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Welcome
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Roderick Vonhögen's
Virtual Edition
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| February 2009 |
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Barrola the Great, and the Imperial Occupation of Kessel
20th February 2009 |
| A few years have passed since Luke Skywalker triumphantly retook the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant for his new Order of Jedi Knights. Emperor Mas Amedda and his aide Sly Moore, revealed to be Sith Lords, fled the Imperial Palace, allowing the political leader of the Galactic Alliance Mon Mothma to take up official residence within the Senate Rotunda. |
| The infamous spice-mining world of Kessel falls under the Hutt jurisdiction, and is both the haunt of many a smuggler as well as often the final destination for unlucky droids. The spice is harvested and processed on the rocky planet, then shipped out illegally - endeavouring to evade the ever-present token imperial blockade - to Nal Hutta, where certain economic transactions make it a valuable commodity not only in the Outer Rim, but right across the galaxy. |
| Following the demise of Emperor Palpatine and the ascendancy of Emperor Amedda, the Imperials, led by the merciless Commander Kane, forcibly took control of the world for their own gain. The combination of the unique spice and Dr. Bloodory's twisted genius meant that a dociling mind-control gas could be produced, which in turn could threaten the freedom of the entire galaxy ! |
| The incumbent Hutt at Kessel Castle is the opportunistic Weesla the Hutt. This worm sees the chance to curry favour with the stronger and formidable Imperial Empire, and thinks that by allying himself with Commander Kane, their promise of attaining the Great Throne of Nal Hutta as reward for his new-found loyalty will be borne out. |
| However, Weesla soon comes to discover that having a new and seemingly powerful ally does not necessarily mean one will be treated equally ! Kane has his own agenda, and merely entertains Weesla for his benefit alone. The commander takes delight in using the opportunity to tighten the screws against Barrola the Great, and set the Hutt Lord further against his new pawn. |
| In this scene, Kane ridicules the remote and defenceless Barrola who has allowed a band of Galactic Alliance "rebels" to escape Nal Hutta with the suspicion of Imperial involvement in Hutt affairs. The commander cleverly forces Weesla into a corner by pre-instructing him to give the order for the execution of a Huttlet. |
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| Much later, Luke Skywalker, Alana Seren, and See-Threepio, have revealed to Mon Mothma the Imperial plot to unleash a plague of doom upon the galaxy. She opens a secure comm channel to Nal Hutta, and speaks directly with Barrola the Great. The leader of the Galactic Alliance confirms the Imperial plot to the Hutt Lord, and promises that once her navy has cleared the Imperial presence on Kessel, it will stand aside to allow the Hutts to resume their sovereignty. The Hutt Lord is impressed with Mothma's offer... and grudgingly gives his thanks to the Jedi Master Skywalker for his help and honesty when they last met at his palace. |
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| This new artwork can be seen in the 'Kessel' gallery and the 'Coruscant' gallery. |
| Discuss the VE artwork in the forum here ! |
| Over the Easter Weekend in April, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir will perform a Lucasfilm arranged concert of Star Wars music at the O2 Arena, set to film clips and narration, with an accompanying exhibition of artwork, models, props, and costumes. John Williams himself is said to have re-arranged his scores for the two hour performance. A very comprehensive preview of what to expect can be found in this U.S. 'Rolling Stone' magazine article here. My wife and I have purchased tickets, and we're looking forward to the show ! The cautious critic in me wonders how twelve hours of music can be condensed down to two... and also wonders whether or not the show will simply be a live rendition of cd 2 of the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack album, where Ian McDiarmid narrated the Saga against a backdrop of scenes and set to Williams' music. However, we are looking forward to it, and I'll report back here ! |
| Nathaniel Reed, 20th February 2009 |
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