Praetorite Vong

Although details regarding Yuuzhan Vong actions inside the galaxy were limited, the Galactic Republic, referring to them as "Far Outsiders," knew about the Praetorite Vong's presence on the edge of the galaxy, their scouting missions, and the long-term threat they posed.

In 32 BBY, during the Invasion of Naboo, the Praetorite Vong located the living planet Zonama and attempted to colonize it. However, the planet's unique biosphere proved toxic to Yuuzhan Vong lifeforms. Despite Sekot's efforts to negotiate, the Yuuzhan Vong initiated an assault upon the planet. After two years of intense conflict, the attack was halted by the arrival of Jedi Knight Vergere, who persuaded the Yuuzhan Vong to depart on the condition that she accompany them.

Da'Gara, along with other high-ranking Praetorite Vong, compiled and assessed the information gathered by Executor Nom Anor during his time within the galaxy. They selected Vector Prime as their initial entry point and sent a scout, Yomin Carr, to infiltrate the Extragalactic Society monitoring station on Belkadan. Following this, Da'Gara entered the galaxy with a squadron consisting of three worldships and a young yammosk to coordinate his forces.

Despite appearing loyal, the Praetorite Vong were secretly pursuing their own agenda, a strategy Da'Gara had been formulating since the Yuuzhan Vong first discovered the galaxy. The Praetorite domains' support for the coup that resulted in Shimrra of Domain Jamaane becoming Supreme Overlord was merely a facade for their independent ambitions. Da'Gara also manipulated Nom Anor into his plans, convincing the Executor to acquire a yammosk without proper authorization, although the Shapers considered it imperfect.

Subsequently, the Praetorite Vong established a significant base on Helska IV, landing their ships and deploying the war coordinator there. However, their scheme was thwarted when the New Republic destroyed Helska IV, eliminating the yammosk and most of the Praetorite Vong invasion force during the Second Battle of Helska. Da'Gara and many elite warriors perished. In addition to these military losses, the corps' reputation suffered significantly.

The Warrior caste responded to the defeat by dispatching Commander Shedao Shai to temporarily oversee Yuuzhan Vong operations within the galaxy as the next wave of invasion forces arrived. Due to the demands of honor, Shai was obligated to retake the worlds lost by the Praetorite Vong, disrupting the overall invasion strategy. Following the deaths of Shai and his second-in-command Deign Lian, Warmaster Tsavong Lah and the invasion force entered the galaxy and joined the remaining Praetorite Vong.

The Praetorite Vong's core members were a specialized group within the administrative Intendant caste, although membership was open to all castes. They were supported by a substantial number of slave units assigned to their operations. The organization was headed by an individual holding the title of High Prefect, responsible for supervising deployments. Their ranks included scouts, pioneers, logistics personnel, assault troops, engineers, and defensive soldiers. Additionally, some Praetorite Vong members served as bodyguards for high-ranking military figures. Alongside their regular forces, this group of Yuuzhan Vong received assistance from members of the Shamed Ones. Senior commanders recognized the critical importance of the Praetorite Vong's work to Yuuzhan Vong military strategy, as their groundwork for establishing staging points and supplying equipment was essential for every advance.

The Praetorite Vong aimed to prepare the way for the main Yuuzhan Vong invasion forces. Consequently, their activities ranged from espionage, infiltration, and intelligence gathering to sabotage, base creation, and destabilizing target governments. The ultimate goal of this strategy was to incite target populations against their own societies. Infiltration was considered the group's primary strength, and they frequently ensured that outlying systems were embroiled in conflict, rendering them vulnerable when the invasion forces ultimately arrived. To achieve this, the Praetorite Vong often recruited spies, saboteurs, and propagandists from local populations to turn them against their own governments.

To facilitate their operations, its agents used the ooglith masquer, commonly used to conceal their faces. Furthermore, they used its variant, the Gablith masquer, as well as the ooglith cloaker to disguise their features. To further assist them in their objectives, they also utilized the organic communication biots known as tizowyrms. Regarding starships, the Praetorite Vong actively employed Yorik-stronha spy ships and Sliviliths, which served as organic probes for scouting space. In addition, they utilized worldships to deploy their forces against target regions.

The Praetorite Vong serve as the primary antagonists in The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime, the inaugural novel of the New Jedi Order series. However, they make few subsequent appearances: their role, organization, and position within Yuuzhan Vong society and strategy are explicitly detailed in The New Jedi Order Sourcebook. Conversely, the sourcebook's implication that the Praetorite Vong invasion was simply a methodical component of the broader Yuuzhan Vong strategy is revealed to be an incomplete picture by Nom Anor's reflections on Da'Gara and his agenda in The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force. This novel, by referencing the "Praetorite domains," also indicates that the Praetorite Vong organization is structured around a collection of Yuuzhan Vong domains, rather than being solely an administrative entity.