Iaco Stark

"You always were a being of grand vision, Stark. Grander, perhaps, than we need."

- Tam Gozon

Iaco Stark was a Human male smuggler and pirate who initiated the Stark Hyperspace War between himself and the Galactic Republic and Trade Federation representatives. After his defeat at the Fifth Battle of Qotile he joined the Commerce Guild.

Stark Hyperspace War
Years before the Clone Wars the Republic had known peace for centuries while a few conflicts did burn in scattered patches of the galaxy, none of these conflagrations ever spread into a full-scale war. For this reason, the government came to easily rely on the Jedi Knights, letting its own armies shrink so that the term "Republic military" really described forces cobbled together from sector and systems resources rather than a unified galactic body.

Taking advantage of this complacency was a cunning young pirate named Iaco Stark. The charismatic and bold smuggler maintained a pirate fleet that raided goods and sold them on the underworld market for considerable profit. He was able to undercut the prices of the Trade Federation, and became a folk hero of sorts to other pirates. Under his leadership, a coalition of smugglers, pirates, mercenaries, bounty hunters and assassins emerged in the Outer Rim. Ever seeking out airs of respectability, Stark named this criminal organization the Stark Commercial Combine.

At the request of the Trade Federation, the Jedi and Galactic Republic representatives sought to end Stark's campaigns at a conference on Troiken. Paranoid and power-hungry, Stark unleashed a navicomputer virus that crippled the few military ships the Republic had amassed. This led to the Stark Hyperspace War, the last sizable military conflict before the galaxy would become engulfed in a full-scale war.

Before the battle, Stark had amassed a fleet of ships and used them to steal goods from the Outer Rim Territories and then sell them back at ridiculously inflated prices (although still less than what the Trade Federation set). When he saw that he would lose the war, he betrayed his allies. After the battle ended, he joined the Commerce Guild, where he served as a legitimate businessman as of 30 BBY, despite the fact that he was now widely reviled in the Outer Rim. During this time, he married Arris Rossum.

Clone Wars and beyond
Stark had served with the Commerce Guild throughout the Clone Wars, but again changed allegiances when he saw that his side was losing. The day after the Battle of Coruscant, he jumped ship and fled to the Corporate Sector.

Afterwords, Stark set up Rossum Droidworks and made a fortune selling droidekas and other droids throughout the sector. He fell fatally ill and became obsessed with creating the Eclipse space station. It was there that he was decapitated in an industrial accident in 5 BBY and presumed dead.

When Cross and Elli Stark infiltrated the spacestation, they were confronted by Iaclyn Stark who attempted to warn Elli that she was in grave danger. Iaclyn warned her Iaco was still alive because Iaclyn had grafted his head onto a droid body. Before he could convince her, he was killed by Iaco Stark. Iaco stated that he killed Iaclyn because he was flesh and blood and therefore weak. This was the same reason he chose to be grafted to a droid body instead of a clone. He re-initiated protocol five and ordered the droids present to kill Elli. She and Cross managed to reach the door of the room and attempted to escape only to find themselves face-to-face with IN-GA 44. Iaco ordered her to kill Cross and Elli, starting with Cross first.

Personality and traits
Stark's droid body was a large dark blue oval with red highlights. It had eight total limbs; two arms with blades attached to them and six legs. Iaco's face was protected by a drop down faceplate that featured eleven red sensors.

Appearances

 * Millennium Falcon
 * Star Wars: Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War
 * Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, Part 4
 * Star Wars: Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse, Part 5