Skirts in the Galactic Empire (revisited)

In many military organizations, skirts are sometimes worn as an alternative to trousers.  While Imperial uniforms usually sport pants, there are a few instances of skirts and dress-style jackets being worn instead.

In one Imperial Academy class, female academy graduates wear skirts, unlike their male counterparts (top left).[1]

Mahd Windcaller (top right) served on the Imperial Interim Ruling Council during the last days of the Empire.  Several council members wore the standard olive-colored uniform.  Windcaller's outfit, however, sported a long skirt.[2]

In Star Wars Galaxies it would seem wearing skirts in place of pants was a valid Imperial uniform choice in the game.  This group of four (bottom left) seem like standard Imperial officers.  It's quite possible your average Imperials had access to the garments.

The Empire's emigration officers (bottom center) were both members of their local police forces and the Imperial Security Bureau.  Officers on Corellia wore black skirts as part of their uniform.  The emigration personnel's outfits were influenced by the local police uniforms; therefore, it's likely emigration uniforms would exhibit regional variations.[3]

Lastly, a common uniform of the Republic Service Organization featured a black skirt (bottom right).[4]  We don't know if the RSO continued under the Empire, but considering the massive Imperial bureaucracy and perpetual war mindset, it wouldn't be surprising if an "Imperial Service Organization" existed.

Sources:
1. Heroes and Rogues
2. Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
3. Solo: A Star Wars Story The Official Guide
4. The Clone Wars: The Valsedian Operation

Decrypting Mace Windu's Systems Army

The Grand Army of the Republic was a massive force led into battle by the Jedi Order.  Most members of the Jedi High Council were tasked with leading one of the Republic's ten systems armies as high generals.[1]  Unfortunately, most of the armies have not been thoroughly explored.  High General Mace Windu's Systems Army Alpha, however, is one of the most well-documented of these formations.[2]  This post will attempt to explore this army even further and resolve some of its unique issues.

The Second Sector Army

Each systems army was composed of two sector armies, each led by a senior general.[1]  One of Systems Army Alpha's component sector armies was the 2nd Sector Army.  This unit was led by Sr. Gen. Ry-Gaul and was further divided into four corps.  Only one of these units is known: Gen. Secura's 327th Star Corps.  The only known legion of the 327th was the 7th Legion.  Smaller formations are known,[2] but this article is more concerned with High Gen. Windu's unit as a whole, and less about the minutiae of the 327th Star Corps.

The Ninety-First Mobile Reconnaissance Corps

Another unit under High Gen. Windu, the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps was far more confusing than its sister units.  The 91st was, at different times, led into battle by Mace Windu,[3] Adi Gallia[4] and Stass Allie.[5]  This would seem to be problematic, as all three Jedi were on the High Council, presumably making them all high generals.  This issue can be solved in three ways.

It's possible the 91st was transferred at least once between systems armies.  The corps could've started out under Systems Army Alpha, only to be moved to High Gen. Gallia's command later in the war.  Wether or not it was transferred again depends on if Stass Allie inherited Adi Gallia's command or not.  Since the two were cousins it's perfectly reasonable that Allie received Gallia's old systems army.

Alternatively, the 91st never actually changed hands.  Under this theory an instance of a contradictory leader would merely be the result of a temporary command.  However, we couldn't be certain who the 91st actually belonged to with this in mind.

Lastly, Gallia and Allie could have both been Windu's subordinates.  It may seem intuitive that all Council members were high generals, but this can't be the case.  The High Council contained 12 members while there were only 10 systems armies.  With two Jedi unaccounted for it would make the most sense for these Councilors to hold the second-highest rank.  Therefore, two High Council members would lead sector armies instead of systems armies.

Being one of the Order's most elite Jedi, it's certainly possible that another Councilor would be placed under Mace Windu's command.  Thus, Adi Gallia would lead the sector army containing the 91st under Windu's command (judging by the naming conventions, it would likely be the 1st Sector Army).  Eventually she would be replaced by Stass Allie.

The One-Eighty-Seventh Legion
One mysterious unit was the 187th Legion.  This unit served under High Gen. Windu, though we can't be sure where it was located in Systems Army Alpha.  This legion sported the exceptionally rare color of purple.[6]

One anonymous unit of purple-armored Clone Troopers served under General B'ink Utrila.[7]  Considering the tremendous amount of GAR units and the limited amount of colors visible to the human eye, it would make sense for each color to have clear associations.  Therefore, it would make sense for Gen. Utrila's troops to be in the same unit as the 187th, though we obviously can't be sure.

A Galactic Marine Regiment
The last mystery unit was a regiment of Galactic Marines, led by High Gen. Windu.  Next to nothing is known of these soldiers, but they sport nearly identical markings to the 187th.[8]  With the same paint job and leader it's very likely they were part of, or shared a common unit with, the 187th Legion.

It might seem like an issue, as the Galactic Marines were led by Ki-Adi Mundi.  However, Mundi's unit was officially known as the 21st Nova Corps.  "Galactic Marine" may be a more general term used by many different units.

Sources:
1. The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
2. Star Wars Insider 84 - Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Innocents of Ryloth
4. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Nomad Droids
5. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
6. Star Wars Unleashed - 187th LEGION TROOPERS
7. The Clone Wars: Defenders of the Lost Temple
8. Order 66 - MACE WINDU & GALACTIC MARINE

Exploring the Uniforms of Republic Generals

The events of the Clone Wars have been extensively covered through a massive amount of media.  We've received lot's of information on the organization and inner workings of the Republic's military forces.  The generals of the Republic Army play a key role in the stories surrounding the conflict.  However, we have a very limited idea of what their uniforms actually look like.  From what information we have there is still a lot to learn.  The goal of this article is to paint as clear and accurate a picture as the sources will allow.

It should be noted that the ranks of the Republic's generals weren't exclusive to Jedi, but also included non-Jedi[1][2] and at least one Clone Trooper.[3]

Armor

Generals Swan and Kenobi, sporting Clone Trooper-style armor.

While many Jedi generals wore merely their traditional robes into battle, it wasn't an uncommon practice to wear varying degrees of armor.  Most Jedi armor was of the same design as their clone soldiers, usually painted white or a shade of grey.[4]  Some Jedi generals wore a unique chest plate/collar only seen among their ranks.[5][6]  You can occasionally see Jedi wearing armor unique to themselves; it may be assumed these costumes are not reflective of the official general's uniform.[7]

While there are clear commonalities shared by many Jedi generals' armor, it seems all Jedi wore their armor quite differently.  Indeed, Jedi were almost never seen wearing a full suit of armor.  These kits were most likely mixed and matched according to the individual's preference.  As members of a religious order, it seems the Jedi were not forced to adapt to military requirements.  

The only non-Jedi armor we see is that of General Cards, an ARC Trooper.  He wears the standard Advanced Recon Commando gear.[3]  We've seen many Special Operations Brigade officers and their armor is reflective of the SO BDE, not their infantry equivalents.  Thus, it's unlikely a standard general would wear this ARC-style gear.

It's likely a non-Jedi general would wear the conventional Army armor; not unlike the rare, fully-armored Jedi, minus the robes.  

Armor Color

General Cards, ARC Trooper.

For a large part of the war (and for some units, the entire war), Republic Army soldiers would wear certain rank-denoting colors.  All ranks from private to marshal commander had a designated color.[8][9]  Unfortunately, it remains unclear what color represented the Army's generals, if any.  

We've gotten a few lists spelling out the colors used by Army soldiers; all of them have ignored the issue of a color for generals.  However, just because it goes unmentioned doesn't mean no such color existed. 

The armor of Jedi generals never seem to feature the typical rank flashes of officers.  Where their colors would normally be, their armor is unmarked.  The generals' colors can't be white, because grey and black-armored generals don't wear white flashes.  Since many Jedi generals wear armor colors that don't match the troopers they lead, it's entirely possible the Jedi as a whole eschew the standard military color schemes.[4]

One last bit of evidence is the aforementioned Gen. Cards.  He wears an all black suit of armor, very rare amongst Republic Army soldiers.  It's certainly possible black represents generals, but context should be acknowledged in this case.  Cards appears in a spinoff of 2008's The Clone Wars.  In nearly all stories related to the series, a Clone Trooper's color represents his unit, rather than his rank.  However, it's certainly still a possibility, and our only real evidence of a reserved color for these ranks.[3]

Service Uniform

 
GAR trooper, possibly a corporal (left).  Adm. Yularen, Republic Navy (right).

We've never seen a proper General's uniform, but based off the standards of the era we can reasonably assume they share the same design as their subordinates.[6]  Republic Army uniforms seem to be the same as their Navy counterparts.  The only difference is some GAR uniforms feature shoulder patches;[10] it's possible that this is exclusive to lower ranks, as Commander Ponds' uniform lacks this detail.[11]

The colors of Army uniforms aren't completely clear.  Naval officers wear a few different colors and this practice seems to be shared with the Republic Army.[6]  One corporal wears a charcoal uniform.  In the same scene we see officers with lighter shades; we can't be certain all of these soldiers belong to the same branch, however.[10]  A higher-ranking clone, Ponds, wears a light grey suit.[11]

Rank Insignia

A general's rank indicator plaque has never been portrayed, but there are several comparable badges that can give us an idea of what it might look like.

One important factor is that Naval rank insignia are somewhat more explored.  It is important to consider the level of standardization between the Navy and Army.  It may be possible to approximate the badges of generals through their naval equivalents.  Indeed, The Clone Wars Campaign Guide seems to support admirals and generals being equivalents.  The admirals' insignia we see feature two rows of squares.[6]  All Republic Army badges we've seen feature one row (as far as I'm aware).[6][12]  While generals may sport the same rank plaques as admirals, it's equally possible that all Army insignia are one row only.  

Marshal commander may be the highest rank below general.  This rank features a 4x1 badge, and other high-ranking officers wear 4x1 badges.[13][14]  Considering that there are at least three levels of general, the differences between their rank plaques may be stark.[8]  There could be a 4x1, 5x1 and 6x1 for each tier, or they could all have the same dimensions with different colors.

One last thing to consider is the Director of Republic Intelligence, Armand Isard, wore a 6x1 insignia.[15]  At such a high position in the military, he may have been of equivalent rank to a High General.

In conclusion, there is little concrete evidence as to what the Republic generals' uniforms were, but there is enough evidence to come up with a few decent assumptions.  Hopefully we'll get more definitive information in the near future.  The Clone Wars continues to be a popular era in the mythos of Star Wars.

Sources:

1. Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison 1

2. Rough and Tundra

3. Clone Wars Adventures
4. Star Wars: Clone Wars
5. Star Wars: Clone Wars - Chapter 22
6. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 
7. Republic 49: Sacrifice
8. The Clone Wars Campaign Guide 
9. The Essential Guide to Warfare
10. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Orders
11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Innocents of Ryloth
12. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
13. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Unknown
14. Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
15. Reversal of Fortune

An Overview Of Republic/Imperial Uniform Colors

In the Republic and its successor states individuals in service of its military and civilian organizations commonly wore a universal service uniform.  Though the uniform differed slightly between organizations and time periods, a basic standard existed amongst the uniforms of most members of the Republican/Imperial apparatus.

One key difference in uniforms used to identify members of a certain branch was color.  Specific branches of the Republic/Empire had colors used to identify their uniforms.  To avoid wasting time I'll get into the data.

PT 1:  The Galactic Republic.
The Galactic Republic used many different service uniforms throughout its long history.  As early as the Naboo Blockade the Republic had adopted a new system that would be used by its personnel until its transformation into the Empire.

Judicial Department - The Judiciary was the central military and law enforcement department of the Republic until the Clone Wars necessitated a proper military.  The Department included the Judicial Forces and the Security Forces; members of both were known to wear dark blue service uniforms.[1][2][3]
Senate Guard - The Senate Guard were the elite police force in charge of protecting the Galactic Senate.  While part of the Judicial Department, their suits bore different colors.  The tunic sported a noticeably lighter shade of blue alongside black pants.[4]
Republic Navy - Officers in the reorganized Republic Navy wore a variety of uniform colors.  Admirals and Captains were almost exclusively seen wearing olive-drab uniforms.[5][6][7]  Lower ranking officers usually wore a greyish-blue or white suit.[5]
Republic Army - I can't think of any outright visual appearances of the Clone Wars-era Republic Army.  It is known the Army was founded from PSFs and the Judicial Forces.  My best guess is the uniforms of the Judicials would carry on to the new department (PSFs had no standard garb).
Grand Army of the Republic - Officers were seen wearing blue-grey while others wore a darker grey uniform.[5]
Medical Specialists - Officers serving medical roles were seen to consistently wear white uniforms, sometimes with brown belts, gloves and boots.  During the early Clone Wars, medics wore badges on their shoulders.  Towards the end of the war the officer's badges were moved to their chest, left of their rank badge.  The new uniforms also sported hats with red stripes on the shoulders and cap.[5]
Republic Service Organization - Members wore tan jackets with a black skirt.  Their caps could either be black or tan.[35][36]
Potential Judicials - A captain appeared on a ship resembling a Judicial vessel.  The ship's captain wore a red uniform.  An officer under his command wore either a greyish or green uniform (The lighting made the color a bit ambiguous).  Could these be examples of Judicial ranks having different colors?[8]
Republic "Generals" - The ORSF was a particularly large paramilitary organization run by Republic Senator Ranulph Tarkin.  The Security Force was intended to be the official Republic Military, though it was never more than a mere PSF.  Tarkin himself held the rank of General within the ORSF, wearing a red tunic with blue pants.  Could this have been an official uniform for Generals?[9]
Republic Moffs - Wilhuff Tarkin was a Sector Moff as well as an Admiral.  He wore an olive-drab uniform standard amongst Admirals.  Was this representative of the Moff uniform?[5]

PT 2:  The Galactic Empire.
Having been born from the Republic, the Empire inherited its predecessor's equipment.  It took little time for the Imperials to phase out old uniform styles.  The new suit had been seen in the Republic's ranks before, but it now bore the status of standard-issue.

Imperial Slavers - Any information on the placement of slavers in the military structure or their rank and organization is certainly beyond me.  However, one slaver made a clear appearance supervising labor on Weapons Factory Alpha.  This individual wore a rarely-seen brown uniform.[10]
Imperial Security Bureau - ISB agents' outfit consisted of black pants and a hat with a white tunic.[11]  There were exceptions of course; some Agents have been seen wearing grey.[12]  One other case is Commander Alecia Beck, who wore all-white.[13]
Imperial Army - Now there were surely many obscure colors seen in the Army, but the standard was clearly olive-drab.[14]
Imperial Navy - Throughout the Navy officers typically wore olive-drab.  Naval Troopers wore all-black on the other hand.[11]
Stormtrooper Corps - The typical Stormtrooper wore an all-black uniform, not unlike the lesser-skilled Naval Troopers.[11]
Starfighter Corps - Imperial Pilots were seen wearing either olive-drab or black uniforms.[15][16]  Some even wore light-green suits.[17]
Imperial Medics - Army Medics wore a white tunic with blue stripes and a pair of black pants.[16]  Another Medic, who I assume to be the Naval analogue, wore a more regular grey suit.[18]
Imperial Surgeons - Unlike the similar Medics, Surgeons wore an all-teal uniform.[19]
Imperial Diplomatic Corps - Diplomats wore the standard olive-drab suits.[20]
181st Imperial Fighter Wing - Initially the 181st were a standard starfighter wing, wearing olive-colored garb.  After being promoted to "elite" status they gained red stripes on the sides of their uniforms.[15]
Imperial Liaisons - Liaisons provided a bridge between the Imperial government and local forces.  They were seen wearing green uniforms.[21]
Imperial Intelligence Directors - Armand Isard and later his daughter, Ysanne, both wore all-red uniforms.[22][23]
Imperial Intelligence - Similar to the ISB, most Intel agents wore white jackets and black pants.[24]  Also, it wasn't unheard of for agents to wear all-grey.[12][25]
Imperial Inquisitors - Though Inquisitor uniforms soon devolved into a hodge-podge of contradiction, the initial kit was quite standardized; these early Inquisitors were seen wearing grey.[26]
Grand Admirals - Grand Admirals wore one of the most iconic uniforms in the Empire.  The suit consisted of a white tunic and pants along with gold epaulets.[27]
Moffs and Grand Moffs - Trachta, an early Moff, wore a grey suit.[28]  In later years Moffs would be seen almost exclusively in olive-drab.[11]  Rufaan Tigellinus was a Grand Moff as well as a Grand Admiral; he wore a Grand Admiral's uniform instead of the Moff's equivalent.[29]
Ozzik Sturn - Kashyyyk's Captain Ozzik Sturn inexplicably wore an all-white uniform (Military captains almost exclusively wore olive.).[16]  It is unclear what warranted his irregular attire.

PT 3:  The New Empire.
Under the new Empire the uniforms were of a quite similar style to the previous renditions; the main difference being most commissioned officers would wear collars and cuffs alongside the traditional garb.  Color-based identification would certainly persist in this era.

Imperial Mission - Konrad Rus, the head of the Mission, wore a white uniform under his Missionary robes.  In addition he possessed a white collar with gold badges.[30]
Imperial Diplomatic Corps - The only diplomat seen in the new Empire was Director Fehlaaur.  He wore the standard olive-colored uniform.[31]
Imperial Intelligence - Director Calixte possessed a blue-grey uniform.[30]  Imperial Knight Sigel Dare wore an olive-drab uniform while posing as an officer.  She wasn't an actual Intel operative and her uniform was a disguise; the legitimacy of the uniform is debatable.[32]
Imperial Navy - From the bottom to the top it seems most conventional officers in the Navy wore the standard olive-colored uniforms.[33]
Imperial Army - Like the Navy, olive seemed to be the standard color for the Army.[33]  One notable exception: in some scenes it appeared the Army's head, Geist, wore a grey uniform.[34]  At other times he possesses the normal olive suit.[31]
Starfighter Corps - Pilot Gunn Yage wore an all-black uniform.[31]

Military Supreme Commander - Supreme Commander Morlish Veed sometimes appeared in a greenish-khaki uniform.[34]  On other occasions he wore an olive-colored alternative.[30]

Sources:
1. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
2. Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
3. Star Wars 28: The Hunt for Aurra Sing, Part 1
4. Clone Wars Chapter 24
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
6. Star Wars: Republic: Dreadnoughts of Rendili
7. Star Wars: Republic: Siege of Saleucami
8. Star Wars 23: Infinity's End, Part 1
9. Star Wars: Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War
10. Star Wars 1: Skywalker Strikes
11. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
12. Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
13. Smuggler's Run
14. Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
15. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel
16. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
17. X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition
18. Empire 9: Darklighter, Part 2
19. Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man
20. Star Wars 49: The Last Jedi (Lol)
21. X-Wing Rogue Squadron 26: Family Ties, Part 1
22. Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows 3
23. X-Wing Rogue Squadron: In the Empire's Service
24. Star Wars: Agent of the Empire
25. Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand
26. Evasive Action
27. Heir to the Empire
28. Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison
29. Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals
30. Star Wars: Legacy: Broken
31. Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2
32. Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties
33. Star Wars: Legacy
34. Legacy 43: Monster, Part 1
35. The Clone Wars: Prelude
36. The Clone Wars: The Valsedian Operation

LITREP: Legacy - Divided Loyalties

So it's really great to turn the focus back to the Allies.  Tatooine was dull to me for one reason and one reason alone; Cade Skywalker.  It's odd to say you adore a series, yet hate the protagonist, but I'll easily admit that I can't stand Cade.  The reluctant hero shtick was great, but it just won't end, so it's great to get a whole issue dedicated to the Allies.  I love just about all of them, from Fel to Stazi, and everyone in between.  

         The issue starts with the Jedi meeting the Alliance fleet.  It's nice to meet new Jedi, and the Twin Tails look lovely.  It's quite interesting that the X series fell out of favor with the main Alliance forces.  Now let's set all this aside because Sigel Dare is here!  I can't help but love Sigel.  She's clearly the Alpha-17 of Legacy.  What's not to love about a snarky sociopath?  That's not to say she wasn't a shebs in this issue--she was-- but a little more character development could make her all the more likeable.

        The first plot involves Sigel and a Jedi named 'Dan' going to Dac to extract Master Sinde.  This Dan character is seriously annoying.  I'm still kind of mad at the smug Jedi.  The two knights sneak through the Sith forces a little too easily if you ask me.  Whatever.  Single issue stories don't really have time for the nitty gritty.  

        When confronted, Treis Sinde refuses to return to Bastion.  Emperor Fel has ordered his return, yet Sinde claims the force wants him to stay.  Sigel Dare pulls her lightsaber on her former master, calling him a traitor.  I agree with Master Dare, though an execution is taking things too far.  I think a direct order from your superior is more important that protocol.  In such an awful and dangerous war, sacrifices must be made.  Imperial Knight protocol doesn't matter osik when the fate of the galaxy is at hand.  Treis Sinde is betraying his Empire.  Master Dan resolves this by agreeing to stay on Dac, in place of Master Sinde.  Thus Sinde and Dare both return to Bastion without further hassle.

          The second plot follows the Galactic Alliance fleet.   A Sith taskforce suddenly attacks the Allies.  On the bridge of the Alliance, Gar Stazi is shot by a traitor.  The would be assassin is detained and Stazi is taken to the medbay.  The enemy fleet's commander is an over-ambitious admiral who plans to become the new Executor.  Unfortunately, he gets no time to develop in the period of the issue.  

         With Jhoram Bey filling in for Stazi, the fleet makes an emergency jump to escape their pursuers.  The Sith fleet manages to chase them to their RV, to Bey's surprise.  Out of desperation, they attempt another escape.  When the Sith fleet catches up, they find only the Alliance.  Expecting a surrender, they are caught flat-footed when the rest of the Alliance fleet ambushes them.  The Allies have won the day.

          I thought the first plot was fairly good;  It was great to get more Sigel Dare, even though this wasn't her finest appearance by any metric.  Treis Sinde's actions left a bad taste in my mouth, though.  The second plot was more of a lame repeat of Renegade, a far better issue.  One thing alone makes the issue great in my mind:

         The traitor, a Mon Cal named Tealart, betrayed the Alliance because his family was held hostage by the Sith.  Now captured, he concludes they were probably dead by now.  A sympathetic Stazi promises to help his family if possible.  In the end Gar Stazi promises an execution for Tealart, stating that a demonstration must be made.  The Mon Cal understands and thanks the Admiral for promising to help.  

         Legacy manages to handle nuance much better than most Star Wars stories.  It's rather great that an issue like this can exist in such a childish universe.  George Lucas once said Star Wars was for twelve year olds.  Legacy manages to go above and beyond Lucas' simplicities.  

         

The Force Unleashed II - My Review

What did I just play?

-NON SPOILER SEGMENT-

What was the point of this?  The previous game wrapped up fine.  I didn't have any questions.  Why was this necessary?  I didn't even love the first game.  The Force Unleashed II makes the original look spectacular.  This game left me with so many questions.  I'm guessing they were planning a third game.  Where did that go?  In hindsight they certainly had time to at least work on a third game.  

         In short, this game was pointless.  There weren't too many new designs, but the new ones weren't bad, the gameplay was great, the locations were okay and the graphics were nice.    Unfortunately, this doesn't save the game.  It certainly doesn't.  This game is seriously lacking in the story department. 

         I'm not going to get too deep in this segment- I'll just provide the premise.  Starkiller is back.  Why?  Why couldn't he stay dead?  Starkiller was a loose end, and thus he died.  He can't be running around in the Star Wars universe.  Why bring him back?  They would've had to either kill him off or let him live.  Having him die twice would feel quite weird.  Letting him live would be even weirder.  Imagine Starkiller alive, with the Rebellion during the films.  That would be fairly odd. 

        The plot moves at hyperspeed.  You cut enemies up, and the transition from mission to mission is incredibly jarring.  The characters simply run into situations without consideration or thought.  There is no scene where Juno and Galen are in their ship considering how to execute their mission.  There is no scene showing the inner workings of the Alliance.  There is one scene where General Kota is just like "We're attacking Kamino!", and the fleet just goes along with it.  They don't take the time for a plan.  They just jump to lightspeed.

        This game has little story worth.  Having played it I'd like to pretend it isn't canon (In it's respective timeline.).  It just makes a mess of things.  You can pretend it doesn't exist, or you can try to explain it.  I prefer the former.  Besides the fact that Starkiller is back from the dead there are some other serious loose ends.  Obviously, I won't spoil them here.  Basically this game leaves off with MAJOR cliffhangers, and they remain unresolved to this day.

        

All in all I thought this game was mildly insulting, story-wise.  The gameplay is great.  The game is a lot of fun.  If that's all you want, I'd recommend it.  It must be noted, the game is incredibly short.  I'd say it's about six hours.  The game technically has nine levels, while three of these "levels" are just boss fights.  Most of the niceness in this game comes from the gameplay.  If that's what you're looking for, then great.  The story offers little- you're better off watching the cutscenes on YouTube.

With all this said, I'd give it a 3.5/10.  I'm not sure if I would've bought it in hindsight.  The tie-in graphic novel, however, is quite worth a read.  Far better story than the game.

-SPOILER SEGMENT-

Boy, that cliffhanger.  What were they thinking?  Honestly, seeing Vader in shackles was an incredible visual, but it shouldn't have happened- not in the main canon!  Having Vader captured is a huge blow to his character.  It's stuff like this that gives the EU a bad name.  Also Juno coming back to life.  [eyeroll]  Wouldn't she be in serious pain upon regaining consciousness?  Nah, just embraces the kiss.  So cheesey.  

       I did like the mission aboard the Salvation.  Gave me flashbacks to Ghost Ship Recon.  The Terror Troopers were actually fun enemies.  The Terror Walker was an annoying boss, but then again, most bosses in this series are incredibly annoying.  Just having the privilege to control the camera is a blessing.

       I don't think Boba Fett was all that necessary in the context of the game.  They could have just had the Imperials abduct Cpt. Eclipse themselves, but nah, gotta have those OT characters!  Why must everything be so ridiculously connected?

      Cato Nemoidia wasn't terrible.  It just wasn't that memorable either.  The Gorog was just a bigger Rancor really.  The visual where the Gorog literally crushes the Rancor was rather shocking, so credit for that.  It was rather hilarious how bottomless the planet was.  I'm pretty sure they were falling for over a minute.  Baron Tarko was absolutely forgettable.  A: He brings shame to the Baron title famously held by Soontir Fel.  B: His name sounds way too much like 'Tarkin'.  If anything, his death was slightly funny ('Funny' in a very loose sense).

       I'm pretty sure Starkiller's "clone" is actually the original, or at least contains the original's spirit.  Otherwise they wouldn't have put so much emphasis on whether or not he was the real Galen.  I'm not going to get into the science of cloning a force user.  The instances of the phenomena are a bit contradictory.  

       The Acolytes and Saber Guards were pretty bad.  What happened to Shadow Guards?  They managed to be fairly tough enemies.  Both of the new force-using Imperials are incredibly weak.  I also don't understand the purpose of splitting force-users from saber-users.  Shadow Guards managed to use both powers and their sabers.  From a story standpoint, what is the purpose of a "Saber Guard"?  Can't normal guardsmen wield sabers?  They sure do in the previous game!  The Sith Acolytes aren't bad.  They look slightly cool, honestly.  They aren't ever given an explanation inside or outside the game, unfortunately.  The real problem is that they seem to be unarmed.  Did the Empire cut its annual Lightsaber budget?  These people need their sabers!

       One thing that stood out were the Galen clones.  When they emerged from their vats they were fully clothed and wielding lightsabers.  What?  How does this work?  Do they grow their own clothes?  What about the Lightsabers?  Apparently in the Empire unborn, defective clones are more privileged than active duty Sith Acolytes.  What the heck?!?

       Imperial War Droids were an interesting touch.  It must be asked, though: Why couldn't we have Purge Troopers, again?  Whatever.  The War Droids were fun.  The Carbonite effect was also cool.  To be a tad bit nitpicky, they look a bit too Terminator-esque.  Still a cool design, though.

       Riot Troopers seemed incredibly unnecessary.  Why would a trooper need a whole new armor set, just to wield an electrostaff?  Isn't stormtrooper armor designed for riots?  Why is a variant needed?  Jumptroopers were back, which was cool.  Unfortunately the AI was much more annoying, so fighting them was a chore.

        Swatting Imperials got repetitive, and fast.  In the first game you fought a massive variety of enemies.  In this game you fight the same enemies as you are spoon-fed new ones.  If this game lacks anything (Besides story) it's variety.

If you want to experience the EPIC journey of (Possible) clone, Galen Marek, I'd recommend watching it on YouTube.  If you want to play the game for any reason, though, get it on sale.  Full price definitely isn't worth it.

LITREP: The Last Flight Of The Harbinger

I really don't read the Marvel comics much, so I only picked this one up because of special forces.  Does it deliver?

-NON SPOILER SEGMENT-

So I read it with the SpecForce in mind.  I don't think it really delivered.  Just a buncha super hero stormies.  Karen Traviss really put it best: "Special Operations was as much—no more—about detailed surveillance, observation, and rehearsal than going in with [guns] blazing and blowing stuff up.".  All the SCAR Troopers did was blow stuff up.  The comic ever got into tactics or any of the cool stuff.  Also the SCARs aren't really the focus; It's really about the "Big Three", which was a personal disappointment.  

         The art isn't much to look at.  It fell into the uncomfortable crevasse between realistic and cartoonish.  The heroes looked quite weird and the SpecForce troopers looked a tad obnoxious.  If anything, the cover art wasn't bad.  

        What I really wanted was a nice story from an Imperial perspective and getting to see the nicer sides of the Empire.  This was not the case.  The Imperials outside of Scar Squad were just awful, while Scar themselves don't seem very nice either.  I was hoping they would be the Imperial counterparts to the OT heroes, with maybe even their own series.  This seems unlikely.  A real missed opportunity in my opinion.

   'Special Commando Advanced Recon' is an awful acronym. It doesn't make grammatical sense.  'SCAR' doesn't even sound cool to me.  Scar Squad clearly doesn't know how to equip for a mission.  The comic involves a mission to a star destroyer (The Harbinger).  Onboard this ship the Imperials use flame throwers, sniper rifles and rocket launchers.  How does this make sense?  Flamethrowers don't work in a fireproof environment, sniper rifles are useless in a tight indoor area and bazookas can punch a hole through the ship's interior.  The SCAR Troopers aren't tactical- they're just OP.

        The story mostly pertains to the Big Three, but it's fairly enjoyable and contains enough SpecForce troopers for my liking.  Better than trying to squeeze enjoyment out of Gambler's World, I'd say!  For this I'd give it a 6/10.  It really isn't bad; It's pretty fun.  If you're a SpecForce fanatic like me, you'll probably like it.

-SPOILER SEGMENT-

So the dialogue was pretty cheesy.  There's a point where the sergeant asks Luke what to call him, to which he replies "REBEL!",which I thought was fairly cringey.  The "I've got a bad feeling" line is quite cliche at this point, but the comic nicely subverted it's usage, so credit for that.  Han and Leia bicker so much it makes them look like BFFs in ESB.  It's like the author couldn't think of any other way they could interact.  There's this one part where they are fighting over who commands the ship, and they literally race to the bridge to settle the argument.  Han commandeers a speederbike and Leia takes a space suit to fly to the bridge.  It's so childish I can't take it seriously in the slightest.  

        Vader abruptly appeared, though in the end when they inevitably failed he fires his TIE Fighter on the Harbinger in rage.  I thought this was awesome and in line with Vader's nasty temper.  Another great moment was the ending when the reader discovers C-3PO was captured.  It's shocking and sudden, packing a nice punch.  A rebel admiral is captured in the beginning and the audience doesn't know his ultimate fate.  However, when his ship strangely appears he is strapped to the front!  It was honestly a bit scary.  Sarge using his lightsaber against Luke was also a great scene.
        In the end I thought it was okay.  Not really memorable, while it had a ton of potential.  It focuses way too much on the Big Three and delivers hardly anything new.  If you like that kinda pulp then read it---If you like special forces then read it---But if you like great stories then don't read it.