Loyal subjects,
- Troubled times are still ahead of us. Though the Separatist threat itself has been vanquished, other threats have arisen in place, fueled by the same envy and disdain for our glorious Empire. These petty insurgencies, instigated by persistent rabble-rousers, have prevented any attempt from us to clean the slums of the Outer Rim. These so-called freedom fighters are no better than the Separatists, make no mistake, and are intent on striking at the heart of our Empire.
- But the Empire will be quick to answer this defiance. To bring a swift end to this pest the need arises to further improve upon the efficiency of our military. And how else if not by selecting top officers to do the job?
- On the advice of Lord Vader, Emperor Palpatine has instated a new position within his royal starfleet. As of now, twelve fleets of Imperator-class Star Destroyers will be placed at the disposal of the newly-promoted GRAND ADMIRALS. These naval officers are among the best of the best, selected from the most efficient, cunning and committed in the military. The Grand Admirals have naval authority second only to that of the Emperor, the Commander-in-Chief and the Grand Moffs - all to whom they defer. All other high naval personnel will report directly to them on all issues. Given the possible necessity of a ground engagement in the aftermath of naval confrontation, command of land units will be relinquished to them until the threat is vanquished. The Grand Admirals are tasked with ensuring the utmost naval security in Imperial Space, that is they are to police Sectors, meaning they will also assume temporary command of local fleets, and coordinate major campaigns where their superiors deem the services of these excellent officers are needed.
- As spokesman of the Imperial Council, I, Lord Dangor, announce the first four promotions: Demetrius Zaarin for the 1st Fleet, Josef Grunger for the 2nd Fleet, Balanhai Savit for the 3rd Fleet and Peccati Syn for the 4th Fleet. Hail to them!
- That being said, we in the Imperial Council can only hope that this decision by Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader will help bring about an end to a recurring thorn in the side of the Empire. A thorn that forever upsets the balance our government fights to uphold. May these Grand Admirals do the Galactic Empire proud!
- Your servant,
- Lord Dangor, Administrator of the Imperial Communique Department.
—Ars Dangor (holomessage)
Grand Admiral was a high naval rank within the Imperial Starfleet of the Galactic Empire and later the Imperial Remnants. Only twelve officers could be granted these special commands at any one time by either Emperor Palpatine or by Lord Darth Vader, and these men were chosen based on a number of criteria which encompassed their leadership qualities, theoretical knowledge, ties to influential families, an exceptional military record or the favor they had with their overlords.
Their responsibilities as commanders of their important fleets - often made up from massive capital ships such as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer line and even some of the gargantuan Executor-class dreadnoughts - included reporting on a monthly basis to both the Supreme Commander and the Imperial Ruling Council, seeing to the welfare and advancement of the Imperial Starfleet in all sectors, helping Imperial High Command formulate the military's agenda and hunting down troublesome insurgencies that threatened the Empire's tightened grip upon the galaxy. Though nominally right below the Emperor, the Grand Vizier and the Supreme Commander in the chain-of-command, Grand Admirals often answered to a Moff or even a Grand Moff when seeking to put an end to resistance in a sector and oversector respectively, as those political title-holders knew their territories and their issues much better than any of the twelve naval officers. It was also within their power to put forward the most wanted bounty in the Empire and oversee numerous programs and additional projects related to the expansion of the armed forces with approval from both the Supreme Commander and the Imperial Ruling Council.
The most renowned Grand Admiral was undoubtedly Thrawn, whose promotion was earned through his unparalleled tactical genius, ruthlessness and the high regard in which his powerful superiors held him in. In the collapse of the Empire following the deaths of both Palpatine and Vader, several local warlords, fleet admirals and no-name officials made use of the immediate power vacuum to claim the high naval rank of Grand Admiral for themselves; these ambitious men and women were often at the helm of strong Imperial Remnants that still opposed the New Republic or had fled its ire to more remote parts of the galaxy.
Notable Grand Admirals[]
