Hurst Romodi

"Sir, shall I begin targeting their fleet?"

- General Romodi, to Grand Moff Tarkin

Hurst Romodi was a male human who served in the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars and later became one of the first generals in the Galactic Empire's Army. As an Imperial officer, Romodi was involved in the pacification of the galaxy's Western Reaches, and took reconstruction measures in the aftermath of the Battle of Ogoth Tiir. Although Romodi eventually stepped back from service, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin coaxed him out of retirement to participate in the of the Death Star project. The general then served as an adjutant to Tarkin around the time of the Battle of Scarif.

Early life and career
"Well said, cadet. Which brings us to the leadership shown by General Romodi in the aftermath of Ogoth Tiir. Turn to node thirty-six and let's discuss his reconstruction initiatives."

- Colonel Julyan

Hurst Romodi fought in the Clone Wars, a three-year pan-galactic conflict that pitted the Galactic Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. When Sheev Palpatine replaced the Republic by a Galactic Empire of his own device at the end of the war, Romodi was a battle-scarred veteran, and he became one of the first generals in the new Imperial Army. Alongside Wilhuff Tarkin, he contributed to the pacification of the unruly Western Reaches. In the aftermath of the Battle of Ogoth Tiir, he took reconstruction initiatives, which later became a subject of discussion in Colonel Julyan's Strategy and Tactics class at the Arkanis Academy. After his retirement, Romodi was personally invited to return to the military to help in the readying of the Death Star project.

The Battle of Scarif
"Sir? Scarif base, they're reporting a rebel incursion."

- Romodi, to Tarkin

Toward the end of the Jedha insurgency in 0 BBY, Romodi served as Tarkin's aide aboard the almost-finished Death Star battle station. It was he who received General Sotorus Ramda's report that a Rebel incursion was occurring on Scarif, where the technical blueprints of the superweapon were kept. After relaying that information to Tarkin, Romodi was instructed to prepare the battle station's jump to hyperspace and inform Lord Darth Vader of the situation. Once on the premises, the general enthusiastically suggested to target the Rebels' spaceborne support with the Death Star, which Tarkin refused, stating Lord Vader would handle the enemy fleet. Instead, the Grand Moff ordered a single reactor ignition aimed at the Citadel Tower on Scarif. Romodi then ggave directions to his aides to carry out Tarkin's order, and the superlaser fired, destroying the tower and impacting the planetary surface several kilometers away.

Prelude to Yavin
A little later on, General Romodi participated in a meeting in the Death Star's conference room, during which Tarkin announced the disbanding of the Imperial Senate and Darth Vader assured that the stolen plans would soon be back in the Empire's hands. While Romodi's fellow general Cassio Tagge expressed concerns that the Rebels may discover a flaw in the Death Star, Admiral Motti brushed those aside. Eventually, the Death Star was brought to the Yavin system to confront Rebel forces over their headquarters on Yavin 4. However, the Alliance had indeed discovered a weakness in the superweapon's structure, and their starfighters launched a successful assault on the Death Star, resulting in its explosion and the loss of every life on board.

Behind the scenes
Hurst Romodi's first appearance in canon was in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, in which he is seen attending a meeting onboard the Death Star. According to the fan website Aveleyman, he was portrayed by Ian Selby. In the Star Wars Legends continuity, Romodi first appeared in the film's novel, released several months prior to the film, in which he was given the name "Romodi;" he was later given the first name "Hurst" in the 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart. Romodi was not identified in canon until the 2015 novel Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy, also written by Fry. No connection between the Imperial in A New Hope and Romodi in The Secret Academy was made until Fry confirmed on his Twitter account that they were indeed the same character. Hurst Romodi was portrayed by Andy de la Tour in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

On the social network Twitter, several French fans have humorously pointed out the resemblance between de la Tour's Romodi and the Mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppé, prompting several French-speaking online media outlets to relay the information.

Appearances

 * Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novel
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Star Wars: The Original Trilogy: A Graphic Novel
 * Darth Vader 1: Vader