In allegiance, wasn't it the small group of stormtroopers that desert that actually showed that level of competence? the larger groups of stormtroopers were evaded quite easily for the rest of the book by those four (or was it five), and by mara. In fact, imperials especially came across looking like dolts, and not only dolts, but incompetent leaders (thus the reason the stormtroopers deserted in the first place) (i'm not arguing your point, just discussing it a bit, cause i haven't read that book in probably a year.