The Dark Guard

Overview

The Dark Guard, sometimes abbreviated DG, were a group of hand picked guardsmen, which was officially a detachment of the Red Guard to those that held a high enough rank to know that they officially existed at all. To those under the rank of senior commander, the Dark Guard were a myth, a story told to ensure that any traitorous thoughts were removed from the minds of those more prone to corruption. The members of the Dark Guard didn't even officially exist in the Republic records, as their information was deleted when they joined the Dark Guard. Despite this, the Dark Guard were often sent on more specialized missions by Major Dorego, the leader of the Dark Guard, or High General Hell, the overall commander of the Red Guard during the Clone Wars. Their missions consisted of guard duties similar to those assigned to the Red Guard, but extended to the retrieval of Republic forces from particularly chaotic battlefields, escorting members of the senate to the most dangerous and unpredictable planets in the galaxy, defense of key Republic sites, and according to some members of the Republic, assassinations of both CIS leaders, and people that openly protested the Chancellor's rapid rise to power.

Duties

The Dark Guard often escorted members of the senate to different planets spread throughout the galaxy, ensuring their safety and security. They were normally only sent when the planet was considered too dangerous for the regular Red Guard to handle, and the Dark Guard were often sent to serve alongside the Red Guard, the Republic believing that it would provide maximum security for it's senators. The duties that a Dark Guard carried out stretched far beyond regular guard duties, however. They were expected to be able to easily hold their own in combat against trained opponents, and they were often trained on the best tactics to defeat the sith in combat. They would be sent to assist in the recapturing of Republic outposts, on occasion, and would also be sent to help defend outposts against overwhelming odds. Due to the amount of secrecy that surrounded the group, any Dark Guard that was sent to assist any non Dark Guard members was required to hand the commanding officer where the Dark Guard was stationed a holopad. This holopad would explain that officially, the Dark Guard was never present, and another clone unit, with the members of the clone unit that were "present" given in the notification. If questioned, the members of the clone unit specified in the holopad notification would confirm they were present at the outpost or planet that the Dark Guard was stationed at, and the Republic members that really were present at the outpost or planet were expected to testify the same. If any member of the Republic attempted to publicly announce the existence of the Dark Guard, they'd be branded insane, and a traitor to the Republic, and would be treated as such.

Order 66 and Disbandment

A few days before the execution of Order 66, the Dark Guard were called together by Major Dorego, who questioned their loyalty, ensuring they were as fiercely loyal to the Republic as they always had been. As one Dark Guard, nicknamed "Parla Raramente" wrote in one of his journal entries, "I felt like the sky might be falling, and it might be falling soon." When the time came, the Dark Guard were ordered to assist the clone troopers in exterminating the jedi. They did, as their members assisted in the slaughter of the jedi across the galaxy. Some, such as Parla Raramente and High General Hell, would even participate in the march on the jedi temple, entering the temple after the fallen jedi turned sith, Darth Vader, and the 501st legion had already eliminated a majority of the jedi resistance. Hell, Parla, along with other assorted Republic forces, would enter the temple, killing any jedi that had managed to hide from the first onslaught. After the fall of the Republic, and the rise of the Empire, the Dark Guard was officially disbanded. It's members either left the Empire to become civilians, if they received permission to, stayed in the Empire as a member of the Imperial Royal Guard, which was the case for Parla Raramente, and any that had force sensitivity were brought into the Emperor's Shadow Guard program, alongside the remaining Sun Guard members. It wouldn't be long before the Dark Guard were just another story of a past time, a shadowy group of guardsmen that were almost never seen, but those that knew of their existence knew that they were always watching, and would carry out their orders no matter the cost.

Personality of the Guardsmen

Although their personalities were all different, due to it being a group made up solely of volunteers from the Senate Commandoes or Red Guard, who were considered good enough to join the Dark Guard, most members of the Dark Guard were very serious individuals, and ones who tended to avoid speaking, opting to allow their skill and determination do the talking. They were considered some of the most intimidating figures in the Republic, and had a fierce reputation during the Clone Wars, and a reputation that would lead to their legend living on, as they'd be mentioned in hushed whispers at night, as a sort of ghost story, due to the stories told of them often appearing super natural enough.

Notable Members

Although the exact number of Dark Guards is unknown, the three most well know members were High General Hell, who led the whole Red Guard, and it's detachments, including the Dark Guard, during the Clone Wars, Major Dorego, who was the official leader of the Dark Guard, and Davis Yoodum, nicknamed Parla Raramente, who became famous for his journal entries detailing his experiences in the Dark Guard, and into his time as a member of the Imperial Royal Guard. These journals wouldn't be found until long after the end of the Galactic Civil War, but remain the only known documentation of what it was like to be a member of the Dark Guard.

Equipment

The Dark Guard carried a vibro blade with them at all times, as their main weapon. The Dark Guard were also trained with different types of ranged weapons, to ensure they were proficient at ranged combat, and could stay in a battle even if their vibro blade was rendered unusable. They wore dark grey chest armor and black leg armor, which was all covered by a black robe. They wore a helmet which was the same as the helmet worn by the Red Guard, the only exception being that the colors were switched, with the helmet itself being black, and the visor being bright red, completely the Dark Guard uniform. After the formation of the Empire, this armor would be used by the Emperor's Shadow Guards.