Bevel Lemelisk

Bevel Lemelisk, a Human male, was born near the end of the Galactic Republic. Early in his life, he studied under Professor Nasdra Magrody, a renowned engineer at the Magrody Institute of Programmable Intelligence. Doctor Tolum Harous, a scientist, was among his classmates. Lemelisk ultimately became both an engineer and an architect. He collaborated with the Geonosians, an insectoid species from Geonosis, assisting in the production of their attack craft. He later became involved in the development of the Death Star, the project for which he is most famous. The Death Star, a battle station capable of destroying entire worlds, was initially conceived by starfighter designer Raith Sienar as the "Expeditionary Battle Planetoid." Efforts to realize Sienar's vision began in 29 BBY, when Wilhuff Tarkin, commander of the Republic Outland Regions Security Force, presented the idea to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Palpatine, showing great interest, appointed Lemelisk to advance hypermatter science, which was essential for constructing such a massive space station.

Over the following years, the initial Death Star concept progressed. As architectural planning began, Lemelisk went to Geonosis to work with the Geonosians, addressing power-supply and structural issues. He significantly altered Raith Sienar's original design, aligning the Death Star's hangars with the station's gravity systems instead of placing them at various angles as Sienar had planned. After the outbreak of the Clone Wars, a major conflict between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Lemelisk began working directly for the Republic. He assisted starship engineer Walex Blissex in developing the Victory I-class Star Destroyer and created other weapons for the Republic Military. Before the Clone Wars, Lemelisk had to suppress his destructive tendencies, keeping his ideas for terrifying weapons to himself. While working with Blissex, he could express these ideas to some extent, but he still had to conceal his true ambitions. When the Republic became the Galactic Empire after the Declaration of a New Order in 19 BBY, Lemelisk finally had the opportunity to realize his ideas, designing numerous highly destructive weapons.

As a highly respected architect, Lemelisk was frequently employed by Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire, eventually becoming the Master of Imperial Projects. In this role, he designed many of the Empire's advanced space stations and rejoined the Death Star project, now under Imperial control. Wilhuff Tarkin, now Grand Moff, oversaw the project, but despite his vision, he lacked deep engineering knowledge. With the help of many subordinate architects and engineers, Lemelisk transformed Tarkin's initial concepts into a practical design at the Maw Installation, a think-tank in a black hole cluster known as The Maw. Palpatine, to ensure the project's continuation, secretly diverted funds from space exploration and public works.

Lemelisk enthusiastically addressed Tarkin's challenges, meeting with the Grand Moff regularly. Tarkin requested a single weapon capable of destroying planets, defenses against capital ships, and a hyperdrive to move the station between systems. He also wanted the station to be self-sufficient, with facilities to reproduce essential supplies. Lemelisk quickly implemented these ideas, exceeding Tarkin's expectations in some areas but falling short in others. To power the massive [superlaser](/article/superlaser-legends], the station had to sacrifice most shielding, though Lemelisk believed the surface-to-air defenses would compensate. He could not develop a hyperdrive for high hyperspace speeds, estimating a Class 3 hyperdrive at best, and warning Tarkin that it might only achieve Class 5 or 6 speeds. The Death Star was ultimately equipped with a Class 4 hyperdrive.

During the design process, Lemelisk nearly choked to death (implied by Tarkin to be by Darth Vader) and had to recover in a bacta tank. In his absence, Tarkin had another professor continue his work. Eventually, his plans were modified and expanded by various scientists brought to the Installation by Tarkin. Lemelisk's colleagues in the Death Star development included Frap Radicon, Umak Leth, Ohran Keldor, and Qwi Xux. Lemelisk also recruited Tol Sivron, a Twi'lek scientist and close associate of Tarkin, to assist with research, deliberately limiting Sivron's access to data for security reasons so he wouldn't realize they were working on a superweapon. Lemelisk mentored less experienced participants like the Omwati Xux, insisting that the weapon would have peaceful uses to avoid scaring her with its destructive nature.

Initially, Lemelisk designed a prototype, drawing plans on reusable durasheet scrolls that would fade after a short time to prevent information leaks. The Death Star prototype was built and refined at the Maw Installation, guarded by Admiral Natasi Daala. After successful testing, Palpatine approved a production version. Lemelisk was appointed chief engineer, and Lord Darth Vader was assigned as a supervisor. To better oversee the battlestation's development, Tarkin had Lemelisk moved from the Maw Installation.

During the Death Star's construction, Lemelisk hosted a debriefing of Insmot Bowen, an expert on the pre-Republic period from the Obroan Institute for Archaeology, on Imperial Center. Also present, representing the Imperial Military, were Admiral Conan Antonio Motti and General Arhul Kurumenga from the Imperial Department of Military Research. Bowen presented his theories about the Celestials, their dominance before the Republic, and their ability to "build" star systems, which Motti dismissed. Lemelisk was curious, and Bowen cited the Corellian system and its irregular planetary orbits, along with 16 other systems, as examples. Lemelisk inquired about the methods used to artificially create these systems, and Bowen suggested that devices like the Cosmic Turbine responsible for the Vultar Cataclysm were of Celestial origin, and that the Corellian system's Centerpoint Station was a suitable research location.

Kurumenga shared Lemelisk's curiosity, but Motti mocked the concept. Nonetheless, Lemelisk continued the debriefing, and Bowen suggested that Centerpoint was used by the Celestials to pull stars and planets through hyperspace. Skeptical about the energy required, Lemelisk considered Centerpoint's destructive capabilities, which Bowen acknowledged. Bowen then theorized that the hyperspace barrier around the galaxy and the chain of anomalies west of the Deep Core might also be Celestial creations, suggesting the entire universe was their design, to Motti's annoyance. Bowen then discussed the Celestials' adversaries, the Rakatan Infinite Empire, and their reliance on the Force. Motti worried that the discussion was becoming treasonous, conflicting with the New Order, but Kurumenga allayed those fears. Lemelisk encouraged Bowen to continue, and the Obroan expert detailed the Infinite Empire's enslavement of hundreds of worlds and the Celestials' disappearance from public knowledge.

Bowen used a holoprojector to show that common motifs in ancient art suggested the Celestials had "survived." Lemelisk recognized reliefs from Imperial Center's ancient districts and asked what had become of the Celestials. Based on Gree Enclave grimoires, Bowen theorized that the Rakatans, originally enslaved by the Celestials, had rebelled against rival species like the Killiks and the Kwa, reaching a technological level rivaling the Celestials. However, a plague decimated the Rakatan population, while their slaves, such as humans, Devaronians, and Gossam, reverse-engineered Rakatan technology to function without the Force. Lemelisk suggested these species built their own empires with Rakatan technology, which Bowen confirmed. Despite the extensive discussion, Motti saw no relevance to the Empire's current issues. Bowen concluded that although the Celestials had disappeared, there was no evidence they had been conquered, and their return remained a possibility.

As construction of the Death Star progressed, Tarkin and Lemelisk moved the project from site to site to prevent sabotage by the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Eventually, construction moved to the Horuz system, where Tarkin closely monitored the project. Lemelisk used Imperial Masticators, spherical craft based on a Geonosian masticator design, to break down asteroids and smelt ore into hull plates. He designed the spheres to be easily dismantled and smelted for construction to maximize efficiency. To simplify crew training, Lemelisk used standard Imperial designs for the station's interior. Deadlines were tight, as Palpatine wanted the station completed before he disbanded the Imperial Senate.

Lemelisk found the penal workers on Despayre, the planet the Death Star orbited during construction, inadequate and informed Tarkin. The Grand Moff executed the entire work crew and took Lemelisk on a "recruitment drive" to Kashyyyk, home of the Wookiees. Lemelisk, unfamiliar with Wookiees but aware of their strength from building the Maw Installation, watched as Tarkin's men attacked a Wookiee village, imprisoning the children and enslaving the adults. At the construction site, the Wookiees initially resisted, but with punishment, drugs, and sonic negative-stimulation transmitters, they were subdued, speeding up production. When production slowed again, Vader visited Tarkin and Lemelisk to "inspire" the workers. He executed two foremen, shocking Lemelisk, and displayed their bodies for all to see. Despite his horror at Vader's methods, Lemelisk acknowledged that the slaves' work improved afterward. Even as the weapon was being built, research continued, with Lemelisk conducting some of his work at a facility in Trid on Danuta.

The station was completed, but Lemelisk was immediately reassigned to develop Torpedo Spheres, inspired by the Death Star and commissioned by Palpatine. Shortly after finishing this work, Tarkin summoned Lemelisk to Eriadu to tour the completed battlestation. En route to the Horuz system, their shuttle, piloted by Tarkin's slave, Ackbar, was attacked by Alliance BTL Y-wing starfighters. Ackbar, who had orchestrated the attack as part of his defection, lowered the shuttle's shields, causing the Alliance fighters to pummel the craft and throw Lemelisk and Tarkin around the cabin. Thinking quickly, they jumped into the escape pod and were soon retrieved by Admiral Motti, who had planned to escort them to Horuz. They then learned that the Alliance had stolen the Death Star plans at the Battle of Toprawa, but Tarkin was unconcerned, believing that the Rebels would fear the station more if they understood its capabilities.

Despite this setback, Lemelisk was aboard the Death Star to witness the Destruction of Alderaan. However, before Tarkin took the station to hunt down the Rebel base, he and the other designers were dropped off at Carida. This proved fortunate for Lemelisk, as the Death Star was subsequently destroyed at Yavin 4. The Alliance, studying the stolen plans, had discovered a flaw in Lemelisk's design—the station's two-meter-wide thermal exhaust port—and exploited it by firing a proton torpedo into the opening. The resulting explosion destroyed the station and killed Tarkin. Fearing for his life, Lemelisk went into hiding at his private retreat on Hefi. However, some reports suggest that Lemelisk's flight to Hefi was only a rumor and may not have occurred.

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After his capture by agents working for Imperial Intelligence, despite his attempts to evade them, Lemelisk was returned to Imperial Center. Unaware of the Death Star's destruction upon his arrival, he anticipated receiving an award from Emperor Palpatine. However, as he stood before the Emperor, a cage descended around him, and Palpatine revealed the superweapon's failure. Surprisingly, the Emperor did not intend to execute him permanently.

Palpatine's disappointment in the superweapon's failure was immense, leading him to use Lemelisk as a warning to others. Furthermore, the vulnerability exploited by the Rebel Alliance originated from Lemelisk's own designs. Helpless, Lemelisk watched as a horde of flesh-eating piranha beetles emerged from the floor. They immediately began consuming him, inflicting excruciating pain for an hour as they tore at his flesh, entered his ears, and blinded him. Bevel Lemelisk succumbed to his injuries and died.

Shortly after his demise, Lemelisk found himself awake in a clone body, his consciousness transferred through Palpatine's dark alchemy. The Emperor believed that Lemelisk's talent was too valuable to lose, but felt compelled to teach him a lesson. While Lemelisk vividly recalled his death, Palpatine clearly stated his desire: a new Death Star, devoid of any design flaws. Overwhelmed by the opportunity to live, viewing the project as an intellectual challenge, and driven by fear, Lemelisk dedicated himself to fulfilling Palpatine's requirements. He focused entirely on the new project, determined not to repeat the mistakes of the first battle station. Instead of the relatively large thermal exhaust port that allowed the Rebels to destroy the original Death Star, Lemelisk devised millions of millimeter-wide heat dispersion ducts. While serving the same purpose, these ducts were virtually impervious to blaster or torpedo attacks due to emergency baffles that dissipated any successful hit's energy.

With the flaws corrected, Lemelisk sought to improve upon the original Death Star in other aspects. He enhanced the station's superlaser targeting system and increased its rate of fire, enabling it to destroy moving targets, such as capital ships. The architect also significantly enlarged the station to accommodate the larger power supply units needed for the enhanced weaponry and systems. To defend against starfighter attacks, Lemelisk added numerous batteries capable of creating a dense anti-starship fire. Lemelisk believed that the completed battle station, named the second Death Star, would be invincible when fully equipped with its TIE Fighter complement.

During the construction, Palpatine executed Lemelisk six more times for perceived slowness or lack of enthusiasm. Using the dark side of the Force, Palpatine transferred Lemelisk's consciousness into new clones, testing the process for his own potential survival. Each death was unique: he was ejected from an airlock, submerged in molten copper, and trapped in a vault filled with acid mist, among other methods.

While working on the Death Star II, Palpatine tasked Lemelisk with building the Tarkin, a stripped-down version of the Death Star with only the superlaser. Construction began near Hockaleg, and Lemelisk used the station to refine ship-mounted superlasers for the Empire's Eclipse-class dreadnought superweapons. He also shared his first death experience with anthropologist Mammon Hoole, who published it over a decade after Lemelisk's final death. While on Kuat, he was targeted for kidnapping by the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk, working for the Zann Consortium, but he escaped and returned to the Empire.

Lemelisk boasted to the Emperor that the second Death Star could only be destroyed during construction. Palpatine believed him and ordered construction to begin. Mon Mothma, leader of the Alliance, also recognized the station's vulnerability and assembled a fleet over Sullust to attack it while it was being built over Endor. In the ensuing battle, the station was destroyed, and Palpatine suffered his first death. Lemelisk was relieved, fearing what Palpatine would have done had he survived. Palpatine later returned in a clone body and replaced Lemelisk as Master of Imperial Projects with Umak Leth.

Despite the widespread belief that Palpatine was dead, Lemelisk traveled to Kuat after the Endor debacle and joined the Imperial design team working on the Eclipse, the first of the Eclipse-class Star Dreadnoughts. He applied his superlaser expertise to the ship, enabling it to crack a planet's crust. When the New Republic captured Kuat, the Eclipse team retreated to the Deep Core. Lemelisk, however, chose to avoid Palpatine's potential resurrection and instead joined Durga Besadii Tai, a Hutt crime lord who controlled the Besadii clan and the Black Sun crime syndicate.

Durga wanted Lemelisk to build a superweapon comparable to the Death Star. To secure resources, Lemelisk designed Automated Mineral Exploiters, large cargo containers with mechanical mouthparts that extracted valuable metals from asteroids. Impressed, Durga deployed them in the Hoth asteroid field. During a test, two Exploiters destroyed each other, incurring Durga's wrath. Despite Lemelisk's request not to be disturbed while working on a complex puzzle, he was brought before the Hutt lord.

Lemelisk attempted to mitigate the loss of the Exploiters by calling them "prototypes," explaining that delays were expected and that he could reprogram the machines. He urged Durga to focus on building a new superweapon, requiring the original Death Star plans. Durga stole the plans from Coruscant and gave them to Lemelisk. The architect approached the project with the same enthusiasm as he had for the first Death Star.

Lemelisk stripped down the Death Star plans, focusing on the superlaser complex, similar to the Tarkin. He increased its power, as the reactor core would only power the weapon. Instead of a spherical design, he chose a cylindrical shape. Resembling a giant lightsaber, the architect named it "Darksaber." Durga approved the plans and authorized construction.

Construction began in the Hoth asteroid field, utilizing the hive-minded Taurill. Lemelisk initially found Durga's idea inspired, though historian Voren Na'al later mistakenly credited Lemelisk. After explaining the project to the Taurill, Lemelisk understood that they could complete the task quickly and enthusiastically. While Durga was briefly on Nal Hutta, General Sulamar, a boastful Imperial officer whom Lemelisk despised, oversaw the project. Lemelisk observed construction from Durga's Orko SkyMine ship, pleased with its progress. Sulamar claimed he could obtain surplus Imperial computer cores, but Lemelisk doubted his ability.

Lemelisk's main issue with the Taurill was their susceptibility to distractions, such as asteroid collisions. When they resumed work, they were often misaligned, creating flaws. One day, Lemelisk noticed a large section of the Darksaber's framework was incorrectly positioned. Frustrated, he reprimanded a Taurill, sending the message to the entire colony. He ordered them to dismantle the section and rebuild it, hoping Durga and Sulamar would not notice.

In two days, the Taurill rebuilt the section. Sulamar nearly discovered the mistake, but failed to notice. While the Taurill were fixing errors, Lemelisk was summoned to Nar Shaddaa to inspect Sulamar's surplus computer cores, a trip he dreaded.

The computer cores turned out to be archaic, designed for sewer systems. Lemelisk believed he could modify them to work with the Darksaber's systems. Durga surprised him during the inspection, but Lemelisk assured him the units would suffice before returning to the construction site. Despite his claims, the modules constantly crashed and failed during construction.

Durga's reliance on inferior materials further hindered development, dooming the project. Working with Sulamar to overcome delays, Lemelisk faced threats from Durga, who threatened him with the same repeated deaths he had suffered under Palpatine. Lemelisk doubted Durga's ability to replicate the Emperor's feat, fearing a botched job more than death. Durga planned to use the Darksaber to extort protection money, drawing the attention of Chief of State Leia Organa Solo, who sent General Crix Madine to investigate.

As construction neared completion, Lemelisk resided on the Darksaber. Spotting a ship entering the system, he inspected the Taurill's work, realizing that Durga's inferior materials would doom the superweapon. He concluded that the station was more likely to destroy itself than anything else.

Soon after completion, Lemelisk, Sulamar, and Durga met to plan their extortion strategies. Alarm klaxons sounded, and an explosion rocked the engine room. Durga's subordinates reported an infiltration, with one saboteur killed and another captured. Enraged, Durga ranted about executions, reminding Lemelisk of his deaths under Palpatine. The captured saboteur was revealed to be Madine.

Madine recognized Sulamar from his Imperial days, exposing him as an incompetent technician. Lemelisk enjoyed the revelation. As Madine revealed more about Sulamar's activities, the embarrassed "General" insisted on executing the saboteur elaborately. Lemelisk scoffed, claiming Palpatine had better ideas. After an exchange between Madine and Durga, the crime lord shot the Republic general.

As Lemelisk watched Madine's body being removed from the bridge, Durga ordered Sulamar to power up the engines. When Durga mentioned using the weapon immediately, Lemelisk panicked and abandoned his new master. Claiming he was inspecting the superlaser complex, Lemelisk stole an inspection scooter and fled into the Hoth asteroid field.

Before dying, Madine sent a distress signal to General Wedge Antilles, who brought his fleet to attack the Darksaber. They engaged the superweapon, but it was destroyed when two asteroids hit it simultaneously. Antilles' frigate, the Yavaris, picked up Lemelisk's scooter. On board was Qwi Xux, a colleague from the Death Star development. Xux accused Lemelisk of deceiving her at the Maw Installation, insisting the weapons they designed would not be used for destruction. When Lemelisk responded in disbelief at her naivety, Antilles told him he would likely be tried for war crimes and executed, a fate Lemelisk accepted.

Lemelisk created six superweapons—the Death Stars, the Eclipse, the Tarkin, and the Darksaber—each capable of destroying planets. In New Republic custody, he was tried for genocide on Coruscant and held on Orinackra for four years, with a brief opportunity to study Lord Hethrir's worldcraft. He was also charged with using slave labor, exploiting planetary populations, and committing other crimes. He became one of the few individuals executed by the New Republic for war crimes, offering defiant indignation and requesting his firing squad to "do it right this time."

Bevel Lemelisk was an ambitious and ingenious man, proud of his technical achievements, especially in superlaser technology. Though he feared Palpatine, he confidently boasted about the Death Star II's improved security. He was not a perfectionist, relying on his connections to high-ranking Imperial officials. He disliked failure but was practical, cautioning against impractical designs.

Lemelisk relished difficult design challenges. He presented a jovial public persona but was happiest designing weapons of mass destruction. He restrained his dreams while working for the Galactic Republic but embraced them in the Empire. He viewed his work on the second Death Star as a test of his intelligence, disregarding the potential deaths of innocents.

Lemelisk neglected his health, growing corpulent. He disliked interruptions and grew indignant when disturbed. While working for Durga, he cowered before the Hutt lord, whom he eventually attempted to talk down to, often being humbled by his violence. He frequently clashed with Sulamar, questioning his suitability for his role.

Lemelisk disliked certain non-Humans, such as the Mon Calamari. He respected the Wookiees' strength but scorned their rejection of technology. During Death Star construction, he prioritized deadlines over well-being.

Lemelisk was forgetful, neglecting basic needs. He worked on puzzles to test his intelligence and grew angry if interrupted. He was curious about galactic history and open-minded, unlike Conan Antonio Motti. Lemelisk was 1.67 meters tall, with white hair and brown eyes.

Bevel Lemelisk was first mentioned in 1990's Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, written by Michael Stern, which detailed his involvement in the original Death Star project and the Death Star II. Bill Slavicsek's Death Star Technical Companion (1991) expanded his role and personality. After mentions in 1994's Jedi Search and 1995's Children of the Jedi, Lemelisk appeared in Kevin J. Anderson's Darksaber as a supporting character. The Darksaber subplot is told from Lemelisk's perspective, with flashbacks fleshing out his work on the original Death Star.

Bill Smith's The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (1996) retroactively tied Lemelisk to the Tarkin superweapon, which first appeared in 1981's Star Wars (1977) 51, nearly a decade before Lemelisk's creation.

In 1998, Lemelisk was visually depicted in Star Wars: Rebellion, but the picture conflicted with descriptions in Darksaber and the Death Star Technical Companion. This was remedied in 2000's The Essential Chronology, which featured a drawing by Bill Hughes that more closely followed the earlier descriptions.

Lemelisk was originally going to appear in the prologue of 2012's The Essential Guide to Warfare. Author Jason Fry wrote of Lemelisk, Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, an Imperial general, and Dr. Insmot Bowen discussing mysterious events, with Bowen attributing them to ancient Celestial technology. However, the prologue was replaced with Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik's account of the Battle of Andalia. Del Rey editor Erich Schoeneweiss felt a battle account would better engage the reader, and Fry agreed.

Anderson created a contradiction regarding Lemelisk's awareness of the Death Star's destruction at Yavin. Galaxy Guide 5 stated he was aware and fled to Hefi. In 1998's Star Wars Encyclopedia, Stephen J. Sansweet called the flight to Hefi "possibly apocryphal." However, it was presented as fact in the 2008 update, The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, retaining the discrepancy.

During the Death Star's early production, Lemelisk joined Wilhuff Tarkin and Tol Sivron on a trip to Imperial Center to discuss details with Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine wanted the name changed. Despite suggestions from Lemelisk and Sivron, the Emperor chose Vader's "Death Star," angering Tarkin. After a failed request for safety rails, Palpatine deemed the thermal exhaust port "too freakin' big," and Tarkin had Lemelisk and Sivron reduce it to two meters. Leaving the meeting, Lemelisk accidentally left the holoprojector of technical readouts behind. Vader retrieved them and urged Tarkin to be more careful, but the last panel implies Vader returned a different holoprojector and kept the one with the actual plans.