Jarun Lank

"Without Lank, we would not have won the hearts and minds of billions."

Jarun Lank was a male from  who became known as a close associate of  during the days of both the  and the. A talented speaker and effective propagandist, he ensured Palpatine's image was what the secret desired and was responsible in no small measure for the future 's massive popularity during his tenure as.

Although Palpatine's senior in years, Lank still managed to become close to the younger man even before Palpatine's ascent to the position of the 's representative in the. After the assassination of Palpatine's mentor,, Lank's propaganda was largely responsible for the success of Palpatine's election campaign to replace him. Over the course of the next twenty years, Lank was able to maintain Palpatine's image as a genuinely honest politician, and it was this image, as well as further propaganda by Lank, that helped Palpatine to ascend to the post of Supreme Chancellor after the fall of.

During Palpatine's time as Chancellor, Lank kept producing propaganda designed to maintain his employer's popularity and image. With the onset of the soon after Palpatine's election as Chancellor, Lank saw it as an opportunity to present Palpatine as the only thing holding the Republic together, an image which many of the Republic's citizens believed. When the broke out ten years later, Lank was responsible for much of the propaganda against the  leadership and its goals. With the Republic's transformation into the at the end of the war, Lank's propaganda ensured that the majority of beings in the new Empire accepted and even supported the move. Lank maintained the position of propaganda chief until the downfall of the New Order at the, at which point he committed suicide rather than see a galaxy without the Empire.

Life Before Palpatine
Jarun Lank was born on, the son of a teacher, and excelled at school. Though he suffered a malformity in his foot as a result of complications during his birth, he led as normal a life as possible, and earned a doctorate in literature at. He wrote several novels and holofilms, none of which did very well, making Lank bitter and angry. He sunk into depression and began to lose faith in everything, including the itself, writing in his private diary that he would prefer the Republic to be torn down and rebuilt from within. His opinions caught the attentions of the influential, , who recommended him to his young associate on Naboo,. In 55 BBY, they were introduced by Damask.

Early Career
"I love him. He holds all the right beliefs and knows just how to gain power. Palpatine is a genius."

- Jarun Lank, on Palpatine

From the first meeting, Lank was in Palpatine's thrall. Palpatine held all the opinions that Lank did and more, both of them desiring to see the Republic destroyed but only Palpatine having the ambition to rule as unquestioned monarch of the galaxy. Lank pledged to Palpatine that he would help him acheive this goal. In exchange, Palpatine confided to Lank the truth about his identity; that he was really Darth Sidious,.