- "The 209th Stormtrooper Division was stationed on Naboo for much of the Empire's existence. Because of their proximity to Palpatine's own secluded retreat on the world, many within the Imperial military viewed a position with the 209th to be a fast track into the Imperial Royal Guard."
- ―Beaumont Kin, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
The 209th Stormtrooper Division was a division of stormtroopers within the Galactic Empire who were stationed on the planet Naboo. The unit's proximity to the retreat of Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine led many to believe that membership in the division was a fast track to joining the Emperor's Royal Guard. This led to transfer orders to the unit being highly desired and often called "Crimson Orders."
Description
The 209th Stormtrooper Division was an infantry division of the Galactic Empire's Stormtrooper Corps.[1]
History
- "Whether that is actually true or not is difficult to ascertain given the absence of reliable records relating to Palpatine's red-robed defenders. Nonetheless, a transfer order to the 209th was often referred to as a 'Crimson Order' and they were, as a result, highly prized."
- ―Beaumont Kin, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
Membership in the 209th was seen as a fast track to joining the Emperor's Royal Guard.
For most of the Imperial Era, the 209th Stormtrooper Division was stationed on the planet Naboo, homeworld of Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Their proximity to his Emperor's Retreat there led many in the Imperial Military to believe that the stormtroopers within the division were on a fast track for recruitment into the Emperor's Royal Guard, a group of elite, crimson-robed bodyguards. As such, the highly-prized transfer orders into the 209th often became known as a "Crimson Order." A file on the division was stored in the "Military Deployments" section of the Imperial Military Archives.[1]
In 35 ABY,[2] the historian Beaumont Kin mentioned the 209th as an example of Imperial units having their own traditions or approaches in[1] his[3] book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. Due to the absence of reliable records on the emperor's guards, Kin was unable to determine if it was true that membership of the 209th led to an increased chance of recruitment.[1]
Behind the scenes
The 209th Stormtrooper Division was mentioned in the 2024 reference book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, which was written by Dr. Chris Kempshall.[1]
Sources
- Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire (First mentioned)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire states that thirty years have passed since the end of the Galactic Civil War and months have passed since the Battle of Exegol. As Star Wars: Timelines dates the end of the war to 5 ABY and the Battle of Exegol to 35 ABY, the in-universe The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire must have been published in 35 ABY.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary