Harsh

"Excellent! This will prove to be a most rewarding arrangement."

- Harsh plots with Seth Kabul

Harsh was a male Human who grew up with the dream of commanding a vessel the size of a Star Destroyer. He attended an Imperial Academy as a young man, and passed with the highest honors after being mentored by a senator who taught him politics. Following his graduation, Harsh joined the Imperial Navy and was eventually made captain of the Star Destroyer Cauldron. At the start of the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Harsh lead an assualt during a battle on the planet Chabosh. The captain lead his troops to victory against the Rebels, but was gravely wounded in the process. Despite the advice of a 2-1B surgical droid, Harsh refused to have a cybernetic replacement limb and instead waited until the wound recovered.

After his victory and recovery, Harsh was considered a legend, and a year after Chabosh he was promoted personally by Galactic Emperor Palpatine to the rank of Moff. Given control of the Bosph sector, Harsh ruled with an iron fist, bombarding the planet Bosph and killing many of its inhabitants on orders from Palpatine. The Moff outlived the Emperor, and following Palpatines death, Harsh took up residence on the world of Otunia, where he conspired with a Human named Seth Kabul to give him control of the mining company Kabul Industries. Kabul and Harsh planned to kill the current head, Seth's brother Lorn Kabul, so Seth could then partner the company with the Empire. Lorn was successfully killed, but his daughter Arista Kabul survived and destroyed the mines used by Kabul Industries, ruining Harsh's plans.

Biography
"By morning, Kabul estate will be totally occupied and secured."

- Harsh informs Seth Kabul of his plans

The Human male Harsh was born the child of a minor bureaucrat, and as a young boy came into possession of a toy Imperial Star Destroyer, which he played with until the toy was destroyed by a larger bully. In retaliation for the loss of his toy, Harsh took the stone the bully had used to break the Star Destroyer and turned it on its wielder, smashing the other boy's face. As a young man he attended an Imperial Academy, but before graduating he became friends with a prominent senator who mentored him in the art of politics. Harsh then graduated with honors, and with the senator's continued mentoring and patronage was promoted rapidly through the ranks of the Imperial Navy, reaching the rank of captain and being given command of the Star Destroyer Cauldron. At the start of the Galactic Civil War, the captain was sent to the planet Chabosh, where he led a fleet in blockading the planet after its Imperial governor was overthrown by the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Harsh himself led a company of stormtroopers in the final assault on the rebel's planetary stronghold, which was defended by powerful shields. During the attack, which was successful, Harsh was severely injured and taken back to the Cauldron where he was informed by a 2-1B surgical droid that his leg would have to be replaced by cybernetic prosthetic. Harsh rejected the idea, and held those trying to treat him at bay by threatening other patients with a blaster. Harsh's leg eventually healed on its own, allowing him to walk, and the captain became a legend for his deeds. He quickly earned a number of promotions over many more senior officers, and one year after his victory on Chabosh, Galactic Emperor Palpatine personally granted him the title of Moff. Harsh received the promotion in a ceremony in the Imperial Palace on the planet Coruscant, where he was given control of the Bosph sector in the Outer Rim Territories. While Harsh was Moff of the Bosph sector, Rebel activity was negligible in the area; however, the Emperor became aware of the ela b'Yentarr, a Force-sensitive faction of the Bosph species who were native to the sector. Harsh immediately blockaded the Bosph homeworld, before bombarding it and killing huge numbers of its inhabitants. At somepoint following the death of the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure in 4 ABY, Harsh lived on the world of Otunia within his sector, and there he survived the collapse of the Empire following the Death of Palpatine. Sometime after the Emperor's death, Lorn Kabul, the head of the Otunia-based mining company Kabul Industries, was unwilling to enter his company into a partnership with the Empire. Displeased with this, Harsh made arrangements with Kabul's brother Seth to have Lorn killed, after which Harsh would gain easier access to the raw material from the mine in exchange for performing political favors for Seth. Seth would set charges in a mining tunnel, which he would detonate when Lorn Kabul and his daughter, Arista Kabul, were visiting for inspection. After significant delays to the plan, Harsh contacted Seth by hologram to demand the scheme move forward, and the event took place the next day. The charges successfully detonated and Lorn Kabul was killed, allowing Seth to take his place as head of the company and create the partnership Harsh wanted. The Moff then traveled to the Kabul Estate in person, along with Imperial forces, to occupy and secure it for Seth. Arista Kabul however, had not been killed in the explosion, a fact Seth had become aware of and sent men out to correct, without informing Harsh. Arista, along with a Gamorrean companion named Grissom, snuck into the Kabul estate shortly after Harsh arrived and visited Seth. Instead of killing him, they had Tek, a Jawa criminal, destroy the Kabul mines leaving Seth with nothing, following which they fled the planet.

By the time of the Ssi-ruuvi invasions and the Nagai-Tof War later in 4 ABY, Harsh's sector was considered part of Oversector Outer, an Imperial Oversector controlled by Moff Ardus Kaine. The region was still under Imperial control by 8 ABY, and became part of the region of space considered the core of Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn's confederation during his return from the Unknown Regions in 9 ABY. By 11 ABY, however, the region of space including the Bosph sector was no longer considered part of Imperial space.

Personality and traits
"I refuse to accept any more delays!"

- Harsh grows angry about the delays to Seth Kabul's plan

As a boy, Harsh dreamt of one day joining the Imperial Navy, where he could control huge vessels such as Imperial Star Destroyers like the toy he owned. Even from a young age however, he was combative and violent, attacking another child with a rock for destroying his property. The senator who mentored Harsh taught him a great deal about politics, especially the importance of winning political battles as well as military ones. When wounded at Chabosh, Harsh deemed having a cybernetic limb as being incomplete, and on those grounds refused treatment, willing his leg to heal. When made Moff of the Bosph sector, Harsh did not let himself become complacent and ruled the area with an iron fist. During his work with Seth Kabul, Harsh became angry at his co-conspirator when there were numerous delays to the plan, although the amount of the wealth the plan would earn Harsh pleased him. Harsh had pale skin, brown eyes and was bald when working with Seth Kabul.

Equipment
Harsh carried a blaster pistol, a datapad and a comlink with him while on duty. During his time working with Seth Kabul he wore a standard grey Imperial military uniform.

Behind the scenes
Harsh first appeared in Three Against the Galaxy, a story published in Star Wars Tales 3 in 2000. In the comic book, which was written by Rich Hedden, he was illustrated by Rick Leonardi. Harsh's backstory was given the following year in "Unusual Suspects" and article written by Andrew Hind and published in Star Wars Gamer 6. The article also gave rules for role playing Harsh in West End Games' Star Wars Roleplaying Game. The Moff also received an entry in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.