Death Star: Darth Vader

Death Star by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry

Chapter(s): 11

 

 I almost feel I should have waited on the last essay and finish chapter 11, though I didn't have much to say up to page 200 so maybe it is for the best that I didn't. The extra time gave me some ideas though. My thoughts on Vader have changed. I’m sure most think of him as having turned evil. To me, now at least, it feels almost like he hasn’t and is using his own force powers to do so. There is also an allegory to a phoenix within the first paragraph. Yes it is meant to show how he died, came back, and changed. The thing to remember is the phoenix is still the same bird. It is also important to remember it has a positive connotation. When we first see him he says he is still Anakin Skywalker in some ways. Palpatine clearly started his brain washing but all this time Darth Vader has been reinforcing it. “He let the dark side take him, let it envelop him in anger and hatred (72).” It is almost like he can’t keep it up on his own. Really if he is good the whole time and is using his suffering to power up his force power that is just twisted.

I’ve been thinking about the force lately. I don’t know much about it. The Star Wars books I’ve read focused on other characters. With the mentions of it in here I have wondered about a few of the details. It says that the force, at least in Vaders control, has the ability to stop hearts. If it can do such a thing why isn’t it seen more? I thought about it and came up with something I feel works. I believe the body has a resistance and it takes time, that is often not available, to overcome if it is possible to get by at all. It is kind of similar to how Obi-Wan were able to distract the Stormtroopers from the droids. It isn’t a stretch to see how that was orchestrated. They were not sure what they were looking for so it wouldn’t be too hard to overlook them. Now with your life in the mix it gets to be a bit more complicated. First of all your body can betray you if you are panicked and afraid. There is also a mental part to it. If you fear something you have to believe it can do you harm and lower the resistance you would hold. All and all pretty useless against a Jedi or someone who isn’t of a weaker will than the force user. This isn’t to imply there isn’t still a physical aspect like how objects are moved but there is a new quality in the use with a person’s own will.

 Reaves, Michael, and Steve Perry. Star Wars: Death Star. New York: Lucas/Del Rey/Ballantine, 2007. Print.

Death Star Intros Part 1

Death Star by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry

Spoilers: You have been Warned

Please note that I have not finished the book and all comments are speculation as I read through. Not every analysis will be done such as this one but I felt I had enough to comment on to start.

Chapter(s): 1, 2, 3, and 9

There is an epic, far reaching tail of good versus evil but this isn't it. In the Star Wars story you all know the Rebels must fight the tyrannical rule of the Empire. Within the Death Star a new story is told and this time it is about a system of government. No one here comes out without some ethical debate hanging around.

With Lieutenant Commander Villian we get our first glimpse into the workings of the most powerful weapon the Empire can think to make. There isn't much to make out in a large context from the first few pages but he sets up for a big realization. When ever we see Imperial Stormtroopers non can be distinguished from any other. The dehumanization is immense. Very few in "A New Hope" have faces that can be seen and none make us feel we are in safe company. The newer set of movies involve clones as Stormtroopers during the Clone Wars. This does nothing to remind us that Stormtroopers are people. After the new Star Wars movies we think that all Stormtroopers are clones. It can take a moment to see beyond that but Vil quickly dispels this by clearly stating he "nor any other TIE pilot that he knew of was a clone (Page 5)." Way to crash the party. Just with this comment we start slipping into a new mind set. Gone are the faceless and in come citizens serving their country. I don't know how most places in the world feel about their military but within the U.S. there is a lot of pride and love for those who serve. Vil himself also expresses the same pride as he looks onto the project he is there to protect.

Teela Kaarz is someone who should also have pride in her work. She was an architect with good standing. Was, till she was convicted for being a traitor. She was taken from the prison planet Despayre to help with the construction of the Death Star under Benits Stinex. Her work brings her shame. She tries to justify the work by making lives better. How many lives are we talking about? With the intro for Wilhuff Tarkin, the Grand Moff, we learn there will be a million on staff.

I took the time to talk about Teela because it leads nicely into realizing just who is on the space station. We know there are citizens serving their military but there is so much more then that. Wookiees taken against their will along with many other slaves. We don't know how many are from the prison world or not. In the original Star Wars the Rebels destroy all this and everyone in it. Surely not all on the station have done wrong, more than likely most have not, at least in the since of being apart of the Empire with their crimes. If the Rebels have taken so many lives why do we not see them as being wrong...at all? "But by doing what she knew how to do, she might actually save a few lives, or at least make those lives more comfortable. Yes, those lives would belong to servants of the Empire, but after all, not every single being here was evil. As rationalization went, that one wasn't so bad. Her inner self almost bought it (Page 63)." It is simple, it is the reason Teela feels shame, there can be no good while the Empire stands.

"To this war of every man, against every man, this also is consequent: that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, no justice. Force and fraud, are in war the two cardinal virtues." -Ibid.

I would like to thank the song Empire by Jukebox the Ghost for keeping me company wile I wrote this.

 Reaves, Michael, and Steve Perry. Star Wars: Death Star. New York: Lucas/Del Rey/Ballantine, 2007. Print.

 Seldes, George. The Great Quotations, with an Introduction by J. Donald Adams. New York: Pocket, 1968. Print.