Jarun Lank was a Human male from Naboo who became known as a close associate of Palpatine during the days of both the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire. A talented speaker and effective propagandist, he ensured Palpatine's image was what the secret Sith Lord desired and was responsible in no small measure for the future Galactic Emperor's massive popularity during his tenure as Supreme Chancellor.
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 Chommell sector's representative in the Galactic Senate. After the assassination of Palpatine's mentor, Vidar Kim, 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 Finis Valorum.
During Palpatine's time as Chancellor, Lank kept producing propaganda designed to maintain his employer's popularity and image. With the onset of the Separatist Crisis 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 Clone Wars broke out ten years later, Lank was responsible for much of the propaganda against the Separatist leadership and its goals. With the Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire 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. As a reward for his decades of loyal service, Lank was made a Grand Moff by the new Galactic Emperor Palpatine, and given governorship of the Chommell Sector. Lank maintained both the position of Grand Moff and that of propaganda chief until the downfall of the New Order at the Battle of Endor, at which point he committed suicide rather than see a galaxy without the Empire.
Biography[]
Life Before Palpatine[]
Jarun Lank was born on Naboo, the son of a teacher, and excelled at school. Though he suffered a malformity in his right foot as a result of complications during his birth, he led as normal a life as possible, and earned a doctorate in literature at Theed University. 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 Galactic Republic 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 Muun, Hego Damask, who recommended him to his young associate on Naboo, Palpatine. 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, Lord of the Sith. Lank was shocked by Palpatine's confession, but not repulsed. On the contrary, the power that Palpatine wielded through the Force, a power Lank could only imagine, only served to further solidify Lank's devotion to Palpatine.
With the assassination of Vidar Kim, the representative of the Chommell sector in the Galactic Senate, Palpatine stood for election as his successor. Lank was appointed by Palpatine to be his campaign manager, a role in which Lank proved extremely talented, able to produce highly effective propaganda that helped to ensure that Palpatine won the election. Now working for a Senator, Lank had access to a wide variety of resources that would stand him in good stead in the future, such as official documents, informants and potential partners for deals.
Rivalry with Sate Pestage[]
From the outset of his employment under Palpatine, Lank developed a deep-rooted rivalry with Sate Pestage, Palpatine's right-hand and close advisor. Jealous of Pestage's high place in Palpatine's esteem, Lank did all he could to attempt to undermine him, an attitude which Pestage countered by doing everything in his power to lower Palpatine's opinion of Lank. Neither man was successful, and in fact Palpatine subtley encouraged the competition between his two closest associates. This led to an intense hatred between the two man that would persist throughout the rest of their lives.
A Golden Opportunity[]
You will ensure that the people of Naboo will not suspect that I had anything to do with their misfortune.
—Palpatine gives Lank orders during the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation
For twenty years, Palpatine served as Naboo's Senator without incident. The fact that he was a Sith Lord remained a secret known only to the select few and Lank ensured that Palpatine's reputation remained unsullied by accusations of sleaze, scandal or corruption. All this changed, however, when the Trade Federation - a powerful commerce guild, trade cartel, megacorporation and lobbying group based on Neimoidia - blockaded Naboo, on the orders of Palpatine himself, as Sidious, and soon deployed an invasion force of battle droids to its surface.
This provided Palpatine with a chance to capitalise on his image and position, a task within which Lank found himself a vital role. Palpatine ordered him to ensure that the Senator's reputation remain clean and that nobody chance to discover the truth that he himself had ordered the blockade and invasion.
Talents and Abilities[]
He has duped the masses with a voice of honey and promises of blood and durasteel.
—Bail Prestor Organa, on Lank's powers of persuasion.
Jarun Lank had a great talent for public speaking, and was able to inspire almost any desired reaction in an audience by altering the pitch, rate and language of his speeches to fit with the intended mood. His abilities as a propagandist, too, were exemplary, and his carefully constructed holofilms were later cited by historians of the New Republic as important factors in the rise of Palpatine and the maintenance of the Sith Lord's image as a benign old man.
However, Lank was an unskilled writer of prose, and his novels - written just after his graduation from Theed University - all failed to be published. Likewise, his holofilms prior to meeting Palpatine were catastrophic failures that almost bankrupted Lank.
Personality and Traits[]
I find myself going through the wildest of mood swings lately. One moment I am ecstatic, the next I am weeping on the floor of my office. Then I will be filled with a great wrathful tide before that subsides and gives way to the blissful euphoria again.
—Jarun Lank, describing his erratic personality.
Jarun Lank was initially a happy young man, content to live the life of an academic and writer. However, the failure of his work in the field of fiction led to him becoming a bitter and angry individual. Gradually, he lost faith in everything, including the Galactic Republic itself, and desired to see it overthrown. A cold and calculating individual, Lank was also highly intelligent, an advantage when it came to devising propaganda and governing the Chommell sector as a Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire. He was also fanatically loyal to Palpatine, and devoted himself entirely to furthering his master's plans. However, he had strained relationships with almost all of his fellow high-ranking Imperials and members of Palpatine's inner circle, mostly because he was jealous of the attention Palpatine paid to them and their views.
Relationships[]
Palpatine[]
He is the man the galaxy needs. Under him, the Republic will fall and a New Order will rise to take its place.
—Jarun Lank
Jarun Lank was utterly devoted to Palpatine from the first time they met. Seeing Palpatine as everything the galaxy needed in a leader, he dedicated his every effort to ensuring that Palpatine's ambitions were achieved.
Behind the Scenes[]
The character of Jarun Lank is heavily inspired by Joseph Goebbels, the head of propaganda in Nazi Germany. Parallels to Goebbels can be found in Lank's earning of a doctorate in literature, his failure as a conventional writer, his fanatical devotion to Palpatine and the extreme success of his propaganda.