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Tarkin, Wilhuff

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although his origins and his Imperial service records are sparse, Tarkin had a noticeable career with the Imperial Navy before proposing the infamous "Rule by Fear" doctrine to Emperor Palpatine. Tarkin was born some thirty years before the Battle of Naboo. Early in his career, Tarkin was the Lieutenant Governor of the planet Eriadu before becoming a Commander in the Republic Outland Regions Security Force, where he first exerted his power by coercing Raith Sienar into an attempt to take control of the planet Zonama Sekot. Despite the setbacks suffered there, Tarkin nevertheless manipulated events in his favor, and gained considerable status in the eyes of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. He was elevated to the position of Governor during the height of the Clone Wars, serving Palpatine on Coruscant as the battle raged across the galaxy. His rise to power within the Imperial military was equally smooth; he was promoted from Captain to Moff for taking the initiative and commanding the Ghorman Massacre. It was during this time that he noticed the talents of Daala on Carida, and brought her along with him when he became Grand Moff of the Outer Rim Territories. The two became intimate confidantes, sharing their dreams for rulership along with their passion for each other, even though Tarkin had a wife back on Phelarion. Tarkin's innate evil and cunning was evident in his establishment of the Maw Installation, a secret laboratory dedicated to the creation of the superweapons which would make governing the Empire easier. When the Empire tried to enslave the Mon Calamari, Tarkin took centerstage in the attack. It was at this time that Tarkin obtained Ackbar as his personal slave. There are also rumors that Tarkin was given Ackbar as a slave by an opportunistic subordinate. Ackbar used this period to absorb all that he could about Imperial fleet strengths and weaknesses, and he also learned a great deal about Tarkin's personality. He also learned a great deal about the first Death Star in this way. When the Alliance tried to assassinate Tarkin, they were thwarted by Imperial ships, but managed to rescue Ackbar. Tarkin's major contribution to the Emperor's cause was the Death Star, which he used to rule the Outer Rim for a brief period. Palpatine assigned Tarkin to the Death Star, hoping to quell the various rebellions that occurred in the Outer Rim. However, Tarkin also had a hidden objective in creating the Death Star. Once the battle station was operational, he'd hoped to use it against Palpatine, in an attempt to take control of the galaxy for himself. Palpatine foresaw some of Tarkin's motives, and assigned Wullf Yularen as Tarkin's assistant. Tarkin's personal ambitions and self-confidence got the best of his, though, during the Battle of Yavin. Tarkin refused to evacuate the station, even with the knowledge that the Alliance had found a flaw to exploit. Tarkin Tarkin was killed when the Death Star was destroyed even as he gave the command to fire on the Massassi base. The Empire released an official death notice for Tarkin, but it claimed that he died in a shuttle crash at the Tallaan Shipyards.