The Sun Guard was a Sith cult and mercenary group, and one of the most feared military units in the galaxy, centered on the planet Thyrsus in the Thyrsus system. Formed by a rebel group of Echani from Thyrsus, the Sun Guard became foes of the Echani and Mandalorians in turn, before evolving into a cult of the Sith under the influence of the Order of the Sith Lords, and eventually brought under the command of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. Sidious used the Sun Guard in his plans surrounding his ascension to the seat of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, assassinating key Senators, guarding his Coruscant stronghold, and even abducting Queen Padmé Amidala after the invasion of Naboo. Sidious sent a Sun Guard to retrieve the holocron of the ancient Sith king Adas, bringing him into combat against the Jedi, but when the holocron fell into their hands Sidious executed the man for his failure. Other Sun Guards were considered for the position of prime clone in the Grand Army of the Republic. The 2nd Regiment of the Sun Guard fought in the Clone Wars, but were crushed by Republic general Solomahal. When Sidious needed the Sun Guard no longer, his apprentice Dooku ordered his own minion Asajj Ventress to eliminate them. Some of the few surviving Sun Guards went on to join Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's Red Guard, Royal Guard, and for those few Force-sensitive individuals, the Shadow Guard.
Though most were not Force-sensitive, the Sun Guard were adept melee fighters, equipped with a variety of weapons built into their recognizable black armor. Greatly prizing hand-to-hand combat, the Sun Guard were skilled in personal gladiatorial fighting, urban warfare, and a variety of other techniques; they were unmatched by any opponents but the Mandalorians. The Sun Guards' chief weapon was the pike, a two-handed bladed instrument that could be built in a number of variations for specific tasks. Sun Guard armor proved to be an inspiration for many other armor designs in the Galactic Empire: the uniforms of the Imperial Royal Guard; the specialized stormtrooper armors designed by Doctor Nashiak Llalik; the outfit of Carnor Jax, son of a Sun Guard; and the Sun Guard replica armor of the bounty hunter Moxin Tark.
MOXIN TARK
