VADER'S NEWSLETTER
BLOG ISSUE #4
STAR WARS CELEBRATIONS
"WE ARE NOW PART OF THE TRIBE"
Well my friends it is here. May the 4th, the unofficial Star Wars day, is almost upon us. But I say why not celebrate more than just May the 4th and May 25th? Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Revenge of the 5th, my own contribution towards celebrating Star Wars! With the official Star Wars day coming up on May 25th our calendars will be bursting with opportunities to revel in Star Wars. In the past year a lot has happened to the Star Wars galaxy. Star Wars the Force Unleashed was released and hailed the creation of works bridging the gap between episode III and IV. Star Wars the Clone Wars blasted it's way into theaters and then invaded our television screens through the Clone Wars television show. The fun and excitement doesn't end there because the second season the Clone Wars will be hitting our TV screens this fall and our weekly enjoyment of Star Wars will resume. In the coming days I hope we can all look back at the amazing things that have happened in the Star Wars galaxy since that legendary day back on May 25th 1977 and appreciate all things Star Wars (except for Jar Jar). All of you who celebrate May the 4th (May the 4th be with you), May the 5th (Revenge of the 5th), or May 25th (Official Star Wars day) please send in pictures of your celebrations and a short description of how you celebrated Star Wars and I will include it in our next newsletter's headline.

STAR WARS TECHNICAL CORNER

WHERE YOU SEE HOW THOSE MACHINES WORK
The subject of the Star Wars Technical Corner this time is the Republic All-Terrain Recon-Transport (AT-RT). The AT-RT was just one of the many precursors to the Imperial All-Terrain Scout-Transport (AT-ST) but was still a formidable machine capable of extraordinary agility and impressive firepower. The AT-RT had a major flaw due to the fact that it lacked a covered cockpit. The AT-RT pilot was completely exposed. The AT-RT was released after the debut of the Repblic's clone army on the plains of Geonosis and thus the Republic lacked many troopers capable of piloting it. Some of the only troopers capable of piloting an AT-RT compitently before the introduction of specialized AT-RT drivers were the ARF (Advance Recon Force) Troopers. The ARF Troopers differed from clone commandos and ARC troopers because they were an almost purely reconnaissance unit of clone troopers rather than a unit that excelled at sneak attacks. The ARF Trooper's specialized reconnaissance equipment was vital to communicating over the long distances that AT-RT units traveled from the main unit of clones and the Republic kept this in mind when they equipped the AT-RT drivers. The AT-RT drivers were often equipped with standard DC-15A blaster rifles or DC-15S blaster pistols, several thermal detonators rather than just one like the standard clone troopers, and enhanced comlink capable of long range communication like the ARF troopers, and a lifeform scanner strapped to their chests.

DISCUSSION CENTRAL

WHERE YOU CAN VOICE YOUR OPINION
This issue we will be discussing the Republic-class star destroyer. The Republic-class is supposed to boast more than 1 and a 1/3 times the power of an Imperial 1-class but unfortunately the artist tried to make it look like a combination of an Alliance Mon Calamari Cruiser and an Imperial Star Destroyer but just ended up making it look dumb U_U. Do you think it should be scrapped , re-designed (by yours truly), or kept as it is? Write in to me at steinerknievel@yahoo.com or just leave a comment on the blog. See ya next time and remember, the Force will be with you...Always.

LINKS TO ARTICLES DISCUSSED IN THE NEWSLETTER:

AT-RT:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/AT-RT
AT-RT DRIVER:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/AT-RT_driver
ARF TROOPER:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/ARF_trooper
REPUBLIC-CLASS STAR DESTROYER:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Republic-class_Star_Destroyer
IMPERIAL 1- CLASS STAR DESTROYER:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_I-class_Star_Destroyer
MAY THE 4TH:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/May_4th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Day
MAY 25TH:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080203135805/www.starwars.com/community/event/celebration/news20070510d.html