Imperial Agent

"Imperial intelligence operatives are clearly just as deadly as their Sith superiors."

- Jedi Master Gnost-Dural

An Imperial Agent was an occupation held by operatives of the Sith Empire during the time of the Great Galactic War and the following Cold War. Some of the Agents were actually Chiss members of the Empire's ally, the Chiss Ascendancy.

Overview
These field agents served as spies, assassins and saboteurs for the Sith's fearsome Imperial Intelligence. Through them, they were able to dominate countless star systems across the Galaxy by tracking down as well as eliminating the Empire's enemies which ranged from Senator's of the Galactic Republic to traitorous Imperial Moffs along with bloodthirsty rebels who had ties to the Republic. The skills required for such a task meant that Imperial agents had to master the arts of infiltration, seduction as well as assassination in order to further the Empire's cause. These shadowy soldiers had to face opposition in both the terrified galaxy as well as the capriciousness of the Sith Lords.

As such, Imperial Intelligence had to cultivate a notoriously vast and efficient network of informants in order to enable their agents to navigate the political landscapes of the galaxy with ease. While the allegiances of these agents goes without question, their great latitude in pursuing the agendas of the Sith Empire meant that these individuals also harbored their own motivations. Piercing through countless layers of intrigues, these shadowy spies know of conspiracies within conspiracies with even close contacts being unaware of what these individuals were accomplishing until the deed was done.

The elite within their ranks often are codenamed Cipher Agents who were recruited and trained to carry out the most dangerous as well as the most sensitive of assignments that the Empire had to offer. This ranged from undercover work to carrying out assignments in broad daylight which they accomplished through a carefully orchestrated range of tactics that left little room for error as even the smallest mistake could have catastrophic consequences. However, with every successful mission, the galactic arena shifted in the Sith Empire's favor which was primarily accomplished through the critical role the Imperial agents played in securing Sith domination. Their covert nature meant that recon images of their actions were rare as their variety of disguises as well as stealth-based nature of their battle gear meant that they were often hard to spot. The only common factor that was seen among them was that they could change at anytime. As their duties meant that they were often called for a high degree of subversion and infiltration into hostile organizations, it was often known that if they were not in the company of their friends than they were in the company of their enemies.

Within the society of the Sith, the upper echelons of power were reserved for the Force-sensitive Sith alone. Yet, at the heart of the Sith Empire were billions of subjects, many of whom were descendants of the original exiles that had settled on Dromund Kaas. To these loyal citizens, the Imperial agents represented the exemplar of the highest standing to which was a position they had hoped to aspire. Likewise, the populace of the Empire were the people that the Imperial agents risked their lives to protect. Though there were few idealists in Imperial Intelligence, it was the art of professional perfection which was held in deep reverence and was something that the Imperial agents embodied.

Due to the high level of work they were often called to undertake, the Empire often spared no expense in outfitting the Imperial agents with the best gear. State of the art technology along with high grade armor mesh was provided for both protection as well as flexibility in movement. In addition, they were further augmented with advanced communications technology as well as attachments to better interface with the variety of computer networks and security systems they encountered. While they possessed potent weapons, their tactics relied on range and surprise as well as the arsenal of their state of the art equipment. Thus, they often entered into combat with a confident strategy that involved striking from a distance or the shadows which played on their strengths. Imperial agents were well equipped to evade their enemies when necessary or to move quietly in order to slide a blade into their opponent's ribs. These individuals often kept their fingers on the right buttons in order to combat any situation, whether it's working solo or as part of a strike team.

Known Imperial Agents

 * Ula Vii
 * Cipher Nine

Behind the scenes
Grand Moff Tarkin is listed as an inspiration for the Imperial Agent, as is Sam Fisher, from the Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell" series.

Imperial Agents are playable in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Appearances

 * Timeline 4: The Empire Changes Strategy
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic