Requirements to Join the Clan Alvaak: Having been the First HeadMaster of the Dark Jedi Shadow Academy and a Master of the Dark Side of the Force, the Grand Admiral has begun personal tutelage of several Dark Jedi Apprentices and younger Dark Jedi. In fact, Ronin prefers new pupils with no previous training in the Force that will require 'unlearning' prior to their training in the Dark Side. Consequently, the ONLY requirement to join the Clan Alvaak is Membership in the Dark Brotherhood SubGroup of the Emperor's Hammer. However. Clansmen warriors should realize that they represent the finest of the Emperor's Hammer and the Grand Admiral himself. Thus, the highest ethical and moral standards regarding activity and online conduct are required (i.e. follow the EH Bylaws to the letter). You will become personal protectors of the Fleet Commander and Aurora Prime and your names will be recorded in the history of the Fleet. Those that can not meet these requirements will be summarily 'terminated' by the ProConsul's Lightsaber...personally...:)

Dark Jedi Brotherhood Houses: House Tarentum

Roll of the Alvaak Clansmen Jedi (As of April 9, 1997)
jeremyj@winternet.com
tiggersd@earthlink.net
misner@teleport.com
shotgun@cybernex.net
megatron@webspan.net
darkmantok@aol.com
mattlee@labyrinth.net.au

The Alvaak Clan has contributed many fine fighter pilots and command officers to the ranks of the Imperial Navy and has exhibited a strong and loyal military tradition, even during the days of the Old Republic. The family tree of the Alvaak Clan can reportedly be traced back 538 generations. One of the more notable, recent examples of the combat ability and tenacity of the Alvaak Clan spirit was during the Kanz Disorders back in the time of the Old Republic. The Lorrdians, the human inhabitants of Lorrd, developed a form of silent communication consisting of facial gestures and 'kinetic communication' while under the yoke of wrongful slavery. The Alvaaks, having endangered emissaries and merchant guild houses on Lorrd, were the first of the Old Republic forces to respond. A handful of Clansmen Jedi, a precious commodity within the Clan, armed with their distinctive, lengthened purple-hued LightSabers and nimble starfighters, held the Lorrdians' captors at bay for 3 days while a Republic Planetary Suppression Fleet made way for the system. This holding action allowed the Republic to capture the slavers almost to a man.

The Alvaaks demonstrated their tactical and strategic prowess often in Fleet and personal level engagements. The Clone Wars saw the Clan engaged in dozens of bloody, drawn-out planetary assaults with Alvaak troopers and scouts perishing by the thousands in battles against the inhuman clone warriors. Hundreds of planetary 'drops' and mechanized engagements galvanized the standards for ground combat tactics for years to come. A common site in the Senate Hall on Coruscant was an Alvaak noble, commander, Jedi or warrior receiving a medal or honor as the Clansmen won every engagement in which they participated, despite their own casualties.

Lord Krenn Alvaak, the adoptive father of Stephan Ronin, took command of the Clan Alvaak when his father, Lord Gerulius Alvaak died during a cruiser engagement over the Planet Tammuz-an while fighting Lord Toda during the early days of the Empire. When Senator Palpatine was named President of the Republic Senate and the euphoria over Palpatine's New Order was winning over the hearts and minds of Republic Citizens, Clan Alvaak was at the side of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. The Jedi Purges, occurring beneath the watchful gaze of the Imperial Senate, were sweeping the newly formed Empire of this ancient religion. With ever-increasing expansion of the Empire, proliferation of new technologies, promises of a New Order in the chaos that was the corrupt Old Republic, Imperial Citizens were enjoying prosperity never before seen. Thus, they cared little for the Jedi, ancient symbols of a corrupt galactic government. Clan Alvaak enjoyed a major resurgence in popularity, wealth, prestige, power and unprecedented mercantile contracts in the new Imperial Court on Coruscant. It is said that Lord Krenn Alvaak had the ear of not only Vader, but Palpatine as well. There are even rumors that the noble Clan Lord, Krenn, and the Emperor made plans for Ronin's future destiny, years before he would enter the Imperial Academy on Coruscant.

As a child, Ronin remembers Vader visiting Corellia and the Great Clan Hall. Lord Vader and Krenn would often spar with their Lightsabers and study the ways of the Dark Side. Following Vader's fateful battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi, he longed for a partner other than the reclusive and often pre-occupied Palpatine. A fellow Jedi and Dark Side Jedi, Krenn eagerly filled the role. Although never instructed personally by Vader, Stephan was personally tutored by his father in the mystical ways of the Dark Side of the Force. In fact, Krenn Alvaak had, unbeknownst to Vader and Palpatine, created a small cadre of Jedi Adepts and Knights to help defend future Clan interests. Krenn simply referred to these elite warriors as the "Clansmen". Their distinctive, overly-long, purple-hued Lightsabers were a sight to behold, modeled after an early design of the ancient Jedi weapon from the early days of the Old Republic. Prior to entering the Imperial Academy, Ronin and dozens of other lesser, Force-capable noble Clansmen were sparring and competing with these Dark Jedi, learning their weapons and ways.

Current History

The still young Stephan Ronin took command of the Clan "In Absentia"when his father, Krenn Alvaak, perished during the Battle of Yavin while aboard the first Deathstar. He had been requested to come aboard for a series of personal demonstrations and meetings with the new Grand Moff Tarkin. Eagerly seizing the opportunity to gain some insight as to the mind of the Emperor following the dissolution of the Imperial Senate and perhaps a few lucrative military supply contracts, Krenn Alvaak rushed to his own doom. Ronin received word of his adoptive father's demise just prior to his first assignment aboard the FRG Inamo. Crushed at hearing of the death of his father, Ronin immediately notified the Clan ProConsul to begin preparations to move the Clan Hall to the Outer Rim and await his orders. It took 6 years for Ronin to be named a Grand Admiral and have the personal resources to move the entire Clan Hall to the Outer Rim from the Inner Core.

With the Emperor's Hammer resurging in the Outer Rim Territories and Ronin's adoption of Aurora Prime in the Aurora home system (please see the EH Systems Manual) as his new capital, the Clan system of Dark Jedi government has been reinstated. Thus, GA Ronin, has called for the Clan Crest to be moved to Aurora Prime in his new Palace in New Imperial City. Since the Rebellion victories at Yavin and Endor, Clan Alvaak had spread its once immense resources to various hidden systems throughout the Inner and Outer Core. Although fragmented, the Clansmen Dark Jedi clamor for the chance to strike at their former enemies, the New Republic. Hundreds of engineers, artists, politicians, nobles, warriors, pilots, Dark Jedi and others have heard the call and have already begun the arduous journey to the hidden star system via passage with various smugglers and free traders. The Clan Hall is nearing its final stages of construction on Aurora Prime. Although suspected to be a native of Sif, which Ronin holds dear to his heart as his birthworld, Aurora Prime more suits his purposes for the Fleet.

Dark Jedi Clansmen

An Alvaak Clansmen Dark Jedi...

The Dark Jedi Clansmen of Clan Alvaak are among the best trained and most loyal of all Dark Jedi in the Emperor's Hammer Territories. Their skills in battle and prowess in the Dark Side of the Force have been feared for centuries throughout the Old Republic and the early days of the Empire. During Palpatine's Jedi Purges in the early days of the Empire (~18 years before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope), the Clansmen Dark Jedi went underground, fearing Palpatine would have had them executed out of fear they would one day challenge Lord Vader's power. Although most of the Clansmen on other Imperial worlds were eventually caught and executed by the then young Anakin Skywalker turned Sith Lord, several survived the Jedi Purges. Ronin's father, grandfather and now Ronin were among the survivors who saw the outcome of the Galactic Civil War with the Rebel Alliance. Ronin has sworn to reactivate the Clan and has called for the Crest Of the Clan to be moved to Aurora Prime, his new capital planet.

As former First Headmaster of tthe Dark Jedi Shadow Academy, Ronin has transferred several instructors from all three Orders of the Dark Brotherhood (Sith, Krath and Obelisk) to the Clan Hall on Aurora Prime. The Clan Alvaak Hall has been constructed underground adjacent near the Fleet Commander's Palace. Almost daily can be heard lightsaber duels and arcance instructions into the Dark Side of the Force. Due to the isolated location of the Hall and the abundant life in the jungles of Laconica, this locale provides an excellent and undisturbed training area for Dark Jedi.
LightSabers

The following "canon" description of the Star Wars(tm) LightSaber was excerpted from A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Bill Slaviscek, Del Rey Books, 1994, pp. 279-280:

"The lightsaber is the elegant weapon of the Jedi Knights. These power swords project blades of pure energy capable of cutting through most materials-except the blade of another lightsaber. The design seems simple from the outside: a handgrip with several switches ends in a mirror-like, concave metal disk. Inside the handgrip, power cells and variously shaped crystals are activated to produce the narrow beam of meter-long light that gives the lightsaber its name. When activated, a lightsaber hums with power. Considered archaic when compared to blasters and other modern weapons, lightsabers are nonetheless impressive and powerful personal weapons that require extensive training to use effectively. Tradition dictates that lightsabers be constructed by their Jedi owners as part of the knighthood training.

The lightsaber is a compact technological wonder built into a handle from twenty-four to thirty centimeters long. A single power cell produces a tremendous charge of energy which flows through a series of multifaceted jewels within the handle's interior. The jewels focus the energy into a tight beam that can be emitted from the concave disk atop the handle. Sabers with a single jewel have a fixed amplitude and blade length. Those with multiple jewels (usually no more than three) can alter their amplitude and change the length of the light blade. This is accomplished by rotating an exterior control that varies the distance between the jewels. The emitted beam arcs back from its positively charged continuous energy lens to a negatively charged high-energy flux aperture set in the disk atop the handle. The power amplitude determines the point at which the beam arcs back, setting the blade's length. The lightsaber's blade emits no heat, though it does fluoresce."

The lengthened Alvaak Clansmen Lightsaber

The Alvaak Dark Jedi Clansmen Lightsaber is based on an ancient design used in the days of the Sith and the Krath. This designs differs mostly in the length of the handle and the blade. The handles typically measure 33-35 centimeters and the blades can extend to as much as 1.3-1.4 meters (approximately 5 feet)! This is achieved through the use of boosted powercells and a total of FIVE focusing crystals of the highest quality. Although the length of the blade is fixed during its construction, the additional crystals are required to maintain the unusually lengthened amplitude. Due to the use of additional crystals and to make the Alvaak Lightsabers recognizable in battle, each has been modified to flouresce a disctinctive, purple-hued color. There are tales of horror spun by survivors of battles with the Alvaak Clansmen wielding these monstrous lightsabers. With intensive and unusually long training, the Clansmen have learned to wield these effective and deadly weapons with the utmost precision. Dark Jedi Clansmen do not receive their Lightsaber until they have reached the Rank of Dark Jedi Knight in the EH Dark Brotherhood.

General Reason Why: Wide variety of weapons, High speed capability, Very Maneuverable

EH Ships
A-9b Vigilance Interceptor 90%
Phalanx Assault Gunboat 2%
Tie Guardian 2%
Tie Protector 2%
Spectre Missile Boat 1%
Tie Dragon 1%
Tie Phantom 1%
Scimitar Assault Bomber 1%


Winner: A-9b Vigilance Interceptor
General Reason Why: Powerful, Speed and weapons

While I didn't run into Chewie, exchange pleasantries with Darth, or witness any heavy petting between Han and Leia during a recent visit to George's fabled Ranch, I'm happy to say I did see and play some of next year's biggest and baddest games. Well, it wasn't really the Ranch; I didn't sit down to a nice lunch at George's palatial spread nestled in some of the few undeveloped Marin hills. Instead, I checked in at a concrete monstrosity off the northern reaches of the crowded California interstate known as 101. Here, residing on several floors, Mr. Lucas' dedicated crew at LucasArts is churning out three hugely anticipated Star Wars games and a spaghetti western to make Sergio Leone proud. To get the real details on LucasArts' new multiplayer combat simulator X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter; its true-3D, first-person action/adventure Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II; its meaty Star Wars strategy game Rebellion; and its artful, first-person shooter Outlaws, I went right to the source and got the story from the horse's mouth. Not surprisingly, the hype about all four games is not unfounded.

Even with arguably the biggest license in the universe, LucasArts is not resting on its laurels. All three Star Wars games are ahead of the curve, incorporating the latest in 3D graphics, Internet gameplay, and hot design features. And while Outlaws' first-person engine is not state-of-the-art, its beautiful animation and attention to story stands to forever alter people's expectations about first-person shooters.

X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter

We are standing in the cavernous lower reaches of the LucasArts compound as the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter tech lead bangs away at an early version of the game to show off the game's improved graphics and blazing frame rate. I pepper Larry Holland, president of Totally Games (which has designed all of LucasArts' Star Wars simulators), with questions. On the top of my list is the TCP/IP question. Happily, Holland confirms that X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter will in fact support TCP/IP confrontations between the Rebels and the Empire, as well as the original LAN and modem play. Holland claims that a four-player cooperative or competitive Internet game will run smoothly over your 28.8-kbps connection. Even better, you won't have to wait for inspired players to create modifications to add needed variety. X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter isn't just about joining a chaotic round of melee without any order. From the get-go, an assortment of different missions and play modes will be built in. While you'll be able to blow the crap out of the Dark Side or the fledgling Rebel Cause in many of the game's 60 missions (20 of which are single player), two-thirds of the missions will be cooperative combat engagements, each with its own interesting strategic objectives and combat roles.

Rebellion

After covering what I thought was most of LucasArts' floor plan to see X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and Jedi Knight, upstairs in yet another voluminous quarter filled with endless partitioned cubes, I sat down with Tom Byron, the product marketing manager, to take a look at LucasArts' latest Star Wars strategy effort, Rebellion. As he quickly closed a fantasy football Web page and fired up an alpha version of Rebellion, one misconception was quickly put to rest. Sorry, real-time combat fans: Rebellion is not Star Wars meets Warcraft and C&C, designed to compete with the likes of Dominion, Dark Reign, or Star Control. Rather, as Byron puts it, "Rebellion is a strategy game in real-time." Don't stop reading! Rebellion is not just trying to keep up with the prevailing breezes; it's aimed at expanding the Star Wars franchise into virgin territory. Mixing tactical combat with a unique game of planetary management, Byron says Rebellion "works because of the vastness of the whole [Star Wars] universe." The game begins after the destruction of the first Death Star, at a time when Rebel confidence is high, and the Empire hopes to cut its losses and reassert its dominance. Offering the chance to play as the Empire or the Alliance, and for the first time, incorporating multiple characters from the films, Rebellion presents three strategic goals per side. Explore the Star Wars galaxy, secure planetary bases, and deploy various military, diplomatic, and espionage missions to achieve the objective. As the Empire, capture Luke and the diplomat Mon Mothma and destroy the rebel headquarters. As the Rebels, seize Darth Vader and the Emperor Palpatine and overthrow the Imperial seat at Coruscant. Unlike Master of Orion II, no matter how few planets you own, victory is achieved when these goals are met.

"A lot of the strategy in Rebellion is building planet loyalty," says Byron. To build up planet loyalty and recruit new planets, the game features 55 different authentic Star Wars characters from the saga's various films, books, and comics. These varied players, ranging from the heavyweights like Luke and Darth to lesser known smugglers, bounty hunters, and galactic nomads, all have different strengths that make them more appropriate for particular tasks.

"A lot of the gameplay is setting up missions," says Byron. "The chosen character's ability is going to determine the outcome." If you are forced to take a planet militarily, make Darth Vader your leader; his force power will automatically strengthen the fleet. If it's a neutral rim planet, send one of your side's shrewd diplomats or stealthy spies. Also, if an opposing character is causing you particular problems, send a more powerful envoy to seduce him to the other side of the force. That's right, the force plays an integral part in the game. According to Byron, "Characters are linked spiritually." On one hand, characters strong in the force will have a positive impact on achieving objectives. On the other hand, they can also be an uncontrollable liability. If you accidentally move Luke and Darth near each other, they'll drop their important mission and confront each other for better or worse. This is especially important to remember in the early stages of the game, since Luke's control of the force increases as the game progresses. An unseasoned Luke is no match for his father. Other force relationships apply to the game's 55 characters. Of course, Han will ditch his duties and fire up the Millennium Falcon to rescue Leia the minute she is in trouble.

Beyond micromanaging your planets' loyalty and infrastructure, including mining resources and manufacturing new fleets and toys, Rebellion's other important component is its real-time tactical combat. While not turn-based, Rebellion's combat interface is still not the action gamer's ideal. Unlike Star Control's Hyper Melee combat, engagements in Rebellion seem most appropriate for the more seasoned strategist who enjoys the Xs and Os of war gaming, not the thrill of the fight. For those who like watching how enemy ship relationships play themselves out, it's a win. But don't fret: with such promising character interaction and mission play, you could easily automate the combat and still love this game. Byron says it best: "Because it's a Star Wars game, you need to make it accessible to the Star Wars fan." Expect it next spring with modem play. Real-time."

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

To put it simply, LucasArts' upcoming first-person blastfest marries the imaginative and beloved Star Wars universe with the fast and furious 3D gameplay of Quake. "We took [Dark Forces'] whole engine and made it a true-3D engine," says Brett Tosti, product manager of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. No longer will you be limited to looking straight ahead or up and down through various keyboard gymnastics as Kyle Katarn. Like Quake and SkyNet, you once again use the powerful combination of the mouse and keyboard to achieve lightning-fast changes of direction with a 360-degree field of vision. Controlling the touchy mouse takes some getting used to, but once mastered, keyboard control will seem like something from the Dark Ages. And since the 3D engine forces you to actually aim, the mouse is critical to making subtle changes in targeting. Beyond improving the game's playability and realism, Jedi Knight's 3D engine also ups the graphics. Play Kyle from a first- or a third-person view, and he is a full-3D model, walking and running in true human fashion. Likewise, your enemies (the usual collection of Stormtroopers, bizarre Imperial alien scum, and new dark Jedi Knights), are full-3D polygon characters. Moreover, Tosti claims that you will battle plenty of other large 3D objects, including two-legged walkers. Finally, despite the difficulty of rendering wide-open 3D spaces, Jedi Knight will have dank, dark interiors with real-time light effects and voluminous exteriors reminiscent of the original.

Battle seven dark Jedi Knights through various stages of the game and stop their malignant quest to take control of an ancient Jedi burial ground. The dark knights will be seriously tough and similar to final bosses. Waste the boss's henchmen, figure out the maze, and then capture or destroy the head honcho. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not exactly. Just like the original, which upped the ante in terms of adding some tricky puzzlers, Jedi Knight has some new twists of its own. "Each enemy character will have its own specific AI," says Tosti. Also, not unlike an RPG, Jedi Knight incorporates experience points, which effect your force power. "You gain experience as you become a Jedi," says Tosti. "You become more proficient as you gain more experience." Appropriately, Kyle doesn't start as a Jedi right off the bat. While there are no late-night meetings with Yoda, he gains better control of the force by battling through the game. As experience gets higher, the level of force power will increase and provide you with an array of cool force powers, such as persuasion or invisibility. Tosti is keeping these final force powers under wraps, but adds, "A lot of the game takes its cue from the movies." Hmm, Jedi mind tricks?

Cline did reveal one gameplay innovation. Saving at every opportunity will detract from the amount of experience points and force powers awarded. Also, combat proficiency with the game's ten weapons, including thermal detonators, new rail guns (which fire explosives that stick to their victims), and the quintessential Star Wars weapon, the light saber, won't improve as rapidly. Save all the time, and you may not be able to go Luke-style and block those incoming laser blasts with your saber. Use the force next fall.

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