Hand of Judgment

In 0.5 ABY, Imperial stormtroopers Daric LaRone, Taxtro Grave, Saberan Marcross, and Joak Quiller, together with their scout trooper friend Korlo Brightwater, found themselves stationed aboard the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Reprisal. Their mission: to eradicate a suspected Rebel base located on the planet Teardrop. Although the Rebels had already evacuated, the Reprisal's Captain, Kendal Ozzel, ordered a deployment to attack a city on the hills, suspected of harboring the Rebels. LaRone, Grave, Marcross, and Quiller participated in the assault, while Brightwater remained on patrol outside the city. Imperial Security Bureau members accompanying the task force instructed the soldiers to fire upon unarmed civilians. Post-attack, Brightwater informed LaRone that official reports would claim a Rebel ambush, but the five soldiers suspected otherwise, finding no legitimate reason for the indiscriminate killing. Grave suggested to LaRone that the ISB was testing the stormtroopers' willingness to deliberately miss their shots. Grave and LaRone also noted that aliens were the primary targets.

A few days following the massacre, ISB Major Drelfin encountered LaRone and his comrades within the Reprisal. Recognizing LaRone, Drelfin accused him of insubordination and treason, citing his deliberate misses during the Teardrop killings, which ISB operatives had observed. The confrontation escalated when Drelfin threatened LaRone with a weapon, triggering the stormtrooper's trained reflexes. LaRone seized the weapon and fatally shot the Major in self-defense when Drelfin drew a backup gun. LaRone's four friends, witnessing the event, realized the gravity of the situation, recognizing their own complicity in failing to intervene. Acknowledging the imminent discovery of the ISB major's death, the group reluctantly concluded that immediate departure from the Reprisal was their only option. Following Quiller's suggestion, they opted to seize one of the modified ships brought aboard by the ISB, selecting the Suwantek TL-1800 freighter named Gillia as their escape vehicle. LaRone impersonated Major Drelfin to deceive the ship into exiting hyperspace, facilitating their departure. Given the ISB's reputation for clandestine missions, their departure went unchallenged until Drelfin's death was discovered.

Upon inspecting their newly acquired ship, the stormtroopers discovered an array of armor and weaponry, along with forged identity tags and money. The ship itself was equipped with falsified registry documents. The military equipment suggested a potential career as mercenaries, but their oath to the Empire and the New Order made them hesitant to work for criminals. The Teardrop massacre, coupled with rumors of the destruction of Alderaan, had sown doubts about the Empire's worthiness of their loyalty. The ISB's substantial funds aboard the Suwantek allowed them to survive without immediate employment, leading them to Drunost, a planet under Consolidated Shipping control with minimal Imperial presence, to acquire fuel and supplies before seeking a more permanent refuge.

While LaRone and Grave were provisioning on Drunost, a swoop gang attacked a group of farmers near their Suwantek's location. LaRone, having a farming background, felt compelled to assist, unaware that the "farmers" were actually smuggling weapons for the Rebellion. With his companions, he swiftly dispatched the swoop gang, allowing the farmers to escape. However, this incident forced them to leave Drunost prematurely, avoiding potential pursuit by the Reprisal. The battle also highlighted the need for a clear chain of command, leading to LaRone's selection as their leader.

Departing from Drunost, LaRone's group set course for Ranklinge, a planet within the Shelsha sector of the Colonies, intending to complete their shopping. Upon landing in the city of Janusar, Sergeant Whisteer of the local patrol attempted to extort them, confiscating the two Aratech speeder bikes found aboard the Suwantek. A starport worker named Krinkins revealed that the Patroller Chief Cav'Saran was responsible for the extortion, having seized control of the city. This abuse of power angered LaRone and his companions, who resolved to liberate the city with the help of honest patrollers who had been ousted by Cav'Saran. After a day of planning and shopping, LaRone led his group to the Patroller Central, where their contact awaited them with the ex-patrollers and a sizable crowd. When LaRone confronted Cav'Saran, the Patroller Chief initiated a fight, supported by his loyal followers, but the five stormtroopers swiftly defeated them. With the corrupted patrollers neutralized, the former senior officer Colonel [Atmino], whom LaRone appointed as temporary city administrator, inquired about the stormtroopers' operating numbers. LaRone, lacking a better idea, declared them the "Hand of Judgment." Despite initial reservations about the name, the group ultimately decided to keep it.

The newly christened Hand of Judgment then examined the information obtained from Cav'Saran's files, comparing it with their knowledge of the swoop gang encountered on Drunost. They discovered suspicious connections between both groups and a pirate group known as the BloodScars. They returned to Drunost to investigate the swoop gang further, but instead encountered one of the farmers engaged in conversation with a suspicious group, including two Humans and a Wookiee. Suspecting a connection to the pirates, they followed their YT-1300 light freighter to the Purnham system, where they formed an alliance of convenience against two pirate ships. The pirates were attacking a ship used as bait in a trap set by Han Solo, the captain of the YT-1300. After destroying one pirate ship, the Hand of Judgment boarded the remaining vessel, which had been disabled. From the captured pirates, they learned that the BloodScars were consolidating smaller groups under their command and about a mercenary named Caaldra, who had been meeting with the pirate leader. However, the information was less valuable than LaRone had hoped.

The conversation with the two Humans proved more fruitful, though the Hand of Judgment was unaware that they had encountered significant Rebel figures: the crew of the Millennium Falcon, consisting of Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker, each of whom had played a crucial role in the Battle of Yavin six months prior, destroying the Death Star. Solo remained suspicious of LaRone and his companions, despite lacking knowledge of their Imperial background, but they cooperated in tracking down a likely location for the BloodScar pirate base. LaRone decided to confine Solo, Skywalker, and Chewbacca to cabins while they investigated the Gepparin system, expecting to find the pirates. Upon arriving at Gepparin, the Hand of Judgment encountered not only pirates but also the Reprisal. The Star Destroyer had arrived ahead of them, as Captain Ozzel and his ISB associate Vak Somoril intended to destroy the pirate base as a pretext to eliminate Mara Jade, an Imperial agent who had infiltrated the base, fearing she had discovered the missing stormtroopers, which would threaten their careers. In reality, Jade was unaware of LaRone and his friends' desertion until special operations personnel accompanying her mentioned it, but she prioritized her own mission.

While LaRone and his companions attempted to evade the Reprisal, Skywalker, Solo, and the Wookiee escaped their confinement. Their timely assistance enabled them to break free from a tractor beam deployed by the Reprisal. Chewbacca, piloting the Millennium Falcon, lured the Reprisal into a futile chase toward the Alderaan system, while the stormtroopers landed to search the remnants of the pirate base. In the command bunker, they discovered a communications unit configured to send messages to Shelkonwa, the capital of the Shelsha sector. As Solo and Skywalker, the latter having sensed through the Force that their friend Leia Organa was in danger on Shelkonwa, also intended to travel there, they decided to remain together, even after learning of each other's affiliations with the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. After Chewbacca returned with the Millennium Falcon, they set course for the capital planet, concealing the Corellian vessel along the way.

When Solo, Skywalker, and the Wookiee, along with the Hand of Judgment, made their arrival on Shelkonwa, they observed the Executor, a Star Dreadnought, orbiting the planet. This was subsequent to the personal arrival of Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, who sought Organa based on information provided by Chief Administrator Vilim Disra, indicating her presence in Makrin City. The stormtroopers' ship was able to land at Greencliff Regional Spaceport without any issues because of the fake military registry information they possessed. Given the prevalence of stormtroopers from Vader's 501st Legion personal escort throughout the city, the Hand of Judgment chose to accompany the Rebels during their search, ensuring they wouldn't be captured by the Empire. As they approached their target, with Skywalker utilizing the Force to pinpoint Organa and evade patrols, they witnessed a small spaceship being shot down nearby. LaRone, believing it was their responsibility to assist, instructed his Rebel allies to proceed independently while they investigated the crash.

The Hand of Judgment discovered a young woman with red hair fighting an AT-ST that had downed her vessel. Identifying herself as Jade, she used a high-level Imperial recognition code and requested the Hand of Judgment's aid in stopping a rogue vehicle. This vehicle, set on autopilot by Caaldra, a pirate who had landed on the planet with fifty stolen AT-STs. Chewbacca, piloting the Suwantek as bait, and Solo's group, who were attempting to return to their ship discreetly after finding Organa, also provided assistance. Soon after the skirmish, official stormtrooper patrols arrived. Noticing LaRone's hesitation to identify his group, Jade intervened, claiming them as a special unit under her command. After departing the scene, Jade pressed LaRone for details he had withheld from the regular military. He fabricated a story of half-truths to conceal their status as military deserters, which she accepted, but demanded the Hand of Judgment to follow her orders for the time being. Seeing no alternative, the Hand of Judgment reluctantly agreed.

Marcross, having been raised in Makrin City, was selected to guide his companions and Jade to a concealed entrance to the Palace grounds. He had learned of this entrance during his youth when his friend and cousin, Crayg, the Governor's son, used it to sneak into the city. Upon finding the door, Jade reassumed command, leading them to a location where she utilized her lightsaber to create an opening in the wall. Once inside the Palace grounds, Brightwater separated from the group, heading to the main gate on his speeder bike to prevent any potential escape attempts. Jade guided the remaining four across the garden towards a side door that led into a kitchen. On the grounds, Jade revealed the nature of their mission to LaRone, suspecting Governor Barshnis Choard of Shelsha sector of betraying the Empire through involvement in pirate activities and an attempt on her life. Such accusations warranted a death sentence, and she sought the stormtroopers' assistance in delivering justice. While traversing the garden, a large and highly flammable plant startled the stormtroopers, exposing their presence when they fired at it. This incident forced Jade to alter their entry plan, resulting in her separation from the Hand of Judgment. The troopers entered through the kitchen door, while Jade created her own entrance through a wall on the upper floor.

Following her separation from the Hand of Judgment, Jade discovered from Caaldra that a group of five stormtroopers had deserted from the Reprisal. She quickly deduced that these were the same troopers she had taken command of, who were now hunting for Choard. As Jade struggled to escape a trap set by Caaldra, where the room she was in was set ablaze, LaRone and his team navigated through the kitchen into the reception hall. There, they attempted to arrest the Governor for treason, but Marcross unexpectedly turned against his comrades. He revealed that Choard was, in fact, his uncle, a fact he had kept hidden from his friends. The stormtrooper surrendered his weapon to the Governor, who then turned it on Marcross, confirming his plans to separate Shelsha sector from the Empire. Marcross had suspected his uncle but wanted to witness the truth firsthand. The weapon he had given to the Governor contained only one shot, insufficient to cause significant harm. Jade, who had reached the balcony during the confrontation, assisted the stormtroopers by throwing a mist canister into the group. Despite the canister's unsuitability for indoor use, the mist distracted the Governor, causing him to miss his shot and saving Marcross's life.

Despite the Governor's admission of treason in front of everyone and his attack on the Hand of Judgment, LaRone insisted that his companions spare Choard's life, so he could be tried in court. Soon, Jade descended from the balcony and joined the group. Simultaneously, Vilim Disra, secretly orchestrating the fabricated plot to separate Shelsha sector from the Empire to discredit Choard and seize the position of sector governor, entered the reception chamber with Darth Vader and his 501st Legion. The arrival of the Dark Lord of the Sith and his personal troops caused unease for LaRone, who feared their desertion would be exposed, leading to their execution. LaRone also believed that Jade had uncovered their secret. However, to their surprise, the woman defended the group again, claiming them as her own and drawing a parallel between her relationship with the Hand of Judgment and the bond between the 501st Legion and Darth Vader.

After safely leading the deserter stormtroopers away from Vader and his cohorts, Jade demanded a full account of their desertion and subsequent actions. While she held a strong belief in the Empire's integrity, Jade also understood the circumstances that had left LaRone and his companions with no choice but to flee. She promised to investigate the events on Teardrop and identify those responsible for the civilian massacre. Jade was willing to let the Hand of Judgment go their own way, but insisted they abandon their group name and avoid attention and trouble. After parting ways with the group, Jade arranged special clearance for their ship's departure, unaware that Solo, Chewbacca, Skywalker, and Organa were hidden aboard. The Hand of Judgment returned the Rebels to the Millennium Falcon, concealed on the outskirts of the system, and continued their new path as vigilantes, despite Jade's warning.

Following the incidents on Shelkonwa, the Hand of Judgment remained in motion for the subsequent two months. They journeyed from one planet to another, continuing to undertake similar missions where they perceived a need. However, this vigilante activity took a toll on their equipment and the funds the ISB had stored onboard their ship. After this period, the group had to consider retirement. After dismantling yet another mercenary hideout, they conceded that they could not sustain their efforts for much longer. After deliberation, they concluded that they possessed sufficient resources for a few more missions. They were particularly interested in the stolen elections occurring on the planet Elegasso. However, en route to Elegasso, the Hand of Judgment decided to make a stop on another planet, Pickerin, to address a straightforward case involving sculptors forced into slave labor.

Upon landing on Pickerin, the Hand of Judgment was immediately incapacitated by an unexpected gas attack. All five members of the team were subdued without firing a single shot. They later awoke to find themselves face-to-face with their captor, Bok Yost, the corrupt politician from Elegasso. Yost had disseminated the rumor regarding the sculptors to deter the Hand of Judgment from reaching Elegasso. The politician had anticipated the stormtroopers' reaction and had set a trap for them, enlisting the assistance of a group of mercenaries. The Hand of Judgment believed their end was near, but Mara Jade intervened and rescued the group. The Emperor had tasked Jade with determining whether Governor Bidor Ferrouz of Candoras sector was conspiring with the Rebellion and planning to defect. The woman remembered the team from their previous encounter on Shelkonwa and decided to enlist their help in her new mission. It was clear to the Hand of Judgment that Jade would not accept refusal. Furthermore, they had intended to undertake a significant mission for their last endeavor, and they believed that eliminating a treasonous Governor aligned well with that plan.

As they approached Poln Major, the capital of Candoras sector, Quiller noticed a familiar YT-1300 light freighter on a landing platform: the Millennium Falcon. Although Marcross believed that Solo's presence with his companions confirmed the suspicion against the Governor, the Hand of Judgment decided not to report the Rebel presence to Jade. They wanted to speak with Solo first to ascertain their activities in Whitestone City, the capital of Poln Major. While gathering intelligence at the spaceport, they witnessed a confrontation between two groups of aliens. A group of Pineath accused Troukree weaponsmiths of selling inferior products, and the situation threatened to escalate into violence. LaRone and his companions intervened and successfully diffused the situation without bloodshed. After the situation calmed, the leader of the Troukree, Vaantaar, informed the Hand of Judgment about a warlord named Nuso Esva. The warlord's anticipated attack on their homeworld had compelled the Troukree to seek refuge in the Poln system. As a gesture of gratitude for the stormtroopers' assistance, Vaantaar presented LaRone with one of the knives crafted by his people, who in turn gave it to Brightwater, who had developed a fondness for souvenirs.

The following day, Jade assisted LaRone and Marcross in disguising themselves as members of Ferrouz's stormtrooper force. With the assistance of the two soldiers, she infiltrated the palace grounds, pretending to be a prisoner suspected of shoplifting. While LaRone and Marcross accompanied Jade into the palace, the rest of the Hand of Judgment stood guard outside. They witnessed a flash riot, in which an unsuspecting Luke Skywalker was falsely accused of murdering the Governor, who was, in fact, still alive. Upon hearing about the riot through their comlinks, LaRone instructed the others to rescue the young Jedi. Just before the riot erupted outside, Jade, who had reached the governor's office, discovered that Ferrouz's family had been abducted to coerce the Governor into making a deal with the Rebels. According to Ferrouz, the kidnapping had been orchestrated by Nuso Esva, the same warlord that the Hand of Judgment had learned about from the Troukree. While Brightwater escorted Skywalker away from the riot, the young Jedi also made reference to the warlord, revealing that the Rebel presence in the Poln system was due to the fear of the Warlord.

As Jade was departing the Governor's office, having decided to spare his life while she further investigated the situation, a group of individuals attacked them, lending credence to Ferrouz's account of the events. Jade, Rebel representative Vestin Axlon, who had entered the Palace to meet with Ferrouz, and the Governor found themselves under heavy pressure from their attackers until LaRone and Marcross intervened to assist them. During the altercation, the Governor lost consciousness, which Axlon attributed to a ricochet grazing his head. Despite the Governor's condition, Jade managed to locate his emergency passage, through which they reached a relatively safe location outside the palace grounds.

Through the sewers, Jade, Axlon, LaRone, and Marcross transported the Governor to the basement of the Whistling Wind tapcafe, where the other members of the Hand of Judgment joined them in defending Ferrouz. After the Governor had been settled and covered with pieces of stormtrooper armor in case they would be found, Jade departed to investigate the situation and locate Ferrouz's family. While she was gone, Skywalker contacted LaRone using a comlink he had found among the things Brightwater had left for him, his own comlink had been damaged during the riot. Axlon, who remained with the stormtroopers, demanded that Skywalker join them, despite LaRone's objections. Axlon's insistence on Skywalker's presence at the tapcafe aroused suspicion in Grave, who had heard claims during the riot that the young Jedi had murdered the Governor with a lightsaber, leading to further suspicion. The Rebel diplomat realized that he had been discovered as one of the contacts the rioters had in the Palace, so he drew his weapon, firing at Grave and Quiller. The suddenness of Axlon's actions caught LaRone and the others completely off guard. Only Marcross had time to raise his weapon, but the Rebel shot it out of his hands before he could use it. Axlon had the situation under his control before the Hand of Judgment could intervene.

When Axlon believed he was in control, he agreed to explain his actions to the Hand of Judgment and Governor Ferrouz, who had regained consciousness. Esva had convinced Axlon that Imperial Senior Captain Thrawn had been directing Grand Moff Tarkin, when the Human had ordered the freshly constructed Death Star to destroy Alderaan. Axlon admitted to assisting Esva in luring the Chiss officer into a trap, using Ferrouz's assassination attempt as bait. The Rebel even admitted to having concussed and shot Ferrouz during the battle in the Governor's office. Brightwater, who had done everything he could to assist his two wounded comrades, joined the other two who were standing a bit farther away from the Rebel. While helping his friends Brightwater had also managed to free the knife the Troukree had given them, and while Axlon was speaking to his contacts through comlink he prepared to use it when opportunity would present itself. Behind Axlon's back Ferrouz had worked one bottle of spirits down from a shelf near him and after the comlink call was terminated LaRone spoke to the Rebel to keep his attention away from anything the Governor might be doing. Axlon explained the deal he had made with Nuso Esva. The Hand of Judgment learned that, blinded by anger over Alderaan's destruction, the Rebel had fallen into the Warlord's web of lies, believing that the alien would bring his military forces to aid the Rebellion after Thrawn's defeat. Ferrouz's assassination had been planned as bait to lure Thrawn into the Poln system, where Esva had prepared an ambush for him, which would have at least destroyed Thrawn's military career in the Empire, if not killed him.

As Ferrouz reached for the bottle of alcohol, one of the pieces of stormtrooper armor, which had been piled on him for extra protection, slipped. Hearing the noise, Axlon turned his attention to the Governor, thus providing an opportunity for Brightwater to act. The scout trooper kicked the knife to Quiller, who was closest to Axlon. The Rebel had believed Quiller to be out of the fight after his wound. Quiller buried the weapon in Axlon's chest, killing the Rebel. With Axlon out of the way, LaRone quickly contacted Skywalker to explain the situation. LaRone warned Skywalker to stay away from their hiding place in case one of Axlon's contacts spotted him and followed him to their sanctuary. To his surprise, LaRone learned that the situation was reversed. Skywalker had spotted Axlon's contact, Dors Stelikag, sitting in another tapcafe with his goons, and the Jedi was able to tail him when they started searching for the stormtroopers.

Despite the surprise and mild resistance from other members of the Hand of Judgment, LaRone used Axlon's comlink to inform the Rebels about Axlon's betrayal. He also called Chewbacca, who was at the spaceport, and asked him to bring them the bacta tank they had on the Suwantek, as it was necessary for Grave who urgently needed medical attention. At the same time LaRone also dispatched Brightwater out to find help from the Troukree, who they had met soon after their arrival. While Jade was searching for the Governor's family and Skywalker kept Stelikag and his team under surveillance, there was nothing else for the Hand of Judgment but to prepare their defenses. They were prepared to risk their own lives to keep the Governor safe in case the enemy would find them. After some time Chewbacca brought the bacta tank for them, taking Axlon's body with him in exchange, and Brightwater soon returned with their five Troukree allies.

After Quiller gave some fast lessons about using blaster weapons and stormtrooper tactics to the Troukree, the group had nothing else to do but wait and see how events would develop. When Jade found her way to the hiding place of the kidnappers and reported the size of the opposing force, Governor Ferrouz decided to help her by luring some of the guards away from his family. To the horror of the stormtroopers his way to do that was as simple as it was dangerous to them: the Governor called Major Pakrie, who they suspected of being a traitor, and told him where they were hiding and pretended to ask for help. They didn't need to wait too long for the first move against their stronghold, but the stormtroopers were well prepared and survived it with relative ease, sending their enemies running outside the range of the jamming device the attackers had set up themselves to call for back-up. The next wave of Nuso Esva's troops, who attacked the basement, had an E-Web heavy repeating blaster, but the Hand of Judgment and their allies survived that attack too, despite the fact that they lost one of the Troukree, who sacrificed his own life to protect LaRone.

In the silence that had followed the sacrifice of the Troukree, the Hand of Judgment suddenly noticed that Grave had regained consciousness during the bacta therapy. While the sniper was still in bad condition, he wanted to participate in their defense. The third attack to their sanctuary came through the supply lift of the tapcafe, which the attackers blew into pieces with shaped charges. Because the Hand of Judgment and their allies had expected the attack to come from that direction, they had set up their defenses accordingly and effectively. Because Grave was still in the bacta tank the attackers didn't consider him to be a threat and he took out a large number of enemies before they even noticed that he was there. When Nuso Esva's people figured out that they could not break their defense, they decided to blow up the entire tapcafe on top of the defenders. Their Troukree allies, who had some back up waiting outside the tapcafe, prevented the plan. They also turned off the jamming device their enemies had set up to disrupt the communications of the defenders. When LaRone and Marcross climbed up through the remains of the supply lift, they were surprised to find out that the Troukree had the situation under control. However, this revelation got them suspecting that their allies might not be the simple refugees they pretended to be.

When Vaantaar joined them and his Troukree compatriots, the alien made it very clear that he wanted the Hand of Judgment to follow him. He also revealed that he knew who they were, and used that information to force LaRone and his friends to come with him to meet the mysterious master of the Troukree. When LaRone said that they might not be willing to go with Vaantaar's people, the Troukree made it clear they had no choice—he was ready to use violence if necessary, but would prefer that the stormtroopers came willingly. After making sure that the Governor was safe, LaRone and his friends had no other option but to follow Vaantaar's group to the spaceport and board a vessel of unknown type. Despite LaRone's questions about his mysterious master, Vaantaar remained elusive about his identity.

After Grave and Quiller's wounds had been properly treated, Vaantaar finally took the Hand of Judgment to meet his master. LaRone, who had learned that they were on board the Star Destroyer Admonitor and who had studied the ship's reports of the battle of the Poln system, had figured out that the master was Senior Captain Thrawn, and he was not surprised to meet the only alien who had gained a high commanding rank in the Empire. However the plan the Senior Captain had for them was more of a surprise to all members of the Hand of Judgment. Thrawn was well aware how LaRone and his companions had become military deserters and wanted to make sure that the ISB, or anyone else who might want to punish them for that, would not know where they had gone. Instead of wanting to have them join his regular stormtrooper units, Thrawn wanted them to train a new generation of stormtroopers for his shadow empire. Among these new stormtroopers Thrawn employed aliens like Vaantaar and his Troukree, who were first in line to volunteer for training, and others who had allied themselves with the Senior Captain. When they learned about the threats lurking in the Unknown Regions—according to Thrawn some of these were even worse than Nuso Esva, who they had just tangled with—the Hand of Judgment soon decided to accept the invitation.

Having considered the matter, Grave suggested they should name their new unit as the 501st Legion, because they had always been considered to be the best. When others asked him about his choice, he claimed they should aim high with their new team and designation as the 501st would help them to do so. When they all had agreed that they would accept the job Thrawn had offered, only Brightwater did not seem to be overjoyed by it. To explain his sour mood, he told the others that when he had lent his utility belt to Skywalker, the "lucky coin" he had acquired had been among the things. While he agreed that their new job was important, he wished that they had met with Skywalker again before leaving, so he could have gotten his druggat back. The mysterious vanishing act the Hand of Judgment had pulled on Poln Major had its effect on Jade as well. While she found herself missing the stormtroopers, her sense of duty as an Imperial agent overrode her sentimental feelings. However, she chose to keep their Suwantek for herself or to be returned to them, if they ever came back. The legacy of the Hand of Judgment later produced units like Aurek-Seven to serve the Empire of the Hand.

Even before their departure from the Reprisal, the members of the Hand of Judgment were united by their shared concerns regarding the Teardrop mission. Although they held the same military rank before defecting, they chose LaRone to serve as their Squad Commander. Throughout their adventures, they forged an even stronger bond and were willing to risk death and torture to protect one another.

Daric LaRone held the position of leader within the Hand of Judgment. Originating from the planet Copperline, he had served in the Imperial Army for a decade before his defection. During the Teardrop mission, he deliberately missed his targets to avoid harming unarmed civilians, which later resulted in a confrontation with Major Drelfin. His decision to refrain from shooting granted him a moral advantage, especially in comparison to Marcross, who confessed to shooting civilians. LaRone's natural leadership qualities made him the preferred spokesperson for their team. He possessed an understanding of his companions that allowed him to discern their moods even when they were fully armored and their faces were concealed by helmets.

While he functioned as the team's leader, LaRone also entrusted his companions to make their own decisions. He permitted Marcross to handle Choard according to his own judgment, although he later criticized his friend for carelessly handing over a weapon with only one shot to the Governor. Similarly, he trusted Brightwater to execute his plan to deal with Axlon when the Rebel turned against them. In moments of calm, LaRone listened to any concerns or objections raised by others and gave them fair consideration. While he found Thrawn's initial offer flattering, he acknowledged that the entire Hand of Judgment had experienced their share of frontline combat and had grown weary of fighting. He was prepared to decline the job. However, his sense of duty, combined with the distinctions between Thrawn's Empire of the Hand and the Galactic Empire, prompted him and the others to reconsider and ultimately accept the position as training officers, assisting in the defense against threats originating from the outskirts of the galaxy.

Korlo Brightwater served as the Hand of Judgment's scout, piloting the pair of speeder bikes they discovered aboard the starship they had seized. Of the team's five members, Brightwater possessed the most unwavering belief in the Empire, a conviction that persisted even after his comrades had concluded that the Empire was not the noble entity they once perceived. Initially, he held LaRone accountable for their desertion and questioned the possibility of returning to the Empire. However, by the time they were prepared to depart Shelkonwa, he had come to terms with their situation, finding that their newfound lifestyle brought him greater peace of mind.

Brightwater displayed a deep fascination with the diverse races and creatures inhabiting the galaxy, carrying a datapad loaded with images of various lifeforms. He also enjoyed collecting souvenirs from their escapades, possessing at least one antique druggat—which he regarded as his lucky charm—and the Troukree knife that LaRone gifted him, originally received from Vaantaar. Known for his good humor, he would often joke with his companions, even when suffering from serious injuries. Prior to the Hand of Judgment's desertion, he regularly performed maintenance on his speeder bike, a practice that proved invaluable when he later had to maintain the two bikes they found on Suwantek in operational condition.

Taxtro Grave functioned as the Hand of Judgment's sniper, wielding a T-28 sniper rifle as his preferred weapon. Grave demonstrated tactical acumen, discerning the rationale behind the ISB's actions on Teardrop—deducing it might have been a test to identify any stormtroopers who deliberately missed their targets—and being the first to recognize that the Rebel representative, Axlon, was attempting to deceive them and Skywalker on Poln Major. Second only to LaRone, Grave was the most disillusioned with the Empire and its true nature—he even questioned whether the Empire had always been a monstrous organization, but they had simply failed to recognize it before Alderaan's destruction.

Saberan Marcross came from a background of privilege, being the nephew of Governor Choard of the Shelsha sector, and he spent his formative years alongside the Governor's son. He possessed extensive knowledge—to the point that LaRone suspected him of having contacts within the ISB—reciting stormtrooper regulations from memory, and had direct exposure to leadership theory, having observed various leaders in action. Initially, he served as the ship's co-pilot, but LaRone eventually replaced him in that capacity. He maintained a close friendship with LaRone, privately confessing to his involvement in the massacre of civilians on Teardrop. He was deeply troubled by the discovery of his uncle's treason against the Empire, yet he was willing to give his relative the benefit of the doubt—when Choard explicitly admitted his treasonous intentions, Marcross revealed that he had provided Choard with an unloaded weapon.

Marcross dedicated himself to maintaining the two landspeeders they discovered on their ship, repairing them after battles. Among the Hand of Judgment's members, Marcross felt the least comfortable collaborating with Solo and his Rebel allies, even suggesting that Solo's presence on Poln Major indicated Ferrouz's betrayal. Similar to his companions, Marcross acknowledged the importance of Senior Captain Thrawn's endeavors in the Unknown Regions and supported the idea of accepting the assignment as training officers.

Joak Quiller's main duty within the Hand of Judgment was piloting and maintaining their vessel. LaRone considered Quiller to be a competent pilot, although he disliked being a passenger when someone else was at the controls. He possessed greater knowledge of ships and flying than any other team member, and he was also well-versed in news concerning the Imperial fleet. When examining ships, he could identify signs of modification and knew the typical performance parameters for both military and civilian spacecraft. Quiller made it a practice to implement locking codes for the Suwantek's control systems to prevent theft. During the two months he piloted the ship, he never encountered the hyperdrive kick setting, only learning about it from Jade when they were rushing to get Brightwater into a bacta tank after she rescued them on Pickerin.

The Hand of Judgment's concept originated from a conversation Timothy Zahn had with 501st Legion founder Albin Johnson at StellarCon in 2004. In a 2007 interview with The ForceCast, Zahn expressed his desire to write a story about the Hand of Judgment being abducted by Thrawn and subsequently joining the Empire of the Hand. This event later transpired in the novel Choices of One, released in 2011. The concluding dialogue between the Hand of Judgment's members was intended to establish a connection between the team and later members of the 501st, who appeared in Zahn's novel Survivor's Quest. During a Facebook conversation in January 2013, Zahn voiced his interest in writing another novel featuring the Hand of Judgment, but no such book ever materialized.