The Vast Empire has put a bounty out on Han Solo, a Smuggler with known ties to the Rebels. His ship is a YT-1300, heavily modified. We now know that he has compartments in his ship big enough for people to hide in, so be on your guard Bounty Hunters.

Ship’s Name: Millennium Falcon

Partners/Accomplices:
Chewbacca, a Wookiee smuggler,
Lando Calrissian
Past History:
Worked for Jabba the Hutt (Fired)
Pilot for the Ylesian Dream
Used to be an Imperial Pilot (take caution in the skies)
Smuggler (Started on Nar Shaddaa, worked for Jiliac the Hutt and Jabba The Hutt
Han Solo stopped an invasion at Serpico. The Imperial Army tried destroying Serpico by smashing another planet into it to destroy the local Wookiee population, Han evacuated the Wookiees and got away safely. There was only 1 casualty, his faithful friend Chewbacca.

Reward for Dead: 10,000 Credits
Reward for Alive: 50,000 Credits

There is a new game coming for the Xbox 360 called The Force Unleashed. As some of us may know, the game takes place before A New Hope, and after Revenge of the Sith. The Main Protagonist is Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice (Currently Unnamed) as Vaders secret apprentice you do tasks for him, and you progress through your training.

The thing about this new Apprentice is, the training is different. They’re calling him a Force Wrecking Ball, he is what would have happened if Luke had joined with Vader. They took Luke and reversed him practically every way and got this Secret Apprentice. Throughout the game you are accompanied by at least 2 characters, they are not in your party, but you will interact with them. They are Juno Eclipse (Your Pilot and possible Lover) and Proxy (Your run of the mill fun, adventure loving, State of the Art droid that can use holograms to cloak himself)

Throughout the game you visit exotic locations like Kashyyyk, Raxus Prime, Felucia, and a TIE Construction Facility. We all know what these locations are, so they don’t need an explanation, but maybe two possible antagonists do. These antagonists are Shaak Ti and Maris Brood. Shaak Ti, as we all know, is a famous Clone Wars Era Jedi, throughout the entire game you try and hunt her down (along with other Jedi) and kill her. Maris Brood is another Jedi, though not fully trained, who you will come across and meet. Not sure if you succeed in killing either of them, but I’m sure we’ll all have fun experiencing the hunt.

This game also is using a new way of programming Physics into the game. Wood splinters, instead of always breaking the same, metal dents like metal, everything breaks the way it should. Also the AI is much smarter, Stormtroopers try to survive instead of throw themselves at you wave after wave and not change at all. They adapt.

The game comes out in the Spring of 2008. Can’t wait for it.

The Toshi Station Power Convertersâ„¢ have hit the top of the Vast Empire Music Charts with their hit single, “Yellow AT-AT,” and are steadily climbing on the Galactic charts. The VET has managed to gain rights to show this hit for our valued readers…

On the planet where I was born
Lived a man who sailed the stars
And he told us of his life
In the duty of Imperial marines

So we sailed up to the stars
Till we found the ground of ice
And we lived beneath the stars
In our yellow AT-AT

We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT
We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT

And our friends are all on board
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play

We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT
We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT

[Full speed ahead, Mr. Veers, full speed ahead!
Full speed over here, sir!
Action station! Action station!
Aye, aye, sir, fire!
Heaven! Heaven!]

As we live a life of ease (A life of ease)
Everyone of us (Everyone of us) has all we need (Has all we need)
Sky of blue (Sky of blue) and ground of ice (Ground of ice)
In our yellow (In our yellow) AT-AT (AT-AT, ha, ha)

We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT
We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT
We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT
We all live in a yellow AT-AT
Yellow AT-AT, yellow AT-AT

At first it was like one of those never ending drops, an all encompassing blackness that seems to swallow up the light- “Then we brought in the big lights…” says Naru Slove, planetary researcher on the surface of the small planet in the Rheagent system; since the discovery of these caves by Colonel Emanci Ameer and his colleagues on board the Terin VII, Daylid has become the center of interest in the planetary research community. If theories hold true, Daylid’s caves, thought to be some milenia or older in age, could hold the key to understanding cultures and species from planets well before records were being kept, primarily in the Wild Space sector.

Slove and his team entered the massive cave system, thought to span fifty kilometers or more, two days ago; initial speculation that the caves are actually ancient irrigation channels was and still is difficult to discern, however. The light absorption of the atmosphere in the tunnels is especially high and the sides of the cave have yet to be seen from the ground level; the diameter of the tunnels was determined from estimates on board the Terin VII. “Once we have a strong enough light source we’ll be able to take much better images of the caverns…” While the initial images of the landings site have yet to be officially sent out, Slove describes the caves as, undoubtedly, massive, hemispherical ducts underneath what is now known as the “Ameer Steppe.” Not only are they estimated to be massive in diameter, he says, but they are also far taller than could have been anticipated; the exact measurements from the breakthrough point were at some fifteen hundred meters high. Furthermore, unlike the expectations set out by the researchers before entering the caves, the interior is far less arid than the exterior; the ground floor is actually a damp, clay-like substance. When mining exploration was considered in years gone past, initial digs had a difficult time breaking through the permafrost and evidence of strong mining had been weak at best; however, the damp interior suggest another possibility: current life on Daylid. “If this is true,” says Slove,” then we’ve got something bigger on our hands than we’d expected.” While no life of any kind has been seen, though bacteria is most certainly present in the moist interior of the tunnels, the researchers are curious to find if any life could have survived on the barren planet without being noticed.

As of yet, the researchers have been unable to travel beyond two hundred meters from their initial drop site below the massive hole in the tunnels; in fact, they have spent very little time inside the caves themselves for fear of cave collapse. However, specialized droids have been deployed and will return with soil from further into the caves as well as night-vision recording of its findings. Structural analysis will continue in the days to come before researchers can actually determine whether or not the caves are safe to enter. “The real research is when you can put your hand in the dirt and sense what the planet’s been up to for a milenia- I can’t wait…” The crews will have to be underway within the next two weeks; however, as the blizzard season is fast approaching and research could be delayed by another seven planetary months if a strong entrance can not be developed into the cave system. In the meantime, the researchers will set up camp and await their droid reconnaissance teams. Slove grins as he adds- “Now all we have to do is figure out what the natives must have done for fun around here. I certainly hope it wasn’t becoming extinct.”

–T’si Ryder

Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide is a hardcover supplement to the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Roleplaying Game, written by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, John Jackson Miller, and Abel G. Peña.

Quote:

“Make the jump to lightspeed 4,000 years before the Battle of Yavin to a time when Jedi Knights and Sith Lords clashed in galactic conflict. This campaign guide offers both players and Gamemasters a wide array of new options that can be used to craft a unique roleplaying game experience. As the galaxy plunges into one war after another, the forces of the Republic, along with their Jedi allies, struggle to protect themselves from hordes of invading Mandalorians, tyrannical Sith lords, and traitorous allies on every front.

Featuring new game material drawn from a variety of sources, and including characters, weapons, vehicles, and droids, this book presents an entire campaign during violent days of the Old Republic. This book also contains new Force powers, Force techniques, and Force secrets for Jedi and Sith characters, as well as new options for characters of all classes. Players can take advantage of new talents, feats, and other options to play a Mandalorian neo-crusader, a Republic soldier battling against the forces of Darth Revan and Darth Malak, or a Jedi in exile on the run from the Sith.”

And unfortuanately that is about all the information I can gather for you at this time, but as soon as I can collect more details, you will be alerted immediately. You can check out the amazon.com listing for the book and advance order it here.

On a related note, Knights of the Old Republic Booster Pack for the Star Wars miniatures game will be released at about the same time (August 8, 2008) with 7 new figures per pack at $14.99 (USD) per pack, so keep an eye out for those as well!

In the last week, the Vast Empire Imperial Navy’s Star Fighter Squadrons have begun something new. A competition, titled Last Man Standing had begun. This competition involves three types of stories; Last Man Standing Stories, Squadron Stories, and Personal Stories. The Squadron Story is whatever story their squadron is currently in, counting for One and a Half Points. The Personal Story, a side story about a character or the adventure of characters, counts for one point. The Last Man Standing Story, so far the most interesting of the three story types, places the pilots in a non-winnable situation. In the situation;  while the pilots are out in space, with the First Vast Imperial Fleet, doing flight maneuvers they are interrupted by a massive New Republic Fleet that jumps in and gives no mercy attacking all Vast Empire Targets in the system. Both squadrons scramble to regroup and attempt to survive while they watch their fleet burn. Even the power of the Modified Super Star Destroyer ‘Atrus’ could not stand up to the power and numbers of the New Republic fleet, and floats in space disabled.

Each squadron has taken a different approach to survival. Viper Squadron, the “Captain’s Own” has been surviving while capital ships burn along side them. Now with the arrival of an Allied Carrack Cruiser, three of their fighters broke off and are attempting to defend the Atrus. While in Nazgul, the situation is a little different. They have been doing their story, but keeping track of friendly targets alive and dead, along with hostiles alive and dead.

As for the scoring area of this competition, it is a tough fight going back and fourth between which squadron is in the lead; sometimes even, it is close to ties. The current score, at the time of writing this article, is Ninety-Nine points for viper and seventy points for Nazgul. They are both very active in their stories, but with active members, come the exact opposite. Non-active member does also play a role in the story. Once a pilot is selected to be “killed” in the Last man-standing story, they have twenty-four hours to “write their death”. Once they are eliminated, they can only post on their squadron’s story and personal stories. Both squadrons have begun to take losses in pilots, but their resolve will keep them going in the competition. The rewards are too great to lose. The rewards for taking the win are what everyone has been waiting for. The chance to upgrade their fighter craft. From the junky, TIE fighter, to a newer fighter selected by the VEN-HC.

No date is set yet for when the competition ends, but also no definite winner can be determined. It will all come down to the last few points before the end.

Tell me if this sounds familiar.

You sit down in the computer for a few minutes, hoping to whip up a quick story post. Then an idea hits you. It’s vague at first, but it has a certain sparkle of possibility. You start constructing a post, becoming more convinced with every word that you’re onto something.

The feeling grows and grows until your fingers are flying across the keyboard. The words are flowing, and you’re saying exactly what you want to say, exactly the way you want to say it. You bring the post to a close with an ending that you can only describe as, “Perfect,” and then pause to read what you’ve written.

A smile spreads across your face. It’s clever, original… brilliant. You only hesitate for a second before posting it to the story. “I can’t wait to see what they say about that,” you think. You walk away from the computer, sure you’ve written a masterpiece.

A couple of hours pass and you come back to reread your post. As you scan through it, you feel a weight in the pit of your stomach. This post isn’t brilliant. It’s arrogant, disconnected, and desperate for attention.

“What was I thinking?” you ask yourself. And I’ll tell you: you weren’t thinking. You were drunk on your own words.

Master writers have long described good writing as hypnotic. It draws readers in, using its flow and rhythm to put people in a state of higher suggestibility, making it easier for you to sell them something.

It’s a dirty analogy, but it’s similar to getting them drunk. Each point you make is like pouring them another glass, slowly washing away their objections, tugging on their emotions, and leading them toward the sale without them even realizing it.

But it’s a two-way street.

When you’re writing, you can put yourself into the same state. Like a brewer drinking your own product, you can intoxicate yourself during the act of creation.

It’s happened to me plenty of times. Fortunately though, I’ve learned to recognize it and walk away before posting something foolish to a story here on the VE. And thus, here are a few warning signs that you should look for:

1) You Think the Post Is Brilliant

I’ve noticed that, whenever I finish a post and think it’s brilliant, there’s at least a 50% chance that it’s not. Frequently, it’s just pandering for attention, and I’ll regret posting it later.

2. You Think the Post Is Hilarious

Humor is dangerous. Not only do people have drastically different opinions on what’s funny, but there’s a fine line between making your readers laugh and offending them to a point where they lose interest and wander out.

The only way to know for sure is to run it by someone. Comedy writers work as a team for a reason. Sometimes, you’re being funny. Other times, you’re just being an ass. And more times than naught, its the later.

3. Your Heart Is Pounding

If your heart is pounding, then you’re definitely in some sort of heightened state, and it’s easy to move too fast. Whenever I drink lots of caffeine, for instance, my heartbeat and writing output both speed up, but the posts don’t make as much sense. Writing after watching a good movie or reading a powerful piece of writing can create the same effect.

4. You Can’t Wait to See How People React

Thoughts like, “I can’t wait to see what kinds of comments I get on IRC” and, “This should get some conversation going” are surefire indicators that you’ve written something risky. It could be bold, but it might just be brash.

5. Your Stomach Tightens up

Sometimes, you’re writing something that makes absolute sense, but you notice your stomach starting to tighten up. This is your subconscious trying to tell you that a part of you disagrees with what you are saying. Pay attention!

6. You Hesitate before Clicking “Post”

If your mouse hovers over the “Post” button, hesitating for a moment before putting it out for the world to see, then you’ve written something that you know is risky. You should probably hold off and figure out what’s bothering you about it. This is the most surefire method that something is wrong. If you can’t find anything, let someone else read over it by PMing it to them or something of the like.

There you have it, the possibilities that can make you think you have a brilliant post, while in actuality it may just be one that is barely decent, or worse.

Crisis on the moon of Endor 

——————————— 

The Ewoks located on the moon of Endor are at risk. Their trees are being cut down and the wood used by the republic for Vantansee furniture. 

The Big Sale on Vantansee products ends next week. For further information please contact your nearest store. 

The Ewoks are losing there homes. Some tribes are forced to live on ground level were they are eaten by larger woodland animals. How long must they endure this sort of treatment. when will the republic lumberjacks be stopped? Unless something is done the Ewoks face extinction. 

For only ten Republic Credits a month you can help save these Ewoks. For a further Ten credits we will send you some footage of the crisis. 

For another ten credits we will send you some more footage of Ewoks falling out of there homes in the trees. Funny stuff….. You can prevent this from happening. Just send your name and first payment to the newly founded PACE (Protection Against the Cruelty to Ewoks). 

 

When we questioned to there spokesman, here’s what he had to say. 

“The Ewoks can’t defend themselves. All they have against those machines are twigs and sticks. How can you look at them being cut from their trees and laugh?” 

We were able to answer this question with a vote from the public. The favored answer was, “Sit back, grab some popcorn and laugh,” with 86 percent of the voters choosing this answer. 

5 percent said they recorded it and watched it over and over. 

And 9 percent said they thought it was horrible and were going to take action. 

Also the new PACE is now supported by the Vast Empire. It seems the planet does not only provide vast amounts of wood but other resources. Apparently the removing of these resources is also harming the Ewoks. Should they be stopped that would be one less source of materials for the Republic. Of course we can’t be sure but it seems the most logical reason for their support of the PACE…. right?                                                                               

                                                                                    [Message Ends Abruptly]

 

                                             [We are suffering]

                                             [Thecnical difficulties..]

                                              [em… Everythings ok]