Imperial Knight

"We are Imperial Knights. We do our duty by the Emperor and by the Force&mdash;no matter the cost."

- Sigel Dare

The Imperial Knights, formally the Knights of the Empire, were an order of Force-practitioners loyal to Emperor Roan Fel of the Fel Empire from 130 ABY. They were fully trained in the ways of the Force and, unlike previous Imperial Force-based organizations, rejected the dark side of the Force.

However, the New Jedi Order considered them as Gray Jedi, as they swore loyalty to the will of the Emperor above all else, including their devotion to the will of the Force. Meanwhile, the One Sith considered them as forcelings inferior to the Jedi.

During the Sith-Imperial War, Emperor Roan Fel forbade them from participating in the hostilities.

Organization


Little is known for sure about the Imperial Knights' internal organization and origins. By 137 ABY, their leader, Antares Draco, bore the title of Master, but it is not known if this indicated a rank analogous to Jedi Master; on the one hand, it may have simply been an informal title of respect that had nothing directly to do with his status among the Knights, but alternatively, the style may have indicated a unique leadership position, equivalent to the Grand Master among the old Jedi.

In the aftermath of the Sith-Imperial War, a number of Jedi who surrendered to the Empire joined the ranks of the Imperial Knights. Such was the case of Padawan Azlyn Rae.

Imperial Knights are in service of the Emperor for life. Any who decide to leave are executed. Only one Knight has ever left, and in the words of Marasiah Fel "his life proved short".

Anti-Sith Insurgency
"Imperial Knights! Save your Emperor!"

- Mohrgan Fel

In 130 ABY, when Darth Krayt declared himself the new Emperor, all of the Knights present in the New Imperial Palace, including Fel's cousin Mohrgan, were slain, along with Roan Fel's decoy. The surviving Knights sought out former Emperor Fel and worked alongside him in his insurgency against the new Emperor. Three Knights&mdash;Antares Draco, Ganner Krieg, and Sigel Dare&mdash;escorted Fel to Bastion in 137 ABY and were at his side when the deposed Emperor took control of the planet away from the forces loyal to Darth Krayt.

Although completely loyal to Fel, both Draco and Krieg undermined the former Emperor's authority and mounted a mission to rescue his daughter, Princess Marasiah Fel. They knowingly entered a trap set by the Sith on Vendaxa, which resulted in Princess Fel receiving a fatal wound during battle. Cade Skywalker then revived her using the Force. Weeks later, Emperor Fel dispatched Sigel Dare and her Master, Treis Sinde to Mon Calamari in order to sabotage the Advanced Star Destroyer Imperious. After the ship was hijacked by the Galactic Alliance Remnant, the two Knights sought Monia Gahan to inform her of the three sets of explosives they had placed within the Imperious. The two agreed to help Monia rescue her fellow Rogue Squadron members. However, they were attacked by the Sith Lord Darth Azard, forcing Sinde to stall Azard long enough to allow for the others to escape. Dare escorted Monia Gahan to Admiral Gar Stazi in order to inform him of the explosives. Stazi then sent Dare back to Bastion with a message for Emperor Fel of a proposed alliance between the Alliance forces and those of Fels faction of the Empire. It is believed that Treis Sinde survived his battle with Darth Azard, and began to aid a growing resistance force on Mon Calamari.

Soon, Sia fulfilled her training and became a full-fledged Knight. She, Krieg and Draco were sent by Emperor Fel on a mission to track down Cade Skywalker and any remaining Jedi with the aid of Azlyn Rae, a former Jedi Padawan turned Imperial Knight and bounty hunter, who revealed the location of the Hidden Temple. The Knights then tried to negotiate an alliance with the Jedi High Council, but Jedi Master Tili Qua didn't trust them due to Emperor Fel's role in the Sith-Imperial War. The Council then considered on the Knights' offer.

Armor and equipment
"Pure cortosis gauntlet. All my knights have them."

- Emperor Roan Fel to Darth Kruhl

Each Imperial Knight carried a standardized silver lightsaber that produced a silver blade. They wore matching red armor that bore some resemblance to that of the Coruscant Guards and Emperor's Royal Guard of Palpatine's Galactic Empire. The Imperial insignia was printed on the left shoulder pad and the right gauntlet. The gauntlet was composed of pure cortosis, rendering any lightsaber blade that touched it useless for several minutes. The black material that made up part of the Imperial Knights' armor was reminiscent of the ribbed, multi-ply material that Darth Vader once wore underneath his armor. Roan Fel wore a more elaborate variant of this armor, along with a royal cape.



Behind the scenes
When asked in a chat, Jan Duursema seemed to consider that Adalric Cessius Brandl or a descendant may have played a part in the Imperial Knights. Significantly, Brandl bears a white lightsaber, similar to the silver sabers borne by Imperial Knights.

According to Randy Stradley, it was originally decided that there would only be around a dozen Imperial Knights, although this might have been re-evaluated.

The notion of a Jedi personal bodyguard to the Emperor is not new. In the rough draft of A New Hope, the Jedi are the protectors of the galactic ruler. A revolution occurs, and the Empire is replaced by the "New Empire". The Black Knights of the Sith hunt down the Jedi and supplant them as the Imperial guard and true power behind the throne.



Appearances

 * Star Wars Legacy 8: Allies
 * Star Wars Legacy 1: Broken, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 3: Broken, Part 3
 * Star Wars Legacy 6: Broken, Part 5
 * Star Wars Legacy 7: Broken, Part 6
 * Star Wars Legacy 9: Trust Issues, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 10: Trust Issues, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 12: Ghosts, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 13: Ready to Die
 * Star Wars Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 22: The Wrath of the Dragon
 * Star Wars Legacy 23: Loyalties, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 24: Loyalties, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 25: The Hidden Temple, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 26: The Hidden Temple, Part 2

Notes and references


Imperiale Ritter Caballero Imperial Rycerz Imperialny