Enemies: Empire

Considered their “greatest enemy”, the Empire has, from Order 66, targeted more or less consistently the Antarian Rangers (“The Jedi were not the only ones targeted (…) Antarian Rangers were all but wiped out by the Clone troopers”). Antarian Rangers are “branded as enemies of the state and collaborators”, “hunted fervently by Lord Vader”, the Inquisitorius, Imperial commandos, and various “Emperor’s pawns” (which may be another way to describe the Emperor’s Hand Sa Cuis).

There are some apparent inconsistencies however regarding the status of the Antarian Rangers during the Dark Times. While The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide clearly states that Antarian Rangers were targeted during Order 66 and mentions their fall to Clone troopers, Imperial Commando 501st is somehow more ambiguous. Imperial Commandos of the 501st did not receive instructions regarding the Rangers who “weren’t even on the briefing list” provided by Imperial Intelligence, and individual commandos didn’t even know of their existence. Yet, this contradiction may be explained by the information available to the protagonists. Indeed, the exact wording of Order 66 can shed light on the matter:

“Order 66: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.”

It appears that Antarian Rangers (or for that matter, any non-Jedi organizations) are not specifically mentioned. Therefore, either they are to be compounded as “Jedi officers” or, the term “targeted” used by The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, refers to the fact that Antarian Rangers were targeted because they attempted to protect the Jedi and / or attack the Clones.

Provided that the individual commandos did not serve alongside a Jedi accompanied by an Antarian Ranger, this theory can be sustained.

Regarding the “briefing list”, Traviss’ suggests some sort of tug-of-war between the various components of the Empire. Compiled by Imperial Intelligence the list does not feature Antarian Rangers, but the Emperor, via the Emperor’s Hand Sa Cuis, had from the onset of the Purge its eyes on the organization, presumably to turn minor Force-using Rangers to the Dark Side and to pursue escaped Jedi Masters whom the Rangers tried to protect. Therefore, the Emperor’s Hand countermanded general orders regarding the Rangers.

Under the influence of Roly Melusar in the 501st, Imperial Commandos receive orders to kill Antarian Rangers who are lumped with other Force-based organizations on the basis of their proximity to the Jedi Order and irrespective of their Force-using abilities. Later during the Purge, the Antarian Rangers are targeted as other Force-based organizations, thus indicating that Imperial Intelligence eventually included them in the “briefing list”. However, it is possible that the Rangers’ inclusion to the list took place quite early as Imperial Commando 501st mentions Imperial Intelligence’s conclusion on the botch arrest of a Ranger.

Although Antarian Rangers are vehemently chased by the Empire, “one group of Antarian Rangers (...) openly [opposes] the tyranny of the Empire”; it is however unclear how many other groups take arms against the Empire as the text simply refers to “one of the few branches”, yet, the notion that Antarian Rangers “fight off Imperial oppression” and “oppose the Empire at every turn” is present.

Sources: The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide (p.66, 68), Imperial Commando 501st (pp.68, 184, 238), Hero’s Guide, Republic Commando: True Colors (accessed from Wookieepedia’s Order 66 article)