Imperial Knights (SWAU)

The Order of the Imperial Knights are an order of Force-users devoted to the defense and preservation of the New Order under the Fel Dynasty. They were fully trained in the ways of the Force and rejected the dark side, unlike previous Imperial Force-based organizations. However, their vow of loyalty to the Emperor and serving the Force as embodied in him made the Knights controversial among the Jedi, who viewed them as not following the Light side of the Force in its entirety and viewed them as Gray Jedi, and in 'official schism from the Force.'

The Imperial Knights were formed by Kylo Fel as an evolution of the Knights of Fel. They are battle-born Force practitioners and primarily warriors who pledge themselves to the Emperor, in stark contrast of the Jedi who are primarily peacekeepers and do not fight unless absolutely necessary. The Imperial Knights are an integral part of the Imperial military's mission, and often command soldiers of the Stormtrooper Corps — similar to the role the Jedi played as generals in the Clone Wars — which greatly increases their effectiveness in battle.

Hierarchy

 * Emperor: The Emperor is the leader of the organization.
 * First Captain: The second-highest position in the Knights is the First Captain, hand-picked by the Emperor from the roster of Knight-Captains to serve as his second-in-command. The First Captain is primus inter pares of the Guidance Council, and commands the 1st Company of Imperial Knights.
 * Knight-Captain: The highest position of honour every knight aspires to achieve is the position of Knight-Captain, leader of one of the companies of Imperial Knights. There exist a maximum of twelve Captains at any given time, matching the number of companies in the Order, and each one sits on the Guidance Council with one of them selected as First Captain.
 * Seated Knight: A full knight who sits on the company Captain's advisory council is known as a Seated Knight.
 * Knight: An apprentice that succeeds in completing their trials under a senior Knight may be initiated into the Order as a full-fledged Knight. The ascension of Apprentices is a matter of some ceremony, and Knights receive their tailor-made crimson battle armour.
 * Apprentice: When an initiate trains for long enough and gains the attention of a Knight, they may be selected as their apprentice. Although Seated Knights and Knight-Captains are the ones that generally are experienced enough to properly train an apprentice, regular Knights may take an apprentice with permission from their Knight-Captain.
 * Initiate: Initiates are Force-sensitive people who are found by a

Equipment
Each Imperial Knight carried a standardized silver lightsaber that produced a silver blade. This symbolized the order's unity, as well as the fact that each individual member was less than the Empire they served. However, a special few would be able to carry sabers of a different make; for example, while a Knight of Fel, Kylo Fel wielded a crossguard lightsaber both because of his personal affinity for the hilt style and as a symbol that he was the heir to his father. The lightsabers were crafted using synthetic crystals, using knowledge from Emperor Palpatine's Book of Anger, in a process bereft of ceremony or significance. To an Imperial Knight, a lightsaber was merely a tool, and their training devoted as much attention to fighting in vehicles, bare-handed, and with the Force.

Imperial Knights wore a standard uniform consisting of a suit of crimson armour, made from similar material found in the armour of Darth Vader. It was interwoven with small threads of phrik filament to provide additional resistance to lightsaber attacks. The Imperial insignia was printed on the left pauldron and right gauntlet. The uniform also included a black hood and cape.