Only few Imperials knew the origins of the mysterious Shadow Guards. Some thought they were cyborgs. Shadow Guards use the Force and lightsaber pikes, so some speculate that they are indeed Jedi brainwashed by the Empire and were trained to use the Dark Side. Some think that the Shadow Guards are picked out by the Emperor from the most loyal members of the Royal Procession who have been taught the basic Sith arts. Regardless of the truth, they were highly respected in the Imperial ranks. They receive orders from the Emperor himself, and sometimes are placed under orders of CC-2009, a clone commander who commands a unit of the Shadow Guard, and has been given training with the use of their weapons.