During the Clone Wars, officers such as Captain Tarkin served under the Jedi Generals appointed to lead the Republic military. But Tarkin thought the Jedi’s traditional role as peacekeepers made them a poor choice for prosecuting the war against the Separatists.

Tarkin acknowledged that not all Jedi were poorly suited for leading military operations. He had a grudging respect for the hard-bitten warrior Even Piell, and came to admire Anakin Skywalker by observing him during the Jedi-led rescue mission to free Tarkin and Piell from the Citadel on Lola Sayu.

Tarkin also resented the Jedi Order’s independence from the Republic’s bureaucracy and military hierarchy. When an unknown attacker bombed the Jedi Temple, Admiral Tarkin insisted the assault was a Republic military matter and not a Jedi affair, noting that clone troopers had been killed. When suspicion fell on Ahsoka Tano, Tarkin insisted that the Jedi expel her so she could be tried by a Republic tribunal.

The Jedi reluctantly bowed to Tarkin’s wishes, expelling Ahsoka. Tarkin served as prosecutor at her trial, with Senator Padmé Amidala defending the former Padawan. Ahsoka was proved innocent when Barriss Offee admitted to the tribunal that she was behind the attack. But Tarkin listened with great interest as Offee decried the Jedi Order as having been corrupted by power and losing its way during the war.

As a loyal protégé of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Tarkin became one of the most ardent supporters of the newly declared Empire. Palpatine put Tarkin in charge of construction of the Death Star, a secret project that would take nearly two decades to complete. Tarkin also worked tirelessly to root out resistance to Palpatine’s rule, becoming Grand Moff of the galaxy’s Outer Rim Territories.

Tarkin dealt ruthlessly with the galaxy’s Separatist remnants, ordering mass arrests and executions on Antar 4 that swept up not just former Separatists but also Republic loyalists. That earned Tarkin the enmity of former intelligence agent Berch Teller, who began a campaign of sabotage against Imperial targets with the aid of the traitorous Vice Admiral Rancit. The Emperor assigned Tarkin to find those responsible, and directed him to work with his mysterious enforcer Darth Vader – whom Tarkin suspected was the former Anakin Skywalker.

Angry by the failure of his underlings to crush resistance on the remote world of Lothal, Tarkin arrived on the planet to find out what was wrong. He ordered the execution of ineffectual officers such as Aresko and Grint, and pushed the Imperial Security Bureau’s Agent Kallus and the Inquisitor to get results.

When the Empire cornered Lothal’s band of rebels in the Imperial communications tower, Tarkin donned field armor to meet the captured Jedi Kanan Jarrus. To stop an anti-Imperial broadcast, he ordered the tower destroyed, severing Lothal’s link with the rest of the galaxy.

After the Inquisitor failed to break Kanan Jarrus, Tarkin ordered the Jedi taken to his Star Destroyer above the planet Mustafar. There, he said, confessions were always obtained.

But Kanan’s friends proved more resourceful than Tarkin had expected. They infiltrated his Star Destroyer, knocking its power offline, and saved the Jedi with the help of a rebel task force. The show of rebel strength marked a dangerous new development in the Outer Rim, and led to unrest on Lothal. But Tarkin had a powerful new ally in the fight – Darth Vader.

Tarkin became one of the most powerful Imperial leaders, attracting followers such as the ruthless Admiral Motti. Motti admired Tarkin’s simple and brutal philosophy: Fear of the Death Star would crush all resistance to Imperial rule, eliminating the need for remnants of democracy such as the Imperial Senate.

Tarkin became one of the most powerful Imperial leaders, attracting followers such as the ruthless Admiral Motti. Motti admired Tarkin’s simple and brutal philosophy: Fear of the Death Star would crush all resistance to Imperial rule, eliminating the need for remnants of democracy such as the Imperial Senate.

Tarkin agreed to a risky plan suggested by Vader and allowed rebel operatives to escape the Death Star after freeing Princess Leia Organa. Tracking the rebels led Tarkin to the main rebel base on Yavin 4, giving the Grand Moff a chance to cripple the Alliance. When an aide analyzed the rebel attack and suggested that Tarkin evacuate the battle station, the Grand Moff turned on him in a fury. Surely his moment of triumph was at hand.