Death Star, the letters home.(Updated 7/23)

Instant Sunrise · Post by **Instant Sunrise** » 2005-06-10 02:03am

This is a fan-fic I'm working on, It is a series of letters home from the Death Star, Executor, and DSII, all by Stormtroopers and officers, to show the human side of the Evil Empire, and to put a face on the otherwise anonymous and faceless soldiers.

The following information was recovered from private letters Imperial officers and soldiers on the Death Star, they are presented here in their entirety as they were originally written.

Dear Derek,

It seems like one captured freighter can ruin your entire day. It's been a few weeks since I was transferred to the Death Star. I can see why The Emperor calls it "The Jewel of the Imperial Navy", this place is massive. I was lucky enough to be on-hand when we tested it on Alderaan. Damn, that was an impressive show. I holo'd it onto a disc, it was incredible. A few hours later, some freighter entered into the system. We picked it up, I felt something funny when I was doing hangar control that day. I walked out afterwards to get a caff, and came back to a locked door after seeing 2 stormtroopers taking a wookie prisoner out, don't ask, don't tell.

I heard that you went AWOL from the Imperial Academy, I hope this isn't true. If it is, please come back, you know how much mother misses you, when the officer told her about it, the news broke her heart. You need to come back, everybody misses you so much, nothing is trhe same without you anymore. I really wanted to see you and serve alongside of my brother "Hobbie", you would have been a great TIE Pilot.

Your Brother,
James Klivan, Traffic Control Officer Hanger Bay 327.

Dear Mother,

I'm having a great time serving on the Death Star, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it from the shuttle, it's even bigger than the Holo's make it out to be. Our deck officer is very nice, and he let us watch the testing of the superlaser on Alderaan, I couldn't believe how powerful it is. I'm sure glad to be on the right side. Admiral Motti was right about us being the ultimate power in the universe. We ran into a bit of trouble with a captured freighter, but they're gone now, and we are off to blow up the hidden rebel base. I was patrolling in the hangar bay when I got to see Darth Vader fighting an old guy with a lightsaber, it was really cool, and Vader killed the old guy, and then that freighter managed to leave right after that.

After we destroy the rebel base, I get planet leave for a month, and I'll be home in time for my birthday. I hope you'll get a really big cake with candles just for me, your little soldier boy, just like you always wanted. I called the bank on Coruscant, and I finally have enough in my savings for the LandSpeeder I've always wanted, when I got back. It makes me happy thinking about it.

Your Son,
Katu Halek, TK-648, 302nd Stormtrooper Battalion.

My Dearest Wife Halda,

It's been too long since I've last written you, and I miss you every day. I hear that little Han is walking now, It really warms my heart to hear how my son is doing. I can't wait to see him, I feel like I don't even know him anymore, I wonder if he'll even recognize me anymore. I've finally gotten my wings from pilots school, and I've gotten my fighter. She flies like a dream, and just as smooth as in the simulators on Corellia. The station is going to head to Alderaan next, and I hope to get shore leave as soon as I can so that I can visit you and Han. I've heard of the station's destructive power that Tarkin promises, he says that the superlaser can destroy a planet. I have my doubts, but it's entirely possible, given at how powerful it is.

I've been assigned to patrol the system for any craft heading in-system, I have to report any unauthorized craft that come too close to the station, where they pull them in and inspect them, relatively simple stuff, I also have to take my group out to immobilize any ship that tries to escape the station without the right clearance.

Your Husband,
Jeb Andor, 78th Fighter Wing.

Post by **weemadando** » 2005-06-10 06:23am

Can we PLEASE revive War Diary of a Crewer already?

pellaeons_scion · Post by **pellaeons_scion** » 2005-06-12 02:50pm

I agree, I quite like seeing the more personalised face of the universe. Letters from people in the starwars universe I think add a real nice touch. Sometime hearing about the mundane events that go on is just as fascinating as the major galaxy affecting ones

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-12 02:56pm

Those letters make the Imperial troops sound like the guy in Conquest who was happy because he got to see the DS fired off. They sound, sadistic, or at least bloodthirsty.

Black Admiral · Post by **Black Admiral** » 2005-06-12 03:58pm

Trooper TK12746 wrote:Those letters make the Imperial troops sound like the guy in Conquest who was happy because he got to see the DS fired off. They sound, sadistic, or at least bloodthirsty.

I don't see it that way: I mean, the superlaser's basically, to quote Adm. Tolwyn, "the biggest gun in the universe" and seeing it fire off would really be something to write home about.

Doesn't make them sadistic or bloodthirsty, just impressed by the bigarse gun's firepower. *shrugs*

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-12 05:17pm

I am not criticizing it, I am looking at it from a different perspective. Remember the Feddie's reaction to the comments about that in Conquest?

".....That's right. I've been in the fleet for eight years, and I never thought I'd get to see them fire that thing off. But when I got transferred to this outfit, I just knew I'd get to see a planet blow sooner or later, and boy, did I ever! Did you see it too?" The pilot grinned his toothy grin again, and Chang felt sick to his stomach. Billions of lives ended, and this snickering pilot thinks it's funny!"

pellaeons_scion · Post by **pellaeons_scion** » 2005-06-14 04:33am

So whats your point? They are letters from a serving officers, undoubtably fed on Imperial Propoganda, being proud of what was essentially a weapons test. I think most of the people on board the DS when it was tested would have been at very least proud of their weapon. They are soldiers, and all they could very well have been told that Alderaan was trying to rebel, or some other concoted reason.

Why are you even looking at it from that perspective? Does this alos mean that you would claim Luke was bloodthirsty for firing the torpedoes that destroyed the DS, killing who knows how many people?

Or is this just another "The Federation is morally superior" bullshit.

I say keep writing, my only suggestion is try and use the starwars terminology for things like coffee and avoid using essentially Earth slang

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-06-14 06:46am

pellaeons_scion wrote:Or is this just another "The Federation is morally superior" bullshit.

False dilemma. Just because he doesn't approve of GE atrocities doesn't mean he approves of other sci-fi franchises actions.

And no, your arguments about it being excuseable because the crew have been brainwashed are not legit. Unlike clonetroopers, most of the crew of the Death Star have a choice about what they believe. If they believe Imperial Propaganda, it doesn't make them any less culpable in the atrocities the Death Star carried out. Ignorance is not innocence.

And no, Luke Skywalker is not as bad as they are. He destroyed a 100% military target. They did not. He killed more people. but frankly, they all (clones and conscripts aside) knew what they signed up for. The Alderannians didn't.

Deathstalker · Post by **Deathstalker** » 2005-06-14 12:12pm

I'm with NecronLord and Trooper TK12746. If my son wrote to me telling how he was impressed with the destruction of a planet for nothing more than a test, I'd tell him don't bother coming home.

On another note, you should use someone else beside Darklighter. IIRC Biggs only had one other brother, Gavin, who joined Rouge Squadron. I also doubt very seriously that the ISB would Darklighter's, or for that matter any of the messages, to go out. Especially to someone who essentially became a traitor. If anything, James Darklighter would probably be arrested and interogated to see if he has any information. The other two messages would be heavily censored.

Instant Sunrise · Post by **Instant Sunrise** » 2005-06-14 05:57pm

I guess this is what happens when 99% of what you know about Star Wars comes from the movie. I'll keep that in mind for the next set of letters.

Thanks for the information.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-06-14 08:06pm

NecronLord wrote:And no, Luke Skywalker is not as bad as they are. He destroyed a 100% military target. They did not. He killed more people. but frankly, they all (clones and conscripts aside) knew what they signed up for. The Alderannians didn't.

Wait, Luke killed more people with two proton torpedos than the Death Star did to an entire planet?

How does that make sense? Or is there somehow more people living on a 160 KM diameter sphere than on a planet that looks Earthlike, and is a core world in a galactic civilisation?

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-14 09:52pm

Luke killed millions, the Death Star killed billions. Although not everyone on the Death Star is guilty of the destruction of Alderaan. I don't think the Federation is morally superior, I am pointing out a similer comment and a similer reaction to mine. I think Alderaan was probably a legitimate target, given its aid to the Rebellion, defensive shield, and constant opposition to the Emperor, but I think that their reaction to it should be: "We were forced to destroy a planet (Alderaan) that was in active Rebellion against the Empire." Not "We got to see a planet destroyed. It was awesome! I want to see it again."

Crazedwraith · Post by **Crazedwraith** » 2005-06-15 11:38am

Deathstalker wrote:I'

On another note, you should use someone else beside Darklighter. IIRC Biggs only had one other brother, Gavin, who joined Rouge Squadron.

No Gavin was his cousin. Biggs had no brothers until after he was dead. When Huff remarried.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-06-15 01:21pm

Stofsk wrote: How does that make sense? Or is there somehow more people living on a 160 KM diameter sphere than on a planet that looks Earthlike, and is a core world in a galactic civilisation?

Death Star = Hollow and filled with deck after deck after deck.
Alderann = Not.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-06-15 01:27pm

NecronLord wrote:
Stofsk wrote:How does that make sense? Or is there somehow more people living on a 160 KM diameter sphere than on a planet that looks Earthlike, and is a core world in a galactic civilisation?
Death Star = Hollow and filled with deck after deck after deck.
Alderann = Not.

So? How many crew were onboard the Death Star? Is it stated anywhere?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-06-15 01:30pm

Stofsk wrote:So? How many crew were onboard the Death Star? Is it stated anywhere?

Only the SWTJ that I'm aware of. That gives it a crew of just over a million. And a maximum speed of 1.2 C. Yes. 1.2 times the speed of light.

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-15 02:09pm

The crew figure is massively understated. But even with a crew of tens of millions, the death toll pales in comparison to the billions who died on Alderaan.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-06-15 02:22pm

The Death Star was also intended as a troop transport. It almost certainly has billions or perhaps trillions (remember, the clone wars had quadrillions of battle droids) of solidiers aboard.

I would be greatly surprised if the Death Star didn't have more stormtroopers than there are Alderannians aboard.

pellaeons_scion · Post by **pellaeons_scion** » 2005-06-16 02:39am

I thought I remember from one of the novels theres a hologram display in Imperial Center that discusses the destruction of the DS giving the overview of the losses taken?

I could be wrong, and I can't remember which book

Instant Sunrise · Post by **Instant Sunrise** » 2005-06-16 03:53am

I can't beleive nobody has quoted Clerks yet...

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-16 05:22pm

Trillions on the DS? That is bull. There were trillions of droids spread across the entire galaxy, not on one shipp. If the Empire lost trillions of troops, it would have affected them more, instead, they shook it off like it was a minor annoyance.

General Brock · Post by **General Brock** » 2005-06-22 07:02am

Apart from what Crazedwraith wrote, I thought Biggs was serving aboard the freighter Rand Ecliptic as a navigator, not attending the Academy. I didn't think stormtroopers had families to write home to; they were clones or draftees and recruits so heavily brainwashed so as to ignore all other ties except service to the empire. Good fics though; more character development in three short paragraphs than whole novels.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2005-06-22 07:51am

Trooper TK12746 wrote:Trillions on the DS? That is bull. There were trillions of droids spread across the entire galaxy, not on one ship.

What do droids have anything to do with it? But as long as we're on this same train of thought... The rate of the production of droids in the factory in AOTC was rated at billions a day, IIRC. And this is just one factory. There are entire planets devoted to making droids (Telti, Mechis III).

If the Empire lost trillions of troops, it would have affected them more, instead, they shook it off like it was a minor annoyance.

We're talking about a much larger scale then you may realize. There are literally trillions of planets that the Empire could draw its army from, nevermind the years and years and years of clones they've grown. Trillions is not such an infeasible number when you take in the truly awesome scale that the Star Wars universe operates at.

Trooper TK12746 · Post by **Trooper TK12746** » 2005-06-22 09:52am

It would be impossible to have trillions of troops on one battlestation and not be hurt by the losses. The Imperial military, huge though it is, represents a tiny fraction of the population of one major race.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2005-06-22 05:10pm

Trooper TK12746 wrote:It would be impossible to have trillions of troops on one battlestation and not be hurt by the losses. The Imperial military, huge though it is, represents a tiny fraction of the population of one major race.

I reiterate: there are over 12 million inhabited star systems in the Empire (with these particular star systems consisting of an unknown number of planets, including planets like Coruscant with potentially quadrillions of people). There are entire planets devoted to training them (Carida). Nevermind the production of clone soldiers, which, with decades of perfecting, they've gotten down to a science.

I'm not saying the loss didn't hurt them, but to insist that the Empire has no way of replacing a trillion troops is complete bullshit.