Star Wars Heresy (Technology)

Technology in the Sithaar'i Imperium

Unlike during the former Galactic Republic or in Palpatine's Empire, technology in the Sithaar'i Imperium has regressed considerably from that of the galaxy's height, immediately before the Clone Wars. Unlike many other aspects of Anakin Skywalker's plan for the galaxy, the technological and social regression from the heights of the Republic were not intended - Dark Side empires, even if they endure for millenia, eventually fall, cannibalizing the galaxy at large. Simply put, Dark Siders do not make for wise rulers, consumed as they are by hatred, fear and aggression. 15,000 years of needless wars, reckless consumption of resources and pointless projects dedicated more to vainglory or short term agendas than to long term ecological and economic stability have created a galaxy that is a burnt out shadow of its former self.

Medical Technology

While such things as Medpacs and the like are still in use, wide scale inoculations and the cheap medical treatments of the Republic era are a thing of the past. Occasionally, virulent plagues such as the Blue Rot and Vendagar's Gasp ravage the populace. The Imperial Nobility usually does nothing, as this is seen as a way to keep the populace controlled. Depending on the world, sanitation and public health technologies are of near-Republic levels (Tarkin worlds) or non-existent and medieval (Antilles.) Some families join the military en masse, simply as a means to attain health care. What public health infrastructure exists are maintained by the great Labour and Craft guilds, for their members and families.

Bacta is a thing of the past, with the last colonies having died off 100 years ago. Traditionally, those who lose limbs and such have them replaced with cybernetics.

Information Technology and Droids

Information technology has not suffered nearly as badly, as computers and droids are necessary to wage war with. While computers have not degraded in capability, they have become larger, more unwieldy and more expensive. Droids are seen ironically as status symbols, due to the fact that they are mobile and can carry large amounts of information. People are used in most tasks that Droids were, with the exception of the Brastrim, who hold the old fleetyard world of Kuat. They construct terrifying, many-limbed monstrosities of droids that would barely be recognized as such by anyone from the Republic era. Most Droids in the Imperium are difficult to maintain, and are usually called by names, since they are so much more rare.

Space Travel

With the decline in exploration, constant war with the Vong, and the constant wartime footing of the economy, space travel in general has suffered. In these times, the only people with easy access to space travel are the Weak and Strong Nobility, agents of the Magisterium and Legion, and the merchant princes of the great houses. Space travel is fraught with peril due to pirates who raid commerce and Vong raiders who strike into Imperium space to take slaves. However, there are brave souls who still, as in Han Solo's time, work to make their way with dilapidated old ships as small haul freighters, independent scouts, bounty hunters and the like.

In game terms, all ships have double the normal hyperdrive multiplier that Old Republic/Rebellion era ship types would normally have - a typical freighter will have a X4, a top of the line Starfighter (such as the Imperial Talon fighter) can make a X2, and bulk freighters can only make X6. Further, due to the lack of astrogation infrastructure, all Astrogation checks are increased by 5 in difficulty.

The computers on fighters can only store the coordinates for 2 sets of hyperdrive coordinates. Normally, small ships make use of the network of imperial navigation satellites, which are a throwback to the technology that was used during the era of the Great Hyperspace War 25,000 years ago. Small vessels can leap frog from beacon to beacon, forming routes throughout the Imperium. Most fighters travel in convoys or as wings of larger naval vessels.

The Vong maintain biotechnology that is equivalent of what was encountered by the New Republic. The Imperium maintains parity by superior numbers, massed firepower and the large scale, destructive use of Force powers.

The Use of the Force in large scale combat

One of Emperor Skywalker's great acts was to research the ancient Sith techniques of large scale use of the Force in naval combat, which is echoed in the likes of the actions of Naga Sadow and his causing two stars to nova, the fleet level illusions of Aleema Keeto and the terrifying hunger used by Darth Nihilus. While he maintained the greatest secrets for himself and future Emperors, Skywalker taught the new Force using nobility powers that would lay armies and fleets to waste. His series of tomes, the Codex of Annihilation, is taught as the standard texts at the naval academies of both the Great Houses and the Legions, to varying degrees. House Tarkin uses a minimalist, surgical approach to the use of the Fury in combat, while the small fleets of the Orantei can unleash Terror-based sorceries that can cripple larger opponents. Palpatine, for his part, preferred to rely on technology to enforce his will, using the Force subtlely, since he knew of the destructive effects of such powers on the Force from prior precedents, such as Malachor V and the destruction of Ossus. For Palpatine, the Force was a tool, while for Emperor Skywalker, it was both a means and an end.

Usually, these involve a leader who has several adepts assisting him. Special fleet-affecting powers that manifest physical force, radiation, explosive energies and other dark side effects can be used to engulf enemy fleets. These powers will use the leader's normal dice codes for Control, Sense and Alter - the assistants enable the leader to increase the scale of his or her die codes and effects or normally known powers from the personal up through the vehicle, starfighter and capital ship scales, dependiing on the Force Strength and skills of the Adepts involved.

As a point of information, the techniques of the old Sith Empire, from which the Sithaar'i derive their naval sorceries, were lost upon the fall of the ancient Sith empire and were not resurrected until the Sithaar'i era. The Jedi, for their part, never dealt with such egregious disruptions of the Force, with one notable exception - the incomparable power of the Jedi Battle Meditation. First developed in the Great Hyperspace War, this harmonious power robbed opponents of the will to fight, ending physical conflict at it's source and opening the door for negotiations. As much as they tried, the Ancient Sith could not find a means to counter Jedi Battle Meditation, which could be used to counter fleet-wide fear powers, enhance morale while sapping the will to fight of opponents. As much as he tried, Skywalker The First could never rediscover the secrets of Battle Meditation, which caused him to rage through his palaces. The ancient Jedi of the Great Hyperspace War era also devised counters to Sith fleet sorceries, but due to their lesser numbers, were more likely to attack Dark Side adepts at their source, in strikes of Jedi Knights supported by Republic rocket jumpers and the like.