Clan Scholae Palatinae

Intoduction

Below is a history of Clan Scholae Palatinae, reconstructed from records found by Dark Brotherhood scholars. Through the many tribulations that Clan Scholae Palatinae faced, many volumes have been lost and probably will never be known. What is presented here represents the total knowledge of the hundreds of Dark Jedi scholars and years of research. To the members of the reborn Clan, this is considered essential reading.

Prologue

An excerpt from recovered Imperial Palace records: Coruscant, a short while before the loss of the second Death Star. The Emperor is in his palace with one of his advisors, Kren Blista-Vanee. "M'lord, how did your trip to Wayland go?" Vanee asked nervously. The Emperor had seemed to be in a slightly foul mood since his return from the hidden planet. "I want you to oversee the construction of an group of Dark Jedi, preferably from Imperial Intelligience. Take whatever you need to do it. I want this group to be tasked with the absolute protection of my facilities based there and upon all other facilities of the like. Classify it. Bury it, they don't exist." The Emperor waved his hand and dismissed his advisor.

Vanee shrugged his shoulders. "What can I do? There aren't any precedents for this how do you just make a group of Dark Jedi appear? They'll have to be trained this will take forever." He hurried down the corridors of the Imperial Palace and set to work.

Several months passed. Vanee did accomplish his task, and now the group of Dark Jedi knelt before the Emperor in his throne room on Coruscant. They were the best Intelligience had to offer, coming from all the branches. Expert pilots, spies, and warriors, they had undergone rigorous training in the Dark Side. Some had not made it. Vanee noticed a considerable drop in the number of them at the foot of the Emperor's throne. In fact, it looked like only half the original group was there. Perhaps the Dark Side was rather taxing. He shook his head nothing to worry about now. These Jedi gathered here would soon hear their Emperor's plans for them. Vanee wondered if they felt any pain from having knelt so long. As he thought it over, the Emperor's chair rotated away from a huge window and towards the assemblage. He rose and began to address them. "Rise, my Jedi." The group stood and faced their Emperor. "You have been selected for a purpose, and it is best that you now learn what that purpose is." He gestured to himself. "This body it is deteriorating. There are certain measures that can be taken against that, but I must have them protected this is your task. You will go to Mount Tantiss, and Byss, and wherever else you are sent. YOU will ensure the survival of these facilities. Call yourselves the Scholae Palatinae, the Emperor's Guards. Your mission is simple: Defend these installations to the death. Now go and do not fail me." The Jedi bowed deeply and filed out of the room. The Emperor turned his chair around, and Vanee left quietly.

Time passed. The Rebel Alliance triumphed at Endor. The Empire was pushed back far…the Scholae Palatinae were transferred elsewhere and soon after, Mount Tantiss was lost, as was Byss. More time passed.

The Birth of Scholae Palatinae

This section was obtained from the Intelligence Division, who were "persuaded" to release this information. Documents had fallen into Intelligence Division hands from a raid into Rebel held Coruscant. They detailed the Emperor's Guards, a find of great concern, for which an emergency meeting of the Ubiqtorate was held, excerpts of which follow: "Members of the Ubiqtorate we have something to discuss. Branch Leader Weicksel has uncovered something that I feel is worth airing to you. As always, this matter is classified to the highest degree. Branch Leader go ahead." The SDIR gestured to his aide. Weicksel stood up from the table. He looked rather nervous. "Well, as you know, our flight from the Core Systems disrupted a lot of Intelligence operations, and the Rebels have learned of and compromised many agents and organizations. We have suffered. This item, however it is apparently so classified as not to have even been spoken of. We had recovered a cache of documents from the Imperial Palace thanks to a recent operation, and it has provided us with previously unknown information. Does anyone know anything about Intelligence having a group of Dark Jedi?" Weicksel finished his sentence and looked around. The Ubiqtorate was silent. "It was established to protect the Imperial cloning facilities for the Emperor. He ordered no record made of this, and Intelligence agents were selected to be the trainees. From what this man Kren Blista-Vanee wrote, this training was expensive. Many good Intel men died to bring the Emperor his Jedi. Needless to say, they failed. As far as I can tell, there are no survivors of the 'Scholae Palatinae', The Emperor's Guards. Nothing exists anywhere that could assist in helping us learn more about this group." The Ubiqutorate was intrigued. "Can you resurrect this group? It might be of use to us. Can it be done?" The SDIR stood and turned to Weicksel, "Weicksel, you are hereby ordered to reinstate these 'Emperor's Guards". Do whatever is necessary. Coordinate all activities with the Dark Brotherhood upon Eos."

Passage of Brotherhood

The following was recorded by Dark Side academics and loremasters. The early records have not been recovered as of yet, so many sections have been collated by analysis of eyewitness accounts and personal records. Scholae Palatinae was formed as a House in the Dark Brotherhood. Basing it's operations on the planet of Ashtar in the Setii System. The House grew and so did it's power, soon becoming a major player in the Politics of the Brotherhood. House Scholae Palatinae eventually reached a point where forming a Clan was a necessity.

Three houses were formed under the banner of Scholae Palatinae. The militant Dorimad Sol, a house named after a famous Dark Jedi of ages past whose skill in both Dark Side Lore and with the Lightsaber were legendary. The second house was named Acclivis Draco, or the Dragon Guard. Another idea of the Emperor's that was never implemented due to his untimely death, the Dragon Guard were supposed to be a legion of force using Stormtroopers, far superior to the Imperial Royal Guard. The third and final House was called Caliburnus, after a mythical sword that could kill with one blow. Many planet's legends told of this 'Caliburnus' and Scholars agree that this is one of the first references to a Lightsaber, whose lethiality is well known.

This new Clan grew extremely powerful and won for itself the VSD Excidium, during a Great Jedi War. Also about this time, their home planet, Ashtar, underwent extreme tectonic upheaval, necessitating a move to another planet. The planet of Hela was chosen amongst the all the unoccupied worlds. A violent world, where it's proximity to a small yellow dwarf star bathes the planet in radiation, nothing lives there. Diablo Keep was constucted on this inhospitable world to serve as a base for Clan operations and not long after, CSP acquired a second vessel, the M/CRV Victory for performance in the sporadic wars of the Brotherhood.

Fall into Flames

This stage of growth and euphoria was not to continue however, Clan Scholae Palatinae underwent a fall that would shake the Brotherhood to the core and result in great changes. The following is an account by a surviving member of the fallen Clan. During the dark winter of a Great Jedi War, tensions between the Consul and several members of Scholae Palatinae explded into violence. Clan Scholae Palatinae was destroyed by the Star Chamber for motives not known to any Dark Side Scholars. For the members of the Clan the tides of fate had decreed the following: Two houses were moved into other clans, their members being mind wiped first. The third house, Caliburnus, was totally destroyed. Thor, the home planet of House Caliburnus, was bombarded, killing many of the house members and the forcing the remainder to flee into the wastelands of the icy planet. Caliburnus was forgotten about and neglected, many assuming that the remnants had died. In that everyone was wrong, for they had survived.

Thor, always a barren planet, was devastated and it's fragile ecosystem was shattered, to this day, nothing can live there unprotected from the strange ethereal storms that plague the surface, said to have been the essence of the Dark Jedi that had been betrayed and killed by their brethren, these storms will kill anyone that is unfortunate enough to be caught above ground. The planet is shrouded in perpetual darkness, the only illumination is from the lightning that scars the uncaring landscape.

Probes sent to the planet years later by the Directorate reported a strange sight. The buildings that had been reduced to rubble in the bombardment were standing again, their tall spires challenging those who had betrayed them long before. An embassy was promptly sent by the Brotherhood to meet with this rogue house.

This meeting was inconclusive at best, the Dark Brotherhood envoys were suspicious of the House members, who were cold and distant to all outsiders. Exactly what the mandate of Caliburnus was, none have been able to ascertain, though their dark past hints towards an even darker future.

House Caliburnus became independent, unable to accept the rule of a Clan. They represented the fallen legacy of the Great Scholae Palatinae, formed during Palpatine's reign, so found it an affront to bow to another. It was said that the members had not forgotten the Betrayal, as they had come to know the fall and were biding their time before they struck.

Dark Force Rising

The Politics of the Brotherhood are violent and indiscriminate. Sporadic clan warfare and a large rogue Jedi base led to the directive ordered by the Grand Master. Houses were to be of one order only. This boded ill for the former Scholae Palatinae. Their numbers were few and mostly of the Sith order.

But the Scholae Palatinae are not easily defeated, like the Phoenix, they rose again, from the flames of their destruction ,Clan Scholae Palatinae was reborn. Three Houses were formed under the banner of Scholae Palatinae, keeping the original names of the defeated to honor their memory and to remind all Scholae Palatinae of their dark past and darker future. House Acclivis Draco, the Dragon Guard became the House of the Krath, representing the scholarly power of the Emperor, and like he, they thirst for knowledge and seek power in the ways of the force. House Dorimad Sol, retaining the name of the great warrior, was chosen as the House of the Obelisk Order to embody the martial skil of Dorimad Sol himself. House Caliburnus, having a history of Sith dominance naturally became the House of the Sith. Now like the sword they are named after, they carve a swathe through their enemies in their fighter craft.

Epilogue

This history is far from complete and can only give a small hint of the darkness that is Scholae Palatinae. As records come to light and history is made, be sure that it will find it's place among these hallowed volumes and will be continued for ever.