Consular Guard

The Consular Guard Corps are a unique army organization. The Consular guard are not armed and funded by a particular noble house, and instead have traditionally been under the command of the Ministry of the Imperial Secret Service. Their loyalty lies with the planet of New Babylon and the Empire as a whole, rather than the individual houses and their petty squabbles.
The Consular Guard are, in their own right, their own political class. Their institution was established long ago, and they have long been the protectors of the Imperial interests in the Throne Worlds. They have great stores of wealth, and the institution has proven itself capable of producing shrewd political leaders. Their unique position as both peacekeepers, negotiators and as an elite military fighting force, has proven them instrumental in the various rise and fall of the Imperial dynasties. 
With the rise of the empire, the consulars proved incredible important in pacifying New Babylon, and soon found themselves as influential founders of the Empire. They established themselves as an immortal institution, enshrining their power in the Imperial Constitution, as guardians of the Core Systems. The wealth they accumulated help fighting wars in the Mid Rim contributed to increasing their military power. Money and power was plundered from the colonial efforts of the empire, and enriched the officers of the Consular Guard. With the Silence, there was no more room to expand outwards. The Guard lost much of their colonial wealth, and then they turned towards more dramatic and dangerous fascist antagonism. They arose as an influential internal policing force, aligning with the interests of the Ministry, and the Absolutists as a whole. They now see most of their funding through the intelligence apparatus, and have become almost a political symbol of the influence of the inteligensia that operates the Secret Service. 
The Consular's political posturing has seen them as staunch defenders of the status quo within the Empire. They intentionally recruit from all of the planets within the Emprie, through a series of challenges and games that is aimed at cherry picking the best of the best from normal Imperial army forces. To even join the Consulars in the first place is a difficult challenge. One must first be ignoble, born within the Core Systems, have served in a combat zone, and then must participate in the bi-yearly Consular games, which pits the best of the Imperial army against one another in a series of war games, individual challenges and rigorous examinations. Consulars serve for life and retire onto the Consular grounds on Monterey Naval Yards when they are too old or injured to continue their service. 
The consulars are one of the most well-trained military forces in the empire. They are flexible and able to be rapidly deployed across Imperial spcace. Consular regiments have bases across multiple systems, to help ensure the loyalty of the noble houses.

Assets

The Consular Guard has access to the best war material the Imperial coffers can provide. The Consular Guard's grenadier and cossack regiments are well trained, and utilized as the elite forces of the Imperial Secret Service. The service provides their spaceborne assets, mostly consisting of troop transports and the adaptable Rogal-Class Frigates. The Consular's police divisions serve primarily on New Babylon, and operate primarily as heavily armed tactical units that support more local policing forces. 
The cossacks have access to a wide array of different mechanized chassis, and all have seen some kind of extended combat in the Mid Rim.

Type

Military, Paramilitary/Militia

Alternative Names

Imperial Guard, Royal Guard

Formation Type

Sector Corps

Ruling Organization

Imperial Secret Service

Parent Organization

Grand Imperial Army

Location

New Babylon