Cosmonastery of the Empty Orbit

The Cosmonastery of the Empty Orbit, located in, is the largest solarian monastery outside Kasath or the Idari The towers of this sprawling complex are built facing the stars, on a courtyard on the outer surface of one of the Arms of Absalom Station, shielded from the void by a force field. It was founded by High Sola Tabishad Oseo Markola to spread the Cycle to the people of the Pact Worlds and oppose the re-engineering of the cosmos, which she considers to fundamentally disrupt its balance.

Initiates are trained by the high sola's two assistants, Solas Sverdan Toloma Noyd and Zokora Yakarahv. Sverdan keeps new recruits focused and alert with drills and ambushes, and teaches them to strip away distractions and distil their resolve and vitality into a stellar mote with gruelling physical exercises. Zokora teaches students to manifest this mote in reality, and helps them dissociate their subjectivity through meditations and lessons on the Cycle.

Initiates who demonstrate solarian abilities leave their classmates behind to train with Tabishad herself. These proto-sols apply their new abilities in combat under her supervision, and serve as ambassadors by serving as guides or guards for visitors to Absalom Station, or speaking with or helping important figures, in so doing developing their tact and maintaining the cosmonastery's external relations. Once her students have learnt all the skills needed to combat the danger of re-engineering of the cosmos, Tabishad grants them the full rank of solarian, speaking in their graduation ceremony:

“

You go into the galaxy as adults among children armed with plasma cannons. Teach them responsibility, or take away their toys and be ready for a fit.

”

Those who wish to enforce these ideals can join the Order of the Empty Orbit, an elite solarian group that opposes reckless terraforming, planetary exploitation and artificial movement of astronomical objects.