When Lord Vader or the Emperor require success in the most difficult and complex assignments of the Galactic Civil War, they call upon the 501st Legion, the elite stormtroopers also known as Vader's Fist. When Lucasfilm needs to fly the Star Wars banner in a way that will turn heads and show the power of the saga, they do the same.

The 501st are a group of dedicated fans who express their love of Star Wars through incredible costume recreations, most visibly of the white-armored ranks of Imperial stormtroopers. Forged in 1997 by Albin Johnson with Tom Crews, the 501st grew from a small group of devoted costumers to a world-wide organization of over 3,000 members with "garrisons" set up in over 20 countries across the globe.

"I wanted something that would give the average fans a collective identity at conventions -- a family of their own," says Johnson. The organization gained popularity and attention through convention appearances and volunteer community service, tirelessly and creatively raising awareness for charity efforts.

"We consider the members of the 501st part of the extended Lucasfilm family," says Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations for Lucasfilm Ltd. "They have fun and share a sense of community, while at the same time bringing joy to a lot of people."

"It's inspiring how the members of the 501st will step up when called upon, no matter how grand or humble the need," says Mary Franklin, events manager for Lucasfilm. "From huge events like Celebration III and the DVD release to local visits at children's hospitals -- this group can be counted upon to do their best."

This year saw notable tours of duty from the 501st, many of them on the official behalf of Lucasfilm. When Celebration III's opening ceremonies needed an armored escort to sneak Steve Sansweet onto stage for a surprise unmasking, who better to call upon than the 501st? When Good Charlotte needed an Imperial presence backing them up as they played at Skywalker Ranch, the 501st were there. When stormtroopers needed to tap-dance and carry a crooning William Shatner off the stage at the AFI's ceremony that recognized George Lucas, the 501st did their duty. When Lucasfilm's X-wing starfighter was damaged during its long travels during 2005, members of the 501st stepped in and took over repairs and refurbishing at a moment's notice.

Last year, the 501st were made part of the Star Wars galaxy with their inclusion in Timothy Zahn's novel, Survivor's Quest. This year, they became stars of their own story. Turns out, the blue-armored stormtroopers that marched up the steps of the Jedi Temple were the 501st Legion. Their missions became the foundation of the single-player experience of the smash hit, Star Wars Battlefront II.

The 501st realized a dream this year, by inducting the man they consider their Jedi Master, George Lucas, into their ranks as an honorary member. Troopers were able to present Mr. Lucas with a plaque and membership during the ShoWest event, where Lucas was a key speaker.

Special thanks to all members of the 501st, for not only keeping the spirit of Star Wars alive in such admirable ways, but for service above and beyond the call of duty this year.

	The 501st may have logged the most volunteer hours, but the overworked Lucasfilm X-wing probably logged the most mileage. An event mainstay, the X-wing is not an original prop -- any life-size X-wings built for the original trilogy have long been destroyed. Rather, this large reproduction was constructed a decade ago to herald the final VHS release of the Star Wars trilogy in Europe, and was in deep storage until the first Star Wars Celebration in 1999. In 2005, it's been hopping to location to location, refurbished and maintained by fans and adorned with signatures of the celebrities in its presence. X-wing appearances this year included: Time Square, New York City -- Birth of the MPire for dark chocolate M&M's Indianapolis, Indiana -- Star Wars Celebration III Skywalker Ranch, California -- MTV Total Request Live Hollywood, California -- AFI's Tribute to George Lucas Los Angeles, California -- SIGGRAPH 2005 Los Angeles, California -- Dressing a Galaxy exhibit at FIDM Denver, Colorado -- Wings Over the Rockies Museum