Academy of Carida

"Life at the Carida Academy was full of changes. Some changes were startling, and some were expected. Some studies I did not take to, while others suited me just fine. Obedience, discipline, and loyalty were always drilled into us."

- Soontir Fel

The Academy of Carida was a private, and later state-supported, comprehensive military institution. It formed a triumvirate of elite military institutions along with the academies of Raithal and Corulag. The institution was known by a variety of names such as Caridan Military Academy and Carida Academy. It was located on the Spinara Plateau.

History
The Academy of Carida existed around 5,000 BBY, at which time its logo was inscribed in the Mascot Moon. Senatorial mandate around 220 BBY established it as a centralized training ground for planetary defense forces that maintained order across the Republic, the Academy also laid claim to training the Republic Army during the penultimate military conflict of the Galactic Republic.

Known then as the Republic Defense Academy, its influence waned in tandem with the Republic's faltering military capability and shift towards increased reliance on the Jedi Order. When the Separatist crisis threatened to divide the Republic, the Academy's administrators and its Caridan governors supported the Militarist senators attempting to pass the Military Creation Act, hoping to regain the prestige it once held. The role of the Academy during the Clone Wars is unknown, but presumably it trained non-clone warriors to supplement the flash-trained clone troopers and elite clone commanders



As Palpatine's Galactic Empire assumed the functions of the fallen Republic, a large scale military build-up brought the Academy under state control. Renamed the Imperial Military Academy, the Academy became best known as the central training facility for the Emperor's fearsome stormtroopers. As the Imperial war machine accelerated, the compound was expanded to include several other training programs for various branches of the Imperial Service. The reputation of Carida became so strong that it became synonymous with military education and was known by many as simply "the Imperial Academy", despite the existence of several major and hundreds of minor state-operated Imperial academies. By the peak of the Empire, it was uncommon for any officer or specialized soldier to have not spent at least one semester at the Academy.

During the Imperial years, the Carida Academy's staff and students numbered over 150,000 total. A full four-year course at the Academy would cost the Empire an average of 500,000 credits per student. It is also known that Admiral Daala was trained at the academy, even with Palpatine's prejudices against women.

The Academy was destroyed in 11 ABY when Kyp Durron launched the Sun Crusher's resonance torpedoes into the heart of the Caridan system's primary star. The resulting shockwave incinerated all planetary life, with the follow up cracking the planetary shell. Within the two-hour warning period Durron provided, it is believed that, many of the Imperials escaped with much of their equipment.

Organization
The central focus of the Academy was its training of stormtroopers. While other branches and sister facilities were tied into the stormtrooper training program, every trainee that passed through the gates of the Academy participated in the basic training and field exercises of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps before moving on to their more specialized training. Live fire field exercises provided practical experience as well as the means to test new weapons in combat situations. In fact, every major military equipment firm built facilities on Carida to allow for easier testing and development. For more information on the stormtrooper training program, see Imperial Stormtrooper Corps.

Facilities included:
 * Imperial Military Training Base
 * Imperial Navy Command Officer's School, a senior facilities for training prospective ship Captains in advanced naval combat and military command
 * Imperial Engineering Academy
 * Cliffside, a stormtrooper officer's academy
 * Storm Commando School

Campus
Centered at Spinara Plateau and surrounded by dagger-like mountains, the Academy was composed of several impressive buildings that acted as living and dining space, training areas, as well as administrative and Caridan government offices. At the center of the campus was a large citadel with architecture designed to echo the ancient buildings of Coruscant and Raithal, despite its relative youth. Enormous turrets and minarets dotted the upper walls of the citadel; the southernmost turret housed the Academy's private HoloNet transceiver.

The campus itself contained facilities for both basic and advanced training. Numerous outbuildings, drill fields, rifle ranges, and storage and training facilities surrounded the main quadrangles. Decommissioned Imperial walkers were placed along major promenades as imposing reminders of the Emperor's might. Decorations included an immense statue of Palpatine.

The Academy Dean resided in the Dean's Residence.

Faculty and staff

 * Lucinta Cal-Meg, physics professor and student advisor
 * Daala, kitchen staff
 * Dauren, stormtrooper trainer
 * Rom Mohc, administrator
 * Gandl Vorkosigge, Chief Technical Proctor
 * Horace Wyrmyr, Academy Dean

Notable students

 * Shira Brie
 * Myrette Davani
 * Nathan Donar III
 * Zeth Durron
 * Endicott
 * Soontir Fel
 * Kyle Katarn
 * Meck Odom
 * Han Solo
 * Dash Rendar
 * Mako Spince
 * Terrinald Screed
 * Tyber Zann

Behind the scenes
Prior to the development of the Academy of Carida in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, the Raithal Academy was established as the most prestigious branch of the Imperial Academy.

Appearances



 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Dark Forces Manual: Coded Transmissions (as "the Academy")
 * Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Star Wars Empire: To the Last Man
 * Allegiance
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel
 * Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight
 * Jedi Search
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force