The Dark Vanguard was an elite group of dark side warriors in service to the Sith Lord Valin Aresh, who ruled a swath of galactic north during the New Sith Wars. By 1,389 BBY, even as Aresh's territory and the ranks of his dark side warriors were shrinking due to conflicts with both the Jedi Order and the New Sith Empire, many beings still regarded the Dark Vanguard as a force to be feared, particularly given its fanatical loyalty to Aresh.
History[]
Aresh and Urzelda Krosinth created the Dark Vanguard sometime after Aresh's initial rise to power. Aresh's apprentice Eviar Seldec, served as the clone template for the Dark Vanguard, though every Vanguardian had greater height and much improved physical strength. First Aurek was the closest to a true clone, but once Aresh knew the process worked, he allowed Krosinth to mentally tweak subsequent Vanguardians as well. First Besh, First Cresh, and First Dorn were all developed with slight variations in temperament and personality; they, along with First Aurek, were often regarded as the foremost Vanguardians by their many juniors who followed.
Urzelda Krosinth supervises the growth of a Vanguardian
Aresh appointed Seldec the group's first commander, and both were particularly involved in the training of the First Rank Vanguardians. Krosinth and Aresh expanded their approach as time went on, creating the junior Vanguardian ranks with various purposes in mind; the First Rank Vanguardians became the natural leaders of the entire group, though Aurek, Besh, Cresh, and Dorn retained primacy.
Four members of the Dark Vanguard—Second Besh, Third Aurek, Third Herf, and Fourth Mern—participated in a plot to assassinate Supreme Chancellor Phnyong on Anaxes in 1,387 BBY. While the overall plot succeeded with Phnyong's death, all four Vanguardians were slain by Jedi Knights.
After Kenza Rowkwani killed Seldec in 1,386 BBY, the Dark Vanguard as an order held a blood feud against her. Aresh appointed First Aurek the new commander.
Aresh appointed First Dorn to command a theater of war against the Republic, headquartered at Ciutric IV, with a number of junior Vanguardians under his command. First Dorn correctly predicted many of Mali Darakhan's strategies in Operation Liberator, but before he could execute an appropriate counterattack, he was killed by Tirien Kal-Di in a targeted assassination. Many other Vanguardians were killed throughout Operation Liberator, including First Grek on Agamar. First Besh, meanwhile, commanded the eastern front against Darth Scyrahd and Darth Nicodeme.
Culture[]
Aldayr Nikodon, who spent over a year on Ciutric IV around the Dark Vanguard, observed no existential crises among the Vanguardians related to them all being clones. On the contrary, the Vanguardians universally regarded Seldec as their father, which contributed to their loathing of Kenza Rowkwani; many, including First Aurek, refused to allow her name to even be mentioned in their presence unless absolutely necessary. Many had a colder relationship with Urzelda Krosinth, though the original First Ranks somewhat begrudgingly viewed her as a mother figure.
The Vanguardians were raised in the Pius Dea faith, and held a firmly Humanocentrist worldview. Though they wore face-covering masks to preserve the secret of their clone nature, Third Resh expressed to Aldayr that they would continue to do so even if the secret got out, as the masks were related to humility: what mattered was good works, not who did them.
Organization[]
A Fourth-rank Vanguardian
The Dark Vanguard was organized in at least four ranks of increasing skill, with the First Rank the most skillful and the Fourth the least. Within those ranks, members of the Dark Vanguard (called "Vanguardians") were further ranked alphabetically from Aurek through Thesh. Vanguardians were named for their rank and alphabetical designation: as such, Third Aurek outranked Third Herf, but Second Besh outranked Third Aurek. First Aurek was the seniormost Vanguardian and answered directly to Eviar Seldec, Aresh's apprentice. Vanguardians wore masks that covered their faces except for their eyes, but wore different colored cloaks to denote their numerical ranks:
- Fourth Rank: Gray
- Third Rank: Gray with black trim
- Second Rank: Black
- First Rank: Black with red trim
As Commander of the Dark Vanguard, Eviar Seldec (and, after him, First Aurek) wore a cloak of pure red.
It was unclear whether or how much Vanguardian ranks were permanent, although Fourth Forn suggested to Narasi Rican during the Battle of Phaeda that, with the death of his comrade Fourth Esk, he would become the new Fourth Esk. Evidence suggested First Ranks did not change even when their seniors were killed; after Elata Cazars killed First Herf, First Isk remained Isk.
The Dark Vanguard used a seldom-seen tricolor flag—red, black, and gray vertically.
Appearances[]
- Shots Fired (Mentioned only)
- Who You Are in the Dark
- Danse Macabre
- Desperate Times (Mentioned only)
- Desperate Measures (Mentioned only)
- The Way of the Krayt Dragon
- Behind Enemy Lines