Deenlark

In the initial years of the Galactic Empire's reign, Deenlark held the position of Commandant and President at the highly regarded Royal Imperial Academy, situated on the Imperial capital of Coruscant. This Academy was a primary source of new cadets for the Imperial Navy. He displayed a distinctly unwelcoming attitude towards the Chiss warrior Thrawn and the Wild Space cadet Eli Vanto, who acted as Thrawn's translator. Deenlark questioned whether Admiral Foss intended their assignment as a joke. When Vanto explained that Emperor Palpatine had dispatched them, Deenlark ridiculed the Wild Space native for using complex vocabulary such as "rhetorical."

After expressing disdain towards Thrawn for being an "alien," Deenlark informed him that he was fortunate to have gained the Emperor's favor. Deenlark then explained that Foss had placed him in an orientation program to familiarize the Chiss officer with Imperial protocols, equipment, and terminology. While this program typically lasted six months, Vanto was scheduled to graduate and receive his commission in three months. He gave Thrawn three months to finish the program, warning that failure would result in his expulsion. When Thrawn suggested that the Emperor would disagree, Deenlark countered that the Imperial Academies were tasked by the Emperor with producing officers fit for Imperial service.

Before dismissing them, Deenlark informed Thrawn that Foss had granted him the rank of lieutenant and presented him with a lieutenant's rank insignia plaque. Deenlark then directed a mouse droid to guide Thrawn and Vanto to their living quarters in Barracks Two. Despite the prevalent hostility and snobbery from the primarily Core Worlds student body, both Thrawn and Vanto excelled in their academic pursuits at the Academy. Following Thrawn's victory over Spenc Orbar and Rosita Turuy in a card game, the two cadets hired three of their acquaintances to assault Thrawn and Vanto.

Thrawn and Vanto reported the incident to Deenlark. Despite Vanto and Thrawn providing evidence that Orbar and Turuy had used comlinks to contact their attackers, Deenlark hesitated to take disciplinary action against the instigators because Orbar's family held significant influence in Coruscanti society. Recognizing Deenlark's reluctance to pursue justice, Thrawn proposed transferring the three assailants to the Skystrike Academy instead. Thrawn argued that the attackers possessed the necessary aptitude and demeanor for starfighter pilots. While the attackers might not perceive it as a punishment, Thrawn believed that their sudden departure would unnerve Orbar and Turuy, encouraging them to behave. Since this approach would avoid antagonizing the cadets' parents or initiating a court-martial, Deenlark consented to Thrawn's suggestion.

After leaving Deenlark's office, Thrawn recalled noticing a flatsculp on the left wall of Deenlark's office. Vanto remembered that the flatsculp depicted a warship sailing on ocean waves. Thrawn concluded that the flatsculp was a gift from a powerful Coruscanti family. Eli deduced that the Royal Imperial Academy was indebted to these families, which meant that it was in Deenlark's best interest to avoid a public confrontation. Despite Deenlark's disdain for Thrawn and Vanto, both cadets graduated from the Royal Imperial Academy with high honors, securing second and third place respectively. Thrawn later rose to the rank of Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy, while Eli became a Lieutenant Commander who served as the Empire's attache to the Chiss Ascendancy.

Approximately four years prior to the Battle of Yavin, Deenlark presided over an introductory ceremony attended by 8,000 cadets from across the galaxy. Among the cadets were Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree, hailing from the Outer Rim world of Jelucan. During the event, Deenlark gave a speech urging the cadets to identify as citizens and soldiers of the Empire. He also encouraged the cadets to prioritize their loyalty to the Empire over any allegiance to their homeworlds. He further emphasized that the Empire should come before their families and comrades. Despite Deenlark's words, Ciena and Thane resolved to maintain their friendship.

Eventually, the Academy's Office of Student Outcomes became concerned about the strong bond between Ciena and Thane. They tampered with Thane's TIE fighter's laser cannon and fabricated evidence to implicate Ciena. When Commander Harn sent Ciena to Deenlark's office, Deenlark dismissed Ciena's claims of innocence, suggesting that Thane was her only rival for the top position in their class. Shortly after, Harn arrived in his office with the cadet Jude Edivon, who presented evidence indicating that the data logs had been manipulated.

Deenlark rejected Jude's theory and demanded proof. Jude then proposed that Thane had orchestrated the incident to discredit Ciena. Deenlark then summoned Thane to his office and proceeded to reprimand both cadets. Deenlark informed them that the initial data suggested Ciena was responsible, while the subsequent data implicated Thane. When Thane asserted his innocence, Deenlark retorted that his specialists were unable to determine which data layer was falsified. Unable to identify the culprit, Deenlark decided to penalize the cadets by failing their laser cannon assignment.

Although such an offense would typically warrant a disciplinary hearing and potential expulsion, Deenlark chose to extend "grace" to the aspiring pilots by granting them a second chance. He permitted them to remain as cadets but cautioned that any future incidents would result in immediate and permanent expulsion. Thane and Ciena accepted Deenlark's reprimand but resolved to prove their innocence. Jude later uncovered evidence that the Office of Student Outcomes had orchestrated the incident. While Thane wished to clear their names, Ciena refused to act against their benefactors. This disagreement strained their relationship for the following two and a half years. Thane and Ciena reconciled before their graduation.

Deenlark was a tall human male with prominent, bushy eyebrows. He held the dual role of Commandant and President at the Royal Imperial Academy. Originating from the Core Worlds, Deenlark held aliens like Thrawn in contempt and considered individuals from Wild Space, like Eli Vanto, to be unrefined. Given the Royal Imperial Academy's reliance on financial support from several wealthy Coruscant families, he hesitated to discipline three Core World cadets who had assaulted Thrawn. However, Thrawn successfully appealed to Deenlark's self-interest by persuading him to transfer the troublesome cadets to the Skystrike Academy. Deenlark was known to display a flatsculp of a sailing ship in his office, a gift from an influential Coruscanti family.

He firmly believed that Imperial cadets should abandon their local, familial, and planetary allegiances in favor of pledging complete loyalty to the Galactic Empire. Deenlark displayed a lack of sympathy towards Thane and Ciena, suspecting that one of them had been responsible for the "laser cannon incident." While Deenlark acknowledged their potential as pilots, he warned that any further misconduct would lead to their expulsion.

Deenlark's character was first introduced as a supporting figure in the novel Lost Stars, authored by Claudia Gray and published in 2015. He later reappeared as a supporting character in Timothy Zahn's 2017 novel Thrawn, which serves as a canon origin story for the eponymous character. Although Deenlark's species was not explicitly identified in Lost Stars, the Thrawn novel strongly implied that he was human, based on his prejudice against aliens. Deenlark's human identity was confirmed in the Lost Stars webcomic.