Most fans of fantasy learned about the galactic empires from the early films of the Star Wars movie saga. Grandiose space battleships, heavy combat vehicles, Darth Vader's helmet, the famous "Imperial March" ... But what is hidden behind this facade? What is the meaning of the existence of an empire? This is the pinnacle of humanity - or Evil with a capital letter? Or something third?
The most interesting episode in the life of a galactic empire, as a rule, is its death.
Let us recall (for contrast) fantastic works dedicated to some invention. Most often, the author, inviting us to imagine some kind of "out-of-phase synchrofibron", does not go in cycles in admiring its exquisite forms and usefulness. It is more interesting for him to see how the fiction will fit into the real or invented world, how society will change, what consequences its implementation will lead to - good, bad, or, God forbid, in general, to the reconciliation of the inventor with his father. A new entity is thrown into the stream of life, and the interest of the author and the reader is to observe how this entity interacts with the stream. Life observation.
Now let's recall the works where galactic empires appear. The mechanics of perception here are completely different. Empire is not an "entity in the stream of life", it is almost the main characteristic of the stream itself. Empire is orderliness, structure, "crystal grid" of life. Something that has overcome a long way of development, the result of a decisive victory of reason over chaos and social entropy. The empire is the last stage in the development of civilization, the absolute pinnacle of the evolution of the state.
Most often in stories about stellar empires, we are interested in space battles.
But if we combine these two topics, we get a completely uninteresting picture. Under an empire, inventions are not “thrown into life”, but in accordance with the established procedure, they are “submitted for consideration” by a well-functioning social apparatus (we have a “correct” empire, its apparatus is well-functioning, really, really). This device evaluates the novelty, certifies it, accepts a reasonable expert opinion regarding it - to implement or ignore. If we implement, then, of course, we monitor the changes generated by the new product in the social field and extinguish those that we consider undesirable. If we ignore - there are no questions at all. Everything is predictable. Boring. Nothing to write about.
No, there is an option. One can write about a situation when a new essence turns out to be indigestible for the imperial organism. It is not possible to ignore, but it is impossible to implement - because the invention does not fit with the imperial structure. It poses a direct threat. Unacceptably changes the properties of the social environment. Calls into question the effectiveness and rationality of the empire and its status as the pinnacle of civilization. Insidiously questioned, the empire comes into conflict with reality. And begins to fight for existence ...
That's where the movement started. So the gears turned, the plot was outlined. That's not boring anymore.
The only pity is that the beginning of such a movement for the empire most often means death. History nods sadly: carefully structured states struggle with significant change. Not a single historical empire has retained its ideal structure with such changes.
True omen: the larger the star destroyers, the less confident the empire is.
Singer of Empires Oswald Spengler
The theoretical model of such processes was given by the German philosopher Oswald Spengler. According to him, the empire is the final stage in the development of each social formation. The formation is born, enters the stage of formation (by the way, the author called it "cultural"), and then an empire is created and crowns the case. And with his death begins a new circle of development.
Like many more poetic than rational models, Spengler's theory may falter in specific cases, but is unrelentingly true for the big picture. An empire can be arbitrarily harmonious, efficient and well-organized at a certain moment. But just as a man can hardly keep up with the changes of time, so a much more cumbersome empire cannot fit into the sharp turns of history.
And if we accept Spengler's metaphor, then all fiction, where galactic empires appear, tells about the next Last Age. About the new sunset of the Galaxy.
A question of terminology
Science of fiction often interprets the concept of "galactic empire" in an extended sense - as the union of many inhabited worlds, not necessarily ordered into an "imperial" structure in nature. For example, Donald Wollheim, describing the ideas about the “cosmogony of the future” that have developed in science fiction (The Universe Makers, 1971), mentioned among the typical topics precisely the “birth and collapse of the galactic empire”, although the completely “non-imperial” Federation of planets from “ Star Trek".
Time to collect the stars
As a science fiction writer, Robert William Cole was almost unremarkable - except for the time of his debut. His novel The Struggle for Empire: A Story of the Year 2236 was published in 1900 and is considered the earliest work in which the influence of an earthly superpower extends to other worlds.
In the 23rd century, the British Empire, without losing vigor, dominates the home planet (now it is the "Anglo-Saxon Federation") and, in addition, colonizes several distant star systems. In space, its expansion infringed on the interests of another powerful empire that arose somewhere in the vicinity of Sirius. The result of this infringement was grandiose space battles, an arms race - in general, the novel did not look quite typical for that time.
The "future war" genre was widespread, but Cole was not only the first to take its action far beyond earth's atmosphere, but also directly connected with the "imperial" theme.
A little over a hundred years ago, it seemed that the empire is the natural existence of society. And if you add a powerful air fleet, the empire will become completely invulnerable
The appearance in popular literature of the image of an interstellar empire at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is surprisingly symbolic. The real Victorian Great Britain, of which Cole was a citizen and patriot, lasted only a few days in the new century. The great Queen Victoria, the heart and symbol of her age, died on January 22, 1901. The Boer War, in which Britain, from a military and political point of view, proved to be unforgivably clumsy and unprepared for new realities, was slipping into an unpleasant compromise with the "rebels" for the Crown.
The empire was not yet sprawling at the seams, but it was clearly cracking. At that moment, it still remained a state over which the sun never sets, but in half a century its influence will be reduced, in essence, to the territory of an archipelago, conveniently located to the West of Europe. Just at sunset.
The Star Kings by Edmond Hamilton is one of the books that gave rise to the idea of a "typical" galactic empire.
The collapse of European empires was one of the natural outcomes of the First World War. The war made the imperial theme of little relevance for the then science fiction. The fragility of imperial matter has become too clear for both readers and authors. This, of course, did not mean that nothing could be sewn from it - for example, donut engineer and classic of early American science fiction E. E. "Doc" Smith used this motif in the novel "Galactic Patrol" (Galactic Patrol, 1938) , but rather as a distant background than as an essential element of the novel's space. The “destroyer of worlds” Edmond Hamilton darned his interstellar epics of the 1930s with approximately the same patches, and several other writers followed his example.
The key event for our topic took place in 1942, to be precise - at the end of April, when the May issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine appeared on the stands. John Campbell published in this issue Isaac Asimov's short story "Foundation" (Foundation), which became the foundation stone of a grandiose epic about the collapse of the galactic empire. Started a tradition.
Confrontation: collapse and plan
Isaac Asimov was the first in world fiction to create such a huge and significant historical canvas.
The history of the emergence of this epic is surprisingly remarkable. It is widely believed that Asimov got the idea for the Galactic Empire novel series when he read Gibbon's classic The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This is not true. By that time, Asimov had indeed read Gibbon from cover to cover more than once, but the idea fell on him from a completely different side.
According to the author's memoirs, on August 1, 1941, after finishing classes at the university, he went by subway to the editorial office of Astounding and wondered what topic to invent for a new story (his previous opus, the story "Pilgrimage", was rejected by the editor-in-chief of the magazine, John Campbell, even after the fourth alteration ). The topic didn't work.
Then Asimov decided to trust chance and tell fortunes from the book that he took with him - it was a collection of plays by Gilbert and Sullivan. The book opened with an illustration for Iolanthe: the Fairy Queen prostrated at the feet of Willis, who was on guard duty.
The fate of literature sometimes depends on amazing things.
If Asimov had thought about fairies at that moment, the history of science fiction might have taken a very different path. But Asimov thought of the guard. Then about the legionnaires. About wars. And about the empires that entered into these wars.
The next episode of Asimov's memoirs is so revealing that it requires a citation.
When I got to Campbell's office, I could no longer contain my emotions. My enthusiasm, it seems, was even too contagious - after listening to my idea, Campbell also caught fire. Never seen him so excited before.
The subject is too big for a story,” he said.
I wanted to write a story,” I immediately clarified, changing my intentions on the go.
And too big for a story. It should be a big series with plot-open endings.
Stories, novellas, novels, combined in a single history future. The story of the collapse of the First Galactic Empire, the subsequent period of feudalism and the rise of the Second Galactic Empire.
Well, yes, make me an estimate of the history of the future on this canvas. Blow home and write.
In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920-1954, chapter 28
John Campbell, "godfather" of one of the major galactic empires.
As in the case of the three laws of robotics (and in many other cases), in the vision of the proposed topic, Campbell turned out to be bolder than the author who invented it, and insistently demanded that the author match his courage. And so that the author approaches the topic with care worthy of the intended scale.
Asimov tried. However, unlike Heinlein, who described his "History of the Future" in detail and conscientiously, Asimov did not master the estimate proposed by Campbell. The further the description of the events of galactic history dragged on, the more stupid and meaningless the whole idea seemed to him. The plan did not work.
In the end, on August 11, Asimov decided to just sit down and write a fictional story, given such a fruitful conversation with Campbell. Continuations were implied, there were enough ideas for them, but Asimov decided that let everything go by itself - it will be seen there, we will break through. And so that Campbell would not change his mind, Asimov cleverly ended the story with a phrase that unambiguously alluded to "the continuation of the banquet." He thought Campbell had fallen into a trap, haha.
The finished text, entitled "The Foundation" (it will be included in the first novel of the series, somewhat reworked, under the title "Psychohistorians"), was sent to Campbell on September 8. Already on the 17th, the mail brought a check for $ 128 - the story was accepted. But Campbell also made sure that Asimov did not change his mind - he dryly made it clear that the first story would wait for publication until Asimov sent the second.
Asimov realized that it was not Campbell who had been caught, but himself. The Galactic Empire bound him hand and foot. Thus began the confrontation that became a legend.
Illustration by Chris Foss for The Academy
…Twelve thousand standard years have passed since the founding of the Galactic Empire, and thousands of human-inhabited worlds have come under its rule. Outwardly, everything is safe and stable in the Empire, and only the scientist Hari Seldon, the creator of psychohistory, predicts the inevitable collapse of the state. No one and nothing can stop the disintegration of the Empire, but it is possible to reduce the era of Dark Times to a minimum - to some thousand years, at the end of which the Second Empire should arise.
For this, Seldon has a Plan. It is set in motion and seems to take into account all the major factors that will influence events over the next centuries. In this case, one of the main stabilizing factors will be, according to the plan, the Seldon Plan itself; Everyone knows about its existence, but almost no one knows about its essence ...
Hari Seldon in his declining years (artist Michael Whelan)
Asimov and Campbell recited the cycle episode after episode. Campbell asked the problem - Asimov solved it. But when Asimov came up with a solution, Campbell made it harder as he went. The empire passed through the sunset and fell apart, the Seldon Plan worked, crisis after crisis was overcome.
Once Campbell suggested testing the Plan for strength seriously - Asimov was forced to put the Mule into action, a mutant whose appearance no psychohistory could have foreseen. History went awry, The plan hung in the balance. Asimov was sure that Seldon had provided stabilization mechanisms for this case as well - but which ones? He began to look for them - and found ...
Power and control
The confrontation between Campbell and Asimov can be seen as a clear analogue of the confrontation between reality and empire. The Empire is the Plan put into action, the working structure. And reality is the director of new tasks for this structure. As long as the empire is able to cope with the tasks set by reality, it lives. As soon as the tasks are beyond her strength, she dies.
Real historical empires "work" in this way. And not only empires - any complex social system is daily tested by reality for strength. The specific problem of empires is that for them the set of possible responses to the challenges of reality is significantly limited: the structure is rigid, there are few degrees of freedom. Where water can seep, the stone will certainly get stuck.
But - power. But the scale. The more resources the system controls, the more it needs the rigidity of the internal structure - this is necessary to minimize losses and increase the reliability of management. But the more rigid the internal structure, the more difficult it is to adapt to changing conditions ...
A star empire inevitably faces the problem of transportation. And with her - the problem of traffic jams (art. Jared Shear, illustration for "Academy")
The Galactic Empire is, above all, reliable logistics and communications. Only they are able to keep the planets scattered throughout space within the framework of a common state system.
In world fiction, you probably cannot find a single galactic empire that would not solve the issue of instantaneous (or at least very fast) interstellar communications - if not even directly violating the general theory of relativity, then at least bypassing it tangentially (fortunately, the theory itself is clear indicates the limits of its applicability). The method of solving this issue, in general, is not fundamental (ansible, hyperlink, sigmaderithrination, null-transportation, etc.) - what is important is that it exists at all. There are no empires without well-established infrastructure (and any state that does not care about developing or at least maintaining infrastructure is doomed).
In this respect, the galactic empires fully inherit the empires of the earth: the expansion of Rome ended when the delivery of reinforcements to the outskirts and their supply turned out to be impossible or excessively costly. For the empire, any weakening of ties means the inevitable beginning of disintegration - first of all, the loss of peripheral territories, which, because of this, are left to the mercy of fate and lose the desire (and opportunity) to remain loyal to the mother country.
And it's really bad when a weak spot is found in the logistics of the empire - like Spice in the famous "Dune" by Frank Herbert. The spice provides almost all interstellar communications of the Empire, and it is mined on only one planet out of many thousands - on Arrakis. “Who owns Spice, he owns the Universe,” the heroes of the cycle repeat one after another. A situation where the source of power is clearly defined inevitably leads to a struggle between elites for control over it.
Frank Herbert showed that the empire cannot afford to have vulnerabilities
As long as the empire has a core, as long as it is monolithic, no one is able to challenge the emperor. But when the core is shattered - by swagger, conceit, the elite's habit of luxury and the seeming inexhaustibility of resources - a crisis ensues. Power itself gives part of itself at the mercy (they say, part is not a pity). Another part of the power is "acquired" by corruption. And the rest is licked by dogs.
The rod is no more, it has become thinner, only the outer shell keeps the appearance of its presence. And then even the loner outcast Paul Atreides, who managed to seize a strategically strong position and control the situation on Arrakis alone, actually gains power over the entire empire. (“The capital automatically moves to New Vasyuki,” as a character in another novel joked on a similar occasion, assuring that interplanetary hegemony can be built on the ability to play checkers ... sorry - chess)
What happens next is a matter of strategy. That is, having a plan. And the ability to follow it.
Frontier law
If the galactic empire has frontiers, then there are "frontier regions" - as a rule, living according to the laws of the frontier. Relative freedom reigns here, dubious deals and smuggling flourish, outcasts from both sides of the border feel best here. The use of such "frontiers" in books and films provides a lot of opportunities, and therefore is it any wonder that the authors with such passion transfer the traditions of the Wild West into space?
For example, the heroes of Joss Whedon's famous series Firefly live precisely in the conditions of such a "borderline", although the empire (that is, in this case, the Alliance) does not want to leave them alone with its obsessive and disgustingly formal "legality". »… One to one like in the Wild West. And you can’t say that behind you is a spaceship.
Aristocrats and degenerates
In full accordance with Spengler's ideas about the cyclical development, the empire in Dune is evidence that the development of the civilization that gave birth to it is ending and a new cycle is coming. A merciless Jihad is sweeping across the planets, sweeping away former state structures and relations, creating (and bleeding abundantly) space for future changes. And the former elite, the aristocracy, is losing everything, including the meaning of existence.
What is the general meaning of the existence of the aristocratic class in the galactic empires? If in the reckless and superficial "Star Kings" by Edmond Hamilton all the feudal tinsel was deliberately added "for the entourage", without any deep idea, then what guided the smartest Frank Herbert, building a complex system of relationships between the authorities and the aristocratic Great Houses in his Interstellar empires?
The aristocracy is the backbone of any real empire. But if it breaks, it won't take long to wait for the finale.
The cyclic model of development, in general, quite allows for an almost literal repetition of archaic social structures. It is clear that in the context of "Dune" both the aristocracy and the feudal entourage are only metaphors, but it is worth paying attention to the persistence with which even the most significant authors refer to these (or similar) metaphors.
Dan Simmons the most complex world"Hyperion" used completely related images - let's recall at least the local New Bushido code, developed by the military and in many ways no less archaic than the feudal pyramid. Let us also recall that Simmons needed New Bushido mainly in order for Fedman Kassad to show the uselessness of the code in the situation built by the author.
Herbert in "Dune" uses about the same technique. For the aristocracy, as cultural memory informs us, one of the key concepts is honor. With all the conventionality of this concept, it really acted as an important regulator in relations between the elites (although not at all in the way it was later described in the books of romantics).
In Dune, this situation is aggravated to the extreme: the only Great House that remains true to the spirit and letter of the aristocratic code of honor is destroyed at the very beginning of the novel with the intentional connivance of the Emperor. In fact, there is no longer a true aristocracy in the Empire - only degenerate title holders, deprived of the moral right to be called aristocrats ...
What could be the best illustration for the "end of time" that is sweeping over the Empire?
Paying with security
In Game EVE Online, the popular space MMO, all space space available to players is divided into security levels. Star systems with a security level between 0.5 and 1 are called "Empire". Here, a violation of the law (for example, an attack on a foreign ship without observing the necessary formalities) causes immediate retribution from CONCORD - the "general imperial" law enforcement forces.
Real life, according to experienced players, is impossible in the Empire zone, this space is suitable only for beginners. Most of the alliances that unite allied corporations of players are based in remote regions with a "zero" level of security. Only here the players can set their own rules, in fact, build their own “Empires”…
The Imperial March
Empire does not necessarily have to be perceived as something sinister. In Asimov's Foundation, the First Empire appears as a completely indifferent bureaucratic structure, and the creation of the Second Empire is generally a good goal of the Seldon Plan. Asimov (and after him Seldon) approaches the “imperial idea” pragmatically: as long as this model is adequate to the “challenges of the time”, it can be used.
This pragmatism is in no way contradicted by the fact that the 20th century was the century of the decline and collapse of old (as well as new) empires. The First and Second World Wars were started by states that were completely "imperial" in structure (and habits) and naturally led to the death of these states. Not surprisingly, such structures are now perceived with a touch of hostility. A “good” empire is something completely Manilov-speculative, but anyone can throw in a dozen historical examples of “bad” empires in a minute.
And yet…
Three pillars on which the empire stands - communications, logistics and, of course, currency
George Lucas in "Star Wars" created an image of an "evil" galactic empire, unique in its purity of metaphor, by contrasting it with the image of a "good" galactic republic. In Spengler's terms, the Republic for Lucas personified the stage of formation, the stage of "culture" - but (let's add tragedy) already in its "terminal" stage. For its transition to the next stage, to the state of the Empire proper, it took quite a bit.
Even abandoning the former state structures turned out to be completely unnecessary. It's just that the supremely democratic Galactic Council suddenly ceased to be a place for discussion, and Chancellor Palpatine suddenly turned out to be a valuable leader who had no alternative (and after the destruction of the Jedi Order, there was no such alternative to appear). After becoming emperor, Palpatine tolerated the existence of the Galactic Council for about twenty years and only disbanded it at the beginning of the fourth episode.
Apparently, by that time, democratic formalities had lost all appeal for him ...
What Lucas is certainly right about - any republic is really pregnant with an empire. Gaining power, it gains weight, gaining weight - it becomes tougher, loses the ability to flexibly respond to the changes taking place in the world. Her diplomacy ceases to be graceful, like an attack by a master of the Florentine school, and becomes sullenly clumsy. Her strategies lose variety and rely more on stamina than precision and skill. It is still in one way or another adequate to the world situation, but it is already much more inclined to restructure it “for itself” than to adapt to the interests common with its partners.
Probably, even without the galactic empires, we could understand all this for ourselves. I don't think we are completely hopeless in this respect. But with galactic it turns out, you know, more clearly.
And therefore: Maestro, cut the "Imperial March"!
The Republic, which lasted 25,000 years, disappeared after a period of political chaos and the devastating Clone Wars. After defeating General Grievous at the Battle of Utapau during the massacre of the leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems by Darth Vader, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine declared himself Emperor of the Galaxy and reformed the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire.
Story
Origin
The Empire can be considered to have begun with the secret ambition of Senator Palpatine from the planet Naboo, whose second person was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Using the Trade Federation to blockade Naboo, he directed the crisis and manipulated Queen Amidala to provoke a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum and become Chancellor himself as a result. When his apprentice Darth Maul died on Naboo at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sidious took the former Jedi Count Dooku as his apprentice. Count Dooku joined the Trade Federation, led by Viceroy Nute Gunray, and other representatives of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. These Separatists have started a war with the Galactic Republic. The conflict was called the "Clone Wars" because clone troopers participated in it from the side of the Republic.
Palpatine proved to be a skilled and efficient leader, quickly ridding the Senate of corruption. His power increased significantly as a result of the Clone Wars, as the Senate readily granted the Chancellor more and more emergency powers. Finally, the Senate lost almost all power and became little more than a formality that Palpatine had to overcome in order to pass his laws. But the Senate still retained a symbolic status; Chancellor Palpatine still cloaked himself in pompous and ceremonious addresses to the Senate, but his power was expressed in control over thousands of senators who were entangled in the web of his own corruption. When Palpatine himself revealed to Anakin Skywalker his second guise of Darth Sidious, Anakin notified Jedi Master Mace Windu of this. A detachment of Jedi, led by Windu himself, attempted to arrest the Chancellor. After a short fight, Palpatine seemed to be defeated, but Skywalker came to the rescue and demanded that Windu not kill the Sith Lord. Deeply confused, Skywalker nevertheless helped Palpatine kill Windu, and thus became the Emperor's new apprentice, Darth Vader. After that, Palpatine went to carry out the Great Jedi Purge, also known as Order #66, which resulted in the death of thousands of Jedi, and Darth Vader destroyed Viceroy Nute Gunray and the rest of the Separatists who had gathered on the fire-breathing planet Mustafar. Thus ended the Clone Wars.
Many citizens of the newly formed Empire enthusiastically supported the ideas set forth in the Declaration of a New Order. Many senators wholeheartedly supported the new state, and only a small number of cautious senators preferred to wait and see how the new government would solve state problems. And it promised to replace instability with strength, chaos with order, and uncertainty with decisiveness. Now it can be argued that the foundations of the Empire were laid back when Palpatine was the Supreme Chancellor, at the same time all threats were eliminated. Thus, the transition from the Republic to the Empire was relatively smooth.
It is important to emphasize that not all senators liked what was happening. In fact, "Petition 2000" was supposed to convey the concerns of these senators to Palpatine. Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Padmé Amidala were the first to sign the petition. When Palpatine dispelled all doubts about his true goals, this was one of the reasons that led to the creation of the Alliance to restore the Republic by Organa and Mothma.
Imperialization
With the advent of the empire, all the institutions of the old Republic were dispersed or changed beyond recognition. A lot of renaming was carried out to glorify the Emperor: the Coruscant Sector became the Imperial Sector, Coruscant itself became the Imperial Center, Galactic City became Imperial City. The Galactic Senate became the Imperial Senate, Grand Army republics into the Imperial Army, and the Republic Navy into the Imperial Navy. The four decrepit intelligence agencies of the Republic merged into one Imperial intelligence agency, with former SBI director Armand Isard at its head. The Palace of the Republic was rebuilt and expanded, becoming the Imperial Palace, dwarfing the rest of the Imperial Center buildings. The former Commission for the Defense of the Republic (COMPOZR) was renamed the Commission for the Protection of the New Order (COMPONP). For several days, only a handful of names reminded residents of the Republic.
During the early years of the Empire, the galaxy experienced the greatest military buildup in history. To more effectively manage the sectors and regions of the Empire, the Council of Moffs was created. Popular support for the policies of the Palpatine Administration was high.
Although attempts to establish totalitarian regime remained weak, power was constantly consolidated until the turning point in 4 ABY.
dark times
The Emperor, sensing a threat to the New Order from the respected Caamasi, gave the order to attack their planet Caamas. A squad of Bothan saboteurs disabled the shield generators, leaving the planet vulnerable to orbital bombardment. During this attack, the once beautiful world was turned into a poisoned desert. Peaceful Caamasi scattered across the galaxy. In 18 BBY, the Emperor created the Eye of the Emperor, an asteroid-like superweapon, to destroy the Jedi enclave on Belsavis. But the deadly weapon was disabled by two Jedi Knights, and the Jedi on Belsavis were able to escape.
Around the same time, protests began against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire on Gorman in the Cerne Sector. Wilhuff Tarkin's flagship was blockaded by peaceful Protestants who positioned themselves on the landing pad and refused to leave, interfering with the landing. With Palpatine's implied permission, Tarkin landed the ship directly on the protesters, injuring and killing many. This was called the Gorman massacre. The incident was the reason for the creation of the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic.
Many Jedi also resisted Palpatine's regime. Oli Starstone and a group of Order 66 Jedi survivors, along with Roan Shrine, attempted to rebuild the Jedi Council, but were unsuccessful. The group flew to Kashyyyk to look for other surviving Jedi, but as a result began a massive takeover of the planet. Darth Vader killed Roan Shrine and the rest of the Jedi. One of them, a Wookiee named Chewbacca, fled to the city to find his family. Ferus Olin, along with friends, including Jedi Master Solas, caused quite a few disturbances on the Imperial planets, including an uprising on Bellas, two infiltrations of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and the destruction of the Imperial garrison and weapons center on Naboo. On Kessel, a group of Jedi, including Master Tsuya Choi and Jedi Knight Bulthar Swan, attempted to trap and kill Darth Vader. They were all killed, and Vader suffered damage to his suit.
In 1 BBY, the Emperor and Vader were targeted by a group of Imperial officers led by Grand Moff Trachta. Trachta considered the Sith to be an ancient folly and believed that the administration of the Empire should not be based on a two-man cult. According to the plan, a detachment of trained stormtroopers, subordinate only to the conspirators, was to destroy two Sith Lords. However, the plot failed due to internal disagreements.
Resistance to Imperial dominance
As the true nature of the Empire became clear, the three most powerful senators—Bail Organa of Alderaan, Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia, and Mon Mothma of Chandrila—arranged a secret meeting and signed the Corellian Accord. The Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic, better known as the Rebels, was officially formed. However, the rebel threat allowed Palpatine to uphold the Tarkin Doctrine: "to rule not by force, but by fear of force". Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Palpatine declared a state of emergency in the state and dissolved the Imperial Senate. Thus disappeared the last organ representing the values and ideals of the Republic.
The key tool for implementing the Doctrine was to be the Death Star, a space station the size of a small planet with enough firepower to destroy an entire world with a single burst of powerful superlaser. While many planets might have had defensive shields capable of repelling almost any normal attack, nothing could resist this terrible weapon. It was destroyed at the Battle of Yavin, marking the first space victory for the Rebel Alliance.
The Rebel Army was a force of liberation that sought to destroy the Empire, rebuild the Galactic Republic, and bring peace and justice to Imperial-torn planets. This goal was nominally (and essentially) achieved with the deaths of Palpatine and Darth Vader, and the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor.
Fragmentation of the Empire
The empire was too big to fall in one blow; for about another ten years, the Rebels (soon to be renamed the Free Planets Alliance), and then the New Republic, liberated the galaxy from former Imperials who had declared their independence, and still loyal to the Empire, commanders such as Mitt'rau'nuruodo / Thrawn and Ysanne Isard.
Immediately after the defeat of the Empire at the Battle of Endor, Grand Vizier Seth Pestage assumed power. However, he lacked the personal leadership and knowledge of the Force that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader possessed to keep the Empire together. Admiral Harssk was the first, but not the last, Imperial to declare himself an independent dictator and create his own mini-empire. His example was followed by Admiral Teradok, Warlord Zsinj and General Delvardus, to name a few.
Seth Pestage was only able to hold the throne for a short six months before being deposed by the Imperial Council, which consisted of three tribunes. The Imperial Council acted on the orders of the Director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard, and his reign was brought to a brutal end with Isard's direct involvement.
Ysanne Isard was able to maintain the Empire and resist aggressive dictators, as well as Trioculus and the false Kadann, who also claimed the throne, for two years, until control of the Imperial Center was lost to her. When Ysanne Isard felt that she was losing power over the Empire, she demanded that her scientists develop a biological virus that was dangerous only to aliens, which was later released on Coruscant. When Coruscant fell to the Rebels, led by Rogue Squadron, they had to deal with an epidemic that caused a lot of trouble for the new state. With the loss of Coruscant, the collapse of the Empire resumed, and soon the only serious Imperial forces in the galaxy were those under the command of Imperial warlords: Isard, Daala, Hethrir, Desann, Galak Fyar, and Zsinj.
The remnants of the Empire and the New Republic found themselves on the same side of the barricades for the first time. Both states considered the most dangerous threat of the dictator Zsinj. Zsinj came under pressure from both sides, but only the combined actions of Admiral Rogriss and General Solo made it possible to defeat Zsinj.
The provisional alliance then broke up, and clashes continued between the Empire and the New Republic for control of the remnants of Zsinj's domain. The New Republic dealt blow after blow to the Empire, winning one battle after another and finally proving their superiority by knocking them out of Kuat, the vast shipbuilding world. The defeats of the Empire continued until the return of the Grand Admiral
Introduction
For a thousand generations, there was the Old Republic, which included an incalculable number of worlds and peoples that existed in peace with each other. The Senate ruled the Republic democratically, and the Jedi Order oversaw peace and order. Possessing supernatural powers, the Jedi could settle any conflict in a short time and resolve almost any dispute. It was a time of peaceful coexistence between aliens and humans. But the more the Republic became, the more worlds it included, the more problems appeared. Each new planet in its composition increased the bureaucratic apparatus. Corruption and endless debate blocked the Senate. Even the resolution of routine issues was delayed, leading to crises and endless debates. People who wanted the prosperity of the Republic were looking for a strong leader who could solve these problems.
The greedy Senator Palpatine, who had previously been in the shadows, used this chance and got to the very top. He was elected Chancellor of the Republic. Using his position, he began to concentrate unlimited power in his hands. The Senate was too late to notice the threat in the new Chancellor.
At the height of his power, Palpatine made the most important act: he proclaimed the creation of the Empire and the New Order. The New Order, designed to fight corruption in the galaxy, gave the new Emperor unlimited power over millions of planets. Palpatine managed to defeat corruption within the government, but the level of social injustice has become higher than ever. Although all sentient beings in the galaxy were entitled to Imperial citizenship, ensuring that their rights and freedoms were not affected, only humans could enjoy these rights to the fullest. All other races were treated as second-class people, limited in their freedoms and actions. Terror and fear became tools for maintaining order in the territories controlled by the Empire and wasps. new government Emperor.
Structure and Organization
The main means of maintaining the New Order are the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Planetary Forces. They allowed even the most remote corners of the Galaxy to be subjugated to the Emperor. It is not surprising that the system of government in the Empire has a purely military structure.
Palpatine reorganized the Old Republic's administrative apparatus to better serve his purposes and demands. The Senate, which became the last relic of the Republic, had no real power and was dissolved shortly before the Battle of Yavin. The emperor transferred full power to local governors and Moffs.
Governors are the representatives of the Empire in one system. They command all garrisons located in the system. Often governors are natives of the systems they govern. Despite the fact that all troops and partially secret and political services are subordinate to the governors global solutions They can only be used by Moffs. The fleet located in the system also acts without regard to the governors.
Moffs rule the entire sector. A sector typically consists of about 50 habitable planets, although sizes can vary. The combat formation of the fleet and located in the sector is completely subordinate to the local Moff. Also, the governors of all systems included in the sector are subordinate to them. Usually, the Moffs personally govern only the most important and key planets in the sector, leaving others in the care of local governors. The Imperial Secret Service reviews the performance of governors and reports to the Moffs if their performance becomes unsatisfactory. Moff's work is overseen by the Emperor's Advisor. The Moffs periodically send reports to the Councilors, copies of which are also received by the Emperor.
The next step in the hierarchy of the Empire is occupied by the Grand Moffs. The Great Moffs coordinate the work of the Moffs and keep order in several priority sectors of this part of the Galaxy. The size of the territory controlled by the Great Moffs varies by region of the galaxy. Grand Moffs report only to the Emperor personally.
Next in the hierarchy of the Empire are the Emperor's Advisers. Their job is to oversee the work of the Moffs and Governors. They monitor the integrity of the bureaucratic machine and the observance of the foundations of the New Order. In spite of a large number of Only a few advisors are in close proximity to the Emperor. These Advisors often carry out special missions for the Emperor to gather information, spy, and so on.
The last group, subordinate to the Emperor personally, is in the shadows and consists of candidates with Force abilities. The Emperor trains them in various aspects of the Force. They serve as assistants to the Emperor and carry out his secret missions. Among them was Mara Jade, Blade of the Emperor. At the pinnacle of power was the Emperor himself and his faithful assistant and adept of the Dark Side, Darth Vader. The whole system cannot exist without the Emperor. only he personally could make the most important decisions and coordinate the actions of all the apparatuses of power.
In parallel with the power structure, there also existed a large number of pro-imperial organizations aimed at maintaining the power of the Emperor and gathering information.
One of them was COSNP - Commission for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR - Commission for the Preservation of the New Order). The organization was organized by a group of young people who sought salvation from the chaos of the Old Republic in the New Order. Later, Advisor Cruenya Vandron developed it into a popular and large pro-imperial organization. The goal of the KSNP is to introduce the ideals of the New Order into the life of every citizen of the Empire.
Imperial Secret Service
Another important administrative element of the Emperor is Imperial Intelligence. This organization was formed during the last period of the collapse of the Old Republic and united four other secret services. Imperial Intelligence is run by the Ubiqtorate, a central commission that oversees all agents and secret activities. Imperial Intelligence is armed with the best equipment and the most qualified personnel.
Armed Forces of the Empire
The backbone of Imperial power was and remains its armed forces, consisting of the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Planetary Forces. Since the collapse of the Old Republic, the Navy, under the influence of the Emperor and his ideology, has greatly changed its appearance. But despite all the changes, the tasks of the fleet remained the same. The fleet protects the space of the Empire from internal and external enemies, supports the government of the planet in case of crises, provides fire support from orbit, etc. The Emperor sees the Fleet as his all-achieving hand in the fight against the enemies of the Empire.
The Imperial Navy is armed with a wide range of vessels of various classes. Small ships like the Tie Fighter, Tie Interceptor, Tie Bomber, etc. cannot operate autonomously and are usually aboard larger ships or garrisoned on orbital stations and planets.
The next class of ships, which includes a variety of shuttles and combat transports, serve to support larger ships and usually operate in conjunction with them.
The third class includes large warships: corvettes, frigates, dreadnoughts. These ships are designed for deep space combat, planetary blockades, invasion support.
The arrival of one ship of the next class is usually sufficient to restore calm to the system. This class includes the giant Imperator and Victoria class Star Destroyers.
The highest class includes ships that can single-handedly decide the outcome of a battle. Usually ships of this class are made in a single version or in very small numbers. These include Executioner-class Star Destroyers (SSD), Eclipse-class. Also related to the fleet is the Death Star - the project of Grand Moff Tarkin, a symbol of the power of the Empire. The giant battle station, capable of destroying entire planets, became the absolute instrument of power in the hands of the Empire.
Another part of the Armed Forces of the Empire is its Planetary Forces, establishing a New Order on the surface of the planets. The police forces of the Old Republic have been transformed into a powerful structure capable of crushing any resistance to the Imperial order on the surface of the planets. The Army uses a wide variety of weapon systems and vehicles ranging from speedbikes to gigantic Walkers.
The next indicators of the power of the Empire are the imperial stormtroopers. They are used as effective attack units anywhere in the galaxy. Trained to operate in a variety of situations, Imperial stormtroopers are widely used by the military machine of the Empire. They are divided into subclasses depending on the conditions and place of application: Scout-Trooper, Swamp-Trooper, Zero-G-Trooper, Radiation-Trooper, etc.
The best shooters become the Royal Guards, the Emperor's personal bodyguards. All candidates undergo comprehensive education and training. At the end of their training, they receive the ceremonial bright red Royal Guard armor. The best of the Royal Guard are given the title of Overlord's Guards and corresponding darker armor. They guard the palaces and fortresses where the Emperor lives. Just like the clone factory.
Rank System
In such a strict hierarchical system as the Empire, the system of ranks and titles plays an important role. Each soldier wears the uniform of a branch of the military. Navy soldiers wear black uniforms and helmets that are specially tailored to the task they perform on the ship. Soldiers of the planetary forces wear ordinary gray uniforms. Imperial stormtroopers drop out of this scheme. they wear special white armor at all times. Officers are usually dressed in gray uniforms with a chest badge denoting their rank using blue, red and orange squares. The pockets located on the form are intended for Code Cylinders (Code Cylinder), devices that give access to information and individual parts of a ship or station.
Conclusion
Emperor Palpatine managed through fear and violence to subjugate thousands of planets and billions of sentient beings. He managed to create a system of power in which he was the absolute master. Although the Empire was powerful, it also had equally powerful enemies. A small group of Rebels, led by Mon Mothma, opposed the New Order. They organized the Rebel Alliance and began their fight against the Galactic Empire. This marked the beginning of the Galactic Civil War. Do not underestimate the internal enemies of the Empire. Many Admirals thought about power. The uprisings of Admiral Harkov and Zaarin, which took place shortly before the Battle of Endor, were suppressed with great difficulty.
Although Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader died during the Battle of Endor, giving hope for peace, the Empire did not cease to exist. Even after the formation of the New Republic, the Empire continued to control much of the galaxy. Dictator Jingj and Grand Admiral Thrawn were no less of a threat to the New Republic than Palpatine himself.
EMPIRE
(The Empire)
A tyrannical and despotic state established by Emperor Palpatine to rule the galaxy. Under the yoke of the Empire, many aliens were destroyed or enslaved, entire industries and star systems were nationalized, and terror became a way of life. Even the Jedi Knights, the last glimpse of light in a rapidly darkening galaxy, fell victim to this terrible time. The Empire was eventually destroyed at the Battle of Endor, but the last remnants of that dark reign still threaten peace and freedom.
Known members: Emperor Palpatine, Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Vader, Moff Jerjerrod, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Admiral Piett.
Location: Coruscant.
Actions: ruled the galaxy through fear and violence.
Compound: several thousand worlds, billions of intelligent beings and most of the galactic corporations.
Influence time: Galactic Civil War and the time of the New Republic.
Detailed description
The Empire began to form when Senator Palpatine came to power in the Old Republic. Despite opposition from many other senators, he subjugated the Republican Senate and subsequently proclaimed himself Emperor. Under the guise of fighting corruption in the Old Republic, he established the so-called New Order. However, his real purpose had unlimited power over the galaxy. To strengthen his position, he surrounded himself with powerful minions such as The Dark Lord Sith Darth Vader. Another move by Palpatine was the dissolution of the Imperial Senate, which allowed his loyal Moffs to control parts of his realm.
The Empire's strike force, which carried out Palpatine's will on recalcitrant planets, were Imperial stormtroopers, nameless soldiers who were completely loyal to the Emperor. Huge Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers and Orbital Battle Stations kept entire star systems in fear and obedience. The most terrible were the first and second "Death Stars" - a mobile superweapon capable of destroying an entire planet. Slavery was highly developed in the Empire, social injustice flourished.
As the Empire grew in power, its higher ranks became more self-confident, so they did not give of great importance rapidly spreading rebellion against Palpatine. To stop him, Grand Moff Tarkin used the Death Star to destroy Alderaan, a peaceful planet sympathetic to the rebels. However, this villainy only strengthened the Alliance: an act of unrestrained violence horrified the wavering systems, and they hastened to join the rebels.
The Empire's first defeat was at the Battle of Yavin, when the Alliance managed to destroy the Death Star. At the Battle of Hoth, the Imperials briefly regained their lead, but the combined Rebel forces ended the days of Palpatine and his reign at the Battle of Endor.
Unfortunately, remnants of the Empire remained scattered throughout the galaxy. Five years after the Battle of Endor, Grand Admiral Thrawn gathered these forces and swept through the New Republic. He was defeated, but a year later, a new threat to peace in the galaxy appeared: the Emperor was reborn. The villain was defeated again, but the remnants of the Empire continue to pose a threat to the New Republic.
Galactic Empire
For thousands of years, the Old Republic ruled the galaxy, trying to unite hundreds of star systems under the banner of democracy. Unfortunately, over time, the vast Republic became corrupt, leading to discontent and suspicion among its subordinates. The Republic was unable to control the galaxy, so soon the advantage was on the side of the Trade Federation and other associations. By profiting from dissension and conflict, Emperor Palpatine gained power. He took control of the government and, under the guise of fighting corruption in the Old Republic, established the so-called New System. But in fact, his plan is complete control of the galaxy. Under Palpatine's rule, the Old Republic became an Empire whose tyrannical and despotic government attempted to reinforce order and loyalty through force and fear. Other nations were either destroyed or enslaved, entire star systems were turned into the property of the Empire, and terror became the norm. Slavery and social injustice flourished in the Empire. Even the Jedi Knights, the last ray of light in the rapidly plunging Empire, were hunted down and killed in this Time of Troubles.
To strengthen his position, Palpatine surrounded himself with strong minions, including the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. Ultimately, Palpatine even abolished the Imperial Senate, allowing his Moff subjects to rule parts of the Empire as regional rulers. Imperial stormtroopers, nameless soldiers completely loyal to the Emperor, became his shock troops on the rebel planets. Entire systems were hijacked by powerful Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers, and habitation battle stations that were manufactured by the Imperial forces. Most terrifying were the Death Stars, mobile superweapons capable of destroying entire planets.
The Empire's first loss was the Battle of Yavin, when the Alliance forces were able to destroy the Death Star for the first time. Imperial forces were able to recoup at the Battle of the North, but the combined Rebel forces put an end to Palpatine and his government at the Battle of Endor.
Unfortunately, a small piece of the Empire remained scattered among the stars. Five years after the Battle of Endor, Grand Admiral Thrawn assembled this force to attack the New Republic. His plan failed, but a year later, having received new life The Emperor has threatened the peace of the galaxy. Once again, the villain was defeated, but the last remnants of the Empire's forces remained a constant threat in the era of the New Republic.
Since Lucasfilm announced that it was creating a new unified Star Wars canon that would not include the Expanded Universe, there have been quite a few books and comics based on the Saga. Most of them cover events of little importance on the scale of a distant galaxy, which unfold during the time of the classic trilogy or shortly before them. But to shed light on what happened between the original films and The Force Awakens, the authors of the saga are in no hurry, obviously keeping the main secrets until the release of the eighth and ninth episodes.
The first novel of the Wendig trilogy has already been published in Russian
To partially fill this gap, Chuck Wendig's trilogy "Consequences" (Aftermath) is called upon - its first volume was recently published in Russian, and the final novel was released in English this spring. Fans hoped that these books would become a kind of analogue of the Thrawn Trilogy for the new canon. That is, they will show a tense confrontation between the New Republic and the Empire that has lost its leader, tell about the exciting adventures of classic heroes, introduce new bright characters and lay the foundation for a new era. Alas, instead, Wendig ended up with a mediocre epilogue to Return of the Jedi - poorly written, with a weak plot and a whole host of faded characters in the first roles. The main characters of "Aftermath" were the rebel pilot Norra Wexley, her son Temmin (he appeared in The Force Awakens as one of the Resistance fighters), the former imperial security officer Velus, who decided to start a new life, and the bounty hunter Jas Emari. Together, these four wage their own little war against the Empire. Han, Leia, and Chewbacca got minor roles in the novels, while Luke received only mentions at all.
However, while artistically, the trilogy leaves a lot to be desired, so far it is one of the few sources of information about the events of the post-Endor era in the new canon. We have collected for you the main thing that we learned from Wendig's novels.
The empire fell very quickly
For Norra Wexley, fighting the Empire has become a family affair.
In the works of the Expanded Universe, now outside the Star Wars canon, after Palpatine's death, his Empire continued to fight the New Republic for twenty years. Numerous admirals and minions of the Emperor fought desperately for control of a distant galaxy and more than once came close to victory.
In the new canon, the Empire turned out to be much less tenacious. The events of the Aftermath trilogy take place a few months after the Battle of Endor, and the Empire is already breathing its last. The imperial governors are racing to bow to the new government, the fleet has lost the lion's share of its combat power, and the Grand Vizier Mass Amedda is only thinking how to surrender honorably to the Republicans.
The first novel in the trilogy tells of a secret conference organized by high-ranking Imperial officers on the planet Akiva to work out a common plan of action. However, the protagonists of the novel, supporters of the Republic, disrupt the meeting and prevent the Empire from preparing another retaliatory strike.
...but that's how it was planned
Rey Sloane made her debut in the first novel of the new canon and has since proven herself to be a competent but not overly outstanding officer.
The rapid decline of the Empire is due not only to the mediocrity of the leaders who came to replace Palpatine. The already weakened Empire from within was led to the death of the former protégé of the Emperor, Admiral Gallius Rax. A native of the planet Jakku, he was raised personally by Palpatine. It was on Rax that he entrusted the implementation of the plan in case of his death.
Obviously a believer in the maxim "I am the State!", Palpatine had no intention of letting the Empire outlive him for long. And it fell to Rax to become her undertaker after the death of Palpatine.
He contributed to the failure of the conference on Akiva. Then, with the help of suicide bombers, he disrupted peace negotiations between the Empire and the New Republic. Along the way, Rax removed from power one of the few competent Imperial leaders - Grand Admiral Rey Sloan, who had been his ally for the time being. Rey sincerely wanted to restore order to the Empire and disapproved of Rax's methods.
Finally, having seized power over the remnants of the Empire, Gallius gathered its fleet near his home planet. It was on and near Jakku that the last pitched battle of the galactic civil war unfolded.
Rax planned to destabilize the core of the planet in order to destroy both the Republic and imperial army. However, Gallius was not at all a simple fanatic doing the will of the late Palpatine. Together with a few chosen associates, he planned to go to the Unknown Regions to create his own Empire there.
When Rax first appeared in the pages of Wendig's novels, the theory immediately arose that the admiral was the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke from The Force Awakens. There were indeed grounds for such an assumption. There is a connection with Palpatine, and a tendency to manipulate and act from behind the scenes, and the lack of a description of appearance. However, this theory was put to rest by the final novel of the trilogy, which Rax did not survive. The empire suffered a crushing defeat, and soon Mas Amedda signed the capitulation.
However, a small group of Imperials led by Admiral Sloan took advantage of Rax's plan and went to the Unknown Regions. Arriving after months of traveling to the coordinates given by Rax, they discovered Palpatine's personal Star Destroyer. Who exactly was waiting for them there, so far one can only guess - this is where the trilogy ends.
Khan helped liberate Chewbacca's home planet
On the pages of "Long Life" the writer returned to the canon the son of Chewbacca, previously known for the disastrously unsuccessful TV movie Star Wars holiday special
Although after the battle of Endor military advantage passed from the Empire to the rebels who announced the restoration of the Republic, they were in no hurry to liberate distant galaxy. So, for a long time the home planet of the Wookiees Kashyyyk could not wait for help, the inhabitants of which the Empire turned into slaves. The New Republic has not really managed to get on its feet yet, but in terms of bureaucracy and sluggishness it is already beginning to resemble old republic the time of its decline.
So the Khan decided to take matters into his own hands, and after gathering a fleet of smugglers and free Wookiees, he set out to liberate Kashyyyk. The operation turned out to be a failure, Chui was captured, and Khan himself disappeared, and at the request of Leia, rebel pilot Norra Wexley and her team are sent to search for him. Thus begins the second novel in the trilogy.
The heroes manage to find Khan, and together they make another attempt to free the Wookiees - this time successful. The Republic fleet intervenes in the confrontation around Kashyyyk only at the last moment, when the planet is threatened by orbital bombardment. After the liberation of the planet, the paths of Han and his faithful friend Chuuya diverge for a while. The Wookiees remain on their home planet with their family, while Solo returns to Leia.
The fate of Wedge, Lando and Jar Jar Binks
Temmin Wexley is the only main character in the trilogy we've seen on the big screen.
Although the plots of Wendig's novels focus on new characters, there is something to be learned from the books about the future fate of familiar characters.
Wedge Antilles received the most attention. The first novel of the trilogy begins with the fact that the dashing pilot is brought to Akiva and he is captured by the Empire, from which he is rescued by Norra. In the second novel, Wedge arbitrarily assembles a squadron of old comrades to take part in the Battle of Kashyyyk. Actions without orders earn him a medal and a minor administrative position. This, however, does not prevent him from going AWOL again in the third book - this time to save Norra in the battle of Jakku.
Wendig Lando Calrissian played a much more modest role. He appears only in a short interlude, from which we learn that the charming businessman has returned to Cloud City, determined to restore order in it.
Another interlude sheds light on the fate of one of the most disliked heroes by fans - Jar Jar Binks. The former Gungan senator has finally found a worthy use for his talents and, having returned to Naboo, has become a street clown, who is adored by local children. The clown, however, from Jar Jar turned out to be quite sad, because he perfectly understands that he contributed to the formation of the Empire, and cannot help feeling guilty.
Darth Vader has a sect of admirers
Admiral Sloan and Darth Vader (Artist: Brian Rude)
The Sith are no more, Luke has not yet really begun to revive the Jedi and, according to his sister, is busy searching for the surviving artifacts of the order. Meanwhile, a new organization is rearing its head, interested in the secrets of the Force. A group calling themselves the Acolytes of the Beyond revere Darth Vader and hunt for items associated with him. They took part in the unrest that engulfed Han Solo's home planet of Corellia, but so far more like an incomprehensible sect than a real threat to the peace of a distant galaxy. However, it is likely that it is the Acolytes that will later become the basis of the Order of Ren. Its only known representative, as we know, was also seriously interested in Vader and owned a unique artifact.
* * *
After the battle of Jakku, a distant galaxy seems to have forgotten about wars and battles for many years.
The thirty-year era that separates the classic and new Star Wars trilogies still holds many secrets. Why didn't Luke have enough time to truly recreate the Jedi Order, and how did Ben fall to the dark side? Who is Snoke and where did he come from? Did the New Republic face any major threats prior to the advent of the First Order?
The Wendig trilogy and Bloodline, set several years before The Force Awakens, suggest that peace and tranquility reigned in the galaxy for many years. And if so, then, apparently, in the new canon after the Battle of Endor, Luke, Han and Leia fell far less adventure and feats than during the Expanded Universe.
· Published 18.02.2018 · Updated 18.04.2018
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