Order of the Canted Circle

The Order of the Canted Circle was one of the oldest and most exclusive social orders on Coruscant whose members included some of the galaxy's most powerful, influential and wealthy beings. Gaining membership was a rare privilege, as, on average, less than a dozen new members were invited each decade, an infinitesimal number compared to the list of waiting elite.

During the reign of Emperor Palpatine, who was a member, the Order's membership reflected the preferences of the New Order towards male Humans. Palpatine used the Order to collect the officials, dignitaries and officers who had proved themselves most useful. His hand pushed first Rufaan Tigellinus and then Thrawn ahead of the well-regarded leaders waiting in line; Palpatine-sponsored invitations pushed the number of new members to fourteen in just seven years. In that period, new members were inducted into the Order in an open ceremony at the Skydome Botanical Gardens in heart of Coruscant. Initiates wore black velvet robes and were welcomed officially into the Order. The public event was followed by a private ceremony in the bowels of Imperial Palace. Members carried a pendant of the canted circle that marked their membership, although the group was small enough to make it more of a status symbol than a functional identifier.

After the fall of the Empire, the Order continued to operate, although its deep ties to a number of high-ranking former Imperial officers made it the target of close observation by the New Republic's secretive Alpha Blue division.