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The Coruscant Guard, later commonly known as the Imperial Guard or less commonly the Elite Stormtroopers, began as a Republic military unit comprised of clone shock troopers and were later a specialized branch of the Imperial stormtroopers who served as law enforcers and special operations troops on Coruscant and a few other Core Worlds.
The shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard began their service at the start of the Clone Wars. Their responsibility was to protect important government buildings and maintain the defenses of Coruscant. The Guard also operated a Diplomatic Escort Group to accompany dignitaries or other important persons on special missions and assignments. Through Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's emergency powers, the Guard received the authority to search and detain anyone they felt were a threat even if the Guard had no evidence. As the war continued, the Guard's role expanded and they became Coruscant's secondary police force next to the Coruscant Security Force, a role previously held by the Senate Guard.
With the Declaration of a New Order and the reformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, the Guard became Coruscant's primary police force. Enforcing law and order with brutal efficiency, they were a feared organization among the citizens they were to protect. As the clones aged, members of the Guard were recruited from inside the Stormtrooper Corps. However, the Guard remained a separate organization from the stormtroopers assigned to the Coruscant Security Force. The Guard received new armor that was distinct from most clone trooper and stormtrooper armors. Light, yet heavily padded, it provided excellent protections from physical and hand-to-hand attacks. The advanced combat helmet allowed Guards to operate in complete darkness and had a comlink scrambler for direct communication with other Guards. A unit commander had a voice activated heads up display that allowed him to see the positions of the Guards under his command.
With the eruption of war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems in 22 BBY, the clone troopers grown on the planet Kamino were put into full operation as the Grand Army of the Republic. However, certain clones had been secretly grown on the planet Coruscant. Drilled as special forces for urban environments, the clone shock troopers were established as the Coruscant Guard shortly after the start of the war. Their primary purpose was to serve as a security police for Republic government buildings, Coruscant's infrastructure, banks, plazas, and landing platforms as well as guards at the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center.
Though the Coruscant Guard was meant to only supplement the civilian forces of the Coruscant Security Force, in charge of policing Galactic City, and the Senate Guard, in charge of protecting senators, dignitaries and the Senate District, the shock troopers soon found themselves conducting regular policing duties[6] such as raids, hostage rescues, and riot suppression. The Coruscant Guard's Diplomatic Escort Group would be assigned to accompany diplomats and senators, a role previously held solely by the Senate Guard.
As the war continued, the Coruscant Guard became the most visible element of the Homeworld Security Command. Shock troopers were called in more and more for police duties and had the authority to demand of anyone to reveal their identification on the spot and perform other random security checks. Rumors of searches of houses without just cause and brutal suppression of protesters in the lower levels existed thought were not confirmed by government authorities. This reputation gained the clone shock troopers the nickname "stormtroopers," a term later applied to all clone troopers after the formation of the Galactic Empire.
After newly proclaimed Galactic Emperor Palpatine established the Empire, the Coruscant Guard became the primary force responsible for security on Coruscant.The term "clone shock trooper" was discontinued and members of the Guard were instead referred to as either "Coruscant Guards" or "Elite Stormtroopers." The original clone shock troopers themselves were also phased out in favor of younger and Imperial indoctrinated stormtroopers.
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