“Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.”
As a kid, and even now while watching Star Wars – A New Hope it amazes me that Tarkin is in fact “holding Vader’s leash”. It seems to me that, as far as the Empire was concerned, Vader was number two only to the Emperor. So how is it that this guy is calling the shots, and at times ordering Vader around and not getting Force choked? Tarkin has been around from the beginning, but we’ve never really gotten a close look at this character. He’d pop up in books, the comics, and more recently the Clone Wars animated series from time to time. But for whatever reason, there’s never really been any major focus on this guy.
Until now.
The next book in the “New Expanded Universe” catalogue is called “Tarkin”. Written by James Luceno, this novel finally gives us a nice solid look at Tarkin, and even gives us some insight into his past through flashbacks.
“He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion.
Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin’s guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so-called Death Star is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy’s lingering pockets of Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel—by intimidation . . . or annihilation.
Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he is mysterious; andTarkin—whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy . . . and its enemies’ extinction.”
Interestingly enough, Tarkin is the “hero” of this piece. It’s a bit odd at first getting your head wrapped around the idea that the “bad guys” in this story aren’t actually the Empire. Even stranger is that the story takes Vader and Tarkin on a bit of a “buddy cop” adventure…without the comedy of course. For a book focusing on Tarkin, my favorite part of the story actually involved the Emperor, and his “big picture” plan for the galaxy. The author has a writing style that some don’t care for. Luceno tends to describe every little detail of everything…and then some. Personally I don’t mind his level of description, as it paints a more vivid picture. As I said however, his style is not for everyone. My one real gripe, was that Vader seemed out of character. When you read a story featuring characters from a film, it makes it very easy to hear their voices as you read their dialogue. The things Vader was saying felt out of place for the character, and it made it difficult to “hear” Vader speaking throughout the story. That, probably very minor, gripe aside, the story was entertaining, well paced, and I looked forward to picking the book up each evening after work. After finishing the story, I immediately watched Episode 4 and finally understood how this skinny old man could in fact “hold Vader’s leash.”
Until next time, may the Force be with you!