Kodan Black

One of the benefits to being of a higher rank is that when I put in for time off, it generally gets rubber stamped. Things had been hectic lately and I wanted a few days to just clear my head and break from routine. For many, perhaps most, in the Empire that would mean either some resort planet or finding a bar. I understood the bar route, sometimes you just needed a break and drinks provided that. However, once the drinks are gone your problems and the things you were trying to forget are still there and you just have a lighter wallet to show for it. I preferred to find secluded spots where there wasn't a lot of noise and crowds. When I listed where I was going the clerk seemed surprised. "There is nothing out that way." he offered. "Exactly." I smiled as I replied. He nodded and clearly understood -- at least as much as he could. Being part of such a large organization as the Empire you rarely are alone. Even time off felt like you were being watched as you had to keep your location known in case they needed to find you for some reason. I'd become accustomed to it by now, but there was a certain allure to being far enough away that they wouldn't easily pull you back. And if they did, it likely meant something large I'd rather be involved with early on instead of trying to do clean up later. Nar Eurbrikka had a spot I had found that wasn't too far from a major city, so I wouldn't spend days getting to it. I took a shuttle down to the surface and then used a high speed transport stop to get me even closer to the Sha'emenor Well of Souls. It wasn't a hot tourist spot since it lacked the flash people are so used to. There were no holovids or interactive games. The walk from the transport stop was about a mile and I found that the noise level dropped off as I got closer. I'd brought a data pad just in case and had some light supplies. Always be prepared. The Well of Souls was supposedly where the souls of the Sha'ek religion practitioners went after they passed away. It was a sort of temple that was considered a very sacred place and had the guardian statue out front of Amenkanor -- Protector of Souls. Supposedly he guided your soul to the temple where it was given eternal peace. The sacred tree at the back of the temple was supposed to date back hundreds of years. The grounds were immaculately maintained by the monks who lived nearby and were selected to have the honor of maintaining the temple. Generally the monks kept to themselves, though they weren't forbidden from speaking. Given that I was here for the quiet I certainly didn't feel any need to strike up a conversation. The building itself was good sized and very sturdy. It was all laid by human hand, no droids as they were forbidden as part of the religion. The lack of a soul in a humanoid shape was seen as evil. I spent time just appreciating the simplicity and thinking about my past and future. I wasn't one of those who thought the Empire could do no wrong and I'd recently interacted with enough Rebels to know they weren't the "bad guys". I knew plenty of good people in the Empire, guys who wanted order and structure. They liked that under the Empire there was water and power reliably available and hopefully an end to fighting. It wasn't an easy question of whether the peace and stability was worth giving up some rights and freedoms -- and for now I knew it was my job to enforce the laws. This place was being left alone on a planet that didn't see much fighting. I doubt they would elect to remove the Empire presence and invite in the unknown and potential for chaos. Our operation with the Rebels proved we could unite to fight a foe like Xizor. There was a lot of distrust on both sides and we all knew it was a temporary accord. But maybe it could happen again and both sides could see the human instead of the Rebellion or the Empire. My upcoming promotion to the Imperial Department of Military Research would be interesting. Perhaps I could slowly move the needle to a less combative approach to Rebels. More likely though I'd find myself under suspicion by my comrades for my lack of zeal in the Empire group-think that seems to have gripped our highest commanders. Tree: Statue: All the pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/47762136@N04/shares/6a3ka7 Please Judge and all comments and critiques are welcome!

Excellent... I wasn't entirely sure but from a couple photos it looked like that is what was going on. Believe me I checked the various angles that you had up on Flickr.

I've been watching this on Flickr with a lot of interest. Can you please post up more shots of the doors on the front? There were some other pics on your Flickr that made it seem like they roll down from the top and swing out and I was very curious what you had done there if so. I like the big cargo pod idea, it seems very practical and would allow them to move larger items or onload/offload quicker. And the interior seems really well set up for a couple. Love the shaping of the cockpit with the big side pieces and the various greeble bits underneath. Nice to see your take on something SW since I've always enjoyed your scifi/AG stuff.

Really gritty feel with sooooo many awesome details. All the piping and electrical connections, etc. really stand out. Both the characters selected and their posing also strongly enhances the whole vibe.

I like it, you've adapted it really well to the purpose. The addition of the TIE panels is nice and fits in with their needs well. The only part that seems a bit weird is the blue fins at the back, there isn't really much of that color anywhere else so I probably would have gone with the same ones you used around the cockpit. It has a nice smooth overall look to it, but then in the closeup shots you can see the detailing and greebles. A good take on the subject matter.

I like the aggressive shape! It looks like you dropped the radar dish, is the greebling on top of the cockpit the replacement? One thing I did notice that might be a practical concern is that it looks like perhaps the docking collars on the side won't really work anymore due to the protrusion of the engines right behind? Did you do an interior? I'm curious how the layout is with the typical circle shape being only 2/3 usual size, but with the added rear space by the engines.

Really well done. Never one of my favorite ships from SW, but seeing your rendition it is easily the best version I've seen. Even the underside is really nice. I think you captured the light and fast feel of the movie ship really well.

I like the shape! Unique and yet recognizable. I like that you picked Sand Green as it isn't too bright, but I wonder if maybe making there a bit more where you did use it might make it stand out a touch more without being overwhelming. Like instead of a 1x4 to use 2 and have it be 2x4. I like the cool shaping on the radar dish! And it looks like you gave it a full interior too, always a nice touch. The treads behind the cockpit are also a nice look. Is anyone worried about the lack of depth perception on their gunner though?

Really awesome that you managed to get the outside to be accurate and then went ahead and included play details inside. Some really nice detailing and greebling on the outside too. IMO the time and effort really show.

Love the LEDs!

Really incredible work and I love how it turned out! Can you explain a bit more about how it came about? Did you propose it and they agreed? Did you do this on your own? Are they going to display it in the terminal when it is done?

So much to see and I love how you laid out each floor and have the various things hanging like the ships. Love that photography studio on the top floor! If this place existed near me I'd go!

I like the Anglerfish, looks sufficiently ugly to match the real thing.

I've also found that as my collection has grown I've had to redo my storage solution multiple times. That has led to me being unable to find parts at times because I don't know what container they are in. I have probably 20ish containers of different sizes, the hardest to find stuff in are likely the large bins of 1 color. But even the ones that have like 8 compartments can be hard to find a specific part. Storage/sorting is probably the most realistic limiting factor beyond funding for most AFOLs.

To a certain extent I would say yes. When I was a kid I basically had a mental catalog of all my parts. So if I was building and needed a piece I knew how many I had and if it was already in use on another creation. Now I have WAY more parts but I don't entirely remember all I have and that also means that at times I am building something and find that I only have 3 available when I needed 4. Admittedly that would be solved by having even more pieces, but at a certain point I feel like I have too many of some. There are PAB cups full of 1 particular part that I maybe use 10 of at any one time and I have 100+ sitting there in a cup. Those are basically just taking up space. For me it is hard as there are plenty of common parts I probably have enough of but a new set comes out with new minifigs (looking at you SW) and I decided to get it. Most of the set I don't care about and will break down into pieces but I really want the minifigs. I can, and do, use Bricklink to just get the figs but often that ends up being a poor value. Some $40 set with 4 figs I can get just the figures for $5 each. I then look at it and say why not get the set and then I have all those parts too for just a bit more. Right now I have at least 15 sets ranging from $10 to $100+ sitting at home in boxes because I'm busy building or MOD'ing, so I'm fairly satiated right now -- but the new Yoda's Hut isn't too far off.

I don't love the color scheme personally as it feels too bold. SW generally feels more grimey and earthy. The ship itself is instantly recognizable and you did capture it well. I feel like the middle section is too long and I think goatman alluded to it above that it comes off a bit barren. It might not seem so out of proportion with more there. The front and back feel completed and look great, the middle just seems a bit like you ran out of time. I agree that this is the sort of ship that I think I'd keep tweaking on over time. I have a few of those myself that periodically I'm just tempted to pull out and redo a part. Sometimes it leads me down into a rabbit hole of redoing more and more though.

I know that for me the SHIP was pretty much out, I'd need really need more time. I wonder if the September month was rough as people adjusted back to a "normal" routine whether that means them in school or kids going back to school. I wonder if trying to have more categories where maybe it is easier to build like an enforced 16x16 or the micro idea would help as that means less time investment but also that it won't mean someone else can spend more time and go bigger and therefore get more points. I was happy with the Empire builds but surprised at how few fighters we got. I personally think fighters are a big part of SW so I figured there would be more interest. But I've also noticed a lot of the people who were regular challenge builders when I started don't even seem to post anymore. I know that some may have moved on to other games like BoBS, but it is too bad we seem to have so few Rebels.

Seeing those pics does remind me of seeing that in Rebels, but I know I didn't just make that fact up on my own: " TIE/lns also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays. " -- http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/LN_starfighter I guess they can though from the description it sounds like it was less common than Rebels portrays.

Somewhat out of the blue I was called to a Star Destroyer to visit an old academy friend, Vice Admiral Brent Anderson. He and I had gotten to know each other as we went through the pilot program together, though we came from very different backgrounds. His family was very wealthy and well connected, though he wasn't the sort to take advantage of it. We got along very well and he was a hard worker and competent pilot. Given his situation it was no surprise that after graduation his first assignment was as a shuttle pilot for high ranking officers and I went on to pilot TIEs. He had climbed through the ranks and found his way into intelligence which suited him well as he had many contacts he could leverage. We had run into each other several times over the years, but I'd never been summoned to see him. I arrived and reported to his office. Despite our friendship he was a higher ranking officer and I saluted upon entering, giving him a chuckle. "We are alone, you don't have to do that. Though I knew you would. Following procedures and showing due respect as always. Come sit down." He kept a neat office, just like in our academy days. His role in intelligence likely also factored into not leaving anything just laying around. "It has been a while. Hopefully your recent time off has you rested." I caught the subtle way he let me know he'd been looking into me. "Yes, it was a good break and I enjoyed a bit of time to think through all of the recent missions I've been on." He went over to a shelf and grabbed a familiar green bottle. "Still with the Bat 69?" He grinned as he poured a healthy amount into his cup. "You know me. And I know you." He looked up at me as he said that last part. I hadn't done anything worthy of catching his attention in his professional role, but clearly this wasn't a social call. "You have been busy lately. That Xizor operation was a tough one, we lost many good people. Plus working with the Rebels... strange times. I read a lot of praise for you, more impressively you've done quite a few ground ops despite being a pilot. Though working your way up has helped you branch out. You were more of a combat pilot out of the academy than I was ever going to be. And you've seen enough action to understand that the Rebels are a real threat." He was dancing around something, almost like he still wasn't sure if he wanted to tell me. "You remember back in the academy when I told you about those fighters my father bought at the fall of the Republic. The Eta-2s?" I nodded. "My father had a dozen of them to use for protection when he traveled or for particularly vital cargo shipments. Recently he was offered a load of spare parts and 2 partial Eta-2 fighters. Mostly just the cockpit, but I had them overhauled and finished to my specs. I wanted something with decent shields and weapons. It needed onboard hyperdrive and it had to be a dogfighter. Something that could get into it and take on whoever it was up against. I made sure it had brutal acceleration in exchange for lower top speed. I call it the Eta-2x and I've got them here with me and one of them is yours. I've arranged to have you transferred here to act as a consultant reporting to me." I tried to keep my face neutral but I could tell I'd naturally put on my thinking face as I struggled to process this and my face scrunched up. He caught it and smiled. "You know, there are many in the Empire who think we are invincible. A lot of senior officers are so sure of our dominance that they cannot fathom how we would ever lose, at least not in the long term. They are sure that even if we lose a battle that we'll win the war. There aren't enough senior officers with real first-hand experience with the Rebels. They aren't just a motley collection of poorly equipped peasants. And they are amassing their fleet to strike at Endor." I was trying to run through what I knew of Endor to find a reason for that target. The fact that I had to think so hard about it meant it wasn't one of the targets you would most expect to be struck. "The shield research facility?" I knew of it officially, though it seemed an odd choice. "No, well ... yes in a way. That isn't a shield research facility it is a ground based shield for a new space station. One that isn't yet complete and thus an inviting target! And our plan is to use it as bait and wipe out the Rebel fleet. But those same officers who think so little of the Rebels are the ones in charge of our ships there. I want to send you in as my observer for intelligence and should you see targets of opportunity you are authorized to attack." Certainly this seemed within my skillset and a reasonable request -- my recent promotion to the Imperial Department of Military Research certainly fit into this. Though I wasn't sure why he needed me personally as I had no doubt there were plenty of pilots at his disposal that could carry out the mission. There was a lingering doubt in the back of my head even as I agreed to take it on. Not like I had a choice since he was both a higher ranking officer and better connected than I was. "And the Emperor will be there. He wants to personally observe the destruction of their fleet. Which is a needless risk and with the reality that the Rebels have handed us more defeats than people realize I wanted to make sure you were there on my behalf to help should the need arise. And should this all go horribly wrong I want to make sure you will return here to the ship and be my military lead. The captain of this ship is ... a friend. But you know fighter tactics and have a better chance of earning the loyalty of the men onboard. We can't have a mutiny on our hands nor let this ship fall into pirate or Rebel hands. We need to keep it safe while things get figured out." There it was. He was hedging his bets in case the risk didn't pay off and suddenly he had his own Star Destroyer without a navy. It was a slim chance but I suspected he saw that if it occurred he would take the ship and make his way back to his family and suddenly could be in control of a substantial force -- but he needed someone better tuned into the realities of military life and tactics. I was needed because he felt he could trust me as what he had just proposed could be considered treason. And while the captain was likely promised wealth it wasn't a certainty that he would remain loyal. At best if I reported him he would be in prison for life, and should the Emperor decide to make an example of him he would be executed. For me personally it wasn't very risky as I could easily participate in the battle with a cover story and if the Rebels were eliminated I would return here and get a nice letter in my file for my role in helping end the threat. If everything went sideways it wouldn't matter much in the face of the chaos that would ensue. My loyalty lay with the idea of the Empire and not to the Emperor personally unlike Stormtroopers, though it wasn't something I would ever admit to anyone. I wanted a peaceful galaxy and safety for the inhabitants. As a practical person whether I was at the battle or not wouldn't change the outcome, I didn't believe that 1 man would turn the tide. In looking at the risk versus reward it was nearly all reward and little risk, though morally I would be siding with someone who was calculating that he might be able to leverage a bad situation into personal gain. But Brent wasn't trying to take over the government -- just get back and protect his family and their assets. I also couldn't report my friend, but I'm not sure how I could turn him down and still be onboard his ship and report to him. Either way it was a decision I would have to make and move forward with -- no regrets and no second guessing. His face was stone though I was sure it was merely covering the churning sea of thoughts and emotions inside. I sighed as I looked him in the eyes and I might have caught the slightest twinge of his one eye fearing what I was about to say. His look changed though with my next question: "So what color is my new fighter?" As I looked around MY fighter I was excited. I'd read the technical specs and build notes from the manufacturer. Several times. It was a fantastically agile fighter made to dogfight. It wasn't a heavy bomber, couldn't challenge capital ships, but it could scrap with any fighter out there 1 on 1. There were so many small items that made a big difference, oversized heat exchangers so it could fire continuously, pressurized cockpit, armored plating on key areas, and shields! I almost wanted to find an excuse to get into it with some Rebels! She was new, she was beautiful and deadly, but most importantly she was mine. Full Album (Note that I actually built functional landing gear for the fighter even!): https://flic.kr/s/aHsm4NirE4 Eta-2x Info: 4 Laser Cannons 2 Heavy Laser Cannons Armored hull, vital areas feature reinforced armor plating. Redundant power and control pathways allow for continued operation even with damage. To avoid power draw spikes the cannons can operate in the following modes: only the 4 cannons, only the 2 heavy cannons, or with an alternating pattern that fires the 4 cannons and then the 2 heavy in a cycle. The smaller cannons feature longer alignment barrels and are thus more accurate at range though this accuracy does come at a slight penalty to their damage output. For closer targets the heavy cannons deal more damage and their accuracy limitations are less of an issue. Equipped with both hyperdrive and shielding (medium duty rated). Target tracking and communications gear are top of the line, though due to the ship's focus on fighter combat the tracking system is unable to engage ships of lengths greater than 250 meters. There is a pilot option to "hide" anything beyond that size which cleans up the screen but also risks a collision if the pilot doesn't keep a keen eye out the cockpit. Dual mode IFF allows the Eta-2x to appear as either an Empire flagged or neutral ship. There was no attempt to provide for stealth or minimizing the sensor profile of the fighter. The Eta-2x features better acceleration and agility over the standard Eta-2. Max speed is lower than most other star fighters including the base Eta-2, having traded off survivability and acceleration for top end output. However, due to most systems being over-engineered for their usage the Eta-2x is able to operate continuously at full combat power without concern for overloading systems. Rearward visibility is non-existent and thus there are camera feeds to provide a view behind the pilot (though without weapons it is more for informational purposes). The rearward feed tends to be used as a basic check, if something is spotted the usual response is to flip the Eta-2x end over end and get a visual check through the front screen. This also allows for the craft to bring weapons onto the target. Storage space is minimal within the cockpit. The pilot's seat is optimized for comfort and all control and informational systems are maximized for clarity and ease of use which is important because unlike the base Eta-2 there is no provision for an astromech droid. Where possible new versions of parts were used to make maintenance easier and more cost effective. Due to the small number of ships and their lack of combat experience they are unproven in combat and there is no data on reliability or maintenance needs. The Eta-2x's main role is in a fighter/interceptor capacity and it is meant to operate in close proximity to a mother ship. It has landing gear and undercarriage lighting so it is able to operate in unprepared landing sites. There is no landing claw or other means of securing itself to other ships and it is not compatible with either a TIE hangar system or docking rings. Due to a relatively small size it is able to operate from most hangars or cargo compartments on medium and larger freighters.

Cool design and concept. I too love the boarding ramp, especially in light of the hangar, very reminiscent of the shuttle scene. Are TIE Interceptors able to land on their wings? I know regular TIEs supposedly can't...

Nien Nunb, aside from having a cool name, is a pretty iconic guy. I'll take the tag. Congrats to all the builders and especially to the Empire for another fine victory. This was a fun one and I better start building now for Endor because I'm terrible at landscape.

Yeah, has a great Republic Frigate vibe with that classic Falcon shape. Love the full interior and all the greebles. The one thing I might have added in one of the 4 quadrants is some sort of security locker type area for the guards with weapons, etc. (probably the bottom left based on what each section contains currently). But I love the little office setup and the bed in a couple of the areas. Nice real life detailing.

Love the detailing of the rocks under the water! The building itself is perfectly jungle-chic! You can feel the humidity. Love the uneven tile roof and the lovely porch. Only tiny tweak I might suggest is a rope or chain to tie the boat up to the dock, or at least a cleat of some kind.

I really like that grill! I should be more disciplined and try to do quick builds each day -- I know a lot of artists do things like speed paints just to get juices flowing and push into new areas.

I like it and you have quite a variety of underwater craft. The one thing that stands out to me though is the scuba divers at the bottom of the display. Generally scuba is more shallow due to both limitations on humans and also that at a certain point the tanks necessary for bottom time become too much. Maybe have more divers at the upper levels, smaller subs at the mid levels and then only have deep submersibles at the bottom to better reflect the realities of deep diving. Just a thought!