In Star Wars, the Imperials get a bum rap.
There. I said it. Oh, sure, the Empire was founded on evil principles, but Emperor Palpatine manipulated the fears, hopes, and ambitions of otherwise good people to help him construct and run the bureaucracy that controlled the galaxy. And yes, there were some actual bad guys within the Imperial system (Grand Moff Tarkin comes to mind, among others). But a government that is overtly evil can’t sustain itself. You can’t oppress the very people who are keeping the machinery running.
That means there must have been quite a number of good people working for—and with—the Empire, for a variety of good reasons. I’m sure there was a large faction who fully supported the law and order (if not justice) the Empire brought to a dangerous galaxy. Who doesn’t yearn for their loved ones’ safety and security?
Likewise, a career with the Empire was a path to a better life for many from underdeveloped or impoverished worlds. Even Luke Skywalker himself at one time hoped to leave Tatooine to follow his friends Biggs and Tank to the Imperial Academy. And the military wasn’t the only option for gainful employment. Consider the number of support personnel, contractors, vendors, bureaucrats, politicians, and diplomats required to keep the wheels of a galactic government turning. The Empire was a going concern, and there were credits to be made.
No doubt there were many who, due to circumstances in their lives, fully supported the methods and objectives of the Empire as an improvement over the bloated Republic that it replaced. One needn’t look far to see that in our own world there are those who will happily sacrifice certain freedoms for security, personal gain, or even convenience.
This fall, Dark Horse is launching two series which are told unapologetically from the perspectives of Imperials. As you read these words, the first issue of Crimson Empire III: Empire Lost is already on sale. Writer Mike Richardson and artist Paul Gulacy bring one of the great antiheroes of Star Wars back to comics as they continue the adventures of Kir Kanos, the last surviving member of Palpatine’s Royal Guard. Forever a man caught in the middle, Kanos must reconcile his desire to fulfill his oath of vengeance against those he blames for the death of his emperor—Luke Skywalker and friends—with his hatred of other Imperials who he feels have corrupted Palpatine’s vision of empire. A dozen years have passed since readers last saw Kanos in action, and this story will not disappoint!
While Kir Kanos may be a man without an empire, Jahan Cross is right in the thick of it. Cross is the quintessential “good Imperial” and the star of the new series Agent of the Empire, by John Ostrander, Stéphane Roux, and Julien Hugonnard-Bert. With his story set prior to the events in A New Hope, Cross’s adversaries are pirates and other criminals—including corrupt Imperials who would manipulate the system for their own gain. And in these days before the Rebellion, Cross even maintains a working relationship with a certain well-known smuggler and his Wookiee copilot.
So, if you’re one who’s inclined to view the political structure in Star Wars as strictly black and white, I urge you to check out one or both of these series and take a walk on the Imperial side. You just might find yourself taking your first step into a larger world . . .
Randy Stradley