This is a really interesting post, and I want to think long and hard before truly responding, but I did want to say: I don't agree with the idea that "siding with game!Republic is siding with movie!Empire, since one becomes the other." That's like saying that the actions of a great warrior in Sumer eventually come to contribute to Saddam Hussein's regime. Yes, my example doesn't encompass the fact that, in the Star Wars universe, technology seems to be in a (rather advanced) stasis, but I think my point generally holds. Furthermore, even if this Sumerian warrior's activity did in some way contribute to Saddam Hussein, he shouldn't be held culpable for what happens in history, thousands and thousands of years later -- especially if our legendary Sumerian was just and honorable.