http://www.ftg-comic.com/2007/12/04/index.php
Will taking Napoleon to 1980 to watch The Empire Strikes Back be enough to convince him to join the boys on their quest to stop the corruption of Frederick Douglass? Or will our boys find themselves facing down the entire Grand Armee on their own? Negotiation! Galactic conquest! Ugnaughts! All in Episode 83: Our Third Catch of the Day!
– The Count and Geoff
So, this episode is another exercise in our main characters being horrible people.
It also points out the soft spot that the Count and I have for The Empire Strikes Back, and The Empire in general.
The Empire was evil, but man they had style.
Bucket hat and British accent? Sign me up. Joined the Secret Society of the Emperor in TIE Fighter? Yep. Played as an Imperial spy in the Star Wars MMORPG? Check. Thinks Gilead Pellaeon is the best Extended Universe character? All these things are true about me.
Rebel scum kiss their sisters.
–Geoff
So much to talk about today.
First of all, ugnaughts.
Second, Napoleon’s totally rad dream of crushing England through AT-AT attack reflects two changes to the timestream brought about by Frederick’s actions. In “normal history”, 1806 Napoleon would have known that Lord Nelson had already died in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, and probably would have not yet heard of the Duke of Wellington, whose big moment beating up the French Army at the head of the British Peninsular Army didn’t really come until 1809 or so. Still, AT-ATs, yo?
The title of Emperor is a tricky one. Frederick’s grandfather had, through a bit of diplomatic sleight of hand, just managed to get himself crowned “King IN Prussia” (not King OF Prussia, mind you), so Frederick couldn’t legitimately call himself an Emperor. Peter was declared an Emperor in 1721, but no other country recognized his title save Poland, Sweden, and Prussia. That’s Poland, perennial stomping ground for any army that happened to be nearby that felt like invading something; Sweden, which had just been defeated BY RUSSIA; and Prussia, under Frederick’s father at the time, who was grateful to Peter for sending him some tall dudes for his private army of giants. Not the strongest base of support ever, really. Still, it stuck.
And if anybody has a better notion on how to transliterate the Imperial March, I’d like to hear it.
– Count Dolby von Luckner
Relevant Archival Episodes to Peruse:
Lord Nelson Doesn’t Get a Break
Peter and his Dwarves
