Emperor's Hand/Legends

The Emperor's Hand, also known as the Hand of the Emperor, or simply Hand, were secretive operatives active in the Galactic Empire, answerable only to Emperor Palpatine. They were created by the Emperor to conducted covert operations. Targets included rogue governors, traitorous commanders, rebellious leaders, or other internal or external concerns.
==History==
Prior to his ascent to Galactic Emperor, Palpatine used a number of assassins, spies, and operatives to achieve his objectives as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. It was his use of Darth Maul, trained specifically to kill Jedi, who proved effective at handling other tasks, that convinced Palpatine of the usefulness of extremely loyal, effective, and secretive agents. Thus he began developing the Emperor's Hands as operatives, not apprentices.The Dark Side Sourcebook
During his reign, Palpatine used the Emperor's Hands to kill enemies where his more obvious tools, like Darth Vader or the Imperial Navy would be ineffective, too public, or inappropriate. Common targets included rogue governors, traitorous commanders, rebellious leaders, or other internal or external concerns.Heir to the Empire
The exact number of agents is unknown, but following the death of Palpatine, many former Emperor's Hands went on to become independent menaces to the New Republic. The two most famous Hands, Lumiya and Mara Jade, took wildly different paths from each other; the former founded her own group of Sith,Legacy of the Force: Betrayal while the latter became a Master in the New Jedi Order and married Luke Skywalker, whom she once had sworn to kill in an act of revenge for killing Palpatine and destroying the Empire.Star Wars: The New Jedi Order book series
By 40 ABY, former Emperor's Hands, particularly Mara Jade, were considered the best assassins of their day, though this narrow viewpoint could be partly fuelled by Ben Skywalker's admiration for his mother. Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice, p. 101
In 44 ABY, Imperial Head of State Jagged Fel reactivated the former Emperor's Hands as the Imperial Hand to give his bodyguard, Tahiri Veila, the authority to command a raid on Hagamoor 3.Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse
==Methodology==
===Selection===
Often targeted at infancy, potential Emperor's Hands were tracked with keen interest by Palpatine until they reached maturity. Preferring to begin their training after they had developed, Palpatine waited for a potential Hand to impress him. Some began as thieves, some as warriors, some as assassins, some as entertainers, but each managed to demonstrate their resourcefulness, skills and loyalty without incurring his wrath.
===Training===
After selection, an Emperor's Hand went through comprehensive training in varied combat techniques, intelligence gathering and assassination. Each Hand operated independently and was often under the false impression that he or she was the Emperor's Hand.Children of the Jedi During training, Palpatine cultivated the Hand's latent Force abilities, but avoided providing Jedi or Sith training. Thus, Hands who did not have any Force training prior to their training were not expressly dark side users. The most important of their abilities was a direct telepathic connection to Palpatine that allowed them to communicate across the galaxy.
Occasionally, Palpatine entrusted the training of a Hand to the Prophets of the Dark Side.
===Operations===
Once given the title of Emperor's Hand, the agent was granted almost unlimited access and authority to accomplish their missions. Without naming themselves as physical manifestations of the Emperor's will, Emperor's Hands could take command of military units, starships or weapons as necessary.Allegiance To preserve their effectiveness, only the highest echelons of the Imperial command structure were aware of the Hands' existence. The methodology varied by agent and mission, with styles ranging from silent sniper strikes to destructive rampages. Regardless of their method, each Hand operated as a ghost; striking and vanishing, which elevated them to near mythic levels amongst those who dared cross the Emperor.
===Psychology===
Unaware, unconvinced, or unconcerned of the Emperor's malicious intentions, the Hands performed their missions out of sheer loyalty to Palpatine. They viewed their killing as a way of defending the citizens of the Empire from its most dangerous enemies, although in many cases their targets were political enemies, rather than rogue commanders or governors. Many, if not all, of the Hands were under the impression that they alone held their particular position, and thus believed their relationship with the Emperor to be a special one. As a result of their extreme loyalty, and mental connection established through the Force, many Hands were deeply affected by his death.
==Emperor's Hands==
*Cronal
*Sa Cuis
*Jeng Droga
*Jallar Golin"Shadows in the Force"
*Roganda Ismaren
*Mara Jade
*Vess KogoRebellion Era Sourcebook
*Lumiya
*Arden Lyn
*Sarcev Quest
*Sheyvan
*Aralina Silk
*Maarek Stele
*Antinnis TremayneGalaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim 
Tahiri Veila briefly assumed the position of Imperial Hand to Jagged Fel, the Head of State of the Imperial Remnant, in 44 ABY.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
 
Category:Galactic Empire ranks
Category:Jedi hunters