Bacharan Valak

"I aim to be the supreme ruler, and to reach that goal, I have a policy of my own. It is to fight my own battles. That's the difference between myself and the warlords I've fought and defeated. That's also the reason why the soldiers follow me."

- Merox Tharandon

Merox Tharandon was a of the  and the Prime Minister of the, also holding the title of Imperial Prince. Rising to power after the death of, the young  came to dominate the post- government on  and launched a campaign to reunite the feuding s. He was considered to be a brilliant strategist and managed to piece together the fractured Empire by 7 ABY, at which point he launched a massive offensive against the , which was recovering from its own civil war. By the time of his death in 9 ABY, the majority of was back under Imperial control and the New Republic had been reduced to some remote sectors in the.

Early life
Merox Tharandon was born on into House Tharandon, an old aristocratic family that could trace its history back to the times of the, but whose glory days were long behind it and its only item of inheritance being a list of debt it owed. His mother died early on in an accident, while his father was a drunkard who had no concern for the boy. Originally, the young Merox had no interest or desire to get involved in politics, but as he grew up during the and witnessed the corruption of  's regime, he became increasingly disillusioned. However, Tharandon believed in the cause of the itself and that the ideals that the Empire claimed to stand for were genuinely good. He thought that all that was needed was for the Empire to be purged of the corrupt elements and put to use for the good of the people of the. In his early years, that was what he set upon himself to do, believing that no one but him was up to the task.

It was also early on that he met another resident of the, who was named Alaric Dantornis. The two of them lived in the same area and became close friends over the years, getting into various misadventures in the Coruscanti government district. It reached a point that when Tharandon asked Dantornis to lie about their age and go with him to the when they were sixteen, he agreed. Tharandon had been an intelligent student and studied many subjects on his own time, and Dantornis was similarly gifted, although not the same level as his friend. Nonetheless, with Tharandon's tutoring he was able to pass the entry exams with high marks as well. It was then not surprising to their instructors that both of them excelled at the Academy upon entering its navy program, with Tharandon having a particular talent in strategy and tactics while Dantornis was among the best of their marksmen and  champions.

During their time at the Academy, they also happened to meet a couple of other cadets, who were several years older and were senior cadets during Tharandon's early months there. The blond and his red-headed friend assisted Markus Cadell and Valerian Raeder in defending themselves from a group of aristocratic students that were picking a fight due to Cadell's commoner background. Although Tharandon and Dantornis were helping the older pair fight them off, later rumors at the Academy turned it into just the two of them beating up the senior cadets. It was a minor incident in and of itself, but it led to Tharandon becoming acquainted with Cadell and Raeder, who were near the top of their class and graduated not long after that.

In 1 BBY, shortly after the start of the, Tharandon graduated at the top of his class, with Dantornis also being in the top quarter. The two of them were commissioned as a and  of the, respectively, and were given their first assignment aboard the  Cobra, which was assigned to patrol duty in the backwater  region of the. Tharandon was initially annoyed at their first assignment, hoping to be sent to the front lines and face the, but as Dantornis pointed out, there would be plenty of opportunities to distinguish themselves in such a lawless area.

Personality and traits
Unparalleled aggressiveness and ambition were described to be Prince Tharandon's dominant traits by those who knew him, and they were a large part of what made him charismatic. Since his early years he was determined to make the galaxy his, but unlike many of Tharandon's rivals, he did not say it as mere empty arrogance. His brilliance in war and politics allowed him to rise through the ranks of the Imperial Navy at a young age, to eventually become the youngest flag officer in the Fleet. However, at the same time, he did not fight just for his own personal power but with a desire to improve the living conditions for the galactic populace, believing that the Empire was the perfect tool to do that with. He despised Emperor Palpatine for his corruption and abuses of power, saying that although he created the Empire, Tharandon could not forgive him for all that he did.

Titles and styles

 * 4 ABY – 5 ABY: His Highness The Count of Tharandon
 * 5 ABY – 7 ABY: His Highness The Duke of Tharandon
 * 4 ABY – 7 ABY: His Excellency The Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet
 * 7 ABY – 9 ABY: His Highness The Prime Minister and Regent of the Empire
 * 7 ABY – 9 ABY: His Imperial Highness The Prince of the Empire