Decrypting Mace Windu's Systems Army

The Grand Army of the Republic was a massive force led into battle by the Jedi Order.  Most members of the Jedi High Council were tasked with leading one of the Republic's ten systems armies as high generals.[1]  Unfortunately, most of the armies have not been thoroughly explored.  High General Mace Windu's Systems Army Alpha, however, is one of the most well-documented of these formations.[2]  This post will attempt to explore this army even further and resolve some of its unique issues.

The Second Sector Army

Each systems army was composed of two sector armies, each led by a senior general.[1]  One of Systems Army Alpha's component sector armies was the 2nd Sector Army.  This unit was led by Sr. Gen. Ry-Gaul and was further divided into four corps.  Only one of these units is known: Gen. Secura's 327th Star Corps.  The only known legion of the 327th was the 7th Legion.  Smaller formations are known,[2] but this article is more concerned with High Gen. Windu's unit as a whole, and less about the minutiae of the 327th Star Corps.

The Ninety-First Mobile Reconnaissance Corps

Another unit under High Gen. Windu, the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps was far more confusing than its sister units.  The 91st was, at different times, led into battle by Mace Windu,[3] Adi Gallia[4] and Stass Allie.[5]  This would seem to be problematic, as all three Jedi were on the High Council, presumably making them all high generals.  This issue can be solved in three ways.

It's possible the 91st was transferred at least once between systems armies.  The corps could've started out under Systems Army Alpha, only to be moved to High Gen. Gallia's command later in the war.  Wether or not it was transferred again depends on if Stass Allie inherited Adi Gallia's command or not.  Since the two were cousins it's perfectly reasonable that Allie received Gallia's old systems army.

Alternatively, the 91st never actually changed hands.  Under this theory an instance of a contradictory leader would merely be the result of a temporary command.  However, we couldn't be certain who the 91st actually belonged to with this in mind.

Lastly, Gallia and Allie could have both been Windu's subordinates.  It may seem intuitive that all Council members were high generals, but this can't be the case.  The High Council contained 12 members while there were only 10 systems armies.  With two Jedi unaccounted for it would make the most sense for these Councilors to hold the second-highest rank.  Therefore, two High Council members would lead sector armies instead of systems armies.

Being one of the Order's most elite Jedi, it's certainly possible that another Councilor would be placed under Mace Windu's command.  Thus, Adi Gallia would lead the sector army containing the 91st under Windu's command (judging by the naming conventions, it would likely be the 1st Sector Army).  Eventually she would be replaced by Stass Allie.

The One-Eighty-Seventh Legion
One mysterious unit was the 187th Legion.  This unit served under High Gen. Windu, though we can't be sure where it was located in Systems Army Alpha.  This legion sported the exceptionally rare color of purple.[6]

One anonymous unit of purple-armored Clone Troopers served under General B'ink Utrila.[7]  Considering the tremendous amount of GAR units and the limited amount of colors visible to the human eye, it would make sense for each color to have clear associations.  Therefore, it would make sense for Gen. Utrila's troops to be in the same unit as the 187th, though we obviously can't be sure.

A Galactic Marine Regiment
The last mystery unit was a regiment of Galactic Marines, led by High Gen. Windu.  Next to nothing is known of these soldiers, but they sport nearly identical markings to the 187th.[8]  With the same paint job and leader it's very likely they were part of, or shared a common unit with, the 187th Legion.

It might seem like an issue, as the Galactic Marines were led by Ki-Adi Mundi.  However, Mundi's unit was officially known as the 21st Nova Corps.  "Galactic Marine" may be a more general term used by many different units.

Sources:
1. The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
2. Star Wars Insider 84 - Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Innocents of Ryloth
4. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Nomad Droids
5. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
6. Star Wars Unleashed - 187th LEGION TROOPERS
7. The Clone Wars: Defenders of the Lost Temple
8. Order 66 - MACE WINDU & GALACTIC MARINE

Exploring the Uniforms of Republic Generals

The events of the Clone Wars have been extensively covered through a massive amount of media.  We've received lot's of information on the organization and inner workings of the Republic's military forces.  The generals of the Republic Army play a key role in the stories surrounding the conflict.  However, we have a very limited idea of what their uniforms actually look like.  From what information we have there is still a lot to learn.  The goal of this article is to paint as clear and accurate a picture as the sources will allow.

It should be noted that the ranks of the Republic's generals weren't exclusive to Jedi, but also included non-Jedi[1][2] and at least one Clone Trooper.[3]

Armor

Generals Swan and Kenobi, sporting Clone Trooper-style armor.

While many Jedi generals wore merely their traditional robes into battle, it wasn't an uncommon practice to wear varying degrees of armor.  Most Jedi armor was of the same design as their clone soldiers, usually painted white or a shade of grey.[4]  Some Jedi generals wore a unique chest plate/collar only seen among their ranks.[5][6]  You can occasionally see Jedi wearing armor unique to themselves; it may be assumed these costumes are not reflective of the official general's uniform.[7]

While there are clear commonalities shared by many Jedi generals' armor, it seems all Jedi wore their armor quite differently.  Indeed, Jedi were almost never seen wearing a full suit of armor.  These kits were most likely mixed and matched according to the individual's preference.  As members of a religious order, it seems the Jedi were not forced to adapt to military requirements.  

The only non-Jedi armor we see is that of General Cards, an ARC Trooper.  He wears the standard Advanced Recon Commando gear.[3]  We've seen many Special Operations Brigade officers and their armor is reflective of the SO BDE, not their infantry equivalents.  Thus, it's unlikely a standard general would wear this ARC-style gear.

It's likely a non-Jedi general would wear the conventional Army armor; not unlike the rare, fully-armored Jedi, minus the robes.  

Armor Color

General Cards, ARC Trooper.

For a large part of the war (and for some units, the entire war), Republic Army soldiers would wear certain rank-denoting colors.  All ranks from private to marshal commander had a designated color.[8][9]  Unfortunately, it remains unclear what color represented the Army's generals, if any.  

We've gotten a few lists spelling out the colors used by Army soldiers; all of them have ignored the issue of a color for generals.  However, just because it goes unmentioned doesn't mean no such color existed. 

The armor of Jedi generals never seem to feature the typical rank flashes of officers.  Where their colors would normally be, their armor is unmarked.  The generals' colors can't be white, because grey and black-armored generals don't wear white flashes.  Since many Jedi generals wear armor colors that don't match the troopers they lead, it's entirely possible the Jedi as a whole eschew the standard military color schemes.[4]

One last bit of evidence is the aforementioned Gen. Cards.  He wears an all black suit of armor, very rare amongst Republic Army soldiers.  It's certainly possible black represents generals, but context should be acknowledged in this case.  Cards appears in a spinoff of 2008's The Clone Wars.  In nearly all stories related to the series, a Clone Trooper's color represents his unit, rather than his rank.  However, it's certainly still a possibility, and our only real evidence of a reserved color for these ranks.[3]

Service Uniform

 
GAR trooper, possibly a corporal (left).  Adm. Yularen, Republic Navy (right).

We've never seen a proper General's uniform, but based off the standards of the era we can reasonably assume they share the same design as their subordinates.[6]  Republic Army uniforms seem to be the same as their Navy counterparts.  The only difference is some GAR uniforms feature shoulder patches;[10] it's possible that this is exclusive to lower ranks, as Commander Ponds' uniform lacks this detail.[11]

The colors of Army uniforms aren't completely clear.  Naval officers wear a few different colors and this practice seems to be shared with the Republic Army.[6]  One corporal wears a charcoal uniform.  In the same scene we see officers with lighter shades; we can't be certain all of these soldiers belong to the same branch, however.[10]  A higher-ranking clone, Ponds, wears a light grey suit.[11]

Rank Insignia

A general's rank indicator plaque has never been portrayed, but there are several comparable badges that can give us an idea of what it might look like.

One important factor is that Naval rank insignia are somewhat more explored.  It is important to consider the level of standardization between the Navy and Army.  It may be possible to approximate the badges of generals through their naval equivalents.  Indeed, The Clone Wars Campaign Guide seems to support admirals and generals being equivalents.  The admirals' insignia we see feature two rows of squares.[6]  All Republic Army badges we've seen feature one row (as far as I'm aware).[6][12]  While generals may sport the same rank plaques as admirals, it's equally possible that all Army insignia are one row only.  

Marshal commander may be the highest rank below general.  This rank features a 4x1 badge, and other high-ranking officers wear 4x1 badges.[13][14]  Considering that there are at least three levels of general, the differences between their rank plaques may be stark.[8]  There could be a 4x1, 5x1 and 6x1 for each tier, or they could all have the same dimensions with different colors.

One last thing to consider is the Director of Republic Intelligence, Armand Isard, wore a 6x1 insignia.[15]  At such a high position in the military, he may have been of equivalent rank to a High General.

In conclusion, there is little concrete evidence as to what the Republic generals' uniforms were, but there is enough evidence to come up with a few decent assumptions.  Hopefully we'll get more definitive information in the near future.  The Clone Wars continues to be a popular era in the mythos of Star Wars.

Sources:

1. Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison 1

2. Rough and Tundra

3. Clone Wars Adventures
4. Star Wars: Clone Wars
5. Star Wars: Clone Wars - Chapter 22
6. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 
7. Republic 49: Sacrifice
8. The Clone Wars Campaign Guide 
9. The Essential Guide to Warfare
10. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Orders
11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Innocents of Ryloth
12. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
13. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Unknown
14. Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
15. Reversal of Fortune

An Overview Of Republic/Imperial Uniform Colors

In the Republic and its successor states individuals in service of its military and civilian organizations commonly wore a universal service uniform.  Though the uniform differed slightly between organizations and time periods, a basic standard existed amongst the uniforms of most members of the Republican/Imperial apparatus.

One key difference in uniforms used to identify members of a certain branch was color.  Specific branches of the Republic/Empire had colors used to identify their uniforms.  To avoid wasting time I'll get into the data.

PT 1:  The Galactic Republic.
The Galactic Republic used many different service uniforms throughout its long history.  As early as the Naboo Blockade the Republic had adopted a new system that would be used by its personnel until its transformation into the Empire.

Judicial Department - The Judiciary was the central military and law enforcement department of the Republic until the Clone Wars necessitated a proper military.  The Department included the Judicial Forces and the Security Forces; members of both were known to wear dark blue service uniforms.[1][2][3]
Senate Guard - The Senate Guard were the elite police force in charge of protecting the Galactic Senate.  While part of the Judicial Department, their suits bore different colors.  The tunic sported a noticeably lighter shade of blue alongside black pants.[4]
Republic Navy - Officers in the reorganized Republic Navy wore a variety of uniform colors.  Admirals and Captains were almost exclusively seen wearing olive-drab uniforms.[5][6][7]  Lower ranking officers usually wore a greyish-blue or white suit.[5]
Republic Army - I can't think of any outright visual appearances of the Clone Wars-era Republic Army.  It is known the Army was founded from PSFs and the Judicial Forces.  My best guess is the uniforms of the Judicials would carry on to the new department (PSFs had no standard garb).
Grand Army of the Republic - Officers were seen wearing blue-grey while others wore a darker grey uniform.[5]
Medical Specialists - Officers serving medical roles were seen to consistently wear white uniforms, sometimes with brown belts, gloves and boots.  During the early Clone Wars, medics wore badges on their shoulders.  Towards the end of the war the officer's badges were moved to their chest, left of their rank badge.  The new uniforms also sported hats with red stripes on the shoulders and cap.[5]
Republic Service Organization - Members wore tan jackets with a black skirt.  Their caps could either be black or tan.[35][36]
Potential Judicials - A captain appeared on a ship resembling a Judicial vessel.  The ship's captain wore a red uniform.  An officer under his command wore either a greyish or green uniform (The lighting made the color a bit ambiguous).  Could these be examples of Judicial ranks having different colors?[8]
Republic "Generals" - The ORSF was a particularly large paramilitary organization run by Republic Senator Ranulph Tarkin.  The Security Force was intended to be the official Republic Military, though it was never more than a mere PSF.  Tarkin himself held the rank of General within the ORSF, wearing a red tunic with blue pants.  Could this have been an official uniform for Generals?[9]
Republic Moffs - Wilhuff Tarkin was a Sector Moff as well as an Admiral.  He wore an olive-drab uniform standard amongst Admirals.  Was this representative of the Moff uniform?[5]

PT 2:  The Galactic Empire.
Having been born from the Republic, the Empire inherited its predecessor's equipment.  It took little time for the Imperials to phase out old uniform styles.  The new suit had been seen in the Republic's ranks before, but it now bore the status of standard-issue.

Imperial Slavers - Any information on the placement of slavers in the military structure or their rank and organization is certainly beyond me.  However, one slaver made a clear appearance supervising labor on Weapons Factory Alpha.  This individual wore a rarely-seen brown uniform.[10]
Imperial Security Bureau - ISB agents' outfit consisted of black pants and a hat with a white tunic.[11]  There were exceptions of course; some Agents have been seen wearing grey.[12]  One other case is Commander Alecia Beck, who wore all-white.[13]
Imperial Army - Now there were surely many obscure colors seen in the Army, but the standard was clearly olive-drab.[14]
Imperial Navy - Throughout the Navy officers typically wore olive-drab.  Naval Troopers wore all-black on the other hand.[11]
Stormtrooper Corps - The typical Stormtrooper wore an all-black uniform, not unlike the lesser-skilled Naval Troopers.[11]
Starfighter Corps - Imperial Pilots were seen wearing either olive-drab or black uniforms.[15][16]  Some even wore light-green suits.[17]
Imperial Medics - Army Medics wore a white tunic with blue stripes and a pair of black pants.[16]  Another Medic, who I assume to be the Naval analogue, wore a more regular grey suit.[18]
Imperial Surgeons - Unlike the similar Medics, Surgeons wore an all-teal uniform.[19]
Imperial Diplomatic Corps - Diplomats wore the standard olive-drab suits.[20]
181st Imperial Fighter Wing - Initially the 181st were a standard starfighter wing, wearing olive-colored garb.  After being promoted to "elite" status they gained red stripes on the sides of their uniforms.[15]
Imperial Liaisons - Liaisons provided a bridge between the Imperial government and local forces.  They were seen wearing green uniforms.[21]
Imperial Intelligence Directors - Armand Isard and later his daughter, Ysanne, both wore all-red uniforms.[22][23]
Imperial Intelligence - Similar to the ISB, most Intel agents wore white jackets and black pants.[24]  Also, it wasn't unheard of for agents to wear all-grey.[12][25]
Imperial Inquisitors - Though Inquisitor uniforms soon devolved into a hodge-podge of contradiction, the initial kit was quite standardized; these early Inquisitors were seen wearing grey.[26]
Grand Admirals - Grand Admirals wore one of the most iconic uniforms in the Empire.  The suit consisted of a white tunic and pants along with gold epaulets.[27]
Moffs and Grand Moffs - Trachta, an early Moff, wore a grey suit.[28]  In later years Moffs would be seen almost exclusively in olive-drab.[11]  Rufaan Tigellinus was a Grand Moff as well as a Grand Admiral; he wore a Grand Admiral's uniform instead of the Moff's equivalent.[29]
Ozzik Sturn - Kashyyyk's Captain Ozzik Sturn inexplicably wore an all-white uniform (Military captains almost exclusively wore olive.).[16]  It is unclear what warranted his irregular attire.

PT 3:  The New Empire.
Under the new Empire the uniforms were of a quite similar style to the previous renditions; the main difference being most commissioned officers would wear collars and cuffs alongside the traditional garb.  Color-based identification would certainly persist in this era.

Imperial Mission - Konrad Rus, the head of the Mission, wore a white uniform under his Missionary robes.  In addition he possessed a white collar with gold badges.[30]
Imperial Diplomatic Corps - The only diplomat seen in the new Empire was Director Fehlaaur.  He wore the standard olive-colored uniform.[31]
Imperial Intelligence - Director Calixte possessed a blue-grey uniform.[30]  Imperial Knight Sigel Dare wore an olive-drab uniform while posing as an officer.  She wasn't an actual Intel operative and her uniform was a disguise; the legitimacy of the uniform is debatable.[32]
Imperial Navy - From the bottom to the top it seems most conventional officers in the Navy wore the standard olive-colored uniforms.[33]
Imperial Army - Like the Navy, olive seemed to be the standard color for the Army.[33]  One notable exception: in some scenes it appeared the Army's head, Geist, wore a grey uniform.[34]  At other times he possesses the normal olive suit.[31]
Starfighter Corps - Pilot Gunn Yage wore an all-black uniform.[31]

Military Supreme Commander - Supreme Commander Morlish Veed sometimes appeared in a greenish-khaki uniform.[34]  On other occasions he wore an olive-colored alternative.[30]

Sources:
1. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
2. Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
3. Star Wars 28: The Hunt for Aurra Sing, Part 1
4. Clone Wars Chapter 24
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
6. Star Wars: Republic: Dreadnoughts of Rendili
7. Star Wars: Republic: Siege of Saleucami
8. Star Wars 23: Infinity's End, Part 1
9. Star Wars: Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War
10. Star Wars 1: Skywalker Strikes
11. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
12. Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
13. Smuggler's Run
14. Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
15. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel
16. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
17. X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition
18. Empire 9: Darklighter, Part 2
19. Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man
20. Star Wars 49: The Last Jedi (Lol)
21. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 26: Family Ties, Part 1
22. Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows 3
23. X-Wing Rogue Squadron: In the Empire's Service
24. Star Wars: Agent of the Empire
25. Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand
26. Evasive Action
27. Heir to the Empire
28. Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison
29. Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals
30. Star Wars: Legacy: Broken
31. Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2
32. Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties
33. Star Wars: Legacy
34. Legacy 43: Monster, Part 1
35. The Clone Wars: Prelude
36. The Clone Wars: The Valsedian Operation

MEC Troopers: My explanation

I doubt anyone on Earth cares about this subject- But I do!  This is my attempt to explain the MEC Trooper.

MEC Troopers are one of those incredibly obscure pieces of SW lore.  They only appeared in Battlefront: Renegade Squadron and Elite Squadron.  As in-game classes their status as a canon organization is automatically dubious.  To add to this MECs have basically no information on them and go unreferenced outside of the Battlefront games.  Of course, I had to attempt an explanation to this mystery.
        Due to the customization system in these games we can't be too sure what their armor looked like.  The only constant in their varying appearance is something rather defining; This being their odd size.  They are noticeably larger than their counterparts.  There has been two different types of oversized Clone Troopers; The first is genetically enhanced troopers.

ARC Troopers were genetically modified humans.  They were noticeably larger and bulkier than the default Fett clone.  This modification was utilized in the Alpha class ARCs and used even more noticeably with the Null class.  However, no clones outside of special forces have been known to be genetically enhanced.  MECs appear to be infantry level so the idea of genetic modification seems unlikely.  With this knowledge it can be assumed MECs belong with the second possibility; Clones wearing exo-suits.

Exo suits have been used by Clones before, most notably the  Deep Space Zero G suit.  However, one particular unit strikes me as very similar to the MEC.  If you haven't guessed it yet, it's the Blaze Trooper.

Blaze Troopers are Clone Troopers wearing heavy exo-suits.  Blaze Troopers have the distinction of carrying large flamethrowers on their right arm.  Flamethrowers, are useless against droids, however, so I assume the weapon can be replaced with something more practical.  Anyway, these troopers are quite large and fight alongside infantry.  If I were to guess, MEC would refer to all mechanically enhanced troopers, Blaze Troopers being one mere variant.

        One fellow on Wookieepedia suggested that 'MEC' could mean 'Mechanically Enhanced Clone'.  I think this fits the idea nicely.  MEC Troopers have the potential to be an important aspect of the GAR.  Of the exo-suit wearing troopers it'd be nice to unite them all under an umbrella term.

Let's Get This Straight: Shadow Troopers

Shadow Troopers are another convoluted piece of Star Wars lore.  Also known as Shadow Stormtroopers and informally referred to as Blackhole Stormtroopers, these soldiers are the premier special forces of the Empire's Military Intelligence.  Let's get into this tricky topic.

Shadow Troopers are a very old concept.  They first appeared in the 1979 comic strip series, Gambler's World.  In this story Shadow Troopers were the personal agents of the mysterious character, Blackhole.  They were rooted deep into the Imperial areas of spycraft and surveillance.  In a few scenes they were rather competent, being some of the few troopers to actually defeat Luke and Leia (Albeit briefly.).  Their blend of special tactics and black armor would set a precedent for later elite units.

Years later a similar unit would appear in Dark Empire.  These troopers were known as Darktroopers and wore identical armor.  Were they the same?  Who's to tell?
        Crimson Empire followed Dark Empire.  Shadow Troopers made a clear appearance in this series.  In the comic a unit of these troopers are the personal guards of the current Emperor.  Despite their relocated position they are functionally identical to the Shadow Troopers of the 70's.  If anything, Crimson Empire shows that Shadow Troopers are no match for a Royal Guard.

You see this was the original interpretation of the Shadow Trooper.  Later sources would say Shadow Troopers were nothing more than the marines from Blackhole's star destroyer, given fancy armor.  I said it would get convoluted; Let's get into that!
        Long after these initial appearances the origin of Shadow Troopers would be called into question.  Behold the Clone Wars-era Shadow Trooper!

Shadow Troopers now originated during the Clone Wars.  This goes against the idea of them being former marines.  Shadow Troopers would go on to survive through the Clone Wars and the following Dark Times, making an appearance in The Force Unleashed.  

        Some people have decided to consider the two interpretations separate entities.  My rebuttal is simple; If they look like Shadow Troopers, if they act like Shadow Troopers, if they share the same spot in the ORBAT, and finally if they have the same name, they're the same freaking thing!  

        I basically explained the out-of-universe history of the group.  Now I'd like to explain what I've gathered on their in-universe history.

         Republic Intelligence was an important asset during the Clone Wars.  Special Forces was an essential part of their organization.  For the majority of the Clone Wars, Intel relied on Covert-Ops Troopers.  These troopers were lower in skill than their counterparts in the Special Operations Brigade.  By the last months of the war Director Armand Isard decided to give Intel SpecForce a rebrand.  This new unit was the iconic Shadow Troopers.
        They specialized in infiltration, espionage and target extraction to name a few.  Shadow Troopers were known for a more delicate touch which set them apart from some of their rival units.  Black was a paint job sometimes used by Republic Commandos.  This was merely a personal modification, and was unsupported by the military (With Commandos having to make do with white jetpacks!).  Shadow Troopers colors were quite official and would go on to be the standard for special forces.  These troopers had a great deal of armor and modifications available to them.

The original Shadow Troopers wore a special variant of the standard armor.  This particular suit was laced with durasteel fibers.  This made their armor much stronger than the regular kit and also gave them a greyish appearance.  Sometime after the beginning of the Rebellion Shadow Troopers received an upgrade.  This new armor was made with a stygian triprismatic polymer, which itself was a harder form of duraplast (The material Clone Commandos were known for using.).  Besides the obvious durability it provided, it also enhanced the trooper's stealth and provided them the infamous black appearance.  This stealth boost was itself aiding the Shadow Troopers most famous gadget, the Cloaking Device.  Indeed they were known for their ability to rapidly turn invisible.  

        Shadow Troopers were Intel agents through-and-through as well as being stormtroopers.  They were known to carry Spyeye Drones with them and had the clearance to divert local spies and security streams to their operation.  Shadow Troopers reported directly to the Director of Intelligence, originally Armand Isard.  They were one of the more mysterious units in Intelligence and were sometimes paired with Inquisitors.  When Isard was removed from his position, a mysterious agent named Blackhole became the Acting Director.  During Blackhole's breif reign the organization was put to great use, nearly capturing Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.  It was during this series of counter-terrorism operations that the troopers earned their nickname, Blackhole Troopers.  

Shadow Troopers survived until the end of the original Empire, at least.  In those last days they served as the personal unit of Sovereign Protector-turned-Emperor, Carnor Jax.  A squad was known to accompany him as personal guards.  Unfortunately all of these troopers and Jax himself were assassinated by rogue Royal Guardsmen, Kir Kanos.  This act crumbled the Empire and, shortly after, the organization ceased to exist.  

Later the Empire would be revived, though it is unknown if Shadow Troopers ever made it into the New Empire.  Black-armored special forces were still the standard, so their legacy lived on, at least.

Let's Get This Straight: The Open Circle Fleet

The Open Circle Fleet was a fairly simple piece of SW lore, but because of inconsistencies, it doesn't really make sense anymore.  Regardless, I'd like to try to explain it.

        The Open Circle "Fleet" isn't really a fleet at all.  It's technically an Armada.  An Armada comprises 10 to 50 fleets and is under the command of a High General.  The Republic Navy consists of ten Armadas.  Thus the Open Circle Fleet would account for roughly ten percent of the Republic's naval strength.  The OCF was under the command of High General Obi-Wan Kenobi, and formed the spearhead of the Outer Rim Sieges.

 The real continuity issues arose when The Clone Wars rolled in.  In the show it seems as if all Republic vessels belong to the Open Circle Fleet.  As I've explained this can't be the case.  10% means a lot of open circles, but not to the amount portrayed in TCW.  Indeed, following the ORBAT it would be impossible for a High General other than Kenobi to command an Open Circle vessel; In TCW many High Generals prance around with ships from Kenobi's Armada.  This simply isn't accurate and should be written off as a continuity error.

       
The Clone Wars is fairly unreliable as a source and I prefer to focus on older media.

Alas, the Open Circle Fleet or Armada is an interesting topic.  It pays to read the Campaign Guides.