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From: milne@uci-icse
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Empire Troops Uniforms (and Blasters)
Message-ID: <3576@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 8-Sep-85 03:50:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3576
Posted: Sun Sep  8 03:50:32 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Sep-85 04:17:08 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Alastair Milne <milne@uci-icse>


>  On a related topic, are blasters projectile or energy weapons?  
>  . . .  were more like a explosive projectile.  I also
>  noticed what seemed to be an ammo clip on one blaster.

   Personally, I think energy weapons; or at most, a combination.  The energy
   probably induced the explosion in the target material.  And what looked
   like an ammo clip could be a charge pack.  But I really don't have anything
   to base this on: it's just my impression.


>  Since, I don't recall ever seeing anyone reload a blaster, . .. 

   Don't forget, no single blaster user is followed consistently enough to let
   us see such details.  Could you assume from never seeing a soldier reload
   in a WWII film, that their weapons didn't use projectiles.  Usually, we are
   simply spared such minutiae unless it has an impact.  (I am not actually
   changing my belief, but I thought this point could use answering).


>  Also do you remember Darth Vader deflecting a blaster bolt with his
>  hand in TESB?  What kind of armor is he wearing?  Also notice that
>  it didn't stop a light saber!

   Vader was wearing what he always wears: that black uniform from crown to
   toe, which contains his life support, possibly communications, and who
   knows what else.  The shots that Han fired at him he intercepted either
   with his glove, or using the Force just slightly in front of the glove (I
   defy anybody to distinguish by looking at the scene).  It would indeed be
   very interesting to know more about the properties of Vader's uniform.  It
   may well be a type of armour in itself.

   Why do you say it didn't stop a lightsabre?  It certainly seemed to to me.
   I grant that Vader got a lovely jolt out of it, but my impression from the
   sparking when the sabre made contact was of a force field "shorting" (or
   whatever the equivalent in a force field is).  Had the sabre not been
   stopped, Vader's head and shoulders would have parted company from the rest
   of him.  And I don't think we need imagine that it was Luke who stopped
   it.


   Alastair Milne