Secret Order of the Empire

The Secret Order of the Empire was a clandestine, elite group formed of the Emperor's Mages and their agents. Emperor's Mage was the Imperial title equivalent to the older term Prophet of the Dark Side. These Prophets had arisen on the planet Dromund Kaas, where they practiced the arcane religion of the Dark Force, but with the institution of the New Order served as advisors to the Emperor on Imperial Center. They traveled abroad in disguise, giving special covert missions to servants of the Empire detected as Force-sensitive, such as Maarek Stele. These missions furthered the Emperor's Dark Side goals that were hidden behind all the Empire accomplished. Once an agent proved himself, he was initiated into the Secret Order. The most successful agents, such as Stele, were taken from the Order to become Emperor's Hands. The head of the Order was Supreme Prophet Kadann. Shortly before the Battle of Endor, the true Prophets had a parting of ways with Palpatine, and retreated to Bosthirda. The former Prophet Cronal, now under the alter ego of the Emperor's Hand "Blackhole", created a more public institution in mockery of the Order: the Church of the Dark Side. The Order as such ceased to exist, for the true Prophets no longer associated themselves with the Empire, only with the Dark Force.