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Senate Guard

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Senate Guard
General information
Leader(s)
Notable members
Headquarters
Locations

Coruscant

Historical information
Reorganization

22 BBY

Dissolution

c. 19 BBY

Other information
Era(s)
Affiliation
[Source]
"The Senate Guards surely afford more than adequate protection…"
―Supreme Chancellor Palpatine[src]

The Senate Guard, sometimes called the Blue Guard, was an elite unit, stemming from the Republic Senate Guardsman of old, established to protect senators, the Supreme Chancellor, and other ranking members and buildings of the Galactic Republic government.

Some members of the Guard were known to wear Senate Commando armor during times of war.

Contents

[edit] Overview

A Senate Guard in 19 BBY.

The Senate Guard was arranged into military-style units and held military-style ranks. The commander of the Senate Guard was the Captain of the Guard, while the head of the Grand Convocation Chamber detachment was referred to as the Sergeant at Arms and sat in the central Chancellor's podium. They were responsible to a Senate committee.

Guards were trained at the Senate Guard Academy and were based at Senate Guard Headquarters. By the end of the Republic, membership in the Senate Guard appeared to, at least unofficially, be hereditary.

The Guard were given extensive blaster training and instructed in the use of a blaster pike. Senate Guards wore stylized yet sturdy body armor and were armed with ceremonial weapons that were replaced with modern blasters when required. To get around the capital, Senate Guards used the Senate Guard speeder. When in more serious situations, the Guard used the heavily-armed Senate Guard assault vehicle. The guard wore helmets that were reminiscent of a design worn by the Notron Centurions.[2]

The Guards were probably given exclusive jurisdiction of the Senate District, and acted as a secondary police force for Coruscant. They were bodyguards for the Senate's members, and were known to cooperate with Jedi in investigations. It is unknown of their relationship with the Coruscant Security Force.

[edit] History

During the Clone Wars, the blue-armored Senate Guard was the elite honor guard to high-ranking government officials on Coruscant, and rarely left the capitol except on the most important Senate business. Though the Coruscant Guard was formed out of elite clones, no clones were found in the ranks of the Senate Guard.

Senate Guards attempt to restrain a protestor in front of the Senate Building.

Later, Chancellor Palpatine created a new unit from select members of the Senate Guard, termed the Red Guard, which took over responsibility for the Chancellor's security, consisting mostly of elite Senate Guards. There was also a cosmetic change for the Blue Guard; the elaborate crests were removed from their helmets, and the open face was covered by a black visor similar to that of the Red Guard. Some of the Blue Guard also stood at duty without their robes, and holding a DC-15A blaster rifle. They were known as the Senate Commandos.[3]

After the creation of the Galactic Empire, the Red Guard became the Emperor's Royal Guard, and the Senate Guard was gradually phased out. However, as of two weeks into the Empire's rule, the Senate Guard was still important enough to be made privy to the prosciption list of Palpatine's first purge of the Imperial Navy. It is possible the treason exhibited by several of the Guardsmen in helping one of their own escape the purge helped in the decline of the Guards' authority. By this time, the Senate Guard armor had been modified once again, with the black visor removed and the crest reduced in size.

A Senate Guard.

By 2 BBY, the Senate Guard had been re-established as the Imperial Senate Guard. Members wore armor identical to the Royal Guard and the Emperor's Shadow Guard, albeit blue in color. Additionally, like the Royal and Shadow Guards, Senate Guards of this era utilized lightsaber pikes, possibly indicating that they were Dark Side Adepts. They still functioned as bodyguards (and possibly enforcers) of Imperial Senators while serving the Emperor's will. Galen Marek would fight many Senate Guards during his part in the formation of the Rebel Alliance.[4]

It is unconfirmed what exactly happened to them after the dissolution of the Imperial Senate, whether they were kept as dark side agents of the Emperor or if they were merged into the Royal Guard and Shadow Guard.

[edit] Behind the scenes

The Hasbro toys name the Senate Guards as the Coruscant Guard. The "Coruscant Guard," however, was initially made up entirely of clones, whereas the Senate Guard had no clones among the ranks. It is possible that the misnomer could have been due to the fact that the Coruscant Guard were also assigned to protect the Republic Senate facilities and all senators in residence, augmenting, but not supplanting, the non-clone Senate Guard already in place.

When they first appeared in The Phantom Menace, they were intended to be the direct predecessors of the Royal Guard. However, this idea was abandoned in Attack of the Clones, where they appear side-by-side.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Sources

Wookieepedia has a collection of images related to Senate Guard.

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ Shadows of Coruscant
  2. ↑ Galaxy at War
  3. ↑ http://starwars.com/kids/read/cwspotter20080822.html?page=2
  4. ↑ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)
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