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 around 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. Though they did not draw on the dark side, they did not strictly follow the light side either, and were viewed as Gray by the Jedi Order.

The Imperial Knights swore loyalty to their Emperor, serving the Force as embodied by him. By 130 ABY, Emperor Roan Fel was a fully-trained Imperial Knight, and the leader of the organization. However, if the Emperor were to ever fall to the dark side, it was the duty of the Imperial Knights to either remove him or bring him back to the light, as ultimately, it was the Force that they owed their allegiance to.

Following the Fel Empire's displacement by Darth Krayt in 130 ABY, the Imperial Knights fled from the capital with their Emperor, becoming a part of his Empire-in-exile. By 137 ABY, several Imperial Knights were being routinely sent on missions by Roan Fel, as he sought to establish alliances with both the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and the Jedi Order. They were often on the front lines of the Anti-Sith Insurgency, battling Darth Krayt's forces on such planets as Vendaxa, Mon Calamari, and Had Abbadon.

Organization and philosophy
"As Imperial Knights, we obey the Emperor but only as long as he serves the light side of the Force."

- Ganner Krieg

The Imperial Knights were founded some time before 130 ABY. The Emperor of the Galactic Empire and leader of the Imperial Knights by 130 ABY, Roan Fel, was a descendant of Baron Soontir Fel, who himself was not Force-sensitive. It is possible that one of Soontir's descendants had a Force-sensitive parent, and equally possible that one of his descendants was simply born with sensitivity to the Force. Regardless, the Imperial Knights were a highly-organized order by 130 ABY, serving under Emperor Roan Fel. They were sometimes referred to as "Imperial Jedi".

By 137 ABY, several Imperial Knights bore the title of Master, including Antares Draco, Ganner Krieg, and Treis Sinde. It is not known if this indicated a unique leadership position, or if it was simply an informal title of respect. Antares Draco was officially the second-in-command of the Order, however. Draco was also the apprentice of Roan Fel at one point.

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.

It was said that the first loyalty of the Imperial Knights was not to the Force, but to the Empire as personified in the Emperor. Imperial Knights were in the service of the Emperor for life --- only one knight ever left the order, and in the words of Marasiah Fel, "his life proved short". Though the Imperial Knights ultimately served the Force through the Emperor, this was only true if he served the light side of the Force. If he were ever to turn to the dark side, their duty was to either bring him back to the light or remove him from power. . This policy had been in place since the Order's founding, and as such, Ganner Krieg maintained that it was ultimately the Force that they owed their allegiance to. ''

The Imperial Knights did not draw on the dark side, but were said to not strictly follow the light side either, obeying the orders of the Emperor before anything else. As such, the Jedi viewed the Imperial Knights as "gray". The Imperial Knights were also considered Gray Jedi by the Jedi Order due to the Jedi's belief that they did not truly follow the way of the Force. This view of them was reminiscent of the Gray Jedi of the Old Jedi Order, such as Qui-Gon Jinn.

Founding
According to Treis Sinde, the Imperial Knights were founded by the Empire around 62 ABY, under the juristiction of Jagged Fel.

Sith-Imperial War
"Imperial Knights! Save your Emperor!"

- Mohrgan Fel

In 127 ABY, war broke out between the Galactic Alliance and Roan Fel’s Empire. During this three-year conflict, Fel forbade his knights from participating. Following the Battle of Caamas, which saw the defeat of the Galactic Alliance and the end of the war, Director of Imperial Intelligence Nyna Calixte confronted Fel and Imperial Knights Antares Draco and Mohrgan Fel, the Emperor’s cousin, and revealed that the Sith were planning to assassinate Fel and assume control of the Empire. His survival was in both his own and her interests, as it would allow Calixte and her lover, Grand Moff Morlish Veed, to remain important to Krayt. Fel realized that the Sith would expect both him and a contingent of Imperial Knights to appear before the Moffs, and Mohrgan, eager to test himself against the Sith, volunteered to lead a squad to protect Fel's double. Later on, the Moffs appeared before the Emperor's double in the Imperial Throne Room, when Darth Krayt arrived along with Darths Nihl, Maladi, and Wyyrlok. Krayt singlehandedly slew all four Knights, before striking down the decoy, who he believed to be Fel himself. All Moffs present swore their allegiance to Darth Krayt, the new Emperor of the galaxy. Though four Imperial Knights lay dead, the ruse allowed Fel and Draco to make an underground escape from Coruscant. Displaced from his throne, Roan Fel and his Imperial Knights were now in exile.

Reorganization on Bastion
"I call upon you, my loyal stormtroopers, to join with me and take back our Empire which you have so long and faithfully served."

- Roan Fel

For the next seven years, Roan Fel and his Empire-in-Exile remained a thorn in Darth Krayt's side, executing hit-and-run tactics on Krayt's Imperial fleets. In 137 ABY, Fel returned to the Imperial stronghold of Bastion, which had been under the control of Darth Krayt's Empire for seven years. Accompanied by Imperial Knights Ganner Krieg, Antares Draco, and Sigel Dare, Fel believed that with Bastion as a home base, his Empire could become a more potent threat to Krayt, and wished to keep the knowledge secret for as long as possible. Fel’s Empire, and by extension the Imperial Knights, had a new and permanent home.

At the same time, Darth Krayt received intelligence that Fel's daughter, Marasiah, herself an Imperial Knight in training, was hiding on the planet Socorro. Hoping to learn of Fel's whereabouts, Krayt sent his newly-named hand Darth Talon to Socorro to kill Imperial Knight Elke Vetter, who was traveling with Marasiah. Talon killed Vetter, whose last stand allowed Marasiah and her companion Astraal Vao to escape, but Talon intended to follow them to Fel. When this news reached Bastion, Antares Draco immediately volunteered to take three knights to Socorro to rescue her, but was forbidden to do so by Fel. Fel understood Darth Krayt's ploy, and would not allow his new base to be discovered yet, even at the expense of his daughter's life. Marasiah and Astraal were eventually picked up by Bounty Hunter Cade Skywalker, who, along with the other crew members of his ship, the Mynock, decided to turn both Marasiah and her father over to the Sith and collect their bounties.

The Mynock made its way to Vendaxa, and Darth Krayt decided to send more Sith to Talon’s aid, anticipating that Fel would send more Imperial Knights. Fel, however, insisted that it was too early for Krayt to learn that Bastion had been retaken. Draco and his trusted friend Ganner Krieg went to Vendaxa anyway, in two stolen Predator-class fighters, wondering if loyalty was the same as obedience. Arriving on Vendaxa, their fighters were shot down by a Sith Fury-class fighter, but the two managed to escape the flaming wrecks of their ships. Along with the Jedi Knights Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao, the three Imperial Knights engaged the Sith in combat. Despite seven years of tension between the Jedi and Roan Fel’s Empire, the Jedi and Imperial Knights were fighting side-by-side against their common enemy, the Sith. During the battle, Marasiah was cut down by a Zabrak Sith while protecting a derelict Cade Skywalker.

Believing that the one person they had sworn to protect had been cut down, Krieg and Draco fought with renewed vigour; Krieg managed to kill a Nautolan Sith. While cradling what he believed to be her corpse in his arms, Draco realized that Marasiah was still alive, and directed all his efforts into keeping her that way, even revealing to Sazen that the Massacre at Ossus had happened against the Emperor’s orders. With the Sith at bay, the Jedi and Imperial Knights managed to safely get onboard, and the Mynock took off. In what she believed would be some of her dying words, Marasiah Fel expressed her belief that the Imperial Knights would need to ally themselves with the Jedi in order to take down Darth Krayt. Skywalker, however, himself a former Jedi, managed to heal her. With everyone safe, the Mynock arrived at Bastion.

Fallout from Vendaxa
"As Imperial Knights, I expect your total obedience to my commands. And I did not get it."

- Roan Fel

After Skywalker secretly departed Bastion in the middle of the night, Roan Fel called Krieg and Draco before him and berated them for disobeying a direct order. He believed that he now had a stalemate with Darth Krayt's Empire thanks to them, as the Sith would likely have tracked them back to Bastion. Though Krayt could not afford an all-out attack on Bastion, Fel was no longer sure that he could bring in new troops. However, Fel knew that revealing that he had been disobeyed would undermine his authority, and thus retroactively approved their mission to Vendaxa. They were now the Empire's foremost heroes, and they would be embarking on the most dangerous missions from now on. He then sent them on their next mission --- they would be escorting Captain Mingo Bovark to the Wheel, where Bovark would be discussing a possible alliance with Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant Fleet. Fel needed allies, and having met Sazen and Vao, doubted he could find them among the Jedi. Their mission was to ensure Bovark's safety at all costs, and see that the negotiations went smoothly.

Aboard the Wheel, Stazi and Bovark met in a conference room, with both sets of guards required to wait outside. Draco indicated that he didn't trust the Galactic Alliance guards, and vowed to win back the Emperor's trust.

While the talks were happening, Imperial Spies Morrigan Corde and Jor Torlin, also aboard the station, managed to cause the Imperial shuttle to fire on Stazi's ship using a Command Override Limpet Droid, which caused Stazi to believe that Roan Fel had betrayed him. An angry Stazi drew a vibro-shiv on Bovark, while outside in the hallway, a firefight erupted between the Imperial Knights and the Galactic Alliance guards. Krieg held off the guards with his lightsaber while Draco burst into the room to retrieve Bovark. Wheel Administrator Pol Temm and several security guards arrived, and called on the Imperial Knights to surrender their weapons immediately. Draco refused, and Temm ordered the Imperials off of the Wheel, declaring the station off-limits to all of Roan Fel's forces. Bovark wondered why the Imperial shuttle had fired, and Draco suspected sabotage. He vowed to find and kill whoever was responsible, as they had set off a chain reaction of events that had resulted in Krieg and Draco taking great steps to alienate their Empire from both the Wheel and the Galactic Alliance. As Draco had Force-pushed Gar Stazi across the room, Roan Fel's Empire still found itself without any allies.

Working with the Galactic Alliance
Some time later, Emperor Fel, having survived an assassination attempt by the Sith Darth Kruhl, sent Imperial Knights Treis Sinde and Sigel Dare on a mission to sabotage the Advanced Star Destroyer Imperious, which was nearing completion at the Mon Calamari Shipyards. Destroying the vessel would mean denying its usage to Darth Krayt's Empire. Undercover and in plainclothes, Sinde and Dare infiltrated the vessel and planted three sets of explosives, the first two of which they expected to be found, and the third anticipated to remain undiscovered. The explosives were primed to go off when the Imperious's weapon systems came online during its shakedown cruise; the hope was that the ship would be far enough away from Dac that the Mon Calamari would not get blamed. The plan hit a snag, however, when Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance executed his own bold mission to steal the Imperious from Krayt's Empire, hoping to add the ship to his fleet's arsenal. Stazi's plan succeeded, though it cost him his flagship the Indomitable in the process, along with one third of the Mon Calamari shipyards, and the life of one of his most trusted men, Captain Jaius Yorub.

Angered at the loss of the Imperious, and fuming over Cade Skywalker having recently escaped from his clutches, Darth Krayt brought a legion of Sith and stormtroopers to Dac, and ordered the execution of ten percent of the Mon Calamari population. The remaining ninety percent throughout the galaxy were to be interred in work camps. As Sith and stormtroopers swarmed New Coral City, Sinde and Dare, still in plainclothes, fought their way through Krayt's forces in order to locate Monia Gahan, niece of former Senator and Galactic Alliance Triumvirate member Gial Gahan. Treis Sinde realized that the explosives which he and Sigel Dare had planted would not be discovered by Gar Stazi. Believing Stazi to be an ally of Roan Fel in opposition to Darth Krayt, Sinde knew that he had to be warned of the sabotage. Sinde knew that Fel hoped to ally with Stazi, and that by warning the admiral, they could convince him of their good intentions and persuade him to reenter into negotiations for an alliance with Emperor Fel.

Escape from Dac
Sinde and Dare located Gahan, who agreed to help them reach Stazi so long as they assisted in the rescue of her fellow Rogue Squadron pilots who had been captured during the battle. She pointed out that it would be a sign of Emperor Fel's sincerity if the Imperial Knights brought Stazi all of his missing people. The two Knights then cut their way through legions of stormtroopers as Gahan rescued her fellow Rogues from a prison cell. Dressed in stormtrooper armor, the group managed to board the personal shuttle of Darth Azard, a Quarren Sith Lord, thanks in large part to a mind trick used by Dare. As the shuttle prepared to launch, Darth Azard approached with his lightsaber lit, prompting Sinde to remain behind and duel him in a delaying action. Dare used the Force to jettison a fuel tank into the path of the ship's rear guns, and instructed one of the Rogues to fire on it. A massive explosion occurred in the hangar, covering the shuttle's escape, and distracting Azard long enough for Sinde to dive off of the hangar level and escape.

Dare and the Rogues rendezvoused with Stazi aboard the Imperious, and Stazi's crew disarmed the third set of explosives. A belligerent Dare told Stazi "you're welcome", prompting Stazi to inform her that she was lucky to have not been shot yet. Gahan cut the tension between the two by venturing her opinion that Treis Sinde had been correct: The Sith were the common enemies of both Roan Fel and Gar Stazi. Though they needn't be friends, it would be beneficial to become allies. Gahan and Dare agreed that Sinde had been willing to sacrifice himself to the greater good, but Dare expressed her belief that he was still alive. She suspected he would be joining up with whatever resistance group the Mon Calamari were no doubt creating. Unbeknownst to her, Sinde did just that.

Stazi realized the necessity of bringing down Krayt, and instructed Dare to contact Roan Fel and inform him of his willingness to work together against their common enemy. Largely thanks to the actions of the Imperial Knights, an alliance between the Galactic Alliance and Roan Fel's Empire was now possible.

Pursuing Cade Skywalker
"I should have had Skywalker enlisted, incarcerated, or embalmed. He's too much of a wild card. I will not make the same mistake twice."

- Roan Fel

At some point following the events on Vendaxa, Marasiah Fel completed her training and became a full-fledged Imperial Knight. Her father regretted allowing Cade Skywalker to escape from Bastion following Vendaxa, and having learned from his contact on Coruscant that Skywalker had recently escaped from the Temple of the Sith, he dispatched Jedi-turned-Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae to track him down. Rae followed the Mynock from Socorro to Iego, where where Skywalker and his crew were visiting Bantha Rawk at his nest. Waiting until the middle of the night, Rae attacked Skywalker, who was high on the euphoria of death sticks, but was subdued by Rawk, who had felt a disturbance in the Force. Removing her bounty hunter disguise, Rae revealed her identity to her childhood friend, and was invited inside by a surprised Skywalker.

Rae told a false tale to Cade, Jariah Syn, Deliah Blue, Rawk, and Rawk's wife Droo, telling them that after the fall of Ossus, she had become a bounty hunter. During the story, a Star Destroyer entered the system, with its captain suspecting that the Mynock was on Iego. After being abused by the Imperials, Rae used a mind trick to send them on their way. Realizing that he couldn’t hide any longer, Skywalker decided to kill Darth Krayt, but knew that he needed allies to do it. Hoping that he could find some among the Jedi, Rawk informed him of the Hidden Temple, and Skywalker set a course for Taivas, allowing Rae to accompany him in her own ship. On her way out of the system, Azlyn contacted Marasiah Fel, Ganner Krieg, and Antares Draco, who were nearby in a ship of their own, and relayed the coordinates of the Hidden Temple to them. Though Krieg and Draco suspected that she might be setting them up, the three Imperial Knights set a course for the Hidden Temple.

The Hidden Temple
"In the name of the true Emperor, Roan Fel, we come bearing greetings to our Jedi cousins."

- Marasiah Fel

As the Mynock approached the planet Taivas, Rawk recorded a message for Droo, speaking of a nagging feeling in the Force he had, telling him that there was a restlessness simmering beneath Azlyn's quiet surface.

The Mynock landed at the Hidden Temple, and as its crew departed, they were met by Shado Vao and Wolf Sazen, the former with his lightsaber drawn. A shocked Cade was directed to look behind him, where Draco, Krieg, and Sia had just disembarked from their own ship. In order to protect the princess, Draco and Krieg had their lightsabers drawn, which prompted Cade and Vao to engage the two of them in duels. Cade was furious that the Imperial Knights had cloaked their ship and followed him, putting he and his crew in danger, and angrily clashed sabers with Antares Draco. Draco called on Krieg to defend her Imperial Majesty; Cade retorted that she hadn't been invited, and that the Imperial Knights weren't welcome. Draco asked if he, being "pirate scum", spoke for the Jedi, and Cade told him that he spoke for himself --- the Imperial Knights weren't welcome because they had hitched a free ride from the Mynock.

While dueling Vao, Krieg asked if Jedi welcomed all visitors with their lightsabers swinging; Vao remarked that it was their policy for welcoming uninvited guests with drawn lightsabers of their own. Cade, having had enough, Force-pushed both Krieg and Draco across the hangar, and remarked that it felt good. This action caused Sia Fel to ignite her own lightsaber, and angrily inform Cade that they were there on a mission of peace.

Wolf Sazen told the Imperial Knights to act peaceably and put away their lightsabers, and then calmly asked Marasiah how they had come to know the location of the Jedi's hidden base. Cade forestalled any reply, however, and called out Azlyn Rae for betraying them, screaming at her and asking how many credits the Imperials had paid her.

Sia then revealed the truth about Azlyn Rae --- she had not come looking for Cade in order to collect the bounty on his head, but was in fact an undercover Imperial Knight who had been tasked with locating Cade and convincing him to return to Bastion. The mission's mandate had been altered when Azlyn had learned of the Hidden Temple, and Sia declared that Azlyn was now within the mantle of safe conduct for the Imperial Knights' diplomatic mission. Cade, still fuming, called Sia a filthy Imperial spy, and had to be restrained by Vao and Bantha Rawk; Wolf Sazen informed Sia that diplomatic status had not yet been granted to any of the Imperial Knights. Sia then informed him that she had come on behalf of her father, to open discussions with the Jedi about a possible alliance between them and Roan Fel's Empire.

A shocked Sazen asked if Roan Fel had been informed of the Hidden Temple's existence, and Draco informed him that they would never take the princess into unknown territory without first relaying its coordinates to Bastion.

At this point, the tension between all parties had visibly died down, and everyone present began to walk into the base to go see the Jedi Council. Sazen told Sia that compromising the Hidden Temple's existence was a poor way to begin negotiations, and Sia maintained that the Jedi had nothing to fear from her father.

Cade, Rawk, and the Imperial delegation appeared before the Jedi Council; Azlyn Rae regrettably watched Cade disappear into their chamber, visibly distraught at having betrayed her childhood friend. Jedi Masters K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, and Tili Qua greeted them, and Cade remarked that the stink of the Imperials' crimson armor made him gag. T'ra Saa told him that the Force had allowed the Imperial delegation there for a reason, and that the council would decide if they could trust an alliance with them. Sia told them that Roan Fel had never truly been their enemy, which prompted Tili Qua to remind her that he had declared war on the Galactic Alliance, had remained on the throne when the Sith joined forces with his Empire, and had been Emperor during the Massacre at Ossus. Cade also bid her explain herself.

Sia gave a long speech to the Jedi Council, revealing information that had previously been unknown to them: Before the Sith-Imperial War, Jedi would often visit Roan Fel's palace on Bastion; after the Ossus Project had gone wrong, Fel had told Kol Skywalker that he would stay the Empire's hand while Kol proved that it had been sabotaged. However, the Moff Council had invoked the treaty of Anaxes, and Fel's authority had been overruled. Roan Fel had not ordered the massacre of Ossus --- the Sith had, secrely allying themselves with members of the Moff Council. Fel had explicitly ordered that the Jedi be allowed to withdraw to Ossus and remain unharmed. With Fel now being a thorn in the side of the Sith, he was an ally to the Jedi, with the Sith as their common enemy. With Gar Stazi having opened talks with Fel, Sia called on the Jedi to do the same.

T'ra Saa sensed truth in her words, but regretted that there weren't enough Jedi to oppose the Sith, and likely wouldn't be for several generations. Cade then chimed in, revealing knowledge of Darth Krayt and the One Sith that he had learned during his time as their captive, and proposed a plan of his own: Assassinate Darth Krayt.

Outside the council chambers, Azlyn Rae spoke with Jariah Syn, offering him a cup of caf and apologizing for her actions. Syn told her that he wasn't upset, as she had just been doing her job, and he had spied on people a few times himself. He indicated that he enjoyed the fact that she had "tied a knot in those uppity Jedi's shorts", and was impressed that she had managed to fool Cade. He told her that Cade would get over being mad at her, and then watched as Deliah Blue sped by on a speeder bike with Jedi Tobias Sun. Syn made a negative remark about Jedi, prompting Azlyn to ask why he hated Jedi as much as he did. At that moment, however, Azlyn was reunited with her former master, Rasi Tuum. A shocked Syn watched as Azlyn warmly embraced the Jedi who had killed his father. Tuum told Azlyn he understood her decision to join the Imperial Knights, but asked if she still felt loyalty to the Jedi.

The Jedi Council were taken aback by Cade's proposal, and told him that they would meditate on it. The Imperial Knights were impressed by it, however; Antares Draco remarked that it was the first thing Cade had ever said that he liked. With Darth Krayt dead, no one but Roan Fel would be able to claim the throne. Ganner Krieg ventured his opinion that if the Sith were to fight for the throne amongst themselves, an alliance between Fel, Stazi, and the Jedi could defeat the Sith Empire. Marasiah remarked that Cade's plan had merit, even if the Jedi chose not to support it. She mused that Cade's knowledge of the Sith would be useful, and that they could possibly convince him to join the Imperial Knights, either for honor, or for credits.

Later on, Sia Fel met with Azlyn Rae in the quarters that had been assigned to their delegation. Sia asked Azlyn where she had been, and Azlyn revealed that she had been with her former master, who she had thought dead for seven years. Sia told her that she was sensing some ambivalence in her, as she had just been reunited with her old friends in the Jedi Order. Azlyn admitted that she found her feelings strange --- though the Empire had taken her in and completed her training, she still felt loyalty to the Jedi. Sia pointed out that the oaths she had sworn to the Imperial Knights were binding for life, and that there was no walking away from them. Azlyn was aware of the commitment she had made, but asked Sia if any Imperial Knight had ever left the order. Sia said that one had --- but his life proved short. One way or another, his life-long oaths had been honored, and Azlyn would do well to think on that.

Afterwards, Azlyn joined Syn, Blue, Rawk, and several Jedi, in watching a hologram of Cade and Sia Fel appearing before the Jedi Council yet again. The council informed Cade that they would not support his attempt to assassinate Darth Krayt. Sia watched as Cade protested the decision, but the council's word was final.

Cade decided to proceed with his mission, with or without the assistance of the Jedi. As he returned to the Mynock, Deliah Blue informed him that the Imperial Knights had loaded their fighters into the ship's hold, after Cade's astromech droid, R2-D2, opened the cargo bay doors for them. Azlyn Rae stood with her fellow Imperial Knights as Draco told Cade that the princess agreed with Cade, and had assigned he, Azlyn, and Krieg to assist him on the assassination mission while she stayed behind to continue negotiating an alliance with the Jedi. Azlyn asked if he would allow them to go, prompting his reply: "Guess you're better than nothing." Shado Vao also joined them on the mission, to ensure that Cade didn't fall to the dark side.

Mission to assassinate Darth Krayt
The Mynock traveled to Had Abbadon in the Deep Core, as Cade had formulated a plan to lure Darth Krayt there. Draco and Krieg watched Shado Vao practice lightsaber technique against a Remote in the ship's cargo hold, and Krieg commented on Vao's skills. Draco insisted that they were better, merely because they were Imperial Knights, and Vao was a Jedi. A skeptical Krieg asked if Vao would be better than them if he were an Imperial Knight, and Draco told him that Vao lacked the discipline to be an Imperial Knight. Krieg then told his close friend that it was a good thing that the princess had remained behind at the Hidden Temple to negotiate with the Jedi, as if Draco had done it, he would have started a war.

Azlyn Rae sat outside the closed door to Cade's quarters, trying to apologize to him for using him in order to sneak Marasiah Fel into the Hidden Temple; as an undercover Imperial Knight, she had just been doing her job. She compared her story to Cade's --- a pirate had rescued him after the massacre at Ossus, and the Imperial Knights had rescued her. They had completed her training, and she was in debt to them. However, she still owed something to her past --- and to Cade. She attempted to remind him of the relationship they had shared as apprentices, but a meditating Cade did not hear her words, and received a vision of Old Republic Jedi Celeste Morne instead.

The Mynock was then yanked out of hyperspace by the interdiction field of the Star Destroyer Iron Sun, which Morne had commandeered ten years before. Morne had remained in the deep core in order to prevent the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur from escaping the Muur Talisman and unleashing himself upon the galaxy. Cade awoke from his meditation, and asked Azlyn if their reversion to realspace was her doing. She tried to explain herself, but Cade remained distrustful, speculating that she had sold them out to Imperials again. She shouted at him to trust her, but again, he refused --- as an Imperial Knight, she would always do her duty, and she had only come back into his life because Roan Fel had ordered her to. At that moment, Jariah Syn called on Cade to come up to the bridge, and he and Azlyn joined Syn, Vao, Draco, and Krieg in watching the Star Destroyer lock them in a tractor beam. Draco observed that there were no TIE predators meeting them, and that the Star Destroyer's hull had taken fire damage from the inside.

Vao and Cade sensed the presence of a Force-user on the ship, and Draco commented that it had to be either a Jedi or a Sith --- it could not be both. Cade begged to differ. The Mynock, now docked in the Star Destroyer's hangar, was not greeted by a welcoming party. Cade ordered Draco and Krieg to explore the corridors connected to the hangar bay, and Azlyn joined Cade, Syn, and Vao in checking out the hangar bay itself. Draco and Krieg found nothing but bones, some of which had been gnawed on, and reported their findings to Azlyn and Cade via comlink. They didn't sense the presence in the Force that Cade had, but Krieg did sense a darkness.

Several Rakghouls appeared out of nowhere in the hangar bay, attacking Cade's party. The four of them fought them off, but Cade and Azlyn were bitten and scratched respectively. Celeste Morne appeared and ordered the beasts back, and apologized for the attack. She was able to control the monsters, but had lost control to Karness Muur for a moment. Upon seeing that Cade and Azlyn had been bitten and scratched, she immediately Force-pushed all four members of Cade's party away, locking the infected two in a prison cell. Vao and Syn attempted to free them, but Morne had jammed the lock, isolating and quarantining the three of them. Azlyn identified herself as a Knight of the Empire, but Celeste told her that it was irrelevant, as she and Cade would both be Rakghouls in a few hours, as both had been infected with the Rakghoul Plague. Cade tried to tell her of his plan to assassinate Darth Krayt, but she simply told him that his companions would have to carry it out without him.

Draco and Krieg had returned to the hangar, and called Deliah Blue on their comlink. Draco told her that Cade was likely dead by now, and suggested calling off the mission, as it would be impossible to lure Krayt without him. Blue told him to shut up, and rushed out of the Mynock to find Cade.

Morne told the story of her past four thousand years to Cade and Azlyn, who were beginning to feel the effects of the Rakghoul plague. Morne offered to mercifully kill them, while Draco, Krieg, and Blue rushed into the corridor where Syn and Vao waited with several Rakghouls, intending to kill as many of the beasts as possible. Cade, feeling the effects of the plague strongly, asked Morne if the Rakghoul plague was a disease, and upon receiving an affirmative, used his healing powers to heal both he and Azlyn of the infection. As he was healing them, visions of his youthful romance with Azlyn flashed in front of both of their eyes.

On the other side of the door, Draco taunted Vao, suggesting that an Imperial lightsaber could open the door. Vao told him to close his mouth and open his mind, as he had sensed Cade's intense use of the Force on the other side. The door opened, and a weary Cade and Azlyn emerged. Celeste Morne followed, telling Cade that he had impressed her, and that she would join them on the mission to assassinate Darth Krayt.

With Morne as their newest passenger, the Mynock arrived at Had Abbadon. In a ruse, Draco and Krieg piloted their TIE Predators after Shado Vao's TwinTail Fighter, and told the Imperial Garrison via comlink to stand down. Draco's remark "We have him" caused a skeptical Vao to mutter "In your dreams, Master Draco." Krieg and Draco then blasted the TIE pilots before they could get to their ships. Krieg asked Draco if it felt right to him, killing fellow Imperials, but Draco had no such reservations. Since the Imperials they were killing followed Darth Krayt, they were their enemies. With the path clear, the Mynock dropped off Cade, Morne, and Azlyn, who entered the base and were met by Darth Reave and a squadron of stormtroopers.

Cade reacted angrily, telling Azlyn that she and her fellow Imperial Knights had gathered poor intel. Morne dismissed his remark by using the Muur Talisman to turn the stormtroopers into Rakghouls. After being scratched by several of the beasts, Reave fled, and Cade and Azlyn attempted to follow. Morne, however, held them back with the Force --- She was altering Cade's plan; the Sith would report his findings to Darth Krayt, who would then come to Had Abbadon.

With the base clear of enemy Imperials, Antares Draco accessed the HoloNet in order to report to Roan Fel. He told Fel of the Talisman and its powers, and asked for instructions. Fel, who was sparring with a young woman at the time, realized that the Talisman could turn the Sith's armies into Rakghouls that he could command. He told Draco to bring him the Talisman, whether or not they succeeded in killing Krayt. Draco replied with "Your will be done, majesty." With the transmission over, Fel continued his sparring session.

While Draco was communicating with Fel, Ganner Krieg and Azlyn Rae spoke outside of the transmission room. Krieg remarked that it had been too long since they had had a chance to speak privately, and asked if what he had said to her the last time they spoke had upset her. She told him no, and that she knew he had feelings for her --- she cared about him too, but their duties as Imperial Knights would always take them down separate paths. At that moment, Draco joined them, and told them about the new order from their Emperor. Draco seemed to only have his mind on one thing: If they succeeded, Fel would allow him to marry the princess.

Azlyn, however, realized that the Talisman was evil, and pointed out that the stormtroopers Morne had used it on had once been loyal to Roan Fel. Draco insisted that they were traitors, and that the Imperial Knights served the Emperor's will. Azlyn then gave her own reading of their teachings --- as Imperial Knights, they served the Force as embodied by the Emperor, who should never ask them to do anything dishonorable, such as obtaining an evil Sith device. Azlyn had been under the impression that the Empire shunned anything Sith. As she stormed away, Draco remarked that she had been acting strangely since being reunited with Rasi Tuum. He observed that her loyalties seemed unstable, and Krieg offered his opinion that her torn loyalties were understandable.

Draco didn't share that view. If Azlyn disobeyed the Emperor's order, or if she told the others on the mission about it, he would potentially have to kill her. This comment did not sit well with Krieg --- in his first ever moment of open insubordination to his trusted friend, Krieg told Draco that he would have to kill him first. An unmoved Draco told him that he was letting his feelings get in the way of his duty, and Krieg reminded him that Draco was equally guilty of that.

Krieg agreed with Azlyn --- the Imperial Knights served the Emperor with honor, and if he asked them to sacrifice that honor, he was betraying them. They were only to obey the Emperor if he served the light side of the Force, and if he ever turned to the dark side, their duty was to either bring him back to the light or remove him. This purpose had been in place since the Order's founding, for it was ultimately the Force that they owed their allegiance to. Tension mounted between the two friends and partners, as Krieg told Draco to remember that fact, and walked away.

In the middle of the night, Azlyn Rae approached Celeste Morne's quarters with a blaster in hand, intending to kill her, but was stopped by Cade. She angrily pointed the blaster at him, telling him that the Talisman was more dangerous than Krayt. Cade was unfazed, and taunted her, playing off of her conflicted loyalties by ironically telling her that killing in cold blood was not the Jedi way. Azlyn kicked him out of the way, and a lightsaber duel ensued between the two. Azlyn maintained that she had to take the Talisman away from Morne, and Cade asked if she was powerful enough to control its ancient Sith magic. He sarcastically told her that as an Imperial Knight, she was better than anyone.

Cade deactivated his lightsaber and calmed Azlyn down, holding her close and reminding her of their time together as padawans on Ossus. He told her to trust her feelings, and she admitted to having always loved him. Both admitted that their old feelings for each other had come flooding back when he had healed her, and the two shared a kiss, before spending the night together at the late Imperial Commander's headquarters.

As they cuddled and recalled stories of their childhood, Azlyn suddenly felt the voice of Karness Muur in her head again. Cade told her he had heard the voice since they had taken Morne aboard the Mynock, and left to confront her.

Arrival of the Sith
Cade and Morne managed to lure Darth Krayt to Had Abbadon, using the Muur Talisman as bait. Krayt arrived along with four of his most trusted Sith Lords: Darth Stryfe, Darth Wyyrlok, Darth Talon, and Darth Maladi. As they confronted Morne and Cade, a trap was sprung; Azlyn, Draco, Krieg, and Vao leapt out from their hiding places, having managed to conceal themselves in the Force, and attacked the Sith. However, Morne's army of Rakghouls cut them off from the battle. Draco, wanting to ensure both the death of Krayt and the obtainment of the Talisman, ordered Krieg and Azlyn to take care of Krayt while he confronted Celeste Morne. Azlyn protested, insisting that the mission was meaningless if Krayt survived. Draco reminded her that as leader of the mission, he decided their priorities, but Azlyn told him that she would not allow the evil Talisman to corrupt their Emperor. Draco angrily Force-pushed her away, telling her to obey his orders, but was physically restrained by Krieg. A frustrated Krieg bid him go confront Morne while he and Azlyn dealt with Krayt.

Draco cut his way through several Rakghouls and confronted Morne, who engaged him in lightsaber combat, telling him that his intent was easy to feel through the Force. She taunted him, telling him that he was not a subtle man. Draco called on her to surrender, when the voice of Karness Muur suddenly began to speak through Morne, telling Draco that the Emperor was not worthy of the Talisman, and calling him a pitiful Imperial slave. Morne easily Force-pushed Draco away, causing him to hit his head and lose consciousness. Muur then proclaimed that he would slay the Imperial Knights before taking Krayt's body as his own.

Krieg and Azlyn had to hold off the rakghouls when Muur turned them lose. Azlyn eventually saw an opening, and used it to get behind Krayt where she stabbed him through the chest. Morne, under Muur's control, then blasted Azlyn and Krayt with force-lightning. Krayt was then force-pushed off a cliff. After this, Celeste was mercifully killed by Cade, who then destroyed the Talisman when it tried to control him.

Azlyn had been mortally wounded by Muur's lightning. In fact, she was hurt so badly that even Cade's healing powers could only keep her alive, not heal her. Deliah Blue suggested getting her to Cade's aunt Droo, and Cade agreed. As they prepared to leave for Kiffex, Krieg and Draco stopped them. Krieg said he was going with them, but Cade refused to allow it; he had seen them try to secure the Talisman for Fel. Krieg drew his lightsaber, saying that they had healers on Bastion and Azlyn, as an Imperial Knight, belonged with her own kind. Shado responded to this by force-pushing the Imperial Knights away, saying that Azlyn was a Jedi before she joined them.

Cade and his allies left Had Abbadon. With no other alternative, Draco said they would use the Predators to get back to Bastion and report their failure to Emperor Fel.

Roan Fel


A fully-trained Imperial Knight, Fel was the third Emperor of the Fel Dynasty to sit upon the Imperial throne, before being ousted from power by Darth Krayt in 130 ABY, following the conclusion of the Sith-Imperial War. Known for his political acumen and strategic thinking, he maintained a persistent campaign against the Sith, even reclaiming the planet of Bastion. Despite this, his desire to reclaim the Imperial Throne guided many of his decisions. Fel's training as an Imperial Knight served him well when the Sith Lord Darth Kruhl attempted to assassinate him at Bastion.

Antares Draco


Draco was the leader of the Imperial Knights, behind Roan Fel. His formidable skill with a lightsaber matched his ability behind the controls of a fighter, but was perhaps outmatched by the love he felt for Princess Marasiah. Possessed of unwavering loyalty to the cause of the Imperial Knights, Draco would give his life for the Emperor, though his desire to marry the Imperial princess often clouded his thinking, and his loyalty to Fel eventually brought him into conflict with his fellow Knights. Draco was very critical of both the Jedi and the Sith, seeing them as inferior to the Imperial Knights.

Ganner Krieg


Calm and serious, Ganner was a high-ranking member of the Imperial Knights, and the most trusted friend of Antares Draco. A more level-headed foil to the brash actions of Draco, Ganner was always ready to stand behind his friend, having accompanied him on several dangerous missions, even without the consent of their Emperor. He did disagree with Draco's arrogant dismissal of the Jedi, however, and had feelings for fellow Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae.

Marasiah Fel


The only child of Emperor Roan Fel and the heir to the Imperial Throne, Marasiah (known to those closest to her as Sia) completed her training as an Imperial Knight following an incident on Vendaxa that saw her pursued by Sith agents. Sia often acted as an emissary between her father and Imperial systems, infiltrating planets in secret in order to determine the loyalty of the officers governing there.

Sigel Dare


Fiercely loyal to the cause of the Imperial Knights, Dare was rigid in her thinking and approach, severely disliking both the Jedi and the Sith. She was cold as ice and dutiful, but was often blinded to the larger picture, concentrating only on what was in front of her. She did not want to admit that the galaxy was falling apart.

Treis Sinde


Level-headed and pragmatic, Sinde was able to see the larger picture of galactic affairs, and was considered wise by Sigel Dare. While on a mission to sabotage one of Darth Krayt's Star Destroyers, Sinde saw the wisdom of warning Galactic Alliance Admiral Gar Stazi of danger, and of cooperating with members of Rogue Squadron. He was also willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good of the mission.

Azlyn Rae


A former Jedi padawan, Rae found herself on her own following the scattering of the Jedi Order in 130 ABY, and was discovered by the Imperial Knights, who completed her training. Though willing to deceive her childhood friend Cade Skywalker for the Imperial cause, Rae's reunion with him, and later with her master Rasi Tuum caused her to feel conflicting loyalties between the Imperial Knights and the Jedi.

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. This symbolized the order's unity, as well as the fact that each member was less than the organization that they serve. The standard uniform was a suit of crimson 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 right gauntlet; the gauntlet itself was composed of pure cortosis, rendering any lightsaber blade that touched it useless for several minutes. The uniform also included a black hood and cape.

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.

On her mission to the Hidden Temple, and later to Had Abbadon, Azlyn Rae remained in her bounty hunter's uniform, having been undercover and presumably without her regular armor.

Powers and abilities
The Imperial Knights were fully-trained Force-Users, and were sometimes referred to as "fully-trained Jedi". They were looked upon as inferior by the Sith, often being referred to as "Fel's Forcelings", yet some maintained that there was no denying their discipline, ability, or power.

The Imperial Knights were skilled with various uses of the Force, such as levitation, mind-tricks, and lightsaber combat. As with other Force-using groups, proficiency with a lightsaber varied from one Imperial Knight to the next. More experienced Knights have held their own against members of the One Sith, such as when Treis Sinde dueled Darth Azard on Dac, when Roan Fel defeated Darth Kruhl on Bastion, and when Ganner Krieg and Antares Draco helped fight off a large group of Sith on Vendaxa. On that occasion, Master Krieg killed a Nautolan Sith. Other Imperial Knights have been easily defeated by very experienced members of the One Sith, such as when Darth Talon killed Elke Vetter, and when Darth Krayt cut down four Imperial Knights with apparently little effort.

Antares Draco was also said to be very skilled behind the controls of a fighter.

Behind the scenes
The Imperial Knights were created by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema for the comic series Star Wars: Legacy, though the notion of a Jedi personal bodyguard to the Emperor dates back to the rough draft of A New Hope, where 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.

Referred to by John Ostrander as "A Jedi-like fellowship", the Imperial Knights were first revealed in Issue 0 of Legacy, released June 2006. Their first appearance came later that month in Issue 1, but all four Imperial Knights introduced died in that issue. The regular cast of Imperial Knights, including Antares Draco, Ganner Krieg, Sigel Dare, and Princess Marasiah Fel, would not appear until later on in the Broken story arc. Various Imperial Knights have played very prominent roles in the series so far, whether accompanying Cade Skywalker on missions or embarking upon missions of their own. According to Randy Stradley, it was originally decided that there would only be around a dozen Imperial Knights, although this may have been re-evaluated. The total number of active Imperial Knights is currently unknown, though Legacy 0.5 identifies their numbers as being "small".

The in-universe origins of the Imperial Knights remain shrouded in mystery, with many theories having been put forth by fans. One of the most popular involves Jaina Solo marrying Jagged Fel, adding Force-sensitivity to the Fel bloodline. This idea is supported in Outcast, when Jagged suggests that Jaina leave the Jedi and found her own order within the Empire. When asked in a chat, though, Jan Duursema seemed to consider that Adalric Cessius Brandl or one of his descendants may have played a part in the Imperial Knights. Significantly, Brandl bears a white lightsaber, similar to the silver sabers borne by Imperial Knights.

Fan reaction
Star Wars fan Akihiko Monnai has composed pieces of music for Legacy, including a piece for the Imperial Knights. His efforts have been praised by both John Ostrander and Jan Duursema.

Figures
Members of the Imperial Knights have received their own miniatures and action figures. The Legacy of the Force set of Star Wars Miniatures, released in early 2008, includes miniatures of Antares Draco, Roan Fel, Ganner Krieg, Sigel Dare, and Marasiah Fel.

Also in 2008, Hasbro, as part of its Legacy Collection comic packs, released two comic packs featuring characters from Legacy in 3 3/4 inch action figures. One of those packs featured Ganner Krieg and Antares Draco appearing in a two-pack along with part five of Broken.

Appearances

 * Outcast
 * Star Wars Legacy 8: Allies
 * Star Wars Legacy: Broken
 * Star Wars Legacy: Trust Issues
 * 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: Loyalties
 * Star Wars Legacy: The Hidden Temple
 * Star Wars Legacy: Vector
 * Star Wars Legacy: Fight Another Day
 * Star Wars Legacy 34: Storms, Part 1

Notes and references
Imperiale Ritter Caballero Imperial Rycerz Imperialny