News from the Underworld
Vol. 1, Issue 1
Bringing you the latest dish, dirt and dastardly deeds
from the Star Wars® Empire at War™ Universe
New Underworld Footage Uncovered!
Hiding in the shadows of the underworld, Tyber Zann has been quietly building his army, lying in wait for the right time to unleash his forces on the galaxy. Not much has been known of his plans or technologies…until now. The Rebel Alliance recently unearthed new footage detailing the Zann Consortium’s campaign for galactic domination, and is making it public for the first time. The hope is that all sentient species across the galaxy will view them and pass them along to friends and family, so everyone can learn the Consortium’s strengths and weaknesses and better prepare for battle!
This footage, broken up into three parts, details the background on, not only the Consortium and its arsenal of new weapons, but also on the elusive Tyber Zann himself! All three new pieces of footage can be found at Google Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4095282255292585819&q=star+wars+forces+of+corruption&hl=en)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=785277360990269602&q=star+wars+forces+of+corruption&hl=en)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070449763633678265&q=star+wars+forces+of+corruption&hl=en)
A Dossier on the Underworld’s Latest Villain…
In addition to the footage on Tyber Zann, Rebel Spies have decoded Imperial transmissions that detail an entire profile on the man himself. The following biography reflects the brief amount of information sources have been able to obtain on the elusive crime lord. All galactic residents are instructed to study the materials, along with the attached artist rendering, and report any sightings of Tyber Zann to the local authorities.
Name: Tyber Zann
Year of Birth: 34 BBY
Height: 5’11” (1.8 m)
Species: Human
Description: Green Eyes, White Hair, Facial Scar
Weapon: Modified Rawk Chopped Special
Homeworld: Anaxes
Tyber Zann’s childhood was spent working in his family’s business of remanufacturing outdated Old Republic and Imperial military hardware for civilian use. Zann Remanufacturing developed close ties to the Empire, and Tyber soon became bored with this slow-paced, streamlined business.
Tyber found that book-making and running sabacc games provided the excitement and financial returns he was seeking, and soon made a name for himself and his gambling den. Tyber developed a reputation for being calculating, intelligent, organized, and a natural leader. As time went on, he became more arrogant and aggressive, and often came into conflict with other local crime bosses.
In an effort to arm his gambling ring’s enforcers, Tyber tried to steal an arms shipment from one of his father’s warehouses. Zann Remanufacturing security caught Tyber and reported the incident to his father, who promptly turned him over to the Imperial Military Academy on Carida, hoping that he would learn the error of his ways. Instead, Tyber’s time at the Academy allowed him to advance his agenda, all the while seemingly playing by the rules and excelling as a student.
Tyber used his credentials as a top performer at the Academy to get on training missions where he could build a network of contacts for his new smuggling operation. The Academy’s lax security made it simple for Tyber to steal Imperial weapons and smuggle them off-world, where his partner, Urai Fen, could sell them on the black market.
Tyber’s smuggling ring became one of the largest in the galaxy, and he began to gain the attention of other, more powerful criminals, particularly Jabba the Hutt. Jabba orchestrated a plan to catch Tyber during a smuggling run shortly before Tyber’s graduation. Fortunately, Urai intercepted a transmission between Imperial Authorities about the scheme, allowing Tyber to escape prosecution…although he was still forced to leave the Academy in disgrace.
Despite his distrust of Jabba, Tyber saw an alliance with him as the only option to continue building the Zann Consortium. Tyber began to run smuggling operations for Jabba in exchange for ships and vehicles. During that time, Tyber gained strength by hiding assets from Jabba, in particular, a priceless artifact that Jabba had planned to sell to the Empire. Tyber managed to steal the artifact and deliver it to Urai Fen before Jabba could perform the transaction, but Imperial forces prevented his own escape.
For both the theft and his previous offences, Tyber was sent to the Spice Mines of Kessel, where he remained for years. Eventually, he gained access to areas of the mines where he could send messages to Urai and formulate a plan to escape. Jabba discovered Tyber’s escape plans and sent a bounty hunter to finish him off, but Tyber was able to orchestrate a prison break first. Taking advantage of the chaos, Tyber aligned himself with fellow inmates and bribed Imperial officers to make his way to a smuggler’s ship and to freedom.
Sights and Sounds from the Underground
Additional insider information on the Zann Consortium comes courtesy of Petroglyph Games. Possessed with an uncanny knowledge of all things in the Empire at War universe, they’ve recently released artwork of several of Tyber Zann’s trusted intimates. Images and information on Urai Fen, Bossk and the insidious Defiler have been placed into new PC desktop wallpapers, and are available for download at:
http://www.petroglyphgames.com/community/wallpapers.php).
In addition, Petroglyph Games has released several audio interviews with various members of their team. Everyone from designers, to artists, to testers has new information about the ominous Zann Consortium and their plans for galactic domination come October. Check out the podcasts at
http://www.petroglyphgames.com/community/podcasts.php), or download them through Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
A War is Brewing
Fresh intelligence has indicated that the Zann Consortium is poised to make a big move…possibly as soon as the end of October. And they’re not the only side recruiting volunteers. Reports point to a call to arms on both the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance armies as well. Which side will you join?
Whether you choose to fight for the Dark Side, the Light Side, or the shady middle ground, you can develop your strategies and tactics for galactic conquest in the brand-new Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption demo coming this week! For all the latest news on the demo, visit
http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/empireatwar/foc/index.aspx).