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- "Getting even is one of the great fossil fuels of life, brother Silas."
- ―Orman Tagge
Baron Orman Tagge was the head of the House of Tagge from 21 BBY until his death in 0 ABY, and elder brother to Cassio, Silas, Ulric, and Domina Tagge. Tagge was also the head of the Tagge Company, a massive conglomerate that encompassed many of the galaxy's most successful franchises. Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, Tagge allied himself with the new galactic government and suggested to Emperor Palpatine that he would be a more suitable choice for right-hand compared to Supreme Commander Darth Vader. However, Vader learned of Tagge's proposition and the Dark Lord used his lightsaber to blind the baron. Forced to wear cyber-vision goggles, Tagge vowed to have his revenge and began training himself in the art of lightsaber combat, hoping to one day be a proficient enough swordsman to strike Vader down.
Over the years, Tagge became famous and his likeness was used as the logo for the fast food chain Biscuit Baron. Once the Empire was firmly in control of the galaxy, Tagge proposed the formation of the Corporate Sector Authority, a large conglomerate that would take control of the Corporate Sector, a region of the Outer Rim Territories that was under corporate control. Palpatine acquiesced and agreed to allow the establishment of the company, and Tagge eventually became the CSA's leader. During the Galactic Civil War, Baron Tagge plotted to gain more favor with Emperor Palpatine by attacking a Rebel Alliance base on the moon Yavin 4, but his plans were thwarted by Rebel commander Luke Skywalker. Orman later aided his brother Silas in the development of the Omega Frost, a superweapon that the baron hoped to use to defeat the Alliance and make himself seem a greater asset to Palpatine than Vader was. Skywalker again foiled Tagge's plans and the baron's starship was destroyed, rendering Tagge unconscious. He was saved by spies of the Sith Lord Darth Vader and subsequently taken to the planet Monastery, where he awoke and was killed by the young Jedi Luke Skywalker.
Biography[]
The Republic[]
- "The bold ideas of the House of Tagge have kept us leaders for generations. I vow to put aside any past competitive differences we may have had with other firms that are still loyal to the Republic, and I extend an invitation to the best engineers and scientists from Sienar, Kuat, Rendili and Corellian Engineering to counter the growing threat."
- ―Orman Tagge, in a statement to HoloNet News
Orman Tagge, a Human male,[2] grew up with his siblings, Silas,[5] Cassio,[1] Ulric, and Domina.[6] From the time of his birth, on the planet Tepasi[1] in 38 BBY,[2] Tagge was groomed to be the next baron of the House of Tagge, with Domina and Ulric regarding him with awe.[1] Tagge would clash with Silas on occasion, since the latter thought logically, which clashed with the former's romantic ideals. The only person that Tagge truly loved was his sister, Domina, who he was very close to.[9]
Orman Tagge and L8-L9 at a press conference
Tagge had a knack for machinery at an early age, and in his teenage years, he had already become a technical mastermind.[2] At some point, he had dealings with the Trade Federation, a powerful galactic mega-corporation, but he split from them shortly before the Federation's invasion of the planet Naboo in 32 BBY.[10] Just prior to the Clone Wars, Tagge began designing the L8-L9 combat droid, meant to battle forces such as those employed on Naboo by the Trade Federation, in the name of the Galactic Republic. When the Clone Wars broke out in 22 BBY, Tagge rushed his design into production. He modeled the droid partly on the clone troopers fighting for the Republic, and intended to sell them as substitute for the warriors, for use in extreme conditions. In truth, he hoped that they would completely replace the clone troopers in the long run. Requiring immediate testing, the young man entered his droid in a free-for-all tournament on Rattatak, where it was pitted against a variety of warriors from across the galaxy. There, it was destroyed by Asajj Ventress, a Force Adept strong in the dark side. As a result, Tagge's L8-L9 project was abandoned, but not forgotten.[11]
At the age of seventeen, in 21 BBY,[12] Tagge ascended to the position of baron of the House of Tagge, and head of the Tagge Company. A month later, he was contacted by the Senate Bureau of Intelligence's Director, Armand Isard. Tagge was enlisted, along with the foremost technical minds in the Republic, to chair a specialized technology-based committee within the Analysis Bureau of Republic Intelligence. The Techno Union was giving the Confederacy of Independent Systems the technological edge in the Clone Wars, and Director Isard sought to bridge the gap by assembling the Republic's own technological geniuses. It was Baron Orman Tagge's job to oversee the development of new initiatives that would match, or surpass those of the Confederacy. He made news with the appointment, making a public statement from the city of Unlos Tagge.[2]
He also began expanding his enterprises into the Corporate Sector—a region of the Outer Rim Territories in which a number of large corporations operated—much to the exasperation of smaller companies who had interests there. He helped to form the Galactic Corporate Policy League—a cabal of plutocrats with strong ties to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and had broad visions for the future of the Corporate Sector. They resented the outlawing of slavery and the like, which inhibited their productivity, and so set about expanding and developing the Corporate Sector. In addition, he began diversifying the Tagge Company, allowing the company to cover several areas of manufacturing, rather than specializing in certain fields as his contemporaries had done.[13]
Blinded[]
- "For the time being, you have value to the Empire. But your eyes, Baron, are looking too far past your station."
- ―Darth Vader
Orman Tagge lashes out at Silas for suggesting that Domina marry into an Imperial family.
Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Palpatine made himself Galactic Emperor, and transformed the Republic into the first Galactic Empire.[14] By this stage, all of Tagge's siblings had become involved in either military or Tagge Company affairs, except for Domina.[9] Ulric chose to join the Imperial Military,[5] and Cassio would follow that path shortly afterward.[7] Silas was content to be a doctor and a scientist, and not have to worry about running the House of Tagge.[15] He later incurred Orman's wrath by suggesting that Domina marry into an Imperial family, prompting the baron to lash out at his rapidly balding brother. Enraged, the baron swore that his sister would live her life uncorrupted, and had her sent to join the Order of the Sacred Circle on Monastery.[9]
Despite the conflict within his family, the rise of the Empire was not without its advantages. Tagge saw it as an opportunity to further his enterprises, and put the Tagge Company into a partnership with the new Empire. Meeting with Emperor Palpatine personally, Baron Tagge suggested that he would be more suitable to be the Emperor's right-hand man than the Supreme Commander, Darth Vader. In the baron's eyes, the Dark Lord was adept at intimidation, but not adequately qualified to run more complex operations such as commerce. Palpatine understood Tagge entirely, but chose to delay such potential reassignments to a later date.[7]
Despite the rebuke, the baron was pleased with the meeting, believing that the Empire would spend on a far greater level than that of the Republic. Even more pleasing to Tagge was that his company was in a prime position to reap the benefits of such spending. He was also completely unconcerned by the stories about Palpatine and Vader's rumored powers. Shortly after the meeting, Tagge's brother, Cassio, left the Tagge homeworld of Tepasi to join the Imperial military, despite the Baron's protests. Before departing, Cassio warned Tagge about the Palpatine and Vader's mystical powers, advising that they were not to be underestimated. The baron, ever confident, was not fazed.[7]
Little did Tagge know that a recording of his meeting with Palpatine had fallen into the hands of Xizor, an influential member of the Black Sun crime syndicate and another enemy of Darth Vader. Like the baron, the Dark Prince also sought to usurp the cyborg warlord's position at the Emperor's side, but he decided to do so by pitting his greatest rival for the role against Vader himself. Through Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne, Prince Xizor had made sure that the recording had made its way to Lord Vader who, naturally, was displeased. While Tagge was overseeing a problem with one of the Bonadan Heavy Industries conveyors in a factory near the House of Tagge Headquarters, he was visited by Vader himself. Vader, accompanied by his Noghri guards and a captive Jedi Padawan, Drake Lo'gaan, was far from pleased.[7]
The blinding of Baron Orman Tagge
Though at first Tagge attempted to placate Vader, he grew confident, and began openly questioning the Sith Lord's usefulness. The Emperor's lieutenant did not take kindly to the insults, and began choking the baron with the Force. Warning Tagge to be less ambitious in his gambits, Vader took his lightsaber to the baron's eyes, blinding him permanently. Immediately afterward, a firefight broke out between Vader's men and Lo'gaan's companion, the Padawan Ekria, but Tagge simply called out for his assistant, Zenfrei. He dispatched Zenfrei to bring medics and security guards, and urged the assistant that he not get killed in the firefight. Aid did not come for a long time, as Vader had the room sealed while he dueled with and apparently killed Lo'gaan.[7]
Before departing, Vader warned Tagge that if their paths met again, he would likely not survive the encounter.[7] The baron was not dissuaded however, and resolved to avenge himself on the Dark Lord. To his distaste, he was forced to don a pair of cyber-vision goggles, which allowed him to see,[16] before commissioning the construction of his own lightsaber and continually practicing with it.[5] It was Tagge's hope that one day, he could rival Vader as a swordsman and strike the Dark Lord of the Sith down in combat.[16] Over the years, Tagge became so famous that his visage, even with the cyber-goggles, became the logo for the Biscuit Baron foodchain.[17] He also made the acquaintance of military man Rom Mohc, a kindred spirit who took interest in the idea of droid soldiers. Mohc would later work with the Tagge Company to develop the Z-X3 experimental droid trooper, which like L8-L9, would fail as a product.[11]
Continued enterprising[]
- "The Corporate Sector wasn't always what it is today. Back in the old days it was simply a place where businesses could go and make a few credits without too many bureaucrats getting into the act. As an enterprising businessman, I can appreciate that kind of setup. That was back when the Republic was something to be respected, and the businesses were kept on a tight leash. But things changed…the Republic got old, got lazy, got corrupt. Guys like Baron Tagge knew an opportunity when they saw one. And boy, did the Corporate Sector scream opportunity. Tagge and his buddies got their hands into the pie, and all Palpatine wanted was a big slice. And the little guys like you and me weren't even left any crumbs."
- ―Han Solo
With the New Order firmly in place as the controlling power in the galaxy, Tagge and the Galactic Corporate Policy League continued with their work in the Corporate Sector. The baron proposed the formation of the Corporate Sector Authority, a massive conglomerate that would handle all military, government and corporate elements of the area.[13] At Tagge's suggestion, all Separatist-aligned companies in the sector were disappropriated of their assets[18] and all existing facilities owned by other companies were absorbed by CSA, in exchange for shares. The Sector itself expanded in size, with Tagge including 30,000 unclaimed stars in its new borders. All profits from the new enterprise were split amongst the shareholding companies proportionally, while the Authority progressively continued to research, promote, and sell products in their sector.[13]
To help sell the idea to Palpatine, Tagge imposed a tax which, while smaller than that of Imperial member worlds, would go directly to the Empire itself, instead of having to be split up amongst sector, local, and planetary governments. Furthermore, the Emperor did not have to invest in the Sector at all, since the CSA ran the area independently. Essentially, the Corporate Sector would be of great profit to the Empire for virtually no input.[13] After Palpatine had agreed to the proposal in a private audience with Tagge,[10] the baron met with his League colleagues on the planet Aargau, to obtain their agreement to the proposal and to draw up a Corporate Sector charter. In a refinement to his original idea, the group decided to create a special non-interference region in the Sector where Imperial materials restrictions, normally invoked within the Empire, could be ignored to the benefit of their patrons.[13] Tagge would eventually serve as head of the Corporate Sector Authority.[8]
Around this time, Lord Vader began harassing Prince Tavin Korden, the leader of the firm Korden Outfitting and Surveying and a close friend of Baron Tagge. Korden developed a loathing for Vader and, united by their shared hatred of the Sith Lord, Tagge and Korden began working together to develop a number of underhand schemes that opposed Vader's operations.[19]
Power play[]
- "Let the Sith Lord follow his "Force" scrambling about the galaxy, seeking those who shamed him in the Death Star battle—we're beating the Alliance here!"
- ―Orman Tagge
When Lord Vader and Governor Wilhuff Tarkin failed to destroy the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Battle of Yavin, Baron Tagge saw an opportunity to further himself in the eyes of the Emperor.[16] High General Cassio Tagge had perished during the disastrous battle, leaving Ulric as Baron Tagge's only contact in the military. With some manipulation and dealing, Orman secured generalship for his brother, and gave him command of a small flotilla of Tagge Company warships.[1] The Empire had, in retaliation for the loss of the Death Star and Grand Moff Tarkin at Yavin, blockaded the Gordian Reach and began attacking the Rebel base there.[20] Due to the interference caused by the storms of Yavin Prime, it was next to impossible to launch long-range attacks on the fourth moon, where the Rebels were located.[16]
Tagge however, saw a way around the problem. Silas had designed a high-powered turbine, which Tagge spent millions of credits on to make it a reality. He named it the Achtnak Turbine Station, after a native predator from Tepasi. Using the technology at the Tagge Company's disposal and the aid of Ulric, Orman had the turbine installed within the gaseous clouds of Yavin Prime.[1] He then modified a fleet of TIE/LN starfighters, outfitting them with a device that would transmit at a very high-frequency when activated. This would allow the pilots of the fighters to alert those manning the turbine to the their location. The turbine would then create its own controlled whirlwind within Yavin's clouds, effectively creating a safe tunnel in the eye of the storm through which the fighters could pass. With that system in place, the baron would be able to strike at the Rebel base far more effectively than the Imperials had.[21]
Orman Tagge trains with Shanks.
Placed in charge of the Yavin operation,[20] Tagge had his fighters continually raid the Alliance base. He personally sought to oversee the attacks, and so set off, with his military aide Shanks, to the Yavin system. To keep his movements secret and confuse any Rebel spies, the baron used a Mining Explorer as his command ship. Setting off from Centares, Tagge spent the time in transit honing his lightsaber skills with Shanks as his practice opponent. However, the baron's ship was followed through hyperspace by a blockade runner. Fearing that the crew of the ship might discover his plans, he had the mining explorer lay space mines, though their pursuer was able to make it through the field unscathed. Tagge and his crew did not learn of the ship's survival, as they were more concerned with reaching the turbine space station.[16]
Before entering Yavin Prime, Tagge launched his fighters, to make yet another raid on Yavin 4. Meanwhile, the Mining Explorer made its way to the turbine, and docked with it. The fighters did not return, to baron's surprise, and he suspected that the Rebels might have discovered his plans. He resolved to take the Mining Explorer out with the next raiding party, hoping to raze the Rebel base with one final attack. To pass the time, the baron tested his lightsaber skills against training remotes. Eventually, a lone TIE fighter returned, but it began attacking the turbine with proton charges. Realizing that the station would be destroyed, Tagge gave the order for the Mining Explorer to cast off, and follow the lone TIE Fighter through the Yavin clouds. Following the turbine's destruction and the Fighter's escape, the baron's crewmembers intercepted a transmission from the craft. It had been piloted by an Rebel agent named Luke Skywalker, who had been able to acquire Tagge's signal technology from a downed fighter. In a fit of rage, Orman began destroying one of his ship's consoles with his lightsaber, vowing to inflict grievous bodily harm on Skywalker.[21]
Penance[]
- "Blast you, woman! For that—you'll visit the Emperor as a corpse!"
- ―Orman Tagge
With the failure of the his Yavin turbine project, Tagge's operations earned the doubt of Palpatine. The Emperor, now unsure of the baron's competency, forced the latter to personally oversee each of his projects against the Alliance: starting with a weapons detection system installed on the factory world of Metalorn. Meeting with Governor Corwyth, Baron Tagge was shown how his system integrated with the potentate's own information control program, apparently ensuring total security on the world. Corwyth claimed that the suppression of rebellion of Metalorn had been a total success, with the Alliance not even allowed to exist as a rumor. As the governor boasted about the effectiveness of his system in conjunction with the baron's, Tagge warned that unarmed spies would be able to slip through security undetected.[4]
Corwyth's boast had barely left his lips before a security breach was reported: Tagge's system had detected that a stormtrooper rifle was no longer in authorized hands. At Post 994-203, a subdued trooper was found, who reported that a female had attacked him and stolen his weapon. While Governor Corwyth had his troops search for the assailant, Baron Tagge checked the trooper's recording unit, and obtained a voice print. The print matched with that of Princess Leia Organa, an Alliance leader filed under "known enemies" in the Imperial network. Curious as to what Organa was doing on the planet, Tagge searched through Metalorn's population lists to discover that Arn Horada, a former teacher of the princess, was residing on the planet.[4]
Leia Organa throws a tray of food at Orman Tagge.
The efforts of Corwyth's troops proved to be fruitless, but Tagge had already made his way down to a cafeteria, where Horada was having a meal. As per the baron's prediction, the Princess of Alderaan made her way there to contact her old teacher. Tagge then revealed himself, holding Organa at lightsaber-point while producing a set of energy shackles, in order to arrest the Rebel leader. While the baron gloated, Organa acted, throwing a tray of victuals at Tagge. Now blinded, the baron slashed wildly around the room in a rage, hitting a nearby table with his lightsaber. Horada intervened, kicking a stool underneath the Tagge's feet, while Organa shackled his ankle to the table.[4]
The waylaid baron urged the citizenry to aid him in his arrest, but was met with responses that claimed that the Empire had no enemies, and that only stormtroopers were to deal with matters of disobedience. Exasperated, Tagge cleaved the shackles in two with his lightsaber, and hurried towards the nearest exit in pursuit of Organa. Unbeknownst to the baron, Organa had hidden herself by having a child obscure her face, allowing Tagge to run straight past. As the baron returned to the governor's headquarters, he was met with accusations of failure from Corwyth, but Tagge calmly returned them in kind. He advised that the governor keep quiet about the whole affair and not execute Horada, since any retaliation would be tantamount to an admission of open rebellion. With that, Tagge departed Metalorn.[4]
Omega Frost[]
- "The Omega Frost! Brilliant, Silas…! It's going to be the club with which we beat Darth Vader from the Emperor's favor."
- ―Orman Tagge
Orman Tagge meets with his brother, Ulric, to discuss the Omega Frost project.
Tagge had not forgotten his earlier humiliation by Skywalker. Silas had begun to develop a new weapon for use against the Rebel Alliance, dubbed Omega Frost. The technology, comprising two conductor towers, could freeze anything in its range with a base amount of moisture. Contacting Ulric, who was now a General in the Empire, Orman ensured that the project would be safeguarded by the Imperial military. Ulric was now in charge of the Yavin blockade, and was confident that the Empire strike at the Alliance with great success, but Tagge was more skeptical. Furthermore, he was particularly displeased with the idea of the the Imperial forces' Supreme Commander taking full credit for the final destruction of the Alliance, and so sought once again to upstage the Dark Lord. It was Tagge's hope that Omega Frost would prove instrumental in the defeat of the Rebellion, thereby making the House of Tagge a more valuable asset than Vader in Palpatine's eyes.[5]
The operation was top secret, with much of the Tagge Company's resources being poured into it. Tagge chose Tatooine to be the testing ground for the new weapon, since Skywalker had originally hailed from the desert world. Setting up a base in the Jundland Wastes where Silas could work on the new technology, Tagge patiently waited for Skywalker to investigate. The baron suspected that the young Jedi's involvement would be inevitable due to his prior connection to the world, but Silas strongly disapproved of Tagge's second vendetta, insisting that having Vader as an enemy was already more than enough. Tagge shook off the advice however, convinced that he would he able to exact revenge for the humiliation at Yavin.[5]
Baron Tagge inspects the results of the Omega Frost test with his brother Silas.
In preparation, the House of Tagge began purchasing various moisture farms to use as testing grounds for the Omega Frost. One experiment went awry when a bantha, being used as a test subject, escaped the main Tagge compound. The subject was eventually found and destroyed, but to Silas' surprise, Tagge handled the mishap calmly, as he was focusing on preparing for Skywalker's arrival.[5] Sure enough, shortly before the testing of the Omega Frost, one of the pylons detected a nearby Rebel presence. The test itself went off smoothly, and the baron inspected it personally with Silas. Adequately pleased with the results, Tagge had his troops surround the enemies, and boarded a Reconnaissance Troop Transporter, hoping to oversee the attack himself.[22]
The transporter opened fire on the Rebels, who were hiding behind a now-frozen sand dune. Tagge advised his troops to only warn the intruders, as he was sure that one of them was Skywalker. The transporter cautiously approached the sand dune, and was met with the sight of a rapidly advancing Jawa Sandcrawler. To avoid a fatal collision, the baron had the transporter take evasive action, only to have it flip on its side and eject its passengers. Panicking as he watched his quarry escape in the Jawa vehicle, Tagge had the rest of his troops give chase to the lumbering machine. The Rebels were able to evade their pursuers, however.[22] Returning to his Mining Explorer in orbit over Tatooine, the baron flew into a rage, hacking away at machinery with his lightsaber. Silas, unimpressed, insisted that the Tatooine operation had been a success, since Omega Frost had proved effective in freezing a vast amount of territory on an essentially barren and arid world. While Tagge conceded that point, he was displeased with the fact that Skywalker had escaped his grasp.[15]
Junction[]
- "…h-he didn't kill me…! Didn't…need…to…! Controlled stroke so perfectly…destroyed my cyber-vision…without harming me…! He…was that good…! Th-that…good…!"
- ―Orman Tagge, in a state of shock
Nevertheless, Tagge prepared to move on with his master plan to foil the Rebellion and politically outmaneuver Vader. The Feriae system, home to a Rebel supply world known as Feriae Junction, would be the location of the Omega Frost's operation. The Feswe Corridor, too treacherous to be patrolled by Imperial bulk cruisers, was being used by the Rebel Alliance to ferry goods from Junction to the besieged Yavin IV. Tagge and Silas planned to place Omega Frost conductor towers on asteroids at opposite ends of the corridor, which would allow them to freeze any enemy ships attempting to traverse it. Assured that Skywalker would follow his Mining Explorer to Junction, Tagge had Ulric meet him in the system to arrange a falsified "transfer" of Omega Frost equipment to the general's Star Destroyer. It was Tagge's hope that Skywalker would investigate the transfer personally and warn the Rebels that the Empire planned to use the new technology against Junction itself, which would then hopefully prompt the Rebels to send a large fleet to save the planet.[15]
Luke Skywalker attempts to reclaim his lightsaber from Baron Tagge.
Skywalker played into Tagge's hands exactly as expected, captured by the baron's men while his transport, the Corellian YT-1300 light freighter Millennium Falcon, hurried off to warn the Rebels about the "attack" on Junction. Leaving Silas in charge of the Omega Frost operation, Tagge intended to test his lightsaber skills against Skywalker, who also wielded one of the rare weapons, wielded originally by his father. Holding his new captive at lightsaber-point, Tagge began to monologue, revealing his entire plan to Skywalker. As he had hoped, the baron's taunts caused the young Rebel to lunge at him in a rage, and the Jedi trainee wrested control of his father's lightsaber. As Skywalker ran off into the corridors of the Mining Explorer, Tagge contacted the guards on his ship, ordering them to not confront the Rebel if they were to encounter him.[15]
Tagge intercepted Skywalker in the Mining Explorer's docking bay, and challenged him to a duel. The Rebel was given little choice but to accept as the baron lunged at him, putting his opponent on the defensive. At first, Tagge easily overpowered his opponent, but the tide suddenly turned, with Skywalker deftly slicing at the baron's tunic. Tagge immediately understood that Skywalker was not so much a talented amateur, but a duelist to be reckoned with. The pair fenced for a while, but the baron began to give ground. He realized that Skywalker had command over the Force much like Vader, and so decided to employ a trick he had hoped to reserve for use against the cyborg warlord. Smashing a lighting control in the docking bay, the entire room plunged into darkness. Tagge was allowed sight in the dark by his cyber-vision goggles, whereas Skywalker was, apparently, left to flounder wildly. Throwing a piece of cloth at the young Rebel to distract him, Tagge moved in for a killing stroke, but Skywalker rounded on him swiftly. The Jedi's own attack cleaved the baron's goggles in two, but the latter was so shocked at his opponent's level of control and skill that he was left a quivering wreck.[15]
Tagge's goggles are cut in two by Skywalker.
Taken to the medical bay, Tagge remained in his state of shock while Silas took over the operation. Skywalker, however, had escaped the ship, and sabotaged the Omega Frost project by damaging one of the conductor towers. Silas, in a state of panic, roused Tagge from his state, but it was far too late. The Rebel fleet that had arrived destroyed the Mining Explorer, ending the Omega Frost project.[23] The ship's medical compartment however, sealed itself as the ship was destroyed, preserving it and its occupants, Tagge and Silas. Though the pair were both unconscious from the attack, they were retrieved and saved by spies of Lord Vader, who brought them to Captain Mulchive Wermis' battlecruiser. There they remained in life support capsules, with their survival kept secret from the galaxy. In the wake of the Tagge's apparent death, Ulric took the title of baron. With Orman out of the way, Vader saw a way to keep the Tagge family under his control, namely, by promising the new baron that he would keep his two captive patients in their comas. This would allow Ulric to retain his title. The Ulric agreed, effectively putting the House of Tagge at Vader's disposal.[6]
Death in the Crystal Valley[]
- "
Finish me Vader! You've ruined the only person in this galaxy I loved! Finish me NOW!"
"Soon. But first…you'll fulfill a final task." - ―Orman Tagge and Darth Vader
The former baron holds Leia Organa at blasterpoint.
Vader's plotting took him and Wermis' cruiser to the planet of Monastery, where Domina still served as a member of the Order of the Sacred Circle. Vader had used Domina, telling her that Luke Skywalker had been responsible for Orman's death, sewing seeds of hatred in the woman's mind. She lured the young Jedi to Monastery, into a trap set up by the Dark Lord of the Sith. While events unfolded on the planet below, Wermis captured the Millennium Falcon, who's inhabitants, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and C-3PO, were in-system to aid Skywalker. While the captain dealt with his new prisoners, Tagge began to be roused from his coma. Organa eluded capture by the Imperials, and began creating havoc on the ship by lobbing about proton grenades. The explosions that rocked the craft brought Tagge into consciousness, and when he was left unattended by medics, he broke out of his life support capsule, and made his escape.[9]
As the Imperial troops dashed around the ship searching for Organa, Tagge made sure they thought he was heading for an escape pod, before doubling back and boarding the impounded Millennium Falcon. When the craft escaped the cruiser as he had predicted, he made his way to the ship's cockpit, and kept those within at blaster-point before ordering them to land on Monastery. Tagge had overheard communications between C-3PO and his counterpart R2-D2, who was on the planet, that revealed that Domina was about to oversee a lightsaber duel between Vader and Skywalker in the Crystal Valley.[9] Fearing that his sister was in danger, Tagge began threatening Captain Solo and Organa, but he was momentarily distracted when the ship made a rough landing. In the confusion, Organa wrested Tagge's blaster from him. The former baron was not at a disadvantage for long however, as a group of TIE Fighters began assailing the Millennium Falcon. During the short firefight between the new attackers and his Rebel opponents, Tagge ran away, into the Crystal Valley.[3]
Vader and Skywalker were already in the valley, hunting for one another. The valley itself was exceptionally dangerous territory—in a constant state of eruption, people attempting to traverse it could either be crushed by falling pillars of crystal or skewered by new pillars coming up through the ground. One such pillar nearly fell on the former baron, but Tagge was saved by Vader. Tagge was confused, since Vader had chosen to not follow through on his promise made almost twenty years ago. The Dark Lord explained that killing the former baron would be far too easy and unimaginative, and proceeded to inform the man that his sister was no longer sweet and incorruptible. Distraught, Tagge begged Vader to kill him there and then, but the towering Dark Lord had one final purpose for the former baron.[3]
Tagge lays dying on the surface of Monastery.
Vader dispatched Tagge to duel Skywalker in his place, while using a Force illusion on the young Jedi. To Skywalker, Tagge appeared to be Vader himself. The pair dueled, briefly, but Tagge's fear that he would once again lose to Skywalker began to become evident. Skywalker landed a glancing blow on Tagge's chest, and pleaded with his opponent to relent. The former baron persisted however, attempting to make a killing stroke. Skywalker was left with little choice but to ram his own lightsaber into his assailant's chest, ending the duel and killing Tagge. Vader's illusion was stopped, though the young Rebel experienced confusion regarding his opponent's identity just before killing him.[3]
The true Vader revealed himself to Skywalker, but was too late to stop him from escaping. In the wake of Orman's death, Domina swore revenge on Skywalker, accusing him of not doing enough to try and save her brother.[3] Domina's own vendetta would eventually result in a devastating attack on the planet of the Red Nebula, as part of a later, failed scheme to destroy Skywalker.[24] Ulric would later retire from Imperial service to properly look after his family.[1]
Personality and traits[]
- "Pity our dear little sister doesn't have a role in our scheme."
"Silas, your banter is not to extend to her. Ever." - ―Silas and Orman Tagge
Baron Tagge without his goggles
Baron Orman Tagge was an enterprising man, always seeking to make connections in high places, despite any possible risk. He made little effort to hide his true intent to others, and his ambition was well known.[7] Despite this, he held others like him in that regard, such as Governor Corwyth, in disdain.[4] He respected risk-takers, but would not hesitate to have any opponent eliminated.[16] He was so awed by the finesse of warriors such as Luke Skywalker however, that he was sent into a state of shock by their sheer skill.[15] Tagge was also an old-fashioned and passionate man, relying on his impulses and acting on instinct. He preferred real meat to food paste, much to Silas' disdain, and considered the right to exact vengeance an intrinsic element of manhood.[5][15]
Tagge did not believe in the Force, and was constantly shocked when its power was demonstrated to him. He dismissed beliefs that the Palpatine and Vader possessed such powers as superstition, but would take to calling the latter Sith Lord a "crazy wizard" after his blinding.[7] In order to hone his skills with a lightsaber, Tagge constantly practiced against remotes[21] and live opponents.[16] In moments of frustration, Tagge would slash at miscellaneous machinery with his weapon, much to the exasperation of his brother Silas.[15] Tagge had uses for his brothers, but cared little for them, as the only thing in the galaxy that he loved was his sister, Domina. He was drawn to violence and despair when his sister was met with the prospect of corruption, and did everything in his power to ensure that she was shielded from the machinations of powerful figures.[9][3]
A proud man, Baron Tagge would not let any opportunity to inform others of either his triumphs or his vendettas pass. He would constantly launch tirades about how he had been wronged by Lord Vader and how the House of Tagge would eventually outclass, outmode, and outfox the Dark Lord.[16][21] He would scheme frequently, coming up with several elaborate plans to replace Vader as Palpatine's right hand man.[16][7][4] Tagge held two major grudges in his lifetime, against both Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. During the blockade of Yavin, Skywalker inadvertently saved Tagge's life, but the baron cared little, and began immediately baying for the young Rebel's blood.[21] From then on, he would not waste any opportunity to capture or kill Skywalker, even at the expense the time and resources of his allies.[5]
Behind the scenes[]
- "A tale yet to be chronicled—Archie"
- ―Archie Goodwin's footnote in Star Wars (1977) 30 pertaining to the blinding of Orman Tagge, in 1979
Orman Tagge was created by Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in Star Wars (1977) 25, an issue of the Marvel Star Wars comic series that was published in 1979. Tagge went on to appear in nine subsequent issues of the series, acting as an adversary to the characters Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. He later received mentions in a number of reference books, such as Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook, which established Tagge's role in the formation of the Corporate Sector Authority, an organization that had previously featured in The Han Solo Adventures novel trilogy. However, apart from such minor mentions, Tagge would go unused in the Star Wars Expanded Universe until Pablo Hidalgo wrote him into the Star Wars Insider feature HoloNet News in 2004, twenty-four years after Tagge's last appearance. Tagge subsequently received mentions in the reference books Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds, The New Essential Chronology and The New Essential Guide to Droids, and in 2006, Paul Ens used the baron as a major character in Evasive Action: End Game, the final installment of the Evasive Action webstrip series. In End Game, Ens also displayed the blinding of Tagge, an event that had been alluded to since the Marvel Star Wars series in 1979. Tagge received further mentions in the 2007 Star Wars Insider articles Comic Marvels and The Empire's Finest: Who's Who in the Imperial Military, and in 2008, he received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Tagge was later referenced in the 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas and the 2010 Wizards of the Coast role-playing sourcebook Galaxy of Intrigue.
Appearances[]
"Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:2:22" — Star Wars Insider 74- Evasive Action: End Game
- "Bungo n' Rusti Get Carry-Out" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 11 (Picture only, as part of Biscuit Baron logo)
- Star Wars (1977) 25 (First appearance)
- Star Wars (1977) 26
- Star Wars (1977) 30
- Star Wars (1977) 31
- Star Wars (1977) 32
- Star Wars (1977) 33
- Star Wars (1977) 34
- Star Wars (1977) 35
- Star Wars (1977) 36
- Star Wars (1977) 37
- Star Wars (1977) 50 (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars (1977) 108 (Indirect mention only)
