Legitimate Rule. Legitimate Power.
The Imperial Praetorian Knights are the Force sensitive unit of the First Order and everyone Force sensitive is in fact conscripted into them. That is part of the doctrine of the First Order to preserve its integrity and staunch opposition to letting dogmatism and the Dark or Light side taking root in its borders. The Praetorian Knights are not a monastic order, but a military formation under the command of the Central Command.
The Knights are led by their Imperator, the highest rank a Knight can achieve and who is also granted a seat in the Imperial Central Command. They do not follow a code or believe or aspect of the Force, they follow orders and the ideology of the First Order. They are warrior-soldiers first and foremost and are devoted to serving the ideals of order, justice and stability.
Where the Jedi are pacifist, the Praetorian Knights are dutiful.
Where the Sith are power-hungry, the Praetorian Knights are loyal.
Where the Imperial Knights are independent, the Praetorian Knights are integrated.
The Praetorian Philosophy emphasizes on three pillars: duty, loyalty and comradery. This counts both for the non-Force counterparts the Praetorian Guard as well as for the Knights, they are encouraged and promoted to have strong bonds to each other and embrace the brotherhood of the military unit. This goes as far as learning how to fight with each other, teaming up and fighting the enemy when you are at your strongest. On top of the joined fighting and living, there is a strict and enlightened approach to sharing knowledge. This way, each and every Praetorian Knight can help to check on their comrades and make sure they are not drifting too far into the Dark or Light.
The Praetorian Knights are permitted to hold field commands in the Imperial Guard, the Stormtrooper Corps or the Imperial Fleet which can create double-ranks for them. Pre-requisite for this status is extraordinary military service as a Knight and proven capability to command and lead troops into battle.
- Imperator
The Imperator is the commander of the Praetorian Knights and a member of the Central Command. He is responsible for assigning Knights, promotions, training regime and recruitment as well as preservation of the unit's ideals and laws.
- Praetor
The second in command of the Praetorian Knights basically supports and represents the Imperator whenever they are not able to do so due to duties or deployments. They are the successor of the Imperator and are firmly inbound for the training of the Knights and Squires.
- Lord Castellan & Castellan
A Castellan is an appointed ruler of a system or sector by the Imperator and Supreme Leader. They are serving in a dual function of governor and Imperial Knight overseeing an area of the regime in the name of the Central Imperial Government.
- Tribunes
The Tribunes are the field commanders and senior officers of the Praetorian Knights, they command units of Knight into battle and are responsible for them. They are watching over their Knights as well as training them personally or counseling them on certain matters. They are all around officers which excel at certain skills and abilities and bring them to bear.
- Centurion
The junior officers of the Praetorian Knights assists the Tribunes in their duties as well as perform more administrative tasks for them but nevertheless are deeply focused on the arts of the Knights and are formidable combatants.
- Praetorian Knight
The rank and file are the Praetorian Knights, clad in their distinct red armour, their capes and usually wielding white or yellow lightsabers, the Praetorians are the First Orders answer to Jedi, Sith and Imperial Knights.
- Squire
Knights-in-training are squires, assigned to a senior Praetorian for training, they are following them into battle and learning from them all aspects of the life and philosophy of the First Order Force sensitives.
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