The Prefect of the Order of Keltrayu was the Order's leader, chief officer, formal head instructor, and representative to the Sovereign of the Golden Empire on the Grand Council.
When the Order of Keltrayu was formally constituted in 94 ABY, the rank of Prefect was created to govern its members. When the Grand Council was created following the Great Liberation, the Prefect was one of three pre-existing officers (along with the Prime Legate and the Council of Economic Advisors) installed on the Council.
Selection and service[]
The Prefect was appointed by the Sovereign and served for life or until dismissed. It was difficult to discuss the criteria for a Prefect with any accuracy given how few were known. When the rank was created, Rin Sakaros installed her brother Tariun in it. He served until 140 ABY, when Sorrik took the post temporarily before it passed permanently to Eskol Kaartinen.
Some details of Prefect appointments are known, however. By order of the queen, the Order always needed a serving Prefect. A Prefect killed in action was to be replaced as soon as feasible; one missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for was succeeded by an Acting Prefect, also appointed by the Sovereign, who could either serve until the Prefect returned to duty or assume the station permanently if the Prefect's death was confirmed. In 140 ABY, while Tariun Sakaros was captured by the forces of the late Sith Lord Vegal Ein, Sorrik served as Acting Prefect until Tariun was rescued. Acting Prefects had all the authority of permanent ones.
By law, the Prefect of the Order had to be at least a Centurion. This law was enacted after Tariun's appointment as Prefect, leading to questions about whether he was technically a Centurion or not.
Duties[]
The foremost responsibility of the Prefect was coordinating the actions and assignments of the Order's Centurions. In theory, the Prefect had absolute command over every member of the Order and could give them assignments at will or as ordered by the Sovereign. In practice, Rin Sakaros personally exercised a much greater control over the Order than any other department of her government (although, as it included fewer than 1,000 individuals by 140 ABY, this was also much more feasible).
The Prefect was also formally responsible for the training of the Order's Novices and their examinations to become full Centurions. Actual training duties were sometimes delegated to Praetor-Instructors of the Order, although both Tariun Sakaros and Eskol Kaartinen took active hands in the training of their students. The Prefect appointed and dismissed Praetors. When Order members were killed in action, it was the Prefect's duty to inform their families. In peacetime, the Prefect would either send Centurions to notify the family in person or even go himself; in wartime, when Centurions were needed on the front, the Prefect often contacted families by hyperwave comm.
The Prefect and the Sovereign were the only members of the Royal government with full punishment authority over members of the Order, including death. Consequently, the Prefect could also prescribe rules of conduct for the Order, beyond the laws of the Golden Empire as a whole.