Ordo Sancti Lacena

The Ordo Sancti Lacena (also called the Order of Knights of Saint Lacena, or simply Hospitallers) is an unofficial military order of the Imperial Cult that was founded in the early 41st Millennium. It is not officially recognized by the Ecclesiarchy but has been informally granted canonical acceptance as a hospitaller and military order of chivalry. Originally a splinter group of the more famous Ordo Templariis, the Ordo Sancti Lacena has since become a prominent organization in its own right.

The Order originated from a company of Templars that were deployed to protect Imperial colonists on a Frontier World in the Calixis Sector from Ork raids. However, this company, under Knight Commander Ferdinand Lacena de Navarette, were ordered to leave and go to the aid of another world nearby. Navarette disobeyed the command as they were not finished with their mission and they refused to abandon the colonists to the Orks. He and his company were then expelled from the Ordo Templariis, and Navarette died in battle a short while later. Other members of his company reformed themselves into a new organization aimed strictly at protecting the followers of the God-Emperor, believing that the Templars were too focused on fighting at the front lines, like the Imperial Guard, and not enough in defending the believers.

Since that event, which some referred to as the "Templar Schism", the Order of Saint Lacena has expanded to include various cells operating throughout the Imperium. Unlike its original order, the Knights of Saint Lacena do not limit themselves to the Segmentum Obscurus, although that is where their headquarters and majority of members are. It remains a secretive underground group which maintains ties to local clergy as well as various charities and medical organizations. Although it is, like the Templars, a borderline violation of the Decree Passive, the Inquisition does not consider it a threat as it only fights to defend the believers of the Imperial Creed and has not demonstrated to have any ulterior motives, earning the Imperial government's tacit approval of their existence.

Role and doctrine
The Order of Knights of Saint Lacena, like their original organization, consists of not only soldiers but also various other members. But in this Order's case the non-combatant members are primarily medical personnel or associated with various charity organizations of the Imperium. The Order's stated goal is to "provide protection to the followers of the God-Emperor, wherever they might be, whenever it is needed." Its knights guard Shrine Worlds or go to planets that are under attack from an enemy force and the people there are not receiving adequate support. In addition to fighting off the threat, the Hospitallers provide medical and other humanitarian assistance to Imperial citizens living on the afflicted world. The organization gets much of its funds from various noble and high-ranking patrons within the Ecclesiarchy, the Administratum, or local governments that are sympathetic to its cause.

Order bases and hideouts
The main headquarters of the Hospitallers is now based on the Frontier World of Ganf Magna, which was the original planet on which Saint Lacena and his company of Templars had fought to protect colonists from the Ork raids. It now serves as a de-facto Shrine World and is the home of their Grand Master. The organization maintains many outposts throughout the Imperium, with the majority of them being in their native Segmentum Obscurus. They are organized into the following:
 * Cell — The basic administrative unit of the Order is a local cell. A cell usually covers one planet, or in some cases, one city or region on a given world. Cells manage the local activities of the Order on their assigned planet.
 * Commandery — An larger office of the Ordo Sancti Lacena, usually found on major worlds.
 * Great Priory — One of these regional hubs is located on a major world in each sector that the Order operates in.

Symbols and insignia
A green Maltese Cross set on a white field is the symbol of the Ordo Sancti Lacena, with several variations also being seen in use.

Trivia

 * Originally the author was inspired to write this after seeing the article on Crusaders on Warhammer 40k Wiki, where it stated "Across the Imperium there exist countless orders that combine martial and religious ideals, each venerating and serving the God-Emperor according to its own ideals and traditions." The author got the idea for this specific organization after reading the Imperial Saint article.
 * The Ordo Sancti Lacena is based on the real Order of Saint Lazarus, a Roman Catholic hospitaller and military order that was founded in the 11th century in Jerusalem.