The Imperial Research Facility was a weapon research center established by the Galactic Empire on the planet of Lok during the Galactic Civil War.
The Imperial Research Facility was operated by the Galactic Empire for the development and the production of new weapons. Numerous scientists specialized in different areas, including explosives, chemicals and gasses, worked in the facility. There, they developed various research projects for the Imperial Military such as new ranged weapons, explosives and even bioweapons.
The Imperial Research Facility was associated to a secret Imperial Mine also located on Lok. The minerals and gasses mined were used by the Empire at the research facility. Because of a feud between General Otto, the commander of the Imperial garrison on Lok, and Imperial officers in charge of the mine and research facility, there was very little Imperial presence at the research facility. In order to prevent General Otto from meddling in their affairs, these officers deployed battle droids and mercenaries to guard the mine and the research facility instead of requisitioning Otto's troops.
After the Battle of Yavin, the scientists of the Imperial Research Facility worked on several projects, including a novel easy-to-conceal blaster sniper rifle for special operations, a Gungan assault cannon-based weapon, a new non-lethal gas grenade, grenade casing units and an airborne anti-fear virus for Imperial troops. During that time, the mercenary contingent that protected the facility included Kendo Ryzak, Platt Pareja, Goll Bardok, Jeran Tarven, Kell Lapaz, and was led by Udo Barnet.
In 1 ABY, the pirate warlord Nym, leader of the Lok Revenants and de facto ruler of Lok, decided to raid the Imperial research facility and steal the weapons developed there. Thanks to Sergeant Moore, a corrupted Imperial soldier, the criminals obtained detailed information about the research facility, in particular regarding the new Imperial Military Grade Grenade Casing Unit (IMGGCU). Nym's first mate Kole thus tasked a group of spacers who had recently joined the Lok Revenants with assaulting the Imperial research facility. The spacers therefore headed to the facility where they fought numerous mercenaries and droidekas that defended the place. The Revenants killed several mercenaries, including Kendo Ryzak, Platt Pareja, Goll Bardok, Jeran Tarven, Kell Lapaz and Udo Barnet. In addition, they stole lab data and questioned the scientists about the Imperial research projects. The Revenants finally found crates of IMGGCU prototypes and brought them back to Nym's fortress.
The Imperial Research Facility was a location in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, prior to its closure on December 15, 2011. The Imperial Research Facility was added to the game as part of the so-called "Nym's Theme Park," released with the "Publish 3" on October 8, 2003. This questline was later revamped with the release of the "Game Update 16: Stronghold of the Lok Revenants," on March 23, 2010.