Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Imperial Sourcebook 5
Prologue
Prologue
The Might of the
Empire
To: Mon Mothma, Alliance Supreme Commander; No matter, for even in falsehoods can truths
other Alliance officers. be found. And once you have studied this re-
From: Major Arhul Hextrophon, Executive Sec- port, I believe that even if you read only between
retary and Master Historian, Alliance High Com- the lines you will uncover much to show you the
mand. nature of the Empire and its methods.
Consider this report a companion to our
Regarding: The following Imperial data. work in progress, Official History of the Rebel-
The research you have had my staff and I lion, Volume One. We have thus far interviewed
undertake concerning the events surrounding and documented the heroes of the Battle of
the Battle of Yavin has uncovered some star- Yavin, including Commander Luke Skywalker
tling information. I have compiled all of the and Princess Leia Organa. But unlike that other
intercepted communiques, technical readouts, work, this one—for obvious reasons — is not as
holochips and datapacks into one report. well researched and established. The Empire
Sources for this material include high-level just isn't as cooperative about revealing certain
communications, reports by various Imperial information. Be that as it may, I have included all
agencies, personal datalogs, top-secret perfor- of the data we have uncovered for the sake of
mance records and other similar material. completeness and further study.
While the information reveals much about When you read through the accompanying
the tactics and inner workings of our enemy, I datafiles, you will see the Empire in its glory, its
must caution you about reading too much into victories and its failures. You will see its might
this report at this time. None of the information and its power. You will see its deep, dark shad-
contained herein has been confirmed or docu- ows that are quickly spreading throughout the
mented outside of the data presented here. galaxy. And that is why, in the final analysis, I
Unlikely though it is, this could be an elaborate have sent this report to you. If the actual figures
ruse to pass along false information to the Alli- and divisions of forces are wrong, the spirit
ance. behind them rings true. This report shows the
I urge you and the rest of Alliance High Com- evil that has grown from the rotted corpse of the
mand to view this report in the proper perspec- Old Republic, and that, we have already seen,
tive. Until collaborated, this report should be cannot be exaggerated.
considered high level rumor at best. At worst, I remain your humble servant,
the Alliance is being fed half-truths and lies for Major Arhul Hextrophon
some unknown purpose, although I do not be-
lieve this to be the case.
6 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
Chapter One
A Primer on Imperial
Power
There is a darkness in the galaxy. There is the A few unscrupulous, greedy senators had
Galactic Empire. started the destructive chain reaction of mal-
Where once peace held dominion over the aise. They saw the first lingering problems as
countless planets of the Old Republic, now fear cracks in the system of government which could
and terror hold sway. Planets set to defend be exploited for personal gain. These beings
themselves against any external menace were ill found that their colleagues were far too occu-
prepared to deal with threats from within. And pied by the day-to-day running of the Republic
so a galaxy was enslaved. to monitor their activities adequately.
The idea of empire was old throughout the The corruption was too small to be noticed at
galaxy long before Palpatine ascended the throne first. But as the opportunities grew, so did the
and created his New Order. Hundreds upon number of senators who were seduced by the
hundreds of thousands of worlds have a history lure of illegitimate power and wealth. These
of empire, of rule by a single central authority, in senators found an easy alliance with some of the
their past. mammoth corporate interests which constantly
Look at the Atrisi system, for example. The were on the lookout for easier ways to make a
principal planet still recalls the Kitel Phard Dy- profit. A few arrogant, self-serving bureaucrats
nasty with pride. These rulers unified the entire fell to seduction, and suddenly a virus was in the
homeworld, eliminating opposition and estab- stars.
lishing a golden age. Every instance of instability, each uncertainty
This tale is typical of imperial legends and in government action, every wrinkle in senato-
histories throughout the galaxy, containing rial policy and procedure became a means to
those elements that are common to intergalac- foster larger opportunities. Senator turned on
tic memory. Few recall the negative aspects of senator, values eroded, trusts were broken, and
imperial rule, preferring to remember the power fear gripped the Republic. What was once
and glory that comes from an overarching code thought to be immortal suddenly saw the ap-
of law and a common tongue. proach of its own destruction, and the Old Re-
None of these historical empires still stand. public was afraid.
But their memories lingered, lying dormant in Corruption and fear spread like a mutant
the minds of billions of beings who longed for a disease, quickly reaching epidemic proportions
simpler galaxy, who sought certainty and order, without any visible cause. The Old Republic's
who wanted to belong to the most powerful troubles multiplied, and no one seemed to know
empire of all. These seeds of ideas were waiting what was happening — or why.
for a more fertile time, for an ambitious leader to At last the Senate could no longer blind itself
cultivate them once again. to the fact that the Old Republic was being
devoured from within by those who had been
The Old Republic Wanes entrusted with its care. During this time, the
The galaxy was onceagreatRepublicof stars. legitimate business of the Republic was ne-
The thousand-thousand member worlds were glected. Small, previously routine matters be-
governed fairly and efficiently by the Senate, came insurmountable difficulties. The govern-
and cared for and protected by the Jedi Knights. ment became remote, unfathomable, often a
Inevitably, as the number of worlds increased, useless burden to tens of thousands of the
the Republic found itself saddled with too mas- governed species. The Republic was disinte-
sive a bureaucracy. It had grown too large, grating, and it appeared that no one could hold
gotten too old, and corruption had set in. it together.
Imperial Sourcebook 7
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
The Rise of Senator to its internecine struggle, more and more gov-
Palpatine ernment functions were given over to Palpatine.
The senators of each faction found them-
Palpatine, an unassuming senator, began his selves establishing political debts to Palpatine.
road to power during this time of social injustice The President was the only being in the Repub-
and rampant corruption. Palpatine was self- lic who seemed capable of getting anything
effacing and, despite a record showing promise, done. Palpatine's power grew. An ever greater
was mostly ineffective in the Senate. His plod- number of worlds accepted the President as the
ding, methodical way seemed at odds with the voice of the Republic.
mercurial shifts of power and agendas which It was in this climate of trust that Palpatine
were the reality of the collapsing Senate. declared his New Order and named himself
Palpatine failed to take advantage of opportu- Emperor. Skillfully evoking images of the glories
nities for placement on important advisory of empires past, as well as promising to lead the
boards and powerful committees. He was noted Republic to a height unparalleled in galactic
as a keen observer, but he was reluctant to history, Palpatine gained ultimate power with-
present his observations unless pressed by his out any real opposition. When the senators
colleagues. The senator rose slowly, hampered realized what had transpired, they were too
by an apparent lack of ambition. His only no- weak from their own in-fighting to mount an
table achievement was a remarkable absence of effective challenge. Those too vocal were si-
enemies, attributed as much to his weakness lenced. Those considered dangerous were ren-
within the Senate as to his unimposing person- dered harmless by whatever means were con-
ality. venient. Darkness and tyranny spread slowly
But it was all a ruse, for Palpatine was more but continuously, entrenching itself across more
than he appeared to be. Much more. and more worlds before anyone realized the
The disintegration of the Senate continued, danger.
exhausting the entire Republic. On the constitu- The Empire was born.
ent worlds, civil unrest was now commonplace Palpatine promised to eradicate the corrup-
and crime blossomed. Some worlds threatened tion and social injustice of the previous galactic
secession. Others pledged their loyalty over the government. Instead, he gave the people a pro-
hypermedia while doing what they pleased. The gram thats main goal was to subjugate as many
uncorrupt senators realized the danger to the planetary governments in the galaxy as possible
Republic and all it stood for. The corrupt sena- for the personal benefit and glory of the Em-
tors could see the need for stability, if only to peror. He reneged on his promises to the people
preserve as much of the Republic as possible for and instituted a reign of terror and even greater
future plundering. A void existed, and it de- social injustice.
manded to be filled. The Old Republic was consumed, and out of
Senator Palpatine seized the moment. that rotted body rose the New Order.
Through fraud, clever promises, and astute
political maneuvering, Palpatine had himself The Structure of the Empire
elected head of the Senatorial Council — Presi-
dent of the Republic. The Empire is still growing. Policies of expan-
The loyalists were encouraged that Palpatine sion established by the Old Republic were never
had not fallen in with the corrupt senators dur- rescinded, and exploration — and now con-
ing his tenure, while the fallen senators took quest — continues. The Imperial Survey Corps,
heart from Palpatine's apparent docility. Each scientists and scouts charged with exploring
side believed Palpatine would serve their needs. the galaxy, has seen its funds cut sharply over
Each side could not have been more wrong. the years. Still, a new system is being catalogued
for the Empire every 207 minutes by the under-
The New Order staffed ISC.
Most of the recently surveyed worlds have
The new President exceeded everyone's ex- remained untouched by Imperial colonization.
pectations. In the midst of chaos, the previously The Empire has little use for an expanding fron-
underrated senator began the wheels of govern- tier. Frontier settlements offer greater freedom
ment turning again after too long a delay. He to Imperial citizens and stretch Imperial forces
proved to be an efficient leader, restoring many even further. That is not in the best interests of
of the policies which had lapsed during the the Empire.
waning years. His power supplanted that of the However, an ISC team occasionally turns up
Senate — in these policies only. But as the an inhabited world in the process of cataloging.
Senate turned a greater portion of its attention Inhabited worlds mean taxes and other valuable
8 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
resources for the Empire. These worlds are Empire, and all must pay some form of tribute to
initially offered a place in the New Order, pro- the New Order. Laws vary from system to sys-
vided they agree to fall in line with the will of the tem, but the most uniform are the Imperial
Emperor. If a world refuses or reneges on its Revenue Codes. Under these laws, the burden of
oath of allegiance, then the Empire resorts to proof is upon the citizen to show that he has met
military conquest. all of his fiscal obligations to the Empire. Failure
Usually the threat implied by the massive to provide adequate proof is considered an
Imperial war machine is enough to inspire un- admission of guilt, penalties for which range
swerving fealty in even the most independent from confiscation of goods to the increasingly
worlds. common sentence to labor camps.
Citizenry and Laws Planetary Governments
AH sapient inhabitants of the Empire — ex- The Empire has not completely altered the
cept droids — are considered full citizens. Full governments of hundreds of thousands of
citizens are accorded certain rights under Impe- worlds. Such a task would be impractical. The
rial law, namely, the right to follow the precepts Emperor has left it to his advisors to modify the
of the New Order fully and without question. portions of a planetary government, be it gov-
Other rights include certain freedoms that in no ernment procedure or members of the ruling
way interfere with Imperial doctrines and goals. body, to conform to the will of the Empire. Less
Where in the galaxy a citizen is determines than one planet in 80 has been so modified.
the amount of prohibitions and restrictions gov- The preferred option is to let a planet run
erning his or her daily life. The least restrictive itself much as it has for years, but maintaining a
areas in the galaxy tend to be in the Galactic visible Imperial presence so that the rulers know
Core and in the Outer Rim Territories. Those who their ultimate master is. The Empire also
areas in between find themselves under the encourages the constituent planets to reform
greatest amount of scrutiny and, therefore, face their own governments to conform to the Impe-
the brunt of Imperial authority. rial method. In this way, individual worlds elimi-
AH citizens are subject to the laws of the nate laws and freedoms, replacing them with
Imperial Sourcebook 9
Chapter One: A_Primer on Imperial Power
doctrines and statutes more in line with Impe- sectors contain vast numbers of inhabited
rial edicts. worlds with no regard to limiting factors. Sec-
tors are governed by Moffs.
The Governors Sectors are grouped together into larger terri-
Planetary governors are Imperial agents who torial entities called regions. The Empire has count-
represent the Empire's authority on a single less regions, which can contain from as few as
world. Usually that representation extends to three to upwards of thousands of sectors. The
an entire system, giving him jurisdiction of all establishment of a region depends not only upon
the planets orbiting a single star. Agovernor has galactic geography, but also upon wealth, influ-
command of all Imperial troops garrisoned on ence, historic "sentimentalities," economic diver-
his planets. sity and the level of direct control exerted by the
This command extends only nominally to the Empire. Regions are governed by Grand Moffs
political and intelligence arms of the military, (the title "regional governor" is commonly used).
which operate as if a governor's orders were Some well known regions include the Outer Rim
well-intentioned suggestions. The Imperial Navy Territories (a vast expanse of space with many
is supposed to consult with a governor when- frontier colonies), the Galactic Core (historic
ever they are on maneuvers or engaging hos- "birthplace" of theRepublic,containingCoruscant,
tiles in his system, and to carefully consider the the capital of the Empire, as well as several other
advice the governor can provide. The Navy vital systems), the Deep Core (a restricted area of
routinely ignores this and most other forms of space—essentially a giant "preserve" in the heart
protocol when dealing with planetary gover- of the Empire), the Colonies, and the Inner Rim.
nors, unless the governor is well supported by Under the New Order, the Galactic Empire
a Moff. The Navy considers governors to be too continues to grow and expand, and new sectors
concerned with the welfare of their planet to be and regions are being formed all the time.
of much use in a crisis. The Empire also maintains a number of "client
Governors are appointed by the Emperor's states" — regions of space almost entirely con-
advisors, although a few are just holo-approvals trolled by another economic or political entity,
of candidates the Emperor has chosen. Gover- yet ultimately loyal and subservient to the Em-
nors are rarely native to the planet or system pire. The Corporate Sector, under the control of
which they govern. Rash appointments without the Corporate Sector Authority, is one such client
regard for local sentiment can generate resent- state, as is the infamous area of the galaxy known
ment. Instead, an outsider is appointed to gov- asHuttSpace.
ern a world, thus bypassing local sentiment
completely. The Moffs
Governors are expected to let a planetary A Moff is the being in charge of an entire sector.
government run its own affairs unless the local The planetary governors of a sector are under a
course of action puts the planet in conflict with Moff's control, and a Moff reports to an advisor,
Imperial goals. The governor is then expected to with duplicate reports being sent directly to the
step in and maneuver the policy back toward a Emperor. A Moff has command over a military
direction more acceptable to the Empire. Sector Group, and is responsible for the security
Imperial policy exists in two different forms of the entire sector.
for a governor. There are the generally stated Being responsible for hundreds of systems,
policy goals which are distributed by the Diplo- Moffs take a personal interest only in a handful of
matic Service, and there are direct orders re- worlds. For the rest, they first rely upon commu-
ceived from the Moff. In case of a conflict, the nications with their subordinate governors, and
Moff's orders are to be followed, as a Moff then upon reports from intelligence units within
presumably has superior knowledge of the spe- their Sector Group.
cific Imperial policy currently being employed It is not unusual for a Moff to also serve as a
in a particular sector. governor of a particularly favored world within
his sector.
Sectors and Regions Grand Moffs
A sector is an economic and political division
which originated in the early days of the Old There are planets in every sector in the Empire
Republic. Originally a cluster of star systems which cause more than their share of problems
with approximately 50 inhabited planets, the for the Emperor. Controlling these worlds is diffi-
definition of a sector became vague and the cult, and the Moffs have found that the troubles
average sector grew in size during the latter are infectious, spreading from system to system
days of the Republic. Now unimaginably large from the source. The situation is made more
difficult by the fact that the infection of freedom
10 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
Imperial Sourcebook 11
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
tween advisors more difficult by ensuring that no ing. This armor is derived from a pair of similar
powerful rivals have oversight of each other's designs, the uniforms of the Death Watch of the
systems. Advisors with weaker political bases are Mandalore system and the Sun Guards of the
granted a greater degree of oversight than are Thyrsus system. That the armor resembles those
strong advisors. This system of checks and bal- of units with such ferocious reputations is no
ances virtually guarantees the Emperor's hold on accident, and the red glint of the Imperial Royal
political power within the Empire, but the admin- Guard armor inspires fear in the hardest of men.
istration of the myriad worlds is not as efficient as • Imperial Royal Guard
it was during the better days of the Old Republic. Type: Royal Guard
This inefficiency is of no concern to the Emperor. DEXTERITY 5D
Advisors have taken to dressing in costumes Blaster 7D, blaster artillery 6D, brawling parry 6D, dodge
derived from the histories of their home systems, 7D, melee combat 6D, melee combat: force pike 8D+2,
melee parry 5D
drawn from the greatest empires of their pasts. KNOWLEDGE 2D+1
Unlike the Emperor, many of the advisors wear Streetwise 3D+1, survival 6D
lavish costumes as conspicuous badges of their MECHANICAL 2D+2
status. Palpatine subtly encourages this form of PERCEPTION 2D+2
rivalry, giving his advisors a sense of individuality Bargain 3D+2, command 5D+2, hide 6D+2, search 6D+2,
sneak 6D+2
and power which make them aware of their differ- STRENGTH 3D
ences from the other advisors. Brawling 6D, climbing/jumping 6D, lifting 5D, stamina 6D
These displays are muted when in the TECHNICAL 2D+1
Emperor's presence. Demolition 5D+1, first aid 3D, security 4D+1
Character Points: Varies, typically 1-5
Imperial Royal Guard Move: 10
Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (5D), armor (+2D physi-
The Imperial Royal Guard is a special detach- cal, + ID energy, -ID Dexterity), force pike (STR+3D)
ment of hand-picked Imperial stormtroopers who Note: The above are "typical" game statistics for a Royal
serve as the Emperor's personal guards. Each of Guard member, but certain individual guard members
will have vastly improved skills.
these soldiers is specially scrutinized to fit select
size, strength, intelligence and loyalty require-
ments, and equipment and training is lavished The Emperor
upon them. The Emperor is a small man, clothed in robes
No firm figures are available on the exact num- intentionally reminiscent of harmless ascetics on
ber of Royal Guards serving the Emperor, but scores of worlds. He walks with the aid of a
speculation ranges from fewer than 50 to the tens gnarled walking stick. He appears old, fragile,
of thousands. Whatever the case, the Royal Guard entirely incapable of running the most ruthless
has become a formidable military sub-unit which Empire in the history of the galaxy. This appear-
is directly under the control of the Emperor. ance is one of the Emperor's many masterful
The entire Royal Guard is never sent on com- deceptions.
bat missions. A few small elements of the guard The Emperor's genius and strength with the
are sent into combat on a rotating basis to keep Force give him unique insight into the governed
them in fightingtrim. On such missions, guard species. He knows that the Old Republic was as
members usually dispense with their cer- much a symbol as a reality to many, just as he
emonial uniform and don the armor worn knows that the Jedi Knights were the remaining
by other stormtroopers in the operation. untarnished incarnation of that symbol. Working
In such instances, the guard members are as he had in the Senate, he carefully cultivated the
always part of the same unit. They are destruction of the Jedi. With the Jedi gone, all
never dispersed among the ordinary Army pretense for restoring the Republic was aban-
units. doned. The Emperor's true ambition has finally
Rumors abound about this fierce fight- been revealed — to be sole master of more than a
ing force. The legend is that no Royal thousand thousand worlds.
Guard member has yet been killed in Under his guidance, the Empire continues to
combat. Stories tell of their invincible grow in power, despite the momentary setback
fighting prowess — always in the ser- suffered at the Battle of Yavin.
vice of the Emperor. The Emperor
Royal Guards wear garb consisting Type: Jedi Master
of flowing red robes, red battle armor, DEXTERITY 2D+1
and red helmets. Although ceremonial, Dodge 7D
the red armor does not hamper guards- KNOWLEDGE 4D+1
Alien species 10D, bureaucracy: Empire 12D, cultures 9D,
men in regards to movement or fight- intimidation 13D, languages 8D, law enforcement: Empire
6D, military history 10D+2, planetary systems TD.scholar:
12 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
archaic library systems 8D, scholar: arcane technologies Republic, as the constituent worlds were con-
7D, scholar: clone vat systems 7D+2, scholar: dark side stantly and quickly updated on the state of the
lore 11D, scholar: Jedi lore 12D+1, scholar: lightsaber
histories 12D, tactics: fleets 10D, tactics: ground assault conflict in the Senate.
5D, willpower 12D+1 The environment of uncertainty was self-pro-
MECHANICAL 2D moting. The Emperor and his advisors choose to
PERCEPTION 4D+1 avoid this consequence and forego the benefits
Bargain 10D, command 10D, command: Imperial forces
12D+1, con 8D, hide 5D+2, investigation 7D, persuasion
the system had given the early Republic.
11D, persuasion: oration 13D+2, search 7D During the time of the Old Republic, there was
STRENGTH 3D aHoloNet which transmitted information through-
Stamina 6D out the constituent worlds. The HoloNet was
TECHNICAL 2D extremely expensive to maintain, but it provided
Lightsaber repair 8D
Special Abilities: the Republic with a sophisticated, flexible means
Force Skills: Control I3D, sense 15D, alter 14D of communication. Consisting of hundreds of thou-
Force Powers (these are the known powers Palpatine sands of non-mass transceivers connected
possessed and it is believed that he had access to many through a vast matrix of coordinated hyperspace
other powers):
Control: Absorb/dissipate energy, accelerate healing,
S-threads (popularly known as Simu-Tunnels), as
concentrate*, control pain, detoxify poison**, enhance wel! as the computing power to sort and decode
attribute**, hibernation trance, ragetT. reduce injury, all of the information, the HoloNet was the only
remain conscious, resist stun, short-term memory en- method available for real-time holographic trans-
hancement* * missions between worlds.
Sense: Combat sense**, danger sense**, instinctive
astrogationf, life detection, life sense, magnify senses, It was horrendously expensive to maintain,
receptive telepathy, sense Force costing many thousands of credits per full-chan-
Alter: Injure/kill, telekinesis nel transmission second per transceiver. The
Control and Sense: Farseeing* *, lightsaber combat, pro- HoloNet was used almost exclusively by the gov-
jective telepathy ernment and the larger commercial houses of the
Control and Alter: Accelerate another's healing, control
another's pain**, feed on dark sidet, Force lightning**, Old Republic. But it did connect the constituent
inflict pain**, return another to consciousness, transfer worlds, giving a sense of belonging to the average
Force citizen.
Control, Sense and Alter: Affect mind, control mind**, Smaller commercial concerns and individuals
doppelgangerft, drain life essence"!"!", enhanced coordi-
nation**, telekinetic kill**, transfer lifett never used the HoloNet directly; they relied on
Sense and Alter: Dim other's senses the literally millions of traders who traveled the
'Described in the Star Wars Movie Trilogy Sourcebook. commerce corridors of the Old Republic.
* *Described in the Dark Force Rising Sourcebook. Soon after Palpatine assumed the throne he
•("Described in Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim.
Described in the Dark Empire Sourcebook, dismantled the HoloNet, achieving two objec-
This character is Force-sensitive. tives. First, he made it difficult for any foes not in
Force Points: 35 the Senate to coordinate any resistance to his
Dark Side Points: 43 designs. Any individual system, no matter how
Character Points: 60 wealthy or influential, could easily be crushed by
Move: 10
the Empire. Second, the constituent worlds were
used to absorbing the cost of the HoloNet, even
The Grasp of the Empire though most worlds received little benefit from
The Empire has changed the ways systems the system during the final days of the Republic's
interact with one another. It has taken a greater collapse. This gave the Emperor an enormous
degree of control over information than the Old flow of credits with which to initiate the rapid
Republic ever did, and it intervenes in the politics build up of Imperial forces, manning and outfitting
of a single world with an arrogance new to the more troops in the first six months of his reign
governed peoples. These changes have created than the Republic had ever mobilized at any one
resentment on some worlds, but the resentment time.
is rarely cause enough for significant support of Governor Tarkin urged the Emperor to reinsti-
the Rebellion. tute HoloNet technology on a much smaller scale,
for use by the Imperial Navy only, and then only at
Control of Information the level of the Sector Group. This proposal was
There was a free flow of information during the made in a transmission to the Emperor which
time of the Old Republic, an exchange of ideas and outlined a plan for ruling the Empire with an
cultures which promoted rapid growth in almost economy of force. The Emperor approved of the
every facet of the Republic. This flow of informa- plan, awarding Tarkin Grand Moff status for his
tion also helped to hasten the decline of the efforts. The plan soon became known, unoffi-
cially, as the Tarkin Doctrine.
Imperial Sourcebook 13
Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
14 Imperial Sourcebook
» Chapter One: A Primer on Imperial Power
Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
Chapter Two
COMPNOR
Crueya Vandron gave COMPNOR the re-
sources to grow, but the Emperor took a hand in
the shaping of the organization. His methods
were patient, defeating his opponents within
COMPNOR not through violence or threats, but
with a hidden, gentle, consistent pressure which
wore the opposition down. Those who opposed
the change in COMPNOR never even knew the
Emperor had done anything to instigate the
changes. Most could not even explain how the
nature of their organization differed from what
they had envisioned.
Key members of the group were approved for
the Select Committee, that part of COMPNOR
that would oversee the rest of the organization,
with implicit approval of the Emperor. Then the
changes became more sweeping. The Emperor's
peculiar genius was again demonstrated — he
had succeeded in having his enemies unknow-
ingly choose exactly the course of action he
desired them to choose.
COMPNOR is no longer an innocuous social
club. It has become a powerful tool for the New
Order. COMPNOR actively attempts to build the
ethic of the New Order into the life of the aver-
age galactic citizen. COMPNOR is also recruiting
young beings in huge numbers in order to as-
(A report from Imperial Intelligence to an un- sure that future citizens will consider the Old
named Grand Moff, prepared shortly after the Republic a relic of the past, committing their
Battle of Yavin.) lives totally to the New Order.
COMPNOR, the Commission for the Preser-
vation of the New Order, was formed in Imperial COMPNORs Role in the
City months after Palpatine assumed power. Empire
Initially COMPNOR was little more than a social
gathering for idealistic young beings who saw in COMPNOR is more than a vocal and enthusi-
the New Order a deliverance from the chaos of astic group committed to raisingyoung Imperial
the dying days of the Old Republic. citizens to be totally loyal to the Empire.
One of the Emperor's advisors, one Crueya COMPNOR has made great pains to recruit from
Vandron, saw the potential worth of a populist or insert members into the massive Imperial
movement which could be molded into a useful bureaucracy. In time, COMPNOR's influence
political tool. Overt encouragement and dis- became so pervasive that the Imperial bureau-
crete funding were provided, giving COMPNOR cracy was under its complete control, and thus
the appearance of a spontaneous organization absolutely dedicated to the whims of the Em-
enjoying phenomenal growth. peror. During that era, the bureaucracy an-
16 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
Imperial Sourcebook 17
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
18 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
Imperial Sourcebook 19
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
20 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
its current form — no degree of small modifica- cal attention. In sectors where COMPNOR has a
tions will suffice to move it securely into the fold particularly strong influence, this is true. Most
of the New Order. If a planet is deemed to be of of the dislike stems from CompForcers' rabid
marginal value, the problem is handed over to adherence to the principles of the New Order.
the Imperial military. If a planet is considered to While the average deckman or trooper believes
be of some value, Redesign will often augment in the basics of the New Order, they believe they
the military's actions. have better things to do with their spare time
Redesign describes its works with the murky than self-examine their lives in excruciating de-
vocabulary of "state changes," "shock vectors" tail to see how they might better serve the New
and "bifurcation manifolds." These neutral terms Order. CompForcers are treated cooly through-
mask some of the most evil actions taken on out the military.
behalf of the Empire. Redesign agencies rarely
have the resources to handle more than one Observation
world in a sector at a time — a small mercy for Observation units are despised almost to a
the citizens of the Empire. being by the regular military. Observation units
are members of SAGroup selected for their po-
CompForce litical loyalty. In theory, they are then sent to
observe the Imperial military in action so they
CompForce is the military arm of COMPNOR. might learn how the Imperial war machine works.
They were created to give the Emperor large In practice, they are spies who insure that the
forces other than stormtroopers on whose loy- officers and enlisted folk of the Imperial military
alty he could absolutely rely. They are carefully are acting with the proper respect for the New
selected volunteers from SAGroup. Assault vol- Order.
unteers are given rigorous training, and then Everyone serving knows they are spies (with
put nominally under the command of a Sector the possible exception of CompForce assault
Group. Observation personnel are selected from teams, who are pretty blind to the shortcomings
a different pool of beings than Assault person- of the New Order), and officers and enlisted
nel. personnel alike detest having to pretend other-
Regular Army and Navy personnel have no wise. Acting in an insulting manner to an Obser-
love for CompForce. Regular troopers and vation officer is a good way to have a promising
deckmen feel that CompForcers are given prior- career cut short, and Observation knows this
ity when it comes to new equipment or the very well.
allocation of valuable resources, such as medi- When their stint with Observation is up, most
volunteers forego joining the military but opt
for the ISB or another COMPNOR group instead.
Assault
There is no branch of service which takes
higher casualties in training than the Assault
arm of CompForce. SAGroup has such a large
supply of primed volunteers that the Assault
arm can afford to train by attrition — if you make
it through training you are combat ready. Of the
88 percent who fail to make it through training,
nearly one quarter of these are combat fatali-
ties. There is little exaggeration and a lot of
perverse pride in Assault's claim that "two die
for every one that gets through."
The ferocious training and indoctrination of
Assault arm does provide strong unit cohesion
for its troops, as well as instill a willingness to
fight on despite heavy casualties. Training-by-
attrition does have a serious defect in that it
selects those who have been merely lucky, as
well as those who have natural combat skills,
and it processes so many volunteers through
• CompForce troopers receive priority treatment in training that it does a mediocre job of teaching
the allocation of equipment, resources and medical vital combat skills to its soldiers.
attention. In the field, this lack of training shows in
Imperial Sourcebook 21
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
higher than necessary casualties and failure to ter training, veteran officials from Progress's
succeed in objectives against well-trained Sector Monitors or Improvement's Sector De-
troops. This deficiency is not seen as important velopment, to local contacts with an interest in
for these reasons; the supply of volunteers is subverting other local powers.
not large, but it is certainly larger than the pool Surveillance's main purpose is to uncover
for the Rebellion, and training an Assault arm beings or activities which might be helpful to the
volunteer is cheaper than training an equivalent Rebellion or otherwise obstruct the Empire's
trooper in the regular Army. plans. If Surveillance has enough suspicions,
Additionally, the Assault arm is a recent addi- they will turn the case over to Investigations so
tion to COMPNOR. Some of the units are lasting more thorough action can be taken.
long enough to train themselves and pass on The second purpose of Surveillance is put-
skills to the volunteers who replace casualties. ting the fear of the Empire into citizens who can
These veteran units are gaining a fearsome repu- be scared out of helping the Rebellion.
tation which is deserved. This is the use to which the rawer recruits
and less skillful veterans are employed,
Imperial Security Bureau Investigations
(ISB)
Investigations draws its talent from proven
The ISB was created to increase the Emperor's agents in Surveillance, also drawing a substan-
knowledge of political events, and as an inten- tial number from the Modification operatives
tional rival to Imperial Intelligence. While the who are looking to put their expertise to use in
ISB does not have the quality of intelligence a new direction. Their professionalism and ex-
operatives that Imperial Intelligence does, it is pertise is considerably higher than that of Sur-
now the larger organization and is staffed solely veillance.
by those loyal to the New Order. The competi- Investigations agents have direct communi-
tion has also served to put a little fire under both cation links to military forces in the area. These
organizations as they try to insure that their links are pre-approved by the Select Committee
intelligence is as good or better than the rival's. and the appropriate Moff or Grand Moff. Inves-
The ISB Central Office is a mammoth complex tigations individuals or teams may therefore
in Imperial City which handles all of the commu- call on a considerable degree of firepower if
nications and coordination tasks for the whole things become rough. This action was taken as
of the ISB. a way of cutting down response times to legiti-
The ISB serves more of a police function than mate Rebel threats which are too large to be
does the Ubiqtorate in Intelligence. The ISB has handled even by a team of competent agents.
a more public presence. Its operatives, espe- It is worth noting that this tactic works on
cially in Surveillance, will often identify them- both heavily developed and largely rural worlds,
selves as members of ISB, the intimidation value albeit for different reasons. On urban planets,
being worth the loss of secrecy. ISB agents can operate unnoticed, and then call
in the military to "swarm" the unfortunate Rebel
Commission of Operations base. On rural planets, the ISB agent cannot
The Commission of Operations transmits expect to devise a convincing cover identity,
assignments through the Central Office directly but ISB's reputation alone is normally enough to
to the Sector Officer for the branch in question: gain the agent the cooperation of fearful locals.
Surveillance, Investigations, Internal Affairs, In- In either scenario, Rebel operatives are flushed
terrogation, Re-Education, or Enforcement. Any out and eliminated.
coordinated actions between the different Investigations has developed a grudging re-
branches within a sector, or between ISB re- spect for the Rebel Alliance and its agents. A
sources in separate sectors, is dictated by the body of lore surrounding the story of the hunter
Commission and directed by the Central Office. and hunted, and how quickly the distinction can
Independent coordination by sector resources turn, has grown quickly. A few, such as Mar
is strongly discouraged. Barezz's continuing struggle against the Rebel
Surveillance spy Tiree, and Huorne and Parl's series of gam-
bits against the Rebel Mon Cal Ackbar, have
Surveillance is the largest branch of the ISB, become legend.
containing nearly 35 percent of all personnel.
The quality of recruit varies greatly within Sur- Internal Affairs
veillance. The spectrum includes promising, Internal Affairs watches the rest of COMPNOR,
eager, but poorly trained candidates straight Closely. Their agents pay special attention to
from SAGroup, CompForce Observers with bet-
22 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Two: COMPNOR
Science, Commerce and Justice groups within commit a crime. Internal Affairs then promises
Progress, and Enforcements in the ISB. Whether to forgive the crime if the suspect does a few
or not Internal Affairs has the authority to moni- favors. Doing these favors inevitably causes the
tor the Select Committee is not clear; it is clear suspect to commit some other crime, which will
that Internal Affairs does not consider the Select be forgiven if the suspect does these few other
Committee to be above suspicion. favors. There are over a hundred terms for the
COMPNOR rules and procedures have al- fine shadings of operations which Internal Af-
ways been pretty sloppy on the point of internal fairs conducts.
policing of their members. Internal Affairs takes
advantage of every ambiguity and gray area to Interrogation
expand their power. Those beings caught by Investigations who
The agents of Internal Affairs are isolated are suspected of knowing more than they have
from the rest of COMPNOR. They have devel- been willing to divulge are sent to Interrogation.
oped their own jargon, their own interpretation The information uncovered is sent back to In-
of the New Order, and have recently reorga- vestigations. No one really knows what then
nized the agency to give lone agents greater happens to the suspects. No one really wants to
authority to act on their own initiative. Other know.
branches of COMPNOR have complained about
the unusual autonomy of Internal Affairs. Crueya Re-Education
Vandron or the Emperor, perhaps both, must When Internal Affairs convicts a COMPNOR
support this mode of operation, for nothing has member of a crime, the member is sent to Re-
been done to stop it. Education. Many of these people actually do
Internal Affairs calls their field agents "keyns," return to COMPNOR, although they are always
after a renown tracking carnivore of the Gontzol sent to a post of lower importance. Co-workers
system, while members of the investigative staff report that it is eerie working with the return-
who go over all the information retrieved by the ees. The returnees react strangely to the other
keyns are called "dirtbugs," a term they con- workers, their conversation seems disjointed,
sider to be complimentary. their emotions out of phase with the situation.
Internal Affairs has an amazing collection of Officially, returnees are called "Graduates of Re-
terms to differentiate between the ways they Education" or "Re-educated." Most COMPNOR
conduct an investigation. To "audit" is to con- members say the graduates have been "Re-
duct an investigation in which the target and brained."
everyone around him knows the investigation is
being conducted. "Finesse" is a way of investi- Enforcement
gating a person by asking their help in rooting Enforcement provides specialized muscle for
out other traitors in the hopes they will give the ISB, occasionally for Internal Affairs, but
away incriminating evidence in their eagerness most often they lend their expertise to Investi-
to finger others. "Scattering" is the technique of gations. Enforcement is the only division within
grabbing someone against whom you have no all of COMPNOR which hires beings who are not
evidence, then watching the behavior of his COMPNOR members. Not only does this in-
associates to see if any react in suspicious ways. crease the amount of available talent, but En-
"Crustbusting" is harassing a suspect in the forcement often has to take actions which the
hopes he will do something criminal. "Cultiva- Select Committee would rather not be done by
tion" is allowing a suspect against whom you COMPNOR members.
have evidence of minor wrongdoing to proceed Hiring outsiders causes Internal Affairs to
unhindered so agents can catch the suspect and take a keen interest in Enforcement. Internal
any associates in a larger crime, while "irriga- Affairs considers the use of unindoctrinated
tion" is covertly staging events so a cultivated personnel to be a bad risk, especially given the
suspect has a greater opportunity to commit a delicate nature of many of their missions. En-
larger crime. forcement tries to protect its operatives from
To "Jabba" is to set a suspect up in a no-win unwarranted interference from Internal Affairs.
situation in which he must, at least technically, The result has been a tension within the ISB as
no one can avoid the conflict completely.
Imperial Sourcebook 23
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
Chapter T h r e e
Imperial Intelligence
(A report from the Imperial Security Bureau to branches of the organizations in order to de-
the ISB Central Office, prepared shortly after the crease the odds that the information was "con-
Battle of Yavin.) taminated." To oversee this process and the
Imperial Intelligence is one of the few New new intelligence organization, the Ubiqtorate
Order organizations which has remained largely was created. This was a governing body for all
unchanged since the days of the Old Republic. parts of the organization.
There were four organizations which gathered Once Palpatine was in power and the Empire
and analyzed intelligence for the Senate and was formed, the Ubiqtorate could operate with
other agencies of the Old Republic—the Repub- the Emperor's blessing, and the pretense of four
lican Security Organization, the Senate Bureau distinct organizations was discarded. Imperial
of Intelligence, the Interstellar Consortium on Intelligence was born.
Technology, and the euphemistically labeled There are indications that the efficiency, pro-
Special Acquisitions Branch of the Library of fessionalism, and speed with which Imperial
the Republic. Intelligence was reorganized frightened some of
As the Old Republic began to rot from within, the Emperor's advisors, quite a few of whom
the directors of the four agencies discovered had used the Republican versions as they
that they were routinely being used by unscru- wished. Imperial Intelligence believes the flaw-
pulous Senators who bribed lower level func- less transition and expansion of capabilities are
tionaries within the agencies to pass along mis- the reasons the advisors — through Crueya
information through agency channels, in order Vandron — created COMPNOR and the ISB.
to influence important intelligence reports which The Ubiqtorate considers COMPNOR (espe-
were presented to the Senate. The Senators' cially the ISB) to be, at best, a misuse of valuable
greed caught up with them; they often were too resources. At worst, COMPNOR is a case of
cheap to bribe operatives of all four agencies, arming and authorizing talented but untested
relying on the innate distrust of the intelligence amateurs to defend the Empire, the entire basis
agencies toward each other to prevent them of their strategies and tactics being a few holos
from comparing scandocs. of political aphorisms on the New Order. Impe-
A number of directors met during the last rial Intelligence has cautiously presented evi-
days of the struggle for the Senate. The negotia- dence to the Moffs and Grand Moffs to whom
tions were unprecedented in their openness they report, as well as the Emperor himself, that
and willingness to compromise personal power COMPNOR has often incited as much rebellion
in order to maintain an effective intelligence as COMPNOR has been able to squelch. The
organization for the government. But which Grand Moffs are the only ones who give this
government? The directors felt the Republic to information a positive reception, and even then
be unsalvageable. In their opinion, the rot had it is mild. Imperial Intelligence is therefore reso-
gone too far, and there were too many constitu- lutely determined to do the whole job them-
ent worlds to install an effective new govern- selves, even if it means cleaning up "the muck
ment based on elected representation. A strong left behind by COMPNOR."
central government was needed — exactly the
sort of government which Palpatine and his Ubiqtorate
New Order promised. On many worlds, "Ubiqtorate" has come to
Next they agreed to quietly and unofficially be the name for the whole of Imperial Intelli-
merge their four organizations. Information gence. The name came to light in several
would be shared and compared among the COMPNOR scandocs which were accidentally
24 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
Imperial Sourcebook 25
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
transmitted to a media beamcast in the Qeimat only a handful. When communicating to the rest
system. The scandocs themselves indicated that of Imperial Intelligence, the members of the
the authors were not aware of the real role of the Ubiqtorate identify the originator as
Ubiqtorate, and Imperial Intelligence saw no "Ubiqtorate," never an individual. This practice
reason to correct their error. From the beamcast has been imitated by other organizations, most
the name caught on, as the Ubiqtorate sounded notably the Select Committee of COMPNOR.
more mysterious, omnipresent and threatening Created through a compromise, the
than "Imperial Intelligence." Ubiqtorate has become an organization of sur-
The Ubiqtorate oversees all of the activities prising thoroughness and effectiveness. It con-
of Imperial Intelligence at the highest levels. tinues to improve.
Details and tactical considerations are decided
by the appropriate bureau or branch of Imperial Adjustments
Intelligence. The Ubiqtorate never concerns it- Adjustments is the most elite branch of Impe-
self with those. The Ubiqtorate formulates strat- rial Intelligence. It consists of agents who re-
egies for the bureaus of Imperial Intelligence or, ceive their orders directly and in person from
as has recently become common, presents the the Ubiqtorate. No record of their orders is ever
bureaus with a set of goals and very broad grand kept, and no mission files exist within Sector
strategic considerations and asks them to plan Plexus for these agents.
an effective strategy. With the exception of Ad- Whenever the Ubiqtorate feels a critical situ-
justments, members of the Ubiqtorate never ation has slipped from the control of Imperial
have any communication with personnel at the Intelligence, and that the situation is beyond the
sector or system level. They would certainly normal capabilities of the bureaus but not yet
never deal with an individual field agent. completely hopeless, Adjustments is called in
The members of the Ubiqtorate are anony- to restore order. The Ubiqtorate briefs the Ad-
mous. They are unknown to their subordinates; justment agent or team on the problem and
a member of the Ubiqtorate is likely to be ac- what resources are available to solve it. Adjust-
quainted with the identities of perhaps a third of ments then solves the problem.
the members, and to have personal contact with
Internal Organization
Bureau (IntOrg)
Called "IntOrg" by those within Imperial Intel-
ligence, this bureau's mandate is to protect
Imperial Intelligence's security from outside
threats and those which might be generated
from within. As IntOrg must deal with the rest of
Imperial Intelligence, its agents have cultivated
a highly civil manner and a strong sense of
political etiquette, and then combined those
with complete ruthlessness when the stakes are
high and the threat is real.
IntOrg is committed to the security of Impe-
rial Intelligence, but rarely abuses its authority
or conducts political witch-hunts. As a result,
IntOrg enjoys a good reputation among the
agents of other bureaus.
Internal Security Branch (IntSec)
Internal Security Branch (IntSec) is respon-
sible for the physical security of the personnel,
materiel and facilities of Imperial Intelligence.
Originally considered a branch for the unambi-
tious (especially by members of IntCon), IntSec
has upgraded its personnel and procedures in
response to bolder attacks by forces of the
Rebellion. Their abilities have improved faster
than their image; there is still a huge body of
• IntSec personnel provide security for Imperial IntSec jokes making the rounds of the bureaus
Intelligence. and branches.
26 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
IntSec officers are the only Imperial Intelli- Empire simultaneously. While they regularly
gence personnel to obviously carry weapons concentrate on a significantly smaller portion of
while within intelligence facilities. They have a the Empire, they do cast their net wide often
great many plainclothes agents who will oper- enough to make a professional judgment as to
ate outside the facilities, trying to spot and stop whether or not a new media source should be
potential trouble before it is realized. monitored on a more regular basis.
Signal
Internal Counter-intelligence Bureau Signal has a saying: "Media examines every
(IntCon) media message in the galaxy. We handle every-
Internal Counterintelligence Branch (IntCon) thing else so they can have the easy stuff." This
looks for enemy agents or spy rings which may is probably an exaggeration, but the job done by
have been implanted in Imperial Intelligence by Signal is indeed enormous. While Media moni-
the Rebellion or other forces inimical to the New tors the intended message, Signal examines the
Order. Through Sector Plexus, they have an channel through which the information was
extraordinary freedom to access any data they transmitted.
may consider useful, in many cases obtaining Signal samples and checks carrierwave codes
the information more readily than would a mem- and CompLink protocols, scan rates on scandocs
ber of the Ubiqtorate. IntCon deals with all and imagepacks on holos to see if any informa-
levels of Imperial Intelligence, but recently they tion is being squeezed into the space between
have begun to devote a greater proportion of what a citizen would ordinarily sense. Signal
their resources to personnel at the bureau level examines line noise to see if it might contain a
of Imperial Intelligence. pattern rather than random error. Broadcasts
IntCon almost resembles Imperial Intelligence and beamcasts are examined to see if the backup
in miniature, with its own sections for Analysis, information sent with the primary information
Operations and Intelligence. The boundaries actually matches and, if not, how they differ.
between these sections often blur, and IntOrg is The agents in Media sarcastically refer to
renown for its loose structure and the informal Signal as "a group of beings who sort through
environment in which its agents work. Informa- the garbage in order to discover what a family
tion inside IntOrg is heavily secured against said to each other at breakfast." Signal does
access by parties outside IntOrg, but there is occasionally overreach itself, applying blindingly
literally no information security from other sophisticated mathematical techniques to
members of IntOrg. This openness is how IntOrg squeeze nonexistent meanings from chaotic
monitors itself — every decision, action, or
piece of data generated by a member of IntOrg
is available to any other member of IntOrg who
chooses to examine it. This lack of secrecy, and
often privacy, makes it almost impossible for an
enemy spy to operate within IntCon.
Analysis Bureau
This bureau handles gargantuan amounts of
data from tens of millions of sources. In addition
to looking for enemy activity, it looks for patterns
or trends in social data which might be useful to
the agents over in Intelligence. Analysis also
handles, examines and copies useful technolo-
gies, even developing a few of their own.
Media
Media branch pores over public scandocs,
newsdocs, holos, comlinks, beamcasts, every
form of media in the Empire, looking for pat-
terns or hidden meanings which might betray a
clue as to an enemy's plans and operations.
Media can, with substantial assistance from
Sector Plexus and the Imperial CompLink, give • Analysis Bureau checks sources from all over the Empire in its
at least a cursory examination of all media in the search for enemy activity.
Imperial Sourcebook 27
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
data. However, it was Signal which discovered calmed down quite a bit since the time one of
that Leia Organa had the plans to the Death Star their branch offices relocated, and within eight
through the analysis of un-shielded ELEL (Ex- days Assassination had found and liquidated it.
tremely Low Energy Level) transmissions from
her ship. Tech
Tech has two jobs — to figure out how an
Cryptanalysis (Crypt) enemy's hardware works, and to provide Impe-
When Media or Signal finds evidence of coded rial Intelligence with hardware which is supe-
communication, they give it to the Crypt. Those rior to that. Tech has a lavish budget and a
who work in Cryptanalysis call themselves number of highly skilled personnel whose mo-
"lignyots." Why they call themselves lignyots, ments of brilliant inspiration can translate into
and if the word has any meaning independent of innovative technology. Unfortunately, the ad-
Cryptanalysis, is not known by anyone in the ministration, chosen from scientists and tech-
other branches. This is as intended. nologists within the branch, is often lost when
Lignyots have gone out of their way to create having to decide upon the proper priorities for
a bizarre reputation for Crypt. They have sent projects which lie outside their area of exper-
scandocs to other branches in simple codes, tise.
which mutate into an unflattering holo if not Consequently, Tech does a better job analyz-
broken quickly enough. They try to break the ing enemy gear than in producing its own. With
security of the communications between the hardware in front of them and orders to
branches, forging inflammatory messages on a figure out how it works, Tech scientists do the
secure channel when they succeed. job better than anyone else in the galaxy. It is
They will often move the entrance to their when they must set their own goals and criteria
offices or relocate their facilities entirely, leav- for project success that the process goes off
ing only a puzzling scandoc as to their new kilter.
location. All communications to the Sector
Plexus from the new branch office have invari- Interrogation
ably been relayed through thousands of points When Rebels or other enemy agents are cap-
before reaching Sector Plexus, making success- tured by Imperial Intelligence, they are usually
ful tracing almost impossible. sent to Interrogation. Interrogation is not as
The bureaus have complained to the bloodthirsty as its counterpart in COMPNOR,
Ubiqtorate about the unprofessional behavior and it is slightly less effective in cracking Rebels.
of Crypt. Lignyots have always defended them- Interrogation often has a larger purpose, work-
selves by saying the relentless, time-critical ing on the assumption that the Rebellion will
nature of their responsibilities entitles them to work as hard as possible to render any divulged
be a bit crazy. The Ubiqtorate decided that information useless. Unless the Rebel is be-
Crypt's behavior was an opportunity rather than lieved to hold vital information, interrogation
a problem. Whenever a Crypt office does some- will be light.
thing off-beat, another branch is assigned to However, a larger number of psychological
deal with the problem as if it were an example of probes will be made of the prisoner, and direct
enemy-generated activity. The lignyots have neuroprogramming of susceptible prisoners will
result. The results of their novel techniques are
undetectable by everything but the most ad-
vanced medical probes, of which there are very
few and every one of which is under Imperial
control. While expensive, reprogrammed Rebels
have a high reliability as double-agents, and
have provided Infiltration with some of their
best agents.
As the Rebellion is slowly becoming aware of
this tactic, Interrogation has modified its ap-
proach to stay one step ahead of the Rebels.
They now release more Rebels than they once
did, including some fairly valuable to the Rebel-
lion. They only reprogram a few. As suspicion
falls on all of the released prisoners, the Rebel-
lion is torn whether or not to accept any, all or
• Intelligence uses various interrogator droids to none of the prisoners. The doubt and debate
gather information.
28 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
has been enough to significantly lower the mo- Order; the genius of Surveillance is the ability to
rale at some Rebel bases. sort through the information and unerringly
The second modification is to use image sur- select suspects who are currently involved in
gery on a reprogrammed agent, have Infiltration anti-Imperial activity. Surveillance agents are
brief him, and then have him join the Rebel thoroughly briefed on everything which is known
Alliance as an unknown recruit. While this about the suspect. Often more than one agent is
method takes considerable time, no agent who selected for an important case, and Surveillance
has been infiltrated in this way has yet been actively solicits the help of any available system
discovered. cells.
Surveillance agents are well trained in a broad
Bureau of Operations variety of skills, including combat skills. They
Of all the bureaus in Imperial Intelligence, are expected to handle situations by themselves
this is the one which is called the "Bureau"; no in the field — there is not likely to be enough
one in Imperial Intelligence for more than a few time to call in backups. Surveillance agents are
days would call it anything else. The Bureau expected to make arrests if the suspects will get
handles the covert operations which are be- away with a critical crime, and if arrest looks
yond the scope or require greater resources untenable, stop the suspects in any way the
than those of the average system cell. The Bu- agent can.
reau may send in a team of specialists to a Infiltration
sector, in effect creating an at-large system cell,
or they may send a few agents to augment an "There are three ways to defeat your enemy.
existing system cell for a single mission. The first, and most obvious, is to better him in a
trial of force. The best way is to have him destroy
Surveillance himself; few enemies are so obliging. The middle
A point of pride with Surveillance is their way is to destroy your enemy from within. Judi-
small size, especially in comparison with the cious application of the middle way shall make
huge organization maintained by COMPNOR your blows more effective if you later take the way
through the ISB. Imperial Intelligence has less of force. From the middle way it is also possible to
the one agent in Surveillance for every 70 so push your enemy onto the path of self-destruc-
dedicated in the ISB, yet Surveillance success- tion. "
fully keeps watch on more serious threats to the — Uueg Tching of Kitel Phard,
Empire than does the ISB. 54th Emperor of Atrisia
Intelligence gives Surveillance megascandocs When they join Infiltration, every agent is
of material on potential enemies of the New told the legends of Uueg Tching. The ancient
From: Dr. Tobias, Analysis: Tech such a low-cost piece of hardware as being an
To: Hyndis Kogler, Bureau: Infiltration integral part of Imperial Intelligence.
Subject: Superior Utilization of 3PO Human- 2. Dr. Lucien guarantees me that only mi-
Cyborg Relations Droids nor modifications are necessary to a 3PO's
Confirmed: SEND; TRAN9/9; RECV already impressive array of sensors in order
Context: 4E16; AOPT; ASYS; ROPT; to make it a first-class intelligence-gathering
Phasecycle: PSEG388893131;ICON; droid,costingthousands less than the Akrayd
02.00BMUT;01.00RMUT Viper Probe Droid.
Hyndis, 3. A 3PO unit has built-in hardware, the
I am dismayed that you have not seen fit to TranLang III Communications module, which
reply to my request of an evaluation of our allows it to speak millions of languages. Given
scheme for using 3PO Human-Cyborg Rela- that the Rebellion recruits scum from any-
tions Droids for infiltration of enemy facilities. where they can find it, a facile ability with a
In order to refresh your memory of my previ- great many tongues could be a significant
ous communication, I herein summarize my advantage, allowing a few 3POs to replace
important points: hundreds of less linguistically adept agents.
1. 3PO droids are nearly universal. They Just think of the savings to the New Order!
could be inserted virtually unnoticed into any 4. I can arrange for an impressive demon-
Rebel camp, having unquestioned access to stration for you if you would like. I am sure the
most areas. The Rebels would never suspect results would surprise you.
Imperial Sourcebook 29
Chapter Three. Imperial Intelligence
emperor's success against the peoples and na- ligence, agents are then tested to see for what
tions of the newly-discovered continents on his sort of missions they are best suited — double-
world was spectacular; of greater interest to agents, moles, or "polwocz."
Infiltration is the manner in which Uueg Tching Double-agents are active operatives, taking
managed to subvert no fewer than 30 separate part in enemy actions against the Empire. Their
rebellions against his tyrannical rule. job is to give Imperial Intelligence good enough
After indoctrination, Infiltration agents are information to allow the Empire to do greater
often reassigned to Intelligence, assigned as damage to the Rebellion than the double-agent's
assistants to a few sector branches, and then operations do to the Empire.
assigned to Sedition (Intelligence Bureau). The A mole is inserted behind the lines, to trans-
agents learn vast amounts during this period. fer important intelligence about enemy activi-
Many agents have to be released because of ties when the opportunities arise.
overuse of the mnemiotic drugs given agents to A polwocz is a type of creature located in the
enhance their learning. Those who survive with Spinward sector. Their spawn lay underground,
their minds intact know a great deal. undetected for years or even decades. Once
Once they have finished their stint with Intel- hatched, the larvae initiate a feeding frenzy
From: Hyndis Kogler, Bureau: Infiltration mobile garbage compactor from Astromech or Cybot
To: Dr. Tobias, Analysis: Tech Galactica. I feel Infiltration is best staffed by beings
Subject: Your Droid Scheme rather than droids; we are still more effective than
Confirmed: SEND; TRAN9/9; RECV any droid yet invented.
Context: 5E13; AOPT; DSYS; ROPT; 4. All of this can be summed up by our response
Phasecycle: PSEG 7519285763950326; LINE; to your last point.
00.06BMUT; 00.15RMUT Read this part carefully, Tobias. I am extremely
Dr. Tobias, angry over your demonstration. On Stensen's Colony
I have received all of your communications on there are Ghothian slime pools which display a
the use of 3PO droids for infiltration. We have given greater degree of intelligence than you did when you
it a great deal of consideration. I am responding in initiated this project.
sufficient detail to each of your points that you I was scanning by my terminal when the security
might understand our point of view. system notified me that a droid with an improperly
1. 3PO droids are indeed nearly universal through- coded ID chip had entered the perimeter office a
out the galaxy, being one of the 20 most popular split second before. I notified IntSec personnel and
droid models of all time, with more still being pro- then grabbed a few men from Infiltration to try and
duced. This means that if the Rebels have any need head it off before it reached any sensitive areas
for a 3PO, they could have easily picked up what- within the office. As I rounded the corner I spotted a
ever quantity they need. We suspect their need is 3PO waddling casually toward a sector office. It was
minimal. As for the ease of infiltration, the most then that I spotted Dr. Lucien's modification. Your
difficult thing about infiltrating the Rebels is finding droid had time to say, "Oh dear, there must be some
some Rebels to infiltrate. Our agents have to be in mistake," before we blasted its legs off. Satisfied that
place for months or years before getting a chance to the droid had no weaponry, we interrogated it. I have
join the Rebel Alliance. We cannot just ship 3POs to had no more than the standard course on interroga-
them. tion given by your bureau, but I had the 3PO spilling
Additionally, it is easier to scan droids than living its chips before I had bolstered my blaster.
beings, as droids are still simpler constructs and Cute idea, trying to insert a 3PO into Infiltration. It
they are far more uniform than any single species in was a stupid idea having the 3PO transmit its find-
the Empire. ings directly to your office for two reasons. First, any
unsecured transmissions in our office will be de-
2. I have seen Dr. Lucien's modifications. The tected — not might be, will be. Second, for direct
dedicated energy receptor (DER) is covered with a transmission you had to give the droid exact coordi-
translucent membrane which from certain angles nates to your office. If we hadn't known where your
gives the 3PO the appearance of a third eye, some- office was, we would now.
thing which will undoubtedly raise suspicions among So Tobias, it was a stupid idea to send those eight
observant Rebels. other 3POs out to find Rebel bases to infiltrate. The
3. I am sure the Ubiqtorate appreciates your Bureau has managed to recover seven of them, but
efforts to save the New Order a few credits by one of them is still out there. If we don't find that last
replacing agents with droids. I certainly do not droid before the Rebels do, you may get a close up
appreciate the prospect of being replaced by some opportunity to see how Rebel equipment works.
30 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
which is reputed to destroy entire cities. A Intelligence, this says quite a bit about Destab.
polwocz is therefore an agent who is to be used Officially, Destabilization is the branch which
just once, at a critical moment when his use can specializes in "taking the fabric which holds a
be devastating to the enemy. people, society or government together and
unraveling it." Agents from other branches sug-
Renik gest Destab's methods more closely resemble
Renik is the branch in charge of counterintel- shredding.
ligence, which is the art of identifying and dis-
mantling enemy spy operations. If a particular Assassination
spy operation is considered to be potentially Unlike Destabilization, Assassination is a
useful, Renik hands over all information on the branch which is wholeheartedly embraced by
enemy operation to Infiltration, which takes it the agents of other branches; assassination has
from there. If the enemy group is considered long been a legitimate means of removal of key
insignificant or too dangerous to allow contin- members of the opposition for intelligence agen-
ued operations, Renik destroys it. cies. The ban on assassin droids has enhanced
The branch has built a considerable myth the image of assassination being a fair contest
about where the name Renik came from. They between the hunter and the hunted. While As-
now claim an ancient species existed in the Galac- sassination is careful not to unnecessarily di-
tic Core called the Delorf. The Delorf were a lute this image, its agents are trained to take
pastoral species, one which never aspired to every advantage, to use every trick and subter-
technological achievements. But many among fuge possible; in short, to weight the contest as
them had an innate sense which allowed them to much in the favor of the assassin as possible.
feel treachery and animosity in another being, Assassination has been careful to select only
Deiorf or not. Upon sensing animosity in another, those targets for which mission success is prob-
the Delorf sensitives would gather and pool their able. It is a tribute to their highly trained agents
energies into a ritual called "Renik." Renik would that the actual success ratio is higher than the
cleanse the hostility and treachery from the tar- theoretical one. This has only served to en-
get being, making him one of the Delorf in mind if hance the mystique of Assassination within
not in body. Imperial Intelligence.
It is far more likely that the term Renik is
derived from the last respected counterintelli-
gence officer in the Old Republic, Admiral Kiner.
Being counterintelligence, the name was reversed.
Diplomatic Services (DiploSer)
Diplomatic Services is the catch-all branch of
the Bureau. It provides a sizable portion of the
personnel for trade and diplomatic missions
found in Imperial garrisons, as well as political
experts for planetary governments and Moffs.
Many of these personnel are well trained and
expected to perform only their overt duties,
with the exception of reporting their action to
Imperial Intelligence. Others are more clandes-
tine agents, some sent on specific anti-Rebel
missions, but most sent to establish and orga-
nize system cells within their area of influence.
Destabilization (Destab)
Referred to as "the quiet branch," no one
hears much about Destabilization. Part of the
reason is that Destab keeps its operations very
quiet. The rest of it is the fact that Destab
operations make a large number of Imperial
Intelligence agents queasy. Destab has been
known to move from what agents consider le-
gitimate intelligence operations into full-fledged
atrocities. Given the shadowy ethics of Imperial • While technically illegal, assassin droids are still
used for certain choice assignments by Intelligence.
Imperial Sourcebook 31
Chapter Three. Imperial Intelligence
32 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
Imperial Sourcebook 33
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
34 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
expects the recipient to use his best judgment makes breaking the code of an Intelligence
in deciding whether or not to undertake the scandoc nearly impossible.
task. The "PSEG" item is a contraction for "prod-
"AADV" says the actions are "advised," which uct segment." When Imperial Intelligence codes
is an Imperial Intelligence euphemism; the messages, it uses "prime product matching" in
sender believes the action should be optional which the coding sequence is related to the
but there is considerable political pressure product of two huge prime numbers (200 to
from above for this operation. An agent must 5,000 digits long), one assigned to the sender
factor these risks in addition to the risks inher- and one to the recipient. The actual numbers
ent in the mission. are kept in Sector Plexus and are unknown to
"AMAN" means the actions described in the both the sending and receiving agent.
text are mandatory. In case of contradictions, The recipient is given a list of PSEGs, digits
the more recent mandatory action takes prece- which come from some segment of the product
dence. of the primes. PSEGs are from five to 25 digits in
"AEXC" is an exclusive action. The agent is length. If an agent's PSEG matches the PSEG of
expected to execute this action to the exclusion the message, the agent knows that his security
of everything else. and operations file (SOF) is current with Sector
The security item is next. Plexus. If there is a discrepancy, then the agent
"PERS" indicates the information is restricted is out of date. The greater the discrepancy, the
to the recipient. He may inform no one of the more out of date his SOF. The agent must
message. contact Sector Plexus for an update.
"IMMD" security means the information is The next item is the message packet. "ICON"
restricted to the immediate peers of the agent means the smallest message packet with which
and necessary subordinates. This can mean the scandoc works is a single graphic icon or
different things to different agents, depending text character. The other possible choices are
on how Imperial Intelligence is structured "WORD," "LINE" and "SCAN." The size of a
around them. message packet relates to the sensitivity of the
"USYS" means the message may be relayed message as well as the size of the main body of
by the agent to any of his superiors in Imperial the message; a very large, very sensitive mes-
Intelligence. sage will almost always be set at SCAN.
"DSYS" means he may inform any subordi- An Imperial Intelligence scandoc is constantly
nates. regenerating itself. Initially this reproduction is
"ASYS" tells an agent he may contact any absolutely accurate. After a time, the message
level of Imperial Intelligence which needs this will mutate, changing about one of every 1,000
information. of the individual message packets. When these
The "SYS" levels are generally reserved for mutant packets are reproduced, some of the
bureau and branch level communications, as message packets sequenced after them will
field agents have little use for those classifica- mutate as well. After a while the message is
tions. altered to incomprehensible gibberish.
As the mutations are basically random and
The response item lets the agent know if he there is no record of any intermediate scans,
must acknowledge receiving the message. there is no hope of reconstructing the original
"ROPT" indicates an optional response. message fromsufficientlymutateddescendents.
"RMAN" means the agent must acknowledge The numbers before "BMUT" tells the agent
receipt of the message as soon as possible. how long before the mutations begin, given in
Phasecycle: The messages which Imperial the form days, hours and minutes.
Intelligence sends are dynamic, which means The number before "RMUT" tells the agent
software which modifies the scandoc is embed- approximately how often a mutation occurs,
ded within the scandoc itself. The scandoc is given in hours and minutes. For every minute of
continually regenerating itself, receding itself RMUT, an agent has one hour of time before the
according to a deterministic sequence. This message degrades significantly; if a day has
coding will change word order, sentence order, passed for every two minutes of RMUT, the
paragraph structure, as well as individual ci- agent can forget about retrieving any useful
phers for words or characters. This technique information from the message.
Imperial Sourcebook 35
Chapter Three: Imperial Intelligence
crued. It was then that a Plexus technician, the PDV and HOS return to hyperspace — the
Geothray Camber, sent Dr. Lindu Sencker a HOS to its orbit and the PDV to its rendezvous
series of scandocs with preliminary specifica- with the local Plexus conduit.
tions for a new eavesdropping device which
would circumvent the security systems in virtu- System Cell
ally every computer system in existence. Imperial Intelligence has placed millions of
Sencker's team conquered the formidable theo- system cells throughout the galaxy. They exist
retical and technical problems poised by on every inhabited world, and even on a few
Camber's plan. A prototype of the device was uninhabited ones which prove to be convenient
built in time for an effective demonstration for jump sites or listening posts. While a system cell
the Ubiqtorate — by stealing several files from can theoretically be of any size from a single
the computers of the Imperial Security Bureau. being to hundreds, they usually range from four
With this device, the Hyperspace Orbiting to 20 beings. Imperial Intelligence often recruits
Scanner (HOS), Imperial Intelligence has been agents from the worlds on which they are going
able to tap into the computer networks on more to serve, training them off-world only if abso-
than 470,000 worlds, and the number is increas- lutely necessary. Once a cell has proven itself, it
ing every day. may be given additional training and possible
Left in hyperspace orbit around a planet, the placement on other systems.
HOS sensors do not pick up the signals from the A system cell is the basic unit of Imperial
computer directly. They monitor the hyper- Intelligence. When the Ubiqtorate plans strat-
space shadows left by streaking particles inside egy, it thinks in terms of operations which could
a computer. be conducted independently by system cells,
Careful and systematic matching of the shad- with all coordination coming from the bureaus.
ows of known computer languages to the shad- System cells are aware of the command struc-
ows produced by the target system have pro- ture immediately above them, but are allowed
duced data which is better than 78 percent to know very little else about Imperial Intelli-
reliable. Imperial science is not likely to pro- gence. They are most emphatically not allowed
duce an improvement over this phenomenal to know of the existence or operations of other
performance any time in the near future. system cells.
An HOS is placed and serviced by modified Imperial Intelligence gives system cells rudi-
PDVs. PDVs enter hyperspace and then cycle mentary logistic support. The only standard
through various triangulations on possible po- piece of equipment is the RWStar A/P Trans-
sitions of the HOS (whose hyperspace shadow ceiver, with expanded memory and processing
is lost against the shadow of the planet and capabilities, which communicates with Plexus
other, larger space vehicles) until the orbiter is droid vehicles or Plexus conduits. Other equip-
located. This process can take hours. It would ment is to be obtained by the system cell itself,
be virtually impossible if the searching craft did or is provided on a mission basis only. This lack
not already have an idea of where the HOS was. of equipment occasionally hampers a cell, but
The PDV then links with the HOS in orbit. the ingenuity of cell agents usually makes up for
To transfer large amounts of data, or to effect the lack of sophisticated gear.
any repairs on the HOS, the PDV must tempo- A cell can increase its status within Imperial
rarily pull out of hyperspace. It is vulnerable Intelligence by equipping itself from hostile
during this period, and so stays in realspace sources. This includes not only the Rebellion,
only for the minimum possible time. Once re- but often the underworld and sometimes even
pairs are made or the information is transferred, COMPNOR.
36 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Four: The Military
Chapter Four
The Military
(Compiled from various sources, including campaigns were against the pirates located on
scandocs, datareports, and communiques.) the fringe worlds, and these were the concerted
The might of the Empire has not arisen over- efforts of several hundred worlds who at one
night, although years of planning and prepara- time or another had found themselves prey for
tion by the Emperor allowed the military to pirates.
expand at a nearly inconceivable rate. From the Since the disbanding of the Senate, the Navy
time of the Old Republic to the opening years of is no longer required to respond to requests
the New Order was a period of rapid change and from planetary governments, including the plan-
expansion for the Imperial forces. With the etary governors appointed by the Empire. Un-
Empire's loss at the Battle of Yavin, even more der new doctrine, individual planets are too
changes have taken place — some not even yet insignificant to allow them direct control over
announced to the various branches. an asset as important as the Imperial Navy, even
for short periods of time.
Civilian orders are now transmitted at the
The Navy level of the Sector Group, from regional Moffs,
The Navy has grown enormously since the Grand Moffs, or the Emperor himself. Smaller
decline of the Old Republic, but its mission has units are to receive their orders only from offic-
largely stayed the same: to free the system ers in the proper chain of command. This is a
space of member worlds from hazards to profit- definite change from the Republican Navy, when
able commerce, to assure the safety of member Senators or other politically powerful beings
worlds from attack from outside forces, and to could directly commandeer naval vessels —
bolster the planetary governments in times of sometimes entire squadrons — for missions
crisis. This last mission has grown more difficult without having the order come down through
since the rise of the New Order. the chain of command.
Under the Republic, the Navy could move in This change has greatly boosted the morale
and put down unrest in a system, secure in the of naval personnel. The officers now know that
knowledge that the majority of the governed the strategy is being set at a level of authority
species welcomed their intervention. The New which is best suited for seeing the whole pic-
Order has changed the attitudes on many of the
constituent worlds. While the vastly increased
firepower available to the Navy has so far been
more than adequate to compensate for any
increase in hostilities, the willingness of mem-
ber worlds to resist the New Order is expected
to be a greater problem in the future.
Changes in Civilian
Command Structure
Planetary governments had the right to call
upon the Navy of the Old Republic in emergen-
cies. They would simultaneously petition the
Senate if the forces were to be engaged for more
than seven standard days (most actions could
be concluded within that time). The only lengthy
Imperial Sourcebook 41
Chapter Four: The Military
ture. Naval commanders have the authority and corps within the Imperial Navy. Each candidate
responsibility to execute their orders in the for admission into the rigorous TIE training
best manner possible, and they know they shall program must undergo a strenuous screening
be free from political interference while doing and testing process. After all, they are being
so. prepared to fly the best starfighters the Empire
has to offer.
Naval Command Structure
• Typical Imperial Pilot
The Navy has responded to its rapid growth Type: Imperial Pilot
by changing its command structure, introduc- DEXTERITY 2D+1
ing intermediate levels of command which did Blaster 3D+1, dodge 3D+1
not exist in the Republican Navy. Most of the KNOWLEDGE 1D+1
Planetary systems 2D+1, survival 2D+1, value 2D+1
junior level officers were promoted to these MECHANICAL 3D
intermediate levels, while the senior officers Astrogation 4D, capital ship gunnery 4D, capital ship
kept their ranks but had the scope of their piloting 5D, capital ship shields 4D, communications
command enlarged. An admiral in the Imperial 3D+1, sensors 3D+1, space transports 4D
Navy commands forces over 10 times as great as PERCEPTION 2D
Hide 3D, investigation 3D, sneak 3D
an admiral did during the Old Republic. STRENGTH 2D
Climbing/jumping 3D, stamina 3D+1
Naval Personnel TECHNICAL 1D+1
Capital ship repair 3D+1, capital ship weapon repair
All vessels serving in the Imperial fleets have 2D+1, computer programming/repair 2D+1
varying numbers of the following personnel. It Character Points: Varies, typically 0-3
must be noted that all game statistics are for Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), flight suit, navigational
"typical" individuals in that category—specific computer linkup helmet (internal comlink, +1D to sen-
skill levels may vary dramatically from indi- sors), survival gear
vidual to individual or ship to ship, depending
upon training level, mission profile and count- • Typical TIE Fighter Pilot
Type: TIE Pilot
less other factors. DEXTERITY 3D+1
Blaster 4D+1, dodge 4D+1
Pilots KNOWLEDGE 2D
From the men who fly the Planetary systems 3D
MECHANICAL 4D
capital ships to the men who Sensors 4D+2, starfighter piloting 6D, starship gunnery
leap into the cockpits of the 5D
TIE fighters, Imperial pilots PERCEPTION 3D
are the mainstay of the Im- Command 4D, search 4D
perial Navy. They are the STRENGTH 3D
Stamina 4D
necessary element in the TECHNICAL 2D
military branch charged Computer programming/repair 3D+1, starfighter repair
with protecting the 5D
space lanes from pi- Character Points: Varies, typically 0-3
rates, smugglers, alien Move: 10
Equipment: Navigational computer linkup helmet (in-
invaders, and Rebels. ternal comlink, + ID to sensors), high gravity stress flight
The top pilots in the suit with life support equipment, one week emergency
galaxy are found in the rations, blaster pistol (4D), survival gear
Imperial Navy. These
pilots, following the Gunners
glorious and time-hon- Gunners are a special sub-unit of the Imperial
ored allure established pilot corp. Any Imperial military vessel larger
during the Republic, at- than a one-man TIE starfighter makes use of
tend the premier academies these trained weapons masters to handle the
throughout the Empire. high-tech arms employed by the Empire.
Within these fine institu- Most gunners are either pilots in training or
tions, the Empire teaches pilots who failed to make the grade in all the
these men duty and pro- skills necessary to fly a vessel. Nonetheless, a
motes the idea of maintain- gunner must have a keen eye, superior reflexes,
ing order, as opposed to and a rapport with the specialized equipment.
defending against aggres- Gunners are trained to handle everything
sion. from a single light laser cannon up to turbolaser
TIE pilots form an elite battery emplacements and even the now-de-
42 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Four: The Military
Imperial Sourcebook 43
Chapter Four: The Military
the missions of the Army were expanded. Drop meted while the Navy's expenditures remained
missions into hostile territory were considered constant.
to be routine for normal troopers rather than With the New Order, and especially since the
the province of a few elite units. Training for abolishment of the Senate, the Army has be-
complex assaults was the norm, and Imperial come the physical manifestation of the Empire
doctrine specified the Navy's mission to be throughout the galaxy. Whether black-clad Im-
support for surface forces during critical phases perial soldiers or white-armored stormtroopers,
of an operation. the Imperial Army has grown into the mailed fist
Doctrine further specified that permanent that pounds the thousand-thousand worlds of
garrisons or units expecting surface campaigns the Galactic Empire into submission.
of significant duration would have significant
Naval assets, such as TIE fighters, attached to The Army Command Structure
the Army units for the whole of the mission. The Army took a different tack from the Navy
These assets were determined well in advance when it experienced its phenomenal growth,
of the mission and soon standardized so an The army kept its ranks the same, but increased
Army officer could know what he had to work the number of subordinate officers for each
with for a particular type of mission. rank above. This decreased the ratio of officers
Changes in the Civilian
Command Structure Admiral Jerjerrod's Testimony
The Army used to be almost exclusively un- (From the days of the Old Republic, a
der the command of the planetary governments holorecording of Senate Security Hearings,
of the worlds on which they served. This was Naval Subcommittee, Procurement Panel:
due to necessity more than anything else; most Document #RS.SS. 225863a.NS. 1771.PP.24)
worlds had an arrangement whereby they paid Senator Gopple: Admiral Jerjerrod, you
half the expenses and provided half the materiel have indicated to this panel that you have
of any Army unit engaged in operations on their certain misgivings concerning the procure-
world, unlike the Navy whose expenses were ment procedure of our fair Republic. Could
paid for by the Republic as a whole. This one you explain why you insist on undermin-
difference was perhaps the major cause for the ing the Republic's confidence in her Navy
decline of the Army. The worlds which needed with your public statements, rather than
help from the Republic and were not among the going through the chain of command as is
wealthiest continually complained about the proper for a military officer?
cost of surface forces deployed on their planets. Admiral Jerjerrod: The Senator from
The average amount spent on the Army plum- Erigorm has not scanned my reports very
During This Time of Crisis ... thoroughly. I have reported to the proper
people above me and to my peers within
(A holomessage to the citizens of the Galactic Empire the Naval Command. My public statements,
from Ars Dangor, advisor to the Emperor.) as you choose to call them Senator, were
Loyal subjects, taken from those reports I so filed. I had
These are dangerous times. Our grand Empire of united nothing to do with their dissemination.
star systems now faces a threat that could destroy us if Senator V'troren: But if you did not leak
action is not taken quickly. these reports to the media, who did? Who
As always, we shall act quickly. else would have had the motivation to
The rebellion against the Emperor's fair and just rule promulgate your particular point of view?
has flared into a flame greater than we anticipate'd. It Admiral Jerjerrod: Senator V'troren,
threatens to become a civil war, and as such we have every being serving knows that the weap-
declared it an emergency situation. ons he uses, the ships on which he serves,
To better protect our citizens and our member worlds, the droids and computers on which his life
the Emperor has superseded and suspended the Imperial depends—every pieceof equipment which
Senate for the duration of this emergency. The Moffs and he will expect to use — was designed as a
Grand Moffs will now have direct control of their systems result of a Senate compromise to keep
until such time as the danger has passed. each constituent commercial interest
We are sure you shall all do everything in your power happy. Upon entering combat with such
to assist us during this time of crisis. equipment a crewman's sole consolation
Your servant, is a grim satisfaction that our enemies
Ars Dangor, Imperial Advisor probably stole their equipment from us.
44 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Four: The Military
to troops and gave the Imperial Army a very lean (5D), helmet comlink, survival gear, utility belt with
fighting force. supplies
The establishment of the New Order gave the Army Assault Crews
Army the opportunity to clear out its deadwood
as well as remove those officers who might be The Imperial Army uses surface attack ve-
ideologically opposed to the new regime. Over hicles such as AT-AT and AT-ST walkers to equal
three-quarters of the Army's officers were weeded the fury of their assault troopers. These ve-
out during the first days of the New Order. hicles are all heavily armed and armored to
Since the Battle of Yavin, the two forces have provide maximum fire power and protection to
been moved closer together as regular Army the units they are assigned to.
detachments have been assigned to Navy vessels The crews that service these war machines
to create more complete combat units. are soldiers with training in the operation of a
variety of ground assault vehicles. Most of these
machines are crewed by a pilot, a gunner, and a
Army Personnel combat coordinator (or commander). Depend-
The personnel that make up the Imperial Army ing on the size and type of vehicle, there may be
includemanyspecialized soldiers. However, most additional crew members or fewer crew han-
of these men can be classified under the following dling multiple roles.
types. Like the normal Army trooper, assault crew-
men wear gray uniforms and partial body armor.
Army Troopers They receive all the combat training given the
Army troopers make up a vast number of the trooper, as well as the training needed to operate
Empire's planet-bound fighting forces. These the ground assault vehicles. They also learn how
soldiers wear similar uniforms to the Naval to best apply the Imperial mindset of rule by fear
trooper, complete with helmet. But the Army through the use of their war machines.
wears a gray-colored uniform and partial armor
for protection. • Imperial Army Assault Trooper
Type: Imperial Assault Trooper
These soldiers are trained only to fight, and DEXTERITY 2D+2
they do it very well. They are taught all manner Blaster 4D+2, blaster artillery 3D+2, vehicle blasters
of combat techniques. Hand-to-hand, blaster 5D+2
pistol, grenade, and heavy weapons training are
just some of the areas these soldiers are ex-
pected to excel in. No Longer of Any Concern ...
• Typical Imperial Army Trooper (A holomessage to the Grand Moffs of the Galactic
Type: Imperial Army Trooper Empire from Ars Dangor, advisor to the Emperor.)
DEXTERITY 3D Loyal subjects,
Blaster 4D+1, dodge 4D+1, grenade 3D+2,, vehicle blast-
ers 3D* 2 We understand that you have been concerned of late
KNOWLEDGE 1D+I about this "growing" rebellion. I have even heard concern
Survival 2D+l about the support this rebellion has been gaining in the
MECHANICAL 1D+1 Imperial Senate.
Repulsorlift operation 2D+1
PERCEPTION 2D Listen well. The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any
STRENGTH 3D+1 concern to us. The Emperor has permanently dissolved
Brawling 4D+1 that misguided body. The last remnants of the Old Repub-
TECHNICAL ID lic have now been swept away.
Character Points: Varies, typically 0-3 Senatorial representation has not been formally abol-
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster rifle (5D), field armor and helmet ished, you must understand. It has merely been super-
(+1D physical, +2 energy), grenades (5D), helmet com- seded "for the duration of the emergency." If that dura-
link, survival gear, utility belt with supplies tion remains a permanent fixture, so be it. You, the
• (Veteran Imperial Army Trooper) Emperor's regional governors, will now have direct con-
Blaster: heavy blaster pistol 5D+1, blaster artillery 3D+2, trol and a free hand in administering your territories. This
brawling parry 3D+1, melee combat 4D, melee parry means that the Imperial presence can at last be brought
3D+2, missile weapons 4D to bear properly on the vacillating worlds of the Empire.
Intimidation 2D+1, law enforcement 2D+1, law enforce- From now on, fear will keep potentially traitorous local
ment: Imperial law 3D+2, streetwise 2D+1
Ground vehicle operation 2D+1, hover vehicle operation governments in line. Fear of the Imperial fleet — and fear
2D+1 of the new Death Star battle station.
Command 3D, hide 2D+2, search 3D, sneak 2D+2 Have I made myself clear?
Stamina 4D+1 For the Emperor,
Blaster repair 2D, first aid 2D
Equipment: Blaster rifle (5D), blaster pistol (4D), field Imperial Advisor Ars Dangor
armor and helmet (+1D physical, +2 energy), grenades
Imperial Sourcebook 45
Chapter Four. The Military
46 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Four: The Military
Imperial Sourcebook 47
Chapter Four: The Military
48 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Chapter Five
Capital Ships
(From a report by the Imperial Navy to the crew cockpit. Here the five-man crew can moni-
Emperor's advisors on budgetary affairs.) tor the actions of the spacetroopers as well as
While starfighters took a premier role in the handle the operation of the shuttle and all its
recent Battle of Yavin, capital ships remain the systems. The second section of the craft is the
heart of the Imperial Navy. Capital ships con- main body. In this section, 40 spacetrooper
duct battles on a grand scale. They do not armor shells are stored until the troopers plug
engage in common dogfights — that is the prov- into them. The armor is constantly being re-
ince of small one- and two-man starfighters. charged and powered up while in its place in the
When capital ships meet, they engage in a war shuttle. This compartment is lined with fold-
between spacefaring cities and the outcome away launch doors that swing open to disgorge
could result in thousands of deaths. the spacetroopers. The rear portion of the craft
These combat starships measure over 100 houses the engines and power generators.
meters, require large crews to operate, use In a standard operation, an assault shuttle
massive power cells and generators, and are will hold a given target in a tractor beam or with
heavily armed and armored. Under the New magnetic harpoons. Sometimes it will also
Order, many of these vessels have been com- cripple the target with a few well-placed blaster
missioned. But since the emphasis of Imperial cannon shots. Then it will open up and let its
doctrine has again turned toward the use of the spacetrooper platoon loose.
Imperial fleet, even more of these ships of the Assault shuttles are among the most-heavily
line are needed. shielded vessels in the Imperial fleet. Most com-
Examine the following reports. You will find a bat starships funnel approximately 25 percent
variety of vessels currently in at least limited of their total power through the shield genera-
use. Any or all of them can be put into mass tors. An assault shuttle uses up to 62 percent
production with a simple word from your office. power on shields, and over half of that power is
Remember, we will not crush this rebellion by channeled into the front arc. This allows the
tying our hands in bureaucratic datatape. We shuttle to withstand even the most concen-
need resources made available to increase our trated barrage of fire for at least a short time.
galactic might a thousandfold. With such re- These craft are both atmospheric and space
sources, nothing will be beyond the reach of our capable, and have limited capacity for hyper-
Emperor. space travel (their onboard nav computers can
hold up to three jumps). Most Imperial-class
Star Destroyers carry an assault shuttle, along
Assault Shuttle with thenecessary spacetrooper platoon. Other
Not technically a capital ship, Imperial as-
sault shuttles regularly engage capital ships in
combat or are used to ferry Zero G stormtroop-
ers (or "spacetroopers") aboard an engaged
vessel. These heavily-armored vehicles come
complete with tractor beam generators, full sen-
sor suites, power harpoon guns, concussion
missile launchers, and automatic blaster can-
nons.
Assault shuttles are divided into three sec-
tions. The first section contains the command
Imperial Sourcebook 49
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
ships are supplied with these units as needed and patrol assignments. To take advantage of its
and available. exceptional armament, it is deployed in trouble
• Assault Shuttle spots where conflict is likely and the combat
Craft: Telgorn Corp Assault Shuttle risk is high. The GAT is the smallest Imperial
Type: Comma-class assault shuttle Naval vessel to be equipped with hyperdrive
Scale: Capital (due to power output) engines. Although these craft are usually planet-
Length: 30 meters or space station-based, they routinely patrol
Skill: Capital ship piloting: Gamma-class assault shuttle
Crew: 2, gunners: 3, skeleton: 1/+10
entire sectors.
Crew Skill: Capital ship gunnery 3D+2, capital ship pilot- Different configurations have been employed
ing 5D, capital ship shields 4D as ground support or missile launch platforms,
Passengers: 40 (spacetroopers) but the most popular version is the GAT-12h
Cargo Capacity: 5 metric tons "Skipray," a power-boosted refinement over
Consumables: 1 week
Cost: Not available for sale slower, less combat oriented models. As with
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x2 the assault shuttle, blastboats are lumped in
Hyperdrive Backup: x!8 with capital ships because of the missions they
Nav Computer: Limited to 3 jumps undertake and the firepower they are able to
Maneuverability: 2D
Space: 8
deliver. In addition to patrol duties, the Skipray
Hull: 3D+2 is commonly used for planetary defense and
Shields:4D+2 interdictive actions.
Sensors: The aerodynamic Skipray performs excep-
Passive: 40/ID tionally well in atmospheric flight, easily execut-
5can;80/lD+2
Search: 130/2D ing maneuvers normally possible only by high-
rocus;4/3D performance airspeeders. In space combat, the
Weapons: GAT-12h is not especially maneuverable. It re-
4 Laser Cannons lies instead on its speed to approach with sur-
Fire Arc: Turret prise and get in a devastating first attack. When
Crew: Two guns are handled by "gunner 1," two
guns are handled by "gunner 2" engaged in extended combat, the Skipray coor-
Skill: Capital ship gunnery dinates its attack with TIE fighters whenever
Fire Control: 3D possible, or uses wingman tactics if there are
Space Range: 1-3/12/25 more blastboats in the area.
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Damage: 2D
Tractor Beam Projector
Fire Arc: Front
Crew: 1 (Gunner 3)
Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 4D
Space Range: 1-5/15/30
Atmosphere Range: 100-500/1.5/3 km
Damage: 5D+2
Concussion Missiles
fire Arc:Front
Crew: 1 (Gunner 3)
Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+1
Space Range: 1-2/8/15 • Skipray Blastboat
Atmosphere Range: 100-200/800/1.5 km Craft: Sienar Fleet Systems'GAT-12h
Damage: 4D Type: Defense and patrol blastboat
Scale: Capital (due to power output)
Length: 25 meters
Skipray Blastboats Skill: Starfighter piloting: Skipray Blastboat
Blastboats fill the gap between speedy, ma- Crew: 2 (1 can coordinate), gunners: 2, skeleton: 1/+5
neuverable starfighter designs and the slower, Crew Skill: Astrogation 4D, capital ship gunnery 5D,
Starfighter piloting 4D, starship gunnery 5D+1, starship
more heavily-armed capital ships. They are swift shields 4D+1
enough to overhaul most system intruders, and Cargo Capacity: 20 metric tons
strong enough to deliver—and survive—blows Consumables: 1 month
from powerful weapons. They operate equally Cost: 285,000 (new), 150,000 (used)
well in atmosphere, on patrol in the far reaches Hyperdrive Multiplier: x2
Nav Computer: Limited to four jumps
of a star system, or performing fleet point duties Maneuverability: 1D+2 (2D+2 in atmosphere)
with or without starfighter support. Space: S
Sienar's GAT Blastboat series is the Empire's Atmosphere: 415; 1,200 kmh
standard gunship for demanding point missions Hull:2D+l
Shields: 2D
50 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 51
TELGORN CORP
Taim & Bak KT6
Heavy Blaster Cannon
Nordoxicon
Wavefront-active
Tractor Beam Projector
Zero-G stormtrooper
boarding hatch
Fabritech UL.2
Power Modulator
Kel-Mar Steady-state
Power Coupler
Access hatch (Zero-G Stormtrooper armor
Telgorn Corp (to engineering level) stored here under active
IA/4 Fusial power supply)
Thrust
Reactors
Assault Shuttle
Command crew
boarding hatch
Zero-G stormtrooper
launch ports
(10 port, 10 starboard, 20 Zero-G stormtrooper
overhead) boarding hatch
Armored
transparisteel
viewport
Telgorn Corp
Twin-tandem
Flight Computers
Command console Flight crew stations (4)
54 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 55
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
56 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 57
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
58 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 59
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Skill: Capital ship piloting: Star Destroyer ity. In addition to its normal armament, the
Crew: 4,798, gunners: 402, skeleton: 1785/+15 Victory II is equipped with ion cannons and
Crew Skill: Astrogation3D+2, capital ship gunnery 4D+2,
capital ship piloting 5D, capital ship shields 4D, sensors
enhanced tractor beam projectors. In combina-
3D+2 tion, these weapons regularly disrupt the usual
Passengers: 2,040 (troops) performance of an enemy ship, leaving it vulner-
Cargo Capacity: 8,100 metric tons able to the Victory II's destructive weaponry.
Consumables: 4 years Victory II Destroyers are designed with han-
Cost: Not available for sale
Hyperdrive Multiplier: xl gar bays large enough for two squadrons of TIE
Hyperdrive Backup: x15 fighters. A recent shortage and high demand for
Nav Computer Yes the starfighters has seen the mothballing of
Maneuverability: 1D several hangars, or the use of non-combat craft
Space: 4
Atmosphere: 280; 800 kmh
as battle platforms.
Hull: 4D The main duty of the small number of these
Shields: 3D+1 Star Destroyers is sector patrol. In pairs, or with
Sensors: other ships, Victory IIs regularly move into sus-
Passive: 40/1D pected hot spots and areas of Rebel or pirate
Scan. 70/2D
Search: 150/3D activity with orders to pacify the sector.
Focus: 4/3D+2 • Victory II Star Destroyer
Weapons:
10 Quad Turbolaser Batteries Craft: Rendili StarDrive's Victory II
Fire Arc. 5 left, 5 right Type: Victory-class Star Destroyer
Crew; 5 Scale: Capital
Length: 900 meters
Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Skill: Capital ship piloting: Star Destroyer
Fire Control: 4D
Space Range. 3-15/35/75 Crew; 5,881, gunners: 226, skeleton: 2,100/+10
Atmosphere Range: 6-30/70/150 km Crew Skill: Astrogation3D+2, capital ship gunnery 4D+2,
capital ship piloting 5D, capital ship shields 4D, sensors
Damage: 5D
3D+2
40 Double Turbolaser Batteries
Fire Arc.10 front, 15 left, 15 right Passengers: 1,600 (troops)
Crew: 3 Cargo Capacity: 8,100 metric tons
Skill: Capital ship gunnery Consumables: 4 years
Fire Control: 3D Cost: Not available for sale
Space Range.3-15/35/75 Hyperdrive Multiplier xl
Atmosphere Range: 6-30/70/150 km Hyperdrive Backup: x15
Damage: 2D+2 Nav Computer Yes
80 Concussion Missile Tube Launchers Maneuverability: 1D
Fire Arc: 20 front, 20 left, 20 right, 20 rear Space: 6
Crew: 2 Hull:4D+2
Shields: 3D
Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D Sensors:
SpaceKange: 2-12/30/60 Passive:40/lD
Atmosphere Range: 4-24/60/120 km Scan: 70/2D
Search.150/3D
Damage: 9D
10 Tractor Beam Projectors Focus: 4/3D+2
Fire Arc. 6 front, 2 left, 2 right Weapons:
Crew: 2 (2), 4 (2), 10(6) 20 Turbolaser Batteries
Skill: Capital ship gunnery Fire Arc: 10 front, 5 left, 5 right
Fire Control:4D Crew: 3
SpaceRange: 1-5/15/30 Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Atmosphere Range: 2-10/30/60 km Fire Control: ID
Damage: 5D Space Range: 3-15/35/75
Atmosphere Range: 6-30/70/150 km
Damage: 7D
Victory II 20 Double Turbolaser Cannons
Fire Arc: 5 front, 5 left, 5 right, 5 back
It did not come off the production line until Crew:3
after the Clone Wars had ended, and conse- Skill: Capital ship gunnery
quently only a handful ever saw completion. Yet Fire Control: 2D
Rendili StarDrive's Victory II Star Destroyer has Space Range: 3-15/35/75
made an impact in this age of Imperial- and Atmosphere Range: 6-30/70/150 km
Damage: 5D
Super-class Star Destroyers. While the Victory I 10 Ion Cannons
is primarily a planetary assault vessel, the Vic- Fire Arc: 2 front, 3 left, 3 right, 2 back
tory II was designed with space combat in mind. Crew.-2 (2), 3 (2), 4 (6)
The Victory II is fitted with powerful Hoersch- Skill: Capital ship gunnery
Fire Control. 4D
Kessel engines that add significantly to the Space Range: 1-10/25/50
Destroyer's sublight speed and maneuverabil- Atmosphere Range; 2-20/50/100 km
60 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 61
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
62 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Five: Capital Ships
Imperial Sourcebook 63
Carrack Cruiser
Lancer Frigate
Dreadnaught
Escort Carrier
Imperial Capital Ship
Recognition Guide
Torpedo Sphere Blastboat
Assault Shuttle
Interdictor Cruiser
Strike Cruiser
Star Galleon
Chapter Six
Custom Ordnance
(The following report was presented to the The cloaking field obscures all types of elec-
Emperor's Advisory Committee on Military Affairs tromagnetic sensors by absorbing the beams
by the senior officers of the Department of Military instead of reflecting them. Since most sensor
Research.) radiation never returns to the originating source
Some military missions require special weap- but usually disappears into the void of space,
ons. The following report outlines some of the the protected vessel is effectively cloaked. The
newest innovations to come out of the Depart- field protects against highly limited EPRs
ment of Military Research (DMR). Many of these (electrophoto receptors), insensitive FSTs (full-
custom ordnance are still in the planning stages, spectrum transceivers), and computerized LFIs
but these few are the closest to operational (lifeform indicators).
deployment. A cloaked vessel is virtually immune to DER
(dedicated energy receptor) scanning by all but
the most powerful systems manned by the most
Cloaking Fields expert technicians. DERs can only locate cloaked
A fully-operational cloaking device has al- vessels by picking up ion engine heat. The Em-
ways been the ultimate dream of Naval com- pire has developed a method for successfully
manders since before the most primitive sen- baffling this heat via another phase of this
sors were developed. The idea of cloaking or project, and this phase is currently being stud-
hiding a vessel from either visual or sensor ied for other military applications.
pickup has been a goal of everyone who designs Cloaking fields, as they are developing now,
space vehicles. Unfortunately, as newer and cannot protect against CGTs (crystal gravita-
more sophisticated sensor systems were devel- tional traps) since the mass of the protected
oped, true "cloaking" became more difficult. vessel is not affected by the field. As most of
Recently, the Empire's highly funded and these expensive sensors are Imperial property,
very controversial research into sensor cloak- the need for mass baffling seems unnecessary.
ing paid off. A multi-talented team of scientists The main drawback to the cloaking field
and engineers were collected to begin final con- project is that the cloak works both ways. A
struction on a working cloaking device. cloaked vessel cannot use its sensors either, as
Many rumors have been circulated concern- the field absorbs the beams before they can
ing cloaking fields and their existence. Some register any information. These ships would be
have come from the Empire in an attempt to blind in space, as well as invisible.
frighten and confuse those who would test its With these problems in mind, DMR decided
abilities. Others have come from those so fright- to narrow the cloaking project's goals. Under
ened, permitting the disinformation to expand. the new scheme, a vessel with a specific search-
In fact, it was determined that a singular break- and-destroy or deep-space patrol mission would
through in cloaking technology was highly un- be equipped with the new technology. This ship
likely, and the Empire has pursued a combined would use visual navigation in realspace and
approach ever since. minimum sensors when in hyperspace. As com-
The current test model is a device comprised bat would remain a low priority of this type of
of a number of inter-related systems and tech- mission, the need for extensive computerized
nologies, specifically designed to provide total weapons systems which rely on sensor feed-
protection. The "cape," as the complete system back would be eliminated.
is referred to, is a double-blind device. This As more details and reports are forthcoming,
demeans the protection from sensor transmis- they will be passed along to the Advisory Com-
sions works both ways. mittee.
66 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Six: Custom Ordnance
Imperial Sourcebook 67
Chapter Six: Custom Ordnance
By localizinga planet's gravity, the gravshock worth exploring. Crushing cities in upon them-
waves can simulate earthquakes, floods, and selves, shaking them to pieces, redirecting wa-
other natural disasters. Unfortunately, time and terways to make the most of their destructive
power make this weapon somewhat impractical power, the gravshock device is worthy of Impe-
on the everyday scale. The Super-class Star rial thinking and use.
Destroyer, for example, is the only ship with One new concept for the gravshock technol-
engines powerful enough to pump the massive ogy involves asteroid mining and surveying.
amounts of energy necessary for a full planetary Imperial engineers theorize that by studying the
disruption, but it has no need of such a weapon effects of a weak gravwave attack on a small
considering the armaments it packs. body, like a moon or asteroid, they can learn
The localization effect of the gravwave is not information about its interior. Thus, the weapon
without problems either. As a planet's gravita- can be used to find important ores and metals
tional field is altered, any vessels navigating in for making even more weapons.
near-space (including the attacker) are subject
to rapid and unpredictable orbital shifts.
However, successful tests make this ordnance
•I If deemed necessary to enforce galactic law and order, the Empire can use custom ordnance including
magnetic bombards, gravshocks, orbital nightcloaks and visual electomagnetic intensifies to bring planets in
line with the New Order.
68 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
Chapter Seven
Land Vehicles
(Various reports from Army Command to Grand during the confusion of battle.
MoffSelit in response to the Grand Moff's request The reason for the dual steering stems from
for suggestions on dealing with rebellious ele- the amount of time needed to turn the huge
ments entrenched upon worlds in his sector of vehicle around. The Juggernaut can reach re-
influence.) spectable speeds when moving in a straight
The Empire consists of land, an incalculable line, but it is extremely slow to turn. Although a
amount of rock and soil and varied terrain. The bit faster than the newer AT-AT walker (which
space lanes are merely the paths between the drew some design elements from the earlier
land. The Navy has the massive Imperial fleet to Juggernaut), the Juggernaut has little of the
control the space lanes, but the Army has a fleet walker's flexibility. Its huge bump flexors pro-
of its own to control the land — a fleet of ground vide adequate shock support for the wheels, but
assault vehicles. a lack of traction and independent drive units
The Imperial fleet has been called "the leave the Juggernaut without maneuverability
Empire's long arm," but the Army and its assault or momentum enough to manage certain terrain
vehicles are its crushing fist. Here are those types.
members of the GAV (ground assault vehicle) The most unenviable assignment aboard a
fleet best suited to the subjugation of rebellious Juggernaut is the lookout post. A trooper must
worlds. These craft, along with the mighty AT- stand atop the huge machine in a scanning
AT and AT-ST walkers, make up some of the tower, operating the sensor array that needs
most powerful GAVs currently available to the the added height to be effective. While highly
Empire. important to the pilots within the main body,
the scanning tower is the most vulnerable spot
on the "rolling slab." Without the information
Juggernaut relayed from the tower, the Juggernaut must
While newer, sleeker GAVs can be found in rely on only the information and scanning it can
service throughout the Galactic Core, older, perform from .ground level, leaving it suscep-
less than perfect vehicles still see action through-
out the Outer Rim Territories. The Juggernaut,
called "rolling slabs" by troopers the galaxy
over, is a hulking, cumbersome assault vehicle
that nevertheless inspires fear in its opponents.
Dangerous and powerful looking, the Jugger-
naut has some design problems that make It less
than perfect. But it is available and does serve
an adequate function. Moving across terrain on
massive wheels, these huge vehicles can be
awkward to operate. The wheels on both ends of
the Juggernaut turn independently to navigate
unusual terrain, and either end may serve as the
front. The coordination between the pilots in
both cockpits must be precise in order to keep
the wheels from taking contradictory angles. If
this occurs, the vehicle can "lock up" and be-
come immobile. This has been known to happen • The Juggernaut heavy assault vehicle.
Imperial Sourcebook 69
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
tible to air strikes and forces hidden behind hilts There are worlds scattered throughout the
and other terrain obstacles. galaxy that are too remote to warrant a full-scale
A Juggernaut's armor is its strongest point, occupational force, and yet demand a substan-
along with the weapons that jut from its surface. tial Imperial presence because of their value to
It has firepower equivalent to a walker, and the Empire. The CAV was created for precisely
armor nearly as impenetrable. this situation. Asmall force, equipped with CAVs,
While this vehicle is the predecessor to the can hold and control an impressive amount of
AT-AT, it was not commissioned by the Empire. territory — provided the opposition does not
These ground craft were originally purchased have extensive firepower of its own to call on.
by planetary governments and crimelords dur- Controlled entirely by one trooper, a CAV
ing the waning days of the Republic to provide combines sophisticated transportation, com-
the protection that was lacking at the time. They munications, and combat equipment into one
have since been commandeered by the Empire compact unit. Fast, well armored, and equipped
for use in the Outer Rim Territories. with sensors that allow the CAV to drive itself so
• Juggernaut that the trooper can concentrate on combat,
Craft: Kuat Drive Yards' HAVw A5 Juggernaut this vehicle also has surprisingly powerful weap-
Type: Heavy assault vehicle ons for such a small machine.
Scale: Walker The primary rule for CAV operators is never,
Length: 21.8 meters under any circumstances, get out of the vehicle.
Skill: Ground vehicle operation: Juggernaut
Crew: 2, gunners: 6
The CAV is their weapon, their fort. If separated
Crew Skill: Ground vehicle operation 4D+2, missile weap- from the unit, the solitary trooper is probably
ons 4D, vehicle blasters 4D+1 doomed.
Passengers: 50 (troops) Opponents have discovered that the intricate
Cargo Capacity: 1 metric ton computer technology that assists the CAV soldier
Cover: Full
Cost: Not available for sale can be jammed. This causes a breakdown in
Maneuverability: OD sensory input, confusing the pilot and rendering
Move: 70; 200 kmh, slows to 8; 25 kmh when turning the CAV assistance programs inoperable. This
Body Strength: 5D makes the CAV less useful against high-tech foes,
Weapons: but more than adequate for dealing with the
3 Heavy Laser Cannons
Fire Arc: 1 turret*, 1 left, 1 right primitive worlds throughout the Empire.
Crew: 2
Skill: Vehicle blasters
Fire Control: 2D
Range: 50-500/1/2 km
Damage:6D
1 Medium Blaster Cannon
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Vehicle blasters
Fire Control. ID
Range: 50-250/750/1.5 km
Damage: 4D
2 Concussion Grenade Launchers
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1 • Single trooper compact assault vehicle (CAV).
Skitt: Missile weapons
Fire Control: ID • Compact Assault Vehicle
Range: 50-100/250/500 Craft: Nen-Carvon CAVw PX-10
Damage: 8D+1 Type: Compact assault vehicle
*Note: The Juggernaut's heavy laser cannon turret can Scale: Speeder
turn to face the left, front and right fire arcs only. It may Length: 5.1 meters
move the turret one fire arc per turn (from left to front, Skill: Ground vehicle operation: CAVw PX-10
right to front, front to right or front to left). Crew: 1
Crew Skill: Ground vehicleoperation4D+2, vehicle blast-
ers 4D+1
Compact Assault Vehicle Cargo Capacity: 100 kilograms
The compact assault vehicle, or CAV, trans- Cover:Full
Cost: Not available for sale
forms a single trooper into a formidable assault Maneuverability: ID
force. This valuable piece of equipment ad- Move: 90; 260 kmh
dresses the problem of spreading the Empire's Body Strength: 3D+2
forces too thin throughout the vast expanse of Weapons:
Medium Blaster Cannon
the galaxy. With it, a single trooper can generate Fire Arc: Turret
the firepower of an entire squad. Skill: Vehicle blasters
70 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
Imperial Sourcebook 71
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
72 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
Imperial Sourcebook 77
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
78 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Seven: Land Vehicles
• Mekuun's Hoverscout is designed for reconnaissance missions and offensive point operations.
Imperial Sourcebook 79
Imperial Land Vehicle
Recognition Guide
Hoverscout
Command Speeder
Juggernaut
AT-AT
Repulsorlift Sled
Floating Fortress
Chapter Eight
Sector Group
Organization
The Empire's military might is organized at because it is "groundstuck ... and proud of it,"
the sector level, and thus is called a Sector and the Army is no longer able to neglect events
Group: all of the military forces assigned to a in nearby systems as "the Navy's problem."
given sector of space. A Sector Group is a huge Each branch is expected to pool its resources in
gathering of Imperial military might. It is a flex- order to achieve a common goal, maintaining
ible organization, one which is readily rein- Imperial rule within a sector.
forced to many times its original strength while
retaining essentially the same command struc- The Role of the Army
ture at all times. This flexibility is an integral The Army's mandate is to eliminate military
part of the Emperor's plan to fully arm the threats to the established Imperial political or-
Empire. der on the planetary surface (or other inhabited
While the organization and Order of Battle of complex). If the planet is not under Imperial
a Sector Group has been outlined according to control, the Army is to engage and defeat any
the numbers in these reports, these numbers local military force capable of resistance in
can at best be considered averages. And in the order to facilitate the transition of control of the
wake of the Emperor's command to mobilize the planet to the Empire.
Imperial war machine, they may even be consid- When engaged in operations, the Army can
ered minimum levels of force. Also, the forces expect support from the Navy during the initial
deployed in a given sector will depend upon the drop phase. During this phase, the Navy will
importance, size, and location of that sector. provide suppressing fire against particularly
hard and/or well armed targets, and "force re-
The Roles of the Army and duction attacks" to destroy enemy assets ca-
Navy within a Sector Group pable of interfering with reorganization after
the drop. The Army is also allowed to pre-plan
One of the Emperor's first actions was to for from-orbit fire on specific targets during
refurbish the structure and personnel of the later stages of the operation. If the operation is
Army, establishing it as a branch equal to the important enough, naval units may be dedi-
Navy. This equality is still part theory, as the cated to certain ground elements to provide fire
Navy is reluctant to give up its position of pre- support whenever they are called upon.
eminence. Old line officers fought bitterly against When on garrison duty, the Army's mission is
designing Star Destroyers to carry and deploy essentially unchanged, except they are expected
drop-qualified combat elements under the com- to provide firepower and backup to COMPNOR
mand of the Army. The officers correctly saw and Intelligence operatives when such actions
this as a sign of an increase in support activities have been cleared with the garrison commander.
for the Navy — they incorrectly believed naval When aboard a naval vessel, their primary
prestige could slow the will of the Emperor. The duty is to stay clear of naval personnel who are
military was transformed according to the doing their duty, and to see that their equip-
Emperor's wishes. ment is properly maintained. However, the Army
One of the results of this transformation was is responsible for the defense of the vessel
the creation of the Sector Group, an organiza- should enemy units attempt to board her. In this
tion with greater flexibility and accountability event, Army officers have authority to coordi-
than the military of the Old Republic. The roles nate the crew of the vessel with their own men
of the Army and Navy were meshed more closely. in order to defeat the enemy. With an increasing
No longer is the Navy able to ignore the Army number of daring raids by Rebel elements, Army
Imperial Sourcebook 81
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
units are now more active in maintaining day-to- newer commanders are not even aware that
day security. This causes friction between the such missions are part of the Navy doctrine.
crew of the vessel and army troops. If the Army is to be deployed on the surface of
a world, the Navy is to provide combat support
The Role of the Navy as soon as the orbital space is secured. Support
The Navy's mandate is to secure orbital space for Army operations is to take precedence over
around inhabited planets, to investigate any establishing patrols until such time as the com-
vessels which in the opinion of the commanding mander of surface operations indicates he has
officer appear capable of disrupting the secu- the situation under control, although such sup-
rity of orbital space, and to engage hostile ves- port operations are not expected to be exclu-
sels, destroying or seizing them as deemed nec- sive of patrol activities.
essary. In addition, the Navy is to establish If Army commanders deem the surface situa-
patrols within a sector to locate known enemies tion to be beyond hope of victory, or if the
or for the early detection of patterns of space proper political authorities directly command
activity which could indicate a hostile pres- it, the Navy is to execute a series of punitive
ence. Space superiority is clearly the Navy's attacks upon the target. The attacks are given
most important mission, and the one which code names which vary according to the mis-
generates the most enthusiasm from crew and sion and change frequently. The only code name
officers. which has not yet changed is "Base Delta Zero,"
A mission which has been de-emphasized is the code for complete destruction of all "assets
the protection of scientific missions, as well as of production," including factories, arable land,
acting as the official clearinghouse for informa- mines, fisheries, and all sentient beings and
tion on new worlds. As the Empire has practi- droids. The code name has not yet changed so
cally ceased to sponsor exploration, this mis- there can be no possibility of confusion when a
sion has atrophied to the point that many of the Base Delta Zero is ordered.
Organization of
the Army
There was a clear-cut distinction in the army Squad
of the Old Republic between troops (those who The eight-man line squad is the basic unit of
could be expected to see combat) and support the Imperial Army. The Imperial squad is smaller
personnel and command elements, who usually than the old 10- and 12-man squads common in
stayed as far away from the action as they could the Old Republic, but superior training and
and still stand a reasonable chance of perform- more thorough use of coordinated small-unit
ing their duty. In the twilight of the Old Republic, tactics have resulted in no reduction in squad
the probability of anyone over the rank of lieu- firepower. Additionally, a large number of new
tenant landing in a blasterblaze was virtually squads were created from the available man-
zero. This distinction still remains in the New power. The Empire has been experimenting with
Order, even though support personnel are more still smaller squads, particularly with elite or
closely integrated with their units, are given stormtrooper units, but these are still rare. The
combat training, and are expected to (and do) eight-man squad remains the backbone of the
fight when confronted with the enemy. Imperial Army.
Even though it is no longer unusual for cap- A squad is commanded by a sergeant. The
tains and other ranking officers to participate sergeant makes recommendations to his supe-
directly in combat, they are still considered riors for a brevet list — a list of the order of
command elements rather than troopers. When succession of chain of command. The first man
a typical Imperial source lists a number of troops, on the list (once approved) is automatically
they are counting traditional combat personnel given the rank of corporal. While the other
only and not including the support or command troopers are not given ranks, each man knows
elements. what his number in the line of command succes-
Information on all the elements in the Army's sion is. While not a really accurate indicator of
order of battle is included below. a man's value to his squad, succession numbers
82 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
Imperial Sourcebook 83
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
84 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
Imperial Sourcebook 85
An artillery platoon is called a line, and contains major can be assigned to another vehicle or
four artillery sections, with the standard comple- even the support element if defense of that
ment of 38 men. An artillery line has either four element is in question.
heavy or medium artillery tubes, or eight light These vehicles are usually repulsorlift tanks
artillery pieces. ortheirequivalent. Additionally, armor platoons
A repulsorlift platoon contains 56 men in four can be made up of walkers or other heavily
repulsorlift squads (heavy weapons repulsorlift armored combat vehicles.
squads if the platoon is a heavy weapons Armor platoons are accompanied by two
repulsorlift platoon) and a command element. heavy transport vehicles (HTVs), which carry
The command element contains two light trans- the necessary spare parts and resupply compo-
port vehicles modified with heavier armor and nents for the unit. These HTV have three crew-
greater repulsor power to compensate. In com- men each, doubling as general mechanics for
bat, the lieutenant's command vehicle usually the armored vehicles, and four additional tech-
operates from a point where he can effectively nicians. Every technician is familiar with all the
direct the actions of his entire platoon, while his operating systems of a tank, but each special-
sergeant major is assigned to one of the squads, izes in one of four areas: weapons systems,
most often the lead squad. There is also a sup- armor maintenance, control circuits, or engine/
port vehicle, with a crew of four (who double as power transmission.
mechanics) and eight technicians. The support Special missions platoons have the standard
vehicle also carries a limited number of spare 38 men, but that is the only thing standard about
parts for repairing damaged or otherwise dis- them. They have four squads: two sharpshooter
abled repulsorcraft. squads, a heavy weapons squad, and a squad of
A standard armor platoon has from 34 to 42 engineers. These squads cross-attach, often
men, with either four heavy vehicles, each with breaking up into about three more equal groups
four- or five-man crews, or eight medium or light each containing engineers and/or a heavy weap-
vehicles with three-man crews. The heavy-ve- ons detail.
hicle platoons are the more common. Armor The platoon is the basic unit of operation for
platoons also have a fifth vehicle, the command special missions. When the Imperial military
vehicle, which is usually a medium vehicle (modi- thinks of special missions, it thinks in terms of
fied to carry an extra man in a secondary gun the number of platoons needed to accomplish
cupola mounting a heavy repeating blaster) the mission. As this indicates, special missions
with superior visibility to that of the heavy are those operations which a few elite men can
vehicles. The lieutenant is always in the com- accomplish, rather than standard military ma-
mand vehicle in combat, while the sergeant neuvers.
Special missions forces have been pressed
into "political gain operations" (PGOs) with in-
Staying in Touch creasing frequency. Special mission troopers
The need for reliable, lightweight communications call them "straw man" operations. PGOs are
gear to keep platoon commanders in touch with other terrorist missions held on worlds where native
units provides work for a number of companies' R&D sympathies vacillate between the Empire and
sections. SoroSuub's initial success with the DH77 the Rebellion. In a typical PGO, the special mis-
headcomm led to issuing hundreds of thousands of sets sions troops stage several terrorist attacks, ex-
before a serious flaw was discovered: the sets are easily ecuted in a manner which would suggest that
jammed by high energy particle emissions. Such emis- political factions native to the world could have
sions could result from normal battlefield conditions; produced the attacks.
near misses from artillery could create dead zones through Eventually some political faction will appeal
which DH77 transmissions were lost. The ionic contrail to the planetary governor for help. The gover-
from a single TIE fighter attack run could temporarily nor will declare martial law, asking for help from
knock out DH77s up to three kilometers away! the fleet. The help arrives in the form of hun-
The Herzfall Corporation, a little known company from dreds or thousands of additional troops. These
the Senex sector, developed the DH107, which rectified troops operate on "new intelligence," rounding
this mistake and was less susceptible to signal intercep- up scores of suspected or known Rebel sympa-
tion. DH107s have been issued to every platoon formed thizers for imprisonment or execution. Once
since the Battle of Yavin, and most platoons have been the Rebels are out of the way the attacks cease,
retrofitted. Still, thousands of platoons are using the old reinforcing the impression that the Rebellion
DH77s, a situation which does not look likely to change as indeed sponsored the attacks. The special mis-
the Empire finds more crucial uses for its resources. sions force then moves on to another world.
86 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
A scout platoon has 29 men with two line company can be orbit-loaded for missions of up to
squads commanded by a sergeant major and a six weeks duration, although two weeks is the
scout squadron commanded by a lieutenant. Imperial standard. Support staff are trained for
A scout squadron consists of two lances of survival in a variety of environments, and they in
five scouts each, a lieutenant replacing the ser- turn instruct individual platoons on what they can
geant in the command lance. While the lieuten- expect when they reach the surface — what the
ant is officially in charge of the entire platoon, atmosphere is like, what the environment can be
tradition leaves the "grunts" almost exclusively expected to do to the troopers equipment, what
to the sergeant major, while the lieutenant biological hazards they face, what they might be
handles the squadron. able to eat if rations get low, and so forth.
Ideally a support staff can keep a company
Augmenting Platoons functioning independently until all of the blaster
Platoons are the most flexible units in the packs have given out. Realistically a support staff
Army. This is not true in doctrine, but it is has done well if they have kept every unwounded
certainly true in practice. The organizational trooper and piece of equipment not damaged by
chart tells commanders that platoons may be enemy fire fit for combat after a month on the
augmented by adding complete squads, and surface.
this is done whenever possible.
But commanders of infantry platoons also Artillery companies, known as batteries, have
swap equipment and personnel with heavy weap- 152 troops, 23 support personnel and either 16
ons platoons, repulsorcraft platoons, even ar- heavy or medium artillery tubes, or 32 light artil-
mor platoons. Equipment is over-ordered at the lery pieces. They have fewer droids than other
company level; many platoons are walking companies, about 70 droids with the support
around with an extra light repeating blaster or personnel. ;
even a medium repeating blaster. Reinforce- Assault companies (also known as heavy weap-
ments occasionally are assigned to the wrong ons companies) have two assault platoons, two
units, who decide to keep the extra men and line platoons and the usual command and sup-
materiel. The platoon is the least standardized port elements for a total of from 152 to 170 troop-
of all the Army units, occasionally packing as ers, depending on the configuration of the assault
much firepower as a line company. platoons, giving the company from 180 to 198
men. In the standard assault platoon, the line
Company platoons equip their squads with light repeating
blasters. Recent upgrades in many companies
A line company is the smallest unit which is have substituted a medium repeating blaster for
capable of extended operations on its own. It a light repeater in each platoon, giving assault
has four platoons for 152 troops, with command companies an extremely flexible mix of firepower.
elements and support personnel raising the
total to 180 men. A company is commanded by
a captain who is served by four staff officers, all An attack armor company has either 200 men
of whom are the equivalent of a lieutenant in (for a heavy tank company) or 232 men (for a
rank. SC1 is the company lieutenant, the captain's company with light tanks). There are four pla-
second-in-command. SC2 is the logistics officer, toons, three tank platoons and a heavy weapons
SC3 is the medical officer, and SC4 is the techni- repulsorlift platoon, as well as the command and
cal officer. In addition, there are 23 support support element, containing 16 tanks if a heavy
personnel; eight in logistics, 11 in technical, and tank company or 28 light tanks if a light tank
four in medical. Each support person is aided by company, and nine heavy weapons repulsorlifts.
two (in medical) to 11 (in logistics) droids, for an The captain commands from a modified heavy
average of 118 droids per company. tank. This tank is noticeable because of the large
If the mission is to be of a longer than usual number of heat extractors necessary to deal with
duration, or if the company is to be completely the waste heat from all of the extra power the
isolated from all other support, the support command tank consumes. Unlike the medium
personnel will be augmented with additional command tank, a heavy command tank is ex-
droids. Droids are almost never accounted for pected to perform all functions simultaneously,
in Imperial scandocs on organization and equip- and uses power accordingly.
ment, forming an almost invisible support net- A breakthrough armor company (also known
work within the military. as a heavy a armor company) is the leanest of the
A drop company is essentially a line company armor companies. Its support element is at-
with expanded support. As such, it is listed in tached to battalion headquarters and does not
the Order of Battle as a line company. A drop travel with the company. A breakthrough com-
pany is nothing but four tank platoons and a
Imperial Sourcebook 87
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
command tank, a total of 21 or 37 tanks depend- tion of the enemy. Once the resupply effort is
ing on tank types. Breakthrough armor compa- complete, the starships jump into hyperspace
nies are designed to bust through enemy lines unless they have been ordered on a surface
and to wreak havoc. Their missions are to de- support mission for ground forces. Naval sup-
stroy enemy assets or seize lightly contested port missions for special missions companies
assets and holding them until more balanced are rare as such elite units are expected to do
forces arrive. The lack of a support element puts without them.
a great deal of pressure on the company. Scout companies are called troops. They con-
These units are equipped for short combat tain four scout platoons and the command and
operations. But "short combat operations" are support elements — a total of 116 troopers and
a training document fiction. Supplies are never 40 speeder bikes. The command element trav-
used up at average rates and parts neglect to els in a high powered command speeder rather
break down in average ways; after 72 hours a than a speeder bike, and the support element is
breakthrough company usually has developed mobile as well. Scout companies are assigned
some problem which hampers its combat effec- far fewer droids than usual units because the
tiveness. Commanders know this, and conse- platoons are expected to operate independently
quently breakthrough operations are rarely from the support element, and because of the
planned to be more the 72 hours in duration. scout doctrine of "fast and lean," but largely due
A repulsorlift company has 188 troops, 220 to the lack of room in the support vehicles.
men total including the command element and
support personnel. There are a total of 31 Augmenting Companies and Larger Units
repulsorlift vehicles in the company, eight dedi- Any unit from company size on up is almost
cated to the support element and the command always augmented in the manner dictated by
vehicle, in addition to 22 combat vehicles di- doctrine; adding whole subordinate units to the
vided into two platoons. Each repulsorlift pla- base unit, usually in the order outlined by the
toon carries a line platoon for deployment in Order of Battle (OB). For example, if a line
combat. company were to be augmented, the first unit
added would ordinarily be a heavy weapons
Special missions companies consist of three platoon, the next unit added would be another
special missions platoons and an augmented heavy weapons platoon, and the third and fourth
scout platoon, plus the command and support units which could be added would be line pla-
element — 136 troopers out of a total of 164 men. toons. Units which augment a base company or
If the mission is to be of short duration the larger unit are to be commanded by the unit's
support element is omitted. An augmented scout second in command. This rule is violated by
platoon is actually smaller than a normal scout particularly strong-willed commanders, or com-
platoon, having 22 men. However all of them are manders of above average ability. The Empire
speeder bike scouts, having four lances, a lieu- seems to overlook these violations.
tenant and a sergeant major. The 22 scout bikes There are a few times when a large unit may
are often modified to carry additional spare be augmented in ways other than as dictated by
parts and munitions as special missions compa- the Order of Battle (OB). The most common is
nies often operate in "zones of increased hostil- when a commander forms groups from the sur-
ity density." They are involved in far more com- vivors of a battle, attaching these units to his
bats than a scout platoon is designed to be; own. These units rarely conform to anything
special missions scouts greatly enjoy the in- resembling the OB.
creased action. The second is when Imperial troops are work-
When operating on a planet considered hos- ing with auxiliaries local to the planet of opera-
tile to the Empire (including hundreds of plan- tion. The Imperial commander is expected to
ets nominally part of the Empire), special mis- allow the native units to operate in unit sizes
sions companies are drop-supplied directly from most closely matching the Imperial Army equiva-
naval vessels. A force of at least line size flashes lent, but not completely force the Imperial
in from hyperspace, launching scores of con- method of operation upon allies. As fewer plan-
tainers varying in size from a probe droid to a ets are currently providing auxiliaries, this
life pod. These take erratic paths to the surface, method is rapidly decreasing in importance.
impacting all over the planet. No more than five A third method is when a unit commander
of these are genuine resupply pods; the rest are decides special augmentation is crucial to an
decoys to dilute the effectiveness of enemy operation. If he succeeds, his superiors will try
tracking measures. Frequently, the appearance to quietly cover up the violation. If he fails, he
of naval vessels is enough to occupy the atten- faces the harsh justice of the Imperial military.
88 Imperial Sourcebook
Army Order of Battle (OB)
Squad Level Organizational Size Symbol
Sharpshooter Squad
Platoon
Engineering Squad
Company
Repulsorllft Squad
Battalion
Artillery Section
Army
Sector Army
Platoon Level
Light Platoon
Artillery Platoon
Repulsorlift Platoon
Armor Platoon
Scout Platoon
Company Level
Line Company
Army Order of Battle
Drop Company
Repulsorlift Company
(Augmented
Scout Platoon)
Scout Company (Troop)
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
92 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
they have too few troops to set up adequate Regimental HQs often stay aboard the mother
defensive positions. Armor battalions are used vessel, as orbital command control is as good in
primarily for attacks or mobile defenses. most instances as control on the ground. If
The HQ has 23 additional support personnel orbital command is disrupted, the HQ can be
to help maintain all of the equipment, and the quickly dropped (there is a record of at least
HQ is mobilized to travel in 24 HTVs, one of one conflict where the regimental HQ was
which is crewed by the major and staff officers, dropped in life pods as landing barges were
another by the battalion captain and staff offic- unavailable). If regimental HQ is dropped with
ers plus a sergeant driver; the rest have three- the attacking forces, it is an indication that the
man crews which are part of HQ. The total HQ Empire expects to maintain a ground force for at
size for an armor battalion is 180 men plus least a month and that the naval presence will
droids. An armor battalion of heavy tanks has be not be continual.
601 troopers out of 1,000 men, 53 tanks, and 55 A line regiment contains two line battalions,
repulsorlift vehicles. one assault (heavy weapons) battalion, and one
An armor battalion of light tanks has 695 repulsorlift battalion. The unit contains 2,558
troops out of a total of 1,096 men, 93 light tanks troopers in a total force size of 3,530 men, with
and 55 repulsorlift vehicles. Light tank battal- 130 repulsorlift vehicles. A line regiment is most
ions are ideal for situations where the opponent commonly deployed on worlds with low level
is not heavily armed, nor has time to construct resistance. A line regiment is capable of massing
fortified defenses — situations which the Em- troops (usually by combining the repulsorlift
pire often confronts when fighting the Rebel- and assault battalions) for a major battle with-
lion. The Empire designed light armor battal- out having to commit the entire unit to the
ions as a response to Rebel actions on dozens of conflict.
backwater planets. But light armor battalions
have a drawback — the entire unit does not fit Assault regiments (heavy weapons regiments)
into an Imperial landing barge. are deployed when intelligence sources can
define areas of limited size on the surface that
Special missions battalions are the largest are under the control of Rebels or Rebel sympa-
special missions units recognized in the OB of thizers. The assault regiment is dropped to
the Imperial Army. They consist of four special retake those areas. Assault regiments are not
missions companies and an HQ element, a total usually deployed for any length of time. Once
of 544 troops out of 746 men, and a total of 88 Rebel strongholds have been cleared, a line
speeder bikes, more than in many Army corps! regiment replaces the assault regiment. The
Special missions HQ is an exception to the rule assault regiment is then dropped into another
— they are expected to be directly involved hot zone. An assault regiment comprises 2,545
with the combat operation. In place of the stan- troopers in a force of 3,546 men, with 121
dard support personnel are engineers who repulsorlift vehicles and 53 heavy tanks.
double as support when things calm down; the
security platoon is made of the absolutely finest Repulsorlift regiments are put down on worlds
troopers the Army can find, and the major and where Rebel activity is light but spread out
his staff are hardened combat veterans. across a vast area. The repulsorlift regimental
A special missions HQ is used to action. This HQ is dropped more frequently with the regi-
approach leads to high morale among troopers, ment than other regimental HQs. This is not for
knowing that they are not being asked to do any command control reason, but for a bit of
something which the major isn't actually doing psychological warfare. By dropping the HQ, the
himself. It also leads to ample opportunity for Army provides the Rebels with a tempting tar-
promotion into the HQ unit as attrition wears get — destroy the HQ and the unit fails to
the HQ down. function effectively, if at all. But the HQ is mo-
bile, and competent Imperial commanders can
Regiment lay traps with the regiment, engaging and de-
stroying Rebel units which attempt to strike at
Regiments are commanded by a lieutenant the HQ.
colonel who runs an HQ identical in structure to
that of a battalion with the exception of a larger An artillery regiment is an anomaly. The Impe-
compliment of droids, usually upwards of 200. rial military has been slow to recognize that
Regimental HQ is where the most extensive artillery still has a useful role to play on the
repairs are performed, and some HQs even have battlefield, and the doctrine and support given
a capacity to machine or nanomanufacture pre- to the artillery arm has been lacking. The gen-
cise spare parts from very basic components. eral buildup of Imperial might has largely passed
the artillery arm by. A hasty attempt to revital-
Imperial Sourcebook 93
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
ize this arm is now being made after belated division, replacing it with the battlegroup. As
recognition that artillery has been an effective usual, the Empire kept a few elite divisions
tool for the Rebellion. where unit identification was strong and useful,
Artillery regiments are being formed as both from a military and a propaganda stand-
quickly as possible and then attached to point.
battlegroups which use them as a single unit. Battlegroups are commanded by a high colo-
Junior officers are making official complaints nel, five staff officers (SG1 through SG5), four
about this policy despite the risks of those substaff officers with the rank of major who
complaints. The response has been lukewarm, serve the SG5 (SG51 to SG54), 188 support per-
and some Sector Groups are assigning smaller sonnel, and 76 troopers in two security platoons
artillery units at the regimental or battalion for a total of 274 men in HQ.
level. There are unofficial reports, nowhere re- Battlegroups are committed to major
flected in the official OB, of assigning batteries offensives against known concentrations of re-
to line battalions. The most frequent deploy- sistance. The Empire doesn't drop a battlegroup
ment of artillery remains a massed regiment on a world just to take a look around — a
containing either 144 or 288 artillery tubes, with battlegroup drops when the Empire knows it
attendant vehicles for a minimum of 199 has a tough fight on its hands.
repulsorlift vehicles and 53 tanks. The regiment Line battlegroups have 10,219 troopers in a
has 2,425 troopers out of a regimental total of force of 14,410, with 511 repulsorlift vehicles
3,520. and 53 heavy tanks. Line battlegroups are now
Armor regiments are not to be deployed alone. considered to be underpowered given the in-
They are to be deployed only as part of a crease in Rebel strength. The military is debat-
battlegroup. The Imperial military considers an ing trying to upgrade all line battlegroups to
armor regiment to have too much firepower for reinforced battlegroups, but the required re-
the normal regimental engagement. They do not sources and the reorganizational difficulties have
have enough infantry to hold any ground they prevented the idea from taking hold.
might take which would justify using an armor A reinforced battlegroup (or assault
regiment. There are no official records of the battlegroup) has 10,210 troopers from a total
deployment of a lone armor regiment. A line strength of 14,890, with 676 repulsorlift vehicles
armor regiment contains 2,562 troopers out of a and 212 heavy tanks. They are considered the
total of 3,994 men, with 304 repulsorlift vehicles most versatile battlegroup, with a good mix of
and 106 heavy tanks. firepower and staying power.
A vanguard armor regiment has 2,483 troop- Armored battlegroups are dropped into mis-
ers out of 4,042 men, with 262 repulsorlift ve- sions where the enemy has several concentra-
hicles. tions of strength in an area of moderate size. The
A COMPNOR Regiment (CompForce) has a armored battlegroup is designed to quickly hit
structure like a line regiment with the exception these concentrations in succession, one or two
of the lack of security platoons. COMPNOR vol- enemy strongholds at a time. An armored
unteers are fanatical, and their loyalty is battlegroup has 10,090 troopers out of a unit
unshakeable under every condition yet faced. strength of 16,346, with 1,132 repulsorlift ve-
CompForce commanders have dispensed with hicles and 318 tanks.
the security platoons as unnecessary to a well Mobile battlegroups are deployed on worlds
run unit, a notion which does not endear them where there are Rebel held or sympathetic ar-
to commanders in the regular army. Very little eas adjacent to areas loyal to the Empire. Mobile
about CompForce endears itself to the regular battlegroups are used to shift quickly in re-
army. sponse to Rebel incursions, and to make light-
ning strikes into enemy territory.
Battlegroup 1,342 repulsorlift vehicles make sure the
Battlegroups are a recent addition to the battlegroup get where it is going quickly, while
Army, replacing divisions, which were common 265 heavy tanks give it some punch. 10,248
in the Old Republic. The change was made troopers form the fighting force for the unit of
because divisions were commonly commanded 16,106 men.
by planetary governors or used as honor guards Auxiliary battlegroups are not at all traditional
for ambitious senators. Divisions were associ- battlegroups. They have no commander, and
ated with a particular planet or being, a detri- never operate as a battlegroup. They are merely
mental attribute that was hard to shake. Army an organizational convenience for grouping re-
planners reorganized the OB and eliminated the
94 Imperial Sourcebook
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
sources available to a corps commander. An The ground support wing has 40 TIE fighters
auxiliary battlegroup has three CompForce regi- organized into 10 flights. Three flights are orga-
ments, and a ground support wing of TIE fight- nized into a TIE bomber squadron, six flights
ers. In the continuing struggle between the Army ' into two squadrons of TIE/In, and one flight of
and the Navy, the ground support wing is one of TIE/fc for use as spotters. A ground support
the casualties. The Navy wanted to retain con- wing has 40 pilots, 25 sensor techs, 25 control-
trol of the TIEs, but the Army insisted upon its lers, and 60 ground crew personnel for a total of
own starfighters so they could primarily be 110 men. An auxiliary battlegroup has a total of
dedicated to ground support missions. The re- 7,674 troopers from a total of 10,130. There are
sulting wing has 40 TIE fighters rather than the also 390 repulsorlift attached to the unit.
72 as is standard in the Navy.
Imperial Sourcebook 95
Army Order of Battle
Battalion Level
Line Battalion
Repulsorlift Battalion
Artillery Battalion
Armor Battalion
Regiment Level
Line Regiment
Repulsorlift Regiments
Artillery Regiment
Armor Regiment
Battlegroup Level
Line Battlegroup
Armored Battlegroup
Mobile Battlegroup
Auxiliary Battlegroup
(Ground
Support
TIE Wing)
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
Imperial Sourcebook 99
Army Order of Battle
Corps Level
Line Corps
Armor Corps
Mobile Corps
Army Level
Organization of
the Navy
The ship is the building block of Navy organi- The key organizational problem for the Navy
zation, much as the squad is for the Army. The then is to create units which are consistent
problems each branch has in organizing these enough from fleet to fleet that general tactical
building blocks is quite different. The Army has theories can be applied, while recognizing the
millions upon tens of millions of squads, and its great difference in ship type and quality through-
chief difficulty is in organizing these parts into out the Empire.
an effective whole. The Navy has far fewer ships
than the Army has squads, but the difference The Mission Detail
between ships is enormous. There is a greater The heart of Navy doctrine is the mission
difference in overall effectiveness between a detail. The commander at every level can create
Star Destroyer and a system patrol craft than
there is between a squad and a regiment. temporary organizations called "mission details"
which violate the standard OB.
Organize 300 squads with a command and a The concept behind the mission detail is
support element and you have a regiment. Orga- simple for a commander to carry through:
nize 300 system patrol craft and you still do not
have the equal of a Star Destroyer. In some 1. Evaluate the mission.
instances the 300 system patrol craft might be 2. Assign a detail which would best accomplish
better than a single Star Destroyer. Usually they the mission.
would not be.
Compounding the problem is the plethora of 3. Retain sufficient ship strength to meet other
ship types, the variations by model within a expected obligations.
single type, and the customization or modifica- There is a saying among Navy staff officers
tions of individual ships throughout a standard and commanders: "The first step leads to work,
year. Again in comparison, a squad is composed the second to promotion, the third to court
largely of young adults who have been trained martial." While extensive training docs exist to
so as to become more uniform, while a naval teach commanders how to perform these three
squadron may be composed of ships two years, steps, the third step remains as much a product
60 years, and 210 years old. of instinct as training. With increased Rebel
activity, those officers who act in strict
Military Folklore accordance with doctrine often fall short of
expectations. Naval discipline is such that
There is a bit of military folklore about the difference officers rarely repeat their mistakes.
between the structure of the Army and the Navy. An
admiral had just finished listening to a general explain the Ship Command
OB for a Sector Group, including virtually every conceiv-
able configuration by mission type. This general con- Attaining the rank of ship's captain is consid-
cluded proudly by calling up numerics which showed ered the culmination of a naval career. When a
that every unit deviated less than two percent from the person earns command of a ship, he has at-
projected strength on the OB. tained a position of honor, regardless of the size
The admiral took the podium and holoviewed the of the ship. There is a certain amount of chau-
naval plan for a Sector Group. After a brief explanation of vinism on the basis of ship size and power, but
the theory, the admiral then used his Sector Group as an being the captain of a KDY Lancer often carries
example of how the naval theory was modified in prac- more prestige than being a staff officer of any
tice. The general became increasingly impatient as the rank. For this reason the Navy often under-
admiral listed exception after exception. Finally the gen- stands if a ship's captain will turn down a pro-
eral interrupted the admiral. motion to a staff position, or even turn down a
"You don't have an organization, admiral! What you transfer to the command of a more modern or
have is nothing like the Army!" more capable ship.
"Yes, general, the Army has its organization. We in the The Navy honors these men rather than view-
Navy must content ourselves with the control of all ing them with suspicion. It benefits the Navy to
known space." have men who intimately understand their ship
and crew in order to gain the greatest possible
performance from them.
hyperspace with greater accuracy than the old Torpedo lines usually have two torpedo
method. Enemy ships can no longer just jump spheres. The cumbersome nature of the spheres
out of trouble; the odds that the fleet will follow makes them useful only for their primary mis-
are getting better. So enemy ships often try to lie sion of planet bombardment. The dream of a
quietly in the sensor penumbra of an asteroid or more mobile platform with even greater fire-
similar body in order to avoid detection. Recon power has tantalized Imperial planners for years,
lines are sent into the dark places of a system to but the torpedo line remains a staple of the
see what they can find. Navy.
Skirmish lines contain four to 20 small com- A troop line consists of two Evakmar-KDY
bat starships, corvettes being the most com- transport vessels and two escort vessels —
mon sort of ship. Skirmish lines are meant to frequently two strike cruisers. As a troop line's
harass larger starships or else engage in a coor- function is intimately connected with that of the
dinated action against enemy starfighters. The Army, troops lines vary less than other lines.
emergence and prevalence of TIE fighters tem- The Army considers consistency a virtue. A
porarily diminished the role of skirmish lines, single transport is designed to carry a corps,
but they have regained favor as the Rebellion but often carries less than a full corps as subor-
has become better armed. TIE fighters often use dinate elements are assigned to other vessels. It
available skirmish lines as mobile cover, and is not unusual for a ranking admiral to oversee
skirmish lines try to provide cover fire for the an important surface operation, as captains of
TIEs. the line are accused by Army officers of being far
too concerned with just the safety of their line
A Salvager's Run
Kanda Farral watched through the viewscreen as Servo Circuit surfaces, OP configuration ... they just
the last of the Imperial warships made the jump to jettisoned them!"
lightspeed. Captain Sreethyn had The Lucky Find's "That's the kind of stuff we're after Farral."
engines at full as the ship pulled away from Jerijador. Sreethyn's voice carried excitement over her comlink.
Kanda absent-mindedly checked a few of the sensor Kanda began to tag containers and activate the bea-
banks. She glanced again when she saw indicator cons. Immediately the containers lurched toward the
pulsons approximating the locations of better than a hull of The Lucky Find.
dozen ships, all on roughly the same vector as The "Why would they just throw the good out with the
Lucky Find. All were making like the last bolt from a bad?" Kanda asked as she slowburst to avoid a com-
busted blaster toward the Imperial jump point. pacted piece of trash.
"Suit up woman! I didn't hire you to look at colored "Because they're the Empire. They got more money
lights all day," growled Sreethyn, "and it looks like than ships, see? So when it comes to allocating cargo
some of the left-goods are larger than usual. Adjust space before a jump, they fill themselves to the
the programming on the retrieval droids." gunnels. If they rush they just replace half-empty
Kanda deftly reprogrammed each of the four containers with full ones."
droids, but had more difficulty than she would have "But you can't sell a lot of this stuff on the market,
liked getting into her suit. She checked to see if Sreethyn. It's illegal tech ..." Kanda stopped herself,
Sreethyn had noticed. His forced grin and slightly realizing that Sreethyn could very well sell that sort
shaking head said he had. Okay, now he knew for of hardware as long as no one knew about it. And
certain that she had lied about her zero-G experi- Sreethyn was inside the ship, Kanda outside.
ence. The droids were going to do most of the work, Sreethyn's laugh was unreadable through the comlink.
so taking care of them was more important. "I'm no smuggler, Farral. I'm a licensed salvager. I
"Remember to lock in before you lock out." Kanda pick the stuff up, sell what's legal on the open market,
found herself nodding, a clumsy motion inside of a and sell the rest back to the Navy."
work suit, in response to the thin-sounding voice "The Navy buys back its garbage?"
over her comlink. She stepped into the airlock, mak- "If I package all the partials into standard units
ing sure the frequency of the T-beam actuator and they do. They pay full price. I like to think of it as
her tractor beacons were the same. She then by-the- getting some of my taxes back."
booked the depressurization sequence, and vacced Kanda tagged another container. She laughed as
with the droids. Kanda was pleased to see the droids she watched two of the droids struggle with a WD
scan and maneuver immediately in an optimum condenser pod, as the entire unit and the droids
search pattern. She began inspecting the refuse from slowly tumbled toward The Lucky Find. This was
the Imperial fleet. absurd, but it paid well. She could come to like this.
"There is a Treson cluster, a third full, of KDY
rather than with the success of the mission. ships. With the first squadron configuration the
There are other types of transports, most of Navy is playing it safe; such a light squadron can
them left over from the days of the Old Republic. survive more punishment should the intelli-
Some, such as the Delta-class troop transport, gence estimates prove to be wrong.
have been converted from true transports to Heavy squadrons are made up of at least two
glorified attack shuttles, but many remain in heavy lines, an attack line, and a recon line for an
service as intersystem transports as the Army average of 18 to 24 ships. Alternate configura-
grows. tions include at least three heavy lines and a
A Star Destroyer is considered a line in itself. skirmish line for an average of 28 to 36 ships.
A naval staff study concluded that a Star De- The first type of heavy squadron is employed
stroyer was the equivalent of at least the squad- when the enemy is known to be in a system, but
rons of the time, and would be more properly his exact location and force composition is un-
categorized as such. The Admiralty agreed with known. The second is employed when enemy
the analysis, but disagreed with the conclusion. ships are in a system defending an asset, so a
The Admiralty felt that as there were more lines fight is expected rather than Rebel flight. It is
than squadrons, designating the Star Destroyer common to assign Victory-class Star Destroyers
as a line unit would get them more Star Destroy- to the latter type of heavy squadron.
ers. The Admiralty's thinking prevailed. Battle squadrons contain an Imperial-class Star
Destroyer. There are other ships, but they mat-
Squadron ter little in the configuration. In addition to the
An admiral runs a squadron, which has from Star Destroyer there are at least three lines, two
14 to 60 ships on average, depending upon the attack and one pursuit line, for an average of 18
composition of the lines in the squadron. The ships. If there is some system in the Empire that
admiral is served by an adjutant who holds the must be repressed, some force which must be
rank of captain of the line. The adjutant acts as run down, a battle squadron is the force of
liaison with the other staff officers and is the choice. Sending a battle squadron on a mission
admiral's second-in-command. A squadron is is the Navy's way of showing that the job is of
the largest concentration of ships which is nor- utmost importance.
mally assigned to a single system. A direct order Troop squadrons have two troop lines, an
from a Moff, Grand Moff or the Emperor is attack line, and a skirmish line for an average of
necessary to gather more ships in a single sys- 25 to 30 vessels. A troop squadron is most often
tem. used as a transfer point for Army units, reinforc-
A measure of the extent of Imperial military ing or reorganizing the Army complement of
growth is the squadron. Under the Old Repub- other squadrons. These transfers are usually
lic, units of identical configuration were called conducted in deep space where there is little
fleets, and were sometimes the total Naval pres- chance of interference. If a troop squadron shows
ence in a sector. The usage "fleet" is still com- up within a system, there is certainly something
mon among senior officers for ship groups of big happening.
squadron size and up. Recent recruits and jun-
ior officers are more likely to use the terms Bombard squadrons have two torpedo lines, a
listed in the OB. skirmish line, and a pursuit line, for an average
A full troop or battle squadron packs enough of 20 to 28 vessels. Bombard squadrons are
firepower to subjugate any system not pro- assigned to worlds which have rebelled suc-
tected by a equivalent fleet; no ground defense cessfully and have organized a large surface
yet devised is sufficient to hold off a determined military which would take far too long to defeat.
attack from these elements of the Navy. Imperial commanders, pressed on so many plan-
The average sizes below assume the average ets, often deploy bombard squadrons in less
size for the lines which make up the squadron. severe circumstances.
Larger than normal lines or more lines than The vessels which escort the bombard squad-
normal can easily double the size of a squadron. ron are considered sufficient to deal with any
starships which might resist. Any force larger
Light squadrons consist of at least two attack than what a bombard squadron can handle
lines, a skirmish line and a recon line, averaging would draw the attention of the Imperial Navy,
20 to 30 vessels of all types. A second common who would deal with it prior to the appearance
configuration of a light squadron is two recon of the bombard squadron.
lines, a skirmish line and a pursuit line, averag-
ing 25 to 35 vessels. Both are deployed in areas
where it is believed there are no enemy capital
Squadron Level
Light Squadron
Light Squadron
Heavy Squadron
Heavy Squadron
Battle Squadron
Troop Squadron
Bombard Squadron
Chapter Eight: Sector Group Organization
Superiority fleets comprise as least four sys- The largest deepdock now in operation is the
tem forces, two force superiority and two force Rendili R/M Facility Number Four, currently in
escort. With six Star Destroyers and an average the Mahrusha sector. It has 125 work bays, each
of 390 other combat starships, a superiority of which is large enough to hold a strike cruiser.
fleet is presumed to be a sufficient force to These work bays are modular, each segment
maintain space superiority in calm sectors joined to theother by attraction-variable Akinetic
(those with four or fewer worlds confirmed fields produced by Voorson generators larger
hostile to the New Order, with no more than 16 than the drives on most combat starships.
additional worlds with confirmed significant This allows the work bays to be combined to
hostile elements). form larger work bays; four work bays can be
Assault fleets comprise at least two transport joined to repair or manufacture a Victory-class
forces and two force escorts, an average of 376 Star Destroyer, 15 can be combined to work on
ships. Assault fleets are built to sustain what is an Imperial Star Destroyer, and 18 can be
called the " 1/4/16/64 Plan." The fleet is expected reconfigured to produce a torpedo sphere. Work
to be coordinating and sustaining four types of bays are being added as quickly as Rendili can
efforts: one corps-level continuous mission on a manufacture them.
surface, four continuous operations at the Deepdock facilities, while not as efficient as
battlegroup level (occasionally shifting troops the shipyards of the major starship manufactur-
from other theaters to temporarily reinforce ers, have the advantage of being hyperspace
one mission to corps level), 16 continuous mis- capable. This not only shortens the time re-
sions of regimental level (with potential for quired to get damaged combat starships re-
shifting troops to temporarily reinforce one paired, but makes deepdocks more difficult tar-
area to a battlegroup), and 64 missions of irregu- gets for Rebel attacks.
lar duration at the battalion level or lower. The Engineering corps is the research and devel-
ability to sustain these missions is predicated opment arm of the fleet, as well as the branch
upon absolute space superiority. If superiority containing the most esoteric technical special-
is contested in many systems within the sector, ists. Engineering works on construction projects
the number of missions for which an assault involving unproven technology, develops and
fleet is responsible is reduced in direct propor- refines new manufacturing processes (such as
tion to the percentage of contested systems. deepdocks), and works feverishly to keep Impe-
rial starship technology on par with or ahead of
Bombard fleets contain an average of 416 that of the Rebellion.
ships, allocated between two system bombards
and two force escorts. Bombard fleets are as- Support fleet has at least 500 vessels, a quar-
signed to sectors where the Empire has deter- ter of which are corvette class or smaller, while
mined the probability of repressing the Rebel- a quarter of them are the huge Loronar FSCVs
lion in the sector to be less than even. System (Field Secured Container Vessels). FSCVs al-
bombards are used when the Empire would ways travel is pairs, their main ion engines faced
rather completely destroy a world rather than in opposite directions. On the side opposite the
see it fall into Rebel hands. ion engines are gargantuan Prexton doublefield
generators; these create force fields which are
Deepdock fleet has a average of 280 support then surrounded by a hyperspace field when
vessels, plus a force escort to protect the the ships make the jump to lightspeed. Each
deepdock assets. Deepdock contains two force field sphere is about 800 meters in diam-
deepdock complexes, the engineering corps, eter for over 250 million cubic meters of cargo
plus two force technical services. space. Cargo containers are held in place by the
Deepdock complexes are huge structures, force fields. The force f i e l d s may be
and the ones planned are becoming larger all bubblechained if enough power is available,
the time. Deepdocks are floating shipyards, able and 20 or more field spheres are not uncommon.
to make extensive repairs and modifications. As the vast majority of an FSCVs power is
When not repairing vessels they are building going through the Prexton, it is no surprise that
new ones to join the fleet. The smallest deepdock the ion engines are underpowered. FSCVs at full
complex still in service has three work bays, the throttle can take 35 hours and over 600,000,000
largest of which can hold a Victory Star De- kilometers to come to a stop from normal
stroyer with the other two able to accommo- sublight speed, and a like time to accelerate the
date any ship smaller than a carrier. Such ships again. FSCVs are therefore flown on paths
deepdocks have huge tractor beam generators tangent to the orbits of planets whose depots
which put up to eight damaged ships on hold are being resupplied. Smaller ships unload and
while waiting for a work bay to open. reload the cargo as the FSCV flies by, never
losing more than a third of their sublight veloc- computers which plot coordinates for a safe
ity. jump to lightspeed. Astrogation's job is to coor-
Fleet ordnance is responsible for equipping dinate these jumps in as advantageous a way as
all Navy and Army units with needed weapons possible, plotting arrival times in myriad sys-
and ammunition. Ordnance will use a ship as tems for strategic advantage, and even plotting
dangerously insecure as the FSCV only if a huge the arrival of mission details for tactical advan-
operation has been ordered suddenly by High tage. Astrogation does as close to a flawless job
Command, not giving ordnance sufficient time as possible with fleets so large.
to resupply ships and depots. Ordnance usually
conducts resupply operations by using avail- Sector Group
able cargo space on more secure vessels, and A Sector Group is the sum total of Naval
has priority of the use of such space. strength which the Empire expects to commit to
Biological section does medical research for a normal sector. A Sector Group is commanded
the Navy and Army. Maintaining a presence on by a high admiral, usually a title granted to the
tens of thousands of different ecosystems ex- Moff who heads the sector. If the sector is
poses troops and crews to millions of microbes involved in constant and severe naval actions,
to which their bodies are not accustomed. Bio- the high admiral is a man distinct from the Moff,
logical tries to assess the danger, prevent the so the Moff does not have devote all of his time
transmission, cure or remedy the symptoms of to the naval conflict.
all of these. In addition they experiment with A Sector Group HQ always has a squadron
new methods of wound treatment and rehabili- under the personal command of the Moff. If the
tation. They are directly responsible for the Moff is particularly competent or politically well
health of stormtrooper units. connected, they can have many more squad-
Every starship in the fleet has navigational rons at their disposal. Men such as Grand Moff
Tarkin and Moff Carlinson could easily have 15 least 2,400 ships, 24 of which are Star Destroy-
additional squadrons attached to their Sector ers, and another 1,600 combat starships. Thou-
Group HQ. sands of Sector Groups are at the Emperor's
A Sector Group can be expected to contain at command as he seeks to bring the galaxy firmly
under his control.
Force Superiority
Force Escort
Transport Force
Systems Bombard
Force Support
Fleet Level
Superiority Fleet
Navy Order of Battle (OB)
Fleet Level (continued)
Assault Fleet
Bombard Fleet
Deepdock Fleet
Deepdock Engineering
Complex
Support Fleet
Chapter Nine
Combat Artillery
To survive on the modern battlefield, artillery system and is used by both Atgar Corp. and
must either be very mobile, or have heavy enough CoMar Combat Systems.
FPR (Fire Position Relative) shielding to protect it 2. v-. "v-" is a measure of deliverable energy in a
against orbital bombardment and fighter attack. single artillery tube charge, an approximation of
Hence, because of this vulnerability problem, a single shot. The units are obscure, developed
actual use of artillery formations in the Empire is by Republic Sienar Systems (now Sienar Fleet
on the decline. Most modern guns are now Systems) based on the amount of energy re-
mounted on vehicles of one sort or another and quired to excite a double-packed particle emis-
are classified as armored fighting vehicles (AFV). sion of approximately 10^24 g2-ions in a coher-
The artillery units currently in service prima- ent beam from a 400 cm. by 8.5 cm. rod of
rily work in conjunction with fixed defensive points, vacierite (standard purity).
or to protect static strategic points. A profusion of
artillery rankings exists within the Imperial mili- 3. Df. "Df" is the range, in kilometers, over which
tary, a situation resulting from the deemphasis of a single tube-charge loses eight percent of its
this arm within the inner circles of Imperial strat- energy. At eight times this range the charge has
egists. The three most common ways of categoriz- lost about half its punch. The eight-base mea-
ing artillery are by FD, v-, and Df. Below are brief sure was developed by the Sumrias of the Lol
descriptions what these systems represent. system; members of the Sumrian thought-caste
have four digits on each hand.
1. FD number. The FD (Fire/Disable) number is a
ratio of the amount of time during which an All three of these systems are in wide usage at
artillery tube fires over the amount of time a tube this time, and translation between them is liter-
is disabled for cooling and recharging. A more ally impossible. Each measures the relative
powerful weapon usually has a lower FD. The FD strength of an artillery piece in its own manner.
number system rose to prominence in the Artisian
Light Anti-Vehicle Laser dard artillery units, and on occasion have taken
Cannon down vehicles as large as AT-ST walkers. In
addition, these are true all-terrain weapons,
The Atgar 1.4 FD P-Tower, a light laser can- capable of functioning in temperatures from
non, was first introduced in the Clone Wars as minus 100 degrees Standard to plus 120 degrees
an anti-vehicle weapon. Primarily used by the Standard. Finally, and most importantly, the
Rebellion now, a few ancient Atgar 1.4 FD P- Atgar 1.4 is inexpensive by any standards, cost-
Towers still see service on the Empire's lower- ing less than half as much as similar powered
tech Outer Rim worlds. The main problem with weapons. Hence, even though the Atgar 1.4 has
the Atgar 1.4 is its low fire rate. This is due to the all but vanished from standard issue, its contin-
weapon's power system. ued use by mere units and Rebel units is as-
The Atgar 1.4 uses an energy dish with micro- sured. For this reason, Army Command is re-
power routers spaced evenly along the dish's viewing this weapon for inclusion on the up-
outer edge. When firing, energy is fed directly to dated standard issue list.
all 16 power-routers. These hold their charge
until the computer registers that the ECP (En- • Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon
Model: Atgar 1.4 FD P-Tower
ergy Conversion Point) has been reached. At Type: Light anti-vehicle laser cannon
that instant, the firing computer simultaneously Scale: Speeder ,
channels the energy from all 16 routers into the Skill: Blaster artillery: anti-vehicle
main power converter in the center of the dish. Crew: 4, skeleton 2/+10
This fires the laser cannon. Cost: 10,000 (new), 2,000 (used)
Availability: 2, R or X
This system has a number of drawbacks be- Body:2D
sides the low fire rate. First, the main converter Fire Rate: 1/2
has very precise energy needs. If even a single Fire Control: 1D
power router malfunctions the entire system Range: 10-500/2,000/10,000
goes down. Second, the high-profile 2.8 meter Damage: 2D+2
energy dish provides attackers with an easy
target. Third, the battery which feeds the power CoMar Tri-Tracker
routers is fairly bulky and must be replaced Military crafts designed for atmospheric at-
after just eight shots. Even with these draw- tacks are swift and deadly, capable of bypassing
backs, though, the Atgar 1.4 is considered a common air defense systems. To meet the anti-
viable (if not preferable) weapon by the military atmospheric needs of today's Imperial military,
establishment. CoMar has combined their most innovative
Atgar 1.4s pack a punch equal to many stan- tracking system with proven Star Destroyer
Note: The Twin DF .9 is identical except for a fire rate of the massive size and excessive energy require-
6, a blast radius of five meters and a body of 4D. The cost ments, most of these weapons are placed inside
is 18,000 credits, and it is "officially" only available to the
Empire or Imperial allied military forces. SP .9 units have fixed fortifications. There, hooked directly into
a fire rate of 6, a blast radius of five meters, a body of 3D, a power converter, a single gun can dominate an
with a Move of 21; 60 kmh. They cost 20,000 credits, and entire battlefield.
are likewise restricted. The C/AF.9 has a fire rate of 1, fire On today's battlefield, these guns are mounted
control on 2D, range of 20-600/3/6 km, blast radius of 5
meters, damage of 3D and a cost of only 7,500 credits
atop Aratech's 440 Super-Heavy Armored Chas-
(because the weapon is so out of date). sis. These chassis' give the v-188 some mobility
and offer a limited amount of protection against
Field Missile Launcher enemy fire. For power, mounted guns either
carry their own energy cell, which gives them
The Leveler I self-propelled concussion mis- six shots before recharging, or tow along an
sile launcher was developed by Brynand Gweith, energy trailer. Guns towing a trailer can fire as
a subdivision of CoMar, as a hardened fortifica- many as 50 times before stopping to recharge.
tion and long range siege weapon. Each Leveler The biggest drawback to the v-188 is its low
I carries 28 concussion missile tubes mounted DF ratio. Shots from a Penetrator disintegrate
atop a heavy-track chassis in a four tube by rapidly, falling below 50 percent power at long
seven tube formation. These tubes can be fired range. Still, even with the rapid energy dis-
individually, in salvos of seven, or all 28 at once persal, few vehicles can withstand the punish-
for maximum effect. ing power of the Penetrator.
Reloading time is two combat rounds per The arrival of the longer ranged turbolasers
tube, during which no firing can be conducted. may doom the Penetrator to extinction. But for
Leveler Is carry no additional ammo themselves, the time being, these monstrous weapons are
and are instead usually accompanied by a still used by Imperial ground assault forces.
repulsorlift ammo wagon. These vehicles are Rumors persist that some Rebel units are
strictly designed for artillery support, being equipped with v-188s mounted atop modern
equipped with only the lightest shielding and no repulsorlift vehicles. If true, these guns could
defensive weapons. pose a serious threat to even the heaviest of
For spotting over-the-horizon targets, Level- Imperial vehicles, including AT-AT walkers.
ers are equipped with DER (dedicated energy
receptors). These receptors feed target infor- • Heavy Anti-Vehicle Gun
mation to the gunner's holo-display who then Model: Speizoc v-188 Penetrator
Type: Heavy anti-vehicle gun
programs what salvo pattern to fire — narrow, Scale: Speeder
medium, or wide. Skill: Blaster artillery: anti-vehicle gun
Presently, the Leveler 1 is standard issue to Crew: 8
Imperial assault forces, although there have Cover: Full
Ammo: 6 (energy cells), 50 (power trailer), unlimited
been some complaints about their tracked chas- (power generator)
sis' inability to deal with weather extremes. Cost: 120,000 (new), 60,000 (used)
• Field Missile Launcher Availability: 3, X
Body:3D + l
Model: Bryn & Gweigth Leveler I Fire Rate: 1/3
Type: Medium concussion missile launcher Fire Control: ID
Scale: Speeder
Range: 50-600/5/25 km
Skill: Missile weapons: concussion missile launcher Blast Radius: 20 meters
Crew: 6
Damage: 7D (short range), 5D+2 (medium range), 3D+2
Cover: 1/4 (long range)
Ammo: 28
Cost: 55,000 (new), 25,000 (used)
Availability: 2, R or X Turbolaser Emplacements
Body: 2D
Fire Rate: Up to 28 Turbolasers are the queen of the modern
Fire Control: 2D battlefield, with more range, more firepower,
Range: 20-600/3/16 km and better fire control than any other gun in
Blast Radius: 20 meters service. Turbolasers are typically classified as
Damage: 7D
either medium or heavy. The Turbolaser Sys-
tem I is actually a single heavy turbolaser with
Heavy Anti-Vehicle Weapon independent range gear and fire control.
The Speizoc v-188 Penetrator, a heavy anti- Ground installed System Is are usually en-
vehicle weapon, was first introduced during the cased in pure permacite and powered by a
Clone Wars. These are among the heaviest en- boron fission reactor. Each reactor is capable of
ergy cannons ever to see field combat. Due to powering a number of guns, so a single reactor
Chapter Ten
Infantry Support
Weapons
In addition to blaster rifles and pistols, thou- discarded. Vehicles struck by the Equalizer's
sands of other infantry weapons exist. Some of highly charged ion bolts experience power short-
these, such as repeating blasters, are common ages (particularly to their shield power convert-
and carried by the majority of Imperial trooper ers), leaving them vulnerable to attack by more
and stormtrooper formations. Others are only standard weapons, like blasters. Smaller ve-
issued to specially trained trooper units. All of hicles may have their entire electronic system
these weapons, classified as Infantry Support fused by a single Equalizer bolt.
Weapons (ISW), are designed to be carried, While the primary mission of the Equalizer is
emplaced, and fired by four or fewer men. anti-vehicle duty, it also proves to be highly
Three companies, Merr-Sonn Munition, Inc., effective against low-flying ground assault craft.
BlasTech Industries and SoroSuub Corporation, More than one Rebel fighter has crashed after
supply the vast majority ISWs for the Imperial having its flight controls shorted.
military. The competition between these three Use of theEqualizer is widespread, especially
has led to an expensive game of one-upmanship among garrison forces. Garrison soldiers are
and a proliferation of exotic weaponry. Several often more concerned with repelling attackers
other corporate manufacturers also produce than in launching massive offensives.
ISWs. However their market is generally limited • Shoulder-Launched Ion Cannon
to territorial militia forces, independent merce- Model: SoroSuub Equalizer
nary formations, and, rumor has it, the Rebel- Type: Personal, disposable ion cannon
lion. Scale: Speeder
Skill: Blaster artillery: Equalizer
Ammo: 4
Shoulder-Launched Ion Cost: 5,000
Cannons Availability: 2, X
Range: 3-50/120/300
While the modern Imperial trooper is the Damage: 3D (ionization damage)
best equipped soldier the galaxy has ever seen,
he still needs help when facing enemy armored Portable Missile Launcher
fighting vehicles (AFVs), particularly those that
are shield equipped. To immobilize shielded The PLX-2, or "Plex," combination missile
opponents, SoroSuub created the shoulder- and rocket launcher is the newest standard-
launched Equalizer. issue weapon for rapid, high-powered projectile
This disposable weapon system, designed to response. It is used against vehicles, fortifica-
be carried by an individual soldier, holds four tions, atmospheric craft and other projectiles. It
ion bolts, each in its own two-meter tube. To- is especially suitable as an anti-repulsorcraft
gether, the entire system (four bolts in four weapon.
tubes) weighs just 12 kilograms. When firing, The launcher is an over-the-shoulder device
the Equalizer is held on the shoulder and the operated by one person. It fires "dumb" rockets
targeting gear, located on its side, is aligned on in a line-of-sight attack, or can program and fire
the target vehicle. The Equalizer's sensors then the smart Gravity-Activated Mode (GAM) guided
compute the target's range, speed and angle of missile designed for use with this weapon. The
deflection, and feed this data into a microcom- Plex chambers one projectile and holds a sec-
puter which adjusts each bolt's flight angle ac- ond in reserve.
cordingly. Guided missile tracking modes are selected
Each ion bolt is launched individually. Once with the push of a firing stud on the launcher
all four tubes have fired the empty casing is housing. Two different modes are supported. In
EPR mode, the GAM homes on intense infrared
Availability: X
Comments on the E-Web by Range: 3-4/7/12
Blast Radius: 0-2/8/12/20
Imperial Trooper Reydon Damage: 10D/8D/5D/2D
"The E-Web's a good gun, but it's not
built to be fired by one man. Oh, you can do Heavy Repeating Blaster
it. But you'll wish you could do it better. The "E-Web" heavy repeating blaster takes
"That happened to me when we were at its name from "Emplacement Weapon, Heavy
Keskin. We fell back after our last firefight Blaster." As indicated by its name, the E-Web
and took up a position outside of town. was designed for use in small- and medium-
Ohvan and I set up the E-Web and settled sized unit gun emplacements. Heavy enough to
in for the night. We were waiting for our provide devastating fire, the EWHB-10 can also
scouts to report back, until a nightfire be carried on maneuvers by its two-man crew. It
went off and lit us up. Ohvan was hit and can be set-up as needed in temporary emplace-
fell against the Eksoan. I dived for the ments by an experienced crew in 15 minutes. If
power unit to keep it from tumbling down necessary, it can be moved already assembled
the hill. That power pack is heavy, and if it on its tripod mount, although this is not recom-
goes, it rips the power couplers out with it. mended procedure.
"A few shots winged the E-Web, but The weapon comes with a high-demand por-
couldn't knock it out. The Rebels ran past table Eksoan power unit and is fitted with the
/and saw me down over the power pack. Gk3 Cryocooler for continuous fire capability.
They thought I was hit, and kept going. The The limited fire control system includes
other E-Web, somewhere off to my right, Starvision and IR sensing for night targeting and
exploded a minute later. It's real danger- unusual environments. A built-in com unit en-
ous when the cryocooler gets hit. Rebels ables the crew to coordinate fire with other E-
were pouring out of the jungle by the time Web emplacements if command communica-
I got the power couplings straightened out tion channels should become disabled.
and opened fire. The original E-Web was a joint venture by
"Without a second man it's very hard to Bias-Tech and Merr-Sonn and both companies'
shoot an E-Web. There's no fire control, versions of the weapon received wide distribu-
you can't nurseyour power supply or watch tion throughout the Imperial military, as well as
the cooler, and the gun is awkward to aim. less "official" military groups. Both companies
My shooting accuracy was cut in half, and are beginning to develop variants on this popu-
I barely took out enough Rebels to chase lar weapon.
'em under cover.
"I never want to try to fire an E-Web by • Heavy Repeating Blaster
Model: Merr-Sonn EWHB-10 "E-Web"
myself again if I can help it. Especially not Type: Two-man heavy repeating blaster
in a firefight." Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: repeating blaster
to explode after being dropped or, occasionally, Ammo: Power generator only
for no reason at all. Thermal detonators rarely Cost: 5,000
function as grenades or projectiles, since the Availability: 2, X
Range: 3-75/200/500
harsh motion could activate the baradium. In- Damage: 8D
stead, Imperial engineers use thermal detona-
tors to destroy fixed targets, attaching a bomb Force Pikes
with magnetic couplers and then detonating it
via remote control or with the six second delay. Force pikes are two-meter long poles topped
Distribution of thermal detonators is ex- with power tips and made of very strong spun
tremely limited, although some stolen detona- graphite which bends, rather than breaks, when
tors are available on the black market. Illegal put under pressure. A two-setting power-output
possession of a thermal detonator is a capital panel is located on the base of each pike. The
offense in many systems. settings available are "stun" and "lethal."
First introduced during the Begali Uprising,
Thermal Detonator force pikes are primarily used by planetary
Model: Merr-Sonn Thermal Detonator
Type: Personal concentrated heat explosive
patrols and local military units to stun oppo-
Scale: Character nents or disperse crowds. However, they are
Skill: Grenade (for throwing) also used by Imperial troops to eliminate oppo-
Cost: 2,000 nents in situations where blaster fire is inappro-
priate or unavailable. Personal bodyguards to
Chapter Eleven
Special Military
Forces
The Empire employs a number of special f a i l to be implemented. Contingents of
military units throughout the various branches Stormtroopers aboard Imperial Navy vessels
that perform specialized tasks. Stormtroopers ensure that no Navy captain or admiral will
fall into this category by their very nature, as do actively disobey the Emperor's wishes.
others. The following reports describe what has
been documented concerning some of these Deployment
units. Stormtroopers are the Empire's calling card.
Wherever the Empire goes, Stormtroopers will
Standard Stormtrooper Unit be found, acting as ship's troops aboard Star
Stormtroopers are the elite of the Empire's Destroyers, accompanying visiting dignitaries
military machine. Trained in a wide variety of to outlying worlds, and maintaining garrisons
roles, Stormtroopers carry out any task quickly on trouble-torn worlds. Working in conjunction
and effectively. They provide support for the with the Imperial fleets, Stormtroopers enforce
two arms of the Empire's military establishment the Emperor's will in an effective and brutal
— the ground forces and the Imperial Fleet. manner.
Stormtroopers are highly trained and highly Unlike the Imperial Army, which is entirely
motivated. Knowing no fear, they surrender geared toward ground operations, Stormtroop-
only when faced with impossible odds, and then ers function equally well in space and on the
only once they have secured their primary ob- ground. Trained to quickly seize ground instal-
jective. If ordered to hold at all costs, Stormtroop- lations during planetary assaults and to act as
ers will willingly give their lives rather than fail security troops on starships and battle stations,
in their task. And yet they are not suicidal, Stormtroopers are far more flexible than regular
because they know that to die without due army units.
cause is to betray the Empire. A dead As assault troops working in conjunction with
Stormtrooper is of no use to the Empire, unless Imperial Navy and Imperial Army armored units,
he dies in furthering the Emperor's wishes. Stormtroopers are second to none. Their ability
While members of the Imperial Army and to rapidly overwhelm and capture enemy posi-
Navy have been known to accept bribes, or even tions makes them the first choice for leading
defect to the Rebel Alliance, no Stormtrooper assaults on important worlds. Often Stormtroop-
has ever done so. They live only to serve, and ers are used to clear away the enemy's first line
nothing can ever cause them to do otherwise. It of defense and establish a ground base to allow
is no wonder that the Emperor trusts his the unopposed landing of transports carrying
Stormtroopers implicitly, and that they look regular Army units. The Army, in these situa-
only to their superiors for direction. To die for tions, is used to mop up resistance and maintain
the Empire is the highest honor they seek, and an Imperial presence.
they do so without hesitation. Except in systems where prolonged struggles
The white and black armored forms of Impe- threaten to disrupt the Empire's industrial ca-
rial Stormtroopers strike fear into all who face pacity or weaken its strategic positions,
them. Stormtroopers lie at the core of the Stormtroopers will be withdrawn once they have
Emperor's aggressive policies. Without his le- secured a landing zone. The complete subjuga-
gions of Stormtroopers, the Emperor would not tion of a world is left to the Imperial Army.
be able to maintain his firm grip on the Empire. Where a quick victory is essential, large num-
While Stormtroopers continue to do his bid- bers of Stormtroopers will be deployed to crush
ding, no decree passed by the Emperor will ever the opposition as quickly as possible. On worlds
where the Empire has established important style of combat and, unless instructed other-
military bases or research establishments, units wise, they are likely to kill any who do not
of stormtroopers are used to stiffen regular surrender immediately.
Army units. Units of stormtroopers are also used as honor
Stormtroopers can be transported and de- guards to protect influential Imperial person-
ployed far more rapidly than regular Army units, ages. No Imperial Ambassador, Grand Mof f, Moff,
who rely on large transport ships or the Navy for Admiral or Governor General goes anywhere in
interplanetary travel. Huge Imperial Star De- public without an honor guard of at least 10
stroyers can carry battle ready stormtroopers stormtroopers. While Rebels, bellicose natives,
into even the most heavily defended planetary smugglers, pirates and assorted lowlifes may
system. The sheer size and f irepower of the Star have no respect for Imperial officials, it is hard
Destroyers allows them to brave planetary de- not to show some respect for the armed and
fense fires and land stormtroopers from orbit in armored forms which constantly surround them.
a matter of minutes. It is always wise to be polite when you are
Every Star Destroyer carries a full division of looking down the muzzle of a stormtrooper's
combat-ready stormtroopers. On arriving in a blaster rifle.
system, stormtroopers and their vehicles are Stormtroopers are deployed in areas vital to
carried to a world's surface in heavily armed the Imperial war machine. Industrial plants and
and armored assault craft. Stormtroopers hit mining facilities, which have been identified as
hard and fast, and the presence of an orbiting high risk attack points by Rebels or pirates, are
Star Destroyer and its TIE fighters protects the constantly manned and patrolled by stormtroop-
landing stormtroopers from attacks by enemy ers. Their very presence often acts as sufficient
starships. Once on a planet, stormtroopers move deterrent to all but the most motivated of sabo-
rapidly into the attack. teurs and aggressors.
In situations where Imperial Command ex-
pects heavy opposition, task forces of three Star Elite Armor Unit:
Destroyers, accompanied by huge transports Hell's Hammers
carrying extra stormtrooper divisions, are dis-
patched. This is, of course, on worlds the Em- Formed during the closing stages of theClone
pire wishes to preserve either as forward bases, Wars from armor units of the Old Republic,
for their natural resources, or for their indus- Hell's Hammers have served the Empire in a
trial capacity. On worlds of no strategic impor- large number of actions in the Outer Rim Terri-
tance to the Empire, stormtroopers are rarely tories. Used initially to crush opposition to the
landed. Imperial command will instead land New Order, Hell's Hammers are now engaged in
Army units, or even resort to reducing the plan- eradicating Rebel outposts, subjugating planets
ets to piles of smoking rubble using the devas- with Rebel sympathies, and in forcibly bringing
tating power of the Star Destroyers. reluctant worlds into the Empire.
In addition to being used as ground assault Originally created as a regiment, losses suf-
and garrison forces, stormtroopers are used by fered in countless campaigns have reduced the
the Imperial Navy to enter and secure starships unit's strength to little more than a battalion.
which have been captured by an Imperial ship's Even so, Hell's Hammers continues to strike fear
tractor beams. Even when pulled into the expan- into all who oppose the Emperor's will.
sive landing bays of a Star Destroyer, many Often working in tandem with stormtrooper
Rebel and pirate crews refuse to surrender. strike teams, the Hammers are frequently de-
Stormtroopers use high energy blasters to ployed to crack open the outer defenses of
cut through a captured vessel's airlocks or hull, Rebel outposts. They clear a path into a base by
and then storm the interior of the vessel. Mov- brushing aside Rebel ground troops, eradicat-
ing quickly and laying down devastating fields ing gun emplacements, and shooting down en-
of fire, stormtroopers move steadily into the emy airspeeders and low flying starfighters.
interior of a ship. Stormtroopers or regular Army troops are then
Caring little for their own losses, stormtroop- able to enter the confines of a base directly from
ers advance relentlessly through enemy ships. their transports.
Stepping over fallen comrades, stormtroopers The Hammers have also seen action in more
cut down the defenders and drive them back to traditional armor engagements, where they are
the inner reaches of the vessel. No matter how used to spearhead assaults into enemy-held
many stormtroopers the defenders kill, there territory. Equipped with the most powerful
are always more ready to step in and take their repulsortanks in the Empire, the Hammers are
place. Stormtroopers are well drilled in this capable of destroying or overpowering most of
the ground-based opposition they encounter. Imperial command's strategy in the Outer Rim
Being able to travel fast, the Hammers are a Territories. This position has been attained at a
hard-hitting assault force with a reputation for high price, as the blood of the unit's tankers has
getting results at any cost — a reputation that often been spilt unnecessarily by incompetent
they well deserve, for their long history is not Imperial officers.
free from the taste of defeat. The unit's commander, Colonel "Rancor"
On more than one occasion the Hammers Johans, is using the growing prominence of the
have been thrown against superior forces with- Hammers to further increase his standing in the
out effective backup. In all of these cases the Imperial Army. Colonel Johans's proven tactical
Hammers achieved their initial objective, but ability, and the complete devotion of his troops,
the lack of adequate infantry support made it has enabled him to persuade Imperial com-
impossible for them to maintain their position. mand that the Hammers should be allowed more
The action on Turak IV, while being marked freedom when it comes to campaigns.
as the Hammers' worst defeat, is also a great Following the successful subjugation of the
source of pride to the unit. Here, two battalions Yatir, a humanoid species indigenous to Absit
of the Hammers' tanks swept across the lava and sympathetic to the Rebel Alliance, Johans
plains to capture the Rebel Army's forward has been able to convince Imperial command
positions. But, because of the incompetence of that the Hammers would be of far more use to
General Maltaz, commander of the Imperial Army the Empire if they were again restored to regi-
on Turak IV, they were cut off by Rebel forces mental strength. To this end, intensive training
counter-attacking from hidden bases high in the of recruits is now taking place on Brintooin to
volcanic Hitak Mountains. build the Hammers back up to regimental
General Maltaz ordered the Hammers to hold strength.
their position, and attempted to halt the Rebel Hell's Hammers are destined to play a major
advance with the remainder of his command. role in the Empire's war against the Rebel Alli-
Heavily outnumbered and subject to concen- ance.
trated attacks by armored Rebel speeders
starfighters and ground forces, the Hammers Organization
suffered heavy losses. Even though their tanks Hell's Hammers form an elite force within the
were soon burning fiercely in the hot sulphur- Imperial Army. When at full strength, the regi-
ous air, the Hammers refused to give ground. By ment consists of three battalions and a regimen-
the time the order came to withdraw, there were tal command group. Two battalions are used to
few Hammers left to receive it. All that remained spearhead assaults, with the third battalion
were three tanks. The rest of the once-mighty being held in reserve to reinforce the front line
force had been turned into smoldering hulks. units as required, or be deployed as the situa-
The two battalions had almost ceased to exist. tion warrants.
Even though two battalions were effectively As the unit is currently under strength, it
destroyed, their tank crews did not die in vain. operates without a reserve, relying on the abili-
TIE fighter patrols, which flew over the area in ties of its troopers to gain its objectives quickly
the closing stages of the campaign, reported and effectively. This self-reliance and the grow-
large numbers of Rebel vehicles and starfighters ing autonomy of the unit within the Imperial
lying strewn across the plains in front of the command structure has helped maintain the
Hammers' position. The Hammers had paid a unit's already high morale. The troopers look to
high price, but the cost to the Rebel Alliance was each other and to Colonel "Rancor" Johans,
even higher. The Hammers had indeed lived up rather than to other Imperial units, for support
to their motto of "Strike To Kill." in times of need.
Since that fateful day, the Hammers have The experience on Turak IV has led the unit to
operated under-strength, with only one battal- act independently whenever possible, prefer-
ion able to take the field. While this has reduced ring to plan its own actions rather than catering
the fighting ability of the unit, it has also served to the logistical concerns of Imperial command.
to increase its morale. The remaining troops of If the Hammers were not so successful, this
the unit have an uncanny knack for surviving attitude would not be tolerated. But Johans'
engagement after engagement.. Always bearing inspired leadership has led the unit to victory
the brunt of the assaults, the Hammers have after victory, a state of affairs which Imperial
surprised Imperial command with their ability command is only too happy to accept.
to keep on going in the face of overwhelming
odds. Battalion Organization
Once considered an expendable force, the The battalion consists of the battalion com-
Hammers are now viewed as an essential part of mand and three armor troops, backed up by a
reconnaissance troop. The three armor troops laser cannon for defense purposes. Their riders
are employed to break through and capture are expected to retreat in the face of enemy fire.
enemy positions, relying on the mighty Before the armor advances, the reconnais-
repulsorlift tanks to achieve their objectives. sance troop explores the area ahead, reporting
The reconnaissance troop serves a dual role: to on the difficulty of the terrain to be traversed by
probe enemy positions, and to protect the flanks the tanks, probing enemy positions, and noting
of the armor troops during advances. the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.
Each armor troop is led by a captain and The reconnaissance units are not designed to
consists of four squadrons. A squadron con- capture and hold ground. In the event of con-
tains four repulsortanks led by a lieutenant and certed opposition they are instructed to report
is the smallest unit employed by the Hammers. on enemy positions and return to the main unit.
Depending on the situation, squadrons may When the armor advances, the reconnais-
operate independently of their troops or be sance unit is positioned on the flanks and slightly
massed together with other troops to literally to the rear of the attack force. In this formation
"hammer" through enemy defenses. the reconnaissance squadrons are able to keep
The tanks are crewed by highly-trained troop- the armored attack force informed of any enemy
ers led by a sergeant. The crew is equipped with troop movements which threaten to cut off the
helmets containing wide-spectrum viewfinders, unit or otherwise endanger its advance. In the
passive infrared sensors, and computer-linked event of an enemy attack on the flanks, the
fire control targeting sensors. Although the tank reconnaissance troop's airspeeder squadrons
crews are not expected to fight outside of their fight to protect the exposed tanks, but fall back
tanks, they are equipped with blaster carbines as soon as the armor is able to bring its heavy
and pistols for defense in the event of a break- weapons to bear.
down or being knocked out by enemy fire. Until the unit is returned to full regimental
The reconnaissance troop comprises three strength, "Rancor" Johans personally commands
squadrons of heavily armored airspeeders, and the battalion. His command group is therefore
one squadron of fast moving but lightly ar- larger than would be normally found in a tank
mored speeder bikes. The reconnaissance battalion. It consists of his personal tank squad-
squadrons operate independently of each other, ron of four vehicles, a communications wagon,
allowing them to cover a wider area. The and a gun battery.
repulsorlift bikes are equipped with a single The gun battery contains four Colon Arms DF
.9 Mobile Emplacement Guns,
and two Colon Arms DF .1
Spray Blasters. The battery
provides fire support and air
defense fire for the battalion.
The mobile repulsorlift-
mounted guns can be rapidly
moved into position to pro-
tect the battalion during en-
emy counterattacks, or to
add their firepower to the
battalion's tanks during ad-
vances. The gun battery is a
recent addition to the unit,
and is indicative of the more
independent role that the unit
has gained under Johans'
leadership.
In addition to the combat
troops, the battalion contains
40 support personnel respon-
sible for supplying the unit in
the field and for maintaining
its equipment. Thirty techni-
cians work on the unit's ve-
hicles, keeping them func-
tioning and repairing battle
• A heavy recovery vehicle attached to Hell's Hammers
Chapter Twelve
Recruitment, Training
and Indoctrination
To: Ail Sector Commanders themselves and develop long and full careers in
From: General Nasda, ISB the Imperial forces. Emphasis will continue to be
Subject: Imperial Recruitment placed on the benefits to be gained from the
Following the defection of the Imperial Army services: travel and adventure, learning valuable
infantry units of Wazta (see Imperial Communi- skills, opportunities for promotion and command,
que #2734.19g), an unspecified number of Impe- and the respect to be gained from serving the
rial Navy vessels and their crews have deserted. Empire.
This spate of defections to the Rebellion must Other valid areas for recruitment drives are the
stop. We cannot continue to allow Rebel sympa- frontier worlds. These worlds should be carefully
thizers to enter Imperial service for the sole pur- scrutinized prior to recruitment, as a small num-
pose of undermining morale. ber of them are known to be sympathetic to the
At the same time, unexpected losses suffered Rebel cause. Do not overlook these systems as a
by Imperial forces engaged against Rebels in the source of officer cadets.
Yavin system have highlighted the need to in- Primitive worlds should continue to be scoured
crease the rate of Imperial recruitment. You will for recruits as these people make excellent as-
personally ensure that your recruitment and train- sault soldiers. Their lack of technological knowl-
ing procedures are brought into line with the edge is more than offset by the ease with which
following directives. they can be indoctrinated. These troops are highly
expendable, and this should color your recruit-
Recruiting: Recruits for any section of the Impe- ment accordingly.
rial services must have a high level of loyalty to
the Empire. In light of recent desertions, we can no Screening: In order to ensure that only the best
longer rely on troops or officers whose loyalty is are recruited, you shall continue to maintain strin-
in any way questionable. gent entry requirements. The need to find more
You will therefore cease to recruit on worlds recruits is not an acceptable reason for lowering
which have been subject to Imperial bombard- the quality of those recruited. Recruits must be
ment or planetary assault in the last 10 standard physically fit, brave, intelligent (may be waived in
years. Worlds which have a history of liberal or the case of certain infantry regiments), and loyal.
independent traditions are also to be avoided as Initial screening will continue to be carried out
these worlds are known to be breeding grounds by Screening Officers at Imperial Recruitment
for the Rebellion. Offices. Checks will be conducted into potential
Recruiting drives shall be directed on worlds recruits' background, school reports and home
known to be loyal to our glorious Emperor. The life. Screening Officers should determine why
worlds forming the Imperial Core still provide the candidates wish to join, and if they wish to apply
best and most able recruits. These shall continue for officer training.
to form the majority of our officer pool, their Instruct your personnel to watch for any Rebel
beliefs in genetic superiority making them ideally connections or family members with known Rebel
suited for command. sympathies. Candidates who fail to match the
The next recruiting area is those worlds which preliminary requirements should be rejected.
border the Imperial Core, and which are not However, suspected Rebel infiltrators should be
proscribed under thedirectives above. Here, alife encouraged to join and the ISB informed immedi-
in the Imperial services can be presented as glam- ately.
orous and exciting. Recruiters should represent Those candidates who pass initial screening
the military as a chance for candidates to improve (including suspected Rebels) will be sent to Train-
ing Centers where the candidates will be given
further medical examinations and assessed for forms of our glorious Empire. You'll be in the
their intellectual capacity. Retina scans will be forefront of the New Order. You can be proud to
carried out and matched against available records. serve the Emperor and make the Empire a safe
Policy of Assignment: Initial procedures will place to live.
have determined which services and branches Basic Training
applicants wish to join. Where possible, recruits
should be posted to their chosen positions. Where When you join the Imperial Army you'll find it
screening tests show that recruits would be bet- hard to begin with. You most likely won't be used
ter suited to another branch, this should be imple- to sharing your room with six or seven other
mented as soon as possible. Remember that per- people. You won't be used to taking orders, and
sonnel cannot leave the service before their con- you'll probably find that drill is something you
tract is fulfilled, but dissatisfaction with an assign- hate.
ment has been shown to have a detrimental effect You may find it a pain to look after your equip-
upon morale. ment and weapons. The effort you have to spend
To the less intelligent recruits, the infantry maintaining your blaster may seem like a waste of
divisions should appear to be glamorous, making time. But the discipline you undergo now will
their transfer to the infantry seem a logical and prove to be very beneficial in the long term.
beneficial progression. It will help you to rememberthat everything we
Stormtrooper units will continue to be formed teach you during basic training is done for a
in the standard manner, and therefore fall outside reason. Drill builds up team spirit, and trains you
of your jurisdiction. However, the Empire is al- to act quickly and effectively in times of need. And
ways looking for people with high aptitudes and when you're on active service, you'll be glad of the
initiatives to undergo specialist training. The files time you spent learning to maintain your equip-
of any recruits who match this criteria should be ment.
forwarded to Imperial Command. We'll make you fitter and healthier than you've
ever been. You'll spend hours building up your
Indoctrination: While the loyalty of our recruits stamina and strength. We'll take you on long
should be high, initial training shall serve to fur- marches to ensure that you are up to the rigors of
ther increase this loyalty. The anarchic viewpoint army life. By the end of it you'll be tired, but fit:
of the Rebel Alliance shall be stressed along with ready for anything the galaxy can throw against
the Rebels' disregard for law and order. The you.
Empire is the only force in the galaxy which The Imperial Army is the best in the galaxy, and
actively promotes stability and peace. Our troops that means that every soldier is highly trained to
are engaged in a noble crusade against the forces carry out the various jobs demanded of him. In the
of disorder, and every trooper should be aware of Imperial Army we don't send you into battle half-
this. By the end of basic training, recruits should trained. That would cost us and you dearly. We
willingly die for the Empire. have a galaxy to protect and dead soldiers are of
The great size and strength of the Imperial war no use to us. That's why we take the time to teach
machine should also be stressed, along with the you how to handle your blaster and yourself.
belief that each recruit has an important contribu- We also show you how the Imperial Army is
tion to make. Unit morale is very important, and organized and your role within it. So, whether
personnel should feel that their individual unit is you're a member of an armored unit, an infantry
the best there is. regiment, the artillery, the engineers, or the com-
Any inquires regarding this communique munications corp, we ensure that your basic train-
should be addressed to the ISB. ing is second to none.
When you're on active service with your unit
The Imperial Army operating thousands of kilometers from base, life
(The following is extracted from "The Imperial can be very hard. At drop camp we aim to prepare
Army — A Guide to Army Training for New Re- you for every situation that you're likely to face.
cruits. ") Your basic training is conducted at one of the
thousands of drop camps throughout the Empire.
The Imperial Army is vast. It is the largest army Drop camps vary greatly, depending on your unit
that the galaxy has ever seen. Our forces can be and its intended sphere of operations. The Impe-
found protecting law and order and righting rial Army operates all around the galaxy, and its
wrongs on thousands of planets. We maintain soldiers must be prepared to operate under many
peace and a relaxed environment on countless different conditions.
worlds threatened by Rebel terrorists. No matter We train you in the types of environments that
what branch of the Imperial Army you join, you you will be seeing the most action in. For most
will be serving the many and diverse sentient life-
regiments, this will be on standard worlds with a Empire before their personal safety. The need to
wide mix of terrain types. We'll teach you to balance self-sacrifice with self-preservation is an
survive and operate in jungles, deserts, swamps, essential part of this training, as the Empire re-
arctic regions, forests, and how to handle yourself quires officers who know when to fight to the end,
under different planetary gravities. and when to surrender in the hopes of serving the
There are many specialist units within the Emperor another day.
Imperial Army, units which are trained to deal The training is hard and intensive, involving
with specific terrain and atmosphere types. While grueling physical and military exercises. Every
we normally rely on recruits who come from Imperial Army officer is expected to be able to
exotic worlds to form the main bulk of our special survive in the field along with the men under his
operations forces, you may find yourself posted command, and to gain their respect by doing so.
to one of these units. If that's the case, we'll ensure There is no room for students who have taken the
that you can handle yourself, so there's nothing to army life in hopes of a cushy career.
worry about. Every soldier needs to have some Survival forms an important part of each
familiarity with the diverse worlds of the Empire officer's training, as does the ability to resist
because, in times of need, you may find yourself interrogation. Every officer spends a week or
posted to some very strange places indeed. At more in an interrogation center which simulates
drop camp we can't guarantee to give you first- the type of treatment they will receive at the
hand experience of these worlds, but we'll do our hands of the enemy. While not all officers survive
best to prepare you. this training, those who do emerge with a greatly
strengthened character and a healthy hatred of
The Navy the Rebel Alliance.
While the Imperial Navy provides us with inter- Great emphasis is placed on an officer's ability
planetary transport and ground support in the to lead men in the most adverse of conditions.
form of TIE fighters, bombers, and the massed Officers are taught the two-fold method of leader-
batteries of the fleets, it is the Army which really ship — fear and respect. They are trained to draw
wins the wars. We are the ones who go in and on common soldiers' fear of disobeying orders,
capture ground, garrison troublesome systems, which is disciplined into all troops. While hard
and deal with the Rebels face to face. The Army discipline and fear of their officers forms an inte-
forms the cutting edge of the Imperial services, gral part of every soldier's outlook, the academy
and we do so by getting results. also aims to teach its officers to lead by respect
The Army is for beings who seek excitement and example.
and travel. The Navy rarely sets foot upon the Officers from Raithal Academy are strong, con-
worlds which it patrols. For them, warfare is an fident, capable and loyal, making them a valuable
exercise in logistics and computer programming. asset in the Empire's struggle to maintain law,
How many Navy personnel ever get to see the order and peace in these times of bloody rebel-
people they fight? Very few. Only the TIE fighter lion.
pilots ever see any real action, and they make up See your local recruiter today to find out more
a very small fraction of the Imperial Navy's per- about the Imperial Army.
sonnel. While the Navy is not composed entirely
of "vacheads," it is often remote from the worlds The Imperial Navy
and peoples of the Empire. "... You are part of the greatest navy ever as-
Raithal Academy sembled. The might of the Empire rests on the
military — and the Imperial Navy embodies the
Of all the Imperial Army Officer Training Acad- most elite and trusted segment of that power. Only
emies, Raithal Academy is renowned for produc- the best, the most disciplined, are admitted to our
ing the best officers in the Army. Here, young ranks. We who serve the Emperor in the Imperial
hopefuls receive a year's training designed to turn Navy have made this Empire the irresistible, galaxy-
them into the competent officers that the Imperial spanning force it is today."
Army needs for its regiments. The training is hard
and intense, aimed at turning out officers who can — Excerpt from Academy cadet indoctrina-
confidently lead troops even under the most gru- tion speech delivered by Fleet Admiral Holt.
elling of conditions. The Imperial Navy has grown from a peace-
At this academy, young officers undergo rigor- keeping and defensive force under the old Repub-
ous psychological examinations designed to test lic into an aggressive tool for the unification and
their mettle and turn them into hardened sol- control of the Empire. Although the Army pro-
diers. Loyalty to the Empire is deeply instilled, vides the Empire's obvious physical presence on
ensuring that the young officers always place the subject worlds, theyreach their objective through
the Navy's ships, often maintaining position only and necessary to cope with tens or hundreds of
with naval interdiction and ground support. It is complicating factors.
the Navy which has mastery of Imperial space,
giving the Emperor the means with which to bind Joining the Imperial Navy
his vast realm into one whole. And it is the Navy, Naval service attracts a different sort of per-
with its mighty vessels and valiant TIE starfighter sonality type than does the Army. Qualified re-
pilots, which offers the most awe-inspiring and cruits with the right personality profile are ea-
appealing image of military prowess under the gerly accepted into its ranks. Many with officer
New Order. potential come from regional or sector military
"Very often mission requirements compel us to schools, where the best of a world's inhabitants
work closely with the Army. It is counterproductive are groomed for local and Imperial military ca-
to let a negative attitude toward ground troops reers. Highly-rated recruits who already have
interfere with the accomplishment of mission objec- their pilot's certification are of special interest as
tives. " potential candidates for starfighter training.
Naval training is decentralized and conducted
— from a lecture on inter-service coopera- at designated sector locations called fleet camps.
tion by Training Lieutenant Danos. After completion of fleet camp, trainees attend
"I don 'ttake any smart talk from treads, ff they get advanced schools for further education in the
in my way, I offer them a quick trip out the nearest technical specialties of their assigned branches.
airlock. They have to back off. They got no thrust on Beings chosen for officer training are selected
shipboard, and no vector to use it in." both from recruits new to the military and from
— unofficial comments on soldiers by active duty crewmen recommended by their su-
Training Lieutenant Danos. periors. These crewmen-cadets attend one of many
naval academies located throughout the Empire.
The demands of service in the Imperial Navy Although often called an "Imperial Naval Acad-
are unique and not always appreciated by outsid- emy," such institutions are more properly termed
ers. This lack of appreciation comes to a head in Sector Naval Academies, to differentiate them
the rivalry between Army and Navy. Most Navy from the original Imperial Naval Academy after
men regard soldiering as an uninspired profes- which they are modeled.
sion, a physically taxing occupation requiring Each Sector Naval Academy is an Imperial
only brainless obedience at most levels. Ground institution which shares a uniform training pro-
strategy and tactics are simple two-dimensional gram and curriculum with others of its kind.
problems using predictable formulae. Officer training occupies one standard year. It
Army troops can never maintain close unit- includes military indoctrination, education in tech-
level teamwork for extended periods in the heat of nical specialties, and training cruises. When a
a battle, when individual initiative becomes para- crewman-cadet graduates he is commissioned as
mount for survival. And even in the worst of a lieutenant, and often goes on to advanced tech-
situations, a trooper knows the odds are with him; nical training.
a soldier in combat is far more likely to be injured Officer candidates who rate in the top two
than killed. percent of their qualifying tests have the opportu-
In contrast, naval crewmen know that, in the nity to attend the Imperial Naval Academy, the
worst situation, not only will one die, but every original and oldest of the academies. An applicant
one in his section or ship is likely to die along with must receive the endorsement of his Moff, and
him. Exposure to vacuum is a very real conse- undergo a more thorough background investiga-
quence of battle; there are very few injured crew- tion than other officer candidates. If accepted, he
men in space, only dead ones. Yet even under the is inducted as a cadet and boards a transport
most stressful circumstances of combat, crew- bound for the Academy.
men live, eat and breathe teamwork. A ship's crew
must function as a single entity in order to accom- "The time you spend at this Academy is the
plish its mission, and this frictionless interaction longest period of officer training in the Empire. At
is a high ideal among crews. Any cretin can sweat the end of 30 months of rigorous physical and
on the ground and shoot a blaster rifle, but it takes academic training, you will receive a commission
a large degree of discipline, intelligence and train- as a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy. You will know
ing to execute the technical specialities demanded more than your peers, and have greater responsi-
of Navy crews. Even naval strategy and tactics are bilities than your peers. If you perform your duties
far more challenging and exiting than their ground- well, they will not remain your equals for long.
based parallel, for naval problems take place in a Officers from this Academy — and only this Acad-
three-dimensional arena where it is commonplace emy — are recogn ized as the very best the Emperor
has to command.
First Flight
The cockpit wraps around you, snug like the different. Outside, starfighters swirl near a yel-
bodysuit you wear. Your feet slip into the con- low-green planet. Lasers flash and blossoming
trol yokes automatically as techs fasten your explosions litter your flight path with flying de-
flight webbing. Polyweave presses you into the bris. There's no time to move into a reserve
shock couch. It molds against your back with a position like the training officer had planned.
familiar grip. Your TIE fighters are needed now. Your flight
The hatch snicks shut, and you are alone in descends into the chaos of battle.
the cockpit of your TIE. Comlink checks are an You snap-roll to stay with your leader, then
unnoticed routine, for your mind already clicks slide right to bracket an X-wing with crossfire.
away — out there, where the skirmish has You shoot and miss, rolling left to stay with the
already begun. Your hands locked on the con- evading Rebel. The third salvo does it. You smile
trol rods are your only sign of battle nerves. You tightly as you evade the X-wing's debris.
breathe deeply and relax them, trying for the Then, as suddenly as it started, the skirmish
gentle grip the TIE demands. is over, Rebels escaping back to atmosphere.
You're not a combat-rated pilot. Yet. There's There are no orders to pursue, not this time. As
only one way to get that square: by flying train- you turn back to Victorious, you once again force
ing missions under combat conditions. And yourself to relax an over-tense grip. There's no
this is your first time. need for nerves, now. Your first combat training
Your flight swoops from the Victorious, as it mission is over.
has on every other training run. But this time it's You survived.
several smaller support specialties. The Navy "... In this time of rebellion and turmoil, most of
Order of Battle (see Chapter Eight) falls under this you can expect to be stationed aboard vessels which
branch. will see action, or at bases which assist those ships.
Fleet Support Branch maintains vessels in oper- Others will be placed on picket in remote star
ating condition. Its Engineering Division handles systems, or be assigned planet-side to ordnance
structural and drive-related matters, while Tech- dumps, research stations, or other support duties.
nical Services deals with power distribution, envi- "I cannot disguise the fact that some of these are
ronment, and other specialties that do not fall unexciting missions, galling to the crewman anx-
under the Engineering Division's purview. ious to prove himself in service to the Empire. I can
encourage you to take heart, for your duty assign-
The Support Service Branch provides services ment is re-evaluated biannually. If there is need, and
which help the men and machines of the Navy your performance warrants it, you will be trans-
accomplish their mission. Its major divisions are ferred to a more vital assignment. In the same way,
Ordnance, which installs and maintains arma- those who have seen combat for more than two
ment; Gunnery, which uses the armament; Com- standard years are rotated out to less taxing duties,
munications, which handles information systems allowing fresh vessels and crew to take their place.
and traffic; Biological, which performs medical At least, that is the ideal the Navy strives for."
services and research; and Astrogation, which
handles hyperspaceand navigation-related tasks. — Excerpt from crew graduation speech at
Prefsbelt Fleet Camp, delivered by Moff Gaaqu.