User:Brandon Rhea/workspace3

"Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."

- Wilhuff Tarkin, regarding the Death Star

Wilhuff Tarkin was a prominent Human male politician and military officer during the final days of the Galactic Republic and during much of the reign of the Galactic Empire. He was born into the influential Tarkin family of the planet Eriadu and served in the Outland Regions Security Force. He intended a career of military service in the Galactic Republic Judicial Forces before Darth Sidious&mdash;in his public guise of Senator Palpatine of Naboo&mdash;convinced Tarkin to choose a political path. Tarkin became Governor of Eriadu and helped precipitate the downfall of Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, allowing Senator Palpatine to take Valorum's place as Supreme Chancellor.

During the Secessionist Movement, Count Dooku, Sidious' apprentice and the political leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, attempted to convince Tarkin to let Eriadu join the Separatists, to no avail. After the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Tarkin left the political arena and became a Republic captain. He served alongside the Jedi Generals who led the Republic's war effort, and he became convinced that the presence of the Jedi was a risk to the security of the Republic; he did, however, consider Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker a worthy commander. As a close ally of Chancellor Palpatine, Tarkin rose through the Republic's ranks and became an Admiral.

The end of the war saw the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire, with Sidious as its Emperor. After helping to quell former Separatist worlds, Moff Tarkin presided over the construction of the deep space mobile battle station known as the Death Star at Sentinel Base. He remained an ally of the Emperor and continued to gain power, ultimately becoming a Grand Moff and the Governor of the Outer Rim Territories, tasked with ensuring the Empire's security and expansion throughout the far corners of the galaxy. The rise of insurgent activity in the galaxy and the eventual formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic put those plans into jeopardy, and Tarkin believed that the Death Star could be used to create order through fear of the battle station. He went so far as to destroy the rebellious planet of Alderaan to showcase the battle station's power, but the Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance soon thereafter, killing Tarkin along with it.

Military and politics
"Perhaps you and I could serve each other, as well as the Republic, by taking Valorum down a notch. With the backing of your family, you may not even need our help, but rest assured that we will bolster you if necessary. You will be Eriadu's finest leader, Wilhuff." "Thank you, Sheev. I will do what's best for my homeworld, and for the Republic&mdash;in any manner you deem fit."

- Senator Palpatine and Tarkin

Joining the military
"I'm exasperated by having to appease so many separate interests and fight to have laws passed and enacted. Politics is worse than a theater of war."

- Tarkin, on his decision not to seek reelection as Governor of Eriadu

Escape from the Citadel
"You lack faith in the Jedi." "I find their tactics ineffective. The Jedi Code prevents them from going far enough to achieve victory, to do whatever it takes to win; the very reason why peacekeepers should not be leading a war."

- Anakin Skywalker and Captain Tarkin, on Lola Sayu

Trial of Ahsoka Tano
"The Chancellor feels very strongly that the Jedi be removed from as many military matters as possible. You yourselves said that you're peacekeepers, not soldiers." "I hope Chancellor Palpatine knows what he's doing." "I assure you that he rarely does anything without a strategy."

- Admiral Tarkin and Ahsoka Tano

Building the Death Star
"After much reflection, I came to realize that the years I spent at Sentinel Base were as formative as my years of schooling on Eriadu's Carrion Plateau, or as significant as any of the battles in which I had participated or commanded. For I was safeguarding the creation of an armament that would one day shape and guarantee the future of the Empire."

- Tarkin, in his posthumously-published memoir

Imperial expansion
"Locals call it Tarkintown." "Named for Grand Moff Tarkin, Governor of the Outer Rim."

- Garazeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren

Though he remained in command of the Death Star project, Tarkin was further elevated to the position of Governor of the Outer Rim Territories. Under his rule, the Empire expanded its presence in the Outer Rim, and the planet Lothal was transformed from a planet of agricultural and fishery to a vital industrial center for the Empire's expansion. At times, this led the Empire, under Tarkin's orders, to remove citizens from their homes and land in order to build a new Imperial presence on Lothal. One such settlement was Tangletown, which was taken over by the Empire for its land and resources. Some citizens attempted to resist, but they were arrested for treason. The citizens who did not resist were moved to a shantytown that they took to calling Tarkintown, a derisive name for the man who forced them from their homes.

The Lothal rebellion
"I actually knew the Jedi. Not from the pages of folklore or children's tales, but as flesh and blood. And do you know what happened to them?" "Well, there were rumors&mdash;" "They died. Every last one of them. So you see, this criminal cannot be what he claims to be&mdash;and I shall prove it."

- Governor Tarkin and Minister Maketh Tua, regarding Kanan Jarrus and the rebels

Downfall
"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances."

- Tarkin, shortly before his death

Legacy
"My only regret was in not employing a firmer hand in bringing the project to fruition in time to frustrate the actions of those determined to thwart the Emperor's noble designs. Fear of the station, fear of Imperial might, would have provided the necessary deterrent."

- Tarkin, in his posthumously-published memoir

After his death, memoirs that Tarkin had been writing were posthumously published. These memoirs spoke about, among other things, his time at Sentinel Base overseeing the construction of the weapon that would ultimately lead to his death. He stated, in an unintentional line of foreshadowing, that he regretted being unable to complete the Death Star in time to stop insurgent forces from rising in the galaxy. These insurgent forces, in the former of the Rebel Alliance, ultimately led to his death.

The Death Star that Tarkin dedicated most of his Imperial career to building was not the last battle station that the Empire would build. After the Battle of Yavin, the Empire began construction on a second Death Star, a larger and more powerful version of the battle station that Tarkin had overseen. Like the first, the second Death Star was also destroyed by the Rebel Alliance, this time during the Battle of Endor; this battle also led to the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the latter of whom was redeemed by his son and killed his own master.

Personality and traits
"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board." "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it, signing the order to terminate your life." "I'm surprised that you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself."

- Princess Leia Organa and Grand Moff Tarkin

Skills and abilities
"You do not know what it takes to win a war, but I do."

- Grand Moff Tarkin, to Kanan Jarrus

Behind the scenes
"...we DID have a chance to explore the character in more depth in [The Clone Wars]--but it's certainly Mr. Cushing's incredible portrayal in [A New Hope] that cemented the character in all of our minds and gave me something to build from. My mission every time I get behind the mic is to portray him as true to Peter Cushing's creation of the character as possible--I can think of no better way to pay homage to such a talented & versatile actor."

- Stephen Stanton

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
 * The Rebellion Begins
 * Droids in Distress book
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
 * The Rebellion Begins
 * Droids in Distress book
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader