Scholae Palatinae/PartOne

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Complete Article: Scholae Palatinae
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History

This is the chronological account of the history and legend of the group known as Scholae Palatinae.

The Fall of an Empire and the Rise of a House

Scholae Palatinaes beginnings go back to the days of the Emperor at the height of his power. Gathering a group of Dark Jedi that served with Imperial Intelligence at the time, he charged them with the safe keeping of his various storehouses of knowledge. They were to be the ultimate guards, stronger even than the Royal Guards. They were later aptly named the Emperor’s Guards.

However, in time the Emperor was overthrown and his throne fell into oblivion. Betrayed by his own creation, his entire Empire was forced back. System after system fell to the so-called New Republic, and soon all that was left was a mere shadow of what had been the mighty Galactic Empire. During this time, a remnant of the Empire, the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet, reigned supreme in one section of Imperial Space. Amongst those in the service of the Fleet was the vaunted Intelligence Division, whom had reformed from the debacle at Endor and served as the eyes and ears of then Grand Admiral Ronin, commander of the Emperor’s Hammer. In a raid on the Imperial Palace, an Intelligence Branch Leader found information of vital importance. This information detailed the formation of the Emperor’s Guards and its’ mission, but the information did not say what had become of the group of Dark Jedi. Passing along this information to the Dark Brotherhood Council, they took what they found and formed a new group of the Emperor’s Guards, called House Scholae Palatinae. The people that founded this House were again Dark Jedi selected from the ranks of the Intelligence Branch of service.

The Forming of a Clan

Starting out small, Scholae Palatinae was based on the planet of Ashtar in the Setii System. The House grew and so did its 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. Gathering enough members for a Clan, Scholae Palatinae formed three Houses under the banner of Clan Scholae Palatinae.

The militant Dorimad Sol was a House named after a famous Dark Jedi of ages past whose skill in both Dark Side lore and with a lightsabre was 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 legends told of this “Caliburnus” and scholars today agree that this is one of the first references to a lightsaber, whose lethality is well known.

Clan Scholae Palatina (CSP) soon grew very powerful, and managed to win itself the Victory-class Star Destroyer Excidium, as well as the Modified Corvette Victory, both of which are now the cornerstones of the Clan Fleet. During this time, the Clan moved their home planet, as Ashtar underwent extreme tectonic upheaval and necessitated a move to another planet. The planet of Hela was chosen amongst all the unoccupied worlds. It was a violent world, where its’ proximity to a small yellow dwarf star bathed the planet in radiation, causing nothing to live there. There on that inhospitable world, Diablo Keep was constructed and would serve as a base for Clan operations.

The Death and Rebirth of a Clan

This stage of growth and euphoria was not to continue however, as 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 exploded into violence. During this time, the Star Chamber destroyed Clan Scholae Palatinae. The reasons are unknown, and are lost to history.

For the members of the Clan the tides of fate had decreed the following: Two Houses were moved into Clan Arcona, their members being mind wiped first. While there, many horrors were inflicted upon the incoming Houses, of which they never forgot. The third House, Caliburnus, was totally destroyed. Thor, the home planet of House Caliburnus, was bombarded, killing many of the House members and forcing the remainder to flee into the wastelands of the icy planet. Caliburnus was soon forgotten and neglected, many assuming that the remnants had died. In that, everyone was wrong, for they had indeed survived.

Probes sent to the planet years later by the Intelligence Division Directorate reported a strange sight. The buildings that had once been reduced to rubble in the bombardment were standing again, their tall spires challenging those who had betrayed them long before. An ambassador was promptly sent by the Brotherhood to meet with this rogue House. The meeting was inconclusive at best, for 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 and 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. Eventually their courage and sheer refusal to bow to anyone else earned them the right to rebuild their shattered Clan, their birthright to which they were long denied. Eventually the Dark Council realized the wisdom of bringing back Scholae Palatinae, and in time, House Acclivis Draco and House Dorimad Sol were reunited with House Caliburnus, and together they reformed the new Clan Scholae Palatinae.

It was during this time that House Caliburnus mounted an operation that would have vast repercussions. Feeling as the sole heirs of the birthright of the Clan’s history, and knowing that their other two sister Houses were unaware of what had transpired in the past, they sequestered the entire Clan for a month. The highest ranking Jedi went to each member, and reversed the mind-wipes. It was from here that the horrors of what Arcona had done to Acclivis Draco and Dorimad Sol were first found. Enraged, the Clan Summit deemed it necessary to keep the rage in check, since the Star Chamber would not allow Arcona to fall to their onslaught. Arcona was now the most hated of all Clans, and to this day all that join Scholae Palatinae are inducted with the knowledge that one day their vengeance will be sated.

To head off any possible conflicts, the Clan Summit issued an assignment to all that were in the Clan. Since so much of their history had been lost, they had to reclaim what was theirs. It was during this time that much of what we know about the history of Clan Scholae Palatinae was recovered. Unfortunately, not much of the history of Dorimad Sol was salvaged, but Acclivis Draco and Caliburnus was another story. This is what they found.

The Creation of House Caliburnus

House Caliburnus was originally created by the Emperor's Hammer's Intelligence Division to be their force-wielding hand of justice, however as time went on, Caliburnus grew far beyond its original purpose, to become one of the most powerful Dark Side forces in the galaxy. As time passed, the House lost much of its connection with the Intelligence Division and became instead an influential House of the One Clan of the Dark Brotherhood.

For centuries, on every planet in existence, espionage, demolition, and subterfuge have been the weaponry of both good and evil. In a time when the Emperor's Hammer stood poised to strike at the heart of the New Republic, the need for an elite, Force-capable group of agents to use these weapons was never greater.

The Consul of Clan Scholae Palatinae responded to the call for such a group and dedicated one of the new Houses of his Clan for this purpose. The Sith of Clan Scholae Palatinae would serve not only their Clan and the Brotherhood, but also the Emperor’s Hammer as whole.

This House has borrowed its name from an ancient blade recorded in histories throughout the galaxy. According to legend, the blade literally had a mind of its own; it never failed to strike a deathblow. Even in the hands of the most inexperienced swordsman, the blades sharp edge found purchase in its opponent. This weapon was called Caliburnus. Looking back on the old records, historians have come to agree that the Caliburnus legend is a reference to one of the first lightsabers. Such a powerful and strange weapon could easily inspire such awe and fear.

The weapon’s earliest known owner is Belia Darzu who either created the weapon or found and modified it. That question is still left unanswered by the numerous scholars and historians who studied the weapon. After Darzu’s death, the weapon passed through many hands including several Dark Lords of the Sith, but it disappeared after Darth Vectivus died. Even Darth Sidious coveted the weapon and organized many searches for the lightsaber. But after many years of searching for the coveted weapon, it was found on Korriban and was claimed by an unknown Dark Jedi. The weapon itself, however, was not at peace with its new owner and disappeared again, to wait for the proper guardians of Caliburnus. Today, the name of Caliburnus still insights fear into those who hear the name uttered.

Thus was the birth of House Caliburnus.

The Birth of the Dragon Guard

During the months before the Empire's defeat at Endor, a secret report was filed away in the Emperor's personal archives on Coruscant. The report was a critique on two of the Emperor's elite units, the Imperial Royal Guard (IRG) and the original group of Jedi under the banner of Scholae Palatinae.

The report reassured that the Guard and Scholae Palatinae would retain their original duties of guarding the Emperor, high Imperial officials, and secret bases, as well as remaining the elite fighting force that the Emperor could call upon if necessary.

However, the report criticized certain aspects of both groups: The Royal Guard, though numerous and in possession of great prowess in combat, were not the Force capable men of Scholae Palatinae and therefore did not have their skills and ability. The members of Scholae Palatinae, though powerful and feared, were not numerous enough to be effective.

In the conclusion, the report called for the merging of the Imperial Guard and Scholae Palatinae Jedi into a united body. No longer were they to serve as solitary agents on planets like Wayland and Byss or simply as a superior group of stormtrooper bodyguards, but the two united bodies would serve as an elite unit in all military areas, able to operate under any condition or situation. In essence, the united group would serve the rolls of stormtroopers, pilots, leaders, diplomats, and bodyguards, and would perform all their former duties and more, this time aided with the Force and in substantial numbers. The writer of the report called this new group the “Dragon Guard.”

Unfortunately, the plans for the Dragon Guard were never carried out, as the murder of our beloved Emperor wrested these plans away. However, during the initial expansion of Clan Scholae Palatinae, the Consul at the time received this information and took inspiration from it. Forming a new House under the ideals of the Dragon Guard, Acclivis Draco was born.

Although growing alongside Scholae Palatinae, it had been stripped of its association with the Clan and when the Star Chamber intervened they were forced into service with Clan Arcona. Although at first Arcona kept up appearances of brotherly concern over their two new Houses, when the Council was not looking, the Clan inflicted terrible punishment towards the members of Acclivis Draco and House Caliburnus. Arcona believed that they would be the instrument of the Star Chamber and further punish those that had already been taught a lesson. For years this was kept a Clan secret, but eventually the word got out when Scholae Palatinae was reborn.

The Attack on the Clan

During the rebirth of Scholae Palatinae, a directive from the Dark Council ordered that each House be aligned with a specific order. The members of Acclivis Draco, determined to never again lose what they had learned, became incessant guardians and keepers of information, and their alignment to the Krath Order became clear. In time, Acclivis Draco grew powerful enough to become the dominant House of the Clan, creating a friendly rivalry with Caliburnus over that privilege.

So began the legend of Drynwyn's Flame. As time passed, the Ebon Cloak Phyle (now known as a Battleteam of Acclivis Draco grew in both strength and number, though none had yet ascended to the rank of Jedi Hunter. And so it came to pass that the House's size became sufficient to accommodate a second Phyle.

Iceman, a Guardian, was appointed as the new Phyle's Tetrarch. A few members of the House were assigned as Tyros of the Phyle, for in those days, Houses could have members that were not assigned to any Phyle. The Tyros included the Novice J'Lek, who kept his surname in secret, as it was not yet time for the Brotherhood to know who he was. Quowal, later known as one of the Phyle’s greatest Tetrarchs, came later.

In his studies, Quaestor Annuvin had discovered references to the ancient lightsaber known as Drynwyn's Flame. The Flame was a willful blade that could choose its master, enhancing his skill in combat. But the Flame was known to grow weary of its masters, leading the wielder to a fateful demise. And so it was that Annuvin directed his entire House to seek the Flame, and like moths did the House pursue it, evacuating from their homeworld in droves. It was only by happenstance that then Proselyte J'Lek remained behind.

The rival Clans saw a chance to strike at the temporarily weakened Scholae Palatinae. With Acclivis Draco supposedly absent from its halls, it was thought to be an easy task to send in a squadron of fighters to obliterate Scholae Palatinae's Krath House. With a third of Scholae Palatinae destroyed, the rest of the Clan would swiftly collapse. The Dark Council would not be able to act swiftly enough to stop the carnage once this idea was set in motion. One Clan dared to act on this idea, though its identity was never determined. Scholae Palatinae always assumed that Arcona were the ones responsible for this treachery. However, they made a fatal miscalculation...

Meanwhile, the Krath of Scholae Palatinae had located the fabled Flame. While it was not an easy task, the Dark Jedi of House Acclivis Draco managed to “appropriate” the lightsaber from a New Republic research facility where it lay under strong guard. Victorious, the Krath turned homeward.

House Acclivis Draco was not in ruins when the Dark Jedi returned. J'Lek, now an Proselyte, had managed to rig a mere shuttle for battle by linking the craft's onboard computer with a dust-laden flight simulator. What seemed to be an easy victory for the unknown assailants of House Acclivis Draco became a stalemate when faced with a Lambda-class Shuttle linked with an AI set to “Massacre.” The tides turned for the aggressors when the VSD Excidium, the Clan's formerly mothballed capital ship, arrived, with squadrons from House Caliburnus in tow.

Thus, the aggressors were thwarted and Drynwyn's Flame was safely delivered to the Halls of House Acclivis Draco.

As a reward for the excellent work exhibited by the unnamed Phyle’s efforts, Quaestor Annuvin named the Phyle Drynwyn's Flame, charging them with the safeguarding of the lightsaber that was their namesake. To this day this remains their duty.

The Exodus

Slowly but surely, the Clan continued to grow, and in some situations proved to be a dominant force within the Brotherhood. Their newfound freedom united all of its members together, and they vowed to never again be separated from their brothers and sisters. All was well until one fateful summer. The following is an excerpt from a Dark Jedi's diary around the time of The Exodus:

My Student at the time was a rising star within Acclivis Draco. Taking on the most daunting tasks, she completed them all, a renowned scholar within the Clan and powerful in the Force. In some ways I take this to be my own personal failure. I had at that time neglected my time with the Clan, focusing my energies in battling the enemies of the Brotherhood elsewhere.

During this time, much turmoil was simmering within the Clans. Already, plans were being set that would not only guide but also divide us, although this was not to be revealed except for a handful of the most farsighted Dark Jedi. Others took this time to further antagonize and exploit those beneath them, not knowing that their time of judgment was soon to arrive. We are getting ahead of ourselves, however. Suffice to say that my very own Student was hideously disrespected and humiliated publicly, much to the dismay of many and to the righteous outrage of many others. This was commonplace back in those days, when those in power abused their positions to humiliate anyone who did not agree with them or toady up to them. Oddly enough, those within the Brotherhood that wished to keep us down in the misery of injustice did not notice that this event was the one that broke the patience of many. After attempting to rectify the situation from within, they were viciously put down, verifying that the then-current leadership had been corrupted beyond redemption. In essence, they had broken faith with those that they were supposed to serve and protect.

Moving quickly, lest their plans be known too soon, the Brotherhood revolted. Under the wise leadership of The Seven, the Brotherhood, minus the ultra-loyal Clan Alvaak, departed their homes in a single day under the Cloak of the Dark Side. For Clan Scholae Palatinae, this meant packing up their belongings, using all available ships, and departing EH-controlled space to coordinates provided by The Seven. The Exodus, as it has been called, remains one of the most impressive displays of logistical accomplishments that to this day has not been matched.

Unfortunately, once word of the reason for the move was found, some members balked at joining the so-called Rebel Brotherhood, preferring to remain behind. Unwilling to harm those that were their brothers and sisters, the Clan leadership allowed them safe passage to systems controlled by the Emperor's Hammer. In this way, the Clan lost a third of its members. However, the Clan was not willing to leave behind the spoils of their work, and all Clan structures that remained behind were completely razed to the ground. This scorched earth policy ensured that there would be no evidence that would remain behind that could possibly harm the Clan.

It was during this move that a small space battle was fought with elements of the Clan fleet and the elite Praetorian Squadron, which the Clan won. Beyond that small battle, everything went off without a hitch for the Clan. Others were not so lucky, as desperate combat actions were fought in the darkness, and many loyal Hammer soldiers were killed in a last-ditch effort to contain the Brotherhood.

Arriving at last to the Cocytus System, the system that had been given to the Clan by The Seven, they settled in. Since the system was mostly uninhabited, the Clan easily overpowered what natives were there, and set about to rebuild their homes. However, not all was calm.

The sudden departure, the loss of so many leaders and members, the general instability of the Brotherhood as a whole, and fear of any possible retaliation by the Emperor's Hammer all lead to possibly the worst year that the Clan had experienced. During this year alone, the Clan cycled through more than three Consuls, Proconsuls, and many Quaestors and Aediles. This shaky government caused all sorts of chaos within the Clan, and with leaders being replaced almost on a weekly basis no one knew what to do or to whom to go.

Scholae Palatinae came very close to losing their identity as a Clan, and it was extremely fortunate that there was no combat action during this first year, for surely the Brotherhood's members would have perished easily. As it was, those members that remained that had some experience tried valiantly to hold things together, and for the most part they succeeded. Due to the lack of members, many parts of the Clan were disbanded, and whatever members these units had were assigned to others that needed shoring up. Slowly, the Clan took hold of their new home, and their confidence in their situation and with the new order of things grew. More and more began to see the fruits of the vision of The Seven, and it was good.

Return to Glory

With the First Independence Games announced, the Clan finally had a hopeful gleam in their eye about the future of Scholea Palatinae. Competition was fierce, but the Clan acquitted themselves very well, earning third place amongst all of the Clans of the Brotherhood. This finally sealed the unity of the Clan, and with then-Consul Numaril Asfågeln and Proconsul Arania Aquillarum Lawakiro, both highly experienced members, it lead the way for the Clan to finally heal and surge forward.

Stable leadership by Consul Vail Unteminar and Proconsul Arania Aquillarum Lawakiro gave the Clan a chance to focus their energies on growing new leaders, and the Proconsul herself, due to her long-standing loyalty and exceptional combat skill and prowess, was during this time awarded the Clan surname of Palpatine, an honor that is beyond compare.

The pair led the Clan through a raging epidemic that swept through the Brotherhood’s ranks, forcing them to turn against their neighbor. The disease forced the Brotherhood into a state of civil war and the Dark Council crumbled as Deputy Grand Master Jac Cotelin fell to the growing ranks of infected Dark Jedi. At first, CSP was subtly manipulated by the mysterious Dark Jedi Master Kem-Shu Maeda who forced Consul Unteminar to make a declaration of war on Exar Kun. However, Proconsul Arania was eventually able to intervene and Scholae Palatinae patched up the misunderstanding with Clan Exar Kun. Fortunately, this turned into an alliance to battle the other Clans including the allied Clans Arcona and Taldryan.

The armies of the Brotherhood and the legions of the infected clashed while the Dark Councilors, untainted by the growing fire seemingly controlled by Maeda, met and guided Lord Firefox who was able to locate the cause of the disease, long dead Sith Lord Okemi’s husk, and destroy it with the Sword of Ferran. Instantaneously, the disease was cured from the scores of members affected and the Brotherhood, though still shaken, was returning back to its normal routines. At this time, the Clans renewed their vow of allegiance to the Iron Throne and the unity of the Brotherhood was sealed.

Following the Fifth Great Jedi War, all showed that Scholae Palatinae would not roll over and die. Although not always the clear cut victor, the Clan had cut their teeth, and gave a chance for all of the new members that had joined its ranks a chance to prove their loyalty and worth.

After several months, when overall peace and prosperity had settled itself over the Brotherhood, an urgent message was sent to the from the office of the Krath High Priestess Alanna concerning several artifacts vanishing from the Shadow Academy’s library. The artifacts stolen were all from the K’hamar’a, a people who had destroyed themselves in their Force-induced madness. The Brotherhood figured out that the artifacts had sent out a signal through the Force, calling their owners. Only through a special ritual were some of the highest ranking Krath, including former High Priestess and long-time Scholae Palatinae member Arania Lawakiro, able to “overwrite” the artifacts’ “memories,” convincing them that the Krath were their rightful owners.

But still, there was a great disturbance in the Force Several Dark Jedi believed that among them was a Light Jedi, serving as a double agent for the New Republic. This feeling of hostility had been first instilled among CSP when Lord Marshal Jin Long, also known as Michael Halcyon, revealed his true identity and fled Brotherhood space. There were several thorough investigations, but no official evidence was found that could justify a Light Jedi hiding in the ranks of the Brotherhood. Although there was suspicion at first, things were able to cool down when no other event hinting of treason occurred.

In time, Vail Unteminar bowed out as an accomplished and memorable Consul, and former Dorimad Sol Quaestor, Vally Aquillarum Tamalar, stepped into power. With the orderly transition of authority, the Clan flexed their power by showing their combat prowess at the yearly Independence Games, and earned high rankings. These Independence Games were a joint effort between the Brotherhood and our close ally, the Rebel Squadrons. Vally's reign was stable and was marked by the increase of new members eager to learn the ways of the Force.

But eventually Vally stepped down and with his departure, the Dark Council saw fit to assign Timbal Palpatine to a leadership position within the Clan. Seeing a need for new members to learn more about the accomplishments of their mighty Clan, CSP took it upon themselves to ensure that their history was taught fervently and condensed to a single point, as to avoid the loss of records that had plagued them from the beginning. This return to their roots had the effect of unifying the Clan to a point that had not been seen since the Golden Age of the Clan. It was during this time that Proconsul Arania Aquillarum Lawakiro Palpatine finally departed from her long-held position, with the gratitude of the entire Clan seeing her off. In her place, Dakari Tamalar, then-Quaestor of House Dorimad Sol, stepped in and filled the vacant position.

Before Arania departed, she and Timbal Palpatineled the Clan through the “Invasion of Coratua,” a bloody season of successive battles between the Brotherhood and a group of pirates who had seized several combat droid factories on Coratua IV. Each Clan occupied a section of the area surrounding the factories and once the pirates were wiped out, the Clans began fighting each other for the spoils. In the end, the Dark Council intervened and the Clans each received many reprogrammed droids taken from the planet.

But the dictates of the Force pressed upon then-Consul Timbal, and he finally relented, peacefully passing along his duties to his Proconsul, Dakari Tamalar. He in turn selected Brujah Tamalar as his Proconsul, and so the Clan continued on its way.

The Aranna Incident, as it would later be known, began as a simple training exercise to determine the strength of the fleets of the Clans Naga Sadow, Plagueis, Tarentum and Scholae Palatinae. However, Clan Plagueis, wishing to be seen as the most powerful Clan of the four, sent Envoys to the other Clans to access ship systems and sabotage them. After the Corsair, Tarentum’s flagship, accidentally crippled the Valkyrie, a cruiser belonging to Scholae Palatinae, the puzzle pieces were jammed into place in the minds of the Clan leaders and alliances were immediately called upon. Naga Sadow and Tarentum faced Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae, each Clan ready for full-scale conflict. After a brief struggle, the combined fleets of Naga Sadow and Tarentum succeeded in defeating Plagueis and Scholae Palatinae. The goal of the exercise was complete and the Clans went home to wait for the next chance in destroying their opposition and showing their worth.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Aranna Incident, strange events occurred all across Brotherhood space and the Clans blamed each other for their losses. To add to the confusion and pointing fingers, sources confirmed the existence of two Grand Masters Jac Cotelins. Each Jac Cotelin claimed to be the original and the baffled Clans took sides with either the “red” or “blue” Jac. In time, both sides battled at Antei and in the aftermath of the destruction, one Jac emerged from the ruined Dark Hall claiming to have brought both halves together. Uncertainty reigned over the Brotherhood at first, but in time, their doubts were shaken off.

Brujah served for a short four months, but in that time he made his own mark on the Clan. With the new vacancy, Dakari appointed Braecen Kaeth, Acclivis Draco’s Quaestor, as his next Proconsul. Braecen had served for a little over two months when Dakari also felt the calling of the Force, and departed. As is usual, Braecen was then appointed Consul, and a Clan stalwart, Phoenix Olkyssagh Palpatine, was appointed.

Braecen’s leadership to date has included a great many projects, one being the review of all Clan assets, recording them for posterity. Furthermore, his actions have also included the establishment of various social circles for the Clan to compete with one another, ensuring that their energies are focused upon the betterment of the Clan. In turn, Phoenix Olkyssagh Palpatine was tasked with ensuring the happiness and morale of the Clan.

Nearly a month after Braecen’s appointment, the two then-Houses Acclivis Draco and Caliburnus held a contest to determine dominance that neared the cusp of war, threatening to disrupt the peace that had settled itself over the Clan Scholae Palatinae after the lengthy Sixth Great Jedi War. Luckily, the two Houses stopped their conflict in order to aid Judecca, as a unified force, which was under attack during the climax of their battle on Antenora. The intra-Clan fighting ended, but another conflict was set in motion behind the veil of Brotherhood intrigue.