Andor S2: Epsiode 8 Review

Andor has become the last, best hope for Star Wars fans, as it represents a continuation in many ways of the familiarity of the original trilogy. The realism of the “used universe” concept is clearly evident, and that is due in part to a large number of practical and real-world sets being used for filming.

In Season two Episode eight, there are several things that I would like to briefly discuss that I found intriguing. To begin, I want to discuss the shootout scene in the Ghorman city center. For the most part I thought it was well done, although I did see some mistakes by actors portraying both Imperials and Insurgents.

This was mostly related to improper weapons handling and manipulation; specifically with using blaster carbines without the shoulder stock extended. In one instance Cassian can be seen using a modular blaster with a macroscope, but no stock. That might work okay for point shooting, but not for long range work like he’s attempting.

*Cassian hasn’t been to the Maven Therrell school of shooting has he?*

The reason being is that the small arms in the Star Wars universe may differ in their operation from the real-world weapons they are based on, but they are used in the same manner. Anyone who has watched the original trilogy or played Battlefront knows that blasters have recoil, so to suggest that you could use a long gun without a shoulder stock is an oversight by the Director.

Another aspect of the shoot-out scene is the sound of the blasters. Again, in the original trilogy as well as Battlefront and Battlefront 2, it is evident how loud these weapons are. Blasters do not shoot at the velocities of modern firearms, but they do produce a loud report when fired.

In Andor, the blaster fire seems to be intentionally toned down, which detracts from the authenticity and realism of the battle. In some instances, they do not even utilize the same sound effects for weapons such as the Blastech E-11s. This is not an issue that is reserved to this episode, but has been seen throughout this series, as well as others like The Book of Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian.

Syril Karn

I want to briefly discuss the Character of Syril Karn, whom I found to be an extremely disturbing individual. Syril has from the beginning been portrayed as a very ambitious individual, with an ego to match.

He has a desire to be someone of importance, a successful leader if you will. Within that however, we find someone who acts aggressively and impulsively at times. This it would seem indicates that he is at his core broken and insecure, which may stem from the way that his narcissistic mother treats him.

Being belittled as an adult by one’s own mother is humiliating, and both a perverted and unnatural experience to be subjected to. Syril then, seeks to compensate for this bullying by irrationally seeking some way to cope. For Syril, that coping mechanism is in becoming someone that he is not, in order to disprove to himself the lies that his mother has imposed upon him.

At each turn Syril acts on anger and impulse, which cause him great failure and misfortune. Even in his relationship with Deedra, he goes too far. First, by failing to acknowledge the Imperial rank structure and demanding to see her, and at others by speaking out of turn.

All of his failures come to an inflection point when he confronts Deedra about the false flag operation on Ghorman. Syril unleashes his anger on Deedra, forcefully choking her to ger her to talk. He then storms out of the office, and into the fray in the city center.

These impulsive decisions carried out by Syril, and driven by his own ego, lead to his demise. He attacks Cassian, and before he can kill him Syril is shot dead by the resistance leader with a single headshot. This scene was in my opinion, one of the most emotional in any series that I have ever witnessed.

*Syril Karn’s final act of aggression becomes his last*

Syril for whatever reason, chose to continue his reckless pursuit of self-entitlement, and ended up as an unnecessary casualty of the war. Had he simply obeyed Deedra and left the planet, he would have never known the reality for which he was a willing participant.

I would suggest that Syril was lost in the balance of light and darkness. he had become aware of the evil of the Empire, but because of his uncontrollable rage, he forfeited any opportunity to make a difference by becoming a true rebel.

His death was shocking, and saddening. Seeing his lifeless body lying on the floor, shattered the lives of the only two people who cared anything about him. Had he chose to let go of his anger and extend his hand to Cassian, he would still be alive, and his life would have taken on a greater meaning.

It is a very real symbology of what we see in life every day. People who choose to act in anger, who feel entitled to act on aggression, destroy the lives of the innocent, as well as their own. They fail to grasp that forgiveness is a window, that can open their eyes to a path of peace and tranquility, where so many choose hate and violence.

As Cassian says to Jyn in Rogue One, “Let it go.” The act of revenge is not worth sacrificing one’s character and future for, under any circumstances.

Fall of an Empire

The decline of Star Wars

I remember the first time that I watched A New Hope on television. I was four or five years old, and I can still recall being mesmerized by the Jawas and their giant sandcrawler. I watched it every year from that moment on, and it has been a part of my life since.

I grew up playing with the toys, reading the books, and watching the Droids cartoon series. I even had one of the original lightsabers sold by Roses discount stores back in the eighties. When I became an adult, I returned to collecting Star Wars toys in 1995 with the newly released Kenner Power of the Force line of figures and vehicles.

Since that time, I have continued to collect and relive those moments from childhood through the work that I have done as a writer. So, you can imagine when I first learned that George Lucas had sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, I was stunned to say the least.

I was honestly confused as to why he had decided to sell the company, and naturally I was curious about who was in charge, and what changes that they would make. When I heard the announcement that Disney intended to make more movies, I was skeptical.

I wanted to know why Lucasfilm was sold, and what the future would hold for Star Wars. It wouldn’t take long for me to learn that Star Wars was not in the best of hands, and that there was great cause for concern among the fan base.

One of the first decisions that Disney made with their new acquisition was to dissolve LucasArts, the critically acclaimed gaming division of Lucasfilm. Instead, Disney decided that any future Lucasfilm gaming titles would be contracted out to other developers. In my opinion this was a mistake, but it is that, my opinion.

They also chose to disregard the Expanded Universe material and place it into a what if? type category of its own called Legends. Throughout the years, George Lucas did not necessarily agree with the stories written by the authors, and he reserved the rights to alter anything that they wrote.

Later Disney would also choose to relocate Lucasfilm’s headquarters from the bay area to Los Angeles, which again, I believe to be a mistake. One of the main reasons why Lucasfilm was so successful, was in the decision by George Lucas to remain independent, and detached from Hollywood.

It gave him total autonomy and control over his company, without the external interference and prying eyes that are all too familiar from other Hollywood execs. It also made it much more difficult for Lucasfilm to become the target of Intellectual thieves, which are prevalent in Hollywood.

As any writer can attest, there is something to be said for having the peace that comes from solitude. Having privacy to work alone without being controlled and manipulated by external forces allows creativity to become the priority over production.

So, when The Force Awakens was released, I was initially excited. I began collecting the toys and was really moved by certain parts of the movie, but something was terribly wrong. I realized that what I was watching was nothing more than a soft reboot of A New Hope.

I could not understand how and why Disney would choose to make such an egregious decision, which they would never be able to change. The heart of the franchise lay with six characters, which would never be able to be on screen together again.

I would later learn that a member of Disney’s corporate leadership had made the comment that they intended for The Force Awakens to be exactly that. During pre-production, Director J.J. Abrams approached Mark Hamill, and asked how they could recapture the magic of the original trilogy, to which Mark simply replied, “you can’t.”

Disney you see, was not interested in continuing to tell the stories that George Lucas had written, or else they would have accepted and used his story treatments for the sequels. What they were interested in was marketing.

Disney saw an opportunity to market Star Wars to a new generation of fans, and to do that they kept in line with their woke agenda, and used a female lead to sell it as a new version of Luke Skywalker. Think I’m wrong? Ask yourself how many food carts, restaurants, and shops are at Galaxy’s Edge, versus the number of actual attractions.

Though initially successful at the box office, The Force Awakens would forever divide the fan base in a way that the prequels could never hope to achieve. Adult fans who grew up with the original trilogy were passionately furious about the creative decisions by Disney and Lucasfilm, with good reason.

The future of the franchise seemed more uncertain than ever and then came Rogue One. Meant to be the first in a series of stand-alone movies, Rogue One was and remains the pinnacle of the Disney-era entries into the Star Wars universe.

It’s success, however, would be soon forgotten as the shadows of something more sinister were on the horizon. The rift created by The Force Awakens would only become more severe as The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker were released.

The lack of creativity, the choice of actors, and the stories all plunged Star Wars into a nosedive on some far-flung world. Fans the world over were angry, confused, and hurt; They walked away from these films with more questions than answers.

Collectors fared no better, as Hasbro secretly lost more than five hundred million dollars in revenue on their Star Wars brand merchandise from 2012 to 2019. Though these numbers were never publicly reported, they caused Hasbro to make significant changes in both what they chose to market, and to whom.

As time has marched on, we have seen Disney tighten the reigns of caution, by investing more in their live action series made for their streaming service, Disney Plus. Rather than seeking out new creative material, they chose to fill in every blank space that George Lucas left in days gone by.

Rather than honor the intent and stories that were, Disney and Lucasfilm chose to rewrite history. They wanted and had on many occasions retconned material to match their current narrative, while disregarding previous works from the past, such as Legends novels and video games like The Force Unleashed.

The problem then, becomes too much material too soon. No matter how it is marketed to the fan base and the public at large, Lucasfilm has become a puppet of their corporate slave masters at Disney. Forever gone are the days of creativity, ingenuity, and what made Star Wars special. As sad as it may seem, Star Wars as we knew it is forever gone; erased by the dark powers of perverted men and women driven by greed.

No longer a children’s story, Star Wars now includes the abomination of same sex relationships and transgenderism. Silently woven into the narrative, our children are being subjected to a clandestine form of indoctrination into the perversion of humanity. Disney, therefore, has taken what was special and unique, and reimagined it into filth disguised as entertainment.

For fans of the original trilogy like myself, our memories will forever be grounded in that galaxy far, far, away in our childhood. My passion for it lives on in original trilogy themed toys from Hasbro, and in remaining true to what Star Wars was created to be, and not what it has become.

The Dark Banner

Living under the flag of the Empire as a civilian

*The flag of the Galactic Empire flying over a city on Chandrila*

Decades after the Emperor ascended to power and vanquished the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire reigns in its stead. The once stable democracy of the Republic has been replaced by a totalitarian regime, that we are told will ensure our prosperity and security for ages to come.

The reality however, is much darker and far more sinister than many have been led to believe. What began as a promise to end a war and bring peace to a crumbling republic, quickly evolved into a tyrannical galactic power.

In the Core worlds, and much of the Mid Rim, the rule of the Empire was accepted and even welcomed by the elite upper class of citizens. It is here that much of the galaxy’s food supplies,manufacturing facilities, and thus wealth are derived.

These mega conglamarotes and thier investors see in the Empire an opportunity to exchange freedom for profit. In so doing they escaped the worst of the Empire’s over reach, and their worlds remain largely ignored by the Emporer.

On the fringes of the Mid Rim lies Hutt space, which the Emporer has left alone. They serve his purposes when paid, while their criminal activites go largely ignored, unless they hamper the plans of the Empire.

In the farthest reaches of the Mid Rim we find worlds which connect the major trade routes of hyperspace into the fringes of the Outer Rim.

It is on these worlds where many of the galaxy’s poorest reside, and to which much attention has been devoted by the Empire.

Nearly all of the galaxy’s alien species have been discriminated against by the Empire, and their worlds annexed and subjucated for it’s use. Many species like the Wookies have been enslaved across the galaxy, in order to fulfill manual labor for the Empire’s war machine.

Others like the Twi’leks find themselves in the ownership of Moffs and other Imperial leadership, serving as cooks, waiters, and personal attendants in their homes. They by and large are spared the worst of the humilation, so long as their behavior and performance are deemed acceptable.

It may seem then, from first glance that the Empire has favored humanity from its racial bigotry, but nothing could be further from reality.

From the moment that an Imperial star cruiser enters orbit around a planet, life on that world is forever changed. Whatever freedoms it’s citizens once held, will be immediately stripped away by the enforcement of Imperial laws.

Many have learned the hard way, that all that is required is to piss of an Imperial stormtrooper, before they are placed in binders, and charged with some fictitous crime that never existed.

Others have been stopped on the streets, bullied and beaten until they can no longer stand or walk. Others still have their businesses and homes raided, their children left screaming in terror while blasters are pointed in their face.

People have quickly learned that their way of life has ended, as Imperial engineers assemble pre fabricated garrisons on their planet.

Within a matter of weeks, lush thriving worlds find themsleves under the darkened banner of Imperial oppression. Their governments and it’s leaders are now nothing more than puppets on display for the public, with the Empire pulling their strings at will.

Stormtroopers patrol the streets and highways, while AT-STs and tanks are positioned at intersections. TIE fighters howl from overhead, as they carry out combat air patrols.

For some planets, the presence of the Empire is overwhelming, while on other worlds it is an ever present threat looming in the shadows.

Imperial Intelligence agents with the ISB find their way into every strata of galactic society, blending in with the local populace, living under the guise of familiarity.

They build rapport with the locals, establish their own cover, and then use that to gain intelligence. They wait and they watch, looking for those who would breed resistance to the Empire’s presence and rule.

As powerful as the Empire may appear, their fear and hubris leave them hamstrung to the efforts of those who have been pushed too far.

It always begins with one person; one individual who has had enough of being bullied, profiled, and watched by the Empire. They too lie in patience, watching and learning from their enemies.

They begin to take notes, and build their own network of contacts who are like minded. Perhaps not everyone sympathetic to their cause is able or willing to actively oppose such a daunting enemy, but there are always those who are.

They begin by meeting in secret, at random locations and times, passing on information to each other, until one day they find a opportunity of weakness, and exploit it.

It might begin by stealing Imperial communications equipment and weapons, before advancing to more complex hesist and raids.

Soon the Imperial forces find themselves at a disadvantage, as the tables are turned, and they find that they are no longer the predator, but the prey. The initial confusion and shock is replaced by anger, so they take it out on the local populace.

The Empire always makes the innocent suffer, in an effort to motivate those sympathetic to the acts of rebellion to capitulate and betray their cause. Some do, but the wiser do not.

They understand the cost of freedom, and that personal sacrifice is a necessary hinge upon which liberty must swing. It is with these types of people, that the Rebellion finds it’s cause.

As local resistance mounts, there comes a day when the Empire is dealt a mortal wound. Corellian Corvettes and Mon Calamari cruisers drop out of Hyperspace, pummeling the few Star Destroyers that may be in orbit.

They are struck with Ion cannons, overwhelming their systems, and leaving them dead in the cold waters of space.

Their hulls are raked with turbo lasers, until their reactor cores are hit, shattering them into a maniature sun. Meanwhile, down on the surface of the planet, Rebel Alliance fighters begin reclaiming the skies, while chasing TIE fighters to their deaths.

On the ground, the rebels do what they do best; killing the Empire one stromtrooper at a time. With controlled discipline they communicate, move, and shoot together as one.

Moving from house to house, building to building, using every angle and every piece of cover to their advantage. Their losses will be many, but when the day is done, the battle will be won.

In the city square Imperial officers are publicly hanged, and their rule comes to an end. Meanwhile, the Imperial bases are raided by the rebels. Every piece of usable equipment and weapons are taken, and they give the Rebel Alliance a fighting chance to reclaim the galaxy, one world at a time…

Incom UT 60-D U-Wing

A look at the Blackhawk of the Star Wars Galaxy

*An Incom UT-60D assigned to Alliance SpecForces Nomad squadron during a TRAINEX on an unidentified world.*

When you mention the Rebel Alliance, the first image that crosses a person’s mind is of the pointed X-Wing starfighters darting through space. They, along with the older Koensayr BTL 4 Y-Wings have become synonymous with the Rebellion against the Empire.

The Alliance fighter pilots hit and run tactics against the Empire have earned them a reputation across the galaxy that have become almost legendary, however that is only part of the story. For every dogfight in space, there are dozens of ground campaigns being carried out by Alliance infantry and SpecForces, and they aren’t relying on X-Wings for support.

Instead, they look to the Incom UT-60D U-Wing starfighter. The term starfighter is somewhat of a misnomer, as it was not conceived or envisioned to fulfill that role. The UT-60 began life as a small civilian transport known as the BT-45D, with twin ion engines and short, horizontal S-foils as stabilizers. The designers at Incom soon realized the potential of the design for military applications and went to work redesigning the ship.

The design team at Incom utilized nearly identical geometry for the fuselage and cockpit that they used for the T-47 airspeeders. The ship featured a tandem cockpit, with side-by-side seating for the pilot and weapons officer. The cockpit featured armored transparisteel viewports on the ventral section of the front and sides of the ship, as well as on the canopy, providing the pilots with an unobstructed view during flight operations.

Incom’s design team changed the engine configuration from that used on the BT-45D to include four, GBK 4J.7 fusial thrust engines. Each engine would be mounted on a reinforced armored nacelle and pylon. Rather than using a single hyperdrive motivator in the ship, they equipped each engine with its own Incom GBK 585 Hyperdrive Motivator, providing the ship with a class 1 Hyperdrive rating.

This would provide the UT-60D with increased speed and an edge over its enemies, but it would do so at the cost of fuel. Both the 4J.7 ion engines and the Hyperdrive motivators would restrict the operational range of the UT-60D, making it ill-suited for long range operations. It would also limit the time that the U-wing could loiter on a target, forcing the pilots to land and conceal their ships until they were needed.

Next, they turned their attention to the ship’s airframe, which they reinforced with armor plating around the cockpit, troop bay, and fuel cells. They designed a pair of long Strike foils which could be configured in a locked and stowed position on the long axis of the airframe. This “attack mode” both minimized the profile of the ship and provided its nickname.

*A pair of female Rebel SpecForces operatives on a remote LZ with a U-Wing*

The pilots would operate the Strike foils in this configuration for take-off, landing, and close air support operations. Doing so provided increased maneuverability in tight landing zones and would provide increased fields of fire for the door gunners in the troop bay.

For conventional and atmospheric flight operations, the U-Wings Pair of Strike foils could be opened and allowed to extend out and to the rear of the fuselage. This would provide the ship with tremendous lift and stability in atmospheric flight, as well as extending the range of the Chempat deflector shield generators in each S-foil.

For offensive capabilities, the U-Wing was armed with a pair of forward mounted Taim and Bak KX7 laser cannons mounted directly in front of the cockpit, as well as a pair of micro proton torpedo launchers which were mounted on the long axis of the upper fuselage. The ship was also equipped with a pair of hard points under the ventral engine pylons, allowing for external ordinance to be carried.

Additionally, the troop bay is also equipped with hard points in front of each side hatch, allowing the use of pintel mounted heavy blasters, such as the Roba M-45D. This combination of ordinance would allow the U-Wing to provide close air support for troops engaged in combat on the ground, as well as covering fire during insertion/extraction of friendly forces.

*Alliance Pathfinders deploy from a UT-60D during combat operations on Scarif*

Incom’s redesigned and redesignated UT-60D U-Wing never went into full production, as the corporation was taken over by the Empire, and brought under the control and supervision of their corporate sector entities. The small number of produced ships were stolen from the Empire by an unknown entitiy, where they were delivered to Rebel Alliance.

Just like with the T-65B X-Wing, the U-Wing’s story did not end there. Many of Incom’s designers and workers defected to the Alliance, where they oversaw clandestine production of their designs. Utilizing their network of financers and suppliers, the Alliance established production facilities throughout the galaxy, allowing their ships to continue to be produced without interference.

Today the Incom UT-60D serves as the tip of the spear for Alliance SpecForces. These ships have often seen more combat than their more infamous counterparts, deploying to hundreds of worlds across the galaxy. Their missions range from delivering informants, to rescuing hostages from the Empire’s grasp. Their battle scarred hulls tell tales that few know, and even less will hear of.

Eight years ago one such ship deployed to Scarif to rescue a young rebel operative who had gone rogue, and was responsible for stealing the plans to the Empire’s Death Star. Her actions saved countless billions of lives, and helped crack the door of freedom for the galaxy. Once believed dead, young Jyn Erso lived to tell the tale, and her story will be written because of a single U-Wing, and her daring crew.

The War in Ukraine

A comparative study of modern insurgency and the Rebel Alliance

As any fan of the Star Wars franchise can attest, the Original Trilogy by George Lucas is a story of good versus evil. In it, we see the fledgling Rebel Alliance in its struggle to overthrow the tyranny of the totalitarian Galactic Empire.

The overwhelming control and oppression in the lives of everyday citizens on thousands of worlds, has incited anger and animosity in the hearts and minds of many.

From their cries for freedom are birthed the seeds of rebellion; not out of a position of hubris, but rather one of desperation for change and for liberty. Indeed, many seek the restoration of the Old Republic, and the equilibrium of its government.

Individuals with nothing to lose and everything to gain choose to defy the laws and the rule of the Empire. Behind closed doors they begin to look for other like minded individuals who are ready and willing to act.

These small cells of patriots become the catalyst for change on their planet. They begin to assess their enemy’s capabilities, their routines, their strengths, and their weaknesses.

They seek out vulnerabilities that they can easily exploit, and their battle for freedom begins. Their mission may have humble beginnings, but soon their victories increase, their strategies become more complex, and their ambitions reach to the stars.

*Vel Sartha is one willing to pay any price to take down the Empire.*

The fire may begin to burn on one world, but word of its heat spreads to many more. In just a few short years the once mighty Empire discovers that it is no longer untouchable.

Its ranks have been breached by spies, and it suffers daily harassment on a thousand worlds from filth that refuses to die. What’s more, many of these would be freedom fighters are as good if not better than their own forces. So goes the story of the Empire, and those who resist its rule.

There is however, a much darker shadow that exists in this protracted conflict, and that shadow is one of both complexity and moral ambiguity. Despite the valiant nature of the Rebellion, it is at its heart something not often discussed, and that is an insurgency.

An insurgency by definition is a violent and armed rebellion by small, lightly armed groups of individuals, who are engaged in irregular warfare against a larger authority or formal government.

So an insurgency then, is best described in modern terms as asymmetric warfare conducted by civilian fighters against a government and its military, in order to effect change.

These are men and women who could be labeled as extremists or even terrorists. They are individuals who have no rules, who have abandoned ethics and morals in order to achieve their objectives. They know that in order to defeat their enemies, that they must be willing to do what their enemies will not.

So, how does this galactic struggle compare to conflicts and wars on our own planet? Look at the Russo-Ukrainian conflict which began in 2014, and evolved into a full scale invasion in February of 2022.

Russia is a formal and organized nation and global superpower, being led by a totalitarian leader whose goal is the reunification of the former Soviet Union. He uses the political dysfunction in their relationship with Ukraine as justification for an invasion.

Russian forces cross the sovereign borders of an independent and legitimate nation and capture its territory. They establish control and announce the annexation of Crimea.

The Russians utilize psychological warfare with propaganda aimed at the general populace of Ukraine. They force Crimean citizens to publicly express their joy over the Russian state, and they cry for independence from Ukraine.

The world sees and hears this every day and night by broadcast news, and people around the world begin to question Ukraine. They begin to research Ukraine, and they examine its policies with their Russian neighbors.

In late 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin sees the weakness of the West, and he has watched their lack of resolve for the past eight years. He decides to act, knowing that they dare not interfere or risk a wider conflict.

His gamble pays off, and Russian forces cross the border of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and so begins the war. Ukraine is highly outnumbered and outmatched by the Russian forces, but they quickly respond to the invasion.

Ukrainian forces must choose when and where to attack their enemy, and they do so by leveraging irregular tactics and techniques not applicable to large scale conflicts.

They utilize drone boats to attack larger and vulnerable ships at port, embarrassing the Russian government and its leaders. They ambush smaller patrols and convoys, leaving the tanks and vehicles in tact to be used against their former owners.

Intelligence assets and special operations forces deploy deep behind enemy lines to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. They use the information gathered to strike the Russians on their own territory.

Like the Rebel Alliance, Ukraine has created its own military to defend itself against a larger, well armed, equipped, and organized enemy. In both scenarios an all out assault would incur detrimental casualties and losses for either the Rebel Alliance or Ukraine.

Their leaders must then choose their battles wisely, making use of the assets that they have, while carefully avoiding any unnecessary risks. Striking their enemies command, communication, and supply chain would be paramount.

Both forces have carried out many such operations to great effect. Striking both the Empire and the Russians at a location and time where they least expect it would capitalize upon their lethargy.

A single designated marksman operating behind enemy lines could sow discord and fear by killing individual soldiers and fading away. The psychological damage alone would lead to mistakes made by Imperials and Russians alike, opening the door for surprise attacks on them both.

Like the Rebel Alliance, Ukraine is in a struggle with overwhelming odds, and the price is high. Every action they take against the Russians must be calculated and precise. They must go far enough to achieve freedom, while abstaining from overt aggression.

*M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank flying the flag of the Rebel Alliance.*

In the end, victory will only come to those willing to pay the highest price for freedom, and and a force willing to sacrifice everything is not an adversary to be taken lightly.

As Saw Gerrera once stated, “a lone fighter with a sharp stick can seize the moment, and save the day.”

It takes absolute courage and determination to look fear and certain defeat head on, and declare that you will win. If you have the experience, the mindset, and the training, then you can use an insurgency on any scale to defeat a superior foe.

Parallels from the Empire

A glimpse at our modern world through the eyes of Rebellion

There are no Star Destroyers hanging in low orbit over our world, but there are worse threats to our existence that we see every day. You would think in modern times that humanity would have learned its lesson from devastation and war, but sadly it has not. We don’t even need to consider an outside threat, when we are destroying our planet ourselves.

But war is not our only enemy; corruption, greed, the lust for power, and wealth have all driven many to the precipice of dark deeds, with unthinkable consequences to the innocent. It parallels everything that we know and have seen the Empire to be.

When we look at the war in Ukraine with Russia, we see many similarities between Vladimir Putin and the Emperor, as well as between the Russian Government and the Empire. As frightening as that may seem, I would argue that Russia is not the only nation that parallels the doctrines of the dark side of the Force.

China, Iran, North Korea, and Turkey are all aligned with the former Soviet Union and have built a modern axis of evil in an attempt to control the balance of power on the planet. Their doctrine is simple: none of them alone can stand against the Democracies of the West, but together they can undermine the foundations of their enemies and strike them when they are not expecting it.

It is eerily reminiscent of the Clone Wars era, in which the star systems of the Separatist Alliance committed treason against the Republic and declared war on its government. Behind it all, the darkest of figures with his own personal agenda for galactic conquest and control.

Caught in the heart of these conflicts are the masses, many of whom are innocent. They are forced into subjection to wicked dictators and their rules, while clawing to survive. Others use the existence of circumstances for their own evil desires, manipulating the systems at play for their personal benefit. They are the scum and villainy of the earth.

We live in as Obi-Wan stated, dark times, and it is in these times in which heroes are born. People who come from ordinary lives, and out of obscurity. Some by birth into chance positions of privilege, and others thrust into the fray by no doing of their own. All the while fate has conspired to bring them to the edge of existence, where they can dare to act, and change the world, or falter in fear, and fail.

The Empire was self-assured of its control and station, with no thought to hubris being it’s Achilles heel. It was the door through which Rebellion succeeded, and only so. Like the Empire, the same holds true for our world. Powers beyond our scope where influence and money control the lives of billions, where our futures are exchanged for the privileged few.

The only option then must be survival. We must survive the next five minutes, so that we can begin the next five minutes thereafter. We must use that time to become smarter, stronger, and wiser than our enemies. We must study them, as they study us, and learn their weaknesses. We must learn to operate outside of the envelope of their control and domination.

At the foundation of our actions we must have hope, for without hope we have nothing, and we must have a plan. That plan must lay the foundation for our survival, and at its core it must have the hope that a future may exist free of tyranny. Someday, somehow, we must reclaim what is rightfully ours, freedom!

Vel Sartha

Luthen Rael’s blade of vengeance

In 2022 fans were introduced to origins of the Rebel Alliance in Tony Gilroy’s live action Disney Plus series Andor.

Though the series follows the journey of the titular character, the series has much more depth than the shallow character found in Cassian Andor.

The curtains are drawn back, allowing us to see the dark and dangerous work involved in building the Rebel Alliance, and the worlds where it unfolds.

We quickly find that the people who have forsaken their families, their homes, and their lives, for the cause of the Alliance are not always as they seem.

Allegiances are temporary for many, with mixed motives and questionable ethics being the tools used to forge cohesion. Often we find the lines blurred between friend and foe.

It is a dark time across the galaxy, and cells of insurgents are formed at the threat of totalitarian domination by the Empire.

It is within this setting that we find a Rebel operative on the fringes of chaos. At first glimpse we are not certain what to think of Vel Sartha.

Her presence on Aldhani leaves us with more questions than answers. The tone of the scenes playing out are reminiscent of the IRA and its campaign of terror.

Indeed, an insurgency is an asymmetric conflict waged by a small group of irregular forces against a formal government with an organized military.

The traditional good versus evil perspective of the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire are removed, as we are introduced to a darker, grittier, realm of existence.

It’s in this setting that we see a glimpse of the resolve of this young woman, willing to go to any extreme to accomplish the mission with which she has been given.

In Vel Sartha we see a new leader of a small cell of fighters. She struggles with insubordination from her team, while she questions those in authority above her.

Her skills and leadership speak of professional military training from her past, while her determination drives her towards an uncertain future.

As the series progresses we learn that Vel is a cousin of Senator Mon Mothma, and that both women are heirs of profound wealth on their home world of Chandrila.

We discover that like Mon, Vel is a wealthy socialite, who has chosen to secretly join the fledgling Rebel Alliance.

Though her reasons for doing so are not spoken of, her allegiance to the cause is certain.

Unlike many, Vel seems to take no thought for the boundaries of ethics and morals which must be broken, in order to free the oppressed.

Her actions are tempered by quiet resolve, leaving us to ponder what might her motivations be? What horrors have driven her to abandon a life of luxury?

On Coruscant we see her frustration as she is kept in the dark by her handler, the mysterious Kleya Marki, whose own roll remains unknown.

On Ferrix we find Vel apparently frustrated with Luthen’s decisions, as he keeps Vel at a distance, continuing to withhold the answers that she seeks.

Her actions make her a prominent contender as a future leader in a war without end. Time and chance will forge her character, as failure imparts wisdom if she survives the day.

Vel Sartha is every bit the preferred weapon for Luthen Rael; whether she continues to allow him to use her as such remains to be seen.

Amber Heard:

Why she deserves to be left alone.

Fans of Aquaman have been more than critical of actress Amber Heard, going so far as to place blame on the actress for sinking Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom at the box office.

That however, isn’t just an exaggeration, it is an outright lie. According to the website Box Office Mojo, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has surpassed The Marvels.

Domestically, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom earned $84.6 million dollars, while globally it raked in $258.2 million, compared to The Marvels global earnings at just $199 million.

Even though the movie barely broke even, those numbers speak volumes about the film’s popularity with fans. So if fans like the movie, what Is the real issue with Amber Heard, and her role as Mera?

To begin we need to go back to the primary reason for the negative comments by fans, which is the accusations and eventual defamation trial brought against Amber by her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

As a writer, I cannot offer an unbiased opinion or perspective on the trial, because the truth is the element which is absent from the entire narrative.

We only know what we have heard and seen, and unfortunately that has only served to fuel the fires of discrimination ignited by fans.

In truth, there’s always two sides to every story, and somewhere in the middle is the truth. Sometimes the truth isn’t popular or pretty, it just is what it is.

In this matter some within the fan base who are fans of Amber’s ex-husband have apparently decided that he’s completely honest, and right, and she’s to blame for all of the wrong doing.

Right or wrong, the private lives of two celebrities have become a public spectacle as they often do, which have had negative consequences for their careers.

Specifically, it had a perceived negative impact on Amber’s current role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

It’s a role that Amber had become famous for, as she starred alongside Jason Momoa in James Wan’s 2018 Aquaman.

Aquaman was wildly popular with fans, grossing over one billion dollars at the box office world wide.

The reality of Amber’s success as an actress cannot be argued, but the issues that she faced as a person, as well as her character, had the potential to destroy that.

So apparently the failure or success of a film was hinged upon the private life of an actress, which had become a public scandal.

Anyone who has a television or cell phone knows that there are very few actors and actresses whose personal lives have not become scandalous at some point in time.

It is something that may not begin intentionally, but which many have manipulated over time for their own self seeking aggrandizement.

Only Amber knows what her intentions were, but whatever that may be, it is apparent that the entire matter caused concern with the executives at Warner Brothers.

That concern certainly could have evolved into Amber’s role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being marginalized, but there is no evidence for that of which I am aware.

As a creative consultant and writer, I can tell you that it would be unthinkable to alter a supporting character in a sequel, which directly contributed to the success of a prior installment.

To those arguing that the success of Aquaman is solely based on the performance of Jason Momoa, I would tell you that they are uneducated on the film industry itself.

An actors ability to realistically portray a character in a relatable way to the audience is certainly a key component of any film, but it is far from the only one.

Every film has a supporting cast, and like any other role in society, actors need help to achieve their common goals, and to be successful.

That is certainly true in the production of a major motion picture, particularly one of this genre and notoriety.

If Amber’s claims are in any way accurate, then the studio executives at Warner Brothers decided to minimize her role, out of concern that her personal drama would harm the success of the film.

If that is true, their actions had the opposite effect, as her absence caused more contention than if her role had been as prominent as the it was in the first film.

The correct way for them to address this would have been to ignore her personal life, and to feature her as a strong supporting role as was originally planned.

The logic is if you give the media and the public by extension nothing to talk about, then eventually their attention will turn away from the drama.

Unfortunately that did not occur, and the entire matter severely harmed the career of an actress who did not deserve for that to happen.

There are people within the fan base and the general public who are quick to condemn Amber, while excusing or ignoring their own faults.

The reality is that there are far worse things in Hollywood, than personal drama between a divorced couple.

Amber may have areas that she needs to improve in her character, and her integrity, but don’t we all?

She may even struggle with mental illness, and if true then that should be all the more reason to show her compassion and mercy.

In the end, what she needs is time alone to reflect on her life, and to address the issues that she has struggled with.

I’m sure that she has made decisions that she isn’t happy with or proud of; now she has an opportunity to address those.

As for her role as Mera, I feel the same way about her as I feel about Gal Gadot portraying Wonder Woman: there’s no one else out there suited for the role.

Star Wars

How the Imperial Navy should have changed the course of the franchise.

As a life long fan of Star Wars, I have always been an admirer of the Extended Universe novels. I thought that the story arc that they presented was a much more grounded continuation of the franchise.

On the flip side of that coin, I loathe the sequel films for their lack of any cohesive plot or story. They were made up as they went along, which resulted in a shameful end to the Skywalker Saga.

By the same token, the Disney Plus live action series have presented their own take on the state of affairs in the galaxy, however they too are lacking one key aspect as well.

By the Numbers

Recently I came across a piece of information that fundamentally changes how either the canon or Legends material should have been structured around the galactic civil war.

There is a discontinued mobile game published by Disney Interactive entitled Star Wars Uprising, which is a canon source.

In the game it is stated that at the height of the Age of the Empire, there were approximately 25,000 Star Destroyers in the Imperial fleet.

To put that into perspective, consider this: each Imperial -class Star Destroyer was manned by 9,235 officers, 27,850 non-commissioned officers, and 275 gunners.

That is 37,360 crew members, just to operate the ship. That does not include the compliment of Imperial Army troops, Stormtroopers, or pilots onboard each vessel.

That would bring the total crew compliment for the Star Destroyer fleet to 934,000,000 personnel. This does not include any of the Empire’s other capital or support ships.

This information provides an overwhelming perspective of the disposition and force projection capabilities of the Imperial fleet across the known galaxy.

State of Affairs in the Galaxy

There are 3.2 billion habitable star systems in the Star Wars galaxy (referred to as Sky River), and of those only one billion have sentient life.

Of the one billion star systems, only 69 million meet the population requirements for Imperial representation.

(In the old senate, there were dozens of systems that were represented at the sector level by a single representative speaking on behalf of all of the systems within their sector).

This is integral to the Imperial fleet, because It means in unequivocal terms that both canon and Legends stories would be far from realistic, in regards to the state of affairs in the galaxy.

The war would not have ended at the battle of Endor, and it would not have been the end of the Empire.

Retribution

The Emperor then, would most certainly have created contingency plans for the Grand Moffs to activate in the event of his untimely death.

This idea is played upon in the campaign story of Battlefront II with Operation Cinder, but not to the extent of what it would have been in reality.

Each sector command within the Empire would have immediately marshaled their forces, and gone on high alert at the Emperor’s death.

They would have instituted sector wide lock downs, preventing all space travel into and out of their sectors.

The remaining Moffs would have immediately begun hunting down the Rebel fleet, while the Imperial Security Bureau or ISB, would have begun to assemble target packages for their special operations units.

The Empire would have gone into overdrive in order to quell any uprisings on Imperial controlled or occupied worlds, which were a result of the Alliance victory at Endor.

Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations

Mon Mothma would have capitalized on the moment, and used the Holonet to broadcast a galaxy wide message of the Emperor’s demise, and the establishment of a New Republic.

This form of psychological warfare would have reached far and wide across the galaxy, fueling the fire of rebellion among those oppressed by the Empire.

*And now a message from the Chief of State…*

It would have aided the Rebellion in gaining new allies, and in turn manpower and resources to fight the Empire.

The continued fight for freedom across the galaxy would have only furthered Alliance objectives in re-establishing democracy under the banner of a New Republic.

The long war

The reality is that Alliance and partisan forces could easily overwhelm and defeat Imperial forces on the ground, but not in space.

The Empire would not have conceded to the Rebellion, or collapsed. It would have used the full might of its fleet to engage the Rebel Alliance at every opportunity.

Rebel fleets would have been forced to continue conducting hit and run attacks against the larger more powerful Imperial capital ships, and the shipyards that supported them.

These sorts of skirmishes would have played out across the galaxy, until the Alliance could effectively eliminate the support structure for the Star Destroyers.

Without food, fuel, and weapons, the Empire’s Star Destroyers would be little more than an orbital barracks.

This would be a priority, since the main objective of the Alliance would be to retake Coruscant, the Galactic capital of the Old Republic.

Coruscant rather than Endor would be the defining battle in the war, and would be the symbolic victory needed to rally the galaxy behind the New Republic.

If Coruscant were to fall, then the remnants of the Empire would be forced to withdraw. They would either establish a new capital, or else concede to defeat and disarmament.

Those Moffs who refused would in all likelihood continue to operate as an independent military force, carrying out opportunistic operations in an effort to regroup and regain momentum.

So why is all of this important? Because both canon and Legends material neglect this very fact, so let’s see how they get it wrong:

Legends

This is the simplest of the two narratives to explore, which places the pivotal turning point at the battle of Endor.

Both the destruction of the second Death Star, as well as the death of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader leave the Empire without any clear chain of command.

In short order, the Empire falls and acquiesces to the New Republic. This of course is strategically impossible.

The Sequel era

Prior to the sequel films, there is a time period where the New Republic agrees to a military disarmament and draw down.

Their reasoning is to not follow in the footsteps of the Empire, and become a Galactic military force.

In reality, the New Republic would want to do the opposite. They would understand that their best defense against future tyranny, would be a strong offensive capability.

the New Republic would want a unified defense and security force, which it could easily task with deterrent patrols and sector security missions.

Also of note is the battle of Jakku, which in canon is considered the final victory of the Alliance against the Empire.

This too is in error, as Jakku is too remote to be of any strategic importance to the security of the Empire.

Coruscant would be the primary military target of the Rebel Alliance, and only if they succeeded in taking it would they have a chance to oust the Empire from its position of power in the galaxy.

The Realization of War

The Empire would still be a very real threat to the existence of the New Republic for years if not decades, and would serve as the backdrop for every story presented within the franchise.

It would also mean that what we have seen in the live action series and sequel films would not have happened the way that it was portrayed.

Conclusion

So you can see that there is a lot more to be explored in the Star Wars universe than what we have been presented with in either canon or Legends material.

Though some of the writers may have conveniently explained away the Empire in order to accommodate the stories they tell, the reality of war tells a different tale altogether…

Micro Galaxy Squadron:

A Star Wars collector’s review

In 2022 Jazwares announced a new line of small scale toy ships and vehicles from the Star Wars franchise called Micro Galaxy Squadron.

The line features screen accurate replicas of the ships and vehicles from across the entire saga, as well as from the live action series’.

Each ship or vehicle has different play features like moving parts and removable panels, as well as detailed interiors.

The toys are scaled relative to each other, in order to reflect their sizes in real life. Most of them range from 1/50 to 1/200 in scale.

They also include at least one mini figure with two points of articulation, and stand roughly one inch in height, or 1/72 scale.

A few of the larger play sets like the Millennium Falcon and AT-AT feature electronic lights and sound effects, which add to the fun of the line.

Since it’s launch, and at the time of this writing, the Micro Galaxy Squadron has released four waves that total over one hundred ships and vehicles to date.

Several of these are a re-release as a battle pack or a variant of some sort. There are also rare and chase variants in limited numbers, making them highly sought after by collectors.

The line has received mostly positive reviews, with it often being compared to the Galoob Action Fleet line from the mid nineties.

Small Beginnings

The most notable feature of the Micro Galaxy Squadron is its size; they are small scale toys intended for display on a shelf or a table top.

They are larger than gaming miniatures, but smaller than the 3.75 scale toys from Kenner and Hasbro.

This presents collectors with an opportunity to own ships and vehicles from Star Wars that may not be otherwise feasible or practical due to their size.

As a professional toy photographer I see the potential to utilize the Micro Galaxy Squadron as a background element, in composite mixed scale shots.

*mixed scale composition using the Micro Galaxy Squadron Slave I in the background, with Black Series Boba Fett figure in the foreground.*

Pros and cons

The Micro Galaxy Squadron are as nice as they look, and even more so in person. Seeing them in pics or videos does not do them justice.

That attraction to the line is tempered though, by the limitations of how they can be used, as well as by their cost.

If you are into building dioramas and toy photography as I am, then there really is no limit to what you can do with the toys in this line.

You can do mix scaled compositions, or space based battle scenes. What you can’t do is use 3.75 scale action figures in macro shots with them.

*Micro Galaxy Squadron Imperial Shuttle*

What I’m referring to is using the Micro Galaxy Squadron vehicles and ships as a backdrop for close ups with the action figures.

Due to their scale you’re limited in how you can integrate the 1:18 scale figures into a shot with them.

You certainly can’t use the 1:18 scale figures in a diorama with them, unless again you’re building a mixed scale composition, with the position of the toys meant to infer their distance from each other.

For close up shots of figures sitting in the cockpit of a fighter, or egressing from a speeder, you have to turn back to the 3.75 scale ships and vehicles by Hasbro.

The quality of the toys is excellent, with very little in the way of quality control issues to make mention of.

Cost is somewhat of a factor with this line, depending upon what you want, and the quantity. Smaller ships like the starfighters cost around fifteen dollars each, while the largest vehicles cost sixty dollars.

The exclusive battle packs and boxed sets are also more expensive than their standard release variants found at mass retail.

Conclusions

There’s no doubt that the Micro Galaxy Squadron is a great line with a lot of potential, but Is it right for you? That really depends upon what you want to do with them.

As a stand alone assortment they’ve quickly become my favorite line to collect, because I can buy the ships and vehicles that I’ve always wanted, at an affordable cost.

As a background element for my photographs, I find that they are a necessity, as they give an added sense of realism that would otherwise be lacking.

The line is a fan favorite, and their value is certain to exponentially increase over time, particularly as certain models are retired, while others like the chase variants cease to be found in the wild.

Overall the Micro Galaxy Squadron is in my opinion one of the best Star Wars collectible assortments to be released in a long time, and it’s a worthy part of the galaxy, far, far away.