Sisterhood of Barbara

The Sisterhood of Barbara was a a secret group of Masadan women. The organization had two goals: first the protection and education of women, (which was forbidden under Masadan law). The second goal was an eventual Exodus from Masada, freeing the Sisterhood forever from the tyranny of their husbands, who viewed women as mere chattel, and ultimately to blame for man's fall from grace.
== Samson's Bane ==
Samson's Bane was a code-name of a sub-sect of the Sisterhood, women who had demonstrated a willingness to offer violence to men if the need arose. When the Exodus came, they were given priority for weapons and vac-suits. ()
== History ==
=== Origins ===
The name of the group was a reference to Barbara Bancroft, whom Masadan men had nicknamed the "Harlot of Satan", for having helped foil the Faithful's doomsday plot during the Grayson Civil War. ()
=== Exodus ===
When she was caught reading by Ephraim Templeton's senior wife Dinah, Judith Templeton became a member of the sisterhood. Realizing that she had spent much of her time learning about how to pilot a starship, and needing an expedited plan in order to save Judith's unborn daughter from being aborted, the Sisterhood formulated a plot to flee Masada, in order to complete their Exodus. While most of the Sisterhood wanted to flee to the People's Republic of Haven, Dinah, their leader, was skeptical of the Republic's intentions, especially in light of how quick they were to offer weapons in order to secure the Faithful's friendship. She preferred the Star Kingdom of Manticore, for although it resembled Masada with its rigid hierarchy of authority (as opposed to the Republic's professed "equality"), it was led by a Queen.
Dinah decided to time their escape to coincide with the visit from the Crown Prince of Manticore, Michael Winton, who was visiting Masada on a diplomatic mission (as well as serving his midshipman cruise). The events planned around his arrival provided a convenient distraction, and meant that most of the Sisters husbands would be otherwise occupied.
They hijacked the shuttle Flower headed for orbit to rendezvous with Templeton's starship Aaron's Rod. To their surprise, their departure resulted in no alarms, for Templeton's allegedly bastard son Joseph (who was killed when Flower was hijacked), had been planning a smuggling run with some Silesian traders under Templeton's nose.When Templeton received word that the shuttle had taken off, he assumed it was Joseph. Once the Sisterhood had taken command of Aaron's Rod, Judith served as its captain. After a brief struggle with Joseph's cohorts on board, the ship left orbit, heading for the hyper limit.
Chief Elder Thomas Simonds, having discovered the plot following the capture of a Sister as she tried to leave her home, requested that both the Manticoran and Havenite delegations provide assistance, claiming that the vessel had been stolen, although without giving any details. He requested that the ship was to be delayed so Masadan ships could overtake and capture Aaron's Rod.
Judith decided that the time had come to request asylum. Knowing that the bridge officer on HMS Intransigent was a woman (having overheard the conversation with Masandan authorities), Judith gambled that the Manticoran ship would be more sympathetic to their plight. Captain Abelard Boniece agreed to consider their request, but the presence of the Sileseian smugglers complicated the situation. He requested that Prince Michael, who was in a pinnace, be allowed to board Aaron's Rod in order to verify their version of events, in order to insure that this wasn't merely a ruse to allow smugglers to escape.
Having verified their identity, Captain Boniece informed both Templeton and the Havenite ship PNS Moscow that he was assisting Judith of Grayson in returning home, and that the Aaron's Rod would be returned to Templeton when this task was complete. Templeton's other ships Proverbs and Psalms, split up to maneuver around Intransigent. Michael Winton requested that he be allowed to stay aboard Aaron's Rod, in order that him and his pinnace crew might provide Judith's crew with assistance maximizing the speed of the vessel and assist with damage control. With Intransigent intercepting most of the missiles (fired by Templeton's ships) headed for Aaron's Rod, both ships managed to make it to the hyper-limit and fled the system. Just short of the hyper-limit, Dinah suffered a heart-attack, but Michael's quick first aid helped to save her life. ()
=== New Home ===
Once at safety, the members of the Sisterhood became Manticoran citizens and settled together in an apartment complex in Friedman's Valley. ()
== Known Members ==
* Dinah Templeton – Head of the Sisterhood
* Judith Templeton
* Mahalia Templeton
* Rena Templeton
* Naomi Templeton
* Odelia
* Zaneta
* Miriam
* Wanda
* Sherlyn
* Teresa
* Dara
== References==
Category:Masada