SLotH4's Note: This is the first supplemental piece for "Shadow of the Phoenix," written by the immensely talented Xabiar. Be sure to check out his fics, a link to his page is on my Author's Biography Page.
These will serve to expand on aspects of the main fic, things that I don't get to go into depth over due to story-flow concerns. Organizations, factions, technology, history, the mysteries of the Force, these are the things that will be covered here and in other supplementals.
Anything in these Addenda pieces is fair-use, so long as credit is given to the piece as well as the author of it, you are more than welcome to use this lore for your own story.
This first one covers the Imperial Knights.
Xabiar's Note: Hello, everyone, something of a departure writing-wise from what I've been doing, but I'm happy to be writing something for Star Wars again, and this particular take on the universe has a lot of potential that would sadly be hidden in the main story.
You can blame me for this existing at all, as I've been sort of pushing for something like this for a while. In any event, this was really enjoyable to come up with, and I hope everyone enjoys it. Be sure to check out "Shadow of the Phoenix" itself, if you haven't already. It's very good.
SotP Addenda - Fellan Imperium, the Legacy of an Empire
Operation: FALLEN SULLUST – The Imperial Knights
ALLIANCE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
REQUIRED PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATION: TOP SECRET-GALACTIC
OPERATION ID: IS61520093 – FINAL REPORT
WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AUTHORIZATION TO VIEW THIS DOCUMENT. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND PROSECUTION BY INTERNAL OVERSIGHT
DOCUMENTATION INFORMATION
Operation ID: IS61520093
Operation Name: FALLEN SULLUST
Operational Division: Imperial Observation and Counter-Intelligence
Operation Type(s): Information Acquisition; Threat Assessment; Penetration
Document Author: Operation Director Jirss Tlek
Document Type: Post-Operation Compilation
Document Iteration: 184
Document Status: Complete
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
Operation Overseer: Jirss Tlek, Operation Director
Operation Field Agents/Assets:
- Jordaw Calrick | Imperial Citizen Cover (Bastion)
- Nashmil Leaccal | Imperial Administration Position (Dantooine)
- Allval Blival | Imperial Citizen Cover (Bastion)
- Branden Glover | Artifact Merchant Cover
- Rodry Glenwood | Imperial Knight Infiltrator
- Irocnuci | Imperial Knight Infiltrator
- Nikki Sayreid | Imperial Media Cover (Bastion)
- Trejam Salis | Asset Management
Operation Handlers:
- Disa Ufana | Field Agents Jordaw Calrick & Allval Bilval
- Casesul Monenosw | Field Agents Trejam Salis, & Assets Rodry Glenwood & Irocnuci
- Jonoma Pulbur | Field Agent Branden Glover
- Jekabras | Field Agents Nashmil Leaccal & Nikki Sayreid
AIS Assets Used:
Note: All assets are unidentified per AIS guidelines for operational reports. For explicit details of specific assets, please request access from AIS Asset Oversight. Please see attached log of each instance of assets used in the course of this operation.
- [7] Imperial Civilian Assets
- [4] Imperial Administration Assets
- [5] Imperial Military Assets
- [2] Force-sensitive Assets
AIS Assets Acquired:
- [2] Imperial Military Assets
- [1] Imperial Knight Asset
AIS Assets Lost:
- [3] Imperial Civilian Assets
- [2] Imperial Administrative Assets
- [1] Imperial Military Asset
- [2] Force-Sensitive Assets
Operation Field Agent Status:
- Jordaw Clarick [ACTIVE – RECALLED]
- Nashmil Leaccal [ACTIVE – MAINTAINING COVER]
- Allval Bival [DECEASED – PROTOCOL 4]
- Branden Glover [DECEASED – ENGAGED IMPERIAL FORCES]
- Rodry Glenwood [DECEASED – PROTOCOL 4]
- Irocnuci [ACTIVE – DEEP COVER]
- Nikki Sayreid [ACTIVE – MAINTAINING COVER]
- Trejam Salis [ACTIVE – RECALLED]
OPERATION INFORMATION
Organization of Focus: The Imperial Knights | Fellan Imperium
Objective: To gather a sufficient amount of information to achieve a complete and thorough understanding of the structure, politics, abilities, equipment, training, tactics, competence, motivations, and goals of the Imperial Knights and to determine their overall potential threat to the Galactic Alliance and galactic stability as a whole.
Secondary objectives include: acquiring a more complete understanding of Imperial institutions, operations, and reach, as well as the insertion of additional AIS assets within the Empire, and the Imperial Knights specifically.
Operation Procedure: Upon the commencement of Operation FALLEN SULLUST, Jirss Tlek assumed command as Operational Director, assigned together with AIS Handlers Casesul Monenosw and Jekabras. Over a period of six months, considerable research into the penetration of the Imperial Knights, and a thorough review of all relevant assets within Imperial Space was conducted, as well as the recruitment of eight additional field agents, and two additional AIS handlers.
The operation was carried out in several specific phases. The first was establishing agents within Imperial Space. The decision to not directly activate additional assets was due to the possible danger posed by the Imperial Knights and Imperial Intelligence. Agents trained in combat and subterfuge in addition to infiltration were deemed a necessity.
Phase 1A consisted of inserting field agents Jordaw Calrick and Allval Blival within Imperial Space as immigrants from the Outer Rim. Identities and backgrounds were provided by the AIS. Both agents applied for citizenship on Bastion and were cleared after a period of two months. Both assumed entry-level jobs in sanitation and Imperial manufacturing plants – both of which were located near Imperial Knight Command.
Phase 1B began shortly after, with field agent Nashmil Leaccal emigrating from the Galactic Alliance under the cover of a disillusioned senatorial aide. In exchange for providing compromising information on the Senator in question, he was granted citizenship and a position within the Dantooine Administration, near the Imperial Knight training grounds. Field agent Nikki Sayreid was similarly driven to the Empire under the cover of a HoloNet personality who uncovered information on a senatorial asset, and had a bounty placed on her head established through AIS proxies.
The bounty hunters in question were easily dispatched by Imperial forces, but granted her story the necessary legitimacy. There was a brief complication when she was interviewed with Imperial Intelligence, but they were only interested in her previous work and what she knew about the bounty hunters. There were no further inquiries from Imperial Intelligence, and Nikki assumed a low-level position within Imperial State Media.
During this period, field agent Trejam Salis was activated and placed in Imperial Space to await further orders. This marked the completion of Phase 1.
Phase 2A involved the penetration of the Imperial Knights themselves. During the period of Phase 1, assets Rodry Glenwood and Irocnuci were being prepared for their own missions. Both Force-sensitive assets (ages eighteen and sixteen, respectively), they were crucial to the infiltration of the Imperial Knights proper. Assets Glenwood and Irocnuci had false memories inserted, relating to their history with the Jedi Order, and history as a colonist near Hutt Space, respectively. Both also underwent Dimalium Conditioning with programming set to two code phrases:
DZWOL GROTTHU restored previous memories and knowledge of the individual as an AIS asset. Using this code phrase in conjunction with commands was used to establish specific orders. This persists beyond restoration of cover (and memories, if applicable).
NU KINTIK MIDWAN forces false memories and personality to take priority, and suppresses recent memories and individual knowledge of their own employment within the AIS. Note that this will not cancel orders implemented by using the previous code phrase. Assets will carry out instructions unknowingly.
Dimalium Conditioning was authorized due to the possible risk of infiltrators undergoing interrogation by the Imperial Knights or Imperial Intelligence and becoming compromised if subjected to mind-affecting Force abilities or drugs. This suspicion proved to be well-founded.
Phase 2B consisted of Asset Glenwood presumably leaving the Jedi Order due to serious disagreements with the Masters. Assets within the Jedi Order assisted in solidifying his story, and he was soon approached by the Imperial Knights for possible recruitment.
Asset Irocnuci had her false memories activated and placed in a location regularly attacked by slavers near the Imperial border. Upon lures placed by AIS assets, slavers attacked and captured her. After being held for a period of three months, Imperial Intelligence was tipped off to the possibility of Hutts kidnapping Force-sensitive children/teens, which led them to the location of Asset Irocnuci. Upon liberating the slaves and testing them for Force-sensitivity, they offered her a potential life within the Imperial Knights, which she accepted (prior conditioning ensured she would not refuse an inevitable offer). With all relevant agents within place, Phase 2 was concluded.
Phase 3 began approximately three years after the initial commencement of Operation FALLEN SULLUST, with all assets and field agents being in position for one full year or more. During this period, information was acquired and from there further action and use of the agents was plotted. After the information of Xilas-III was acquired, field agent Branden Glover was activated with a cover of a seller of Jedi and Sith artifacts.
Penetration of Xilas-III was deemed a necessity, and agent Glover was supplied with Artifact 45 to sell to the Empire. As expected, the Imperial Knights took a direct interest in the artifact and entered negotiations. After agreeing to a price, but also demanding to see Xilas-III, he was permitted to bring the artifact to the planet. This was the one and only successful penetration of Xilas-III, and shortly after making contact with his handler, the message was intercepted by Imperial scanners and he perished in a firefight with Imperial naval forces.
This phase was considered indefinite until we had acquired enough information to end the operation or a significant portion of assets and agents were terminated or compromised.
Operation Outcome: Enough information was acquired on the Imperial Knights to unquestionably state that the operation was a SUCCESS. Findings will be detailed below. Secondary objectives were also a SUCCESS, as we have a more complete understanding of modern Imperial institutions and have a singular asset within the Imperial Knights themselves.
This came at the cost of several field agents being forced to enact Protocol 4, including Asset Glenwood, removing an additional source within the Knights, but sudden interest by Imperial Intelligence necessitated this protocol. Asset Allval was also forced to enact Protocol 4 after Imperial Law Enforcement was tipped off about a possible spy (it is unknown how this happened). Agent Calrick has been successfully extracted, and agents Leaccal and Sayreid have maintained their cover and will serve as assets for further AIS operations.
Operation Status: COMPLETE
FOUNDATION AND HISTORY
Pre-Operation Information: The Imperial Knights were known as an organization of Force-users who directly served within the Empire. Established by the first Emperor of the Fel Dynasty, Jagged Fel, their directive was the protection of the Imperial Sovereigns (the Emperor and Empress have equal authority within the Empire and the position will be referred to as such through the remainder of this document) and enforcement of Imperial laws and principles.
While the establishment of the Imperial Knights was initiated by Emperor Jagged Fel, despite not being Force-sensitive himself, the organization itself was refined and structured primarily by Empress Jaina Solo-Fel (formerly Jedi Knight Jaina Solo), together with an unidentified number of Imperial Intelligence and military officers who shared the Emperor's vision for the Order. Empress Jaina notably did not continue to be heavily involved in the Imperial Knights after its establishment, though her influence is definitely seen in early Imperial Knight philosophy.
Unlike Force-users within similar previous incarnations, the Imperial Knights did not control the Empire, nor did they utilize the dark side of the Force as the Sith had done, and, in fact, had standing orders to remove or kill the Sovereign(s) should they 'fall to the dark side'.
Despite these differences and influence of Empress Jaina, they were rightfully viewed with a healthy degree of suspicion, even among the Jedi. The general consensus was that the Imperial Knights were, at best, an unaffiliated faction that did not follow the light or dark, and were bound to the directives of sovereigns who, historically, were rarely healthy for galactic stability or health.
However, the Imperial Knights and the Empire did not trouble the Galactic Alliance, and continued to grow slowly and eventually became a small, but respected organization within the galaxy, often being compared to Jedi. Little of consequence happened within their history until the war against the Galactic Alliance in 127 ABY, where Emperor Roan Fel forbade his Knights from taking part in the conflict.
Following the defeat of the Galactic Alliance, and the subsequent arrival of Darth Krayt, Emperor Roan was displaced by Krayt and the One Sith. A significant portion of the Imperial Knights were slain during the escape, and the remaining Knights assisted in Roan Fel's escape and the establishment of the 'Empire-in-Exile.'
During the Second Imperial Civil War, the Imperial Knights played in instrumental role in the defeat of Darth Krayt, often facing the Sith agents sent against them and helping retake worlds by order of Emperor Roan. They bolstered their numbers during the period of the war with former Jedi, and established strong bonds with what remained of the Jedi Order and Galactic Alliance, relationships that are still maintained to this day.
With the restoration of the Empire, and the subsequent founding of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, the Imperial Knights have maintained their position as the bodyguards and protectors of the Sovereigns, and through him, the Empire itself.
[Eyes only: Operation Handlers: Due to several agents wondering why we don't have up-to-date intel on the Imperial Knights of all things, when everything with the Triumvirate was being established, the Galactic Alliance was focused on actual rebuilding and barely had enough resources for that, let alone investigating the people who had helped us reclaim our territory. Shortsighted? Yes. Were there more important things the Alliance wanted to focus on? Also yes.
There are a lot of people who believe the Empire will never ever be a problem in the future, and think investigations like these are a waste of time. Blame them for us not knowing this before now. -Operational Director Tlek]
Post-Operation Information: Records during the period of Empress Marasiah Fel shortly after the defeat of the One Sith are, unsurprisingly, not available on the Galactic HoloNet or Alliance records. The Empire has kept a large number of records over the past three hundred years secret and there has been endless speculation as to why that was the case. How they managed to prevent a majority of these from being leaked or otherwise shared is a topic for a different report, but I bring it up here because I am reasonably confident based upon what we have learned, that the Imperial Knights are a reason for this.
The period of Empress Marasiah is shrouded in some mystery, and we know that while the Empire as a whole did not especially change during this period (as it was still recovering as well), there was a distinct push by the Empress for the Empire to adopt less harsh measures and project a more benevolent image. Amusingly, there was a significant amount of internal backlash to her reforms, though her popularity as Empress and the loyalty of the Knights and military ensured that the grumbling would not amount to anything substantial.
The Imperial Knights are also noted as shifting their philosophy beyond loyalty to the Empress, to the Force itself. From reading several papers by the esteemed Empress herself, it appears that she did not actually believe that the Alliance would ever truly recover, and would eventually be supplemented by the Empire, and the Imperial Knights would take on a role closer to the Jedi than the arm of the Empire they had previously been.
Arrogant, but as she was the most powerful individual in the galaxy at the time, this arrogance was justified.
Empress Marasiah Fel-Draco (surname changed following her marriage to Antares Draco) was eventually succeeded by her son, Servius Draco, who assumed the title of Emperor at the age of forty-one. For the next fifteen years, Emperor Servius continued the reforms begun by his mother without incident, although I will briefly note that the Empire was beginning to exhibit certain internal issues, with the similarities to the Galactic Alliance becoming more pronounced. The Imperial Knights were also quietly established as a separate entity, like the Jedi Order before them – they even constructed their own Temple on Bastion.
[Eyes only: Operational Director: Not surprising the Empire wanted this kept secret, and more importantly why literally no one outside the Empire knew about it. Suppose Draco would have revealed it eventually had the galaxy not decided to kick him in the teeth. GA should really press the Empire on their past sometime. If this is just the basic history we don't know about, just what else did they keep from us during that time? -Handler Ufana]
What followed was, as we are all aware, the sudden arrival of the 'First Order' under the command of his so-called majesty Supreme Leader Snoke, with remnants of the One Sith organized by the self-declared 'Voice of Darth Krayt,' Darth Wyyrlok IV, in conjunction with one of the surviving Hands of the One Sith, as well as a few members of Sith Intelligence and Assassination.
Information on that entire event is one we know a decent amount of, so please refer to the attached document if you want to relive the madness that was the Third Imperial Civil War. I'll shorten it since the only part that is relevant to this report is that the First Order was completely shattered and Snoke was killed, but not before Bastion was essentially destroyed and the majority of Imperial Knights dead, along with Emperor Servius.
The war had taken place over six years, and the son of the late Emperor, Vinraf Draco, assumed the title of Emperor over a weakened Empire at the fairly young age of twenty-four. We can definitively point to this as the turning point for the Empire, as the new Emperor had decidedly different ideas for the Empire going forward, which notably included none of the reforms his parents and grandparents had worked towards.
Reforms did take place in the Empire, but they were much subtler and designed to tighten power and strengthen the throne itself. One piece of information I would like to point out is that Emperor Vinraf's advisors were almost exclusively Imperial Intelligence officials. While that is not the subject of this report, I bring this up because it would explain some of the significant changes to the Imperial Knights.
On the topic at hand, the first thing the Emperor did was reestablish the Imperial Knights under the direct control of the Empire – note the Empire, not the Sovereigns or Royal Family themselves. The philosophy of the Imperial Knights underwent a very gradual, but distinct shift that was obvious to any watching, but oblivious to the wider galaxy due to how secretive the Knights were.
Their priorities shifted from serving the Force itself, to serving the principles of the Empire. The Force itself was begun to be viewed less of an alive energy field, but a tool to be used in service to the Empire. Loyalty to the Empire was emphasized, and dissent was simply not tolerated within the Knights. During this period, Draco also greatly revamped and expanded the goals and responsibilities of the Imperial Knights – covertly of course. As far as the rest of the galaxy was concerned, the Imperial Knights were exactly the same as they had ever been.
Draco was clever in how he implemented this. The changes would not be immediately noticeable unless one was either part of the Empire or within the Knights themselves.
This evolution from the Knights of Empress Jaina Fel to the Knights of Emperor Vorn Pellaeon was one that very few will particularly notice unless they are aware of the history of the past three hundred years. If there is one thing to be made clear, it is that despite certain perceptions of the Senate and the Jedi, this is not the same Empire that retook Coruscant from Darth Krayt, and these are not the same Imperial Knights.
This is the Empire of Vinraf Draco now, not Jagged Fel.
IMPERIAL SOVEREIGNS AND THE KNIGHTS
As the Imperial Sovereigns have extensive control and authority within and over the Empire, it is worth examining the amount of influence the Sovereigns have within the Imperial Knights, as well as that of the Royal Family.
The Imperial Knights and the Royal Family is, unknown to most, extremely intertwined throughout their entire history. Following the establishment of the Knights by Empress Jaina, it became expected of Force-sensitive children of the Royal Family to join the Imperial Knights and serve the Empire for a period. The tradition continues to this day.
Members of the Royal Family who join the Knights, generally do not spend more than twenty years within the Order before retiring within the Imperial Palace to join the Royal Court of Advisors. Some spend their lives within the Knights, but this is the exception rather than the rule. This is partially due to the restriction imposed by Emperor Vinraf that stated that a member of the Royal Family cannot hold a position on the Imperial Council.
When a new Emperor or Empress takes the throne, one of them will choose to act as the Sovereign authority over the Imperial Knights, and the Imperial Council will report to them. This Sovereign is responsible for choosing and approving members of the Imperial Council, overseeing Imperial Knight affairs and missions, and allocating resources and funding.
While technically both Sovereigns have equal authority, very rarely does the one not usually overseeing the Knights interfere or issue commands. The Sovereigns are also the only ones who can issue commands directly to the Imperial Council. They also have the authority to send Knights on missions, and have access to all Imperial Knight planets, facilities, artifacts, and intelligence collected which they can use, disseminate, or purge as they command.
PHILOSOPHY AND MINDSET
The Imperial Knights serve the Empire first and foremost. Everything else is built around this unchanging truth.
The philosophy of the Imperial Knights is simply to use the Force to protect the Empire, the Imperial Sovereigns, their citizens, and their interests (in that order) through whatever means are deemed necessary and appropriate. This is drilled into recruits from the moment they are brought into the Knights. Discipline, loyalty, respect, and confidence are repeatedly emphasized in training and lessons, and the Imperial culture around them.
The result is a soldier selfless enough to lay down their own life for their comrade or just an ordinary Imperial citizen. The result is a soldier who is incorruptible in every sense of the word, who would murder you should you attempt to bribe or influence him against the Empire. The result is a soldier ruthless enough to go to any lengths to ensure that the Empire they have been conditioned to love and protect is safe.
The individual wants of the Imperial Knights themselves are unimportant. Their lives are built around the principles, values, and goals of the Empire itself. To go against those is impossible for a Knight who has been raised in this kind of environment (one, I will note, countless other children are raised in – a topic for another time).
While the Imperial Knights of even Empress Jaina Fel strictly utilized the 'light side of the Force,' and completely rejected the 'dark,' the Knights of the Empire today have no such qualms, because their approach to the Force itself has changed. The Force is not viewed as an entity which should be served, worshipped, or understood in an individual sense, but is instead a tool to be used, and it is up to the individual Knight to decide how best to use this tool in service of the Empire.
To call the Knights of Fel 'Gray,' as the Jedi do when any rival Force order pops up, is ignorance at best. To call the Knights of Pellaeon 'Gray' is being generous. The Imperial Knights use both the light and dark sides of the Force as they see fit, with individuals tending to gravitate towards one or another. However, they are disciplined enough to avoid reaching either extreme. Balance is stressed for the Knights, which they drill into recruits before even teaching them the basics of Force manipulation.
However, the Imperial Knights do still have a stigma attached to the dark side. There are special teams of Inquisitors whose sole job it is to ensure the Knights do not fall fully to the dark or the light (see appropriate section). A Knight who strays too close to the light is reprimanded and brought back to a more neutral balance. A Knight who falls to the dark is executed.
Again, the Force is merely a tool to be used by the Imperial Knights. It cannot become anything more, and if it does, then the Knight is swiftly corrected. I will also note here that this also means that Imperial Knights will employ blasters, grenades, and heavy weaponry in their own arsenals. While lightsabers remain their signature weapon, they do not necessarily rely on them or use them exclusively.
LOCATIONS AND BASES OF NOTE
Overview: The Imperial Knights maintain a number of bases across multiple systems and worlds. Typically, they are usually restricted to an additional section of already-existing Imperial bases, but occasionally they will have their own moon or separate planetary base. Please note that not every base or satellite of note will be covered here, as the focus will be on major bases of the Imperial Knights, which are on Bastion, Dantooine, and Xilas-III.
Bastion: Fully restored to beyond its former glory, the headquarters of the Imperial Knights have also been similarly reestablished, and, in fact, the grounds of Imperial Knight Command are directly opposite the Imperial Palace. Imperial Knight Command (IKC) is the central hub for all major operations conducted by the Imperial Knights.
The building itself is the tallest on the planet, even higher than the Imperial palace, and more resembles a towering administrative building than the pyramid temple of Fel-era Knights. The floors are divided into academic rooms, training arenas, barracks, and anything else required to keep a building and organization of this scale running.
At the highest floor is the chambers of the Imperial Council, and just below it are honorary wings of the Intelligence Directorate, the Council of Moffs, and the Grand Admiralty; a notable showing of authority from the normally apolitical order.
In addition to the IKC tower, the immediate area surrounding it is also under the jurisdiction of the Knights. Several administrative, analytical, and manufacturing buildings are under direct Imperial Knight control and fulfill specific orders for them. Additional training grounds and barracks were also established. The area itself contains a very robust automated transportation system.
Security Level: High. There are few places that this rating can be assigned, but the IKC tower is one of them. You either must be an Imperial Knight, or an extremely high-ranking member of Imperial Intelligence or a direct aide to a moff. The areas around the tower itself are more vulnerable, but the constant patrols of Knights make lingering a questionable idea. Penetration of Bastion itself is not a difficult hurdle; penetration of Imperial Knight Command is another story.
Dantooine: In a curious twist of fate, the once-empty plains that held a rebel base and was once home to an ancient Jedi Enclave, Dantooine is now home to the largest base of the Imperial Knights in the galaxy. Every single Imperial Knight is sent to Dantooine for training once they pass the standard academic and physical tests. Imperial Knight Training Command (IKTC) is notably a long distance away from the cities and even other training grounds, presumably due to the Knights wishing to preserve their secrecy.
Thanks to our own efforts, we know that the isolation does serve a purpose. The Knights indeed do the training one would expect, especially physical exertion and lightsaber duels. Where it becomes more interesting is where the more advanced apprentices are trained to use their Force powers during a lightsaber duel. (The training itself will be elaborated on below.)
What Dantooine hides is that there are large sections of devastated plains, resulting from Imperial Knights of the Maw Division practicing large-scale Force abilities, which are described as lightning storms, earthquakes, and stasis fields. How the Knights learned these abilities or how they are possible is unknown at this stage, but Dantooine is useful for hiding their true power.
Security Level: High. Much like the IKC tower, you will not be allowed near IKTC unless you are authorized, and the Inquisitors which roam the base make infiltration a risky proposition at best. Dantooine itself is not extremely difficult to penetrate.
Xilas-III: The vast majority of Imperial and Alliance Space is unaware that this moon even exists, and that is because it is only known officially to the Imperial Knights and Imperial Intelligence. The entire Xilas System is not on any Imperial star charts, and only when becoming a Knight do you learn about Xilas-III itself. While this information was challenging to acquire, there is a reason for the secrecy.
On Xilas-III is one of the most fortified and secured bases within the entirety of Imperial Space, as it is also a vault that extends deep into the moon itself. This vault holds every single Jedi and Sith artifact the Empire has, which includes holocrons of both Jedi and Sith, texts, scrolls, tablets, as well as dozens of other artifacts in various states of quality. Agent Glover described what sounds exactly like a Rakatan Mind Prison, so their artifact collection likely extends to other ancient Force orders including the rakata, the Eternal Empire, and additional unidentified groups.
For the few who don't see the significance of the Empire actively hunting and acquiring artifacts from these long dead civilizations, please refer to the attached documents, in particular those on the rakatan Infinite Empire and the Mortis Encounter.
It is extremely apparent that the Empire is not keeping this collection of artifacts for show; it is logical to conclude that they are seeking to increase their own understanding and manipulation of the Force, or take the knowledge learned and apply it to the Empire as a whole. We do not know the extent of what they have learned from these artifacts, but having them at all means that eventually, they will learn all they can.
Security Level: Near-Impenetrable: Agent Glover did not manage to fully escape before the base intercepted suspicious transmissions. He reported that he did not see a single living individual on the moon. There were heavily armored combat droids, automated turrets hanging from the roof and on ground-level, but there were no living individuals. There is suspicion that there is an artificial intelligence managing security, or at least a machine intelligence as Agent Glover did report being greeted by, and instructed by, a disembodied mechanical voice.
Reasons for why security is only automated is a mystery to investigate further.
STRUCTURE : INITIATION AND TRAINING
Recruitment: There are two types of recruitment into the Imperial Knights. The first is very obvious – citizens. All children are tested for Force-sensitivity at a very young age, and should they be found strong enough (minimum Tier 7 on the Gndaa Scale; notable for being two tiers higher than the Jedi Order's minimum), they will eventually be approached by a representative about initiation into the Knights (the parents would have already been informed of this possibility). Assuming that four to five years of educational brainwashing have been successful, the kid will find the offer an honor beyond compare (there is also significant pressure from the child's family due to honor by proxy). Upon the successful completion of Imperial schooling, the citizen will then formally join the Imperial Knights as a recruit.
Then there is everyone else who is Force-sensitive, but not necessarily an Imperial citizen or a child. Immigrants are also routinely tested for Force-sensitivity, though this is only shared if the Knights are interested in recruitment. Usually after a period of a few years, where they have been monitored by Imperial Intelligence, a representative of the Knights will approach – once their assimilation is cemented and their loyalty at an acceptable standard.
The Knights will seemingly only accept children/teens immediately into the organization itself, as established by the treatment of our own assets. If a Force-user is already proficient, the chances of being accepted go up tremendously, and orphans especially will be targeted directly by the Knights to be raised within IKC itself.
Initially, there was the question of why the Imperial Knights would risk accepting certain individuals immediately into their Order, especially since it is possible to infiltrate through this method given a reasonable amount of time, as this operation demonstrates. There is an explanation behind this, beyond the indoctrination every Knight goes through, which, admittedly, throws the feasibility of any assets into question when performing certain operations. This will be elaborated on shortly.
[Eyes only: Director Calsyne: I can confirm that there is a concerted Imperial effort to comb the galaxy's orphanages and adoption centers, as well as their recent interest in outlying slave rings in the past decade. They are looking for Force-sensitive children. This should immediately be investigated further. -Operational Director Tlek]
Acceptance Testing: This only really applies to the orphans and younger immigrants, which essentially is a combination of a standardized test and personality quiz. The test itself has questions on basic mathematics, sciences, writing and reading comprehension, as well as a pool of history questions on the Empire itself, and even several questions on the modern administration of the Sovereigns, though usually these just ask if the user is aware of the names of the Sovereigns and other high-ranking officials within the Empire.
The personality quiz part of the test largely focuses on scenarios of varying intensity, from observing a crime and choosing what to do, to asking if you would be willing to turn in a friend or kill them if necessary for the good of the Empire. Questions also focus on loyalty, views on the Imperial Throne, aliens, and a series of pseudo-political questions on the modern galaxy. The test is also randomly generated for each participant, and there are always two officers observing the testing rooms, as well as one Imperial Inquisitor.
This test is waived for Imperial citizens who have graduated from Imperial Educational Academies, assuming their grades are at a sufficient standard.
Physical Training: Upon the passing of a basic physical and the Acceptance Tests (if applicable), all recruits of the Imperial Knights are sent to Dantooine for their actual training. This training is divided into two distinct sections. The first is physical training to turn all recruits into soldiers. It is essentially a boot camp, but slightly shorter than the standard for Imperial Stormtroopers.
Physical training after this initial boot camp will vary depending on how quickly the recruit passes the requirements set forward by the instructors. Once all recruits are at a certain physical standard, weapons training begins. The Imperial Knights are known for their lightsabers, but they are proficient in a variety of weapons, and some actually prefer to use them as their primary weapon over a lightsaber.
That understood, lightsaber training does make up the majority of weapons training. Recruits are given a green-bladed lightsaber which is only given to recruits, and never seen outside Dantooine. This is not a training lightsaber, but a real one, and recruits are expected to handle the weapon with care. Medics are constantly standing by in case of actual amputations, so they can quickly reattach the limb.
This danger also extends to duels between recruits and instructors. While instructors are skilled enough to avoid deliberately mutilating recruits, except to make a point, recruits are not so lucky. After a certain point, all combat training becomes real, and it is extremely rare for limbs not to be lost in these duels. As always, there are medics on standby.
As the recruit progresses in lightsaber proficiency, they will be allowed to experiment with different styles of combat (such as double-bladed lightsabers or dual-wielded lightsabers). Alien recruits will also utilize their unique anatomy if applicable. After a certain proficiency is reached, they will move to the next stage of training, and, arguably, the most important.
Force Training: Throughout training, the recruits draw on the Force to a certain degree, however, they are not explicitly trained to use it until they are judged to be disciplined and skilled enough to control it properly. Each of them is taught basic Force abilities at first, and, based on their particular proficiency, the trainers determine which discipline the recruit is most suited towards.
Once the recruit has reached a proficiency with their abilities, they will begin to be trained in how to apply it to their own combat style. This is more applicable to some abilities than others, but near the end of training, most recruits will be incorporating Force abilities near-seamlessly with their martial prowess.
It is during this period where recruits will be approached by the various divisions of Imperial Knights, and their proficiency in certain Force abilities will heavily influence which division they will join. This usually only happens near the end of training, and an offer by a division is considered a graduation from recruit to recognized Imperial Knight.
Before formally being sent to their division of choice, graduated recruits will first be given the Imperial Mandate.
THE IMPERIAL MANDATE
We have heard of the so-called 'Imperial Mandate' through previous operations and research on the Empire, but there was always an extensive amount of disinformation regarding what that phrase actually meant. Until this operation, the most accepted conclusion was that it was an internal Imperial memo detailing the objectives and goals of the Sovereigns, and, by extension, the Empire.
We had previously believed that it was only given to high-level Imperial officials, specifically the Council of Moffs, the Grand Admirals, and an unknown number of Imperial Intelligence Officers together with the Intelligence Directorate. The Imperial Council was also on this list, though there was previous speculation that this was shared with all members of the Imperial Knights, as assets noted that discussion of the Imperial Mandate was common among recruits and mentioned vaguely by instructors.
Now we have confirmation as to what the Imperial Mandate is, and we now also know why the Knights are so incorruptible and dedicated to the Empire. While I do not want to dismiss the psychological conditioning up to the point a recruit becomes a Knight, what ensures that the Knights remain loyal is through being subjected to the Imperial Mandate – a phrase referring to the mental conditioning recruits undergo before they are fully accepted into the Imperial Knights.
The conditioning itself differs from AIS Dimalium Conditioning in several ways. The first is that there are no code words used. The programming is implemented by an Imperial AI (which has not been identified) and then locked into memory, preventing anyone from modifying or removing the conditioning. While it appears that the Mandate has its origin in the Castellan Restraints (similarly to Dimalium Conditioning), the Empire has streamlined and focused it significantly, while Dimalium Conditioning retains the original flexibility.
The exact instructions programmed into the Knight appear to differ depending on the division they join, and are rarely more than four or five explicit instructions. They appear to revolve around several key points:
- Loyalty to the Empire
- Prevention of betrayal or internal sabotage
- Prevention of sharing secrets of the Imperial Knights and Empire
It is currently UNKNOWN if the Knights have the capability to add additional instructions or even reverse the process. It is entirely possible that each new rank within the Imperial Knights includes additional subjection to the Mandate. It is extremely possible that higher ranks involve more complex instructions to allow for additional flexibility, but this is speculation.
While not completely relevant to this document, the existence of the Imperial Mandate implies that the Empire utilizes this beyond the Imperial Knights. It is extremely likely that a certain number of Imperial Intelligence personnel have similar conditioning, and it is possible all of the Imperial leadership has this to a certain degree.
What is also of interest is that Emperor Vorn Pellaeon was previously an Imperial Knight. The Imperial Mandate appears to have been established during the reign of Emperor Vinraf. This raises the obvious question: Are the Sovereigns themselves still subjected to the Imperial Mandate, and if so, was it intentional?
It was mentioned earlier that this makes infiltration of the Imperial Knights almost impossible. However, our asset placed within the Knights allows us to experiment with the limits of the Mandate. It appears to be able to exist in conjunction with the Dimalium Conditioning, but will take precedence if orders conflict. As such, assets which are under the Imperial Mandate must undergo Dimalium Conditioning, and instructions given must be explicitly worded in such a way as to bypass the Mandate logic. They can no longer betray the Empire, but they can still gather information unknowingly and relay that to handlers.
[Eyes only: Director Calsyne: The capture of one or more individuals who have received the Imperial Mandate should be an immediate priority. We require a thorough understanding of just how many in the Empire are affected, as well as how to neutralize or bypass it. -Operational Director Tlek]
STRUCTURE : DIVISIONS
Overview: During the reorganization of the Imperial Knights by Emperor Vinraf, one of the major and understated changes was the vast expansion of the Imperial Knights as a whole into less of a monolithic order, and something resembling a more segmented and militaristic organizational structure. Four divisions of the Imperial Knights were established, each focusing on a specific skillset and purpose.
The divisions are as follows:
The Imperial Knights: The most public and well-known division of the Imperial Knights, and what originally composed the entirety of the organization. The Imperial Knights themselves are the front-line soldiers of the order, and are by far the largest division, containing over sixty-five percent of all members. If one encounters a member of the Imperial Knights, they will usually encounter a member of this division.
There are three ranks within the Division of Imperial Knights:
Apprentice: The initial rank within the Division of Imperial Knights is given to graduated recruits. These individuals are apprenticed to a fully-fledged Knight, and assigned based on background, experience, temperament, and cohesiveness. Knights can request that certain recruits be apprenticed to them, but this is not a guarantee.
The Apprentice will spend an indeterminate period under their Knight, accompany them on missions, train with them, and further hone their skills in combat and the Force. Apprentices have two ways of being promoted to the rank of Knight – they can be promoted by their Knight if they believe they have learned all they can from them, or the Apprentice can request to take a series of trials given by the Imperial Council. The trials are often dangerous, and are rarely invoked unless there are serious disagreements between Knight and Apprentice or the Apprentice wishes to prove themselves beyond simple promotion.
Apprentices do not have any additional military authority, and must follow orders issued by Knights or field officers, regardless of if they are part of the Imperial Knights or not. However, it is rare that officers risk ordering an Apprentice in any combat situation, and will more likely attempt to return them to their Knight.
Knight: The most common rank within the Division of Imperial Knights, these individuals perform a variety of duties from academic instruction, training, guard duty, military operations, and maintenance. Knights continually work to continue honing their own skills and powers, in addition to the duties assigned to them by the Knight-Captains.
Knights will usually be required to take an Apprentice at least once through their career, although they can indicate they do not wish the responsibility at this time, and Knights who have less than five years of experience are ineligible for taking on an Apprentice. The missions undertaken by Knights vary from criminal raids, joint military operations, and solo investigations.
Knights have military authority equivalent to a field officer, and receive training on managing units of Stormtroopers and other ground forces. If their authority is weighed against a field officer, the Knight has priority and can override decisions made by field officers. Knights will usually only take command of military forces during large-scale operations or during war games.
Knight-Captain: These members of the Division of Imperial Knights have achieved what is for most the highest rank within the division. Veterans of the Imperial Knights, each Knight-Captain has an extensive amount of experience, skill, and knowledge which they use to further enhance the Order. As such, most Knight-Captains take positions as instructors or advisors instead of combat operations, although they still keep themselves in combat-ready condition as they have direct authority over Knights in the event of operations involving multiple Knights.
To face a Knight-Captain is to face one of the most dangerous individuals within the Imperial Knights. There are few who match their discipline, power, and radiating authority. Within the military they have immediate authority over everyone with the exception of a moff or grand admiral, though, to date, this has never been tested.
Knight-Captains are chosen exclusively by the Knight-Commander, from recommendations of other Knight-Captains who keep a watch for those worthy of being elevated. A small number of Knight-Captains make up the Consul to the Knight-Commander, who work directly with the Knight-Commander on matters of organization, policy, and decisions which affect the division as a whole.
Appearance: Imperial Knight armor is based on the original armor worn by the first Knights, though with the colors changed to white and black instead of red. The insignia of the Empire is printed on the left shoulder pad, while the insignia of the Imperial Knights is printed on the right. Each Knight also wears a helmet which is a modified Stormtrooper model, though streamlined and not as bulky, also in black. The only individuals of the Imperial Knights who wear the traditional capes are Knight-Captains (who wear black) and the Knight-Commander (who wears white).
Gear: The armor of the Imperial Knights is a mixture of materials used to make standard light armor, interlaced with a cortosis-weave to provide resistance to lightsabers. Knight-Captains and the Knight-Commander also wear pure cortosis gauntlets, making them especially effective against lightsaber-wielding enemies (cortosis of at least 999.8 fineness causes the lightsaber blade containment field to instantly fail and dissipate, requiring reactivation of the blade). It should be noted that while the armor of the Knight-Commander is visually similar, the material itself is a stronger mix of materials.
Imperial Knights also usually have a variety of small arms weapons and short-range melee weapons (knives, stun batons, etc.) on-hand, though usually only one or two. Knights have been known to utilize heavier ranged weaponry such as blasters and cannon, and explosives are also not an uncommon sight.
The signature weapon of the Imperial Knights is the lightsaber. Each hilt is standardized, but comes in multiple sizes to fit various hands and alien types. Each blade emits a silver beam which is consistent through the entire division, from Apprentices to the Knight-Commander.
Abilities: Most Imperial Knights are extremely skilled duelists, and are capable of facing any melee-wielding opponent and fighting to a standstill or killing them outright. They are usually at least moderately trained in small-scale Force usage, utilizing such abilities such as telekinesis (which is used to crush, lift, pull, or throw objects) and blasts of kinetic energy (identified primarily as 'Push' and 'Repulse' – the latter of which is most effective as a form of enemy management and crowd control when surrounded).
Where the Imperial Knights excel is not in raw power, but in blending their martial prowess with their Force abilities. Lightsaber strikes are sometimes followed up with a Force push, or a repulse against multiple enemies. A slow-witted opponent will find their bodies crushed under a telekinetic grip if they are not careful, and the directed lightsaber throw is an especially dangerous skill many Knights possess.
Physically, most Knights have significant strength and endurance, though their fighting styles typically discourage nimbleness and speed in favor of direct strength. While there are exceptions, very few Knights tend to engage in misdirection or prolonging fights for the sake of it. While extremely acrobatic and athletic, this is one area their Jedi counterparts have a noticeable advantage.
Division Leader: The leader of the Division of Imperial Knights is the Knight-Commander. Nominated by the Consul of the Knight-Commander, they are the most accomplished and skilled member of the Imperial Knights. A Knight-Commander is formally chosen by the Imperial Council, and from their appointment, holds a seat on the Council and is regularly involved in matters and decisions that affect the Imperial Knights as a whole beyond the division itself.
Knight-Commanders serve a term of ten years, but are allowed to be nominated an indefinite amount of times, and are similarly allowed to refuse any further nominations. The Knight-Commander can only be removed from their position by a joint unanimous vote of the Imperial Council and the Consul of the Knight-Commander.
The current Knight-Commander is Iyamad Flovan. She has served as Knight-Commander for five years. Please see attached file for further information.
The Royal Guard: Where the Sovereigns and their family go, they are consistently accompanied by the familiar armored men and women who make up the Royal Guard. Their directive and mission is simple – protect the Royal Family with their lives and be constantly vigilant to threats to their safety. No member of the Royal Family travels without at least two Guardsmen, and the Sovereigns themselves have no fewer than six Guards at all times.
The Royal Guard draw their members exclusively from the other divisions of the Imperial Knights, choosing only the best to make up their numbers. This is only a division one can be invited to join; one cannot volunteer on their own. It is only fit for the most loyal and trusted of the Imperial Knights, and even then, the Royal Guard is possessed of an atypical protectiveness of the Royal Family, and will tolerate absolutely no threats to their safety.
Every attempt on the life of the Royal Family has so far been prevented because of the Royal Guard, and these are only the publicized attempts. We already know that there is a section of Imperial Intelligence devoted to handling the dozens of threats to the Royal Family daily, and it is not a stretch to assume that the Royal Guard works very, very closely with them.
There are no ranks within the Imperial Guard as it is traditionally understood, though there are two sections which handle radically different tasks and assignments:
Guardsmen: The Royal Guard is largely comprised of the Guardsmen themselves, the men and women who constantly stand watch over the Royal Family and Imperial Palace. They are the exclusive protectors of the inner chambers of the Palace, and the word of an Imperial Guardsman is one of the few where it might as well have been spoken by the Sovereigns themselves. Guards rarely invoke demands from the Empire, as it is understood that they would only take direct control if it isas a matter of Imperial security.
These Guards are primarily drawn from the Imperial Knight and Maw Divisions, and as each member of the Guard wears identical uniforms, one would only be able to identify the type of training and combat style each Guard has if they were ever to engage in combat. They cannot be easily predicted, and if one's focus is squarely on the Guards then any attempt on the life of the Royal Family is doomed to fail and fall to the other hand of the Royal Guard.
Watchers: The Watchers of the Royal Guard are the invisible and unseen threat to the enemies of the Sovereigns. Whenever the Sovereigns or members of their family travel to a public area, the attention is squarely on the member of royalty or the Guardsmen protecting them. What most people do not know is that there is an entire network of Watchers keeping an eye on the crowd from within it.
Disguised as civilians or the working population, Watchers are the eyes and ears of the Guardsmen and communicate threats. Drawn primarily from the Inquisitors, we suspect that most, if not all Watchers, are masters of Force persuasion and possibly telepathy. Unless there is a way to detect a Force-user in a crowd, you will not find these Watchers. Great care must be taken should any member of the Alliance or the Senate travel to meet the Sovereigns. There is a very good chance that they will be watched, and perhaps compromised, by a small army from the shadows.
Appearance: Guardsmen wear the red and black armor of the classic Fel-era Imperial Knights, which is identical to the modern armor of the Division of Imperial Knights, at least in structure. The differences come from the red helmets, which are modeled after the Palpatine-era Royal Guard. All Guardsmen also wear a red cape, though this can be easily retracted into their armor in combat. The armor lacks any insignia or identification whatsoever, and the only mark of individuality are the weapons each Guardsman possesses.
Watchers do not possess a standard uniform, as they change their appearance depending on the situation and surroundings. They could be masquerading as anything from a civilian in the crowd to a technician. I must stress that we do not know the full capabilities of the Watchers, and, by extension, the Inquisitors. This will be addressed further below.
Gear: The armor of the Guardsmen, while physically identical to that of the Knights, is very likely composed of a harder mix of materials and almost certainly interlaced with an even thicker cortosis-weave; perhaps interlaced with filaments of phrik as well. The capes are flame-retardant, and tear-resistant. Specs are unknown, so consider this unconfirmed, but given the state of the Imperial Knights as a whole, expect top-of-the-line for everything.
Watchers do not have consistent uniforms, but they do likely carry small-scale weapons and traps – unconfirmed, but highly likely to include various poisons. Guardsmen, similarly to their Knight counterparts, do equip secondary melee weapons and explosives to use, though they tend to not fully gear up unless traveling away from Bastion.
The lightsabers of Guardsmen are the same standardized hilt, in multiple sizes for varying hand types and alien anatomy. Their lightsabers emit a scarlet-red without exception across the entirety of the division. Regardless of origin, all members of the Royal Guard who use a lightsaber have the same red crystal. We do not believe Watchers use lightsabers.
Abilities: Take the standard abilities of any of the divisions, and increase them to their maximum potential. These are the elite of the Imperial Knights, and each one has years of experience and skill. Expect anything from the melee brutality of the Knights, to the lightning storms conjured by the Maw. And the mind-breaking capabilities the Inquisitors for good measure.
Prepare to fight the Royal Guard as if you were planning to fight the Sovereigns themselves. If you consider that unreasonable, then it is a better idea to reconsider whatever idiot plan you had.
Division Leader: The Royal Guard is commanded by the Emperor's Wrath, a title which originates from the ancient Sith Empire under Emperor Vitiate. The original Emperor's Wrath was a speaker, enforcer, and weapon of the Sith Emperor, bringing extensive devastation to his Sovereign's enemies.
What is unique about this particular title, even within the Imperial Knights, is that it can change depending on the current organization of the Royal Family. Usually, one of the Imperial Sovereigns takes direct command over the Imperial Knights, and the title of the Wrath will vary depending on which one holds this authority (as Emperor Pellaeon has assumed this role, the position will be referred to as the Emperor's Wrath for the entirety of this document).
The Emperor's Wrath of the Imperial Knights is also capable of acting as the voice and sword of the Sovereigns, but primarily serves as an advisor to the Sovereigns and directly manages the Royal Guard. This is quite possibly the most well-informed individual in the Empire, as the Emperor's Wrath has access to the plans, itinerary, resources, and ears of both Sovereigns, not merely the one overseeing the Knights.
The Wrath is selected by the Sovereign overseeing the Knights, and upon the recommendation of the Imperial Council. This position is for life, although the Wrath has the option of retirement after a period of seven years. The Wrath can only be removed from their position by one of the Sovereigns – or by a unanimous vote from the Imperial Council, the Council of Moffs, Intelligence Directorate, and the Grand Admiralty.
The Emperor's Wrath is also prevented from being chosen for the position of High Lord of the Imperial Council (which I suspect is due to how close the Wrath is to the Sovereigns, and done out of concern for the possibility of the respective Sovereign placing a puppet on the Council). The Emperor's Wrath is also present for all meetings of the Court of the Sovereigns, although they do not participate or vote.
The current Emperor's Wrath is Viola Lorentzen. She has served as the Wrath for fifteen years. Please see attached file for more information.
The Maw: When we received intel about this division, the name itself stood out as decisively odd for the Imperial Knights; something more reminiscent of grandiose legends of old. However, this is indeed the name of the division in question, but before I explain what the Maw is, I would like you to consider what comes to mind when you read this word. Does it remind you of the void? The old research station of the Galactic Empire? Of knowledge best left untouched?
From my understanding, the Maw handles and uses power that the other divisions of the Imperial Knights do not touch for one reason or another.
The Maw is a collection of scholars, researchers, archeologists, and Force-users. I should clarify that all of them are Force-sensitive, but only a select number focus on that. The rest are devoted to the acquisition and collection of artifacts, the study of the Force, and decrypting the secrets of the old orders of the Force.
The Maw is not divided into ranks, but instead, smaller sections within the division itself. These are the following:
Artifact Collection and Management: This is a very proper and straightforward label for a division with such an enigmatic name. Just as it sounds, ACM is responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, and research of all artifacts. They have extensive archeological experience, and almost all of them can understand multiple dialects spoken by ancient Sith and Jedi. Their procedure for artifacts appears to be verification for authenticity, research, and finally, restoration to as close to the original state as possible, before artifacts are shipped to Xilas-III. These are not warriors, however, and while they can theoretically defend themselves, their focus is not on preparing or training for combat.
Gatekeepers: These are a small collection of the Maw who appear to learn and research the Force itself. From what we were able to gather, they are the ones who learn the abilities from Jedi and Sith holocrons or ancient texts, train to master the skills themselves, and then share them with the rest of the Imperial Knights.
This makes the Gatekeepers extremely dangerous and unpredictable, as almost no one in the Empire knows as much about the Force as they do. Despite their strict focus on research, unlike the Maw ACM, this collection of scholars should not be underestimated. Assume that anything the Maelstrom can do, the Gatekeepers can do it better.
The Maelstrom: The most recognizable members of the Maw, those of the Maelstrom are sometimes viewed as the manifestation of power itself. While few in number, the Maelstrom are masters of the Force, and capable of creating lightning storms or blasting it from their hands; shaking the ground through earthquakes, lifting AT-ATs (verified by Asset Irocnuci) into the air and crushing them; and other feats of the Force on a scale that most would dismiss as impossible.
The Maelstrom does not just use destructive abilities, they are also accomplished healers, defenders, and telepaths; willing to use the Force in whatever way is necessary to achieve their objective. It is suspected that the Maelstrom is perhaps a rank before the Gatekeepers, and not an independent one, but this is not confirmed. What is confirmed is that the Maelstrom are trained directly by the Gatekeepers.
Appearance: Upon hearing a name such as the Maw, you might expect this division to emulate the Sith or Jedi robes, but this is not the case. Members of the ACM wear standard lab equipment or officer uniforms when conducting travel or research. Gatekeepers dress similarly, while adapting their clothing to their environment appropriately. The Maelstrom are perhaps the only ones who have any sort of cohesive uniform – thin breastplate armor and leggings, which leaves the arms bare. They wear no helmet or cape. What materials comprise their limited armor is unknown, but it is devoid of insignia or markings, and is colored a steel-gray.
Gear: Lab equipment and datapads, the majority of the Maw do not use tools of combat and are more prepared for scanning an old stone tablet than fighting off an enemy. Many members of the ACM do not even carry lightsabers, although they are not forbidden from doing so.
Lightsabers are worn by the Gatekeepers and Maelstrom, though they appear to view them as more a matter of ceremony, as they have not ever been publicly observed drawing them. It is quite possible they view something like dueling as unnecessary due to their command of the Force. When drawn though, the blades of the Maw are a sky-blue or cyan (as the Jedi call it), and they have only ever been observed possessing single-bladed hilts.
Abilities: Largely unknown. We know that the Maelstrom are capable of the large-scale displays of power as stated above, but I have an uncomfortable feeling that this is just the surface of their ability to manipulate the Force. It would be easy to categorize them as powerful Force-wielders, but the Gatekeepers especially concern me with that they could have learned.
We have not seen the Maelstrom or Gatekeepers in direct combat before. If they have participated in such, we have not heard it. Until we know more about either their artifact collection, or see one of the Gatekeepers in combat, I am afraid the Maw will remain a question mark for a very long time.
Division Leader: The leader of the division is the Keeper of the Maw, or, more simply, the 'Keeper.' We can only speculate to the abilities of this individual, as they are picked exclusively from the Gatekeepers and are presumably their most powerful or their most skilled. The process by which they are chosen within the Gatekeepers is unknown, but like others, they must be approved by the Imperial Council.
The Keeper does not appear to interact within the Imperial Knights to the degree some other Division leaders do, but their role is expanded beyond just the Maw, and they appear to have direct access to Imperial Artifact Excavation and Reclamation, and quite possibly manage it. The full responsibilities of the Keeper are unknown, aside from managing the Maw and holding a seat on the Imperial Council.
The Keeper is appointed for life, and must serve a period of fifteen years before being allowed to step down. This position is unique in that it appears that the Keeper can be removed solely on the orders of the Grand Inquisitor.
The current Keeper of the Maw is Aegoth Osoad. He has held the position of Keeper for twenty years. I will make a note that he is a miraluka, a species typically powerful in the Force. Please refer to the attached file for more information.
The Inquisitors: This is easily the most secretive and clandestine division within the Imperial Knights, and for good reason. The Inquisitors are not known to the majority of even the Imperial forces, and we believe that only Imperial Intelligence, the Council of Moffs, and the Grand Admiralty know anything extensive about them. The Imperial Knights as an organization know only the basics, which is what will be relayed here.
The Inquisitors act as a hybrid of intelligence organization, internal security, and secret police. They work extensively with Imperial Intelligence, appear to be able to access any piece of data they need, and their goals depend on the department they belong to within the division itself. To elaborate on this, the Inquisitors are broken into two departments, and one field unit, each with differing objectives and missions:
The Department of Internal Security: I can compare the members of Internal Security closest with the Watchers of the Royal Guard. From what I can understand, these Inquisitors are constantly monitoring not just the Imperial Knights, but the Empire as a whole for any signs of disloyalty or treason. A noted objective of theirs is ensuring that the Imperial Knights themselves do not fall to either extreme of the spectrum.
Internal Security appears to have been originally established to serve as a check on the Imperial Knights and prevent a potential disaster from occurring, and this focus would almost certainly be on the Maw, but it's clearly been expanded beyond that point. It is unknown how Internal Security conducts their operations.
The Department of Acquisition: An extremely misleading name. Acquisition Inquisitors are few, and they have only one objective – interrogation. Every single terrorist, criminal, and suspected mole is brought before this department and subjected to a brutal interrogation. These Inquisitors are whispered of throughout Imperial Intelligence as the most effective and dangerous of the Inquisitors.
They appear to be used strictly within the Empire, but they have no qualms about using the Force to break into someone's mind, or if that is not possible, wear them down slowly and surely. We need to consider this department in future operations, as the possibility of a Force-enhanced interrogation is now an extremely real possibility.
The Empire's Hands: We have heard of the Hands before now, primarily operating in Hutt Space. We assumed that, like their previous incarnations, they answered to Emperor Vorn as his own special task force. We now know that they are under the Division of Inquisitors, and ultimately answer to the Imperial Knights themselves.
These do not appear to just be assassins or a special tasks group, but spies and agents trained in the Force. It would not be out of the question to determine that the Hands are just as committed and loyal to the Empire as the rest of the Imperial Knights, and with the Force at their disposal, there is very little they could not eventually do.
The Hands are potentially a direct threat to Alliance security. This matter must be addressed at once.
Appearance: As far as we are aware, the Empire's Hands do not have an established uniform, and wear whatever they feel is necessary for their mission. We suspect that certain agents of the Department of Internal Security have similar attire due to their mission. However, the remainder of the Inquisitors, specifically the Department of Acquisition and others in Internal Security have very plain officer uniforms. The only differences are that Inquisitors lack any sort of badge or identification, and their uniforms are black instead of gray. The lightsabers on their hip are their identification, although one they rarely need to use.
Gear: We should expect the Empire's Hands to be trained in a variety of weapons, including lightsabers. They should also be expected to be wearing the best of Imperial armor and protection. Never assume a suspected Hand is unarmed, as they have been noted to use poisons and traps. For the remainder of Inquisitors, we should only expect sidearms at most aside from lightsabers.
The blades of the Inquisitors are a deep and striking violet, though they are rarely used by the departments.
Abilities: At a baseline we must assume that all Inquisitors have extensive training in mind-based Force abilities, specifically lie detection, mind-breaking, and Force persuasion. The extent of this is unknown, but assume that it is enough to overpower anyone who is not expecting it. I will note again that this is a baseline. Inquisitors are quite possibly capable of more than this.
The Hands in particular are a wild card, and it is quite possible that in addition to being trained duelists, they also are capable of Force abilities performed by other divisions. Training from the Gatekeepers is also a possibility. Prepare for a possible confrontation with a Hand as you would for a Guardsman of the Royal Guard.
Division Leader: The leader of the Inquisitors is the Grand Inquisitor, a straightforward title that tells us very little. It is unknown how the Grand Inquisitor is chosen, nor does it appear to be restricted to a department or necessarily need to be a Hand. At a minimum, we should expect the Grand Inquisitor to have the capabilities of a Hand, as well as vast experience with intelligence work.
It should be noted that the Grand Inquisitor has an extensive amount of authority over the Imperial Knights, and appears to possess the capability to remove, or suspend, almost all individuals from the Imperial Council (with the exception of the Emperor's Wrath), as well as the only noted member of the Imperial Knights who can put forth a motion to arrest the Sovereign(s). I imagine there is a certain amount of procedure we are missing, but even taking that into account, it is clear that the Inquisitors are quite possibly the most influential division within the Imperial Knights.
The Grand Inquisitor serves a term of five years, and cannot be nominated more than two times in a row. However, there is nothing preventing further nominations following a one term absence. The Grand Inquisitor also cannot be removed solely by the Imperial Council. It must be a unanimous vote of the Imperial Council, the Imperial Intelligence Directorate, and by command of one of the Sovereigns.
A piece of information that is useful is that the Grand Inquisitor cannot be chosen to become the High Lord of the Imperial Council.
The current Grand Inquisitor is Losr'avaria'nathas (Core name 'Ravarian'). He is currently one year into his second term. Please see attached file for more details.
STRUCTURE : LEADERSHIP
The Imperial Council: At the highest level of Imperial Knight Command sits the Imperial Council, populated by the leaders of the Imperial Knight divisions and led by an internally chosen High Lord who is also approved by the Sovereigns directly. The Imperial Council manages decisions which affect the entirety of the Imperial Knights, from internal policy, intergalactic operations, and Imperial security.
The Imperial Council works extremely closely with the highest levels of every major Imperial institution, as well as several minor institutions and organizations, particularly Imperial Law Enforcement. However, it appears they primarily interact with the following:
- The Intelligence Directorate
- The Council of Moffs
- The Grand Admiralty
- Imperial High Command
The exact subjects discussed with these groups is largely unknown, aside from knowing they have an important role in choosing division leaders, and we can only speculate as to how the Imperial Council operates internally, as much of this is based on common knowledge from within the Imperial Knights, and is largely unavailable to the general public altogether. At best, they know that an 'Imperial Council' exists, not necessarily who is on it or what it does.
The members of the Imperial Council are, without exception, the following:
- The Knight-Commander of the Imperial Knights
- The Emperor's Wrath
- The Keeper of the Maw
- The Grand Inquisitor
- High Lord of the Imperial Council
The High Lord is suspected to be chosen from within the Council itself, presumably one of its members. Election processes are unknown, aside from that they need to be approved by at least one Sovereign. What is known is that the High Lord is the most important figure within the entirety of Imperial Knights, and represents them within the Court of the Sovereigns.
The current High Lord of the Imperial Council, and Representative of the Imperial Knights to the Sovereigns is Raimunt Calliot. He has held the position for ten years and is formerly a Knight-Commander. Please see attached file for more details.
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STANCES
Politically, the Imperial Knights largely restrict themselves to the prioritization of Imperial interests and maintaining internal security. For an Imperial organization, they are remarkably restrained and usually only use their influence for more apolitical decisions, mostly involving field operations. They have no ulterior motives other than the completion of the objectives established by the Sovereigns and expansion of Imperial influence.
There is definitely a sense of competition and ambition amongst the Imperial Knights individually, but there is remarkably little internal strife or conflict that we have observed. Disagreements that exist are likely restricted to the Imperial Council and unknown by the wider organization. The lack of infighting can perhaps be attributed to the merit-focused promotion of the Knights, and it is not out of the question that certain actions are prevented by the Imperial Mandate, though this is not confirmed.
In comparison to the Council of Moffs, and even the Grand Admirals, the Imperial Knights are near-perfect. I cannot help but think this is by design.
The Imperial Knights do not officially comment on intergalactic affairs, leaving that responsibility to the Sovereigns or State Media. They do hold opinions internally, however, although are told that they should not be propagated outside the Order. Fortunately, it appears that the Imperial Knights largely view the Galactic Alliance as an ally, even if they view the Senate and government as horribly corrupt and inefficient. There are jokes that the Inquisitors would likely execute the entire Senate for criminal activity if they had the chance.
They view most galactic factions with a reserved neutrality at best, largely reflecting the views of the Sovereigns themselves; as an example, they respect the Mandalorians, although also view them with some degree of suspicion as to their own goals and capabilities, which mirrors the internal Imperial stance on the Mandalorian Union.
More information will be in the 'Allies and Enemies' section of this document.
The Imperial Knights are also notably more relaxed in their view in comparison to other institutions of the Empire. While the anti-alien sentiment has become less and less relevant over the past centuries, the shift from 'aliens are inferior and must be purged' to 'aliens have a place, but humans are still preferred' still does not reflect a fully welcoming society, even if aliens can reliably rise in the Empire if they prove themselves.
The Imperial Knights do not view aliens as inferior or even place a large emphasis on species at all. This is, we suspect, partially due to the internal focus of merit, as well as the fact that a decent percentage of Imperial Knights were not raised within the Empire, and thus bring with them biases that do not reflect Imperial norms. At least twenty percent of the Imperial Knights are aliens, and a miraluka and chiss sit on the Imperial Council.
It would also be prudent to draw some comparisons to their Jedi counterparts in the context of emotional attachment and love. Imperial Knights are not only permitted to have romantic relationships, but are encouraged to do so. This is not out of pure altruism or understanding; it is a clear means of producing more Force-sensitive offspring that are likely stronger than their parents.
As such, Knights are permitted to be parents and raise children, and if couples are incapable of producing children (either due to species incompatibility or same-sex couples) then they are encouraged to adopt Force-sensitive children acquired by the Knights, rather than having them be raised in the communal levels of the IKC tower.
The Knights do have policies about married or involved couples in regards to mission deployments. They are not permitted to participate together in any operations or deployments, and, if in a command position, must recuse themselves from any decisions affecting their spouse. Fraternization between high-ranking and low-ranking Knights is not completely forbidden, but extremely discouraged, and likely would attract the attention of the Inquisitors, though this is not confirmed.
ALLIES OF NOTE
The Jedi Order: The relationship between the Imperial Knights and the Jedi Order remains one of the strongest even to this day. The Imperial Knights still consider themselves to owe at least some gratitude for the Jedi in their help to kill Darth Krayt and restore the rightful Empire. They view the Order as a whole in a largely positive light, even if now they have grown to have vastly different interpretations of the Force.
This has not stopped the Imperial Knights from holding joint duels and contests to learn from and test themselves against each other. There are a few Knights who hold friendships with Jedi, and who will occasionally work together on operations in the Outer Rim, and Hutt Space in particular.
The relationship between the Imperial Council and the Jedi Council is perhaps the one place which hits rough patches, and largely depends on the members in question. There have been instances where the Imperial Council and Jedi Council got along well, and even considered a few members friends, but other times one Council or the other has cut off contact altogether for a variety of reasons from drastic disagreements over the Force, political strife, or simply because they don't like each other.
The Galactic Alliance: As the Empire is part of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, the Imperial Knights are also allied with the Galactic Alliance, in name if nothing else. The Imperial Knights do not hold significantly strong opinions on the Alliance as a whole, though view the Senate and government institutions as unfathomably corrupt and inefficient.
But while some Knights find the Alliance distasteful, as long as they are allies with the Empire, they will still work with the Alliance should the need arise.
The Chiss Ascendancy: One of the older allies of the Empire, there is a solid and mutual respect between the Imperial Knights and the chiss. Knights are permitted to operate freely in Ascendancy Space, and in return, certain chiss individuals are allowed to know more about the internal workings of the Knights than most individuals in the Empire itself. Why the Knights allow this is unknown, and begs the question of what the chiss are offering in return.
It should also be noted that all operations which take place in or near Chiss Space also receive support from the Ascendancy, and the Knights have worked with chiss agents multiple times on anti-slaving operations. I will also add that the chiss are the most common alien species within the Imperial Knights, with no obvious reason why this is the case.
The chiss and Imperial Knight relationship is something which should be investigated further at some point.
The Quabular Jedi: A decidedly odd pairing, the alliance between the Knights and Quabular Jedi is one which has grown over the past couple decades as the Knights began conducting more and more operations in the Outer Rim, particularly Hutt Space. It is unknown to what extent they work together, but it is likely that the Quabular share information and possibly provide assistance in missions conducted there.
Supposedly, one or more of the Imperial Council has traveled to meet the Quabular Kaarnan (their version of a Jedi High Council), which raises a significant amount of questions if this can be confirmed. It also occurs to me that we know extremely little on this Jedi sect other than that a good portion of the Order view them as heretics. Learning more about them could provide insight as to why the Knights are so interested in them.
ENEMIES OF NOTE
The One Sith Remnant: Ever since the death of Darth Krayt, his loyalists have continued to survive in the Outer Rim and the Unknown Regions. These terrorists, however, continue to be small and easily crushed by the Knights, but can never seem to be completely eliminated by them. Despite retaining the One Sith name, there are very rarely any actual Force-users who are part of the group, and the ones who are foolish enough to show themselves, often find themselves facing one of the Imperial Council, who make a special point to kill any One Sith pretenders, personally.
The Knights have a standing policy to purge any kind of support for the One Sith, and have a continual hatred of these terrorists. However, more recently, it appears that this group is shifting from trying to restore the One Sith, to bringing back the remains of the First Order. While this will not change how the Knights view this organization, it is something we should attempt to monitor.
Sith: While the Sith themselves are virtually extinct or so far out of touch with the rest of the galaxy they might as well not exist, the Imperial Knights consider them their greatest threat. The Sith usurped the Empire in the Second Imperial Civil War under Darth Krayt, and there was yet another attack against the Empire from Snoke in the Third Civil War.
As a result, the Imperial Knights hate the Sith. It doesn't matter what brand of Sith philosophy they follow, all Sith are marked for immediate execution and are hunted mercilessly across the galaxy if they are unfortunate enough to be detected by the Empire. The Sith are so hated by the Knights that Palpatine is viewed and taught as a traitor to the original Galactic Empire who deliberately undermined it at every opportunity and used it to serve his own power.
I will note that while official Imperial schooling does not portray Palpatine in this way, the Knights go out of their way to ensure that Palpatine is not emulated in any way.
The Migrant Fleet of Dac: This is more of a one-sided enemy, as the Imperial Knights do not especially care about the Migrant Fleet, if they know of it at all. The Migrant Fleet, on the other hand, still loathes the Empire and the Imperial Knights in particular, believing that all Force-users affiliated with the Empire are Sith, or pretending to be something else. While not especially prevalent, Imperial Knights are instructed to avoid making contact with the Migrant Fleet or exercise extreme caution if they travel near them.
The Hutt Cartels: The hutts are despised by the Empire universally; they stand for the exact opposite of everything the Empire is supposed to stand for, and the Imperial Knights share this opinion – and act on it. While the Empire, and the Imperial Knights, have not declared a war on the Hutt Cartels, they have done so in every way that is important.
The vast majority of documented Imperial operations have taken place in, or around, Hutt Space, and the Cartels have suffered loss after loss to their slaving, smuggling, and narcotic operations. While relatively small-scale – the hutts have not suffered what we could call substantial losses yet – the documented strikes are clearly meant to send a message.
We suspect that the Imperial Knights are participating in these operations in conjunction with Imperial Intelligence and Imperial Special Forces. What the goals of the Empire are at this point are unknown. Unless they fully mobilize against the hutts, they will not make any substantial progress against the criminal conglomerate. So, it begs the question of why they are bothering at all.
No one has seemed to investigate this deeply because no one is going to cry over the hutts losing a few credits, and indeed, the suspected operations – which have not been confirmed by Emperor Vorn (although he snidely remarked something to the effect of 'nothing of value was lost') – have been praised by civilians, HoloNet personalities, and media, along with calls for the GA to make similar efforts.
The Empire, and the Imperial Knights, are setting the stage for something in Hutt Space, and if I were to place bets on any kind of conflict, I would give it to the Empire. I firmly believe that this activity needs to be investigated more thoroughly.
CONCLUSION
I have come to the sobering realization that we know far less about the Empire as a whole than we should. The Imperial Knights are the exemplification of this fact, as I can definitively state and prove that we knew almost none of what I have described in this report. We dismissed them as the Imperial counterpart of Jedi when in reality they are their own, distinct entity far more developed and expanded than originally assumed.
The Imperial Knights are dangerous and powerful. The Inquisitors pose a direct threat to any operations conducted in Imperial Space, and the Empire's Hands could very well be embedded in organizations within the Galactic Alliance.
But in the interest of objective facts, I will state the following: at this point, the Imperial Knights are not an immediate threat to the Galactic Alliance and galactic stability. They are more focused on internal management and Hutt Space than us. I would even say that should a new threat arise, the Imperial Knights would be an essential and powerful ally.
The point one should take away from this is the following:
We cannot treat the modern Empire in the same way as the old Fel Empire. This is not the same organization that fought the One Sith by the side of Jedi and Alliance. This is an entirely different beast. They bear the same name, wear the same uniforms, and control the same planets, but structurally, politically, and militarily they are different. Emperor Vinraf changed the Empire into something more refined, prepared, and dangerous. They are our ally now, but we must stop assuming this will remain forever.
Moderate observation and half-baked reports on the Empire cannot cut it any longer. Just from this one operation we've found leads of more critical and unknown Imperial operations and objectives which, I would say, are important. The Chiss-IK relationship, Quabular, Hutt Space, the Imperial Mandate, Xilas-III, and the true extent of the reforms during Emperor Vinraf's reign. Ignoring these is not only questionable from an intelligence standpoint, but also an informed one. Even if we will not take action against our allies, knowing at least part of what they are up to can ensure we are not caught off-guard in the event of something major.
We ignore the Empire at our own risk.
[Eyes only: Director Calsyne: As much as certain parties of the AIS like focusing on the Senate, Jedi, and engaging in the same power plays for control, I'm sure you can understand that organizations like the Empire don't have this problem anymore – at least nowhere to the extent of the GA. I don't care how many senators you screw over, that is your business if you think that's appropriate, but I do care about prioritizing it over matters of Alliance security – like the Empire.
Both of us know better than to treat the Empire as a benevolent entity. Ally or not, they are the only other organization in the galaxy which has an even moderately comparable amount of influence, and us not being informed of how they operate hinders anything we do concerning them. I know you begrudgingly approved this operation, but you can see what we learned through it. I hope this has convinced you of the necessity of keeping watch on the Empire, because they are doubtless doing the same to us. -Operational Director Tlek]