User:Chack Jadson/alpha

This is where I will do long-term work on an article that I don't want clogging up my desk for months.


 * Conan Antonio Motti
 * Shimrra
 * Rokur Gepta
 * Exar Kun
 * Shmi Skywalker Lars
 * Harrar
 * Kar Vastor
 * Jax Pavan
 * Lorana Jinzler
 * Nick Rostu
 * Jorus C'baoth
 * Arwen Cohl
 * Chaf'orm'bintrano
 * Cilghal
 * Het Nkik
 * Sulamar
 * Durga

Motti
Cooooooonnnnaaann Annttttoooonnnnnnniiiiiioooooo Mmoottttttttttiiiiiiii

Motti does nothing up until 146. Is that 1 or 0 year?

Biography
Conan Antonio Motti was born into a powerful and influential family sometime during the last years of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, he witnessed the feats of Jedi, memories that would stick with him for his whole life. After the rise of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, Motti, now serving in the Imperial Navy, ascended quickly through the Imperial ranks. He served onboard the Ion Storm, a Strike-class cruiser, under Captain Jaim Helaw, who acted as somewhat of a mentor to him, and received a promotion to first lieutenant. Eventually, he worked a brief stint on Coruscant, and with the help of contacts he had made on the capital, he rose past Helaw.

By 0 BBY, Motti, now an admiral, was serving onboard the Death Star, the Empire's new superweapon being constructed above Despayre. He was second-in-command alongside General Cassio Tagge, below only Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. The three were considered a triumvirate, with Motti representing the Imperial Navy and Tagge the Imperial Army. The admiral felt that it was him, not Tarkin, who ran the battlestation's daily operations. He had attempted at least once to subtly convince Tarkin that whoever was in control of the Death Star held sway over the entire galaxy. Though Palpatine, ruling from Coruscant, was the emperor, Motti was convinced that if Tarkin attempted to seize power by using the Death Star, he would be successful. Then, if something were to happen to Emperor Tarkin, his trusted assistant Motti would rise to power. Thus, Motti pretended to be loyal to the Grand Moff, all the while learning the ins and outs of the superweapon and gaining the loyalties of other key officers onboard the Death Star.

As Tarkin was traveling to the Death Star from his home planet of Eriadu onboard a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle piloted by his Mon Calamari slave Ackbar, the ship was ambushed by Rebel Alliance Y-wings, who had been contacted by Ackbar. However, before the Y-wings could destroy the escape pod that Tarkin had attempted to flee in, Motti's Star Destroyer jumped out of hyperspace, as Motti had taken it upon himself to escort the Grand Moff against his wishes. Thanks to Motti, Tarkins was saved, and the Alliance Y-wings forced to flee.

When the Death Star was nearing completion, Motti met with Jaim Helaw onboard the Undauntable. The two spoke about the Death Star, with Motti expressing his confidence in the battlestation, professing his belief that it would be invincible when completed. However, Helaw did not share his viewpoint, telling him of Kan Pojo, a former Republic soldier and expert marksman. On a mission to the Vergesso Asteroids to defeat a pirate gang around 35 BBY, Pojo's blaster malfunctioned when he was in the act of shooting at a pirate charging him. Before he could pull his other gun, the pirate was on him, killing Pojo with a crude knife. When Motti stated that the Death Star was no more blaster, Helaw responded that the complex a weapon was, the more likely it was to have flaws. As he traveled back to the Death Star alone onboard his ship a short time later, Motti found himself wondering about Helaw's point. He decided that unlikely as an accident was, he would order a detailed examination of the station's superstructure.

While Motti was pondering this on the way back to the space station, the Undauntable suddenly exploded. Once he landed in one of the Death Star's hangars, he met with Tarkin, who began questioning him. Motti explained that he had played no part in the ship's destruction, and that an officer of Jaim Helaw's stature would not have been involved in an accident of such large-scale. Therefore, he felt it had to be sabotage, a view the Grand Moff shared. However, fearing a visit from Darth Vader, the emperor's lackey, Tarkin proposed that they simply record the incident as an accident while surreptitiously investigating the true cause. Though he hated to see such a stain on Jaim Helaw's record, Motti agreed, fully aware that it was best for him too without Darth Vader interfering and possibly slowing construction of the station.

Several weeks after the Undauntable ' s explosion, the Rebel Alliance launched an attack on the nearly completed Death Star above Despayre. It was there that the men onboard were given the first chance to test the massive superlaser. The laser easily destroyed a Rebel Lucrehulk-class battleship, leaving the Rebel X-wings without a supporting cruiser. The X-wings were then wiped out by Imperial pilots, giving the Imperials total victory in the brief skirmish. Following the battle, Tarkin decided to move the battlestation to the other side of Despayre to prevent further attacks by the Rebellion.

Not long after the battle, Tarkin decided to test the superlaser and move the station from the system. He planned to destroy the planet Despayre. Motti has his doubts, and voiced some of them; namely, fear of political repercussion. However, as Despayre was simply a penal planet for some of the Empire's worst criminals, Tarkin was sure that no fallout would ensue. Ultimately, he was the one in command of the battlestation, and went ahead with the test. The superlaser easily destroyed Despayre.

Following the destruction of Despayre, a group of top Imperial officials onboard the Death Star gathered for a meeting in the Death Star conference room. Motti was present, arguing with General Cassio Tagge over the effectiveness of the Death Star and the threat of the Rebellion. Tagge felt that the Rebel Alliance posed a threat to the battlestation, whereas Motti was confident that the superweapon was invincible. Tagge also feared that the growing Rebel movement would gain sympathy in the Senate. However, the two were interrupted by Tarkin, who informed the officers present that the Imperial Senate had been dissolved by Emperor Palpatine. The Moffs would now have direct control over sectors, and the planets would not dare step out of line due to fear of the Death Star. However, Tagge continued to insist that the Rebellion was dangerous, especially if they had obtained a copy of the Death Star plans, as many Imperials feared following the Battle of Tatooine. Though Darth Vader&mdash;who had recently arrived to interrogate Princess Leia Organa, a member of the Rebel Alliance who was believed to have been involved in stealing a set of stolen Death Star plans&mdash;admitted that the plans were in the hands of the Rebellion, he proclaimed that soon the Empire would have them.

Motti then boasted of the Death Star's power, claiming that it was the preeminent power in the galaxy. However, Vader rebuted this claim, warning Motti not to underestimate the power of the Force. Motti mocked Vader, laughing at his devotion to the Force, alleging that it had not helped him recover the stolen Death Star plans. In response, Vader simply Force-choked him, relenting only when ordered to by Tarkin. Motti, who had previously doubted both Vader and the Force's power, was frightened and shocked by this display. The admiral knew that Vader would have killed him without remorse had Tarkin not stopped him, a realization that shook him greatly.

Much to Tarkin and Darth Vader's chagrin, the Dark Lord was unable to force the location of the Rebel Alliance's secret base from Organa. Tarkin then decided to play his trump card. He took the Death Star to Alderaan, Organa's home planet, and, with her alongside him, Motti and Vader in the Death Star's control room, threatened to destroy Alderaan if she did not reveal the location of the Alliance's base. Defeated at last, Organa informed them that the base was on Dantooine. Tarkin then ordered the Death Star's superlaser to fire when ready, shocking the princess. He felt that this would be a demonstration that would terrify the rest of the galaxy&mdash;fear would keep dissidents in line. Motti gave the order to superlaser control, and then the battlestation fired, destroying Alderaan.

A short time later, Imperial ships reached Dantooine, and discovered that while there was a Rebel base there, it had been abandoned a long time ago&mdash;meaning that Organa had lied. A short time after this discovery, with Organa back in her cell, a group of Rebels managed to make it onboard the Death Star, and succeeding in freeing Organa. They then fled in their ship, the Millennium Falcon. However, a tracking device had been placed onboard it by Imperial stormtroopers earlier, enabling the Empire to track the freighter to Yavin 4, a moon located in the Yavin system in the Outer Rim.

The Death Star jumped to hyperspace, arriving in the Yavin system, where the Rebel Alliance was preparing an attack. The Alliance's defense of its base consisted of 30 starfighters, catching the Empire off-guard, as Tarkin had expected a defense by several capital ships. Confident in the ability of the Death Star's turbolasers and other anti-starfighter defenses to repel the Alliance's fighters, he withheld from launching Imperial TIE Fighters. Meanwhile, the Alliance was aware of a flaw in the Death Star&mdash;a small, uncovered Thermal exhaust port leading directly to the station's main reactor. Against all odds, and much to Tarkin and Motti's surprise, a Rebel X-wing succeeded in STUFF.

Rewatch ANH to clarify anything

"Imperial justice is about to become swift and sure, Admiral."

- Wilhuff Tarkin

Personality and traits
Motti was an arrogant man, believing strongly in his own abilities.

Motti pretended to be loyal to Tarkin, though in truth it was in an act, designed to fool the Grand Moff and ensure that he trusted Motti, so that if the admiral ever decided to betray him, Tarkin would be caught unaware. To further this facade, Motti pretended to be sympathetic towards Tarkin when his mistress, Admiral Natasi Daala, was injured in the Battle of Despayre. He was even prepared to feign sadness in the event that Daala died, hoping to curry favor with the Grand Moff. Motti was also aware that if he did not act appropriately disheartened, Tarkin would be greatly insulted, and the admiral knew that it was not wise to offend Tarkin. Motti considered Tarkin's affection for Daala a weakness, and was prepared to one day exploit that.

Conan Antonio Motti was a deeply ambitious man, a fact acknowledged by Tarkin. The Grand Moff held the opinion that once the Rebels were destroyed, Motti would receive a promotion to moff. Indeed, the admiral was very ambitious, and though he seemed loyal to Emperor Palpatine, in truth Motti harbored ambitions to become emperor. He attempted to convert Tarkin to his cause, trying to convince the Grand Moff that whoever controlled the Death Star could control the galaxy. Motti hoped that Tarkin would soon listen to him, and use the Death Star to seize power from Palpatine. If Tarkin did overthrow Palpatine, the admiral would then cause Tarkin's death in a subtle way, allowing him to ultimately become emperor. However, he never received this chance, as the Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance shortly after its completion.

Motti felt that women were inferior to men, believing that Daala did not deserve her rank of admiral, and that she would not have risen through the ranks if Tarkin had not taken favor to her. He believed that Leia Organa had a strong spirit due to her refusing to give up the location of the Rebel base, and for her critizcizing Tarkin even when he threatened to execute her. Motti was impressed with her determination to not surrender, believing that this fortitude was an especially stunning in a woman.

He questioned the Force, and disliked Vader, feeling that he used archaic methods, and heavily criticized the Dark Lord for his failure to force the location of the Rebel base from Princess Leia Organa. For this criticism, Vader Force-choked him. Following this, Motti was mollified, and began to develop a fear of Vader and his mysterious powers. The admiral knew that had Tarkin not interfered, Vader would have killed him, a deeply sobering thought to him. Though he did not consider himself cowardly, Motti was frightened by Vader, aware that controlling a planet-destroying superweapon meant nothing if he could be simply killed by a gesture. Following this, Motti planned to somehow eliminate Vader, although he knew it would have to be done very carefully.

Motti believed in the Tarkin doctrine, which stated that the threat of force was sufficient enough to prevent rebellions, and that fear was necessary to keep dissidents in line. Ultimately, this belief failed, as the Destruction of Alderaan did not cause other planets to cower in fear, but instead to rise up in anger and challenge the Empire&mdash;which led to the Death Star's destruction and Motti's death.

Tarkin was aware of Motti's fear and hatred of Vader and his Force, and believed that if Motti did not do a better job of keeping his opinions to himself, he would not live much longer in Palpatine's Empire.

aware of how quick he rose through ranks, wore smug look and neat uniform.

his only real skill lay in loyalty to the New Order.

promoted ahead of many senior officers to position of head of Navy Operations onboard the Death Star.

strong belief in technological superiority.

something about how he was an overrated leader and padded his record.

quotes?

185

187

246

274

289

166

any attack would be useless ultimate weapon yada yada

ability to destroy planet insignificant yada yada

don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways yada yada

IFYLOFD

Overrated leader, member of triumvirate, arrogant, disliked Vader, planned to work with Tarkin to overthrow Palpatine, then overthrow Tarkin, cultivated loyalty with Death Star officials, questioned the Force, terrified by Vader's choking him, didn't trust bast or tagge

[18:57]		Note: Motti goes from white-haired to blonde and balding. [18:57]		Is this very noticeable? [18:58]		Eh, I guess you could make a case that the white-haired guy was someone else, and Motti's first line was just attributed to him. [18:58]		Is it worth a BTS note, do you think? [18:58]		Yeah. Just say that on one page his hair is white; on the next, his hair is blond and balding.

Praji story

Members of the patrician class preferred not to intermarry with the rabble but with each other. Centuries before the present, Lithio Motti married a Praji heiress to secure startup capital for his megonite-moss-mining enterprise on Phelarion. The inheritors of his fortune today control that industry and their Thalassa Motti even married into the Eriadu Tarkins.

Tag and Bink

Alright, I figured it'd be better to leave you a message here. First off, Tag and Bink were on the Tantive IV and managed to take stormtrooper armor from two stormtroopers that got knocked out (one by a mouse droid; the other by either Tag or Bink's foot). Some Imp (probably Praji) finds them and orders them onto the Devastator, which heads for the Death Star.

So the two (still disguised) are walking by all these turbolifts (one is a Big Boy), and Motti happens to be walking toward them. All three of them have their heads turned, so Motti bumps into the two of them (as the comic notes, "thwap"). Dialogue is as follows - note that it's not clear if Tag or Bink is talking, so I'm going to call them "Stormies 1 and 2" (even then, it's difficult to tell who is speaking, so I'm really just guessing):


 * Stormie 1: "Excuse me. Sorry about that."
 * Motti: "Watch where you're going, soldier. Have you any idea where you are?"
 * Stormie 1: "Yes, sir. We're on the Death Star."
 * Motti: "You're on my Death Star. And as long as you are on it you'll be alert at all times and watch your step. This station is the ultimate example of Imperial might -- and while you are on it you will show it and me the proper respect. Is that understood?"
 * Stormie 1: "Yes, sir, but in our defense, these helmets are awfully difficult to see out of. Perhaps a lighter tint on the lenses, or a greater field of vision would help make us more efficient."
 * Stormie 2: "Yeah."
 * Motti: "Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea." (moves to side of Stormie 2 while Stormie 2 is still looking straight ahead) "So am I to understand that if I'm standing in this position, you can't see me at all?"
 * Stormie 2: "Nope, not a thing."
 * Motti "smak"es Stomie 2
 * Motti: "Then I suggest that you learn to pay more attention to where you're going!" (Motti storms off)
 * Stormie 2: "That's it. I'm outta here!"

Later, Tag and Bink (still incognito) are standing guard at the tractor beam generator that Obi-Wan deactivates. They get in trouble with Motti in the conference room, as follows:


 * Motti: "You two are confined to quarters until further notice!"
 * Stormie 1: "What did we do?"
 * Motti: "You let a feeble old man shut down a power coupling less than ten feet away from you, and you did nothing! If Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin had not wanted this to happen, you'd both be dead for failure of duty. Consider this a slap on the wrist. You may leave." (waves them away)
 * Stormie 2: "Yes, sir."

And that's it. Just a note: I got this from Tag & Bink Were Here.

Behind the scenes
See, the question that Jordan asked involved a character from the first film (the guy who gets strangled by Vader) whose full name was never mentioned in the actual movie. In fact, he's only referred to in the credits, where he is listed as "Admiral Motti". Jordan asked Lucas Admiral Motti's full name, to which Lucas replied (as a joke), "Conan Antonio Motti". No big deal, right?

Wrong.

"See, because Lucas is the supreme creator of the Star Wars universe, when he says something it becomes real. Oh yeah. I think you hear what I'm saying, party people: There is now officially a Star Wars character named after Conan!! HOW AWECELLET IS THAT?! The Star Wars wiki Wookieepedia has already incorporated the change into the Star Wars Mythology! Man! This week couldn't get any better!"

- Some guy whose name I should find out

http://blog.nbc.com/latenight/2007/05/breaking_hearts_and_making_far.php#comments

quote about Wookieepedia and Conan Antonio on the show

Motti first appeared in A New Hope, released in 1977. He was played by Richard LeParmentier, who was credited as "General Motti". LeParmentier was one of the few non-English actors cast as Imperial officers in the film and as such, did not speak with an English accent. He said, "...I suggested a mid-Atlantic accent to George and he thought it was a good idea. I was doing a light mid-Atlantic accent for the role..." As such, he is one of the few Imperial officers in the original trilogy to speak without an English accent, with Gherant, Dyer, Nahdonnis Praji, Khurgee, and Daine Jir being among the others.

Early scripts of A New Hope shuffled the names of Admiral Motti and General Tagge. He is curiously absent from the Death Star meeting scene in the novelization of A New Hope, and there it's General Tagge who is the victim of Vader's telekinetic stranglehold while Motti himself is replaced by a new Imperial officer named Romodi. Motti does appear later on in the novel, proving that he and Romodi are different characters. Many wrongfully believe that Romodi is Motti's first name, however, despite Leland Chee confirming Romodi is a senator and is definitely not Motti.

Motti was one of the last Imperial characters from the original trilogy to receive a full name. Tarkin, Tagge, Ozzel, Piett, Veers, and Needa all have had first names given to them by the Expanded Universe in the decades following their appearances (as seen in their respective articles). Michael Reaves and Steve Perry had intended to finally give the character a first name with their novel Death Star. Their name&mdash;"Zi"&mdash;had already been approved when George Lucas suddenly created his own name for the character, after which the writers were able to change the name before printing, although one instance of "Zi" remains in the novel. Motti's full name was given by Lucas on the May 1, 2007 episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Lucas was challenged to a trivia question by a "fan" (O'Brien Associate Producer Jordan Schlanski) as to the name of this Imperial officer who Darth Vader Force chokes in A New Hope, to which Lucas jokingly replied "Conan Antonio Motti." Although the character had previously been known only as "Motti," Lucas's statement finally gave a full canon name to this character. On the day after the episode aired, Late Night posted a blog entry on the NBC website about their surprise at Wookieepedia's quick response in adopting the new name for the character, and their appreciation for Lucas in naming a Star Wars character after him.

When asked at Celebration IV to confirm the canon status of Motti's first name, Leland Chee said that "It'll be revealed eventually," which was generally interpreted as a directive for fans to wait until Motti's appearance in the StarWars.com Visual Guide or the release of the Death Star novel. The name was confirmed when Sue Rostoni posted the dramatis persona for Death Star on the StarWars.com message boards and Motti's Databank entry was subsequently updated as well to reflect the character's full name. With Motti named, the last major Imperial commander without a first name is Jerjerrod.

databank

Early draft scripts of Star Wars shuffled the names of Motti and Tagge. The revised fourth draft screenplay introduces Motti as "wounded." Motti is curiously absent from the novelization of the film's conference room scene, and it's Tagge who's the victim of Vader's telekinetic stranglehold. In that scene, there's a battle scarred officer named Romodi. Later in the novel, though, Motti would appear.

Appearances

 * Death Star Yes
 * Tag & Bink Are Dead
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Yes
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel Yes
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novel
 * Star Wars radio drama
 * Star Wars 1 Yes
 * Star Wars 2: Six Against the Galaxy Yes
 * Star Wars 3: Death Star Yes
 * The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader Yes
 * Darksaber Yes
 * Darksaber Yes

stuff
SWE

The senior Imperial commander in charge of operations on the original Death Star battle station, Admiral Motti died when the station was destroyed. He never liked the decisions of Darth Vader and felt that Vader used outdated and archaic methods. When he voiced his opinion to the Dark Lord, Vader used the Force to nearly choke the admiral to death.

Empire's Finest

"Smug and condescending-until a Force chokehold tempers his attitude, Admiral C. Antonio Motti is the epitome of Imperial overconfidence. As part of the Death Star's command triumvirate (along with General Tagge and Grand Moff Tarkin), Motti might have been one of the Empire's first rogue warlords if his and Tarkin's secret plot to take over the Death Star and overthrow the Emperor had been given time to take root. Instead, Motti's conviction that the battle station was invulnerable proved shortsighted the moment it exploded around him.

The Inside Track: In the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope radio drama, Motti plays an expanded role as an ambitious co-conspirator of Tarkin's. Motti drops pointed hits that Tarkin could overthrow the Emperor if he used the battle station to trigger a coup d'etat. The New Essential Guide to Characters goes into further detail by revealing that Tarkin's wife-seen in Russ Manning's Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures-came from the Motti lineage, and that Tarkin's marriage was a calculated alliance between two powerful political families.

Motti's first name, never revealed on-screen or in the Expanded Universe, was supplied by George Lucas during an appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien this May [2007]. When Associate Producer Jordan Schlansky, Late Night's resident Star Wars expert, tried to stump their guest with that bit of trivia, Lucas jokingly responded with Motti's full name: 'Conan Antonio Motti.'"

Rise and Fall

First off, the conference room scene, pages 143-145:


 * "After returning from the Tatooine system with Princess Leia as his prisoner, Vader and the hollow-cheeked Grand Moff Tarkin entered a Death Star conference room where a meeting was already in progress. Admiral Motti, the senior Imperial commander in charge of operations on the Death Star, General Tagge of the Imperial Army, and five other high-ranking Imperial officials sat around a table and listened as Tarkin announced that the Emperor had dissolved the Imperial Senate, and assured them that fear of the Death Star would keep the local star systems in line.


 * "While General Tagge maintained concern that the Rebel Alliance might use the stolen Death Star plans to their advantage, Admiral Motti snidely asserted tat any attack against the Death Star would be a useless gesture. 'This station is now the ultimate power in the universe,' Motti said. 'I suggest we use it.'


 * "'Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed,' Vader cautioned. 'The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.'


 * "Sneering at the Sith Lord, Motti said, 'Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort &mdash;'


 * "Motti stopped speaking and reached to his throat as Vader made a pinching movement with his own gloved hand from across the meeting room. 'I find your lack of faith disturbing,' Vader said.


 * "'Enough of this!' Tarkin snapped. 'Vader, release him!'


 * "Although Vader answered only to the Emperor, it was the Emperor's command that he serve Tarkin on the Death Star. 'As you wish,' Vader said as he lowered his hand, releasing his telekinetic grip on Motti's throat.


 * "Gasping for air, Motti slumped forward onto the table. Tarkin said, 'This bickering is pointless. Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke!'"

Next, after Vader's failed interrogation of Leia ("Her resistance to the mind probe..."), pages 149-150:


 * "Just then, Admiral Motti approached Tarkin and informed him that the Death Star was finally fully operational. Tarkin looked to Vader and said, 'Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion.'


 * "'What do you mean?' asked Vader.


 * "'I think it's time we demonstrated the full power of this station,' Tarkin said. Turning to Motti, he commanded, 'Set your course for Alderaan.'


 * "'With pleasure,' Motti replied with an evil smile.


 * "Realizing what Tarkin intended, Vader surveyed the man with new respect. The Dark Lord had done many horrendous and unpardonable things, but it seemed that Tarkin &mdash; at least in this situation &mdash; was even more diabolically inventive. However, Vader had one concern with Tarkin's scheme. 'Alderaan is one of the foremost of the inner systems,' Vader said. 'The Emperor should be consulted.'


 * "'Do not think to challenge me!' Tarkin snapped. 'You are not confronting Tagge or Motti now! The Emperor has placed me in charge of this affair with a free hand, and the decision is mine! And you will have your information that much sooner.'


 * "Vader had long suspected that Grand Moff Tarkin was insane, but it was not until Tarkin had addressed him just then, without a trace of fear, that Vader was left without a doubt. Vader said, 'If your plan serves our purpose, it will justify itself.'


 * "'The stability of the Empire is at stake,' Tarkin said. 'A planet is a small price to pay.'"