Royal Naval Academy

"From knowledge comes victory."

- Royal Naval Academy motto

The Royal Naval Academy was a tertiary education facility located on Iscandar. It was charged with training new officers for commissioning as Ensigns in the Royal Navy of the Golden Empire.

History
The idea of a special academy to train officers of the Royal Navy existed as early as the Armada itself, but in the first decade of the Empire no world had the resources to support such an institution. When Iscandar joined the Empire in 95 ABY and brought its navy with it, Rin and Tariun Sakaros began to consider the technologically-advanced Iscali homeworld as a site for its navy school, as Iscandar's shipyards were already being used to produce new Royal capital ships. The Iscali themselves were enthusiastic about the idea, and the first Academy class was admitted in 98 ABY.

When the Great Liberation erupted, the Armada quickly found itself scrambling for forces to send into battle. Many Academy Cadets volunteered to serve and were admitted onto capital ships in junior officer positions. In 102 ABY, by order of Prime Legate Tariun Sakaros himself, those who had served satisfactorily and honorably during the war were awarded automatic commissions as Ensigns without completing the Academy.

Instruction was more formalized and standardized in the postbellum years even as capital ship production moved away from Iscandar. Prior to the establishment of the Royal Starfighter Academy in 107 ABY, a limited number of Academy Cadets were allowed to commission as officers of the Royal Starfighter Corps upon graduation.

Attendance
As the largest of the three service branches, the Royal Navy accepted larger classes at is academy than the other services, but standards were still high and well over ninety percent of applicants were rejected. Candidates accepted to the Academy were given the rank of cadet; while entitled to salutes and other formal courtesies like all officers, they had no regular command authority. Life at the Academy was strictly regimented, and included daily physical fitness conditioning, a full complement of classes, and regular drill and military science instruction. Students could pursue degrees in a wide variety of disciplines, but all cadets were required to take a certain number of scientific and engineering classes to ensure they understood the ships they would be commanding.

During seasonal breaks, cadets remained members of the Armada, and were usually given internships and field assignments aboard the Navy's ships. The top five percent of each class (rated on academics and leadership) were offered positions aboard the Empire's s; the top one percent of the entire academy could intern aboard the Sith Star. Some students also served on the Navy's various s. Before each such assignment, cadets received a "shipboard life" orientation presented by senior cadets who had participated in multiple such internships.

Upper classmen regularly participated in war game exercises to develop the tactical knowledge necessary for field command. Upon graduation, students received commissions as ensigns and joined the Armada.

Alumni and instructors
Graduates of the Royal Naval Academy often found their way to the seniormost positions in the Royal Navy, though there were exceptions; Torin Saedrin was a graduate of Navy OTI at Sileria, and in fact came to the RNA as an instructor. However, former Legates Counter Admiral Sir Tarse Medrego and Admiral Lady Salome Hrek were both graduates of the RNA, and both returned to their alma mater to give presentations during their careers.

As Saedrin's appointment suggested, instructors for the Academy did not have to be Academy graduates themselves. Instead, they were chosen by a combination of interest and achievements. However, the Academy's Commandants usually chose only the best proven tacticians from among applicants to teach tactics.