Dark Lord quotes

[Connor MacLeod]

As I recall TIEs were also in service in the Old Republic era, they were never just common or frequent the way they were later in the OT.

Edit: So in other words, it wouldn't be a TIE fighter prototype

[Anguirus]

^ Could be, but considering it's Luceno referencing SFS, I can't imagine he means us to assume it's something radically different.

[Noble Ire]

I found this quote rather interesting:

He smiled with effort. "I'll ask Archyr about outfitting the ship with an intergalactic hyperdrive."

Mention of intergalactic travel within the means of a smuggler group (which I assume to mean a using larger, more self-contained unit, like those on capital ships.) Perhaps he refers to one of the sattelite galaxies.

[Knife]

I found this quote rather interesting:

He smiled with effort. "I'll ask Archyr about outfitting the ship with an intergalactic hyperdrive."

Mention of intergalactic travel within the means of a smuggler group (which I assume to mean a using larger, more self-contained unit, like those on capital ships.) Perhaps he refers to one of the sattelite galaxies.

I thought he made that quip in jest. The SW version of saying I'd like to equip my Chevy Calvalier with a M2 turret for rush hour.

[000]

Yeah, he was kidding.

[jegs2]

More to come as I go. I bought the book today and I'll likely be finished tommorow, it's great.

Bought the book on Sunday, and finished all but one chapter last night - very entertaining, and a good insight into the thoughts and feelings of a young Vader.

[Vympel]

Vader hunted the hallways of the palace [on Alderaan], the suit's array of sensors enhancing every sound and smell, every stray movement, his heavy cloak hooked around the hilt of his lightsaber.

...

Vader leapt, his powerful prosthetic legs carrying him to the top of a broad but short flight of steps in time to see Shryne sprint across the bridge at Jedi speed, motioning his accomplices to move Zar through the gate.

Vader leapt again, this time to the bridge, and to within only a few meters of Shryne, who spun about, dropping to one knee and firing repeatedly. This time Vader decided to show Shryne who he was dealing with. Holding his lightsaber to one side, he raised his right hand to turn the blaster bolts.

Clearly, astonished, Shryne remained on one knee, but only briefly. In an instant he had passed through the gate and was shouldering his way through the crowd just outside the wall.

Vader's final leap landed him just short of the rampart.

...

The palace was being sealed shut, and Vader was in risk of not making it through the gate in time!

Understanding as much, the Emperor's executioner was moving faster now. A jump carried him to the rampart, just short of the lowering shield, where he did something so unexpected that it took Shryne a moment to make sense of what was happening.

Vader hurled his ignited lightsaber through the air.

For a split second Shryne thought he had done so in anger. Then, in awe, he grasped that Vader had aimed.

...

Shryne flew for the top of the stairway, his gaze fully engaged on the twirling blade, his heart hammering in his chest. Calling on the Force, he tried to influence the course of the lightsaber, but either the Force wasn't with him or Vader's force abilities were overpowering his.

...

Passing within a meter of Shryne's outstretched hands, the lightsaber struck Fang Zar first, ripping a deep gouge across his upper chest and nearly decapitating him ...

One by one Palpatine's military advisers appeared before him, standing in postures of obeisance below the throne room's dais, their eyes narrowed against the orange blaze of Coruscant's setting sun, delivering their reports and appraisals, their expert assessments of the state of his Empire.

...

In some outlying systems, arsenals of Separatist weapons, in some cases entire flotillas of droid-piloted warships, had been commandeered by rogue paramilitary groups before Imperial forces could reach them.

In Hutt space, smugglers, pirates, and other scoundrels were taking advantage of the Emperor's need to consolidate power by blazing new routes for the movement of spice and other proscribed goods.

On many former CIS worlds, bounty hunters were tracking down former Separatist colluders.

In the Mid Rim, Imperial academies were filling with recruits obtained from flight schools throughout the galaxy.

In the Outer Rim, three new batches of Stormtroopers were being grown.

Closer to the Core, capital ships were being turned out by Seinar, Kuat Drive, and other yards.

And yet at present there were simply too few battle groups or stormtroopers to deploy at every potential trouble spot.

Massive protests had been held on Alderaan, Corellia, and Commenor.

Progress was lagging on several of the Emperor's most cherished projects, owing to a lack of construction workers ...

...

For the moment it was enough that his advisers and minions respected him- for reestablishing peace, for eliminating the group that had posed the greatest threat to continuing stability- but eventually those same advisers would need to fear him. To understand the great power he wielded, as both Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith. And to that end, Sidious needed Vader.

For if someone as potent as Vader answered to the Emperor, then how powerful must the Emperor be!

[LordShaithis]

Yeah, I finally got to read this book, and it was nice to see that all this prequel-era Jedi flippy/twirly shit doesn't go very far against Darth fuckin' Vader.

[Cykeisme]

Good to see the Force-guided hurling of a lightsaber is something unusual, unexpected, and powerful.

The games made it seem as if every damn Jedi was chucking his/her lightsaber left and right.. while in the movies, only two Force-sensitive fighters have done it: Yoda and Darth Vader.

[VT-16]

I like that status report, especially the mention of certain "pet projects" being on the backburner due to dozens of other chores needed to be done first. 8)

[Cykeisme]

Yes, I don't see why people have a problem with the original Death Star taking ~40 times longer to complete than the second. Aside from the (non-trivial) fact that it had to be hidden from the still-important Senate, resources had to be directed toward the important business of Empire-building.

[Vympel]

That's why there was this meeting- in relation to the invasion of Kashyyyk.

Reactivating the holoprojector, Tarkin turned his attention to an image of the Emperor's moonlet-size secret project, orbitally anchored at its deep-space retreat. Vader had learned that the Emperor had placed Tarkin in charge of supervising certain aspects of its construction.

Clearly, though, Tarkin was angling for more.

"How does my hunt for a few rogue Jedi figure into your scheme regarding the Emperor's weapon?" Vader asked.

"My 'scheme'", Tarking said, with a short laugh. "All right then. Here's the truth of it. The project is already far behind schedule. It has been beset with engineering problems, delays in shipments, the unreliability of contractors, and, most important, a shortage of skilled laborers."

...

Tarkin studied him. "You would be willing to help me achieve this goal?"

"I see a possibility."

Narrowing his eyes, Tarkin nodded in a way that came close to being a bow of respect. "Then, my friend, our real partnership is just beginning."

An Imperial fleet subsequently invades Kashyyyk- forgoing orbital bombardment as suggested by Vader's admirals (Kashyyyk has no planetary defence shield, it is stated) to round up Wookies for labour.

[Vympel]

Black armorweave and feats of strength weren't the only things that distinguished Darth Vader from Anakin Skywalker.

Vader's original complaints:

Vader turned and moved for the hatch.

But this is not walking, he thought.

Long accustomed to building and rebuilding droids, supercharging the engines of landspeeders and starfighters, upgrading the mechanisms that controlled the first of his artificial limbs, he was dismayed by the incompetence of the medical droids responsible for his resurrection in Sidious's lofty laboratory on Coruscant.

His alloy lower legs were bulked by strips of armor similar to those that filled and gave form to the long glove Anakin had worn over his right-arm prosthesis. What remained of his real limbs ended in bulbs of grafted flesh, inserted into machines that triggered movement through the use of modules that interfaced with his damaged nerve endings. But instead of using durasteel, the medical droids had substituted an inferior alloy, and had failed to inspect the strips that protected the electromotive lines. As a result, the inner lining of the pressurized bodysuit were continually snagging on places where the strips were anchored to knee and ankle joints.

The tall boots were a poor fit for his artificial feet, whose claw-like toes lacked the electrostatic sensitivity of his equally false fingertips. Raised in the heel, the cumbersome footgear canted him slightly forward, forcing him to move with exaggerated caution lest he stumble or topple over. Worse, the were so heavy he felt rooted to the ground, or as if he were moving in high gravity.

What good was motion of this sort, if he was going to have to call on the Force even to walk from place to place! He may as well have resigned himself to using a repulsor chair and abandoned any hope of movement.

The defects in his prosthetic arms mirrored those of his legs.

Only the right one felt natural to him- though it, too, was artificial- and the pneumatic mechanisms that supplied articulation and support were sometimes slow to respond. The weighty cloak and pectoral plating so restricted his movement that he could scarcely lift his arms over his head, and he had already been forced to adapt his lightsaber technique to compensate.

He could probably adjust the servodrivers and pistons in his forearms to provide his hands with strength enough to crush the hilt of his new lightsaber. With the power of his arms alone, he had the ability to lift an adult being off the ground. But the Force had always given him the ability to do that, especially in moments of rage, as he had demonstrated on Tatooine and eslewhere. What's more, the sleeves of the bodysuit didn't hug the prostheses as they should, and the elbow-length gloves sagged and bunched at the wrsits.

Gazing at the gloves now, he thought: This is not seeing.

The pressurized mask was goggle-eyed, fish-mouthed, short-snouted, and needlessly angular over the cheekbones. Coupled with a flaring dome of helmet, the mask gave him the forbidding appearance of an ancient Sith war droid. The dark hemispheres that covered his eyes filtered out the light that might have caused further injury to his damaged corneas and retinas, but in enhanced mode the half globes reddened the light and prevented him from being able to see the toes of his boots without inclining his head almost ninety degrees.

Listening to the servomotors that drove his limbs, he thought: This is not hearing.

The med droids rebuilt the cartilage of his outer ears, but his eardrums, having melted in Mustafar's heat, had been beyond repair. Sound waves now had to be transmitted directly to implants in his inner ear, and sounds registered as if issuing from underwater. Worse, the implanted sensors lacked sufficient discrimination, so that too many ambient sounds were picked up, and their distance and direction were difficult to determine. Sometimes the sensors needled him with feedback, or attached echo or vibrato effects to even the faintest noise.

Allowing his lungs to fill with air, he thought: This is not breathing.

Here the med droids had truly failed him.

From a control box he wore strapped to his chest, a thick cable entered his torso, linked to a breathing apparatus and heartbeat regulator. The ventilator was implanted in his hideously scarred chest, along with tubes that ran directly into his damaged lungs, and others that entered his throat, so that should the chest plate or belt control panels develop a glitch, he could breathe unassisted for a limited time.

But the monitoring panel beeped frequently and for no reason, and the constellation of lights served only as steady reminders of his vulnerability.

The incessant rasp of his breathing interfered with his ability to rest, let alone sleep. And sleep, in the rare moments it came to him, was a nightmarish jumble of twisted, recurrent memories that unfolded to excruciating sounds.

The med droids had at least inserted the redundant breathing tubes low enough so that, with the aid of an enunciator, his scorched vocal chords could form sound and words. But absent the enunciator, which imparted a synthetic bass tone, his own voice was little more than a whisper.

He could take food through his mouth, as well, but only when he was inside a hyperbaric chamber, since he had to remove the triangular respiratory vent that was the mask's prominent feature. So it was easier to receive nourishment through liquids, intravenous and otherwise, and to rely on catheters, collection pouches, and recyclers to deal with solid and liquid waste.

But all those devices made it even more difficult for him to move with ease, much less with any grace. The pectoral armor that protected the artificial lung weighed him down, as did the electrode-studded collar that supported the outsize helmet, necessary to safeguard the cybernetic devices that replaced the uppermost of his vertebrae, the delicate systems of the mask, and the ragged scars in his hairless head, which owed as much to what he had endured on Mustafar as to attempts at emergency trephination during the trip back to Coruscant aboard Sidious's shuttle.

The synthskin that substituted for what was seared from his bones itched incessantly, and his body needed to be periodically cleansed and scrubbed of necrotic flesh.

Already he had experienced moments of claustrophobia- moments of desperation to be rid of the suit, to emerge from the shell. He needed to build, or have built, a chamber in which he could feel human again ...

If possible.

All in all, he thought: This is not living.

This was solitary confinement. Prison of the worst sort. Continual torture. He was nothing more than wreckage. Power without clear purpose ...

[Anguirus]

Kashyyyk has no planetary defence shield, it is stated

Yep, and in my opinion it's a bit silly. I mean, Naboo being defenseless is one thing, but these are the Wookiees. They are basically banking on their foes wanting to enslave them or kill them personally.

The novel heavily implied that the Wookiees, while inventive and intelligent, are technically way behind the galaxy at large. All their heavy weapons in the book were scavenged Republic and CIS stuff. I don't see a reason for it, but it's out there and so one can't very well dispute it.

[Noble Ire]

Kashyyyk has no planetary defence shield, it is stated

Yep, and in my opinion it's a bit silly. I mean, Naboo being defenseless is one thing, but these are the Wookiees. They are basically banking on their foes wanting to enslave them or kill them personally.

The novel heavily implied that the Wookiees, while inventive and intelligent, are technically way behind the galaxy at large. All their heavy weapons in the book were scavenged Republic and CIS stuff. I don't see a reason for it, but it's out there and so one can't very well dispute it.

It may be an element of their psyce, which is quite heavily honor based. They may consider planetary shields dishonorable somehow, and would rather fight an enemy on open terms (as they did in their charge against the CIS forces from entrenched positions.)

Then again, it may simply be that they depended on the Republic for defense, and didn't want a shield to impede their significant trading activities. After all, their only real enemies pre-Empire, the Transdoshans, couldn't mount a full invasion of Kashyyyk, and any orbital bombardement would be counter-intuitive, since they hunt Wookiees for slave labor and personal honor. A planetary shield won't stop inflitrators and bounty hunters.

[Anguirus]

^ I agree that the Wookiee strategy is fine against the Trandoshans they would expect to encounter, but I really can't see why they wouldn't at least invest in shields for their cities. The whole battle, all they can do is hope the Empire doesn't fire on the cities...and surprise, when they start taking losses, they do.

The heavy, almost frantic, cannibalization of any and all war materiel on or near Kashyyyk going on tells me that they know a storm's coming. But why must they resort to this, when they are a civilized, represented, Republic world?

It was a good scene in the book. And I can appreciate the Wookiees being caught with their pants down. But it bugs me that fricking Hoth can hold off Death Squadron and yet Kashyyyk is wide open. If Tarkin hadn't wanted his slaves, the planet could well have been sterilized.

[Noble Ire]

The planet's Whyorsh trees may prove an impediment to implementing theater shields, which the Wookiees could probably scrounge up on short order, around their major cities. While costal areas might be able have them, placing one on a tree city in the vast, which dominates most of planet's surface, would be virtually impossible without clearing a large area of the trees, and moving the city closer to the ground, both would likely seem unappetiving prospects to the Wookiees, especially if they felt the prospect of orbital bombardment was unlikely. Although planetary shield generators might not be so hard to implement, since the shield bubble is so high up, they would probably not have had one for similar reasons (ie, not needing one), and when the CW started, there may not have been enough time to build a complete network.

The heavy, almost frantic, cannibalization of any and all war materiel on or near Kashyyyk going on tells me that they know a storm's coming. But why must they resort to this, when they are a civilized, represented, Republic world?

Likely to avoid Imperial notice of their military build-up. After all, the landing troops were taken aback by the ferocity and material at the disposal of the defenders.

If Tarkin hadn't wanted his slaves, the planet could well have been sterilized.

Unlikely, at least at that point. This is only weeks into Palpatine's reign, and he still relies on the Seante to maintain order. Selective bombardments and "detainment" of rabble rousers he can rationalize, especially due to the growing hatred of the Jedi, but specicide is another matter entirely.

[Anguirus]

Selective bombardments and "detainment" of rabble rousers he can rationalize, especially due to the growing hatred of the Jedi, but specicide is another matter entirely.

He destroys the Wookiees' political power completely and makes them a slave race. Not a word from their hypothetical supporters.

If he can tell the galaxy "I've just destroyed the oldest organization of do-gooders in the galaxy and you're going to love me for it," then he can get away with BDZing Kashyyyk. The Wookiees are apparently not an especially well-known race, nor do they have much political support.

It would actually be easier for the Emperor to have the Wookiees gone overnight than to enslave them, if they have the popular and political support you suggest. It's just one 'barbaric" planet in a year which has seen the destruction of Humbarine and crusging of countless Seperatist worlds.

I really don't see why huge trees are in any way an impediment to theatre shields, which can go pretty high up, but it's pointless to debate with so little info at hand.

[Noble Ire]

He destroys the Wookiees' political power completely and makes them a slave race. Not a word from their hypothetical supporters.

The news reports we see make no mention of the enslavement of the species. No doubt, that's when it's started, but Palpatine could have kept that under wraps for a decade. For now, it's "insurgent detainment" and "political and economic sanctions." These things can be pushed under the rug. Turning Kashyyyk into slag, especially with all of those smugglers as witnessess, is politically non-viable, even for Palpatine (at this point.)

If he can tell the galaxy "I've just destroyed the oldest organization of do-gooders in the galaxy and you're going to love me for it," then he can get away with BDZing Kashyyyk.

Palpatine and his propagandists had done a very good job turning public sentiment against the Jedi, even before the Purge, and especially after Mace's attempt to capture him. Their destruction was welcomed by many.

The Wookiees are apparently not an especially well-known race, nor do they have much political support.

The Wookiees have representation in the Senate (they, in fact, represent their sector, a decent accomplishment in itself) sit on a key trade and expansion route, and are a trade hub. They're a well-enough known race to piss some people off if their homeworld is burned.

I really don't see why huge trees are in any way an impediment to theatre shields, which can go pretty high up, but it's pointless to debate with so little info at hand.

The point is that they would have to go through the trees to form a high enough protective field. The flora on Kashyyyk is pretty big.

[Vympel]

In case it wasn't clear, Vader had no intention of slagging Kashyyyk. He wanted the Wookies for slave labour, he didn't want to wipe them all out. This was the arrangement he made with Tarkin.

[Noble Ire]

In case it wasn't clear, Vader had no intention of slagging Kashyyyk. He wanted the Wookies for slave labour, he didn't want to wipe them all out. This was the arrangement he made with Tarkin.

That is not at issue. I think the debate was why the Wookiees didn't have planetary defenses to speak of.

[Lord Revan]

It should also be considered that Kashyyyk is home to one most extensive Hyperspace route databases, which is the reason why the CIS or the Empire (or anybody for that matter) doesn't want destroy the planet outright but rather invades the planet.

[Surlethe]

The planet's Whyorsh trees may prove an impediment to implementing theater shields, which the Wookiees could probably scrounge up on short order, around their major cities. While costal areas might be able have them, placing one on a tree city in the vast, which dominates most of planet's surface, would be virtually impossible without clearing a large area of the trees, and moving the city closer to the ground, both would likely seem unappetiving prospects to the Wookiees, especially if they felt the prospect of orbital bombardment was unlikely.

If a shield generator is located in a tree-based city, it's quite possible the bombardment will destroy the city. The momentum from a shot to the shield generator -- while not penetrating the shield -- will drive the generator through the floor of the wooden houses, or through the trunk of a tree, and pull the shield bubble beneath the level of the city, probably destroying it in the process. That's if I remember correctly how the shields work.

[Cykeisme]

If a shield generator is located in a tree-based city, it's quite possible the bombardment will destroy the city. The momentum from a shot to the shield generator -- while not penetrating the shield -- will drive the generator through the floor of the wooden houses, or through the trunk of a tree, and pull the shield bubble beneath the level of the city, probably destroying it in the process. That's if I remember correctly how the shields work.

Can a sufficient quantity of neutrinos (or some other exotic form of emission) radiated in the opposite direction shunt the momentum away from the shield system while still conserving momentum?

I doubt even the soil of a typical planet would be sufficient to hold up to a heavy turbolaser barrage delivered by a fleet of large capital ships. If there is a method for transferring momentum away from the system (rather than into the ground), then the reason why Kashyyyk mounts no shield generators is probably power generation, mounting space and other infrastructural limitations. Additionally, it was not neccessary for a Senate-represented planet in the Galactic Republic to have planetary defenses.


Also, how effective are planetary shields? If the Galactic Empire decided it wanted everyone on your planet dead, wouldn't it be able to achieve this somehow, given time?
Assuming planetary shields can defeat the firepower of entire fleets, then the advent of the Death Star is indeed a huge advance. Otherwise, the Death Star merely speeds up the process..

[Ghost Rider]

Also, how effective are planetary shields? If the Galactic Empire decided it wanted everyone on your planet dead, wouldn't it be able to achieve this somehow, given time?
Assuming planetary shields can defeat the firepower of entire fleets, then the advent of the Death Star is indeed a huge advance. Otherwise, the Death Star merely speeds up the process..

Low end, probably enough to take a few ISD's...evidenced by Hoth's. Death Squadron could likely penetrate but would be an extremely messy affair.

The high end of the Alderaan would take a loooooooooong time, and have the potential of being too much trouble. The Death Star was really for the latter then the former.