The Legio Praetoria are the Imperial bodyguard of the Emperor of Imperia, and stationed throughout the Imperial Palace District and planet itself. The Legio itself is its own self contained formation, fully self sufficient, and independent organization. Only receiving orders from the Emperor unless attached to specific persons as guard detail (such as the Imperial Senate). The Legio has been a formation since before the founding of the Emperian Empire, and therefore one of the oldest organizations within the Empire itself.
Organization[]
The Legio Praetoria is an independent formation, not attached to any specific branch of the Imperial military or government body. As such it falls under its own jurisdiction and that of the Emperor; therefore, allowing the organizations leaders to wield large amounts of power very liberally. This is deliberate, and prevents the organization from buried in bureaucratic red tape; making, it for lack of better words an efficient and quick response group of elite guards.
The Legio was the basis for the larger Imperial Legions, at least initially, and one of the few organizations to still retain its original composition after more than thirty-one centuries. Compromised of nine Cohorts; five being front line guard details of 500 Praetorians spread across the Imperial Palace District, two reserve Cohorts kept around the Imperial Palace of 500 warriors each, and two Cohorts that specialize in various roles such as: Scouts or Assault aspects of warfare and also compromise 500 warriors each. Giving a total strength of roughly 10,500 warriors. However, the Legio also is assisted by 11 support Cohorts made up of robots, androids, elite troops from the Army, and Naval personnel that man the Legio's own Fleet of ships and small craft. Giving a combined personnel total of 50,000 minimum, as the support Cohorts are not tied to a specific maximum size and can fluctuate greatly over the years. However, despite this seemingly stratified organization it is truly a flexible organization with units formed and disbanded as necessary.
The head of this organizations is known as the Praetorius Maximus, and sets on the Imperial Senate.
Appearance and Equipment[]
The Legio Praetoria are equipped much like Imperial Legionnaires, except for the fact all of their weapons are made by master craftsmen and from the highest grade materials. Imperial Legionnaires also have access to high grade materials, but were meant to be more uniformly equipped and mass produced than the Praetorians; whom, were meant to be an elite guard force above all else.
The Legio Praetoria makes use of electrum colored power armor, high powered Emperian battle spears known as Imperian Sun Spears, Shields of pure Tri-mantium, personal shields and void shields, and swords known as Great Blades made (usually greats-swords or broad swords wielded one handed) of a rare form of Seradite that gives a silver appearance. Support personnel have access to the best weapons in the Empire to assist the Praetorians proper. The colors of the Legio are Red, Black on Electrum edging, and gold. Giving them a regal and highly embroidered appearance, but only a fool would think these warriors as nothing more than ceremonial guards. Each piece of armor and every weapon is effective in the hands of these capable warriors.
History[]
The Legio Praetoria was the original and reckoned first group of warriors recruited into the service of the Emperor. Imperial records ascertain that the Legio fought alongside the Emperor on Novaheim, and then followed him to the stars as the preeminent warrior order in the Empire.
After the foundation of the Empire and the end of the Expansion Era the Legio was garrisoned on Imperia. Forming an elite core to the systems defenses, and forming an elite unit to defend and police the Throne world. This means the Legio is mostly seen as a defensive army, which, is its purpose.