The 967 Commando was a specialized unit of soldiers within the Galactic Alliance Guard, rigorously trained for conducting raids. The Galactic Federation of Free Alliances established this unit in 40 ABY following terrorist attacks and riots that struck Coruscant, a Core World and the galaxy's political heart. The 967 Commando operated under the direct command of Colonel Jacen Solo, who was both a Knight in the New Jedi Order and a secret apprentice to the Sith Lady Lumiya. The members of the 967 Commando were all Human citizens of Coruscant, recruited from the Coruscant Security Force, and their mission was to suppress any acts of sedition against the Galactic Alliance.
During the Second Galactic Civil War, the 967 Commando executed raids in the Corellian sectors of Galactic City. While some civilians, who favored stricter security measures against terrorism, applauded their actions, others saw Colonel Solo and his GAG troopers as echoes of Darth Vader and the stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire. The Jedi High Council voiced opposition to the 967 Commando's operations, particularly disapproving of Colonel Solo's involvement, given his status as a Jedi and the nephew of Grand Master Luke Skywalker.
As the conflict with Corellia and the Confederation escalated, Solo seized direct leadership of the Alliance, relying on the unwavering loyalty of the 967 Commando to successfully launch a coup against Chief of State Cal Omas. Although Sergeant Wirut, a GAG trooper involved in the arrest of Omas, grappled with his conscience, he ultimately obeyed his commanding officer's orders. Soon after, Jacen Solo cast aside his former identity and embraced his new role as Darth Caedus, marking the return of an active Dark Lord of the Sith after decades.
The growing threat of Corellian terrorism on Coruscant led to the need for a secret police task force, and Mara Jade Skywalker, a Jedi, was initially offered its leadership. While she agreed that a firm stance against terrorists was both natural and necessary, Jade Skywalker declined the commission. She believed that no Jedi should be involved in mass arrests and the internment of civilians of Corellian descent. However, Senator G'vli G'Sil and Chief of State Cal Omas found a more supportive Jedi in Jacen Solo, the son of Leia Organa Solo and the nephew of Grand Master Luke Skywalker. By this point, Solo had begun his transformation into a Sith Lord, much like his grandfather before him. Consequently, the Galactic Alliance Guard (GAG) was formed and placed under the direct command of the newly appointed Colonel Jacen Solo.
At the colonel's insistence, the GAG's composition required a diverse range of individuals with various specialties, including agents and spies from the Intelligence Service, police officers from the Coruscant Security Force (CSF), and elite shock troopers from the Galactic Alliance's Special Forces. The 967 Commando was one of the many units within the GAG that consisted of members with diverse skill sets, all personally chosen by Colonel Solo. The soldiers of 967 Commando were considered the Galactic Alliance Guard's most valuable assets.
The 967's reputation for loyalty, efficiency, and reliability led to its shock troopers being placed under the direct command of Colonel Jacen Solo and Lieutenant Ben Skywalker. Solo was particularly selective in recruiting soldiers known for their combat effectiveness and unwavering loyalty to the Galactic Alliance. Every member of the GAG—including those in 967—were Human, born and raised on Coruscant, with no connections to Corellia or its secessionist movement. Like the rest of the secret police, the GAG troopers of 967 Commando wore distinctive black plastoid armor and military fatigues, their faces hidden behind the fully concealing visors of their helmets. Much like their Imperial stormtrooper counterparts, GAG shock troopers were nearly indistinguishable, except for the name tags on their chest plates and variations in height and build. Officers were visually distinguished from rank-and-file shock troopers by their ranking marks. A captain had a single gold star on their helmet; sergeants had three thin gold stripes; corporals had two.
While their gear was suitable for their role as soldiers, many critics—both civilians and CSF officers—were quick to draw parallels between GAG troopers and the stormtroopers of the former Galactic Empire. Solo was also acutely aware of the similarities between 967 Commando and his grandfather's 501st Legion. However, unlike those who claimed the Alliance was a new Empire, he deeply admired Darth Vader as an inspirational commander whom he increasingly sought to emulate. Following 967's first raid on a Corellian community, Solo abandoned his Jedi robes in favor of a GAG uniform, seeking optimal combat efficiency.
Notable soldiers within 967 Commando included Captain Lon Shevu, a former officer in the Coruscant Security Force, who was loyal but privately disapproved of Jacen Solo's methods. Heol Girdun, previously an agent of the New Republic Intelligence Service, was primarily responsible for interrogating Corellian prisoners and was known for his brutal efficiency. Corporal Jori Lekauf, a young recruit from the Galactic Alliance Army, was an optimistic soldier who proudly served as a GAG trooper in 967. As the grandson of Erv Lekauf, an Imperial officer who faithfully served under Darth Vader, Jori was inspired to fight alongside Vader's descendant. With the exception of Girdun, Ben Skywalker developed a sense of camaraderie with Shevu and Lekauf.
The raids conducted by 967 Commando, including the mass arrests and internment of Coruscant's Corellian population, were recorded and broadcast throughout the Galactic Alliance by HoloNet News and Entertainment (HNE). The Corellian government used 967's actions as justification to incite further rebellion against the Alliance, but most loyalists, especially non-Corellian civilians on Coruscant, praised Solo and 967 for their measures to preserve national security and the safety of Alliance citizens on the galactic capital. As Solo continued to lead from the front, his popularity surged among the soldiers of 967, the entire Galactic Alliance Guard, and the Coruscanti civilians.
During a raid in the Underlevels of Coruscant, Lieutenant Ben Skywalker and 967 Commando Bravo Company apprehended Ailyn Vel, a mercenary and the daughter of Boba Fett, the Mandalorian bounty hunter, after a brief firefight. Her association with a Corellian agent implicated her in a conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, leading to her detention at the GAG headquarters in the Galactic Justice Center. When Jacen Solo attempted to interrogate Vel by probing her mind with the Force, he inadvertently killed her. Frustrated rather than remorseful, Solo ordered Girdun to question Vel's accomplice. Shortly after, Ben Skywalker discovered that Vel's targets were Jacen's parents, Han Solo and Leia.
After the Galactic Alliance's unsuccessful blockade of Corellia, the planet allied itself with other worlds to form the Confederation. This declaration of independence plunged the galaxy into the Second Galactic Civil War as the Alliance fought to maintain its sovereignty. As the conflict intensified, Chief of State Cal Omas considered alternative solutions, such as negotiation and appeasement. Lieutenant Ben Skywalker, under orders to assassinate Prime Minister Dur Gejjen of Corellia, uncovered and recorded a secret meeting between Omas and Gejjen. After Omas departed for Coruscant, Skywalker completed his mission and killed Gejjen. The mission was nearly compromised, but Jori Lekauf sacrificed his life to protect the GAG's involvement in Gejjen's death. Before succumbing to his wounds, Lekauf told the enemy's security officers that he was a Corellian terrorist. Skywalker, along with Lon Shevu, used the distraction to escape back to Coruscant.
Shortly thereafter, Colonel Jacen Solo learned from the recording that Chief Omas was considering assassinating him and Admiral Cha Niathal. Escorted by Sergeant Wirut and Trooper Limm of 967 Commando, Solo arrested Omas for high treason against the Galactic Alliance. With Niathal's cooperation, the coup d'état succeeded without bloodshed, thanks to the cooperation of the Senate and the armed forces. Solo and Niathal jointly assumed the office of Chief of State and established an emergency military government. As Joint Chief of State Number Two, Jacen Solo held half of the authority of the government's highest executive office. He was later forced to kill his aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker, in self-defense after she attempted to assassinate him upon learning of his impending transformation into a Sith. With his training complete, Solo adopted the name "Darth Caedus," the new Dark Lord of the Sith.