Boba Fett

[COLOR=green]Jedgar walked up the boarding stairs and into the small business jet that was now serving as their transport to South Africa. He walked into the cockpit and found Petir sitting behind the pilots, both of whom looked slightly nervous. They no doubt weren?t used to having heavily armed and deadly Mafioso as passengers. [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?We ready?? [B]Petir[/B]: ?It appears so.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Excellent?? [I]Radio Crackles[/I] [B][I]Julia over the radio[/I][/B]: ?I have two incoming dust clouds, coming in from opposite directions. One looks to be Stefan?s car, but the other appears to be civilian.? [B]Petir[/B]: ?Yebat' vashu mat'! Can you hit it from the tower?? [B][I]Julia over the radio[/I][/B]: ?Negative, it?s hidden in the olive groves.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?I?ll stay here and watch these two, you can do the honors Petir. Watch the Russian by the way?? [B]Petir[/B]: ?You speak Russian?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Naturally.? [B]Petir[/B]: ?Poydi k chertu?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?That wasn?t very nice?? Petir left the cockpit, and Jedgar leaned against the wall that separated the passenger compartment from the cockpit. Checking his watch, he realized they only had twenty minutes till the entire terminal erupted into the largest explosion in this area since World War II?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]I usually go to be around 9:30-10:30 and wake up about 5:00-6:00. I can't seem to function without a fair amount of sleep, and I rarely stay up late except on weekends or over vacation...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Besides one of those funky and wildly popular "Charles in my pocket" dolls? I usually give my liberal friends right wing books, like Bill O'Reilly's [B]Who's Looking out for you?[/B] or Rush Limbaugh's [B]See, I told you so.[/B]. It ticks them off, and it funny to boot. So you could say I'm more a giver of odd gifts than a receiver... But isn't that supposed to be better anyway?[/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Tigervx [/i] [B][SIZE=1][COLOR=teal] I've been pondering about this subject and thought I'd like to know your points of view of it. If George Lucas decided to pick up a book plot and make it into a move, which one would it be? I personally would like to see the New Jedi Order become a movie plot, though it has like 20 books so I'd think that'd be kinda hard =P. I'd love to see all the Yuuzhan Vong battleships duke it out with the New Republic. Since most of the large scale battles are in space, and everyone likes those kind of battles =P. So what do you think? [/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]It would definitely be a series rather close time wise to [B]Return of the Jedi[/B], and something that's not too hard to make into the movie. I'd think it'd be the Thrawn Trilogy. It?s a three part series, like the original movies and the prequels. It has an excellent plot, classic enemies, and a whole lot of intrigue. Not to mention action that'd make Episode II and I look pathetic...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]We have class rings, but I didn't buy one. I really have no use for a class ring, and have better things to spend my hard earned money on. Like a new hard drive... Our class rings have our graduation year (2006), our school's initals (ELHS) and a fake blue stone in a cheap metal ring. Price: $50. Not worth my money...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Jedgar rummaged around the small rural airport for a tarp. He needed a nice, sturdy tarp with no holes. After fifteen minutes of searching, he located one in a shed located next to the small building that served as the main terminal. He carried the tarp into the main building, and piled the six bodies of their most recent victims on top of it. Finally, he dragged the giant blue bundle of bodies into the center of the terminal building. [B]Petir[/B]: ?What are you doing Jedgar?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Playing with fire, are the others here yet?? [B]Julia[/B]: ?They?ll be here in about 15 minutes.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Excellent.? He jogged out onto the tarmac and into the single hangar. There he found a stroke of good luck. There was a fuel truck parked in the back of the hangar behind the small planes. Smiling gleefully, Jedgar hot wired the truck and drove it right up to the main terminal building. Taking the fuel hose, he dragged it inside the building, and proceeded to empty the entire fuel load into the lobby of the building. [B]Julia[/B]: ?Pyromaniac?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Your point is?? Julia sighed and walked away, leaving Jedgar alone in the building reeking with fuel fumes. He pulled a small explosive device from his pocket, and set the timer for half an hour. He didn?t want to be anywhere near here when the place blew. It should be enough to make it very hard to prove that these people had been killed before the explosion? Meanwhile, the Mafia pilots had readied their plane, and were making their last pre-flight check before takeoff. Petir was supervising them, and Julia was standing watch in the control tower. Whistling merrily, Jedgar walked lazily towards the plane and the promise of an interesting African safari?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]This threads strike me as a topic that will evoke a strong response from OtakuBoards's community, which mostly lives at home under the control of parents, and will result in the usual outpouring of teen angst/anger/rebellion against parents. Meh, may as well chip in my predictably negative response. [B]1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs? [/B] AOL stinks. That?s putting it mildly. If you don?t trust your child?s judgment, don?t let them on the computer in the first place. [B]2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember installing? [/B] There are far more legitimate uses for programs such as Flash than illegal/malicious purposes. [B]3. Has your child asked for new hardware? [/B] There?s such a thing as progress. Your computer will be obsolete in a few years, and yes, you will need a new one. Get used to it. [B]4. Does your child read hacking manuals?[/B] These books are hacking manuals? What are you smoking?? [B]5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day? [/B] I have a thirty-minute time limit on my computer each day. It doesn?t stop me. [B]You cannot outsmart your children, who are much more tech-savvy than you. If you don?t trust them, get them a typewriter.[/B] [B]6. Does your son use Quake? [/B] This is the most ignorant argument of all. There are such things as games, people like to have fun. I don?t play Quake, but I?d bet the author would feel the same way about [B]Star Wars Galaxies[/B]. These are fun games to play, and I laugh at anyone who thinks they are breeding grounds for hackers. [B]7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behavior? [/B] It?s called puberty. Your child?s hormones are acting up, and they are trying to assert their independence by challenging your authority. Deal with it. It?s part of growing up. [B]8. Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?[/B] Never heard of it. No comment here. [B]9. Has your son radically changed his appearance? [/B] This is now a sure sign of being a hacker eh? Go into a public high school, and look around. You?ll drop dead if this concerns you. Teenagers dress abnormally as part of their expression of independence, in between begging their parents for more money. [B]10. Is your son struggling academically? [/B] Maybe he?s lazy. Maybe he?s not as smart as you think. Perhaps you?re such a terrible parent he can?t get anything done anymore without you looking over his shoulder. Good grief, get a grip. Study with your child, if that?s what it takes. I?d bet hacking isn?t the problem, and in fact most ?programmers? I know are good students? Conclusion: Whoever wrote this? was either an incredibly bad and ignorant parent, or a child having a bit of fun. Either way, it?s just silly? Underlying Message: [B]A computer is a gateway to the world. It contains all the world has to offer; the good, the bad, the pointless and the brilliant. If you don?t trust your child, don?t let them use one. It?s as simple as that.[/B] -Boba Fett[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Thanks Sara, I hoped someone would take the time to consider it... I found it when i was randomly using Google to search for Star Wars things... It came up under a search for "The Empire" --- --- --- --- --- [b]#1 When did this interest start?[/b] Third grade, largely due to the special edition Star Wars films. Seems like there are a few of us here whose interest started then... :whoops: [b]#2 What is your favorite Book/Movie?[/b] The Thrawn Trilogy [b]#3 How into Star Wars do you think you are?[/b] I'm an addict. [b]#4 Do you do anything Star Wars related online, if so what?[/b] I play Star Wars Galaxies, am a member of the Emperor's Hammer fan Club, Co-founded this thread, Play the pencil/Paper RPG and the list goes on? [b]#5 How do you pursue your interest in Star Wars here on the boards?[/b] I?ve been involved, or have attempted to be involved with almost all the Star Wars RPGs since my arrival here, and have started a fair number of them. Also I co-founded this thread?(It was originally my introduction in the newbie lounge. It got closed because it was off topic, and then Dragon Warrior and I both started Star Wars threads in this forum. Good thing when BabyGirl merged them mine was on the bottom, as it was titled: ?Revenge of the Star Wars thread: Now Closed?. Typical newbie-ness? *sigh* but hey, the poll was from my thread...) [b]#6 Any general comments, cares or concerns about Star Wars you feel obligated to share?[/b] I consider myself to be the foremost authority on Star Wars in this forum? seems like all my competition has either been banned (*cough* Conspiracy *cough*), or simply is inactive. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]At this very moment? Open up the Sky -Lindell Cooley Other songs on my Real1 Playlist: Faith of the Heart - Russell Watson Yoda - "Weird Al" Yankovic That's it... there's not much music on my laptop...[/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Marik_Duelist [/i] [B]stargate sg-1 is the best sci-fi show around because it is more intellegent than a lot of other shows, its really funny, its got history(a few thousand years worth), more compelling than star trek(more better story arcs), grounded more in reality! [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]Please, could you use proper English and punctuation? It'd make your posts look much cleaner, and make them much more readable. That "more better story arcs" line is especially annoying... Anyway, I'd like to dispute your opinion that Stargate SG-1 is the best Sci-Fi show currently running. While Stargate is a very interesting and compelling series, having made me a casual fan, I find it less interesting than other shows out there. It's very complex, which makes each episode difficult to watch on it's own. The acting in Stargate is good, but I'd really like to see the actors act a little more involved in the plot, as opposed to their normal aloofness. They seem somehow detached, and that detracts from the storyline a little. Don't get me wrong, Stargate SG-1 is a great series. It's innovative, interesting and full of fresh ideas. However I'd rather watch [B][U]Enterprise[/U][/B]... *Tosses in 2 Credits...*[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Jedgar watched as the three SUVs split off in three different directions. Hopefully this would allow them to elude the police and get to the airport without too much bother. His moment of optimism was laid to rest as two police cars emerged from side streets and began following them at unsafe speeds. Above them, the familiar sounds of a helicopter were heard. [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?We?ve got major company? [B]Petir[/B]: [I]Sarcasm[/I] ?That was an astute observation?? One of the police cars pulled up along side them, and an officer leaned out the window with a bullhorn. [B]Officer[/B]: ?Halt! You?re under arrest for multiple counts of murder in the first degree. Pull over right now. Hal-? The officer?s amplified voice was abruptly cut off as Petir swerved the Mafia SUV and banged into the squad car, sending it flying through the giant glass window of a local coffee shop, where it crumpled like a soda can as it hit a brick wall. The officer who had been leaning out the window has been crushed between the two vehicles in the process. [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?I?m not washing the car?? As the SUV got out of the inner city and began to speed down a dirt country road, the police helicopter flew backwards in front of them, it?s officers yelling into bullhorns. Their voices were drowned out by the loud drone of the helicopter?s propeller blades. [B]Julia[/B]: ?I?ve had enough of this, Petir open the sunroof.? [B]Petir[/B]: ?We have a sunroof?? [B]Julia[/B]: ?The button on your door farthest from you.? Petir hit the button, and the SUV?s sunroof opened, and the dust blown up by the helicopter blades poured inside. Julia motioned for Jedgar to get out his weapon, and then together they stood up through the hole in the roof opened by the sunroof. [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Petir, in ten seconds, swerve to the left.? [B]Petir[/B]: ?Sure.? Jedgar and Julia carefully aimed their weapons, their actions obscured by the swirling dust. After counting to ten, they opened fire. The helicopter pilot slumped in his seat, which was now riddled by bullets and soaked in his blood. The police helicopter then did a nosedive, just as Petir swerved left. The other pursuing police car collided with the falling helicopter, resulting in a loud explosion that sent shards of twisted metal flying in all directions. Unfortunately for Julia, Petir and Jedgar, their triumph was very short lived. Both of the SUV?s rear tires were pierced by multiple pieces of flying metal, and the SUV ground to a halt. The immobilized vehicle sat on a dirt road between two fields filled with olive trees, just [I]three miles[/I] from the airport?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Spam? I usually get about one or two each week, in my main e-mail account [Yahoo]. I simply am very careful with my e-mail address, and don't spread it around. I only sign up for mailing lists that don't share your e-mail, and only sign up for things that I really am interested in. My old e-mail account was flooded with spam e-mail, because I gave out my e-mail address way too often, and was on many mailing lists. Somewhere along the line, my address was added to a spam e-mail list, and I had to close my account because of the insane amount of irrelevant e-mail. By guarding my e-mail address, I rarely get spam e-mail. It really isn't a problem for me anymore.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]But I tell you what; I'll compromise. I'll leave the thread open if people provide a short explanation of why they appreciate the items on their list. So you could just write a sentence after each item or something. That way, we can at least encourage some sort of discussion/detail.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]Sure. [b]A[/b]rt- I can't draw particularly well, but I love to watch others draw and paint. It's so interesting... [b]B[/b]oba Fett- Possibly the most interesting of all Star Wars characters [b]C[/b]reativity- I love a good story, RPG or thought... [b]D[/b]&D- It's a lot of fun, although I don't play often [b]E[/b]asy Schoolwork- Makes time for other things, such as this. [b]F[/b]riendship- Where would any of us be without our friends? [b]G[/b]oogle- Useful in so many ways... [b]H[/b]istory- My favorite subject, I hope to teach it someday... [b]I[/b]ntelligent Debate- Another thing i enjoy listening to and participating in. [b]J[/b]uuthena- Friend from the "good old days", and an all around nice person [b]K[/b]rispy Creme Doughnuts- Mmmmm... [b]L[/b]alaith Ril- Another good friend [b]M[/b]ist- Brilliant writer, good friend [b]N[/b]ice people- It's great to be supported and encouraged. [b]O[/b]ppertunity- Without it, life would be very boring indeed. [b]P[/b]eanut Butter- Goes on everything [b]Q[/b]uiet- Sometimes I need this, to straighten everything out [b]R[/b]ight and wrong- interesting concepts that are fun to contemplate [b]S[/b]tar Wars- It's my life [b]T[/b]ess- **No Comment** [b]U[/b]nderstanding- This is a very important concept that needs to be used more. [b]V[/b]ictory- Possibly the best feeling you can get... [b]W[/b]aterfalls- Beautiful [b]X[/b]enophobes, they make me laugh... [b]Y[/b]ellow! My favorite color... [b]Z[/b]oroastrianism- Ancient religion dealing with right and wrong, similar to the classical senses of good and evil. Good Stuff.. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Warlock [/i] [B]Well, Saddam Hussein has finally been captured, right in his home town of Tikrit in Iraq. And thanks to DNA, it's been confirmed it's really him. There's not too much more information available just yet, but it should come to light really soon... [/B][/QUOTE] [QUOTE][i]Originally from FOX News.com[/I] [B]The former Iraqi dictator was captured Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the cellar of a farmhouse in the town of Adwar, 10 miles from Tikrit, ending one of the most intense manhunts in history.[/B] [/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]Just wanted to make that clarification about where he was actually captured.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]Yeah...I don't know what else to add. Seeing the Middle Eastern media cry out as they first showed his pictures was quite an emotional and historic experience.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green][URL=http://www.foxnews.com]Video of Bremer's Press Conference with the Arab Media[/URL] Obviously this is great news, and I hope to see Saddam tried in an Iraqi court as soon as possible.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]I pay Sony Online Entertainment $15 a month to be my GM. I play [URL=http://starwarsgalaxies.com]SWG[/URL] , and am part of the role-playing guild [URL=http://www.phantom-legion.net]TPL[/URL]. It's a blast, and I probably spend way too much time doing it...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Just a bunch of hype over nothing. I've never even seen one of these bracelets... [/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Action Figure eh? Well for starters I'd have bendable elbows and knees, and a 180-degree moveable head. The toy would look just like a Boba Fett action figure (ROTJ Edition), but with the following accessories: -Laurel of Star Wars Trivia -The scepter of RPG creating -And the scalps of those who have challenged his Star Wars might, and lost. Yeah, that?s about it. [SIZE=1]Post-Mobile Sold Seperately[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Tired, sweaty and suffering from the mild depression that usually followed a high adrenaline operation, Jedgar retired to his room in the American wing of the Mafia building. He closed the door to his small room, and collapsed onto the floor. He managed to get himself into a chair, after a minute of silent and painful struggling, before taking off his shirt. His left shoulder was covered in blood, and appeared to have been grazed by a bullet. Jedgar tossed his bloody shirt into the corner of the room, and then stood up. Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, and attempting to avoid the searing pain that was enveloping his body, Jedgar began walking across the room towards his overnight bag. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. He was almost there. Left foot, right foot. He lifted his left foot, and then fell to the floor with a soft thud. Reaching out with his right arm, he opened his bag and rummaged around in it for a few seconds before withdrawing a basic first aid kit. He placed the kit on the nearby single bed and, with great difficulty, managed to get himself onto the bed as well. He slowly and deliberately opened the kit and began to treat his wound. Normally this wouldn?t have been a problem, but he appeared to have lost a fair amount of blood. Wincing as he applied the antiseptic to his shoulder, Jedgar bit his lip as his he stopped himself from crying out in agony. Then, as the pain subsided, he wrapped his shoulder in a waterproof bandage. It was done. He stood, as the pain was slightly less now. Still concentrating, he walked into the bathroom and, shedding his remaining clothing, he stepped into the shower. As he let the scalding water wash over him, he reviewed the mission. The second and third operations had gone off without a hitch. Rebecca had presumably dealt with the third subject, although it probably would have been good to verify the man?s death. He might trust Rebecca, but the American Mafia was predictably paranoid. It was entirely his fault that he?d been shot. During the raid on the police station he?d cleared the rooms on the left side of the main hallway, killing all inside. In the third room, he?d come across several young teenage cadets. Foolishly, he?d decided to spare them, and just shot their instructor, who?d been reaching for his weapon. As Jedgar had turned to leave, one of the cadets had grabbed his teacher?s weapon and shot at Jedgar. The cadet had broken the primary laws of gun fighting. Take your time, aim, and pull the trigger slowly. He?d been hasty and missed. Jedgar never missed, and shot the brave cadet right between the eyes. Jedgar always followed the rules. After toweling off, Jedgar put on his silk pajamas and walked back to his bed. There he collapsed into a deep sleep, too tired to do dream of anything? *Just over twelve hours later* [B]???[/B]: [I]Knocks on Jedgar?s door[/I] ?Jedgar? The Don wants to see you [I]now[/I].? [I]Jedgar awakens suddenly and sits blot upright in bed. Stumbling out of bed, he quickly dresses. And opens the door[/I] [B]Thug[/B]: ?The Don wants to see you, apparently there is something big going down in Africa.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Should I pack my things?? [B]Thug[/B]: ?I?d assume so, but hurry. The Don is most curious why you haven?t been seen since the last operation.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?I see. Thanks for the message. I?ll be down shortly.? [I]After losing the door, Jedgar gathers his few possessions into his overnight bag, and stows his Uzi and it?s extra clips in his coat. Then he walks out of his room, and down the hallway towards the American Don?s office. The two guards outside the door recognize him, and open the door. Jedgar steps inside, to find he is alone with the Don.[/I] [B]Don[/B]: ?Come in, come in. Sit down. Would you like anything to drink?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?No sir I don-? [B]Don[/B]: ?Ah yes, that?s right. You don?t drink. Such a shame?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Rumor has it that there?s a rather large problem in Africa.? [B]Don[/B]: ?Yes, there?s a meeting that will address the subject starting in a minute. However, I want you to make sure that the interests of the American Mafia are served. No matter what the cost.? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?I will make sure of it.? [I]Jedgar walked out of the Don?s office, and downstairs to the meeting room. Sure enough, the Russian Don and many other operatives were already seated. No sooner had he taken a seat than Petir entered the room.[/I] [B]Petir[/B]: "Sir... I take it there is trouble.. something relating to last night?" [B]Russian Don[/B]: "No, my son, however there is trouble of another kind. The Yakuza have sent for a shipment of cocaine, however our leaks inside their hierarchy have found that this is a subterfuge. Hidden inside the cocaine crates is a vast shipment of weapons. A potential threat to our organization is at hand. Together with Don's Merconi and Ottowelm" here he gestured to the two stolid looking men, "we have organized a group of our best operatives. Currently the shipment is crossing Africa via camel train. We don't know exactly where it is, but it is somewhere along the Nighandar trail. We need you to recover the shipment, and take it to the safest port...we have many operatives inside Dubliss so that'll be the place." [I]Petir frowned.[/I] [B]Petir[/B]: "How long is that Nighandar trail?" [B]Russian Don[/B]: "About 900 kilometers long. We trust that the group of you will be able to find it along there?" [I]At this moment Petir turned around and noticed the rest of the group. Then, from behind Jedgar, a firm voice spoke.[/I] [B]???[/B]: ?Me for team leader? [I]Jedgar turned to see who this person was?[/I] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]Here's something interesting I've found, and thought it would be fun to share...[/COLOR] The Case for the Empire From the May 16, 2002 Daily Standard: Everything you think you know about Star Wars is wrong. by Jonathan V. Last 12/26/2002 12:00:00 AM Jonathan V. Last, online editor STAR WARS RETURNS today with its fifth installment, "Attack of the Clones." There will be talk of the Force and the Dark Side and the epic morality of George Lucas's series. But the truth is that from the beginning, Lucas confused the good guys with the bad. The deep lesson of Star Wars is that the Empire is good. It's a difficult leap to make--embracing Darth Vader and the Emperor over the plucky and attractive Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia--but a careful examination of the facts, sorted apart from Lucas's off-the-shelf moral cues, makes a quite convincing case. First, an aside: For the sake of this discussion, I've considered only the history gleaned from the actual Star Wars films, not the Expanded Universe. If you know what the Expanded Universe is and want to argue that no discussion of Star Wars can be complete without considering material outside the canon, that's fine. However, it's always been my view that the comic books and novels largely serve to clean up Lucas's narrative and philosophical messes. Therefore, discussions of intrinsic intent must necessarily revolve around the movies alone. You may disagree, but please don't e-mail me about it. If you don't know what the Expanded Universe is, well, uh, neither do I. I. The Problems with the Galactic Republic At the beginning of the Star Wars saga, the known universe is governed by the Galactic Republic. The Republic is controlled by a Senate, which is, in turn, run by an elected chancellor who's in charge of procedure, but has little real power. Scores of thousands of planets are represented in the Galactic Senate, and as we first encounter it, it is sclerotic and ineffectual. The Republic has grown over many millennia to the point where there are so many factions and disparate interests, that it is simply too big to be governable. Even the Republic's staunchest supporters recognize this failing: In "The Phantom Menace," Queen Amidala admits, "It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions." In "Attack of the Clones," young Anakin Skywalker observes that it simply "doesn't work." The Senate moves so slowly that it is powerless to stop aggression between member states. In "The Phantom Menace" a supra-planetary alliance, the Trade Federation (think of it as OPEC to the Galactic Republic's United Nations), invades a planet and all the Senate can agree to do is call for an investigation. Like the United Nations, the Republic has no armed forces of its own, but instead relies on a group of warriors, the Jedi knights, to "keep the peace." The Jedi, while autonomous, often work in tandem with the Senate, trying to smooth over quarrels and avoid conflicts. But the Jedi number only in the thousands--they cannot protect everyone. What's more, it's not clear that they should be "protecting" anyone. The Jedi are Lucas's great heroes, full of Zen wisdom and righteous power. They encourage people to "use the Force"--the mystical energy which is the source of their power--but the truth, revealed in "The Phantom Menace," is that the Force isn't available to the rabble. The Force comes from midi-chlorians, tiny symbiotic organisms in people's blood, like mitochondria. The Force, it turns out, is an inherited, genetic trait. If you don't have the blood, you don't get the Force. Which makes the Jedi not a democratic militia, but a royalist Swiss guard. And an arrogant royalist Swiss guard, at that. With one or two notable exceptions, the Jedi we meet in Star Wars are full of themselves. They ignore the counsel of others (often with terrible consequences), and seem honestly to believe that they are at the center of the universe. When the chief Jedi record-keeper is asked in "Attack of the Clones" about a planet she has never heard of, she replies that if it's not in the Jedi archives, it doesn't exist. (The planet in question does exist, again, with terrible consequences.) In "Attack of the Clones," a mysterious figure, Count Dooku, leads a separatist movement of planets that want to secede from the Republic. Dooku promises these confederates smaller government, unlimited free trade, and an "absolute commitment to capitalism." Dooku's motives are suspect--it's not clear whether or not he believes in these causes. However, there's no reason to doubt the motives of the other separatists--they seem genuinely to want to make a fresh start with a government that isn't bloated and dysfunctional. The Republic, of course, is eager to quash these separatists, but they never make a compelling case--or any case, for that matter--as to why, if they are such a freedom-loving regime, these planets should not be allowed to check out of the Republic and take control of their own destinies. II. The Empire We do not yet know the exact how's and why's, but we do know this: At some point between the end of Episode II and the beginning of Episode IV, the Republic is replaced by an Empire. The first hint comes in "Attack of the Clones," when the Senate's Chancellor Palpatine is granted emergency powers to deal with the separatists. It spoils very little to tell you that Palpatine eventually becomes the Emperor. For a time, he keeps the Senate in place, functioning as a rubber-stamp, much like the Roman imperial senate, but a few minutes into Episode IV, we are informed that the he has dissolved the Senate, and that "the last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away." Lucas wants the Empire to stand for evil, so he tells us that the Emperor and Darth Vader have gone over to the Dark Side and dresses them in black. But look closer. When Palpatine is still a senator, he says, "The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good." At one point he laments that "the bureaucrats are in charge now." Palpatine believes that the political order must be manipulated to produce peace and stability. When he mutters, "There is no civility, there is only politics," we see that at heart, he's an esoteric Straussian. Make no mistake, as emperor, Palpatine is a dictator--but a relatively benign one, like Pinochet. It's a dictatorship people can do business with. They collect taxes and patrol the skies. They try to stop organized crime (in the form of the smuggling rings run by the Hutts). The Empire has virtually no effect on the daily life of the average, law-abiding citizen. Also, unlike the divine-right Jedi, the Empire is a meritocracy. The Empire runs academies throughout the galaxy (Han Solo begins his career at an Imperial academy), and those who show promise are promoted, often rapidly. In "The Empire Strikes Back" Captain Piett is quickly promoted to admiral when his predecessor "falls down on the job." And while it's a small point, the Empire's manners and decorum speak well of it. When Darth Vader is forced to employ bounty hunters to track down Han Solo, he refuses to address them by name. Even Boba Fett, the greatest of all trackers, is referred to icily as "bounty hunter." And yet Fett understands the protocol. When he captures Solo, he calls him "Captain Solo." (Whether this is in deference to Han's former rank in the Imperial starfleet, or simply because Han owns and pilots his own ship, we don't know. I suspect it's the former.) But the most compelling evidence that the Empire isn't evil comes in "The Empire Strikes Back" when Darth Vader is battling Luke Skywalker. After an exhausting fight, Vader is poised to finish Luke off, but he stays his hand. He tries to convert Luke to the Dark Side with this simple plea: "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. . . . Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy." It is here we find the real controlling impulse for the Dark Side and the Empire. The Empire doesn't want slaves or destruction or "evil." It wants order. None of which is to say that the Empire isn't sometimes brutal. In Episode IV, Imperial stormtroopers kill Luke's aunt and uncle and Grand Moff Tarkin orders the destruction of an entire planet, Alderaan. But viewed in context, these acts are less brutal than they initially appear. Poor Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen reach a grisly end, but only after they aid the rebellion by hiding Luke and harboring two fugitive droids. They aren't given due process, but they are traitors. The destruction of Alderaan is often cited as ipso facto proof of the Empire's "evilness" because it seems like mass murder--planeticide, even. As Tarkin prepares to fire the Death Star, Princess Leia implores him to spare the planet, saying, "Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons." Her plea is important, if true. But the audience has no reason to believe that Leia is telling the truth. In Episode IV, every bit of information she gives the Empire is willfully untrue. In the opening, she tells Darth Vader that she is on a diplomatic mission of mercy, when in fact she is on a spy mission, trying to deliver schematics of the Death Star to the Rebel Alliance. When asked where the Alliance is headquartered, she lies again. Leia's lies are perfectly defensible--she thinks she's serving the greater good--but they make her wholly unreliable on the question of whether or not Alderaan really is peaceful and defenseless. If anything, since Leia is a high-ranking member of the rebellion and the princess of Alderaan, it would be reasonable to suspect that Alderaan is a front for Rebel activity or at least home to many more spies and insurgents like Leia. Whatever the case, the important thing to recognize is that the Empire is not committing random acts of terror. It is engaged in a fight for the survival of its regime against a violent group of rebels who are committed to its destruction. III. After the Rebellion As we all know from the final Star Wars installment, "Return of the Jedi," the rebellion is eventually successful. The Emperor is assassinated, Darth Vader abdicates his post and dies, the central governing apparatus of the Empire is destroyed in a spectacular space battle, and the rebels rejoice with their small, annoying Ewok friends. But what happens next? (There is a raft of literature on this point, but, as I said at the beginning, I'm going to ignore it because it doesn't speak to Lucas's original intent.) In Episode IV, after Grand Moff Tarkin announces that the Imperial Senate has been abolished, he's asked how the Emperor can possibly hope to keep control of the galaxy. "The regional governors now have direct control over territories," he says. "Fear will keep the local systems in line." So under Imperial rule, a large group of regional potentates, each with access to a sizable army and star destroyers, runs local affairs. These governors owe their fealty to the Emperor. And once the Emperor is dead, the galaxy will be plunged into chaos. In all of the time we spend observing the Rebel Alliance, we never hear of their governing strategy or their plans for a post-Imperial universe. All we see are plots and fighting. Their victory over the Empire doesn't liberate the galaxy--it turns the galaxy into Somalia writ large: dominated by local warlords who are answerable to no one. Which makes the rebels--Lucas's heroes--an unimpressive crew of anarchic royals who wreck the galaxy so that Princess Leia can have her tiara back. I'll take the Empire. Jonathan V. Last is online editor of The Weekly Standard.

[COLOR=green]Jedgar reloaded his clips for his Uzi as the car barreled own side streets, rapidly making it's way towards Sergeant Donovan's residence. [B]Jedgar[/B]: "That went well." [B]Rebecca[/B]: "If you'd be a little more patient maybe it'd go a little faster." [B]Petir[/B]: "The sergeant should be a little more interesting, he's apparently very good at what he does. our records also show that he owns a M-16." [B]Jedgar[/B]: "That's the last thing we need, quarry with automatic weapons." [B]Petir[/B]: "We probably shouldn't charge through the front door this time..." [B]Rebecca[/B]: "Thank you, Comrade Obvious. How about we go in through a window?" [B]Jedgar[/B] "He lives on the seventeenth floor of an apartment building. I don't like heights, let?s stick to something a little easier." [B]Petir[/B]: "How about going next door and breaking through the wall, that'd give us some surprise." [B]Rebecca[/B]: "Lets go for it." [I]The three of them step out of the car as it pulls up outside the apartment building. They jog across the street and enter the lobby of the building. Quickly getting an elevator to the seventeenth floor to avoid curious stares, they move swiftly towards their target.[/I] The seventeenth floor hallway is empty, and they walk left to room 102. [B]Jedgar[/B]: "Which neighbor will we terrorize?" [I]Petir pulls out a coin and tosses is[/I] [B]Rebecca[/B]: "Heads for room 101." [I]Petir picks up the coin and places it back in his pocket.[/I] [B]Petir[/B]: "Heads it is." [I]Jedgar kicks the door to room 101 down, and steps inside[/I] They fan out and search the apartment, and are relieved to find that nobody is home. They then proceed to weaken the wall between this apartment and the Sergeant?s pad. After a few minutes, Petir's chemicals and a little elbow grease have weakened the cheap wall's integrity significantly. [B]Rebecca[/B]: "1, 2, 3!" The three of them burst through the wall, weapons blazing. The sergeant goes down without a shot fired, much to their surprise. Jedgar walks up to the corpse, and pries the M-16 from its lifeless grip. The sergeant had been ducked down behind an overturned table, a police radio by his side and his rifle aimed at the door. He had obviously heard about the incident at the station and figured that someone would be coming for him. [B]Petir[/B]: "Lets go." [I]Jedgar walks over to the heater and punctures the gas pipe, so that it is now leaking. He then walks over to the door of the apartment and affixes a match to the bottom of it with a piece of tape. Underneath the match, he tapes the abrasive match-lighting paper to the floor.[/I] [B]Jedgar[/B]: "That should discourage visitors..." Then the three of them exit through the door of room 101, heading back toward the car and their final target...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]*Rides off into the sunset* I'll stick with this all the way Ben. [B]Name[/B]: Jedgar Nieta [B]Age[/B]: 59 [B]Sex[/B]: Judging by Ben's earlier comment, I guess "Yes please" isn't the answer that's welcome here. Male will have to do... [B]Description[/B]: [IMG]http://www.crimsongypsy.com/images/cloak4thm.jpg[/IMG] [B]Weapons[/B]: [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=524091[/IMG] [B]Spells[/B]: None [B]Biography[/B]: Born in the city of Dekimak, in the kingdom of the same name, Jedgar was an average child. He was a mediocre student, a fair athlete and has slightly above average intelligence. Where he really excelled was combat. He took up the pike at the age of ten, and has become a master of its intricacies. He has served in the royal guard for several years now, and stood by the king?s side during several coup attempts by various insidious rogue factions. Recently he was promoted to chief of the royal guard, and he has taken great pride in his new posting. The toy rebellion has been troubling the king, and as a result he has dispatched Jedgar to gather a small militia force to uncover the source of this mysterious uprising? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]OOC: *Feels incredibly stupid* That?s right, I forgot my character's name right in the middle of the RPG... It should be Jedgar, sorry for the trouble... [I]The car wove it?s way through the winding streets of the city, on it?s way to the police station.[/I] Their plan of action had been logically thought out. They would first proceed to the police station, where the tape would be recovered with, hopefully, a minimum of violence. From there, they would move backwards towards the tape?s source, killing all in the way. The car parked around the corner from the police station, to avoid being caught on local surveillance tapes. Rebecca, Petir and Jedgar exited the vehicle and began to walk towards the police station at a casual pace. [B]Petir:[/B] ?Any ideas on how we?re going to work this one?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?On the blueprints there was an air conditioning vent on the roof, if we can get up there we can use the vents to get into the building undetected, steal the tape and get out.? [B]Rebecca[/B]: ?I really don?t feel like crawling through dusty vents today? How about we go in the front door?? [B]Petir[/B]: ?Or we could do that?? [B]Jedgar[/B]: ?Sounds good to me.? With that, the three Mafia operatives walked through the revolving door of the police station?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]After thoroughly cleaning his weapon, loading it and replacing it in his coat, Jedgar stood up and walked out of the bar room. He stepped out into the empty hallway, and pulled a pager from his pocket. A number was displayed on the screen for a brief second, and then it vanished. Jedgar walked into the Don's meeting room and, much to the surprise of most seated there, walked straight up to Don Merconi. [B]Jedgar[/B]: "Yes?" [B]Don Merconi[/B]: *Whisper* "I have received word from our spy within the Sicilian Police that they have obtained a tape of our meeting from one of their own undercover operatives. We have already dealt with the traitor, but the tape is still in the hands of the police. I want you to get the tape, and destroy it. It is imperative that you do so soon, so that it doesn't change hands. You are to also kill anyone who came in contact with the tape. Is that clear?" [B]Jedgar[/B]: "Perfectly." [B]Don Merconi[/B]: "Also, the other Dons have requested that they to be allowed to send someone to assist in the tape's destruction. They don't trust each other. All three of you will meet in the guest bedroom upstairs. Don't fail me, and keep an eye on the others." [B]Jedgar[/B]: "I will do as you ask." With that, he strode from the room and headed to the guest bedroom to meet his partners for this task...[/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]No, I'm not talking about rights. I'm talking about the ability to commit an illegal act; murder. So it's important to make a distinction there. If your Government tells you not to do something and then they do it themselves...that's hypocritical at best.[/color][/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]Correct. However, the government goes through a lengthy and established process before it, pardon the euphemism, removes people from society. The government only "murders" someone after a logical and fair process. This seems to be justification enough for me.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]I really don't think that death is as severe a punishment as life in prison, without "comforts". Bear in mind that many of these criminals have very little to lose anyway -- a painless death is a lot easier than a life in prison.[/color][/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]However the fact is that the "comforts" of prison are unlikely to be removed in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the Death Penalty remains a valid punishment in my view.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]Also, the death sentence is apparently not a very big deterrent. I haven't thoroughly read Baron's post...so I don't know if he has any statistics to support that. But if you compare murder rates in the United States to other countries (on a per capita basis), you'll note that the death penalty makes little difference to criminals. Bear in mind that if you're going to commit murder anyway, then you're also probably unstable enough not to care about a death sentence.[/color][/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]I?ve read several, although none that I seem to be able to specifically quote at the moment, articles and statistics that show that the Death Penalty isn?t an effective deterrent. However, this has nothing to do with my reasons for the Death Penalty to be employed. Those reasons are stated earlier in this thread.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]As far as I know, the death penalty costs as much as a life sentence, in terms of Government spending. I believe that Baron's article has a section relating to this. And I've heard statistics on it before, though I don't have any specific ones in front of me. [/color][/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]I?ve seen statistics that show it both ways. It seems to me that it varies by state. In Texas for example, putting someone to death is far easier, and less costly than in California. The sentence is usually carried out within the month. In CA, any trial that sentences a person to death is automatically re-tried. Only on the second death sentence is the person put on death row. However, CA hasn?t executed anyone in at least five years. I?ll do a little research, but I?d be willing to bet that in Texas, it?s far cheaper to put someone to death than put them away for life. Perhaps it?s justice system should be used as a model for cost efficient death sentencing.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]But do you really think it's "misguided" for someone to desire that their Government doesn't commit murder? I mean, I personally wouldn't lose much sleep if a murderer was killed. But I can see why people object to the principle of state-sanctioned murder. It's obviously a very interesting contradiction.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]I think that it is definitely misguided for someone to oppose giving a government more power than an average citizen. If the government if forced to assume only the powers and rights of an average citizen, then it would be ineffective at best. Regarding people who oppose the Death Penalty for religious and moral reasons, I respectfully disagree. I've already stated my reasons for this numerous times.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]What can be done with them is to give them a life sentence in prison. A death sentence is a way out of that...it's a way out of one's punishment.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]I disagree; the death penalty is a punishment in itself for several reasons. It ends the criminal's life, taking it away is the most severe and final punishment that we use today. Being executed, and facing the prospect of death isn't the greatest way to spend a lengthy appeal process that may take years. It's simply "putting down" people who have committed crimes worthy of this punishment, but in a humane manner that doesn't sink to the level of murder.[/COLOR] [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#707875]In any case, I do see there being a dilemma here. The death penalty is not really desirable for various reasons...it's also expensive, as pointed out above. But also, the prison system itself isn't the kind of punishment that is really required. [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR=green]Expensive? I'd assume it'd be cheaper to kill someone than to provide them all the comforts afforded to them in prison, for life. Then again, I really don't have any statistics to back that up. I guess that in the end, it boils down to this: There are certain criminals that I feel deserve to die.[/COLOR]