BLOG ISSUE #5
CATCHING UP
WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO
It has been far too long since the Dark Lord of the Sith's favorite newsletter has been updated and so finally after nearly 6 months of being out of comission the newsletter is fully functional once more. This issue of the newsletter will be longer than most since we need to catch up to the quick-moving Star Wars galaxy. In this issue of the newsletter articles about the second season of Star Wars the Clone Wars, how some of our Vader's Newsletter readers celebrated their Star Wars days, the usual technical corner, and more. Enjoy and may the force be with you.
CLONE WARS SEASON 2:
RISE OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS
"This is where the fun begins!"
The second season of the Clone Wars television show has just begun, but already we can see the difference that employing the galaxy's finest bounty hunters has made for the Seperatists. In the short time that Cad Bane and his fellow Hunters have been aligned with the Seperatists they've managed to take control of the Galactic Senate and hold a large group of senators hostage, infiltrate the Jedi Temple to steal a Jedi Holocron, kidnap Jedi Master Bolla Ropal, and nearly succeed in kidnapping 4 potential Jedi children. In some of these newer episodes we've been able to see how the rash and reckless tactics that Anakin Skywalker and Ashoka Tano employ can meet their match when faced with the kind of cold and calculating efficiency that Bounty Hunters prefer to use. Another obstacle that the Grand Army of the Republic is beginning to encounter is the continued use of newer and deadlier droids by the Seperatist armies. IG-86 Assasin Droids, BX-Droid Commandos, Tactician Droids, and Assault Probe Droids are but a few of the new weapons in Dooku's arsenal.
CELEBRATING STAR WARS
A LOOK AT HOW A FEW READERS CELBRATE STAR WARS DAY
Now it is time to look at back at that now far away month at May and see the many ways in which Star Wars fans celebrate the Star Wars Days.
Chris - Republic Loyalist and Star Wars Fanatic
My friend Chris celebrated his Star Wars fanhood with a short film in the vein of the TV show Deadliest Warrior, in which different fighters from throughout history are pitted against each other to see who is the strongest warrior in history. Chris's film was made as a school project and was then submitted to be featured on the newsletter. Below is a link to his movie. Be sure to watch and enjoy everyone.
DEADLIEST WARRIOR- DUEL OF FATES
August Varney - Die-Hard Imperial and
Head of Vader's Newsletter
We celebrated Star Wars day at my house by dressing up as different Star Wars characters and roaming around Ohio. My little sister Lenore was dressed as Princess Leia on the first day and a Dark Jedi trainee on the second. I was dressed as Darth Maul on both days and always made sure to have my double-bladed lightsaber on hand. I took the family to eat at White Castle on the 4th of May so we could eat Sliders like the ones Obi-Wan Kenobi's friend Dexter Jetster makes in his diner on Coruscant. We ate dessert at Dairy Queen and a large group of kids were completely shocked and amazed to see Darth Maul with ice cream in hand. Once we returned home I put on Star Wars: A New Hope and the family gathered around to watch. On the 25th of May we were unable to roam very far from our house to celebrate due to the fact that my parents were in San Antonio Texas celebrating their 25th wedding aniversary. This could not completely stop us though and we walked to our local McDonalds in costume to celebrate. When we got back from McDonalds I put the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in, but our VCR destroyed the film! Luckily I was able to hook our Playstation 3 up to the TV and we watched it off of youtube, thereby saving the evening. Once we finished watching all 3 Star Wars original movies we decided to dig out some old Star Wars video games like the unfairly maligned Star Wars:Masters of Teras Kasi fighting game and we spent the rest of the night exchanging blaster fire and clashing lightsabers.
Featured Below are a Few Photos From the Festivities:
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STAR WARS TECHNICAL CORNER
WHERE YOU SEE HOW THOSE MACHINES WORK
Featured on technical corner this issue is the sturdy and reliable BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol. The DH-17 would be what most people would call THE standard blaster. The DH-17 was extremely relible and was well rounded as far as range and firepower were concerned. The maximum range of the DH-17 was 120 meters while the optimum range was a little over 30. This gave it an extremely versatile effectiveness for shipboard combat, and it was the standard-issue sidearm of the Imperial Navy, the Alliance Navy, and the New Republic Navy. The reason behind the extreme popularity of the DH-17 among Naval forces was due to the fact that the pistol had enough power to punch through most armor while lacking the force to penetrate a ship's hull. As with most blaster pistols, the ammunition capactiy of the DH-17 was 500 shots. The DH-17 was primarily a semi-automatic weapon, but it did feature a fully-automatic and a low-power stun setting. There were several major drawbacks to having the weapon set on full-auto though. In that mode the normally 500 shot power pack would be drained in under 20 seconds and there was a signifigant chance of overheating the internal workings of the pistol causing an explosive overload. An empty power pack could be refilled using a charger in around 15 minutes, and a power pack itself took around 5 seconds to change in the hands of a skilled operator.
DISCUSSION CENTRAL
WHERE YOU CAN VOICE YOUR OPINION
The discussion topic for this issue will be Darth Vader's secret apprentice Galen Marek: Codenamed "Starkiller". Throughout his story he consistanly leans towards both the Light and the Dark Side of the force before deciding to betray (and in one version kill) his Master. In one version of the story he dies fighting the Emperor and the Star Wars storyline continues as normal, but in the other version of the story he slays Vader and becomes the Emperor's new apprentice. His conversion from a feeble and uncertain weakling to a mighty Dark Lord of the Sith is very controversial and he oftens performs actions that many say are beyond what his abilities should be. In his newest incarnation as "Lord Starkiller" he has donned Vader-esque battle armor and now performs Palpatine's bidding which leads to some new and strange encounters, such as a duel against an Obi-Wan Kenobi as he attempts to leave Tatooine in episode 4. In the end it is up to you, the readers, to determine your opinion of him and let it be heard. Make sure to check out the links for pictures of the apprentice both pre-battle armor and post. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a comment on the blog or e-mail me at steinerknievel@yahoo.com.
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LINKS TO ARTICLES DISCUSSED IN THE NEWSLETTER:
Apprentice pre-battle armor "Starkiller"
Apprentice post battle armor "Lord Starkiller"
BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol
Episode guide for newest Star Wars: Clone Wars episodes: