What could the Royal Guards do that Palpatine couldn't?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-10-02 07:50am

I think it's clear from AOTC that not ALL the Red Guards are force sensitive (unless at that time say Jedi were habitually rotated in as part of the Guard, under the uniforms) or else we have to assume they are as powerful as Palpatine himself, being able to "mask their presence" from Jedi Council members and other Masters in close proximety. Likewise this was before the Clones were revealed, so unless Kamino Clones don't give off a "weird aura" in the Force (like they are said to give off in the EU), it's unlikely that they were culled from the upper echelons of the Stormtrooper corps, which didn't yet exist.

Or perhaps they are extremely weak in the Force, thus going undetected. While some have said that perhaps the "hide from other Force users" power is something any amateur can learn, I get the unmistakable impression that Lucas intended this to be an "uber power" since he talks about Palpatine being of incredible power as an explanation for hiding his powers from the Jedi in AOTC.

So my thinking is that, as of the prequel era, at least some, if not all, of the Red Guards are just Senate Guards, that is ordinary humans, in new armor.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-10-02 09:44am

Why must the Red Guards of Attack of the Clones place constraints on the Imperial Royal Guard of the original Star Wars Trilogy over twenty years later, hm?

Point of fact, the Red Guard of the Supreme Chancellor is not the Imperial Royal Guard.

And shit changes.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-10-02 10:10am

True, and I agree. But it just spells out that we shouldn't say "All the Royal Guards are Force Adepts [like some of the ones in the chronologically later EU stories are said to be]."

I'm using the same reasoning people have used about the Stormtrooper/Clones thing. Our other choice to rationalize it is to say that the EU is simply in error and throw out all the information in it regarding the issue, and I'm sure nobody wants to do that.

Point of fact, the Red Guard of the Supreme Chancellor is not the Imperial Royal Guard.

Okay. But other than the name, how are they different? The Red Guards we see in AOTC look just like the ones we see in ROTJ. Same uniforms and weapons, and apparently same role (defending Palpy).

Edit: At the time of AOTC they haven't completely replaced the Senate Guard, because we see at least one of them in that movie as well. But as of ANH, there is no more Imperial Senate, so it would make sense that we don't see those particular Guards anymore.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-10-02 10:12am

Uh, we fucking can say the Imperial Royal Guard is all Force sensitives because they are during the Empire's reign.

Okay. But other than the name, how are they different? The Red Guards we see in AOTC look just like the ones we see in ROTJ. Same uniforms and weapons, and apparently same role (defending Palpy).

How about being Force sensitives and cut from the highest Stormies?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-10-02 10:17am

I get what you're saying now. As soon as the name change happened (ie: as soon as Palpy declared himself Emperor, assumedly in Episode III) they are replaced with Force Adepts. You couldn't tell just by looking at the armor, so nobody need be the wiser outside his inner circle.

Fair enough, and it works, just like the Stormtrooper/Clonetrooper retcon.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2004-10-02 01:44pm

BTW could it possible that Republic Red Guardmen aren't humans but droids desinged look like humans and to have most of the abilities of the future Imperial Royal Guard.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2004-10-02 02:11pm

I believe that comic Crimson Empire showed that they were human.

EDIT: Oh, whoops. I misunderstood your post.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2004-10-02 02:24pm

What could the Royal Guards do that Palpatine couldn't?

Get it up?

On an even less serious note, maybe the reason why we never see his horde o' concubines is that its actually them in the Royal guard armor.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2004-10-03 12:27am

consequences wrote:
What could the Royal Guards do that Palpatine couldn't?
Get it up?

On an even less serious note, maybe the reason why we never see his horde o' concubines is that its actually them in the Royal guard armor.

Like Khadafi and his "bodyguards"?

Myrmidon · Post by **Myrmidon** » 2004-10-05 11:19pm

Maybe Palpy cloned himself some dead Jedi, wired them for loyalty with a few droid brain implants, taught them enough force crap to make them useful but not enough to be dangerous and let them take care of his light work.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-10-06 01:53am

Myrmidon wrote:Maybe Palpy cloned himself some dead Jedi, wired them for loyalty with a few droid brain implants, taught them enough force crap to make them useful but not enough to be dangerous and let them take care of his light work.

Hmm. Possibly, as Joruus C'baoth's clone shows; we'll have to wait until ROTS/post-film novels for answers.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-10-06 04:27am

Envisage this.

A disgruntled officer, we'll call him Thrawn, has managed to infiltrate the Death star. Walking into Palpatine's unguarded throne room, he confronts the Emperor, blaster drawn. Palpatine laughs, and shoots lighting at him.

Astonishingly, the lightning vanishes before doing any damage, and Thrawn climbs the stairs toward the astonished Emperor. Trying again, the Emperor uses many force powers on him. Unfortunately, all this fails, and Thrawn holds up a stick with a lizard critter attached, before saying "Yalismiri fucker."

With that Thrawn punches the atonished old man in the face, drawing blood. Astonished, palpatine whips out his trusty lightsabre to dispatch the impudent admiral, but only manages to get it snatched off him, as his reactions without the force powering them aren't too hot. Thrwan then shoots him in the leg with the blaster on low power. He keeps doing this until Palpatine's non force enhanced will breaks and he signs the Empire over to him, and then shoots him in the head.

That's why he has guards.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-10-06 04:28am

NecronLord wrote:Envisage this.

A disgruntled officer, we'll call him Thrawn, has managed to infiltrate the Death star. Walking into Palpatine's unguarded throne room, he confronts the Emperor, blaster drawn. Palpatine laughs, and shoots lighting at him.

Astonishingly, the lightning vanishes before doing any damage, and Thrawn climbs the stairs toward the astonished Emperor. Trying again, the Emperor uses many force powers on him. Unfortunately, all this fails, and Thrawn holds up a stick with a lizard critter attached, before saying "Yalismiri fucker."

With that Thrawn punches the atonished old man in the face, drawing blood. Astonished, palpatine whips out his trusty lightsabre to dispatch the impudent admiral, but only manages to get it snatched off him, as his reactions without the force powering them aren't too hot. Thrwan then shoots him in the leg with the blaster on low power. He keeps doing this until Palpatine's non force enhanced will breaks and he signs the Empire over to him, and then shoots him in the head.

That's why he has guards.

SHHHH.. some of the Palpatine-worshippers on the board might take offense if you suggest something like that might happen

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-10-06 04:32am

Connor MacLeod wrote: SHHHH.. some of the Palpatine-worshippers on the board might take offense if you suggest something like that might happen

Bah. The empire would have done better without all the sad devotion to that ancient religion.

RotJ : Take Two.

"Emperor. The rebel fleet approaches."

"Excellent. How many ships do we have?"

"Fifteen sector fleets and an interdictor squadron standing my Lord."

"Commence the attack. Boy I'm glad we had the Excecutor shoot that shuttle... Much easier than letting that jedi run around on the ground. Now I can focus on this utter crushing. Commence primary ignition."

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-06 10:16am

Ysalimiri do not exist. They were just declared N-canon, check here:

Link

Post by **NecronLord** » 2004-10-06 10:54am

Poor idea though they are... They're still there.

And to be fair, Palpatine and Vader's devotion to the force did blind them to simply blowing the rebels up and winning the battle and securing their empire.