ISB: Imperial control through darkness and deception.

INTRO

The Galactic Empire is nearly as vast as the galaxy that it controls, but unlike the republic which it has replaced, it governs through the will of the Emperor, which is carried out through Imperial policy and subjugation. This is best observed through the overt presence of the Imperial military, who occupy and control every world which finds itself grafted into the Galactic Empire.

The Emperor makes use of Moffs and political attaches, who are responsible for bringing planets into alignment with Imperial doctrine and oversight. This is supported by military power projection, through the twenty-five thousand Star Destroyers that are the heart of the Imperial Navy. Their presence in any star system signals the end of democracy and freedom for any world on which they are assigned.

Dirtside, the politicians and their diplomatic efforts and ideals are reinforced by the Army, who in turn are supported by legions of armor-clad Stormtroopers. These highly skilled and trained shock troops are loyal to the emperor and his authority, and their presence is as much a psychological tool as a military one.

There is, however, another facet to Imperial control that goes unseen to the untrained eye, and one that has become a thorn in the flesh for the Rebel Alliance and its sympathizers. That pain is induced by the ISB, or Imperial Security Bureau. The ISB is just one of the many organizations that are a part of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR).

Unlike its counterpart division of Imperial Intelligence, the ISB is not concerned with strategic military intelligence, but rather with state security. It was created as a means to an end; a way to ensure loyalty to the Emperor on every level, and a means to exact punishment for those who were not.

The ISB is a larger organization than it’s military rival, and its headquarters is located in a large nondescript building in the federal district of Coruscant. The ISB is governed by a body of senior officers known as the High Command, who report directly to the Emporer himself. They ensure that Imperial doctrine, ideology, and policy are promoted throughout the Empire, and that Imperial rule is secure.

RECRUITMENT

The ISB selects its agents from the ranks of the Imperial Academy itself, and upon vetting their recruits undergo specialized training at the ISB Academy on Coruscant. Upon successful completion of training, newly accepted agents enter service into one of the many divisions of the organization, such as counter-surveillance, Interrogation, or reeducation.

OPERATIONS

Agents assigned to Intelligence begin their careers in the ISB Operations Center, aggregating daily intelligence reports from around the galaxy, and building briefing packets for senior officials and officers. Upon promotion, many of these agents select further training to become field agents for the ISB.

In the field, ranking ISB agents are granted authority and great leeway in their operations, to the degree that they can when needed assume command of ground forces or entire starships, by relieving senior officers who outranked them. This by design breeds animosity between Imperial military officers and the ISB hierarchy, and their complaints often fall upon deaf ears.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Agents with Internal Affairs are tasked with counter-intelligence investigations for the ISB are deployed at random throughout the army and fleet, ensuring adherence to Imperial doctrine and order. They investigate any claims of military personnel who are insubordinate, or who question Imperial doctrine or orders. The presence of the ISB by design simultaneously commands respect, as well as creates a culture of fear in the Imperial military, which reinforces loyalty to the Empire under threat of punishment.

LOYALTY OFFICERS

The mission of the ISB is not confined however to counterintelligence of the Imperial military, but into every facet of Imperial society as well. Imperial propaganda is created by the ISB to serve the purposes of the Emperor, and they are tasked with ensuring its adherence on Imperial worlds.

SECURITY DIVISION

ISB Agents who are selected for the Security Division receive advanced training in small arms and small team tactics. They are then assigned to one of the many ISB tactical teams that deploy with senior field officers on various assignments. Often the tactical teams are utilized to capture wanted fugitives of the Empire, and they often coordinate their operations with larger military units who provide support for their operations.

*ISB Tactical Agents conduct a Rolling T formation down a corridor*

ADVANCED WEAPONS RESEARCH

The ISB was also one of two agencies tasked with controlling the Imperial Advanced Weapons Research Division. While project development fell to the Imperial Intelligence, security of those projects was assigned to the ISB. As such, soldiers from the Advanced Weapons Research, or AWR, were often deployed with ISB agents on special assignments.

COUNTER-INSURGENCY

Perhaps the greatest assignment of the ISB would become its counter-insurgency operations against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In the beginning, the Rebel Alliance was not a well-organized militia, but rather an ideal born through localized resistance to Imperial rule. Imperial forces attempted to subjugate this resistance, with the opposite effect.

Throughout the galaxy, bands of resistance formed on far flung planets, which in turn influenced the local populace, and governments. Word of this rebellion began to reach official news agencies like the Galactic News Network, which could not be tolerated. Once the ISB learned of these uprisings, their agents, along with appropriate military support, would deploy to eradicate it’s presence, and restore Imperial rule.

Over time, the ISB would learn that their efforts had in fact the opposite effect on the growing resistance movement. Over the years localized cells of resistance spread word by freighter pilots, passengers, and even clandestine communications networks that they had developed. These once primitive insurgents became a force to be reckoned with, and one that the Emperor wanted vanquished.

This led the ISB to deploy counter-intelligence agents into the field, who were often assigned with agents from Imperial Intelligence. Their objective was to infiltrate locations utilized by the rebels, in the hopes of gaining actionable intelligence. When they were successful, they would utilize military forces to conduct highly sophisticated capture or kill missions on individual members of the Alliance.

For larger operations, they would utilize entire fleets of Star Destroyers in an effort to destroy rebel fighters and ships. Doing so would greatly diminish the capabilities of the rebel forces, while instilling a sense of defeat and fear within its ranks. For the ISB, their efforts were as much a psychological campaign, as they were about state security.

They would conduct false flag operations such as on Ghorman, and blame localized rebel operatives for the deaths of Imperial citizens. They planted evidence and false intelligence, leading to the arrest of rebel sympathizers and supporters across the galaxy. Entire companies such as Blastech Industries and the Incom corporation were seized by the ISB, and placed under Imperial Military oversight.

CONCLUSION

The ISB is perhaps the most feared entity within the Imperial hierarchy, and for good reason. They operate with near Impunity, having the support of the Emperor himself. The ISB and its members serve as the hand that does his bidding and are responsible for ensuring that the integrity and stability of the Empire continue unimpeded.

They are by far one of the more fascinating aspects of the Empire and serve as the basis for various aspects of Star Wars gaming and role playing, such as larping and airsoft.

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…