Ferric Obdur

During the Clone Wars, Ferric Obdur held the rank of officer within the Grand Army of the Republic. He was involved in propaganda efforts and played a role in facilitating the transition from the Galactic Republic to the Galactic Empire. His talent for propaganda led to his appointment as chief informational officer to Grand Admiral Rae Sloane a year following the Battle of Endor. Sloane was in command of the Imperial Navy, which had its base in the Vulpinus Nebula. The Empire was engaged in a war of attrition with the New Republic, which had succeeded the Alliance to Restore the Republic and had gained control over significant portions of the galaxy.

As the chief informational officer for Grand Admiral Sloane, Obdur was in charge of the Office of Imperial Promotion, Galactic Truth, and Fact Correction (OIP), which was a remnant of the former Commission for the Preservation of the New Order. Obdur's headquarters were aboard Sloane's flagship, the Super Star Destroyer named Ravager. His responsibilities included producing propaganda posters that criticized the New Republic and managing Sloane's propaganda broadcasts. Obdur's posters portrayed the New Republic as criminals who murdered Imperial cadets and associated with criminal organizations like the Hutts. Grand Admiral Sloane did not agree with Obdur's exaggerated propaganda and advised him to rely on factual information.

Obdur remained firm in his stance, asserting that facts were adaptable. He argued that images and graphics could guide viewers to the truth, even if they did not precisely represent it. Obdur then placed his hand on her forearm, but Sloane moved away and seized his wrist. She then reaffirmed her authority, making it clear that she was not a "girlish assistant" for him to manipulate. Obdur apologized for his inappropriate behavior and sought Sloane's permission to publish the images. Sloane reluctantly gave her approval for Obdur's "distorted" posters.

Because of his abilities in propaganda, Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax invited Ferric Obdur to become a member of his newly established Shadow Council, which was a clandestine high council with the goal of restoring the Galactic Empire. Rax had previously been the commander of the Ravager and was the actual leader of the Imperial forces stationed in the Vulpinus Nebula, with Sloane acting as a figurehead. During the Shadow Council's initial dinner, Obdur and Sloane socialized with the other members of the Council, including former Commandant Brendol Hux, Grand Moff Randd, and General Hodnar Borrum.

When Grand Moff Randd expressed the opinion that the Empire needed to recover and retaliate, Obdur used his cutlery to gesture and responded that they would demonstrate to the rest of the galaxy how it should be done and why they were still essential. Turning his attention to Sloane, Obdur requested that she share an inspiring story from her childhood. When Hux interrupted her, Sloane responded by publicly embarrassing the former Commandant about his illegitimate son, Armitage Hux. Later, Obdur encouraged his fellow delegates to promote the idea of the Empire as a wounded and loyal dog that had been mistreated and abandoned by its irresponsible father.

Fleet Admiral Rax was pleased by Obdur's words and joined the dinner. He informed Obdur and the others that he had formed the Shadow Council to ensure the Empire's survival. During the meeting, Rax revealed that he secretly commanded other Imperial forces in the Almagest, the Recluse's Nebula, the Queluhan Nebula, the Ro-Loo Triangle, and the Inamorata. Rax also announced his plans to utilize the Outer Rim worlds of Zhadalene, Korrus, and Belladoon to produce weapons, starships, and vehicles for a renewed Imperial offensive against the New Republic.

Following the attack on Chandrila, Obdur and the other members of the Shadow Council attended a meeting with Fleet Admiral Rax, who informed them of the "loss" of Grand Admiral Sloane. Obdur stated that Sloane had been captured by the New Republic on Chandrila and that every effort would be made to rescue her. Obdur listened as Rax declared himself Counselor to the Empire and ordered the Imperial fleets to prepare for a showdown with the New Republic above the desert planet of Jakku in the Western Reaches. Obdur and the other Council members were unaware that Rax was secretly planning to eliminate them, with the exception of Hux, whom he considered essential for revitalizing the Empire.

Following the Attack on Chandrila, Obdur and the Imperial fleet traveled to the desert planet of Jakku in the Western Reaches under the orders of Rax, the self-proclaimed Counselor to the Empire, who had assumed leadership in Sloane's absence. In the months following their arrival on Jakku, Obdur and the other members of the Shadow Council attended a meeting at the Imperial headquarters on Jakku. During the meeting, Obdur attempted to bring up the subject of propaganda, but Rax silenced him. Rax considered Obdur to be insignificant because the late Emperor's posthumous Contingency called for the destruction of the entire Empire as punishment for its failure, with only the most ruthless Imperials being spared to rebuild the Empire in the Unknown Regions.

As part of the Contingency, Rax ordered Hux's new child soldiers, who had been recruited from local children on Jakku, to assassinate the propagandist. Obdur was killed in his bed aboard the Super Star Destroyer Ravager. During the Battle of Jakku, Rax claimed that Obdur was ill in order to conceal his death.

Ferric Obdur, a male [human](/article/human], was older than Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. After the Battle of Endor, he had silver hair on his cheeks, jowls, and chin. He was a skilled propagandist who had worked for both the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire. Obdur had a tendency to constantly smile and believed that he possessed superior knowledge compared to his colleagues. Obdur was known to have a beautiful female assistant with pale skin and dark veins.

As a propagandist, Obdur was willing to distort facts to align with the interests and objectives of his superiors. He believed that images and graphics could be used to guide viewers to the "truth," even if they did not accurately represent the facts. Obdur apparently had a romantic interest in Grand Admiral Sloane and once touched her under the guise of offering comfort. However, Sloane strongly disapproved of his inappropriate behavior and warned him that he would lose his arm if he dared to touch her again. Sloane viewed Obdur as an opportunistic sycophant who engaged in lies and falsehoods. Despite disliking his methods, Sloane still considered Obdur to be one of her favorite Imperial colleagues.

Obdur's skills as a propagandist earned him praise from Fleet Admiral Rax, who appreciated Obdur's clever manipulation of facts to create a pro-Imperial narrative. Obdur's talents secured him a position on Rax's esteemed Shadow Council, which the latter intended to use to "thin the herd." After Obdur had become obsolete as a propagandist, Rax arranged for his assassination. This was part of the Emperor's posthumous Contingency plan to eliminate the weak and bring a select group of worthy Imperials into the Unknown Regions to rebuild the Empire.

Ferric Obdur's first appearance was as a supporting character in Chuck Wendig's 2016 novel Aftermath: Life Debt and its 2017 sequel Aftermath: Empire's End, which is set one year after the events of Return of the Jedi.