Imperial Knight

The Imperial Knights were established roughly three generations before 137 ABY, swearing their loyalty to Jagged Fel, who was the first Emperor of the Fel Empire. Despite the fact that the Fel bloodline was not originally Force-sensitive, by 137 ABY all known surviving members of the royal family were capable of serving as Imperial Knights. By 130 ABY, the Imperial Knights had become a highly organized order that was dedicated to safeguarding the Empire and protecting the Emperor, and they were sometimes referred to as "Imperial Jedi".

It was often said that the Imperial Knights' primary loyalty was to the Empire, as represented by the Emperor, rather than directly to the Force. Imperial Knights served the Emperor for life, and desertion or disobedience was punishable by death. However, an exception existed: while Imperial Knights ultimately served the Force through the Emperor, this was contingent on the Emperor upholding the light side of the Force. If the Emperor turned to the dark side, the Knights were obligated to either redeem them or remove them from power. This principle was established at the Order's founding, signifying that their ultimate allegiance lay with the Force. According to Master Treis Sinde, the Imperial Knights served the Force by serving an Empire that maintained order, with their duty being to the Emperor. Sinde also stated that sacrificing innocents when necessary for the greater good was the Imperial way. By 137 ABY, every Imperial Knight strived to ensure Roan Fel's safe return to his position as Emperor of the galaxy, protecting both his person and his secrecy.

The Imperial Knights received training in many of the same philosophies and techniques as the Jedi Order, but they differed considerably in their beliefs and approaches. The Imperial Knights viewed the Force as a tool—a powerful one deserving of respect, but not something they spent time meditating on or contemplating. They recognized the dangers of succumbing to the dark side and believed that the Force should not be used out of anger or selfishness. A key aspect of Imperial Knight ideology was managing emotions and controlling fear in the face of adversity. The rigorous mental discipline and obedience instilled during their training made Imperial Knights less vulnerable to the strong emotions that could lead Jedi students to the dark side. Although they did not draw from the dark side, it was said that the Imperial Knights did not strictly follow the light side either, obeying the orders of the Emperor before all else. Consequently, the Jedi Order considered the Imperial Knights to be "gray," while the Imperial Knights saw themselves as distinct from the Jedi, whom they regarded as their "cousins." One could not simultaneously be an Imperial Knight and a Jedi.

Recruitment into the Imperial Knights was limited to individuals who demonstrated both loyalty to the Emperor and potential in the Force. Once identified, a potential student would be inducted into Imperial service to study under a veteran Knight on the Imperial capital of Bastion, continuing their training until they earned their own knighthood. Other Knights would occasionally assist in their training. Training could be rigorous, but not cruel, and often spanned years. No student ever failed, as the Emperor demanded and always achieved success. During training, students learned everything necessary to defend the Emperor against all threats. Upon completion, they served the Emperor as bodyguards and agents, fighting to the death. Their training focused on using the Force to transform themselves into living weapons and shields.

By 137 ABY, several Imperial Knights held the title of Master. Master Antares Draco officially held the position of second-in-command of the Order and headed its disciplined command structure. The title of Master was reserved for the highest-ranking Imperial Knights, with Roan Fel's approval required for the designation. Imperial Knights were allowed to take on one apprentice at a time, but only after demonstrating sufficient mastery of their own skills. There was very little differentiation between those who had trained apprentices and those who had not, owing to the fact that the Imperial Knights had little time for any master save for the rightful Emperor of the galaxy.

A unique role within the organization was that of master armorer. The master armorer created specialized, life-preserving armor for Knights who had sustained severe injuries. In 137 ABY, Master Hogrum Chalk held this title.

While the Galactic Empire was originally a dark side-aligned regime under Emperor Palpatine, the Imperial remnants eventually began to distance themselves from the Sith legacy of its founder after his death. The concept of Imperial Jedi was first mentioned in 22 ABY during the rediscovery of the Outbound Flight by members of the Empire of the Hand and agents from the New Republic. Accompanying the expedition were members of the Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker and his wife Mara Jade Skywalker. It was during this time that Admiral Voss Parck offered Mara Jade, a former Force-sensitive agent of Palpatine, a position within the Empire of the Hand, and that Chak Fel indirectly mentioned that they wanted to attract Luke Skywalker to the Hand and establish an academy within their space. Later, the Shadow Academy under the direction of Brakiss of the Second Imperium attempted to train their own version of Dark Jedi knights. In 43 ABY, Chak's brother Jagged, the Head of State of the Imperial Remnant, suggested to Jaina Solo of the New Jedi Order that she help establish some form of Jedi presence within the Remnant. Fel first experimented with the idea by appointing disgraced Jedi Tahiri Veila as his Hand, though Veila wound up returning to the Jedi Order soon after. Fel later married Jaina Solo and sometime later become the first Emperor of the Fel Empire.

The Imperial Knights were established within the new Empire roughly three generations prior to 137 ABY, under Jagged Fel's authority. Jagged's son later led the Imperial Knights; Treis Sinde was among those who served under him. Their duty was to the Emperor of the new Galactic Empire, and they acted as bodyguards in a role similar to Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guard. Before 130 ABY, Roan Fel became the third in his bloodline to lead the Empire and its Imperial Knights. At some point in time, the Imperial Knight Eskar Niin left the order and murdered Fel's wife, and Draco was sent to kill him. Although Draco defeated his former master, Niin survived and later joined the Sith.

In 127 ABY, war erupted between the Galactic Alliance and Roan Fel's Empire. During this three-year conflict, Fel, who opposed the war, prohibited his knights from participating. Instead, they served as his personal bodyguard. Following the Battle of Caamas, which resulted in the Galactic Alliance's defeat and the war's end, Director of Imperial Intelligence Nyna Calixte confronted Fel and two other Imperial Knights, Antares Draco and Fel's cousin Mohrgan, on the galactic capital of Coruscant. Calixte revealed that Fel's Sith allies planned to assassinate Fel and seize control of the Empire. Fel then realized that the Sith would expect both him and a contingent of Imperial Knights to appear before the Council of Moffs at an upcoming meeting. Mohrgan volunteered to lead a squad to protect Fel's double, but the entire squad was slain by the Sith Lord Darth Krayt, including the decoy Emperor. All of the Moffs present pledged their allegiance to Krayt, the new Emperor of the galaxy. Although four Imperial Knights lay dead, the ruse allowed Fel and Draco to make an underground escape from Coruscant. Removed from his throne, Roan Fel and his Imperial Knights were now in exile.

In the seven years following the war, several Jedi who had surrendered to the Empire joined the Imperial Knights. Azlyn Rae, whose training in the ways of the Force had begun within the Jedi Order, saw it completed by the Imperial Knights.

During those 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, Roan Fel returned to the Imperial stronghold of Bastion, which had been under the control of Darth Krayt's Empire for seven years. Accompanied by the Imperial Knights Ganner Krieg, Antares Draco, and Sigel Dare, Fel secured the loyalty of the Imperial Forces stationed there, and believed that his Empire could thenceforth become a more potent threat to Krayt.

At the same time, Darth Krayt received intelligence that Fel's daughter, the Princess Marasiah, was hiding on the planet Socorro. Krayt dispatched Sith Hand Darth Talon to Socorro to eliminate Marasiah's bodyguard, the Imperial Knight Elke Vetter, whose sacrifice allowed Marasiah and her companion Astraal Vao to escape. Unbeknownst to them, Talon intended to follow them to Fel in order to discover his secret base. 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, who refused to divulge the fact that he had retaken Bastion. Marasiah and Astraal were eventually picked up by the bounty hunter Cade Skywalker, who intended to turn both Marasiah and her father over to the Sith and collect their bounties.

Skywalker's ship, the Mynock, traveled to Vendaxa, and Draco and Krieg disobeyed their Emperor's orders and traveled there in two Predator-class fighters. Upon arriving on the planet, their fighters were shot down by two Sith Fury-class fighters, but the two managed to escape the flaming wrecks of their ships. Along with the Jedi Knights Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao, they joined Marasiah and engaged the Sith in combat. Despite seven years of tension between the Jedi and Roan Fel's Empire, the Jedi and Imperial Knights fought side-by-side against their common enemy, the Sith. During the battle, Marasiah was struck down by a Zabrak Sith while protecting a derelict Cade Skywalker.

Draco quickly realized that Marasiah was still alive and focused all his efforts on keeping her that way, even revealing to Sazen that the Massacre of the Jedi seven years prior had happened against the Emperor's orders. With the Sith at bay, the Jedi and Imperial Knights managed to safely get onboard the Mynock, which then took off. Believing she was about to die, Marasiah Fel expressed her belief that the Imperial Knights would need to ally themselves with the Jedi in order to defeat Darth Krayt. Skywalker, however, himself a former Jedi, managed to heal her, and the Mynock soon after arrived at Bastion.

After Skywalker secretly left Bastion in the middle of the night, Roan Fel reprimanded Draco and Krieg for disobeying a direct order. He believed that they had created a stalemate with Darth Krayt's Empire, as the Sith had likely tracked them back to Bastion. However, Fel knew revealing that he had been disobeyed would undermine his authority, and thus retroactively approved their mission to Vendaxa. Draco and Krieg were now the Empire's foremost heroes and would thenceforth be sent on the most dangerous missions, beginning with a mission to the Wheel, a space station in the Besh Gorgon system that had remained neutral in Fel's conflicts with the Galactic Alliance and the Sith. They would be escorting Captain Mingo Bovark, who would be discussing a possible alliance with Admiral Gar Stazi of the Galactic Alliance Remnant. Fel needed allies and, having met Sazen and Vao, doubted that he could find them among the Jedi. Draco and Krieg's mission was to ensure Bovark's safety at all costs and to 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. However, Imperial spies Morrigan Corde and Jor Torlin had also boarded the station and managed to cause the Imperial shuttle to fire on Stazi's ship using a Command Override Limpet Droid. Believing Fel had betrayed him, 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.

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 Orbital 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 mission to steal the Imperious from Krayt's Empire, and succeeded in his mission.

In retaliation, Darth Krayt brought a legion of Sith and stormtroopers to Dac and ordered the execution of ten percent of the Mon Calamari population, beginning with the members of the Mon Calamari Council. 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 disguise, fought their way through Krayt's forces in order to locate Monia Gahan, niece of former Senator and Galactic Alliance Triumvirate member Gial Gahan. Believing Krayt to be a mutual enemy of Stazi and the Emperor, Sinde felt that the Admiral needed to be warned. Gahan agreed to help them on the condition that they rescued her fellow Rogue Squadron pilots who had been captured during the battle. After obliging and successfully freeing them, Sinde and Dare brought the group to the personal shuttle of the Quarren Sith Lord Darth Azard, but were discovered by Azard, which prompted 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, causing a massive explosion that covered the shuttle's escape and distracted Azard long enough for Sinde to dive off of the hangar level and escape.

Aboard the Imperious, Dare and the Rogues rendezvoused with Stazi, who, despite belligerence displayed by Dare, realized that working with Fel was necessary in order to bring down Krayt. He instructed Dare to inform her Emperor that he was willing to consider an alliance.

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 and dispatched Jedi-turned-Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae to track him down. Rae followed the Mynock from Socorro to Iego, where Skywalker was visiting his uncle "Bantha" Rawk at his home, and attacked him in the middle of the night. After being interrupted and subdued by Rawk, she revealed her identity to her childhood friend and falsely told him that she was a bounty hunter. When Skywalker and his uncle prepared to depart for the Jedi's Hidden Temple, they invited Rae, who relayed the coordinates of the temple on Taivas to Draco, Krieg, and Marasiah, who waited nearby in a ship.

When the Mynock touched down at the Hidden Temple, its crew exited the vessel, where they were greeted by Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao. They soon realized that the Imperial Knights, using a cloaking device, had trailed them in their own concealed ship. Draco, Krieg, and Marasiah left their ship and entered the hangar; Draco and Krieg brandished their lightsabers to shield the Princess from any potential threats. This action was misconstrued as aggression, leading Vao and Skywalker to unsheathe their own weapons and begin fighting the two Imperial Knights in a series of lightsaber battles. After Skywalker used the Force to hurl both Krieg and Draco across the hangar, Sazen attempted to de-escalate the situation. In response, Marasiah revealed that Rae was an Imperial Knight and declared that she was under the protection afforded to the Imperial Knights' diplomatic mission. She then told Sazen that she was there on behalf of her father, seeking to initiate discussions with the Jedi regarding a possible alliance between them and Roan Fel's Empire.

The Imperial delegation received permission to appear before the Jedi Council, which included Jedi Masters K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, and Tili Qua. Marasiah delivered a lengthy address, revealing that her father had not been responsible for the Jedi massacre at Ossus seven years prior. She insisted that he was an ally of the Jedi, with the Sith as their shared adversary. Noting that Gar Stazi had already started talks with the Emperor, Marasiah urged the Jedi to do the same. Skywalker then interjected, sharing his knowledge of Darth Krayt and the One Sith, gained during his captivity. He proposed a plan: assassinate Darth Krayt. While the council did not endorse this plan, the Imperial Knights did. Draco, Krieg, and Rae joined Skywalker, Vao, and the Mynock's crew on their assassination quest, while Marasiah stayed behind to continue the peace negotiations with the Jedi.

Skywalker devised a scheme to draw Darth Krayt to Had Abbadon in the Deep Core, and the Mynock set course for that destination. However, the ship was pulled from hyperspace by the interdiction field of the Star Destroyer Iron Sun, which Old Republic Jedi Celeste Morne had seized a decade earlier. As Draco and Krieg explored the ship's corridors, Skywalker, along with his co-pilot Jariah Syn, Rae, and Vao, came under attack by Rakghouls, creatures controlled by Morne using the power of the Muur Talisman, an ancient Sith relic containing the spirit of the Sith Lord Karness Muur. Impressed by Skywalker's healing abilities, Morne decided to join their mission. With Morne aboard, the Mynock reached Had Abbadon. There, Draco and Krieg flew their TIE Predators, while Vao piloted his TwinTail Fighter, and they eliminated grounded TIE pilots before they could reach their ships, helping to clear the base of Imperials. Once the base was secure, Draco accessed the HoloNet and informed the Emperor about the Talisman and its powers. Fel, recognizing the artifact's power, ordered Draco to acquire it. Draco immediately accepted, but Krieg and Rae questioned the order, believing it contradicted their organization's principles.

Drawn to Had Abbadon by the lure of the Muur Talisman, Darth Krayt arrived with four of his most trusted Sith Lords: Darth Stryfe, Darth Wyyrlok, Darth Talon, and Darth Maladi. As they confronted Morne and Skywalker, Draco, Krieg, Rae, and Vao emerged from hiding, having used the Force to conceal themselves, and launched their attack. However, Morne's Rakghoul army separated them from the main battle. Draco used his lightsaber to cut through the Rakghouls to confront Morne, but she knocked him unconscious with a telekinetic blast. Meanwhile, Krieg and Rae fought their way to Krayt, and Rae stabbed him through the chest. Morne then used the Force to push the weakened Sith Lord off a cliff, but not before Rae was mortally wounded by Force lightning during the confrontation. With the battle concluded and Krayt defeated, Skywalker destroyed the Talisman and killed Morne, but was unable to heal Rae effectively with the Force. As the Mynock's crew prepared to leave for Kiffex with Rae, Krieg tried to join them, but Vao stopped him. Cade refused them passage, knowing they had attempted to secure the Talisman for the Empire. The Mynock departed, leaving Draco determined to return to Bastion, and Krieg questioning the meaning of his duty.

Upon Draco and Krieg's return to Bastion, Fel dispatched Krieg to retrieve Azlyn Rae on Kiffex, instructed Draco to gauge the general sentiment on Coruscant, and sent Sigel Dare to Dac to recover Master Sinde. He had learned from his spy that Darth Wyyrlok was back on the capital, without Krayt, and had announced his assumption of the regency. Fel believed that, if Krayt was dead, it was the ideal moment to strike against the Sith.

After Rae and Sinde returned to Bastion, Fel planned a secret meeting on Agamar with Jedi representatives. His aim was to discuss an alliance, as they were already allied with Admiral Gar Stazi. Fel, his daughter, Sinde, Draco, Krieg, Dare, Rae, and a group of Knights traveled to Agamar to negotiate with Jedi Master K'Kruhk. During the journey, Fel sparred with his closest friend among the Knights, Treis Sinde. He revealed his true reason for bringing Sinde back from Dac: he feared that Sinde's seven years of fighting the Sith had corrupted him, as he had been willing to use the Sith magic of the Muur Talisman. He asked Sinde if using the dark side to save the galaxy was justifiable. Sinde replied that it was not, as it would only lead to becoming another Darth Krayt. He also told his Emperor and friend that all his Knights, including himself and his daughter, had sworn to kill him if he turned to the dark side. Fel remarked that if Sinde were not so contrary and free-minded, his wisdom would have earned him the position of leader of the Imperial Knights. Sinde replied that Antares Draco could keep the job, as he was too busy taking care of Fel himself.

Fel's ship, the Dauntless, arrived on Agamar, and Fel went to the meeting with Sinde, Draco, Marasiah, Dare, and Krieg. There, Fel and K'Kruhk agreed to form an alliance against the Sith.

However, the newly appointed Regent Morlish Veed had discovered the meeting and initiated Operation Thunderstroke to capture Fel. He dispatched Moffs Rulf Yage and Fehlaaur'aitel'loro to command the First Sith Imperial Strikeforce and attack the Imperial delegation. However, Moff Nyna Calixte, who had previously aided Fel, traveled to Agamar to warn him of the impending attack.

Calixte arrived too late, as the War Hammer attacked the Dauntless, and the Sith warriors assaulted the Jedi and Imperial Knights. However, a group of hidden Knights, disguised as farmers, attacked the Sith, and K'Kruhk ordered his Jedi to defend the Emperor. The new allies managed to clear a path for Fel to reach his shuttle and board it. However, Princess Marasiah was captured by the Sith.

After Azlyn Rae and Rasi Tumm realized that Sia had been captured, they attempted to rescue her. However, she had been taken to Korriban for interrogation by the Sith. After failing to rescue her, they returned to Bastion. Fel ordered someone to devise a plan to either rescue or kill Sia. Draco proposed a plan for him to infiltrate Korriban disguised as a Sith, with Krieg and Jedi Master Shado Vao acting as prisoners.

Meanwhile, Sia discovered that her torturer, Darth Havok, was actually Eshkar Niin, the only Imperial Knight to ever abandon the order. Sia was shocked, as Draco, Niin's former apprentice, had claimed to have killed him for his desertion. Although Draco was unaware of Niin's survival, Havok claimed that Draco had lied and allowed him to live. When the rescue team arrived and rescued Sia, the Princess lashed out at Draco for supposedly betraying the Empire. However, their argument was interrupted by the arrival of more Sith. As the team reached the shuttle, Draco chose to stay behind and buy time for the others to escape, proving to Sia that Havok was the liar.

As Draco slaughtered the Sith who pursued him, Havok himself approached. As former master and student exchanged taunts, Havok remarked that Draco's disguise suited him well and suggested he would thrive as a Sith. However, Draco simply wanted to finally kill his former master, and the two engaged in combat. As they dueled, both felt the presence of a very much alive Darth Krayt due to the intensity of their anger. Havok offered Draco another chance to join the Sith, but he refused outright. Havok then blasted him with Force lightning, subduing him. Draco was taken prisoner by the Sith and interrogated by Havok.

Darth Havok held Draco captive, subjecting him to excruciating torture in an attempt to extract information about the allied forces. Draco refused to speak, but Havok, having trained him, knew his weaknesses and strengths. After prolonged torture, Havok created a Force illusion that transported his former apprentice back to the day Elliah Fel died. As Draco relived the duel, Havok exploited his guilt, claiming he had been too weak to save her. Havok then projected another illusion onto his fellow Sith Lord Darth Talon, making her appear to be Marasiah Fel. He told Draco that Vao and Krieg had been killed during their escape from Korriban and that Marasiah had been recaptured. Talon then kissed Draco to reinforce the deception. When Havok threatened to kill her if Draco did not provide valuable information, Draco's resolve crumbled, and he revealed the location of a Jedi Hidden Temple on Taivas. Talon departed to relay the information to Darth Krayt, who was now back in control of the Empire, and Havok continued to torture Draco with Force lightning.

As part of a plan conceived by Darth Krayt, Draco was frozen in carbonite and delivered to Cade Skywalker and his companions. Draco warned them that he had revealed the location of the Hidden Temple under duress. Skywalker brought Draco to the Temple, where the Jedi, Gar Stazi, and Roan Fel devised a plan to lure the Sith-Imperial forces into a trap. Princess Marasiah, along with Ganner Kreig and Azlyn Rae, was at the Hidden Temple when Draco arrived. She berated him for succumbing to the Sith but offered him a chance to redeem himself by fighting alongside her and the Jedi in defense of the Temple.

The Sith-Imperial forces, commanded by Admiral Rulf Yage and Darth Stryfe, attacked the Hidden Temple but faced fierce resistance from the allied forces on the ground. In space, the allies trapped the Sith-Imperial fleet when a Galactic Alliance fleet led by Admiral Stazi and an Imperial fleet led by Master Treis Sinde cornered them. However, Darth Krayt had anticipated this and unleashed his secret army of Sith troopers led by Darth Nihl against the allied forces. Unable to withstand the relentless advance of these powerful troopers, the Imperial Knights and the remaining allied forces were forced to retreat, suffering heavy losses and the deaths of several Jedi Masters, including T'ra Saa, Nat Skywalker, and Te Corso. However, Skywalker managed to capture a Sith trooper and delivered him to Roan Fel on Bastion.

Following Draco's capture, Hogrum Chalk, the Emperor's brother-in-law and close advisor, was promoted to head of Imperial Intelligence for Roan Fel's empire. Sometime later, his agents discovered an unconscious Darth Maladi aboard a Yuuzhan Vong ship. Chalk had her secretly transported back to Bastion and imprisoned. Upon awakening, Maladi was in a fragile, paranoid state, a consequence of Skywalker's mental assault. She requested an audience with Emperor Fel, claiming that Darth Krayt had survived despite her efforts to ensure his demise, and sought sanctuary from the empire-in-exile. She offered him Omega Red, a biotoxin she claimed could destroy a planet, in exchange for Cade Skywalker's head. Fel questioned her sincerity, hesitant to unleash such devastation, and threatened to hand Maladi over to Skywalker instead. Chalk, however, saw the weapon as a chance to end the war and save countless lives by cleansing Korriban of all Sith. The Emperor refused to be branded a pariah for employing the same tactics as the enemy. He ordered Chalk to keep Maladi's capture a secret, and she remained in her cell.

Shortly after, the defeat at the Hidden Temple prompted Fel to reconsider Maladi's offer. Desperate to defeat the Sith, Fel approached her again and agreed to her initial proposal, provided she first proved her claim.

After examining the captured Sith trooper, Fel convinced the allies to attack Coruscant, the heart of Krayt's power, before Bastion was targeted by these troopers. Every rebel troop in the galaxy assembled for this final assault. Secretly, Fel, acting on Hogrum Chalk's advice, intended to use Omega Red on Coruscant to eradicate the Sith threat. He assigned his Knights Ganner Krieg, Azlyn Rae, and Sigel Dare to a strike team led by Cade Skywalker to disable Coruscant's orbital defenses and assassinate Darth Krayt. He requested his most trusted Knights, Antares Draco, Treis Sinde, and Marasiah, to remain by his side aboard his flagship, the Jagged Fel.

Although the initial phase of the plan succeeded, and the allied fleet entered the system safely, Krayt unleashed his Sith troopers once more. The battle began to turn against the allies, and Fel decided that Omega Red was necessary. He retrieved it from Maladi, unaware that she was still loyal to Krayt and that the Sith were immune to the toxin. This would brand Fel and the allies as pariahs and allow the Sith to maintain control.

Draco attempted to dissuade Fel, but he refused to listen. Sinde and Marasiah joined them, also trying to convince the Emperor otherwise, but they failed, and Fel used the Force to push them away. Draco, realizing that Fel had succumbed to the dark side and remembering his oath as an Imperial Knight, engaged his former Master in a duel.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Skywalker's strike team infiltrated the Sith Temple, battling through numerous Sith, resulting in the deaths of Wolf Sazen and Darth Stryfe, and the injury of Sigel Dare. Skywalker reached Darth Krayt and, after a prolonged duel, killed him. Draco sensed Krayt's death through the Force and tried to convince Fel that Omega Red was no longer needed, but the Emperor claimed it was a trick and punched his former apprentice before attempting to launch Omega Red at the planet. Draco killed Fel by stabbing him in the back.

Following Krayt's death, the Sith troopers went berserk due to the loss of their mental connection to their Dark Lord, and the Sith fleet retreated, leaving Coruscant under allied control. After eliminating all Sith troopers, a funeral was held for Emperor Fel, with the eulogy delivered by Hogrum Chalk, who also announced that Marasiah Fel had become Empress and a member of the new Galactic Federation Triumvirate. Emperor Fel's descent into darkness was concealed from those unaware for political reasons.

A fully trained Imperial Knight, Fel was the third Emperor of the Fel dynasty to rule from the Imperial throne. He was later ousted from power by Darth Krayt in 130 ABY, following the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War. Renowned for his political insight and strategic prowess, he waged a relentless campaign against the Sith, even reclaiming the planet of Bastion. Nevertheless, his ambition to regain the Imperial Throne heavily influenced his decisions. Fel's Imperial Knight training proved invaluable when the Sith Lord Darth Kruhl attempted to assassinate him on Bastion.

Marasiah, affectionately known as Sia, was the only child of Emperor Roan Fel and the heir to the Imperial Throne. She completed her training as an Imperial Knight after an incident on Vendaxa, where she was pursued by Sith agents. Sia frequently served as an envoy between her father and Imperial systems, secretly infiltrating planets to assess the loyalty of the governing officers.

Draco held the position of leader among the Imperial Knights, second only to Roan Fel. He was a formidable lightsaber duelist and skilled pilot, but his love for Princess Marasiah may have surpassed these abilities. Unwavering in his loyalty to the Imperial Knights, Draco would sacrifice his life for the Emperor. However, his desire to marry the Imperial princess often clouded his judgment, and his loyalty to Fel eventually led to conflict with his fellow Knights. Draco held critical views of both the Jedi and the Sith, considering them inferior to the Imperial Knights.

Assam, trained by Yalta Val, was a young and impetuous Imperial Knight when he was dispatched to the Ottega system to assist in the construction of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate's new communications array. When Val encountered issues within the Carreras system, Assam became involved in his former master's affairs. Despite his lack of experience, Antares Draco had a high regard for his instincts.

A horrific accident forced him into a life-sustaining suit of cyborg armor, which limited his ability to fight for the Empire as a field Knight. Despite his injuries, he continued to serve as the master armorer for the Imperial Knights, crafting armor and suits for injured Knights, as he did for Azlyn Rae.

Fiercely devoted to Emperor Fel's cause, Dare was inflexible in her thinking and approach, harboring a strong dislike for both the Jedi and the Sith. She was cold, dutiful, and often unable to see the broader perspective, focusing solely on the immediate situation. She refused to acknowledge the galaxy's descent into chaos.

Mohrgan was Emperor Roan Fel's cousin. He served his cousin faithfully as a bodyguard for many years, willing to die to protect his Emperor. Confident in his abilities, he sought an opportunity to prove himself against the Sith. Darth Krayt killed Mohrgan and three other Imperial Knights when he seized the Imperial throne following the Sith-Imperial War.

Ko commanded the defense of Borosk during the Second Imperial Civil War. Despite his bravery, he was unable to secure victory for his troops, and the planet fell to the Sith.

Krieg, calm and serious, was a high-ranking member of the Imperial Knights and Antares Draco's most trusted friend. As a more level-headed counterpart to Draco's impulsive nature, Ganner readily supported his friend, accompanying him on numerous dangerous missions, even without the Emperor's approval. However, he disagreed with Draco's dismissive attitude towards the Jedi and harbored feelings for fellow Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae.

Niin was once a respected Knight and mentor to Antares Draco, the organization's future leader. However, he eventually succumbed to the dark side and joined Darth Krayt and the One Sith, becoming Darth Havok. His fellow Knights presumed him to be dead.

Rae, a former Jedi Padawan, found herself alone after the Jedi Order was scattered in 130 ABY. She was discovered by the Imperial Knights, who completed her training. Though she was willing to deceive her childhood friend Cade Skywalker for the Imperial cause, her reunion with him and later with her master Rasi Tuum created conflicting loyalties between the Imperial Knights and the Jedi. During the battle against Darth Krayt, she sustained severe injuries, requiring her to wear life-sustaining armor.

Sinde, level-headed and pragmatic, possessed a broad understanding of galactic affairs and was considered wise by Sigel Dare, his former apprentice. While on a mission to sabotage one of Darth Krayt's Star Destroyers, Sinde recognized the importance of warning Galactic Alliance Admiral Gar Stazi of impending danger and collaborating with members of Rogue Squadron. He was also prepared to sacrifice his life for the sake of the mission. He was mindful of the Knights true allegiance to the Force and, like Krieg, wasn't as blindingly loyal to Fel as some of the others.

Val, a high-ranking Imperial Knight dispatched by Marasiah Fel to Carreras Major to assist in the construction of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate's new communications array, which would directly connect the Outer Rim Territories to Coruscant. He encountered difficulties during transit, prompting his former apprentice Jao Assam to intervene. He wielded a unique blue-bladed lightsaber with a spherical blade emitter.

Vetter served as a teacher, friend, and bodyguard to Princess Marasiah, accompanying her on missions to assess the loyalty of Imperial officers. She was killed by Darth Talon on Socorro while enabling the Princess to escape. Elke was devoted to the Princess and willing to give her life for her safety. Although Talon hoped to follow her and discover her father's location, Vetter's sacrifice allowed Marasiah to be rescued by Cade Skywalker and the crew of the Mynock.

Each Imperial Knight carried a standardized silver hilt lightsaber that emitted a white-silver blade. This symbolized the order's unity and the fact that each member was less than the organization they served. These lightsabers were crafted using synthetic crystals, drawing on knowledge from Palpatine's Book of Anger, in a process devoid of ceremony or reverence. To an Imperial Knight, a lightsaber was simply a tool, and their training focused equally on combat in vehicles, unarmed combat, and the use of the Force. Marasiah Fel's lightsaber, while having the standardized hilt, produced a blue blade. Azlyn Rae carried an orange-bladed version of this hilt while undercover to conceal her status as an Imperial Knight.

Every Imperial Knight was issued a standard uniform, which consisted of crimson armor crafted from the same material used in Darth Vader's armor. To bolster its defenses against lightsaber strikes, it incorporated fine strands of phrik filament. The Imperial insignia was displayed on the left pauldron and right gauntlet; the gauntlet itself was made of pure cortosis, which could disable a lightsaber blade for a few minutes upon contact. A black hood and cape were also part of the uniform. Roan Fel typically wore a more ornate version of this armor, along with a royal cape, for most events. However, for perilous missions, such as the one on Agamar in 137 ABY, he opted for the more adaptable standard armor. As highly skilled Force masters, Imperial Knights were adept at maximizing the effectiveness of their armor.

The Imperial Knights' master armorer produced specialized, life-sustaining armor for Knights who had suffered severe injuries. By 137 ABY, Master armorer Hogrum Chalk had designed at least a pair of these suits.

During her mission to the Hidden Temple, and later to Had Abbadon, Azlyn Rae remained in her bounty hunter attire, presumably without her standard armor due to her undercover status. Treis Sinde and Sigel Dare similarly wore civilian clothing for their covert operation on Dac.

The Imperial Knights were thoroughly trained in the Force, sometimes being described as "fully-trained Jedi." While the Sith often regarded them as inferior, derisively calling them "Fel's Forcelings," others in the galaxy recognized their undeniable discipline, skill, and strength. The Imperial Knights were considered among the most formidable and skilled Force users in the galaxy, on par with the Jedi in their mastery of the Force.

The Imperial Knights heavily relied on their combat armor and were thus always prepared for battle. Their training focused on combat rather than contemplation, leading to the development of two new combat forms: the aggressive Praetoria Vonil and the defensive Praetoria Ishu. They also learned many of the same lightsaber combat techniques as the Jedi. The Imperial Knights were warriors, not negotiators, a role they embraced without apology. Their training taught them to harness the Force to transform themselves into living weapons and shields.

The Imperial Knights possessed expertise in various Force abilities, including levitation, mind tricks, and lightsaber combat. Furthermore, some utilized powers associated with the Dark Side—a practice viewed with less concern than among some Jedi, as they were not as fixated on maintaining the balance between the Light and Dark. As with other Force-sensitive groups, lightsaber proficiency varied among individual Imperial Knights. Experienced Knights have successfully challenged members of the One Sith, such as Treis Sinde's duel with Darth Azard on Dac, Roan Fel's victory over Darth Kruhl on Bastion, and Antares Draco's holding off half a dozen Sith Warriors to allow his allies to escape during a mission to Korriban. Conversely, other Imperial Knights have been defeated by particularly powerful members of the One Sith, such as Darth Talon's killing of Elke Vetter, and Darth Krayt's effortless defeat of four Imperial Knights.

Antares Draco was also known for his exceptional piloting skills.

John Ostrander and Jan Duursema created the Imperial Knights for the comic series Star Wars: Legacy. However, the concept of a Jedi personal bodyguard for the Emperor originated in the early drafts of A New Hope, where the Jedi served as protectors of the galactic ruler. A revolution occurs, leading to the "New Empire" replacing the old one. The Sith's Black Knights hunt down the Jedi, replacing them as the Imperial guard and the true power behind the throne.

John Ostrander described the Imperial Knights as "A Jedi-like fellowship." They were first introduced in Issue 0 of Legacy, which was released in June 2006. Their actual debut occurred later that month in Issue 1, but all four Imperial Knights introduced in that issue perished. The main cast of Imperial Knights, including Antares Draco, Ganner Krieg, Sigel Dare, and Princess Marasiah Fel, did not appear until later in the Broken story arc. Numerous Imperial Knights have played significant roles in the series, whether accompanying Cade Skywalker on missions or undertaking their own. Randy Stradley stated that the original plan was to have only about a dozen Imperial Knights, although this may have been reconsidered. The current total number of active Imperial Knights remains unknown, though Legacy 0.5 describes their numbers as "small," and the Legacy Era Campaign Guide suggests a range of twelve to sixty.

The in-universe origins of the Imperial Knights were once a mystery, prompting numerous fan theories. One popular theory, later proven at least partially correct, involved Jaina Solo marrying Jagged Fel, thereby introducing Force-sensitivity into the Fel lineage. This idea is supported in Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, where Jagged suggests that Jaina leave the Jedi and establish her own order within the Empire, and further reinforced by their engagement in Fate of the Jedi: Omen. Ultimately, their marriage is confirmed in Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse.

John Ostrander has commented on the popularity of the Imperial Knights, noting that they have garnered significant interest, particularly among gamers.

Akihiko Monnai, a Star Wars fan, has created musical compositions for Legacy, including a piece dedicated to the Imperial Knights. His work has received praise from both John Ostrander and Jan Duursema.

Imperial Knights have been immortalized as miniatures and action figures. The Legacy of the Force set of Star Wars Miniatures, released in early 2008, features miniatures of Antares Draco, Roan Fel, Ganner Krieg, Sigel Dare, and Marasiah Fel.

In 2008, Hasbro released two comic packs as part of its Legacy Collection, featuring characters from Legacy in 3 3/4 inch action figures. One pack included Ganner Krieg and Antares Draco in a two-pack, along with part five of Broken. In 2009, a Sigel Dare figure was also released, paired with Darth Krayt.