Imperial code cylinder (LadyVader)

The Galactic Empire used specific code cylinders to provide its officers with security clearance codes. In combination with the rank plaques, these code cylinders were also used to denote rank within the hierarchy. Imperial code cylinders were introduced since the early days of the new regime, and they remained in use among the Imperial splinter factions after the Empire collapsed at the Battle of Endor.
Imperial code cylinders were among the most common access tools employed by the Galactic Empire. Standing regulations demanded that every Imperial officer's code cylinders were in view at all times, and they were kept in narrow pockets on either side of the upper chest. However, only high ranking officers displayed them on their jacket; Imperial engineers and technicians wore them in special pockets around their neck or on their belt.
Imperial installations were divided into a variety of sectors, each separated from others by security checkpoints. At major checkpoints, officers who wished to access the next secured area had to prove their identity and rank by inserting individualized cylinders into a scomp link. The scomp link interfaced with a centralized computer, which determined whether the officer had the proper clearance before denying or approving their access request. Due to their use, Imperial code cylinders enforced discipline among the lower ranks and contributed to the insignia of officers and subofficers by indicating seniority.
All officers of the Navy and Army were issued with at least one cylinder, which they were ordered to display at all times. A second device was sometimes issued when an officer's duty spanned a number of unrelated sectors. Admirals of the Fleet were usually issued with three code cylinders, which enabled them to access the intelligence databanks carried by capital ships. Because each cylinder permitted access to only specific sectors, high-ranking officers carried up to four of them. 
While some officers considered the cylinders a mere mark of their status, the devices were also programmed to give the Empire a detailed knowledge of its servicemen's actions. The Imperial computer network kept detailed records of every cylinder's activity, including every time a sensitive file was accessed or a high-security area was entered. Such logs were monitored by agents of the Imperial Security Bureau who scanned the records in search of suspicious behavior—including over-frequent access to a secured file or area.
Category:Technology