In the Galactic Empire, loyalty officers (LOs)[4] were specialized officers commissioned by Darth Vader[1] as part of the Imperial Security Bureau.[2] Their job was to make sure that troops remained loyal to the regime. They were tasked with discovering any trespasses against the Empire, from mild breaches of conduct to outright betrayal. In order to do that, loyalty officers were trained to read body language and detect lies. They would also use more direct approaches, such as searching a suspect's quarters, digging through his or her files, and asking his or her superiors about any instances of disobedience that might have occurred in the past. Due to their functions, loyalty officers inspired terror in the members of whatever base, battle station or office they were dispatched to.[5] A loyalty officer could also be assigned a squadron of TIE fighter pilots, and a such had the right to wear a distinctive flight uniform with red accents.[6]
About four years after the Battle of Yavin, Sinjir Rath Velus was one such officer, and he was stationed at the Imperial shield base on Endor. However, Velus abandoned his post following the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor.[5]
Emarr Ottkreg was another loyalty officer, assigned to Admiral Rae Sloane's Vigilance at the time of the Battle of Endor. Sloane summarily executed him when it became clear the Empire was about to lose the battle.[2] After the battle, Lieutenant Yrica Quell reflected that even the most fanatical loyalty officers could see that the Empire's time was finished.[7]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The loyalty officer position first appeared in the novel Aftermath, which was written by Chuck Wendig and released in 2015.[5]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Darth Vader Annual 2 (First pictured)
- "Laina"—From a Certain Point of View (Mentioned only)
- "The Levers of Power"—The Rise of the Empire
- Alphabet Squadron (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Squadrons (Mentioned only)
- Aftermath (First appearance)
- Aftermath: Life Debt (Mentioned only)
- Aftermath: Empire's End (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition (Mentioned only)
Sources[edit | edit source]
Star Wars Helmet Collection 26 (Databank A-Z: Imperial Future Council–Inquisitorius)- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious
- Star Wars: How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks and Other Galactic Survival Skills
