Armand Isard/Legends

"The Isards make their own luck."

- Armand Isard

Armand Isard was the Director of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, and respectively, post 19 BBY, the Director of Imperial Intelligence. From humble beginnings as an SBI agent, he worked his way up through the ranks, doing sterling work for the Republic, and constantly aiding the war effort during the Clone Wars.

During Palpatine's reign, Armand worked closely with Lord Vader and the Inquisitorius to hunt down the survivors of Order 66. On several occasions, Isard's men were able to pinpoint the location of Jedi for the benefit of Vader or Inquisitor Tremayne. Simultaneously, Armand began grooming his daughter, Ysanne, for a career as a field operative.

As she grew, she became more and more capable in her role, and, naturally, Armand felt threatened. He sent her on a suicide mission to Darkknell as a means of getting rid of her, but, much to his surprise, she survived and completed the mission. On her return to Imperial Center, she had Armand framed for treason, and personally executed him, ending his decades-long career as Director of Intelligence and launching her own.

Intelligence reforms and the Separatist Crisis
"For too long the unscrupulous have been taking advantage of chinks in the bureau's armor. I say, ‘no more.' The SBI will be a vital weapon in the fight against those who would fragment our Republic, and not a tool of convenience for the wealthy and corrupt."

- Armand Isard

By the time of the Separatist Crisis, Isard had reached the rank of SBI Director, a position he would hold until the dissolution of the Old Republic. Shortly before the Clone Wars, he had a Crisis Branch created for the SBI, an act that had not been seen since 60 years prior. During this reform, Isard fired the 32 Midrim subdirectors of SBI, claiming that they were "rife with corruption". But Isard's detractors claimed that these reforms were only giving more power to Palpatine – an assumption that would prove to be right.

To further the supression of anti-Republic feeling, Isard had the Sluis sector HoloNet node shut down, as a response to the pro-CIS rallies in the area. Isard told HoloNet Regional:

"This isn't about freedom of speech. The HoloNet is a Republic asset, and Sluis sector has opted to leave the Republic. It's well within our jurisdiction to shut down their network during this crisis."

- Armand Isard

Isard had to work overtime to deal with the constant threats to the Republic. Due to the impending threat of war, feat was rife througout the populace of Coruscant, causing people to panic at any given thing. There was also the threat of lone operators: those not affiliated with the CIS, but still capitalising on the crisis to do personal damage to the Republic.

Count Dooku, the CIS head of state, quickly became SBI's top priority, when he was sighted in Gree Enclave. Though Dooku managed to escape under the radar once again, he had been sighted using an unidentified and exotic craft, a prospect that had SBI worried.

SBI's concerns were directed back home once again, however, when protests were held outside the Senate Rotunda. Despite claims to the contrary, Isard's handling of the situation was purely non-violent, and he was able to disperse the crowds effectively, with the help of the Senate Guard.

Clone Wars
During the Clone Wars, he authorized use of stone mites as a weapon on Orleon, in response to the Spinner incident at Kishi.

When Praesitlyn, home to the Intergalactic Communications Center was attacked by CIS forces under the command of Pors Tonith, Isard needed to collect information from unorthodox sources. He was able to gain intel on the attack from Captain Zozridor Slayke, a former pirate, much to the chagrin of his peers. Along with Palpatine, Shayla Paige-Tarkin, Mas Amedda, Jannie Ha'Nook, Sly Moore and Sate Pestage, Isard planned to resolve the Praestilyn crisis. The SBI provided the two Jedi commanders dispatched, Nejaa Halcyon and Anakin Skywalker with all the relevant info needed, and the operation was a success.

Isard was a mainstay at Palpatine's conferences, even at those with the Jedi Council. Palpatine had him on hand to provide critical info to others in the room, although Isard was always under strict orders from Palpatine not to reveal everything. This loyalty earned Isard some degree of respect from Palpatine, and served him well in the coming Imperialisation of the galaxy.

Hunting the Jedi
After the rise of the Galactic Empire, he was made Director of SBI's successor, the Imperial Intelligence (which he presumably helped Crueya Vandron create). He was also appointed head of the newly formed Imperial Security Bureau. Shortly after Palpatine established the Empire, Isard accompanied Darth Vader on a mission to the Jedi Temple to retrieve Sith holocrons from the archives. Whilst there, Isard's men detected unauthorised remote access to the archives, and Vader ordered them to track it. As they did, Vader was able to surmise that the hackers were two Jedi, Roan Shryne and Olee Starstone, fugitives of his purge. Whilst Isard pinpointed their location, they were able to escape.

That incident was repeated when Jedi Ekria hacked into the Imperial Network. As per the request of Inquisitor Tremayne, Isard pinpointed the hacker's location, but, once again, the quarry escaped.

During this time, he trained his daughter, Ysanne, to be a field agent, much as he had been in his youth. She was allowed to sit in on Intel, ISB, and even Inquisitorius conferences.

The Darkknell Operation
As the years went by, father and daughter did not get along very well, for in 0 BBY he knowingly sent Ysanne on a suicide mission to Darkknell in an attempt to retrieve the stolen Death Star plans. Unfortunately for him, she not only survived the mission but discerned why she had been sent there.

Returning to Imperial Center, Ysanne framed Armand as a Rebel agent and claimed that he was responsible for the theft of the datapads, as well as the bombing of Treitamma Political Center and the murder of Senator Garm Bel Iblis's family. A displeased Palpatine ordered Armand executed, and Ysanne took his place as Director of Imperial Intelligence after killing him herself.

Personality and traits
Whilst not inherently evil, Isard was staunchly loyal to Palpatine’s rule both as Supreme Chancellor and Galactic Emperor. It is not known whether Isard was given to Palpatine’s maniacal genocide of the Jedi or alien races of the galaxy, but since he was in a position to know everything about the Repbulic and Empire, it is clear that he was aware. He did not display any kind instability, nor did he show any kind of callous indifference towards the sentients of the galaxy, until the Darkknell operation, where he effectively sentenced his own daughter to death. When Ysanne turned the tables on him shortly after the Darkknell operation, Isard did not plead for clemency, instead displaying a tinge of pride for his treacherous daughter.

Palpatine knew Isard as a man who knew much, but talked little. This would seemingly conflict with Isard’s constant press conferences with HoloNet News,  however, it is more than likely that Isard never told the press anything of importance, instead relegating the truth to a few selected officials in high places.

Behind the scenes
Armand Isard was first mentioned in Michael A. Stackpole's X-wing: Rogue Squadron. Stackpole created the character as an element of Ysanne Isard's backstory, and, as such, very little information about the charcter himself was known, other than the fact that he had once been the Director of Imperial Intelligence. In 1999, three years after his initial mention, Isard appeared in Stackpole and Zahn's Interlude at Darkknell, a short story set shortly before the Battle of Yavin.

Isard would go unused and unmentioned for a further three years, until Paul Ens and Pablo Hidalgo inserted him consistently into the HoloNet news webpages. His appearances there are more than likely what prompted David Sherman and Dan Cragg to include him in Jedi Trial, marking Isard's first appearance in a major Star Wars novel. Following his Jedi Trial appearance, Isard was a mainstay in "Palpatine's Office" scenes in following works. Paul Ens' Reversal of Fortune finally provided Isard with his first visual appearance, almost a decade after his creation.

Appearances

 * Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 14:2:12: Counter-Slicer Team Formed
 * Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:2:22
 * Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:3:02
 * Jedi Trial
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:241
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Evasive Action: Prey
 * Evasive Action: End Game
 * Interlude at Darkknell
 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron