The Rise of the Empire: Technology & Equipment
by Andrew Liptak, June 21, 2003

 

Ever since the prequel trilogy began, one of the crucial things that had to be done was to bridge the gap in between THE PHANTOM MENACE and A NEW HOPE.

In THE PHANTOM MENACE, there were little similarities between the so-called Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy. There were Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Senator Palpatine, Coruscant and Tatooine, but nothing that really showed elements from A NEW HOPE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI.

ATTACK OF THE CLONES changed all that.

The name Fett, a hologram of the ultimate weapon and the Republic Symbol. Or, precursors to the Imperial storm trooper, Imperial Star Destroyer, Boba Fett, the Death Star, and the Imperial Symbol. The Empire was beginning to rise.

Similarities between the Prequel and Original Trilogies are also seen in much of the coming Expanded Universe (EU) media. Games like REPUBLIC COMMANDO and reading material like the Holonet News also show some of the bridging the gap between the two trilogies.

 

Clone Troopers to Storm Troopers & the Fetts

During the events of ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Obi-Wan Kenobi found a planet called Kamino, home to a group of cloners. They had been contacted to create the Grand Army of the Republic, the clone troopers. It should be noticed that these clone troopers wore armor that was very similar to that of a storm trooper's. They both have white armor that covers their bodies, armor that looks almost identical to that of a storm trooper's, with a couple differences. The helmets are different, and share similarities with that of Jango Fett's helmet.

Jango Fett is nearly identical to the fan favorite Boba Fett. Completely identical. As explained in ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Boba Fett is an unaltered clone of the original Fett, who was the template for the rest of the clone army. The armor is painted differently, but Boba even pilots the same ship.

These are the first sets of similarities bridging the gap.

Another set comes from the EU. In the upcoming computer game REPUBLIC COMMANDO, we are treated to some screen shots of a group of troopers now called commando troopers. These soldiers are the next step in between the clone troopers and the storm troopers, mainly in their helmets. Unlike clone trooper helmets, the fin in the back of the helmet is gone, the front and sides have bulged out a bit, becoming more and more like that of a storm trooper helmet, while retaining the T-visor of a clone trooper's.

As for the final stages, it has been confirmed that we will see new trooper designs in the next film.

 

The Star Destroyer and the Republic Assault Cruiser

One of the things that many fans will take away from A NEW HOPE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI is the massive starships that dominate the screen for several seconds. One of the most impressive moments in A NEW HOPE is the opening scene in which the Imperial Star Destroyer occupies the view for what seems like an eternity.

There were two links to this feature in the original trilogy. The first and most obvious is the Republic Assault Cruiser, which is seen in the last minutes of ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Both ships have the same general triangular shape, and an upper bridge.

These two ships differ in function though. The Assault Cruiser is a heavily armed transport that can carry thousands of soldiers and ground vehicles, but is not armed enough for direct ship to ship combat. This is where the Star Destroyer comes into play. An Imperial Star Destroyer (ISD) has three functions: planetary bombardment, planetary defense and ship-to-ship combat. The Assault Cruiser, while it can hold it's own against other ships, is not designed for combat.

The EU link between the two ships is the Victory Star Destroyer, which is the predecessor to the ISD and a possible successor to the Assault Cruiser. Undoubtedly, the Assault Cruiser's design appealed enough to the designers to repeat aspects of the designs. Again, it is also possible that we will see another design in the next movie.

 

The Death Star and Composite Beam Weapons

Another one of the most impressive vehicles in the Star Wars trilogy was the Death Star, a weapon the size of a moon. "That's no moon," as Obi-Wan correctly stated.

Fans were once again treated to a 'prequel' look at one of the elements in the later trilogy, the Death Star as a hologram, with some small changes. In the hologram, the Death Star had several towers coming off of it, something that the first Death Star didn't have. This might be due to technology advancements in the years to come.

The Death Star uses several smaller lasers to create one, highly destructive beam. This feature is also seen on another ATTACK OF THE CLONES ship, the LAAT/I Republic Gunship. On each side, there is a small gun pod, manned by a clone trooper. This gun pod also uses a composite beam system, making the spherical gun pod a cameo for the upcoming Death Star.

 

The Symbol of the Galaxy

Last but not least, many of the vehicles in ATTACK OF THE CLONES have a familiar symbol painted on their sides, the Republic Symbol, which was later the Imperial Symbol. A round gear looking thing, Chancellor Palpatine himself adapted this symbol. It began as an emblem for an alien race, signifying peace. The leader of the Republic found this image and added several spokes to it, destroying it's significance, according to some. This symbol was found on the Jedi Starfighters and on the clone army vehicles. Later on, it was found on Imperial TIE Fighters. It would move from a symbol of stability to one of domination.

 

TIE Fighters

While not found in the movie, the basis for the TIE fighter came around shortly before the events of ATTACK OF THE CLONES. In the years to come, the TIE Fighter would prove to become a superior starfighter, both fast and powerful. In great numbers, these fighters would overwhelm an enemy and destroy them.

It was shortly before the Battle of Geonosis that Siener Industries, which would later produce the fighter, announced the creation of a new class of fighter engine, the Twin Ion Engine.

In the same article, it was mentioned that any fighter that was built around a Twin Ion Engine would be limited. Shields, hyperdrive generators and life support would make the fighter prohibitory expensive and would cut down on the fighter's speed and handling, but it is unlikely that this will stop the designers from producing the fighter.

---