to do something more joined the Order. In addition to the sponsorship of the NACC, several wealthy citizens donated funds to the cause, allowing the Knights Defensor to operate within a year of the Pope's announcement. Stationed in the [[Periphery March (Federated Suns)|Periphery March]], the Knights have their headquarters on [[June]], but also have a Chapterhouse in every Combat Region, or [[PDZ]], in the March. The Knights also have a Chapterhouse in the [[Filtvelt Coalition]], where they not only defend the Church's interests, but work on construction and other projects.

Though they number somewhere between five and seven combined arms [[battalion]]s, the Knights Defensor are usually deployed in [[Lance]] or [[Company]] sized formations. They have been known to take on escort or antipiracy [[mercenary]] contracts, but only if the contract is in the [[Federated Suns]]. They have also performed missions or taken contracts for free if they judge it to be a worthy cause, such as defending a settlement from bandits.

All new members of the Knights Defensor are first sent to the June Chapterhouse for training before moving on to one of the other Chapterhouses.

==Officers==
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of the Knights Defensor'''
|-
| [[Grand Master of the Knights Defensor|Grand Master]]||[[Hugh LeMond]]||[[3085]]{{cn}}
|-
| Grand Master||[[Leonard Goodnight]]||[[3140]] - [[3146]]<ref name=RC21>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 21'', p. 10</ref>
|-
|}

==Ranks==
===Grand Master===
The June Chapterhouse is the home of the [[Knights Defensor's Grand Master]].

===Master Knight===
The Chapterhouses on [[Anaheim]], [[Broken Wheel]] and [[Farnsworth]] are each led by a Master Knight.

===Seneschal===
The Seneschal aids the Grand Master in managing the day-to-day operations of the order.

===Knight-Captain===
Knight captains serve as senior officers in each chapterhouse, with one known example serving as second-in-command to a Master Knight.

==Tactics==
Unknown.

==Composition History==
===3084===
'''June Chapterhouse''' (2 Battalions/Veteran/Fanatical)<ref name=UD:KDp3/>
* CO: [[Knights Defensor's Grand Master]] [[Hugh LeMond]]

'''Farnsworth Chapterhouse''' (Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=UD:KDp3/>
* CO: [[Master Knight]] [[Yalonda Beckman]]

'''Anaheim Chapterhouse''' (Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)<ref name=UD:KDp3/>
* CO: Master Knight [[Balen Dyakonov]]

'''Broken Wheel Chapterhouse''' (Reinforced Battalion/Regular/Reliable)<ref name=UD:KDp3/>
* CO: Master Knight [[Rafe Clancy]]

==Notes==

<div class="gamerules">
==Rules==
For every two 'Mechs or vehicles the Knights are outnumbered, they gain a +1 Initiative bonus, to a maximum of +3. If the Knights are evenly matched or have deployed more forces than their foes, they receive no bonuses.

===June Chapterhouse===
Since they're not used to working as a team, the members of this force receive a -1 Initiative penalty for the first five rounds of combat. If Grand Master is present, they ignore [[Forced Withdrawal]] rules.

===Anaheim Chapterhouse===
After selecting forces, roll 1d6 and divide by two. This is the number of Knights who receive the [[Blood Stalker]] special ability. This reflects their hatred of pirates. Master Knight Dyakonov is immune to this effect.

===Farnsworth Chapterhouse===
Located near the [[Raven Alliance]] the Farnsworth Chapterhouse Knights have been studying ''zellbrigen''. When facing a non-pirate Clan force that invokes ''zellbrigen'', the Knights will honor it at level two for both physical attacks and ''zellbrigen''.

===Broken Wheel Chapterhouse===
If the Knights are the defenders in a scenario, they can hide one unit for every four they field. For every four units on the field, one has Green skill levels.

</div>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 21]]''
* ''[[BattleCorps Unit Digests|Unit Digest: Knights Defensor]]''

[[Category:Ecclesiastical Security Forces|Holy Order of Knight Defenders]]
[[Category:Orders of Knighthood]]