We were among the young rising stars of the Old Republic in its last days, and so, we became some of the best and brightest of Palpatine's new Empire.
—Arius Valdayn
The Circle of Fifteen, originally known simply as the Fifteen before its official founding and later as the Council of Fifteen after its separation from the Galactic Empire, was a group of the Galactic Republic's "best and brightest" brought together in its final days during the Clone Wars by supreme chancellor Palpatine and director Armand Isard, whom all fifteen of the organization's members considered personal friends.
Originally, few of the Fifteen knew any of the others and were all of mid- or low-level position in their respective fields in the Republic. By the time of its reorganization as the Council of Fifteen, the Circle's members had become close friends and all of various high-ranking positions in their own areas, and had been joined by an unofficial sixteenth member; the artificial intelligence Helen, an artificial being of their own creation with a body originally made as a hologram later upgraded to a solid-state hologram. At approximately this time, they were as follows; sector lord Thask Rotaran, grand moff Lotar Jiv, chief of naval operations grand admiral Destin Nex, champion of the Astral Defenders Arius Valdayn, central commander of the security bureau Uvic Doklost, director of intelligence Zarus Redisen, chief of army operations grand general Tyrus Vohranicus, grand marshal Sevara Ovten, science director Areana Ketar, engineering director Pyter Thul, development director Kilara Dehl, research director Noldan Kanth, chief executive officer Antius Vance, ExO Ken val Nohst, grand inquisitor Valentina Delain and director of health Helen.