The secret police force of the Civilized government on Apsolon, known as The Absolutes, operated before the 47 BBY revolution. Following the revolution, they were declared illegal and forced into hiding. They nearly regained control of the planet in 41 BBY, but Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, thwarted their efforts.
The Civilized government established The Absolutes with the purpose of controlling the Workers. Any Worker who dissented was either killed or captured and subjected to torture. In 47 BBY, the Workers rebelled against the oppression of the Civilized and The Absolutes, leading to the first free elections. Ewane, a Worker, was elected Supreme Governor, and The Absolutes were outlawed. However, many members of The Absolutes went into hiding, avoiding capture. Their former headquarters was transformed into a museum.
Despite their outlaw status, many Civilized individuals continued to support The Absolutes. The organization still possessed a substantial treasury, which they used to purchase an old warehouse on the outskirts of the Civilized sector to serve as their new base of operations.
After Ewane's assassination early in his second term, The Absolutes regained influence with the support of Ewane's daughters, Alani and Eritha, who sought to seize control of the planet. They were assisted by Balog, a former Absolute and protector of Roan, the new Supreme Governor and the girls' protector. They formulated a scheme in which Balog would abduct the sisters, forcing Roan to resign and allowing Alani to run for office. They also invited Jedi Knight Tahl, feigning danger, to lend legitimacy to their takeover. However, they discovered that Roan possessed a list containing the names of all Absolute members, including Balog's. Balog leaked this information to The Absolutes, and the list was stolen, not by an Absolute, but by a Worker infiltrator. Upon Tahl's arrival, Alani and Eritha pretended to be threatened by The Absolutes, prompting Tahl to infiltrate the organization to assess their strength. The sisters hoped Tahl would find the list and deliver it to them. Several weeks after the infiltration, The Absolutes "discovered" the infiltrator, and Tahl was forced to flee. During her escape, she encountered Oleg, the Worker infiltrator who had stolen the list and was also on the run. The Absolutes suspected that Oleg had given the list to Tahl, and Balog kidnapped her to a secret base in the countryside.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi successfully tracked down Balog and created a distraction by planting explosives in the base to free Tahl. However, Balog realized the base had been infiltrated and initiated a self-destruct sequence by overloading a weapons storage. The Jedi managed to rescue Tahl from The Absolutes, but it was too late, and she succumbed to the effects of Balog's torture.
Back in the city, Obi-Wan, with the help of Lenz, uncovered the connection between the sisters and The Absolutes. The Jedi discovered a secret tunnel linking the Supreme Governor's residence and the former headquarters of The Absolutes. Upon entering the tunnel, they were confronted by Eritha, who confessed to their plan to seize power. The Jedi arrested her, and soon after, Balog and Alani were also apprehended, effectively dismantling the leadership of The Absolutes.
During their period of legal operation, The Absolutes employed various methods to control the Workers. The entire Worker sector was enclosed by an energy wall, with access restricted to security checkpoints. The Absolutes also maintained a network of informants within the Worker population, many of whom had been coerced through torture. In addition to these informants, The Absolutes utilized probe droids to monitor the Workers.
The Absolutes employed various torture techniques. One such method was the sensory deprivation containment device, a coffin-like box that induced madness or administered paralyzing drugs until death. Balog also used this device to torture Tahl in an attempt to extract information about the list of Absolute members. Another method involved forcing individuals to witness the torture of their loved ones.