Kota's Militia

The Militia soldiers were clad in armor and uniforms that resembled those that would later be worn by the Alliance Special Forces during the early Galactic Civil War. Most troopers were armed with blaster rifles, stun batons, missile launchers and thermal grenades. Elite members were issued heavier armor and repeating blaster cannons. Furthermore, the Militia possessed several commandeered MAAT gunships, at least 3 CR90 corvettes, and dozens of BTL-S3 Y-wing starfighters. They would later also possess a commandeered Republic Cruiser. Many of their weapons and vehicles were purchased from criminal organizations, such as the Lok Revenants.

Small in number, the Militia relied mainly on the element of surprise and hit-and-run tactics. Though vastly outnumbered by both the Droid army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and later outmatched by the much larger Imperial Military, the Militia was composed of soldiers who were committed to the cause of rebellion against the Galactic Empire. They demonstrated qualities such as loyalty to Rahm Kota, dedication to his cause, courage against Imperial soldiers, and the willingness to die for their Jedi General.

After the Clone Wars began between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Jedi Order quickly moved to protect the galaxy from the Separatist Rebellion, and thus they accepted command of the newly-formed Grand Army of the Republic. Jedi Master Rahm Kota was determined to defend the Republic as well, although he declined to lead the clone troopers. Unlike other Jedi, Kota did not trust the Clone Army. Furthermore, he believed that clone soldiers were unfit for battle. Kota found "real" Humans to be more creative, intelligent and versatile than the clones. Hence, he established a private unit of highly-trained soldiers recruited from various local militias, mercenaries, and even Separatist prisoners of war. The result was a small, but efficient fighting force, composed of soldiers noted for their battlefield effectiveness and personal loyalty to General Kota.

Rahm Kota's lack of trust in the clones and his faith in regular Human beings was vindicated when Order 66 was issued by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. By the Chancellor's command, the clone troopers assassinated their Jedi officers on Coruscant and throughout the galaxy. Kota's soldiers remained faithful to their General, however, and refused to obey the genocidal order. With the Republic's fall followed by the birth of the Galactic Empire—ruled by the self-appointed Emperor Palpatine—in its place, the Militia commandeered a Republic cruiser and disappeared into hiding.

Kota and his soldiers remained in hiding for many years during the Great Jedi Purge. They emerged from seclusion nearly two decades after the Declaration of a New Order, conducting hit-and-run attacks against various Imperial targets throughout the galaxy. Though not officially a rebellion, their activities eventually gained the personal attention of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, whom Kota was seeking to kill. While Kota's Militia was in the process of raiding a TIE Fighter Construction Facility located above Nar Shaddaa, Vader deployed his Secret Apprentice - Galen Marek. Marek was a young Sith assassin, codenamed Starkiller, who was sent on a mission to kill Kota in Vader's stead.

In order to protect the secrecy of his existence, as it violated the Sith Rule of Two, the Marek was ordered to kill everyone who encountered him; Imperial personnel and Kota's Militia alike. Starkiller faithfully executed his Master's orders to the letter and allowed no one in his path to survive. Throughout his ascent to the station's command center, where General Kota was located, Starkiller came across numerous skirmishes between Imperials and Militia soldiers. Upon reaching his target, the Apprentice blinded and defeated Kota during a lightsaber duel, though ultimately failed to kill him. The aftermath of the Battle of the TIE Fighter Construction Facility left what remained of the Militia scattered and leaderless. Though Kota survived his encounter with Starkiller, the Jedi Master became disillusioned by his defeat and turned to extreme alcoholism in order to cope with depression.

Some of Kota's soldiers formed a bodyguard detail to the renegade Imperial Senator Bail Organa after the Militia's defeat at Nar Shaddaa. They accompanied him to the planet Felucia in search of Jedi Master Shaak Ti, unaware that she had previously been killed. The soldiers failed to prevent the Senator's kidnapping by her apprentice, the corrupted Jedi Maris Brood. Marek, who was now organizing a rebellion alongside Kota, later arrived on the planet and found the Militia troops engaged in combat with Imperial soldiers. The Militia, unaware of Starkiller's allegiance to Darth Vader, pointed the Apprentice in the direction where Brood held Organa hostage.

After Organa's rescue, a contingent of Militia soldiers journeyed to Corellia where they provided protection to a small group of disgruntled Imperial Senators, including Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis. The meeting was actually a trap orchestrated by Darth Vader however, to lure the Emperor's enemies to a single location. The Militia was quickly overwhelmed by the Dark Lord and his snowtroopers; Kota was easily defeated by Vader himself. The Senators were then transferred to the Death Star where Emperor Palpatine awaited them. The Senators were ultimately saved by Marek, who sacrificed his life in battle with Palpatine to ensure the survival of the Rebellion. In the aftermath of Marek's demise, the Senators—Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, Bail and Leia Organa—officially declared the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The remnants of Kota's Militia became the basis for the fledgling Alliance Military while Rahm Kota became one of its first generals.

The newly-formed Rebel Alliance's war against the Galactic Empire eventually became too unsatisfactory in Kota's opinion. While Alliance High Command — caught between Mon Mothma's hesitancy to risk losing resources and Garm Bel Iblis's advocacy for total war — struggled with indecision and disagreement, Kota decided to wage his own war by conducting unauthorized operations against various Imperial targets. In order to do so, he recruited an elite squad that answered directly to him. Well-trained and armed with equipment similar to his previous Militia, Kota's new unit was effectively a successor to the old battalion.

Using Starkiller's old ship, the Rogue Shadow, as their personal transport, Kota's squad served under their General on a number of occasions, which included a raid on Cato Neimoidia and an Imperial ambush on the Alliance Fleet in the Itani Nebula. The squad also participated in the Assault on Kamino, aiding General Kota against various Imperial soldiers as the Alliance forces stormed into the Timira City Cloning Facility. As the fighting drew to a close, General Rahm Kota and his squad—aided by a clone of the original Starkiller — captured Darth Vader, allowing the Alliance to secure its first major victory in the war.

The most skilled and reliable members of Kota's Militia were honored with position in the General's heavy weapons detail. Armed with large repeating blaster cannons, the Elites were regarded as more than a match for even the most battle-hardened Imperial soldiers. Their combat role included the providing of cover fire for other Militia members, as well as the defense of key positions during raids.

Heavy Troopers utilized equipment similar to those of the Militia Saboteur, but were primarily armed with missile launchers. They accompanied other variants of the Militia, providing long-range fire support against more heavily armored and dangerous opponents. They were effective at killing enemy targets from a distance, but were also vulnerable in close-range combat. Hence, they relied on the protection of their comrades.

The Saboteurs formed the backbone of General Kota's Militia. Armed with DH-17 blasters and thermal grenades, these soldiers were skilled at maneuvering in small, tight-knit groups. Since the Militia lacked the resources and manpower for a full-scale war against the Galactic Empire, the Saboteurs were also trained in hit-and-run tactics.

Militia Troopers were General Kota's hand-picked soldiers, chosen to be trained in the use of energized stun batons. As such, they were mainly suited for close-quarters melee combat in environments filled with explosives and other hazards. These specialized soldiers relied on rushing at their enemies, surrounding and overwhelming them before a shot could be fired.

The game designers of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game created Kota's soldiers to wear gear and designs reminiscent to those of the later Rebel troopers seen in the original trilogy.

The player character can be given the appearance of the Militia Elite, Saboteur or Trooper by using the cheat code SOHNDANN to unlock the other skins and costumes. The Heavy Troopers only appear in the PSP, PS2 and Wii versions of the video game. In the PSP, PS2 and Wii versions, the Saboteurs are armed with the A280 blaster rifle instead of the DH-17 blaster pistol.

• Threats of the Galaxy
• The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia