I used to have a figurine of one of these guys. Ever notice all the robes they had to wear? I bet it was damn hot under all that stuff. Being one of those guards had to suck. What if the Emperor inadvertently let one of those lightning bolts slip? I mean, sure, he was the most powerful force in the galaxy, but he was getting up in years. He couldn't have still had the fine-tuned control that helped the Empire come to power.